Pumbaa is a major character of the 2019 photorealistic CGI remake of The Lion King.
He is based on the character of the same name from the 1994 animated film.
Background[]
Personality[]
Unlike the more cynical Timon, Pumbaa is generally upbeat, cheerful, and optimistic, although he also tends to speak the truth bluntly. He has a big heart and is protective of those in need of help, as evidenced when he pled with Timon to let him take in a young Simba. Pumbaa is naturally skittish and will instinctively flee when threatened by a predator. Despite this, he will fight when provoked, as seen when he reacted with anger and indignation to being called "chubby" by a hyena.
Physical appearance[]
Pumbaa is a large and stout warthog covered in wiry brown hair. He has a long, wide snout from which twin white tusks protrude. He also sports pointed cheeks, shiny black eyes, and a disheveled mane of hair that runs down the back of his neck. He tends to hoist his tail upright when he walks.
Appearances[]
The Lion King (2019)[]
Pumbaa first appears alongside his companion Timon where the duo saves an unconscious Simba from being eaten by vultures. After saving his life, Timon and Pumbaa help Simba adapt to a new life without his father by teaching them to put the past behind him during the musical number "Hakuna Matata". He and Timon take Simba to a nearby jungle where he, Timon, and Simba encounter various animals neighboring the duo who tell him to eat grubs instead of other animals whereas in the original, he and Timon live alone in the jungle without any other neighbors. Simba later adapts to a new life thanks to Timon and Pumbaa's help.
Some time later when Simba is now an adult lion and Nala leaves the Pride Lands under Scar's rule, the neighboring animals decide not to play with him anymore as he has already grown up. However, he helps topple down a termite mound for Timon, Pumbaa, and the other animals for them to eat the termites. Later that night, Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa watch over the stars in the sky to which they remind them of fireflies or crickets to which Simba explains the stars remind him of the Great Kings of the Past just like his father told him. The next day, Timon and Pumbaa sing to the neighboring animals that everything is fine until they encounter Nala fighting against Simba who immediately recognizes him, much to the meerkat/warthog duo's worry that Simba is spending more time with Nala rather than the new friends he made.
When Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, and Zazu accompany him to help find and defeat Scar who is taking over the Pride Lands. On their way, the group notices nearby hyenas sleeping to which the plan to get past them without getting caught is the live bait plan. During the plan, Timon and Pumbaa perform a snippet of "Be Our Guest" just as the hyenas chase the two. Later when Simba and the Pridelanders are fighting the hyenas, Timon and Pumbaa hide for shelter inside just as the hyenas irritate the two by offending Pumbaa. During battle, Timon and Pumbaa help fight against the hyenas while Simba chases Scar to confront him. The battle against him, however, was successful.
After Scar's death, Timon and the other Pridelanders praise Simba for his victory against Scar just as he becomes the new king of Pride Rock. During the end of the film, Timon, Pumbaa, and the other animals watch over the birth of Simba and Nala's newborn cub alongside other animals neighboring him in the jungle and a dung beetle standing on a rock whereas in the original, Timon and Pumbaa are standing next to each other along with Simba and Nala on Pride Rock.
Mufasa: The Lion King[]
Seasons later, when Nala became heavily pregnant with her and Simba's second cub, Simba tasked Timon and Pumbaa with watching Kiara while he helped his mate give birth. Though he forbid them to tell her any stories, they lied to her that they had defeated Scar in the battle of Pride Rock. As they spoke, a storm moved in, frightening Kiara. At that moment, Rafiki approached and comforted her by telling her the story of her grandfather, Mufasa, while Timon and Pumbaa listened from nearby, occasionally interrupting the story with feedback or commentary.
Gallery[]
See also[]
External links[]
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