"Return to the Pride Lands" is the seventy-fourth episode of the Disney Junior animated series The Lion Guard. It premiered on November 3, 2019, and is the series finale.
Plot
As Kion and his team head back to the Pride Lands after learning of Zira intending to attack Kion's family and take over the Pride Lands, joined by Jasiri, Janja, and the other Outlanders, they arrive at the gorge separating the Outlands from the Pride Lands, when Anga looks ahead to see Zira's son, Kovu, standing on Pride Rock, making Kion believe they are too late as they are then attacked by Vitani and her lionesses, who actually even use the Lion Guard motto, indicating they are protecting the Pride Lands now.
Kion prepares to unleash the Roar of the Elders on Vitani and her team after his team get behind him for protection, only for Kiara to appear with Kovu to intervene. Still thinking Kovu is on Zira's side, Kion prepares to use the Roar again, but Kiara places herself in the crossfire, forcing Kion to stand down before explaining that Vitani and Kovu are on their side now, with Vitani apologizing for not recognizing Kion because of his scar since they last saw each other, alongside being with Outlanders, and Kovu explaining that Zira is dead, having completed her journey on the Circle of Life. Kiara asks that Kion and his Lion Guard return to Pride Rock so they can be told everything, and after Kion says goodbye to Jasiri and the Outlanders, knowing they will be watching over the Outlands safely, Kion returns home to reunite with his parents, King Simba and Queen Nala.
After Kion reunites with his parents, Simba thanks Azaad for helping the Lion Guard get home safely, before Rafiki arrives to ask about Makini, who Kion says stayed at the Tree of Life per the request of the late Queen Janna, which fills Rafiki with pride, knowing that Makini's true calling was at the Tree of Life, so Janna was right about her. Kion then asks about Zira, especially because of what happened earlier with Kovu and Vitani, and Rafiki brings the Lion Guard down to show them what happened during their time away from the Pride Lands and at the Tree of Life, revealing the full story of how, after Zira and her pride were exiled by Kion with the Roar of the Elders, she planned a new scheme to conquer the Pride Lands, raising Kovu to try and kill Simba, but during his time getting to know Simba and Kiara, Kovu rebelled against her. When Zira then led Vitani and her lionesses against Simba, Nala, and their lionesses, Kovu and Kiara intervened in the fight, convincing Simba that both prides were one. Vitani and Zira's lionesses realized this and joined Simba, but Zira, blinded by her hatred and vengeance, did not, and it destroyed her. After that, Simba welcomed Kovu, Vitani, and their lionesses into his pride, and named Kovu and Kiara as his heirs to the throne.
With everything settled, the rest of the Lion Guard reunites with their families and friends while Kion spends the day with his family. That night, the Royal Family spend some time speaking with the spirit of Mufasa before heading to the den, but not before Kiara and Kion talk about how Kion misses Rani back at the Tree of Life with Kiara telling him that he can go back with their parents’ support.
The next day, when Kion and his Lion Guard find Vitani and her Lion Guard of lionesses in their headquarters, it is not long before it is decided to have a competition to decide which Lion Guard, Kion's or Vitani's, would defend the Pride Lands, to which the Battle of the Lion Guards begins.
Rafiki tells the Pride Animals about the Battle of the Lion Guards to know whose Lion Guard is better in a competition between Kion and Vitani while Ono gets to be the judge as his position as the Smartest. Imara tells Vitani that she will compete against Beshte to know who is stronger as she and Beshte plan to push a rock at Chakula Plains. At Chakula Plains, Ma Tembo and Zito argue to know if Beshte or Imara is better, to which the first contestant to push the rock to the tree is the winner. During the contest, Beshte pushes a rock with Ma Tembo on it as an older Mtoto cheers him on as Ma Tembo warns Beshte to protect his skin from sunburn while Imara progresses farther than Beshte and wins against him. The next position during the competition is the Fastest, as Fuli challenges Kasi to know who is better, and the contestant who loops around the canyon and returns to the entrance of the canyon first is the winner. Fuli speeds up against Kasi as she wins against the lioness.
The next position during the competition is the Keenest of Sight. Anga competes with Tazama to know which contestant has better keen sight than the other. Soon, as Anga competes with Tazama in the darkness, Anga has trouble finding her way out of the dark. Tazama comes out of the cave first and rescues Laini inside, winning against Anga. The next position during the competition is the Bravest. At the Maumivu Thorn Patch, Bunga competes against Shabaha to know who is better at being brave and the contestant who first gets the fruit at the baobab tree at the top of Makundu Cliffs is the winner. Soon as Bunga and Shabaha compete against each other, Timon and Pumbaa cheer Bunga on. He successfully crosses Urembo River while dodging crocodiles and climbing up Makundu Cliffs and getting the fruit and the baobab tree, winning against her.
After four tough events, leading to the teams being tied at two wins apiece, the last position during the competition is the Fiercest between Kion and Vitani. During the last challenge, it is up to Kion and Vitani to decide the tiebreaker. Vitani calls for a Mashindano, but Kion realizes she doesn't stand a chance since he is armed with the Roar, but Vitani confidently retorts that she doesn't need it, being fierce enough to lead without it while the animals chant for a Mashindano between Kion and Vitani. After talking to Vitani, Kion then remembers that Askari told him that only one who is planning to let go of the Roar completely can truly master the power of it. Recalling what he was told by Askari, Kion sees the meaning to his words, and forfeits the final battle to Vitani, naming her and her lionesses the new Lion Guard, entrusting her with both the Mark of the Guard, and the Roar of the Elders. Vitani tests out the Roar, and successfully pulls it off as the Great Kings of the Past roar with her, truly marking her as the new leader of the Lion Guard as the Mark of the Guard vanishes from Kion and his team.
Suddenly, Askari appears in the sky to commend Kion as, due to him giving up the Roar of the Elders to Vitani, he has truly mastered it, before reminding Kion that there is another place that the Roar is needed to protect: the Tree of Life. Upon this realization, Kion gains the Mark of the Night Pride bestowed to him by Queen Janna before her passing, and then asks his team if they would join him in helping Rani and the Night Pride defend the Tree of Life. Everyone is in agreement, gaining the Mark of the Night Pride as well, before Vitani asks Kion what it means to have "mastered the Roar". Telling her to watch, Kion demonstrates his mastery of the Roar by lifting the entirety of Pride Rock off the ground and holding it aloft in the air as his family, the Pride Landers, and Vitani and her Guard watch in astonishment and surprise. After returning Pride Rock to the ground, Kion listens as Vitani utters his catchphrase "Hevi Kabisa" in shock, but also in admiration, wonder and amazement.
Some time later, a large gathering of animals is at the Tree of Life. Among them are Simba, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Zazu, Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Kion's Lion Guard, Jasiri and her Clan, the Night Pride, and others. Kion then approaches Rani, and with Makini officiating the ceremony, Kion is crowned the new King of the Tree of Life with Rani as his Queen and wife. The crowd erupts into joyful cheers. As everyone celebrates Kion's coronation and marriage to Rani, the new couple roar proudly to the gathered animals as the spirits of King Mufasa, Queen Janna, and Askari smile down from the heavens as the Great Lions of the Past roar in celebration as the Roar returns to the Tree of Life once again.
Cast
- Max Charles as Kion
- Joshua Rush as Bunga
- Diamond White as Fuli
- Atticus Shaffer as Ono
- Dusan Brown as Beshte
- Bryana Salaz as Anga
- Landry Bender as Makini
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani
- Behzad Dabu as Azaad
- Maia Mitchell as Jasiri
- Maisie Klompus as Madoa
- Andrew Kishino as Janja
- Vargus Mason as Cheezi
- Greg Ellis as Mzingo
- Gary Anthony Williams as Mufasa
- Lacey Chabert as Vitani
- Fiona Riley as Shabaha
- Savannah Smith as Kasi
- Rachel Crow as Imara
- Sophie Reynolds as Tazama
- Eden Riegel as Kiara
- Jason Marsden as Kovu
- Rob Lowe as Simba
- Gabrielle Union as Nala
- Khary Payton as Rafiki
- Kevin Schon as Timon, Chungu, Thurston
- Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa
- Meghan Strange as Laini
- Lynette Dupree as Ma Tembo
- Nick Watt as Zito
- Michael Luwoye as Askari
- Jaime Camil as Pinguino
- Cam Clarke as Mwoga
- Justin Felbinger as Mtoto
Gallery
Trivia
- This episode takes place after The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, making this episode an epilogue as well as a television sequel. This is also the second Disney television episode to take place after a Disney sequel movie. The first was Hercules and the Arabian Night, which takes place after Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
- However, the events of Simba's Pride are recapped when Kion talks to his parents about Zira and her minions attacking the Pride Lands to which Rafiki points the animals to a rock recapping the aforementioned film plots.
- This episode creates an inconsistency between the series and its now-prequel, Simba's Pride: In the painting depicting the events of Simba's Pride to the Lion Guard, it's stated that after Zira's encounter with Kion, she devised a new plan to overthrow Simba, which was training Kovu to become a teenage killer, an obvious reference to her plan in the 1998 film, however it ultimately failed when Kovu betrayed the Outsiders for Kiara. This is shown to be an invalid time-line, since in the film, Zira begins her training of Kovu directly after his encounter with Kiara, which is set to take place before the events of The Lion Guard, and as a result, Kovu would've been in the midst of his training by the events of Lions of the Outlands.
