Timon is a major character in Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King and the protagonist of the 2004 film The Lion King 1½. He is a wisecracking meerkat and the best friend of Pumbaa, a warthog. Though he originates from an industrious family, Timon lives an easygoing lifestyle of grub-eating and sleeping, under a "problem-free philosophy" called "Hakuna Matata".
Background
Timon is the best friend of Pumbaa, the friend and guardian (when he was a cub) of Simba, the son of Ma, and the nephew of Uncle Max. Inspired by the idea of having a major predator on their side in The Lion King, he and Pumbaa took Simba in when he collapsed of heat exhaustion and guilt after his father's death.
There are two versions regarding Timon's origin. In the Timon & Pumbaa episode "Once Upon a Timon", Timon lived in a colony that was ruled by the Duke Meerkat and every meerkat in the colony had specific duties in which they all take seriously. One day, the Duke was away and Timon had guard duty, but he left his post to speak with Princess Tatiana, the daughter of Duke Meerkat, whom Timon had a large crush on. However, a snake invaded the colony and kidnapped Tatiana after Timon was gone. As a result, Timon got blamed for abandoning his post and was exiled from the colony. He soon met and befriended Pumbaa, who was also an outcast. The two then came across Tatiana, who was held captive by the snake, and rescued her. When Timon and Tatiana returned to their kingdom with the help of Pumbaa, Timon was offered to marry the princess and get the good life he could ever want, but he decided to live the Hakuna Matata life with Pumbaa instead.
In The Lion King 1½, however, Timon and his colony lived in underground tunnels, where they dig in constant fear of hyenas. Timon is primarily shown as the every-man meerkat of his colony, who longs for a better life and according to him: "...where we don't have to dig tunnels and live with our heads stuck in the sand." Due to his poor digging skills, he was disliked by his fellow meerkats. His mother convinced his uncle Max to put him on sentry duty, but it ended in disaster as Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed invaded. As the meerkats (except Ma) blamed Timon for the invasion, Timon decided to find a new home as he felt he didn't fit in.
Development
In the earliest versions of The Lion King, Timon and Pumbaa were portrayed as children from the Pride Lands that were childhood friends of Simba. It was later decided that Timon and Pumbaa would be outcasts so that Simba would have someone to take him under their wings after the his exile.
When writing "Hakuna Matata", Timon had a verse explaining his backstory. According to the song, Timon was a misfit amongst his meerkat colony, as he refused to work. This ultimately led to his banishment. The filmmakers felt the verse wasn't working, so it was instead changed to focus on Pumbaa's backstory instead.
Voice
Nathan Lane originally auditioned for the parts of Zazu and one of the hyenas. During a recording session for the latter role, Nathan worked with his friend Ernie Sabella. The chemistry between the two were so strong and authentic that the filmmakers decided that Lane and Sabella should be cast to instead play Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. Interestingly, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are some of the few voice actors in Disney Animation history to record their dialogue together, rather than separately as is the usual case for voice work. Rice, however, said to have gotten the idea for the lyrics for the song from watching the BBC comedy series Bottom, and at one point he wanted the show's stars Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson to play Timon and Pumbaa, respectively.
Personality
In the The Lion King films, Timon can be self-centered and thoughtless at times. One example is proven when they decided to take Simba in, where he robs Pumbaa of the credit Pumbaa rightfully deserves. But in the end, he has a good heart and is loyal to his friends and family. Unlike most meerkats, who work constantly, Timon is a daydreamer which results in him being an outcast of his colony. His status at the bottom of the food chain means he relies on stronger animals to protect him once he's on his own, and as such, he usually looks out for himself, but nonetheless, never abandons his friends and family in times of trouble and is willing to risk himself for them. He is also shown to be self-absorbed and not as clever as he'd like to think he is, such as sometimes claiming Pumbaa's good ideas as his own. Timon is not incapable of thinking up his own plans, though, as shown by one of his greatest moments being the "Tunnels" plan in The Lion King 1½.
He is also a bit of a coward, but with some amount of ability to be a bit of a daredevil, as evidenced by the part of The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride where he tried to intimidate Zira by sarcastically introducing himself and Pumbaa to her and yelling at her to get out of their Pride Lands, but it backfired when Zira instantly replied, "YOUR Pride Lands?!" and roared, and Timon hid behind Pumbaa.
In The Lion King 1½, Timon is shown to have a very good heart in this film and is loving in some scenes between him and Ma, and shares a strong bond with her. Additionally, it is shown that, while he only choose to adopt Simba because he could protect him and Pumbaa, he actually treated Simba like his own son, even saying to Pumbaa that "[their] Simba is growing up" after being defeated by the teenage lion. However, Timon also shows a selfish side when he refuses to help Simba challenge Scar and prefers to stay alone in the jungle rather than going to Pride Rock with Pumbaa (though he regrets what he has done after encountering Rafiki a second time and decides to make up with his friends and help Simba).
Timon is also iconic for being best friends with Pumbaa, the warthog. The two are nearly inseparable and are shown together constantly. Being extremely close, they share interests such as sleeping, fun-filled activities, and most of all, eating bugs, which they mostly refer to as grubs. The duo is also known to argue time and time again, mostly because of Timon's selfishness and Pumbaa's ultimate nobility causing their personalities to clash. Even so, they never separate for long, and soon enough, their bond is tightened once again. Also, while Pumbaa is generally the true brains of the outfit, he is still very childish, with Timon is shown to be rather protective of the warthog when the latter is in some kind of unfortunate event due to his naivety. This is an example of Timon's ultimate loyalty towards his friends and family. Despite his self-absorbed nature, he will eventually come around to do what's right, despite the sacrifices he has to make.
Timon has also demonstrated his more selfish side in the Timon & Pumbaa TV series. Notable examples are in "To Kilimanjaro Bird", where Timon callously steals a bowlful of bugs from a baby eagle and is initially reluctantly about babysitting the eagle in retribution; in "You Ghana Join the Club", he needlessly steals a watch from a lion when retrieving a set of jingle bells; in "How to Beat the High Costa Rica", after Timon and Pumbaa retrieve a case full of stolen money from Criminal Quint, Timon squanders it all on himself instead of taking it to the police; in "Kenya Be My Friend?", Timon forgets "Bestest Best Friend Day" and outright prefers to end his friendship with Pumbaa instead of admitting that he forgot (although they reconcile and he continues to deny forgetting it to avoid breaking Pumbaa's heart), among others. In these instances, it is usually Pumbaa who is the voice of reason and helps Timon to make the right decision. Timon can also realize his mistakes and is willing to take responsibility for his actions. Examples being in "Never Everglades", where he regrets what he said to Pumbaa about Pumbaa Jr. needing to be with his own kind, which caused the alligator to run away from home, "Maine-Iacs", where he confesses to Boss Beaver that he is responsible for his lumber mill burning down and sacrifices the last penny he has, and "Timon...Alone", where he shows remorse for abandoning Pumbaa and criticizes himself for doing so.
Other than those times, Timon is also shown to be caring towards his friends and also shown to be brave and have unique heroic characteristics. Some examples are in "Timon's Time Togo", where he rescues Pumbaa from falling off a cliff, "French Fried", where he and Pumbaa rescue Speedy the Snail from getting cooked by Culinary Quint, "Once Upon a Timon", where he and Pumbaa rescue Tatiana from a cobra, and "Forbidden Pumbaa", where he tries to rescue Pumbaa from an alien robot without any hesitation. In The Lion King 1½, Timon shows more of his heroism than seen in other appearances, such as having exceptional bravery in the part where he risks his own life to fix a failed hyena trap that Ma and Uncle Max create.
Physical appearance
Timon is a slim adult meerkat. He has tan fur with a lighter underbelly (and palms), while having red-coral hair, also having triangular points on his arms, with a more brown color (same color as his toes and fingers). He has a large dark brown nose (red when he is in pain), with white teeth and large black eyes and eyebrows, having a large smile.
Appearances
The Lion King
Timon in The Lion King.
Timon, along with Pumbaa are first seen when they find Simba when the cub had succumbed to heat exhaustion and was about to be eaten by vultures before they scared them off while playing their game: "Bowling for Buzzards". Timon was hesitant to take in a predator, but Pumbaa suggested that they could teach him to be on their side so that he doesn't eat them. Timon initially laughs at the idea, but then takes the idea for his own (being a comedic effect throughout the franchise).
When Simba wakes up, Timon is shown to emphasize that they saved him, learning that he too like him and Pumbaa, is an outcast. They then taught him their life philosophy, Hakuna Matata. They also introduce Simba to a diet of bugs to keep him from one day eating them. As Simba ages with Timon and Pumbaa raising him as his adoptive fathers, he continues to learn Hakuna Matata, becoming very carefree.
Years later, when Simba is an adult, after eating heavily, they begin to stargaze. When Pumbaa asks what the "sparkly dots" Timon claims that they are fireflies, though Pumbaa reveals he thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles beyond, causing Timon to laugh (ironically Pumbaa is correct as stars are burning balls of gas). When they ask Simba, he states that someone told him that they were the great kings of the past, much to Timon and Pumbaa's mocking, saddening Simba, leaving them.
Timon is then seen singing with Pumbaa, until he finds out he left and tries to help him escape Nala, with Simba joining, though when the two recognize each other, they stop fighting. As the two begin to fall in love, Timon is shown being worried about Simba leaving them. However, he joins Nala and Pumbaa as they race to meet up with Simba. With all four standing near a desolate Pride Rock, Timon questions Simba if they are going to fight his uncle Scar for his home. After Simba confirms so, Timon replies by saying that he is with him to the end and bows.
At Pride Rock, he and Pumbaa dance the hula to distract the hyenas so that Simba and Nala can get by. He and Pumbaa then fight off numerous hyenas before he is chased by Shenzi and Banzai into Scar's cave and takes cover in Zazu's cage after Scar confesses to the pride that he killed Mufasa. Pumbaa rescues both him and Zazu while in a fit of rage after being called 'Pig' by Banzai, who, along with Shenzi, ended up thrashed and fleeing out of the den, with Timon alongside Pumbaa and Zazu give a victory yell.
After the death of Scar and winning the battle, Timon and Pumbaa watch Simba ascend the throne of Pride Rock, destined to him years before, seeming proud. They are then seen when the Pride Lands are restored to its glory, with the Pride Animals returning, with Timon on top of Pumbaa as they attend the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Timon in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Timon returns in the sequel, with Nathan Lane reprising his role, with them seeming to have moved to Pride Rock and have become the babysitters of Simba's adventurous daughter, Kiara.
Timon, along with Pumbaa, is first seen in the presentation of baby Kiara. He was telling Pumbaa that they'll sure have some pretty good times with Kiara like how they had with Simba, assuming the cub to be a boy. However, Rafiki tells them that Kiara is actually a girl, making both Timon and Pumbaa faint in shock as a result.
When Kiara grows up into a mischievous cub, Simba asks both Timon and Pumbaa to babysit her, and when they do so, Timon gets into an argument with Pumbaa over their bugs, allowing Kiara to slip away and run into the Outlands, they notice and tell Simba, and soon they find Kiara with Zira, a lioness who followed Scar and her son Kovu, and when Zira and Simba confront each other, Timon tells them to get out of their Pride Lands, though Zira roars at them, scaring Timon. Afterwards, they are seen alongside the lionesses returning to Pride Rock.
When Kiara goes on her first hunt, they are first seen watching, leading them to tears. They are then hired to make sure she won't get hurt. Enraged when she finds out that her father didn't trust her (as Timon and Pumbaa were caught and tried to lie about it by saying that they were shopping), she escapes from the Pride Lands to hunt outside the boundary, with leads to a wild fire with Kovu saving her and he is reluctantly allowed in the Pride Lands. While Kovu teaches Kiara how to hunt, they ran into Timon and Pumbaa and Timon tells her that this time, they are not following her, as they happens to be in the best place of the Pridelands.
Timon and Pumbaa also teach Kovu how to have fun after he forgets due to years of indoctrination in hatred. When Kovu's pride, the Outsiders, turn on Simba and ambush him, Timon is on Simba's side automatically and tries to attack Kovu (whom Simba believed was part of the ambush) making Pumbaa hold him back, but he let's go of Timon after taking him seriously. Though, he is not seen driving Kovu out or aiding the lionesses in holding back Kiara (who knew that Kovu was innocent). That night, Timon and Pumbaa go to Pride Rock and find Kiara gone (having left to find Kovu) and reveal this to Simba, just as Zazu arrives to alert Simba of the Outsiders coming. Timon and Pumbaa later assist in the battle against the Outsiders, led by Kovu's mother Zira, but get chased off and cornered by a group, until Timon brandishes Pumbaa's tail like a gun and threatens them that "this thing loaded" (with Pumba's infamous stink), causing them to flee in fear. Despite being slightly cowardly, they are willing to fight for what is right. After Kiara convinces the Outsiders to rejoin the Pridelanders, Simba tries to make peace with Zira after realizing that both prides "were one", he uses the same advice Timon and Pumbaa gave him when he was a cub (Put the past behind you) showing how much he had learned from his friends.
At the end of the film, Timon and Pumbaa are seen alongside the newly reformed Pride, as he and Pumbaa witness the wedding of Kiara and Kovu, where the two begin to cry, much to Zazu's annoyance, covering his wings from their tears.
The Lion King 1½
- “I found a place that was beyond my wildest dreams. But... it still wasn't home.”
- ―Timon, to his mother.
Timon in The Lion King 1½.
In the beginning, Timon is shown to be the meerkat of his colony who wants to do things differently than from what a "normal" meerkat has to do in order to survive. After causing a network of tunnels to collapse, we see Timon's unfortunately, failed attempt at building a skylight in view of his colony, which then crumbles in front of his feet. Timon's mother attempts to salvage the issue of another colony-despised work from her son and leads him away. Timon tells Ma that all they do is hide from predators and dig to survive and that he wants to live in a place where they do not have to live this way. To his temporary dismay, however, he is then told by Ma that: "Everything the light touches, belongs to someone else," and that it is nature's design.
While hearing Uncle Max ask the colony who is on sentry duty in the background, Ma comes up with an idea to help Timon take up this duty for them. After witnessing Iron Joe and Timon's family agreeing to him doing so (and Timon telling us the audience that he is now "convinced" about his new job), he is taught by Uncle Max to "Scurry, sniff, flinch," and to scream when he sees a hyena invade their colony.
While on sentry duty, Timon practices the technique a few times on a large rock, before he begins to daydream and eventually breaks into his song "That's All I Need". This causes him to not realize that the hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, have invaded his colony until the hyena trio are standing right in front of him. When Timon is confronted by them, Shenzi hits him aside, and the hyenas begin to raid the meerkat colony. Timon is pulled safely underground by Ma, along with the rest of the colony finding shelter in their underground tunnel network. Uncle Max, however, is nearly eaten by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, before appearing where the rest of the meerkats are hiding from the hyenas.
While underground, Timon tries to apologize to his entire colony for his disastrous mistake but is completely despised by them and Uncle Max for failing at being a sentry. His entire colony leaves him where he is standing, except for Ma, who attempts to help her son, but Timon sighs and walks off.
Later on outside, Timon is sitting down, grieving his mistake on the same rock where he was on sentry duty. For a moment, his mother watches him from behind but then goes to comfort him. Timon explains to her that he is never going to please his colony and that he must find his own home away from there. At first, Ma strays from this and attempts to muse her son's hair, while claiming that he can still fit in, which irritates Timon, who continues to insist to his Ma that he cannot stay any longer with the colony, until his mother eventually (but reluctantly) gives into her son's desire to leave.
Timon, leaving his original home where his meerkat colony initially resides.
When Timon hears Ma's wish, which is that he will find what he is looking for away from his original home, he walks back to hug her and tells his mother that he loves her while doing so. After a long embrace between them, Timon briefly holds Ma's hands and assures her of his safety while he is gone. He then smiles warmly at her, just before turning away to begin his journey in finding his own home.
After walking for some time and now night, Timon stops and suddenly but comically breaks into tears, crying out for his "mommy" due to realizing what he has done by leaving his original home. Unsure of where to go now and kneeling next to his tree, Rafiki then appears next to him and asks what he seeks. After briefly freaking out at Rafiki's sudden appearance, Timon tells him that he wants to live in a place where he does not have to hide or worry. In response, Rafiki tells him about Hakuna Matata and to "Look beyond what you see" (while not realizing that Timon takes such things literally).
At first, Timon questions the mandrill about looking beyond what he sees but after making a sarcastic remark about Rafiki's existential behavior; he looks out over the horizon to find what Timon refers to Pride Rock in this scene as "the big pointy rock." Trying to confirm with Rafiki that this is his new home, he is now nowhere to be found and Timon briefly wonders about his identity, but takes it off his mind and then continues walking onward to what he now sees as his dream home, to Pride Rock.
After a short while of walking in a tall grass field, Timon is initially frightened by an unknown animal who reveals itself to be Pumbaa. At first and after introducing each other and telling Pumbaa about his journey, Timon considers him to be a bodyguard but later comes to see as a friend. Timon and Pumbaa are shown passing through the numerous musical sequences and major events of The Lion King throughout their journey, not to mention causing a few of the mysterious things from the first movie, from Pumbaa's flatulence in "Circle of Life" to causing the collapse of the animal tower from "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", to the Elephant Graveyard as for watching their backs to get out before the hyenas sees while they salute to Scar from "Be Prepared" to getting caught up in the stampede which killed Mufasa at the gorge.
Raising a playful Simba.
The two eventually find the oasis and dub it their new home, living in complete bliss until meeting up with Simba (as seen in the original film) and comes to face the responsibilities of parenthood, while also doing activities such as a snail-slurping contest with Simba during his teenage years. It is revealed that Timon and Pumbaa also actively tried to stop Simba and Nala from falling in love rather than merely singing about it.
At first, after Simba returns to Pride Rock, Timon does not want to follow (due to claiming that he and Pumbaa already had Hakuna Matata before Simba) and splits from Pumbaa, causing their friendship to be temporarily broken. But after a certain amount of time of being lonely and feeling guilty due to what he'd done, Rafiki comes back to him in the jungle paradise and Timon comes to understand that if you're alone and unhappy, you cannot have "Hakuna Matata". He then runs to Pride Rock and catches up with Pumbaa along the way, repairing his friendship with him by declaring that: "Friends stick together to the end."
After Pumbaa embraces him, they both continue on to Pride Rock to help Simba reclaim the throne. Here, Timon reunites with Ma and Uncle Max, who come looking for him after Rafiki tells Timon's mother about the metaphor he had told her son. He then joins the final battle, diverting the hyenas from attacking Simba. Timon thinks up of a plan involving tunnels to trap the hyenas, stalling them while Ma and Uncle Max are digging underground, by spinning plates, doing the can-can, break dancing, and finally, in desperation, "proposes" to Shenzi, much to her utter disgust and Pumbaa's jaw-dropping speechlessness.
Timon facing off with the hyenas.
After noticing that the tunnel trap fails to swallow the hyenas that are closing in on Timon and his friend and family members, he dives between Shenzi's legs (who nearly eats him in the process) and determinedly runs underground to break the last standing support, completing the trap. This successfully diverts the hyenas away from Ma, Pumbaa, and Uncle Max.
Soon after the hyenas and Scar are defeated, Timon is temporarily nowhere to be found. This causes his mother to become frantic about her son, fearing that he may no longer be alive. But Timon arises from a ground opening behind her and calls to Ma that he is okay while walking toward her. Ma, however, remains frantic and, nearly going crazy in the process, grabs her son by the chest and shakes him while not realizing that it is Timon. When Ma notices him right in front of her, she embraces him in a huge hug and Timon gives in.
Although his mother initially refrains from fixing Timon's hair due to him being irritated from it near the beginning, Timon allows her to fix it and dust him off, just before Uncle Max then grabs and hugs Timon tightly around his neck.
Afterward and while rain is falling over Pride Rock, Timon is shown along with Pumbaa standing on one side from Simba just before his ascension on the promontory where he hugs both of them and says that he could not have become the rightful king without them. With his hands clasped together, Timon watches Simba make his way up to the promontory and tells Pumbaa that he promised himself that he was not going to cry at the ongoing event. While Simba and the lionesses roar in the background, Timon deeply smiles up at his lion friend and then shares a look with Pumbaa, Ma, and Uncle Max.
Timon with Ma, Pumbaa, and Simba during the finale.
With Ma standing next to him and his hands behind his back and still watching Simba, she then asks her son in wanting to know if he had found what he was looking for since leaving the colony. Timon replies to his mother, saying that although he found a place that was beyond anything he could ever dream of, it still was not truly home without her, along with his friends and family. He then takes Ma's hand and the background around them revolves to the jungle paradise where he is now showing it to her. After Ma tells him that their new home has everything, Timon reaffirms her that with everyone now there (including his meerkat colony), it surely does.
During the reprise of "Digga Tunnah", Timon is hailed as a hero and praised by his colony for bringing them to the Promised Land. He is shown standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his mother with their hands together at the end, on top of and along with Pumbaa and Simba below their feet, while balanced over water.
Timon & Pumbaa
Timon in The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa.
In the spin-off series, Timon and Pumbaa have many adventures both within and outside the Serengeti. The two friends visit many different places across the globe, such as New York City, Canada, Spain, Paris, and Las Vegas, whether it is to hunt for the various species of grubs found in each location or for a simple vacation. Many of Timon's actions in the show involves "get rich quick" schemes.
Timon and Pumbaa's friendship is also focused on throughout the show, with the two becoming even closer and closer than they already were, to the point where they call each other "bestest, bestest, best, best friends" in the series finale, "Cliphangers". Their friendship is proven to be so strong that they are willing to do whatever it takes to help and protect each other, as well as stay with each other. The best example is in the episode "Scent of the South", where after Timon berates Pumbaa for his foul smell, Pumbaa seeks help from a skunk expert to remove his odor so that he can still be friends with Timon. However, as Timon believes that Pumbaa left him for the skunk because of her smell, he decides to make himself smell as bad as possible so that he can still be friends with Pumbaa. The "Stand by Me" music video also involves Timon singing about how happy he is and will be as long as he has Pumbaa by his side. As "bestest best friends", however, the two are not without their occasional conflicts, with issues such as arguments and sometimes fighting between the two. Timon finds himself annoyed with Pumbaa's "ugly" appearance and foul scent while Pumbaa finds himself annoyed with Timon's ego and obnoxiousness, but they work together to solve their problems (sometimes involving help from Rafiki) and learn to accept each other's flaws.
It is revealed in the series that before Timon met Pumbaa, he had a best friend named Fred, who is a meerkat who loves pulling practical jokes. The episode "Isle of Manhood" also reveals Timon taking a manhood test in order to prove himself brave and manly.
In "Timon's Time Togo", Timon dies from eating a poisonous bug, but the meerkat angel sends him back to Earth so that he can perform one good deed in order to enter Meerkat Heaven. Timon, however, decides to never again do any good deeds so that he'll never die and leave Pumbaa forever. In another episode "The Law of the Jungle", Timon breaks the law by touching a forbidden stick. Due to that, he gets sent to a jungle court by the vulture police, where a rhino judge, known as the Wonderful Rhino of Laws, comes up with various tests for Timon to prove his innocence.
In the episode "Once Upon a Timon", a pre-existing version of Timon's backstory was revealed. He lived in a more civilized colony, which was ruled by the Duke Meerkat and his daughter Princess Tatiana, whom Timon had a massive crush on. One day when Timon had guard duty while the Duke was away, he left his post to speak with the princess. While he was gone, a snake invaded the colony and kidnapped Tatiana. As a result, Timon got blamed for abandoning his post and was banned. He soon met and befriended Pumbaa, who was also an outcast. Soon enough, the two came across Tatiana, who was held captive by the snake, and rescued her. When Timon returned to the colony with Pumbaa and Tatiana, he was offered to marry the princess and get the good life, but that would mean leaving Pumbaa. Therefore, he decided to stay with his pal and live a Hakuna Matata life.
In the series, Timon's last name was revealed to be Berkowitz. According to Pumbaa, Timon's middle name is Leslie, which is one of his secrets.
House of Mouse
Timon in House of Mouse.
Timon is a recurring character on the House of Mouse television shows and films. Timon made appearances usually along with Pumbaa, but also with Simba, Rafiki, Nala, Mufasa, Scar, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. He often has a comment on a certain performance (most of the time, it's rude).
In the episode "Timon and Pumbaa", Timon and his buddy get into an argument and do not reconcile until Pumbaa is embarrassed on stage and Timon backs him up.
In "Donald's Pumbaa Prank", Pumbaa is kidnapped by Pete, and Timon spends the evening trying to find his friend through the help of the club's staff. Eventually, through the help of Donald Duck, Pumbaa is returned safely.
In "Dining Goofy", Timon complained to Goofy about his and Pumbaa's meal having bees (which he did not order). Pumbaa assured Timon not to worry as he liked them, which was what worried Timon (bees give Pumbaa bad gas). Timon later sent Minnie his air freshening bill. When Ludwig Von Drake initiated his digital dining technology, Timon and Pumbaa got an order of bugs that don't give the latter gas, which the former replied: "Thank the Circle of Life."
In "Humphrey in the House", during the scene where the Three Good Fairies were going to bake a cake without magic like they did in Sleeping Beauty, Timon says that they are fairies and that they have magical powers.
In Mickey's Magical Christmas, Timon and Pumbaa are asked their Christmas wishes. While Pumbaa wants grubs, Timon desires air fresheners for Pumbaa's odor problem. At the end of the film, it is revealed that Timon actually did get an air freshener for Pumbaa. However, Pumbaa was pleased by the gift.
Although he and Pumbaa do not appear in Mickey's House of Villains, it is consisted possible that Timon along with Pumbaa were locked in the kitchen with the other Disney characters during the Villains' takeover.
Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety
Timon in Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety.
Timon and Pumbaa star in a series of educational shorts centering steps on living a healthy and/or safe life. Timon however, acts as the example most of the time, not knowing any safety/healthy guidelines. This leads Pumbaa to teach his friend about a certain topic.
Quite a few episodes begin with Timon and Pumbaa enjoying an activity when Timon demonstrates an act of irresponsibility to his own well-being, which prompts Pumbaa to begin the lesson. Timon can behave rather dim-witted in the shorts, following the lines of the television series where it was revealed that Pumbaa was the real brains of the outfit, and Timon would usually just steal his ideas.
The Lion Guard
Timon in The Lion Guard.
Set in the middle of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Timon and Pumbaa return, and have become the adoptive uncles of a young honey badger named Bunga. Together, they reside in an area of the Pride Lands called Hakuna Matata Falls. Despite being his uncles, Timon and Pumbaa act more along the lines of parental figures to Bunga, Timon being the sterner and aggressive of the two, in regards to raising Bunga, specifically due to his dislike for Bunga's life philosophy, "Zuka Zama".
They first appear in the pilot film, helping Zuri free her claws from a log. Timon fancies himself an expert on removing claws from logs, as Simba repeatedly got his claws stuck in logs during his childhood days with him and Pumbaa. Before they can do so, the duo is greeted by an excited Bunga, who announces that he and Simba's son, Kion, are to be members of the new Lion Guard; protectors of the Pride Lands. Timon is immediately against the idea, believing hard work and danger to be against Hakuna Matata, though Kion is able to alter this train of thought by claiming he needs Bunga to join due to the honey badger being the bravest animal he knows. This is enough to impress Timon, who shows great pride in his nephew's title, and the meerkat subsequently congratulates Bunga on his position.
Since Return of the Roar, Timon has become considerably more accepting towards Bunga's various quirks and has shown to be as supporting as Pumbaa at times, such as in instances during "The Rise of Makuu" and "Bunga the Wise".
In "The Search for Utamu", it was revealed how Timon and Pumbaa came to adopt Bunga. One day, while searching for rare utamu bugs that only come out once a year, a baby, orphaned honey badger latches onto Pumbaa's leg. Timon orders the toddler to leave, but he remains and makes it apparent that he wishes to stay by the duo's side. Timon notes his disinterest in raising another child (after all the work Simba was), telling Pumbaa that they've already done so with Simba, but with Bunga's persistence strong, Timon concocts a scheme and orders the honey badger to fetch grubs from a tall tree branch, dangling over a chasm. Bunga does so effortlessly, both surprising and impressing Timon, who had assumed the honey badger would be too fearful to go through with the task. Feeling that they have a perfect grub-catcher, Timon decides to keep Bunga.
In "Bunga and the King", Timon shows his emotional side when he thinks about how his two "babies" (Simba and Bunga) are lost in a network of tunnels. He is seen crying and being visually relieved once Bunga and Simba rejoin them.
In "The Imaginary Okapi", Timon and Pumbaa are briefly seen bathing in a water hole during "You're Gonna Love It Right Here".
When a group of young animals claims to have seen the Zimwi in "Beware the Zimwi", Timon gets the group's attention by scratching a rock wall with a stick. Once the young ones gather round, Pumbaa informs them that Timon is the only animal in the Pride Lands to have survived an encounter with the beast. Though Pumbaa claims that Timon has seen the Zimwi, Timon explains that his mother's cousin's friend knows an ox who was eaten by the Zimwi. Kion questions how the ox could have told anyone about the Zimwi if he had been eaten, and Timon answers that Kion would have to ask the ox.
In "The Ukumbusho Tradition", Timon and Pumbaa help the Lion Guard practice for the Ukumbusho Celebration.
In "Timon and Pumbaa's Christmas", Timon, Pumbaa and Bunga adorn a tree with gourds. Timon starts to sing "Jungle Smells", but Pumbaa and Timon disagree on how the song lyrics were supposed to be. With the tree nearing completion, Timon turns to Bunga for a star fruit. Once he hands it over, Timon takes it to the top of the tree and snaps it in half, placing one half on the side. But after he places it on the top, the branch breaks, and Timon is sent hurtling towards the ground. Bunga tries to catch him, but fails. Luckily, the rest of the Lion Guard arrive having heard his cry, and Beshte is able to save the meerkat from the fall. The Guard enquire as to what they are doing with the tree, and Bunga points to the star, telling them that it's Christmas. Timon and Pumbaa are shocked when the Guard ask what Christmas is, and Bunga erroneously tells them that it's a holiday his parents made up. They correct him, with Pumbaa explaining how they heard about it. Before Ono can point out a logical error in their explanation, Timon interrupts, informing them of how you receive presents at Christmas. Pumbaa, however, states that it's more of a time to be with friends and family. After the two argue a little over what Christmas is ultimately about, Bunga also mentions Dandy Claws, a character who appears to give presents. With Timon still excited, he, Bunga and Pumbaa tell them about "Christmas in the Pride Lands". However, at the end of the performance, Timon breaks down and admits that Dandy Claws will never visit, and Pumbaa explains how he will only come if you perform a special song known as "The Twelve Ways of Christmas". under the Christmas Tree on Christmas morning. And on top of that, everything from the song must also be present. Timon continues to cry, and neither Bunga nor Pumbaa are able to cheer him up, even though he admits that the presents they bring him each year are always great. Bunga is then lead away by the Lion Guard for a final patrol before Christmas.
On Christmas morning, Bunga excitedly wakes his fathers up at the base of Hakuna Matata Falls. However, Timon refuses to get up, deciding to sleep in to avoid disappointment. Bunga angrily grasps his dad to wake him, and forces Timon to follow him to the Christmas tree, where the rest of the Lion Guard are waiting for him. When he questions what's going on, Bunga tells him that it's the year they'll finally get to meet Dandy Claws, and they start to sing and perform The Twelve Ways of Christmas. After the performance, both Timon and Pumbaa break down in tears. Despite Bunga's fears, they announce that they're crying out of joy. Timon thanks everyone for making his vision come true, but Bunga is upset that Dandy Claws never came. Suddenly, Pumbaa re-appears donning a white beard made of flowers, some leaves and a fruit hat. Pumbaa explains that he knew how much Timon wanted him to appear, so he would portray him that year. But unfortunately, he took so long to put the costume together that he forgot to get Timon presents. Timon, moved by Pumbaa's incredible efforts, as well as the efforts of his friends, tells Pumbaa that it doesn't matter, since not only did he make Dandy Claws appear, he reminds him that they already received gifts from the performance, such as the berries and bugs. On top of that, Timon is overjoyed to be surrounded by so many friends, which he declares to be the best gift of all. They conclude that it's the best Christmas ever, and the animals decide to celebrate Christmas every year.
In "The Scorpion's Sting", Timon and Pumbaa is seen on a cave painting, where it is explained by Bunga how they defeated Scar, despite the others knowing that it was Simba who defeated Scar. Timon physically appears later on with Pumbaa, watching the Kumbuka celebration with the Guard and Makini. The party however is cut short when Simba gets stung by a scorpion named Sumu. Timon and Pumbaa rush to Simba's side, and are later seen sobbing uncontrollably over Simba's condition, to which they don't know how bad it is when Kion asks. Later that evening, Timon and Pumbaa are seen in Pride Rock, watching over Simba with Nala, Kiara, and Rafiki. Fortunately for everyone, Fuli and Bunga manage to reach Pride Rock in time with the gourd of volcanic ash needed to cure the king. Rafiki uses the ash to cure Simba, much to Timon and Pumbaa's relief.
In "Cave of Secrets", Timon and Pumbaa can be seen on many cave paintings in the Lair of the Lion Guard.
In "The Fall of Mizimu Grove", Timon and Pumbaa appear after following a grub through the grass near Big Springs. Pumbaa briefly greets the Lion Guard, but Timon says they need to keep following their grub for a "slug fest". When Kion asks the duo to perform a song at Mizimu Grove during Makini's Mpando Mpaya though, Timon and Pumbaa immediately agree; wanting to lift everyone's spirits. At Mizimu Grove during the ceremony, Timon and Pumbaa sing their song "Tujiinue" to the herds. All goes ok until the Army of Scar attacks the Grove. While the Lion Guard and the PrideLanders fight off the intruders, and while fire starts to consume the Grove, Timon and Pumbaa keep singing, but when Scar appears in the flames, the duo quickly takes cover in fright. Once the Outlanders are blown away by Kion's roar and when the fire starts to fade away, Timon and Pumbaa reemerge, looking upon the devastation.. Timon and Pumbaa are later mentioned by Bunga when the herds gather at the barren Mizimu Grove, with Bunga saying that they're at Hakuna Matata Falls getting some "beauty rest".
In "Battle for the Pride Lands", Timon and Pumbaa say goodbye to Bunga and the Lion Guard as they make their way to the Tree of Life..
In "Return to the Pride Lands", Timon and Pumbaa are excited to see Bunga back in the Pride Lands. He even goes to the Tree of Life and sees Kion become Rani's new king.
Other appearances
Timon made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Mickey Mouse Works episode "Around the World in Eighty Days" during Mickey and Goofy's travels.
In one of the Lilo & Stitch parody trailers spoofing The Lion King, during the iconic "Circle of Life" scene, Rafiki holds up what's meant to be baby Simba, but it's instead Stitch, which Timon announces in confusion (although in one of the full-length trailers, which also shows the scene, he and Pumbaa are replaced by a different warthog making the note of Stitch).
Timon in the Aladdin platinum edition special feature.
Timon appears in the Virtual Magic Carpet Ride game included on disc 2 of the 2004 Aladdin Platinum Edition DVD. The Genie accidentally teleports him into Agrabah, when he was trying to poof in one of his relatives and asks him to replace him while he is gone on vacation. Genie grants him magic, and he helps Aladdin find his way to Jasmine throughout the game.
In Leroy & Stitch, Timon and Pumbaa make cameo appearances during the climactic battle in the mix of Jumba Jookiba's experiments.
In the animated blooper reel featured in the Diamond Edition release of The Lion King, Timon makes several appearances. In one outtake, during the introduction of him and Pumbaa, Timon accidentally pulls a muscle shooing off one of the vultures. In another outtake, Timon is seen having a hard time actually swallowing a grub. In another, he can be seen having several takes for his hula scene. In his final outtake, Timon and Pumbaa are about to take a nap, until Pumbaa's gas drives him away.
Timon and Pumbaa make a brief, non-speaking cameo in the animated mini-series It's a Small World: The Animated Series, in the episode "One Golden Sun".
Timon appears in the episode "Grub Grapple" of Disney Crossy Road: The Animated Series, where he and Pumbaa face a treacherously busy road of traveling animals to catch a bug.
In Ralph Breaks the Internet, a screenshot depicting Timon, Pumbaa and Simba can be seen around the Sorcerer Hat at the Disney Animation pavilion in Oh My Disney.
- “Hey, Frosty! Shake a leg, will ya!”
- ―Timon
In Once Upon a Studio, Timon, Pumbaa and the Robin Williams Lost Boy can be seen walking by Olaf, who is drawing, as he tells him to shake a leg. He joins in the picture along with the rest of Disney characters.
Video games
Kingdom Hearts II
Timon makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II as a resident of the Pride Lands. His role in the game is similar to the film and he is often seen alongside Pumbaa.
He becomes emotional as Simba grows up and teaches Sora, Donald, and Goofy the phrase "Hakuna Matata", which means "no worries". He and Pumbaa try to help overthrow Scar, though their attempts ended up with them being cornered by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Luckily, Sora was there to rescue them. Later after Simba reclaims his kingship, Timon advises him to "live for today."
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode
Timon appears together with Pumbaa in the fighting game as two unlockable characters, they are the first characters that go in two since he is always mounted on Pumbaa and throws worms at the enemies including a bombardier beetle which was not present in the movie.
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Timon is one of the captive Disney characters in the game and appears within the phony kingdom of Prince Eric. Simba asks Mickey to find Timon (as well as Pumbaa and Zazu), and once he's rescued, he joins Simba until the finale, in which the captive characters return home.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Timon and Pumbaa joined the game on October 9, 2024. To unlock them, the Player must unlock the Lion King realm, welcome Simba and Nala to Dreamlight Valley, and have both at Friendship Level 10. Prior to the duo's addition, Timon was mentioned in one of the Old Ruler's diary notes and in many of Simba and Nala's Daily Discussions with the player.
Other games
Timon plays a role in The Lion King 1½ as one of the central playable characters alongside Pumbaa.
In Disney TH!NK Fast, Timon appears as the guest questioneer in the Pride Lands. He asks a few questions about The Lion King, and then leaves.
A costume of Timon is also a playable feature in Disney Universe.
A townsperson of him makes an appearance in Disney Infinity 2.0.
Musical
The Timon puppet in the musical, stage show.
In the Broadway musical adaptation to the film, Timon appears through the use of puppetry and was originally portrayed by Max Casella.
His role in the story remains practically the same, along with Pumbaa, the only true difference being a few lines and a few gags being revamped such as the hula scene (which is, instead, the duo performing the Charleston).
However, in one particular scene, adult Simba begins wandering off into the jungle, prompting Timon and Pumbaa to follow him until he reaches a river stream, jumping across it with ease and recklessly dares Timon to do the same. Reluctant at first, Timon eventually agrees to, only to fall into the water and end up being horrifically taken down to a waterfall, hanging onto a branch in struggle and calling out to Simba for help, as Pumbaa worriedly watches on. Unfortunately, Simba is paralyzed by flashbacks of Mufasa's death, triggered by the sight of Timon in peril. Eventually, the branch snaps, but Simba still manages to rescue his friend, just in time; feeling extreme guilt for nearly causing yet another death because of his foolishness.
Disney Parks
Timon posing for a photo at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Timon appears in the Disney parks as a meetable character. He was a very common walk around character who was usually seen with Rafiki. As of 2011, though, he now mostly only appears at Disneyland Paris and very rarely shows up at Walt Disney World and Hong Kong Disneyland.
Timon and Pumbaa also appear as mascots for the Disney theme parks by hosting for park safety as a good way to help theme park guests figure out what to do and what not to do when being checked by cast members and park security. You can see their images on the posters for the entrances and exists for the park.
Disneyland Resort
Timon makes daily appearances at Disney California Adventure's live show Disney Junior Dance Party, representing The Lion Guard.
Walt Disney World
In Disney's Animal Kingdom Timon appears in Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade during Christmas time. He can also be found in The Oasis for meet-and-greets.
In Festival of The Lion King, Timon is the host and tells tales of The Lion King. In the show, Timon along with Simba and Pumbaa, host a series of songs and stunts, accompanied by a pack of monkeys who perform different stunts and tricks and are a pain in the neck according to Timon.
In Fantasmic!, Timon appears during the bubble montage in Disney Hollywood Studios.
Timon makes daily appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios's live show Disney Junior Dance Party, representing The Lion Guard.
In the Epcot show Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, Timon and Pumbaa are planning on building "Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village Resort" in the jungle by damming the river and draining a nearby watering hole. This prompts Simba to show them another species whose actions have affected the environment for the worse - humans. It is mentioned there that Timon does not like profanity, as when Pumbaa uses the word "dam" as an exclamation (referring to a big dam), Timon mistakes it for a profane heterograph (a differently-spelled homophone) and tells him to watch his language.
In Once Upon a Time at the Magic Kingdom, Timon briefly appears alongside Simba and Pumbaa during Mrs. Potts' opening narration.
In Happily Ever After, Timon along with Pumbaa appear briefly during the Hakuna Matata scene.
Shanghai Disneyland
Timon makes meet-and-greet appearances in the park, is featured in the resort's production of The Lion King musical, and also makes an appearance during Ignite the Dream.
Disney Cruise Line
Timon and Pumbaa are featured on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship's Wishes, about three high school graduates who meet various Disney characters on their biggest adventure ever. Timon and Pumbaa are the first of the characters to be introduced and sing "Hakuna Matata" to teach the kids to loosen up and be carefree when they can.
Relationships
Gallery
Trivia
- In The Lion King 1½, Timon is shown to interact with the audience a few times, especially in the beginning and ending non-movie theater setting scenes of the film.
- Timon's name means, "He who respects" in Greek. There was a character named Timon who was existed in a Greek play.
- Timon's appearance in The Lion King 1½ compared to other works is appealing in most cases, since also being the central protagonist of this film.
- In the first Lion King film, Timon is the only character who stands and walks on his back feet (while meerkats normally walk on all four). Interestingly, he is seen running in all fours at least once in both the first film (exiting the cave entrance on Pride Rock with Pumbaa and Zazu, after the off-screen fight against the Hyenas) and the sequel (in a futile attempt to charge at an outsider with Pumbaa). Moreover, it occurred in the climactic battle sequence of both movies.
- It is revealed in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride that Timon is unaware of Scar's death.
- Despite the fact that Scar is one of Timon's enemies, they never actually interact with each other.
- In an early script for The Lion King 1½, Timon's digging skills would be just fine and there were four bullies that make him leave.
- Timon has a polar opposite named Monti. He makes his first and only appearance in the Timon & Pumbaa episode "Kenya Be My Friend?".
- He has some knowledge on human technology, such as guns. In Simba's Pride, when he and Pumbaa are cornered by the Outsiders during the battle, Timon jumps on the backside of frightened Pumbaa and comically brandishes the latter's tail like a gun and points it at the Outsiders, warning that "this thing loaded". The Outsiders foolishly fall for it and run away in fear. This implies that in unseen occasions, the beasts of Pride Land have encountered humans with guns (possibly wildlife rangers, hunters, and/or poachers), otherwise, they didn't know the concept of guns.
- On the first Virtual Safari, he has some knowledge of the GPS tracking system.
- The television series and the Wild About Safety episodes showcase Timon owning several human items, as well as Pumbaa, including an iPad.
- According to the Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety episode "Fire Safety", Timon's address is 500 Buena Vista St., which is the street address of the headquarters of The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California.
- Timon's line, "What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?", was improvised by his voice actor, Nathan Lane.
- Timon prefers crunchy bugs above all other foods.
- In the Spanish version of the play, he speaks with an Andalusian accent.
- A monkey resembling Timon makes a cameo in The Jungle Book 2, along with a warthog resembling Pumbaa, during the song "W-I-L-D".
- Timon and Pumbaa were originally supposed to sing the entirety of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" in a comical fashion, but Elton John decided not to use that version of the song because he felt that it sounded horrible.
- There is a huge misconception where Timon is believed to be Jewish, but this is false. Despite him having the name Berkowitz in Timon & Pumbaa (a Polish name), this is non canon. Ma, Timon's mother uses a Jewish term in The Lion King 1 & 1/2, this was likely inserted by Julie Kavner, who happens to be Jewish. Also, Timon celebrates Christmas which is a Christian event. Timon speaks with a Brooklyn accent, not a Yiddish one and there is no evidence of the latter. Like all animals, none are religious and that also applies to Timon.
Variants
External links
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