Description
EDIT 5/19/23: Updated version can be found here.
You can learn more about these characters by checking out my TLK family tree and prequel synopsis.
Makwetu (Mheetu)
Name: Mheetu's birth name is Makwetu or "our place" but his constant insistence that he wanted to go everywhere his sister went (despite his health preventing him from doing so) led her to nickname him Mheetu (me too). Nowadays he is known almost exclusively by his nickname, and only Sarafina (and maybe Kula if he's in really big trouble) really calls him Makwetu anymore.
Status: Alive
Sex: Male
Mother: Sarafina
Father: †Zuberi
Sibling: Nala
Mate: Kula
Cubs: Tiifu and Zuri
Grandcubs: Kivuli, Zahra, and Haben
Niece: Kiara
Nephews: †Kopa and Kion
Great Niece: Uzima
Great Nephews: Amani and Iniko
Personality: A happy, upbeat, and positive lion, Mheetu is mostly just ecstatic to be alive after nearly dying several times during Scar’s reign. An extrovert by nature, Mheetu doesn’t feel truly happy unless he’s spending time with other lions, and is unafraid to insert himself into any group conversation. Friends often say he’s never met a stranger, and that couldn’t be more true. He’s particularly close to his family, though, and lavishes love and attention on his two daughters. Admittedly, he’s spoiled them, but not with any ill intent. He simply wanted to give them the happy, carefree cubhood that he and his sister never got.
History: Mheetu was the second born cub in a little of two, consisting of him and his sister, Nala. From the beginning Mheetu was smaller and weaker than his sister, and as he grew older he was often sick, meaning he usually had to stay behind at Pride Rock while the other cubs played. Because of his small size, he was often mistaken for being much younger than Nala, despite the fact that the two were from the same litter. The lions wouldn't have known this, but Mheetu was born with an immunodeficiency disorder, which delayed his growth and made him prone to illness and infection. He suffered more than most during Scar's reign, with the lack of food making him even more prone to falling ill. As things worsened, Scar began to order that Mheetu be isolated from the pride when he became sick, so that it wouldn't spread. Nala secretly snuck food to him, but she could see that he was getting worse. This was what prompted her to go to Scar to persuade him to do something, but Scar instead tried to seduce her into being his mate. Disgusted, Nala left, realizing that she would have to go outside the Pride Lands to seek help. She persuaded Kula, a lioness that she knew was small and quick enough to evade Scar's hyenas, to take food to Mheetu while she was gone. Following the return of Simba and the recovery of the Pride Lands, Mheetu slowly came back from the brink. In time he would reach full adult size, and although he's still prone to falling ill, he is definitely healthier than he was in the past, and has learned good habits to minimize his risk of getting sick. He and Kula grew close during her time taking care of him, and the two eventually became mates. They had two daughters, but thankfully neither inherited Mheetu's poor health, much to his relief.
Kula
Status: Alive
Name Meaning: Eat
Sex: Female
Mother: Mashika
Father: †Maitho
Sibling: Chumvi
Mate: Mheetu
Cubs: Tiifu and Zuri
Grandcubs: Kivuli, Zahra, and Haben
Personality: A caring, laidback lion with a deep, intimate relationship with food, Kula has learned to just roll with the punches after an entire childhood spent with her arrogant brother and stupidly brave best friend, Nala. She would rather sleep-in than hunt (though please remember to wake her up when you get back with the food) and given the choice she would always rather stick to a safe, normal life over one of danger and adventure. Her policy has basically become, “Have fun, but don’t die, okay? And bring me some food when you get back.”
Random Facts
For having the energy level of a potato, Kula is surprisingly quick and nimble, which served her well in sneaking food during Scar’s reign.
Chumvi
Status: Alive
Name Meaning: Salt
Sex: Male
Mother: Mashika
Father: †Maitho
Sibling: Kula
Nieces: Tiifu and Zuri
Great Niece: Zahra
Great Nephews: Kivuli and Haben
Personality: Like all cubs that lived through Scar's reign, Chumvi had to find his own way to cope with the terrible conditions. In his case, that meant turning a bit of a blind eye to reality. He has a kind of carelessness about him, insisting that everything will turn out all right no matter the circumstances, but never stepping in to actually solve the problem. He is optimistic and overconfident to the point of foolishness, and seems unable to comprehend that his actions might have negative consequences. He also seems to lack any sort of filter between his brain and his mouth, and will just say whatever is on his mind, without thinking about how it will affect whoever he's talking too. He's impulsive and always living in the moment, which can make him fun to be around, but is ultimately not a very sustainable lifestyle. Scar's reign took away his chance to have any sort of normal childhood, and he's making up for that by acting like a cub well into adulthood. Although he's had brief flings with many lionesses, he's never maintained a long-term relationship. He's a flirtatious male who can easily win over a lionesses with his good looks and confident demeaner, but his childishness can just as quickly drive them away. He's been criticized more than once for not being able to take anything seriously, but he always waves these accusations away. As his friends and family moved on with their lives, they became less and less tolerant of his careless attitude and knack for getting into trouble. After nearly getting his nieces hurt when he took them out exploring, Kula gave Chumvi an ultimatum. He would either have to clean up his act or not be a part of their family anymore. Everything suddenly became much more real for Chumvi, and he was shocked into action for the first time. He took a position teaching young males how to fight and do border patrols, and has been trying to follow the straight and narrow as best he can. Middle age has made him a bit more bitter and jaded than before, as his family became less accommodating towards him and he really had to face his own disappointment with how his life has turned out. He can be a bit snappy and impatient with the young lions he teaches, and is known for having a sharp tongue. Despite his laundry list of faults, Chumvi really isn't a bad lion deep down. He really does care about his family and friends, and doesn't really ever mean to hurt anyone, but he just doesn't seem to understand how to grow up.
Tamasha (Tama)
Status: Deceased
Name Meaning: Happy occasion
Sex: Female
Mother: †Lesedi
Father: †Jabari
Sibling: †Malka
Half-Sibling: †Zira
Mate: Tojo
Cub: Vitani
Grandcub: Iniko
Nephews: †Nuka and Afua
Great Nephew: Kivuli
Personality: Once a headstrong and confident cub, Tama was absolutely broken by the death of her mother when she was very young. This made her easily susceptible to the manipulation of her wicked half-sister, Zira, who often used Tama to do her bidding. By the end of her life, Tama was a quiet, fearful lioness, beaten down by years of abuse from her sister. She did, however, finally find her strength again at the end. She died trying to take Kovu and Vitani (then called Lesedi) to freedom in the Pride Lands, after finding out the truth about the things Zira had done.
History: See TLK Prequel Synopsis
Makamu (Malka)
Status: Deceased
Name Meaning: Dignified/ruler/various other definitions
Sex: Male
Mother: †Lesedi
Father: †Jabari
Sibling: †Tama
Half-Sibling: †Zira
Mate: Chuki (briefly)
Cub: Afua
Grandcub: Kivuli
Niece: Vitani
Nephews: †Nuka
Great Nephew: Iniko
Personality: As a cub, Malka was prone to feigning confidence and bravery to try and live up to the legacy of his father, the bravest lion in the Lion Guard. In reality, Malka was a shy, insecure, but very intelligent lion with a real tendency to overthink things. He also seemed to have a talent for sensing danger, as he was one of the few lions to catch onto the fact that Zira couldn't be trusted.
History: After the death of Lesedi, Zira tried her best to win her half-brother over, so that she could manipulate him as she had manipulated Tama, but Malka never felt safe around her. As they grew older, Malka frequently shared his misgivings with Tama, worried about the effect that Zira's influence was having on her. This would eventually lead Zira to decide that she needed Malka out of the picture. Malka's astute nature unfortunately failed him when Zira ordered Chuki, one of her followers, to seduce the young male. After so long suffering from a poor self image, Malka couldn't help but fall for the only lioness who had ever seemed to show any romantic interest in him. Chuki manipulated his feelings well, and Malka truly began to care about her. It was only when they lay together for the first time that she slashed his throat and left his body for the hyenas. Tama was told that her brother had left the Pride Lands without saying goodbye, making her believe that Zira was the only one in the world who still cared about her. With Malka's influence removed, Tama was now nothing but a pawn for her conniving half-sister. Chuki would later unexpectedly give birth to Malka's son, who would go on to be named Afua.
Random Notes
Zira hated Malka, not only because he was trying to pull Tama away from her, but because of his strong resemblance to his father.
Matojo (Tojo)
Status: Alive
Name Meaning: Markings on the face. Named for a few distinct cub spots which were on his face when he was born, but later faded. The name would become relevant again when he developed his whisker dots in adulthood.
Sex: Male
Mother: Ebele
Father: †Kamau
Mate: †Tama
Cub: Vitani
Grandcub: Iniko
Personality: Intelligent, kind, caring, nurturing, and helpful. He can be a bit insecure and shy, but is always well-meaning and wants to do what’s best for others.
History: Tojo was born with a crippled right leg which he is unable to bear weight on, making it hard for him to walk. His mother, Ebele, whose first cub was killed for having a crippled leg while she was living in the Old Lands (see TLK prequel synopsis for more info) often plays it down as an injury and encourages Tojo to do the same. His mother’s constant fretting eventually caused Tojo to develop insecure feelings about his leg, and as a cub he felt ashamed for being the crippled son of the fastest lion in the Pride Lands. He eventually grew out of this, and was able to accept his disability without shame. Although not able to hunt and fight in the same way as others lions, he is still able to have a fulfilling life by helping Rafiki with his healing work.
Random Facts
Tojo never knew Tama was pregnant when she left the Pride Lands, and only found out about his daughter when the Outlanders were accepted back into the pride years later. He and Vitani enjoyed a close relationship for a brief time before her death.
He is one of only a handful of lions who know the truth about Iniko’s parentage. Although Iniko doesn’t know his ‘Uncle Tojo’ is actually his grandfather, the two are very close, and Tojo often goes out of his way spend time with him.
Aaaand, more of these. I thought it was only fitting that I show you guys my design for the semi-canon cubs after making refs for their parents. I got the colors by comparing them to the movie characters they appeared with, and using that as a base to achieve the final design.
No critique desired. Please respect that.
Characters belongs to Disney
The art and backstories were created by me, and you are not permitted to steal, trace, copy, reference, or otherwise redistribute them in any way. I also do not want to see this posted on RP sites, Facebook, YouTube, etc. without my permission. That's still art theft.
xVexVamp — OUTDATED Character Sheet - Semi-Canon Cubs
