Lion

Lions(scientific name Panthera leo) are the main characters in The Lion King film series and franchise(with the exception of the third movie and both of the television shows, in which they are featured but not entirely central).

Appearance
For Pride Landers, the males are usually portrayed as being bigger and more muscular than the lionesses, and are also identifiable by their manes. They tend to have brightly-colored fur with goldish undertones. Their manes are most often brownish-red. The only exception to this is Scar, who is darkly-colored and has a coal-black mane, though his Lion Guard was also dark in color. The lionesses, meanwhile, are more slender, built for hunting and speed. They tend to have duller and/or paler colors than the males, with the exception of Kiara, who inherits her father's golden pelt.



Information
Lions are the second largest big cat after the tiger. They are found in southern Africa, Asia, and India, though they are considered critically endangered in India. In Africa, they are considered "vulnerable." Lions used to be plentiful in Western Asia and the Middle East, but they have long since decreased in these regions. A lion usually lives around ten to fifteen years in the wild, and have been known to live for up to twenty years in captivity. However, it's rare for a lion to live into old age. Many die from either starvation or injury, as a consequence of other violent lions.

The average pride is comprised of ten lioness and is protected by anywhere from one to four males. The lionesses are usually related; either mother and daughter, sisters, aunt and niece, or cousins. Outside female lionesses are rarely accepted into an existing pride, and seldom leave their natal prides to start. However, a takeover can prompt them to leave as well as overcrowding in the pride. When a lioness with adult children leaves the pride, her daughters go with her.

While males can hunt, Lionesses are the main source of the pride's food. While lacking the magnificent mane of the lion or their heavy muscles, she makes up for it with speed and the ability to run longer without being overheated. . A lioness can run about 40 miles per hour and their cooperative nature, highly unusual among the cat family, allows them to take down large game such as buffalo or wildebeest.

Mates
When lionesses come into heat, the male lion will indiscriminately mate with all of them to increase the chance of spreading his genes via offspring. Cubs may be born to different mothers and share a father if only one male is present. Cubs born in the same litter may also have different fathers, especially if the pride that they and their mother are a part of is dominated by more than one male. Even if the litter consists of only two cubs, there is still a chance that they may only be half-siblings, whether their mother mated with a rogue male in addition to the pride male or if the pride consists of two males and the mother mated with both of them.

Fanon Lions on the Wiki
All fanon lions on the wiki can be found here.

Appearances in Fanfictions
A list of fanfictions in which lions appears that are on this wiki. If your fanfiction includes lions, add it to this list.


 * A human in the Pridelands
 * Kopa's Story
 * Lion King 3: Hyena Rules
 * Lion King 4: Upelelezi's Journey
 * Lion King IV: Rise and Fall of the Sun
 * Lord of the Plain
 * Pawtake
 * Strength of Heart
 * Stripe the Sky
 * Timon's Jungle Tickle Torment
 * The Hyena Life
 * The Lioness on Mango Street
 * The Lion King 2½: Timon's Colony
 * The Lion King 4 Kiara's Pride
 * The Lion King IV: A Hero Falls
 * The Lion King IV: Subira's Beginning
 * The Lion King: Kopa's Story
 * The Lion King: Kovu's Dad
 * The Lion King: The New Pride
 * The Lion King V: Hidden Enemy
 * The Lion King VI: BloodTide
 * The Lion King VI: The Great Pride Migration
 * The Lion King VII: Final Strike
 * The Rouge

Trivia

 * If it's hot enough, male lions will completely shed their manes or not grow one at all. This could explain Nuka and Kovu's rather small manes in comparison to Simba and Mufasa.
 * In the first movie, hyenas take on both lions and lionesses. In reality, hyenas only mob lionesses if there is a 3 or 4-1 advantage. However, male lions are avoided at all costs. Even if the hyenas outnumber a male 20-1, the hyenas will give him a wide berth.