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Ubaya is an adult male lion and a former prince of the Mwanga Pride. He is the younger brother of Mboga, and the younger son of Mzazi and Hewa. As a young adult, he was betrothed to Atiena of the Tumaini Pride.
Appearance[]
Ubaya has dark orange fur, a dark red mane, and a scar on his right eye. His eyes are red.
Personality[]
At first glance, Ubaya seems to be the charming and nice prince the Mwanga Pride expected. However, that is not the case. Hidden behind the friendly and charming personality is a bitter and angry prince. Ubaya is persuasive and an opportunist. Desiring to take over Leopon Plains, he saw his betrothal to Atiena as a way to achieve his goal. He was foiled when Atiena's best friend discovered his plans, which also led to his banishment. Upon being banished, Ubaya became determined to rule over Leopon Plains, even at the expense of his grandson, Mhina. He became allies with Giza, and soon formed an allegiance with Makucha and his army. As a grandfather, Ubaya is shown to be dismissive and cold-hearted, willing to risk the lives of his grandchildren in order to fulfill his goals.
History[]
Backstory[]
Ubaya was born in the North Lands to Mzazi and Hewa. He was the younger brother of Mboga, and a prince of the Mwanga Pride. As a cub, Ubaya was overlooked in favor of his older brother, as Mboga was older, stronger, and braver than him. He soon grew to resent Mboga's position within the pride, and strived to prove that he was capable of ruling. When Ubaya reached adolescence, a betrothal between him and Atiena, the princess and heir to the throne of Leopon Plains, was arranged. Ubaya was pleased by his betrothal, as he believed that he could rule Leopon Plains, and not be overshadowed or overlooked by anyone. Shortly after the betrothal was announced, Ubaya began to devise a plan for his takeover of Leopon Plains. He decided to gain the trust of Atiena and her parents in order to receive more power within the Tumaini Pride. Once that task was completed, he decided to start the next phase of his plan by luring Arjana to an unknown location, where his new acquaintance, Giza, were to poison her. After the poison would take its toll on the queen, Ubaya would announce the tragic news, and take over the Tumaini Pride, starting a "new" era.
He explained this plan to Giza, and the cobra agreed to it. However, Ubaya was unaware that a friend of the Royal Family had overheard their plot, and Arjana and the rest of the Tumaini Pride were warned beforehand. Upon Ubaya's return to the pride, Arjana announced his exile, banishing the lion from Leopon Plains. If he were to return, he would be driven off and potentially killed. Ubaya accepted this fate and stalked off, albeit promising revenge. Soon, Atiena gave birth to his sons, Ajani and Patch, and became queen following Arjana's death. Following his failed takeover, Ubaya and Giza met Akili while he was patrolling the Outlands, and Ubaya brainwashed him into wanting to overthrow Mufasa as king of the Pride Lands. Giza gave Akili a scar over his eye, and Ubaya promised the venom would be cured if he listened to him. However, Akili roared him and Giza away and later became Scar.
Legends of the Lion Guard: Protectors of the Pride Lands[]
Legends of the Lion Guard: Battle for the Pride Lands[]
When Scar commences his war on the Pride Lands, Ubaya secretly gathers at the base of Pride Rock with many other animals. During the battle, Ubaya permanently scars Rani on her foreleg, and she describes her attacker to Mhina and his siblings at Flat Ridge Rock. Tatu reveals that it's Ubaya, thinking that he must have come to fight for Scar's forces, and Kicheko explains that he tried taking over Leopon Plains during the reign of Arjana. Horrified, Mhina expresses his shock that he's here, and Rani reassures him that she was only scarred and got nothing more. While explaing his backstory to Ushari, Scar mentions how Ubaya convinced him that they could rule the Pride Lands, but he had his cobra friend scar him. He claimed that he could be cured if he listened to him, but Scar angrily refused and roared them away. Later, Scar retells his story to Kion, mentioning how he roared the strange lion and cobra out of the Pride Lands.
Legends of the Lion Guard: The Dark Prophecy[]
In the cover of night, Ubaya arrives at the Tree of Life, staring across Giant Lake. A smile of triumph appearing on his face, he internally notes that he's returned and it's time for vengeance to begin. Later, Ubaya attacks a group of pangolins in Bamboo Woods, slaughtering many of them and openly killing one in front of Mhina, who watches with disgust and horror. His gaze flickers to the dead pangolins, and fear changing to sheer anger, he vows to make him pay, screeching and leaping out of the bushes. He demands the lion face him, taking up a battle stance, and he remarks that "another do-gooder" wants to join his party. Mhina retorts that he owes him an explantion as to why killed innocent pangolins, but the stranger says he doesn't conspire with fools like him; Mhina tells him to answer directly, but he only scratches his chin, and seeing his scar, the leopon feels familiarity resignate in him. The lion rants, claiming that everyone is tainted by glory and that true heroes scheme to kill their foes, living on the dark side of life - asking Mhina directly if it's right.
Shocked by how the lion knows his name, Mhina backs up, insisting that they have no connection, but he recalls leaving his homeland "not too long ago" and reveals that he knows who Mhina is. Mhina, scrunching up his eyes, denies what is happening, and his foe scolds him, expressing how tired he is of his family being guillable. He shouts that he doesn't know him and needs to get out, further unamusing the strange lion, who snaps that he doesn't understand the pain his family put him through - he would have been king if the friend of Mhina's grandmother hadn't foiled his plans. If given the chance, he would have killed Atiena to save himself. Gasping, Mhina backs up, refusing to believe any of what he is hearing is true, denying that it's not the traitor, but the lion hisses that everyone in his family is complacent, resolutely promising revenge and the death of his grandmother, parents, and all of his grandchildren - especially Mhina himself. Revealing that he's his cynical, traitorous grandfather, Ubaya, he vows to hunt Mhina down and keep his skull as a prize, cackling, and Mhina stares at him, aghast. He knows that Ubaya is the same lion who tried to execute the Royal Family, slayed the pangolins, and hurt Rani in the battle for the Pride Lands - which causes him to break down in tears. Ubaya remarks that since he's polite, he'll let his grandson be for now, but he'll be dead later on.
He then flees the scene, and Mhina panics, realizing that he's the grandson of a murderer. Falling into a panic attack, he runs away and eventually collapses into a clearing, exhausted and weeping. He doesn't know where to turn, not having the strength to confide to Rani, the Lion Guard, the Night Pride, or even Kion, worrying that they'll hate him. For minutes, he continues to cry, but after fifteen minutes, he eases and sits up. Mhina notes that he can't tell Rani and Kion about Ubaya, but can tell a spiritual guide, dismissing Lenga due to her unfamiliarity with his grandfather. Deciding to call upon the queen in Ubaya's time, Arjana, Mhina summons her, and greeting him, she sees that he is distressed. She asks about what happened, and he reveals seeing Ubaya kill pangolins and the evil lion mentioning that he was his grandfather. Arjana admits that she feared this day would come, having always suspected he would desire vengeance against her descendants. However, what Mhina saw today wasn't his fault - violence is regular in everyday life. Mhina protests that he could have done something sooner and that he's related to Ubaya, but Arjana replies that they can't go back and change the past; sometimes their efforts are not enough, but even with the situation out of his control, he did his best to stop Ubaya and the pangolins, putting others before himself.
She adds that he won't turn out like Ubaya and can do the right thing by fighting him, advising him to show him not to mess with his family. Nodding, Mhina questions how he'll tell his friends about Ubaya, and Arjana reassures him that he can do it when he feels ready - no one will turn him away for being related to a traitor - and his friends will understand once he properly explains. Mhina finds solace in her words, coming to see that he won't become Ubaya and will still have all of his friends, Kion and Rani included, by his side. Smiling, he thanks Arjana for her advice, and she bids farewell to him, encouraging to reach out to her should he seek more counseling. During the final battle for the Tree of Life, Kion hears a scream and finds Mhina battling Ubaya - to him, a lion he doesn't recognize, overhearing him giving an angry response. Wondering how he knows the strange lion, he approaches and finds the leopon bloodied. Ubaya screams that he is his grandfather and will always be a part of him, raising a paw up, and horrified, Kion gasps, becoming revolted and furious at the thought of Mhina dying. He unleashes the Roar of the Elders, startling Ubaya, who recalls when Scar roared at him many moons ago. He promises to make Mhina pay someday before the force of the Roar carries him away.
Family[]
- Father: Mzazi
- Mother: Hewa
- Brother: Mboga
- Sons: Ajani and Patch
- Grandsons: Mhina, Kicheko, and Afua
- Adoptive Grandson: Kopa
- Granddaughters: Tatu, Subira, and Maua
Trivia[]
- Ubaya is voiced by Steve Blum.