Shujaa is an adult male gorilla, who is a member of King Sokwe's troop in The Lion Guard.
Personality[]
Shujaa is a massively strong gorilla, even stronger than Beshte and stronger than any other gorilla. Despite his strength, he is friendly and gentle, Shujaa initially acted before thinking, and caused more harm than good. After several lessons with Beshte, Shujaa grew wiser and starts to think about what he should do instead of what he could do. He has a habit of speaking in the third person and uses very poor grammar.
Role in the series[]
"Beshte and the Beast"[]
Shujaa comes into the Pride Lands and starts knocking down trees. The Guard goes to stop him but they find out that he's friendly, despite his strength. Shujaa says that he was sent by King Sokwe to help fight the Army of Scar, showing the Lion Guard what he can do and they all are impressed with him. He then explains to the Guard of what King Sokwe tells him of what he does best as a gorilla, singing to the Guard of his ability to smash rocks and lifts heavy things as a gorilla.
After the song, Ono explains that adult gorillas can pick up ten times their body weight. Shujaa tells Beshte to know how strong he is to which Beshte decides not to show off. Beshte shows off to Shujaa to know how strong he is by flipping a rock toward him. Kion explains that King Sokwe was right all along as the Lion Guard decides to get help from him to which Ono tells him to get help from Shujaa sooner. Meanwhile, Ono sees a group of hyenas, crocodiles, and jackals attacking Big Springs trying to fight against Basi, Beshte's father. The Lion Guard, with help from Shujaa, decides to fight off the Outlanders.
Suddenly, Ono spots the army of Scar attacking Big Springs. Shujaa defeats them but leaves a mess in the process. Thanking Shujaa for helping the Lion Guard, an aardvark named Muhangus, a hare named Masikio, and a herd of oryxes tangled up are upset of what Shujaa did while trying to fight off the Outlanders, noticing the decimated landscape around them. Meanwhile at the Outlands, Scar scolds Janja, Kiburi, and Reirei that the Lion Guard and Shujaa defeated them once again. Reirei tells Scar that she and the Outlanders saw a powerful gorilla defeating them. Explaining to Scar about their encounter with the powerful gorilla to which he explains about the gorilla they encounter, Scar explains that all the Outlanders need to do is to keep practicing on fighting against the Lion Guard and Shujaa can do massive damage in the Pride Lands in an attempt for him to join his side.
After cleaning up the mess he caused to the animals of the Pride Lands, Shujaa tries to help clean up Muhangus' burrow, but does not notice a nearby termite mound to which Shujaa suggests the Guard should clean up instead. Seeing the Outlanders performing an attack against the antelopes, Kion tells Shujaa to stop cutting through the forest as it is the baboons' home just as the gorilla doesn't listen to him as the baboons scatter across a herd of buffaloes. Kion tells Fuli and Beshte to take care of the baboons and buffaloes while he, Bunga, and Ono take care of Shujaa clearing a path for the Guard. Approaching Janja, he explains to the Guard that the gorilla he encountered is a menace to the Pridelanders just as the Outlanders prepare to stalk a herd of antelopes. Having taken care of the Outlanders, Beshte and Fuli arrive telling Kion, Bunga, Ono, and Shujaa that they have taken care of the baboons and buffaloes.
Upon noticing the mess around Nyani Grove, Shujaa decides to clean up the decimated grove but only causes mess again. Beshte explains that although Shujaa does help the Lion Guard, he explains that Shujaa has to control his own strength when helping similar to Beshte's strength to which Ono compares Beshte's strength to Shujaa's that Beshte's does not cause damage unlike Shujaa's strength. Beshte decides to tell Shujaa how to control his strength. Approaching Laini, Beshte introduces his friend to her while being cornered by a serval that refuses to leave as it is explained that the serval tried to catch a bird but it flew away. Rather than destroying the tree, Shujaa gently lets the serval down the tree to which the serval praises Shujaa for helping him get down the tree just as the serval bids a farewell to the galagos. Beshte praises Shujaa for his good thinking in helping control his strength, not noticing the tree launching the galagos into another tree in Ndefu Grove. Laini explains that the galagos can return to their tree by themselves.
Beshte gives Shujaa another chance to try again in controlling his strength, explaining that even the smallest of all the Pridelanders (especially butterflies) also need help. Beshte tells Shujaa to be gentle in helping free the butterfly stuck which he gently removes small rocks to rescue the butterfly from the rocks (the big rock also falls when Shujaa is trying to help). Beshte tells Shujaa that the big rock never landed on any Pridelander now because he saved the butterfly. Hearing Kifaru who is having trouble getting out, Shujaa helps Kifaru find a way out of the dead end by punching a wall through it so that Kifaru can find the watering hole. Thanking Shujaa for his help, Shujaa did not notice that he smashed the rock hyraxes' home. Upset about what he did with the hyraxes, Beshte and Shujaa decide to find the rock hyraxes a new home. Helping the hyraxes a new place to him, Shujaa feels upset about himself about the wrong things he did when helping the other animals.
Arriving towards a sulking Shujaa, he explains that he helped the hyraxes find a new home to which the hyraxes like it, Ono warns the two that the Outlanders have attacked Big Springs once again causing a wildfire there. However, Beshte is injured in process, leading Kion to escort Ono to recruit Shujaa and tell him that he needs their help due to Beshte's injury immediately. Ono tells Shujaa to help out but he refuses. Telling Shujaa about Beshte, he and Ono arrive at the spot where the Guard is fighting off the Outlanders. Shujaa puts out the fire as he rescues Beshte by gently holding him in controlling his strength. Shujaa believes in himself in trying to help the Lion Guard fend off the Outlanders just as Shujaa grabs the crocodiles Kiburi and Tamka and the hyenas and jackals notice this just as they retreat back to the Outlands thinking Shujaa is far too powerful to challenge, along with the crocodiles to which Shujaa tosses them into while retreating back to the Outlands.
Thanks to Beshte who helped Shujaa control his strength and save Big Springs, the Guard feels happy that Shujaa came to help. Shujaa decides to return home to show Sokwe that he can control his strength to which Shujaa explains that Sokwe never saw him think as he needs to show how thoughtful he is before doing an action to impress King Sokwe. He says goodbye to his new friends and says that he'll return when they need him.
Battle for the Pride Lands[]
Shujaa comes with Hadithi to help fight in the last battle against Scar along with the other Pridelanders. After seeing Scar for the first time, Shujaa thinks he's a scary animal. During the battle, Shujaa throws rocks at Dogo's Brothers. The battle against Scar, however, was successful.
"Return to the Pride Lands"[]
Shujaa attends Kion's coronation at the Tree of Life along with the other animals.
Relationships[]
Friends[]
King Sokwe[]
Shujaa and King Sokwe are good friends. Sokwe tells Shujaa to help the Lion Guard fight Scar's Army.
Majinuni and Hafifu[]
Shujaa is good friends King Sokwe's sons since they're in the same troop.
Beshte[]
Shujaa is good friends with Beshte. He likes how Beshte is strong just like him. Beshte teaches him how to control his strength. Shujaa even saves Beshte from a fire when his leg was hurt.
Kion[]
Shujaa and Kion are good friends. Shujaa comes to help the Lion Guard fight against Scar's Army. He even comes to watch Kion's coronation.
Bunga[]
Bunga and Shujaa are good friends. Bunga likes it how he's strong just like Beshte.
Fuli[]
Fuli and Shujaa are good friends.
Ono[]
Ono and Shujaa are good friends.
Acquaintances[]
Simba and Nala[]
Shujaa is on good terms with the king and queen of the Pride Lands.
Ma Tembo[]
Ma Tembo and Shujaa are on good terms.
Makuu[]
Makuu and Shujaa are on good terms.
Hadithi[]
Hadithi and Shujaa are on good terms.
Jasiri[]
Jasiri and Shujaa are on good terms.
Janja's Clan[]
Shujaa used to hate Janja's Clan. However, when they joined the Pride Landers, they become on good terms.
Enemies[]
Scar[]
Shujaa hates Scar and thinks that he is scary, much to the latter's plan to take over the Pride Lands during the battle between the Pride Lander animals and the Outlander animals.
Kiburi's Float[]
Shujaa hates Kiburi's Float.
Reirei's Pack[]
Shujaa hates Reirei's Pack.
Trivia[]
- Christopher Jackson later voiced a character named Kitendo in the Season 3 episode "Journey of Memories". Coincidentally, both Shujaa and Kitendo are primates.
- "Shujaa" means "hero" in Swahili.
- Along with Azaad, Shujaa is one of the few Disney characters to refer to himself in the third person, the others being Toadwart from Gummi Bears, Gurgi from The Black Cauldron, the titular character from the George of the Jungle films, Varg and the Raenoks from Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Jumba and sometimes Stitch from the Lilo & Stitch franchise, and Babi from Treasure Buddies.
Gallery[]
