Makucha

"You okapis are rare. Once you find one, you stay on its trail. And your trail is about to come to an end."

- Makucha, The Imaginary Okapi

Makucha is a leopard in The Lion Guard. He is first seen in The Imaginary Okapi.

Appearance
Makucha is a stocky, well-built leopard with incredibly agility and physical strength. His fur is a pale lemon color, and his rosettes are brown outlined with black. The spots on his face and neck are smaller and solid colored. His sclerae are yellow, with his iris being green. His inner ears are light pink, rimmed with black. His tail is banded in white, and his underbelly and paws are white in color. He has thick, bushy dark brown eyebrows and a black nose.

Personality
Makucha is a very persistent character who does not give up. A ruthless predator, he will not quit until he succeeds in killing his quarry. When confronted, he is fierce and willing to fight, but also employs a cocky casualness. He is confident in his fighting ability, beliving himself capable of taking on two at once. Makucha has a great liking for okapis as food. He frequently roars and growls to express anger or irritation.

The Imaginary Okapi
Makucha chases Ajabu all the way into the Pride Lands, trying to catch him. He is shown stalking gazelles, and the Lion Guard confronts him. They demand that he leaves, to which he responds that they will have to make him. He flees, and is immediately pursued by the team. However, he is able to evade them by leaping over a ravine.

Makucha later spots Ajabu as he speaks with Punda Milia. He issues a low growl and murmurs, "Look who's here." He steps into a crouch and slowly approaches his intended prey. A surprised Ajabu remarks that he cannot believe Makucha followed him so far, and Makucha replies telling Ajabu that because okapis are rare, they are to be persistently tracked until they are caught. After informing Ajabu that his trail is about to come to an end, he moves forward, but his progress is impeded when Punda Milia runs into him in a panic and bowls him over. As he strains to rise, Punda Milia requests that Makucha does not eat him. As he frees himself, Makucha roars and pushes Punda Milia away with a hind paw and responds that he is after something far tastier, to Punda Milia's resentment.

While chasing Ajabu, Makucha passes by the Lion Guard. As the two run farther, Ajabu demands that Makucha leave him alone while he flees. Makucha insists that he will not, having chased Ajabu for so long. He springs with a snarl, but is kicked back by Ajabu's hind hoof. He bounces once with a grunt before coming to a halt, dust clouding around him. He sits up and pants before announcing that Ajabu is just making him mad. He resumes the pursuit, exclaiming that he has Ajabu when the okapi trips and falls.

However, as he charges, Beshte lifts him up with his muzzle and flings him away. Once again, he gives a grunt as he bounces once before landing on his side. Inhaling deeply, he rises with a shake of his head and asks the Lion Guard why they do not mind their own business. He comments that he is simply greeting a friend, to which Fuli replies that he was not behaving in a friendly manner. With a flick of his tail and a turn of his head, Makucha responds that leopards say hello using their teeth. He rolls his eyes and asks "So what?"

Kion tells Makucha that it is time to say good-bye, and he fiercely responds that he can fight two at once. He roars as Bunga grabs his tail, swiveling his head to glare at the honey badger. Makucha turns his body until he is facing Bunga, and, lifting his tail with Bunga still gripping it, expresses the hope that Bunga will taste better than he smells. He is forced to duck when Ono dives for him, but after a moment he approaches Kion and Fuli, quietly growling and dragging Bunga along. He bares his teeth at the two felines, but surrendes when Beshte bellows at him. He declars that the Lion Guard can have it their way, adding that even an okapi is not worth so much trouble. He turns away and breaks into a run before bounding out of sight.