Roar of the Elders

"It is more than different. It is the Roar of the Elders! When you use it, the great lions of the Pride Lands' past roar with you."

- Rafiki, Return of the Roar

The Roar of the Elders is an intensely powerful roar that is bestowed on the leader of the Lion Guard by the Great Kings of the Past. It is currently possessed by Kion, the son of Simba and Nala.

Information
While the firstborn cub of the monarch is destined to become the next Ruler of the Pride Lands, the second-born cub is tasked with leading the Lion Guard, a group dedicated to preserving the kingdom and defending the Circle of Life. As its leader, the second-born cub is expected to be the fiercest of the group and is thus gifted with the Roar of the Elders by the Great Kings. When the leader of the Lion Guard uses the Roar of the Elders, all the ancient kings roar along with him or her, instilling real power in the cry. The Roar is strong enough to blast downward-falling water upward, scatter a pile of boulders, or force a clan of hyenas back, but there is the risk of it rebounding. The Roar can be controlled if the user has faith that they can, allowing them to direct the Roar's force as they wish. Additionally, if directed at a cloud, the Roar has the ability to inflate it with water, thus causing rain.

The Roar of the Elders can be used summon spirits even evil spirits when the roar is used in anger. In the case with Scar in The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar when Kion uses the roar in anger over a volcano or like with Mufasa.

Since the Great Kings provide the power behind the roar, they control its use. It is to be used for good only and will be taken away if the user does not respect his or her gift, as is the case with Scar.

When used in pure anger, regardless of the intent, the clouds will turn dark.

Prior to The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Before the events of The Lion Guard, Scar was the leader of the Lion Guard and possessed the Roar of the Elders, as he was the second-born cub of the monarch. However, the power quickly got to his head, and he thought himself more worthy of being king rather than his older brother, Mufasa. So he tried to employ the rest of his Lion Guard to help him overthrow Mufasa, but when they refused, he destroyed them. Seeing this, the Great Kings snatched back his power, for they had intended that the roar is not meant to be used for evil.

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, is given the Roar of the Elders. When his best friend, Bunga, is trapped by a pair of hyenas in the Outlands, Kion uses his power to free him from their grasp. The Mark of the Guard appears briefly on his shoulder, though disappears before Kion even realises it was there. Back at Pride Rock, Rafiki and Simba happen to overhear the Roar, and they come to the conclusion that Kion is now ready to be the leader of the new Lion Guard.

After Kion assembles a team, he attempts to show them his powerful Roar, but the power refuses to work. However, the Roar returns to him in the final battle against Janja's clan, in which Kion uses the Roar to send the hyenas scurrying back to the Outlands.



Never Judge a Hyena by Its Spots
After fighting off Janja and his clan, Kion tells Jasiri to get behind him as he uses his roar to defend both himself and Jasiri by blasting the hyenas away. The roar also worked as a powerful signal to alert the rest of the Lion Guard, who rushed to his rescue. Jasiri is amused by what she sees, but also impressed that a lion saved a hyena.



The Rise of Makuu
Bunga suggests that Kion use the Roar to rescue a hyrax, but Kion chooses not to should he accidentally harm the hyrax.

Kion uses a demonstration of the Roar on Grove of Trees to persuade Makuu and the crocodiles to leave Big Springs after they force Basi's Pod out. The resulting roar causes the leaves to disappear from the trees, and concerns Makuu, who takes his float away from Big Springs, heading for home.



Bunga the Wise
When Bunga's quick and easy dam solution leads to the dam breaking apart, the waters that it was restraining spread rapidly over the Pride Lands. The Pride Landers flee, but are eventually trapped, with rock walls on all sides of them and the floodwaters on another. Kion uses the Roar to move the water back, away from the animals, with enough force to push it over the side of the rock walls and create a waterfall.



Eye of the Beholder
When Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu trap the Lion Guard in a ravine by dropping boulders on either side of them, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blast the rocks away so that he and the Guard can stop the hyenas from attacking the zebras.



The Search for Utamu
When Fuli is attacked by Mzingo's Committee, Kion and the rest of the Guard rushes to save her and Kion uses the Roar to drive the attacking vultures away from her.



Paintings and Predictions
After Beshte accidentally knocks a boulder which causes the zebras to run straight into a fast flowing river leading to a waterfall, Kion leaps down onto a nearby tree branch and uses the Roar of the Elders to drive back the water and save the zebras from harm.



Too Many Termites
When Muhanga and Muhangus call Kion about a hyena infestation, Kion uses the Roar to drive aardwolves out of the Pride Lands, believing them to be hyenas. The force of the roar sends them flying into the Outlands.



Janja's New Crew
When Janja accidentally slides down a slippery hill covered in mud, he winds up face to face with the Lion Guard. When Cheezi and Chungu join him and accidentally explain their leader's plan, Kion uses the Roar to force the hyenas back into the Outlands.

Later, Nne and Tano fool the Lion Guard into chasing some sable antelopes while they approach some oryxes. The Lion Guard arrive just in time to stop them and, as the hyenas predict, Kion uses the Roar to force them both back into the Outlands. Nearby, Janja comments that he is, for once, glad to hear the Roar, having been used by his fellow clan members.

Lions of the Outlands
Jasiri asks for Kion's assistance in getting her watering hole back from some lions who have stolen it from them. When he gets there, their leader, Zira, questions why Kion doesn't just use the Roar to give Jasiri the water she needs. Although hesitant, Zira is able to convince Kion to Roar at a cloud, which causes a brief rainstorm. Kion admits that he had no idea that he could do such a thing, and Zira offers to tell him more about the Roar if he follows her in private.

Later, Zira explains that she knew Scar personally, and that they were very close. She tells him how Scar told her all about the Roar and its capabilities, and that he lost it when he used the Roar against his fellow lions. When she brings her children, Kovu, Nuka and Vitani back, she explains to them that Kion is powerless without his Roar, and how he won't use it on them in fear of losing it forever. When the rest of the Guard arrive to save Kion, Bunga insists that Kion uses the Roar to despatch the Outsiders. Kion, however, tells Bunga that he cannot, since that was how Scar lost the Roar. But the honey badger reminds him that's not why Scar lost it, he lost it because he used it for evil. With that in mind, Kion uses the roar on Zira and her pride flinging them to another section of the Outlands.

Never Roar Again
Kion uses the Roar to blast Janja and his clan away from Nala. However, Kion's fury when he roared was so powerful that the Roar rebounded, snapping trees and triggering an earthquake. Kion is evidently horrified by the damage that he has done. He observes the paintings of Scar using the Roar to destroy his Lion Guard, and does not use it to move some rocks blocking the giraffes' watering hole or to save a klipspringer stranded on a rock. Instead, he finds different methods.

Makuu hears of this and uses the condition to his advantage, expanding his territory to the Flood Plains now that he no longer has Kion's roar to fear. Kion speaks first to his mother, then Makuu, whose crocodiles pull Nala into the water, using her as a shield. Kion almost unleashes his rage in the form of the Roar, but controls himself, instead discovering a powerful new way to use the Roar. He directs it in individual waves, avoiding his mother but taking out the surrounding fleet and flinging them away.

Beshte and the Hippo Lanes
While escorting Bupu's Herd to safety, a rock slide on the side of the cliff separates the herd from the Guard. The Lion Guard quickly climb over the rocks. When Bunga assures the herd that Kion has 'got this', Bupu and his herd still refuse to move. Before he can finish his statement to Bunga, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blast the rocks away, reopening the pathway for them to continue to the Flood Plains. Although hesitant, Bupu and his herd finally move.

The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
Kion uses the Roar of the Elders in anger over a volcano and accidentally summons his great-uncle Scar.

The Day of the Crocodiles
If the reader chooses Fuli's ending, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blast away Makuu's Float after rescuing Zuri from them.

The Roar smashes some nearby logs, which end up forming a dam that allow Zuri and the Guard to return home.

Wildfire Emergency
Although not actually used, Kion is about to use the Roar to remove the wildfire. Before he can do so, it starts to rain, and Kion decides to let the Circle of Life take over.

Trivia

 * The first mention of this ability was in the book Hear Me Roar!.
 * When Kion uses the Roar, he always tells everyone to get behind him. But in the title sequence, Bunga is clearly in front of him, and therefore should be blasted forward. This happens again in Janja's New Crew, though Kion is behind the Guard, none are affected when he uses the Roar.