Beshte and the Beast

Beshte and the Beast is the is the fifty-first episode of The Lion Guard and the twenty-fifth episode of Season 2.

Synopsis
A gorilla warrior named Shujaa comes to help The Lion Guard in the battle against Scar.

Christopher Jackson (Broadway’s Hamilton) guest stars as Shujaa.

Summary
The Lion Guard stand by the Watering Hole, trying to explain to Thurston that it's the giraffes' turn to drink at the dwindling water supply. After Fuli points out the tension, suddenly, a gorilla enters the area, driving the zebras and giraffes away with his ferocity. Kion orders Ono and Beshte to make sure that the two herds are safe, while he, Fuli and Bunga face the gorilla. They confront him, but the gorilla relaxes when they announce themselves as the Lion Guard. Bunga attacks him anyway, but it proves futile when the primate treats it as a back-rub.

Realizing that he's not a threat, Kion calls Bunga down. The gorilla, named Shujaa, explains that he was protecting the water from the herds. Just then, Ono and Beshte arrive back to confirm that the giraffes and zebras are safe. Whilst Ono is still fearful of the great ape, Beshte is curious of the new face. Shujaa goes on to tell them that he has been sent by King Sokwe of the Theluji Mountains to help the Lion Guard, and to do what he does best. When asked by Fuli what that is, he responds with Shujaa Ponda.

Afterwards, Bunga introduced him to Beshte - the strongest in the Pride Lands. Shujaa wishes to see Beshte's strength and, although hesitant at first, Beshte agrees to show him by throwing a large rock over. Shujaa catches it and throws the rock back, which almost hits Beshte and Ono. Kion is impressed with Shujaa's strength, but before he can say too much, Ono alerts them to the jackals, crocodiles and hyenas, who are approaching Big Springs. Beshte's father, Basi, and some other members of his pod, are part of the target. Kion leads Shujaa and the Guard away. Before Kion can inform everyone about a plan, Shujaa runs ahead with a plan of his own.

At Big Springs, Basi stands his ground against the intruders. Before they can strike, Shujaa leaps between the animals, but this doesn't hinder the Army of Scar, since they outnumber him. Shujaa flings a large rock into Reirei and Goigoi, and Kion decides not to intervene. Shujaa continues hurling rocks towards his enemies, but eventually removes one rock too many from a large structure. The gorilla escapes the falling rocks, which slide onto the crocodiles. Noticing the hyenas still standing, Shujaa snaps a small tree trunk from its root and charges towards them, smashing them away. They land on some oryxes before retreating.

The Lion Guard is impressed with Shujaa's actions, but soon notice the aftermath of them, with Muhangus' den becoming blocked by rocks, four hares trapped in the dirt, and the oryxes have gotten their horns intertwined with each other after the hyenas hit them. Shujaa is a little upset, but Kion assures him that he did good and it just means they have a bit of cleaning to do.

Soon after, at the Outlands Volcano, a furious Scar interrogates his followers on their latest loss in the Pride Lands. After learning about Shujaa and his recklessness in helping the Lion Guard, Scar is given an idea. He states that they only have to keep attacking, and the Guards new muscle will cause more damage than they could ever do.

Back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard finishes the clean up. Muhangus points out one den that is still covered, and Shujaa offers to help. He throws the rock far away, but it crashes into a termite mound, prompting Kion to suggest that he leaves the clean-up to them. Bunga is about to tuck in to the termites, when Ono alerts them to the army's return. After learning where they are, Kion suggests cutting them off by moving through Nyani Grove. Shujaa offers to help, and begins breaking the trees down, causing the baboons to scatter onto some buffaloes and in turn causing them to panic as well. With Fuli and Beshte sent to calm them, Kion, Ono and Bunga follow Shujaa.

Janja soon notices the gorilla tearing up the trees, realizing that Scar's plan is working.

Once out of the grove, Kion orders Ono to tell the sable antelopes to move. After they comply, the cub uses the Roar of the Elders to blast the Outlanders away. Shujaa is left impressed by his work. Fuli and Beshte return with news that the other animals are safe, but Kion notices the mess that Nyani Grove is in. Shujaa offers to help clean, but instead flings a lone tree trunk onto another tree, breaking it in the process and causing the residents to flee. The Guard stops Shujaa from helping, and Kion explains to him how he doesn't know his own strength. Beshte soon has an idea, and offers to help him control his strength. Although he doesn't truly understand, he trusts the hippo, and the pair leave.

The pair soon encounter a worried Laini with her galagos, who are at first startled by Shujaa's presence. They point to a serval in their tree, who Laini is certain wants to eat them. The serval explains that he was hunting a bird, but doesn't know how to get down. Beshte tasks Shujaa with assisting the serval, but is stopped before he can tear Laini's tree down completely. Beshte asks him to think first, and he obliges. He then conjures up another idea. Shujaa leans the tree to one side, allowing the serval to leave. However, while thanking Beshte, he releases the tree which catapults the galagos to another tree in Ndefu Grove. Shujaa offers to catapult them back, but Laini worriedly insists that they'll get back on their own, which causes Shujaa disappointment.

Beshte tries to cheer Shujaa up, and another chance for the gorilla to prove himself arises when a butterfly comes into their view, trapped between some stones. Beshte tells Shujaa to be gentle, and, after thinking about it, the gorilla carefully removes the tiny stones that are trapping the butterfly's right wing, setting it free. In his joy, Shujaa pounds a fist against the larger rocks, causing the largest to fall. Beshte pushes Shujaa out of the way just in time.

Once again Beshte supports Shujaa, reminding him that no one got hurt. They soon come across Kifaru, whom has given Mwenzi the day off and has in turn gotten lost on his way to the watering hole. After learning about Kifaru's poor eyesight, Shujaa reacts by punching a hole in the wall which is blocking him, and sets Kifaru the right way around. Unfortunately, the wall is revealed to have been part of the hyraxes' home. This distresses Shujaa greatly, and even though Beshte is optimistic about finding them a new home, Shujaa realizes that he causes problems no matter what he does.

Beshte calls for Shujaa to follow him while they find the hyraxes a new home, but Shujaa, feeling defeated, laments about his accidental destruction. He sits down in an ostrich nest, not even noticing Mbuni briefly return to it. When Beshte returns having found an even better home for the hyraxes, Shujaa explains that he won't be moving. Ono arrives to alert them of the Outlanders return to Big Springs, and this time, there's a fire too. With Shujaa refusing to move, Beshte promises to return for him once he has stopped the blaze.

Beshte arrives just in time, and tackles the crocodiles away. He asks his dad to order his pod into the water while he deals with the fire. Nearby, Kion faces off against Janja, when Beshte smashes him away and asks what he can do. Kion asks him to go on fire breaks and he does so immediately. Since the fire could spread if Kion uses the Roar, they have no choice but to fight normally. However, a tree snaps in half, causing Ono to cry out for them. Beshte notices and runs towards them, but his foot catches on an open root. The tree collapses on Beshte, whose leg is now injured.

While the Outlanders retreat a little with the encroaching fire, the Guard realize that they can't move Beshte. Kion tells Ono to find Shujaa. When the egret returns to the gorilla, he refuses to move until he learns that Beshte needs him.

The rest of the Guard fight against Kiburi, Janja and Reirei, when Shujaa appears. He effortlessly extinguishes the flames before arriving at Beshte. Before he does anything, he thinks about the best solution to help him. He then carefully lifts Beshte and places him near the water, prompting praise from the hippo for thinking first. Proud of himself, Shujaa turns to help the Lion Guard, warding the Outlanders away.

Before they can react, Shujaa grabs the crocodiles by their tails, and smashes them into the ground. Frightened by his strength, the hyenas and jackals retreat. Shujaa swings the crocodiles around before letting them go, where they land on their friends in the distance. Shujaa finishes his job by taking out the remaining fire, using a huge clump of dirt and dispersing it around the springs.

The Lion Guard is pleased with Shujaa, and glad that King Sokwe sent him. Shujaa realizes that Sokwe has never seen him think before, and decides to return to let him know. With that, he promises that if the Lion Guard ever need him, he will be there. On his way home, he knocks down a couple of trees, uttering a silent 'oops' in the process.