Janja's Clan

Janja's Clan is a group of seven male hyenas that live deep within the Outlands. There are at least seven known members of the clan, including their leader, Janja. Janja's clan is greedy and gluttonous, choosing not to follow the Circle of Life, which results in many disputes with the Lion Guard and problems with other hyena clans.

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Janja speaks to his clan while gnawing on a bone. He notices a honey honey badger named Bunga walking through the Outlands, and orders two of his clan members, Chungu and Cheezi, to grab him. They are promptly stopped Kion, who demands that they put Bunga down. When Cheezi and Chungu taunt Kion, he furiously roars. The hyenas are completely shocked by the intensity of the roar which makes for Bunga's easy escape. After Mzingo delivers the news of the new Lion Guard being formed, Janja tells his clan the legend of the Lion Guard and explains how Scar destroyed his guard. He then decides that both he and his clan will strike that night to stop the new guard being formed, taking down all the animals they can. He explains by way of singing Tonight We Strike with his clan. As always, the hyenas show great enthusiasm for Janja's idea.

When the clan enters the Pride Lands, the young princess, Kiara, spots them while tracking gazelles. She sends her friend Tiifu to get help while staying to keep an eye on things.

When the hyenas attack, several of the Lion Guard's desired members watch. Beshte notes that they already scored enough gazelles to feed them, wondering why they are still attacking the herd. Kion tells him that the hyenas will keep killing until the whole herd is dead. When Fuli express shock at this, asking if they understand the Circle of Life, Kion says that they don't care about the Circle of Life. He gives each of his friends the Mark of the Guard, and together, the five friends defend the Pride Lands. Fuli is seen dashing ahead of the hyenas and blocking their path when they try to flee. Ono takes out Mzingo from above and Bunga dives upon Chungu and covers his eyes. Beshte charges into the hyenas, knocking them backwards, and finally, Kion uses the Roar to force them out of the Pride Lands. Janja reminds the young cub that while he won this time, it wouldn't be so easy the next time. He then retreats with his clan.

Never Judge a Hyena by Its Spots
Janja, Cheezi and Chungu try to attack a herd of antelope when the Lion Guard shows up to stop them. They briefly argue with the Lion Guard about their restrictions within the Pride Lands, but the Lion Guard drives them back into the Outlands with Kion hot on their heels as they flee. Later on, Janja and his clan discover Jasiri in their territory. Despite her reply that she was just passing through, the clan converges on her, attacking. Jasiri holds up well for a while, knocking down Cheezi and Chungu without help, but is eventually pinned down by Janja. However, Kion returns to save Jasiri, tackling Janja in the process. Jasiri and Kion battle Janja's clan, but are eventually cornered. The clan victoriously prepares to attack them, but Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to defend both himself and Jasiri. Janja and his clan leave, worn out and defeated.

Can't Wait to be Queen
When Kion's sister, Kiara, becomes the temporary queen of the Pride Lands, Mzingo is quick to inform Janja and his clan. Janja is pleased with this news, and formulates a plan to to take over the Pride Lands. He has Mzingo convince Kiara to meet him at Broken Rock under the assumption that Janja wants to hold a peace meeting. Mzingo accomplishes this by flattering Kiara and lying to her, explaining that Janja had always wanted peace, but Kion's stubbornness had interfered. Kiara tells him that she'll think about his offer. Eventually, she decides that she will meet Janja, against Kion's negative judgement on the situation. When Kiara arrives at Broken Rock, Janja greets her enthusiastically. His clan steps out of the shadows, and Kiara nervously says that she's reconsidering his proposal. Janja grins and announces his plan, to Kiara's horror, and the hyena clan converges on the temporary queen. She manages to dodge the first few attacks, but Janja soon jumps on her and pins her to the ground. However, Kion arrives, having heeded the advice of his grandfather and come to rescue his sister. He tackles Janja, knocking him off of Kiara. Kiara expresses delight and shock at her brother's arrival, and the two cubs challenge Janja, asking him if he thinks he can take them both on. Janja proves willing to continue the fight, as he and his clan still outnumber Kion and Kiara, but the rest of the Lion Guard then joins their leader. Not liking the now-even odds, Janja and his clan flee.

Eye of the Beholder
Janja and his clan cause a major stampede within the Pride Lands, much to the dismay of the Lion Guard. Chungu and Cheezi sneak up on a young wildebeest and prepare to attack it, but are stopped by the Lion Guard. Janja and Kion engage in a one-on-one battle, and Kion throws Janja into the air at the exact time that a wildebeest charges. The impact with the wildbeest launches the hyena into the air. Janja and the hyenas then retreat back to the Outlands, followed in hot pursuit by Ono.

Janja later hears that Ono has lost his ability to see, which gives him the idea of trapping the Lion Guard amidst a rockslide. He attempts to get his message across to Cheezi and Chungu, who seem more concerned about getting a bite to eat than they do the actual plan. Janja attempts to explain by singing Outta the Way, but much to his annoyance, they still fail to understand. The hyenas form rock piles near a ravine on Janja's orders. They prepare to attack the zebras, and when the Lion Guard attempts to go protect the herd, the hyenas trap them as they go through the ravine. They laugh and taunt the Lion Guard before making their way to feast on the zebra herd. Ono arrives in the nick of time to save the zebras, and the hyenas are once again forced back into the Outlands by the Lion Guard.

The Kupatana Celebration
Janja's Clan is seen charging towards a young jackal, Dogo. They are foiled by the Lion Guard, who come to Dogo's rescue. Kion pins Janja to the ground, ordering him to let Dogo go, and Bunga reminds Janja that it's the day of the Kupatana Celebration. Janja laughs, and tells them that if they want Dogo, they're welcome to him, much to Kion's surprise. Kion steps off of Janja, who orders his clan away, laughing and calling "Merry Kupatana!" over his shoulder. His clan joins in his laughter as they retreat deeper into the Outlands.

Fuli's New Family
When Bunga enters the Outlands, Cheezi spots him and eagerly reports back to Janja, who is being groomed by Chungu. The clan prepares to kill and eat Bunga, but Fuli intervenes. When the ground beneath them breaks off, Fuli and Bunga are stuck floating on a slab of rock in a river of lava. Janja and his clan chase then down, getting ready to eat them, but Kion, Beshte, and Ono appear to help their friends. Beshte pushes a tree into the lava, and Fuli and Bunga climb onto it. Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu follow them, but Fuli leaps off of the log, carrying Bunga with her, and the three hyenas remain trapped on the log as it burns.

Follow That Hippo!
Three members of Janja's clan, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu, sneak into the Pride Lands. They attack a group of young animals, but fail to catch any of them. They decide to pursue the elephant calf Mtoto, however, Beshte intervenes, and Mtoto climbs onto Beshte's back. They swim through a river, and the hyenas pursue them. Cheezi and Janja try to attack Mtoto, but crash into each other instead, and Beshte launches Chungu into the water. The trio recover and continue the chase, but the Lion Guard arrives on the scene and knock them into the water, causing a number of hungry crocodiles to give chase.

The Call of the Drongo
Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu attack a herd of impalas in the Pride Lands. They are foiled by the Lion Guard, and run away, but pause to catch their breath, where they overhear a drongo named Tamaa mimicking Janja's voice. They capture him, and Janja orders Tamaa to mimic Kion's voice and tell the impala herd to head for the Outlands. Tamaa eventually does so, and the hyenas chase the impalas as they run. Tamaa asks if he can go, seeing as he did what Janja asked, but Janja refuses to allow him to leave. Tamaa then tricks Cheezi into freeing him whilst Janja stalks the impala herd, who have reached a dead end. Cheezi and Chungu decide against informing Janja of this, and begin to creep forward after him. The hyenas are stopped by the sound of the Lion Guard's voices, telling them to leave the impalas alone and that they are surrounded. Janja soon discovers it's a trick on Tamaa's part, but the Guard soon actually arrives on the scene, and Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu flee deeper into the Outlands.

Paintings and Predictions
Janja, Cheezi and Chungu watch as the Guard calm down the zebra herd, watching as Ono guides them home. They decide to follow the zebra home, expressing their love of how the zebras Panic and Run along the way. When they arrive, Janja tells Cheezi and Chungu to wait for the signal. They get confused and run ahead of Janja, who rushes to catch up to them. They begin to cause mayhem with the zebras, until the Lion Guard arrive on the scene to stop them. With Cheezi and Chungu too busy complimenting their 'success' on how the zebras didn't even see them coming, they miss Beshte entirely, who blocks them with his body. They comment that they didn't even see him coming. As Janja chases a zebra elsewhere, he too is soon foiled by Kion, who accidentally lands on his back. Janja questions where he even came from, though soon joins Cheezi and Chungu in their retreat.

The Mbali Fields Migration
Janja, Cheezi and Chungu overhear the sound of a zebra baby, and soon arrive to investigate, sliding down the ridge and thus causing most of the zebras to scatter. Kion pleads with everyone to protect Muhimu and her newborn, knowing that mayhem is exactly what the hyenas want from them. After Muhimu orders them to, the zebras compose themselves, rushing back to Muhimu and her foal and defending them along with Kion, Bunga and Swala. At first Janja, Cheezi and Chungu taunt them, though they soon launch an attack. Janja is caught by Kion, and Bunga catches Cheezi. Chungu aims for the zebras, but is kicked back by a zebra. Chungu in turn pushes Kion off Janja as he is thrust away. Janja approaches the zebras, who pull back a little, though Muhimu's son kicks Janja in the face, throwing him away at the same time Bunga and Kion finish with Cheezi and Chungu. The hyenas retreat back into the Outlands, with each declaring that they didn't like zebra anyway.

Janja's New Crew
Janja, Cheezi, Chungu, Nne, and Tano are lurking in the Pride Lands, preparing to attack a wildebeest herd, which Janja knows will be slowed down due to the mud caused by a rainstorm the previous night. However, he himself slips in the mud and winds up getting caught by the Lion Guard. The rest of his clan slides after him, and Cheezi and Chungu reveal Janja's plan. Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to drive the hyenas away, and in a fury, Janja blames Cheezi and Chungu for their defeat and promotes Nne and Tano. He orders his new crew to drive Cheezi and Chungu out of the Outlands, and they obey.

Back in their lair, Janja tries to explain the rules to Nne and Tano, one of them being that he comes up with the plans. However, Nne and Tano reveal a clever scheme to trick the Lion Guard that Janja proves willing to try, though he doesn't quite understand their symbolism of the plan. He is pleased to have hyenas with intelligence like his on his crew.

Cheezi and Chungu flee to the Pride Lands, where, after lamenting their loss, failing to attack an antelope herd, and getting caught in a mudslide, they are permitted to remain by the Lion Guard. They scavenge a hearty meal before going to sleep. Meanwhile, Janja and his crew are putting their plan into action. They chase after a herd of antelope, then begin to pursue a herd of oryxes when the Lion Guard arrives. Janja has difficulty with the transition, as he is puzzled by the complex plan, which makes irritates Nne and Tano. They finally shove him onto a ledge beneath them, where he is unable to climb out, and continue hunting the oryxes. However, the Guard, Cheezi, and Chungu find Janja and hears his story. As Kion and his team go to save the oryxes, Cheezi and Chungu jump down to keep their old boss company. Once Nne and Tano are taken care of, the Lion Guard returns to the ledge, only to find that it has collapsed. After making sure that the hyenas are all right, they watch as the trio make their way back to their home in the Outlands, united once more.

Lions of the Outlands
Janja's Clan are mentioned when Jasiri announces to Kion that she has a problem back home. He asks her if it's Janja's Clan, but she responds that it's actually lions.

Never Roar Again
Janja, Cheezi, Chungu, Nne, and Tano get chased out of the Pride Lands by the Lion Guard, only for Janja to lead them straight back in once their backs are turned. Whilst searching for a gazelle they had been chasing, they encounter the queen, Nala. Although most of the clan are weary of her warning to leave, Janja encourages his crew to fight her, as they have her outnumbered. As they begin, Kion appears and angrily uses the Roar of the Elders to send them flying back into the Outlands.

Ono's Idol
Janja, Cheezi and Chungu track down some klipspringers near the edge of a cliff. When Ono points them out to his idol, Hadithi, the legendary eagle flees, leaving Ono to tackle the hyenas. Although he attempts to use the "Hadithi Spin", he crashes into the cliffside instead, trapping his wing under a boulder.

Cheezi and Chungu approach the defenseless egret, but Fuli arrives and warns them away. They rejoin their leader back with the klipspringers, and the three chase after them when Beshte creates a pathway for them to cross. As they cross the path themselves, the trio are dazzled by Ono and Hadithi swooping around them, and they eventually plummet into the water below. Janja is infuriated, but Chungu and Cheezi are amused at being defeated by a legend.

The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
Janja and his clan attack Ma Tembo's herd. Nne questions this, but Janja is confident in victory. However, they are thwarted by the Lion Guard and retreat, trampling Ushari in the process. They later come back and attack the elephants again, but this time they are after the baboons too and thanks to the Lion Guard driving them to a dead end, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blow them away.

Once the clan returns to the Outlands, they find Ushari and he shares the information of how Kion and the guard keeps beating them. He says that they keep getting advice from the wisest lion of all Mufasa and if they started thinking like lions they could finally beat the Lion Guard. But the clan aren't so sure because there would be no lion that would help a hyena let alone a great one. But Ushari reminds them that there was one lion who helped the hyenas and it was Scar. But, when Janja reminds the cobra that Scar died long ago, he agrees with that, but if Kion can talk to his grandfather. Ushari assured there was a way for them to talk to Scar and Janja lets him go to gather more information.

Once he returns, Ushari informs Janja that to make Scar return they just need fire, Kion's roar and a staff from the Pride Lands adviser. Janja already knows that they have the fire but how are they going to make Kion roar, Cheezi and Chungu tell Janja that the cub's roar is at it's strongest when his loved ones are in danger.

When Janja hears that Makini and Kiara are all alone, he and his pack successfully ambush the two, taking Kiara and Makini's staff to the Outlands. While the others guard Kiara, Janja confronts Kion, who asks the hyena what he wants. Not wanting to give away his true intentions, Janja tells Kion is that he wants to be left alone, which the lion cub finds a terrible idea. After Ono reports back saying that Kiara is safe, Kion gloats saying that they win again; but Janja doesn't let that phase him because he taunts the lion cub by threatening everyone he cares about. Kion at his breaking point lets loose the roar in anger erupting the volcano (unaware that's what Janja wanted). After all that by throwing Makini's Staff into volcano the hyenas have completed their mission summoning Scar.

Rescue in the Outlands
Janja, Cheezi and Chungu are sent by Scar to look for the jackals with hopes of persuading them to join Scar's side. However, Jasiri stops them and marks the territory as her own, effectively stealing it as Janja forgot to mark his turf for the dry season. This angers Janja, causing him to attack Jasiri in an attempt to take back his turf. Despite being outnumbered, Jasiri Janja, Cheezi and Chungu with relative ease, and they retreat, swearing revenge. They return to the volcano, and after Ushari asks how it went, they tell Ushari of the fight with Jasiri. Ushari is surprised to hear that only one hyena was able to defeat all three of them, but Janja states Jasiri is not ordinary hyena and that "She's fearless or something". Suddenly Scar appears, and suggests adding her to their "Collective". Janja argues, telling him that she's The Worst Hyena We Know, and of her friendship with the Lion Guard, and love for the Circle of Life. Scar now sees Jasiri as a threat, and tasks Janja to remove her from the Outlands. He also tells Janja to take his entire clan with him, since Jasiri is more than a match for just Janja, Cheezi and Chungu. The hyenas then leave to complete their task.

Later, Janja observes Jasiri playing with Wema and Tunu. He orders Cheezi and Chungu to go after the cubs while the rest of his clan goes after Jasiri, and launches his attack. Jasiri manages to fight off the four hyenas sent after her, and saves the two cubs from Cheezi and Chungu. But Janja then knocks Jasiri and the cubs into a large steam vent. A delighted Janja then explains to his clan that the rising steam indicates that the vent will soon explode. Janja decides to stay and watch Jasitri die, mocking her the whole time.

However, the Lion Guard later arrives to stop them. Janja taunts the Lion Guard, bragging about his clans' strength in numbers. Janja and Kion charge at each other as a large battle ensues. One by one, all of Janja's clan are defeated by Lion Guard. As Janja and Kion fight, Janja's tail is burnt by the steam vent. He then drags his tail across the ground in a humorous attempt to stop the pain. Soon Janja and his clan regroup for a counter-attack, but are again defeated. Fuli knocks Janja back as the rest of his clan retreats, leaving him alone (Except for Cheezi, and Chungu who have been distracted by Thurston the zebra). Despite this, Janja considers himself victorious, as Jasiri is nowhere in sight. However, she then appears safe and sound riding a large slab rock to top of the steam vent with Wema and Tunu. Defeated, Janja retreats with the rest of his clan.

Janja
Main article: Janja

Janja is the leader of the clan. He bears the typical appearance of a hyena- ashy gray fur with a darker muzzle and dark spots. He has a small notch in his left ear and a ridge of black fur along his back. Janja is greedy, trouble-making, and aggressive. He despises the Lion Guard, especially their leader, Kion, and his Roar.

Chungu
Main article: Chungu Chungu is a large, well-built hyena with a large jaw and small eyes. His mane is thick and black, and his ears notched. Chungu is fairly thick-skulled, and is submissive towards the clan leader, Janja. He frequently compliments Janja whenever his leader makes a joke.

Cheezi
Main article: Cheezi Cheezi is a crazy hyena with notched ears and a large red nose. He has a spiky black mane and is prone to sticking his tongue out. He isn't very smart, similar to his companion Chungu, but is slightly more devious and enjoys violence. Also like his friend Chungu, he is very loyal to Janja, and hates being away from his side for any length of time.

Nne
Main article: Nne Nne is a cunning hyena with dark grey facial markings and two small wisps of hair on his head. He is incredibly clever, and his intelligence exceeds his own leader. He has a short patience with those not on his own level, though he will keep them around until they are no longer useful to his schemes. He is over-confident, which proves to be his own downfall.

Tano
Main article: Tano Tano is a devious hyena with eyes that are usually squinting and three small wisps of hair on his head. He is one of the smarter hyenas, and his intelligence exceeds his own leader. He is somewhat sardonic. Like his friend Nne, he overestimates his own cleverness which is his true downfall.

Unnamed Members
The following are known members of Janja's Clan who have not received official names.

Scar
Main article: Scar Scar is a spiritual lion who lives in the Outlands volcano with Ushari.

Mzingo
Main article: Mzingo Mzingo is a vulture that acts as a spy for Janja. He has dark blue feathers tipped with paler blue, and a large gold-colored beak tipped in red. His head and neck are bald. Mzingo is very sneaky and sly, with a rather dry demeanor. He tells Janja of the happenings of the Pride Lands that are opportunistic or mean bad news for the hyenas, as like them, he desires to eat as he pleases and not follow the Circle of Life.

Ushari
Main article: Ushari Ushari is a red cobra with cream markings. Although he was initially a neutral member of the Pride Lands, he turned to villainy after being disrupted one too many times by the Lion Guard. He now works with Janja's Clan, and played a vital role in summoning Scar. Since Ushari also lives in the Pride Lands, he has allies there that are willing to work with him in order to tip the balance of the Pride Lands in their favor.

Gallery
See also: Janja's Gallery, Cheezi's Gallery, Chungu's Gallery, Nne's Gallery, Tano's Gallery

Trivia

 * The hyenas in Janja's clan are noted to be descendants of the hyenas from the original Lion King film.
 * Though Janja is the leader of his clan, a real hyena clan is typically led by a female.
 * Janja's clan is said to be greedy, eating more than their fair share and disrespecting the Circle of Life. Despite this, the fact that they constantly prey on animals for food makes them the most accurate portrayal of hyenas in the show, as contrary to popular belief, real spotted hyenas actually hunt more than they scavenge.
 * There seems to be some confusion about exactly how many hyenas are in Janja's clan. In the episode Rescue in the Outlands, Scar orders Janja to take his entire clan to get rid of Jasiri, and when Janja and his clan confront her, there are exactly seven members counting Janja. However, this contradicts with scenes from previous episodes; in the final shot of Tonight we Strike, seen in the third picture of this article, there are eight hyenas in Janja's clan, and in one of the latter shots of Bring back a Legend, there are nine.