JABARI
Name Origin: Swahili ("the brave one; brave; fearless")
Generation: 8 (Simba)
Residence: Atlas Mountains (formerly) | Pride Lands | The Wilderness (formerly)
Title: Bastard (formerly) | Rogue (formerly) | Lion Guard (Co-Leader; Bravest
Parents: GhalIb† and Lailah
Guardian: Aali†
Adoptive Father: Dakarai
Half-Siblings: Khalid†, Mazin and others
Mate: Akiki
Cubs: Moto | Jua†, Maisha, Makali

Personality: Compassionate | Brave | Patient | Loyal | Loving | Protective |Self-conscious |Reflective | Playful | Dry-witted
Physicality: Huge | Muscular | Well-Built | Lightly scarred

CV: Idris Elba

Bio
Before he was Jabari of the Pride Lands, he was a nameless cub from the Atlas Mountains in the north of Africa; his lack of a birth name a commonality among bastards of the Atlas Pride. Jabari was one of the many "dirty secrets" of the then-General and Crown Prince Ghalib and his insatiable lust for younger lionesses. In this case, the recently initiated huntress Lailah; younger sister of his own betrothal. Ripped from the paws of his mother, the boy was regarded as too weak. Too small to survive weening.

And as the way of the mountain demanded? He was cast off from it. Thrown to what surely would have been his death...

Were it not for wise old Aali.

The great eagle saw not a predator to be eliminated nor an easy meal as his peers may have. Only a child who did not deserve this cruel fate. He swooped in and caught the cub in his talons, bringing him back to his nest, where he could hide from the patrol sent to locate his body. It was Aali who would give the cub his name: "Jabari", after a legendary hero-king said to have founded the Atlas Pride thousands of years ago. And, once the boy was old enough to open his eyes, Aali knew it was time for him to leave. The King was dead. 'Fell off' of the mountain side on a morning walk. 'Discovered' by his son, who was quick to proclaim his ascension. Ghalib was King. And any bastard children of his were in grave danger if found.

Aali flew south with the baby lion in his talons. He would feed him as best he could; finding new mothers willing to ween him until the boy no longer required milk. It was difficult. Aali was an old bird and he often was not sure if his own body could handle the journey. But they kept going... until, one day, Aali did not return to the nest. Jabari was all alone. Without any friends, any family. Without even his guardian... It was time he lived up to his name, he determined, as Aali always said he one day would.

To be brave and venture forth. Even if that meant he had to venture alone. And the cub walked. And walked. And walked until exhaustion and hunger almost took him. But his bravery paid off. He dragged himself, barely alive, onto a land rich and verdant. Its pride of lions, led by the Great King Mufasa, kind and compassionate. Jabari was adopted into the Pride Lands and taken under the guardianship of Dakarai. The revered leader of the Lion Guard.

Jabari would embark on many adventures with his best friends Simba, Nala and Akiki. He would learn much under Dakarai's fatherly guidance. He would go on to endure much suffering after the sudden death of Mufasa and the age of the Shadowlands that followed. He'd be cast out from his new home. Forced to wander once more as a rogue. Return to see Simba alive and triumphant. To even confront his own origins, when the Atlas Pride marched south; intent on taking the entire continent by force.

And Jabari would immortalise himself as one of history's greatest lions. Brave and unflinching in the face of whatever was thrown his way, just as the name Aali had given him had promised.

He would be THE Lion Guard.
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HUGE special thanks to  hailberry for this phenomenal redesign she did for me. Experimenting with a new bio layout inspired by DemiiDee from deviantART, as I repost and re-update each character going forward.

The Lion King © Disney
Art by  hailberry
Character belongs to  brave-king-shishio.