TLK Character List
This is incomplete and temporary. When it is completed, it will be put up on my page at lionking.org. -Zac

In chronological order (in sections of the books, comics and movies), then in order of appearance and importance. Characters that are not major or are not lions are given their species. Includes name meanings- Swahili unless otherwise noted.

The Brightest Star
Mohatu
Lion
Crocodile
Hippo
Wildebeest
Zebra
Giraffe
Cheetah

A Tale of Two Brothers
Ahadi (covenant, promise, vow)
Uru (diamonds- in card games)
Mufasa (name of the last king of the Bagada people of pre-colonial Kenya)
Taka/Scar (piece of cloth OR junk, rubbish, worthless thing OR want, wish, inquiry, request)
Rafiki (friend, comrade)
Banzai (skulk, lurk- according to TLK WWW Archive)
Shenzi (full name- Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena) (uncouth, barbarous, savage)
Ed (Edward (Old English)- wealthy guardian, Edgar (Old English)- wealthy spearman, Edwin (Old English)- prosperous friend, Edmond (Old English)- wealthy protector, Edison (Old English)- Edward’s son, Eddy (Scandinavian)- unresting; apparently a joke on Ed McMahon.)
Zuzu (hornbill) (foolish, ignorant, inexperienced)
Boma (Cape buffalo) (pile of earth OR castle, fortress, wall)

Friends in Need
Zazu (Hebrew name meaning movement)
Sarabi (mirage)

How True, Zazu
Nzee (antelope) (misspelling of “mzee”- elder, ancestor, parent, old person, respected man)
Nzuri (antelope) (good)
Pembe (elephant) (corner, angle OR horn, tusk, ivory)
Lulu (elephant) (pearl)
Cheka (elephant) (grin, laugh, mock, tease)
Muwa (zebra) (sugarcane)
Sukari (zebra) (sugar)
Pudini (ostrich)
Mayai (ostrich) (egg OR zero, nothing- in game scores)
Pamba (ostrich) (cotton OR decorate, adorn, embellish)
Jambo (monkey) (greetings, hello OR circumstance, matter, state of affairs, difficulty)
Kwaheri (monkey) (goodbye)

First couple of scenes in TLK
Simba (lion OR like a lion- in bravery or cruelty)
A little mouse (since he’s so popular)

Best Friends
Nala (gift- according to TLK WWW Archive, also African name meaning successful)
Sarafina (Hebrew name meaning ardent- like the angel who protects god’s throne, variation of Hebrew name “Seraphina” meaning afire OR angel, seraph; “I heard that Sarafina means ‘bright star’”- from BehindTheName.com)

Simba and Nala Help Bomo
Kula (Cape buffalo)
Bomo (elephant)

The Cave Monster
Anansi (spider) (name of a spider-trickster in West African mythology)

Next bit of TLK
Gopher

TLK ½
Ma
Uncle Max (Maxwell (Old English)- important man’s spring or pool OR Maccus’ well, Maximilian (Latin)- greatest in excellence)
Timon (variation of Greek name “Timothy” meaning honoring God)
Pumbaa (absent-minded, careless, dim-witted, foolish OR gape, stare, to be speechless)

Simba the Fortune Teller
The monkeys
Pika (warthog) (boil, cook, prepare food)

The Big Flood
Bahati (giraffe) (chance, luck, destiny, fate, opportunity, fortune)
Sukari (giraffe) (sugar)

Nala’s Dare
Kula
Chumvi (salt, sharpness, pungency, salinity)
Ni (I am and other short words like that)

A Snake in the Grass
Joka (python) (large snake, serpent, dragon)

Simba’s Rain!
A hippo

Rain Dance, Shmain Dance!
Monty (python) (Montague (French)- from the pointed hill, Montana (Latin)- from a mountainous region, Montel (Latin)- mountain)
Mrs. Vulture (some kind of bird)

Follow the Leader
Nassor the Nasty (giraffe)
Haraka (ostrich) (speed, hurry, haste, urgency)
Bahati (mandrill) (chance, luck, destiny, fate, opportunity, fortune)
Dalila (mandrill)
Jelani (mandrill) (name of important figure in Sufi Islam, native to Persia)
Khalfani (mandrill)
Karibu (mandrill) (almost, nearly, nearby, in the vicinity OR welcome, come in)
Mosi (mandrill) (first, number one)

Scenes with Kopa and in Kopa’s lifetime in TLK6NA (not including Follow the Leader, obviously)
Kopa (hearts- in card games OR dried cassava, dried manioc OR cheat, defraud)
Pimbi (hyrax) (hyrax)
Afua (defense, protection, liberation, salvation, redemption, save OR forgive, pardon, release)
Beba (cheetah) (carry, transport OR tune- in music)
Leo Jr. (today, now)
Boga (gourd, pumpkin)
Ngawa (civet) (civet)
Sabini (seventy)
Mega (break off, divide up)
Babu (grandfather, ancestor, forebear OR kind, sort, category)
Kiboko (hippo) (hippopotamus OR whip, lash)
Machufa (antelope)
Chewa (vulture) (giant rock-cod)
Choyo (vulture) (greed, stinginess, miserliness)
Wali (vulture) (young woman, maiden OR white pelican, pink-backed pelican OR rice)
The Buzzard Boyz- Moja (individual, homogenous OR one), Mbili (two), Tatu (three) (vultures)

SP
Kiara (Kikuyu- a language native to Kenya- word meaning a finger, also an Irish name meaning small and dark, little black one)
Kovu (scar)
Zira (hate, grudge OR to drive away ants with firebrands)
Birdie (Timali’s fursona)
Digger
Vitani (“vita” means war, battle, dispute, contest, “shetani”- Vitani’s original name- means demon, devil, evil spirit OR supernatural power)
Nuka (stink, nauseate)
Saraw/Nuru (“nuru” means brightness, illuminate, light, light up, radiance, emit light, shine, “Saraw” appears to be either a Southeastern Native American tribe, a Malaysian name, a place in Afghanistan, a nickname for women named Sara with a last name starting with “W”, or some program that has to do with literacy or something. Maybe it’s just made up.)
Dotty
Spotty
Scratch
Maiba (SP storybook) (Shona- a language native to Zimbabwe- name meaning grave)
Scruffy
Beauty-Spot

Timon & Pumbaa Show
Baby Earl (eagle)
Bampu (warthog)
Monty (meerkat)
Boaris (warthog)
Cheetaro (cheetah)
Cheetato (cheetah)
Mr. Happy (human)
Ned (elephant)
Nefu (mandrill)
Pumbaa Jr. (alligator)
Quint (human)
Speedy (snail)
Ted (squirrel)

Other (dropped characters, alternate names from fanfiction, etc.)
Abesi (alternate name for Uru from fanfiction)
Aisha (working name for Kiara during production of SP)
Akase (alternate name for Uru from fanfiction)
Bhati (fox friend of Simba during production of TLK)
Bianca (working name for Zira during production of SP)
Binti (Zazu’s girlfriend during production of SP)
Chaka (son of Simba during production of SP)
Fluffy (name of cub at the end of TLK during production)
Kirijah (mate of Chaka during production of SP)
Kisha (alternate name for Sarafina from fanfiction)
Kitok (alternate name for Uru from fanfiction)
Mee-Too/Mheetu (lion cub, friend of Simba during production of TLK, and brother of Nala)
Metutu (birth name of Rafiki from fanfiction)
Naba (son/daughter of Simba, from David Morris’ TLK character encyclopedia)
Nunka (working name for Kovu during production of SP)
Sanafia (alternate name for Uru from fanfiction)
Shani (working name for Kiara during production of SP)
Shetani (working name for Vitani during production of SP)
Tanabi (son of Simba- disregarding Kopa, Tanabi was a glorified rumor that turned almost canon)
Thembi (alternate name for Ahadi from fanfiction)
Timira (mate of Chaka during production of SP)
Zari (alternate name for Mohatu from fanfiction)
The Mandrill Sisters- Barbara, Louise and Irlene (female mandrill Country-Western trio, from David Morris’ TLK character encyclopedia)