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The Wildebeests are minor characters in The Lion King franchise. Unlike the other characters of the film, they appear a little more than just non-communicative animals.

Appearances

The Lion King

Wildebeest are first shown in the song "Circle of Life", heading toward Simba's ceremonial presentation. Later in the film, Scar has Simba placed near some shade on top of Wildebeest Valley and tells him to "work on his little roar". Then, in the movie's most iconic and tragic scene, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed are near a wildebeest herd waiting for Scar's signal to chase the herd into the gorge, which is part of Scar's plot to kill Mufasa and Simba. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed attack an ill wildebeest upon Scar's signal, thus triggering the stampede (Banzai, being the hungry one that he is, is about to kill one prematurely, until Shenzi stops him and tells him to await Scar's signal shortly before Scar arrives). Meanwhile, Simba practices his roar on a small chameleon, which eventually scares it off, and notices a massive wildebeest stampede hurling toward him. The wildebeest stampede chases Simba deeper and deeper into the gorge, while Zazu and Mufasa take notice of the stampede and Scar informs them that Simba is in the stampede. The two lions run toward the stampede and encounter Simba dangling on a dead tree, crying for help. Mufasa saves Simba in time, and places him near a ledge while Mufasa struggles to save himself.

Luckily, Mufasa jumps from the stampede onto a cliff and climbs up. On top of the cliff, Mufasa requests Scar's help, but Scar latches his paws onto his older brother's paws and releases them sending Mufasa to die in the stampede. Watching the final moments of his father, Simba climbs down the cliff and searches for his father. Simba later hears an approaching wildebeest which it leads him to locate his father's corpse, to his complete sadness with tears in his eyes. Finally, some wildebeest are also later shown after Scar was killed by the hyenas and the Pride Lands are revived when Simba becomes the king.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

A mother wildebeest is shown during "We Are One", assisting her calf on how to walk. The young calf eventually begisn to sprint and run, but its mother prevented her calf from running too far. The wildebeest that were part of the stampede that took place in the first film also appeared during Simba's nightmare, where he tries to save Mufasa from falling into the stampede, but is stopped by Scar, who turns into Kovu and throws Simba into the stampede after Mufasa.

Some wildebeest later briefly appeared when Simba exiles Kovu, driving him away from the Pride Lands along with the rest of the animals during the song, "Not One of Us".

The Lion King 1½

When Timon and Pumbaa choose the gorge as their dream home, Timon complains about the gorge's searing heat, and the two friends notices a wildebeest stampede racing down from the gorge. The two friends decide to run away, and eventually during the stampede, they land on a wildebeest's bare back until Timon notices the wildebeest heading toward a cliff. The wildebeest halts at the edge, and drops Timon and Pumbaa. They fall into a river (which they notice later on led to a waterfall), while a wildebeest herd is shown in the background grazing in the grass.

Timon & Pumbaa

One appears multiple times in the episode "Cooked Goose". Another named Herman had a prominent role in "Beauty and the Wildebeest". Unlike the other wildebeest, this one appears to have the ability of speech.

The Lion King (2019)

Wildebeests are first seen along with the other animals attending Simba's presentation during the musical number "Circle of Life". They later appear in the background during the musical number "I Just Can't Wait to Be King". A notable difference is that during the gorge scene, wildebeests do not appear until Simba roars at a harmless chameleon because of Scar prompting him to roar like an adult lion. After a while, dozens of wildebeests begin stampeding across the gorge where the hyenas chase them but they fail to catch one. One scene shown in this film is where Simba hides behind a rock to avoid getting trampled by the wildebeests whereas in the original version, this did not occur. Later when Zazu arrives on the dead tree Simba is clinging on to avoid getting trampled, he tells Simba that Mufasa is coming to rescue him from the stampede. Mufasa then arrives and tells Simba to jump on him before the branch snaps. One of the wildebeests is then seen pushing the dead tree with Mufasa telling Simba to jump. After putting Simba to safety, Mufasa gets hit by one of them as Simba watches his father trying to seek for help. Like in the animated film, Mufasa has trouble escaping the stampede and tries to ask Scar for help, but he refuses to. Scar then decides not to help Mufasa, leaving him to fall to his death on the stampeding wildebeests. One last wildebeest is seen running across the gorge while Simba tries to look for Mufasa only to find him lying dead due to the fact that Mufasa got run over by their hard hooves.

Wildebeests are also seen briefly during the part where Scar is overhunting for more food when the Pride Lands are turned into a deserted wasteland, causing tyrannical destruction towards the Pride Lands. After Scar's death, wildebeests later appear returning to Pride Rock after Simba becomes king with the Pride Lands revived.

Video games

Kingdom Hearts II

The wildebeest makes a brief appearance on the first visit to Pride Rock, which shows Scar murdering Mufasa as he did in the movie before it shifts to Sora, Goofy, and Donald's arrival at the present day.

Gallery

Trivia

  • For the stampede, several distinct wildebeest characters were created in a 3D computer program, multiplied into hundreds, cel shaded to look like drawn animation, and given randomized paths down a mountainside to simulate the real, unpredictable movement of a herd. The whole process took almost three years to complete.
  • In the first film, the wildebeests stampede to the right when Mufasa falls to his death. In the second film, during Simba's nightmare, they stampede to the left.
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Media
Films: The Lion King (video) • The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (video) • The Lion King 1½ (video) • The Lion Guard: Return of the RoarThe Lion King (2019) (video) • Mufasa: The Lion King

Television: Find Out WhyTimon & Pumbaa (videography) • Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About SafetyThe Lion Guard (videography) • It's UnBungalievable!
Soundtracks: The Lion KingRhythm of the Pride LandsThe Legacy CollectionThe Lion King CollectionReturn to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's PrideBest of the Lion KingThe Lion King 1½: Songs from Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious AdventureOriginal Broadway Cast RecordingFestival of the Lion KingThe Legend of the Lion KingThe Lion GuardThe Lion King (2019 film)The Lion King & Jungle Festival: Rhythms of the Pride Lands
Video games: The Lion KingTimon and Pumbaa's Jungle GamesThe Lion King: Simba's Mighty AdventureKingdom Hearts IIAnimated Storybook: The Lion KingDisney UniverseDisney Infinity: 2.0 EditionAdventures in Typing with Timon and PumbaaActivity CenterThe Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Active PlayThe Lion King 2: Simba's Pride GameBreakThe Lion King 1½Disney Crossy RoadDisney Emoji BlitzDisney Heroes: Battle ModeKingdom Hearts IIIDisney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion KingDisney Classic Games CollectionThe Lion King: Operation Pridelands
Books: Marvel ComicsThe Art and Making of The Lion KingThe Lion Guard: Can't Wait to be QueenThe Lion King: The NovelizationThe Lion King: The Full Film Script
Cancelled projects: The Lion Guard: Hear Me Roar!The Lion King Family Tree

Disney Parks
The AnnexRafiki's Planet WatchDisney's Art of Animation ResortDisney's Explorers LodgeCircle of Life: An Environmental FableDisney Animation BuildingIt's a Small WorldMickey's PhilharMagicRhythm of the JungleSorcerers of the Magic KingdomThe Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)The Lion Guard Adventure

Entertainment: AnimagiqueDisney's BelieveDisney's WishesDisney Dreams: An Enchanted ClassicDisney KiteTailsFantasmic!Feel the MagicFestival of Family & FriendsFestival of the Lion KingHakuna Matata Time Dance PartyIt's Party Time... with Mickey and FriendsMickey and the MagicianMickey and the Wondrous BookMickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical Music WorldOnce Upon a MouseRivers of Light: We Are OneThe Golden MickeysThe Legend of the Lion KingVillains Tonight!
Restaurants: Restaurant Hakuna Matata
Parades: A Million Splashes of ColourDisney's Magical Moments ParadeDisney's Party ExpressDisney Adventure Friends CavalcadeDisney Cinema ParadeDisney Magic on ParadeDisney Stars on ParadeFlights of Fantasy ParadeJubilation!Mickey & Friends Street CelebrationMickey's Soundsational ParadeMickey's Storybook ExpressThe Lion King CelebrationThe Wonderful World of Disney ParadeWalt Disney's Parade of Dreams
Fireworks: Celebrate the MagicCelebrate! Tokyo DisneylandDisney Dreams!Disneyland ForeverHappily Ever AfterHarmoniousIgnite the Dream: A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and LightIlluminate! A Nighttime CelebrationThe Magic, the Memories and YouMomentousOnce Upon a TimeTree of Life AwakensWonderful World of AnimationWorld of ColorWondrous Journeys
Summer: Stitch and Friends Summer Surprise
Halloween: Happy HallowishesVillains Grove

Characters
The Lion King: SimbaNalaMufasaScarRafikiTimonPumbaaZazuShenzi, Banzai, and EdSarabiSarafinaThe PridelandersPride Land AnimalsHyena ClanWildebeestsGopherVulturesGrubs

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride: KiaraKovuZiraVitaniNukaOutsidersCrocodiles
The Lion King 1½: MaUncle MaxMeerkat Colony
Timon & Pumbaa: The Native ChiefThe Three NativesMother GorillaFronk FegnugenMontiBaampuNobiFredQuintThe WoodpeckerBruceStinkyRalph and EddieTedsSavage LionBartholomewThe TarsierToucan DanVulture PoliceNedNefuRabbitUncle BoarisUncle ErnieBoss BeaverBoy BeaverLester the WhaleThe TigressJackalThe CobraSpeedy the SnailSmolder the BearLittle JimmyIrwinEl ToroCount DownMr. PigWolverineJumbo Jumbo the ElephantCheetato and CheetataMartin PartinRita BookChef ClaudeCaptain BloodbeardCisco PigCisco Pig's GangDr. CagliostroTorgoThe Meerkat AngelWonderful Rhino of LawsPumbaa Jr.Dr. HappyLeslie LambeauMr. ButtonsSharlaWarthog SounderHermanLaraMelClaudiusBahukaTutan PharaohGenieMadame CredenzaDuke MeerkatTatianaMother EagleBaby EarlKing LeopoldPrincess ClaudiaSigmund and LloydHeimlich and SchnitzelMad Dog McGraw, Billy the Goat, and Three-fingered JackelopeDr. ExeterSal ManderJungle InspectorBigfootPimon and Tumbaa
The Lion Guard: KionBungaFuliBeshteOnoTiifuZuriJanjaCheeziChunguJanja's ClanMzingoMzingo's ParliamentMwogaMakuuMakuu's FloatPuaBasiBasi's PodUshariJasiriMadoaTunu and WemaJasiri's ClanThurstonMbeyaPorcupine BrothersMa TemboZitoAminifuReireiGoigoiDogoDogo's BrothersKijanaReirei's PackTwigaJuhudiShingoMuhanga and MuhangusTamaaNala's FatherSwalaMuhimuHamuAjabuMakuchaMakucha's LeapMakucha's ArmyFahariJionaMjombaOgpoaHayaLainiBadiliMbuniMapiganoMtotoGumbaKambuniKwatoShaukuNneTanoVuruga VurugaYoung RhinoLionessMajinuni and HafifuKing SokweHadithiBig BaboonBupuBobokaChuraKifaruMwenziUrohoMwiziKulindaOnaMpishiMakiniShupavuWazaNjanoKiburiTamkaNduliKiburi's FloatChamaKengeDhahabuHodariStareheRahaNyuniSumuKongweKinyongaKuchimbaShujaaAngaStrange LionStrange CobraThe FastestThe StrongestThe BravestThe Keenest of SightYukiHitashiKimyo and NabasuDomogDughiBoginoChuluunPãgala Krud'dhaLumba-LumbaOld CivetOraKomodo DragonFikiriKitendoTuppAzaadFlamingo GirlsFlamingo Girls' FlamboyanceTenukTompokSeisouBambunMouse DeerMama BinturongSmunYun MibuNirmalaRaniBaliyoSurakJannaUlluSãhasíÃnandaBingaTangaagimPinguinoCek and RamaTsah and SasemAstutoVarya Feliks, Pasha, and PolinaHeng Heng Kely Kely's TroopAskariShabahaKasiImaraTazama
Printed Media: UruAhadiKopaBomaKulaZuzuJokaLulu
Deleted: DikuBaashoIggyHerr RhinoKwashiBhatiMheetuBanagiDaabiDwalaNaanda
Remake: Dembe
Miscellaneous: ZawadiKiumeKibibiNakawa

Episodes
Timon & Pumbaa

Season One: "Boara Boara/Saskatchewan Catch" • "Kenya Be My Friend?/Good Mousekeeping" • "Brazil Nuts/South Sea Sick" • "Never Everglades/Cooked Goose" • "Yukon Con/Doubt of Africa" • "How to Beat the High Costa Rica/Swiss Missed" • "Russia Hour/You Ghana Join the Club" • "Uganda Be an Elephant/To Kilimanjaro Bird" • "Rocky Mountain Lie/Amazon Quiver" • "French Fried/Big Top Breakfast" • "Madagascar About You/Truth or Zaire" • "Mojave Desserted/Beauty and the Wildebeest" • "Don't Break the China/Can't Take a Yolk" • "The Pain in Spain/Frantic Atlantic" • "Unlucky in Lesotho/Rafiki's Apprentice" • "Tanzania Zany/Guatemala Malarkey" • "Mombasa-In-Law/TV Dinner" • "Back Out in the Outback/Gabon with the Wind" • "Timon's Time Togo/The Law of the Jungle" • "Manhattan Mishap/Paraguay Parable" • "Be More Pacific/Going Uruguay" • "Let's Serengeti Out of Here/Congo on Like This" • "Okay Bayou?/Shake Your Djibouti" • "Yosemite Remedy/The Sky is Calling" • "Mozam-Beaked/Ocean Commotion"
Season Two: "Palm Beached/Jamaica Mistake?" • "Oregon Astray/New Guinea Pig" • "Isle of Manhood/Puttin' on the Brits" • "Klondike Con/Isle Find Out" • "Beetle Romania/Rumble in the Jungle" • "Wide Awake in Wonderland/Zazu's Off-by-One Day" • "Animal Barn/Roach Hotel" • "Africa-Dabra!/I Don't Bolivia" • "Shopping Mauled/Library Brouhaha" • "Catch Me if You Kenya/Scent of the South" • "Monster Massachusetts/Handle with Caribbean" • "Forbidden Pumbaa/Washington Applesauce" • "Alcatraz Mataz/Oahu Wahoo" • "I Think I Canada/Zazu's Off Day Off" • "Beast of Eden/Sense & Senegambia" • "Timon on the Range/The Man from J.U.N.G.L.E." • "Maine-Iacs/Fiji-Fi-Fo-Fum" • "Rome Alone/Amusement Bark" • "Once Upon a Timon" • "Home is Where the Hog Is" • "Bumble in the Jungle Plus: Beethoven's Whiff!/Mind Over Matterhorn"
Season Three: "Whiff/To Be Bee or Not to Be Bee" • "Luck Be a Meerkat/Just When You Thought You'd Cuisine it All" • "Lemonade Stand Off/Big Jungle Game" • "Boo Hoo Bouquet/Timon...Alone" • "So Sumo Me/Now Museum, Now You Don't" • "Visiting Pig-nitaries/The Truth About Kats and Hogs" • "Escape from Newark/Truth Be Told" • "Circus Jerks/Nest Best Thing" • "Super Hog-O/Don't Have the Vegas Idea" • "Hot Enough for Ya?/Werehog of London" • "Bigfoot, Littlebrain/Astro-Nots" • "Robin Hoodwinked/Seregenti Western" • "All Pets are Off/Boary Glory Days" • "Two for the Zoo/The Swine in the Stone" • "You May Have Already Won Six Million Bakra/My Meteor, My Friend" • "Jungle Slickers/Don't Wake the Neighbear" • "Recipe for Disaster/Going Over-Boar'd" • "Ivy Beleaguered/Broadway Bound & Gagged" • "Steel Hog/Dealer's Choice Cut" • "Space Ham/You Bet Your Tuhkus" • "No-Good Samaritan/Living in De Nile" • "One Tough Bug/Pirates of Pumbzance" • "Miss Perfect/Hakuna Matata U." • "Pig-Malion/Why No Rhino" • "War Hogs/The Big No Sleep" • "Common Scents/Mister Twister" • "Don't Be Elfish/Lights, Camera, Traction" • "The Running of the Bullies/Special Defects" • "Wishy Washy/Ice Escapades" • "Guru-Some/Jailhouse Shock" • "Nearly Departed/Early Bird Watchers" • "The Spy's the Limit/Ready, Aim, Fire" • "Timoncchio/Ghost Boosters" • "Stay Away from my Honey!/Sitting Pretty Awful" • "He's a Bad, Bad, Bad Sport/Dapper Duck Burgers" • "It Runs Good/Hot Air Buffoons" • "Timon in Love/Kahuna Potato" • "Mook Island/Cliphangers"

The Lion Guard
Season One: "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots" • "The Rise of Makuu" • "Bunga the Wise" • "Can't Wait to be Queen" • "Eye of the Beholder" • "The Kupatana Celebration" • "Fuli's New Family" • "The Search for Utamu" • "Follow That Hippo!" • "Call of the Drongo" • "Paintings and Predictions" • "The Mbali Fields Migration" • "Bunga and the King" • "The Imaginary Okapi" • "Too Many Termites" • "The Trouble With Galagos" • "Janja's New Crew" • "Baboons!" • "Beware the Zimwi" • "Lions of the Outlands" • "Never Roar Again" • "The Lost Gorillas" • "The Trail to Udugu" • "Ono's Idol" • "Beshte and the Hippo Lanes" • "Ono the Tickbird"
Season Two: "Babysitter Bunga" • "The Savannah Summit" • "The Traveling Baboon Show" • "Ono and the Egg" • "The Rise of Scar" • "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie" • "Swept Away" • "Rafiki's New Neighbors" • "Rescue in the Outlands" • "The Ukumbusho Tradition" • "The Bite of Kenge" • "Timon and Pumbaa's Christmas" • "The Morning Report" • "The Golden Zebra" • "The Little Guy" • "Divide and Conquer" • "The Scorpion's Sting" • "The Wisdom of Kongwe" • "The Kilio Valley Fire" • "Undercover Kinyonga" • "Cave of Secrets" • "The Zebra Mastermind" • "The Hyena Resistance" • "The Underground Adventure" • "Beshte and the Beast" • "Pride Landers Unite!" • "The Queen's Visit" • "The Fall of Mizimu Grove" • "Fire from the Sky"
Season Three: "Battle for the Pride Lands" • "The Harmattan" • "The Accidental Avalanche" • "Ghost of the Mountain" • "Marsh of Mystery" • "Dragon Island" • "Journey of Memories" • "The Race to Tuliza" • "Mama Binturong" • "Friends to the End" • "The Tree of Life" • "The River of Patience" • "Little Old Ginterbong" • "Poa the Destroyer" • "Long Live the Queen" • "The Lake of Reflection" • "The Triumph of the Roar" • "Journey to the Pride Lands" • "Return to the Pride Lands"

Locations
The Lion King Trilogy: AfricaMount KilimanjaroPride RockThe Pride LandsThe Water HoleThe Elephant GraveyardThe GorgeJungleRafiki's Ancient TreeThe Outlands

Timon & Pumbaa: Zazu's TreeMadame Credenza's PlaceSavage RockBoss Beaver's Log LandThe Tree of TruthDismal Swamp
The Lion Guard: Lair of the Lion GuardJanja's DenTree of Life

Songs
The Lion King: Circle of LifeThe Morning ReportI Just Can't Wait to Be KingBe PreparedHakuna MatataCan You Feel the Love TonightHawaiian War Chant

Instrumental Scores: This LandHyenas...To Die ForUnder the StarsKing of Pride RockDidn't Your Mother Tell You Not to Play with Your FoodWe are All ConnectedHyenas in the Pride LandsElephant GraveyardI Was Just Trying to Be BraveStampedeMufasa DiesIf You Ever Come Back We'll Kill YouBowling for BuzzardsWe Gotta Bone to Pick With YouKings of the PastNala, is It Really You?Remember Who You AreThis is My HomeThe Rightful King
Rhythm of the Pride Lands: The Lion Sleeps TonightKubeLea HalalelaIt's TimeLalaBusaNoyana
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride: He Lives in YouWe Are OneMy LullabyUpendiOne of UsLove Will Find a Way
The Lion King 1½: Digga TunnahThat's All I NeedSunrise, SunsetGrazing in the Grass
Musical: Lioness HuntRafiki MournsOne by OneGrasslands ChantChow DownThe Madness of King ScarShadowlandEndless NightSimba Confronts Scar
Timon & Pumbaa: The Lion Sleeps TonightAlone TogetherStand by MeYummy Yummy Yummy
The Lion Guard: Call of the GuardA Beautiful Day (Ni Siku Nzuri)Zuka ZamaTonight We StrikeKion's LamentIt is TimeHere Comes the Lion GuardWe're the Same (Sisi Ni Sawa)Don't Make a StinkBunga the WiseDuties of the KingOutta the WayJackal StyleOur Kupatana CommunityMy Own WayUtamuAll Hail The VulturesHero InsideBird of a Thousand VoicesPanic and RunTrail to HopeLife in the Pride LandsWe'll Make You a MealFind Your RoarChungu's LamentBaboonsBeware of the ZimwiLions Over AllStand Up, Stand OutKuishi Ni KuchekaRunning with the KingHadithi the HeroMakin' Hippo LanesTickbirds and RhinosTeke Ruka TelezaEveryone is WelcomeThe Traveling Baboon ShowA Real MealFujoThe Path of HonorBring Back a LegendToday is my DayI Have A PlanGotta Look on the Bright SideThe Worst Hyena We KnowMay There Be PeaceBig Bad KengeChristmas in the Pride LandsThe Twelve Ways of ChristmasI Do Have a Great Deal to SayFabulous DhahabuGive a Little Guy a ChanceWe're the SmartestGood King SimbaThe Faster I GoI'm Gonna Run This DumpNow You See Me, Now You Don'tWisdom on the WallsHe's The Zebra MastermindKwetu Ni KwetuNothin' to Fear Down HereShujaa PondaPride Landers Unite!Prance With MeTujiinueHeight and SightWe Will DefendA New Way to GoOn the Last NightWhen I Led the GuardThe Tree of LifeHome of a Snow Monkey's DreamsGhost of the MountainAnythingThat's the Dolphin WayAs You Move ForwardFlamingo Dance PartyYou Best Not Mess With MamaFriends to the EndKion's ReckoningWelcome to the Tree of LifeWho is Better Than WhoPoa the DestroyerLong Live the QueenRemember What Makes You YouThe Power of the RoarOf the Same PrideAs You Move On
Remake: Life's Not FairRafiki's FirefliesScar Takes the ThroneSimba is Alive!Reflections of MufasaSpiritBattle for Pride RockRememberNever Too LateMbube
Deleted: To Be KingWarthog RhapsodyThe Lion of the MoonOld Fearless BuzzThe Madness of King ScarWhere Do I Belong
Miscellaneous: Safety Smart

See Also
Rafiki's Bakora StaffGreat Lions of the PastKing of the JungleMusicalLion GuardRoar of the EldersNight PrideMark of the GuardMark of the Night PrideMoja Kwa Moja StoneTulizaThe Disney AfternoonFind Out WhyHouse of MouseOne by OneTimon & Pumbaa's Vacation SafariAs Told by Emoji
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