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Zazu (2)

Zazu

Zazu is a Hornbill who is one the characters in Pooh's Adventures of The Lion King. He appeared a few times in the Simba Timon and Pumbaa adventures series but he never became part of the team. Zazu returned in Pooh's Adventures of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He later teamed up with Pooh and his friends in Winnie the Pooh Meets The Princess and the Frog and there at the end of the film, he joins Winnie the Pooh and his friends on their adventures created by BrerDanielMovie93.

The Lion King[]

As King Mufasa's majordomo and close friend (he is one of the few who calls Mufasa by his name), he is very serious and always sticks to the rules.

He is first seen in the film during the opening sequence in which Simba is presented. He later confronts Scar on his absence from the ceremony and is almost eaten by him until Mufasa arrives. When Scar leaves, Zazu humorously suggests to Mufasa that Scar would make an excellent rug.

When Simba has grown into a cub, Zazu is often ridiculed by him, being the target in Simba's pouncing lessons. He is ordered to watch over Simba and Nalaby Sarabi when Simba claims he wants to go to the waterhole with Nala. In fact, Simba has earlier been lured by Scar to go to the Elephant Graveyard, and after the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", Simba and Nala successfully lose Zazu and go to the graveyard. Zazu later catches up with them, but they encounter the three hyenas Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Zazu is inserted into the hyenas' "birdie boiler" geyser which rockets him up to the sky. He manages to find Mufasa and lead him to the cubs, just in time to save them from the hyenas, although it is also implied shortly after the hyenas flee that Mufasa, in addition to being upset with Simba for deliberately disobeying him by going to the Elephant Graveyard, is also upset at Zazu for failing to keep watch on the cubs. Zazu is then ordered to take Nala home while Mufasa has a word with Simba.

During the wildebeest stampede engineered by Scar and his minions to kill both his brother and nephew, it is Zazu who leads Mufasa to Simba. As he watches the stampede, he wants to go back for help but is struck by Scar into a wall and rendered unconscious. After Simba runs away, Zazu is seen comforting Sarabi when Scar informs the pride that both Mufasa and Simba have been killed in the stampede. He and the pride are then seen watching in horror as Scar allows the hyenas into the Pride Lands.

Zazu also briefly appears years later, in a scene after Scar has assumed the kingship of the Pride Lands. In this scene, Zazu is imprisoned and is being forced to entertain Scar by singing songs like "Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen" and "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" (but not before briefly singing the lyrics of "It's a Small World"). When the hyenas come in to complain about the lack of food and water, Scar casually tells them to eat Zazu (although Scar also likely suggested to the Hyenas that they eat Zazu specifically as revenge for Zazu earlier mentioning Scar's brother in a favorable light compared to Scar under his breath), and he frantically insists that he'd be "so tough and gamey and eyugh!" although the Hyenas ultimately decide not to eat him, unknowingly agreeing with Zazu about Mufasa being better.

Later on, Simba returns to reclaim his throne. The lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki battle the hyenas while Simba battles his uncle. Zazu pleads Timon to let him out of the ribcage he is imprisoned in, but Timon goes inside the ribcage instead as he is pursued by the hyenas. Pumbaa comes to the rescue and chases away the hyenas after Banzai inadvertently insults him. Zazu is freed along with Timon and joins the two in chasing them away and doing a victory yell. Later, Zazu is seen at Simba's ascension to the throne and during the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride[]

Zazu plays a minor role in the film, functioning mostly as a messenger. He is first seen at Kiara's presentation, signaling that everyone has gathered. He is next seen when Simba is lecturing Kiara before she goes out to play, and Zazu mentions the dangers of the Outsiders, calling them backstabbing and murderous. Years later on Kiara's 1st solo hunt, Zazu assured a pacing Simba not to worry, that his daughter will be fine, and asked what could happen; but when a wildfire starts, he is sent ahead to find her.

When Zazu finds that Kiara is being rescued by Kovu, he reports the information back to Simba. After Kovu asks a skeptical Simba to join the pride, an equally skeptical Zazu notes that royal protocol demands that debts (such as the one Simba owes Kovu for rescuing Kiara) must be repaid, though Zazu would be quite happy to make an exception and even suggests that Simba should do so, making it clear he didn't trust Kovu any more than Simba did. Later, after Simba returned injured from an ambush by Kovu's mother Zira and the Outsiders, he is sent by Kiara to find help. Finally, near the end of the film, he appears in a panic, reporting to Simba that the Outsiders are preparing to attack.

In the end, Zazu is seen standing next to Timon and Pumbaa at the presentation of Kiara and Kovu's wedding to which Timon and Pumbaa start crying with happiness and Zazu covers himself from the wetness of their tears.

The Lion King 1 1/2[]

Zazu's appearances are extremely brief in The Lion King 1½. He is first seen at the presentation of Simba, talking to Mufasa. He is then seen going to rescue Simba from the hyenas with Mufasa. In the credits for this film, he is incorrectly listed as "Zasu"

Trivia[]

  • In The Lion King musical, Zazu is a puppet controlled by an actor dressed in blue striped clothes and a bowler hat much like a stereotypical butler. Zazu's blue feathers have been replaced with white and the puppet is partially constructed from parachute silk with a slinky contained in the neck for ease in movement.
  • In certain English productions of the show (and in the Spanish one), Zazu breaks the fourth wall. In the original Broadway production when, being blocked by curtains at the beginning of the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" number, shouts out "This didn't happen in the movie!" or "These look like shower curtains from Target!" (Ikea in some productions) and also, at the end of the number, the puppet is taken from his head and he cries out "Give me back my bird, Zazu!" The Memphis tour changes the curtain reference to "Graceland"; the London production "IKEA", and the Hawaii production "Hilo Hattie". The Toronto production had him make references to Honest Ed's, the original business of the theater's owner, Ed Mirvish. Zazu also attacks his puppeteer, stating, "This is your fault!"
  • Zazu has shown the ability to hover in mid-air, a very difficult flying ability. The only real life birds capable of this are the hummingbird and certain birds-of-prey like the kestrel, the latter doing so to pinpoint prey; birds-of-prey also cannot do so indefinitely.
  • Zazu is a good friend of Sebastian.

Gallery[]

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