Janja

"You win today, Kion. Next time won't be so easy."

- Janja warned Kion that their fight is just beginning.

Janja is the main antagonist of the 2015 Disney Channel TV film The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, and in its 2016 follow-up series The Lion Guard, serving as one of the two main antagonist of the first season (along with Makuu) and one of the two secondary antagonists of the second season (along with Ushari, the series’ secondary villain), both of which are based on the 1994 film, The Lion King. He is the head of a teenage clan of Hyenas in the Outlands, who are descendants of the hyena clan who served Scar. Janja is also the arch-nemesis of Kion, the protagonist of the show, and the rival leader of Jasiri. Currently, Janja and his clan are working with Scar's ghost.

He is voiced by Andrew Kishino.

Personality
Like his hyena ancestors before him, Janja is a greedy, arrogant, eccentric, temperamental and vicious individual with no regard for the Circle of Life. His unabated hunger drives him to extreme measures, as he is willing to stand against Simba and the Lion Guard, and his ruthless nature shines through in even everyday interactions.

In addition to being the leader, Janja is one of the smartest hyenas of his clan, with only Nne and Tano being smarter. He often refers to his clan members, especially his right-hand minions Cheezi and Chungu, as "fur brains" whenever they make mistakes or do or say something stupid.

Janja's intelligence is undeniable. He is an exploitative and devious planner who is always hatching new plots to bring down the Lion Guard or take over the Pride Lands. Janja is notably the only hyena in his clan who uses cunning to obtain what he wants.

True to his name, he is very sly and treacherous, but also highly charismatic, utilizing his allies in his nefarious schemes. Under Janja's guidance, the hyenas prove a great threat, especially since they are often swayed to his side through his natural charisma and cunning.

Janja will ensure that the clan's goals always align with his own. Janja is also proved to be ambitious: Hyenas are matriarchy, meaning they are led by females and males are of lesser statuses (in real life hyenas). By going against this and desiring to be leader of his own clan despite being a male, unusual for his kind.

Despite his burning ambitions and sharp intellect, Janja is also somewhat pusillanimous and cowardly, usually only choosing to fight when the odds are in his favor, and he is known to promptly turn tail and run when faced with a fair fight.

Despite his actions and personality, however, Janja also appears to have empahty as shown in Season 2 in The Hyena Resitance. When Janja was accidently knocked into a lava pit by one of the crocodiles and hanging for dear life from certain death, after the army was blown away, Jasiri came to his rescue, leaving the speechless hyena hesitant. Janja was shown to less agressive once being saved and despite his refusal, Jasiri remains hopeful and sure he'll come around soon and skinks doubtful of his loyalty.

Powers and Abilities

 * Alpha: Janja is revealed to have leadership prowess that rivals Kion.
 * Strength and Combat: Janja is also strong see more strong as Kion as he was able to hold down his enemies that his size such as Kion, Kiara, and Jasiri.
 * High-level Intellect: Janja is highly intelligent and cunning. Surrounded on all sides by witless hyenas, he stands out as the one clever member of his clan, as he knew the story of the Lion Guard and was able to come up with many schemes to take over the Pride Land; such as attacking at night before the Lion Guard was official, getting Kiara as prisoner to deal with Simba, using herd of animals to make Lion Guard unable to see and trapping the Lion Guard by using boulders to block the path when Ono was not able to see. He also knew that vultures have come information when having meetings that he can use against the Lion Guard proven by Ono unable to see.
 * Endurance and Stamina: His stamina is high as he able to hunt down with his pack to take out many prey as he could, able to endure the attack of the Beshte brute strength and Kion roar as still run off.

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
"What do you take me for, a vegetarian?"

- Janja to Cheezi and Chungu when they suggest the hyenas eat a baobab fruit.

"Stuff it fur-brains."

- Janja

"Mzingo, What are you doing this far into the Outlands? Looking for leftovers?"

- Janja to Mzingo.

"Simba's cub Kion managed to cancel our lunch plans."

- Janja

"Don't you know the stories, The Lion Guard was legendary. The most powerful team of lions in the Pride Lands."

- Janja about The Lion Guard.

"Tonight, we Outlanders will feast! Hyenas and vultures alike! Tonight we strike!"

- Janja "Oulanders, all rise and follow me! The Pridelands will never know what bit em!"

- Janja to his clan.

"Well, if it isn't Kion the lion cub! You and your friends better leave now, before you get hurt."

- Janja threatens Kion and his friends.

The Lion Guard
"Well if it isn't Jasiri. Thought I told you to stay off our turf."

- Janja to Jasiri.

"Dunno why you're in the Outlands helpin a hyena Kion, but it's the last thing you're gonna do."

- Janja mocking Kion helping Jasiri.

"Be a shame if their family squabbles led to chaos in the Pride Lands."

- Janja taunting the problems of Kion and Kiara.

"Too bad you're out here all on your own."

- Janja to Kiara.

"Gotcha now, lion cub!"

- Janja about of attacking Kion from behind.

"I've had enough!"

- Janja after having been knocked down by a wildebeest.

"Oh, you jackals are so annoying!"

- Janja expressing that he hated the jackals.

"We just chased ya out of our den yesterday. And now you're back? Guess I need to make an example of ya!"

- Janja about to attacking the little jackal before being stopped by Kion.

"What're you doing in the Outlands, anyway?"

- Janja asking Kion what he's doing on Outlands.

"Okay, Kion, you want the jackal? He's all yours."

- Janja agreeing to leave Dogo.

"Merry Kupatana!"

- Janja happy that the guard got rid of Dogo.

"There ain't no new plan! You're not in the crew anymore! Get out of the Outlands! You two, I'm giving you a promotion."

- Janja fired Cheezi and Chungu and replaced by Nne and Tano.

"All right, you twos, listen up. Now that you're my seconds-in-command, you gotta learn the rules. Rule number one, I am the smartest hyena around! Rule number three..."

- Janja explains the rules to his new henchmens.

"Uh-huh. Uh, well, good plan. Yeah! Finally. Hyenas who got smarts like me. Those other fur-brains never knew what they were doing."

- Janja congratulating the new henchmen.

"I thought it couldn't get any worse"

- Janja as he is stuck on a cliff and watched by the Guard.

"Yeah. And since when do we take orders from the Lion Guard?"

- Janja says he does not care what the Lion Guard says.

"Relax. She ain't so tough. Out here all alone. Outnumbered."

- Janja on the verge of attacking Nala.

"It don't matter what he say, you two always gotta listen to me!"

- Janja indicating his slight disloyalty to Scar.

"Okay, that lizards.... definetley not little."

- Janja after meeting Kenge.

"Oh, yeah? Well... So what! We'll keep comin' back, Kion! Again and again. Maybe next time we'll actually get rid of Kiara. Or Bunga. Or maybe even your Mom or Dad. Right there on Pride Rock!"

- Janja warns Kion that he will always come back and never stop.

"Why? Why did you help me? (Jasiri:I'd help any hyena, Janja. Sisi ni Sawa.) We're the same? (Jasiri: You and your clan don't have to be on Scar's side Janja.You could join us. The Hyena Resistance and help defeat him.) Hmm uh... I don't think so. We ain't the same Jasiri! (Jasiri, confident and hopeful: We'll see.)"

- Janja showing his empathy to Jasiri after she saved him from the lave pit and shows hesitation about Jasiri's offer just as he decline the offer before he returns to Scar and the rest of the army, the same response that made Jasiri confident and hopeful he'll come around and made the skinks report the events to Scar when they doubt his loyalty.

Songs sung by Janja

 * "Tonight We Strike."
 * "Outta the Way."
 * "Panic and Run."
 * "Bring Back a Legend."
 * "The Worst Hyena We Know."
 * "We're the Smartest."
 * "I'm gonna run this Dump."

Trivia

 * The name "Janja" means "crafty" in Swahili.
 * Janja is male and leader of his clan, but in real life, hyenas are led by females.
 * Janja and his clan are descendants of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed's clan.
 * It is possible that Janja was inspired by Banagi, a hyena who was an antagonist in the early drafts of The Lion King, who like Janja was male and led his clan.
 * Judging by personality, Janja can be asumed to be The Lion Guard's equivalent of Shenzi.
 * Both are the leaders of their clans
 * Both are accompanied by two other members of their species (Cheezi and Chungu for Janja and Banzai and Ed for Shenzi).
 * Janja and the other hyenas believe that Scar died in the great fire years ago after Simba defeated him, unaware of the fact that their ancestors, Shenzi's hyena clan, killed Scar in revenge for his betrayal and broken promises.
 * Although a teenager, Janja is almost the same size as Nala.
 * According to the show's creator, Ford Riley, Janja secretly has romantic feelings for Jasiri, despite his rivalry and hatred for her beliefs.

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Janja