<P> The Lion Guard is an American animated television series developed by Ford Riley based on Disney's 1994 film The Lion King . The series was first broadcast with a television movie, titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar on Disney Channel on November 22, 2015, and began airing as a TV series on January 15, 2016, on Disney Junior and Disney Channel . It is the second television series to be based on The Lion King, the first being Timon & Pumbaa (1995--1999). The Lion Guard is a sequel to The Lion King and takes place during the time - gap within the 1998 film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride . </P> <P> The second season premiered on July 7, 2017 . A third season was commissioned in March 2017 . </P> <P> Kion is the son of King Simba and Queen Nala, the younger brother of Kiara and the prince of the Pride Lands . As the second - born of the Lion King, he becomes the leader of the Lion Guard, a team of animals who protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life . Kion, along with his friends Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Fuli the cheetah and Ono the egret, sets out to keep the Pride Lands safe and protected from animals who do not respect the Circle of Life . </P> <Ul> <Li> Kion (voiced by Max Charles)--A lion cub who is Simba and Nala's son, Mufasa's grandson, Kiara's younger brother, the Prince of the Pride Lands, and the leader of the Lion Guard as well as its fiercest member . He serves as the main protagonist of the series . His battlecry for the Lion Guard is is "Till the Pride Lands end, Lion Guard defend!" </Li> </Ul>

What's the bird's name on lion guard