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.
Wildebeest were first shown in the song "Circle of Life", heading toward Simba's ceremonial presentation. Later in the film, Scar had Simba placed near some shade on top of Wildebeest Valley and told him to "work on his little roar". Then, in the movie's most iconic and tragic scene, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed were near a wildebeest herd waiting for Scar's signal to chase the herd into the gorge, which was part of Scar's plot to kill Mufasa and Simba. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed attacked an ill wildebeest upon Scar's signal, thus triggering the stampede (Banzai, being the hungry one that he is, was about to kill one prematurely, until Shenzi stopped him and told him to await Scar's signal shortly before Scar arrived). Meanwhile, Simba practiced his roar on a small chameleon, which eventually scared it off, and noticed a massive wildebeest stampede hurling toward him. The wildebeest stampede chased Simba deeper and deeper into the gorge, while Zazu and Mufasa take notice of the stampede and Scar informed them that Simba was in the stampede. The two lions ran toward the stampede and saw Simba dangling on a dead tree, crying for help. Mufasa saved Simba in time, and placed him near a ledge while Mufasa struggled to save himself.
Luckily, Mufasa jumped from the stampede onto a cliff and climbed up. On top of the cliff, Mufasa requested Scar's help, but Scar latched his paws onto his older brother's paws and released them sending Mufasa to die in the stampede. Watching the final moments of his father, Simba climbed down the cliff and searched for his father. Simba later heard an approaching wildebeest which he led him to locate his father's corpse, to his complete sadness with tears in his eyes. Finally, some wildebeest were also later shown after Scar was killed by the hyenas and the Pride Lands were revived when Simba became the king.
A mother wildebeest was shown during "We Are One", assisting her calf on how to walk. The young calf eventually began 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 exiled Kovu, driving him away from the Pride Lands along with the rest of the animals during the song, "Not One of Us".
When Timon and Pumbaa chose the gorge as their dream home, Timon complained about the gorge's searing heat, and the two friends noticed a wildebeest stampede racing down from the gorge. The two friends decided to run away, and eventually during the stampede, they landed on a wildebeest's bare back until Timon noticed the wildebeest was heading toward a cliff. The wildebeest halted at the edge, and dropped Timon and Pumbaa. They fell into a river (which they notice later on led to a waterfall), while a wildebeest herd was shown in the background grazing in the grass.
One appeared 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 appeared to have the ability of speech.
Wildebeests were 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 were 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 appeared returning to Pride Rock after Simba becomes king with the Pride Lands revived.
The wildebeest made a brief appearance on the first visit to Pride Rock, which showed Scar murdering Mufasa as he did in the movie before it shifts to Sora, Goofy, and Donald's arrival at the present day.
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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Television:Find Out Why • Timon & Pumbaa • Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety • The Lion Guard • It's UnBungalievable! Soundtracks:The Lion King • Rhythm of the Pride Lands • The Legacy Collection • The Lion King Collection • Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride • Best of the Lion King • The Lion King 1½: Songs from Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure • Original Broadway Cast Recording • Festival of the Lion King • The Legend of the Lion King • The Lion Guard • The Lion King (2019 film) • The Lion King & Jungle Festival: Rhythms of the Pride Lands Video games:The Lion King • Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games • The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure • Kingdom Hearts II • Animated Storybook: The Lion King • Disney Universe • Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition • Adventures in Typing with Timon and Pumbaa • Activity Center • The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride: Active Play • The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride GameBreak • The Lion King 1½ • Disney Crossy Road • Disney Emoji Blitz • Disney Heroes: Battle Mode • Kingdom Hearts III • Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King • Disney Classic Games Collection • The Lion King: Operation Pridelands Books:Marvel Comics • The Art and Making of The Lion King • The Lion Guard: Can't Wait to be Queen Cancelled projects:The Lion Guard: Hear Me Roar! • The Lion King Family Tree
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" • "Beethoven's Whiff" • "Bumble in the Jungle" • "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" • "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" • "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"
Timon & Pumbaa:Zazu's Tree • Madame Credenza's Place • Savage Rock • Boss Beaver's Log Land • The Tree of Truth • Dismal Swamp The Lion Guard:Lair of the Lion Guard • Janja's Den • Tree of Life
Instrumental Scores:This Land • Hyenas • ...To Die For • Under the Stars • King of Pride Rock • Didn't Your Mother Tell You Not to Play with Your Food • We are All Connected • Hyenas in the Pride Lands • Elephant Graveyard • I Was Just Trying to Be Brave • Stampede • Mufasa Dies • If You Ever Come Back We'll Kill You • Bowling for Buzzards • We Gotta Bone to Pick With You • Kings of the Past • Nala, is It Really You? • Remember Who You Are • This is My Home • The Rightful King Rhythm of the Pride Lands:The Lion Sleeps Tonight • Kube • Lea Halalela • It's Time • Lala • Busa • Noyana The Lion King II: Simba's Pride:He Lives in You • We Are One • My Lullaby • Upendi • One of Us • Love Will Find a Way The Lion King 1½:Digga Tunnah • That's All I Need • Sunrise, Sunset • Grazing in the Grass Musical:Lioness Hunt • Rafiki Mourns • One by One • Grasslands Chant • Chow Down • The Madness of King Scar • Shadowland • Endless Night • Simba Confronts Scar Timon & Pumbaa:The Lion Sleeps Tonight • Alone Together • Stand by Me • Yummy Yummy Yummy The Lion Guard:Call of the Guard • A Beautiful Day (Ni Siku Nzuri) • Zuka Zama • Tonight We Strike • Kion's Lament • It is Time • Here Comes the Lion Guard • We're the Same (Sisi Ni Sawa) • Don't Make a Stink • Bunga the Wise • Duties of the King • Outta the Way • Jackal Style • Our Kupatana Community • My Own Way • Utamu • All Hail The Vultures • Hero Inside • Bird of a Thousand Voices • Panic and Run • Trail to Hope • Life in the Pride Lands • We'll Make You a Meal • Find Your Roar • Chungu's Lament • Baboons • Beware of the Zimwi • Lions Over All • Stand Up, Stand Out • Kuishi Ni Kucheka • Running with the King • Hadithi the Hero • Makin' Hippo Lanes • Tickbirds and Rhinos • Teke Ruka Teleza • Everyone is Welcome • The Traveling Baboon Show • A Real Meal • Fujo • The Path of Honor • Bring Back a Legend • Today is my Day • I Have A Plan • Gotta Look on the Bright Side • The Worst Hyena We Know • May There Be Peace • Big Bad Kenge • Christmas in the Pride Lands • The Twelve Ways of Christmas • I Do Have a Great Deal to Say • Fabulous Dhahabu • Give a Little Guy a Chance • We're the Smartest • Good King Simba • The Faster I Go • I'm Gonna Run This Dump • Now You See Me, Now You Don't • Wisdom on the Walls • He's The Zebra Mastermind • Kwetu Ni Kwetu • Nothin' to Fear Down Here • Shujaa Ponda • Pride Landers Unite! • Prance With Me • Tujiinue • Height and Sight • We Will Defend • A New Way to Go • On the Last Night • When I Led the Guard • The Tree of Life • Home of a Snow Monkey's Dreams • Ghost of the Mountain • Anything • That's the Dolphin Way • As You Move Forward • Flamingo Dance Party • You Best Not Mess With Mama • Friends to the End • Kion's Reckoning • Welcome to the Tree of Life • Who is Better Than Who • Poa the Destroyer • Long Live the Queen • Remember What Makes You You • The Power of the Roar • Of the Same Pride • As You Move On Remake:Life's Not Fair • Rafiki's Fireflies • Scar Takes the Throne • Simba is Alive! • Reflections of Mufasa • Spirit • Battle for Pride Rock • Remember • Never Too Late • Mbube Deleted:To Be King • Warthog Rhapsody • The Lion of the Moon • Old Fearless Buzz • The Madness of King Scar • Where Do I Belong Miscellaneous:Safety Smart
