- "Whoa, cool! The Outlands....I wonder what's out there."
- —Kiara about the Outlands.
| [Source] |
The Outlands are a barren wasteland where the exiled lions of the Pride Lands lived. Most of its inhabitants were lions banished by Simba for remaining loyal to Scar.
Information
Physical Features
The design of the Outlands was meant to mirror that of an actual Badlands, and it shows. The Outlands are heavily eroded with few trees and plants, little water, and few creatures living there. There are peculiar, stunted trees that dot the landscape, as shown when Vitani is attempting to bite off a branch, as well as scattered boulders. The threshold of the Outlands seems vaguely better, with an actual water source (albeit infested with crocodiles), a noticeably purple sky, and some trees and plants.
The most noticeable features of the Outlands are the sky and the massive termite mound the Outsiders sleep in. The sky is limitless and by day is a bold orange-yellow. As the sun sets, noticeable shades of red tint the sky. The termite mound itself is distorted and internally vast (despite seeming superficially like mountains), with many pathways, knolls, and places for somewhat uncomfortable sleeping. As shown in "My Lullaby", it seems that, through various holes that the termites have burrowed into, all kinds of color from the sky and sun will pop through, and a lioness can actually burrow her way to the top, as shown when Zira knocks over a few rocks to stand at the top of her termite mound.
Nothing more is told about the Pride Lands after Zira reviews Kovu's progress, almost directly after "My Lullaby." It is implied that, over the course of the film, Zira and her family and pride still live there, but by the end of the film, the Outlands are completely abandoned, and it is assumed that they never become healthy or green again.
Location
The Outlands lie beyond the Pride Lands and beyond the Elephant Graveyard. Kiara visits the Outlands as a cub while she is exploring outside of Simba's established path, but she is eventually caught by her father. At the end of the film, the Outsiders return to the Pride Lands, realizing how pointless it is to continue fighting, and possibly leave the Outlands vacant.
Role
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
The Outlands are first mentioned by Simba, who warns his daughter that the Outsiders and their land are dangerous. Ignoring her father's orders to stay away from the Outlands, Kiara ventures into the Outlands herself and encounters Kovu, an Outsider cub. The two end up playing together, barely escaping a horde of crocodiles, though Kiara is later apprehended by her father, who roars her away from Kovu and his mother Zira.
Trying to appeal to Simba's soft side, Zira complains about the Outlands, mentioning its lack of food and water, but resolved to keep the Outsiders away from Pride Rock, Simba orders her away, and she carries Kovu with her back to their homeland.
Once there, Zira yells at Kovu for trying to befriend a Pridelander cub, exposing the fierce tension between the malnourished Outsiders and their much healthier enemies. While chiding Kovu, Zira comes up with a plan to kill Simba, and she and her pride sing "My Lullaby," promising the rise of Kovu as their king instead of Simba.
Years later, Kovu has grown into a young adult, and Zira prepares him for his mission to kill Simba in one of the caves in the Outlands. When Kovu proves that he is ready to avenge Scar's death, the Outsiders roar their approval, and Kovu and Zira move out to fulfill the plan.
At the end of the film, the Outsiders (aside from Zira) join Simba's side, leaving the dark days of the Outlands behind them.
Friends for Life
Since Scar's death, the hyenas have been living in the Outlands, called the "Shadowland" by the exiled hyenas. One particular hyena named Asante befriends Kopa, the son of Simba, and invites him to explore the Shadowland with her. While there, the two run into a fierce storm, which traps Kopa in a raging river. With the help of her friend Kroko, Asante frees Kopa, and the two return to the Pride Lands, where Kopa insists on introducing Asante to his parents. Thus, for the first time, an exiled hyena from the Shadowland is allowed to venture into the Pride Lands.
Fight for the Throne
Despite Asante's friendship with Kopa, the hyenas still live in the Shadowland, and a particularly bitter hyena named Fisi schemes to place Kesho, a weak-willed cheetah, on the throne of the Pride Lands in Simba's place.