| “ | Now this is a meal I've waited my whole life for. | „ |
| ~ Shenzi's most famous quote. |
| “ | There's only one true thing you ever said, Sacr: A hyena's belly is never full! | „ |
| ~ Shenzi prior to killing Scar, and her second most famous quote. |
Shenzi is one of the three secondary antagonists (alongside Kamari and Azizi) of the 2019 Disney musical drama film The Lion King, a remake of the 1994 traditionally animated classic film of the same name. She is the live-action incarnation of the mainstream version of Shenzi.
She is the matriarch and leader of the fearsome Hyena Clan. She lives at the Elephant Graveyard, away from the Pride Lands. Ruling her clan with the assistance of her lieutenants Kamari and Azizi, Shenzi devises a way to feed her fellow hyenas when Scar, the disgruntled brother of King Mufasa, approaches her with the offer of an alliance to take over as king.
She was voiced by Florence Kasumba.
Her Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Her Close to Being Pure Evil?[]
- She and her clan presumably attacked the Pride Lands and its inhabitants for years before the film's events, if Mufasa's scared reaction upon hearing from Zazu that her clan was in the Pride Lands is any indication.
- She led her clan to overhunt across the Elephant Graveyard until they eliminated all living creatures there, leaving the zone a barren wasteland.
- She tries to eat Mufasa's son Simba and his friend Nala when she and her clan find them trespassing the Elephant Graveyard, even though they are just curious cubs. Zazu warns her that she is risking the possibility of starting a war against Mufasa if she harms his son, showing herself willing to endanger her clan's safety to settle a petty vendetta.
- Even her minions fear her, implying that she punishes those who fail her or, at the very least, abuses them.
- She threatens to eat Scar when he enters the Elephant Graveyard, only relenting when he proposes an alliance to usurp Mufasa.
- She causes, with her fellow hyenas, the stampede that Scar uses to endanger Simba and kill Mufasa.
- She attempts to kill Simba alongside Kamari, Azizi, and a fellow hyena.
- She shows no concern when the hyena accompanying her, Kamari, and Azizi in pursuing Simba falls to his death off a cliff alongside him (though he survives), merely asking her lieutenants to check on Simba and make sure he is dead.
- She invades the Pride Lands with her clan and turns them into a barren wasteland once Scar lets them in as he becomes king.
- She gladly accepts Scar's order to let her and her clan eat first, so they leave the lionesses starving unless Sarabi accepts Scar's demands to be his consort.
- She commands her clan to kill all the lionesses once an adult Simba and his friends expose Scar's lies.
- She attacks Nala and tries to kill her, remarking that she has been waiting to eat her for so long.
- She sends her clan on Scar and gets him eaten alive after Simba defeats him, subverting the genuine loyalty she feels for him. While Scar deserved to die for his actions, Shenzi merely ordered his death because he tried to pin the blame on them (which, according to him, wasn't even true but a lie to trick Simba) and not because of any intentions to give him the karma he deserved, even sadistically taunting him that the only thing he said to be true was that a hyena's belly was never full.
- Unlike her original counterpart, who had several comedic moments, this version of Shenzi has zero comical traits. She is taken entirely seriously, with her underlings being the ones to be funny.
- Although she eats and leads her clan to survive, Shenzi displays too much sadism in her actions to be a simple predator, even being fine with endangering her clan if it suits her.
What Prevents Her from Being Pure Evil?[]
- As Scar orders her worst actions, Shenzi fails the Heinous Standards. That said, she does show a willingness to kickstart a war against Mufasa unprovoked before Scar comes into the picture and willingly joins his plans, making this a minor prevention.
- She is a well-intentioned extremist, at least in regards to her clan, as her main goal is to prioritize her clan's survival at all costs, allying with Scar so long as he can provide her and her underlings with enough food, even though she can endanger her clan's security and doesn't mind if any of her hyenas die following her orders.
- Even if she doesn't care for all of her clan's members, Shenzi does care for Kamari and Azizi, her lieutenants, as she never belittles, threatens, or insults them despite their fear of her wrath, trusting them to verify if Simba has died and seemingly forgiving them once she finds out the truth, letting them join her as they hear Scar's confession and then go to kill him.
Trivia[]
- Her original animated counterpart doesn't count as Near Pure Evil due to her (alongside Banzai and Ed) only resorting to generic bog-standard villainy, having too many comical moments and failing the Heinous Standards too much to Scar, Zira and Janja.
- While Shenzi is currently Near Pure Evil, there's a chance this may change if she returns in the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King prequel/sequel, as that film will flesh out Mufasa's backstory and, as hinted in the first film, he and Shenzi apparently had met before.
External Links[]
- Shenzi on the Villains Wiki
- Shenzi on the Disney Wiki
- Shenzi on the The Lion King Wiki
