Nyota

"'Everyone looking up to you, will see a leader fierce, brave, and true.'""~Nyota to Kion in their duet version of 'It Is Time'" Nyota is an orphaned cub that was adopted by Rafiki. She is the main female protagonist of the "Star and Lion Guard Adventures" series and is the best friend of the male protagonist, Kion.

In season two of Lion Guard Adventures, Nyota is revealed to be the lost Crown Princess of the Back Lands, her parents being King Ushar and Queen Zora.

In season three, Nyota becomes Kion's mate, making her a princess-consort of Pride Rock. As Kion's mate, Nyota becomes a part of Pride Rock's royal family, and at the end of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Nyota stands at Kion's right and roars alongside him with Simba and Nala, and the newly married Kiara and Kovu.

During the series' epilogue, Nyota and Kion marry and become rulers of their own kingdom which contains members of both the Pride Lands and the Bahram kingdom of the Back Lands.

Their final scene shows them and their two cubs (a son and daughter) escorting Makini back to the Tree of Life and meeting with Queen Rani and King Asim, who have three cubs of their own.

Early Life
Nyota was born to King Ushar and Queen Zora of the Bahram territory of the Backlands. She was named Nyota because of the star-shaped birthmark under her left eye (a birthmark she shares with her mother Zora) A couple weeks after her birth, she was with her mother when a storm suddenly struck, flooding portions of the Backlands. While Ushar and Zora were helping the herds under their rule, Nyota was swept away by a wave, and washed into the Pride Lands. Ushar and Zora believed her to be dead, since it would be impossible for a cub as young as her to survive.

Nyota was found by Rafiki the next day. Seeing the small cub on a rock in the middle of a river, Rafiki rescued her, Once she was safe, the baby cub curled up and started to softly purr. It was then that Rafiki heard the voices of the Great Lions of the Past, saying this lioness will have an important role in the Pride Lands future. Rafiki noticed the star-shaped birthmark under the cub's left eye, and knew that her name was Nyota.

Rafiki spent the next few weeks in his tree with baby Nyota, helping her walk on her own and nourishing her, also forming a parental bond. When she was ready, Rafiki brought Nyota to Pride Rock and introduced her to Simba and Nala, as well as a young Kiara and the new prince, Kion. While Rafiki explained to Simba how he found Nyota and what the Great Lions told him, Nyota and Kion started to play.

Since then, Nyota and Kion became inseparable best friends, going everywhere together and playing all the time. They soon befriended Bunga the honey badger, who had become the adopted nephew of Timon and Pumbaa.

Personality
Having been raised by Rafiki, Nyota obeys the rules and intelligently recognizes the signs of potential danger, but if she ever found herself in danger, she would observe her surrounding and come up with the best course of action to escape, earning her a reputation of being wise beyond her years. Though mature in aspects of obedience and rule-following, Nyota is still young and doesn't recognize more adult concepts; such as romance. This is often shown when others (such as Kiara and Shaba) make comments about how close and affectionate her and Kion seem to be with eachother.

Due to her thinking quick on her feet is what prompted Kion to choose Nyota to be the Wisest member of the Lion Guard. Nyota holds her position highly, often acting as the voice of reason among the group, along with Ono. She also takes the position of second-in-command to Kion, often taking lead when he's absent.

Nyota is an encouraging friend, kind to Kion even when he makes an error, no matter what he says or does, she maintains their friendship. When Kion becomes downtrodden or looses confidence, Nyota tries to cheer him up. On a few instances, Kion voiced his fears about being like his great-uncle Scar, to which Nyota rebuffs and claims he's more like his grandfather Mufasa.

As a teenager, Nyota is more confident in herself and fiercer than she was as a cub. She is also said to be wiser, as her plans for battling (and beating) Scar's Army have been successful over the small time jump from season two to three. It's also hinted that her feelings towards Kion have shifted slightly from caring about him as a best friend to something deeper.

Physical Appearance
Nyota appears as a slender cream colored lioness with stormy-blue eyes. She has a pink nose, both the inside of her ears are tan and the small tuft of fur on her tail is a lighter shade of her underbelly and muzzle. She also has a distinct birthmark under her left eye, in the shape of a star. The mark of the Lion Guard appears in a light cream color on her left shoulder.

At the start of season three, the Lion Guard have aged up into their teenage years.

As a teen, Nyota is noticeably bigger (yet still smaller than Kion in size due to males being larger than females) and appears more sleek and slender. Her fur appears to be a few shades lighter and her eyes appear slightly brighter as well. Her nose retains the same bright pink and her Mark of the Guard appears the same cream color on her left shoulder. However, after Ono loses his sight in the final battle against Scar and gives his role to Anga the eagle, he is then named the Smartest; since his new role and Nyota's current one are intertwined Nyota's Mark of the Guard changes from a light cream to silver, matching Ono's.

The Roar's Return
Nyota is the main female protagonist of the pilot film. She is first seen meditating alongside her adoptive father, Rafiki, when suddenly Bunga jumps on her head chasing a baobab fruit. Once she realizes what's going on, she's crashed into by Kion. After asking Rafiki permission, Nyota joins the game of Baobab Ball with Kion and Bunga.

Lion Guard Adventures
Nyota is a main character in The Lion Guard Adventures series. She serves as the main female protagonist.

Season One
This season introduces the Lion Guard and their duty to the Pride Lands and Circle of Life. They will encounter various dangers within the Pride Lands or outside of it.

Season Two (The Rise of Evil)
This season the Lion Guard will face an evil force that threatens the Pride Lands and its inhabitants.

Season Three (The Journey to the Tree of Life)
The start of season three shows Nyota, along with the rest of the Lion Guard, have aged up into their teenage years. After defeating Scar and restoring peace in the Pride Lands and order in the Outlands, the Lion Guard start out on a journey to the Tree of Life in order to heal two of their own who were injured in the Battle of the Pride Lands.

Rafiki
Rafiki found Nyota as a young cub, who's eyes had barely been open. Since then, he has been the sole parent in her life. Rafiki cares deeply for Nyota, calling her his "Little Star" and "My Cub". He plays both the affectionate parent and the strict parent.

Shaba
Shaba is a male lion of Simba's pride and acts like the older brother Nyota never had. In true "big brother" fashion, Shaba often teases Nyota over her close friendship with Kion, stating time and again that they're a cute couple.

Kion
Kion and Nyota have been best friends since early cubhood, and have been inseparable ever since. Their close friendship mirror's that of Simba and Nala's from the first Lion King film. Upon learning that Kion was gifted with the Roar of the Elders, thus being chosen to lead the Lion Guard, Nyota voiced praise and support for her friend. She was at first taken aback when Kion named her the Wisest lioness but promised to never let him down. The pair are often teased by their respective older siblings because of their close and affectionate friendship. Nyota is also trusted by Kion as his second-in-command.

Nyota has shown to care about Kion's well being and safety on more than one occasion. In "Lions of the Outlands" Nyota outright voiced her distrust of Zira and was constantly at Kion's side, her eyes set in a narrowed glare every time the older lioness looked at them. When Zira lost her temper (at a remark Nyota made about Scar) and raised her paw, Nyota lunged first and was knocked into a nearby boulder. When she was pinned down by one of Zira's lionesses, Kion tensed up and was prepared to fight. Zira called her lioness off and Nyota ran to Kion, standing in front of him with her head under his, although she was visibly shaken, she was also protecting him in case the lionesses tried again.

In the season two special "The Rise of Scar" Kion is visibly worried when Makini informs the Guard that Nyota and Kiara have been taken by Janja and his clan. Kion confronts Janja alone while the rest of the Guard work to rescue Kiara and Nyota. However, Nyota offered herself as bait to lure the hyenas away so the Guard and Kiara could escape. Her fight with the hyenas came into view of Kion's meeting with Janja. Knowing how deeply Kion cared for Nyota, Janja tackled her when she tried to jump over the lava river, the two then getting into a one-on-one fight. Nyota was exhausted due to her bout with the rest of Janja's clan so she was easily pinned down by Janja, prompting Kion to get angry and protective. To seal the deal for Kion to roar with anger, Janja bit Nyota's shoulder, causing her to yell out in pain, which sent Kion over the edge and roared, causing the volcano to erupt. With what little strength she had, Nyota jumped over to Kion and collapsed on the ground. Kion then lifted Nyota onto his back and escaped the volcano's eruption. When they returned to the Lion Guard Lair, Kion never left Nyota's side as Rafiki patched her up, visibly distraught by her condition. That night, he laid down beside her and rested his head on her neck, whispering a promise to never let her get hurt like that again.

In season three, Nyota's feelings for Kion have shown to have grown deeper, suggesting she's fallen in love with him.

Ono
Ono and Nyota have been friends for a while prior to him joining the Lion Guard. When the Guard is together, Ono is often seen perching on Nyota's shoulders or back. The two are the smartest on the Lion Guard, and often finish each other's explanations. Sometimes Nyota will explain something and Ono will finish with his secondary catchphrase "Common knowledge, really."

One example of their close friendship is in the episode "Eye of the Beholder". While chasing Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu out of the Pride Lands, Ono gets dust in his eye and almost crashes into the ground, but Nyota rushes to save him before he hits the ground. She carries him on her back to the Lair of the Lion Guard and watches as Rafiki tends to him. When Ono begins to doubt his position as the Keenest of Sight, Nyota is the first to try and cheer him up.

In season three, after relinquishing his role as the Keenest of Sight to Anga, Ono feels downtrodden that he's no longer on the Lion Guard. When Kion notes how smart Ono is, he reminds that Nyota is the Wisest member. Nyota does agree with him, but also notes that her knowledge is limited by what she knows of the Pride Lands and Back Lands, and what Rafiki has taught her. She further explains that she's still learning and that Ono could help teach her new things. Ono is then named the Smartest and Nyota's Mark of the Guard changes colors to match his. After that, Kion refers to them both as the "Wisest Pair" and Ono wraps his wings around Nyota's neck in an embrace.

Bunga
Nyota and Bunga have been close friends since they were young, along with Kion. The three would play together all throughout the Pride Lands, often getting into trouble. When Bunga was little, he couldn't say Nyota's full name so he just opted to shorten it to Nya. Bunga's the only character to exclusively refer to Nyota as Nya, while others usually refer to her by her full name or nickname.

Bunga being more care-free than Nyota sometimes sparks arguments between the two. In "Bunga the Wise", Bunga claiming to be the wisest sparked tension between the two, and brought some of Nyota's insecurities to the surface. However, the pair was able to reconcile by the episode's end.

Fuli
Nyota and Fuli have known eachother since early cubhood, but due to a cheetah's solitary nature they never really hung out much, that is until Fuli became part of the Lion Guard. Their relationship grows over the course of the series.

In "Fuli's New Family", after comedic disasters with the rest of the Guard, Fuli rests by Rafiki's Tree and has a conversation with Nyota (who was grounded due to events from the previous episode), which is interupted when they hear Bunga in the Outlands. The two work together to save Bunga and after that they seem to be closer.

In season three, Fuli was one of the first of the Guard to note the change between Nyota and Kion. Throughout the season, Fuli is the one to comfort Nyota when she worries for Kion when his mood changes due to his scar.

Beshte
Nyota and Beshte have a close friendship. Beshte is always encouraging and empathetic.

In the season two episode "Swept Away", the pair are swept into the Outlands by a river created by Kion's Roar. Nyota had injured her paw in their earlier rescue and her injury was slowing her down, and the sun was even making her more uncomfortable. That combined with her worrying about Kion, knowing he would feel guilty for his Roar sending them to Outlands to begin with, Nyota was struggling with the heat. Beshte helped her out by walking between her and sun, keeping her in his shadow, and told her they should "look on the bright side" lifting her spirits. At the end of the episode they are reunited with the rest of the Guard and their friendship is a bit stronger.

Kiara
Nyota appears to have a friendly relationship with Kiara. Nyota respects Kiara as the Princess (and future Queen) of the Pride Lands. Kiara also seems to care about Nyota, seeing as how her and Kion are best friends. She often teases them about their affectionate relationship, hinting they have deeper feelings for one another.

In the season two special "The Rise of Scar", when Kiara and Nyota are kidnapped by Janja and his clan (as a means to lure Kion to the volcano and use his Roar) Nyota steps up and protects Kiara from the steam vents surrounding them. When the rest of the Guard rescue them, Nyota insists they save Kiara, while she takes on Janja's Clan. Nyota was severely injured in her fight with the hyena clan and Kiara, along with her parents, waited patiently outside the Lion Guard Lair for news from Rafiki on Nyota's condition. When given the okay to go inside the lair and see her, Kiara was visibly shaken at the sight of Nyota's injuries.

In season three, before the Lion Guard begins their journey to the Tree of Life, Kiara asks Nyota to take care of Kion, which Nyota promises to do so. Kiara affectionately nuzzles her and wishes her safe travels and to come home along with Kion. This suggests she cares about Nyota in a sisterly-way and believes that Nyota is truly Kion's mate.

Simba and Nala
Nyota has a great deal of respect for the King and Queen of the Pride Lands, and has a good relationship with them due to being Kion's best friend. Simba and Nala also care about Nyota for that same reason. They have known her since she was an infant cub and have seen first hand her and Kion grow up and grow close.

In the episode "Never Roar Again", Nala sees first hand how Nyota is there for Kion and is grateful her son has a best friend like her. Nala tells Nyota that her friendship with Kion reminds her of her friendship with Simba when they were young cubs.

Tiifu and Zuri
Nyota isn't particularly close with Tiifu and Zuri, seeing as they only hang around with Kiara. As cubs, they weren't nice to Nyota and often excluded her, leading her to spend more time with Kion and Bunga. Like others, Tiifu and Zuri joke about Kion and Nyota's close relationship, of course they mean it in more mocking sort of way.

In "Can't Wait to be Queen", Nyota scolds the two for not showing Kion respect (for he is the Prince) and as she walked away, Tiifu and Zuri mocked her for not truly being a part of the Pride. Nyota went on the attack but was halted by Kion,

By the season two episode "The Underground Adventure", Nyota appears to be on friendly terms with Tiifu and Zuri as they invite her to go with them and Kiara on a 'girls day away' to the mud pots, saying she needs a day off.

Makini
Makini and Nyota have a sisterly relationship, and Nyota cares for her as such and looks out for her.

Jasiri
Nyota and Jasiri have a great friendship, as Nyota is grateful to Jasiri for keeping Kion safe the first time he was trapped in the Outlands (see Never Judge A Hyena By Its Spots).

They appear to have a closer friendship during the next episode Jasiri appears in (Lions of the Outlands).

The Night Pride
Although their first meeting was antagonistic, Nyota grew to respect each member of the Night Pride and came to see them as friends and allies.

Trivia

 * Her name means "Star" in Swahili.
 * Nyota physically resembles Nala as a cub.
 * Nyota's catchphrase/battle cry is "Hebu Nuruke" which translates to "Let's light it up"
 * Nyota has a fear of snakes (as seen in the episodes The Rise of Makuu and Bunga the Wise)