Janjasiri

Janjasiri
GENERAL
The Lion King
Character	Janja
Character	Jasiri
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Friends; implied feelings on Janja's side
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Het

Janjasiri is the het ship between Janja and Jasiri from The Lion King fandom.

Canon

The Lion Guard: Season One

Janja and Jasiri’s first on screen encounter is in The Lion Guard episode “Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots.” However, the two are familiar with each other, with Jasiri being disgusted by the very suggestion that she and Janja are from the same clan. When she and Kion discuss the other hyenas of his acquaintance, all of whom are from the same clan, Jasiri asserts that she isn’t like them. In particular, she disparages Janja and his closest associates as foolish due to being male.

Later on, Jasiri repeats her assertion that not all hyenas are like Janja, with most of them-like herself-respecting the Circle of Life just as Kion’s pride and friends do. Jasiri warns Kion after determining by scent that they’ve passed into the territory of Janja’s clan. Having parted from Kion, she runs into Janja and is visibly startled. Janja, meanwhile, recalls having specifically warned her previously against trespassing.

Maintaining her cool, Jasiri insists that she is only traveling and asks Janja to move out of her way, warning that she’ll make him if he doesn’t. Backed up by his clan, Janja is unimpressed, and Jasiri’s attempt to take another route is blocked. Though fearful, Jasiri makes a point of commenting that Janja has apparently learned that she’s too much for him to handle alone or even with only his minions Cheezi and Chungu. Janja leads his clan in attacking Jasiri, intending to teach her a lesson. Jasiri bravely stands against Janja and his fellows, but is pinned by Janja when Kion returns to assist her.

Though still outnumbered, the two hold their own well but are eventually surrounded by. Janja expresses surprise at seeing Kion helping Jasiri, but is quite willing to punish him for it. However, when he orders his clan to attack both Kion and Jasiri, they are driven off by Kion’s Roar of the Elders. Now alone against Kion and Jasiri, Janja retreats in fear. Jasiri and Kion discuss him afterwards, both lamenting that the Roar isn’t enough to scare Janja off for good.

The Lion Guard: Season Two

Jasiri and Janja’s next known encounter is in “Rescue in the Outlands.” While out searching for allies to join an army being assembled by the ghost of Scar, Janja is confronted by Jasiri. To his consternation, Jasiri had marked territory previously held by his clan, which Janja had neglected to remark due to his occupation with Scar. Mockingly, Jasiri offers to let Janja travel through it, but Janja angrily leads an attack to reclaim it instead.

Accepting Janja’s challenge, Jasiri engages him, Cheezi, and Chungu, landing on Janja’s back at one point and later throwing him off after he attempts to pin her. Eventually, Janja concedes, and Jasiri orders him and the others to leave. Trying to save face, Janja warns Jasiri that they’ll return, but she laughingly welcomes the challenge. Janja then reports on the encounter to Scar and the cobra Ushari, and can’t help but express admiration of Jasiri’s courage.

However, when Scar suggests recruiting Jasiri to their alliance, Janja is quick to dismiss the possibility. He and his fellows proceed to disparage Jasiri through the song “The Worst Hyena We Know.” Despite this, Janja is somewhat taken aback when Scar instructs him to take his entire clan and eliminate Jasiri. Following Scar’s orders, Janja soon finds Jasiri playing with two cubs from her clan, and leads his forces to attack.

Initially unimpressed at the sight of Janja, Jasiri warns him off only to find herself and the cubs menaced by Janja’s clan. Despite Jasiri’s best efforts, Janja is able to personally knock her and the cubs into a geyser vent. Defiantly, Jasiri warns Janja that he’ll pay for his attack, but Janja is certain of victory. He assembles his forces around the geyser, eager to witness Jasiri’s demise.

Fortunately for Jasiri, her sister Madoa alerts Kion and the Lion Guard to the situation. Janja taunts Jasiri as pressure in the geyser builds, but Jasiri is encouraged when she hears Kion’s voice challenging Janja. The Lion Guard and Janja’s clan are soon embattled, with Janja deliberately attacking Kion to prevent his aiding Jasiri. When his clan is driven off, Janja tries to assert victory based on his inability to see Jasiri.

However, Jasiri and the cubs are alive and well, and Jasiri herself draws Janja’s attention before asking if he really wants to face her and the Lion Guard alone. Janja reluctantly retreats, once again warning Jasiri that they’ll meet again. Afterwards, Jasiri discusses the altercation with Kion, noting that there was more going on than simply an attempt to reclaim lost territory.

In “The Hyena Resistance”, Jasiri learns from Kion that Janja’s clan and several other Outlander factions are now in league under Scar’s leadership. Though Kion offers Jasiri’s clan sanctuary in the Pride Lands, Jasiri instead chooses to oppose Janja and his allies in the Outlands. Her clan becomes a resistance force, spying on Scar’s army and working with the Lion Guard against them. Jasiri’s clan acts to prevent Janja’s from joining an attack on the Pride Lands, leaving the Lion Guard with fewer foes to contend with.

The resistance succeeds in helping thwart two other attacks before being discovered by Scar’s spies. When they report to Scar, it comes out that Janja’s clan had lied and claimed that his previous mission to eliminate Jasiri was a success. Scar orders Janja to lay a trap, which will leave Jasiri’s clan at the mercy of Scar’s entire army. Janja and his allies soon confront Jasiri’s clan, though Janja is startled when Jasiri reveals that she knows about Scar.

Once again, however, Janja and her clanmates are saved thanks to timely intervention by the Lion Guard. In the ensuing struggle, Janja is left dangling inside a geyser while his allies are driven off by the Roar. Much to his astonishment, Jasiri pulls him out before declaring “Sisi ni sawa”, meaning “We are the same.” Jasiri then offers Janja a place with her clan against Scar. He refuses after a brief hesitation, but Jasiri is hopeful that he may eventually accept.

The Lion Guard: Season Three

In “Battle for the Pride Lands”, Jasiri and her clan continue to aid the Lion Guard in battling Scar. At one point Jasiri pursues Janja, but saves him yet again when he nearly falls off a ledge. Janja gives Jasiri an uncertain look afterwards before fleeing. Eventually, Janja finds himself doubting that he’s on the right side, expressing his conflict through the song “A New Way to Go.” In particular, he finds himself questioning whether Jasiri has been right to respect the Circle of Life, and ponders how she not only isn’t afraid of him but has saved his life repeatedly.

Unfortunately for Janja, his contemplations are observed by Scar’s spies, who also witnesses his hesitation when Jasiri first offered him friendship. Scar decides to take advantage of the situation by deceiving Janja, sending him to attack the Pride Lands and giving him false information about Kion’s ability to destroy Scar himself. Janja soon learns that his clan has been betrayed and left to perish along with the Lion Guard and royal family. Managing to escape, he realizes that he’ll need help, and then smiles upon realizing the one animal he can ask.

Jasiri, sleeping with her clan, is startled when Janja approaches. However, when she confronts him, Janja responds awkwardly before breaking into a line of Jasiri’s Sisi ni sawa song. Jasiri, initially stunned, laughs, and Janja admits to realizing that she had been right the whole time. However, when he briefs her on what brought him to her, Jasiri immediately charges off to help, with Janja following her in some trepidation.

Upon meeting the Lion Guard, who have escaped Scar’s trap, Jadiri vouches for Janja when he offers the (false, unbeknownst to him) information on how Scar can be defeated. The Pride Landers are understandably skeptical, and Janja once again launches into song before Jasiri, in some frustration, encourages him to share his intelligence instead. Embarrassed, Janja agrees with her, and Jasiri’s vote of confidence persuades Kion and, through him, Simba to take Janja’s advice.

As the Pride Landers, now hopeful that they can defeat Scar and his army, Jasiri assures them that they’ll have the hyenas’ support. She turns to Janja for confirmation, and Janja enthusiastically declares that his clan will join in on the Pride Lands’ side as well. Janja’s clanmates approve, and Janja voices the belief that they are truly on the right side now. Jasiri voices her approval, adding a friendly nudge and a laugh that Janja privately confesses “[he] could get used to.”

The following day, Janja and Jasiri lead their clans into battle alongside the Pride Landers. After the fight is over, both run up to Kion after his final confrontation with Scar. When the Outlanders question what is to become of them now, Janja declares that only one animal is suited to keep this new peace. To Jasiri’s surprise, Janja names her, later adding that his clan and hers are now one and will deal with any animals who fail to respect the Circle of Life.

Much later, in “Journey to the Pride Lands, Janja and Jasiri follow Kion and the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life. They inform Kion and the others that the Outsiders, a group of Scar loyalist lions, have invaded the Outlands and are on their way to the Pride Lands. Lacking the strength to defeat them unaided, Janja and Jasiri came to find the Lion Guard. The two and Azaad, a cheetah who guided them part of the way, then join the Lion Guard in traveling back toward the Pride Lands.

During the journey, Janja and Jasiri exchange a confused look when Kion is unbothered by an obstacle in their path. Their confusion is soon cleared up when Kion demonstrates newfound mastery of the Roar to transport his friends through the air. Not liking the prospect of, Janja hides behind Jasiri, only for her to tease him about being scared, which he quickly denies. Later, Janja reacts in fear when Kion summons a storm using the Roar, but then tries to blow it off and walks back over to Jasiri with a smile, which she returns ironically.

Jasiri smiles again, with a raised eyebrow, when Janja accuses Azaad of being afraid of getting wet. When the group is later riding a log on a flood Kion has caused, Janja becomes nauseous. This prompts Jasiri to question how he’s doing, and Janja admits that he found being sent flying by the Roar preferable to this experience. Later in the journey, Janja falls asleep on the back of Kion’s friend Beshte, and Jasiri exchanges an amused glance with Kion.

Later, when the Guard and their companions are forced to initiate a rescue, Janja briefly questions whether they shouldn’t be more concerned with their own safety. Jasiri reminds him that he’s “one of the good guys”, and at her urging he joins in. Janja heeds Jasiri’s orders as they drive some animals to safety. Jasiri rolls her eyes, though in amusement, when he comments that the work is similar to what he did as a villain, minus the part where he tried to eat the animals he pursued.

The two hyenas later worked together to lift rocks into the air so Kion could move them with the Roar. As they progressed, Janja soon noted that the area they had reached was recognizable, an assessment that Jasiri agreed with. Sure enough, the group soon discovered that they had reached the Outlands. With the Pride Lands visible in the distance, they continued onwards.

In “Return to the Pride Lands”, the group are joined by Jasiri and Janja’s clanmates and their vulture allies as they continue towards the Pride Lands. However, the group were then intercepted by another Lion Guard consisting of former Outsiders led by Vitani. After a brief skirmish, the encounter ended peacefully with the arrival of Kion’s sister Kiara. She explained that the Outsiders had repented and been welcomed back into the Pride Lands.

With the crisis averted, Kion’s Guard and Azaad parted from the Outlanders, who returned to their homes in peace. However, it wasn’t long before Janja and Jasiri would be back at the Tree of Life, this time with Cheezi and Chungu in tow. The four were among the guests at Kion’s wedding to Queen Rani of the Tree of Life and coronation as her king. At the conclusion of the ceremony Janja, who was seated next to Jasiri, turned to her with a meaningful look, which she returned with her customary smile and raised eyebrow.

Songs

This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.

Quotes

This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.

Fanon

Janjasiri is fairly popular with fans of The Lion Guard. Some fans began shipping them from the start of the show during season one, mainly because of the esthetic. However, some found the pairing questionable due to the ambiguity of Janja’s age and their initial conflict. Despite this, the idea of Janja’s redemption arc attracted fans of the Enemies to Lovers trope, leading to a wave of fanart and fanfiction.

While the ship still has a strong fanbase, others have become more critical of it recently. Pointing out that Janja was willing to leave Jasiri, Wema, and Tunu to die without remorse on "Rescue In The Outlands", which some see as too severe to overlook. Additionally, many feel their interactions lacked the chemistry needed to support a romantic connection, While others simply believe their past conflicts and differences make them a less fitting match.

The work is tagged in 19 works on AO3. It is the top het ship for both Janja and Jasiri, with Jasiri’s only true rival ship being Kisiri.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Janja/Jasiri tag on AO3