Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are a trio of hysterical hyenas that are Scar's personal lackeys, and made their first appearance in The Lion King. Despite being perceived as villains in the film, the trio became some of the film's most popular characters, and are greatly appreciated for their humor; a trend that was continued into Kingdom Hearts II when they appear in the Pride Lands.

Kingdom Hearts II

 * Shenzi

The Lion King (1994)

''A cowardly hyena who hates lions. Shenzi takes the lead when she and her friends are up to mischief. She's always quick to follow the strongest leader.''


 * Banzai

The Lion King (1994)

''A cowardly hyena who hates lions. Banzai likes to complain but doesn't like to work. He's always looking to find an easy meal.''


 * Ed

The Lion King (1994)

''A witless hyena who's not very smart, but loves to laugh. He takes a lot of ribbing from his pals Shenzi and Banzai, but he doesn't seem to care.''

First Visit
In the game, the trio are desperate for food and try and eat Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Banzai almost killed Sora but were stopped when Scar roared. The hyena trio ran to Scar to see what he wanted with other hyenas.

The hyena trio was seen again at Pride Rock and were about to attack Sora,Donald and Goofy but Scar roared then the hyena trio looked up and saw Scar and Pete. When Nala knocked down Scar and told Sora, Donald and Goofy to run.The three heroes ran with Shenzi,Banzai and Ed and other hyenas in pursuit. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Nala managed to get away from the hyenas. The hyena trio is later seen again at Pride Rock preventing Simba from getting to Scar. Sora then told Simba to go after Scar while his friends handle the hyenas. Timon and Pumbaa knocked the hyenas into the air but they were chased into Pride Rock by the hyena trio and other hyenas. Sora, Donald and Goofy battled the hyena trio inside Pride Rock. The trio was easily defeated and ran away out of Pride Rock.

Second Visit
Later on in the game, the trio of hyenas are fought again for information on the source of Scar's Ghost. They know nothing of the ghost, and taunt Simba about it.

The Hyenas
Shenzi is the female of the trio. She appears as the dominant one, seeming to be the most intelligent of the hyenas. She is constantly insulting the two males and resents the bumbling ones, although signs of friendship are shown. Her full name is Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena. Her name means "savage", "pagan", "uncouth", or "barbarous". In Kingdom Hearts II, Shenzi is voiced by Tress McNeille.

Banzai is the slyest of the group. Constantly hungry and moaning for food, he scuttles round the place for food. His name means 'skulk' or 'lurk'. In the movie and Kingdom Hearts II, he is voiced by Cheech Marin.

Ed appears as the least intelligent of the group. He is always smiling and laughs uncontrollably at anything. He never speaks at all, except for a minor part where he sings in Scar's Be Prepared. He is always the butt of jokes within the trio. He is voiced by Jim Cummings in the movie and the game.

Appearance
The hyena trio all have a similar basic appearance. They all seem to be rather mangey, with mostly grey fur over their bodies, save for their bellies and paws, which are tan and dark brown, respectively. They all have hunched backs and dark purple speckles on their backs, as well as rings of the same color around their eyes. They have short, black tails and a crest of long, black hair lining their spines. All three have large, dark brown ears and noses, as well as yellow eyes and sharp, slightly yellowed teeth.

Shenzi sports five long, dark brown "bangs" on the top of her head, and the patches around her eyes are shaped to resemble heavily applied eyeshadow. She seems to have a larger upper lip than her two companions, and her eyes are usually half-shut. She also lacks the dark grey 'stubble' mark that the males possess.

Banzai's most distinguishing feature is his unusually heave, dark brown eyebrows. He has two very short strands of dark brown hair on top of his head. The fur on Banzai's chin is slightly longer than either Shenzi's or Ed's, making him appear as if he has a short beard.

In a sharp contrast to Shenzi, Ed's eyes are always wide open and rarely focus on anything. His mouth is also frequently seen hanging open with his tongue lolling. Ed has three strands of dark brown hair on the top of his head. His mane is also slightly more mangey than the other two.

Trivia

 * Of all the villains in Kingdom Hearts history next to Xemnas (who nearly drained Sora of his entire life force), Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed get the closest to killing Sora once and for all when they first arrive in the Pride Lands and are thus unused to their animal forms. The only reason they didn't was because Banzai decided they should go see what Scar wants after he roars, losing their opportunity.

Shenzi, Banzaï et Ed