The Zimwi Returns! is the 41st episode of Season 16.
Summary
When Janja and his crew scare away the Lion Guard by acting like the Zimwi to steal Rafiki's staff, Kion and Catboy teach their friends to not let their imaginations go wild and not let their fears get in the way.
Plot
The episode begins at night in the Pride Lands where Rafiki is telling the three children Connor, Greg, and Amaya, the Lion Guard, and the rest of the young animals a scary story about the Zimwi while hiding behind Rafiki's tree, Janja, Chungu, and Cheezi were spying and listening to the story.
Rafiki then calms down, explaining that the creature only enters the Pride Lands on a full moon. Bunga is quick to point out that the night is a full moon, and Rafiki warns them that they may encounter the Zimwi's call that very night.
Greg and Amaya were both scared but Connor was dying to hear about the Zimwi and so were the animals. Suddenly, strange noises creep around them, frightening all but Kion and Connor calmed everyone down as Kion tells them that it's just the wind or something. Rafiki becomes slightly agitated, since the attention has left his story in favor of the wind's. Greg and Connor call him back, eager to hear the rest of the tale.
When listening, Janja hatches a plan to steal Rafiki's staff. At the end of his story, the youngsters become frightened again. Then, Rafiki yawns and heads up to his tree to snooze in for the night while the youngsters were still worried about the Zimwi coming out tonight on a full moon but Kion and Connor assure them that it's just a story and Connor tells them that Rafiki's story might have made them all imagine that something scary is out there.
Nervously, Amaya suggests that they should all go to bed and just say that Rafiki's story about the Zimwi is just made up. But at Hakuna Matata Falls, Amaya and Greg were still nervous and comment to Connor that maybe they should've stayed home instead of sleeping over with the Lion Guard. Connor tells his friends to not worry and that it's just them and the Lion Guard tonight before saying goodnight and snuggling in his hammock while Amaya and Greg also snuggled in their hammocks.
Just then, there was a loud growling noise, and Mtoto, Young Rhino, and the hare ran to the falls to wake up the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks! Getting off of his hammock, Connor rubbed his eyes and asked the youngsters what happened! They explain that they couldn't sleep and have heard the Zimwi themselves, though Kion is still dubious. Connor suggests that since their imaginations won't let them sleep, he and the gang should go out and check things out themselves while Mtoto, Young Rhino, and the hare stay in Hakuna Matata Falls for safety. Then, Greg tells them that they need to get Rafiki and ask for his help to chase away the Zimwi, but Connor reminds him that Rafiki is sleeping as he encourages Amaya and Greg to be brave and go with the Lion Guard as the PJ Masks to see what was making all the ruckus.
The three kids head out their fists to form their usual PJ Mask pact, and while the Lion Guard were waiting outside of the falls, Connor, Greg, and Amaya have transformed into Catboy, Gekko, and Owlette. Finally, they were off to capture the thing that was making the sound, with Bunga getting excited at the prospect of finding the Zimwi (for real this time).
Whatever it was, it was not the Zimwi, but it was super loud! And it was making everyone uneasy. Besthe noticed some hyraxes acting up and running around in fear, making Owlette guess that maybe they saw the Zimwi.
Kion once again declares there to be no Zimwi, and Ono stammers to Kion if he is sure. Catboy nods that Kion is sure just when Fuli suddenly smells something up ahead. It smelled like... a dead ox!
Frightened, Owlette remembers that Rafiki said that the Zimwi eats oxen. Everyone, except Bunga, were beginning to panic about the Zimwi that their imaginations were getting the best of them again just when Kion and Catboy stops them and calms them down by telling them they are forgetting something.
When Fuli asked, Kion reminds her, Besthe, and Ono that they are the Lion Guard, which Bunga totally agrees with since he is the bravest, and Catboy reminds Owlette and Gekko that they are the PJ Masks. If they use their super senses and super powers and not let their imaginations run wild, they will know exactly who or what is out there. Then Catboy shouts out "it's time to be a hero!" while Kion shouts out "til' the Pride Lands end, Lion Guard defend!"
Kion turns to Catboy with a nod, and Catboy nods back as he understood what Kion meant and used his cat ears to hear the noise from the canyons. He leads Owlette, Gekko, and the Lion Guard to the canyons to set off in the direction of the sound, and catch who or what was over there.
But just as they've gone to the canyons, Janja and Chungu rushed off to Rafiki's tree. Their plan was going as planned, but where was Cheezi? As they were at the tree of the wise mandrill, Chungu jumped at the sound of Rafiki's snoring and cries out "monster", but Janja shots him a glare to remind him that it was just Rafiki snoring. He then whispers to Chungu that with the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks on a wild Zimwi chase, he'll steal Rafiki's magic staff and use it's "magic" to capture all the animals of the Pridelands and eat them all.
Meanwhile, the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks have followed the strange sounds to the canyons. But because they were together they felt braver. Then, Catboy heard something weird; the Zimwi was making three different noise: a growl, a laugh, and a slurp!
Kion tells Catboy to lead the way as he does so and his friends followed him and his ears. Then, Fuli gets the dead ox smell again and it was getting stronger this time. She points to her friends to follow the scent and Kion tells her to lead the way as Fuli lead her friends to the scent's direction.
When the gang reached to where the stench was coming from, they all gasped! That wasn't the Zimwi! It was Cheezi eating a ox carcass and making monster-like noises with his slurping and laughing mixed together.
Catboy goes behind Cheezi and grabbed him by the mane, then throws him down on the ground in front of his friends, who gave him suspicious glares and Owlette, Gekko, and Bunga had their hands and paws on their hips. Cheezi nervously greets them just when Gekko demanded him what kind of hyena mischief he was up to.
Cheezi lies to them that he is just enjoying a late night snack as Bunga finishes with a questioning "in a canyon?" Then Owlette asks him where Janja and Chungu were. Without realizing it, Cheezi explains Janja's plan of stealing Rafiki's staff and just when he did realize that he spilled the beans, he placed his paw on his mouth to keep it a secret. But it was already too late! The Lion Guard and the PJ Masks have already knew about it!
With concern, Catboy and Kion ordered Ono and Owlette to fly up and scan the Pridelands for Janja and Chungu. Above them, Owlette used her owl eyes while Ono used his sharp eyes to find Janja and Chungu at Rafiki's Tree!
It was a trick! Cheezi was pretending to sound like the Zimwi so the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks would come out to the canyon and leave Rafiki alone! The gang needed to head back and get to Rafiki's Tree before Janja and Chungu run off with Rafiki's staff! So leaving Cheezi alone in the canyons, the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks hurried back to Rafiki's Tree where Janja and Chungu were getting into mischief before Cheezi could stop them.
Meanwhile, at Rafiki's Tree, Janja carefully pulled the staff out of Rafiki's arms without making a sound. The Lion Guard and the PJ Masks were rushing, but would they make it before Janja got the magic staff? Janja finally got the staff just when the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks arrived just in time to order him to put Rafiki's staff back right now. But laughing maniacally, Janja replies that they are too late for that he now has Rafiki's staff and there was nothing they could do about it.
Then, Janja and Chungu made a run for it just when Chungu tripped on a rock and crashed right into Janja, who let go of the staff and it landed right next to the feet of Gekko. Suddenly, with screams and growls like a monster, Owlette, Besthe, Bunga, and two young porcupines gave the hyenas a taste of their own Zimwi medicine.
Frightened, Janja and Chungu screamed at the shadowy creature which was actually the two porcupines huddled together and the ran off. Their screaming and the noise Owlette, Besthe, and Bunga were making was so loud that it woke up Rafiki, but only for a second.
After Janja and Chungu left, Catboy could hear Rafiki's snoring and comments that it sounds kind of like monster. At least everyone didn't have to imagine what is making all that noise. As Rafiki was sound asleep, the Lion Guard and the PJ Masks all laughed quietly but happily together as they left Rafiki's Tree and Catboy says "PJ Masks" and Kion adds "and the Lion Guard", then they both said together "all shout hooray!", and their friends joined in as they all chorused "cause in the night, we saved the day!" before jumping up in victory, ending the episode.
Trivia
- This episode is similar to The Gury Monster from Noonbory and the Super 7.
Transcript
To see the transcript of this episode, click here.