Name: Jino

Age: Cub (13, in human years)

Gender: Male

Species: Lion

Personality: Daring, kind, fun-loving

Likes: Running, warm sunny days, telling stories and joking around.

Dislikes: Rain, or water of any kind and the taste of fish

Parents: Unknown (deceased)

Mate: None

Jino is a playful young cub who lives on the outskirts of the Pridelands.

He meets the Pridelanders for the first time after running into king Kovu and offering to tell his pride a story in exchange for some food, better than what he’s normally used to.

Kovu is a little unsure but agrees and Jino is soon accepted as a regular visitor to the Pride.

He next meets Kovu and Kiara when the two come to ask him to re-tell how he met his hyena friend Mkali.

Simba informs the pride of the moral of his story being that anyone can be considered a friend, be they lion or another species entirely.

On another occasion, Jino helps Simba and Nala solves a problem when the lions accuse the hyena, Banzai, of taking food. Banzai, in turn, accuses one of their Pride and insist he didn’t take anything.

Jino then recalls the story of how a vulture named Kuruka tries to warn him that a cheetah plans to raid the Pridelanders food store during a time where food is short. Jino didn’t believe him due to cheetahs being friendly and vultures being viewed as bad guys, but thanks to Mkali he rethinks his assumptions and realises just in time that the cheetah is to blame.

After the story is over, Leo the lion comes forward and admits to taking some extra food for himself and clears Banzai’s name.

Jino is very street-wise and often knows how to sweet-talk his way out of a bad situation, and is also very resourceful in finding somewhere to run or someway to fight should talking fail.

Although he is still quite young, Jino has a scruff of a mane growing on his head and chest, but also still has cub spots on his face. His long legs make him fast and his sharp claws aid in climbing trees; one of his favourite activities.

Jino never knew his parents as they both died when he was very young in an unknown accident, but he was raised by the lions of The Pridelands before setting off to live on his own, because he’s so young however he can only still hunt small game by himself so he tells stories to the Pridelanders in exchange for a better meal every now and again.