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Description
So, random thing I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while—the elusive character mentioned only in the comics, the Great Spirit. Or, in my headcanon, the Great Spirits.

Before I go on, let me just drop in the disclaimer that, while based on reality, the TLK universe is very not-reality. So lots of magic and divine intervention ahead

~~~

At the beginning of time, the Great Spirits made the diverse planet called Earth. They placed the giant Tree of Life on one little part of the Earth—this Tree was the most magical thing that they would ever make, eternal and unkillable and capable of healing all those who touched it of any ailment. The Great Spirits then sculpted the territory around it, and it was unlike any other place: it hosted biomes of every extreme right next to each other: a desert next to a snowy tundra and just steps away from a lush jungle. This magical territory was surrounded by towering mountains, keeping it secluded.

The Great Spirits then created the first animals—all of them. Every animal that would spread out across the Earth began together at once, at the Tree. They were born with the knowledge of what they were and how to survive, but little else. The Great Spirits appeared to the animals and told them of the Circle of Life, and how to behave within it so that every species could live to the fullest.

The Great Spirits, when they appeared, were a perplexing sight: for one, they looked like a different species one to everybody. Lions saw a lion, bears saw a bear, penguins saw a penguin, and on and on. The only thing that was the same is that the Great Spirits spoke with endless voices at once, as if they were many, yet their voices were clear and they appeared as only one body.

The Great Spirits gave all of the animals their wisdom, and then explained that this territory, under the Tree of Life, would be the one place on Earth that any animal could always return to and be healed—therefor, it would need protectors to keep it safe. The animals were told to choose a pair of leaders, who would rule and serve the Tree of Life, and whose descendants would do the same. The animals debated, and eventually chose a lion and lioness to stay at the Tree of Life as its monarchs. Finally, the animals were commanded by the Great Spirits to spread across the Earth to the lands that suited them, with the knowledge that they could always return to the Tree for healing and safety.

At first, the Great Spirits actively guided life on Earth. But once the planet’s inhabitants had settled to where they were meant to be, the Great Spirits left the mortal realm, returning to where they came from—although not without parting gifts. Their exit meant free will for the animals, but they knew that with free will comes bad choices, so they gave every lion at the Tree of Life the Roar of the Elders: a magical power to blast away enemies (harmlessly or fatally, depending on how they needed to use it), so that they could better protect this magical place from harm.

Countless generations went by, and the animals had no more interaction with the Great Spirits. Their own dead they found could communicate with them from the afterlife (though extremely briefly and rarely), and spoke of the Great Spirits continued existence—but they no longer interacted with the mortal realm, themselves. Without the guidance of the Great Spirits, animals were able to make all sorts of choices, good and bad, and, unfortunately, there came a time when everyone had forgotten the Circle of Life. Everyone but the pride of lions at the Tree, who had the constant reminder of their sacred duties. Even as the outside world turned to chaos, it seemed that the Tree would remain the haven it was meant to be.

Until one fateful day. The inhabitants of the Tree of Life were experiencing yet another attack from vicious outsiders, and their subjects were being killed left and right by animals who saw this territory—who welcomed in anybody who said they were ailing, and was full of injured creatures—as easy pickings, even in spite of the lions’ magical Roars. The current king had been dealing with this for all of his life, and he had become tired of it: with his Roar, he killed the invaders, and covered the entryway to the kingdom with boulders. He declared that the Tree of Life would never welcome another animal again, especially not other predators.

Upon this declaration, the Great Spirits finally appeared once again—and ripped the Roar of the Elders from the bodies of every lion in the pride. If they were unwilling to care for the animals of the world as they were instructed to, they would not need the Spirits’ magic any longer. The Great Spirits promised that one day the Roar could be discovered again—but only by a single animal from the outside world, that thing that the lions of the Tree were afraid of.

Since then, the Great Spirits have not appeared to the animals of the Earth. However, the Roar would indeed be rediscovered, uncountable generations down the line....

~~~

And here we have Simba stopping to gaze at a depiction of a Great Spirit Mufasa was showing him the Lair of the Lion Guard, which was to be the domain of Simba’s eventual sibling (who never came to be, but they did expect to have another) when they became the Lion Guard. Simba found himself distracted by the weird painting, Mufasa will probably explain it to him The Great Spirits are depicted as chimera-type-creatures in paintings, since they look different to every species—makes for a good compromise

Description
So, random thing I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while—the elusive character mentioned only in the comics, the Great Spirit. Or, in my headcanon, the Great Spirits.

Before I go on, let me just drop in the disclaimer that, while based on reality, the TLK universe is very not-reality. So lots of magic and divine intervention ahead

~~~

At the beginning of time, the Great Spirits made the diverse planet called Earth. They placed the giant Tree of Life on one little part of the Earth—this Tree was the most magical thing that they would ever make, eternal and unkillable and capable of healing all those who touched it of any ailment. The Great Spirits then sculpted the territory around it, and it was unlike any other place: it hosted biomes of every extreme right next to each other: a desert next to a snowy tundra and just steps away from a lush jungle. This magical territory was surrounded by towering mountains, keeping it secluded.

The Great Spirits then created the first animals—all of them. Every animal that would spread out across the Earth began together at once, at the Tree. They were born with the knowledge of what they were and how to survive, but little else. The Great Spirits appeared to the animals and told them of the Circle of Life, and how to behave within it so that every species could live to the fullest.

The Great Spirits, when they appeared, were a perplexing sight: for one, they looked like a different species one to everybody. Lions saw a lion, bears saw a bear, penguins saw a penguin, and on and on. The only thing that was the same is that the Great Spirits spoke with endless voices at once, as if they were many, yet their voices were clear and they appeared as only one body.

The Great Spirits gave all of the animals their wisdom, and then explained that this territory, under the Tree of Life, would be the one place on Earth that any animal could always return to and be healed—therefor, it would need protectors to keep it safe. The animals were told to choose a pair of leaders, who would rule and serve the Tree of Life, and whose descendants would do the same. The animals debated, and eventually chose a lion and lioness to stay at the Tree of Life as its monarchs. Finally, the animals were commanded by the Great Spirits to spread across the Earth to the lands that suited them, with the knowledge that they could always return to the Tree for healing and safety.

At first, the Great Spirits actively guided life on Earth. But once the planet’s inhabitants had settled to where they were meant to be, the Great Spirits left the mortal realm, returning to where they came from—although not without parting gifts. Their exit meant free will for the animals, but they knew that with free will comes bad choices, so they gave every lion at the Tree of Life the Roar of the Elders: a magical power to blast away enemies (harmlessly or fatally, depending on how they needed to use it), so that they could better protect this magical place from harm.

Countless generations went by, and the animals had no more interaction with the Great Spirits. Their own dead they found could communicate with them from the afterlife (though extremely briefly and rarely), and spoke of the Great Spirits continued existence—but they no longer interacted with the mortal realm, themselves. Without the guidance of the Great Spirits, animals were able to make all sorts of choices, good and bad, and, unfortunately, there came a time when everyone had forgotten the Circle of Life. Everyone but the pride of lions at the Tree, who had the constant reminder of their sacred duties. Even as the outside world turned to chaos, it seemed that the Tree would remain the haven it was meant to be.

Until one fateful day. The inhabitants of the Tree of Life were experiencing yet another attack from vicious outsiders, and their subjects were being killed left and right by animals who saw this territory—who welcomed in anybody who said they were ailing, and was full of injured creatures—as easy pickings, even in spite of the lions’ magical Roars. The current king had been dealing with this for all of his life, and he had become tired of it: with his Roar, he killed the invaders, and covered the entryway to the kingdom with boulders. He declared that the Tree of Life would never welcome another animal again, especially not other predators.

Upon this declaration, the Great Spirits finally appeared once again—and ripped the Roar of the Elders from the bodies of every lion in the pride. If they were unwilling to care for the animals of the world as they were instructed to, they would not need the Spirits’ magic any longer. The Great Spirits promised that one day the Roar could be discovered again—but only by a single animal from the outside world, that thing that the lions of the Tree were afraid of.

Since then, the Great Spirits have not appeared to the animals of the Earth. However, the Roar would indeed be rediscovered, uncountable generations down the line....

~~~

And here we have Simba stopping to gaze at a depiction of a Great Spirit Mufasa was showing him the Lair of the Lion Guard, which was to be the domain of Simba’s eventual sibling (who never came to be, but they did expect to have another) when they became the Lion Guard. Simba found himself distracted by the weird painting, Mufasa will probably explain it to him The Great Spirits are depicted as chimera-type-creatures in paintings, since they look different to every species—makes for a good compromise