Makunga is the main antagonist of DreamWorks Animation's 2008 feature film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He is Zuba's rival who wants to take his place as alpha lion and ticks his son, Alakay into fighting his right-hand, Teetsi while the former dances and loses, thus making Makunga the alpha lion and banishes the family from the savannah, and attempts to have the father and son killed in the hands of humans led by Nana after the water was dried out.
Background[]
Development[]
He was a narcissistic lion and Zuba's rival that wants to take Zuba's place as "Alpha Lion and also calls Alex a "pathetic excuse of a son". When asked why he wants to become Alpha Lion, Makunga replies, "I'm better looking, I have better hair, I'm deceivingly smart; and I want everyone else to do what I say". Makunga has a large, black, Elvis-styled mane and green eyes, then used Alex, years later, to finally reach the rank of Alpha Lion.
However, he is not a very good leader, saying that the only solution to the fact that the local water hole was nearly dry was that they all would "have to fight for it". This causes doubt about his role as Alpha Lion and almost every animal on the reserve wants Zuba back. Eventually meets his downfall when being tricked into angering Nana, who was mad at Alex, by being tricked into taking her handbag, and he was immediately attacked by her, grabbed by the mane, and taken away. The DVD commentary reveals that "Nana brought Makunga to New York in a kitty cage". He is color scheme is similar to Kovu's (the deuteragonist from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride) and was voiced by Alec Baldwin.
Personality[]
Makunga is an egotistical and power-hungry lion, who seeks to dominate others without bothering to hide his selfish nature. Despite appearing friendly and jovial towards others, he has no respect for animals, including his rival Zuba, whom he challenges frequently and happily mocks for having a "pathetic excuse of a son," provoking a fight. Makunga's tremendous self-confidence is also demonstrated, highlighting his narcissism as he quotes that he has "better hair and is deceivingly smart". He also freely expresses himself as a tyrant who aims to control others by announcing with pride that he wants to become the alpha lion because he wants other animals to follow his orders.
Despite being narcissistic and extremely self-centered, Makunga exhibits remarkable intelligence and slyness, as he often resorts to deception to get what he want. His cunning and manipulation are demonstrated when he deceived Alex into taking on Teetsi, a much more powerful lion, knowing that Alex would lose, tricking the former into thinking that it was a dance fight. This caused Zuba to resign as Alpha Lion, allowing Makunga to take his place.
When Makunga becomes the Alpha Lion, he struggles a lot, due to his incompetence and creates ridiculous solutions to the drought, like fighting for water or leaving the reserve. His ego ultimately leads to his downfall when Alex tricks him into accepting Nana's purse as a gift. After Zuba releases Nana, she gives that pompous Makunga a beating comeuppance that he truly deserves, making him a character that was meant to be disliked.
Although he was nearly thankful to Alakay gifting him with Nana's handbag, which was only a trick to get the title of the Alpha Lion back from the rogue lion, Makunga can also be pretty uncaring despite being gifted with anything, thus stating that Alakay and Zuba would still be banished from the savannah.
Physical appearances[]
Makunga is a large, rather obese looking lion with brown colored fur. He has a large muzzle and a very fluffy mane that vaguely resembles an Elvis haircut. Years later when Alex returned home to Africa and reunited with his parents, Makunga's mane became a little grayish, making him look middle-aged.
Appearances[]
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa[]
Makunga is seen at the beginning of the film, watching Zuba training his young son Alakay, who is more interested in dancing, much to Zuba's dismay. Makunga reveals himself and says that it is disappointing that Alakay is not growing up the way that Zuba also wants him. Zuba is annoyed and questions Makunga if he is challenging him again. Makunga replies that once he becomes Alpha Lion, Zuba will have more time to spend with his "pathetic excuse of a son". Zuba asks Makunga why he wants to become Alpha Lion to which he responds "I'm better looking, I have better hair. I'm deceivingly smart. And I want everyone else to do what I say." While Zuba fights Makunga (and defeats him rather easily), Alakay wanders off, and gets captured by poachers and eventually ending up in New York and is renamed Alex.
Years later, an adult Alex and his friends wind up in Africa, and Alex reunites with his parents. Makunga thinks of using him as an advantage to finally become the Alpha lion. At Alex's welcoming ceremony, Makunga suddenly stops the celebration and reminds Zuba that Alex must perform the Rite of Passage in order to be officially accepted into the pride. Alex, believing it to be a breeze, accepts the opportunity.
As Alex prepares for the Rite of Passage, Makunga comes along and tricks him into choosing Teetsi (a large, slender, muscular lion who is also Makunga's henchman) as his opponent. As Alex "fights" With Teetsi (mistaking it to be a dance battle), Makunga laughs, saying to himself, "This is even better than I thought!" When Alex loses the fight, Makunga dethroned Zuba as Alpha lion and banished him, Alex and Florrie and makes Alex wear the Hat of Shame (which is a ridiculous-looking coconut shell decorated with a whole bunch of fruit at the top).
When the water hole is dried, Makunga suggests that the animals would have to fight for the water. When the animals object to this insane proposal, Makunga tells them if they are thirsty, they will have to look for water off of the reserve. The animals object to this notion as well, knowing that poachers are outside the reserve. However, Alex steps in and states that he himself went off the reserve and survived. He then states that he himself will leave the reserve to bring the water back. While the other animals are amazed at Alex's bravery, Makunga laughs derisively at him and sarcastically suggests to the young lion that he do a rain dance. Determined to prove the pompous Makunga wrong, Alex sets off on his quest and Makunga continues to insult and mock him as he leaves. Realizing that Makunga has no regard for anybody but himself, the animals criticize his leadership and demand Zuba back, making Makunga seethe with fury.
Alex and his friends soon learned that a couple of tourists (led by Nana) created a dam that dried up the water hole in the first place, so they managed to destroy it, thus the water is finally returned. Despite the other animals praising Alex and his family for retrieving the water, Makunga refuses to surrender his authority by stating that none of it changes anything. However, Alex and Zuba trick Makunga by giving Nana's handbag to him as a "token of appreciation", then releasing the old lady. When Nana sees Makunga holding her purse, she proceeds to attack him as she kicks him in the crotch, steps on his foot, whacks his paw with a ruler, gives him wet willies, burns his arm, and spanks him, before dragging him away by the ear as the other animals cheer happily.
The DVD commentary confirms that "Nana brought Makunga back to New York in a kitty cage".
Trivia[]
- He bears a similar appearance to Scar from the Disney film The Lion King, who is also the main villain of the film.
- Unlike Scar though, Makunga is just more of a pompous jerk instead of outright evil.
- Despite being one of Alex's more personal enemies, Makunga is actually the least evil main antagonist of the Madagascar trilogy. While the Fossas, the main antagonists of the first film, and Chantel DuBois, the main antagonist of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, were genuine threats, Makunga was just simply a pompous jerk who, despite his trickery, never went as far as to try to kill the protagonists, with the exception of Alex and Zuba.
- Additionally, Makunga is the only main antagonist of the Madagascar films who doesn't meet or interact with any of the movie trilogy's other main characters: Marty, Melman, Gloria, the Penguins, and the Lemurs. Alex is the only one whom he meets and interacts with.
- If Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie counts as a fourth film, Dave would've been the second main antagonist who doesn't meet or interact with Marty, Melman, Gloria, and the Lemurs. The Penguins don't count because Dave met and interacted with them in the spinoff sequel.
- Makunga serves as a dark reflection to Alex. They are both selfish and neglective towards the start, with Alex caring only about his own image than his own best friend, Marty's feelings. However, he does eventually realize his mistakes and during the events of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, proven by the fact that he has acknowledged that he wasn't a very good friend to Marty, even before they left New York. Instead, he decided to pay more attention to his other friends' feelings rather than how everything that's fame-related affects him. Makunga, on the other hand, is an egotistical jerk who cares only about himself and not any of the animals that he had ruled over. Makunga serves an example of what Alex would've become if he let his selfish personality get the best of him, and hadn't learned that his family and friends are very important to him.
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