I think more people need to realize this franchise is not that serious with itself.
Animals don't talk, see their dead father's in the clouds, have kingdoms, befriend warthogs and meerkats in the jungle, have mandrill shaman, or hornbill advisors.
This franchise is innately silly, it's stupid, so I find the sentiment that the Lion Guard, the roar, or The Tree of Life are horrible and would never fit the canon. I've even seen people complain about the non-lion animals (other than warthogs, mandrills, hornbills, meerkats, and hyenas) talking in the lion guard because it doesn't "work with the movies."
I understand, the roar is a little overpowered and to be fair the lion guard was never a thing in the original movies, but I think it's completely fine to add new concepts to the canon. We don't have to stick with only things in the movies or 6NA when 6NA wasn't even made by Disney…listen don't get me started on 6NA, I love the concepts in it, and I've used basically all of the characters in some way for my own canon, but I hate how most people literally just take Ahadi, Uru, Kopa, Asante, and Taka from it…and use Kopa to ruin other character's characterization (and or be sexist) but that's another thing.
But this franchise is not 100% serious and 100% realistic all the time. Is that an interesting concept? Sure. Yes.
But do you have to bully The Lion Guard or people who use concepts from it? No. No you don't.
We have all collectively agreed that there are other prides/rogues when they were never mentioned in canon (basically other than the outsiders) but we draw the line at extra worldbuilding added to the pridelands?
I understand fully that The Lion Guard is not perfect, and that you should be allowed to do whatever you want with your own canon. I'm just mad at people who love prancing around saying that The Lion Guard ruined The Lion King franchise for being too childish. Was it childish? Yes. Did it ruin the franchise? No. I really hope no one is seeing Kion having the roar as ruining the franchise and covering up Kopa.
Kopa was never canon, he was never really owned by disney. And listen, I understand and know it's frustrating seeing a character like Kion take up a lot of qualities of Kopa, I know it's frustrating to love a character so deeply like some Kopa fans do and then see that character go nowhere. What I don't understand though is the hate put towards Lion Guard fans. I have my own opinions about 6NA and Kopa, yes, but I'm not going around attacking anyone that has Kopa as the first born or whatever. I don't think anyone should be attacking anyone, and I don't think The Lion Guard ruined The Lion King franchise or is too unrealistic.
I so badly would love to see more people lean into the unrealistic or magical parts of this franchise (Roar Towards the Future does this really well, I love the more magical aspects given to the Tree of Life in it) because again, this franchise is nottt the most serious thing ever as so many people think it is. It's stupid, it's silly, and to me, The Lion Guard, while having it's own faults, is a pretty good example of the silly parts in this universe.
.
