Name Meaning:
"Close" or "Shut" in Somali

Pride Affiliation:
Rogue (birth), Sunrise Pride (adoption)

Generation:
8

Relations:
Son to Sebu and Orni
Adopted son to to Afra and Tukufu
Adopted brother to Afolabi and Chiamaka
Semi-mate to Penzima
Mate to Kaira
Father to Iniko, Sanaa and Yasir

Fate:
Old age

Voice Actor:
James Keller

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Xiro is born to Sebu and Orni, a pair of prideless rogues that travelled through the vast patches of territory between kingdoms. His early childhood is spent wandering with his parents, but when Xiro is still quite young disaster strikes when the area that they're resting in is hit by by one of the worst storms in years, and a dangerous flood breaks out as a result. Xiro ends up being swept away by the flood waters and his parents quickly pursue him, but while his mother is able to get him to higher ground both of his parents are sadly lost in the flood waters and are never seen again.

The following morning, little Xiro is found by some lions from the nearby Sunrise Pride that were surveying the wreckage from the flood in the hopes of helping any animals that may have been injured as a result. Realizing that the poor cub lost his parents in the flood, the lions take Xiro back to the pride where he is presented to the king and queen. When she hears that Xiro lost his parents, Queen Afra takes pity on him and manages to convince her husband Tukufu to adopt Xiro and raise him alongside their toddler-aged son, Afolabi.

Since Xiro is technically their second cub, Afra and Tukufu raise him to someday be his new adopted brother's majordomo, as per tradition in the Sunrise Pride. His best friend growing up is a similarly aged cub named Kaira, but as he grow older he becomes the target of a lioness in the pride named Braema who intends to make him her mate, but she never gets that chance due to a freak accident involving a hippo. Xiro later ends up becoming infatuated with a leopardess named Penzima, but she turns out to be nothing but a troublemaker who later tries to frame him for her apparent death. Killing another animal for sport is illegal in the Sunrise Pride, and this puts Xiro in a tight spot for a bit with many of the kingdom's inhabitants demanding that he be exiled. Fortunately, Kaira is able to prove his Innocence when she manages to find Penzima alive and well and drags her back to the pride.

Xiro later settles down with Kaira and they have two cubs together.

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(I blame Rinjapine for giving me the idea to incorporate this movie into my TLK universe.)

For those who don't know, this guy is from the 2007 Argentine/Italian film El Arca De Noe, which is an adaptation of the Biblical story of Noah's Ark that's told from the animal's -mostly the lion's- POV and the animals are all basically furries (If you watch either Bobsheaux or Saberspark then you may have heard of it). There's also sexual seduction and inappropriate content, though from what I've heard the US DVD release cuts out the worst bits. I always thought that Xiro here bore a vague resemblance to Kovu, so I decided to make him his great-grandfather!