Cowardly Lion
| The Cowardly Lion | |
|---|---|
| Oz character | |
The Cowardly Lion as illustrated by William Wallace Denslow (1900) | |
| First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Portrayed by | Fred Woodward (His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz) Curtis McHenry (The Wizard of Oz) Bert Lahr (The Wizard of Oz) Ted Ross (The Wiz) Cedric the Entertainer (1995 Apollo Theater Revival) John Alexander (Return to Oz) David Alan Grier (The Wiz Live!) |
| Voiced by | Jim Belushi (Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return) Jess Harnell (Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Dandy Lion |
| Species | Lion |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | King of the Forest |
| Occupation | King of the Forest of Wild Beasts Ozma's charioteer |
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, and like all animals in Oz, he can speak.
Although he often doubts himself, the Cowardly Lion nonetheless often demonstrates bravery in the face of danger. Since lions are supposed to be "The King of Beasts", the Cowardly Lion worries his own fear makes him inadequate, failing to understand that courage is not a lack of fear, but acting in the face of fear. His fear is alleviated only in the aftermath of the Wizard's gift, when he is under the influence of a liquid substance the Wizard orders him to drink. He argues that the courage from the Wizard is only temporary, though he continues to do brave deeds.