Elton John wrote:That being said I don't think Timon would work as a character without Pumbaa as a foil.
I really see that the opposite of that is true. To be very honest, much if not all of Pumbaa's power is actually dependant on Timon. If he wasn't tied to him story-wise in Lion King 1, Pumbaa would pretty much be powerless as a character (no offense to any Pumbaa only fans that may be out there).
The reason why most people prefer Timon and Pumbaa as a duo instead of seeing them as two separate characters is because of what the Disney company emphasized back in the very beginning when the first LK film came out. Had it not been that way, it could've Easily turned out to be the opposite with these two (at least for Timon), when most people see them. And one of my Timon friends agree with me that he easily could've also been seen as a single character from the very beginning.
You also still have to consider who Timon is from
Lion King 1 1/2 since it's official material. Even if they're not very deeply developed, we still have scenes where he's completely on his own and has a single identity on the film, where he even speaks and thinks independently for himself.
To me, the idea of "Timon and Pumbaa" restricts Timon's character, because you don't see Timon able to "breathe" as much on the first two LK films, compared to himself from 1 1/2.
"I found a place that was beyond my wildest dreams. But..., it still wasn't home." - Timon; Lion King 1 1/2 (3)
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