View source for The Lion of Sodor

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lion of Sodor, The}}
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{{Youmay|''the episode''|''[[The Lion of Sodor (statue)|the statue]]''', '''[[The Lion of Sodor (DVD)|the DVD]]''' or '''[[The Lion of Sodor (Chinese Book)|the Chinese book]]''}}
{{Infobox Episode
|title1=The Lion of Sodor
|image1=TheLionOfSodor96.png
|writer=[[Mark Robertson]]
|director=[[Greg Tiernan]]
|producer=[[Nicole Stinn]]
|narrator=
* [[Michael Angelis]] {{UK}}
* [[Michael Brandon]] {{US}}
|series=[[Series 13|13]]
|series_no=13.02
|number=310
|released=
{{Scroll|width=250px|height=180px|
* 26 January 2010 {{Note|UK}}
* 6 February 2010 {{Note|AUS}}
* 30 March 2010 {{Note|HUN}}
* 4 April 2010 {{Note|CAN}}
* 13 April 2010 {{Note|GER}}
* 21 April 2010 {{Note|JPN}}
* 26 September 2010 {{US}}
* 1 October 2010 {{Note|POL}}
* 8 January 2011 {{Note|NZ; TV3}}
* 5 June 2011 {{Note|NZ; [[Four|FOUR]]}}
* 28 August 2011 {{Note|NOR}}
* 1 November 2011 {{Note|KOR}}
* 14 January 2012 {{Note|FIN}}
}}
|previous=[[Creaky Cranky (episode)|Creaky Cranky]]
|next=[[Tickled Pink]]
}}
{{Quote|This is the finest statue I've ever seen!"<br />"And the cleanest!|The Mayor and the Fat Controller}}
'''''The Lion of Sodor''''' is the second episode of the [[Series 13|thirteenth series]].

==Plot==
Thomas is given the job of transporting a crate which Cranky states that he needs to take special care of as it as it contains [[The Lion of Sodor (statue)|The Lion of Sodor]], which he thinks is an actual lion, despite Cranky attempting to tell him otherwise. On route to Knapford, Thomas sees Henry and tells him about how he thinks he is taking a lion. Surprised at this, Henry states that he is only taking syrup. Remembering what Cranky said about taking care of it, Thomas asks for some of the syrup as he thinks the lion would like it and is given some. However, Thomas then reveals that it is The Lion of Sodor which shocks Henry who also tries to tell Thomas what Cranky was trying to say, though Thomas does not wait to listen.

Thomas later sees Edward and also informs him that he thinks he has a lion. When Edward responds that he only has fish, Thomas asks for some as he thinks that his lion would like some as well. He is given some, only for Edward to again attempt, and fail, to inform Thomas the truth about the Lion of Sodor. Thomas then meets with Toby who he again tells about his "lion", to which Toby states that he only has straw. Thomas also thinks that his lion would like some straw and is given some, but yet again does not wait to hear Toby tell him the truth.

When Thomas arrives at Knapford station, the crate is opened up and everyone is shocked to see the Lion of Sodor is actually a statue and in a terrible mess. This causes the Fat Controller to be cross and Gordon and James to laugh. Thomas feels very silly and owns up to what he thought of his cargo. The Fat Controller and Henry explain that the Lion of Sodor was a special statue which got broken. Thomas' cargo was the new statue of the Lion. Feeling silly, Thomas agrees to get the statue clean. Taking advice from Henry and Edward, he gets it cleaned at the wash-down and then polished at the Sodor Steamworks. Once the Lion of Sodor looks very clean, Thomas takes Toby's advice to a shortcut via the windmill to get back to Knapford station, where the Mayor of Sodor is overjoyed to see the new statue.

==Characters==
* [[Thomas (T&F)|Thomas]]
* [[Edward (T&F)|Edward]]
* [[Henry (T&F)|Henry]]
* [[James (T&F)|James]]
* [[Percy (T&F)|Percy]]
* [[Toby (T&F)|Toby]]
* [[Cranky (T&F)|Cranky]]
* [[Sir Topham Hatt (T&F)|Sir Topham Hatt]]
* [[The Mayor of Sodor (T&F)|The Mayor of Sodor]]
* [[Gordon (T&F)|Gordon]] {{Note|laughs only}}
* [[Emily (T&F)|Emily]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Sir Topham Hatt's Assistants]] {{Cameos}}
* [[Teachers#The Second Teacher|The Teacher]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Minor Human Characters (T&F)#The Bird Watcher|The Bird Watcher]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Children (T&F)#The Ginger-haired Boy|The Ginger-haired Boy]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Children (T&F)#The Blond-haired Boy|The Blond-haired Boy]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Children (T&F)#The Dark Uniformed Children|The Dark Uniformed Children]] {{Cameos}}
* [[Minor Human Characters (T&F)#The Welsh Bird Watcher|The Welsh Bird Watcher]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Minor Human Characters (T&F)#The Lady with the Big Hat|The Lady with the Big Hat]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Minor Human Characters (T&F)#The Puppet Show Entertainers|The Female Puppet Show Entertainer]] {{Cameo}}
* [[Big Mickey]] {{Note|faceless, cameo}}
* [[Victor]] {{Mentioned}}

==Locations==
* [[The Viaduct (T&F)|The Viaduct]]
** [[Hawin Ab (T&F)|Hawin Ab]]
* [[The Coal Hopper]]
* [[Brendam Docks (T&F)|Brendam Docks]]
** [[Sodor Shipping Company]]
* [[Maron (T&F)|Maron]]
* [[Knapford (T&F)|Knapford]]
** [[MC BUNN]]
* [[Sodor Steamworks]]
** [[Victor's Shed]]
* [[The Windmills#Tower Windmill|The Windmill]]
* [[Maithwaite]]
* [[Crosby Washdown]]
* [[Kirk Ronan Junction]]

==Cast==
===UK===
* [[Ben Small]] as Thomas and Toby
* [[Keith Wickham]] as Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, the Fat Controller, and the Mayor of Sodor
* [[Matt Wilkinson]] as Cranky

===US===
* [[Martin Sherman]] as Thomas and Percy
* [[William Hope]] as Edward and Toby
* [[Kerry Shale]] as Henry, Gordon, James and Sir Topham Hatt
* [[Glenn Wrage]] as Cranky
* [[David Bedella]] as the Mayor of Sodor

==Trivia==
* Apart from laughing, [[Gordon (T&F)|Gordon]] does not have any dialogue in this episode.
* This episode marked the first of a few things:
** The Mayor of Sodor's first speaking role.
** The first appearance of the Viaduct since the [[Series 6|sixth series]] episode, [[Edward the Very Useful Engine]] and its first appearance in CGI.
* This episode was shown in select US cinema in October 2010.
* [[Buster]]'s theme from the [[Jack and the Sodor Construction Company]] episode, [[Thomas and the Moles]] when he flattens the molehills is heard here.
* This episode was used for a [https://youtu.be/OWoKzNxZWw8 Television advert of Google Home in Japan].
* The ending of the episode was shown on BBC News on 18th July 2010 when the BBC was discussing the subject of Thomas CGI take during their topic of Thomas' 65th anniversary of [[The Railway Series]] in that exact same year the episode was released.
* In Poland, this episode premiered before [[Hero of the Rails]], so the audience would not know about the Sodor Steamworks.
* The Korean title of this episode is the same both on the dub and subtitles.

==Goofs==
* When Thomas arrives at the docks, the [[Flatbeds (T&F)|flatbed]] is missing its axles. Also, when he first arrives, it is lighter in colour.
* In the scenes when the signal turns green and Thomas leaves, the mountain looks different.
* Toby said he only has straw ''in'' his trucks, but he had flatbeds.
* As Toby is trying to tell Thomas the Lion of Sodor is not an actual lion, steam comes out of Thomas' cab instead of his funnel.
* The narrator states that Thomas' [[Drivers (T&F)#Thomas' Driver|driver]] also put the fish and hay into the lion's crate, however, it was actually put in by Thomas' [[Firemen (T&F)#Thomas' Fireman|fireman]].

==Merchandise==
* [[Take-n-Play]] {{Discontinued}}
* [[:Category:Magazine stories|Magazine Stories]] - [[A Lion on Sodor]]
* [[:Category:Books|Books]] - [[The Lion of Sodor (Chinese Book)|The Lion of Sodor]] {{Note|China only}}

==In Other Languages==
{{Collapse 1}}
{{Other Languages
|NOR=Løven på Sodor
|DUT=De Leeuw van Sodor
|JPN=ソドーとうのライオン
|WEL=Y Lew O Sodor
|SWE=Sodors lejon
|GER=Der Löwe von Sodor
|BRA=O Leão de Sodor
|FIN=Sodorin Leijona
|DAN=Løven fra Sodor
|POL=Lew Sodor
|FRE=Le lion de Chicalor
|ITA=Il Leone di Sodor
|CHI-MAN=多多岛的狮子王
|KOR=소도어의 사자 
|GRE=Το λιοντάρι του σοντορ
|CZE=Sodorský Lev
|IND=Singa dari Sodor
|RUS=Содорский лев
|HUN=Sodor oroszlánja
|RUM=Leul din Sodor
|SRP=Lav od Sodora
|LAM=El León de Sodor
|CAT=El Lleó de Sodor
|ICE=Ljónið frá Sódoreyju
|POR=O Leão De Sodor
|VIE=Sư Tử Sodor}}{{Collapse 2}}

==Home Media Releases==
{{Scroll box|
===UK===
* [[The Lion of Sodor (DVD)|The Lion of Sodor]]
* [[The Complete Series 13]]
* [[Milkshake!#Milkshake! Gold|Milkshake! Gold]]

====DVD Packs====
* [[10 DVD Boxset]]
* [[Sodor's Heroes!]]

===US/AUS/ZA/ARA/MYS/POL/GER/SWE/NOR/FIN/DK/CZ/GER===
* The Lion of Sodor

====US DVD Packs====
* [[Steam Team Collection]]

====AUS DVD Packs====
* The Lion of Sodor and [[Splish, Splash, Splosh! (DVD)|Splish, Splash, Splosh!]] Double pack

====GER DVD Boxsets====
* [[With 15 Great Stories]]

===FRA===
* [[Splish, Splash, Splosh! (DVD)|Splish, Splash, Splosh!]] {{Note|DVD}}
* [[The Complete Series 13|Series 13]] {{Note|digital download}}

===JPN===
* [[Sodor Maintenance Shop is Busy]]
* [[Special Gift of Hiro and Thomas]]
* [[Everybody Gather the Island of Sodor Athletic Meeting]]

===THA/ITA===
* [[Creaky Cranky (DVD)|Creaky Cranky]]

===CHN===
* [[Slippy Sodor (Chinese DVD)|Slippy Sodor]]

===KOR===
* [[Thomas and Friends Five Specials Set]]
}}
{{Series 13}}

[[de:Der Löwe von Sodor]]
[[es:El León de Sodor]]
[[he:האריה מסודור]]
[[hu:Sodor oroszlánja]]
[[pl:Lew Sodor]]
[[ru:Содорский лев]]
[[Category:Series 13 episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes]]
[[Category:Theatrical releases]]
[[Category:2010s]]
[[Category:2010]]