Simba

Simba is the main character in The Lion King (film), and in The Lion King 2 Simba's Pride. He is also the tritagonist of The Lion King 1 1/2.

He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, the mate of Nala, the nephew of Scar, and the father of Kiara.

Personality

"Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger".

— young Simba, at the Elephant Graveyard.

Simba playing with Timon.

As a child (cub), Simba is very curious, adventurous, cocky, and all too ready to become the king. He is known to overstep his authority and attempt to order around the other creatures of Pride Rock. He suffers serious emotional trauma when his uncle Scar murders his father Mufusa. But he didn't know this and Scar convinces Simba that he was responsible for his father's death, and tells him to flee from the Pride Lands, never to return. Simba naively shows great trust in his uncle as he runs away from all he's ever known, and he later picks up a happy, carefree lifestyle with Timon and Pumbaa in an idealistic jungle paradise.

As a young adult, he has long since forgotten his old life, and once again acts as over-confident and adventurous as he did as a cub. Later, when Simba learns that Scar is ruling the Pride Lands unjustly, he faces his past and returns to take his place as the rightful king. By having the responsibilities of being a king thrust upon him so suddenly, Simba is forced to mature greatly, and in a short space of time.

As an adult, Simba has grown much more mature and responsible. Yet, he's immensely paranoid, distrusting, and over-protective, in regards to his only daughter and heir Kiara. He always has Timon and Pumbaa, now his royal advisers, to keep an eye on her and even marks a trail when she ventures alone. This doesn't change when Kiara matures into a young adult because Simba breaks a promise to her for the sake of her safety.

Appearance

Timon: "Gee...he looks blue"
Pumbaa: "I'd say brownish-gold."

—Timon and Pumbaa on Simba

Simba as a Child.

As a cub, Simba boasted golden-brown fur, as commented upon by Pumbaa. His eyes are orange, his eyeshades are chestnut, his muzzle, underside, forepaws, and lower eyeshades are light-colored. As an adult, his mane very luxurious, thick and a rich red which looks almost exactly like Mufusa's. His build is very similar to his father's, but facial feature wise, when compared side-by-side, he looks more like his mother, Sarabi.

A teenaged Simba appears briefly during the log sequence during the song'Hakuna Matata". Simba is older than his adolescent counterpart seen in Lion King 1 1/2 evident by the mane that begins to run down his neck, and the mane that begins appearing on his chest and lower body.

The Lion King (film)

Scar: "I was first in line, until the little hair ball was born".

Mufasa: "That Hairball is my son and your future king"

— Mufasa and Scar, referring to Simba

In the beginning of the first film, Simba is an infant curled up in his mother's paws during the royal ceremony, where all cubs of the king and queen are presented from the summit of Pride Rock. For the ceremony,Rafiki cracks open a gourd and makes a red mark on Simba's forehead. He sprinkles sand on the newborn's head, making baby Simba sneeze. After his anointing, Rafiki picks him up and presents Simba to all the animals in the Pride Lands who had gathered to see him.

Simba grows into a lively, playful cub. Waking up one morning at dawn, he begs his father to show him the whole kingdom. Simba and his father climb to the top of Pride Rock, where Mufasa explains to his son that everything the light touches is their kingdom, and after his passing, Simba will become the new king. The cub questions the "shadowy place," and Mufasa explains that it is beyond their borders, so he must never go there. As they go on a walk through the Pride Lands, Mufasa tells Simba about the "great Circle of Life": that is, that every living thing "from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope" is connected and exists together in a delicate balance. While they are walking,Zazu, Mufasa's majordomo, gives the king the "Morning Report." Simba, bored, tries to practice pouncing. After some instruction from his father, Simba succeeds in pinning down Zazu. As Zazu is on his back, a gopher pops up and tells Zazu and Mufasa there are dangerous hyenas in the Pride Lands. Mufasa leaves to deal with the threat, forbidding Simba to come with him. 

Disappointed, Simba returns to Pride Rock to find his uncle Scar. He gleefully informs Scar that he's will one day be King of Pride Rock, irritating Scar, who unenthusiastically replies, "Yes, well, forgive me for not leaping for joy - bad back you know." and his uncle eventually asks him whether his brother showed him what lies beyond the northern border; Simba admits that he didn't, and Scar acts relieved, saying only the bravest of lions go there. Objecting, Simba says he's brave and demands to know what's there. Accidentally on purpose, Scar lets slip that "an elephant graveyard is no place for a young prince," aware that Simba's curiosity will lead him there. Simba is excited at the prospect of an adventure, but promises his uncle that he won't visit the dreadful place.

Instead, Simba goes to his best friend Nala being bathed by her mother Sarafina, opposite his own mother Sarabi; Simba tries to get Nala to accompany him somewhere, without giving away the location of their adventure. When asked where they are headed, he lies, "around the waterhole."

Simba in the song I Just Can't Wait To Be King.

Sarabi sends Zazu to accompany them, much to their dismay. On the way to the waterhole, Zazu makes a nostalgic comment on how the two are "betrothed, intended, affianced," meaning they are set to be mates and rule the Pride Lands, but since they are just children, they find it too weird. The duo manage to ditch Zazu by crushing him with a pile of animals set to Simba singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King". The cubs tumble into the Elephant Graveyard, and after a quick exploration, Zazu catches up with the them before Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed show up. Simba tries to be brave in front of the hyenas, but realizing the danger, the cubs make a frantic effort to escape with the hyenas in hot pursuit. The chase leads to Simba and Nala being cornered in a cave. Simba tries to protect Nala by making a roar to scare the hyenas away, but is unsuccessful. Just then, Mufasa arrives to the cubs' rescue and pins down the hyenas, who escape in fear.

Going back to Pride Rock, Mufasa admonishes Simba, expressing disappointment in him and anger that he has disobeyed him; as Simba says he was trying to be brave like his father, Mufasa explains that even kings get scared, and he was because he almost lost Simba, then Simba jokes that the hyenes were even more scared. After playing together under the sky, Mufasa tells his son something that he once learned from his father, about the "Great Kings of the Past" looking down from the stars, and whenever he feels alone, the stars will always be there to guide him—and so will he.

The next day, Scar, who had been plotting to kill his brother and nephew to become king, takes Simba with him to a large gorge, saying his father has a "surprise" for him. Simba begs his uncle to tell him what it is, but Scar walks away after teasing him about practicing his "little roar." Unknown to Simba, Scar has signaled the hyenas to start a wildebeest stampede to chase the frightened herd down to the gorge below.

While the cub practices his roar a little louder than usual, the wildebeest charge down the cliff face in the direction of Simba. Terrified, Simba runs for his life. Meanwhile, Scar runs to Mufasa panting Simba is in the stampede down in the gorge. Immediately, Mufasa rushes to the gorge to save his son, who desperately manages to jump and cling on to a branch while the wildebeests thunder below him. While Mufasa fights through the stampede, one of wildebeests collides with the branch and breaks it, sending Simba flying into the air.

Mufasa leaps to catch his son, but drops him upon impact with one of the wildebeests. Becoming stuck in the stampede again, Simba dodges a few wildebeests before again being picked up by Mufasa, who then gets him to safety.Pulled back into the herd, the alpha lion fights and struggles and throws himself on to the ledge, clinging on for dear life. Seeing this, Simba runs to the top of the cliff. As he reaches the top, all he sees is his father plummet into the stampede below, not knowing he was just thrown by Scar. He cries out and races down to the bottom of the gorge to find his father's body under the branch he was clinging to. Hoping that his father isn't dead, he tries to revive him. Realizing that Mufasa is neither moving nor breathing, he calls for help, but starts to cry and crawls under his father's fore paw.

Scar approaches and manipulates him into believing that he is responsible for the death of his father, since his roar has triggered the stampede, even though Scar really caused it. When asked what his mother would think, Simba doesn't know what to do, so Scar tells him to run away and never return. Scampering away, Scar sends Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed once again to kill Simba. Panicked, scared, and now chased by the hyenas, he runs on some rocks up the gorge and comes out at the top of a steep cliff. With a patch of sharp thorns below, Simba has no choice but to jump down the cliff to escape the predators. He tumbles down and forces himself through, but the hyenas don't follow, thinking Simba is as good as dead out in the barren desert anyway.

Simba with Timon and Pumbaa.

Tired and dehydrated, Simba wanders into the desert; in the burning heat, he eventually faints. Waiting for him to die, vultures circle overhead, but a meerkat named Timon and a warhog Pumbaa scare away the vultures and save the unconscious cub. They revive him and ask him if he's okay. He shakily replies, then starts to wander off; the two ask what he did, but Simba doesn't want to talk about it. Timon and Pumbaa take the cub into a jungle to teach him to forget the past and live by "Hakuna Matata," meaning "no worries." During the song"Hakuna Matata". Timon and Pumbaa have Simba eat bugs, explore his new home, and live without worry. The three walk across a log, which represents time elapse of a few years, during which Simba transitions from a cub to a teenager to an adult.

Mufasa: "You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life."

Adult Simba: "How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be."

Mufasa: "Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king."

— Mufasa's ghost to adult Simba

Growing up in the jungle, Simba learns to be carefree and forget all about his past and responsibilities. Although happy in the jungle, he feels homesick when stargazing with his friends, recalling what his father told him years ago when they looked up at the stars together. He gets more upset when Timon's comments mock the Great Kings of the Past. Simba leaves to flop down on the rock, wishing his father was still alive.

A few days later, Simba hears Timon and Pumbaa crying for help in the jungle and immediately rushes to their rescue, finding himself face-to-face with a hungry lioness. After wrestling with the lioness, she flips Simba onto his back, a move he recognizes from Nala. When he mentions Nala's name, the lioness becomes surprised and backs away. When she asks who he is, Simba tells her his name, and the lioness is surprised to realize it is him. As they rejoice, Simba introduces Nala to his new friends and Nala tells Simba that he's the rightful king. Simba rejects his responsibility and refuses to go back, still believing that he was guilty of killing his father; still, he comforts Nala as she struggles with the reality of him being alive after all those years. Enjoying a peaceful sunset evening together, playing"Can You Feel the Love Tonight", the two lions realize their childhood friendship has now blossomed into a romantic relationship. However, that evening, Nala tries to explain to Simba the fate of the Pride Lands under Scar's reign and persuade him to go back, but he refuses, which leads to an argument. Simba marches away from Nala and, alone in a grassy field, yells to the sky how his father is not there for him when he said he will, and Simba labels the blame on himself.

Soon, Simba notices Rafiki singing in a tree. Trying to get away from him, Simba goes to lie down away from the mandrill; Rafiki, the same one from Simba's birth ceremony years ago, refuses to leave him alone, so Simba asks who he is. Simba doesn't know anymore, and after Rafiki chants in his ear, he says that Simba is Mufasa's boy. Surprised to hear his father's name, Simba chases the wise baboon and asks if he knew his father, but Rafiki says he knows his father, and explains to Simba that he is still alive. Rafiki leads Simba to the stream, and as Simba remarks that he only sees his reflection, Rafiki tells Simba to look harder as Simba's reflection becomes the face of Mufasa. At the same time, he hears his father calling to him from the sky, and Simba looks up to see him again. Mufasa's spirit appears in the sky, which Simba recognizes, but Mufasa accuses his son of forgetting him, to which Simba denies.

His father says Simba has forgotten his father and his own place in the Circle of Life. He reminds Simba that he is his son and the one true king, before telling him to "remember." Simba chases his father's disappearing form in the sky. Rafiki approaches Simba again and listens to him discussing how he will have to face the past, from which he has ran away from, if he is to return. Rafiki then whacks him on the head with his stick and teaches him the lesson that even though things are in the past, they can still hurt, but he should learn from them. As Rafiki swings his stick again, this time, Simba dodges Rafiki's whack. Simba snatches Rafiki's stick and leaves to take back his place as king of the Pride Lands.

Arriving back at his home land, he is shocked at the dry, barren condition the once green and fertile land has fallen into. As Simba trudges through the Pride Lands, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa catch up to help him fight Scar. As they make their way to Pride Rock, they find they way blocked by hyenas, and Simba instructs Timon and Pumbaa divert the hyenas so he and Nala can slip past. Simba then tells Nala to look for his mother Sarabi and rally the lionesses and searches for Scar. He freezes in horror as he hears his mother's name yelled out by Scar, then watches as Sarabi and Scar argue. Upon seeing his mother getting struck down by Scar, Simba's anger mounts, then he runs out of hiding to her side. At first, Sarabi mistakes him for Mufasa, but she eventually realizes it is her son. Simba then confronts his uncle, demanding to step down from his position or fight, to which Scar softly refuses. Feeling trapped, Scar then resorts to accusing Simba of killing Mufasa, and Simba doesn't deny it.

With Nala and the other lionesses watching, Scar corners Simba on the edge of Pride Rock's promontory. As Simba slips from the edge, lightning starts a fire below. While Simba clings onto the edge desperately for life, Scar remembers seeing Mufasa in a similar way before his death. Scar latches his paws into Simba's and whispers into his ear that he, Scar, is the one who killed Mufasa. Filled with rage, Simba leaps from the edge and pins Scar to the ground. Simba forces his uncle to confess out loud, leading to a tremendous battle. The hyenas ambush Simba, prompting Nala, the other lionesses, Timon, and Pumbaa to charge in and wipe out the hyenas.

Simba then chases his uncle to the summit of Pride Rock, where he finally corners Scar. Scar pleads for mercy as he puts the blame on the hyenas, unaware that they heard everything, and they turn away in disgust and anger. Fed up with all the lies his uncle has told him, Simba chooses not to kill Scar, but spares him by repeating the words that his uncle had previously told him: "Run. Run away, Scar, and never return." Scar begins to slip away, but suddenly turns around and throws burning embers into Simba's eyes. The two lions fight ferociously, until Scar delivers a hard smack that knocks Simba to the ground. As Scar leaps to finish Simba off, Simba uses Nala's fighting tactics to flip Scar over the edge, sending him tumbling down the ledge. Simba looks down and watches as the hyenas jump on his uncle and devour him.

After rain falls on the Pride Lands and extinguishes the fire, Simba walks down to greet his mother, Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, and the rest of the pride. Rafiki rattles his stick to get Simba's attention and motions for him to ascend Pride Rock. Simba then walks over to Rafiki, and as Rafiki bows down to him, Simba embraces him before Rafiki tells him, "It is time." Simba then climbs up Pride Rock and as he reaches the promontory, he looks at the hole through the rain clouds to see a patch of stars, one of them shining brightly. Upon hearing his father's voice telling him to "remember," Simba gains confidence and strength, then he roars out over his kingdom, and the rest of the pride roar back in approval of their new true king of the Pride Lands.

Sometime later, when the Pride Lands have returned to normal, Simba and Nala, along with Timon and Pumbaa, stand on the promontory of Pride Rock, proudly looking at the animals who have assembled below. Rafiki then comes in, cradling their newborn cub in his arms, and he lifts the cub up for all the animals to see.

The Lion King 2 Simba's Pride

Seasons later, all the animals, including giraffes, elephants, gazelles, and other African wildlife in the savannah, return to Pride Rock to welcome the birth of King Simba and Queen Nala's daughter Kiara.

The king and queen look on proudly as Rafiki holds their cub up for all of the kingdom to see, just as Mufasa and Sarabi, did when Simba himself was born.

As Kiara grows up, Simba turns out to be extremely over-protective of her. One time when Kiara goes off to play, he warns her to stay away from the Outlands and to stay on the path he's marked for her. Nala teases Simba about Kiara's likeness to Simba when he was a cub. Simba confesses his feeling to Nala about how much trouble they got themselves into. Nala assures him that Kiara will be fine; but he sends Timon and Pumbaa after her to watch her anyway.

After he realizes that Kiara has sneaked away from her babysitters, he, along with Nala, Pumbaa, Timon, and the some of the Pridelanders, goes out for her, finding her near the outskirts of the Outlands with a Outsider cub, Kovu. He jumps in front of Kiara, protecting her; at the same time, Zira launches herself in front of her son. Simba snarls at her, and Zira mockingly gives cover-up for punishment for straying into the Pride Lands. Simba growls at her, "Take him and get out—We're finished here." Zira laughs menacingly, and replies, "Oh no, Simba; we have barely begun!" Simba takes Kiara and walks away. Simba reminds Kiara that she has got to be Queen, even though she may not want to be; he reminds her of the "Great Circle of Life." He tells her that they are part of each other, and sings to her that they are "one."

Years later on (Kiara's first hunt), Kiara pleads with her father to let her hunt on her own. Simba promises, but once again, sends Timon and Pumbaa to watch her anyway. A few hours later, Simba paces nervously on Pride Rock, where Zazu reassures him that Kiara will be fine. Suddenly, Simba notices smoke on the horizon as Zira's plan goes into action. He and Nala races to Kiara, only to find her talking to Kovu. Simba is roaring menacingly at Kovu, as Kiara reminds how he has broken the promise her father had made on letting her hunt on his own, to which Simba, out of fear of losing her again, forbids any more hunting lessons for her. Just then, Rafiki appears and brings up the fact that Kovu saved his daughter's life. When Simba asks him why, Kovu asks to join his pride. Simba initially refuses; but Zazu tells him that his father, Mufasa's law demands all debts be paid. In repayment for his daughter's life, Simba reluctantly lets Kovu join the pride on judgment, but doesn't allow him to sleep with the pride. That night, Simba has a dream similar to the scenario in which his father was killed by Scar in the wildebeest stampede.

In the dream, Simba tries to save his father, who is hanging on a cliff face. As he reaches down, he realizes that he is also on the cliff face, and Scar is looking over him as Scar grabs his paw. Mufasa slips away. However, Simba looks up to see his uncle morph into Kovu; then Kovu lets Simba fall to his death, and he wakes up out of his dream.

The next morning, Simba has a drink at the waterhole. Unknown to him, Kovu is behind him, ready to kill. Luckily, Kiara turns up wanting her hunting lesson, so Kovu is drawn away. That night, Simba looks down on Kiara and Kovu stargazing together, and asks his father for guidance. Nala then walks beside him and tells him to trust Kovu more. That evening, Simba lets Kovu sleep with the other lions in the cave as it is a fairly cold night.

The next morning, Simba asks Kovu to walk with him. He explains to Kovu his side of the story about Scar. As they are walking, Zira and the other Outsiders surround them. Feeling betrayed and distrusted, Simba angrily snarls at Kovu, thinking he is behind the plan, to which Kovu denies. The Outsiders close in around him throw them off. He runs into a gorge and climbs up the dam. Just as he's climbing, Nuka grabs his ankles, pulling him down. Simba pushes himself up, dislodging a log which tumbles down and crushes Nuka to death. Simba escapes and weakly makes his way back to the Pride Lands, where he manages to whisper to Kiara, Pumbaa and Timon, what happened before collapsing. They help him back to Pride Rock, where he recovers.

When Kovu returns, Simba confronts him, asking the reason why he came back. Kovu asks for forgiveness, but Simba does not believe Kovu has had nothing to do with the attack. Kiara tries to persuade her father to listen to Kovu, but Simba exiles Kovu, to Kiara's heartbreak. Kiara then quarrel with her father, pleading him to reconsider, but he refuses, saying he knows Kovu is following in Scar's paw prints, and that he must follow in his father's.

Kiara then angrily yells at him, "You will never be Mufasa!" This comment hurts Simba immensely as he looks away sadly while Kiara runs away and find Kovu.

That night, the rain falls down, and Simba asks Timon and Pumbaa where Kiara is. Just as he finds out she is missing, Zazu informs him the Outsiders are on the attack. He commands Zazu to find Kiara and assembles the lionesses, ready for battle. When they approach the Outsiders, Simba gives Zira a final chance to go home. Zira tells Simba that she is already home, and commands her troops to attack.. After a bitter battle, Zira jumps down off her rock, ready to attack Simba herself. Just as they are about to go into a one-on-one combat, Kiara jumps in front of her father, and Kovu jumps in front of Zira. Simba tells his daughter to stay out, but Kiara tells him that the fight has to stop. Concurrently, Zira tells Kovu to move and Kovu tells Zira that he won't let her hurt Kiara or Simba. Kiara reminds Simba that they are "one," and asks if he sees any differences between his pride and the Outsiders.

As Simba realizes his daughter's words, rain stops and his father shines down from the clouds, then he nuzzles his daughter as they reconcile. Zira orders her daughter Vitani to attack Simba; She refuses to do so, and crosses onto his side as do the rest of the outsiders. Zira, realizing she's losing, attempts one more time to attack Simba; but as she jumps for him, Kiara jumps in her way.

Shocked, Simba jumps down after them, just as Zira slips away into the water below. Simba reaches his daughter and helps her back up the cliff, where a worried Nala is waiting. When Kiara is reunited with Kovu, Simba studies him and apologizes to him as he finally admits he was wrong. He accepts Kovu and the Outsidrs into his pride and they all go home together.

Back at Pride Rock, Simba, Nala, and all the other lionesses watch as Rafiki blesses the union of Kovu and Kiara. Simba, Nala, and the new couple Kovu and Kiara make their way to the top of Pride Rock and roar over their kingdom, with the rest of the pride roaring back in reply. As Simba looks down proudly at the rejoicing animals who have gathered around Pride Rock, the sky opens up, and Simba hears Mufasa say, "Well done, my son. We are one."

The Lion King 1 1/2

During Timon and Pumbaa's first try at a new home, they saw Simba's birth ceremony. Although they had no interest in it, they came to witness the event anyways. The two later found a small cave in the Pride Lands, which they lived in for a month or two until Simba and Nala singing"I Just Can't Wait to be King" drove them out. Although not seen, we can hear Simba say, "I'm okay." after the animal pyramid falls down. Later, after Mufasa is murdered by his brother Scar and Simba runs away from the Pride Lands, he wanders around the desert, feeling guilty and thinking he killed his father. Simba collapses of fatigue and exhaustion, lying under the sun with buzzards circling overhead.

The cub is found by Timon and Pumbaa, who carry him to shade and water and eventually let him live in the jungle with them. Growing up without worries, Simba soon proves to be a difficult cub to handle and Timon and Pumbaa find it hard to be adoptive parents. Living carefree in the jungle forest, Simba gets into all kinds of mischief that his parents would have never allowed: jumping down from dangerously tall trees, swimming down steep and deadly waterfalls backwards, and spinning Timon around like a play toy. He also keeps Timon up all night having to go to the bathroom, wanting a drink of water, and needing the bathroom again. One night, Simba was awakened by a nightmare, probably involving his father's death. This leads him to happily sleep with Timon and Pumbaa.

Months pass and Simba is now an adolescent teenage lion, who seems to beat Timon and Pumbaa at all kinds of alliterative bug eating contests, including the longest bug belch, slug swallowing, cricket crunching, grub gulping, maggot munching, as well as the snail slurping contest shown in the film. He has grown a small mane on his head and looks even more hot-headed than as a cub. After some years pass, Simba has now grown to an full adult lion who enjoys his life with Timon and Pumbaa in the jungle. Simba had an interesting conversation with Pumbaa about dung beetles before Nala appears and chases Pumbaa, making Simba attack her; he later realizes it's his old childhood friend.

In the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence, we see that Simba takes Nala on a romantic evening in the jungle, unknowingly hurting Timon while the meerkat attempts to split the two lovers up.

After the familiar scenes of Simba arguing with Nala about whether or not he should return to the Pride Lands to be the Lion King. Simba runs off and sees his father's ghost, although the timing is a lot shorter after the argument, happening almost instantly after he runs off. This could be counted as a mistake, although it was probably speeded up for the convenience of the filmmakers, who wanted to move the film on quicker.There are also some different angles of Simba going after Scar, including a shot of him chasing Scar up to the top of Pride Rock and that of Simba slipping off the cliff when Scar corners him. Simba's leaping up and forcing the truth out of Scar about Mufasa's death and Simba flipping Scar off Pride Rock is also seen at a new angle. Once the violence is over, Simba thanks Timon and Pumbaa for their help against the hyenas before he climbs Pride Rock, roaring for all of the Pride Lands to know that they have won. At the end of the film, Simba is laying down on the water with Pumbaa, Timon and Ma. A silhouette of Simba also appears in the theatre while Ma rewinds the movie.

TV Show Appearances

Timon and Pumbaa

Simba makes occasional appearances in the Timon and Pumbaa animated TV series as the show's tritagonist. This includes one episode in which Timon drags him out to try to revive Pumbaa's lost memory.

In "Congo on Like This," Timon and Pumbaa suspect that Simba has reverted back to his carnivorous nature.In "Shake Your Djibouti" (which features Simba again), Timon and Pumbaa are forced to train Simba to protect them from a laboratory monster. In "Rome Alone",Timon sees Simba forced into a gladiatorial battle with another lion named Cladius. Cam Clarke voiced Adult Simba, while doing an impersonating of Matthew Broderick.

House of Mouse

Simba has made numerous appearances in House of Mouse as a minor character. Throughout the whole series, Simba alternates between his cub and adult appearances. In the episode "Timon and Pumbaa," he complains about Timon and Pumbaa's popularity, saying, "Those guys always get all the attention!".

In "King Larry Swings In," cub Simba was seen in a flashback and fell from the cliff of Pride Rock after Donald accidentally dropped him. He makes brief appearances in Mickey's Magic Christmas. He also has a cameo as a cub at the beginning of Mickey's House of Villains.

The Lion Guard

Simba appears in the 2016 TV series The Lion Guard which takes place in the middle of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and centers around his and Nala's second-born child and only son, Kion.

First appearing in the pilot film, Simba is first seen reciting the speech Mufasa gave to him early on in the original film, to his daughter, Kiara. In the middle of the speech, however, Kion and his best friend, Bunga, barge in and cause distraction. This increases Simba's concern over Kion's immaturity, and he voices his hopes that his son will eventually "grow up". Later on, while at Pride Rock, Simba and Nala are told by Rafiki that Kion has been blessed with the "Roar of the Elders": a power given to the second-born of each Lion King, which indicates the new leader of a team of protectors known as the Lion Guard. Simba feels Kion is not yet ready for such responsibility, but he eventually agrees to inform Kion of his newfound responsibility, and asks his son to assemble the Pride Lands' finest to join the guard, assuming that Kion knew he meant lions. Instead, Kion assembles of a diverse group of animals, much to Simba's disappointment. In the end, however, Kion and his friends are able to prove their worth by rescuing Kiara from a stampede and fending off troublesome hyenas. Because of this, Simba finally agrees with Rafiki's testament, confidently declaring it is time for the Lion Guard to rise again.

In the series itself, Simba generally plays minor roles throughout the various storylines. In "Bunga and the King", however, he and Bunga find themselves trapped in a massive sinkhole. As they try to free themselves, their equal stubbornness causes them to clash. In spite of this, they soon find something in which they can relate after realizing they were both raised by Timon and Pumbaa, establishing themselves as "half-brothers" in response to this. The episode is also significant in establishing Timon and Pumbaa as not only Simba's best friends but surrogate parents, as well.

Video Games

Kingdom of Hearts 2

In Kingdom Hearts 2, when the main protagonists (Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck) explore the jungle in the Pride Lands world, Simba almost attacks them, not recognizing them as they were turned into animals due to Sora's enchanted clothes.Initially, Simba refuses to go back to the Pride Lands, stating he was "not who he used to be." His father comes to him and tells him to go back; afterwards, he accompanies Sora, Donald, and Goofy to Pride Rock for a climactic battle with both Shenzai,Banzai and Ed. Including Scar, who had been turned into a Heartless because of his anger and jealousy. Sora left after the successful coronation of Simba. When Sora returned, Simba had been driven into doubt by rumors of Scar's ghost. He later gained confidence and stood up to Scar's ghost, which was a manifestation of Simba's uncertainty and fearlessness. Simba has a move with Sora that causes huge rocks to appear and strike opponents, after which he slashes foes - ending, finally, with his summon attack from the first game, Proud Roar.

Cam Clarke voices Simba in the above two appearances, with an archival recording of Jonathan Taylor Thomas used for young Simba in the wildebeest sequence in Kingdom Hearts 2.

Relationships

Sarabi

An older Simba with his mother, Sarabi.

Simba and his mother, Sarabi, loved each other very much. She was proud of her young son, and like Mufasa, tried to teach him proper conduct and groomed him for his future as the king. She also was protective of him, ensuring that Simba didn't run off to where he could get himself into trouble. When Scar claimed that Simba died alongside Mufasa in the wildebeest stampede, she was heartbroken. Years later, when Simba arrived to save his home, he watched sadly as Scar berated his mother. When Scar struck her down in a fit of rage, Simba immediately came to her defense and comforted her. She was in disbelief to see him alive, but very relieved. After Scar was forced to confess that he killed Mufasa, Sarabi fought by Simba's side and they managed to save their home. She watched proudly as Simba assumed his throne as intended. Sarabi was not present in the second film, so it is probable that she has since passed on.

Mufasa

A young Simba with his father, Mufasa.

He had a loving relationship with his father. He looked up to him, and after being chased by the hyenas, he said he was just trying to be brave like his father. Mufasa tries to teach Simba the proper conduct in times of danger and as a king, and discourages him from taking foolish risks. Simba spent all the time he wasn't with Nala with his father, and Mufasa showed him how to be a good ruler. When his father was killed in the wildebeest stampede caused by the hyenas under Scar's signal, he was grief-stricken, believing it to be his own fault. It was Mufasa's spiritual guidance that eventually convinced Simba to reclaim the throne stolen from him.

In the second film, it is shown that Simba desires to live up to his father's legacy. Several of Simba's actions are based on what he thinks his father would approve of.

Nala

A young Simba with Nala.

As cubs, they were nearly inseparable. Unknown to them, they were betrothed at an early age, and both agreed that friends marrying each other was too weird once they discovered this fact. They got into many adventures, but when they were being chased by the hyenas, Shenzi was about to kill Nala, and Simba saved her. Nala was heartbroken when Scar claimed that Simba died with Mufasa in the wildebeest stampede. As adults, Nala was the lioness who brought Simba back to Pride Rock, to save them from Scar's tyranny. In the midst of all this, they finally realized there friendship had grown into love, and eventually married as originally intended. As Queen of Pride Rock, Nala often acts as a voice of reason for Simba, trying to get him to see the light when his protective judgment gets the best of him.

Kiara

Simba with a Young Kiara.

Simba and his daughter, Kiara, love each other very much, though their relationship has always been under some strain. Simba tries his best to protect his daughter, but had become obsessed with this duty during her childhood. When Kiara met the Outsider Kovu, son of Simba's hated enemy Zira, he immediately disapproved of their friendship and became even more determined to defend Kiara.

When Kiara is a young adult, Simba had promised to let her go on her first hunt alone at Nala's urging. However, he secretly sent Pumbaa and Timon to watch her like he did when she was a cub. Kiara discovered this and becomes furious with her father, and ran off to the outskirts of the Pridelands. Angered and worried, Simba forbids her to go on anymore hunts when Kiara nearly died in a brush fire set by Zira. When Kovu returned, he kept a close eye on the two friends, but eventually warmed up to Kovu when he proved himself trustworthy. Unfortunately, Zira ambushed Simba in a trap supposedly set by Kovu, when he in fact did it unknowingly and unwillingly. After this incident, Simba forbade Kiara from so much as leaving his sight, and banished Kovu. Heartbroken, Kiara said her father was nothing like the king Mufasa was (refering to the fact that Mufasa would have forgiven Kovu and seen that the ambush was not his fault), horrifying Simba. Kiara then ran off to find Kovu.

When Simba fought the attacking Outsiders, Kiara stopped him, with Kovu's help. She finally made him realize that he and the Outsiders were one and the same, finally ending the feud, and he and his daughter finally nuzzle. When Zira attacked Simba in rage, Kiara saved him, and Simba helped her after Zira fell to her death in the raging river below. Finally realizing that Kovu was one of them, Simba was finally able to reconcile with his daughter and accepts that she's old enough to become self-sufficient and make her own decisions.

Scar

A young Simba with his Uncle, Scar.

At first, Simba loved his uncle, and would always tell him of his adventures, but Scar never seemed to be interested. After Simba tells Scar about his dad showing him the whole kingdom, Scar deliberately told his nephew about the Elephant Graveyard, hoping that Simba would get himself killed (even though covering his mouth and pretending it was an accident).

Scar sent the hyenas,Shenzai,Banzai and Ed after Simba, but this first attempt failed. Later on, Scar led Simba into the stampede, intending to kill him and his father. He only succeeded in killing Mufasa, his older brother. He lied to Simba into believing that it was his fault, and that he should run away and never return. Scar then ordered the hyenas (who came out from the fog) to kill Simba, but they failed once again, unbeknownst to Scar.

Years later, Simba is now an adult, and he went to challenge Scar for the throne. He saw Scar slap Sarabi (Simba's mother) across the face. Thus, Simba's love for his uncle turned to pure hatred, and he told Scar to either step down or fight. Scar said that he would step down, but he can't since the hyenas thought he was the King. Then, Scar made Simba reveal that he's responsible for Mufasa's death, but Simba insisted that it was an accident and that he's not a murderer. Just as Scar was about to throw the "murderer" off a cliff, he whispered to Simba and told him that he killed Mufasa. In his rage, Simba jumped back up and pinned his uncle to the ground. After Simba forces Scar to reveal the truth to the lionesses, a violent fight between the lionesses, Timon,Pumbaa and Rafiki(who all appeared to aid Simba), and the hyenas ensued. Simba then chased Scar up Pride Rock on his own, and soon cornered him in an attempt to overthrow him. Scar, knowing he wasn't strong enough to defeat Simba, begged for mercy and tries to explain that it's the hyenas who are the real enemy. Simba then says that everything Scar ever told him was a lie. Simba, not wishing to be the monster Scar was, spared him instead of killing him, telling him to run away and never return (the same words Scar told Simba when he was a cub). Scar pretended to leave, but then turned on him by throwing fire sparks at Simba's eyes, and then the fight between Simba and Scar broke out. Before Scar could pounce on Simba and kill him, Simba pushed him into the path of the hyenas, who killed Scar by devouring him after years of broken promises.

Simba hasn't forgotten how Scar destroyed his father's life, and swore to spare the Pride Lands from another such tragedy. In the second film, it is implied that maybe Simba is trying to forgive his uncle for his actions because when he takes a walk with Kovu, he simply says that Scar couldn't let go of his hate and in the end, it destroyed him.

Timon

A young Simba with Timon.

Timon has have been Simba's best friend ever since he ran away after his father's death. Though it is shown in the third film that Simba had a habit of waking Timon up in the middle of the night (this happened 4 times in the film: 1st was to go to the bathroom, 2nd was to get a drink of water, the 3rd was presumably go to the bathroom again, and the 4th time being that he had a bad dream [presumably involving his father's death or Simba dying trying to escape the stampede] and ends up sleeping with them). He was also, according to Timon, holds the record of the world's "longest bug belch", as well as beating the meercat in various bug-eating contests (Slug Swallowing, Cricket Crunching, Grub Gulping, Maggot Munching, and the shown Snail Slurping). As a cub, Simba thought of Timon as a Foster father, and looked up to him alot.

As gratitude for saving him out in the desert, Simba decided to repay them by protecting them from danger. When Simba went back to Pride Rock to save the pridelands from Scar's Tyranny, Timon and Pumbaa fought alongside Simba and Simba was again grateful to them for helping him (in the third film, when they bowed respectfully to him, he hugged them, and claimed that he couldn'thave done it without them). While Simba is King, Timon and Pumbaa are his body guards and are often tasked by him to look after Kiara.

Pumbaa

A young Simba with Pumbba.

Pumbaa have been Simba's best friend ever since he ran away after his father's death. Though it is shown in the third film that Simba had a habit of waking Timon up in the middle of the night (this happened 4 times in the film: 1st was to go to the bathroom, 2nd was to get a drink of water, the 3rd was presumably go to the bathroom again, and the 4th time being that he had a bad dream [presumably involving his father's death or Simba dying trying to escape the stampede] and ends up sleeping with them). He was also, according to Timon, holds the record of the world's "longest bug belch", as well as beating both of them in various bug-eating contests (Slug Swallowing, Cricket Crunching, Grub Gulping, Maggot Munching, and the shown Snail Slurping). As a cub, Simba thought of Timon as a Foster father, and looked up to him alot. While he saw Pumbaa Merely as the uncle he never had.

As gratitude for saving him out in the desert, Simba decided to repay them by protecting them from danger. When Simba went back to Pride Rock to save the pridelands from Scar's Tyranny, Timon and Pumbaa fought alongside Simba and Simba was again grateful to them for helping him (in the third film, when they bowed respectfully to him, he hugged them, and claimed that he couldn'thave done it without them). While Simba is King, Timon and Pumbaa are his body guards and are often tasked by him to look after Kiara.

Zazu

A young Simba with Zazu.

Not much is known about Simba's relationship with Zazu, apart from the fact that he was never pleased when Zazu had to watch him and Nala, and the fact that Simba liked to tease the bird at every chance he got, even calling him Banana Beak, much to Zazu's chagrin (he preferred Mr. Banana Beak). Despite this, Simba had at least some degree of respect for Zazu, as he willingly goes with Zazu when Mufasa orders the latter to escort Simba home while he takes care of some trespassing hyenas, though Simba was a little disgruntled that he couldn't go with his father. After Simba voiced his frustrations, Zazu boosts Simba's morale by reminding him that one day he will be king. When Simba became king, he let Zazu retain his job as majordomo and developed a lot more respect for him.

Rafiki

Simba with Rafiki.

When he first interacted with Rafiki, Simba found him to be mildly annoying, most likely not remembering that Rafiki was the same baboon that anointed him at his birth ceremony. After he helped Simba with his Identity crisis and helping him in the fight against the hyenas, Simba began to regard Rafiki as a friend (most likely Simba has finally remember Rafiki from his childhood).

Shenzi,Banzai and Ed

Simba and the hyena trio are enemies. They have made several attempts on his life; however all of them have ended in failure. After Scar is killed by the hyenas, even though then they have stopped being loyal to Scar, it is assumed that the hyenas remained enemies with Simba, as they are not shown together in the sequel.

Kovu

Since Kovu was the son of Zira, his enemy in the "Lion King II: Simba's Pride", and since Kovu was also an outsider, he saw Kovu as untrustworthy and saw him as an enemy. Yet, when a young adult Kovu saved his daughter, Simba was forced to reserve any judgement. Later, when Simba took Kovu out and talked to him, it seems Simba has forgiven him, but when the Outsiders attack him, all trust Simba had for him vanished, and now saw Kovu as a traitor. When Kovu tried to ask for forgiveness, despite Kiara's protests, Simba banished him. In the end, when he sees Kiara and Kovu nuzzle, he accepts Kovu, along with the other Outsiders, to the Pridelands. He also watches Kovu and Kiara as Rafiki blesses them. He also roars with him on the top of Pride Rock, alongside Nala and Kiara.

Zira

Zira is another one of Simba's greatest enemies. He banished her and her pride to the Outlands, threatening a harsh punishment should they return. When the outsiders came to the Pride Lands for an attack, Simba gave Zira a final chance to surrender and return to the Outlands, however, Zira refused and attacked anyways. The two lions were about to engage in a potentially bloody battle, when Kiara and Kovu intervened. While Simba was ready to call off the war and allow the outsiders to return to the Pride Lands, Zira still wanted to kill Simba. Simba pleaded with her to put the past behind her, Zira refuses, which ultimately leads to her death.

Sora

Not much is known about Sora and Simba's relationship but it can be assumed that they are good friends considering they fought together and helped one another. When Sora first met Simba when he was a summon (due to his world was destroyed, Simba's strong heart refused to languish in darkness, keeping his spirit alive) whenever Sora was in danger he can call on Simba to help in the fight. After stopping Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Simba's body was restored and he returned to his own world. When Sora arrives in Simba's homeworld Simba was surprised to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy in the Pride Lands. He was surprised that the three looked very different from when he last saw them, as they had taken on animal forms. He was even more amazed to find out that they had met his childhood friend, Nala. Sora, Goofy, Donald, and Nala attempted to convince Simba to return to the Pride Land to overthrow Scar; however, Simba resisted until he met the spirit of his father, Mufasa who helped him rebuild his confidence. He returned to Pride Rock to find that Scar's hatred had turned Scar into a Heartless but managed to bet him with Sora's help. After a battle on the top of Pride Rock, Scar was defeated, and driving the hyenas out, Simba took his rightful place as king. However, the appearance of Scar's ghost caused Simba to have doubts, which made the other lions question his abilities as king. The apparition of these ghosts made Simba wonder if he could be a king just like his father was. Sora convinced Simba to follow his own path, and not his father's. With Sora's help he was able to overcome these fears, defeat Scar's ghost and become the King he was meant to be. The two of them bid eachother farewell until they meet again.

Knownable Relatives

• Mufasa (Father/dead)
• Sarabi (Mother)
• Scar (Uncle/dead)
• Nala (Childhood Best Friend/Wife)
• Kiara (Daughter)
• Kion (Son)
• Timon and Pumbaa (Foster Parents)
• Kovu (Son in Law)

Trivia

• In Mouse Under Glass, the directors of Disney themselves aren't too sure how Simba grew to the size he is with just a diet of insects.
• Back when The Lion King was titled King of the Jungle, Simba was trained by Rafiki to take back the throne from Scar.
• Originally, teenage Simba was to have more screen time. This scene is included in the final movie in a sense, but when we see it Simba is an adult, not a teenager.
• The fires below Simba when Scar pins him move left to right, similar to the wildebeest Stampede.
• In some concepts, Simba is shown with blue eyes.
• Simba's name means "lion" and "lioness," and he's a lion, which means Fisi is his opposite as a hyena whose name means "hyena."
• Many compare Simba's eating of grubs as a way to preserve his friends to Kimba's eating grass to do the same. However, the directors simply refer to it as a "right of passage" not an insurance for Timon and Pumbaa.
• In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Simba was always rumored to be a secondary character, and then the deuteragonist.
• During the making of the film, the animators chose young famous movie actor Jason Weaver from "The Jacksons" an American dream film, to do the singing voice of cub Simba.
• In The Lion King 1 1/2, it's shown how Simba looked like as a teenager when he was eating snails with Timon.
• In the song "The Morning Report", young Simba's singing voice is done by Evan Saucdeo instead of his orginal singing voice actor, Jason Weaver.
• In The Lion King 1 1/2, young Simba's singing and speaking voice are done by Matt Weingberg.
• Since Simba was born to a royal family, he is technically a Disney Prince.
• When the animators were drawing Adult Simba, they wanted a little twist for his appearance and personality to be like his voice actor Matthew Broderick.
• Simba is the only animal to have his birthday on June 15, 1994.
• While Simba regularly appears as both a cub and an adult, his more iconic age is as a cub. The original film also goes more into depth with his cub personality.
• Simba is the first animated Disney character to have a villain as a biological relative, followed by Hercules.
• Simba's adult mane was supposedly inspired by Jon Bon Jovi's hair.
• Simba has trouble speaking in other animal languages, especially elephant.
• According to Timon in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Simba repeatedly got his claws stuck in logs as a cub.

Voice Actors

• Japanese : Tetsuya Nazaki (Cub speaking & singing voice in the first film and the video games), Sota Murakami (Cub speaking & singing voice in the Lion King 1 1/2/speaking & singing voice for remaster version of the first film), Mitsuru Miyamoto (Adult speaking voice in all 3 movies – Present), Hajime Inoue (adult singing voice), Kento Kaku (adult voice for the live action film), ??? (cub voice for the live action film)

• English : Johnathan Taylor Thomas (Cub speaking voice in the first film), Jason Weaver (Cub Singing voice in the first film), Matthew Broderick (Adult speaking voice in all 3 movies, and teenage speaking voice in The Lion King 1 1/2), Cam Clarke (Adult speaking voice in the Timon & Pumbaa TV series - Present), Matt Weingberg (Cub speaking & singing voice in The Lion King 1 1/2), Joseph Williams (Adult Singing voice in the first film), Rob Lowe (The Lion Guard), Donald Glover (Adult speaking and singing voice in the 2019 Live Action Film), JayDon McCrary (Young speaking and singing voice in the 2019 Live Action Film)

all information on Simba came from http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Simba