Zira

Zira was a lioness in The Lion Guard. She is Nuka, Vitani and Kovu's mother and the former leader of the Outsiders, who all lived in the Outlands. She made her first and only physical appearance in the episode Lions of the Outlands.DisneyPress. She is a long-time enemy of Simba and the royal family, 
==Appearance==
Zira has a dark coloration, a trait shared by all the Outsiders. Her fur is grayish-tan, with a cream muzzle, underbelly, and paws. She has red eyes, black eyebrows, dark brown upper eye shades and eyelids, a pointed triangular nose, one notched ear, and a dark stripe down the center of her head. Like Scar and all the Outsiders, Zira never retracts her claws.
==Personality==
Zira was sneaky and devious, feigning hospitality on numerous occasions in an attempt to get someone to side with her. She was set in her beliefs and cannot be swayed. Zira also loathed hyenas. Additionally, she believed that lions should rule with an iron fist, as opposed to being benevolent to all living creatures. She did not have much respect for the Circle of Life. She could be violent and even ruthless enough to kill a cub, if it didn't do her bidding. She was also very manipulative, as shown as she successfully tricked Jasiri into believing that Kion has joined her pride, and displayed a vaguely reasonable demeanor to Kion before she revealed her truly vicious and wicked self in vengeful response to Kion's statement that Scar was never the rightful King. Also, she seems to be somewhat faint-hearted and timid, as she once begged Kion not to use the Roar of the Elders against her and the Outsiders by reminding him that they are his kind, only for an aggravated Kion to use it anyway to drive Zira and her clan away into a termite mound.
==History==
===Prior to The Lion Guard===
Zira lived in the Pride Lands during the reign of Mufasa and Scar, the latter selecting her youngest son, Kovu, to be the next King of Pride Rock. Scar was later fought, and defeated by his nephew Simba, who took over as the rightful King. However, she accused Simba for his uncle's later death, disputed this and fought him as she was very close to Scar; Close enough to be taught of his power, the Roar of the Elders, which he eventually lost when he killed his Guard after they refused to help him kill Mufasa. Zira, much like Scar, was swiftly defeated by Simba, and exiled alongside her family and followers to the Outlands.
===Lions of the Outlands===
Zira and her family took over the watering hole, belonging to Jasiri's clan and refused to share it. Simba's son, Kion, enters the Outlands, accompanied by Jasiri and is brought to Zira by Nuka and Kovu. She introduces herself and to her daughter Vitani, to Kion, and asks what brings him to the Outlands. Jasiri pipes up, informing her of their friendship. Zira is surprised that she is friends with royalty and Jasiri explains that not only that, he is also the Leader of the Lion Guard. Surprised, Zira points out that the Guard isn't there, but Kion states that there is and confidently asks why she and her family are in the Outlands and why they have taken over Jasiri's watering hole.
Zira slinks away and ignores his questions, instead, asking why he just doesn't use the Roar of the Elders to get her the water, which confuses Jasiri, Kion, Nuka, Kovu, and Vitani. Zira then explains that as the Leader of the Lion Guard, Kion possesses the Roar of the Elders and Kion is surprised that she knows about it.
Zira then shows Kion a cloud in the distance and tells him to roar at it. Still confused at what it could do, Kion does so, and the Roar briefly transforms the cloud into a raincloud, dampening the land and releasing a short burst of rain.
Gobsmacked, Kion asks how she knew about the Roar's powers, but Zira does not feel comfortable discussing it around a hyena.
She asks to speak with Kion alone, lion to lion. Hesitantly, Kion agrees. Taking Kion aside, Zira reinstates her pleasure at meeting Kion and tells him that lions are the best rulers.
At next Zira tries to convince him to join her, singing Lions Over All, together with Kion. Afterward, she leads Kion to her family's home, a cave, where Kion demands to know more about the Roar, now that he and Zira are alone. But Zira first wishes to know who's side he is on lions or hyenas. Kion asserts that he is on the side of the Circle of Life and anyone who respects it.
Suddenly several lionesses, the so-called Outsiders, Zira's own Pride, surround Kion, revealing that it was a trap all along, set by Zira. She then left him the choice: being with them or against them and says that, if it's his choice to be against them, then he will never leave the Outlands. Zira is prepared to kill Kion, the son of Simba, to get revenge on him for killing a lion, that was very close to her, Scar.
When he threatens to use the Roar of the Elders against her and her lionesses, she tells him how she once knew someone else with the Roar and how he lost it, when he used it against his fellow lions. Kion knows that she's talking about Scar and Zira reveals that Scar and she were close. He was the one, who taught her all about the Roar. She also says that if it wasn't for Simba, Scar would still be King. Kion offends her by declaring that Scar was never the true King and Zira becomes enraged, ordering her lionesses to attack. She wards them off almost immediately after, giving Kion one more chance to join her. She then leaves to get her cubs, leaving Kion surrounded by her lionesses.
Zira tricks Jasiri into thinking that Kion has sided with the Outsiders and orders her to leave, and she does so grudgingly. Zira then returns to Kion with Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani.
Upon arriving Kovu questions Zira why Kion and them can't be friends. She responds that this isn't her choice, but Kion's. In turn, Nuka questions Zira about if it is possible that Kion uses his Roar against them, fearing it. She responds the same thing that she has said before to Kion. She also reveals that without his Roar Kion is harmless and Simba's Pride Lands are an open target. Zira then turns to Kion, giving him his last chance.
However, Kion is rescued by the Lion Guard and Jasiri. Seeing that Kion is the only lion in the Guard, Zira claims that he is "pathetic" and orders to her lionesses to get ready to fight the outnumbered Guard.
When Bunga urges Kion to use the Roar of the Elders against them, Kion is reminded of what Zira had told him: Scar lost the Roar, because he used it against lions, which Zira and the Outsiders are.
But Bunga reminds Kion the real reason Scar lost the Roar: he lost it because he used it for evil. Zira refuses to believe it and tries to urge Kion to listen to her since she knows the Roar's powers better. Kion then asserts his stance, telling her that she and her family are not welcome in the Pride Lands or the Outlands. Zira is horrified and attempts one last time to remind him fearfully that they're lions, but Kion ignores her and uses the Roar of the Elders against them, sweeping Zira, her children, and the rest of the Outsiders away. (except Kovu, who soon runs after his family) They land near a termite mound. When Nuka wonders aloud where they are, Zira angrily responds Our new home.
===Cave of Secrets===
Zira, Scar and her family make a brief appearance as cave paintings during the song Wisdom on the Walls.
===Journey to the Pride Lands===
Zira is mentioned, and is noted to have planned an invasion of the Pride Lands during the Lion Guard's absence, prompting them to return home.
===Return to the Pride Lands===
When the Lion Guard comes back from the Tree of Life, they learn through Kovu that Zira has completed her journey through the Circle of Life.
After being taken back to Pride Rock, they discover that Zira raised Kovu to believe that Simba was their enemy with the intention of using him to start an attack. The plan backfired when Kovu got to know Simba and Kiara. When Zira and her lionesses initiated a battle against Simba's Pride, Kiara and Kovu put a halt to the battle with the words "we are one". When everyone, including her daughter, Vitani, rejoined Simba's pride, Zira was unwilling to let go of her hate, and it destroyed her.
==Family==
*Nuka: Elder Son †
*Vitani: Daughter
*Kovu: Younger Son
*Kiara: Daughter-in-Law
==Songs==
*Lions Over All
==Trivia==
*In the original press release for Lions of the Outlands, Suzanne Pleshette, who was the original voice of Zira in The Lion King II, was listed as reprising her role as Zira, despite having passed away in 2008. This was changed a few days later, with no mention of who voices Zira until it was revealed, that she was now voiced by Nika Futterman.
*Unlike her The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride self, she is missing her dark stripe marking on her forehead, likely a slight overlooked detail.
*Due to Zira's death in The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, Futterman does not return for Return to the Pride Lands.
**This makes Zira the tenth and final deceased character in the series following Mufasa, Scar, Aminifu, Askari, Ushari, Sãhasí, Ãnanda, Janna, and Nuka.
*Zira's position has been look like a messy cheeks 
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Lions
Category:Outlanders
Category:Parents
Category:Villains
Category:Leaders
Category:Outsiders
Category:Mammals
Category:Felines
Category:Adults
Category:Deceased Characters