Nala

* Adult
* Young Adult
* Cub

*"I left to find help! And I found you. Don't you understand? You're our only hope." ―Nala begs Simba to come home*

**Nala** is a female lion. She currently serves as the queen consort of Pride Rock through her marriage to Simba. She is the daughter of Sarafina and Tanzu, the sister of Leo and Mheetu, and the mate of Simba, with whom she has five sons named Mkuu, Chaka, Tanabi, Kopa and Kion, and two daughters named Shani and Kiara.

## History

### Early life

Nala was born to an Tanzu and Sarafina, who already had a son named Leo. She lived in the Pride Lands as a member of Mufasa's pride. As per the law of the Pride Lands monarchy, she was betrothed to Simba, the prince heir of Pride Rock. At some point, her younger brother Mheetu was born.

### Cubhood

#### Visit to the Elephant Graveyard

*Pinned ya!*
―Nala teases Simba

One day, Sarafina was bathing Nala when Simba approached. In an undertone, he told Nala that he had just heard about a great place that they could explore. Nala pointed out in annoyance that she was in the middle of a bath, and Sarabi took advantage of Nala's words to give Simba a bath of his own.

Once Simba had been bathed, Nala remarked that his place of interest had better not be "dumb," and Simba assured her that it was "really cool." In the face of Sarabi's suspicions, Simba explained that the place was around the water hole. Nala started to protest, but Simba whispered to her that he would show her when they got there. Nala asked her mother for permission to play with Simba, and Sarabi allowed the cubs to go, as long as they brought along Zazu.

As the cubs and Zazu headed toward the water hole, Nala asked Simba what their true destination was, and Simba told her that they were going to an Elephant Graveyard. Nala responded with excitement, but Simba shushed her and reminded her that Zazu was flying just above them. Nala asked how they could get rid of him, and the two cubs began to whisper a plan to each other, something Zazu mistook as romantic.

The cubs were confused when Zazu mentioned that they were "betrothed," "affianced," and "intended." Nala asked for clarification, and Zazu informed them that they would marry each other someday. Both cubs recoiled in disgust. Nala commented that them being married would be "weird," and Simba vowed to change the law when he became king. Zazu protested, but Nala pointed out that since Simba was the future king, Zazu must do what he said. Zazu pointed out that Simba was not the king yet and added that the cub was shaping up to be a "pretty pathetic" king.

In order to distract Zazu, the cubs trapped him beneath the underside of a rhinoceros and bounded away. Nala happily remarked on how they had lost Zazu, but Simba tried to take the credit. Irritated, she pointed out that the plan had been her idea. However, he continued to take the credit, so she pinned him and teased him for his loss. He pushed her off, only to tackle her again. The cubs rolled down a steep embankment, and Nala pinned Simba again.

A geyser interrupted the two, and the cubs realised that they had arrived at the Elephant Graveyard. The cubs walked deeper into the Elephant Graveyard and marveled at the landscape. Nala noted that they could get into big trouble and wondered if a nearby dead elephant's brain was still inside its skull. Simba began to investigate, but Zazu arrived and demanded that the cubs return to the Pride Lands, for they were in danger. Before Simba and Nala could heed Zazu's advice, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed exited the nearby skull and accused the trio of trespassing.

Zazu tried to herd Simba and Nala out of the Elephant Graveyard, but the hyenas cornered them and made it apparent that they wanted to eat the cubs. While the hyenas were distracted, Simba, Nala, and Zazu fled. Zazu was snatched from the air, and the cubs went back to find him. However, when they challenged the hyenas, they ended up running for their lives again.

With the hyenas in hot pursuit, Simba and Nala scaled a pile of bones, but Nala slid down the pile toward Shenzi. Before the hyena could do her any harm, Simba slashed Shenzi across the face, which allowed Nala to get away. The two cubs attempted to climb an elephant skeleton, but their jumping weakened the slim strip of flesh they were standing on, and they fell through the dead animal's ribcage.

As the hyenas advanced on the cubs, Nala hid behind Simba, who tried to scare the hyenas off with his kittenish roar. Mufasa suddenly came to the rescue, drowning out Simba's roar with a more powerful one of his own. He then beat, pinned, and scared off the hyenas. Once the hyenas were gone, he turned his fury on Simba for having disobeyed him. As the group departed, Nala quietly told Simba that she thought he had been very brave. The cubs left the Elephant Graveyard and walked through the Pride Lands in silence. Eventually, Mufasa paused and commanded Zazu to take Nala home. With a final pitying glance at Simba, Nala left with Zazu.

#### Scar's coronation

One night, when Scar broke the news to the pride about Mufasa and Simba's deaths in the gorge, Nala mourned. She nuzzled against her mother's leg and shed a single tear. She then looked on in shock and fear as the hyenas closed in on Pride Rock

### Rebellion Against Scar

During Scar's Reign, Scar had a second-born son, whom was named Nunka. Nunka was close with Nala since he was a cub as she often spent her time Cubsitting him and looking after him. When Nunka was an adolescent, Nala and him planned to overthrow Scar. Although the Rebellion was close to succeeding, the end was unsuccessful and Nunka was banished from the Pride Lands.

### Young adulthood

#### Reunion with Simba

*It's like you're back from the dead. You don't know how much this will mean to everyone. What it means to me.*
―Nala to Simba, after they reunite as adults

Many seasons later, a full-grown Nala journeyed to the jungle for help, as Scar and his hyena minions had turned the Pride Lands into a wasteland. She relentlessly chased Pumbaa when he strayed too far from his friend, Timon. She expertly kept up with the warthog as he tried to throw her off by turning and twisting. Just as she was about to kill both him and Timon, Simba charged toward and attacked her. The two fought until Simba tackled her, and she used her signature move against him, pinning him to the ground. This made Simba recognize her. He spoke her name, and she let him up, staring at him in confusion. She inquired after his identity, and he told her that he was Simba.

Once Nala recognised her old friend, the two greeted each other excitedly and asked one another what they were doing in the jungle. Eventually, a confused Timon broke up the conversation and demanded to know what was going on. Simba introduced Nala to his two friends, and Nala was pleased to meet them.

After the introductions, Nala mused about what would happen when everyone found out that Simba had been in the jungle all this time. She unknowingly recited Scar's words exactly when she asked Simba what Sarabi would think of him. When Simba told her that no one had to know, she told him that everyone thought he was dead, as Scar had told the pride about the stampede. Simba asked her for more information, but she insisted that it did not matter since he was alive and the rightful king of the Pride Lands.

Timon scoffed at Nala's words and told her that she had her "lions crossed." Pumbaa began worshipping Simba, but the young lion told him to stop. Timon corrected Pumbaa's word choice and laughingly said that Simba was not the king. He then curiously asked Simba if he was. Simba abruptly replied that he was not, and Nala objected. However, he reiterated his argument. When Timon continued to press Simba, Nala politely asked him and Pumbaa to excuse them for a few moments.

Once they were gone, Nala sadly told Simba how much his return would mean to everyone, especially her. Simba reassured her that it was okay, and Nala nuzzled him, telling him that she had really missed him. The two continued to nuzzle each other, to Timon and Pumbaa's chagrin. That evening, they spent time together and fell in love.

Simba gave Nala a tour of the jungle and asked if she thought it was a great place. Nala commented that it was beautiful, then asked why he had not returned home if he had been alive this whole time. He claimed that he wanted to "get out on his own" and "live his own life," but she informed him that the pride needed him at home. When he denied this, Nala again iterated that he was the king. Simba denied her assertions and claimed that Scar was the true king. Nala then informed Simba of the chaos that had been brewing in the Pride Lands under Scar's reign and told him that if he did not return, everyone would starve.

Once more, Simba refused to return to the Pride Lands. He then pointed out that Nala had left as well, but she countered that she had only left to find help and that Simba was their only hope. When Simba again denied her and sarcastically apologized to her, Nala responded that he was not the Simba she remembered and that she was disappointed in him. Simba commented that she sounded like his father, and Nala quipped that at least one of them sounded like Mufasa. This response infuriated Simba, who accused Nala of trying to uproot his life. Nala tried again to get Simba to tell her what he had been through, but he refused.

After Simba decided to return to the Pride Lands, Nala searched for him. She sought out Timon and Pumbaa in the hopes that they knew where Simba had gone. Rafiki told the three from atop a tree that "the king has returned." Upon hearing this, Nala was awed and delighted that Simba had gone back. After explaining the situation to Timon and Pumbaa, she ran off to assist Simba.

### Battle for Pride Rock

**Scar**: *You see them? They think* I'm *king.*

**Nala**: *Well, we don't. Simba's the rightful king.*

—Nala and Scar, after Simba asserts his birthright

Upon arriving in the Pride Lands, Nala caught up to Simba and commented on how awful the kingdom had become. Simba admitted that he had not wanted to believe her, and she asked why he had come back. Simba replied that he had finally gotten "some sense knocked into" him, and Nala vowed to help him fight for the Pride Lands. Simba reminded her that it would be dangerous, but she replied that she laughed in the face of danger, an echo of what Simba had once said as a cub.

Just then, Timon and Pumbaa arrived and pledged their services to Simba. Together, Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, and Nala snuck into the Pride Lands and hid behind a large rock to observe several hyenas who were loitering in-between them and Pride Rock. With Timon and Pumbaa's help, Simba and Nala managed to slip past the hyenas. Before splitting off from each other, Simba instructed Nala to find Sarabi and rally the lionesses while he looked for Scar.

After gathering the pride, Nala led the lionesses to Pride Rock and arrived just as Simba was confronting Scar. Upon hearing Scar proclaim that the hyenas saw him as the rightful king, Nala objected that the lionesses did not. Scar brought up Mufasa's death, and Nala confusedly asked what he was talking about. With some pressure from Scar, Simba confessed that he was to blame for Mufasa's death, to the pride's shock and horror. Scar proceeded to shame Simba and backed him toward the promontory of Pride Rock, to the point that the younger lion fell and barely caught on to the ledge. Eventually, Simba regained his footing and forced Scar to confess that he had murdered Mufasa. At Scar's confession, the lionesses lunged into battle against the hyenas, and a fight broke out. After an extended battle, Simba and his allies managed to defeat Scar and his hyena army.

### Simba's coronation

After the battle, rain began to fall on the Pride Lands and extinguish the fires at Pride Rock. As the rain continued to fall, Simba descended Pride Rock and embraced both Nala and Sarabi. He then began to ascend Pride Rock, with the lionesses looking on joyfully. Upon reaching the promontory, Simba roared over his kingdom, and the lionesses roared in reply.

Seasons later, when the Pride Lands had been restored to its former glory, Simba, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa stood on the promontory of Pride Rock and looked down on the animals who had assembled below. Rafiki soon approached, cradling Simba and Nala's newborn cub, Mkuu, in his arms. The couple watched happily as Rafiki lifted the cub into the air for all the animals to see.

## Physical appearance

As a cub, Nala was moderately sized and slender. She had a cream-coloured pelt, with pale eye rims, a pale muzzle, and a pale underbelly. Her inner ears were a slightly darker cream, and she had thin brown eyebrows. Like most Pride Landers, she had a rounded pink nose and colourless paws. Her eyes were teal.

As an adult, Nala became larger, broader about the shoulders, and more muscular. Additionally, her fur colour dulled, her eyebrows became thicker, and her nose changed from pink to brown. She proved to be an adept hunter and fighter, as she kept pace with large prey like Pumbaa and managed to pin a full-grown Simba on his back.

## Personality and traits

**Simba**: *You know, you're starting to sound like my father.*

**Nala**: *Good. At least* one *of us does.*

—Simba and Nala argue

As a cub, Nala was adventurous, curious, and fun-loving. She enjoyed spending time with her best friend, Simba, even if it meant disobeying their parents and straying into forbidden territory. Strong-willed and spunky, she had a biting sense of humor and liked to tease both Simba and their frequent babysitter, Zazu. Despite their squabbles, Nala was fiercely loyal to Simba and admired him for his bravery, particularly when he tried to defend her from the hyenas at the Elephant Graveyard.

As an adult, Nala became more mature and responsible. Unlike Simba, who had spent many seasons ignoring his duty to the Pride Lands, she was exhaustive in her search for relief from Scar's reign and passionately appealed to Simba to return home and save their pride. In arguments, she could be forceful and sharp-tongued, such as when she unfavourably compared Simba to his deceased father, Mufasa. Even so, she was grateful to him when he returned to the Pride Lands and was eager to fight at his side in the battle against Scar.

Nala continued to demonstrate maturity and wisdom as she aged. She was one of the few Pride Landers to accept Kovu when he reformed, and she sympathised with Kiara's appeal to reunite the feuding prides. In the face of Simba's doubts about Kovu, Nala encouraged him to give the Outsider a chance and to be grateful to him for having saved Kiara's life. Even when in disagreement with Simba, Nala was always gentle and did not push him too hard, nor did she protest when he made decisions she disapproved of, such as Kovu's exile from the Pride Lands.

Nala's parenting style often contrasted with Simba's. While Simba was overprotective of and strict with Kiara, Nala believed that their daughter should have freedom and trusted her to take care of herself. Similarly, Simba was loath to accept Kion's position as the leader of the Lion Guard, while Nala accepted it immediately and encouraged Simba to give their son a chance. She was loving toward all her cubs and often motivated them to work together.

## Quotes

*"The water hole?! What's so great about the water hole?"*

"*Right. So, how are we gonna ditch the dodo?"*

"*Well, he's the future king."*

"*Pinned ya!"*

"*I thought you were very brave."*

"*Well, of course they do. Everyone thinks you're dead."*

"*What else matters? You're alive. And that means...you're the king."*

"*It's like you're back from the dead. You don't know how much this will mean to everyone. What it means to me."*

"*It is beautiful. But I don't understand something. You've been alive all this time. Why didn't you come back to Pride Rock?"*

"*Everything's destroyed. There's no food, no water. Simba, if you don't do something soon, everyone will starve."*

"*I left to find help! And I found you. Don't you understand? You're our only hope."*

"*What's happened to you? You're not the Simba I remember."*

"*No! Simba's gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as king."*

"*Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Ha, ha, ha, ha!"*

"*Well, we don't. Simba's the rightful king."*

"*Mind your father, Kiara."*

"*You mean the dangers you put us in."*

"*Simba, you owe him your daughter's life."*

"*I can see them down there just as easily as you can. Get to know him and see."*

## Trivia

* Nala was voiced by the following:
	+ In *The Lion King*, she was voiced by Niketa Calame as a cub and Moira Kelly as an adult. Laura Williams provided her cub singing voice, while Sally Dworsky provided her adult singing voice.
	+ In *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, she was voiced by Moira Kelly.
	+ In *The Lion King 1½*, she was voiced by Moira Kelly.
	+ In *The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar*, she was voiced by Gabrielle Union.
	+ In *The Lion Guard*, she was voiced by Gabrielle Union.
	+ In *Disney's Active Play: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, she was voiced by Moira Kelly.
	+ In *Disney's Activity Center: The Lion King*, she was voiced by Niketa Calame.
	+ In *Kingdom Hearts II*, she was voiced by Vanessa Marshall.
	+ In *Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King*, she was voiced by Niketa Calame as a cub and Moira Kelly as an adult.

* Nala was animated by the following:
	+ In *The Lion King*, she was animated by Aaron Blaise as a cub and Anthony DeRosa as an adult.
	+ In *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, she was animated by Ian Harrowell.
		- Harrowell also animated Nuka and Simba in *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*.

* The role of Nala in the stage musical version of *The Lion King* was originated by Kajuana Shuford (cub) and Heather Headley (adult).

* Nala's name means "gift" in Swahili.

* In *The Lion King*, Nala's eyes switch between blue and green. However, in *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, *The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar*, and *The Lion Guard*, they are consistently blue.

* Nala is the only major character from *The Lion King* to not make an appearance in *The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa*.

* In the stage musical version of *The Lion King*, Nala has an additional song titled "Shadowland". She also has extra lyrics in "I Just Can't Wait to Be King".

* During a Tenth Anniversary Reunion discussion panel, directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers were asked who Nala's father was. Minkoff joked that Allers was the father. The two directors then stated that Mufasa or Scar could be Nala's father. However, the *Lion Guard* episode "Paintings and Predictions" revealed that Nala's father was a different lion, not Mufasa or Scar.

* According to the stage musical producer, Thomas Schumacher, Nala is ten years old when she finds Simba in the jungle.

### In development

* Nala's original names were Nanda and Nadra.

* In the January 1990 and May 1990 drafts of *The Lion King*, Nala's mother Naanda was the sister of Sarabi. Thus, Simba and Nala were cousins, and their relationship was incestuous.

* In the 1992 draft of *The Lion King*, Scar asked Nala to be his queen, but she refused. Consequently, Scar banished her from the Pride Lands. This scene was eventually added to the stage musical version of *The Lion King*.
* the 1992 draft of *The Lion King*, Nala briefly decided to remain in the jungle with Simba.
* During early production of *The Lion King*, Nala had a younger brother named Mheetu.
* Matthew Broderick was cast as adult Simba during early production of *The Lion King*. He recorded his dialogue separately with another actress who was playing Nala, only to discover at the premiere that Moira Kelly had voiced Nala for the final film. Kelly herself acknowledged that she was not Disney's first choice to voice Nala.
* In an early draft of *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, Nala had a son named Chaka