Simba

* Adult Simba
* Young Simba

**Simba** is the protagonist of *The Lion King*, he is the son of Mufasa and is to succeed him as King of Pride Rock.

## History

#### Act One

The show begins with a ceremony happening in Pridelands where all animals reunites to meet Mufasa’s son and heir to the throne, Simba, who is presented to the crowd by Rafiki. Scar, Simba’s uncle, does not attend this ceremony, claiming to have forgotten it and calling the young cub a ‘furball’, and is shunned by Mufasa.

As Simba becomes older, his father decides it’s time for him to see everything he will reign over one day and so brings him to Pride Rock to tell him that “everything that the light touches” is apart of their kingdom. Incredulous, Simba asks him if the whole kingdom would actually be his and, following Mufasa’s confirmation, asks if that included a “shadowy place”, but was forbid to go there as it was beyond their borders. The cub then replies that, once he is King, he will do whatever he wants, but Mufasa tells him that being King doesn’t mean getting his way all the time. He then tells Simba about the Circle of Life and to always make sure it is respected. As Mufasa finishes his explanation, Zazu arrives and informs him that there are hyenas in Pridelands, Simba insists on following him but his father forbids him from doing so.

Simba goes on to see his uncle to brag about becoming King of Pride Rock one day. Scar then purposefully informs him that what lies in the shadows is actually and Elephant Graveyard and, while he tells Simba to never go there as it is way too dangerous, the young cub decides to go and tell his friend, Nala, about his new discovery. He meets up with her as she’s hunting with her mother and asks her to follow him to this new “great place”, the lionesses ask them what that “great place” is and Simba lies about where they’re truly going. His mother agrees to let them go as long as Zazu follows them, disappointed the cubs.

On their way to the graveyard, they devise a plan to get rid of Zazu so they’ll be able to cross the borders. Seeing them talk to each other, he informs them that they’re betrothed, causing them to react with disgust. Simba tells him that, when he becomes King, he’ll get rid of the arranged marriage tradition, Zazu responds that he would never let this happen and Simba cheekily replies that he’s fired. The two cubs then finally manage to distract him.

As Simba and Nala playfully fight together, a geyser erupts and informs them that they have finally made their way to the Elephant Graveyard. Zazu catches up to them and urges them to go home as they are in imminent danger. Simba says he laughs in the face of danger, which leads to three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, finding all three of them. As Nala is about to get eaten by them, the future King decides to roar to scare them away, which doesn’t work until his father comes and saves them. Mufasa yells at Simba for disobeying him, to which he answers that he only wanted to be brave like him.

On the way back to Pridelands, Mufasa tells Simba about the spirits of the older King that are constantly watching over them and living through them, and tells him that one day, he will be a spirit and guide him too.

Scar takes Simba to a gorge and tells him his father has a ‘marvelous surprise’ for him and that it’s ‘to die for’. Leaving the cub alone, he gives a sign to the hyenas so they startle a wildebeest horde. Simba finds himself trapped in the middle of a stampede. Scar informs Mufasa that his son is in peril and he goes to his rescue. While trying to climb out of the gorge, Mufasa gets pushed away and dies under Simba’s eyes.

Simba tries to wake his father up and calls for help, Scar finds him and tells him it’s his fault his father died and to ‘leave and never return’.

Alone in the desert heat, Simba is circled by vultures that Timon and Pumbaa chase away, they decide to keep the cub with them and teach him about ‘Hakuna Matata’.