Kovu

* Young Adult (Lion Guard)
* Young Adult (Lion King)
* Painting Teenager
* Cub (Lion Guard)
* Cub (Lion King)

## Biological Infomation

### Voice

Ryan O'Donohue (cub)Jason Marsden (young adult in the film/cub in The Lion Guard)

Gene Miller (young adult singing voice)

Jimmy Stephenson

### Home

Outlands (formerly)Pride Rock, Pride Lands

### Nicknames

The chosen one (by Zira and Nuka)Little termite (by Nuka)

Fuzzy maraca (by Timon, as a cub)

Little lad (by Zira)

Riffraff (by Zazu)

Scar's heir (by Simba)

Kid (by Timon, as an adolescent)

Green eyes (by Jasiri)

## Character Information

### Relatives

Simba (father-in-law)Kion (brother-in-law)

Nala (mother-in-law)

Rani (sister-in-law)

### Affiliations

Simba's PridePride Landers

Outsiders (formerly)

Outlanders (formerly)

King Of Pride Rock (After Simba and Queen being Kiara)

### Goal

To avenge Scar and take over the Pride Lands (formerly)To reunite the two prides (succeeded)

### Occupation

Scar's chosen heir (formerly)Heir and Prince Consort of the Pride Lands

## Media Information

### Final Appearance

Return to the Pride Lands

**Kovu** is the son of Zira, the younger brother of Nuka and Vitani, the adopted son of Scar, the deuteragonist of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and a guest character in its midquel series The Lion Guard. He is also the half-brother of Nuka and Vitani.

## Appearance

Kovu is noted by many to bear a strong resemblance to Scar.

His fur is auburn, and his muzzle, paws and underbelly are all creamy brown in color. He sports a dark brown head tuft and also sports tufts of fur on his elbow joints that match the color of his head tuft and tail tip. His dark eye shades mirror those of his siblings, but his emerald green eyes match no member of his family's.

As an adolescent, Kovu's mane is colored a very rich dark brown and matches the dark shades of his elbow tufts and tail tip. He later gets a scar across his left eye that is inflicted by Zira.

## Personality

Kovu is aggressive and crude, even as a cub. Upon first meeting Kiara, his first reaction is to snarl a challenge, and the only game he appears to understand is play-fighting. His violent tendencies are reinforced by a knack for taking care of himself, as he is physically fit and an able hunter, two features that make way for his more arrogant and cocky side. Even as a cub, Kovu strives to please and takes no shame in showing off to the more innocent Kiara. However, when faced by his mother, Kovu is submissive and prone to showing his softer side, exposing a desire to befriend and treat kindly the new cub he has just met. After meeting Kiara again as an adolescent, Kovu begins to cave to his inner good, proving himself to enjoy laughter and good times.

## Appearances

### ***The Lion King II: Simba's Pride***

One day, Kovu escaped from his brother Nuka, who was supposed to be watching him. While wandering about, he met Kiara, Simba's daughter, who had wandered in the Outlands. The two cubs became friends after an incident with crocodiles, but they were quickly separated by their feuding parents. Back home, Zira angrily scolds Kovu for trying to befriend an enemy but then realizes she may be able to use the friendship to allow Kovu to get close to Simba and kill him. She then praises Kovu for his brilliance, stating that he has the "same conniving mind" that Scar had.

When Kovu has grown into an adolescent, Zira sends him to the Pride Lands to initiate her plan. As part of the plan, he rescues Kiara from a wildfire that has been set by Nuka and his sister Vitani. After rescuing Kiara, he asks Simba to allow him to join the Pride Landers. Though Simba rejects him initially, it is pointed out that by law he owes Kovu a debt for saving Kiara. As repayment, Kovu is allowed to return to the Pride Lands; however, Simba still doesn't trust him. Simba chooses to reserve his final judgment until he can learn about Kovu's character and forces Kovu to sleep outside the den away from the pride. Kovu appears briefly in Simba's nightmare, where Scar turns into him and throws Simba off a cliff into the stampede (similar to how Scar killed Mufasa in the first movie).

During his time at Pride Rock, it becomes apparent that Kovu has never had any real fun before. When Kiara chooses to chase birds alongside Timon and Pumbaafor the fun of it, Kovu believes it to be training. Kiara teaches him to loosen up and enjoy himself. Over time, he grows fond of Kiara and begins to fall in love with her, a feeling which is encouraged by a meeting with Rafiki, and begins to question his role in Zira's plot. Later, Simba finally warms up to Kovu and thanks him for saving his daughter's life the other day, and invites him in the den with the pride. The next morning, Kovu resolves to reveal Zira's plot to Kiara and that he doesn't want to be a part of it anymore because he loves her, but is prevented from doing so when Simba takes him alone to talk. After hearing Simba's retelling of Scar's story, he realizes how just how wrong his mother has been in her opinion of Scar. However, the two are ambushed by Zira and the Outsiders, who had been spying on Kovu and realized he was having second thoughts. Zira frames Kovu, claiming that the ambush was part of the plan. Kovu denies it, but Simba believes it anyway and quickly distrusts him. Kovu attempts to defend Simba but is knocked unconscious by Vitani.

After Simba manages to escape the Outsiders, Kovu rushes back to the Outsiders to see about Nuka, who had been trapped under falling logs while trying to attack Simba. Nuka dies as a result of his wounds, and Zira angrily blames Kovu for Nuka's death, scarring him across one eye, reminiscent of Scar's appearance. In response, Kovu stands up to his mother for the first time, rejects Scar, and runs off. Back at Pride Rock, Simba believes that Kovu was behind the ambush, and exiles the rogue lion from the Pride Lands, ignoring Kiara's protests. As Kovu flees, he was being watched by Rafiki from a distance who sighs very sadly while realizing that Simba has completely defied his father's goals and broken the Circle of Life. However, Kovu later reunites with Kiara, who had run away from Pride Rock to find him. The two briefly discuss running away to form their own pride, but Kiara convinces Kovu that they need to return to try and unite their prides.

Kovu and Kiara return to find the Pride Landers and the Outsiders engaged in a bitter war, with Simba and Zira preparing to fight one on one. Kovu and Kiara manage to separate them, and Kovu publicly announces his intention to not let Zira harm either Kiara or Simba. As a result of his and Kiara's words and actions, Vitani leaves Zira's side, with the other Outsiders following her after Zira threatens to kill Vitani. When Zira attempts to attack Simba, Kovu looks on as Kiara fights her in an attempt to save her father. He sighs sadly as he sees his mother fall to her death. Simba apologizes to Kovu for his mistake and allows him to return to the Pride Lands, where he is united in marriage with Kiara by Rafiki.

### **Lions of the Outlands**

A while later, Kovu came across Nuka, who was pinned down by Kion, Kiara's younger brother, who had come to the Outlands to solve the problem of lions not sharing a waterhole with his hyena friend Jasiri's Clan. The two brothers, along with Kion and Jasiri circle each other with Kion questioning the two on why they are in the Outlands and not the Pride Lands, to which Nuka says they are not welcome there. After learning that Kion is Simba's son, Kovu wondered if the King would let his family back into the Pride Lands, with the possibility that he could see Kiara again. Kion is surprised to hear that Kovu knows his sister, to which Kovu says was a while ago, before telling Nuka that they should take Kion and Jasiri to see Zira. He agrees with a sinister tone to his voice, and he and Kovu lead Kion back to their mother, Zira.

Kovu excitedly informs his mother their visitor is Simba's son Kion, and waits to see what his mother has to say on the matter. When the conversation turns to Kion's ability as leader of the Lion Guard, Kovu's curiosity is piqued when Zira starts to reveal her knowledge on the Roar of the Elders. He is shocked when Kion is able to conjure water from using his Roar on a nearby cloud. Eventually, his mother drags Kion away from everyone to speak with him in private, leaving him alone with his sister Vitani, Nuka and Jasiri with an order to play nice.

Later, Nuka becomes antsy over his mother's absence, and attempts to strike Jasiri. Kovu leaps between them, urging him not to start anything as per their mother's words. Jasiri laughs at him, assuring him that she can play any game Nuka wants to much better than he can. Just as Nuka pounces, Zira returns, much to Kovu's delight. Kovu then watches his mother force Jasiri out, claiming that Kion has sided with the lions. Zira then leads her children back to Kion.

Kovu becomes confused when he sees that Kion has been cornered, and asks his mother why they can't be friends. His mother tells him that Kion made the choice to side with the hyenas, and that it is his fault. When Nuka voices his concern over the Roar, Zira explains that Kion cannot use it against them since using it on lions was how Scar lost it all those years ago. Zira then offers Kion one final chance to side with her, but Kion notices Ono flying overhead and calls the Lion Guard together. Kovu becomes fearful, and immediately withdraws from the fight.

When the Outsiders gather together again, Zira tells them to stand tall. Kovu is noticeably upset about the situation, and lowers his head. Kion is then reminded by Bunga that Scar lost the Roar by using it for evil and not for using it against lions, and, despite Zira's pleas to listen to her, Kion unleashes the Roar on them. Kovu quickly dives away and shields himself, missing the impact entirely. When the Outsiders vanish over the canyon, Kovu looks towards Kion who glowers at him. When he moves a step towards him Kovu runs after his family, calling for his mother to wait for him.

### **Cave of Secrets**

Kovu and his family make a brief appearance as cave paintings in the song The Wisdom on the Walls.

## **Family**

* **Zira** † (mother)
* **Nuka** † (older brother)
* **Vitani** (older sister)
* **Kiara** (mate)
* **Simba** (father-in-law)
* **Nala** (mother-in-law)
* **Mufasa** † (grandfather-in-law)
* **Sarabi** (grandmother-in-law)
* **Sarafina** (grandmother-in-law)
* **Kion** (brother-in-law)
* **Nala's Father** † (grandfather-in-law)
* **Ahadi** † (great-grandfather-in-law)
* **Uru** † (great-grandmother-in-law)
* **Mohatu** † (great-great-grandfather-in-law)

* **Rani**: Sister-in-Law
* **Baliyo**: Brother-in-Law
* **Surak**: Uncle-in-Law

## **Friends**

* **Kiara** (Love Interest)
* **Simba**
* **Nala**
* **Timon**
* **Pumbaa**
* **Zazu**
* **Rafiki**
* **Outsiders**
* **Pridelanders**
* **Kion** (briefly to soon-to-be currently)
* **Jasiri** (sort of)
* **Bunga** ( soon-to-be currently)
* **Fuli** (soon-to-be currently)
* **Beshte** (soon-to-be currently)
* **Ono** (soon-to-be currently)
* **Madoa**
* **Wema**
* **Tunu**
* **Janja**
* **Cheezi**
* **Chungu**
* **Mzingo**
* **Mwoga**
* **Azaad**
* **Anga**
* **Shabaha**
* **Kasi**
* **Imara**
* **Tazama**
* **Tiifu**
* **Zuri**
* **Askari**
* Pride Landers

## **Enemies**

* **Nuka**
* **Simba** (formerly)
* **Nala** (formerly)
* **Timon** (formerly)
* **Pumbaa** (formerly)
* **Kion** (soon-to-be formerly)
* **Jasiri** (soon-to-be formerly)
* **Outsiders** (briefly)
* **Vitani** (briefly)
* **Zira**

## Trivia

* In the original script for *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*, Kovu was originally called Nunka and was going to be both Zira and Scar's son and be voiced by Andy Dick and would have had orangey-brown fur, a black mane and green eyes like Scar. However this would have made him Simba's cousin and therefore Kiara's second cousin, thus having a relationship with Kiara would count as incest. So Kovu instead became Scar's adoptive son and Andy Dick went on to voice Kovu's brother Nuka. The only thing Kovu has left from his original design is his green eyes.
* In the documentary *Proud of Simba's Pride*, Kovu is described as a "teenage killer". Which would mean that his adolescent self is meant to be the equivalent of someone in their late teens (approx 17–19 years old).
* In the brief scene where Kovu mourns for Zira's death, his scar is not shown on his left eye. This is because the filmmakers flipped the animation in which Kovu sighs before planning to tell Kiara about Zira's plan.
* Kovu guest starred in *The Lion Guard* alongside his siblings, Nuka and Vitani.

* Kovu's mane was originally going to be slicker and black, and his eyes were going to be bright green to match his intended father, Scar. These were later changed, along with his relation to Scar.

* He was originally scripted as Scar's son, but after realizing the incest this would have created in his romance with Kiara (as that would make him Simba's cousin and therefore Kiara's first cousin once removed), it was scrapped and clarified that he had no relation to Scar.

* There is a deleted scene where Kovu first catches a bug, then allows it to fly away. Zira then kills the bug herself, angry at her son's mercy. This suggests that during his childhood Kovu was partly trained by killing animals weaker than himself, so as to get him used to killing when he gets older. *Simba's Pride* director Darrell Rooney would later clarify this scene was deleted for pacing reasons and to keep focus on the main storyline.

* According to *Variety*, Kovu, then named Nunka, was going to be voiced by Andy Dick, who ended up voicing Nuka.[7]

* Director Darrell Rooney later made a statement on Facebook about Kovu, describing him as an orphan, in which case, Zira would only be his adopted mother.