Zira (The Lion King)

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Zira
First appearance	The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Created by	Flip Kobler
Voiced by	Suzanne Pleshette

Zira is a fictional lioness character in the 1998 Disney direct-to-video movie The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, the sequel to 1994's The Lion King. She was voiced by Suzanne Pleshette. Zira means "hate" in Swahili.

Due to supporting Scar, Zira and her group of lionesses were exiled. This seems to be a plothole, as in the first film, all of the lionesses fight for Simba and only the hyenas side with Scar. Zira, Kovu, her other two cubs, and the lionesses who will make up Zira's future pride are also absent from the first film.

[edit] The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Zira bore three cubs, first Nuka, then Vitani and then Kovu. According to Zira, Scar, who is strongly hinted to be Nuka and Vitani's father, hand-chose Kovu to take his place as king of the Pride Lands. Zira, her three children, and some other lionesses who supported Scar's cause were banished to a desert-like area filled with termite mounds known as the Outlands. Zira mentions that Kovu was the last born before they were exiled, but his father's identity is unknown. There is a scene where Nuka mentions that Scar was not Kovu's father, to reinforce the fact and avoid the incestual dilemma that may otherwise arise out of confusion.

Kovu becomes affectionate with Simba's daughter Kiara after the two cubs escape from crocodiles on the Outland borders. Simba jumps out at Kovu and roars, Zira then jumps out and goes "Ra" in a lesser tone. Zira plots to train Kovu so he can easily kill Simba at the right moment (the My Lullaby song scene). Kovu was to save Kiara from a fire (of Nuka and Vitani's own making) so he could get closer to her and in turn, Simba. Then, when Simba was alone, Kovu would kill him.

The plan starts well, but Kiara and Kovu fall in love. Zira is angered by this, so she sets up an ambush for Simba, making Simba believe Kovu had lured him there. Simba is knocked into a gorge in the ensuing fight. He is wounded, but escapes via a log dam piled up against one end of the gorge, in the process dislodging a few logs. The logs fall and crush Nuka, kiling him. Zira frantically digs through the logs to find her son, and manages to cradle his head gently before he dies. Zira pauses to mourn her son's demise, but the moment she sees Kovu, she blames Nuka's death on him. In an angry outburst she slashes him across the face, resulting in a facial wound identical to Scar's. She also verbally assaults Kovu, but the young lion quickly realizes his innocence and defies his mother for the first time. Zira now declares war on Simba as Kovu flees to the Pride Lands.

Zira rallies her lionesses and they travel to the Pride Lands as well for the final battle. It rages on through the wind and rain, a heavy storm having rolled in the moment she arrived. At the end, Simba and Zira are about to fight each other when Kiara and Kovu intervene and stop the battle before it can begin, convincing the Outlanders and the Pridelanders that "they are one." Vitani is the first to realise this and joins Kiara. Zira is still loyal to Scar, however, and claims that if Vitani doesn't return to her side then "[Vitani] will die as well," disgusting the other lionesses. All of Zira's pride, except for Zira herself, move over to Simba's pride.

Enraged, Zira charges at Simba, stating that "this is for you, Scar." Before she can reach Simba Kiara intervenes, causing Zira to knock Kiara and herself off the edge of a nearby cliff, sending them both tumbling into the gorge. Kiara lands safely on a ledge, but Zira slides off the edge and hangs percariously onto it, the swollen river raging beneath her. Kiara makes an attempt to rescue Zira, but Zira swipes at her, rejecting help. Zira, having rejected aid, slips and falls into the river below, dies, and is never seen again, save for a frame in which her paw is seen briefly above the surface of the water before being knocked down by a log.

[edit] Changes and Errors

• In a deleted scene, Zira proclaims that she would have been Scar's queen had he not died.
• In an original cut of the film, Zira in effect committed suicide: Kiara offers Zira aid, but Zira growls "No. Never." and lets go of the cliff. This was considered too dark for a Disney film and cut.
• When Kovu's training is being reviewed, the notch in Zira's ear switches from ear to ear.

The Lion King
Films	The Lion King | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | The Lion King 1½
Characters	Ahadi | Kiara | Kopa | Kovu | Ma | Mohatu | Mufasa | Nala | Nuka | Rafiki | Sarabi | Sarafina | Scar | Shenzi, Banzai and Ed | Simba | Timon and Pumbaa | Tojo | Uncle Max | Uru | Vitani | Zazu | Zira
Songs	"Circle of Life" | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | "Be Prepared" | "Hakuna Matata" | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
Books	The Brightest Star | Friends In Need | Six New Adventures
Games	The Lion King | Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games
Other media	Original motion picture soundtrack | Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable | Rhythm of the Pride Lands | The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa | Broadway musical | Festival of the Lion King | Festival of the Lion King soundtrack
Misc	Kings of the Pride Lands | The Lion King family | In popular culture
See also	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | Kingdom Hearts II | Kimba the White Lion controversy