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Zira
Zira
Meaning
Hate
Gender
Female
Species
Lion
Titles
Exiled
Voice Actors
Suzanne Pleshette

Zira is the true main antagonist of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. She is the mother of Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu, the mother-in-law of Kiara, and the leader of the Outsiders, along with the hyenas Banzai, and Ed.

Biography

Zira is ruthless, opportunistic, and a bit of a bully, trying to kill Simba while he is alone, but backing off as soon as his pride shows up. She is somewhat of a sociopath, threatening to kill Vitani, her own daughter! She is far too obsessed with Scar.

Persona

Zira is a dark cream color, with a black rim around her ears. Her nose is a bit twisted, and reddish-black. She has a notch in one ear, that constantly switches ears. In scenes from My Lullaby , her eyes change from red to blue in short scenes.

Appearance

As skinny as she is sleek, Zira appears to be lanky and slight. Despite her thin frame, small shoulders, and sunken face, she is able to hold her own against Simba, able to knock the larger lion off his paws with a single swipe. Her claws and teeth are especially long, and a notch in her left ear marks the event of a past conflict. According to Darrell Rooney, she was designed to have a certain angularity about her that made her appear all the more dangerous and deadly.

As far as coloring goes, Zira is paler in color, being a dark tan with a brown dorsal stripe running down her face and stopping in-between her eyes. Her muzzle, paws, and underbelly are all lighter in color, though her ears are marked with darker fur and brown stripes on the insides. Her tail tuft is a bit scruffy and matches the browns of her ears, and her eyebrows are especially thick and dark. Like most Outsiders, she sports the distinctive Outsider nose, which curls downward on either end. Her eyes are sharp and blood-red, framed by dark upper eye rims and light lower eye rims.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Zira first appears in the film watching Kovu talking to Kiara before jumping to her son's defence when Kiara's father Simba appears. Zira reveals to Simba that Kovu was hand chosen by Simba's uncle Scar to follow in his paw prints and become king and that Kovu was the last born before Simba exiled Scar's followers to the Outlands. Simba reminds Zira of the penalty for returning to The Pride Lands but Zira says that Kovu does not however on saying that if Simba wants his pound of flesh, Zira pushes Kovu to him. Unwilling to hurt Kovu, Simba tells Zira to take Kovu and leave saying that they're finished before picking up Kiara, but Zira tells him they've barely begun and gives Kiara an evil look before picking up Kovu and leaves.

Zira and Kovu return to the Outlands where Zira scolds her other son Nuka for not watching Kovu and then scolds Kovu for trying to befriend Kiara as Zira believes that it was Simba that killed Scar. However, Zira then sees that she could use Kovu's friendship with Kiara to get revenge on Simba. After putting Kovu to bed, Zira though singing "My Lullaby" plans to train Kovu to avenge Scar by killing Simba and become king.

After years of training, Zira sends a now young adult Kovu into a fire sent up by Nuka and his sister Vitani to rescue Kiara and be welcomed into the Pridelander pride by Simba. The plan works and Kovu is allowed into the pride but is made to sleep outside Pride Rock by Simba. Zira and Nuka watch Kovu talking to Kiara before she goes into Pride Rock where Nuka isn't pleased that Kovu let her go and begins to say what he would have done if it was him, only to be silenced by Zira who tells him that the closer Kovu gets to Kiara, the closer he gets to Simba.

Zira is next seen when Vitani tells her that Kovu has not killed Simba and has betrayed them, which angers Zira. The next morning, Zira along with Nuka, Vitani and the other Outsiders ambush Simba, who is tricked by Zira into thinking that Kovu led him to them. The ambush fails and Simba escapes but during the process, Nuka dies after being crushed by logs whilst pursuing Simba when Kovu rejects Zira's order to kill Simba. Zira and Vitani are saddened by Nuka's death, but Zira's sadness turns to rage and she scratches Kovu in the face, leaving a scar on his left eye like Scar. Zira accuses Kovu of betraying his pride, betraying Scar and for causing Nuka's death. After Kovu leaves, Zira tells Vitani and the other Outsides along with Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed that Simba has corrupted Kovu and that they shall take the Pride Lands by force.

Zira, Vitani and the Outsiders arrive in the Pride Lands and prepare to battle Simba, Nala and the Pridelanders, where Simba gives Zira a last chance to go home, but Zira says she is home and orders the Outsiders to attack. Just before Zira and Simba can fight each other, Kovu and Kiara arrive to put a stop to the battle. Zira tells Kovu to get out of the way, but he tells her that she won't hurt Kiara or Simba while he's here. When Vitani joins the Pridelanders after Kiara says that they are one, Zira threatens to kill her which causes the Outsiders to leave Zira and the Hyenas and join the Pridelanders. Simba tells Zira to let go of her hate and put the past behind her, but Zira refuses and in a last attempt to avenge Scar, leaps at Simba, but Kiara leaps at her and sends the two of them over the edge. Kiara lands on a ledge, but Zira clings on the edge and rejects Kiara's help and loses grip and falls to her death into the river below.

Gallery

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