Nala (The Lion King) Nala ultimately becoming his queen. In the film's first direct-to-video sequel "" (1998), Nala appears in a less prominent role as Queen of the Pride Lands and mother of Kiara, the spirited daughter of her and Simba. Nala observes that Kiara, of whom Simba is very protective, has inherited her father's rebellious personality and love of adventure. When Kiara befriends Zira's son Kovu, a young lion from an exiled pride of Scar's followers known as the Outsiders, Nala is much more tolerant of their relationship than Simba, and convinces him to offer Kovu a chance to prove himself trustworthy.At the
Simba by the character Bambi from Disney's "Bambi" (1942), as well as the stories of Moses and Joseph from the Bible. Additionally, several similarities have been drawn between Simba and Prince Hamlet from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." In 1997, "The Lion King" was adapted into a Broadway musical, with actors Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize originating the roles of the cub and adult Simbas, respectively. "Simba" is a Swahili word for "lion". It also has other definitions, such as "king". The idea for "The Lion King" originated from Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1989 and was originally conceived under the title "King