Scar (The Lion King) Jungle Book"." More recently, the possibility of an incestuous relationship involving Simba, his mate Nala, Scar and Mufasa has surfaced. According to Johnson Cheu, author of "Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability", the fact that Mufasa, Scar, and Simba appear to be the only male lions present in "The Lion King "suggests the possibility that either Mufasa or Scar is Nala's father, which would in turn make Nala either Simba's half-sister or cousin. However, "The Lion Guard" identifies Nala's father as a red-maned unnamed lion who-in his youth-resembled his grandson (and Scar's great-nephew)
Simba "lazy and troublesome." "The Austin Chronicle"s Robert Faires felt that Simba and the other "Lion King "characters, though "true", were simply unoriginal retreads of preceding animated characters who were "swiped from other Disney cartoons." Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" gave the character a negative review. Labeling Timon and Pumbaa the only interesting characters in "The Lion King", Hinson questioned Simba's role as the film's hero. Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times "agreed, "A movie's heroes may have their names above the title, but often as not it's the sidekicks who get the real work done." Turan went on