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)
Nala (The Lion King) University of Waterloo's Kinema, Vicky Wong believes that Nala reinforces the film's "take your place" motif, reminding main character Simba of his responsibilities. In his book "Retelling Stories, Framing Culture: Traditional Story and Metanarratives in Children's Literature", author John Stephens credits Nala with teaching Simba about responsibility – "the lesson the hero must learn before he can become an adult". Film critic James Berardinelli identified Nala as "The Lion King"'s "sole significant female character." Including Nala, "The Lion King" has only three major female characters in comparison to the film's total of nine male ones. Shepherd University's Emmylou Allen observed