Scar (The Lion King) artist Jorgen Klubien. According to the directors, "[a] patronizing quality" was vital to Scar's role in the film. Minkoff told the "Los Angeles Times", "When Scar puts the guilt trip on Simba, that's an intense idea ... probably something that is "not" typical of the other Disney pictures, in terms of what the villain does." Additionally, Scar serves as a departure from previous Disney villains because they "came off at least as buffoonish as they were sinister". Because Scar is the film's main antagonist, supervising animator Andreas Deja believed that "villains work really well when they're subtle", explaining, "to see
Nala (The Lion King) voice of adult Nala." A straight woman character, Kelly described Nala as a sensible and nurturing yet authoritative character, while Amber Leab of Bitch Flicks described her as strong, independent and intelligent. According to Oh My Disney, Nala serves as "the proverbial glue that keeps "The Lion King" together", from whose perspective the audience watches the film because she "says EXACTLY what we’re thinking". Occupying the role of the film's female lead, Nala is "The Lion King"'s most important female character, who contributes to the film's "small romance element". Often identified as the film's deuteragonist, Taylor Orci of "The Atlantic"