Zira

ZIRA

the basics

the appearance

Species • Lion
Eye Colour • Red
Markings & Scars • Dark Head Stripe, pale muzzle, chest, underbelly and toes. Notch in right ear.
Height • Above Average
Weight • Below Average
Voice Actor • Suzanne Pleshette
Basic Appearance •

the personality

Personality • Many make Zira out to be a monster - seeing only the angry, bitter persona which has become so prominent in recent times. Certainly, she has become contorted in her grief, distraught at losing both her mate and seemingly the respect of her pridesisters in one foul sweep. Who is this boy, after all, who so proudly names himself king? Even if he is Simba, the son of Mufasa, he had long been gone and therefore should have no claims onto these lands. She can't help but hate him - he killed her love - and her 'queen' seems to have forgotten everything she gave to the pride during the hard times.
It would be fair to say that Zira was besotted with the now-deceased king. She failed to see his shortcomings, seeing him as something to aspire to, and honestly adored him. Even when he was cruel to her, she never saw him as a negative being. He was doing his best, she would say, the drought was not his fault. Even so, even she could not understand his fascination with the hyenas. Filthy beasts which hung at the bottom of the food chain for a reason, she had tried to convince him to chase them out, sadly to no avail.
She is a fiercely focussed and determined hunter. She can track prey for miles without losing focus and hates to come home without a meal. During the darkest times, even as queen, she would spend days - weeks, even - tracking down a meal. She would be gone from the pridelands for long periods, if only to provide those that stayed home with a bite to eat. She cared for the pride that way, often putting their needs before her own, although no one came before her cubs. After all, she is a doting mother. She adores her cubs, even if sometimes she hasn't had as much time for them as she likes. Even when Scar rejected her beloved Nuka she cared for him greatly and gave him what she could - although as he has grown she has tried to encourage him to become more independent.


Likes • Scar | Hunting | Cubs | Home
Dislikes • Hyenas | Simba | Nala | Being shunned

History • Born far from these lands, her mother was a rogue and struggled to care for her. They roamed, getting by on whatever they could catch and eat. As such, she became a skilled huntress at a young age - through need, if not natural skill. But when she came of age her mother abandoned her and she thought of the future she would want for her and her cubs... Which was when she came across the pridelands. She had only been in the pride for a short time when Mufasa died, and it was Scar who welcomed her more than his golden brother. It was Scar who made her a huntress, Scar who recognized her as a true member of the pride... and Scar who eventually made her his queen. Of course, she thought he loved her. She was wrong. She was better than nothing, a lioness who would accept him where others rejected him - one who almost worshipped him. He didn't treat her well, either. Whenever something annoyed him, it was her who took the brunt of it. He would yell at her, even lash out at her, and he is the one responsible for the notch missing from her ear. But even so, she never turned her back on him. She defended him against the other lionesses, many of whom questioned him, and went out of her way to try and keep the pride well despite the difficult circumstances they endured.
Nuka was her first son. For a lioness who had shown difficulty in conceiving and carrying a litter to term - a fact likely not helped by her constant activity - he was a miracle. She'd been so proud to present him to Scar, only for the king to snub the cub. That was not his heir, he was not good enough, and she would need to do better. It had been a huge blow, but she had dotes on that cub - lathering him in love and attention whenever she was home and ensuring he was well cared for when she did leave the pridelands. Next came Vitani. Another single cub litter, although no one would know such. For within days of her secretly giving birth, she'd found the hyena's torturing a small cub and chased them away. A perfect healthy male, she had claimed him to be her and Scar's son - although Nuka knew better. He was old enough to understand the cub which had suddenly appeared was not his brother. Still, Zira presented the cub to Scar who quickly named him heir - favoring the cub over the one which was really his son. Even so, she often asked other mothers to care for her children when she went to hunt.
She was away from the pridelands when Simba returned. She did not see the battle, did not see the hyenas turn on her mate. Instead, she returned home with her hunting party and a meal for the pride to be greeted by a stranger. A golden male who claimed to be king. Of course she argued! Scar and her had done everything to try and keep the pride running. But she was talked down, and eventually - grudgingly - backed away. But her anger did not subside. To her, this male her murdered her love and shoved her from her throne. Everything she had worked so hard for had been taken from her. Even now, that anger seathes just below the surface.

the FAMILy

Father • Unknown
Mother • Jala
Siblings • Unknown
Mate • Scar (deceased)
Offspring • Nuka, Vitani, Kovu (claimed, not really hers)
Others • Unknown