My Lion King Forum

I love Nala. She is the most beautiful lioness I've ever seen.

[quote="Simba_Lion"]I love Nala. She is the most beautiful lioness I've ever seen.[/quote]

People always talk about how beautiful she is, how great a character she is...I really hate to burst your bubbles, but she's kind of overrated. She's nice looking but not much moreso than the other lionnesses. She's got a few good scenes but is hotheaded and thus can be annoying to some. She gets some screentime but doesn't really get a lot of development in that which she has.

She's a pretty average character, so why so many people think she's the greatest is beyond me. I know I've said as much before, but it's just confusing.

[quote="BrianGriffinFan"][quote="Simba_Lion"]I love Nala. She is the most beautiful lioness I've ever seen.[/quote]

People always talk about how beautiful she is, how great a character she is...I really hate to burst your bubbles, but she's kind of overrated. She's nice looking but not much moreso than the other lionnesses. She's got a few good scenes but is hotheaded and thus can be annoying to some. She gets some screentime but doesn't really get a lot of development in that which she has.

She's a pretty average character, so why so many people think she's the greatest is beyond me. I know I've said as much before, but it's just confusing.[/quote]

Surprising that you said something positive about her this time.

And actually, I don't believe anybody made you the authority on Nala, did they? Because if nobody did, then you really shouldn't be saying that she IS an average character and that so many THINK she is the greatest. So actually, you THINK that she is an average character, and others THINK she is the best. That's why I try to say I THINK not he/she or it IS, because it's only my opinion, and I have no right to say IS.
And you say that she is hot-headed, but I think if we are honest with ourselves, most of us are way more hot-headed than she is, myself included.
You don't like Nala, and I do, but that doesn't make me not like you as a result because I have a different opinion. But I think you really should stop attacking her character.

While I love Nala and she's probably my favourite character, at the same time I think it's more for the potential her personality has, because in the movies themselves she just seems kinda...I guess Wasted Potential is the right phrase? And I don't just mean the sequels, either: even In the original movie, she's mostly just a love interest. She was cute as a cub, but she was mostly just there so Simba would have someone to momentarily save while the hyenas were chasing them. As for when she was an adult....well, she doesn't get a lot of focus, we never hear about her struggle under Scars Reign (I know the creators decided to cut it because it was too depressing, but come on) and anyone could have told Simba to go back. Rafiki could have done it by himself!

But if you think she was underdeveloped in the FIRST movie, the second is far worse. At least she had a personality and more then five lines of dialogue! Yeah, not only did they soak her in bleach for months on end to make her fur that light, got her contact lenses for her eyes to be that blue, but they sucked all her personality out as well! All she did was act like a 1950s housewife and occasionally say something like "Mind your father, Kiara!"

And she hasn't done a ton in TLG either, but hey at least she has more then 5 lines

In short, while I love Nala, I love her more for her character potential and my headcanons about her then for her actual depiction in the movie. Same goes for Vitani, tbh

^I agree, I really wish we got more of Nala, even in the first TLK. The struggles of growing up under Scar's reign are full of potential to explore, and I am kinda mixed on her role in the latter half of the film. Part of me feels like it would have been better to have Nala be the one to convince Simba to return, but then that would render Rafiki woefully underused. Rafiki really does need that scene with Simba to cement him as an interesting and memorable character.

Actually when you think about it, Nala did a lot to convince Simba to return. She got him thinking about it in the first place. Rafiki just gave Simba the final push he needed to set his guilt aside.

[quote="SimbasGuard"]Actually when you think about it, Nala did a lot to convince Simba to return. She got him thinking about it in the first place. Rafiki just gave Simba the final push he needed to set his guilt aside.[/quote]

It would have been interesting if instead of having Rafiki give him the final push, instead, once they'd both cooled down after arguing, he went looking for her and they talked rationally, with Simba agreeing that returning would be best.

Yes. It would have been interesting. There are so many different choices that they could've made. I think Simba really did need that dramatic final push with how much guilt and shame he had. I do think that Nala made some bad choices in that argument, but at least it got Simba thinking.

I think Nala is a very interesting character for many reasons. First of all, she is beautiful and her coloring is unique. She has more of a role as an adult on Broadway when she is encouraged to leave by the other lionesses to leave the Pride Lands to find help when Scar makes advances on her. She is a very strong lioness to reject Scar. As a cub, I find her sense of adventure and mischief to be good. She has her mature moments when comforting cub Simba after getting in trouble with Mufasa and she is very sad when she thinks Simba has died. The problem is time. Nala could have been fleshed out with more time, but she is the spark that causes Simba to realize that running from his past hasn't done him any good.

[quote="BrianGriffinFan"]It would have been interesting if instead of having Rafiki give him the final push, instead, once they'd both cooled down after arguing, he went looking for her and they talked rationally, with Simba agreeing that returning would be best.[/quote]

That could have worked too, but if that were the case, Simba would have returned home with much less determination and confidence that he did.