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ABOUT THE CHARACTER

Zira wanted to avenge Scar's death and she blamed Simba for his death. She wanted revenge and sent her son Nuka, who was Kopa's best friend, to bring him away from Pride Rock, saying that they were going to "play." But Zira was there ready to kill him. And this plan fortunately worked, but Timon and Pumbaa saw everything and pretended not to see it, because they wanted Kopa to die. Timon ripped off a piece of Zira's ear, but that didn't stop her. She left Timon and Pumbaa unconscious and "killed" Kopa. Everyone thought he was dead, but after a while, Kopa got up and, very injured, fled the Pride Lands and never returned. Gender Male Species Lion Hair color: brown and gold Eye color: Light green Distinctive features • Black ear rims • Tuft of brown hair Status: Alive Residence: • Pride Lands • Hakuna Matata (Temporarily) Affiliations: • Pride Landers • Pride Lands Monarchy • Simba's Pride Titles: Crown Prince of Pride Rock Also known as: • Fraidy Cat (from Jambo and Kwaheri) • Jelly Paws (from Kwaheri) • Kitten (by Jambo and Kwaheri) • Lily Liver (from Kwaheri) • Scary Cat (by Jambo and Kwaheri) • Son (of Simba) • Yellow belly (by Kwaheri) • Young Prince (by Rafiki) Family: Simba (father) Nala (mother) Mufasa (paternal grandfather) † Sarabi (paternal grandmother) Sarafina (maternal grandmother) Ahadi (great-grandfather) † Uru (great-grandmother) † Scar (great-uncle)† Allies: Afua, Asante, Buzzard Boyz, Jambo, Kwaheri, Nala, Pimbi, Pumba, Rafiki, Simba, Timão, Zazu Enemies: Chewa, Choyo, Fisi, Kesho, Zira, Nuka

EARLY LIFE

Kopa was born to Simba and Nala. As their only son, he was the crown prince of Pride Rock and was therefore expected to inherit his father's throne someday. As a cub, Kopa made many friends, including Afua, Jambo and Kwaheri, and Pimbi.

SIMBA'S BROKEN PROMISE

Kopa was playing with his hyrax friend, Pimbi, who teased him about his weak attack. Kopa boasted that he would one day be king of the Pride Lands, like his father before him. He then hurriedly bid the hyrax farewell, as he was planning to meet Simba at Pride Rock for a trip to the summit. After hearing the story, Kopa expressed admiration for his ancestors, Ahadi and Mufasa, and disgust for his great-uncle, Scar. Simba proclaimed that he too had benefited from the story, as he had come to realize that broken promises destroy families, just as Ahadi's broken promise had destroyed his family. Summoning Kopa, he agreed to take the cub and Nala to the summit of Pride Rock, as family was important, and much had been invested in building the Pride Lands. This decision brought Kopa much joy.

SEIZURE

When a crisis arose at the waterhole between the gazelles and a hippopotamus named Kiboko, Kopa attempted to follow his father to the scene of the fight. As he left, Nala shouted after him, trying to convince him to hunt, but Kopa reacted with disgust, calling it a "girl thing". Nala laughed and sent him away. Before reaching the waterhole, Kopa stopped to talk to other members of his pride, including Babu, Boga, Leo, Mega, Ngawa, and Sabini. The cub tried to tell his friends about the fight between the gazelles and Kiboko, but Sabini ignored him and instead mentioned Simba's family tree to Leo. Not fully understanding the older lions, Kopa asked about his family tree, and the others laughed at him, amused by his naivety. Kopa's temper flared when the others mocked him, and he demanded to know where his family tree was. Recognizing the cub's frustration, Mega told Kopa to ask his father about his family tree, and the young cub ran to speak to Simba. Once at the waterhole, Kopa tried to get his father's attention, but Simba was distracted by the gazelles' irritating comments. Unable to talk to his son in the midst of the crisis, Simba ordered Kopa to leave. Hurt by his father's rejection, Kopa resolved to find his family tree on his own. The cub began searching eagerly for his family tree, avoiding the perimeters of the Pride Lands, as his father had warned him against straying from his territory. However, when Kopa spotted a lizard, he hungrily chased it into the desert, where he soon became lost among the scorching heat and shaggy bushes. Too scared to go any further, he settled down in the sand, where he was soon found by Chewa and Choyo, two conniving vultures.

SEIZURE

While examining the cub, they realized that he was the prince of the Pride Lands. Seizing the opportunity to get something out of Simba, they held him hostage so that Simba would be forced to send them prey in exchange for his son's life. Back in the Pride Lands, Simba and Nala frantically searched for Kopa, as they were worried about his long absence. With no option of escape, Kopa was forced into a high nest, where the vultures held him hostage until they could contact his parents. Hungry and frightened, the cub was surrounded by three friendlier vultures, the Buzzard Boyz, who sang to him as he listened politely from the nest. Although Kopa enjoyed the song, the three vultures admitted that their pride did not appreciate their voices. They then informed Kopa that Chewa planned to hold the cub hostage until Simba sent them food. Not liking this turn of events, Kopa asked for another song, and the vultures happily complied. He then complained that he could not hear them over the rumbling of his stomach, and the vultures happily flew off to find food for him. When the vultures returned with food for Kopa, the cub was shocked to hear that the pride wanted to trade his life for that of the animals in the Pride Lands. The Buzzard Boyz assured him that he and his future subjects would be safe, as they had a plan. Without explaining to Kopa, they flew off to speak to Simba. Once in the Pride Lands, they used riddles and songs to tell the king and queen where their son was. While waiting for the vultures, Kopa sat in his high nest. Soon, he saw a large crowd of animals marching across the desert, among them Rafiki and Zazu. At first, the vultures were elated, but then Simba and Nala stepped out from between the ranks, demanding the return of their son. The vultures were forced to comply, and Rafiki climbed Kopa's tree to retrieve the cub.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Kopa is a moderately sized lion cub. He is broad and compact, with broad shoulders and a lean, muscular build. Facially, his features are more square, mirroring those of his grandfather, Mufasa. Kopa has a rich golden coat, which is broken only by patches of lighter fur on his muzzle, paws, and belly. He has a thick reddish-brown head tuft that would later become a thick, all-brown mane, dark ear rims, and orange eyes. He has eye rims, the upper part of which is darker than his main coat and the lower part of which is lighter. Like most Pride Landers, he has a rounded pink nose and brightly colored paws.

PERSONALITY

Much like his father, Simba, Kopa is a rambunctious cub with a sense of adventure. His curiosity sometimes leads him into dangerous situations, such as when he wandered into the wilderness in search of his family tree. Even for a young cub, he is considerably naive and does not always understand even simple figures of speech. Combined with his curiosity, his limited understanding of the world often leads him to act out, which often gets him into trouble. Despite his innocence, Kopa thinks highly of himself and often boasts of his title as the future king of the Pride Lands. Like his father, he enjoys the prospect of becoming king and is not afraid to show off to his friends. Kopa's pride exposes his insecurity and stubborn attachment to appearing strong in front of others. Even when frightened, Kopa cares about appearing brave and capable, as seen when he was unwilling to turn down a foolish challenge. His insecurity was noted by Rafiki, who scolded him for letting his sense give way to pride. Kopa's pride is partly due to his idol, Simba. Kopa often makes it clear that he admires and adores his father, as he always wants to be around him and boasts that he will one day grow up to be just like him. When Simba broke a promise to Kopa, the cub was deeply hurt, taking the royal decision as a deeply personal blow. Kopa is playful and open to making friends with other species. When Simba was exiled to the wild, Kopa accompanied him, showing deep loyalty and admiration for him. Kopa often displays a strong sense of responsibility, as seen when he pushed his father to return to the Pride Lands against all odds. Even when rejected, Kopa showed determination and persistence, taking matters into his own hands to inspire his father to return to the Pride Lands.