41 Facts About Simba

Simba is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise.

Simba was originally voiced by actors Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as an adult and cub, respectively; various actors have voiced the character in sequels, spin-offs, and related media.

Simba has received a mixed reception from film critics, some of whom praised his design but found him uninteresting as a main character.

Simba first appears in The Lion King as a cub, the son of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi.

Crippled with guilt, Simba flees to the jungle where he befriends Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and warthog who raise him and teach him to live the carefree lifestyle, but, for some reason, Simba hadn't noticed that he continuously struggles to ignore his past just for close attention.

Simba reluctantly lets Kovu, who claims to have left the Outsiders, live with them, but continues to act coldly towards him.

Simba finally accepts Kovu into the pride and reconciles with his daughter.

Originally, Simba was intended to remain with his pride after Mufasa's death until this was revised to make him a more sympathetic character.

Simba felt the change contributed more Shakespearean elements to the story.

Nala's younger brother Mheetu, who Simba was to have rescued from a stampede, was written out of the film, as well as a trio of Simba's childhood friends.

Simba slightly lowered his pitch to establish Simba's maturity once he decides to become king.

Disney auditioned dozens of child actors for the role of young Simba, searching for an actor who could embody "a scrappy young kid".

Thomas did not alter his voice for the character, but simply spoke "with a real kid spirit" since Simba had been described to him by the film's directors as "energetically cocky".

Simba's recording sessions were video recorded, which animators used to incorporate some of Thomas' expressions and mannerisms into their drawings, namely the actor's "sly smile".

Simba likened Simba to his Home Improvement character Randy Taylor, describing both as curious, intuitive, confident, and quick-witted.

Weaver said the songwriters approached his mother about wanting Simba's singing voice to have "a young Michael Jackson vibe".

Simba's meeting with Disney in Burbank was intended to only be an audition but he ultimately recorded "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in two takes, completing his work before he had to fly back to Chicago.

Simba's recording from the audition was ultimately retained for the final film, which Weaver said they had prepared for extensively prior.

The role of Simba's supervising animator was divided between Ruben A Aquino and Mark Henn, the former of whom was the first animator hired for The Lion King.

Simba initially campaigned heavily to animate the film's villain, Scar, because he wanted to do something different than the princesses he had become known for, but Hahn convinced him to work on Simba due to his experience with main characters.

Simba proved to be a challenge because Henn was tasked with creating an animated character who would both appear and behave like a real lion cub for the first time.

Simba was responsible for making sure Simba's appearance remained consistent between himself, the directors, and other animators.

When it came to animating the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence, Henn insisted that Simba remain on all-fours, despite the character exhibiting human characteristics by dancing.

Some journalists believe Simba's mane was based on how singer Jon Bon Jovi styled his hair during the 1980s.

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said Simba was outshone by his sidekicks, describing him as "irritatingly callow".

Hunter found adult Simba to be even less interesting than young Simba, while film critic Gene Siskel found the character boring.

However, Janet M Walker of the New York Amsterdam News criticized Disney for casting white actors as Simba, considering his parents are voiced by Black actors James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair.

Chhavi Puri of Pinkvilla said characters such as Simba "defined our childhood".

Publications such as World Animal Protection, the Los Angeles Times, Wilmington Star-News, and the Birmingham Mail consider Simba to be one of the most famous lions in popular culture.

Contributor Tyler B Searle said Simba "has one of the strongest character arcs of any Disney protagonist".

Simba's appearance has generated online debates discussing whether it is appropriate for fans to consider the character attractive, because he is a cartoon lion.

Kayla Cobb of Decider theorized that Disney wanted audiences to know that "in the lion world, Simba is a babe" by drawing him with traditionally attractive and masculine features.

Since the release of The Lion King in 1994, the name "Simba" has increased in use and popularity among pet owners, specifically dogs and cats.

Once cast, Raize found it challenging to maintain the character's duality because Simba is "both man and beast", without sacrificing one for the other.

Simba has appeared as a playable character in several video games both directly and indirectly associated with the Lion King franchise.

Simba appears as a playable character in Disney Interactive Studios' Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure and Disney Magic Kingdoms.

Simba is one of the central characters in Disney Friends.

Live versions of Simba appear in the Lion King musical and in the parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Simba was the main character in "Legend of the Lion King," a former Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which retold the story of the film using fully articulated puppets.

Simba appeared as one of the main characters at Epcot's Land Pavilion 12-minute edutainment film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, until its closure in 2018.

Simba currently appears in animatronic form in Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom.