The Lion King II: Simba's Pride - Plot

Plot

The film begins where we left off from the end of the first film as the animals of the Pridelands gather to witness the celebration of the newborn cub, Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. As she grows older, Kiara becomes annoyed at her father's over-protective parenting (wanting his daughter not to go to the "Outlands"), and Simba assigns Timon and Pumbaa to keep an eye on her. Kiara manages to escape the duo's attention, however, and enters the "Outlands", where she meets a cub designated to be the heir of Scar, Kovu. After escaping a river of crocodiles, Kiara and Kovu become friends, but when Kovu retaliates to Kiara's playing, out of nowhere, Simba appears and roars at the young cub, and Zira, Kovu's mother (who had been watching them from the bushes) also emerges. Zira and Simba face off, with Zira reminding Simba of how he exiled her and the other Outlanders. She also tells him Kovu was hand-chosen to be Scar's successor, but Simba decides to ignore her and returns to the Pride Lands with Kiara, lecturing her on the dangers the Outlanders pose. In the Outlands, Nuka, Kovu's teenage brother, openly expresses his jealousy of Kovu to his sister Vitani (who is about Kovu's age), but quickly stops when Zira comes home. Zira scolds Kovu for going into the Pridelands, reminding him that Simba was the one that killed Scar (not knowing it was actually the hyenas and not even the fact that Simba only pushing Scar off priderock) and was the one who exiled the lions who respect Scar. Kovu explains that he does not think it is so bad to have Kiara as his friend, and Zira realizes she can use Kovu's friendship with Kiara to get to Simba and soon plots an evil plan to get revenge.

Now a young adult, Kiara heads out for her first solo hunt, but Nuka and Vitani trap her in a fire, allowing for Kovu to rescue her. Simba, reluctant to thank the young Outlander, is forced to accept Kovu's asylum now that Kovu saved his daughter. Kovu contemplates attacking Simba as he was instructed to, but he goes out to hunt with Kiara instead and finds himself bewildered by the emotions she raises in him. Kovu eventually reveals to Kiara he was never Scar's real son, but that "he was still a part of me". Meanwhile, Simba seeks his ancestor's guidance on his current situation, but Nala helps him see that Kovu is not Scar. Kovu attempts to confess his mission to Kiara, but Rafiki shows up and leads them to the jungle where he introduces them to "Upendi" — love. Ultimately, Kovu and Kiara indeed fall in love.

Kovu's guilt drives him to confess about his mission to Kiara. Before he can do so, Simba tells him the real story of Scar, which Kovu had never heard. They fall into an ambush set up by Zira's pride, however. Kovu has the opportunity to murder Simba, but runs away instead. Simba climbs up a pile of logs to escape Zira's pack, Nuka, proving to Zira that he can capture Simba, is killed when some of the logs crush him to death. Zira blames Kovu for his brother's death and claws him across his eye in anger and frustration, marking with a scar identical to Scar's. Kovu attempts to return to the Pride Lands and pleads Simba for his forgiveness, but he believes that the rogue lion was behind Zira's ambush and eventually exiles him. Kiara is not allowed to go after him either, and she begs her father to reconsider, but Simba sternly refuses. In defiance, Kiara tells Simba that he will never be Mufasa and runs off to find Kovu. Just when Simba notices that Kiara has gone missing, he is informed of an upcoming attack by the Outlanders.

The Outlanders and Pridelanders clash and a battle ensues. Zira and Simba face off, but Kovu and Kiara intervene and tell them to cease their hostilities. Kiara reminds her father, by his own words, that "we are one". Although Zira ignores the plea, the rest of the Outlanders accept it and falter. Zira, standing alone, attempts to attack Simba, but Kiara jumps before her, sending them both over a cliff dangling over a storm-swollen river. Kiara offers Zira her help, but she refuses, however, and falls into the river. Simba rescues Kiara shortly afterwards and he, along with Nala, allows the Outlanders and Kovu to rejoin the Pride Lands at Pride Rock, and even accepts Kovu as his new son-in-law and the future king. Simba looks up at the sky to hear his deceased father's approval.