Kovu

Pure Good

Adolescent
Cub

Full Name

Kovu

Alias

The Chosen One

Little Termite (by Nuka)
Fuzzy Maraca (by Timon, as a cub)
Little Lad (by Zira)
Riffraff (by Zazu)
Kid (by Timon, as an adolescent)
Green Eyes (by Jasiri)

Origin

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Powers/Skills

Speed

Teeth
Claws

Family

Zira † (mother)
Nuka † (older brother)
Vitani (older sister)
Kiara (mate)
Janna † (grandmother)
Simba (father-in-law)
Nala (mother-in-law)
Kion and Baliyo (brothers-in-law)
Rani (sister-in-law)
Surak (uncle-in-law)
Mufasa † and Nala's father (grandfathers-in-law)
Sarabi and Sarafina (grandmothers-in-law)
Scar † (great-uncle-in-law)

Allies

Outsiders
Timon
Pumbaa
Rafiki
Zazu
Pridelanders
Bunga
Fuli
Beshte
Ono
Janja
Cheezi and Chungu
Jasiri
Nne and Tano
Janja's Clan

Enemies

Kiara (briefly)
Simba (formerly)
Nala (formerly)
Timon (formerly)
Pumbaa (formerly)
Kion (formerly)
Jasiri (formerly)
Janja (formerly)
Cheezi and Chungu (formerly)
Nne and Tano (formerly)
Janja's Clan (formerly)
Outsiders (briefly)
Vitani (briefly)
Zira †

Goals

Succeed Scar as King and kill Simba (formerly).

Help Kiara stop war between the Outsiders and Pridelanders and keep Pride Rock safe (succeeded).

Goodness Zone

Risking his own life to save Kiara from the crocodiles.

Helping to put an end to the feud between the Outsiders and the Pridelanders.

Type of Hero

In Love Defector

“	You'll never hurt Kiara, or Simba, not while I'm here.	„
	~ Kovu to Zira

Kovu is the deuteragonist of the 1998 film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and a supporting character in its 2016 midquel series The Lion Guard. He is the adopted son of Zira, Nuka and Vitani's adopted brother, Simba and Nala's son-in-law, Kiara's best friend and mate, and Kion's brother-in-law.

He is voiced by Ryan O'Donohue as a cub and Jason Marsden as an adolescent (Gene Miller, singing) in the movie and The Lion Guard. Marsden also voiced Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus, Haku in Spirited Away, and Red Star in Teen Titans.

What Makes Him Pure Good?[]

Unlike the other Outsiders, he is the only one who isn't hostile towards others.
He had no intention of being a part of Zira's plans.
He wanted to befriend a lion from a different pride.
Despite the hostility from the Pridelanders, he doesn't hold a grudge on them.
Alongside Kiara, Kovu puts an end to the feud between the Outsiders and the Pridelanders allowing them to join the pride.
Despite having only just met Kiara as a cub, her being from an enemy pride, and being somewhat arrogant, the second they run into the crocs, he immediately uses himself as a distraction so she can get to safety.
Although Kovu used to be cocky and somewhat arrogant when he was a cub, he gets over it as he grew up.
Despite being aware of Nuka's jealousy and envy towards him, Kovu repeatedly defends his older brother from Zira's wrath, despite being slightly scared of his mother.
When Kovu was told the true story of Scar from Kiara and Simba, he realized how evil the late lion was and that everything his mother told him of fanatical obssesion. That eventually led him to reject Scar's legacy and ultimately disown Zira as his mother.
Despite Simba being outright hostile to him and threatening him with violence throughout the film, Kovu attempts to help Simba during the Outsider ambush.
He still went back to Pride Rock and tried to plead his case to Simba, accepting him and the other Pridelanders rejecting and exiling him.
Although his mother insulted and abused him, Kovu was saddened when Zira fell to her death in the creek, showing that he still had love for her.
Although he is taken very seriously, he is still light-hearted.

Triva[]

Ironically, while Zira wanted Kovu to be just like Scar and be Pure Evil like him, he ends up being the exact opposite of him by being Pure Good.
- Kovu is considered the Heroic Representation of Scar, serving as what would happened if Scar actually saved Mufasa, then Simba and Scar would have a great uncle and nephew relationship.