Nuka was a sickly male African lion (part Asiatic) who resided at the Outlands. He was an outsider and now an Evil Lion of the Past. He was only son of Zira and a rogue lion named Tapeli, and the older half brother of Vitani and Prince Kovu.
Description[]
Nuka was a scrawny and flea bitten lion. He had reddish brown fur, black nose, red eyes and a small black mane. His muzzle, underbelly and paws were a greyish brown colour. He lacked ear rims. He had sharp black front claws. His muzzle was long like both of his parents.
Personality[]
As an adolescent, Nuka is shown to be an unappreciated bully whose only concern is to be loved and recognized by his mother. He is constantly picking on his siblings. Rejection seems to take a heavy toll on the young lion, making him resentful of his brother for being the chosen one and downgrading of his mother behind her back. Perhaps because his accomplishments go unrecognized, Nuka feels the need to be powerful, taking great pleasure in bullying his younger siblings and boasting about his own capabilities to their faces. However, if he finds himself being cornered, he won't show any shame in asking his brother for help.
Because of his arrogance, Nuka is irresponsible and detached from his siblings, leaving Kovu to brave the Outlands alone despite the cub being Nuka's responsibility. Nuka is also shown to be neurotic and easily angered, losing his temper over a simple bout of termite itching. His judgment can understandably be called into question when he grows into a young adult, as he initially accuses Kovu of being a traitor without waiting for his mother's explanation. His inner motive, to gain his mother's appreciation and love, often fogs his common sense.
In his final moments, Nuka proves himself to be strong, agile and fast but still unintelligent, impulsive and willing to throw himself into peril for his own selfish gains. Under no instruction from his mother, he pursues Simba alone and attempts to take down the older lion by himself in order to prove to his mother that he can do what Kovu could not. His lack of care for the loose logs he was climbing over results in his ill-planned attempt at gaining Zira's favor ending in his own demise. Nuka begs his mother to realize just how hard he'd tried to please her just before he dies. What he never realized was that his mother did genuinely love him but never showed it, a realization Zira comes to all too late.
Family[]
Mother: Zira
Father: Tapeli
Half Brother: Kovu
Half Sister in law: Kiara
Half Brothers in law: Kopa and Tojo
Half Nieces: Akina, Maua, Ishara II and Tulia
Half Nephews: Bakari and Kondo
Brother in law: Kopa
Sister in law: Kiara
Grandmother: Meria
Grandfather: Ajabu (lion)
Great-Grandmothers: Hasiri and Mila
Great-Grandfathers: Choyo and Radhi
Trivia[]
His name means "smell/stink" in Swahili.