Nala (The Lion King)

Nala
The Lion King character
Adult Nala as she appears in The Lion King (1994)
First appearance	The Lion King
Created by	Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts Linda Woolverton
Voiced by	Moira Kelly (adult) Niketa Calame (cub) Sally Dworsky (adult, singing) Laura Williams (cub, singing) Gabrielle Union (The Lion Guard)
Information
Species	Lion
Gender	Female
Occupation	Queen of the Pride Lands
Family	Sarafina (mother)
Spouse(s)	Simba
Children	Kiara Kion
Relatives	Mufasa (father-in-law) Sarabi (mother-in-law)

Nala is a fictional lioness, a character who appears in the Disney Lion King franchise. Introduced in the animated film The Lion King in 1994, Nala subsequently appears as a less prominent character in the film's sequels The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004). In the original film, the adult Nala was voiced by American actress Moira Kelly. Young Nala's speaking voice is provided by actress Niketa Calame, while singers Laura Williams and Sally Dworsky provide the singing voices of young and adult Nala respectively.

Nala is introduced as the childhood best friend of Simba, and ultimately becomes his wife by the end of The Lion King. Several years after Simba's uncle Scar has killed Simba's father Mufasa and usurped the throne, Nala desperately ventures into the jungle to find help. Upon unexpectedly reuniting with a grown Simba, who she had long been tricked by Scar into presuming dead, Nala encourages him to return to Pride Rock, overthrow his uncle and ultimately become king. As Simba's queen, Nala has a daughter, Kiara, whose story is explored in The Lion King: Simba's Pride.

Nala is the most significant female character in The Lion King. As the film was inspired by William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, Nala is considered to be The Lion King's equivalent of Hamlet's love interest Ophelia, although differences remain between the two characters. Many early concepts first developed for Nala were eventually abandoned, including a brother and father for the character, as well as her being romantically pursued by Scar. While critical reception towards Nala has been generally mixed – both film and feminist critics complained about the character's lack of involvement in the story and supposedly submissive demeanor during the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Kelly's vocal performance has been praised.