Simba/Relationships

Nala
At first, Simba and Nala started out as friends when they were cubs in the original The Lion King.

When they reached adulthood, Nala convinced Simba to return to the Pride Lands, and helped him defeat Scar. They went on to have two cubs, Kiara, and Kion.

Nala supports Simba in his decisions, and stands by his side, showing her devotion and love.

Kion
Simba and Kion have a fairly close and affectionate father-son relationship and Kion loves his father immensely and will do anything in his power to make his father happy. In "The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar", Simba becomes annoyed with Kion when he and Bunga unintentionally disrupt his lecture with Kiara and ends up having to separate his two children when they argue.

When Rafiki declares that Kion is ready to lead the Lion Guard, Simba is at first worried about this, thinking that due to Kion being a cub, he is not ready to handle the responsibility. But changes his mind when Nala encourages him to listen to Rafiki. After seeing that Kion has chosen Bunga, Beshte, Fuli and Ono to be part of The Lion Guard, Simba was not pleased. He tells his son that the Lion Guard has always been made up of lions and scolds Kion for treating his role of leader as a game and tells him to take his responsibilities seriously like Kiara does with hers. However in truth, Kion did take his duties as the leader of the Lion Guard very seriously.

However after Kion and the Lion Guard save Kiara from a gazelle stampede and chase away Janja and his clan. Simba realizes that Kion was wise enough to have chosen his friends to be in the Guard and expresses pride in his son and accepts the new Lion Guard. Ever since then, Simba has helped Kion defend the Pride Lands on a few occasions, as seen when he helped Kion defeat Reirei and her jackal family during the Kupatana celebration and, he even become leader of the guard temporarily while Kion was away with Nala and Kiara on Udugu.

Kiara
Kiara and her father Simba are shown to have a loving father-daughter relationship. She also enjoys learning about the importance of ruling from him. She loves her father deeply and becomes worried when he is hurt as seen when she stays by his side the whole day when he is sick.

Bunga
Simba often finds Bunga annoying at times due to his impulsive nature, and often disrespectful attitude. When the pair were trapped in Nandembo Caverns, the pair erupted into a fiery argument which saw them split up. Here, Simba began to realise that the honey badger was still a citizen of the Pride Lands, and thus it was his duty to find and protect him. After hearing him sing "Hakuna Matata", the pair began to bond, having both been raised by Timon and Pumbaa. The pair even consider each other brothers, though this is not always brought up between the pair.

Although Simba still finds Bunga irritating from time to time, the pair have a much better understanding of one another than they did before the incident.

Scar
When Simba was a cub, he loved his uncle greatly, unknown to him how much Scar hated him. Simba later ran away after his father was killed and Scar took over the Pride Lands. Some years later, when he had fully matured, Simba returned to Pride Rock and engaged in a ferocious battle to reclaim his throne. Simba won the fight, though he always remembered what his uncle had put him through, warning his son about him. Now that he has returned, Simba is as determined as his son to defeat him once and for all.

Mufasa
Simba had a strong bond with his father Mufasa when he was a cub and looked up to his father in every way. However, when Scar murdered Mufasa it broke his heart and soon ran away in fear, thinking that it was his fault.

When Simba was an adult, it was his father's spiritual guidance that eventually convinced Simba years later to reclaim the throne from Scar.

In "The Wisdom of Kongwe", Simba and Kion consulted Mufasa after the revelation of Scar’s return. Mufasa reminds his son that he had previously defeated Scar, and would soon find out how to defeat him again.

Timon
He was close friends with the meerkat ever since he ran away from the Pride Lands. He later helped him defeat his evil uncle Scar by dancing in a Hula Suit. To this day, they remain close friends.

Timon hates it when Simba is hurt or in danger as seen when he is lost and later is stung by Sumu, showing how much he loves Simba.

Pumbaa
He was close friends with the warthog ever since he ran away from the Pride Lands. He later helped him defeat his evil uncle Scar by distracting the hyenas. To this day, they remain close friends.

Pumbaa hates it when Simba is hurt or in danger as seen when he is lost and later is stung by Sumu, showing how much he loves Simba.

Pua
Simba appears to have a great amount of respect for the old leader as seen when he thanks him for all his years of wise leadership to which Pua thanks him back.

He also appears disgusted when Makuu taunts him.

Makuu
Simba at first distrusted Makuu, as he had, at one point, threatened his mate, Nala.

Simba was the first animal at the Savannah Summit to believe that Makuu had changed for the better when the crocodile actually reformed. Later during the Dry Season of the Pride Lands, he returns to Pride Rock to get help from the king. They later agree to let the crocodiles have the empty water hole. When Kiburi lost the mashindano, he believed Makuu as he was smart enough to know that only Kiburi would plot such a scheme.

Rafiki
Rafiki has been close friends with the king ever since the events of the Original Lion King. To this day the mandrill continues to advise him on what is best for the Pride Lands and the Pride Landers. It is not uncommon to see them hanging out together as they are shown quite frequently together.

Zazu
When he was a cub, he did not care for the bird at all, but once he returned to the Pride Lands, he accepted him as a loyal friend to where he becomes concerned about him when he is not on time for the Morning Report. He also went with him and Nala to a funeral in Can't Wait to be Queen and helps him with the Savannah Summits.

Fuli
Fuli is shown to have a good relationship with Kion’s father, Simba.

Beshte
Beshte is shown to have a good relationship with Kion's father, Simba.

Ono
Ono is a loyal friend to the king as seen when Ono spoiled Kiburi's plot to murder Simba and when Ono helped save him in "The Scorpion's Sting" because he and the retreived the ash to Pride Rock. When Simba also temporarily leads him, Beshte, Bunga, and Fuli in "The Trail to Udugu" while Kion, Kiara, and Nala were away for the Udugu event. The king occasionally compliments him on his keen of sight.

Ma Tembo
She along with the rest of the elephants were the first animals to return to the Pride Lands after Scar was defeated because Simba was close friends with her father Amanifu. Simba along with Nala and Zazu later actually meet her at her father's funeral. When the king accidentily says "He had poop on him", she along with the rest of her herd laughed. They later became close friends as he attended the elephant's concert, talked at the Savannah Summit together, and he enjoyed her performance in the Ukumbusho event.

Hadithi
Not only are the birds of the Pride Lands fans of Hadithi, but the king of the Pride Lands is a fan of Hadithi too as he believed him to be a hero when they first met and has in fact praised him twice in the episode, Ono's Idol. He later watches the eagle praise Ono for his true bravery in the Royal Mud Print Ceremony.

Bupu
Bupu and the king do respect one another as they are both leaders. While trying to work out a comprise between Bupu and Makuu, Kion pounces on Makuu again and when Simba sees both sides walk away unwilling to try again. Simba assures Bupu that they will try again, but he too, refuses, claiming that negotiating is clearly not the crocodile way.

Ajabu
When Kion introduced his parents to Ajabu, he explained that Ajabu had come to the Pride Lands as a visitor, but wished to stay with their blessing, Simba and Nala warmly agreee.

Kongwe
After Kion and his Father talk to Mufasa he knows the wise animal at all of the Pride Lands so he send Fuli and Makini to bring her at Pride Rock. Later she has arrived just in time, he confused what does it means.

Zira
Zira is of the firm belief that Scar should be ruling the Pride Lands. As such, after Simba took over, she attacked Simba, but the King overpowered her.

With Zira refusing to compromise, Simba had no choice but to banish her and her followers into the Outlands, where they remain to this day.

Lioness
As a follower of Zira's, Simba does not trust Lioness and banished her to the Outlands.

Nuka
As an offspring of Zira's, Simba banished Nuka to the Outlands with his family.

Vitani
As an offspring of Zira's, Simba banished Vitani to the Outlands with her family.

Kovu
As an offspring of Zira's, Simba banished Kovu to the Outlands with his family.

Reirei
After his son allowed Reirei's son into the Pride Lands, Reirei and her family proceeded to break her trust with Kion and gatecrashed the Kupatana celebration. After they were restrained, she was met with anger from Simba, who refused to listen to anymore of her lies and demanded that she and her family leave the Pride Lands and return to the Outlands.

Dogo
Simba originally suggested that his son save Dogo in the Outlands in the spirit of Kupatana, but he and his family later invaded the ceremony instead. Simba ordered that the jackals leave the Pride Lands, and never return.

Dogo's Siblings
When the jackal pups gatecrashed the Kupatana event, Simba ordered the entire family of jackals to leave.

Goigoi
Goigoi and his family almost destroyed Kupatana, having initially been allowed to stay in the Pride Lands. As a result, all potential trust Simba had in the jackals was lost, and he ordered them to leave the Pride Lands.

Kiburi
After being told by Ushari that if he harmed the king he could rule the Pride Lands, Kiburi planned for his three minions to kill him while he fought Makuu. After the Lion Guard spoiled his evil plot, Simba became enraged. Not long after the plan was foiled, Kiburi lost the Mashindano, and, with Makuu's permission, Simba banished Kiburi and his followers from the Pride Lands.

Tamka
At Kiburi's orders, Tamka was tasked with taking down Simba during the Mashindano. The plan failed when the Lion Guard got involved, and Simba banished him to the Outlands, along with the other crocodiles that were involved in the scheme, no longer trusting them.

Nduli
At Kiburi's orders, Nduli was tasked with taking down Simba during the Mashindano. The plan failed when the Lion Guard got involved, and Simba banished him to the Outlands, along with the other crocodiles that were involved in the scheme, no longer trusting them.

Sumu
Sumu is the scorpion that was sent by his uncle to poison him. After being poisoned by him, the king becomes very weak until shortly after the Lion Guard and Makini return to Pride Rock with the Volcanic Ash.