Just a quick doodle inspired by some family trees I've seen recently.
Mostly those stating that Vitani and Kovu have different fathers.
Unless one of the cubs was adopted, this is not possible.
Reasoning?
Lionesses can only go into heat specific times of the year.
If a lioness is pregnant and has cubs, she will raise those cubs until they are young adults, which can take 1-2 years. A lioness will not go into heat until her cubs have grown to sexual maturity, or if she looses the cubs. Kovu ad Vitani, as seen as cubs together, are obviously not 1-2 years apart. Unlike Nuka, who seems significantly older. Therefore, it is impossible for Vitani and Kovu to have different fathers and still have the same biological mother. And it is also impossible that Nuka and Vitani are from the same litter(never understood that theory).
The only way Kovu and Vitani could have different fathers is if one of them was adopted. And I really like those theories, actually :3
I still think Kovu and Vitani are siblings. Obviously, their father can't be Scar, then, because Scar wasn't Kovu's father. Which makes sense for both Kovu and Vitani. They both have traits of Zira, but unique traits themselves. Mash those unique traits together and you have their dad!
EDIT:
Someone over at TLKFAA pointed out a flaw in my logic, that I will also address XD
Because of the way cats reproduce, which is by releasing eggs during the act of mating, it is possible for cubs in one litter to have multiple fathers.
I admit, I didn't think of this before, lol.
BUT given the time line of The Lion King and Simba's Pride, and given the way normal prides work where usually one male rules, though it is possible for two to do so, it is still very unlikely.
reasons.... - multiple males ruling one pride. Yes, this is possible. But it is obvious that Scar did not have another male in his Pride, and probably would not have allowed this to happen. Therefore Zira would have had to leave the pride lands, and fool around with two separate males during this time of heat, which normally doesn't last too long. Highly unlikely. - rogue lionesses. It is possible for female lions to be rogue, as much as it is for male lions. If Zira were rogue, she would have had the opportunity to reproduce with multiple partners. But, its clear she was not a rogue. "I banished you with the outsiders" it is obvious Zira has a pride of her own in SP. And lived in Scar's pride when he was king. The term "outsiders" also indicated that they were probably all traveling together when they came to the pride lands during scars rein. Therefore, she was not a rogue. - Well, what if Zira got knocked up by two separate lions after she was banished? Well, "Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the outlands" tells us that that wasn't the case. Kovu was already born when they were exiled. And given that Kiara and Kovu don't seem to have too much of an age difference, that was probably he was born not long before Simba became king.
"Kovu was the last born..." is an interesting quote, however, because she didn't mention Vitani. Which would support the adoption theory of either Vitani or Kovu.
