The Ambush

[Carl]

Okay, so this has always bugged me about the movie.

Why does Simba believe that Kovu set up the ambush? I mean is he really that stupid?

I can understand him having been cautious of Kovu. Every dad wants to protect his daughter, expecially from someone connected to a bad dude. That makes sense. It's understandable. However, on the day of the ambush, Kovu wanted to talk to Kiara. Simba stopped him and then led him off to the place where the ambush occurs. He's the one that took Kovu there. How did Kovu plan an ambush that Simba led them both into? No matter how much you don't trust a guy, you gotta be dumb to think he ambushed you when it was your idea to go somewhere just the two of you and then you led the way.

I have thought about it a lot and I can't come up with any reasonable excuse for him to believe that. Can any of you guys, or is this just another stupid plot hole? I'm pretty sure it's a ridiculous plot hole. But discuss.

[AnimeFan101]

I agree, but he just wants what's best for Kiara: keeping her safe and stuff. My mom is exactly like Simba in so many ways believe me.

[DGFone]

I always thought that it was Zira who was responsible for Simba's thoughts that Kove was responsible. After all, when the Outsiders moved in for the kill, Zira praised him for a job well done. Kove didn't do a very good job of proving that he was on Simba's side, so I don't blame Simba for thinking that Kovu had set up the ambush. Whatever little evidence he had of foul play pointed at Kovu.

[Carl]

I know that Zira said it was Kovu and Kovu did a poor job of fighting off the Outlanders. That's not the issue here.

Why it seems stupid for him to believe it was an ambush set by Kovu to me is that it was Simba's idea for him and Kovu to be alone and he led their walk.

[TheLionPrince]

If you reject Zira's accrediting Kovu for the ambush, one argument that can be made is that Simba is suffering from paranoia. Merriam-Webster gives it the medical definition of a "serious mental illness that causes you to falsely believe that other people are trying to harm you"; the Oxford dictionary gives paranoia a sub-meaning for "suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification".

As we know, Simba had a nightmare a few nights before in which he is killed by Kovu in the same manner as Scar so his delusion does exist. His trust in Kovu was slowly starting to build since he stands on his word that he broke ties with the Outsider pride. Whatever little trust that was there was gone when Zira claimed this wasn't true. Now what evidence did Simba have that convinced him that Kovu is a traitor? None. He just knows that the Outsiders are out to get him, and Kovu was/is/always will be one of them.

[PrincessKiara]

I think it`s part plothole and part Simba being totally paranoid and firmly believing that Kovu is evil (following in Scars pawprints)

I agree with you that there is no real reason for Simba to believe that Kovu had organized the ambush.

[FlipMode]

Because plot holes. That's why.
I mean that's really what it boils down to but you could make some theoretic excuses for it I suppose. Didn't Zira make it look like Kovu did plan it though? And the outsiders could have stalked them until they got to a point where no one was around and then ambushed him rather than being ambushed at one specific place and maybe Simba thought Kovu planned it that way?

[Lauren]

Some people have brought up this topic before and I do believe that Simba was suffering through paranoia for most of the movie. Yes, he was the one who lead their walk and by the Outsiders' luck, they ended up by their ambush. Would you want to have some ambush show up right by where you were standing at anytime and attack you? Even so, he believed that Kovu probably planned the ambush to happen at any unexpected moment so the attack would be more of a success. The sneakier you are, the better the ambush could be.

[KiarasBiggestFan]

He could have thought that Kovu told them he was getting close to Simba and to keep a close eye on him and be ready to attack. And it didn't necessarily mean the ambush when Zira said "Well done Kovu, just as we always planned" she could of just meant him getting Simba to trust him or alone.

[Lauren]

[quote="KiarasBiggestFan"]And it didn't necessarily mean the ambush when Zira said "Well done Kovu, just as we always planned" she could of just meant him getting Simba to trust him or alone.[/quote]
That is a very good point. Heck, that was even the first idea she had when it came to using Kovu: To convince Simba to trust him into his pride.