Chaka: the so-called "Kiara's intented brother"

[Akril]

[quote="Cherish"]Really? I heard they were going to name her Aisha... and then she was going to be Timira. I don't know, I remember seeing this on a detailed website. Not the same one, though. Too many names Kiara was a good choice, it sounds pretty, although it means "small dark thing" [/quote]
Do you mean Kiara? Shani and Aisha were two names considered for her, but Timira was a completely different character. The unofficial character encyclopedia lists her as Chaka's betrothed (and also mentioned that Kirajah was an alternate name for her).

And while we're talking about names, a couple of reasons I prefer the name Shani over Kiara is that 1), while Kiara means "dark", Shani has multiple meanings, including "exquisiteness", "curiosity", "adventure" and "marvel"; and 2), Shani is a Swahili name, while Kiara is Celtic. Why is Kiara the only lion with an Irish name???

[Misiziri]

Kiara is both Celtic and Swahili, I believe. It just has a weirder meaning in Swahili.

Hold on, I'm visiting babynamesworld...

[TheLionPrince]

A page from a kids' magazine stated Chaka, Shani, and Aisha were Kiara's original names. Also, mentioned on the Unofficial Lion King Character Encyclopedia, it also stated Chaka may be female, and the name was uncomfirmed at the time the encyclopedia list was being written.

However, the information Akril posted on the topic is very interesting, and it would nice if Disney and Simba's Pride's creators came out, and cleared all this up.

[Noah]

I can tell you that he did exist at one point. Tad Stone, a Disney animator, confirmed it in a 1996 email to a fan, who subsequently posted it on the Lion King mailing list (link may require you to sign into Google). A screenshot of the email is below.

[Akril]

[quote="Noahcs"]I can tell you that he did exist at one point. Tad Stone, a Disney animator, confirmed it in a 1996 email to a fan, who subsequently posted it on the Lion King mailing list (link may require you to sign into Google). A screenshot of the email is below.[/quote]
That's a very interesting post. In a way, it makes sense -- I've heard people say that Chaka was just another early name for Kiara, but if Timira/Kirajah (Chaka's betrothed) really existed in an earlier draft of SP, why would Chaka be betrothed to a lioness if she was one herself? : /

The mention of Allers and Minkoff seemed a little odd, though. Were they just giving advice to the team from the sidelines, or were they actually on the SP team for a brief time, only to drop out early on in the game and remain uncredited, like Tad Stones?

[Noah]

[quote="Akril"][quote="Noahcs"]I can tell you that he did exist at one point. Tad Stone, a Disney animator, confirmed it in a 1996 email to a fan, who subsequently posted it on the Lion King mailing list (link may require you to sign into Google). A screenshot of the email is below.[/quote]
That's a very interesting post. In a way, it makes sense -- I've heard people say that Chaka was just another early name for Kiara, but if Timira/Kirajah (Chaka's betrothed) really existed in an earlier draft of SP, why would Chaka be betrothed to a lioness if she was one herself? : /

The mention of Allers and Minkoff seemed a little odd, though. Were they just giving advice to the team from the sidelines, or were they actually on the SP team for a brief time, only to drop out early on in the game and remain uncredited, like Tad Stones?[/quote]

I always assumed Allers and Minkoff were given some input, in the same way that a person whose life is being made into a movie would be given input. I'm confused as to who Timira/Kirajah are. You can chalk it up to me being so new around here. What is the consensus around here as to what they are?

[Akril]

Timira and Kirajah are two names for the same character. This quote from the http://www.lionking.org/text/Encyclopedia.txt is pretty much the only source we have to go on (I haven't looked into it that much):

[quote]TIMIRA: Female lion cub. According to Dan T. Guyton, in an early version
of the script for "Simba's Pride", Timira was one of two names being
considered for the female cub who would be betrothed to Chaka (Kirijah was
the other name). Since Chaka is reportedly no longer a character in
"Simba's Pride, Timira/Kirijah may have been written out as well.
SOURCE: Walt Disney Corp.[/quote]

[Noah]

[quote="Akril"]Timira and Kirajah are two names for the same character. This quote from the http://www.lionking.org/text/Encyclopedia.txt is pretty much the only source we have to go on (I haven't looked into it that much):

[quote]TIMIRA: Female lion cub. According to Dan T. Guyton, in an early version
of the script for "Simba's Pride", Timira was one of two names being
considered for the female cub who would be betrothed to Chaka (Kirijah was
the other name). Since Chaka is reportedly no longer a character in
"Simba's Pride, Timira/Kirijah may have been written out as well.
SOURCE: Walt Disney Corp.[/quote][/quote]

I hadn't seen that source before. Thank you for pointing it out to me.

In regards to this "Dan T. Guyton", I couldn't find any information on him. Frankly, the name sounds made up. Searching on the Lion King mailing list for his last name turned up no results, the same can be said for the Disney animation newsgroup. Since these archives both go back to the early 1990s, it begs the question as to where this name would have came from. A simple google search for his entire name turns up nothing except for when its used in the context of the above text. I searched Google Books and Google News for his name both with and without the middle initial. Again, no results. A search for "dan guyton" disney turned up this result but the man's middle initial is different, so I'm guessing it isn't the same person. I also question whether Chaka would have been given a betroyed, that seems more like something you would see if a fanfic. Incest would be pretty obvious to anyone watching the movie unless there was another male in the pride. Who would have fathered him? Anyway, can any confirm this is a real person or know of another source for Timira and Kirajah?

[cleargreenwater]

[quote="Noahcs"][quote="Akril"]Timira and Kirajah are two names for the same character. This quote from the http://www.lionking.org/text/Encyclopedia.txt is pretty much the only source we have to go on (I haven't looked into it that much):

[quote]TIMIRA: Female lion cub. According to Dan T. Guyton, in an early version
of the script for "Simba's Pride", Timira was one of two names being
considered for the female cub who would be betrothed to Chaka (Kirijah was
the other name). Since Chaka is reportedly no longer a character in
"Simba's Pride, Timira/Kirijah may have been written out as well.
SOURCE: Walt Disney Corp.[/quote][/quote]

I hadn't seen that source before. Thank you for pointing it out to me.

In regards to this "Dan T. Guyton", I couldn't find any information on him. Frankly, the name sounds made up. Searching on the Lion King mailing list for his last name turned up no results, the same can be said for the Disney animation newsgroup. Since these archives both go back to the early 1990s, it begs the question as to where this name would have came from. A simple google search for his entire name turns up nothing except for when its used in the context of the above text. I searched Google Books and Google News for his name both with and without the middle initial. Again, no results. A search for "dan guyton" disney turned up this result but the man's middle initial is different, so I'm guessing it isn't the same person. I also question whether Chaka would have been given a betroyed, that seems more like something you would see if a fanfic. Incest would be pretty obvious to anyone watching the movie unless there was another male in the pride. Who would have fathered him? Anyway, can any confirm this is a real person or know of another source for Timira and Kirajah?[/quote]

.....Damn you Akril! Why do you lie to us like that!?? >:|

(I for one however am impressed that you not only remember that but have it memorized and were able to find it quickly.)

Noahcs, good lord bro, work for lawyers there much?

(I do, too, so I can say that!)

(Sorry guys, couldn't pass up chiming in as the peanut gallery on this one.)

[Noah]

[quote="cleargreenwater"]Noahcs, good lord bro, work for lawyers there much?[/quote]
I actually do. My uncle heads a small law firm and I've helped him with research before.