My Lion King Forum

You'll have to forgive late night musing, but this time it turned up something rather productive and surprisingly plausible since I was staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night.

Everyone knows that Kopa is technically a sub-canon character, and according to that sub-canon, is Simba's and Nala's son. Due to the time constraints and ages of the canon characters, both before and during the sequel movie, it makes that plausibility a little hard to squeeze in properly. This theory (which I am using in my "Paw Prints in the Stars" chronology of the series) actually makes things entirely possible if you look at another sub-canon character: Ni.

Being a near Simba-expy in appearance, it is entirely possible that Ni is Kopa's father. Being the harsh reality of nature, both he and his mate could've died from some thing or another. One of the two could've delivered the cub to Pride Rock, quite possibly on their last breath. Considering the nature of Nala and Simba, it's entirely possible that they had taken in the cub and raised him as their own. While the problem of Nala not being able to nurse him is there, it is possible another lioness was nursing her own cubs and provided surrogate milk.

And thus, it all ties in with Zira's existence for his disappearance. Whether you believe he died or is simply lost, my estimate is that she led him astray between four and five months of age while being freshly pregnant from a rogue herself. (So to say, following Scar's/Taka's orders that her second-born son would become King, and thus getting herself exiled in attempt to carry out her dead lover's will.)

However, this is just my two cents' worth. Some finer points still need to be ironed out, but this is the rough idea.

The theory is a rather creative one, but whenever Kopa is mentioned in sub-canon material, he is referred to as Simba and Nala's son, not adopted son. Not to mention that Ni looks far enough from Simba for Kopa not to be referred as a "Simba clone". Even in TLK:6NA, Kopa is described as looking a lot like his father: Simba. Not Ni.

So while this theory is certainly very original, I just don't see it holding up in trial.

Well, look at it this way ... Ni himself is a gangly, lanky version of Simba with a dirty pelt. And if the adopted cub's parents were both dead, would there really be a need to impose that knowledge on a young child? And while I'm still working out finer details of it, there hasn't been a whole lot of material on Kopa aside from those small booklets that can be read in ten minutes. So, it does still hold water when looking at it from all angles.

I've heard of a theory of Ni and Nala being Kopa's parents. I like this new theory too. But why would Kopa be the future king if he wasn't even Simba's biological son?

These theroys are good.. but all of you have good points. We will never know the real theory but we can make up our own.

Kiara'sPal has a fair point, but I do think that Kopa would be considered Simba's heir from lack of a blood relation at that time frame.

[quote="DGFone"]So while this theory is certainly very original, I just don't see it holding up in trial.[/quote]

Me neither. For million reasons but basically because I believe that stories authors/creators say what they mean. Because why wouldn't they? I think some people are too in love with conspiracy theories. ^^

Okay, added point to this thread (since I'm still refining certain parts of it in writing) - Rather than Kopa having Simba's darker red hair coloring, his hair tuft is the exact same shade as Ni's mane.

I'm not in love with a conspiracy, I'm just saying it as it looks. And makes actual sense.

Yes, I'd agree they're not really 'conspiracy' theories so much as: Kopa doesn't have too terribly much revealed about him and this character has a lot of possiblities to him. My personal theory is that he is a random, unimportant cub from the Pridelands who merely dreamed Nala and Simba were his parents (which is why, in the books, it is shown he is talking to them and such). I think those parts are just his imagination. You can tell me that's false and irrational, yadda yadda but in reality it is just as plausible as any other theory.

I like your theory, Kina, Ni looks a lot like Kopa. And adopting a cub out of hospitality seems like something Nala and Simba would do.

*Smiles.* Thanks for considering this theory, Cherish.

Yours is interesting as well, and it could be an interesting take if someone wanted to use it. And, yeah, I think it'd be pretty realistic for them to adopt Ni's cub. (Especially since, depending on how you intermix the canons, Ni did save her life and made a lasting impression. I'm sure they couldn't turn away an orphaned cub, either. They wouldn't have it in them.)