Simba seems like TERRIBLE King material

[FriendlyHyena]

Cub: He is proud, arrogant, and very cocky. Even Zazu remarks that he'd make a bad king.

Cub - Adult - he spend years under Hakuna Matata and pretends his problems are all gone. When Nala comes and asks for help, he blows her off too and shirks his responsibilities. It's only his own father that got him to go back.

King of Pride Rock - He smothers Kiara and is way too overprotective. Also, he never gave Kovu the benefit of the doubt (despite himself having been falsely accused and knowing how that can feel!) but exiles him, which causes Kiara to run away. If he'd asked Kovu what had gone on and if he'd been plotting with Zria the whole time, he'd have given Kovu a chance to say that yes, but that he'd come to his side due to Kiara and that he hadn't helped Zira attack him in the cave. Simba might have thought that over too and not exiled Kovu.

[TheLionPrince]

Simba is a good and well-rounded king. Yes, he has his character flaws, but it helps to make him relatable. He and the lionesses drove out the hyenas, and helped to restore balance to the Pride Lands. He banished Zira and the Outsiders to the Outlands to protect his family, and he was justified by doing so since Zira planned to kill Simba and have Kiara "squealing" in her grasp. He did banish young cubs too, but do you think Zira would have let Simba take her cubs away? Yes, he was wrong about Kovu, but he admitted he was wrong. It's a strength in character to admit you made a bad decision and own up to it. In the end, he reunited the two prides and brought peace to the Pride Lands.

[SimbasGuard]

[quote="TheLionPrince"]Yes, he was wrong about Kovu, but he admitted he was wrong. It's a strength in character to admit you made a bad decision and own up to it. In the end, he reunited the two prides and brought peace to the Pride Lands.[/quote]

Absolutely true. Although everyone forgets that Kovu originally joined Simba's Pride to kill Simba. Simba's initial mistrust and supposition of Kovu were actually correct. Simba's mistake with Kovu was when he believed Zira's lie that Kovu had helped plan the ambush, rather than trusting his own heart and giving Kovu that chance he was planning too before The Outsiders showed up.

[PrincessKiara]

I think Simba is a complex and and interesting character with a good character arc.
As a cub, he definitely needs to get knocked down a peg or two - royalty or not, he is kinda obnoxious. However, as an adult in TLK, it`s the Hakuna Matata lifestyle and his immense guilt of his fathers death plus the fear of facing judgment from Sarabi that keeps him from going back. He needs to be reminded that he has to find the strength within himself to take his place as the true king, as that is who he was meant to be. Mufasa is exactly the right person to talk sense into him, and Nala is the one that sets this event in motion by trying to get him to open up about his past.

In Simba`s Pride, it definitely bothers me how over-protective he is of his daughter, but I also guess it makes sense, considering the trauma of his own cubhood.. He doesn`t want to lose Kiara and tries to keep her safe from every imaginable threat.
I also think that Simba was right in being distrustful of Kovu from the start, even though I don`t believe Kovu himself was evil (Zira was the evil mastermind).. He should have given Kovu a proper chance to explain himself after the ambush, though. He should have seen that Kovu was genuinely surprised and frightened at seeing Zira and the other outlanders appear.