Looking back on the pages, I see this debate has... risen again and its fiery climax is the argument between QueenSummer and Pixie!
Honestly, I'm rather bored of supporting Kopa as canon. I liked supporting him so much because there's tons of theories you can come up with. I know I could do the same for character's of my own, but I'm very... weird in this aspect. I won't really begin to develop a character unless it's drawn perfectly in Lion King style. And I have A LOT of trouble drawing in this style

So you can do whatever you like with this nicely drawn (although the design is a bit bland), preexisting character, and he'll fit in cozily in little niches of the holey plot of SP. Of course, there's a whole multitude of theories you could formulate to fill the gaps, and Kopa is one of many. And there is no one set story for Kopa, like many Anti-Kopas (inlcuding SBS, yick) seem to think... although 'Zira killed Kopa, Simba is overprotective of Kiara' plot device is the most popular by FAR, there are so many other theories attributed to this debate-sparking little cubbie that it might ake you brain implode.
"La'Vie, you were arguing back and forth with SBS over Kopa as canon as if your opinion was the only one that mattered!"
Contrarily, I was more angry at SBS and his motives than I was angry at him not supporting Kopa. If this argument had been with Atouchofgrace (whatever happened to her...?) or Pixie I probably wouldn't have argued so bitterly. I got pis*ed because a 25/24-year-old man (He claims to be 14 when SP was released, which was in 1998), and I have reason to believe his age based on his wordy vocabulary and how he wrote essays for responses, was dedicating himself to Kopa's demise. It's possible he's younger, but I doubt he's much younger than he claims. And he never mentioned his age other than this one page, I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, he posted a YouTube vid about this, altered the Lion King Wiki about why he is NOT canon, spammed the heck out of this board and apparently battled elsewhere with others. I simply reacted by defending Kopa as canon, although I think he officially considered semi-canon now. I hate it when people devote such huge portions of time to a subject THAT IS NOT FACTUAL, ABOUT A CHARACTER PERTAINING TO AN ANIMATED FILM. No matter how sublime the film may be. Yeesh...
Now that that's clear, my current standing on the K-Cubbie is... Kopa is a versatile character. According to the most popular theory, he fits if you put him in, and he fits if you take him out. He could be included in the plot and it would make sense, abandon him and let him rot the plot still stands... it wobbles, but it stands. SBS argued about how he was unneccessary (stink at spelling that word) to the plot. He is, but he fits cozily in the missing slots, too. He's more flexible than a Fruit Roll-up.
That'll do it for now!