What actually killed Zira?

[PrincessKiara]

She just fell into water, it's actually likely she didn't die and is just biding her time somewhere until Kiara and Kovu have cubs.

I see your point, but the villains in Disney movies always die. I think it`s implied quite strongly that Zira drowned, but I understand it`s fun to speculate in what would happen if she was alive.

So noone thinks it was the logs? I mean, I think it was the current, but we see the logs hit her (when she raises her paw and it is pushed under by the log) so it is a possibility that the logs had something to do with it.

That`s quite possible. Zira could have been killed by the combination of: the impact of hitting the water, being pulled under by the currents and being beaten by the logs.

[SimbasGuard]

I voted for She didn't die, because when I first saw Lion King 2 I was sure Zira would show up in the next move with some new plan for revenge.
For Disney to do that now they would have to get a new voice actress, I doubt Disney considers Zira an important enough character to bring back. If they ever do another Lion King movie, Disney will most likely create new villains.

[DGFone]

I say that she died from the river. But what's more, I say that she actually committed suicide. I know that that's not what Disney intended (suicide in a children's movie? NO - and even I agree), but for some of the older audience, I actually believe that a suicide is a plausible reason of why Zira died. She was betrayed first by Kovu, she already lost Nuka, and now the rest of the pride left her, along with Vitani. It was a big "mission failed" for her, and with only one way out. (Or get saved by Kiara, but she wouldn't allow it).

[StarlightLioness]

She fell from pretty high up. At that height, impact with the water could have killed her (depending on the height it can be like hitting a brick). If the impact with the water didn't actually kill her, it would have wounded her enough to cause her to drown.