Vitani
| Vitani | |
|---|---|
 Vitani
| |
| Meaning | War/Demon Of War |
| Species | Lion |
| Close Relations | Daughter of Zira, Sister of Kovu and Nuka |
| Information | |
| Appearances | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Lion Guard |
| Voice Actor(s) | Lacey Chabert (cub), Jennifer Lien (young adult). |
- "Nuka, where's Kovu? Did you leave him out there on his own again?"
- —Vitani
Vitani is the daughter of Zira, the sister of Nuka and Kovu, the tertiary antagonist of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and will be a guest character in it's midquel series The Lion Guard.
Contents
Physical Attributes
Vitani has light tan-colored fur, electric blue eyes with dark circles around each, and a tuft of hair on her head. As a cub, she was roughly the same size as Kovu. She has brighter fur compared to the other Lioness' from the Outlands, most likely to make her stand out as an important character, and as Kovu's sister and Zira's daughter.
Personality
Vitani is a fierce warrior who will always place her pride first. Growing up in the Outlands has understandably made her hard, as she adapted to an unwelcoming environment. As a cub she was already eager to scuffle with her brother Kovu, beginning to prepare for the day when she would fight to restore the Pride Lands to the Outsiders. She carries herself with the eager determination of a lioness who is confident in her skills, and can appear overconfident at times. Vitani has been shown to take pleasure in vengeance and battle, laughing cruelly as she leaped to attack Simba, and taunted Nala before attacking her.
In spite of her tough facade, Vitani is capable of forging incredibly tight bonds with her family and pridemates. Although she appears to consider Nuka a nuisance throughout much of Simba's Pride, his death strips away her mental armor and reveals her true emotions as she mourns. This is a precious glimpse of Vitani's softer side, and though it doesn't surface often, it certainly exists.
Vitani's clear head, and deep connection to her siblings allowed her to be the first of the Outsiders to recognize the truth of Kiara's words as she confronted Simba and Zira in their climactic battle.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
- Zira: "Vitani, now!"
Vitani: "No, mother... Kiara's Right. Enough." - —Zira and Vitani
Vitani has a somewhat minor role in the movie. Near the beginning, she and Nuka have a brief conversation about Kovu, and a little later she participates in Zira's song "My Lullaby". Unlike her older brother, she does not seem bothered by the fact Kovu is Scar's heir despite him not being related by blood.
As a young adult, Vitani is sent with Nuka to light a fire in the Savannah so Kovu can save Simba's daughter Kiara and get close to Simba. This is part of Zira's plot for Kovu to infiltrate Simba's pride. Later on Vitani discovers that Kovu no longer wishes to assassinate Simba and reports this to Zira.
Vitani bears a close resemblance to Zira as a young adult. She constantly argues with Nuka, though she is upset when he dies. Vitani also is Zira's "right hand girl". She is a spy for her, and she also sticks close to Zira at all times, except at the end, in which she defies her mother and goes to Simba's side.
During the battle between the Outsiders and Pridelanders, when Kiara reminds Simba that they "are one", Vitani is the first of the Outsiders to realize that the fighting is pointless and that the Outsiders must attempt to become accepted by the Pridelanders and prove themselves worthy of forgiveness to survive. Zira says "Vitani, now!" expecting her to attack, but Vitani walks slowly over to the Pridelanders and says "No, Mother, Kiara is right. Enough".
She is the first to cross over to Simba's side and defend his cause. Furthermore, when Zira then threatens Vitani for her defection ("If you will not fight, then you will die as well" ~ Zira), that act backfires into disgusting the other Outsiders enough to desert her entirely.
It is implied that there is some connection between Vitani and Nala, as during the fight, the two speak each others names, then engage in combat, whereas none of the other lions speak the others names. The two could be seen as rivals, due to the fact Nala is queen, and therefore second-in-command to Simba, and Vitani could be considered second-in-command to Zira (especially after the death of her brother) as she would be the eldest son or daughter still working along side Zira (Kovu at that point had left the Outsiders).
The Lion Guard
Vitani is set to guest star in the upcoming Disney Junior series The Lion Guard alongside Kovu and Nuka.
Songs
Trivia
- She was originally named Shetani, but since the word means "demon" in Swahili, her name was changed to "Vitani". "Vita" means "war" in Swahili, so it is suggested that her name is a portmanteau meaning "demon of war". However, during the fight scene at the end of the film, Nala appears to say "Shetani" rather than "Vitani", pointing out the potential that the name was changed after production had already begun. The actual name "Vitani" has no meaning in Swahili but the comparison was logical because the makers thought that "Shetani" sounded rude and was insulting to the character.
