Editing Simba (section)

===Personality and design===
Disney has long denied [[Kimba the White Lion (TV series)#Claims of resemblance to The Lion King|accusations]] that ''The Lion King'' is based on the anime series ''[[Kimba the White Lion (TV series)|Kimba the White Lion]]'', despite similarities between the names "Simba" and "Kimba", as well as some [[concept art]] depicting Simba as a [[white lion]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keeley |first=Pete |date=July 22, 2019 |title=Big Little Lions: Disney's New 'Lion King' Dodges the 'Kimba' Similarity Issue |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lion-king-kimba-white-lion-does-disney-need-come-clean-1225822/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621080544/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lion-king-kimba-white-lion-does-disney-need-come-clean-1225822/ |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |access-date=January 15, 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mirjalili |first=Fatemeh |date=March 25, 2022 |title=Why Some Thought The Lion King Was Just A Copycat Of This Anime |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/811619/why-some-thought-the-lion-king-was-just-a-copycat-of-this-anime/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414152820/https://www.slashfilm.com/811619/why-some-thought-the-lion-king-was-just-a-copycat-of-this-anime/ |archive-date=April 14, 2022 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |work=[[/Film]]}}</ref> The studio maintains that any parallels are coincidental.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Cecil |date=December 23, 1999 |title=The Straight Dope |url=https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/the-straight-dope-433/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809073516/https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/the-straight-dope-433/ |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Reader]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Denham |first=Hannah |date=July 26, 2019 |title='Lion King' has been clouded by intellectual property controversy for 25 years. Here's the story behind it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604184935/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/ |archive-date=June 4, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> However, Broderick said he thought he had originally been cast in an American remake of ''Kimba'' because the characters seemed so similar to him at first.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 12, 1994 |title='Lion King' recalls beast of another reign |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-07-12-1994193097-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904001830/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-07-12-1994193097-story.html |archive-date=September 4, 2019 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref> Because Disney was prioritizing ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' over ''The Lion King'', the former of which most of their experienced animators gravitated towards since the studio considered it the more promising of the two projects,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Matthew |date=July 22, 2019 |title=In 1994, 'The Lion King' Was A Surprise Smash. Today, It's Just Another Product. |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-lion-king-remake-jon-favreau_n_5d30736de4b004b6adac065d |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118165604/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-lion-king-remake-jon-favreau_n_5d30736de4b004b6adac065d |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |work=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Golembewski |first=Vanessa |date=June 23, 2015 |title=The Secret Rivalry Between Pocahontas & The Lion King |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2015/06/89430/pocohantas-disney-anniversary-animation-team-rivalry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118172820/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2015/06/89430/pocohantas-disney-anniversary-animation-team-rivalry |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |work=[[Refinery29]]}}</ref> Simba was one of the few ''Lion King'' characters animated at the studio's main California location.<ref name=":26" /> This proved challenging for the production team because Simba shares several scenes with characters who were animated in [[Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida|Florida]].<ref name=":26" />
[[File:Jonathan Taylor Thomas.jpg|left|thumb|281x281px|Actor [[Jonathan Taylor Thomas]] voiced young Simba and served as visual inspiration for his animators. ]]
The role of Simba's supervising animator was divided between [[Ruben A. Aquino]] and Mark Henn, the former of whom was the first animator hired for ''The Lion King''.<ref name=":1" /> Henn served as the supervising animator of Simba as a cub,<ref name=":37">{{Cite web |last=jchan |date=November 14, 2014 |title=Meet the Disney Animator Who Helped Create Some of Your Favorite Princesses: Mark Henn |url=https://blog.academyart.edu/meet-the-disney-animator-who-helped-create-some-of-your-favorite-princesses-mark-henn/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119195850/https://blog.academyart.edu/meet-the-disney-animator-who-helped-create-some-of-your-favorite-princesses-mark-henn/ |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |website=[[Academy of Art University]]}}</ref> and Aquino animated him as an adult.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wloszczyna |first=Susan |date=October 29, 2003 |title=Looks like a bear market for 2-D animation |work=[[USA Today]] |via=[[EBSCO Information Services]]}}</ref><ref name=":6-4">{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Solomon (animation historian) |date=November 12, 2003 |title=Drawing breath |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-12-et-solomon12-story.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423154505/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-12-et-solomon12-story.html |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |access-date=July 25, 2013 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Aquino and Henn worked on the character from Disney's California and Florida studios, respectively.<ref name=":34" /> According to Aquino, animating [[Quadrupedalism|four-legged creatures]] is difficult because artists are required to draw twice as many legs as human characters, while still incorporating human-like qualities.<ref name=":6-5" /> For assistance, Aquino drew inspiration from Disney's previous animal films such as ''Bambi'', ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'', and ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]''.<ref name=":6-5">{{Cite web |last=Tiemann |first=Brian |date=December 25, 1994 |title=The Lion King |url=http://www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620183143/https://www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |access-date=July 25, 2013 |website=The Lion King WWW Archive |publisher=Brian Tiemann}}</ref> Aquino based his early drawings of Simba on Broderick,<ref name=":24">{{Cite news |last=Giardina |first=Carolyn |date=March 11, 2022 |title='Lion King' Animator Ruben Aquino Looks Back at the Inspirations Behind His Design of Simba |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/lion-king-animator-interview-simba-design-1235106624/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115055119/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/lion-king-animator-interview-simba-design-1235106624/ |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> whose voice he said offers the character "a lot of humor and vulnerability ... which really gave me something to go on and made it easier for me to flesh out my performance".<ref name=":6-5" /> Aquino would quietly sketch Broderick live during his sessions, which would end up informing each other's performances.<ref name=":39" /> Because the adult version of the character is introduced [[Depression (mood)|mildly depressed]], Aquino originally drew him with sad, soulful eyes and a disheveled mane, but redesigned him to look more heroic at Hahn's request.<ref name=":24" /> As a result, Simba ended up resembling Mufasa.<ref name=":24" /> To make sure the character looked believable, Aquino studied live lions loaned to the studio and consulted with zoologists.<ref name=":24" />

Henn animated Simba's scenes from the beginning of the film until approximately the "Hakuna Matata" sequence,<ref name=":0" /> including Simba's first appearance as an adult towards the end of the musical number.<ref name=":34">{{cite web |last=Noyer |first=Jérémie |date=January 8, 2010 |title=The Princess and the Frog's Supervising Animator Mark Henn – Part 2: The "Disney Decade" |url=http://animatedviews.com/2010/the-princess-and-the-frog-supervising-animator-mark-henn-part-2-the-disney-decade/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609191934/http://animatedviews.com/2010/the-princess-and-the-frog-supervising-animator-mark-henn-part-2-the-disney-decade/ |archive-date=June 9, 2023 |access-date=August 7, 2013 |website=Animated Views}}</ref> Before ''The Lion King'', his experience as a supervising animator was limited to predominantly female characters, having previously worked on [[Ariel (The Little Mermaid)|Ariel]] from ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'', [[Belle (Disney character)|Belle]] from ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', and [[Jasmine (Aladdin)|Jasmine]] from ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''.<ref name=":34" /><ref name=":32">{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Roger |date=September 15, 2011 |title='Lion King' was born and animated in Orlando |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2011/09/15/lion-king-was-born-and-animated-in-orlando/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002123248/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-15/entertainment/os-movie-story-henn-20110915_1_disney-s-feature-animation-florida-disney-animation-mark-henn |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |url-status=live |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Amidi |first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi |date=December 16, 2023 |title=Animation Legend Mark Henn Retires After 43-Year Run At Disney |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/animation-legend-mark-henn-retires-after-43-year-run-at-disney-235890.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122092512/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/animation-legend-mark-henn-retires-after-43-year-run-at-disney-235890.html |archive-date=January 22, 2024 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |work=[[Cartoon Brew]]}}</ref> He initially campaigned heavily to animate the film's villain, Scar, because he wanted to do something different than the [[Disney Princess|princesses]] he had become known for,<ref name=":34" /><ref name=":35">{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2017 |title=Everything We Learned From the 'Lion King' Panel at the 2017 D23 Expo |url=https://www.moviefone.com/news/everything-we-learned-from-the-lion-king-panel-at-the-2017-d23/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425014453/https://www.moviefone.com/news/everything-we-learned-from-the-lion-king-panel-at-the-2017-d23/ |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |access-date=January 22, 2024 |website=[[Moviefone]]}}</ref> but Hahn convinced him to work on Simba due to his experience with main characters.<ref name=":8-2">{{Cite web |last=Radish |first=Christina |date=September 11, 2011 |title=Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft Interview The Lion King 3D |url=http://collider.com/mark-henn-tony-bancroft-the-lion-king-3d-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418071844/http://collider.com/mark-henn-tony-bancroft-the-lion-king-3d-interview/ |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |access-date=July 24, 2013 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref> Hahn reminded Henn that the success of the entire film hinges on Simba's design, since he is considered the most important character in ''The Lion King'',<ref name=":34" /><ref name=":35" /> and the animator found it a welcome departure from [[Leading lady|leading ladies]] nonetheless.<ref name=":8-2" /> Aside from [[Andreas Deja]] who ultimately animated Scar, Henn was the most tenured animator on ''The Lion King'', whose roster mostly consisted of newer or first-time animators.<ref name=":8-2" /> Simba proved to be a challenge because Henn was tasked with creating an animated character who would both appear and behave like a real lion cub for the first time.<ref name=":33" /> To achieve believability, Henn visited zoos, studied live lion cubs that were loaned to the studio for research, and consulted with wildlife professionals.<ref name=":33">{{Cite web |last=Priebe |first=Ken A. |date=October 10, 2011 |title=Disney Animator Mark Henn Reflects |url=http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=8850 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125111537/http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/the-lion-king-interview-with-mark-henn/ |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |access-date=July 25, 2013 |website=Hollywood Jesus}}</ref> Henn maintained that animators can not simply use their cats as reference models due to their different anatomies.<ref name=":32" /> Recalling their efforts to make his character as realistic as possible, Henn said that, unlike domestic cats, lion cubs “have a power ... underlying that seemingly soft exterior".<ref name=":27" /> He was also responsible for making sure Simba's appearance remained consistent between himself, the directors, and other animators.<ref name=":0" />

When it came to animating the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence, Henn insisted that Simba remain on all-fours, despite the character [[Anthropomorphism|exhibiting human characteristics]] by dancing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Minow |first=Nell |author-link=Nell Minow |year=2011 |title=Interview: Mark Henn of 'The Lion King' |url=http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2011/10/interview-mark-henn-of-the-lion-king.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002204846/http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2011/10/interview-mark-henn-of-the-lion-king.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=July 25, 2013 |website=[[Beliefnet]]}}</ref> The animators would often observe and film the actors' recording sessions, using their mannerisms as visual reference, with Thomas proving particularly influential on Simba's design and personality.<ref name=":5-2">{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Brian |date=September 15, 2011 |title=Tony Bancroft and Mark Henn Talk The Lion King |url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/tony-bancroft-and-mark-henn-talk-the-lion-king |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707051223/http://movieweb.com/tony-bancroft-and-mark-henn-talk-the-lion-king/ |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |access-date=July 25, 2014 |website=[[MovieWeb]]}}</ref> Henn described his version of the character as a young, cocky, inexperienced cub who had yet to mature, which he hoped would remind viewers of their younger selves.<ref name=":34" /> Compared to adult Simba, Simba is "looser" and less physically assured, which allowed Henn to draw him "a little more awkward, his feet were a little bigger, they could be a little floppier than when he’s an adult".<ref name=":34" /> Although Henn and Aquino did not spend much time discussing the character's design with each other, both artists referenced live lions and received input from the same research team to determine how Simba should look and behave.<ref name=":34" /> Catherine Hinman of the ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' observed that the animators' extensive research resulted in "a lion cub who moves like his aristocratic cousins on the savannah but acts like the kid down the street".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hinman |first=Catherine |date=June 19, 1994 |title=Disney-mgm Animation 'Lion King' Of The Jungle |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/06/19/disney-mgm-animation-lion-king-of-the-jungle/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030162925/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-06-19/news/9406190329_1_lion-king-feature-animation-simba |archive-date=October 30, 2015 |access-date=January 25, 2024 |url-status=live |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]}}</ref> Tom Bancroft, an animator who worked on Simba under Henn, described his supervisor as the fastest animator at Disney at the time, making it difficult for other animators to acquire their own scenes to animate as Henn would typically do them himself.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Lavalle |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Traditional Animation |url=https://www.traditionalanimation.com/2013/tom-bancroft-interview-character-mentor-workshops/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203154908/https://www.traditionalanimation.com/2013/tom-bancroft-interview-character-mentor-workshops/ |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |access-date=January 22, 2024 |website=Traditional Animation}}</ref> According to the [[Academy of Art University]], Henn's work on Simba "further cemented his place in [animation] history".<ref name=":37" />

Some journalists believe Simba's mane was based on how singer [[Jon Bon Jovi]] styled his hair during the 1980s.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Gray |first=Ali |date=June 13, 2014 |title=The Lion King: 20 Things Might Not Know |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/movies/the-lion-king-20-things-might-not-know-141843642.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111150432/https://www.yahoo.com/news/movies/the-lion-king-20-things-might-not-know-141843642.html |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2023 |work=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Fallon |first=Kevin |date=July 12, 2017 |title='The Lion King' Turns 20: Every Crazy, Weird Fact About the Disney Classic |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-lion-king-turns-20-every-crazy-weird-fact-about-the-disney-classic |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203210941/https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-lion-king-turns-20-every-crazy-weird-fact-about-the-disney-classic |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2023 |work=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chanel |first=Sunny |date=August 28, 2017 |title=25 Things You Probably Didn't Know About "The Lion King" |url=https://www.brit.co/lion-king-facts/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120075336/https://www.brit.co/lion-king-facts/ |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=[[Brit + Co]]}}</ref> Simba spends 55% of his screen time as a cub, and the remaining 45% as an adult lion.<ref name=":29">{{Cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Matthew |last2=Sheehan |first2=Paul |date=April 26, 2023 |title=Top 10 Disney Heroes Ranked By Screen Time |url=https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/disney-heroes-screen-time/heroes-simba/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117175215/https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/disney-heroes-screen-time/heroes-simba/ |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2023 |work=[[Gold Derby]]}}</ref> At the time of the film's release, Simba had the most screen time of any Disney hero, appearing in 49.71% of the film (or 43 minutes and 51 seconds).<ref name=":29" />