|
| Fluffy | |
|---|---|
| |
| Physical information | |
| Gender |
Undetermined |
| Species | |
| Hair color |
Brown, cream, and gold |
| Eye color |
Black |
| Distinguishing features |
Dark ear rims |
| Biographical information | |
| Status |
Undetermined |
| Residence | |
| Affiliations | |
| Titles |
Royal of Pride Rock |
| Relationship information | |
| Family |
Simba (father) |
| “ |
|
” |
Fluffy is a lion. They are the heir of Pride Rock. They are the cub of Simba and Nala.
Biography
Early life
Fluffy was born to Simba and Nala.[1]
Presentation
Under the reign of King Simba, the Pride Lands returned to its former glory. Atop Pride Rock, Simba and Nala watched proudly alongside their friends, Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu, as Fluffy was carried to the peak by Rafiki. After exchanging looks with the cub's parents, Rafiki lifted the new heir high above the gathered animals, thus welcoming another cub into the Circle of Life.[1]
The different identities of Fluffy
Original intent
In the January 1990 and May 1990 drafts of The Lion King, which were written by J. T. Allen and Ronald Bass, Simba and Nala's cub was specifically identified as a male.[2][3] However, in the 1993 draft, which was written by Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts, the cub's gender was left ambiguous.[4] In the 1993 work print of The Lion King, Pumbaa refers to the cub as "little guy," implying that it is male.[5]
An audio commentary track for the Laserdisc release of The Lion King was recorded by the film's creators, who referred to the cub as "Fluffy." No gender was mentioned.[6]
Because the gender of the cub was left ambiguous by the film's creators, the question often arises whether they intended Fluffy to be male or female. Chances are, they did not think the cub's gender was important enough to determine because they did not announce any such decision on the commentary track and gave the cub a unisex nickname. Furthermore, in the making-of documentaries, the filmmakers revealed that they had initially not believed in the film's success and considered it a "B movie."[7] Thus, it is likely they did not plan for a sequel.
Kiara
The most commonly accepted identity of Fluffy is Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, who made her debut in the 1998 sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, which was written and animated by a completely different crew than the first film. Despite Fluffy's appearance in the sequel's official trailer, the ceremony in the first film is significantly different from the ceremony in the sequel. One major difference is the way the cub is carried to the peak of Pride Rock; in the first film, Fluffy is carried to the promontory by Rafiki, but in the sequel, Kiara is carried by Nala instead. Kiara also looks quite different from Fluffy; she has less vivid fur, sports different facial features, has reddish-brown eyes as opposed to Fluffy's black, and lacks Fluffy's dark ear rims.[1][8]
Chaka
It is possible that Fluffy was intended to be Chaka, the son of Simba and Nala, and the brother of Kiara (then-named Shani), who appeared in an early script of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.[9][10]
Kopa
In The Lion King: Six New Adventures, a 1994 book series inspired by The Lion King, Fluffy is identified as a male cub named Kopa. Though his presentation is not shown, Kopa is the only cub of Simba and Nala in the series, and no mention of Kiara is made.[11]
In an interview, Phil Weinstein, the storyboard director of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, admitted that he had been unaware of Kopa's existence during the production of the sequel.[12] Since Weinstein was among the production crew of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and presumably had the same knowledge as his coworkers, this would explain why Kopa did not appear in the sequel.
Various books
Various books inspired by The Lion King assign their own gender to the cub. While some books follow the sequel, identifying Fluffy as a "daughter" or "princess," other books call the cub a "son" or "prince."
The official novelization of the 2019 version of The Lion King calls Simba and Nala's newborn cub a male. No name is given to Simba's son in the novelization.[13]
Physical appearance
Fluffy is a small lion cub. Their fur is gold, and their ears are rimmed with brown. Their muzzle, paws, and underbelly are tan, and their tail is tipped with brownish fur.[1]
Appearances
Films Video games Books
Short stories |
Trivia
- The cub from The Lion King is in the official trailer for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.[14]
- Early storyboards and rough pencil tests of "He Lives In You" reveal that Kiara was originally going to have dark ear rims like Fluffy.[15]
References
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