Kovu is the deuteragonist of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He is the chosen heir of Scar who defies the Outsiders after falling in love with Simba's daughter, Kiara.

Apperance

- Strong even as a cub.
- Compact and broad-featured, with no sign of the malnutrition that plagues his fellow Outsiders.
- His fur is colored auburn
- Muzzle, paws and underbelly are all creamy brown in color.
- Dark brown head tuft, and also sports tufts of fur on his elbow joints that match the color of his head tuft and tail-tip.
- Dark eye shades mirror those of his siblings
- Emerald green eyes

​Adult:
- Handsome and muscular
- Bit oversized due to Zira's brutal training.
- Muscles are clearly defined through his fur, and despite being the same age as Kiara, he is considerably bigger and in better shape.
- Has grown a short mane that stops at his chest, indicating that he still has more to grow. Kovu's mane is colored a very rich dark brown and matches the dark shades of his elbow tufts and tail-tip.
- He later gets a scar across his left eye that is inflicted by Zira.
- Kovu resembles Zira the least. However, bigger, darker in color, and more round-featured than his mother. 
- Has a curved nose and dark eye shades that were inherited from Zira.
​Colored paws were also passed down to him from his mother.

Kovu:

Having grown up under the care of the scheming Zira, Kovu is aggressive and crude, even as a cub. Upon first meeting Kiara, his first reaction is to snarl a challenge, and the only game he appears to understand is play-fighting. His violent tendencies are reinforced by a knack for taking care of himself, as he is physically fit and an able hunter, two features that make way for his more arrogant and cocky side. Even as a cub, Kovu strives to please and takes no shame in showing off to the more innocent Kiara. However, when faced by his mother, Kovu is submissive and prone to showing his softer side, exposing a desire to befriend and treat kindly the new cub he has just met.

Kovu Facts

• Kovu's animator was named Andrew Collins.

• Like the other Outsiders, young adult Kovu's claws were initially extended at all times. After realizing his growing love for Kiara, his claws retracted. Likewise, the other Outsiders had their claws retracted after Simba welcomed them back to Pride Rock.

• Zira slashes Kovu horizontally, yet his scar is vertical.

• In the brief scene where Kovu mourns for Zira's death, his scar is not shown on his left eye. This is because the filmmakers flipped the animation in which Kovu sighs before planning to tell Kiara about Zira's plan.
• Kovu's mane was originally going to be slicker and black, and his eyes were going to be bright green to match his intended father, Scar. These were later changed, along with his relation to Scar.
• He was originally scripted as Scar's son, but after realizing the incest this would have created in his romance with Kiara (as that would make him Simba's nephew and therefore Kiara's relation), it was scrapped and clarified that he had no relation to Scar.
• According to Variety, Kovu, then named Nunka, was going to be voiced by Andy Dick, who ended up voicing Nuka.