text:
Simba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Simba (disambiguation).
Simba
The Lion King character
Simba as he appears as a cub in the first film
First appearance
The Lion King (1994)
Created by
Irene Mecchi
Jonathan Roberts
Linda Woolverton
Voiced by
Matthew Broderick
(adult, in 3 films)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
(cub)
Joseph Williams
(singing, adult)
Jason Weaver
(singing, cub)
Matt Weinberg
(cub in The Lion King 1½)
Cam Clarke
(various sequels and merchandise)
Rob Lowe
(The Lion Guard)
Donald Glover
(adult in The Lion King (2019 film)
J.D. McCrary
(cub in The Lion King (2019 film)
Information
Species
Lion
Gender
Male
Family
Mufasa (father, deceased)
Sarabi (mother)
Bunga (adoptive brother)
Sarafina (mother-in-law)
Kovu (son-in-law)
Spouse(s)
Nala (wife)
Children
Kopa (son)
Kiara (daughter)
Kion (son)
Relatives
Scar (uncle, deceased)
Simba is a fictional character who appears in Disney's The Lion King franchise. Introduced in Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature film The Lion King (1994), the character subsequently appears in its sequels The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004) as well as the upcoming 2019 remake of the original film directed by Jon Favreau.
Simba was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton. While Mark Henn served as Simba's supervising animator as a cub, Ruben A. Aquino animated the character as he appears as an adult.
Although considered an original character, Simba was inspired by the character Bambi from Disney's Bambi (1942), as well as the stories of Moses and Joseph from the Bible. Additionally, several similarities have been drawn between Simba and Prince Hamlet from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. In 1997, The Lion King was adapted into a Broadway musical, with actors Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize originating the roles of the cub and adult Simbas, respectively.
Contents
[hide]
1 Name
2 Development
2.1 Conception
2.2 Voice
2.3 Characterization and animation
3 Appearances
3.1 The Lion King
3.2 The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
3.3 The Lion King 1½
3.4 The Lion King (2019)
3.5 Timon & Pumbaa and television
3.6 The Lion Guard
3.7 Broadway musical
3.8 Miscellaneous
3.8.1 Books
3.8.2 Merchandising and video games
3.8.3 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
4 Reception and legacy
4.1 Critical response
4.2 Impact and popularity
5 References
Name[edit]
The word 'simba' is a Swahili word for the lion. It also has other definitions, such as 'king'.[1]
Development[edit]
Conception[edit]
Simba was framed for this terrible murder, and on the one hand you can say it wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t a stand-up guy, so a little bit of the theme of the movie is you have to stand up for yourself if you know you’re right. So that idea of redemption, that idea of that day in your life that you have to take responsibility for yourself, that you’re no longer a child, you’re an adult, all those themes resonated with us when we were making the movie and, thankfully, the audience appreciated them, as well.
— Producer Don Hahn on Simba's role in the film.[2]
The idea for The Lion King originated from Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1989[3] and was originally conceived under the title King of the Jungle.[4] The story, which has been compared to Bambi (1942),[5] was jokingly referred to as "Bambi in Africa" because of the similarities between the two films and their respective main characters.[6] Co-director Rob Minkoff said that both films are "more true-life adventure than mythical epic."[6] Though considered an original[7][8] coming-of-age[9] story that follows the life of Simba as he grows up and "tak[es] on the responsibility of adulthood," co-directors Roger Allers and Minkoff drew inspiration from other sources. In particular, the biblical figures Moses and Joseph served as creative inspiration for the character.[10] Producer Don Hahn said that, like them, Simba is "born into royalty, is then exiled, and has to return to claim [his] kingdom."[11]
Several film and entertainment critics have noted similarities and parallels between the stories of The Lion King and William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, and their protagonists.[12][13][14][15] Allers said that these similarities were not initially intentional and came as a surprise to the filmmakers themselves; they noticed the similarities only after the story was established and they eventually decided to pursue it. According to Hahn, "When we first pitched the revised outline of the movie ... someone in the room announced that its themes and relationships were similar to Hamlet. Everyone responded favorably to the idea that we were doing something Shakespearean, so we continued to look for ways to model our film on that all-time classic."[11]
Screenwriter Jonathan Roberts said that, in a musical, songs are used to convey a character's emotions and "I wants." Composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice wrote the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in order to give Simba a medium through which he can express his desire to become King of the Pride Lands. Roberts said, "It's a way for storytellers to move the story and deliver the direction of the character."[16]
Voice[edit]
Matthew Broderick.
Matthew Broderick provided the speaking voice of Adult Simba.[17] The first actor to be assigned to The Lion King,[8] Broderick learned of the role while he was on vacation in Ireland, where he received a telephone call from his agent informing him that the directors were interested in casting him as Simba.[18] At the time, Broderick was well known for portraying the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). The directors decided to cast him as Simba because they felt that he was "perfect" for the role; according to producer Don Hahn, Broderick's voice resembled "the kind of character who could be irresponsible and likeable, but you also felt that he could come back in a very heroic way."[19] Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was starring as Randy Taylor on the television sitcom Home Improvement at the time,[20][21] was cast as the speaking voice of Young Simba.[22] His appearance and personality would later serve as creative inspiration for supervising animator Mark Henn.[7]
Though Broderick is a trained Broadway singer, he was not up to the task, and neither was non-singer Thomas, so Toto lead singer Joseph Williams and actor Jason Weaver were hired to dub their respective singing voices. Williams' voice is heard on the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".[23] Impressed by Weaver's performance as a young Michael Jackson in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice recruited him to record "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata"[24] while the film was still in its early stages of production.[25] As directors, Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff worked closely with the actors in order to ensure credible performances.[26] As is frequently done in animated films, the filmmakers videotaped the actors while they recorded their dialogue, allowing the animators to incorporate their specific mannerisms into the designs of their characters.[27]
Characterization and animation[edit]
When The Lion King was green-lit, its concept and story were not well received by studio employees. To guarantee the release of at least one successful film, Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg divided the studio into two separate projects: The Lion King and Pocahontas (1995), with Pocahontas expected to be the more successful of the two. Because of this assumption, the majority of the studio's more seasoned animators gravitated towards Pocahontas because The Lion King was deemed a "risk", while less experienced animators were assigned to work on The Lion King.[28] Co-director Rob Minkoff received this positively, saying that this decision "gave a lot of newer animators a chance to step up to leadership roles."[29]
You can't just use your house cat as a model, thinking, "I can just draw him, only bigger." You need to know why a lion is a lion, the difference in movements between a lion, a tiger, a leopard or your house cat. We looked at this film as our Bambi. They had the same approach. Look at the way the deer are drawn in Snow White and the way they drew the deer in Bambi just a few years later. They look like real deer because the artists did their homework.
— Supervising animator Mark Henn on animating Simba.[30]
The role of animating Simba was divided between Mark Henn and Ruben A. Aquino. While Henn served as the supervising animator of Simba as a cub, credited as Young Simba,[31][self-published source] Aquino was placed in charge of animating the character as he appears as an adult.[32] The Lion King was Disney's first animated feature film to feature absolutely no humans since Robin Hood (1973). According to Aquino, animating four-legged creatures is difficult because the artists are faced with the task of drawing "twice as many legs ... as you do with human characters" and must also attribute to them both human and animal-like qualities. For assistance, Aquino drew influence from previous animated films that feature four-legged creatures as their main characters, citing Bambi, Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Jungle Book (1967) as his main sources of inspiration.[33]
Simba as he appears as an adult in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Before The Lion King, Henn's experience as a supervising animator was limited to predominantly female characters;[5][34] he had just recently completed work on Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989), Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Jasmine from Aladdin (1992).[30] When he became involved with The Lion King, Henn initially expressed interest in animating the film's villain, Scar, because he wanted to do "something different."[5] However, producer Don Hahn felt that he was better suited for animating Simba.[35] Henn approaches animating new characters by "put[ting himself] into the character’s situation." Simba proved to be a challenge because Henn was faced with the task of creating an animated character who would both appear and behave like a real lion cub. To achieve this, Henn visited zoos, sketched and studied live lion cubs that were brought into the studio for research, and frequently consulted with wildlife experts.[36]
When it came time to animate Simba during the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence, Henn felt it essential that the character remain on all fours at all times, despite the fact that he is meant to be dancing.[34] In terms of personality, Henn aimed to depict Simba as a "cocky, confident character" at the beginning of the film, who must eventually mature and learn to take responsibility.[5] The animators would often observe and document the voice actors while they recorded their dialogue, using their movements and mannerisms as a visual aid. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who provided the voice of Young Simba, served as inspiration for the design and personality of Simba. Henn said, "I loved watching Jonathan Taylor Thomas when he was a boy on Home Improvement, and getting to meet him and observe him."[37] Although Aquino was responsible for animating the majority of Simba's adult sequences, Henn animated the character's first appearance as an adult that occurs near the end of the "Hakuna Matata" musical number.[38]
Appearances[edit]
The Lion King[edit]
Main article: The Lion King
Released in theaters in 1994, The Lion King marks Simba's first appearance. All the animals in the Pride Lands gather at the foot of Pride Rock to commemorate the birth of Simba, who will eventually succeed to the throne and take his father Mufasa's place as king. Furious by the fact that he is no longer next in line, Simba's jealous uncle Scar refuses to attend the ceremony. While Simba grows into a rambunctious lion cub who frequently boasts about the fact that he will someday rule over the Pride Lands, Scar secretly plots against him.
Scar plots regicide and familicide against Simba and Mufasa by luring Simba into a vast gorge, where he triggers a wildebeest stampede. Notified by Scar that Simba is in danger, Mufasa rushes to his aid and manages to place him safely on a ledge. Weakened and unable to pull himself up the steep slope to safety, Mufasa asks his brother for assistance. However, Scar's true nature is revealed and he betrays Mufasa, throwing him into the gorge where he is killed by the fall.
Convinced by Scar that he is responsible for his father's death, Simba runs away to a distant jungle where he is befriended by Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to ignore his past and avoid his responsibilities. There, he grows into a handsome young lion, while Scar wreaks havoc on the Pride Lands. When Simba is discovered by his childhood friend named Nala, she confronts him, warning him of Scar's tyranny and begging him to return home. Afraid of facing his past, Simba refuses until a wise mandrill named Rafiki leads him to Mufasa's ghost, who convinces him to return home and reclaim his kingdom from Scar.[39]
Simba returns to the Pride Lands and finds them barren because their natural resources have been squandered and abused by Scar. After witnessing Scar strike his mother Sarabi, Simba orders Scar to resign. At first thrown by the fact that he is alive, Scar soon regains composure and forces Simba to reveal that he is responsible for Mufasa's death, while cornering him at the edge of Pride Rock, hoping to subject him to a similar fate as his father. Having grown overconfident, Scar finally reveals to Simba that he killed Mufasa. Furious, Simba tackles Scar and forces him into announcing this to the pride, initiating a battle between Simba's pride of lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa and Scar's army of hyenas. Simba eventually defeats Scar and throws him into a pit, where he is cornered and killed by the hyenas, who overheard Scar blame them for what he'd done. Simba then takes his rightful place as king. When the kingdom returns to its former glory, the animals welcome the birth of King Simba and Queen Nala's first born.[40]
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride[edit]
Main article: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
A direct-to-video sequel released in 1998, Simba's Pride takes place shortly after the events of the first film, depicting Simba and Nala as king and queen of the Pride Lands. In a ceremony at Pride Rock, the Pride Lands commemorate the birth of Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara, whom Simba is overprotective of. He discovers that Kiara has disobeyed him by visiting the forbidden Outlands, home to an enemy pride of Scar's followers known as the Outsiders, and befriending a young member of the pride named Kovu. After a close confrontation with Kovu's mother Zira, the leader of the Outsiders and Scar's most loyal follower, Simba separates the two and reminds Kiara of her responsibilities as the future queen. Meanwhile, Zira plots to manipulate Kovu to exact revenge on Simba for Scar's death.
Several years later, Simba grants an adolescent Kiara's request to embark on her first hunt, but has Timon and Pumbaa follow her in secret. Realizing this, Kiara rebels and pursue her hunt outside of the Pride Lands, where she nearly falls victim to a wildfire. Kiara is rescued by Kovu, who returns her to the Pride Lands, which is actually part of Zira's plan to overthrow Simba. Saying that he has left the Outsiders, Kovu asks Simba to let him join his pride. Simba reluctantly accepts, but distrusts Kovu because of his similarities to Scar, and continues to treat him ruthlessly. That night, Simba has a nightmare about attempting to save his father Mufasa from falling into the stampede but is stopped by Scar who turns into Kovu and throws Simba off the cliff into the stampede.
While Kiara and Kovu's friendship continues to grow, Simba, encouraged by Nala, attempts to show Kovu kindness by spending a day with him. Realizing that Kovu is beginning to side with Simba because of his love for Kiara, Zira ambushes and attacks Simba. Convinced by Zira that Kovu is responsible for the ambush, Simba exiles him and forbids Kiara to see him, but she makes her father realize that he is acting irrationally, before leaving to find Kovu. When a battle ensues between the Pride Landers and the Outsiders, Kiara and Kovu arrive and stop them, with Kiara telling them that they are one. When a furious Zira attacks Simba, she is intercepted by Kiara, causing the two to fall over the edge of a cliff. Having landed safely on a ledge, Kiara offers to help Zira, who is struggling to hang on. However, Zira, consumed by her resentment towards Simba, falls to her death. Simba finally approves of Kiara's love for Kovu and reconciles with his daughter, and accepts the two lions as the future king and queen of the Pride Lands.[41]
The Lion King 1½[edit]
Main article: The Lion King 1½
In The Lion King 1½, a direct-to-video followup released in 2004, Simba appears as a less prominent character because the film's primary focus is on Timon and Pumbaa's behind-the-scenes role and involvement in The Lion King,[42][43] in which they appear as supporting characters. Although the two films technically share the same story and timeline, the plot of The Lion King 1½ focuses more on Timon and Pumbaa. The meerkat and warthog unknowingly coexist alongside Simba, and the story fills in the two characters' backstories and events that led up to their long-lasting friendship, coinciding with and often initiating the events that affect Simba's life during the first film. These events include the commemorative bow that occurs during the opening "Circle of Life" musical number and the collapsing of the animal tower that takes place during "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."[44] The film also explores, in further detail, the relationship among the three characters as Timon and Pumbaa struggle to raise Simba as adoptive "parents" and disapprove of his relationship with Nala, portraying Simba as he grows from an energetic young lion cub, into an incorrigible teenager and, finally, an independent young lion.[45]
The Lion King (2019)[edit]
Main article: The Lion King (2019 film)
In mid-February 2017, Donald Glover was cast as adult Simba.[46] On November 1, 2017, J.D. McCrary was cast as young Simba.[47]
Timon & Pumbaa and television[edit]
Main article: Timon & Pumbaa (TV series)
The success of The Lion King and popularity of its characters led to the production of Timon & Pumbaa, an animated television series starring Timon and Pumbaa. Simba makes several appearances, including one episode in which Timon drags him out to try to revive Pumbaa's lost memory.
In the episode "Congo On Like This," Timon and Pumbaa (especially Timon) suspect that Simba has reverted to his carnivorous nature. The episode "Shake Your Djibouti" again features Simba, when Timon and Pumbaa are forced to train him to protect them from a laboratory monster. Another episode, entitled "Rome Alone," shows Simba being captured by Romans and forced into gladiatorial battle with another lion named Claudius. Simba makes brief appearances in "Once Upon a Timon", "Zazu's Off-By-One Day", and "Beethoven's Whiff". He also appears in a music video of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
Simba was featured as a guest in the animated series House of Mouse, in which he alternates between cub and adult.
The Lion Guard[edit]
Main article: The Lion Guard
In January 2016, a new series called The Lion Guard premiered, following a television pilot film The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in November 2015. Set within the time gap in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride,[48] it features Kion who is the son and youngest child of Simba and Nala, who as the second-born cub, is tasked with assembling a team to protect the Pride Lands.[49]
Broadway musical[edit]
Main article: The Lion King (musical)
The success of The Lion King led to the production of a Broadway musical based on the film. Directed by Julie Taymor, with a book by Irene Mecchi and Roger Allers, The Lion King premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 13, 1997, where it ran for nine years until being moved to the Minskoff Theatre on June 13, 2006.[50] The role of Simba was originated by Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize, with Irby-Ranniar portraying Young Simba and Raize portraying Adult Simba.[51]
Raize auditioned for the role of Adult Simba after hearing that Taymor was looking to cast an actor who was of "unidentifiable ethnicity."[52] Raize revealed in an interview that there was a lot of competition for the role because the musical required "triple-threat work -- singing, dancing and acting -- that you don't get to such an extent in other shows. It was more the sense of who can take the challenge and not be daunted by the task." Raize, who instantly felt that he "had a connection with Simba," eventually won the role with the approval of Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan,[53] with Fagan admiring the fact that Raize was "willing to try, to fail, and then to try again."[9] Once cast, Raize found it difficult to maintain Taymor's "sense of duality" because Simba is "both man and beast." He said, "The tendency is to sacrifice one for the other, but you can't."[54] Although hundreds of children auditioned for the role of Young Simba,[55] the casting process was far less grueling for Irby-Ranniar who, according to Taymor, simply "walked in and he had the part."[56]
Miscellaneous[edit]
Books[edit]
In 1994, a six-volume book set titled The Lion King: Six New Adventures were released. Set after the events of the first film, they featured a cub named Kopa, who was the son of Simba and Nala.
Merchandising and video games[edit]
As part of the franchise's merchandising, Simba has appeared in various The Lion King-related products.[57] The character's likeness has been used in and adapted into a variety of items, including plush toys and figurines, clothing, bedding, household decor and appliances.[58] The success of the Broadway musical has also led to its own line of merchandising,[59] including the Simba beanbag doll, based on the character's appearance and costume in the Broadway show.[60][61]
Since the film's 1994 debut, Simba has appeared as a playable character in a variety of video game releases, both directly and indirectly associated with the franchise. The character's first appearance as a video game character was in The Lion King, which was released by Virgin Interactive on November 1, 1994, for the video game platforms Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo Entertainment System and PC.[62] The game follows the plot of the original film and features Simba as both a cub and an adult.[63]
On December 28, 2000,[64] Activision released The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure for Game Boy Color and PlayStation.[65] The game encompasses 10 levels and incorporates the plot of both The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as "Simba ... matures from a precocious cub to an adult lion."[66] Simba also appears as a playable character in Disney Interactive Studios' Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, released on September 3, 2003, for Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox,[67] and Disney Friends , released for Nintendo DS on February 26, 2008.[68] Additionally, Simba appears in the Square Enix Kingdom Hearts video game franchise as a friend and ally of the series' main character, Sora.[69][70][71][72][73]
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts[edit]
Live versions of Simba appear in the Lion King musical and in the parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Simba was also the main character in "Legend of the Lion King," a former Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which retold the story of the film using fully articulated puppets. Other Disney attractions that have featured Simba include the Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show and the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World.
He appeared as one of the main characters at Epcot's Land Pavilion 12-minute edutainment film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, until its closure in 2018. He currently appears in animatronic form in Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Reception and legacy[edit]
Critical response[edit]
Actor Matthew Broderick was praised for his performance as Simba.
Although The Lion King itself has garnered universal acclaim from film critics,[74] reception towards Simba has been generally mixed. The Christian Science Monitor's David Sterritt hailed Simba as "a superbly realized character," specifically praising the scene in which the character "faces discipline by his dad after his adventure with the hyenas."[75] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Simba "has been given a marvelously expressive face" to the point of which "He seems more human than the Ken and Barbie types featured in Aladdin and The Little Mermaid."[76] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described "the father-son relationship" shared by Simba and Mufasa as "movingly rendered,"[77] while About.com's David Nusair wrote, "it’s the touching father/son stuff that lies at the heart of the movie that cements The Lion King's place as an utterly timeless piece of work."[78] James Berardinelli of ReelViews enjoyed the fact that the film focuses more on the story of Simba himself as opposed to the romantic relationship developing between the character and Nala. However, Berardinelli criticized Matthew Broderick's vocal performance, describing it as "nondescript."[79] Rob Humanick of Slant Magazine hailed the fact that "it's never laid on [Simba] that his time as king will directly correspond with the eventual passing of his father" as one of the film's "most important facets." However, he criticized The Lion King's characters, describing them as well-designed but "lazy and troublesome."[80] The Austin Chronicle's Robert Faires felt that Simba and the other Lion King characters, though "true", were simply unoriginal retreads of preceding animated characters who were "swiped from other Disney cartoons."[81]
Hal Hinson of The Washington Post gave the character a negative review. Labeling Timon and Pumbaa the only interesting characters in The Lion King, Hinson questioned Simba's role as the film's hero.[82] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times agreed, "A movie's heroes may have their names above the title, but often as not it's the sidekicks who get the real work done." Turan went on to pan Simba, describing him as "irritatingly callow."[83] Chris Hick of the Deseret News complained about the fact that Simba and the other "characters in The Lion King are not as warm and fuzzy as other Disney animated features," crediting this with making "the film a bit tougher to warm [up] to."[84] ComingSoon.net strongly panned Simba as a lead character, writing, "typically for Disney animated fare, it's the hero who is the weak link being both blandly designed and blandly performed."[85] Acknowledging the character's Shakespearean origins, The Baltimore Sun's Stephen Hunter gave Simba a negative review, writing, "Alas ...Simba stands in for Hamlet, but he's a lot less complicated; in fact, he's less complicated than Morris the Cat or Sylvester." Hunter continued, "Simba the Exile is even less interesting than Simba the Prince."[86] Christopher Null of Contactmusic.com was critical of Weaver's performance as the singing voice of Young Simba, writing, "If there's anything annoying about the film, it's the singing. Young Simba sounds like a young Michael Jackson ... You almost don't want him to succeed." However, Null reacted more positively towards Broderick's performance.[87]
Despite the character's mixed reception, several critics have awarded specific praise to Broderick for his portrayal of Simba, including the San Francisco Chronicle's Peter Stack and The Washington Post's Desson Howe.[88][89] Annette Basile of Filmink described Broderick's performance as "excellent,"[90] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "sumptuous." Digital Spy's Mayer Nissim described Broderick's portrayal of Simba as "wonderful."[91]
Impact and popularity[edit]
During the film's opening number, "Circle of Life", Rafiki introduces a newborn Simba to the crowd of animals gathered at the foot of Pride Rock by holding him high above their heads while parents Mufasa and Sarabi look on.[10] Since the film's 1994 release, this scene has grown to iconic status.[92] In November 2002, singer Michael Jackson sparked controversy by holding his son over the protective railing of a hotel balcony in Berlin. The event was witnessed by a large crowd of spectators who were watching from below.[93] Some sources have claimed that Jackson was harmlessly attempting to emulate the scene from The Lion King.[94]
When Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge went into labor with hers and Prince William's baby in July 2013, the idea that the couple should reenact the famous scene from The Lion King became quite popular among Twitter users.[95][96] Radio journalist Darren Simpson reportedly tweeted, "when your baby arrives please re-enact the scene from the Lion King".[97] Shortly after Middleton gave birth to a boy, England native Tommy Peto initiated a petition asking the couple to welcome their baby by having the Archbishop of Canterbury emulate the scene by holding him over the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Ultimately, the idea was deemed "outside the responsibility of the government" and was declined.[98]
The scene has found itself the subject of both reference and parody in various forms of media, such as in the film George of the Jungle (1997).[99] In what is almost an exact replica of the scene, George, portrayed by actor Brendan Fraser, takes the place of both Rafiki and Mufasa by standing at the tip of Pride Rock and presenting his young son to a crowd of onlooking animals, accompanied by wife Ursula, portrayed by Leslie Mann.[100]
During the third season finale of Once Upon a Time, the main character Emma Swan asked her parents Snow White and David Nolan if they were going to hold up her yet unnamed baby brother like in The Lion King.[101] Since the release of The Lion King in 1994, the name "Simba" has increased in use and popularity among dog and cat owners. According to Comcast in 2010, the use of Simba as a dog name reemerged in popularity in 2009 after experiencing a noticeable decline in 2001, ranking the name ninth out of 10 on its list of "Top 10 Trendiest Dog Names of the Year."[102] In May 2013, Yahoo! Lifestyle included the name on its list of "Trendiest Dog Names."[103] According to YouPet, Simba is the 17th most popular cat name out of 100 candidates.[104] Care2 included Simba in its article "All-around Cool Cat Names,"[105] while DutchNews.nl reported that Simba ranks among the country's most popular cat names as of July 2013.[106] In its list of "Top Popular Pet Names," BabyNames.com placed Simba at number 64 on its list of most popular dog names out of the 100 that were considered.[107]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Brakefield, Tom (1993). "Sociable Simba". Big Cats: Kingdom of Might. Voyageur Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-89658-329-0.
Jump up ^ Paluso, Marianne (March 14, 2012). "Interview: Don Hahn, producer of "The Lion King" and "Chimpanzee"". The Trades. Burlee LLC. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Beck, Jerry (2005-10-28). The Lion King. The Animated Movie Guide. United States: Chicago Review Press (published October 1, 2005). pp. 145–146. ISBN 1556525915. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Kallay, William (December 2002). "The Lion King: The IMAX Experience". in70mm.com. in70mm.com. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Patrizio, Andy (September 26, 2003). "The Lion King: Special Edition". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Noyer, Jérémie (September 30, 2011). "Lion King D-rectors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff: 2D's for a 3D hit!". Animated Views. Animated Views. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Carnevale, Rob (October 6, 2011). "The Lion King 3D - Don Hahn interview". Orange. orange.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b "The Lion King 3D - Don Hahn interview". IndieLondon. IndieLondon.co.uk. 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Brantley, Ben (November 14, 1997). "'The Lion King': Twice-Told Tale of Cub Coming of Age". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Bonanno, Luke (September 27, 2011). "Interview: Don Hahn, Producer of The Lion King". DVDDizzy.com. DVDizzy.com. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b "Roundtable Interview: The Lion King". Blu-ray.com. Blu-ray.com. September 28, 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Whitney, Erin (June 5, 2013). "16 Movies You Didn't Know Were Based on Shakespeare". Moviefone. Aol Inc. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Bevington, David (2011-06-23). Post Modern Hamlet. Murder Most Foul:Hamlet Through the Ages. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (published Jun 23, 2011). p. 193. ISBN 978-0199599103. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Gavin, Rosemarie (March 1996). The Lion King and Hamlet: A Homecoming for the Exiled Child. The English Journal. 85. United States: National Council of Teachers of English. p. 55. ISSN 0013-8274. JSTOR 820106.
Jump up ^ White, Cindy (September 16, 2011). "The Lion King 3D Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Saenger, Diana (2000-01-01). Analyzing the Film. Everyone Wants My Job!: The ABC's of Entertainment Writing. United States: Piccadilly Books, Ltd. p. 61. ISBN 978-0941599535. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Daly, Steve (July 8, 1994). "Mane Attraction". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
Jump up ^ King, Susan (September 15, 2011). "A 'Lion's' tale". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Simpson, Michael (October 5, 2011). "Interview: Don Hahn Adds Another Dimension to Disney's The Lion King". CinemaSpy.com. CinemaSpy Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Bigler, Taylor (July 25, 2013). "What ever happened to the 'Home Improvement' brothers?". The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Rice, Lynette (September 14, 2011). "Jonathan Taylor Thomas on 'Home Improvement' reunion: 'Like old times' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Kaufman, Amy (September 27, 2011). "With 'Lion King' No. 1, where is Jonathan Taylor Thomas?". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "Joseph Williams Biography". Gemm. GEMM. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Bachelor, J. (September 20, 2011). "Guest Star: "I [Still] Make Residual Income Off Of ['The Lion King' Movie]"". SOHH. 4Control Media. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Rene, Shameika (October 18, 2011). "Sound Check: Jason Weaver". Soul Train. Soul Train Holdings. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Bonanno, Luke (September 30, 2013). "Interview: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, The Directors of The Lion King". DVDDizzy.com. DVDDizzy.com. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Wallace, Aaron (December 5, 2006). "Moira Kelly Interview: The Lion Queen". DVDizzy.com. DVDizzy.com. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
Jump up ^ King, Susan (September 15, 2011). "A 'Lion's' tale". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff Interview". Movie Muser. Muser Media. 2011. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Moore, Roger (September 15, 2011). "'Lion King' was born and animated in Orlando". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Noyer, Jérémie (2011-09-30). Ghez, Didier, ed. Mark Henn (b. 1958). Walt's People: Talking Disney With the Artists Who Knew Him. 11. United States: Xlibris Corporation (published September 30, 2011). pp. 562, 573, 575. ISBN 978-1413478679. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Solomon, Charles (November 12, 2003). "Drawing breath". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Tiemann, Brian (December 25, 1994). "The Lion King". The Lion King WWW Archive. Brian Tiemann. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Minow, Nell (2011). "Interview: Mark Henn of 'The Lion King'". Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Radish, Christina (2011). "Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft Interview THE LION KING 3D". Collider. Demand Media Entertainment. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Priebe, Ken A. (October 10, 2011). "Disney Animator Mark Henn Reflects". Hollywood Jesus. Hollywood Jesus. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Gallagher, Brian (September 15, 2011). "Tony Bancroft and Mark Henn Talk The Lion King". MovieWeb. MovieWeb™, Inc. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Noyer, Jérémie (January 8, 2010). "The Princess And The Frog's Supervising Animator Mark Henn – Part 2: The "Disney Decade"". Animated Views. Animated Views. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=nXUyFxlYvFsC&pg=PA208&dq=simba&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-spWel_DQAhVU7mMKHY-0BzE4FBDoAQg1MAU#v=onepage&q=simba&f=false
Jump up ^ Allers, Roger (director); Minkoff, Rob (director) (June 15, 1994). The Lion King (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Jump up ^ Rooney, Darrell (director) (October 27, 1998). The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Jump up ^ Delia, John (2012). "The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Now on Blu-ray". ACED Magazine. ACED Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Smith, Dennis (March 22, 2012). "The Lion King 1 1/2: Special Edition (a J!-ENT Children's Blu-ray Disc Review)". J!-ENT. j-entonline.com. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King 1 1/2". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline Media, LLC. 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Raymond, Bradley (director) (February 10, 2004). The Lion King 1½. United States: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Jump up ^ "Donald Glover, James Earl Jones cast in Disney's live-action "Lion King"". CNN. February 17, 2017.
Jump up ^ "'Lion King's' Young Simba Actor Signs With ICM Partners (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
Jump up ^ Brett, Susan (February 8, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Disney's The Lion Guard creator Ford Riley talks new Lion King sequel". TVdaily.com. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Be Prepared for The Lion Guard". Disney Insider. June 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
Jump up ^ Ng, David (August 15, 2012). "'The Lion King' to surpass 'A Chorus Line' on Broadway". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King: Opening Night Cast". Playbill Vault. Playbill, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Pacheco, Patrick (January 13, 1998). "Raize of Light" (PDF). InTheater. InTheater. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Jason Raize, 28; Played Simba in 'Lion King'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. February 11, 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Kahn, Sheryl (1997). "A Lion's Share" (PDF). InTheater. InTheater. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Lee, Felicia R. (December 17, 1997). "Circle of Life: School, Homework, Broadway and Sleep". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Heart of a Lion". Telegraph Herald. THonline.com. November 13, 1997. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King". Disney Store. Disney. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Lion King Toys, Action Figures & Plush On Sale!". ToyWiz. ToyWiz. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King the Musical Official Broadway Souvenir Merchandise". PlaybillStore.com. Playbill, Inc. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King the Broadway Musical - Simba Beanbag Doll". PlaybillStore.com. Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Simba Beanbag Doll". Broadway.com. Broadway.com. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Baker, Christopher Michael. "The Lion King". Allgame. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Woods, Nick. "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". Allgame. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Harris, Craig (November 30, 2000). "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". Allgame. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Hwang, Kaiser (September 3, 2003). "Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Jump up ^ DeVries, Jack (March 7, 2006). "Disney Friends Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Cecily (May 5, 2012). "IGN Nomura Interview 2004". Kingdom Hearts Insider. KHInsider. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Kingdom Hearts Ultimania Interviews Kingdom Hearts II Interview (IGN)". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Kingdom Hearts II". Behind The Voice Actors. Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Square Enix Product Development Division 1 (December 22, 2005). Kingdom Hearts II. PlayStation 2. Square Enix.
Jump up ^ "Simba". Kingdom Hearts Insider. KHInsider. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Lion King (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Sterritt, David (June 15, 1994). "Disney studio roars with `The Lion King'". The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Gleiberman, Owen (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King (2002)". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Travers, Peter (June 15, 1994). "The Lion King". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Nusair, David. "Top 5 Animated Films Based on Fairy Tales". About.com. About.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James (1994). "Lion King, The". ReelViews. James Berardinelli. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Humanick, Rob (2011). "The Lion King". Slant Magazine. Slant Magazine. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Faires, Robert (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King". The Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Hinson, Hal (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Turan, Kevin (June 15, 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'The Lion King' and His Court Jesters : The Sidekicks Steal the Show in Disney's Animated Opus". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Hicks, Chris (December 17, 2002). "Film review: Lion King, The". Deseret News. Deseret News. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Starnes, Joshua (2011). "The Lion King 3D". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline Media, LLC. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Hunter, Stephen (June 24, 1994). "In 'The Lion King,' the animation roars". The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
Jump up ^ Null, Christopher (2002). "The Lion King Movie Review". Contactmusic.com. Contactmusic.com Ltd. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Stack, Peter (March 3, 1995). "Disney's `Lion King' Let Loose / Story, animation tops in jungle tale". SFGate. Hearst Communications Inc. Missing or empty |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Howe, Desson (June 24, 1996). "The Lion King". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Basile, Annette (September 19, 2011). "The Lion King 3D". Filmink. Filmink. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Nissim, Mayer (October 5, 2011). "'The Lion King 3D' review". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Winning, Josh (December 1, 2011). "50 Greatest Disney Movie Moments". Total Film. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
Jump up ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (November 20, 2002). "Michael Jackson Calls Baby-Dangling Incident A 'Terrible Mistake'". MTV. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Schmader, David (May 11, 2005). "The Week in Review". The Stranger. Index Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Tuck, Lauren (July 22, 2013). "Will Kate Middleton and Prince William Copy 'The Lion King'? Probably Not, but Twitter Hopes So". Yahoo! Shine. Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "A right royal knees up! A round-up of the web's best royal baby jokes and virals". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. July 23, 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "Wait nearly over for royal baby watchers". Independent Online. Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited. July 22, 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Lee, Ben (July 24, 2013). "Royal baby 'Lion King' welcome petition rejected by government". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Olson, Scott R. (January 1, 1999). Gehring, Wes, ed. Foreword. Parody As Film Genre: "Never Give a Saga an Even Break". United States: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. XV. ISBN 978-0313261862. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Weisman, Sam (director) (June 16, 1997). George of the Jungle (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Jump up ^ Once Upon a Time, Season 3, "Snow Drifts"
Jump up ^ "VetStreet.com: Top 10 Trendiest Dog Names of the Year". Comcast. Comcast. 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Trendiest dog names". Yahoo! Lifestyle. Yahoo!7. May 24, 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
Jump up ^ "Cat Names". YouPet, LLC. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ Udell, Cherise (December 2, 2012). "Cool Cat Names: Vote for Your Favorite". Care2. Care2.com, Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "Luna most popular name for Dutch dogs and cats". DutchNews.nl. DutchNews.nl. July 2, 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
Jump up ^ "Top Popular Pet Names". BabyNames.com. BabyNames.com LLC. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
[hide]
v
t
e
The Lion King
Films
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
The Lion King 1½
The Lion King (2019)
Theater
The Lion King
Television or
short films
Timon & Pumbaa
episodes
Wild About Safety
The Lion Guard
episodes
Characters
Simba
Timon and Pumbaa
Nala
Scar
Music
The Lion King
"Circle of Life"
"I Just Can't Wait to Be King"
"Be Prepared"
"Hakuna Matata"
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
The Lion King musical
"Endless Night"
"The Madness of King Scar"
"Shadowland"
Other
Return to Pride Rock
"Love Will Find a Way"
Rhythm of the Pride Lands
"He Lives in You"
Video games
The Lion King (1994)
Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King (1994)
Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games (1996)
The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure (2000)
The Lion King 1½ (2003)
Attractions
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable
The Legend of the Lion King
Festival of the Lion King
The Lion King Celebration
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simba&oldid=837056206"
Categories:
The Lion King characters
Kingdom Hearts characters
Fictional lions
Fictional princes
Fictional kings
Fictional tribal chiefs
Fictional outlaws
Fictional characters introduced in 1994
Child characters in animated films
Male characters in animation
Hidden categories:
Pages using web citations with no URL
Good articles
All articles with self-published sources
Articles with self-published sources from December 2017
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Afrikaans
العربية
Čeština
Español
فارسی
Français
ગુજરાતી
한국어
Italiano
עברית
മലയാളം
Nederlands
Norsk
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
پنجابی
Português
Русский
Simple English
Српски / srpski
Suomi
தமிழ்
Українська
اردو
粵語
中文
16 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 18 April 2018, at 13:16.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: This is a good article. Follow the link for more information.

attrs: href title

attrs: class id

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Simba_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Simba (disambiguation)

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: th

attrs: colspan style

values: text-align:center;font-size:125%;font-weight:bold;background: #64A2FF; color: #000000;

value: tr

value: i

value: td

attrs: href class

values: text-align:center;background: #64A2FF; color: #000000;

values:
/wiki/Nala_(Disney)
mw-redirect
Nala (Disney)

values:
/wiki/Scar_(Disney)
mw-redirect
Scar (Disney)

values:
infobox
width:22em;border-spacing: 2px 5px;

values: float: left; clear: left; margin: 0.5em 1.4em 0.8em 0; width:300px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #aaa; font-size: 88%; background-color: #F9F9F9;

values:
/wiki/Coming-of-age_film
mw-redirect
Coming-of-age film

values:
/wiki/Joseph_(son_of_Jacob)
mw-redirect
Joseph (son of Jacob)

values:
/wiki/Hamlet_(play)
mw-redirect
Hamlet (play)

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Randy_Taylor
mw-redirect
Randy Taylor

values: Edit section: Characterization and animation

values: float: right; clear: right; margin: 0.5em 0 0.8em 1.4em; width:300px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #aaa; font-size: 88%; background-color: #F9F9F9;

values: The material near this tag may rely on a self-published source. (December 2017)

values:
/wiki/Female_lead
mw-redirect
Female lead

values:
/wiki/Belle_(Disney)
mw-redirect
Belle (Disney)

values:
/wiki/Jasmine_(Aladdin)
mw-redirect
Jasmine (Aladdin)

values: Edit section: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

values:
/wiki/Simba%27s_Pride
mw-redirect
Simba's Pride

values:
/wiki/Kiara_(The_Lion_King)
mw-redirect
Kiara (The Lion King)

values:
/wiki/Kovu_(The_Lion_King)
mw-redirect
Kovu (The Lion King)

values:
/wiki/Zira_(The_Lion_King)
mw-redirect
Zira (The Lion King)

values: Edit section: Timon & Pumbaa and television

values:
/wiki/Timon_and_Pumbaa_(TV_series)
mw-redirect
Timon and Pumbaa (TV series)

values:
/wiki/House_of_Mouse
mw-redirect
House of Mouse

values: Edit section: Merchandising and video games

values:
/wiki/Playable_character
mw-redirect
Playable character

values:
/wiki/Sega_Game_Gear
mw-redirect
Sega Game Gear

values: Edit section: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

values:
/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Resort
mw-redirect
Walt Disney World Resort

values:
/wiki/Barbie_doll
mw-redirect
Barbie doll

values:
/wiki/Rolling_Stone_(magazine)
mw-redirect
Rolling Stone (magazine)

values:
/wiki/Sylvester_(Looney_Tunes)
mw-redirect
Sylvester (Looney Tunes)

values:
/wiki/Desson_Howe
mw-redirect
Desson Howe

values:
/wiki/The_Guardian_(newspaper)
mw-redirect
The Guardian (newspaper)

values:
/wiki/Kate_Middleton
mw-redirect
Kate Middleton

values:
/wiki/Prince_William
mw-redirect
Prince William

values:
/wiki/Darren_Simpson
mw-redirect
Darren Simpson

values:
/wiki/Yahoo!_Lifestyle
mw-redirect
Yahoo! Lifestyle

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=7433

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/issn/0013-8274

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.jstor.org/stable/820106

values:
nofollow
external text
http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=8850

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.toywiz.com/lionking.html

values:
nofollow
http://www.youpet.com/cat-names/
external text

values:
nofollow
http://www.babynames.com/Names/Pets/
external text

values: Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

values: Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1994

values: Category:Child characters in animated films

values: Category:Pages using web citations with no URL

values: Category:All articles with self-published sources

values: Category:Articles with self-published sources from December 2017

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Simba
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values:
/w/index.php?title=Simba&action=edit
Edit this page [ctrl-alt-e]
e

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Afrikaans
af
af
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-af
display: none;

values: سيمبا – Arabic

values:
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Czech
cs
cs
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-cs
display: none;

values:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Spanish
es
es
interlanguage-link-target

values: سیمبا (شیرشاه) – Persian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fa
display: none;

values: સિમ્બા (ડિઝની વર્લ્ડ) – Gujarati

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-gu
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ko
display: none;

values:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Italian
it
it
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-it
display: none;

values: סימבה – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ml
display: none;

values:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Dutch
nl
nl
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nl
display: none;

values:
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Norwegian
no
no
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-no
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-pa
display: none;

values:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Portuguese
pt
pt
interlanguage-link-target

values: List of The Lion King characters – Simple English

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-simple
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sr
display: none;

values:
https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simba
Simba – Finnish
fi
fi
interlanguage-link-target

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fi
display: none;

values: சிம்பா – Tamil

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-uk
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue
display: none;

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Simba rootpage-Simba skin-vector action-view


text:
Elena Gilbert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
For the book series character, see Elena Gilbert (novel character).
Elena Gilbert (Salvatore)
The Vampire Diaries character
First appearance
Pilot (1.01)
September 10, 2009
Last appearance
I'm Thinking Of You All The While (6.22)
May 14, 2015
(as series regular)
I Was Feeling Epic (8.16)
March 10, 2017
(as guest star)
Created by
L. J. Smith (book series)
Julie Plec
Kevin Williamson (television series)
Portrayed by
Nina Dobrev
Kayla Madison (Young Elena)
Information
Aliases
Elena Salvatore
(marriage name, season 8)
Species
Human (seasons 1–3, 6-8)
Doppelgänger (seasons 1–8)
Vampire (seasons 4–6)
Gender
Female
Occupation
High school student (formerly)
College student (formerly)
Family
Grayson Gilbert (adoptive father/paternal uncle)
Miranda Gilbert (adoptive mother/paternal aunt)
John Gilbert (biological father/adoptive paternal uncle)
Isobel Flemming (biological mother)
Jeremy Gilbert (adoptive brother/paternal cousin)
Jenna Sommers (adoptive aunt)
Damon Salvatore (husband)
Alaric Saltzman (stepfather)
Stefan Salvatore (brother-in-law)
Significant other(s)
Matt Donovan (ex-boyfriend)
Stefan Salvatore (ex-boyfriend)
Damon Salvatore (husband)
Relatives
Amara (maternal ancestor; doppelgänger of)
Tatia (maternal ancestor; doppelgänger of)
Katherine Pierce/Katerina Petrova (maternal ancestor; doppelgänger of)
Nadia Petrova (maternal ancestor)
Jonathon Gilbert (paternal ancestor)
Samantha Gilbert (paternal ancestor)
Nationality
American
Status
Alive
Seasons
1–6, 8
Elena Salvatore (née Gilbert) is a fictional character and protagonist in the novel series The Vampire Diaries. In The Vampire Diaries, set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, she is portrayed by Nina Dobrev. In the books, Elena was blonde, popular, selfish and a "mean girl". However the show's producers, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, felt that it wasn't the direction they wanted to go with their heroine in The Vampire Diaries television series. Instead, she became a nicer, relatable and more of "the girl next door" type, until her life gets flipped upside down when she meets the Salvatores. In April 2015, Nina Dobrev announced that she would be departing the series after the sixth season finale.
Much of Elena's story revolves around her relationships with vampires Stefan Salvatore and his older brother, Damon. It is revealed that Elena is a Petrova Doppelgänger, which is thus responsible for her being identical to her ancestor, Katherine Pierce (née Katerina Petrova). This also has the implication of making her a supernatural creature. Dobrev portrayed the "conniving" Katherine as well, who is opposite of Elena. The actress stated that it has been a challenge distinguishing the two, and enjoys playing them both. In the television series's fourth season, Elena becomes a vampire and deals with the struggles that come with her change. She took the cure and became human again towards the end of the sixth season. In the finale of the sixth season, Kai linked Elena to Bonnie's life by magic. Elena will only wake up when Bonnie dies in around 60 years. She was locked inside the Salvatore tomb, which was changed in the seventh season, and was relocated in Brooklyn, New York. In late 2016, when it was announced that the eighth season would be the final season, Dobrev was in talks about returning to the television series to reprise her role in the final episode. After much speculation. Dobrev's return was confirmed on January 26, 2017, via an Instagram post. Dobrev appeared in the final episode of the show as both Elena and her evil doppelgänger Katherine Pierce.
Contents
1 Casting and portrayal
2 Development
2.1 Characterization
2.2 Romances
2.3 Transition
3 Television series
3.1 Backstory
3.2 Storyline
3.2.1 Season 1
3.2.2 Season 2
3.2.3 Season 3
3.2.4 Season 4
3.2.5 Season 5
3.2.6 Season 6
3.2.7 Season 7
3.2.8 Season 8
4 Reception
5 Merchandising
6 References
7 External links
Casting and portrayal[edit]
When I look in the mirror, I just feel different when I'm Katherine or when I'm Elena. My voice changes a little bit, I think, and even just mentally, I feel like I can get away with a lot more.[1]
—Dobrev
On March 9, 2009, it was announced that Bulgarian-born Canadian actress Nina Dobrev, known for her portrayal of Mia Jones on Degrassi: The Next Generation, had joined the cast of The Vampire Diaries as Elena.[2] She was the second cast member to be announced following Steven R. McQueen, who plays Elena's brother Jeremy Gilbert.[3] Steve West Cinema Blend said the vampire brothers' battle over Elena will wreak havoc on the entire town.".[2] Executive producer Kevin Williamson recalled Dobrev auditioning while having the flu, which he described as the "worst audition ever", and they "didn't even look at her a second time". Dobrev went back home to Canada, yet, still wanting the part, she submitted a videotape audition, which saw her cast as Elena Gilbert.[4]
Dobrev said that after reading the script, she was drawn to Elena because she was "this average girl who was damaged in many ways".[5] Initially, she believed that she would be playing the "bad girl" Elena from the books, but the show wanted to go in a different direction for the character.[4] After researching, Dobrev discovered she would also play Elena's 534-year-old vampire doppelgänger Katherine Pierce whose characteristics are the "complete opposite".[5] Dobrev described this as "one of the rarest, coolest opportunities in television, to play two people on the same medium". She had confessed that she enjoys playing Katherine more than Elena.[5] Dobrev stated that she changes her appearance to distinguish Elena from her doppelgänger, Katherine; "Changing my hair helps me transform," she told Glamour.[6] Additionally, she said "I think I have one of the coolest characters on the show — I get to play two completely different people on opposite sides of the spectrum and I just have so much fun doing it".[4] Dobrev felt that her biggest challenge on The Vampire Diaries was distinguishing Katherine and Elena, and found it "interesting" to create a whole new character.[1] In the novels, Katherine originated from Germany. However, in the television series, she is Bulgarian, as is Dobrev, who can speak the language fluently . Dobrev said, "The writers heard me speaking Bulgarian to my mom on the phone while I was on set one day. One thing led to the other and voila".[7]
Development[edit]
Characterization[edit]
Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena Gilbert, at PaleyFest 2014
In the books, Elena is considered "one of the popular girls" at her high school and always gets "anything she wants".[8] Executive producer of the television show, Julie Plec, said the Elena from the books was "really kind of selfish". In The Vampire Diaries, Elena's "selfishness" in the books as a human was never explored, because it "didn't ever feel like a characteristic" the show wanted for their heroine.[9] Plec said "We kind of abandoned that queen-bee popular complex that in a lot of ways defined early Elena in the books", while feeling that Elena's actual flaw is her "deep, deep connection to other people".[9] In the books, Elena had blonde hair, but has brown hair in the television show.[10] Describing Elena from the books, Dobrev said she is "one of those mean girls that gets what she wants, popular . . . and she's blonde and blue eyed". Williamson told her that "the angle we wanted to go for was the relatable, nice, girl next door, who the audience roots for".[4] Katherine, on the other hand, is penned as a "conniving, narcissistic, bitch".[4] Describing Elena years later, Dobrev said she evolved from a "younger, naive, sad, young girl" to a "strong woman".[1]
Romances[edit]
Before The Vampire Diaries, Elena dated Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig), who was unable to move past his feelings for her initially after their break-up.[11] Elena began dating Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), and later discovered he was a vampire.[12] As the episodes progressed, she developed a connection with Stefan's adventurous brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), who consumes human blood, unlike Stefan, who has an animal blood diet.[13] Speaking about the different qualities Stefan and Damon bring to Elena, Dobrev said they have "different qualities that are very appealing", which combined make "the perfect man". She said "Stefan is committed and sweet and protective and loving, and Damon is spontaneous and crazy and fun and exciting".[5]
Dobrev with her Vampire Diaries co-stars Paul Wesley (Stefan) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon) at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International.
After Elena became a vampire, she became sired to Damon and they slept together. According to Plec during an interview with TVLine, Elena "really believes what she feels is 100 percent genuine and real", and the couple "wants to be together and realizes that they shouldn’t, yet really wants to. So what do they do?"[14] Stefan became heartbroken, feeling angry and betrayed, and lashed out at Damon and Elena.[15] In the season 4 finale, an unsired Elena confirms that she is in love with Damon, and the two kiss passionately. At the end of season 6, the two plan to become human, get married, and have children together, but their dream is abruptly compromised by Kai, who puts Elena into a magical coma. Damon remains entirely devoted to Elena throughout the remaining two seasons as Elena sleeps peacefully. In the season 8 finale, she is revealed to be happily married to Damon.
Transition[edit]
Executive producers Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson agreed that in the book series, Elena was turned into a vampire too early, which was around page 200 of The Awakening.[16] Elena's transition into a vampire was planned for two years. Plec said: "That felt obviously too soon, and rushed, and we didn’t want to make a show about a teenage girl who instantly becomes a vampire. But we always knew that her journey would take her there eventually".[16] At the second season's conclusion, Elena was nearly turned into a vampire.[1] Dobrev was happy that she wasn't, because she felt "it would have been too soon", and also didn't think it was something Elena or she wanted.[1]
In the show's third season, Elena has a brain hemorrhage which was initially thought to be a concussion, and begins to die.[17] In what was described by the International Business Times as "the moment Vampire Diaries fans have been waiting for", Elena had to choose whether to be driven to Damon or Stefan to say goodbye to. At the time, Klaus was killed, meaning all vampires sprouting from his bloodline also die, which includes Damon and Stefan. She picks to say goodbye to Stefan.[17] However, all these vampires end up surviving when Klaus never really dies. To save her, Doctor Merideth Fell (Torrey DeVitto) fed Elena Damon's blood. Rebekah Mikaelson kills Elena on Wickery Bridge, unaware of the vampire blood in her system. She woke up as a vampire at the end of the season.[17] The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Plec, and described her transition as "monumental changes" which would have Elena in for a "wild ride". Plec said Elena becoming a vampire is "an awakening of a person who is about to go through a lot of changes", and "she is going to evolve as a person and her relationships are going to evolve accordingly".[18] While Stefan was afraid she would hurt someone, Damon thought it was inevitable and wanted to "rip the band-aid off".[18] Plec felt that "She’s, unfortunately, not getting the same advice from the two people she values most in the world. It’s going to make it more difficult for her",[18] while describing the situation as "a whole new Elena and it’s a whole new day. It’s a different dynamic between the three of them especially".[18]
Television series[edit]
Backstory[edit]
Elena Gilbert is born on June 22, 1992 in Mystic Falls, Virginia to John Gilbert (David Anders) and Isobel Flemming (Mia Kirshner) while they were still in highschool. With the help of John's brother Grayson, Isobel and John flee town days later, leaving Grayson and his wife Miranda to adopt Elena as their own. A doctor, Grayson fakes a birth certificate so that it appeared Elena was his daughter with Miranda. The next year, Miranda and Grayson had a child of their own, Jeremy Gilbert. Elena dates her childhood friend Matt Donovan, who was her first love. On 23 May 2009, Elena is picked up by her mother and father after getting in a fight with Matt while attending the party. The three of them later end up in a car accident, with their car driving off a bridge. Stefan Salvatore finds them, and saves Elena, but it was too late to save Grayson and Miranda, who died. It remained unknown for months who saved Elena, and it was considered a miracle that she lived. Her relationship with Matt ended when they broke up.
Storyline[edit]
Season 1[edit]
Elena, still empty after losing her parents, begins to fit back into school. She meets a mysterious new student named Stefan Salvatore. They connect instantly, and begin dating. She meets his older and malevolent brother, Damon. After researching, Elena realizes Stefan was alive in 1953. It is later revealed that he is a 162-year-old vampire. Damon also begins falling for Elena. Elena finds a picture of a woman named Katherine Pierce who looks exactly like her. Stefan reveals that it is the woman who made him and Damon feud 145 years ago, and the person who turned them into vampires. He also told her that he is the person that saved her the night of her parents death. At the end of season one, Elena discovers that Grayson and Miranda weren't her biological parents, and that a woman named Isobel and her uncle John, who she grew up hating, were.
Season 2[edit]
In season two, she learns that she is a Petrova doppelgänger, having an appearance just like Katherine Pierce, which means that she has to be sacrificed to release Klaus' werewolf side. The sacrifice later happens, but Elena is saved, because John sacrificed himself for her after being put under a spell by Bonnie. However, her aunt Jenna is turned into a vampire and, as part of the sacrifice, is killed by Klaus, leaving Elena without a guardian. In the season two finale, while Damon is dying due to a werewolf bite, she forgives him for forcing her to drink his blood and kisses him with the thought that it might be Damon's last day, however Damon gets cured by drinking Klaus' blood.
Season 3[edit]
In season three, Elena does everything in her power to make Stefan get his humanity back, which was turned off by Klaus as payment for saving Damon from a werewolf bite in the latter part of season two. Meanwhile, she grows closer to Damon while working together on saving Stefan and trying to defeat Klaus, eventually even sharing a kiss. She later admits to Stefan that she has feelings for Damon as well but that she never stopped loving Stefan. While in Denver together, Elena kisses Damon, later telling him that she doesn't know how she feels about him. It is eventually revealed that Elena met Damon the night of her parent's death, though he compelled her to forget. She eventually chooses Stefan in the season finale but before she can tell him, Elena drowns while having vampire blood in her system. During the last moments of season three, she awakens as a vampire in transition.
Season 4[edit]
In season four, Elena is faced with the tough decision of whether to die or to feed on human blood so she can fully transition into a vampire. Elena, after realizing Stefan's desperation to keep her alive, decides to complete her transition. Her relationship with Stefan ends, allowing her to begin a proper romance with Damon. Although, it is later revealed there is a sire bond between them. Sometime later whilst searching for the cure for vampirism, Jeremy is fed to the immortal Silas by Katherine. As a result, Damon used the sire bond to convince her to turn off her humanity, due to her incredible grief over losing her brother and the last remaining member of her family. Elena became ruthless without her emotions, going on killing sprees and being very hateful towards her friends. Towards the end of season four, Damon kills Matt in front of Elena to trigger her grief. After revealing that Matt had the Gilbert Ring on, Elena's humanity was switched on and her emotions were focused on hate towards Katherine for killing Jeremy. Season four ended with Bonnie as a ghost after bringing Jeremy back to life and Elena fed Katherine the cure for vampirism in a moment of desperation as she was about to be killed. Elena had chosen Damon as the Salvatore that she loved.
Season 5[edit]
In season five, Elena starts at Whitmore College and is happy after spending the summer with Damon. There she realises that Silas has taken Stefan's place and that Stefan is in that safe in a river constantly drowning. She and Damon then find the safe, only to find a dead body there meaning that someone opened the safe and Stefan is a Ripper again. However, Qyetsiyah had fried Stefan's brain causing him to suffer amnesia. While trying to bring him back, they almost kiss meaning that she still feels something for him. Qyetsiyah soon brings back Stefan's memories and says that Elena and Stefan were always meant to be as the Universe had to unite the doppelgängers of Silas and Amara. This leaves Damon and Elena questioning their relationship. Later on she is kidnapped and experimented on by Wes Maxfield, and she learns that her father also used to experiment on vampires. Later, when Katherine is about to die as a result of all of her years catching up with her as a result of having the cure in her system, Katherine uses a spell and possesses Elena, a fact that her friends were initially unable to deduce. But once they did, they trapped Katherine and left her with no escape. Stefan stabbed her with the traveller dagger, but ghost Katherine reveals to Bonnie, shortly before trying to cross into the Other Side, that she had injected Dr. Maxfield's enhanced ripper/werewolf virus into Elena's body, infecting Elena. The gang is eventually able to find an antidote. She unfortunately loses trust in Damon, partly because he killed her friend Aaron, so they break up, but realise they cannot survive being apart and get back together. Once Markos and his traveller army begin to take over Mystic Falls, setting an anti-magic barrier around the town, the gang comes up with a plan to take out the travellers by killing them all at the same time, overpowering the anchor to the Other Side AKA Bonnie and creating a possible way out of the now-collapsing Other Side. Elena and Damon drive into the gas-filled Mystic Grill with most of the travellers in it, blowing it up and killing most of the people in it, including Elena and Damon. She wakes up as a ghost and finds her body, sending her to Bonnie, where she passes to the Other Side, and she and many others are able to pass back to the land of the living afterwards. But the spell that allows this is broken before Damon passes back through, and as Bonnie is the anchor, she is a part of the Other Side and shall therefore disappear along with it. This leaves the gang mourning the loss of Damon and Bonnie in the season finale.
Season 6[edit]
In season six, Elena starts back at Whitmore, and is unable to set foot in her hometown. She is also unable to recover from Damon's death and starts lurking the borders of Mystic Falls in order to grab civilians, drink their blood, then compel them to forget, but as spirit magic no longer works in Mystic Falls, any of her victims who cross into the town remember the ordeal, putting her identity as a vampire at risk when one of her victims, Sarah, comes to town. Elena begs Alaric to compel her to forget that she ever loved Damon, which Alaric is able to do, due to him being an Enhanced Original, with the ability to compel other vampires. She eventually wears him down and asks her friends to never remind her once the compulsion had been done. After a number of failed attempts, Alaric successfully compels her to forget her love for Damon. She however leaves Alaric with some of her reminders of Damon, should she ever need them again. She is told of her former feelings for Damon soon afterwards, but decides to stay the way she is, as she doesn't want to go back to being unhappy again. She starts to date her classmate, Liam. Once Damon comes back to life, Alaric tries to convince Elena to allow him to undo the compulsion, a decision she is reluctant to make. She eventually decides to have him undo it, but Alaric goes back to being human again after crossing into Mystic Falls, causing him to lose his vampire status (he only stayed alive because his once fatal human injuries were healed), meaning he will not be able to do so. She is then left to finally come face-to-face with Damon and see if she'll still feel the same way about him. They eventually rekindle their relationship,Elena takes the cure that Bonnie gave Damon. At Alaric's wedding Kai ruins their wedding and casts a sleeping spell on Elena, linking her life to Bonnie's. She makes a sacrifice to let Bonnie live out her life until it is her turn. She bids goodbye to her friends and loved ones before parting ways but knows that she will see Damon, Stefan and Caroline again one day.
Season 7[edit]
Elena doesn't make an appearance but is heard calling Damon's name when he visits the Armory vault. It was a way of Sybil, the Siren, luring him into a trap.
Season 8[edit]
In the final episode, Elena makes an appearance. When a weakened Bonnie dies from the sounding bell, she meets Elena in a dream-like forest. Elena hugs her and wonders if she really has died. Enzo appears and says it isn't her time and takes Bonnie back to the world of the living. When Bonnie wakes up, it was Stefan who resuscitated her. Elena, asleep, is then taken to the Mystic Falls High School by Katherine and places her in the boiler room. Stefan tries to rescue Elena, but Katherine had Kai spell the boiler room, so that Elena can't be taken out of the room. After Bonnie had deflected the hellfire back into the bell, Bonnie passes out. Elena wakes up and wanders the school. Stefan meets up with her. It looks like Bonnie has died, but in fact Elena is still sleeping and Stefan's ghost came to visit her in her dream. He had taken the place of killing Katherine instead of Damon, since Damon is human after Stefan gave him the cure. He came to say goodbye. After a tearful hug and saying goodbye, Stefan goes into afterlife. Elena finally wakes up because Bonnie has broken the spell over her. Elena reunites with Damon and the rest of the gang. Elena gives Caroline the message Stefan whispered into her ear, saying he did hear her voice message and will love her forever. In the epilogue, Elena continued to studying medical school. After finishing her education, she went back to Mystic Falls and lived together with Damon, happily married for a long time. After living out her life, she crosses over to the afterlife where she finally reunites with her parents, Aunt Jenna and Uncle John.
Reception[edit]
Elena has received mainly positive reviews. Steve West of the Cinema Blend compared the story of The Vampire Diaries and the character of Elena to the popular vampire franchise, Twilight, and its protagonist Bella Swan. West said "Clearly Elena is way hotter than Bella, she has two immortal vampires fighting over her".[2] After she transitioned into a vampire, Carina Adly MacKenzie of Zap2it hoped that the "fierce" and "ripper" side of Elena would emerge when "someone messes with the people she loves".[19] McKenzie noted that when a person becomes a vampire, "their strongest personality traits are heightened", and hoped that wouldn't see Elena's "compassion and selflessness" double into "helping old ladies with their groceries and nursing injured animals back to health".[19] Robyn Ross of TV Guide also hoped that after Elena "has had a taste for blood", she would lose control. Prior to her becoming a vampire, Ross thought she was less fun and "slightly boring", and wanted Elena to follow her instinct and "stop protecting everyone's feelings".[20]
Elena's romances with Stefan and Damon have become a popular craze with viewers, who have nicknamed them "Stelena" and "Delena".[21] Andy Swift of the website HollywoodLife praised Elena's relationship with Damon, which was a combination of real love and a sired bond, hoping they would live "happily ever after".[21] Vlada Gelman of TVLine, however, felt that their romance was "over in a rather mature way for a young love triangle" and questioned whether Elena was "ready to jump into a relationship with Damon right away" while Stefan was still in the picture.[22]
Merchandising[edit]
Tonner Doll Company, Inc. created dolls for Elena and Katherine along with Stefan and Damon, from 1864.[23][24]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Vestal, Shannon (25 July 2011). "Nina Dobrev Interview About The Vampire Diaries at Comic-Con". Buzzsugar, PopSugar. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c West, Steve (9 March 2009). "Vampire Diaries Finds Its Heroine In Nina Dobrev". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Schneider, Michael (27 February 2009). "CW casts 'Melrose Place,' 'Vampire'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Tasty bites: The Vampire Diaries cast dishes". Buzzsugar, PopSugar. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Gordon, Jillian. "The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev". Saturday Night Magazine. Michael H. Ritter. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ "Nina Dobrev 'Glamour' Interview: Star Talks 'Vampire Diaries,' Beauty And Ian Somerhalder". The Huffington Post. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Bibel, Sara (3 March 2011). "'Vampire Diaries': Nina Dobrev Sinks Her Teeth Into Dual Role". Xfinity, Comcast. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Covel, Bonnie. "The Vampire Diaries Book Series by L.J. Smith". About. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Bricker, Tierney (6 June 2012). "Vampire Diaries Boss Sounds Off on Elena's Transition and Dark Side!". E! Online, NBCUniversal. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Vernon, Cheril (14 August 2009). "The Vampire Diaries: New photos". Crushable. crushable.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec (writers), Marcos Siega (director) (10 September 2009). "The Vampire Diaries episode 01". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 1. The CW.
Jump up ^ Sean Reycraft, Gabrielle Stanton (writers), Kevin Bray (director) (8 October 2009). "The Vampire Diaries episode 05". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 5. The CW.
Jump up ^ Barbie Kligman, Andrew Chambliss (writers), David Von Ancken (director) (15 April 2010). "The Vampire Diaries episode 18". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 18. The CW.
Jump up ^ Gelman, Vlada (13 December 2012). "Post Mortem: Vampire Diaries Boss on the Big Death, Elena and Damon's Struggles and More!". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Gelman, Vlada (28 December 2012). "Vampire Diaries Boss on Stefan's Anger, Jeremy's Killer Urges and Caroline and Tyler's Future". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Bierly, Mandi (11 May 2012). "'Vampire Diaries' EP Julie Plec talks season finale shocker and what comes next". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c Remling, Amanda (10 May 2012). "Vampire Diaries? Season 3 Finale: Elena Turns Into A Vampire, Chooses Stefan Before She Dies". International Business Times, Etienne Uzac. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Ng, Philiana (5 October 2012). "'Vampire Diaries' Boss Previews Elena's Dilemmas, Dueling Salvatores and a 'Lonely' Damon". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b MacKenzie, Carina Adly (24 May 2012). "'The Vampire Diaries' Season 4: Elena vs Katherine and 10 other things we want to see". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Ross, Robyn (2 November 2011). "The Vampire Diaries: 5 Ways We Want Elena to Lose Control". TV Guide. tvguide.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Swift, Andy (6 December 2012). "'Vampire Diaries' Recap: Will Damon Choose To Let Elena Go?". HollywoodLife, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ Gelman, Vlada (15 November 2012). "Vampire Diaries Recap: Confessions of the Heart". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
Jump up ^ "Elena Gilbert Vampire Diaries Doll by Tonner". Man of Action Figures. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
Jump up ^ "The Vampire Diaries™ | Tonner Doll Company". Tonner Doll Company, Inc. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
External links[edit]
hide
v
t
e
The Vampire Diaries
Episodes
Season 1
"Pilot"
"The Night of the Comet"
"Friday Night Bites"
"Family Ties"
"You're Undead to Me"
"Lost Girls"
"Haunted"
"162 Candles"
"History Repeating"
"The Turning Point"
"Bloodlines"
"Unpleasantville"
"Children of the Damned"
"Fool Me Once"
"A Few Good Men"
"There Goes the Neighborhood"
"Let the Right One In"
"Under Control"
"Miss Mystic Falls"
"Blood Brothers"
"Isobel"
"Founder's Day"
Season 2
"The Return"
"Brave New World"
"Bad Moon Rising"
"Memory Lane"
"Kill or Be Killed"
"Plan B"
"Masquerade"
"Rose"
"Katerina"
"The Sacrifice"
"By the Light of the Moon"
"The Descent"
"Daddy Issues"
"Crying Wolf"
"The Dinner Party"
"The House Guest"
"Know Thy Enemy"
"The Last Dance"
"Klaus"
"The Last Day"
"The Sun Also Rises"
"As I Lay Dying"
Season 3
"The Birthday"
"The Hybrid"
"The End of the Affair"
"Disturbing Behavior"
"The Reckoning"
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
"Ghost World"
"Ordinary People"
"Homecoming"
"The New Deal"
"Our Town"
"The Ties That Bind"
"Bringing Out the Dead"
"Dangerous Liaisons"
"All My Children"
"The Departed"
Season 4
"Growing Pains"
"Memorial"
"The Rager"
"The Five"
"The Killer"
"We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes"
"My Brother's Keeper"
"We'll Always Have Bourbon Street"
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
"After School Special"
"Catch Me If You Can"
"A View to a Kill"
Season 5
"I Know What You Did Last Summer"
"True Lies"
"Original Sin"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Monster's Ball"
"Handle with Care"
"Death and the Maiden"
"Dead Man on Campus"
"The Cell"
"Fifty Shades of Grayson"
"500 Years of Solitude"
"The Devil Inside"
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
"No Exit"
"Gone Girl"
"While You Were Sleeping"
"Rescue Me"
"Resident Evil"
"Man on Fire"
"What Lies Beneath"
"Promised Land"
"Home"
Season 6
"I'll Remember"
"Yellow Ledbetter"
"Welcome to Paradise"
"Black Hole Sun"
"The World Has Turned and Left Me Here"
"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
"Do You Remember the First Time?"
"Fade Into You"
"I Alone"
Season 7
"Gods and Monsters"
Season 8
"I Was Feeling Epic"
Characters
Elena Gilbert
Katherine Pierce
Stefan Salvatore
Damon Salvatore
Related
Awards and nominations
Novel series
L. J. Smith
Original Vampires
The Originals
episodes
season 1
2
3
4
5
characters
Legacies
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elena_Gilbert&oldid=855776603"
Categories:
The Vampire Diaries characters
Fictional vampires
Fictional characters introduced in 2009
Hidden categories:
Articles using Infobox character with multiple unlabeled fields
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Dansk
فارسی
Français
Հայերեն
Italiano
ქართული
Magyar
Nederlands
Português
Русский
Suomi
Українська
5 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 20 August 2018, at 19:14 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

values:
/wiki/The_Vampire_Diaries_(book_series)
mw-redirect
The Vampire Diaries (book series)

values:
/wiki/Elena_Gilbert_(novel_character)
mw-redirect
Elena Gilbert (novel character)

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

values:
/wiki/Jeremy_Gilbert
mw-redirect
Jeremy Gilbert

values:
/wiki/Jenna_Sommers
mw-redirect
Jenna Sommers

values:
/wiki/Katherine_Pierce
mw-redirect
Katherine Pierce

values:
infobox
width:22em;border-spacing: 2px 5px;

values:
/wiki/Fictional_character
mw-redirect
Fictional character

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values: width:17em; border-width: 0px; font-size: 95%; background-color: white;

values: Mia Jones (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

values:
/wiki/Brain_hemorrhage
mw-redirect
Brain hemorrhage

values:
/wiki/Tonner_Doll_Company,_Inc.
mw-redirect
Tonner Doll Company, Inc.

values:
/wiki/Penske_Business_Media
mw-redirect
Penske Business Media

values:
/wiki/The_Huffington_Post
mw-redirect
The Huffington Post

values:
/wiki/PMC_(company)
mw-redirect
PMC (company)

values:
/wiki/Time_Warner
mw-redirect
Time Warner

values:
/wiki/Etienne_Uzac
mw-redirect
Etienne Uzac

values:
/wiki/Tribune_Media_Services
mw-redirect
Tribune Media Services

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Children of the Damned (The Vampire Diaries)

values: There Goes the Neighborhood (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Let the Right One In (The Vampire Diaries)

values: By the Light of the Moon (The Vampire Diaries)

values: The Sun Also Rises (The Vampire Diaries)

values: The End of the Affair (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Disturbing Behavior (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Smells Like Teen Spirit (The Vampire Diaries)

values: The Ties That Bind (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Bringing Out the Dead (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Dangerous Liaisons (The Vampire Diaries)

values: My Brother's Keeper (The Vampire Diaries)

values: O Come, All Ye Faithful (The Vampire Diaries)

values: After School Special (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Catch Me If You Can (The Vampire Diaries)

values: I Know What You Did Last Summer (The Vampire Diaries)

values: For Whom the Bell Tolls (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Death and the Maiden (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Dead Man on Campus (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Total Eclipse of the Heart (The Vampire Diaries)

values: While You Were Sleeping (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Welcome to Paradise (The Vampire Diaries)

values: The World Has Turned and Left Me Here (The Vampire Diaries)

values: The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get (The Vampire Diaries)

values: Do You Remember the First Time? (The Vampire Diaries)

values: List of awards and nominations received by The Vampire Diaries

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible

values: Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2009

values: Category:Articles using Infobox character with multiple unlabeled fields

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Elena_Gilbert
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: الینا گیلبرت – Persian

values: Ելենա Գիլբերտ – Armenian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hy
display: none;

values: ელენა გილბერტი – Georgian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ka
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hu
display: none;

values: Елена Гилберт – Russian

values: Елейна Ґілберт – Ukrainian

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Elena_Gilbert rootpage-Elena_Gilbert skin-vector action-view