History Heartwarming / TheLionKingIISimbasPride

*** What makes this even more poignant is that Vitani stands beside her brother, whom she effectively helped raise as a cub and whom she had knocked out during the Outsiders' ambush on Simba upon noticing his attempts to save him. If that isn't a good way for her to redeem herself and make with him, the standards for making that judgment must be nigh impossible to reach.

** To put into perspective, Timon and Pumbaa raised Simba under the philosophy of letting things go and not worrying about what has been done. This was the opposite of the previous film's message about confronting past demons and learning how to deal with them. But it brings a valuable lesson in this case because the root of this conflict is the lingering influence of Scar (along with his few followers), Simba's inability to put his anger at Scar behind him, and the unhealthy power it brought. But, with Scar long gone, to hang onto anything associated with him is entirely pointless. I was Sometimes, accepting the past is about letting it go and moving on. Simba used what his two surrogate fathers taught him to bring peace between two opposing pride.

* At the very beginning, Timon and Pumbaa were looking forward to helping raise Kiara. It's PlayedForLaughs, with Timon planning some decidedly AntiRoleModel activities and with their assuming the cub is a boy only to screech and faint when they learn the baby is a girl. But it's still sweet. In particular, one line of Timon's: "It's going to be like old times. You, me... and the little guy." He and Pumbaa loved being [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitutes]] to Simba, miss the days when he was a cub and look forward to reliving those good times with the new baby.

** To put into perspective, Timon and Pumbaa raised Simba under the philosophy of letting things go and not worrying about what has been done. This was the opposite of the previous film's message about confronting past demons and learning how to deal with them. But it brings a valuable lesson in this case because the root of this conflict is the lingering influence of Scar (along with his few followers), Simba's inability to put his anger at Scar behind him, and the unhealthy power it brought. But, with Scar long gone, to hang onto anything associated with him is entirely pointless. Sometimes, accepting the past is about letting it go and moving on. Simba used what his two surrogate fathers taught him to bring peace between two opposing pride.

** The lyrics alone can be this, combined with a severe TearJerker. More generally, the song can also be taken as an anthem for any couples whose love is stigmatized by society, such as [[RainbowLens LGBT couples]] (it helps that the lyrics have no direct association with the plot, aiming for more subtle symbolism).
* "Upendi" is a fun, light, romantic love song. From the get-go, Kiara has the time of her life and rolls with everything Rafiki throws at her and Kovu (literally). Kovu starts nervous, reluctant, and almost shy due to being out of his depth with happiness and simple fun, but slowly starts laughing and having fun with Kiara.

'''Kiara:''' ''(nuzzles him reassuringly)''

'''Kovu''': I've never heard the story of Scar that way. He truly was a killer.\\

** Earlier on, Vitani is the first of the Outsiders to realize the meaning of Kiara's words, which brings them together and outright defies Zira.
*** What makes this even more poignant is that Vitani stands beside her brother, whom she effectively helped raise as a cub and whom she had knocked out during the Outsiders' ambush on Simba upon noticing his attempts to save him. If that isn't a good way for her to redeem herself and make up with him, the standards for making that judgment must be nigh-impossible to reach.
** Kovu and Kiara get married after others deny their relationship for the entire movie. They're very much in love and happy to get their happy ending.
** Given how much Simba initially despised Kovu for being his murderous uncle's chosen heir to the throne, seeing Simba come around and accept Kovu as "his" eventual successor is special. In an ironic twist of fate, Zira gets what she wants, and Scar's dying wish will be fulfilled as Kovu eventually becomes King of the Pride Lands. Only not as Scar's heir but as Simba's.

* When Zira offers Kovu up for Simba to kill in the film's beginning, Simba never once makes any threatening motion to the cub. Simba has just learned that Kovu is allegedly Scar's heir and is a likely threat in the future. Despite that knowledge, Simba only looks at the cub, and the look on his face, before he looks back at Zira is utter disgust. His final line in the encounter, "Take him and get out", is notably calmer, but you can also hear a mixture of disgust and sympathy. Simba is livid that Zira would let her child be killed, but is also sympathetic to Kovu in that moment because he knows he went through this. Regardless of how antagonistic Simba is towards Kovu in the latter half of the film, there are some lines he will never cross.

*** Zira's reaction when a dying Nuka tells her to forgive him is to gently stroke his cheek to comfort him. This is the nicest gesture she had towards anyone during the whole movie.

** Timon, in particular, is established as the laziest of the pair, preferring to ride on Pumbaa's head, so it really speaks to how much he cares when he gives up his favourite perch and walks it all the way home.

* A small one, but considering his status as the ButtMonkey and stuffy thorn in Young Simba's side, seeing the warmth between Zazu and Simba shows how much things have changed.
* At the very beginning, we have Timon and Pumbaa looking forward to helping to raise Kiara. It's PlayedForLaughs, with Timon planning some decidedly AntiRoleModel activities and with their assuming the cub is a boy only to screech and faint when they learn the baby is a girl. But it's still sweet. In particular, one line of Timon's: "It's going to be like old times. You, me... and the little guy." He and Pumbaa loved being [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitutes]] to Simba, miss the days when he was a cub, and look forward to reliving those good times with the new baby.

** All the animals of the Pride Lands cheer for Kovu and Kiara's wedding, showing that they have a change of heart as much as Simba did after hating Kovu and driving him out.

** To put into perspective, Timon and Pumba raised Simba under the philosophy of letting things go and not worrying about what has been done. This was the opposite of the previous film's message about confronting past demons and learning how to deal with them. But it brings a valuable lesson in this case because the root of this conflict is the lingering influence of Scar (along with his few followers), Simba's inability to put his anger at Scar behind him, and the unhealthy power it brought. But, with Scar long gone, to hang onto anything associated with him is entirely pointless. Sometimes, accepting the past is about letting it go and moving on. Simba used what his two surrogate fathers taught him to bring peace between two opposing pride.

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who is also delighted. After the song ends with Mufasa (in the form of the wind) watching over them and clearing the sand away, he's happy they're together again. The two young lions see the butterflies excitedly as they run down the hill laughing and lie down next to a nearby pool. Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and then sees their reflection, which becomes complete since the other half is formed.
--->'''Kovu:''' Hey Look, We are one.

* "Upendi" is a fun, light, romantic love song. From the get-go, Kiara has the time of her life and rolls with everything Rafiki throws at her and Kovu (literally). Kovu starts nervous, reluctant, and almost shy due to being out of his depth with happiness and simple fun but slowly starts laughing and having fun with Kiara.

'''Kiara:''' "My father said there was a... a darkness in Scar that he couldn't escape.\\

** Simba admits he was wrong about Kovu after accusing him of being behind the Outlanders' ambush, accepting him and all the other remaining living outsiders back into the pride.

** Earlier on, Vitani is the first of the Outsiders to realize the meaning of Kiara's words, which brings them together and outright defy Zira.
*** What makes this even more poignant is that Vitani stands beside her brother, whom she effectively helped raise as a cub and whom she had knocked out during the Outsiders' ambush on Simba upon noticing his attempts to save him. If that isn't a good way for her to redeem herself and makeup with him, the standards for making that judgment must be nigh-impossible to reach.

** Given how much Simba initially despised Kovu for being his murderous uncle's chosen heir to the throne, seeing Simba come around and accept Kovu as "his" eventual successor is special. In an ironic twist of fate, Zira gets what she wants, and Scar's dying wish will be fulfilled as Kovu eventually becomes King of the Pride Lands. Only, not as Scar's heir, but as Simba's.

* When Zira offers Kovu up for Simba to kill in the film's beginning, Simba never once makes any threatening motion to the cub. Simba has just learned that Kovu is allegedly Scar's heir and is a likely threat in the future. Despite that knowledge, Simba only looks at the cub, and the look on his face before he looks back at Zira, is utter disgust. His final line in the encounter, "Take him and get out", is notably calmer, but you can also hear a mixture of disgust and sympathy. Simba is livid that Zira would let her child be killed, but is also sympathetic to Kovu in that moment because he knows he went through this. Regardless of how antagonistic Simba is towards Kovu in the latter half of the film, there are some lines he will never cross.

*** Zira's reaction when a dying Nuka tells her to forgive him is to stroke his cheek to comfort him gently. This is the nicest gesture she had towards anyone during the whole movie.

* At the very beginning, we have Timon and Pumbaa looking forward to helping to raise Kiara. It's PlayedForLaughs, with Timon planning some decidedly AntiRoleModel activities and with their assuming the cub is a boy only to screech and faint when they learn the baby is a girl. But it's still sweet. In particular, one line of Timon's: "It's going to be like old times. You, me... and the little guy." He and Pumbaa clearly loved being [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitutes]] to Simba, miss the days when he was a cub, and are looking forward to reliving those good times with the new baby.

--->" 'Kovu:'" Hey Look, We are one.

-->" 'Kovu:'" He (Scar) wasn't my father, but he was still... part of me.\\
"'Kiara:' "My father said there was a... a darkness in Scar that he couldn't escape.\\

-->" 'Simba:'" Scar couldn't let go of his hate, and in the end, it destroyed him.\\
"'Kovu'": I've never heard the story of Scar that way. He truly was a killer.\\

** Simba admits he was wrong about Kovu and thinks he was behind the outlanders' ambush against him and accepting him and all the other remaining living Outsiders back into the pride.
--> "Kovu? I was wrong. You belong here. Let's go home. All of us."
** Earlier on, Vitani is the first of the Outsiders to realize the meaning of Kiara's words, which bring them together and outright defy Zira.

--> "[[SoProudOfYou Well done, my son.]] [[ArcWords We are one]]."

-->" 'Kiara:'" A wise king once told me, "We are one". I didn't understand him then. Now, I do.

* The entirety of "Love Will Find a Way", especially since it takes place after Kovu's exile and Kiara running away to find him. When the two finally reunite, they give each other relieved smiles before happily running to each other. It especially hits as Kiara buries her head in his mane and the camera circles around them lovingly embracing.
** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends with Mufasa (in the form of the wind) watches over them and clearing the sand away, he's very pleased that they're together again. The 2 young lions sees the butterflies excitedly, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool as Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and then, they see their reflection which it becomes complete, since the other half is formed.
--->'''Kovu:''' Hey Look, We are one.
** The lyrics alone can be this, combined with a serious TearJerker. More generally, the song can also be taken as an anthem for any couples whose love is stigmatized by society, such as [[RainbowLens LGBT couples]] (it helps that the lyrics have no direct association with the plot, aiming for more subtle symbolism).
* "Upendi" is a fun, light, romantic love song. From the get-go, Kiara has the time of her life and rolls with everything Rafiki throws at her and Kovu (literally). Kovu starts out nervous, reluctant, and almost shy due to being out of his depth with happiness and simple fun, but slowly starts laughing and having fun with Kiara.
* "We Are One" as Simba shows Kiara their kingdom and reassures her that she will always find strength in her people. The whole song and his gentleness in guiding her in how to be a good queen is such a sweet father-daughter exchange.
* During Kiara's presentation during "He Lives in You," the cub mischievously tries to catch some dust in the wind. It's later shown that Mufasa's spirit uses the wind to communicate with Rafiki. Knowing this, it could very well be Mufasa was teasing his granddaughter and playing with her.

-->'''Kovu:''' He (Scar) wasn't my father, but he was still... part of me.\\
'''Kiara:''' My father said there was a... a darkness in Scar that he couldn't escape.\\

-->'''Simba:''' Scar couldn't let go of his hate, and in the end, it destroyed him.\\
'''Kovu''': I've never heard the story of Scar that way. He truly was a killer.\\
'''Simba''': Fire is a killer. Sometimes, what's left behind can grow better than the generation before...if given the chance.

** Simba admitting he was wrong about Kovu and to think he was behind the outlanders’ ambush against him and accepting him and the all the other remaining living Outsiders back into the pride.

** Earlier on, Vitani being the first of the Outsiders to realize the meaning of Kiara's words which bring them together and outright defies Zira.
*** What makes this even more poignant is that Vitani stands right beside her brother, whom she effectively helped raise as a cub, and whom she had knocked out during the Outsiders' ambush on Simba upon noticing his attempts to save him. If that isn't a good way for her to redeem herself and make up with him, the standards for making that judgment must be nigh-impossible to reach.
** Kovu and Kiara getting married after their relationship was denied by others for the entire movie. They're very much in love and happy to get their happy ending.
** Given how much Simba initially despised Kovu for being his murderous uncle's chosen heir to the throne, seeing Simba come around and accept Kovu as ''his'' eventual successor is something special. In an ironic twist of fate, Zira gets what she wanted and Scar's dying wish would be fulfilled as Kovu will eventually become King of the Pride Lands. Only, not as Scar's heir, but as Simba's.
** All the animals of the Pride Lands cheering for Kovu and Kiara's wedding, showing that they have a change of heart as much as Simba did after hating Kovu and driving him out.
** Mufasa's spirit making one last comment before the end credits.

* When Kovu and Kiara first meet, they get off on the wrong foot, with Kovu making fun of her for being a DaddysGirl. But when crocodiles attack them seconds later, he is quick to attempt to defend her, shouting "I'll distract them! Run!"
** Right before the crocodile attack, Kovu, directly after mocking Kiara and obviously annoying her, boasts about Outsiders not needing anyone to take care of them. Kiara, rather than snap back at this kid who was being rude to her, just responds with "Really? Cool!", demonstrating her [[ChildrenAreInnocent innocence]] and good nature. Kovu, in turn, seems a little surprised, but certainly pleased, that Kiara is impressed by him; considering his brother (and sister to a lesser extent) is a BigBrotherBully and his mom is, well, Zira, he's probably not used to meeting someone who's genuinely impressed by him.
** Kovu and Kiara both helping each other escape from the crocodiles, and becoming friends as a result. They seem to already have formed crushes on each other even at this young age, with Kiara telling Kovu her name in a flirty voice and him seeming to be flustered in response.
* When Zira offers Kovu up for Simba to kill in the film's beginning, Simba never once makes any threatening motion to the cub. Simba has just learned that Kovu is allegedly Scar's heir, and is a likely threat in the future. Despite that knowledge, Simba only looks at the cub, and the look on his face before he looks back at Zira is one of utter disgust. His final line in the encounter "Take him and get out", is notably calmer, but you can also hear a mixture of disgust and sympathy. Simba is livid that Zira would let her own child be killed, but is also sympathetic to Kovu in that brief moment because he knows he went through this. Regardless of how antagonistic Simba is towards Kovu in the latter half of the film, there are some lines he will never cross.
* Nuka and Vitani might bicker a lot, but it's clear that they care about each other beneath the surface. It goes into TearJerker when Vitani's absolutely devastated by his death.
* As soon as she gets home after the confrontation with Simba, a furious Zira rounds on Nuka for letting Kovu wander off ("You were supposed to be ''WATCHING HIM!''"). Kovu instantly stands up for his brother, confessing, "It's not his fault -- I went off on my own," despite how terrified he obviously is of his mother. It's sad that Nuka was always too jealous to see how much his little brother actually cared about him.
** Easy to miss in that same scene, but Nuka (who is clearly underfed) tells Zira that he hunted some field mice for her. [[KickTheDog Of course, Zira completely ignores him.]]
** In more a TearJerker case, all of the Outsiders were left devastated by Nuka's death. Despite being TheUnfavorite and a tall order ButtMonkey, he was clearly still cared for, even if his mother showed that a little too late.
*** Zira's reaction when a dying Nuka tells her to forgive him is to gently stroke his cheek to comfort him. This is the nicest gesture she had towards anyone during the whole movie.

*** In a weird, somewhat twisted way, the fact that Nuka can briefly be seen smiling confidently with Zira and Vitani while Zira is telling Kovu to attack Simba on the logs shows that, for all the envy he held toward Kovu, Nuka still had some amount of confidence in his little brother and expected him to side with their family in the end. Although this can also count partly as a TearJerker since Nuka's death ensured that unlike with Vitani, Kovu would never be able to reconcile with him after rejecting their mother's cause.

* Rafiki's ability to communicate with Mufasa as a whole is somewhat gratifying, showing his old friend can still console, assist, and [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments even argue with him like they're an old married couple]].
* The second Kovu sees Timon, his immediate reaction is to slam on the brakes, and is visibly horrified when he saw the meerkat appear out of nowhere. This shows he tries to avoid causing unnecessary injury.

** Timon in particular is established as the laziest of the pair, preferring to ride on Pumbaa's head, so it really speaks to how much he cares when he gives up his favorite perch and walks it all the way home.

** Another minor instance, but right before "My Lullaby", Kovu begins to say that he doesn't want to go along with Zira's plan before Zira cuts him off. This shows he is opposed to Zira's take on morality even as a cub.

** To put into perspective, Timon and Pumba raised Simba under the philosophy of just letting things go and not worrying about what has been done. This was the complete opposite of the previous film's message about confronting past demons and learning how to come to terms with them. But it brings a valuable lesson in this case because the root of this conflict is the lingering influence of Scar (along with the few followers he had) and Simba being unable to put his own anger at Scar behind him and the unhealthy influence it brought. But, with Scar long gone, to hang onto anything associated with him is completely pointless. Sometimes, coming to terms with the past is indeed about just letting it go and moving on. Simba actually used what his two surrogate fathers taught him to bring peace between two opposing prides.
* A small one, but considering his status as the ButtMonkey and stuffy thorn in Young Simba's side, seeing the look of warmth between Zazu and Simba shows how much things have changed.
* At the very beginning, we have Timon and Pumbaa looking forward to helping to raise Kiara. It's PlayedForLaughs, with Timon planning some decidedly AntiRoleModel activities and with their assuming the cub is a boy only to screech and faint when they learn the baby is a girl. But it's still sweet. In particular, one line of Timon's: "It's gonna be like old times. You, me... and the little guy." It's clear that he and Pumbaa loved being [[ParentalSubstitute Parental Substitutes]] to Simba, miss the days when he was a cub, and are looking forward to reliving those good times with the new baby.
** The fact that Simba trusts Timon and Pumbaa enough ''to trust them to babysit and look after Kiara.''
* All moments between Simba and Nala in this film. They clearly love each other and do their best to support each other. Both do their best to raise and protect their child as GoodParents (though Simba does constantly veer into overprotective territory).
** Credit to Nala on this end especially; a ReasonableAuthorityFigure who still shows concern for Kiara's more dangerous antics but primarily serving as Simba's MoralityChain and tempering both anger and overprotectiveness at multiple times. Simba's behavior would have been more extreme earlier on if Nala wasn't there to gently bring him back down.
** The fact that Simba, like his father, found a wife he loves and respects and listens too. In the end, he ''did'' become his father in that respect.
* A small one, but when Kiara arrives to end the standoff between the warring prides, she refers to Simba as "a wise king". Even after all the strains on their relationship by this point (Simba banishing Kovu, and Kiara calling him a disgrace to Mufasa's legacy), she knows deep down that he's better than this and is capable of being the just and noble leader that his kingdom deserves.
-->'''Kiara:''' A wise king once told me, "We are one". I didn't understand him then. Now, I do.

--> "Let's go home. All of us."

** Simba admitting he was wrong and accepting Kovu and the other Outsiders back into the pride.

** All the animals of the Pride Lands cheering for Kovu and Kiara's wedding, showing they have a change of heart as much as Simba after hating Kovu and driving him out.

** All the animals of the Pride Lands cheering for Kiara and Kovu's wedding, showing they have a change of heart as much as Simba after hating Kovu and driving him out.

* All moments between Simba and Nala in this film. They clearly love each other and do their best to support each other. Both do their best to raise and protect their child as GoodParents (though Simba does constantly veer into OverprotectiveDad territory).

-->'''Simba:''' Scar couldn't let go of his hate, and in the end, it destroyed him..\\

-->'''Kovu:''' Hey Look, We are one.

--->'''Simba:''' Scar couldn't let go of his hate, and in the end, it destroyed him..\\

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends with Mufasa (in the form of the wind)watches over them and clearing the sand away, he's very pleased that they're together again. The 2 young lions sees the butterflies excitedly, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool as Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and then, they see their reflection which it becomes complete, since the other half is formed.

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends with Mufasa, in the form of the wind watches over them and clearing the sand away, he's very pleased that they're together again. The 2 young lions sees the butterflies excitedly, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool as Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and then, they see their reflection which it becomes complete, since the other half is formed.

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends with Mufasa, in the form of the wind watches over them and clearing the sand away, he's very pleased that they're together again. the 2 young lions sees the butterflies excitedly, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool as Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and they see their reflection which becomes complete, since the other half is formed.

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends with Mufasa, in the form of the wind watches over them and clearing the sand away, he's very pleased that they're together again. the 2 young lions sees the Butterflies excitedly, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool as Kovu licks Kiara's cheek and they see their reflection which becomes complete, since the other half is formed.

** Kiara is now happy to see Kovu again, who also became happy as well and after the song ends, the 2 Lions sees the Butterflies, as they're running down the hill laughing and they lay down next to a nearby pool to see their reflection which becomes complete, since the other half is formed.

-->'''Kovu:''' Hey Look, We are one.\\