Vitani is a major antagonist in The Lion King franchise. She is one of the two secondary antagonists turned anti-hero of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (alongside Nuka) before reforming and becoming a minor protagonist in the third season of its 2016 midquel series The Lion Guard. She is the middle child and only daughter of Zira, the younger sister of Nuka and older sister of Kovu, the sister-in-law of Kiara and the leader of the current incarnation of the Lion Guard.
Initially, she supports her mother's plan to overthrow and destroy Simba and his family; however, Vitani is convinced by Kiara and Kovu that their parties are not so different. Kion passes on his mantle of Leader of the Lion Guard to he, with both of sharing the Roar of the Elders.
In the second film, Vitani is voiced by Lacey Chabert as a cub and Jennifer Lien as a young adult, with her singing voice done by Crysta Macalush. InThe Lion Guard, Chabert returned to voice the character, but this time, replaced Lien when she returned in Season 3 as an adolescent.
Trivia
- Vitani appears to be the first leader of the Lion Guard who is both female and the first leader to not be the second-born child of the current monarch, due to her being Kovu's older sister instead of younger sister.
- Vitani's mother treated Vitani more like a soldier than a daughter, one hint at how Vitani sees the error of her ways, ultimately choosing to agree with her brother and sister-in-law, thus abandoning Zira when she starts losing her sanity.
- Vitani was the second of Zira's followers and children to turn against her, after Kovu.
- She is also the third minion in The Lion King to turn against the villain, the first being The Hyenas in the first film (though Scar turned on them first), Kovu being the second and the fourth being the Outsiders.
- She's one of the few antagonists to reform at the end of the series, alongside Janja, the other lionesses and Kovu.
- Vitani is also one of the few Disney henchmen who actively turn against the main antagonist, alongside other characters like Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove.