Disability, the fact that Mufasa, Scar, and Simba appear to be the only male lions present in The Lion King suggests the possibility that either Mufasa or Scar is Nala's father, which would in turn make Nala either Simba's half-sister or cousin. However, the character has garnered positive reviews as well. Sara Franks-Allen of ScreenCrush wrote that "If being a Disney princess is about being a good role model for little girls, then Nala has a lot in her favor", elaborating, "She's strong enough to take down Simba, ventures out on her own to find help for her pride and calls Simba out for ignoring his responsibilities." Meanwhile, Ella Ceron of Thought Catalog ranked Nala 14th on her list of "The 16 Most Awesome Female Characters From Disney Movies". Responsible for introducing the seasoned actress to a younger audience, Kelly's vocal performance as Nala has garnered critical acclaim. Writing for The Washington Post, Desson Howe hailed Kelly's voice acting as "terrific." Jeremy Gerard of Variety commended Kelly for voicing the character "beautifully". PopSugar ranked Kelly among the website's "Favorite Animated Voices", writing, "there are a lot of great voices in Disney's The Lion King ... but Moira Kelly has a unique quality to her voice, and I remember reveling in it as a youngster anytime the adult Nala was on the screen." Official Disney Blogs published an article entitled "We All Thought it… But Nala Actually Said It", which cites the character's most revered quotes. The blog also ranked Nala eighth on the website's "Definitive Ranking of Disney Cats" list. In a 2014 interview, actor Eddie Redmayne admitted that Nala was his first "celebrity crush", having been specifically attracted to the character's "sweet" face and singing voice, referring to the experience as his "sexual awakening". Review of Beyonce's Nala in 2019 remake is generally positive. Brandon Zachary from CBR Exclusive praised Nala's growth in the film is better than the original due to her unexpected rivalry with Shenzi. He enjoys the final fight between Nala and Shenzi at the climax, commenting it "has more weight than any of the other nameless fights that happen in the frenzy" and gives bigger moment for Nala's character. Brian Truitt from USA Today praised Beyoncé's performance as Nala for bringing "all the necessary fire as Nala, a lion willing to do anything to protect her pride." Peter Debrug from Variety commented that Nala is