Laiya, alternately called Kitty or Lyra across adaptations, is a cream-furred lioness distinguished by brown bangs and striking blue eyes. Orphaned by hunters as a cub, she is raised by her uncle, King Specklerex, her royal heritage shaping her poised, dignified bearing. Her bond with Leo begins during her journey to Specklerex’s domain, where she spurns the aggressive advances of Claw and is rescued by Leo, forging a lifelong connection. Their relationship matures from childhood camaraderie to marriage, culminating in parenthood with cubs Lune and Lukio. In manga iterations, Laiya serves the pygmy village goddess Leona, tasked with finding the missing Panja. Freed from captivity by Leo, she cautiously lowers her guard despite skepticism toward his human-influenced worldview, evolving into a steadfast ally. Her supportive partnership with Leo persists across adaptations, though her story diverges: in *Leo the Lion* (1966), she aids in safeguarding the jungle and nurturing their cubs, surviving a plague via human aid—contrasting her tragic demise from illness in the manga and 1997 film. The 1997 film portrays her as a peace-seeking leader who dissuades vengeance, confronting the elephant Pagoola to halt retaliatory attacks on humans. She tirelessly tends to fire-injured animals and those stricken by the epidemic that ultimately claims her life, her death galvanizing Leo’s resolve to protect their daughter Lukio. *The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion* (1989) reimagines her arc: initially a servant of Leona, she keeps a wary distance from Leo during his volatile periods before relocating to Panja’s jungle. Her gradual emotional thaw toward Leo remains subtler here, with her survival intact and her role centered on episodic conflicts rather than a defined romantic trajectory. Excluded from the 2009 special and symphonic poem, Laiya features in the spin-off *Leo the Lion Cub* as a captive rescued by Leo, their marriage and cub-rearing framed in a lighthearted tone. A subplot unveils her tragic past: a long-lost brother and siblings slain by a hydra snake, enriching her familial history. Across narratives, Laiya embodies resilience and moral clarity, her loyalty and sacrifices underpinning Leo’s leadership and themes of human-animal coexistence.