As a cub, Kiara is curious and wild-hearted, constantly seeking new adventures and easily fraught at the sight of her safe nest back home in the Pride Lands. Her hunger for adventure often leads her to outright rebellion, as she ignored her father‘s better judgment in order to explore the Outlands and get answers to her unresolved questions. Kiara inherits her parents' curiosity and her curiosity in her surroundings has gotten her into real trouble.

Later in her childhood, Kiara became more accepting of her destiny as the future queen and began to take her royal duties seriously. Sometimes her duties would lead Kiara to rub it on her younger brother Kion’s face, which leads into a fight, though they still care for each other.

Kiara is also very strong-willed, and she possesses a strong desire for independence and self-sufficiency. She can escape and sneak out at times to reach her goal. She also displayed frequent annoyance when addressed by her title preferring to be known for who she herself is rather than who her family is.

Kiara is still a child at heart, able to laugh at everything, and make even Kovu's rough training into a game. Her outlook is a positive one, and she is one of Kovu's most loyal encouragers, seeing past his rough exterior to the kind character within. She also showed a strong amount of charisma as she convinced both prides that they are better united than against each other. She also cares for her enemies, as shown when she tries to rescue Zira from falling down the cliff even though she tried to kill Simba just a few moments earlier.

Like her father, Kiara sometimes doesn't get the advice and criticism she is given by her friends and family right away, also she had to find out the hard way. In addition, Kiara does get what her friends and family meant when she hears or sees it for herself, shown when Kovu shows her their reflection in the water and saying that they are one which helped her see the truth in her father, Simba, words when she was a cub. Also, Kiara uses the same advice she was given to help her family, shown with her father, or others, shown with the outsiders.