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This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
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| “ | I am Moana of Motunui. Aboard my boat, I'll sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti. | „ |
| ~ Moana's most famous quote. |
| “ | They want to end our story. We're not letting that happen. | „ |
| ~ Moana to her friends. |
Moana, also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some dubs, is the titular main protagonist of the Disney animated franchise of the same name.
She is a young explorer from the South Pacific who was destined to do extraordinary things she could have never done before while travelling across the seas. She is also Chief Tui and Sina's older daughter, Simea's older sister, and Pua and Heihei's owner. She is the 12th official Disney Princess in the lineup.
She is voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, and will be portrayed by Catherine Laga’aia in the upcoming 2026 live action adaptation.
Quick Answers
Who provides the voice for Moana in the Disney animated franchise?
What is the significance of Moana's shell necklace in the movie?
What is the meaning of Moana's name in Hawaiian?
What are some inspiring quotes by Moana in the Disney animated franchise?
Biography[]
Moana is the 16-year-old daughter of a South Pacific chief. As the next chieftain of her village, she is at odds with her responsibility to her people and her desire to explore the sea. As a child, she was chosen by the Ocean to return the Heart of Te Fiti, and when her island starts being overcome by darkness, she undertakes this quest to save the lives of her people, learning about herself and her heritage along the way.
Appearance[]
Moana is slim yet slightly muscular looking teenage girl with brown skin, brown eyes, a small nose, and waist-length wavy dark brown/black hair that comes down to her back. She walks around barefoot, and her clothing consists of a coconut fiber skirt, mainly beige-colored with golden sun patterns, and a red sash around her waist. She wears acropped red tube top around her upper torso, starting below her arms and ending above her midriff, complete with two strings of cowrie shells wrapped around her. On her neck she wears a necklace of beads, complete with a blue gemstone locket for containing the heart of Te Fiti.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Wayfinding: With Maui's aid, Moana is a master sailor and wayfinder.
- Water Manipulation: Although Moana can't directly control it, the ocean seems to be on her side, helping her when needed.
- Godhood: After perishing in the act of breaking Nalo's curse on Motufetu, Moana was revived as a Demigoddess, receiving Demigod tattoos and having her oar turned into a magic totem. The full extent of her Demigod abilities is unknown, with the only mystical ability displayed being the power of wayfinding to guide people across Oceania.
Weaknesses[]
- Average Durability: Moana only has an average human durability.
- Limited Water Manipulation: Moana cannot get help from any water other than the ocean, which only helps when it wants to.
Equipment[]
- Harpoon: Moana is a surprisingly skilled fighter with a fishing harpoon, using it as a weapon in combat.
- Voyaging Boat: Moana's source of transportation is a voyaging boat, in which she is an expert at sailing.
Story[]
Moana (2016)[]
Moana is first viewed as a toddler, listening to an ancient story about the legendary demigod Maui. According to Grandma Tala, the drama storyteller, Maui stole Te Fiti's coveted heart centuries before their time. As a result, a lava demon known as Te Kā was born, and the world was plunged into slow-burning darkness. The only hope for humanity lies in the hands of a fearless hero, who must travel to find Maui and put her heart back in its rightful place. While the other children are terrified of the story, Moana is fascinated. Chief Tui says there is no such darkness that consumes the world and points out the law that prohibits anyone on the island from walking past the reef. Moana disregards her father's words and advances towards the shores of the ocean in bliss. There, she helps a struggling newborn sea turtle head out into the ocean from predators. At this point, Moana knows the ocean, which is revealed to be sentient. Having witnessed her compassion towards the baby sea turtle, the ocean becomes passionate about Moana and chooses her as the heroine destined to save the world. This provides her with Te Fiti's heart, but when Tui arrives and brings her back to the village, Moana drops the heart and leaves it on the shore.
Tui notices his daughter's liking for the sea and over the years he and the people of Motunui try to convince Moana that their home on the island is paradise and that her destiny is to follow in her father's footsteps. by becoming a chef. Although she loves her people, Moana continues to feel drawn to the sea, which Tala encourages. One day, Tui takes Moana to a sacred place on the island: a high mountain, where the leaders of each generation place a stone to mark the beginning of their leadership. This inspires Moana to finally accept her role as future village chief. She thus spends her time learning with her parents to help her people across the island. One day the food supply of the islands begins to run out. Moana thinks that traveling beyond the reef to find food elsewhere is the best solution, but Tui strongly forbids it. However, she tries against her will and almost drowns before even crossing the barriers.
Believing that she failed as a sailor, Moana deems herself as unfit for the sea and wishes to place her stone on the mountain. She tells this to Tala, who responds by showing Moana a hidden cave created by their ancestors long ago. Moana learns that she is drawn to the sea because her ancestors were voyagers. When asked why their trip stopped, Tala explained that it was Maui's doing, referring to his crime of stealing the heart of Te Fiti, which filled the seas with monsters and demons and to protect their people, the ancient chiefs forbid voyaging, which made forget who they are. Tala reveals having the heart of Te Fiti in her possession and explains that the ocean chose Moana to restore it. Not knowing how to navigate, Moana rushes to Tui and her people to ask for their help in restoring the heart. Again, Tui forbids leaving the island, ignores him and throws the heart away. As Moana retrieves it, she finds Tala's walking stick on the grass.
Moana and her parents rush to the doctors, where Tala is lying on her deathbed. She encourages Moana to search for Maui and restore the heart in her final moments. Moana reluctantly accepts her grandmother's dying wish, packs up supplies, and takes one of her ancestor's boats that unknowingly had her rooster friend, Heihei, on board as well. As Moana leaves, her grandmother's light fades and her spirit guides Moana beyond the reef and into the sea. The next night, the ocean transports Moana to the island of Maui, where the two meet and start off as mildly antagonistic. Maui is more concerned with Moana's boat, which he steals by trapping Moana in a cave. She manages to use her wits to escape and travels to Maui with the help of the ocean. She orders him to return the heart, but upon seeing it, Maui attempts to leave the boat, only to be brought back by the ocean. He claims the heart is cursed, which Moana refuses to believe until they are attacked by a gang of pirates called Kakamora.
The Kakamora are thirsty for Te Fiti's power core, but Moana holds her ground and fights against them. She successfully retrieves the heart and defeats the pirates. Although Maui congratulates her for surviving, he adamantly refuses to help return the heart. Moana persuades him to comply when she claims that such an act will help Maui regain a positive reputation among mortals and be a hero again. Maui agrees to help, but not without his hook, which is said to be in the clutches of Tamatoa, a giant crab living in the monster realm. As they move forward, Moana observes as Maui is revealed to be a master scout. She asks him to teach her, and after he initially refuses, the ocean uses one of the Kakamora's darts to paralyze the stubborn demigod, leaving him unable to navigate. With no other choice, he teaches Moana how to way-find. After much mentoring, Moana falls asleep and has a nightmare in which she looks at her home island and her parents destroyed by Te Kā's curse. When she wakes up, she finds that Maui has taken over the boat and successfully led them to Lalotai Island.
As they climb a mountain to reach the entrance to the underworld, Maui wonders why the ocean chose Moana to save the world, to which she doesn't seem to know it herself. Despite her sudden sense of doubt, Moana follows Maui into Lalotai and ends up finding the hook. She distracts Tamatoa long enough for Maui to regain his hook, but the demigod finds that his shape-shifting abilities are out of control. Feeling confident, Tamatoa attacks Maui and imprisons Vaiana to prevent her from interfering. As she watches helplessly, Tamatoa taunts Maui about her hidden insecurities and alludes to her tragic past. As such information was previously unknown to him, Moana is confused by Tamatoa's words. She nonetheless escapes from her cell while Tamatoa is distracted and uses a fortune double from Te Fiti's heart to divert attention from Maui. The two escape, and once they are safe, Maui thanks Moana for her help, though he reprimands himself for failing to defeat Tamatoa and almost let Moana be killed accordingly.
They set off again, but an despondent Maui feels unable to defeat Te Kā and restore the heart without his hook. Moana, wanting to give Maui the benefit of the doubt, seeks to discover the underlying plot of the demigod. It only angers Maui, prompting Moana to confess her own feelings of doubt by revealing that she doesn't know why the ocean chose her. She further explains that she is still intending to save her dying island, although she can only do so with Maui's aid. Moana offers to lend an ear to the demigod, and Maui eventually opens up to her by revealing that he was born human and was callously abandoned by his parents. After being adopted by the gods, he became a hero and protected humanity to win the love his parents had denied him. Maui admits that he feels worthless without his hook, but Moana sees a true hero in the demigod, regardless of his magical attributes. It resonates with Maui and gives him the courage to train in order to regain his power, under the direction of Moana and Mini Maui (Maui's sentient tattoo). At the same time, Maui strengthens Moana's mentorship in orientation, eventually turning her into a master navigator in the same way as her ancestors, though Maui confirms that she may have surpassed them.
The two finally decide that they are ready to face Te Kā. Maui encourages Moana to use her skills and navigate the rest of the way, and with the demigod's teachings in mind, Moana arrives in Te Fiti, to the delight of a proud Maui. Maui then takes heart and flies to Te Fiti, but he is immediately attacked by Te Kā and swiftly defeated. Landing on the boat, Maui urges Moana to turn around for their own safety, but she refuses, not wanting to back down after being so close to reaching her goal. She makes them sail to Te Fiti and directly within Te Kā's attacking range. The lava monster strikes to kill Moana, but Maui intervenes and uses his hook to block Te Kā's blow. The wave created by the powerful impact blasts Moana and Maui away from the shores of Te Fiti. After recovering, Maui confronts Moana about her recklessness, which severely damaged his hook. Believing that the ocean has wrongly chosen Moana as the savior of the world, Maui refuses to return to Te Kā, suggesting instead that they separate because all hope is lost with his hook in such a critical state, leaving Moana depressed and upset. Moana stands defiantly at the thought of stepping back and tearfully tries to force Maui to stay, but she is rejected because the demigod uses some of his power to turn into a hawk and fly away in the night, not before saying that ocean chose the wrong person.
Dejected and alone, Moana is approached by the ocean. She sadly confesses her incompetence and demands that the ocean choose someone else to restore the heart. The ocean accepts Moana's decision and brings Te Fiti's heart back to the sea. As Moana bursts into tears, she is visited by Grandma Tala's spiritual ghost, who comforts and apologizes to her granddaughter for putting such much pressure on her. Tala encourages Moana to return home if she wishes, promising to stay by her side on the journey. Moana prepares to go home but finds that she can't bring herself to do so. Unable to understand, Tala encourages her granddaughter to open up to her emotions to understand why she is hesitant to go home. Moana realizes that the eternal love she has for her people and the sea is what has brought her so far, this is what ultimately defines who she is, and explains why she is the only one capable of save the world. Encouraged, Moana dives into the sea and recovers the heart of Te Fiti. When she resurfaces, Tala is gone, but Moana's determination grows more prominent.
She repairs her boat and returns to Te Fiti with Heihei by her side. They face Te Kā, whom Moana manages to thwart to cross the barrier islands of Te Fiti. Unfortunately, Te Kā ended up catching and attacking her. Moana is thrown from her boat and is nearly killed by the lava demon until Maui returns with a change of heart. Determined to protect Moana despite the damaged condition of his hook, Maui distracts Te Kā while the ocean helps Moana reach the fused shores of Te Fiti. There, she cannot locate the spiral in which the heart must be placed. Looking into the distance, she notices a glowing spiral on Te Kā's chest and quickly realizes that the lava demon is Te Fiti, corrupted without her heart into her fiery lava demon form. Moana sings "Know Who You Are" to tame Te Kā, who finds peace in the former's heartening words and turns into molten rock, calming down long enough for Moana to make physical contact with her without being burned or harmed by Te Kā's powers. Moana places her heart in Te Kā's chest, and the lava monster's body crumbles, reviving the radiant and lush Te Fiti.
The goddess revives the dying islands around the world, as well as Moana's boat and Maui's hook. Moana asks Maui to go home, but Maui warmly denies it, instead showing Moana a new tattoo on his body, inspired by her heroism. The two hug warmly before Maui turns into a hawk and flies away. Shortly afterwards, Moana and Heihei leave for Motunui. They arrive just as Motunui is fully recovering from the curse. Tui and Sina spot Moana arriving at her house and greet her lovingly. As her noble action has restored the safety of the sea, Moana becomes chief, and the villagers take the boats out of their ancestors hidden harbor. Traveling begins again and Moana makes her mark of leadership on the sacred mountain of Motunui with a shell given to her by the ocean, symbolizing the unity of her duties to her people and her passion for the seas.
Moana 2[]
Three years after the first film, Moana spends her days exploring new islands in hopes to find other people who are connected to the ocean, and has also become a big sister with her new younger sister Simea. One day, during a ceremony held by her father where lightning suddenly pierces through the roof and almost hits Moana, she gets a vision from her ancestor, Tautai Vasa, that the reason why no one is connected to the ocean anymore is because the evil storm god Nalo wanted power over the mortals, so he sunk a mystical island called Motufetu down to the depths of the ocean, which connected all islands and the people on them, and that her island will be deserted and abandoned if Moana doesn’t find a way to revive Motufetu. She brings a crew of people from Motunui: shipwright and craftswoman Loto, Maui fanboy and master storyteller Moni, and the grumpy and elderly expert farmer Kele, alongside her pet pig and rooster, Pua and Heihei, to find the island.
Eventually, Moana and her crew meet the Kakamora, who soon reveal that Nalo’s actions against Motufetu caused them to be disconnected from their home island as well. One of them, named Kotu, helps the crew destroy a giant monster clam that takes them to Matangi’s lair. While the crew find Maui, Moana meets Matangi, but learns that she isn’t happy serving Nalo and actually helps Moana escape her lair and reunite with Maui and her friends before sending them to where Nalo is.
Maui soon reveals that Nalo’s realm is more deadly compared to the mortal realm and that fighting him will be suicide as he surrounded Motufetu with a powerful storm of his doing that is nigh impossible to get past to reach the island due to the dangerous lightning, tornadoes, and rogue waves. After they get washed ashore on an isolated island after being attacked by Nalo's eels that damaged the raft before being repulsed by the sunrise, Moana begins to despair, but Maui encourages her to keep trying as they plan on Maui raising the island and Moana touching it as that is the only way to restore Motufetu and stop Nalo. Her friends repair the damaged raft using materials salvaged from Tautai Vasa's raft that they found on the island, and they soon ride to face Nalo. Despite their best efforts, Nalo manages to strip Maui of his demigod powers and tattoos before he could raise Motufetu, forcing a desperate Moana to touch the island under the sea, with Nalo’s storm killing her just seconds after she succeeded in breaking the curse and forcing Nalo's storm to dissipate with the curse broken when she is struck by his last lightning bolt fired at her. Maui jumps in and with the help of Moana’s ancestors, including Grandma Tala and Tautai Vasa, they revive her, with Moana becoming a demigoddess (complete with demigod tattoos), and Maui raises Motufetu, reconnecting the ocean with the mortals. When Moana blows her conch shell from atop Motufetu, her call is answered as several rafts from other islands appear and allow her to meet with the other people connected by the restored Motufetu.
Moana returns home with Maui, her crew, pets, and the other people she met, reunites with her parents and little sister, and a celebration is held in her honor.
Other media[]
Ralph Breaks The Internet[]
Moana serves as a netizen and Cast Member of the Oh My Disney website alongside her fellow Disney Princesses and honorary members Anna and Elsa, similar to her face character counterpart in real life at the Disney Parks and Resorts. During when the girls are on one of their breaks and are in their private dressing room, they are startled by the appearance of Vanellope von Schweetz glitching into their room to escape First Order Stormtroopers attempting to apprehend her for illegal pop-up advertising on the site. Suspecting her of being an agent sent by one of their respective Disney Villains to attack them, or a user's avatar that had committed the cardinal violation of trespassing in a "Cast Members Only" restricted area without permission, similar to a Guest being in the backstage areas of the parks without special authorization or VIP access, the girls move to attack Vanellope and subdue her to turn her over to the proper authorities, with Moana arming herself with her oar to whack Vanellope with. Vanellope attempts to calm them down by explaining that she's a princess too, but while this causes some hesitation with the girls wanting to attack her, they are still wary and decide to grill her with various questions from their respective movies like the quiz they do when on duty. Once Vanellope answers "yes" to the big question Rapunzel asks her about having a big, strong man coming to save her all the time, the girls are convinced that Vanellope is a princess and stand down, welcoming her into their group. Upon noticing her casual wear and mistaking it for her "gown", the girls are inspired to have similar wear of their own, which Jaq and Gus make up for them, allowing them to get out of their usual trademark outfits and relax in something a lot comfier when on break.
It is during this time that they explain to Vanellope about some of their trademark means to find their life's purpose or goal in the form of an "I Want" song and looking at "important water" for inspiration. When C-3PO interrupts to tell the girls that they are back on duty in a few minutes for another quiz, Vanellope takes her leave from the girls, but is grateful for the time she spent bonding with them, as they are with her, since now they have some more comfortable casual wear to put on when their next break time is available. Merida offers Vanellope some last-minute advice in her Scottish dialect, but it is so confusing that Moana explains that the other girls can't understand what Merida says, with Anna adding on that Merida is from Pixar, hence being unable to translate what she said.
Sometime later, Moana and the other girls are forced to evacuate Oh My Disney due to a Denial-of-Service attack caused by the Arthur virus releasing hundreds of Ralph viral clones across the Internet due to Ralph's insecurities of letting Vanellope go to pursue her own dreams. After Ralph resolves his insecurities, causing the viral clones to vanish, he is in danger of falling to his doom. Moana and the other girls see he's in trouble and move to help him, with Moana and Ariel working together to create a tower of water that Elsa can freeze to serve as a slide to save Ralph. After he is saved, he is allowed a chance to meet and befriend the girls, with Elsa assuring him that "any friend of Vanellope is a friend of ours", with Moana adding on "You're Welcome".
Quotes[]
| “ | I've been staring at the edge of the water. Long as I can remember. Never really knowing why I wish I could be the perfect daughter. But I come back to the water. No matter how hard I try. Every turn I take, every trail I track. Every path I make, every road leads back. To the place I know where I cannot go. Where I long to be. See the line where the sky meets the sea. It calls me. And no one knows. How far it goes. If the wind in my sail on the sea Stays behind me. One day, I'll know If I go, there's just no telling how far I'll go I know everybody on this island. Seems so happy on this island. Everything is by design I know everybody on this island. Has a role on this island So maybe I can roll with mine. I can lead with pride I can make us strong I'll be satisfied if I play along. But the voice inside. Sings a different song. What is wrong with me? See the light as it shines on the sea. It's blinding. But no one knows. How deep it goes. And it seems like it's calling out to me. So come find me. And let me know. What's beyond that line? Will I cross that line? The line where the sky meets the sea. It calls me. And no one knows. How far it goes. If the wind in my sail on the sea. Stays behind me. One day, I'll know. How far I'll go | „ |
| ~ Moana's song. |
| “ | HEY! I got something shiny for ya! | „ |
| ~ Moana presenting the Heart of Te Fiti to Tamatoa in order to save Maui from being devoured. |
| “ | Me too! | „ |
| ~ Moana taking a liking to Vanellope's outfit. |
| “ | We can't understand her. | „ |
| ~ Moana about Merida. |
| “ | You're Welcome. | „ |
| ~ Moana meeting Ralph. |
| “ | I had really gotta get me one of those. | „ |
| ~ Lego Moana hoping to get herself a Scootieblot. |
| “ | Ariel, it's a treasure map! My navigation skills can definitly get us there! | „ |
| ~ Lego Moana discovering a map |
| “ | Moana: Hold on! I don't have a tail. Ariel: Oh, right. Of course. (giggles) Moana: [Breaks a tree down into pieces] But I CAN build a canoe! |
„ |
| ~ Lego Moana to Lego Ariel that she can't change into a mermaid, before building a canoe. |
| “ | Oh, coconuts! | „ |
| ~ Lego Moana |
| “ | Not without us you don't! | „ |
| ~ Lego Moana |
Trivia[]
- Bryce Dallas Howard, Scarlett Johansson, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, the late Kelly Preston, Emma Stone, Drew Barrymore, and Natasha Lyonne were all considered to voice Moana before Auli'i Cravalho was selected.
- Her name means "ocean" in many Polynesian languages, including Hawaiian and Maori.
- In some countries, such as Spain, she is renamed Vaiana due to copyright reasons.[3] In Italy in particular, the movie was also retitled Oceania to avoid allusions to Moana Pozzi.[4]
- Being the daughter of Chief Tui, this would technically make her a princess, despite her stating that she's not because Pocahontas is the daughter of the chief, too.
- In Moana 2, when she refuted the title upon reuniting with Maui, he joked that some people think she is regardless, with his tattoo selfbreaking the fourth wall to look at the audience.
- She is the fifth Disney Princess to have both of her parents alive after Aurora, Mulan, Rapunzel, and Merida.
- She is the third Disney Princess to have a grandmother after Pocahontas and Mulan.
- She is the second Disney Princess to not be based off an already existing source after Merida.
- She is, however, the first one who fully belongs to Disney themselves, as Merida originated from a Pixar production.
External Links[]
- Moana on the Pure Good Wiki
- Moana on the Disney Wiki
- Moana on the Moana Wiki
[]
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