Moana (Disney character) facts for kids

Moana Waialiki of Motunui is the eponymous character of Walt Disney Animation Studios's 56th animated feature Moana (2016). Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker, Moana is originally voiced by Hawaiian actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho. As a child, she is voiced by Louise Bush. Moana is set to appear in the Disney+ sequel series Moana: The Series, which will premiere in 2023.

Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a legendary demigod, in the hope of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people.

Moana received widespread critical acclaim for her independence as well as Cravalho for her vocal performance. By 2019, Moana was officially inducted into the Disney Princess line-up, becoming the twelfth member.

International versions

Moana is voiced by Hawaiian singer Auliʻi Cravalho in the English and Hawaiian versions

When the movie had its first theatrical release worldwide, it numbered 45 versions overall, including a special Tahitian-language dubbing created specifically for the movie. In June 2017, a Māori-language version of the movie, featuring four voice-actors from the original English cast, was announced. Three weeks later, New Zealander Jaedyn Randell was introduced as Moana's voice. The movie was released in September 2017. In the same year, Shruti Rane (Hindi) reprised her role in the Bengali-language version of the movie. In November 2017, a Hawaiian-language dubbing was announced to be underway, with Auliʻi Cravalho reprising her role as Moana. The movie premiered on June 10, 2018.

     Highlighted versions were released later than 2016

Appearances

Films

Moana

Moana's grandmother, Tala, tells the story of Maui, the shape-shifting demigod of the wind and sea and master of sailing who stole goddess Te Fiti's heart. However, Te Fiti disintegrates, and Maui is attacked by Te Kā, a volcanic demon. His magical fishhook and Te Fiti's heart are lost in the ocean. The ocean then chooses Moana to return the heart to Te Fiti. Tui and Sina, Moana's mother, try to keep her away from the ocean to prepare her to become the island's chief. Sixteen years later, blight strikes her island and to attempt to prevent it, Moana suggests going beyond the reef which her father forbids her to. She tries with Pua the Pig but is overpowered by the waves and is shipwrecked back to shore. Tala shows Moana a secret cavern full of ships, revealing her ancestors were voyagers but stopped after Te Fiti's heart was stolen due to the ocean no longer being safe. She further explains Te Kā is causing the blight and she must seek Maui and the heart to stop it. On her deathbed, Tala convinces Moana to do so.

Setting sail on a camakau from the cavern, Moana is caught in a typhoon and shipwrecked on an island where she finds Maui, who boasts about his achievements. She demands that Maui return the heart, but he refuses and traps her in a cave. She escapes and confronts Maui who reluctantly lets her onto the camakau. They are then attacked by Kakamora—coconut pirates—who, like other creatures, seek the heart. Moana and Maui escape them and Moana convinces Maui to help her by saying Maui is no longer a hero and should redeem himself by returning the heart. First, Moana and Maui must retrieve Maui's fishhook in Lalotoi, the Realm of Monsters, from Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab. Maui takes his fishhook, only to find he does not have control over his shape-shifting anymore. Moana outwits Tamatoa and they escape. Maui reveals to Moana he became a demigod after his mortal parents abandoned him, the gods took pity on him and granted him powers. After Maui's confession, the two grow closer.

They are attacked by Te Kā after they arrive at Te Fiti's island. Moana refuses to turn back, resulting in Maui's hook being badly damaged. Unwilling to lose his hook in another confrontation, Maui abandons Moana who tearfully asks the ocean to find someone else to restore the heart and loses hope. The ocean obliges and takes the heart, but Tala's spirit appears, inspiring Moana to find her true calling. She retrieves the heart and sails back to confront Te Kā. Maui returns, having had a change of heart, and buys Moana time to reach Te Fiti by fighting Te Kā, destroying his hook in the process. Moana discovers Te Fiti is missing, and realizes Te Kā is Te Fiti, corrupted without her heart. Moana tells the ocean to clear a path, allowing her to return Te Fiti's heart, and the restored goddess heals the ocean and islands of the blight. Maui apologizes to Te Fiti, who restores his hook and gives Moana a new boat before falling into a deep sleep and becoming a mountain. Moana bids farewell to Te Fiti, returning home where she reunites with her parents. She takes up her role as chief and wayfinder, leading her people as they resume voyaging.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

A "meta" version of the character appears with other Disney princesses and Elsa and Anna from Frozen (2013) in the Wreck-It Ralph (2012) sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). When some of the princesses describe to Vanellope von Schweetz how they stare at "important water" to gain inspiration for their songs, Moana says she stares at the ocean. Later, when Ralph is falling from a tower and needs saving by the princesses, Moana causes water from a fountain to spiral upwards so that Elsa can freeze it into a slide to slow Ralph's fall, saying "You're Welcome" after saving him.

Television

Moana: The Series

In December 2020, it was announced that Moana would have a self-titled spin-off TV series debuting on Disney+ in 2023.

Merchandise

Cosplay of Moana at the 2017 Toronto Comicon.

By 2019, Moana was inducted into the Disney Princess line-up, becoming the twelfth member of the media franchise, and toyline featuring female protagonists from various Disney animated films. In 2016, Disney released a Moana doll with sustainable packaging. On November 17, 2016, Disney released Moana: Rhythm Run, a premium mobile game as well as adding Moana content to Disney Stickers, Disney Crossy Road, Disney Emoji Blitz, Disney Story Central, and Disney Jigsaw Puzzles. On January 2, 2017, Disney released Moana: Island Life, a free-to-play mobile game.

Theme parks

On November 16, 2016, prior to her film's release, Moana made her debut at Walt Disney World, doing meet-and-greets at Disney's Polynesian Resort. On November 18, 2016, Moana appeared in a surprise pre-parade of the Happy Birthday Mickey cavalcade in Disneyland Paris. On November 20, 2016, in Disneyland Paris, Moana began doing meet-and-greets at the Animation Station interactive post-show area of Art of Disney Animation. Since its debut on May 12, 2017, Moana appeared in Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom, singing "How Far I'll Go". After Tokyo Disneyland's refurbishment of "It's A Small World", Moana and Pua were featured in the Polynesian scene. Since the stage show's opening on May 25, 2018, Moana performed in Moana: A Homecoming Celebration in Hong Kong Disneyland. Moana has also appeared in Summer Blast in Shanghai Disneyland since 2019.

Images for kids

• 

  Moana, as she appears in the Disney Parks.