Moana (character) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moana
Moana character
Moana as she appears in the film Moana (2016).
First appearance	Moana (2016)
Created by	Ron Clements John Musker
Voiced by	Auliʻi Cravalho Louise Bush (toddler)
Portrayed by	Catherine Laga'aia (upcoming live-action film)
Information
Species	Demigoddess (formerly human)
Occupation	Tribal chieftain Wayfinding voyager Demigoddess
Affiliation	Disney Princesses
Title	Chieftess of Motunui
Family	Chief Tui (father) Sina (mother) Simea (younger sister)
Relatives	Tala (paternal grandmother, deceased)
Nationality	Polynesian

Moana of Motunui is the main character from the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios movie Moana. She was created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker. The voice of Moana is provided by Hawaiian actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho. When Moana is a toddler, Louise Bush voices her.

Moana also appears in the movie sequel Moana 2, which came out in November 2024. Auliʻi Cravalho voiced her again in this film. There is also a live-action remake movie, released in 2026, where Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana.

Moana's story is inspired by Polynesian myths. She is shown as the strong daughter of a village chief in Polynesia. The ocean itself chooses her to return a special relic to the goddess Te Fiti. When a strange problem affects her island, Moana sails off to find Maui. He is a famous demigod. She hopes to return the relic to Te Fiti and save her people. Later, she forms a team and goes on a journey to find the lost island of Motufetu. This trip helps connect the people of the sea again. She becomes a demigoddess herself during this adventure.

Many people praised Moana for being independent. Auliʻi Cravalho also received great reviews for her voice acting. In 2019, Moana officially joined the Disney Princess group. She became the twelfth princess in this famous lineup.

Creating Moana: The Story Behind the Character

How Moana Was First Thought Of

Directors Ron Clements (right) and John Musker (left) created Moana.

After making The Princess and the Frog (2009), directors Clements and Musker wanted to work on a new film. They first tried to adapt a book called Mort. However, they could not get the rights to the story. To avoid this problem again, they came up with three new ideas. One of these ideas, which became Moana, started in 2011. Musker began reading about Polynesian mythology. He learned about the amazing adventures of the demigod Māui.

Musker was very interested in the rich culture of Polynesia. He felt it would be a great topic for an animated movie. Soon after, he and Clements wrote a summary of their idea. They showed it to John Lasseter, who suggested they do more research. So, in 2012, Clements and Musker traveled to Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti. They met people from the South Pacific to learn about their culture. At first, they planned to make the movie only about Maui. But their trips inspired Clements to suggest a new idea. This idea focused on the young daughter of a chief.

During their research, Clements and Musker learned something fascinating. The people of Polynesia stopped making long ocean voyages about three thousand years ago. Their wayfinding skills were older than those of European explorers. They began around 300 CE. Native people of the Pacific knew a lot about the world and their place in it. This was true even before outsiders arrived. For example, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) knew about far-off islands. They had names for these places. They wanted to explore them to help their communities. This voyaging tradition was possible because they used a special way of understanding geography. It was based on individual viewpoints, not the European compass system.

No one knows exactly why these voyages stopped. Some experts think it was due to climate change. This could have shifted ocean currents and wind patterns. Native people of the Pacific started voyaging again a thousand years later. Clements and Musker set the movie at that time, about two thousand years ago. The fictional island in the movie was inspired by real islands. These included Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.

Taika Waititi wrote the first version of the script. But he went back to New Zealand in 2012. He wanted to focus on his new baby and his movie What We Do in the Shadows (2014). The first script showed Moana as the only daughter with "five or six brothers." Gender played a big part in this early story. However, the brothers and gender themes were removed. The directors felt Moana's journey should be about her finding herself.

Another script version had Moana's father wanting to restart ocean voyages. But this was changed. He was rewritten to oppose voyaging so he would not take attention away from Moana. Instead, Pamela Ribon suggested adding a grandmother character. This grandmother would be a mentor. She would connect Moana to old traditions. Another idea was for Moana to rescue her father, who was lost at sea. The movie's story changed a lot during its creation. That idea only remained as a small part of the father's past.

Finding Moana's Voice

In late 2014, a worldwide search began for the voice of Moana. Auliʻi Cravalho did not plan to audition. She thought there were "already so many great submissions over YouTube." She decided to focus on school instead, as her first year was "confusing." Cravalho was discovered at an audition for a non-profit event. She did not know that the agent there was also casting for Moana.

Agent Rachel Sutton asked Cravalho if she wanted to audition for Moana. She was the very last girl to be seen on the final day of casting. During her audition, Cravalho sang 30 seconds of her favorite Disney song. It was "I See the Light" from Tangled. She also sang Hawaiian songs. Cravalho said she was confused during the whole audition. But she felt she "gave it [her] best" and it "worked really well." In October 2015, Cravalho was officially chosen as Moana's voice actress. Producer Osnat Shurer said, "We were looking for someone who could embody the character. Someone with all the strength and commitment, humor, heart and compassion. When we met Auliʻi, she was just bringing Moana to life."

Cravalho described Moana as brave, beautiful, kind, and strong. She said she could list adjectives "all day." She called Moana a role model for everyone, not just girls. She also stated that Moana knows what she wants and works hard to get it. The actress enjoyed seeing Moana's growth and how she helped her culture. Cravalho said Moana is "different" from other Disney characters. She was "truly described as a Disney heroine." Moana is both "empowered and empowering" and does not have a love interest. Cravalho compared her to Mulan because they both "kick butt." Cravalho "thoroughly enjoyed and will always feel deeply connected to Moana." She loved voicing her as the "strong, independent, beautiful heroine that she is."

Moana is voiced by Hawaiian singer Auliʻi Cravalho in the English and Hawaiian versions of Moana (2016).

Cravalho had never done professional film work before. Many parts of the process surprised her. She recorded some lines "30 or 40 times." She explained that putting stress on a different word could create different feelings. About 40 engineers would listen to her. They listened to every sound, voice change, and volume change Cravalho made. They were looking for the exact emotion they wanted in the movie. Usually, the directors decided which recording to use in the final film.

She also found it hard to feel comfortable in the recording booth. There were usually cameras for the animators. These cameras helped them add realistic facial expressions to the character. She was not sure how to act while cameras filmed her. When she sang, Cravalho needed the lights turned down. She asked for this because she did not want to feel watched. Directors, animators, and writers were watching her. Sometimes they sketched her or watched how she said words. Cravalho was not used to the cameras and the "lights, camera, action" process. She never recorded with her co-stars Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, or Rachel House.

Cravalho voiced Moana again in 2017. She dubbed the character in a special Hawaiian-language version of the movie. Cravalho also voiced Moana in Ralph Breaks the Internet. In that movie, Moana made a short appearance with other Disney Princesses.

She reprised the role again by voicing Moana in Moana 2 in 2024. Cravalho said this was the first time "that a Disney princess has been allowed to age." Moana and Cravalho were both 16 when the first film came out. But in the sequel's story, only three years had passed. The sequel was released eight years later. During those years, Cravalho had been asked to make her voice higher. This was to sound like her teenage self for Disney fireworks shows, Disney on Ice, and Disney Lego Princess. She was happy when the sequel's directors let her record her lines using her natural voice as a woman in her early twenties.

International Voices for Moana

When the movie first came out, it had 45 different language versions. This included a special Tahitian-language dubbing. In June 2017, a Māori-language version was announced. It featured four voice actors from the original English cast. Three weeks later, Jaedyn Randell from New Zealand was chosen as Moana's voice. This movie version was released in September 2017. In the same year, Shruti Rane (Hindi) voiced Moana again in the Bengali-language version. In November 2017, a Hawaiian-language dubbing was announced. Auliʻi Cravalho voiced Moana again in this version. The movie premiered on June 10, 2018.

In many European countries, Moana's name was changed to "Vaiana." This was because of a trademark conflict. The movie was released in those countries with the alternative name in the title.      Highlighted versions were released later than 2016

Who Plays Moana in Live-Action?

In April 2023, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was making a live-action Moana movie. Auliʻi Cravalho was an executive producer. She did not play Moana again, but she helped choose the new actress. In July, the search for the new actress paused because of a strike.

Moana's Character and Look

Musker explained that he and Clements wanted a story without romance. Instead, they focused on female strength. It was like True Grit, with a determined girl teaming up with an older, experienced guy. They go on an adventure, and she finds her true purpose. She also saves the world. Musker liked the idea of an "action-adventure princess." She could dive off cliffs and fight monsters. Shurer said that to create a strong female lead, they needed to make her complete on her own. She also said they wanted Moana to be confident. She needed to have both kindness and bravery to stand out.

The creative team wanted to make Moana look realistic. Girls could see themselves in her. She needed to be strong enough for activities like swimming, climbing trees, and jumping off cliffs. Shurer said this was a clear choice. She explained that since they were writing a "hero's journey", Moana needed to be relatable to everyone. Musker said this was planned. They hoped she would be unique. They also aimed to create an experienced "action hero." The drawings of people from the South Pacific also showed realistic bodies. Musker said it "seemed right" for her to have this body. Moana did many stunts that needed a lot of physical strength. Women who worked on Moana also strongly wanted her to have a realistic body.

To make Moana's hair look real and expressive, a new computer program called Quicksilver was created. Another tool, Disney Elastic Rods, helped with the twists in Moana's curly hair. The Multicurve tool added new twist details. To make her hair look real when wet, animators had models with similar hair dip their heads in water. There were "collision driven hair rigs." These allowed for more possibilities in how the character's hair could move. The way the hair moved freely influenced the artistic style. Most of the hair's movement was created through computer simulation. A new "grab node" was made to help Moana's hair curls interact and touch each other. Different levels of wind were needed for her hair. This was because the movie was set outdoors. As a result, most of the hair scenes were the first time Disney animators had created such shots.

The costume designers wanted Moana's dress to be true to her culture. For example, the red color of Moana's dress showed royalty at that time. Since buttons did not exist, artist Neysa Bové added a boar's tusk to hold the dress together. Bové said Moana's top is made of mulberry. Her skirt is made of pandanas. Bové added a slit at the front of Moana's dress. This allowed her to do all the activities in the film. She stated that for Moana, a lot of research happened in the Pacific Islands. This is where the film takes place. However, the movie was set 2,000 years ago. This made photo references impossible. Instead, they got material examples from their Oceanic Trust. Much thought went into Moana's necklace. She wears it through most of the film.

We found this abalone shell. It's actually a mollusk, and you find this on all the Pacific Islands; it's something they use quite a bit. What's beautiful about it is that it sort of looks like a rock until you start scraping that away, and you reveal this beautiful abalone beneath it with all these ocean colors [...] I sort of added a curve to the shell and it's a nice juxtaposition between land and sea, and as a voyager she uses the stars to navigate, so I added some star carvings up on top of the shell.

Moana's Adventures and Appearances

Moana in Movies

Moana (2016 Film)

Moana's grandmother, Tala, tells the story of Maui. He is a shape-shifting demigod of the wind and sea. He is also a master sailor. Maui stole the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. Because of this, Te Fiti started to fall apart. Maui was then attacked by Te Kā, a fiery demon. His magic fishhook and Te Fiti's heart were lost in the ocean. The ocean then chose Moana to return the heart to Te Fiti.

Tui and Sina, Moana's parents, tried to keep her away from the ocean. They wanted her to prepare to become the island's chief. Sixteen years later, a problem affected her island. To try and stop it, Moana suggested going beyond the reef. Her father forbid her to do this. She tried with Pua the Pig but was overwhelmed by the waves. She was shipwrecked back to shore. Tala showed Moana a secret cave full of ships. She revealed that Moana's ancestors were voyagers. But they stopped after Te Fiti's heart was stolen. This was because the ocean was no longer safe. Tala explained that Te Kā was causing the problem. Moana had to find Maui and the heart to stop it. On her deathbed, Tala convinced Moana to go.

Moana set sail on a camakau from the cave. She was caught in a storm and shipwrecked on an island. There, she found Maui, who bragged about his achievements. She demanded that Maui return the heart. But he refused and trapped her in a cave. She escaped and faced Maui. He threw her off the boat many times. But because of the ocean, he reluctantly let her onto the camakau. They were then attacked by Kakamora. These were coconut pirates who also wanted the heart. Moana and Maui escaped them. Moana convinced Maui to help her. She said Maui was no longer a hero and should make things right by returning the heart.

First, Moana and Maui had to get Maui's fishhook. It was in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters. They needed to get it from Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab. Maui took his fishhook. But he found he could no longer control his shape-shifting. Moana outsmarted Tamatoa, and they escaped. Maui told Moana that he became a demigod after his human parents left him. The gods felt sorry for him and gave him powers. After Maui's story, the two became closer.

They were attacked by Te Kā when they arrived at Te Fiti's island. Moana refused to turn back. This resulted in Maui's hook being badly damaged. Maui did not want to lose his hook in another fight. He left a crying Moana. She asked the ocean to find someone else to restore the heart and lost hope. The ocean agreed and took the heart. Moana broke down, feeling hopeless. But Tala's spirit appeared. She inspired Moana to find her true purpose. Moana got the heart back and sailed to face Te Kā. Maui returned, having changed his mind. He gave Moana time to reach Te Fiti by fighting Te Kā. He destroyed his hook in the process.

Moana discovered Te Fiti was missing. She realized Te Kā was Te Fiti, changed without her heart. Moana told the ocean to clear a path. This allowed her to return Te Fiti's heart. The restored goddess healed the ocean and islands from the problem. Maui apologized to Te Fiti. She restored his hook and gave Moana a new boat. Then Te Fiti fell into a deep sleep and became a mountain. Moana said goodbye to Te Fiti. She returned home and reunited with her parents and the villagers. Tui now accepted going past the reef, saying it suited her. She then became the chief (Chiefess) after her father. She also became the wayfinder, leading her people as they started voyaging again.

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

A version of Moana appears with other Disney princesses. This was in the Wreck-It Ralph (2012) sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). When some princesses told Vanellope von Schweetz how they look at "important water" for song ideas, Moana said she looks at the ocean. Later, Ralph was falling from a tower and needed saving. Moana made water from a fountain spiral upwards. This allowed Elsa to freeze it into a slide to slow Ralph's fall. Moana said "You're Welcome" after saving him.

Moana 2 (2024)

In December 2020, it was announced that Moana would have her own animated TV series. It was planned for Disney+ in 2023. The show was later changed into a full movie sequel. It was released in November 2024.

Three years after she returned Te Fiti's heart, Moana was searching for other people beyond her island. She also had a younger sister named Simea, whom she loved. A visit from her ancestors told her she must break a curse. This curse was put in place by the powerful god Nalo. She had to bring the island of Motufetu to reconnect people. Because the trip was dangerous, Moana gathered a crew to help her. This crew included Loto, a craftswoman; Kele, an experienced elder farmer; and Moni, a historian and fanboy. She wanted Maui's help but did not know how to call him.

Moana and her crew were attacked again by the Kakamora. But they soon learned the Kakamora wanted the same thing they did. The Kakamora gave them a weapon to help. They also offered the help of a skilled coconut warrior named Kotu. Moana got separated from her group. She met Matangi, a goddess who was Nalo's unwilling companion. Matangi helped Moana because Nalo being defeated meant she could be free. She revealed she had Maui and brought him there to make sure she and Moana would reunite. Then she sent them where they needed to go.

Nalo's sea monsters were almost too much for the crew. Moni nearly died. Moana was very sad and lost faith in herself. But Maui managed to inspire her. Together, the crew faced Nalo. The humans distracted Nalo so Maui could raise the island. The plan went wrong. So Moana dove in and successfully touched the sunken island. This broke the curse. However, a lightning strike from Nalo killed her right after she succeeded. Maui and the ancestors (including her grandmother) brought Moana back to life. They also turned her into a demigoddess herself. Maui raised the island, and they finally met other groups of people. Afterward, the crew traveled to explore the free ocean. Unknown to her, Nalo had captured Matangi and was planning his revenge against Moana. Tamatoa offered to help him.

Moana (2026 Live-Action Film)

In April 2023, Walt Disney Pictures announced a live-action remake of Moana. It was originally set for a 2025 release. Auliʻi Cravalho was an executive producer. She did not play Moana again, but she helped with casting her replacement. In July, the casting process paused due to a strike. Dwayne Johnson said in February 2024 that an actress had been cast. But her name was kept secret on purpose. After Moana 2 was announced, the live-action film was moved to 2026. In June 2024, it was announced that newcomer Catherine Laga'aia from Sydney, Australia was cast as Moana.

Moana in TV Shows

Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest

Moana is one of the main characters in the Lego animated special Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest. This special was released on Disney+ on August 18, 2023.

Moana Merchandise

By 2019, Moana joined the Disney Princess group. She became the twelfth member of this popular media franchise. This franchise includes toys and products featuring female characters from Disney animated films. In 2016, Disney released a Moana doll with eco-friendly packaging. On November 17, 2016, Disney released Moana: Rhythm Run, a mobile game. They also added Moana content to other apps. These included 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.

Moana at Theme Parks

Moana, as she appears in the Disney Parks.

On November 16, 2016, before her movie came out, Moana appeared at Walt Disney World. She did meet-and-greets at Disney's Polynesian Resort. On November 18, 2016, Moana made a surprise appearance. This was in a pre-parade for the Happy Birthday Mickey cavalcade at Disneyland Paris. On November 20, 2016, in Disneyland Paris, Moana started doing meet-and-greets. This was at the Animation Station, an interactive area after the Art of Disney Animation show.

Since its debut on May 12, 2017, Moana has appeared in Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom. She sings "How Far I'll Go" in the show. After Tokyo Disneyland updated "It's A Small World", Moana and Pua were added to the Polynesian scene. Since the stage show opened on May 25, 2018, Moana has performed in Moana: A Homecoming Celebration at Hong Kong Disneyland. Moana has also appeared in Summer Blast at Shanghai Disneyland since 2019. Since its opening on October 16, 2023, Moana has appeared in a new meet-and-greet spot. This is called Character Greetings. It is next to the Journey of Water Pavilion in the World Nature area at EPCOT.