Who is Maui in Moana?

Maui is the main character alongside Moana, in Disney's Moana. In South Pacific mythology, he is a cheerful demigod who protects humanity. Maui is voiced by the American actor Dwayne Johnson.

Maui is somewhat based on the mythological figure Māui in Polynesian mythology. He is described as a demigod, trickster, and shapeshifter and is characterized by a large, tattooed physique, thick, flowing hair, and a magical fish hook that allows him to transform into other creatures. Moana (also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some places) is a 2016 animated adventure film, made by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

What is Maui’s story in Moana?

In the film Moana, Maui is a legendary demigod who stole the goddess Te Fiti's heart. After his battle with Te Ka, he loses his magical fish hook, which he depended upon to have the ability to change his appearance into other animals. When Moana learns that her island is experiencing an ecological disaster, she sails past the reef to locate Maui and return the heart of Te Fiti.

Moana locates the demigod and convinces him to join her on her sea adventure. At first, Maui seems selfish and self-centered to Moana, but they eventually grow close after sailing together. He protects her and teaches her how to navigate the ocean.

When they arrive at the island of Te Fiti, Maui's magical fish hook breaks during his battle with the lava monster Te Ka, which makes him lose faith. After gathering her strength, Moana goes to the island and successfully repairs Te Fiti's heart, Te Ka transforms back into Te Fiti, revealing that she had been corrupted without her heart. The goddess then revives the other islands. She rewards Maui by giving him back his abilities and his fish hook.

Maui’s background in Moana

Centuries before the events of the film, Maui was born to human parents. When he was a baby, Maui's parents left him to die and threw him into the sea. The gods saved and raised Maui, gifting him immortality, superhuman skills, and a fish hook that alters his appearance. Maui was scarred by his harsh childhood.

To gain the love and approval that he had been denied by his parents, he used his abilities to help humanity in any way they needed. He pulled islands out of the sea to give them homes, he pulled back the sun to prolong their days, and he stole fire from the earth's bottom to keep them warm on cold nights. Maui thus became an extremely popular deity in Polynesia.

Maui wanted to achieve even greater things to keep the people's love as they grew accustomed to his powers. This made him steal the heart of Te Fiti, the mother island. He thought that the gem's capacity to produce life would be the ideal present for mortals.

Unfortunately, darkness took over once the heart was taken from its rightful place. When the heart was removed, the angry lava demon Te Kā was also born, and he fought against Maui. Maui lost both his magical fish hook and Te Fiti's heart in the conflict. For decades, the heart was lost, and Maui's fish hook would eventually end up in the hands of the enormous crab Tamatoa. As punishment for his crimes, Te Kā exiled Maui to a barren island, where he would be condemned to live forever. Nonetheless, legends declared that Maui would someday join forces with a hero to restore Te Fiti's heart.