Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Moana 2!Moana 2makes some major changes to its main characters throughout its story, but one moment could suggest that Maui and Moana are related. The sequel reunites the demigod and Wayfinder for another adventure to stop Nalo, the storm god, and break his curse that keeps islanders separated. While they ultimately succeed in this mission inMoana 2’s ending, it does come at a cost. Maui temporarily loses his demigod status, while Moana seemingly dies stopping Nalo’s plan. This leads to the big moment whenMoana becomes a demigodin the finale after her life is saved.
Moana is given this new status after Maui, who is still mortal, swims to the bottom of the ocean to try and save her. He starts singing a song and is suddenly surrounded by the spirits of Gramma Tala, Tautai Vesa, and more ancestors. It’s only through their unity that Moana is given a gift by the gods and achieves her new demigod abilities, including the first of her tattoos. Moana’s resurrection andMaui regaining his powers and tattoossets up the franchise for a bigger future. They could even be relatives based on what transpired.
Maui’s Presence With Moana’s Ancestors Could Suggest They Are Related
Maui Being Around & Seeing Moana’s Ancestors Is Notable
Actor Dwayne Johnson and actress Awhimai Fraser as Maui and Matangi in Moana 2.
The fact that Maui is surrounded by and sees Moana’s ancestors during the performance ofMoana 2’s song"Mana Vavau" is potentially a huge deal. In the first movie,Moana is the only character shown to have the ability to see the spirit of a relative in the physical realm. Moana interacted with Gramma Tala during “I Am Moana” in the original movie, but she was completely alone at that moment. This set the precedent that people could only see the spirits of their relatives, and it was seemingly a unique gift for Moana.
That’s why Maui seeing Gramma Tala and Tautai Vesa, along with dozens of Moana’s other ancestors, is crucial. It’s possible that seeing and interacting with spirits is one of the perks that come with being a demigod, but the movies have never directly explored that connection. That leaves the explanation that people can only see the spirits of their ancestors and relatives. In that case,Maui would only be able to see Gramma Tala, Tautai Vesa, and the rest of Moana’s ancestors if he, too, was related to them.
How Maui & Moana Could Be Related
Maui’s Vague Backstory Makes It Possible
If Moana and Maui are related as this scene could hint, it would be quite simple for the franchise to make sense of this reveal.Moana’s family treein the franchise only goes back to Tautai Vesa and Gramma Tala in terms of characters who are known and named. However, Maui has been around for nearly 1,000 years, so he would significantly predate her other ancestors. With the full family lineage not known, it would be easy forMoana 3to confirm that Maui and Moana are related by further exploring her ancestorial lineage.
TheMoanamovies have only briefly exploredMaui’s backstory, but it is known that he came from human parents who abandoned him as a baby. Given his relation to the Polynesian culture and specifically the people of Motunui, there is a chance that Maui’s parents are some of Moana’s oldest ancestors. This could mean that Maui and Moana came from the same bloodline, making it even more clear whyMoana 2positioned her as a replacement for the franchise’s original demigod. That would also deepen the connection that they share going forward.
