The following contains spoilers for Moana 2, now playing in theatersMoana 2‘s ending is a big explosive finale that radically changes the hero and sets the stage for a prospective Moana 3. Following up on the success of 2016’s Moana, Moana 2 throws the titular hero into a new journey across the ocean. Tasked with restoring a lost island and lifting a massive curse that endangers her tribe, Moana embarks on a quest alongside a crew of loyal villagers as well as a returning Maui. However, their path takes them directly into the machinations of the villainous god Nalo, who set the curse in the first place.
Moana 2 is poised to be a box office smash, which could help explain why the film ends with a clear tease of future directions for other possible sequels. Notably, Moana 2 ends with a massive change for Moana and her world, expanding the scope of her world while also amplifying Moana unexpectedly. Here’s how the ending of Moana 2 elevates the character and sets up further adventures.
Moana Dies And Becomes A Demigod
Moana’s Near Death Experience Ends Up Empowering Her More Than Ever
The big twist in Moana 2‘s ending is the apparent death of Moana while restoring the lost island of Motufetu, leading to her restoration and elevation as a demigod. Moana 2 is largely focused on the mission to locate the island, with the film’s climax centering around the final rush to reach the island. While Maui is able to locate the island and attempts to raise it out of the water, he’s stripped of his powers by the monstrous Nalo before he can complete the mission.
Moana dives into the ocean to reach it, as the curse can be broken so long as she touches the shores — although she succeeds, Nalo strikes her with his lightning in the process. Initially, it appears Moana has been killed. However, thanks to the ocean, the spirits of Moana’s ancestors (including her grandmother and Tautai Vasa) are able to restore her to life. This also seemingly transforms Moana into a demigod like Maui, potentially bestowing her with the same kind of immortality that has allowed Maui to live for over a thousand years and endure otherwise fatal injuries.
Moana’s Oar
In the same way that Maui’s more overt powers are channeled through his mighty fishhook, Moana’s trademark oar is given new meaning as a spiritual weapon. The oar is now adorned with golden script and seems to be an extension of Moana’s new abilities. While it’s likely that she, like Maui, benefits from new demigod physical attributes, the oar is the source of her more overt supernatural powers. This makes the oar an even more important accessory to the hero going forward.
Moana’s Powers
Moana’s newfound powers are likely similar to Maui’s ability to transform through the use of his fishhook. In the first Moana, being separated from the hook meant Maui lost access to his overt abilities, although he retained his ageless body and impressive endurance. Moana’s oar doesn’t allow her to shapeshift, however. Instead, through a golden light emitting from it, Moana can use the oar to shape the tides and create pathlines in the ocean. As she continues her wayfinding, these abilities will likely be crucial to future exploration of the ocean.
Moana’s Tattoos
Moana notably also gains a few tattoos with this ascension. They seem to depict people celebrating on the island of Motufetu, referencing the events of the film as a great deed on the part of Moana. This is similar to the way that Maui’s many tattoos were revealed in Moana to be references to his achievements as a demigod. It’s likely that as Moana goes forward in life and achieves other accomplishments, she could gain more tattoos. They may even be alive like the Mini Maui, setting up a Mini Moana to appear in future stories about the character.
How Moana Reconnects The People Of The Ocean
Moana 2 Is About Restoring The Full Vastness Of The Ocean
The reason Moana sets out to find Motufetu in the first place is thanks to a vision of Tautai Vasa, who informs her that the island being sunken and overtaken by Nalo effectively cut off Moana’s corner of the sea from the rest of humanity. If they remain isolated for too long, then the peoples of the ocean (including Moana’s tribe as well as the Kakamora) will die out. This bolsters Moana’s established efforts to find more tribes, setting up the film’s adventure. By raising Motufetu and breaking Nalo’s curse, Moana restores the connective throughlines of the ocean.
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This quickly pays off, with other explorers from across the world quickly making landfall on Motufetu. This allows Moana to bring them back to her home island, where the various Wayfinders of different tribes are shown speaking with Tui and likely creating alliances. This is a promising conclusion to the film, as it sets up plenty of new corners of the world to explore. It could also set up potential drama too, as the existence of other tribes also means there’s room for possible conflict going forward.
What Happens To Matangi In Moana 2
Disney’s Latest Twist Villain, Explained
At first glance, Matangi is set up in Moana 2 to be a dangerous villain. Capable of overwhelming and capturing Maui with relative ease, Matangi initially teases she has bigger plans for him and Moana. However, it turns out that Matangi is actually an unwilling servant of Nalo, and has been trapped within the island-sized clam for untold years. Hoping that breaking the curse Nalo placed on the ocean will free her from his grasp, Matangi actually gives Moana some crucial advice and helps her (along with Maui and the rest of Moana’s crew) to venture to the island.
Unfortunately, Matangi doesn’t get her happy ending in Moana 2. Absent for the rest of the film’s primary plot, Matangi is brought back for Moana 2‘s mid-credits scene. This sequence reveals that she is still under the control of Nalo, arguing that she didn’t break the rules of his control over her. This sets up Matangi to be a potentially reluctant adversary for Moana going forward, following the commands of Nalo even if she wishes to be free of him. However, an empowered Moana might be able to find a way to free her, turning Matangi into an ally.
Nalo’s Revenge & Moana 3 Setup Explained
Moana 2‘s Mid-Credits Scene Teases Future Conflicts
Nalo is the true villain of Moana 2, even if he is largely absent from the film as a whole. Untold years before the events of the film, the god Nalo created the storm that sank Motufetu, as he believed expansive humanity threatened his power. Nalo actively tries to kill Moana and her crew, sending massive sea serpents and lighting bolts after the group once they get close to the island. Even after he’s defeated, the deity’s appearance in Moana 2‘s mid-credits scene reveals a furious god who is committed to getting revenge.
This all sets the stage for an epic
Moana 3
, especially given Moana’s own major power boost.
Nalo’s declaration that this is “only the beginning” sets him up as a recurring threat to Moana and establishes him as a natural candidate for the villain of a prospective Moana 3. Nalo would also not be going after her alone, as the sequence confirms he retains control over Matangi. It also teases that Tamatoa, the massive villainous crab and secondary antagonist from Moana, also still has a score to settle with the young woman for her role in defeating him previously. This all sets the stage for an epic Moana 3, especially given Moana’s own major power boost.
How Moana 2’s Ending Builds On The First Movie’s Ending
Both Movies End With Adventures Out To Sea
Moana 2 continues many of the themes of the first film, highlighting how Moana’s tribe needs to venture out into the world instead of remaining isolated on their peaceful island. In Moana, the curse caused by Maui taking the Heart of Te Fiti was slowly killing all the biological life in the world. Similarly, Moana sets out on her adventure with the knowledge that failure to expand the ocean to its true potential will eventually lead to her people fading away.
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In both films, Moana succeeds and expands the scope of how far her people can venture into the world at large. While Moana embraces the excitement of countless new adventures, Moana 2‘s ending sees the Wayfinder and her crew heading back out to the sea to explore more of the ocean. It’s a thematically connected throughline that underscores the importance of exploration and expansion beyond the familiar.
The Real Meaning Of Moana 2’s Ending
“Get Lost” Becomes A Motivational Phrase In Moana 2
Moana 2 is ultimately about the importance of embracing the new and having the courage to risk it all for exploration. All of Moana 2‘s characters are forced to embrace dangerous new paths, with Moana’s Grandmother even communicating to Moana in the first act that she now understands the potential cost of her adventures. The tribe literally needs to expand across the ocean, or they’ll die out. Moana’s crew members each grow through their acceptance of change, whether that’s Loto’s embrace of constant experimentation, Moni overcoming his fears, or Kele adjusting to the ocean.
Moana 2
was initally intended to be a Disney+ series, which may have expanded on the character focus of
Moana 2
‘s supporting characters.
Moana and Maui also face this challenge, with both of them forced to accept difficult paths that they are naturally opposed to. Maui’s efforts to shield Moana from danger only prolong the mission to Motufetu, and they win when he accepts they can handle themselves. Conversely, Moana has to learn to embrace a different path, accepting Matangi’s guidance to “get lost” by charting a different path than she’s comfortable with so she can continue to move forward. It’s an interesting moral to explore, especially in relation to Moana‘s twist about Te Fiti.
How Many Moana Movies Will There Be?
Moana 3 Hasn’t Been Confirmed, But The Live-Action Remake Is Coming Soon
At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation of Moana 3. Given that it took eight years for Moana 2 to continue the story of the titular Wayfinder, it might be some time before audiences get confirmation one way or the other if they’ll ever see more of the adventurous young woman. However, the expected box office success of Moana 2, along with the overt sequel teases in the mid-credits scene, might give Walt Disney Animation plenty of reason to bring the character back for further adventures.
Set photos of the live-action
Moana
, as reported on by
Screen Rant
, showcase how Dwayne Johnson’s Maui will look in live-action.
A prospective Moana 3 could even follow the trajectory of other confirmed Disney animated sequels like Frozen, which has already been confirmed to have two sequels in active pre-production. Fans of Moana will also be getting a live-action remake in 2026, starring Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising the role of Maui. This ensures that even beyond Moana 2, there will be more opportunities to see the young hero in movie theaters.
Source:Screen Rant
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
- Director
- David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller
- Release Date
- November 27, 2024
- Writers
- Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker
- Cast
- Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda