Warning: This article contains spoilers for Moana 2
Disney’s Moana 2 perfectly shows how the character Maui, has changed since his first appearance in the franchise. The sequel to the 2016 phenomenon sees the Montunui wayfinder reunite with the demigod, Maui, on a new journey to find the legendary island, Motufetu, and thwart the plans of the storm god, Nalo. The ensemble cast of Moana 2 is led by Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, reprising their roles of Moana and Maui respectively, and features voice performances from new cast members, including David Fane, Rose Matafao and Hualalai Chang.
Since its release in theaters, Moana 2 has broken box office milestones and has been described as a solid and thrilling sequel to the original movie. Reviews for Moana 2 have praised the movie for its musical soundtrack, its representations of friendship and family, and the believable character development of both Moana and Maui. The events of Moana 2 allow Moana and Maui to grow further in both themselves and their relationships with each other; in particular, the sequel shows how much Maui has changed since his first appearance in the franchise.
Maui’s Choices In Moana 2 Highlight His Change In Personality
Maui Decides Fights Nalo Alone To Protect Moana
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Throughout Moana 2, Moana gathers a crew, consisting of new characters, Moni, Loto and Keke, to travel across the ocean to raise Motufetu and stop the storm god, Nalo. Unbeknownst to them, Maui is also seeking Motufetu, but he is trapped by Matangi in a giant clam. While trying to escape, Maui argues with his Mini Maui tattoo about calling Moana for help. Maui steadfastly refuses to recruit Moana, telling Mini Maui that she could die; Maui points out that “Nalo hates humans even more than he hates me” and Moana is better off far away from Nalo.
Maui’s decision not to contact Moana for help displays a big change in his personality since the first movie. Throughout Moana, Maui is shown as reluctant to work alongside Moana due to his pride in working alone, but eventually accepts that they are a team. In Moana 2, Maui chooses not to ask Moana for help, not out of pride, but for her own safety. Having previous experience with Nalo, Maui knows that the storm god is vicious and could potentially hurt Moana. Maui’s wish to protect Moana from Nalo highlights a change from his selfish desires from the first movie.
How Moana 2 Changes Maui Builds On His Arc In The First Movie
Maui Has Grown More Trusting Towards Humans Since The First Movie
Image via Disney
In Moana 2, Maui meets Moana’s crew after escaping from Matangi. Maui is initially embarrassed by the group’s arrival as he is still tied up and is also visibly disturbed by Moni’s fanaticism towards him. Maui tells them that he “doesn’t want to get attached to them”, but changes his mind after learning about their connection with Moana. During their mission, Maui begins to trust Moana’s crew, leading him to build a friendship with the team and visit Montunui to tell stories to the children. Maui’s growing trust in humanity stems from his experiences in the first movie.
Despite his gifts, Maui doesn’t trust humans, and is very insecure about himself, believing that nobody truly cares about him without his services. ✕ Remove Ads
In the Moana franchise, Maui is recognized as one of the demigods in Polynesian history, and is known for using his powers to help mankind. Despite his gifts, Maui doesn’t trust humans, and is very insecure about himself, believing that nobody truly cares about him without his services. In Moana, Maui’s tattoos depict how he was abandoned by his parents as a baby, before being saved by the gods, which explains why he doesn’t trust humanity. With Moana’s help, Maui is able to slowly move past his insecurities and trust humans again, which is further explored throughout Moana 2.
Maui Is A Better Character Now After Moana 2’s Development
Moana 2 Shows How Maui Has Grown To Deeply Care For Moana
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In Moana 2, Maui displays how much he has grown to deeply care about Moana since their first adventure together. When Moana loses her confidence after an attack by Nalo’s monsters, it is Maui who reassures her, in a reversal from the first movie, when Moana was the one to assure Maui about traveling to Te Ka. Maui tells Moana that he “has been low before” but she “lifted him up”, which convinces her to keep going. The battle against the lightning god, Nalo, and the fight to raise Motufetu also displays Maui’s vulnerability and his caring nature towards Moana.
Related Moana 2’s Villain Solved 1 Major Mystery About The First Movie Moana 2’s powerful and hidden antagonist Nalo finally explains why Moana was disconnected from other people of the ocean in the 2016 original movie.
When Moana sacrifices herself to raise Motufetu, Maui is devastated, and he is the one who calls on her ancestors to revive Moana as a demigod. Maui is arguably more upset at the death of Moana than about the loss of his powers and tattoos in Moana 2; this segment shows that even demigods, like Maui, are weak and vulnerable in their emotions. By the end of Moana 2, Maui has rebuilt his trust in humanity and happily accepts Moana as his partner in new adventures. In doing so, Moana 2 was able to perfectly display his growth into an affectionate and caring demigod, which arguably makes him a better character.