THE Moana The explained ending shows why the success of modern animation helped define the new era of Disney princess films. Debuting in 2016, Moana follows the title character as she leaves her Polynesian island of Motunui to return the magical heart to the goddess Te Fiti to restore balance to nature. As with most Disney animated films, Moana tells an impeccable story that is brilliantly written to appeal to audiences of all ages. In addition to its visuals and narrative, the film also features a memorable soundtrack of instantly recognizable songs.
Moana was praised upon its release, enjoyed great success at the box office, and continues to be one of the most streamed titles on Disney+. In addition to all the aspects that made Moana a quintessential Disney epic, the film soared because it subverted expectations and featured a female protagonist who had ambitions beyond finding a man. On track to become one of Disney’s highest-grossing animated films, Moana set a precedent for what a Disney story could be, and part of that has to do with the film’s complex ending.
Te Ka was Te Fiti all along
Moana had to restore the balance
The resplendent figure of the menacing Te Ka seemed to be the living embodiment of the Earth’s wrath, which inflicted destruction on the living. However, the film’s pseudo-twist ending served not only to change the narrative, but also to speak to the themes of the rest of the story. When all hope seemed lost at the end of Moanaand was cornered by Te Ka, Moana realized that she had actually been dealing with Te Fiti the whole time. The young hero then returned the heart to Te Kawhich pleased the goddess and allowed her to return to her original state.
Maui stole Te Fiti’s heart in the past, upsetting the delicate balance of nature that kept things lush and green. As a result, the goddess Te Fiti becomes bitter and jaded, transforming her into the seemingly evil Te Ka. Although she was dealing with forces far more significant than herself, Moana saw the humanity in the gods and realized that Te Fiti’s anger was not what defined her, and Moana refused to judge her for her bad decisions. This mature response allowed Moana to forgive her father for his overly protective attitude.
Did Moana die? Fan Theory Explained
Some believe Moana was resurrected by Te Fiti in the end
When a Disney movie like Moana isn’t as simple as the usual kid-friendly fare, it’s natural for fans to come up with elaborate theories about what’s really happening in the film. One particularly dark theory posits that Moana died during the storm at the beginningThen she encountered the demigod Maui when he appeared on the island where he had been trapped for millennia.
The Disney movie fan theory holds some weight, as Moana doesn’t meet another human character until the very end, after she’s supposedly brought back to life by Te Fiti. It’s an interesting interpretation of the film and, contrary to many fan theories, the idea that most of the events of Moana happened while she was dead doesn’t change the Moana end.
Moana post-credits scene explained
Moana could be in the Little Mermaid universe
Disney often gives audiences a reason to wait for the end credits, and Moana it was no different. MoanaThe film’s closing credits feature a version of the song “How Far I’ll Go” by Alessia Cara, who performs the song initially sung by film star Auliʻi Cravalho.
After the credits, a very brief scene captured the villain Tamatoa, who is still stuck on his back after the confrontation with Maui and Moana. Lamenting your situation, Tamatoa references Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, suggesting that the films exist in the same universe.
Why didn’t the ocean itself return the heart?
It’s more than Te Fiti’s inability to touch the water
Moana’s epic quest to return Te Fiti’s heart was the impetus for the film, and while there was a deeper symbolic meaning behind her journey, some things didn’t exactly add up. The ocean appears to be a character in itself, and behaves like a sentient being as it serves Moana’s heart and even rescues her on several occasions. Although this reflects where Moana happens and the importance of the sea to Polynesian culture, it is curious why the ocean did not give Te Fiti his heart back.
Moana realizes that Te Ka can’t touch the water, which explains why the ocean can’t deliver the heart.
It seems easy to say that it’s a glaring plot hole, and that fact is ignored for the sake of the film’s narrative, but it can also be explained by Te Fiti’s fiery status as Te Ka. During her epic confrontation with Te Fiti’s enraged form, Moana realizes that Te Ka cannot touch the water, which explains why the ocean cannot deliver the heart without causing more harm to Te Ka. It is clear, however, that a human has to return the heart because Maui, the embodiment of humanity’s most basic instincts, stole it in the first place.
Maui was looking for acceptance
Maui had its own redemptive path
Played by Dwayne Johnson, the demigod character Maui was not just MoanaThe comic relief, but also responsible for all the problems that befell humans. Showing himself to be a brash, arrogant, and self-centered being of considerable power, Maui was still imperfect and actually represented many of humanity’s negative traits. He stole Te Fiti’s heart, but did not consider the consequences of his actions. Just as Moana was searching for inner discovery, so was Maui, who ultimately wanted to be accepted more than anything else.
Everything Maui Did From Start to Finish Moana was to build his great personality and receive praise from humanity. Maui was once human, but after being abandoned in the ocean by his parents, he was given a new life as a powerful demigod. Despite this apparent upgrade, Maui never got over his rejection and spent millennia trying to gain the approval of those around him. Just as she saw the good in Te Ka, Moana finally realized that Maui shouldn’t be defined by his past bad decisions.
The true story of Moana
Moana takes place during the long break
As one of Disney’s most well-researched feature films MoanaReal-life inspirations are numerous and drawn primarily from the annals of Polynesian folklore. However, the film’s main basis is a real period in Polynesian history that has somewhat confused historians and anthropologists. Referred to as “The Long Pause”, Moana takes place during a period of nearly 1,000 years in the ancient Polynesian timeline, in which historically seafaring people spent a millennium colonizing islands rather than expanding by sea.
Although researchers aren’t sure why, the 2016 Disney film used the gray area of an ancient historical mystery to invent its epic plot about Maui, Te Fiti and the heartland. Moana it’s not a true story – the long pause wasn’t ended by a single person – but it still uses the real story incredibly well.
Moana’s Original Ending Explained
Maui had to save the day for Moana
However Moana defied the Disney Princess tradition, which earned the film and characters much praise, the original Moana the finale retreated almost completely across all the ground gained. According to Cinema Mix, It wasn’t Moana who saved the day in the original ending, but it was her demigod friend and ally Maui. While the idea of Maui fixing things brings the character full circle, it ends up hurting the title character and making her seem much less important.
The film’s directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, were rejected by many of the women on their production team, and the decision to scrap this ending was ultimately the right one. This was a good decision, as the Moana ending up as one of the main reasons why the film became so beloved and so celebrated for upending the typical Disney princess trope of having a male character save the day.
The true meaning of Moana’s ending
Moana helps her people move forward
The end of Moana it serves a dual purpose for the story, as it not only sees the hero win in the end and free his people from the invading plague, but it also pays off the themes established throughout the book. From the beginning, Moana is curious about the world around her; she wants to know more, which causes a stir among her village’s conservative leadership, especially her father. This curiosity eventually leads her on the quest to return the heart and return his people to where they truly belonged as sailors.
The residents of Motunui were allowing the past to define their future, and this was causing stagnation and rot in their crops and symbolically in their own souls. In the same way that Te Ka was Te Fiti after a millennium of pain, Motunui’s troubled past represents them in the present. The ending of Moana shows the title character overcoming her fear and trusting Te Ka, and in doing so, she shows that the pain of the past need not define someone in the future, an attitude that frees Te Fiti from her own pain and frees her people of their stagnant beliefs.
How Moana’s ending was received
Moana being the heroine of her own adventure was key to the film’s success
Moana It explained a lot to Disney about what modern audiences look for in their films, as it was one of the most successful animated films the House of Mouse has released in decades. The end of Moana was instrumental in the overwhelming positive response as well. The 2016 Disney film grossed an impressive $687 million at the box office against a budget of $150-175 million (Image: Disclosure)through Mojo Box Office), and Moana still holds a 95% critic score and an 89% audience score on Rotten tomatoes. The success of Moana it’s impossible to deny, and it’s no surprise that Disney eventually optioned the sequel, Moana 2.
However, Moana It wasn’t just successful when it was considered a new Disney film. He went on to have a lasting legacy, for which the ending has to be thankful (among other things). Moana was the most streamed film in 2023, not just on Disney+ but across all platforms, which proves its rewatch value and the strength of the ending (it wouldn’t be a story viewers would want to revisit as much if it ended on a disappointing note, in the end). While the many catchy musical numbers are also undoubtedly a reason Moana is a Disney film that audiences want to watch over and over again, the gripping story is equally responsible.
The reason for the end of Moana explained that its success is simple – it turns many of the traditional Disney princess tropes upside down. It was Moana, not Maui, who saved the day. There was no overarching romance, and Moana herself was treated as a genuine, traditional heroine. This was her story, not the story of a male character who simply had her name as a title. Critic Nik De Semiyen sums this up well in his review for Empire, contextualizing Moana and the importance of its ending to the new modern generation of Disney princess stories:
“I’m not a princess,” Moana insists. “If you wear a dress and have an animal companion, you are a princess,” says Maui. She does and has, but there is no love interest and she looks exactly like her big-breasted companion, talks big and curiously without nipples. As Frozenis a progressive Disney film that nimbly avoids outdated tropes.
How Moana’s Ending Sets Up the Sequel
Moana’s ending sets up more exploration
THE Moana The ending saw the title character teach her people, and even her own father, the chief, that they need to go back and explore the ocean. It is your destiny and your duty to explore. Moana 2 plays on this idea, as the sequel finds Moana leading her people in search of her fellow islanders who have remained lost since they stopped connecting with anyone outside of their own island. It is vital for Moana to find and establish trade with her fellow islandersand as she proved in the first film, she’s the perfect person for the job.
Moana 2 it also confirms that Moana has a lifelong ally in Maui who remains by her side. The two are now loyal friends, and the Moana the ending shows that they can trust each other. With the ocean by her side and her experience of facing and saving an ancient being, the end of the first film is a perfect starting point for Moana to do something even more difficult. Moana 2 of what she did in Moana – gather your people.