Notice! Spoilers for Moana 2 ahead!
Moana has a vision Moana 2 this takes her on a journey to the mysterious island of Motufetū – but what does it all mean? The 2024 sequel picks up a few years after Moana’s original adventure to restore the Heart of Te Fiti and sees the hero of Motunui face a challenge far more dangerous than ever before. It quickly becomes clear that to save her people, Moana must completely lose herself and become something new, and the true test is whether she would be willing to do so. This all started with a vision she received in Moana 2 when she became an official Tautai of Motunui.
Between Moana and Moana 2the titular hero began exploring the ocean in search of other islands and villages. Unfortunately, she was unlucky. Moana knew there must be more people out there, but every island she discovered was empty of human life. However, when she found a jar representing an island full of people beneath a constellation, Moana regained hope. Yet, It was only when she went through the ceremony to become Tautai of Motunui – leader of the Wayfinder – that Moana understood what this island really was and how its mysterious curse would affect their village.
The Lost Island of Motufetū
This hidden island was created to connect all others
When Moana was nicknamed Tautai, she received a vision from her ancestor explaining the meaning of the lost island. It was called Motufetū, which in Samoan means “Star Island.“A thousand years before the beginning of the first Moana film, Motufetū served as the central hub of all the Pacific islands. Iconnected the people and their various islands and allowed them to travel from one place to another. It is implied that this was critical to the people’s survival, so when the god Nalo sank Motufetū and placed a curse on the island, everyone was magically separated.
This is why Moana was unable to reach any other inhabited islands during her years of travel. Motufetū has intersecting lines that divide dozens of circular sectors, each containing separate islands and villages. With the central island sunk, Sailors like Moana were unable to cross to other sectors and were restricted to their own area of the ocean. They could not trade knowledge or supplies or feed the desire to exchange with different people and create a broader sense of community. Without this, Moana’s island was doomed to die, and it was up to her to stop it.
Why Nalo sank Motufetū to the bottom of the ocean
The Lightning God, Nalo, Wanted More Power
Nalo is the god of storms and lightning in Moana 2. He is described as vengeful and envious and appears to have a deep dislike for humans. Nalo believed that keeping humans apart would increase his own power, although the exact reason is never fully explained in Moana. Still, this probably has something to do with the feeling of unity that comes from the Pacific Ocean islands that remain linked by Motufetū. There is clearly power involved in these villages remaining unifiedand this seemed to be something that made Nalo feel threatened.
There is still a lot of space after the end of Moana 2 to further explore Nalo and his motivations. The sequel’s mid-credits scene shows this god in the flesh, furious that Moana had somehow managed to break the curse he had placed on Motufetū. He also exclaims that he is just getting started with his villainy, so Disney is likely to produce more Moana sequels or spinoffs to further flesh out Nalo’s story. Perhaps then it will become a little clearer why Nalo was so determined to keep the Pacific peoples apart. For now, this can be attributed to his own desire for power.
Moana’s vision of Tautai Vasa led her to Motufetū
Moana learned her destiny from her ancestor
Moana was called upon to break Motufetū’s curse when she received a vision from one of her ancestors, Tautai Vasa. This same old boss was seen in the first Moana film, and the sequel revealed that he bore the title of Tautai before the village of Motunui hid all its boats after the theft of Te Fiti’s heart. When Moana became a pathfinder, her father, Cheif Tui decided it was time for his daughter to become Tautai of Motunui. So, they held a ceremony in which Moana officially received this honor – and the door was opened for her next big journey.
Moana was struck by lightning during her ceremony, and in the brief moment she was knocked unconscious, Tautai Vasa appeared to her. He explained how to find Motufetū and showed exactly what would happen to Motunui if she failed. Vasa also made it clear that her mission would be far beyond Moana’s previous journey. It is implied that this ancestor’s attempt to break Nalo’s curse on Motufetū cost him his lifeand Moana is aware that this is exactly what was at stake. Still, she knew she had to try, and although Moana succeeded, she technically lost everything in the effort.
How Moana broke Motufetū’s curse
Moana’s success came at a cost in Moana 2
With the help of her crew, Maui, and the surprising anti-villain Matangi, Moana successfully reaches the island of Motufetū. The initial plan was for Maui to remove the island from the sea so that Moana could step on it, thus breaking the curse. However, Nalo would not allow this. Maui lost his demigod powers in the effort and became lost in the waves, and Moana quickly realized that she would have to follow Matangi’s advice and “get lost“if she hoped to achieve her goal. So she dove into the water and swam deep to the submerged island, knowing she would probably not return to the surface.\
She dove into the water and swam deep to the submerged island, knowing she would likely not return to the surface.
Moana’s self-sacrifice allowed her to successfully break Nalo’s curse, and she lost her life just as Tautai Vasa warned. However, Moana’s efforts were rewarded when all of her ancestors, including Grandma Tala, banded together to bring her back. Although it is never explicitly stated (Maui stops Moana before she can say the words), it is implied that Moana has been resurrected as a demigod, just as Maui was when he was thrown overboard as a child. With her newly gained tattoo and Maui’s powers restored, Motufetū was pulled from the sea and the Pacific islands were finally reunited into one. Moana 2– a happy ending.