A minor detail from the first movie reveals Disney was setting upMoana 2’s twist 8 years before it happened. Notably, having been chosen by the ocean to return Te Fiti’s heart,Moana was understood to be capable of more-than-human feats from the very beginning. Even to her astonishment, she proved herself truly special as she intuitively set her people’s return to their ancient wayfinding traditions in motion.Moana 2’s reviewspraise it for effortlessly building on what came before, successfully expanding upon the heroine’s ancestry, and confirming she was destined for a larger role.
Moana’s demigod fate, too, seems to have been written in the stars, as it seems that otherMoana 2characterslike her grandmother and the Ocean knew it all along. Though Disney confirmed the sequel four years after the first movie’s release, many shared connections between the two projects suggest creators always had more in store for Motunui’s new Wayfinder. The demigod transformation atMoana 2’s endingmay have come as a shock, but a subtle hint inthe first film even foreshadowed the character was going to reconnect the oceanin a future installment.
The Shell In The First Movie Foreshadows Moana’s Demigod Transformation And Powers
Moana’s Shell Ends Up Reconnecting The People Of The Ocean
In the first film, theMotunui culture in the world of Moanadictates that every new chief has to place a stone on the peak of a mountain. After she has gone to return Te Fiti’s heart, Moana finally embraces her leadership role by putting a shell on top of her ancestors’ rocks. Though it isn’t explained, it was thought that her choosing to use a shell symbolized her promise to return her people to their wayfinding ways. However,Moana 2showsthe shell had a larger purpose even eight years ago.
The first film’s repeated emphasis on shells acquires a different meaning when connecting it to Moana’s divine destiny.
When the ocean chooses her as a child, he lures her to the water by using shells. Then, it seemed the ocean picked her to return Te Fiti’s heart. However, the first film’s repeated emphasis on shells acquires a different meaning when connecting it to Moana’s divine destiny. After her demigod transformation,Moana uses a shell to re-establish the lines connecting civilizations to Motufetu, revealing the object was meant for a magic purpose. At the end of the first movie, the ocean itself gives her the shell she puts on the peak, successfully setting upMoana’s demigod purpose and powers.
Is The Shell Now Magical Like Moana’s Oar?
Moana’s Shell Could Gain Bigger Magical Abilities
Like Maui’s hook, Moana gets a magic oar that is connected to her demigod powers.The shell could be Moana’s second magical object, considering she used it to unite the ocean. This would perfectly align with her responsibility to both her people and the ocean, which has greatly influenced her character arc since the first movie. In one ofMoana 2’s best songs, “Beyond,” she finally embraces her dual home, explaining “I am Moana / Of the land and of the sea.” Now, Moana’s oar connects her to the land, her people — and the shell, to the sea.
Moana’s Special Tattoo & What It Means Explained
Moana 2 has finally been released, and here’s what Moana’s new tattoo from the end of the film means and how it affects the franchise’s future.
Moana 3could see her use the oar to navigate the oceans, and the shell to call on her family or ancestors when she needs them — perfectly allowing her to merge both aspects of her identity. Likely, Moana uniting the people of the ocean remains only the beginning of her quest, and the shell might even bring more hidden qualities yet to be discovered. Its big purpose in the sequel makesMoana 2even better, especially because of how smartly itexpands upon Moana’s inner conflict from the first movie and confirms she had a larger fate all along.
Moana 2
Cast
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.
