The story is set on the Polynesian island of Motunui, where Chief's daughter Moana's grandmother Tala is telling a legend to the children: In the beginning, there was only a vast ocean until the mother of the ocean, Te Fiti, came to the world and created everything. The people worshipped the nature goddess Te Fiti, who used a piece of pounamu (New Zealand greenstone) as her heart and source of power, bringing life to the ocean. However, evil individuals sought to steal Te Fiti's heart, desiring the power to create all things. The shapeshifting demigod of wind and sea, Maui, who wielded a magical fishhook, crossed the vast ocean to Te Fiti's island and successfully stole her heart. While escaping, Maui encountered another demon, Te Kā, who also wanted to steal the heart. Maui was struck down from the sky and disappeared without a trace. One day, Te Fiti, without her heart, began to disintegrate and release a terrible darkness, and his magical fishhook sank into the ocean along with Te Fiti's heart.
Now, a thousand years later, Te Kā and other demons are still searching for that heart, and the darkness lurking in the shadows continues to spread, draining the life from island after island until the world collapses. The ocean chose Moana, the daughter of Motunui Chief Tui, to return the heart to Te Fiti. But Tui and Moana's mother, Sina, tried to keep her away from the ocean, preparing her to become the island's chief. Sixteen years later, a blight struck the island, killing vegetation and reducing the fish catch. Moana suggested going beyond the island's reef to find more fish and understand what was happening, but Tui forbade it. Moana attempted to conquer the reef but was overwhelmed by massive waves and returned to the shores of Motunui.
That afternoon, Moana's grandmother Tala showed her a secret cave, revealing that their people were once voyagers until Maui stole Te Fiti's heart. Without Te Fiti's heart, the ocean was no longer safe, and the people stopped sailing. Grandma Tala explained that Te Kā's darkness was poisoning the islands, but if Moana found Maui and made him return Te Fiti's heart, the ocean could be restored to life. Tala retrieved Te Fiti's heart from the ocean and said it was the only way to save her people, handing it to Moana. She went to her father to tell him what her grandmother had said, but he wouldn't listen, believing it was another excuse for her to leave the island. Tala later fell ill and, on her deathbed, told Moana she must leave to find Maui.
Moana set sail from the cave on a Camakau with Heihei, but during a typhoon, waves capsized her boat and knocked her unconscious. The next morning, she woke up on the small island where Maui lived, where she found Maui boasting about his achievements. She demanded that Maui return the heart, but Maui distracted her and trapped her in a cave. He stole her boat. After escaping the cave, the ocean returned Moana to the boat to confront Maui, who reluctantly let her aboard. They were attacked by coconut pirates, and Heihei swallowed the heart before being taken by the pirates, but Moana and Maui outsmarted them and retrieved Heihei. Moana realized that Maui had stolen the heart and cursed the world, that he was no longer a hero, and convinced him to redeem himself by returning the heart. Maui first needed to retrieve his magical fishhook from the giant coconut crab Tamatoa in the monster realm Lalotai. While Moana distracted Tamatoa, Maui retrieved his hook but found he could no longer control his shapeshifting abilities. He was overpowered by Tamatoa, but Moana's quick thinking allowed them to escape with the hook. Maui revealed that his first tattoo was earned when his mortal parents abandoned him as an infant, and the gods took pity on him, granting him powers. Gaining trust from Moana, Maui taught her navigation skills, regained control of his powers, and the two grew closer.
They reached Te Fiti's island but were attacked by Te Kā. Moana refused to turn back, causing Maui's fishhook to be severely damaged. Unwilling to lose his powers in another confrontation with Te Kā, Maui left Moana, who tearfully asked the ocean to find someone else to restore the heart and lost hope. The ocean accepted and took her heart, but Tala's spirit appeared, inspiring Moana to find her true calling. She retrieved the heart and sailed back to confront Te Kā. Maui
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