For five years of the film's development, the filmmakers consulted in their Oceanic Story Trust, who pushed Disney to enhance Maui's physique to resemble a hero in the vein of Superman. Maui's physical appearance was much different in earlier versions of the movie. This was during extremely early stages of development, and it was quickly changed to focus on Moana after an inspirational research trip to the South Pacific. As such, the plot was initially conceived as a story centering Maui, with Moana playing a secondary role. Moana came from co-director John Musker's fascination with the legends and lore surrounding Maui.

Official description Maui-half god, half mortal, all awesome. Even so, legend proclaimed that Maui was destined to team up with a hero-the ' chosen one'-to return the heart to its rightful place. Maui, meanwhile, was banished to a desolate island by Te Kā, and was doomed to remain there for all eternity as punishment for his crimes. The heart would remain lost for centuries, while Maui's fishhook eventually fell into the possessions of his arch-rival, the giant crab Tamatoa. The two battled, but Maui was defeated, losing both the heart of Te Fiti and his magical fish hook in the aftermath. The removal of the heart also gave birth to the wrathful lava demon Te Kā, who confronted Maui before he could escape. Unfortunately, once the heart was removed from its resting spot, darkness slowly began consuming the world. As the gem has the power to create life, Maui believed it would make the perfect gift to mortals all across the world. This led him to steal the heart of Te Fiti, the mother island. As a result, Maui became one of the most acclaimed figures of Oceania history.Īs the people acclimated to Maui's gifts, he had to perform increasingly grand feats to sustain their adulation.

Feeling rejected by humans, he used his powers to benefit mankind in any way they pleased as a means to earn the love and validation that he was denied by his parents he pulled islands from the sea to provide them with homes, extended their days by pulling back the sun, and stole fire from the bottom of the earth to provide them with warmth on cold nights, among many feats. Despite his demigod status, Maui's cruel upbringing would forever scar him. He was saved by the gods, who raised Maui, granting supernatural abilities, immortality, and a magical fish hook that allows him to shapeshift. Apparently wanting nothing to do with their son, Maui's parents threw him into the sea as an infant, and left him for dead.

Maui was born to human parents, centuries before the events of the film.

Moana demigod