A provocative fan theory first made waves online in 2020, suggesting that the title character of Disney's Moana is actually dead for most the animated musical fantasy blockbuster. Moana, as the theory goes, didn't survive the storm early in the film.
The movie begins with Moana and her island nation besieged by a dangerous environmental imbalance. It can only be restored if she returns a sacred artifact to its rightful owner. Before Moana’s grandmother dies, she tells the teenager that the ocean chose her for the task. Now, with the artifact in hand, Moana heads out with her clucky companion, Hei Hei, to find the demigod Maui, and make him return the stolen heart of Te Fiti. That’s the fun version of the movie Disney audiences (think they) know.
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The Dark Story Behind Moana - According to the Theory
However, in the dark theory, first floated by Reddit member u/davemidrock, Moana actually drowns at the beginning of her journey to find Maui. The author argues that being dead allows Moana access to the underworld to complete her mission. They suspect Moana drowned after her boat tipped in the big storm -- and that a pivotal moment is littered with possible clues.
While struggling to right her capsized boat, Moana pleads with the ocean for help. Lightning and thunder immediately crash on the horizon before a wave crests overhead. Then, everything goes dark. After a long fade to black, the scene opens with Moana stranded on Maui’s island. The fan theory suggests Moana has now entered the underworld. Several Pacific Islander cultures make reference in their mythology to an underworld, or a similar place, often inhabited by spirits or entities.
Moana May Have Died and Gone to the Underworld
The Reddit author insists Moana could only reach the underworld after dying. That's why the ocean had to drown her. Considering the ocean had always been helpful to Moana, tossing her overboard and killing her seems at least mildly out of character. Perhaps it knew something Moana didn’t. Or else, the ocean functions as a kind of gateway, straddling both worlds.
From here, Moana never sees another human, only ancestral spirits and mystical creatures. She also speaks with her grandmother’s ghost. However, before the storm hit, her grandmother’s spirit appeared as a giant ray that didn’t interact with Moana. It’s speculated that signifies Moana is in the underworld, where spirits can interact. It might also explain why she never gets hurt.
At every turn, Moana repels her near-death experiences with almost superhuman resiliency. That's another possible clue she has entered the underworld. Moana never displays any ill effects from her perilous adventures with Maui. We only see her get hurt at the start of the movie, when she cuts her ankle on a reef.That said, there is one easily missed incident that could poke a hole in this theory.
Moana displays a momentary grimace of discomfort when she tries to break out of the cave in which Maui places her. However, the Redditor thinks it's nothing more than a reflexive memory of pain after ramming her shoulder into the boulder, not actual discomfort. It's also a cartoon, which can be great for moments of consequence-free injuries. If that’s the case, then her journey into the Realm of Monsters to retrieve Maui’s hook only deepens the mystery.
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Moana's Lack of Injuries May Support the Theory
Moana plunges hundreds of feet before splashing through a mystical underwater barrier, into the Realm of Monsters. She then tumbles though the watery ceiling in Tamatoa’s lair. After fighting the giant crustacean, a geyser launches Moana back to the ocean's surface. It’s here Maui tips his hand as to the veracity of the darky theory.
Maui tells to Moana, “You almost died!” while recovering on the beach. It's certainty a strange comment to make... if Moana is already dead. There was also a similar, earlier remark, when Maui congratulated Moana for not dying in her fight with Kakamora. But perhaps the answer lies in the final scene, which the Redditor suggests backs up their claim.
When Te Fiti’s heart is restored, she repairs Moana’s boat for the journey home. It’s here that Maui says even the “chicken lives.” That may suggest Te Fiti also brought HeiHei back to life. So, when adding and subtracting all the pieces to this theory, perhaps a middle ground to be found.
The wonderful thing about movies is how they can connect with audiences. While it is art created for anyone to enjoy, it’s the individual experience that allows each viewer to interpret what they've seen.