Tala gives Moana the heart of Te Fiti, which she has kept safe for her granddaughter ever since she was chosen by the ocean, and shows her that the darkness unleashed by Maui's theft is now consuming the island.
After a perilous journey across the ocean, Moana managed to return the heart, which revived Te Fiti, who in turn lifted the curse placed upon the world.
The titular Moana of Motunui was chosen by the ocean to restore the Heart of Te Fiti, but a fan theory suggests that she wasn't the first. The daughter of the chief was selected as a toddler because of her kind heart, but it wouldn't be until she was a teenager that she would carry out the mission.
Did the heart of Tafiti keep Moana's grandma alive?
Due to how quickly Tala's health deteriorated after she gave Moana the Heart, or at least passed on guardianship of it to her, it is implied that the Heart had extended her lifespan in order for her to pass on what she knew to Moana once she was old enough.
As a reward for helping Moana restore the heart, Te Fiti recreates Maui's fishhook, which had been previously destroyed by Te Kā. Recreating Moana's boat, she then bids farewell to Moana and lays herself down to rest as the heroine bids farewell to Maui and returns home.
Te Fiti's heart, a small pounamu stone, possessed the power to create life and raise islands. But it also attracted monsters who tried to steal it for its creative power. It was stolen by the demigod Maui, who planned to give it to humanity as a gift. After he stole it, the island was enveloped in darkness.
The Heart of Te Fiti May Have Been Keeping Tala Alive
Considering the ocean chose Moana when she was a child, someone needed to keep the precious Heart safe. A popular fan theory explains that with the Heart in her possession, Gramma Tala was granted a little more time to live and guide Moana on her quest.
In Walt Disney Animation Studios' all-new epic animated musical, Moana 2, three years since her first voyage, Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui. Moana 2 opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024.
The ocean challenged Moana's empathy by tempting her to choose between the shell and the sea turtle; she chose to save the latter. Moana's selfless act prompted the ocean to choose her as the world's "chosen one" and revealed itself as a sentient being.
In the first film, Moana is around 16 years old when she sets out on a journey from her island of Motunui to find Maui and force him to restore the heart of Te Fiti. That would make her about 19 or 20 in the new movie.
According to the National Geographic Society, more than 80% of the ocean hasn't been mapped, explored, or seen by humans. This justifies why Moana's father, Tui, is so against her going out to sea.
Throughout the film, the ocean guides and protects her along the way, but it most certainly does not carry her to return the heart of the sea. It is important for Moana to make the journey by herself. She needs to fight her own battles, endure her own hardships, and forge her own path so she may become stronger.
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
Te Ka's fires go out as she calms down and Moana places the heart back within the spiral on Te Ka's chest. Restored, the lava rock falls away to reveal Te Fiti, lush and green once more. She returns to her island and takes Moana and Maui in her hand.
Moana's empathy and respectful relationship with non-human nature allows her to see the solution. That Te Fiti holds Moana, literally, in the palm of her hand reinforces the message: non-human nature is a complex, historical being that humans should treat with the respect it deserves (see the Rights of Nature).
Moana as she appears in Moana (2016). Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.
Maui refuses to return to Te Fiti as one more blow to his hook will destroy it forever. He uses some of his remaining power to transform into a hawk and leave Moana's boat.
Zendaya is not confirmed to be a part of the live-action Moana remake cast. Few updates have happened since Dwayne Johnson's announcement of a live-action Moana movie in 2023. The cast has not been announced, but Auli'i Cravalho (original voice of Moana) has been revealed to be sitting out of the film.
At 16 years old, Moana of Motunui has a slender yet muscular build that sets her apart from previous Disney princesses and heroines. She has brown eyes with thick eyebrows and eyelashes, full brownish-pink lips, and long, wavy, black hair.
Moana's Necklace is an object in the 2016 Disney animated feature Moana. It is where the heart of Te Fiti was kept safe through out Moana and Maui's journey to return it to the Island Goddess.
Moana wears the Heart of Te Fiti around her neck whilst she sets sail across the uncharted ocean in order to restore it back to Te Fiti - an island diety - and save her people. The stone is once again, a turquoise heavy set rock hanging from a rope/fabric chain adorned with ocean pearls.
