The Moana franchise continues with the recently released Moana 2, as viewers wonder exactly how old the sequel's main characters are in the new story.
On the back of wildly mixed reviews, Moana 2 arrived in theaters on November 27 in time for the Thanksgiving season. The sequel arrives more than eight full years after the original Moana dominated the big screen in 2016, grossing over $680 million at the global box office.
Moana 2's release date marks a Disney record for the longest time between releases between an original movie and its sequel — one of many concerns surrounding the film. However, within the plot itself, that same timeframe does not apply.
How Old Are Moana 2's Characters?
Moana
As was the case in the original 2016 film, 2024's Moana 2 is led by Auli'i Cravalho as the growing leader of Motonui, Moana. After saving her island from the wrath of Te Ka in the first film, Moana now has to combat a terrifying new enemy called Malo in the sequel, putting her and her family in danger.
Moana was only 16 years old in the first movie, with the sequel taking place approximately three years after her first journey outside the reef. Although Cravalho was a similar age to her character back then, Moana comes in at 19 years old this time, with the actress now playing her at 24 years old.
Maui
After a profound lack of updates on his status in the movie, Dwayne Johnson returned to Moana 2 with a vengeance, reprising his role as Maui, the story's shapeshifter and demigod of the wind and sea. Known for his magical fishhook that lets him change into different animals, Maui is one of the most powerful beings in this story.
In the original movie, Johnson's hero noted that he had been stuck on his tiny island "for a thousand years" after stealing the heart of Te Fiti. This makes him about 1000 years old in both movies, although he does not show it due to his demigod status.
Simea
Young Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda joins the Moana saga for the first time in Moana 2 as the titular character's little sister, Simea. The youngster only plays a minor role in the sequel before Moana sets off on her next wayfinding adventure.
Sinea seems to have been born only a short time after the first Moana took place, making her about three years old as she looks up to her older sister for guidance.
Tui
Coming back to lead the island of Motonui as he did in the first film is Moana's father, Tui, voiced by The Book of Boba Fett's Temuera Morrison. Tui is recognized as the village chief who helps teach his daughter what it means to be a leader for her people.
While Tui's age is never specified in either movie, he is thought to be somewhere in his 40s, considering he now has 19-year-old and three-year-old daughters.
Sina
Former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger finds her way back into the story for Moana 2 as the titular heroine's mother, Sina.
Sina is the Chieftess of Motonui and known for helping push her daughter past her boundaries more so than her father does. As is the case with Tua, Sina is thought to be somewhere in her 40s age-wise.
Other Moana 2 Characters
Moana also has her own crew of islanders to help with her adventuring in this movie, although none of their ages are officially confirmed or teased.
Rose Matafeo's Loto is the team's brilliant but strange engineer, who keeps the canoe running smoothly. She appears to be close in age to Moana, possibly somewhere in the 14-16-year-old age range.
Helping keep the crew's food rations filled is David Fane's Kele, who shows a passion for the plants he grows on the island. Kele is one of the island's elders, likely putting him at anywhere from 60 to 80 years old
Hualālai Chung's Moni is an expert on Motonui's legends and lore, and he also proves to be a huge fanboy of Maui. Moni seems to be close to Moana's parents in terms of age, putting him anywhere from his late 30s to his early 40s.
Moana 2 is now playing in theaters worldwide.
