Moana 2 introduced a powerful demigod villain named Nalo who is being set up as the overarching villain of the Moana franchise reminiscent of how Thanos was for the MCU's Infinity Saga.
Ahead of its release, marketing for Moana 2 offered the first look at the sequel's main villain, Matangi (voiced by Awhimai Fraser), showcasing her intimidating look as she stands side by side with the beloved Wayfinder, Moana.
The trailer also showcased an epic clash between Matangi and Maui, with the former clearly gaining the upper hand over the shapeshifting and hook-wielding demigod.
However, Moana 2 revealed that Matangi is not the one pulling the strings; she serves a much more powerful and scary overarching villain in the background: Nalo.
Who Is Nalo? Moana 2 Villain's Abilities & Inspiration Explained
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Moana 2.
Moana 2's main story mainly revolves around the titular Wayfinder's quest to find a hidden island named Motufetu to bring together the people of the ocean and unite them with her people.
The only problem is that a storm demigod named Nalo cursed the island, making it challenging for normal humans to find it.
The only way to break the curse is by touching the surface of Motufetu but it is hidden inside the eye of a massive storm in the far reaches of the ocean and only another demigod like Maui can carry it back to the top.
Nalo appears to be inspired by the Polynesian god of weather and storms, Tāwhirimātea.
Speaking with ComicBook in September 2024, Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee explained why Nalo hates humans, noting that he is scared of the fact that "they can do anything" when they are together, which threatens his hold on the ocean:
"Nalo realizes that there’s nothing more dangerous than the power of humans. When they’re together, they can do anything. The world becomes theirs."
In the movie, Nalo serves as an overarching presence who can only be seen as a scary chunk of cloud that is guarding Motufetu from humans.
He showcases his powers with the help of a glowing purple light, and this color is present not just in the clouds, but with the haunting sea monsters that are tasked to guard the island.
In the sequel's climactic finish, Nalo does not even hesitate to kill Moana after she manages to touch Motufetu's surface which breaks the curse.
Thankfully, the ancestors end up reviving Moana, turning her into a demigod which makes her more powerful in a potential future clash with Nalo.
His purple aura, menacing vibe, and ruthless persona compare mightily to MCU's Thanos considering he is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, even if it means killing humans who get in his way.
This is on top of the fact that Nalo wasn't even defeated in the end since the curse was the only one that was broken.
This goes to show how powerful Nalo is, and the fact that he is orchestrating everything in the background further cements his Thanos vibe.
Moana 2's Post-Credits Scene Explained: Will Nalo Return?
Moana 2's post-credits scene reveals that Nalo, who is sitting on his purple throne, is extremely pissed about Moana and Maui breaking his curse in Motufetu.
Matangi joins him in his lair, telling him that she already paid for her debut after staying thousands of years inside the giant that served as the gateway to Motufetu.
Unbeknownst to him, Matangi is the one who helped Moana find her way to Motufetu, and it looks like this betrayal would play a part in a potential Moana 3.
Nalo teases that he is hellbent on seeking revenge against Maui and Moana. It mirrors a scene similar to when Thanos said, "Fine. I'll do it myself," in Avengers: Age of Ultron's post-credits scene.
Nalo means business, and he has some friends to help him enact his revenge.
Aside from Matangi, whose loyalty to Nalo is still questionable at this point, Tamatoa (the giant coconut crab villain from Moana) arrives to offer his assistance.
All in all, the fight is not yet over and the worst is yet to come for Maui and Moana.
Moana 2 is now available in theaters worldwide.
Read more about Moana 2's popcorn buckets and where to buy them.
