During the credits of that movie, one of the photos showed Stitch holding a giant leaf over a sea turtle and its baby the same way Moana did. Deuteragonist: He is the film's other primary focus character alongside Moana, and his Character Development makes up much of the story. Amplified Animal Aptitude: Pua understands the language spoken on Motunui, enough to guilt trip Moana for saying she enjoys pork. He also develops a fear of water after nearly drowning. Meaningful Name: Her name means "ocean" in many Polynesian languages, including Hawaiian and Māori. Her name in the European dubs, Vaiana, means "water from the cave" in Tahitian.

Super-Toughness: Even without his fishhook, he's superhumanly tough, surviving being thrown around by giant monsters and sprinting along literal magma with nothing more than scalded feet. Smug Super: He has a song where he brags about all the amazing things he's done as a demi-god and how a mere human like Moana is obviously flustered by seeing his awesomeness in person. It is eventually revealed that this is a put-on he does to cope with his inferiority complex. Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Moana distracts him by making a plain barnacle look like the Heart of Te Fiti. As he’s explaining what she’s done in excruciating detail, he immediately realizes she and Maui are escaping.In the credits, the toddler version of Moana makes an appearance as a modern-day girl named Mo coming home after seeing the very film. Mo tells her mother that she was unhappy over a scene that was in the trailer, which was not in the film itself, so her mother encourages her to play a mobile game, Pancake Milkshake, to feel better. Mo does so, but while playing, she sees both Ralph and Vanellope crash the game. Ralph then overfeeds the bunny character who explodes from pressure, causing Mo to scream in horror. Moana and Mulan are also the only Princesses not to have celebrities pose as them for the Disney Dream Portrait Series. Good Parents: They both are encouraging (except when it comes to sailing) to Moana and have immense pride in their daughter.

Entertainment: "A Whole New World" A Magical Disney Songbook • Moana: A Homecoming Celebration • Rivers of Light: We Are One I Just Want to Be Loved: The reason he gave mortals all the gifts he did and stole the heart of Te Fiti was because he wanted to be loved by them to make up for the love he didn't get from his parents when they took one look at him and threw him into the ocean as a baby. Like Merida, Snow White, Tiana, and Aurora, Moana is one of the few Disney Princesses without a sequel to her film.

Adaptational Angst Upgrade: After a fashion — in most versions of the legend, Maui manages to reunite with his mortal family on fairly good terms. Here, he never saw them again, his last experience with them was his abandonment, and they've presumably been dead for thousands of years, so he never even gets the chance for closure. Comically Crosseyed: He is cross-eyed, specifically of the outwardly variety. He's also very dumb, something that usually goes together with the latter trope. Didn't Think This Through: Twice Moana jumps at the chance to go sailing into the open ocean, despite having no sailing experience. Both times she almost gets herself drowned. Maui later calls her out on it. Ocean connection: Though Moana does not technically possess the skill to bend water to her will, she does share a unique and exclusive connection with the ocean itself. Sometimes the ocean helps her when she's in need.