Jason Momoa has been talking about this for a decade. Literally ten years. He calls it his "Braveheart," a passion project so close to his heart that he didn't just star in it—he co-created it, wrote it, and even directed the finale. If you've been scrolling through Apple TV+ lately, you've probably seen the heavy hitters of the Chief of War cast staring back at you from the thumbnail. This isn't just another historical drama; it's a massive, sweeping look at the unification of the Hawaiian Islands from an indigenous perspective.
Honestly, the way they cast this thing is half the story. Most big-budget "historical" epics tend to play fast and loose with cultural accuracy, but Momoa and co-creator Thomas Paʻa Sibbett went the other way. They built a predominantly Polynesian ensemble that includes everyone from Star Wars legends to actual taro farmers who had never stepped foot on a film set before.
The Leading Legend: Jason Momoa as Kaʻiana
At the center of it all is Momoa himself playing Kaʻiana. Now, if you only know him as Aquaman or Khal Drogo, this might hit a bit differently. Kaʻiana was a real guy—a legendary Hawaiian war chief who traveled the world, even making it to China and the Pacific Northwest, before returning to find his home caught in the middle of a brutal power struggle.
Momoa plays him with this weary, grounded intensity. He’s not just swinging a club; he’s trying to navigate the impossible choice between loyalty to his king and the survival of his people. It's easily his most personal performance because, well, it is. He’s been trying to tell this specific story since 2015.
The King and the Farmer: Kaina Makua as Kamehameha I
This is where the casting gets really interesting. Instead of hiring a Hollywood veteran to play the most famous king in Hawaiian history, they cast Kaina Makua.
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Who is Kaina Makua? Before this, he was a taro farmer and a canoe racing coach. Seriously. He had zero professional acting experience when he was recommended for the role. But that’s the vibe of this show—authenticity over "resume." Makua brings a physical presence and a mana (spiritual power) to Kamehameha I that feels earned, not practiced. Watching a real-life steward of the land portray the man who unified the islands adds a layer of weight you just can't fake with a screen test.
The Women Holding the Power
You can't talk about the Chief of War cast without mentioning the women. History books often focus on the men with the weapons, but this series leans hard into the political maneuvering of the women behind the scenes.
- Luciane Buchanan as Kaʻahumanu: You might recognize her from The Night Agent. She plays Kaʻahumanu, Kamehameha’s favorite wife and a future political powerhouse. Buchanan reportedly did a long-distance Zoom table read with Momoa that basically sealed the deal immediately.
- Te Ao o Hinepehinga as Kupuohi: Playing Kaʻiana’s wife, she brings a fierce, protective energy to the screen. She’s a Māori actress who captures the reality of what it was like for families caught in the crossfire of these unification wars.
- Mainei Kinimaka as Heke: A local from Kauaʻi and a fluent speaker of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Kinimaka plays Heke. Growing up with the legends of Kamehameha, she’s mentioned in interviews how heavy it felt to depict the "brutal" side of these stories she’d heard since she was a kid.
The Heavyweights: Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis
If you’re a fan of Pacific Islander cinema, seeing Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis in the same credits is like seeing De Niro and Pacino.
Temuera Morrison—yes, Boba Fett himself—steps into the role of King Kahekili of Maui. He’s the antagonist, sort of. He’s the one who manipulates Kaʻiana into the war to begin with. Morrison has this way of being terrifying without even raising his voice, which is perfect for a king who ruled with a mix of genius and ruthlessness.
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Then you have Cliff Curtis as Keōua. Curtis is a chameleon; the guy has played every ethnicity under the sun in Hollywood, but seeing him back in a role that connects to his own Polynesian roots is special. He plays the rival to Kamehameha, and his scenes are some of the most emotionally charged in the whole nine-episode run.
Breaking Down the Supporting Players
The world-building here is dense. It’s not just a "Hawaiians vs. Hawaiians" story; it’s about the exact moment when the Western world started crashing into the Pacific.
- James Udom as Tony: He plays a formerly enslaved sailor on a British merchant ship. His friendship with Kaʻiana provides a window into how these two very different worlds started to bleed into each other.
- Brandon Finn as Prince Kūpule: The son of Kahekili. He’s got that "heir to the throne" pressure that creates a lot of the friction in the Maui camp.
- Te Kohe Tuhaka as Namake: Kaʻiana’s middle brother. There’s a messy subplot here involving a secret love for Kaʻiana’s wife, because what’s a historical epic without a bit of family drama?
- The All Blacks Cameos: If you look closely at the first episode, several former New Zealand All Blacks (rugby legends) like Piri Weepu and Liam Messam show up as Maui warriors. It’s a cool nod to the broader Polynesian connection.
Why the Production Matters
Filming took place mostly in New Zealand, with the Bay of Islands standing in for 18th-century Hawaiʻi. It looks incredible. They didn't just build sets; they built an environment that felt "pre-contact." The dialogue is a mix of English and Hawaiian, with the crew even working with Awaiaulu (a translation company in Honolulu) to make sure the language was period-accurate.
Basically, if you're going into this expecting a standard action show, you're going to be surprised. It’s slower. It’s more deliberate. It cares more about the protocols and the spiritual stakes than just the body count.
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Getting the Most Out of Your Watch
To really appreciate what the Chief of War cast is doing, it helps to keep a few things in mind:
- Research the Unification: If you have five minutes, look up the real King Kamehameha. Knowing the "end" of the story actually makes the tension in the show better because you see how much was lost in the process of winning.
- Watch for the Details: The tattoos (kākau), the feathered capes, and the weapons aren't just props. They were designed with cultural advisors to reflect the specific rank and lineage of each character.
- Listen to the Score: Hans Zimmer worked on the music. Enough said.
The series is a limited run on Apple TV+, and while there’s always talk about more, this feels like a complete thought. It’s a story about a specific window in time when the world was changing forever, told by the people whose ancestors lived through it.
If you're interested in diving deeper into the history that inspired the show, you should start by looking into the real-life travels of Kaʻiana. His journey to the Pacific Northwest and China in the 1780s is one of the most fascinating "hidden" chapters of history, and it explains exactly why he returned to the islands with such a different perspective than his peers.
Next Steps:
- Check the timeline: Compare the events in the show to the actual dates of the Battle of Kepaniwai (1790) to see how the series handles the major turning points.
- Explore the language: Look up the work of Awaiaulu to understand how they preserved 18th-century Hawaiian dialects for the actors.
- Verify the locations: Research the Bay of Islands in New Zealand to see the real-world spots that served as the backdrop for the series.