“Murdering little pirates. Wonder what they’re here for.”
―Maui, realizing the Kakamora have found them, and sarcastically says he doesn’t know what they want from him and Moana.
The Kakamora are major characters in the Moana franchise. They are a savage tribe of coconut-like pirates that Moana and Maui encounter on their voyage. However, it's revealed that their island was in the same ocean as Motufetu until Nalo cursed and sank it. The Kakamora fleet have been sailing aimlessly at sea trying to find their home.
What is the significance of the Kakamora's coconut armor in Moana?
The Kakamora, or coconut pirates in Moana, wear coconut armor as part of their identity. This armor contributes to their unique appearance, which is both menacing and cute. It also provides them with protection during their pursuits. The Kakamora are a tribe that Moana and Maui encounter during their journey, living on a vessel covered in trash and flotsam.
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What is the backstory of the Kakamora tribe's lost island?
The Kakamora, or coconut pirates in Moana, hail from an island where their ancestors were great voyagers. When Maui stole Te Fiti's heart, the seas turned perilous, leading the chiefs to prohibit sea travel. Over a thousand years, the islanders forgot their voyaging past. The Kakamora sought Te Fiti's heart after Maui's theft.
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Who is the chief of the Kakamora in the Moana franchise?
In the Moana franchise, the Kakamora, often referred to as coconut monsters, are a tribe of pirates. Their leader is identified as the Kakamora Chief, and they are recognized for their skills in drumming, sailing, and zip lining.
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What is the meaning behind the name 'Kakamora'?
The term 'Kakamora' originates from Solomon Islands mythology and is portrayed as coconut pirates in the Disney film Moana. The Kakamora Chief is a notable character among them. They exhibit skills in drumming and sailing.
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What happens to the Kakamora tribe after their encounter with Moana and Maui?
The Kakamora, known as the coconut pirates in Moana, face defeat after clashing with Moana and Maui. Their captain is paralyzed by a misfired dart from his own tribe. Their ships collide and are destroyed, leaving the Kakamora adrift and lost at sea, with no further appearances in the narrative.
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Background[]
The Kakamora are a diminutive race, donning armor made of coconuts. They live on a trash-and-flotsam-covered vessel that floats freely around the ocean. Known to Maui as "murdering little pirates", the Kakamora are cute in appearance, but they can be quite menacing and will relentlessly pursue materials they deem valuable.
None of the Kakamora speak or vocalize. They instead perform any communication via banging tribal drums, exhibiting frantic movement, and drawing mouths that express different emotions, for example they drew the angry mouth with sharp teeth to express "evilness". They are led by a singular chief who is separated from the rest by his distinct headwear.
Official description[]
A gigantic crustacean isn't the only foes our heroes meet — they also tackle the threat of these coconut monsters. The Kakamora may be cute, but they can be quite menacing as a team. They are also the first challenge for Moana and Maui as they begin their voyage together.
According to Gramma Tala, the Kakamora were amongst the thieves and scavengers that sought ownership of the coveted heart of the mother island Te Fiti. After it was stolen by Maui, who was enlisted in the journey to return the heart a thousand years later by the plucky islander Moana, the Kakamora return to claim their prize. They attack Moana's boat, but Maui fights back with ease. However, Heihei swallows the heart, and one of the Kakamora manages to kidnap him. They take Heihei back to their ship and present him to their chief, but before they can extract the heart, Moana arrives and rescues her friend. The Kakamora battle Moana and are rather easily defeated (during which their captain is accidentally shot by a Kakamora with a dart and is paralyzed), allowing her to return to her boat. Maui uses his master talent for sailing to make a narrow escape, and in an attempt to corner Moana's boat, the three Kakamora ships face head-on collisions with one another, destroying their vessels and leaving the pirates to be lost at sea. They are not seen again or mentioned for the remainder of the film.
“This whole time... They've just been trying to get home.”
―Moana realizing the true nature of the Kakamoras.
The Kakamora returned in the sequel with one named Kotu joining Moana's quest to find the mysterious island of Motufetu.[1]
It is revealed that, when Nalo cursed Motufetu, he also affected the Kakamoras' home isle, due to it being located in close proximity of Motufetu's waters; now completely cut off from their homeland, the Kakamora adapted to a nomadic pirating lifestyle as a way to survive, find their own way to break the curse and being able return home.
During their journey towards Motufetu, Moana and her crew eventually stubled in the Kakamora once again, fleeing from the vortex created by the monstrous giant clam. While initially in conflict with the group after they used their floating home as a way to escape the vortex, subduing them with their trademark neurotoxin, upon realizing their mission to restore Motufetu from their decorated sail, the Kakamora quickly allied themselves with them, curing the toxin with the very source of the substance, a strange blobfish-looking creature that produces both the poison and its antidote.
The group then came up with a plan to paralyze the giant clam, with the Kakamora's chief, unable to risk their entire home, entrusting the task to Moana and her crew to do the task, much to the chagrin of Kotu, the chief's son. When, however, things went south, Kotu stepped up, finishing the job, and ultimately deciding to sever the rope connecting Moana's boat to the Kakamora's ship when it became clear it would drag the latter into the giant clam's bowls, bidding farewell to his grieving father.
When the curse of Motufetu was finally broken, the Kakamora were able to return to their home isle, with Kotu happily reuniting with his waiting father.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
An illustration depicting the Kakamora
Gramma Tala's interpretation of a Kakamora on tapestry
The Kakamora Chief
Miscellaneous[]
The Kakamora in a comparative storyboard, by Sunmee Joh
The scene involving the Kakamora is said to be inspired by the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road.[2]
In early versions of the story, the Kakamora were more comedic. As the filmmakers wanted to raise the stakes, however, they were rewritten to serve as a serious threat to Moana's life.[3]
One of the Kakamora's faces is painted with Baymax's face.
Kakamora are creatures from the mythology of Solomon Islands, where they are described as quite harmless, but sometimes they have been known to attack men. When they do so they use their fingers, which are furnished with long sharp nails with which they stab. They wander about the forest eating nuts, ripe fruit, and opossums: the last they are fond of. They live in holes and caves, and sometimes in banyan trees. They have a language, but not like Melanesian languages.
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