- “They're kinda cute.”
- ―Moana, seeing the Kakamora for the first time
The Kakamora are a tribe of pirates that Moana and Maui encounter on their voyage and are the tertiary antagonists in the Disney's 2016 animated feature film Moana.
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 and exhibiting frantic movement. 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.
Essential guide description
The Kakamora sail the sea on their floating island, looking for the heart of Te Fiti. They will stop at nothing to get it! These pint-sized pirates might be small, but they strike fear into the hearts of everyone they meet.
Appearance
The Kakamora are pint-sized. They have painted battle faces and bone headdresses to make them look fierce. They use coconut hulls for tough armor. The Kakmora also have leaf wrappings around their wrists and ankles.
Role in the film
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 a 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, Moana's idiotic rooster Heihei swallows the heart, and one of the Kakamora manage 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 coconut monsters battle Moana, but they are rather easily defeated, 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 or mentioned for the remainder of the film.
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