Chief of War

Based on true events, the story begins at the end of the 18th century when the four major kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands (Hawaiʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi) are in a state of war. The series follows Kaʻiana, a warrior chief () of Maui who travels outside the islands, returns home, and joins a bloody campaign to unite the kingdoms under the prophesied rule of Kamehameha I. ==Cast and characters==

Main • Jason Momoa as Kaʻiana • Te Ao o Hinepehinga as Kupuohi • Te Kohe Tuhaka as Namake • Brandon Finn as Prince Kūpule • Siua Ikaleʻo as Nāhi • Mainei Kinimaka as Heke • Roimata Fox as Taula • Keala Kahuanui-Paleka as ʻŌpūnui • Moses Goods as Moku • James Udom as Tony • Benjamin Hoetjes as John Young • Kaina Makua as Kamehameha I ==Production==

According to Thomas Paʻa Sibbett, he and Jason Momoa came up with the idea for Chief of War in 2015; It was announced in April 2022 that Apple TV+ had ordered an eight-episode miniseries, with Momoa set to star in and executive produce. Justin Chon was set to direct two episodes of the series that same month. Momoa and Sibbett co-wrote all episodes, with assistance on Hawaiian language dialogue provided by staff of Awaiaulu, an archiving and translation company based in Honolulu. Cultural advisors were appointed in every production department to achieve as high a degree of authenticity as possible, even as far as building war vessels (waʻa) from scratch using real local materials and historical techniques. Hans Zimmer and James Everingham collaborated with musician Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole for the soundtrack that incorporated traditional instruments. Casting announcements in October and November revealed that Temuera Morrison, Luciane Buchanan, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikaleʻo, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka had joined the cast. Cliff Curtis would join in a recurring role in February 2023. Buchanan had auditioned prior through a long-distance Zoom table reading from Los Angeles with Momoa. Filming for the series began by October 2022 in New Zealand, with Bay of Islands being used to stand in for 18th century Hawaiʻi. Major battle scenes were filmed from middle November to December in the lava fields of Kalapana; filming still continued when Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in more than three decades during this period. ==Episodes==

The series debuted its first two episodes on August 1, 2025, with new episodes premiering weekly thereafter until September 19, 2025. Despite the series having initially been announced as a limited miniseries, Momoa and Sibbett stated in July 2025 that a second and third season could possibly be greenlit in September. ==Reception==

The series holds a 93% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 45 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Starring Jason Momoa at his ferocious best, Chief of War is a brutal epic that recreates Native Hawaiian history with commendable authenticity." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the series holds a score of 71/100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. ==Historical accuracy==

Chief of War takes creative liberties while being based on historical events and featuring real people, like Kaʻiana and Kamehameha. John Young was a real historical figure who became a high-ranking military advisor to Kamehameha. He trained Kamehameha's warriors in the use of muskets and cannons, which were pivotal weapons in the unification wars. ==Notes==