Chief of War s1 (2025) [+]
Mar 18 2026
Chief of War is a historical drama centering on the unification of Hawaii under King Kamehameha. Season one is on Apple TV and runs nine 45-minute episodes (three of the episodes seem longer but have about 10 minutes of documentary interviews with cast and crew).
Jason Momoa plays Ka'iana, former Chief of War of Maui, who is currently an outcast living on Kaua'i with his brothers Namake (Te Kohe Tuhaka) and Nāhi (Siua Ikaleʻo), and Ka'iana's his wife(?) Kupuohi (Te Ao o Hinepehinga) and her sister Heke (Mainei Kinimaka).
King Kahekili of Maui (Temuera Morrison) lures Ka'iana back to lead his army against O'ahu because they are planning on invading Maui. Unfortunately it was a deception, the O'ahuans are friendly and peaceful and it's a slaughter and their young king is executed leaving King Kahekili in control of two of the four kingdoms.
Once again Ka'iana flees. Due to mishap he gets separated from the rest and ends up rescuing Kaʻahumanu (Luciane Buchanan), a princess of Hawaiʻi. She ends up leaving for Hawaiʻi with Ka'iana's group while Ka'iana himself ends up on a passing merchant ship and spends over a year on this ship as it travels around the Pacific.
During that time Ka'iana learns Western ways and how to shoot a gun. With a shipment of guns he returns to Hawaiʻi and reunites with his group who are under the protection of Chief Kamehameha (Kaina Makua), ruler of one of the six districts of Hawaiʻi. Kamehameha's uncle recently took the throne but the old King granted Chief of War to Kamehameha which results in a power struggle. Kamehameha wants peace but King Keōua (Cliff Curtis) can't stand any competition to his rule.
There's some interaction with another white man merchant ship though this one more mercenary and ruthless than the one that took in Ka'iana. After a historical massacre perpetrated by the bad white men the last couple of episodes leads up to and covers the epic battle between King Keōua and Chief Kamehameha's armies in the Black Desert (volcanic fields) and the volcano erupts during the battle.
Oh, I forgot that Ka'iana also brings to Hawaiʻi his friend Tony (James Udom), a freed slave and good with guns. There's also John Young (Benjamin Hoetjes) from the first merchant ship who was accidentally left behind. In the year since he's been teaching English to Chief Kamehameha's people so by the time Ka'iana returns there's a fair amount of English. It's 100% native Hawaiian speech and after that still like 2/3rds Hawaiian speech which is pretty cool.
A lot of the cast are Hawaiians. A lot of filming in Hawaii including the Black Desert.
It's a pretty good series with lots of drama and action, and a lot of bloody action at that. Season one covers a lot but there's still King Kahekili for the next season and I guess it would go three seasons full run though at this point season two hasn't been greenlit. Still, season one has a satisfying arc to it and is worth watching whether or not there are further seasons.
Jason Momoa plays Ka'iana, former Chief of War of Maui, who is currently an outcast living on Kaua'i with his brothers Namake (Te Kohe Tuhaka) and Nāhi (Siua Ikaleʻo), and Ka'iana's his wife(?) Kupuohi (Te Ao o Hinepehinga) and her sister Heke (Mainei Kinimaka).
King Kahekili of Maui (Temuera Morrison) lures Ka'iana back to lead his army against O'ahu because they are planning on invading Maui. Unfortunately it was a deception, the O'ahuans are friendly and peaceful and it's a slaughter and their young king is executed leaving King Kahekili in control of two of the four kingdoms.
Once again Ka'iana flees. Due to mishap he gets separated from the rest and ends up rescuing Kaʻahumanu (Luciane Buchanan), a princess of Hawaiʻi. She ends up leaving for Hawaiʻi with Ka'iana's group while Ka'iana himself ends up on a passing merchant ship and spends over a year on this ship as it travels around the Pacific.
During that time Ka'iana learns Western ways and how to shoot a gun. With a shipment of guns he returns to Hawaiʻi and reunites with his group who are under the protection of Chief Kamehameha (Kaina Makua), ruler of one of the six districts of Hawaiʻi. Kamehameha's uncle recently took the throne but the old King granted Chief of War to Kamehameha which results in a power struggle. Kamehameha wants peace but King Keōua (Cliff Curtis) can't stand any competition to his rule.
There's some interaction with another white man merchant ship though this one more mercenary and ruthless than the one that took in Ka'iana. After a historical massacre perpetrated by the bad white men the last couple of episodes leads up to and covers the epic battle between King Keōua and Chief Kamehameha's armies in the Black Desert (volcanic fields) and the volcano erupts during the battle.
Oh, I forgot that Ka'iana also brings to Hawaiʻi his friend Tony (James Udom), a freed slave and good with guns. There's also John Young (Benjamin Hoetjes) from the first merchant ship who was accidentally left behind. In the year since he's been teaching English to Chief Kamehameha's people so by the time Ka'iana returns there's a fair amount of English. It's 100% native Hawaiian speech and after that still like 2/3rds Hawaiian speech which is pretty cool.
A lot of the cast are Hawaiians. A lot of filming in Hawaii including the Black Desert.
It's a pretty good series with lots of drama and action, and a lot of bloody action at that. Season one covers a lot but there's still King Kahekili for the next season and I guess it would go three seasons full run though at this point season two hasn't been greenlit. Still, season one has a satisfying arc to it and is worth watching whether or not there are further seasons.