Moana 2: Everything to Know About Moana 3 Main Villain Nalo

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Moana 2

Disney‘s latest antagonist lurks in storms and shadows, orchestrating chaos from afar. Meet Nalo, the formidable storm god whose presence in Moana 2 sets up an even bigger conflict to come. While the trailers positioned Matangi as the sequel’s primary threat, the true puppet master is Nalo, a vengeful deity whose ancient curse drives the plot. Voiced by New Zealand comedian Tofiga Fepulea’i, this mysterious force proves to be far more dangerous than initially revealed.

The character represents a significant departure for voice actor Fepulea’i, best known as part of the comedy duo Laughing Samoans. Despite his background in humor, he delivers an intimidating performance that establishes Nalo as a credible threat to both Moana and Maui’s growing alliance.

“Nalo realizes that there’s nothing more dangerous than the power of humans. When they’re together, they can do anything. The world becomes theirs,” Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee told ComicBook.

[RELATED: Everything Moana 2 Borrows From Actual Hawaiian Mythology]

Drawing inspiration from Tāwhirimātea, the Polynesian god of weather and storms, Nalo manifests as a terrifying storm-like presence marked by an ominous purple aura. His powers extend beyond mere weather control – he commands fearsome sea monsters and can even strip demigods of their powers, as demonstrated when his lightning temporarily robs Maui of his strength and iconic tattoos. The storm god’s backstory reveals his ancient vendetta against humanity. In the distant past, Nalo sank the island of Motufetū, a central hub that connected various ocean communities, effectively isolating different peoples from one another. This act provides a supernatural explanation for the real historical “Long Pause” in Polynesian exploration.

“We’ve talked about how Te Kā was scary, wait until you see this god of storms,” director David G. Derrick Jr. told ComicBook. Despite minimal screen time, his influence permeates the entire film through massive tempests and purple-tinged sea creatures guarding Motufetū.

The film’s climax showcases Nalo’s ruthlessness when he attempts to kill Moana after she breaks his curse by touching Motufetū’s surface. Though this act leads to Moana’s evolution into a demigod herself, it demonstrates Nalo’s willingness to eliminate any threat to his power.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Nalo emerges undefeated from the film’s main conflict. A post-credits scene reveals him plotting revenge from a purple throne alongside a reluctant Matangi and a surprising ally – Tamatoa, the giant crab antagonist from the first film. This alliance suggests an even greater threat in potential future installments. His role as puppet master, commanding others like Matangi to do his bidding, has drawn comparisons to Thanos from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like the Mad Titan, Nalo operates from the shadows, orchestrating events while building toward a larger confrontation.

With the curse broken and Motufetū restored, connecting various island peoples once again, Nalo’s revenge plot promises to escalate the stakes for any future installments. As Moana grows into her new demigod powers and Maui recovers from his encounter with Nalo’s lightning, the stage is set for an epic showdown between the forces of unity and isolation across the Pacific.

Moana 2 is now playing in theaters.