Moana’s Stupidest Character Secretly Proves Her Disney Super Power

Heihei the rooster appears to be utterly useless due to his stupidity, but Moana‘s sidekick has real meaning in the movie, proving Moana’s super power. After Moana saves him from becoming dinner on the Polynesian-inspired island of Motunui, Heihei finds himself an accidental stowaway on her canoe. Throughout the voyage, the bird is a troublesome passenger who repeatedly walks into the ocean and is even captured by Kakamora pirates after he eats the heart of Te Fiti. Luckily, Moana and the ocean are on hand to save the senseless bird time and time again.

Heihei is possibly the most dim-witted character in Disney history, so it’s no wonder that Maui thinks he would be more useful as a “drumstick” or “boat snack.” Incredibly, this stupidity may save his life, as he is sometimes too dumb to eat the grains Maui tries to fatten him up with. This lack of intelligence has led audiences to question why Heihei accompanies Moana on her voyage rather than Pua the pig, who stays on the island despite being incredibly loyal and undoubtedly more intelligent than his poultry counterpart. After all, advertising trailers and posters depicted Pua onboard the canoe alongside the clueless chicken.

Yet Heihei plays an important role in the movie and his presence has meaning. He allows Moana to show off her true super power: her compassion and care and, ultimately, he contributes to her character growth and helps her realize her princess story. Laughs aside, Heihei helps Moana to become a true hero. Moana gains responsibility, courage, and leadership skills due to Heihei’s complete dependence on her. Battling monsters and ultimately saving her island is difficult enough, but maintaining unconditional love and compassion for a burdensome animal shows Moana’s true strength in a way that Pua never could. On Motunui, Pua is always by Moana’s side, offering her a helping hand and emotional support. Pua is smart enough to hold oars for Moana, and he uses a bowl to catch water from a leaky roof which Moana fixes for the villagers. While there are many reasons why Disney princesses have animal companions, Pua would probably have been more of a help than a hindrance on the voyage, and Moana may not have been able to show her growing courage and independence as effectively with Pua’s support. In contrast, Heihei brings out the best in Moana as he amplifies her struggles.

Of course, Heihei also has the more lighthearted role of providing several comedic scenes in the family film. Often found with a coconut shell on his head, Heihei is one funny bird from the start. On Motunui, he calmly sits atop a fire and eats a large stone. His hilarious squawking when he finds himself surrounded by nothing but the ocean is masterfully voiced by Alan Tudyk, and his contribution to Maui’s joke about “tweeting” as his beak is used to sign Moana’s oar is comedy gold. Still, Heihei, as clueless as he is, grows as Moana does – if not quite as much.

In the final confrontation with the lava monster Te Ka, Moana’s growth in strength and knowledge is mirrored by the skinny chicken. Just as Moana learns how to read the stars and sail under Maui’s guidance, Heihei learns from his experience on the voyage. Before it falls into the ocean, he catches the heart of Te Fiti that Maui stole and returns it to Moana. Clearly, he now knows that the heart is to be protected rather than eaten. As Moana tells one of the islanders at the start of the movie, Heihei the rooster’s strengths lie deep beneath the surface. Yet Moana shows that even the stupidest of chickens can bring out the best in others, make people laugh, and learn from their mistakes.

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