
Heihei, sometimes spelled Hei Hei, is the name of the chicken in Moana. The name has a cultural foundation that fits the film's Polynesian setting: in Māori culture, hei hei means chicken. In the film, Heihei is regarded as the village idiot of Motunui due to his oblivious nature and lack of intelligence. Despite this, he is a key character in the film, providing comedic relief and narrative progression.
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Heihei is the 'village idiot'
In Disney's Moana, the name of the chicken is Heihei. He is regarded as the "village idiot" of Motunui due to his oblivious nature and lack of basic intelligence.
Heihei is a bumbling, accident-prone rooster who often wanders aimlessly and gets into trouble, requiring rescue by the villagers. His actions, such as eating rocks, contribute to his reputation as the village idiot. Despite his lack of intelligence, Heihei is seen as a community member of Motunui rather than a pet. He has resided in the village since Moana's childhood.
Heihei's role in the film is primarily to provide comic relief and create additional obstacles for Moana to overcome. His obliviousness and accident-prone nature often lead him into danger and unintentionally complicate Moana's journey. For example, he unknowingly stows away on Moana's canoe, becoming an unwitting participant in her epic journey. Despite his simple-mindedness, Heihei does have his heroic moments. During a battle with Te Kā, he saves the heart of Te Fiti from being lost to the sea.
The name "Hei Hei" has a cultural foundation that fits the film's Polynesian setting. In Māori culture, "hei hei" simply means "chicken." The Māori people are indigenous Polynesians prominent in New Zealand with a worldwide population of around one million. They have their own distinct culture, language, and representation in various fields, including entertainment.
Overall, Heihei's character as the village idiot adds a unique and endearing dynamic to the film, providing comedic relief and an extra challenge for Moana to navigate.
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He is a source of comedy
The name of the chicken in Moana is Heihei, sometimes spelled Hei Hei. He is a bumbling, accident-prone rooster regarded as the "village idiot" of Motunui due to his oblivious nature and lack of basic intelligence. For example, he once ate a rock, and he almost fell into the ocean during a battle with Te Kā.
Heihei is a source of comedy in the film due to his obliviousness and accident-prone nature. He is also described as "not smart" and "clueless." Despite his lack of intelligence, he is seen as a community member of Motunui rather than a pet. His unintentional presence on Moana's canoe adds complications that advance the plot and provide an additional obstacle for Moana to overcome.
Heihei's character was present in the earliest versions of the story, but with an entirely different personality. Originally, he was to be Chief Tui's loyal and cranky pet rooster and sidekick. He was to be portrayed as aggressive, proud, and judgmental, with most of his attempted comedy coming from these negative traits. However, the filmmakers felt this version of the character didn't work for the shifting story and considered scrapping him entirely. Ultimately, they decided to change his characterization to better fit the story, and he became a source of comedy in the film.
Heihei's name has a cultural foundation that fits the film's Polynesian setting. In Māori culture, "hei hei" simply means "chicken." The Māori people are indigenous Polynesian people prominent in New Zealand with a total worldwide population of around one million. They have their own culture, language, and representation in various fields, including entertainment.
Alan Tudyk, who voiced Heihei, found the role challenging as he had to express himself through chicken noises rather than human verbalization. Despite the limitations, he successfully conveyed emotions and laid out a description of his character before filming the scenes.
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Heihei was almost scrapped
The character of Heihei, the village idiot of Motunui, was almost scrapped from Disney's 2016 animated feature film Moana. In the earliest versions of the story, Heihei was Chief Tui's loyal and cranky pet rooster and sidekick. He was portrayed as aggressive, proud, and judgmental, with most of his attempted comedy coming from these negative traits. The filmmakers felt this version of the character didn't work for the shifting story and considered scrapping him entirely.
Four months before animation was set to begin, John Lasseter assembled the team to decide the fate of Heihei. Fortunately for the character, one of the film's key story artists and future sequel director, David G. Derrick Jr., fell sick and was out of commission for two days. The filmmakers used this time to rework Heihei's character to preserve his place in the movie.
The result was a drastic change to the character, turning him into a semi-mindless animal, unaware of his surroundings, and a source of comedy. He became a complication to Moana's journey, which in turn, furthered the story. An example of Heihei's new role was storyboarded and presented to Lasseter, who exclaimed, "Yes, Heihei has been saved! He’s in the movie!".
In the final version of the film, Heihei is a bumbling, accident-prone rooster who unintentionally joins Moana's voyage when he stows away on her canoe. Despite his lack of intelligence, he plays an important role in Moana's journey, even saving the heart of Te Fiti when it nearly falls into the ocean during a battle with Te Kā.
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He saves the heart from the sea
The name of the chicken in Moana is Heihei, sometimes spelled Hei Hei. He is a bumbling, accident-prone rooster who is regarded as the "village idiot" of Motunui. Despite his lack of intelligence, he is a key character in the film, contributing to the narrative progression and providing comic relief.
Heihei's role in the film is twofold. Firstly, he serves as a source of comedy due to his obliviousness and accident-prone nature. His unintentional presence on Moana's canoe adds complications that advance the plot and provide an additional obstacle for Moana to overcome. Secondly, he plays a crucial role in saving the heart of Te Fiti. During the battle with Te Ka, the heart nearly falls into the sea, but Heihei saves it and brings it back to Moana. This action demonstrates that despite his simple-mindedness, Heihei is capable of unexpected heroism.
Heihei's character underwent significant changes during the development of the film. In earlier versions of the story, he was intended to be Chief Tui's loyal and cranky pet rooster, with a proud, aggressive, and judgmental personality. However, the filmmakers felt that this version of the character did not fit with the shifting narrative. There were even discussions about scrapping the character entirely. Ultimately, it was decided that Heihei would be portrayed as a clueless and accident-prone chicken, providing comedic relief and adding unexpected challenges for Moana.
Heihei's name has cultural significance within the Polynesian setting of the film. In Māori culture, "hei hei" simply means "chicken". The Māori people are indigenous Polynesians prominent in New Zealand, with their own distinct culture, language, and representation in various fields. By naming the character Heihei, the filmmakers honoured the cultural context of the story and paid respect to the Māori people.
Heihei's portrayal in the film, despite his limited intelligence, showcases the importance of unexpected heroes and the value of all community members, regardless of their perceived shortcomings. His presence adds depth to the narrative and provides a unique take on the traditional animal sidekick, challenging the expectations of Disney audiences.
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The name is culturally fitting
The name of the chicken in Moana is Heihei (sometimes spelled Hei Hei). Moana takes place in a Polynesian setting, and in Māori culture, "hei hei" means "chicken". The Māori are indigenous Polynesian people who are mostly prominent in New Zealand, with a worldwide population of around one million. The Māori have their own distinct culture and language, as well as representation in various fields, including politics, sports, and entertainment.
Heihei is a major character in Moana and its sequel. He is a bumbling, accident-prone rooster regarded as the "village idiot" of Motunui. Despite his lack of intelligence, he is considered a community member rather than a pet. Heihei's obliviousness and clumsy nature often lead him into danger, and he requires rescuing by the villagers. His unintentional presence on Moana's canoe adds complications that advance the plot and provide comedic relief.
Heihei's character has undergone significant changes since the earliest versions of the story. Originally, he was envisioned as Chief Tui's loyal and cranky pet rooster, with aggressive, proud, and judgmental traits. However, the filmmakers felt this version of the character did not fit the narrative, and there were discussions about removing him entirely. Eventually, they decided to transform Heihei into a unique take on animal sidekicks, making him a complete burden and a source of comedy rather than a guide or helper to Moana.
Despite his simple characterisation, Heihei plays a key role in Moana's journey. He stows away on her canoe, becoming an unwitting participant in her adventures. During their encounters with Te Kā, Heihei even saves the heart of Te Fiti from being lost at sea. In the end, he returns to Motunui with Moana, showcasing his loyalty and unintentional heroism.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the chicken in Moana is Heihei (sometimes spelled Hei Hei).
In Māori culture, "hei hei" means "chicken". The Māori people are indigenous Polynesians, mostly prominent in New Zealand.
Heihei is a key character in the movie Moana. He is depicted as a clumsy and accident-prone rooster from Motunui. He unintentionally joins Moana's voyage when he stows away on her canoe, becoming an unwitting participant in her journey.
Heihei is regarded as the "village idiot" of Motunui due to his oblivious nature and lack of basic intelligence. He often wanders aimlessly, gets into trouble, and eats rocks, contributing to his reputation. Despite this, he is seen as a community member and provides comic relief in the movie.
Yes, the character of Heihei was present in the earliest versions of the story, although with a different personality. Originally, he was meant to be Chief Tui's loyal and cranky pet rooster and sidekick, but the filmmakers felt this version of the character didn't fit with the story.

































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