The Hero's Journey in movies: Moana

The Hero’s Journey is one of the most powerful storytelling frameworks in literature and film. First identified by mythologist Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, this archetypal narrative has influenced countless movies.

In this post, no wizards, galaxies, or rings, just Moana, one young girl answering the call of the ocean to save her people.

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey (also known as the monomyth) is a narrative structure where a hero ventures out from their ordinary world, faces challenges, transforms through struggle, and returns home changed.

Here’s a simplified version of Campbell’s 12-stage structure:

1. Ordinary World

2. Call to Adventure

3. Refusal of the Call

4. Meeting the Mentor

5. Crossing the Threshold

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

8. Ordeal

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

10. The Road Back

11. Resurrection

12. Return with the Elixir

Now let’s walk through each stage with Moana as our guide.

The Hero’s Journey in Moana

1. Ordinary World

Moana lives on the island of Motunui, where she’s being trained to become the next chief. She loves her people but feels a deep, magnetic pull toward the ocean, a desire she’s told to suppress. Her "ordinary world" is a life of safety, tradition, and expectation.

“The island gives us what we need, and no one leaves.”

2. Call to Adventure

The island’s crops begin to fail. Fish disappear. The ocean chooses Moana, literally placing the heart of Te Fiti in her hands. Her grandmother reveals that their ancestors were voyagers and tells Moana to sail across the ocean to restore the heart and save her people. This is the equivalent of the inciting incident.

3. Refusal of the Call

Moana initially tries to ignore the ocean’s call. Her father forbids sailing beyond the reef. She’s wracked with self-doubt: can she really do this? Her initial attempt to sail ends in failure, reinforcing her uncertainty.

4. Meeting the Mentor

Her grandmother, Tala, serves as her mentor figure. She encourages Moana to embrace who she is and follow her destiny. As she’s dying, Tala gives Moana the heart of Te Fiti and tells her:

“Go. The ocean chose you for a reason.”

Her spiritual presence later continues to guide Moana during dark moments.

5. Crossing the Threshold

Moana sets sail on her own, leaving the safety of Motunui behind. This is her literal and metaphorical crossing into the unknown: a world filled with monsters, gods, and self-discovery.

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Moana meets Maui, the shape-shifting demigod who stole the heart. He’s reluctant, egotistical, and hilarious. At first, he refuses to help. Moana must prove herself and persuade him to join her quest.

They face challenges like the Kakamora (coconut pirates) and the giant crab Tamatoa, who guards Maui’s magical fishhook. These encounters build her skills and resilience.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

This is the emotional heart of the journey. After setbacks, including Maui’s fishhook being damaged and him abandoning her, Moana hits her lowest point. She doubts whether she was ever meant to take this journey.

In a beautiful turning point, her grandmother’s spirit visits and reminds her that her identity isn't given to her by anyone else—it comes from within.

“The call isn’t out there at all, it’s inside me.”

This moment of clarity marks Moana’s readiness to face the final trial.

8. Ordeal

Moana confronts Te Kā, the fiery lava monster blocking her from restoring the heart. She’s alone now. When her first approach fails, she uses her cleverness and sailing skills, now fully developed, to get past Te Kā.

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Moana discovers the truth: Te Kā is Te Fiti, corrupted when her heart was stolen. Rather than fight, she sees Te Kā’s pain and restores the heart with compassion:

“They have stolen the heart from inside you… But this does not define you.”

This is her "seizing the sword" moment—the reward is healing and understanding, not conquest.

10. The Road Back

Moana returns home, transformed. She’s not just a girl from the island—she’s a voyager, a leader, and someone who has restored the connection between her people and the ocean.

11. Resurrection

This stage is both literal and metaphorical. The island flourishes again. But more importantly, Moana has resurrected her people’s lost identity as wayfinders. She has brought new life to an old tradition.

12. Return with the Elixir

Moana brings back the “elixir”: knowledge, confidence, and cultural renewal. The final scenes show her leading her people on voyages, reclaiming their legacy. The island is thriving, and so is she.

Why Moana Is a Brilliant Example of the Hero’s Journey

Moana follows the classic structure almost beat for beat—but with key differences that make it feel fresh and meaningful:

• Internal Conflict Matters: Moana’s journey isn’t about defeating a villain. It’s about understanding herself, embracing her purpose, and showing empathy even toward those who seem monstrous.

• No Romantic Subplot: Unlike many traditional hero narratives, Moana’s growth is purely self-driven. Her identity and heroism are not defined by love or validation from others.

• Cultural Resonance: The film honors Polynesian mythology and wayfinding traditions, making the journey feel rooted in a real and sacred heritage.