The spectacular opening sequence of Chief of War featured a heart-stopping shark hunting expedition led by war chief Ka’iana, played by the epic Hawaiian historical drama’s co-creator, writer, director, and star Jason Momoa. Ka’iana dove solo from his group’s sailing vessel and pursued a shark underwater, holding his breath for an almost superhuman stretch. When he burst to the surface, clinging to the fin, his hunting party gasped with relief. The idea for including the pursuit of the powerful predator came from series co-creator and executive producer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett.
“He showed me accounts of when the white man came, seeing Hawaiians riding sharks,” Momoa told TV Insider. (Click on the video for the full interview.) “Why wouldn’t they? Every other indigenous tribe is connected to their animals, their totems. Man and animal have always been connected. I feel like before anyone else came, they were 100% connected to their environment.”
The scene stood out not just for the suspense and stunning visuals but for Ka’iana’s respect for the ocean’s royalty. After catching the shark, he took a quiet moment to thank the animal.
Momoa said he thinks the kinship between the island’s people and the majestic hunters ran deep.
“I would believe that a lot of the training they would do too as warriors would be in the water with sharks and just being able to ride them and be at peace and at one with them,” the actor told us.
Respectfully coexisting with the natural world is one of the stark differences between the Hawaiians and the white sailors who arrive on the islands in the sweeping series. As Ka’iana says in one episode, “The pale-skin honors no gods of land.” Momoa’s warrior chief rallies to unite the kingdom before it is colonized by those who see nature as something to be exploited rather than revered. Click on the video to hear more from Momoa, including how his tattoos relate to the shark story and the meaning behind them.
Chief of War premiered with two episodes on August 1 on Apple TV+ and drops new episodes every Friday.
Chief of War, streaming on Apple TV+