Chief of War premiere recap: Jason Momoa's Ka'iana faces a brutal betrayal at the hands of Kahekili
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Chief of War episodes 1 and 2 were released on Apple TV on August 1, 2025. They marked the onset of political drama set within the history of the modern-day Hawaiian Islands. During the time that this series is set, which is the onset of the 19th century, the place is divided into four kingdoms, which are mainly shown. These are O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i, and Kaua'i. The main antagonist of the tale is set to be Kahekili, the king of Maui, and a ruler who loves war. On the opposite is Jason Momoa's character Ka'iana, who hates war, as expected.
And just like any other person living on these islands, they have heard the prophecy on which the story is based. It foretells that a king would bless the lands and unite the four lands to live peacefully. Kahekili thinks he is that king, but his methods of uniting the four islands mean killing all his competitors and ruling them. He has now set his eyes on O'ahu and wants to conquer it.
Chief of War Premiere recap - How did Kahekili betray Ka'iana?
Ka'iana lives in Kaua'i with his family, but he belongs to no island. He worked as the 'Chief of War' under Kahekili in Maui, but left the place once his father was killed as a direct result of the evil king's actions.
However, now that Kahekili is planning a conquest against O'ahu, he manages to manipulate and recruit Ka'iana in his team once again. They decide to avoid a meaningless war and spare the young, boy king, who is acting as a pawn under the instructions of the high priest, and neutralise the latter. By the end of the episode, Ka'iana, who was hoping to have a peaceful fight, sees that Kahekili went back on his word and starts burning the architecture and mercilessly killing the young king. In that moment, he knew he had been betrayed again.
What happened in the Chief of War episode 2?
Chief of War's first episode set a premise for what was going on the islands among the tribes themselves. However, the second episode revealed that Kahekili is not the only one with a thirst for conquest and power. The tribes got a taste of the English sailors who were also expanding their colonies at the time.
Viewers see that Ka'iana has now escaped Kahekili's troop with his family, but not without a lot of struggle, and came across Ka'ahumanu. She is the chief of the rival kingdom of Hawai'i. Her goal is to unite kingdoms, and people believe that she must be the one who is promised by the prophecy.
Before they can leave for Hawai'i together, though, they come across a group of Western sailors. Both sides are careful and aware of the strengths of each other. After an altercation between the two parties, Ka'ahumanu and Ka'iana are off to her land, and it will be interesting to see what comes next in the Chief of War episode 3.
Chief of War episode 3 will drop on Apple TV on August 8, 2025.
TOPICS: Chief of War