How 'Chief of War' recreated the spirit and history of ancestral Hawaiʻi

A huge amount of work went into ensuring that Chief of War authentically reflects numerous aspects of Hawaiian culture.

This included filming large sections of dialogue in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). Several members of the cast – largely of Hawaiian and Pacific descent – were fluent in the language, while others received coaching and mentoring from Hawaiian language experts in order to be able to deliver their dialogue with the correct pronunciation. 

Speaking about Luciane Buchanan’s preparation for the role of Kaʻahumanu, her dialect coach Hina Kneubuhl says, ‘She put hundreds of hours into preparing herself and really took the language seriously’. 

This use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi was not only important in creating an authentic depiction of this period of Hawaiian history, but also gave a global platform to the revitalisation of the language.

The Chief of War production team also worked with cultural practitioners, makers and artists to create many of the garments, weapons and accessories used in the show, inspired by historical artefacts, including those that exist in museums in Hawaiʻi and across the world.

Some of the chiefs' striking, brightly colourful feather headpieces – mahiole – and cloaks – ʻahu ʻula – are almost identical to those that were worn by the real historical characters all those years ago, handed down from generation to generation.

In the exhibition Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans (developed independently from the series), visitors experienced a fantastic selection of ancestral objects, some of which inspired new works created for Chief of War.

From carved figures to feathered cloaks and helmets, elegant chiefly fans to barkcloth garments, powerful weapons to intricate ornaments, they demonstrate the level of historical accuracy the show's modern-day artists and makers were able to bring to their creations.

Below is just a small selection of objects from the British Museum's Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans exhibition alongside their counterparts from Chief of War.

Kiʻi (figures)

Kiʻi, also known as tiki, are sacred carved wooden figures representing Hawaiian gods. For those on Kamehameha's heiau (place of worship) the Chief of War production team worked with members of the Hawaiian carving group Hui Kupaʻaikeʻe. They also sourced wood from the historic locations and performed ceremonies that imbued the figures with spiritual power.

The kiʻi on the left of the image from Chief of War evokes an ancestral figure of Kū, a god associated with warfare and governance. The wood for that carving was taken from ʻōhiʻa lehua, a native evergreen tree, from Hawaiʻi Island, where Kamehameha's historical heiau once stood. It resembles one displayed in the introduction to Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans (image far left), which has long served as a source of inspiration for Hawaiian carvers. 

The right-hand figure in the Chief of War still echoes a historical kiʻi displayed at the entrance to the exhibition, also depicting Kū. This kiʻi, carved from ʻulu (breadfruit) wood, is thought to have stood at a heiau on Hawaiʻi Island and was likely carved in the early 19th century a little after the events of the series. 

These kiʻi are two of the works in the exhibition that speak to the continuity of artistic practice between makers from over 200 years ago and those of the present.

ʻAhu ʻula (cloak)

Feathered cloaks known as ʻahu ʻula were worn by aliʻi (chiefs) in battle and during ceremonies. They were highly prestigious garments, passed down from generation to generation.

Ahu ʻula were painstakingly created using thousands of feathers from several species of native birds, tied to a net made of fibres from the Hawaiian olonā plant. The feathers from the smallest birds were gathered by expert bird catchers, who would trap the birds and collect their feathers before releasing them.

Many of the bird species used to make the ʻahu ʻula are now endangered or extinct due to habitat loss, as well as diseases and pests introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 19th century. Despite this, the art of making ʻahu ʻula continues today, with artists now using different feathers, including dyed chicken and goose feathers. 

ʻAhu ʻula are seen throughout Chief of War. The cloak worn by actor Temuera Morrison as Kahekili appears to be a recreation of one associated with the real Kahekili in the British Museum collection (pictured above). It is thought to have been presented by the Maui high chief himself to British captain Charles Clerke in 1778, during Captain Cook's third voyage (1776–1780) and is known to have been on display at the British Museum as early as 1803. This ʻahu ʻula featured prominently in the exhibition Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans. 

Mahiole hulu manu (feathered helmet) 

Mahiole hulu manu were colourful feathered helmets, often worn with ʻahu ʻula cloaks, both in battle and in ceremonial contexts as a symbol of chiefs' authority. The rootlets of the ʻieʻie plant were woven into a basket structure before feathers were attached to create unique patterns.

Mahiole with a variety of designs are seen throughout Chief of War. The one pictured above is almost entirely covered with red ʻiʻiwi (scarlet honeycreeper) feathers, with the top of the crest having fluffier yellow feathers from extinct native species ʻōʻō or mamo, and the front edge featuring a row of yellow and black feathers, also likely from these birds. This mahiole is thought to have been collected during Captain Cook’s third voyage (1776–1780), less than 10 years before the events depicted in Chief of War.

Peʻahi (fan)

Peʻahi (fans) like these are intricately woven from plant fibre and ancestral hair to create striking and complex patterns. They were often carried by chiefly women.

Kaʻahumanu (Luciane Buchanan) is seen carrying a peʻahi in several scenes in Chief of War. A similar one on display in Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans is thought to have been collected by British missionary Reverend William Ellis in the early 1800s. 

Kapa (barkcloth)

Kapa (barkcloth) is a textile often made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree. The bark is beaten repeatedly to form a cloth that can be thick or thin depending on its use. In Hawaiʻi, kapa was used both as clothing and covering, as wrappers for sacred bodies or spaces, as well as in almost every aspect of daily life.

In Chief of War, several characters are seen wearing kapa, including Kahekili, who appears draped in a garment resembling a kapa shawl with striking red and black designs. A similar piece in the Museum's collection (pictured above) was decorated using a wooden liner tool called a lapa, dipped in red and black pigment. It may have been made as the upper layer of a pāʻū (skirt). This piece, collected during early British voyages to the region, was selected for the exhibition by contemporary kapa makers who praised its exquisite making, designs and grooved surface – a rarer feature often associated with 18th-century kapa. 

Lei niho palaoa (pendant necklace)

This necklace made from seeds, shells, mother-of-pearl and plant fibres is thought to have been collected in Hawaii during Captain Cook's third voyage (1776–80).

It is almost identical to the one worn by Luciane Buchanan's Queen Kaʻahumanu in Chief of War. On her head, Buchanan also wears a lei hulu (feathered garland), many examples of which could be seen in the exhibition.

Puʻu lei niho (weapon)

This formidable looking weapon displayed in the Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans exhibition dates from the late 19th century. It has a wooden handle lined with tiger shark teeth and a wrist band made from olonā plant fibres.

Chief of War features several shark-toothed weapons, including this very similar one used by Jason Momoa's character Kaʻiana in episode one. This piece and several others were made by Lua (Hawaiian martial art) expert Umi Kai, who explains that weapons like these were wielded with a slashing movement in close combat. Umi Kai also coined the term puʻu lei niho to describe these weapons. 

Ihe laumeki (barbed spear)

Carved from hard wood and highly polished, throwing spears like this were heavy and aerodynamic. Very fine barbs, carved in alternating rows into the tip of the spear, were designed to break off after penetrating an opponent.

Replica ihe laumeki hand-carved by modern-day Hawaiian artisans can be seen in several battle scenes in Chief of War. 

A mysterious piece

This string of basketry circles made from ‘ie‘ie root have pearl shell discs attached along with the remnants of back, red and yellow feathers. Although their purpose and function is not recorded in the Museum's documentation and remains unclear, contemporary makers have been experimenting with possible uses for the object, including as a hula (dance) implement.

In Chief of War, a similar piece is worn as a necklace, offering another possible function for this rare ancestral work. 

Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans was on display at the British Museum from 15 January – 25 May 2026.

Chief of War stills, clips and quotes provided by Apple TV. Stream now on Apple TV.

Please note that Apple TV's Chief of War does not feature in the exhibition. The series and the exhibition were developed independently.