Jason Momoa gives pure Aquaman vibes in the very first scene of Chief of War

The opening scene of Chief of War doesn’t ease in slowly, it crashes in like a wave. Jason Momoa’s character, Kaʻiana, jumps off a catamaran into the open Pacific, swims with sharp purpose, ropes a full-grown shark, stares it down, and kills it, all before the title card. It's brutal, primal, and unshakably Momoa.

The sequence sets the tone for a show that’s just as much about physical dominance as it is about cultural memory. And for fans of Aquaman, the similarities are immediate. This is Momoa in his element, literally. Wet, shirtless, wild-haired, and moving with the confidence of someone who knows how to make water feel like home.

But Chief of War isn’t a superhero film. This isn’t Atlantis. It’s about the late-18th-century Hawai’i. And what makes that opening moment land isn’t just that it feels familiar, it’s that it reclaims those familiar beats and grounds them in history, heritage, and personal fury.

Jason Momoa opens Chief of War with a brutal reminder of who Kaʻiana is

Jason Momoa wrestling a shark in the first five minutes of Chief of War shows exactly who Kaʻiana is. He doesn’t speak, but you understand him through what he does. He fights to survive, takes big risks, and doesn’t need words to prove he’s in control. The camera doesn’t make him look like a superhero, it shows him as a man with strength and purpose.

The scene is short but clear. He drinks kava to block the pain, ties a rope around his waist, and jumps in to kill the shark. It’s not a big moment for the crowd. No one cheers. When he hauls the shark onto the boat, he’s just standing there, breathing hard. He’s not proud, he’s angry. That anger says more than words. This is someone who’s been pushed too far and doesn’t know what to believe anymore.

That’s how Chief of War begins. Kaʻiana has left his powerful role in Maui’s army because he doesn’t agree with Chief Kahekili’s violent methods. Now he wants peace, living quietly with his wife and brothers on another island. But things don’t stay quiet. Kahekili wants him back for a new war, and Kaʻiana gets pulled into a larger mess involving other kingdoms and foreign threats. In just two episodes, he goes from living a simple life to being trapped on a ship with British soldiers.

The show moves quickly and covers a lot. It jumps between islands, brings in dozens of characters, and builds toward a prophecy about a leader who will unite Hawaiʻi. It can be hard to follow, especially in the beginning. But when the show slows down and focuses, like in Episode 5, when Kaʻiana joins a lava sledding contest to prove himself, you really see the depth. These parts highlight local traditions, beliefs, and family struggles.

One of the strongest things about Chief of War is that it doesn’t try to simplify what happened to Hawaiʻi. It doesn’t give clear answers about colonization. Some people in the story think guns and trade will give them power. Others want to shut outsiders out completely. Kaʻiana is stuck in the middle. He doesn’t know which path is right, and the show doesn’t tell you either.

There’s a lot of action, violent battles, lava deaths, and close combat, but the real weight comes from what’s being lost. Home. Culture. Language. Control. From the moment Kaʻiana kills the shark, you can tell he’s carrying all of it. It looks like a scene from Aquaman, but it means something very different.

This isn’t fantasy. It’s about a real place and real history. Momoa isn’t just playing a strong warrior; he’s showing what happens when someone sees their world slipping away and doesn’t know how to stop it.

This show feels personal, not just for Kaʻiana, but for Momoa himself. And that’s what makes it stick.

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