Complete cast breakdown of Chief of War: Who plays whom and where you've seen them before

Chief of War is Apple TV+’s nine-episode historical drama about Kaʻiana and the bloody path toward the unification of Hawaiʻi, led on-screen and behind the scenes by Jason Momoa (Aquaman, Game of Thrones), with Luciane Buchanan (The Night Agent), Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett), Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water), and newcomer Kaina Makua among the principal cast.

As per the GQ report dated April 16, 2025, Momoa stated,

“My dream is to do this. This has been my everything. This is my Braveheart, this is my Last of the Mohicans…This is our chance.”

The series is streaming on Apple TV+. The first two episodes are now live, and new episodes arrive Fridays through September 19, 2025. Created by Momoa and Thomas Paʻa Sibbett, and directed by Momoa, Justin Chon, Anders Engström, and Brian Andrew Mendoza, Chief of War leans into Hawaiian language and cultural protocol. As per an Entertainment Weekly report dated August 1, 2025, Momoa remarked,

“This is my life and my culture”

Cast of Chief of War

1) Jason Momoa as Kaʻiana - Momoa leads as Kaʻiana, a formidable aliʻi whose loyalties and conscience are tested amid Hawaiʻi’s wars. Viewers might have seen him in Aquaman, See, Game of Thrones, and The Minecraft movie. Speaking about the show’s stakes, he told GQ, cited in their report April 16, 2025,

"I needed to wait until my career was in the right moment, and I needed to wait until we saved cinema with Minecraft to come back and just fucking kill it, bro! You know? And to make the Hawaiian story. It's been like 25 years in the making to be able to pull off something like this, and it’s just really exciting."

2) Luciane Buchanan as Kaʻahumanu - Buchanan plays Kaʻahumanu, the influential wife and advisor to Kamehameha I. Audiences may know her from Netflix’s The Night Agent. She is of Tongan descent and was raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She told in a Town & Country interview report dated August 1, 2025,

“I still pinch myself...This is too good to be true—to play a queen, and to do it on such a big scale,”

3) Temuera Morrison as King Kahekili - Morrison portrays the Maui ruler Kahekili. He’s widely recognized for Boba Fett in The Mandalorian/The Book of Boba Fett and for roles spanning Once Were Warriors to the DCEU. StarWars.com has profiled his long association with Boba Fett.

4) Kaina Makua as King Kamehameha I- A non-traditional casting find, Makua (a Kauaʻi taro farmer) embodies Kamehameha I. Momoa told GQ how he spotted Makua and championed him for the role. He stated,

"We found Kaina Makua, who plays Kamehameha. He is a taro farmer. That's his job. He teaches it. He puts troubled kids in the taro patches, where they work and get themselves through school."

He added,

"It’s the craziest story, I actually have pictures of it, of the moment that I saw him. I saw him on the beach, and the first time I laid eyes on this guy I immediately called Thomas. I was like, who the fuck is that? This is our Kamehameha!"

5) Te Ao o Hinepehinga as Kupuohi - A performer known in Aotearoa for Head High and Shortland Street, Te Ao o Hinepehinga plays Kupuohi here. Her agency profile confirms recent screen credits and her role as Chief of War.

6) Cliff Curtis as Keōua - Curtis appears as Keōua (recurring). He’s a veteran of Avatar: The Way of Water (Tonowari) and many New Zealand and U.S. productions.

7) Te Kohe Tuhaka as Nāmake - Tuhaka, known for The Dead Lands, plays Nāmake, bringing Māori action pedigree to the series. As per the bleedingcool.com report 30 Jul 2025, he discussed the role and cultural approach in a recent interview, stating:

"You would think, "We're going to tell a Hawaiian story," initially, we'll talk about King Kamehameha, but this is before any of those stories, so that was most intriguing for me."

8) Brandon Finn as Prince Kūpule- Finn plays Prince Kūpule. Hawaiʻi outlets and local interviews have highlighted his background and preparation for the role.

9) Siua Ikaleʻo as Nāhi - Ikaleʻo appears as Nāhi. His credits include a guest spot on NCIS: Hawaiʻi before joining the Chief of War.

10) James Udom as Tony- Udom portrays Tony. He’s appeared in The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Sandman, and Judas and the Black Messiah.

Plot and where to watch Chief of War

As Hawaiʻi’s four kingdoms vie for dominance, Chief of War tracks Kaʻiana through alliances, betrayals, and decisive battles on the road to unification. The series leans on Hawaiian language and protocol and uses practical builds like double-hulled canoes to recreate period detail.

Stream it exclusively on Apple TV+. Episodes release Fridays, with two episodes at launch on August 1, 2025, and weekly drops through September 19, 2025.

Creators, directors, production, and schedule of the Chief of War

Chief of War is created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Paʻa Sibbett. Writers are Momoa and Sibbett, and directors include Momoa, Justin Chon, Anders Engström, and Brian Andrew Mendoza.

As per EW’s reporting dated August 1, 2025, production integrated cultural ceremony, and Momoa recalled filming amid eruptions:

“You're obviously stirring up a lot of spirits and mana. It was unbelievable, but there was a really positive energy.”

Executive producers include Momoa, Sibbett, Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Tim Van Patten, and others.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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