Chief of War Episode 3 Recap: The calm before the storm

Chief of War Episode 3 dropped on Apple TV on August 8, 2025. It did not see any battles or action; however, it is quite fundamental to the strategy of a bigger war that has been brewing for some time. For a quick recap, episodes one and two of Chief of War had seen how Ka'iana had been exiled from his own home. This happened right after Kahekili attacked O'ahu and, with it, the young prince.

Initially, the plan was to de-escalate the situation without any bloodshed; however, Kahekili turns back on his word and starts a killing spree. This upsets Ka'iana, who did not like violence and wanted the Hawaiian islands to be at peace with each other. To escape this fate, he runs away with his family. 

In the second episode, another huge war is hinted at, and its start can be sensed. Turns out, the Europeans have set their eyes on the indigenous lands, and the only way to stop them from colonising the lands is by standing together. But this is not possible until Kahekili is one of the rulers. 

What happened in the Chief of War episode 3? 

 

 

 

 

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Chief of War episode 3 saw Ka'iana offshore on Zamboanga, present-day Philippines. Here, he tries to find allies and also master the art of guns. This is his attempt to go back to his purpose of aligning the interests of the Hawaiian Islands and standing together against the face of pale-skinned colonizers.

He meets a fellow Hawaiian resident named Vai, who has planned to trade sandalwood, which is precious, to the Europeans, so that the islands can be saved. Even though Ka'iana does not like this plan, he agrees in the hopes of having some leverage against them. 

However, things take a turn when a man named Marley has put it in the ears of Europeans that they should take control of the islands, which in turn, will provide them with control of the trading routes. This means that Ka'iana will ultimately have to go against two enemy forces, one within his own culture (Kahekili) and the other with the colonizers. 

 

 

 

 

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On the other hand, in the Chief of War episode 3, Ka'ahumanu's fate is sealed. She is married off to Kamehameha, the king of Hawai'i, who is well aware of the fact that Kahekili will be coming knocking on his door with his army one day, and he needs to be prepared for the same.

Even though Ka'ahumanu did not want to marry the King, Moku made her believe that he would need her help in the upcoming war of the Islands. She also reveals that she will not be able to give birth to his children as the prophecy has told, but Moku advises her not to tell this information to her future husband. Ultimately, the two get married. 

Chief of War episodes 1, 2, and 3 can be watched online via Apple TV. Episode 4 is set to release on 15 August 2025.