Pua is the secondary tritagonist (the main being Heihei) the 2016 feature film, Moana. She is Moana's pet pot-bellied piglet and best friend.
Background
Official description
"Pua is Moana’s loyal pet pig with puppy energy and an innocent puppy brain."
Appearance
Pua is a piglet who has gray and white spots and soft ears for petting. She also has short legs and tiny feet.
Development
The idea of having a pig character came from the filmmakers' research trips to the South Pacific islands, where they learned that pigs and roosters regularly joined the voyages of wayfinders. Pua and Moana's rooster friend Heihei were created as the comic relief sidekicks as a result. In earlier versions of the film, Pua had a much larger role and joined Moana's journey to find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti, alongside Heihei whom, in previous versions, had somewhat of a dislike towards both Pua and Moana.
A deleted scene also shows the origins of Moana and Pua's relationship. As a newborn part of the island's livestock, Pua had failing health as she did not eat. When Moana tried to feed her, her father Tui pulled her back, saying, "You can't force her to eat". To save the piglet, Moana takes Pua and baby feeds her, herself. She then names her and deems hwe her pet.
However, writer Jared Bush believed Moana's journey should be as difficult and uncomfortable as possible, and as such, Pua was scrapped from that portion of the movie. This stripped Moana of any confidantes and comforting friends, which added to the hardships of her mission, as planned. The decision was also made, partially, to keep Pua out of danger.
Pua's removal from a majority of the movie received negative criticism from fans and critics, as many believed Pua was to play a larger role (as she was heavily featured in the movie's pre-release marketing) and were disappointed to find otherwise. Co-director John Musker admits to having mixed feelings about Pua's removal, even after the release of the film.
Personality
Despite being a pig, Pua typically acts like a puppy. She is perhaps Moana's biggest supporter. She cares a great deal for Moana's happiness, as well as her personal ambitions; specifically her yearning to sail the seas. In all cases, she happily joins Moana's side to assist her in any way she can. Though she is willing to face new challenges, however, Pua will not hesitate to back away should say challenge prove to be too intense or life-threatening.
Role in the film
Pua is first seen as part of Moana's childhood during "Where You Are". From there, she acts as Moana's sidekick and confidante throughout both her daily routines as the soon-to-be chief of Motonui and her downtime. Moana feels pulled to the sea despite her father's law that forbids anyone from leaving the island. Pua, however, supports Moana and feels saddened whenever she's forcibly distracted from her apparent calling.
When the island falls under a curse that slowly destroys their food supply, Moana believes the only solution is to go beyond the island's barrier reef to find food elsewhere. Tui forbids this, prompting Moana and Pua to go out alone. The further out they go, the more dangerous the waters become. Soon enough, the boat is struck by a powerful wave that nearly drowns both Moana and Pua. They manage to make it to the shore, but the experience traumatizes Pua so much that the mere sight of Moana's oar causes him to run back to the village in fear. When Gramma Tala sees the damage, she playfully advises Moana to blame it on Pua.
Pua is not seen again until the very end of the film, where Moana returns home from her quest to save the island. As she embraces her parents, the villagers come to greet her, with Pua being the most excited to reunite with her friend. During the finale reprise of "We Know the Way", Pua is seen sailing with Moana and her family (with Heihei atop her head) as they revive their island's voyaging roots.
Trivia
- Pua means "flower" in Hawaiian.
- Pua's name can also be derived from the word "puaka", which refers to "pig" and "pork" in some Polynesian languages.[4]
- The story team joked that co-director Ron Clements is the persona of Pua.
- Pua was originally going to appear in the third installment of Disney INFINITY as an amount. This never saw fruition, as the series was canceled before the Moana playset was released.
