- “Perfection's a myth. There's only failing, then learning, then death.”
- ―Loto[src]
Loto is a supporting character in Disney's 2024 animated feature film Moana 2. She is the "brainy but quirky" member of Moana's wayfinding crew along with Kele and Moni, who designs and maintains the ship during their quest to the mysterious island of Motufetu.
Background
Personality
Dynamic, rational mind, curious and very eccentric, Loto is a very perfectionist young girl, always convinced that she can improve what already works very well, like the canoes she is in charge of. This can lead her to socially inappropriate behavior, she who often has the habit of not paying much attention to the people around her as soon as she has an idea in mind. She also says she can always do better, to the point of literally abandoning a previous model to move straight to another.
Although she and Moana have a friendly relationship, the two are far from being a good team due to Loto's habit of acting in the moment to make everything better. This eventually changes once Moana makes her realize the importance of unity, Loto then becomes less obsessed with improving absolutely everything in her path and also a much better friend who can be counted on thanks to her marine expertise.
Physical appearance
Loto is a young teenage girl with dark skin, tousled black hair with a few golden blond highlights in the front, a wide nose, full mahogany pink lips, thin eyelashes and light brown eyes. She has a slender figure, but thinner than Moana and is one or two centimeters shorter. Her normal outfit consists of a beige strappy top and an orange tapa skirt with a slit, both covering a second pandanus skirt. At her waist, she always wears a tool-equipped handling belt.
Appearance
Moana 2
As soon as Moana returns from her latest sea voyage, Loto rushes to ask her how the canoe she built works, only to immediately begin rebuilding the mast as soon as Moana mentions that the sail doesn't turn very easily sometimes. Loto later attends the festivities in Moana's honor.
Determined to set out in search of the mystical island of Motufetu to break the curse of the god Nalo, Moana recruits a crew, starting with Loto, who initially believes Moana is only coming to her for a better boat, until Moana clarifies that she really wants Loto on the boat. Loto accepts without hesitation and with her usual enthusiasm. On the eve of departure, Moana and her crew, consisting of Loto, Kele, Moni, Heihei, and Pua, are greeted by all the villagers before they set sail, following the comet that is supposed to lead them to Motufetu.
Barely the first day, Loto frantically tries to improve the boat, much to Moana's dismay. Moana is already very satisfied with the condition of the canoe without Loto having to cut the mast and all the ropes. Concerned about the crew's lack of unity, Moana begins to sing "What Could Be Better Than This?" to explain her point of view. Loto's pragmatic spirit makes her initially unreceptive, asserting that everything can always be better because her passion has always made things better. However, all it takes is a dose of the thrill of being spun around at high speed in the air to finally accept Moana's ideology.
Following the comet's explosion, the crew crosses paths with the Kakamora, who are fleeing a giant, monstrous oaf that swallows everything it catches. Moana manages to escape the monster by tying the canoe to the Kakamora's boat until both ships run aground on the same rocks. The Kakamora then overpower the crew with their paralysis darts and prepare to harm them, but upon seeing Motufetu's motive, the Kakamora chief changes his mind. An alliance is thus formed between the Kakamora and the group of humans, the small creatures hoping that ending Nalo's curse will finally allow them to return to their home island. To do so, the Kakamora free the crew from the effects of the toxins by having them splash around in the mucus of a pufferfish, only Loto is fascinated by it. Faced with the oaf, the crew enters its mouth in search of the ganglion, which they will have to strike with a toxin-infused spear. When Moana loses the spear, Loto reveals that she has taken a second and a third, but the respective collisions with Heihei and Kele cause her to lose them. Fortunately, Kotu, the son of the Kakamora chief, arrives to the rescue and paralyzes the ganglion. The canoe is then absorbed into the oaf's stomach, and the crew is separated from Moana in the hellish descent.
The three humans nearly get eaten by a giant centipede without Kotu's intervention, but this causes them to fall through the ground. They then encounter a restrained Maui wanting to retrieve his magic hook. Moana and Loto are quickly intrigued by the sensitive Mini Maui tattoo, to the point of exasperating the demigod. The group later reunites with Moana and briefly meets Mantangi before being sucked into a mystical portal.
So excited to travel to the portal of the gods, Loto kisses Pua. Alas, the crew becomes seriously defeatist when Maui claims they will all die due to the dangers hindering the route to Motufetu, which turns out to be buried underwater in the heart of a raging storm. Back at sea, they are attacked by barnacle morays and the boat suffers heavy damage. The group has no choice but to dock at the next deserted island.
Loto discovers the wreck of Matai Vasa's boat on the island, further discouraging Moana. Despite the general decline in morale, the crew manages to repair the canoe using the intact pieces taken from the wreck. With everyone re-energized, the group forms a plan to reach Motufetu before setting sail again.
Arriving in the heart of the storm summoned by Nalo, the crew tries to get closer until Maui can bring Motufetu to the surface. Unfortunately, Nalo quickly targets the humans and easily recreates the siphons that Maui destroyed. Realizing that the cruel god targets them most, Moana changes the plan, with the humans now acting as a diversion so Maui can discreetly approach Motufetu. Thanks to his ingenuity, Loto gives the canoe more speed by cutting down the mast and using the sails to absorb more wind, allowing the crew to outrun the siphons. As Maui begins to ascend the island, Nalo redirects his power against the demigod, striking him with such powerful lightning that it suppresses his divine powers and overturns the canoe. Refusing to give up, Moana dives toward Motufetu while the crew saves Maui from drowning. In doing so, Moana manages to touch the island before being fatally struck by Nalo's lightning, ending the curse before the crew is engulfed by yet another wave.
In their kindness, the ancestors resurrect Moana as a demigoddess and restore Maui's divinity, and thus, they bring Motufetu to the surface before the astonished eyes of their friends. Landing on the island, Loto and the others are delighted to see Moana again, then discover an ancestral sea chart carved into the rock. In no time, many sea tribes join Motufetu.
Back on Motunui, Moana and her friends bring their new acquaintances from distant islands. In no time, strong friendships are formed between the people. It's not long before Loto joins Moana's adventure once again, first bringing Kotu back to Kakamora Island before setting off to explore the unknown even further.
Trivia
- She is (presumably) the only villager on Motunui and character in the Moana franchise to have blonde hair, although this isn't entirely far-fetched, as the genome for natural blonde hair does exist in some Pacific Islanders so there could be more people with blonde hair.
- Her name is short for Lototasi.
- According to the movie novelization, she is seventeen years old, which would make her the youngest member of Moana's crew.
- Much like Moana, she interacts with Heihei and Pua.
- She tends to break her own model ships.
- She finds the mucus of the Kakamora puffer fish tastes like coconut.
- Loto at her own workshop on Motunui.
Gallery
.png "Moana 2 (64).png (2.32 MB)")
.png "Moana 2 teaser (16).png (1.81 MB)")
.png "Moana 2 (39).png (2.99 MB)")
.png "Moana 2 (38).png (1.87 MB)")
.png "Moana 2 (86).png (1.31 MB)")
.jpg "Moana 2 (110).jpg (160 KB)")
.jpg "Moana 2 (111).jpg (188 KB)")
.jpg "Moana 2 (112).jpg (146 KB)")
.jpg "Moana 2 (113).jpg (148 KB)")
.jpg "Moana 2 (114).jpg (85 KB)")
.png "Moana 2 (90).png (1.1 MB)")
.png "Moana 2 (98).png (1.6 MB)")
External links
Loto on Moana Wiki
This character article is a stub. You can help Disney Wiki by expanding it.
