'Chief of Battle' Is the Weekly Occasion Viewing Your Calendar Is Lacking

Apple TV+ boldly kicked off August with Chief of Battle, a collection that guarantees to wrap viewers up in its gripping narrative. Starring Jason Momoa in its lead position, the collection is a sweeping historic drama set in opposition to the backdrop of Hawai’i’s unification and colonization within the late 1700s. Nevertheless, what actually units this story aside, along with its epic scale and battle-heavy storytelling, is the voice behind it.

Created by Jason Momoa himself, along with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, Chief of Battle is deeply private and rooted within the indigenous historical past and oral traditions of the Hawaiian folks. With a forged made up virtually solely of Polynesian actors and dialogue delivered within the Hawaiian language, the collection is already making waves for putting native voices and experiences on the heart of a style that always leaves them out. The result’s a present that feels each grand and intimate, arriving at a time when audiences are hungry for extra inclusive narratives.

When Do ‘Chief of Battle’ Episodes Drop?

Apple TV+ kicked off the collection with a double-episode premiere on August 1, 2025. Episodes 1, titled “Chief of Battle,” and a couple of, titled “Altering Tides,” hit the streamer on day one and packed a punch. Shifting ahead, the community will settle into a gradual cadence, releasing one new episode each Friday at midnight ET, with the ultimate episode set to launch on September 19, 2025.

On the time of writing, Episodes 1 and a couple of are already accessible, giving viewers a dramatic entry into Ka’iana’s journey. Episode 1 introduces Ka’iana getting back from exile, going through betrayal, and being pressured into struggle below King Kahekili. Episode 2 dives right into a harmful escape, the rising determine of Ka’ahumanu, and the arrival of British sailors that reshapes the stakes. With this sturdy basis already laid out, the collection has efficiently left viewers primed for the weekly build-up. With Chief of Battle comprising a complete of 9 episodes, the discharge schedule for the remaining seven episodes is as follows:

What Is ‘Chief of Battle’ About, and Who Is In It?

At its core, Chief of Battle is a nine-episode historic drama that charts the rise, battle, and fallout surrounding Ka’iana, a warrior chief who reluctantly turns into a key determine within the unification of Hawai’i’s 4 kingdoms on the flip of the 18th and nineteenth centuries. The collection begins with Ka’iana getting back from self-imposed exile to help King Kahekili of Maui in a bloody marketing campaign in opposition to O’ahu. Nevertheless, he quickly uncovers betrayal, prophecy, and shifting loyalties.

Jason Momoa, starring within the position of Ka’iana, additionally co-created and co-wrote each episode, even directing the season finale. His co-creator, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, shares Momoa’s Hawaiian heritage, and, equally to Momoa, undoubtedly performed a job in shaping the intimate, culturally grounded narrative. The inventive staff consists of showrunner Doug Jung, and administrators together with Justin Chon, Anders Engström, Brian Andrew Mendoza and Momoa. The ensemble forged is predominantly Polynesian and options Temuera Morrison (King Kahekili), Luciane Buchanan (Ka’ahumanu), Cliff Curtis (Keōua) and newcomers comparable to Kaina Makua, Moses Items, Siua Ikale’o, James Udom, and Te Ao O’Hinepehinga Rauna.

Chief of Battle was filmed partly in Hawaii and New Zealand and has afforded important significance to remaining genuine. The collection makes use of hand-built canoes, traditionally correct battle techniques, dialogue within the Hawaiian language, and cultural recommendation at each step to make sure the present stays true to its roots. In doing so, the collection has develop into a reclamation of indigenous historical past, that includes politics, legacy, and colonization with honor and grandeur.

What Do Audiences Consider ‘Chief of Battle’?

Reception for Chief of Battle is already pouring in, and it’s overwhelmingly optimistic. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics have awarded the collection an 89% approval score, whereas viewers scores hover fairly shut with a stable 75%. This reveals the broad enthusiasm that each critics and viewers alike have for the present’s ambition and authenticity. Critics have praised the collection as a daring historic epic that brings indigenous Hawaiian storytelling to a worldwide stage with cinematic scope and emotional weight.

RogerEbert.com has praised the collection, highlighting the “spectacle and wealthy character work” and the breathtaking cinematography that elevates the expertise to one thing actually cinematic. ScreenRant has additionally recommended the collection, zeroing in on Chief of Battle‘s dedication to historical past. As per the positioning:

“Chief of Battle’s best achievement is how absorbed it’s in its wealthy historical past…the usage of excessive and conventional types of violence is a harrowing and visceral portrayal of Hawaiian tribal tradition. There’s historical past written into each facet of Chief of Battle, which is proof of how a lot Momoa, who additionally co-created the present, poured his coronary heart into its execution.”

With 9 episodes mapped from August 1, 2025, by September 19, 2025, and a launch technique that has paired a daring double-drop with weekly installments each Friday, Chief of Battle is delivering a gradual circulate of immersive storytelling. Critics and audiences alike are already responding fairly enthusiastically to the collection, commending Chief of Battle‘s dedication to authenticity and praising the present for being a visible spectacle and a narrative informed from the attitude of these whose ancestors truly lived it. As episodes proceed dropping every week, audiences can undoubtedly anticipate the dialog to deepen and the fanbase to steadily develop.

Episode 3 of Chief of Battle is scheduled to launch on August 8, 2025, on Apple TV+.