Luciane Buchanan portrays the real historical figure, Ka’ahumanu, in Chief of War, raising many questions about her character’s historical accuracy. Epic historical dramas like Chief of War often take significant creative liberties because their sole motive is not to serve as a strict documentary, but to craft a compelling drama that has some elements of realism.
Owing to this, even though many real historical figures play key roles in the original Apple TV+ show’s overarching drama and several others, like Captain James Cook, are also mentioned in passing, Chief of War does not promise to provide an accurate retelling of documented history.
Instead, to serve its themes of power, conflict, prophecy, and cultural change, the series blends real history with several fictionalized elements. This approach taken by the series makes it hard not to look into the real history behind Luciane Buchanan’s Chief of War character, Ka’ahumanu.
Luciane Buchanan’s Chief Of War Character, Kaʻahumanu, Was A Key Figure In Hawaii In The Early 19th Century
She Remained A Leading Figure In The Kingdom For Three Generations
Kaʻahumanu was King Kamehameha I’s favorite wife when he served as the founder and first ruler of the unified Kingdom of Hawaii. After Kamehameha I passed away in 1819, she took over as Kuhina Nui and worked as one of the leading figures of the kingdom alongside Kamehameha I’s successor, Kamehamaha II.
As real documented history suggests, Kaʻahumanu, played a crucial role in abolishing Hawaii’s kapu (taboo) religious system and helped introduce several educational reforms in the region. She even encouraged political modernization in Hawaii, which eventually paved the way for the kingdom’s early governance.
Kaʻahumanu remained a strong political force in the Hawaiin Kingdom until her death in 1832 and served as a powerful co-ruler even when Kamehameha I’s two generations of successors reigned supreme. She and King Kamehameha III also negotiated the kingdom’s first treaty with the Americans, which granted American ships access to Hawaiian ports and gave them economic benefits from the kingdom.
Chief Of War’s Focuses Primarily On Kaʻahumanu’s Life Before She Rose To Prominence
Most Historical Facts About Her Reveal Her Life After Kamehameha I’s Death
Chief of portrayal reimagines younger versions of Kamehameha I and Kaʻahumanu and portrays Kaʻahumanu as a strong agent in the era of Hawaii’s unification. There are hardly any real historical accounts of how Kaʻahumanu may have influenced political or military events during Kamehameha’s early rise, but the show fills the gap with its fictionalized mythic framing.
For instance, Chief of War establishes that she is prophesized to “break this world,” which is the show’s interplay of historical inspiration and mythic storytelling. Put simply, even though Chief of War unfolds somewhere between 1782 and 1810, which was decades before Kaʻahumanu’s real-life political ascendancy, it attempts to weave elements of her later influence and legacy into her younger self.
