Chief of War season 1 episode 3 ending explained: Why does Ka'ahumanu marry the King of Hawai'i?

Jason Momoa in Chief of War (Image via Apple TV)
Jason Momoa in Chief of War (Image via Apple TV)

Jason Momoa's Chief of War season 1 episode 3 aired on Apple TV on August 8, 2025. The show follows Ka’iana, a war chief returning to 18th-century Hawai’i to find his homeland ruled by the ruthless King Kahekili.

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After rejecting Kahekili’s tyranny in the previous episodes, Ka’iana survives a symbolic cliff dive and begins a transformative journey. Parallelly, Ka’ahumanu, a young woman bound by tradition, is propelled by prophecy toward leadership and resistance.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for the show. Reader's discretion is advised.

In Chief of War season 1 episode 3, Ka'ahumanu marries Kamehameha, the King of Hawai'i, at Moku's insistence, hoping her presence is a determining factor in the impending battle with Kahekili. Although she knows she's infertile, she keeps this fact a secret, as she conspires with Kamehameha to join forces and complete the Island cycle of devastating wars.

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What did Tony discover in Zamboanga in Chief of War season 1 episode 3?

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

In Chief of War season 1 episode 3, Tony's discovery of Marley's conspiracy with Captain Metcalfe brings a dark contrast between friendship and cynical exploitation. Being the only sailor who shows respect for Ka'iana, Tony's sense of morality is present throughout the episode. His unwitting overhearing of Marley's plot to use Ka'iana's country as a resource for foreign profit is a turning point.

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The assault on Tony is symbolic and personal. It is symbolic in the manner in which the racism and greed of the crew unite to suppress dissent, and it is personal due to the manner of his attack. The choice to sedate and possibly enslave Tony removes any pretence of level ground on the Nootka, underscoring the episode's overall message about being in the way of opportunist power.

This last act anchors the Zamboanga plot on betrayal instead of tension, so the emotional stake rests on the Tony and Ka'iana relationship instead of Marley's scheme.

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Also read: 7 shows to watch if you liked Chief of War


What did Ka'ahumanu's marriage to Kamehameha reveal about power and the prophecy in Chief of War season 1 episode 3?

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

Ka'ahumanu's marriage to Kamehameha unfolds as more than a political marriage and fulfills's deep-seated belief in the prophecy. The ceremony takes place with spiritual majesty on the moon of Mahealani, but it is complicated by hidden realities.

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Ka'ahumanu, realizing she will never have a son, enters the marriage with a pragmatic awareness of her part, in Chief of War season 1 episode 3. The union becomes a strategic alliance where her influence could shape Kamehameha’s reign, even if it defies cultural expectations of a wife’s worth.

By lifting the Kapu during the ceremony, the moment symbolizes not just a step toward uniting Hawai’i and Maui but also Ka’ahumanu’s latent potential to redefine power structures. Chief of War season 1 episode 3, approaches the event more as an inevitable bonding than a romantic conclusion. Instead, it is the coming together of two forces whose strengths and silences may be instrumental in ending senseless wars.

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Also read: Jason Momoa’s Chief of War season 1 keeps true to the roots as the characters speak in this significant language


Why Ka'iana's search for guns was more than a strategy in Chief of War season 1 episode 3?

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Ka’iana’s quest for firearms in Zamboanga is rooted in personal accountability rather than conquest. Haunted by the knowledge that his earlier support enabled Kahekili’s destructive rise, he seeks weapons as an equalizer, a means to dismantle the power he once bolstered.

His interactions with Tony frame this pursuit in human terms. Tony sees his fascination with guns as curiosity, but for Ka’iana, it’s a singular mission. Vai’s proposal to secure firearms in exchange for opening Hawai’i’s sandalwood trade to foreigners introduces a moral compromise that challenges his values.

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In refusing to see guns purely as tools of power, Ka’iana’s stance stands apart from the opportunistic greed surrounding him. The subplot encapsulates the tension between a leader's responsibility to guard and the corrupting effect of foreign commerce, placing Ka'iana's decision in the arena of ethics instead of strategy.

Also read: Chief of War season 1 premiere ending explained: What happened to Ka'iana?


Chief of War season 1 episode 3 is available to stream on Apple TV.

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Edited by Riya Peter
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