Chief of War season 1 episode 5, released on August 22, 2025, continues building the conflict between cousins Keoua and Kamehameha, who have different visions for Hawai’i’s future. Episode 4 had set up the tension around loyalty, prophecy, and inheritance. Kamehameha, seen as the Prophesied King, values peace and restraint, while Keoua, angered that his father gave the war god to another, gathers chiefs to his side.Episode 5, titled The Race of the Gods, deepens this divide. Ka'iana returns home seeking redemption, Kamehameha shows both humility and strength by honoring tradition, and the council struggles with rising suspicion.However, it is Keoua's destruction of Kohala's food storage shelters that becomes the turning point. Keoua's destruction of Kohala’s food storage is a deliberate move meant to “weaken Kohala” and deliver a targeted, personal blow to Kamehameha’s district. By attacking the center of Kamehameha's district, Keoua makes his anger tangible, his grievance one of personal property, and unmistakably lands the initial blow.What does Ka'iana's homecoming in Chief of War season 1 episode 5 truly mean? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostKa'iana's return after an age fills Chief of War season 1 episode 5 with nostalgia, regret, and atonement. But the welcome he hoped for is far from complete. His relationship with Kupuohi conflicts with Namake's unexpressed feelings, creating family dynamics in emotional disarray.This subplot leaves viewers questioning whether Ka’iana has truly come home or merely stepped into a place that has changed beyond recognition. His past actions, particularly aiding Kahekili’s takeover of O’ahu, cast a shadow that neither time nor loyalty can erase. Moku’s mistrust reinforces that Ka’iana’s welcome is conditional, marked more by caution than celebration.Although Ka'iana finds kinship with Kamehameha and Ka'ahumanu, the episode indicates that belonging will be hard to find. What appears to be a return to what is known turns out instead to be a broken reality, where old hurts and changing allegiances complicate the definition of home.Did Kamehameha's vision of peace undermine his position in Chief of War season 1 episode 5?A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)Kamehameha's hesitation to go to war stands in stark contrast to his council's call for decisive action against Keoua. Chief of War season 1 episode 5, characterizes him as a traditionalist and identity-based leader who wishes to foster peace instead of indulging in unnecessary bloodshed.His taro lesson is the icon of a heritage-based leader, yet this attitude unsettles those who view restraint as vulnerability. The council's discomfort, combined with Moku's faltering belief, is a reflection of the delicate balance that Kamehameha is obliged to walk between prophecy and pragmatism. Ka'iana's presence in his council makes this more complicated.As a warrior who has been marked by war's toll, Ka'iana's validation gives credibility to Kamehameha's peaceful inclinations. But it occurs in an environment of suspicion and disbelief. The series presents Kamehameha's ideals not as naivety, but as a risk of whether a leader can rule through moderation when others require hostility.Also read: Chief of War season 1 episode 4 ending explained: How does Kaʻiana save Tony?What does the fire at Kohala really signify in Chief of War season 1 episode 5?A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)The episode concludes with Kohala's food storage huts being burned, which is more symbolism than destruction. For Keoua, the act is a statement of indignation toward his father's choice to leave the war god to Kamehameha. The fires are a projection of his perceived betrayal, converting personal outrage into political rebellion.By attacking Kohala, Keoua drains not only resources but also morale, signaling that he will not be excluded. This destruction also recalls Kamehameha’s moment of recognition by Kalani’opu’u, when he was chosen for his wisdom and foresight over Keoua’s hot-headedness.The attack is targeted and deliberate, aimed at undermining the very foundation of Kamehameha’s leadership. The visuals of the fire close the episode on a note of inevitability, reminding viewers that beyond strategies and alliances, pride and jealousy can ignite wars as fiercely as any prophecy.Chief of War season 1 episode 5 is available to stream on Apple TV.