Chief of War star Jason Momoa recently revealed that most of the series is in Hawaiian, with English appearing gradually in later episodes. Following the show’s release on Apple TV+, Momoa explained that he and co-creator Thomas Paʻa Sibbett insisted on using ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi to preserve cultural and historical authenticity,

Chief of War” is extraordinary, a breakthrough project for star and producer Jason Momoa and just about everything I could hope for from a nine-hour Hawaii historical epic, presented as season one on Apple TV+ (which allowed me to watch all nine episodes).

His contemporary was Kamehameha I (played in Chief of War by Kaina Makua), who would eventually become known as Kamehameha the Great. Like Kaʻiana, he was probably born in the 1750s, and came from the Big Island. And his aristocratic lineage, though questioned, cemented his future as a strong leader too, according to National Geographic.