Moai (モアイ) are ruins of giant human head statues, which can be found on Easter Island in the South Pacific. The statues have a unique appearance with long faces and deep carvings. They are also called moai statues to emphasize the fact that they are statues.
In fact, the depth of the carving was originally intended to allow for the inclusion of eyeballs at a later date.
There are images of both head-only statues and statues that include the torso, but this is because many of the moai were abandoned during production and only the head was made, or the torso was buried in the ground.
In the past, all moai were toppled during a conflict on the island, and many were left as they were, so that only about 40 of the 1,000 or so moai that are still standing have been properly raised. Most of them have been rebuilt by modern people (using cranes).
They vary in size, with the largest being more than 20 meters long. They are bigger than a Gundam.
Moreover, some moai statues wear stone caps. They are made of different parts from the main body and placed on their heads. Again, people at that time built this without cranes.
The moai statues that remain on Easter Island today are a remnant of Easter Island's civilization, but the tragic history of the island has caused them to cease to exist, and it is unclear what the purpose of their construction was. It has been suggested that the statues were for ritual purposes or as tombstones, but this has yet to be clarified. In any case, the moai statues remain a mystery and stand on Easter Island today without telling us anything.
Its oddities have attracted many tourists and have also been the subject of showing up in many media.
For example, the ionic enemy in the Gradius series.
Anime and Manga
- Blend S → Seen behind the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks.
- Cyborg 009 → On Easter Island in episode 5.
- Dimension W → In 13 episode, they can be seen covered in snow.
- Doraemon → From season 15 the 2005 anime.
- Flint the Time Detective → Is character known as Moah.
- GeGeGe No Kitaro → Episode 35 of season 2 was set on Easter Island.
- Golden Bat → Seen in season 1, episode 18.
- Inazuma Eleven → Seen in episode 4.
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 5: Creation! Ultimate Keroro, Wonder Space-Time Island → They play a major role in this movie.
- Kinnikuman: Justice Superman vs. Ancient Superman → A fight happens at Easter Island.
- Miss Machiko → A moai in episode 53 follows the movement of a character.
- My Hero Academia → In chapter 173 and a background character in the anime.
- Odoru Mowai-kun → A whole anime about one.
- One Piece → The moai heads in episode 282 wear hats and are gangsters.
- Sky Devilsaur Gaiking → In episode 24 they become alive and attack.
- Special Armored Battalion Dorvack → Has laser eyes and levitates in episode 22.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal → Chronomaly Moai shows up in episode 42.
Cartoons
- American Dad → Seen on Easter Island in season 8, episode 13.
- Challenge of the Super Friends → The Super Friends protect the moai heads from pirates in episode 7.
- Futurama → Showed up for brief gags.
- Inside Job → Background character.
- Minions → As in the movie, one can be found in a supervillain home.
- Phineas and Ferb → Seen on Easter Island in season 3, episode 10.
- Rick and Morty → One is seen with a wig in a shop of strange objects in episode 9.
- Spider-Man → In the 1981 cartoon they can move and have eye lasers in episode 6.
- SpongeBob SquarePants → It could be said Squidward's house is a moai head but it is more of a object you put in a fishtank.
- The Critic → There is a visual gag of a kid from Easter Island having a moai head.
- The Incredibles → Around the villain's hideout.
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest → Plays a major role in episode 21.
- The Simpsons → Showed up a few times as a visual gag.
Games
- Animal Crossing → Found in the newer games.
- Arkanoid: Doh it Again → The character Doh is one.
- Azure Dreams → Possible Gradius reference.
- Banjo-Tooie → Enemy character.
- Battle Craze!! → Background element.
- Beatmania Append Gottamix
- Big Ol' Bass 2 → Like other landmarks in the game, they're submerged in water.
- Blue Miko Fantasia
- Castlevania series → Hidden item.
- Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller → Background element.
- Dreams to Reality → Are background elements in a stage.
- Fantasy Zone
- Final Fantasy series → Recurring easter egg.
- Fire Wind → The game uses a real image of maoi statues at Easter Island.
- G.A.S.P!! Fighters' NEXTream / Deadly Arts → Are background elements in a stage.
- Gradius → Enemy character, also a guest character in DreamMix TV World Fighters
- Groove Adventure Rave: Plue no Daibouken → Are background elements in a stage.
- Legend of Mana → A sweet potato looks like one.
- LSD: Dream Emulator → Seen with other landmarks.
- M.U.G.E.N
- Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times → Enemy character.
- Mega Man Star Force → Background element.
- Metal Gear Solid series → Recurring easter egg.
- Miitopia → Is a weapon known as Moai Dragger.
- Night When An Old Clock Restored
- No More Heroes III → Can be destroyed.
- Panic!
- Pokémon → See Nosepass or Probopass.
- Puyo Puyo 7 → Appears in the Easter Island stage in Act 3
- Rage in Peace → On a skateboard.
- Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space → The second episode of season two took place on on Easter Island.
- Sanrio Timenet → A real image of one with a crudely smile and hair is shown.
- Second Life
- Sega Superstars Tennis
- Skies of Arcadia → Background element.
- Snatcher
- Splatoon 3 → Found in the Story Mode hub world and is a item for the player's locker.
- StarTropics → One blocks your path.
- Super Mario Land → Background element.
- Super Mario Odyssey → They can be controlled and wears sunglasses.
- Taisen Puzzle-Dama → The game's final boss.
- Taz: Wanted → Background element.
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 → Seen in the stage Moai Excavation.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker → Despite Toon Link being so small he can pick one up.
- The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang → One of them works as a saving option.
- The World Ends with You → Known as Moyai.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! → See Chronomaly Moai or Moai Interceptor Cannons.
English
Moai Culture
- A website that archives moai heads in media and its effects of pop culture.
🗿 + 🎮 = 😎 - A website that archives moai heads in video games.
