Since 2016 MoanaFans have debated whether the titular heroine is an official Disney princess.

She is the daughter of a chief and a wanderer, but a princess? Technically no. In Moana 2In the film, in theaters November 27, the character states that she is not a princess, to which Maui (Dwayne Johnson) replies, “Well, a lot of people think you are.”

But Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in two films, sees the Disney princess category as a little more fluid. “Films are always representative of their time,” she says. “Today we want a young woman to be the heroine of her own story. So she’s a princess, but she’s also a hero. I like that these two words are now interchangeable.”

Still, Cravalho says it’s unlikely Moana will join a cavalcade of dolled-up Disney princesses. “You probably won’t see Moana in a ball gown,” she jokes. “And that’s okay.” In any case, as a member of the Disney Princess series, she is included in a lot of Disney merchandise.

One thing that sets Moana apart as a Disney princess is the lack of a prince or other romantic interests. For Cravalho, that’s a big part of Moana’s appeal. “I think it’s really important that the characters go on their own hero’s journey to find themselves, and not necessarily find a love interest or the love of their life,” she says. “I really applaud our filmmakers for sticking with it because it’s so interesting in its own right. She doesn’t need anyone else!”

Regardless of whether audiences think Moana is a princess or not, she remains a huge favorite. Moana is one of the top streaming titles on Disney+ year after year. producer and Moana 2 Co-author Jared Bush has some thoughts on why it’s so popular. “She is an incredible, dynamic heroine who is brave and will never stop taking on the world,” he says. “And then she is deeply empathetic. She takes care of everyone. She cares about her family and her community. There’s an ambitious part of her as a character that people are drawn to.”

All of this makes a true princess.

Moana 2 The story begins three years after the first film as she continues to explore the ocean around Motunui and search for signs of life beyond her island. After discovering a mysterious ceramic fragment, she receives a call from her ancestor Tautai Vasa (Gerald Ramsey), urging her to sail across the ocean and connect with other people in the Pacific so that her people don’t wither in isolation. With a new crew in tow, Moana embarks on her biggest journey yet, taking on supernatural powers with a little help from Maui.