Iwi

The **Iwi** are a tribe of humans indigenous to Skull Island who first appear in the 2017 Legendary Pictures film *Kong: Skull Island*. They are also featured prominently in the film's tie-in comic *Skull Island: The Birth of Kong*, while a young member of the tribe, Jia, appears in its sequel *Godzilla vs. Kong*.

## Appearance

The Iwi are normal humans, though they adorn their bodies with unique markings and hieroglyphs as well as decorative paint of varying colors. They all wear simple clothing which they fabricate and dye within their village. Iwi soldiers or guards typically seem to wear red garb with yellow body paint. Others, possibly clergy members, instead wear purple robes. Lastly, it appears that elders of the tribe wear blue robes and body paint. Despite the simple standards of their clothing, Iwi wear their clothes in a variety of manners and have a fair amount of individuality in how they dress. Some Iwi wear headdresses or scarves, while others wear no headwear. Most male Iwi are bald, while female Iwi have their hair styled in a variety of ways.

## Culture

The Iwi are peaceful people who unlike past incarnations of Skull Islanders are welcoming and hospitable to outsiders. According to Hank Marlow, the Iwi have no concept of personal property and virtually no conflict among each other, and have "moved past" petty concerns which cause conflict in most groups of humans. The Iwi took in both Marlow and Gunpei Ikari when the two crashed on Skull Island in 1944, and the two lived peacefully among them for nearly 30 years. While mostly non-violent, the Iwi do arm themselves with spears for defense, and initially surround and direct their spears at James Conrad and his party before Marlow convinces them to stand down. He also warns Conrad and the others while inside the Iwi temple within the wreckage of the *Wanderer* that the Iwi could become hostile if they touch anything within. Most of the Iwi's weapons and use of violence are reserved for the hostile creatures on the island which threaten them, especially the vicious Skullcrawlers. As such, the Iwi live in a village surrounded by a complex defensive wall designed to keep everything out unless they grant passage. However, the Iwi primarily rely on their mighty benevolent god, the Titan known as Kong, to defend them and keep peace on the island. The Iwi praise and worship Kong, who actively defends them whenever they are threatened.

The Iwi are a mostly nonverbal race, communicating primarily through facial expressions and body language, though they do understand spoken English and have a spoken language of their own. Ato, an Iwi boy encountered by Aaron Brooks in 1995, explains that his father learned to speak fluent English from Marlow, and passed this knowledge onto him.

## History

### MonsterVerse

#### *Kong: Skull Island*

After their choppers were all brought down by Kong, James Conrad and fellow expedition members Mason Weaver, Houston Brooks, Lin San, Reg Slivko, and Victor Nieves were separated from other survivors of the attack and were forced to navigate the wilderness of Skull Island to try and reach their extraction point. After encountering a peaceful Sker Buffalo, the group came upon what appeared to be abandoned ruins. However, they soon realized that there were people wearing body paint which camouflaged them among the ruins. The Iwi emerged from hiding and pointed their spears at Conrad and the others, who drew their guns in response. The standoff was broken by Hank Marlow, who came through the ruins and told everyone to set down their weapons. He convinced Conrad's group to follow him and the Iwi guards back to their village, as the island was especially dangerous at night. They were brought to the Iwi's village, encircled by a massive defensive wall. When the group explained their encounter with Kong and asked if the wall was to keep him out, Marlow replied that they were to keep something else out. Marlow led them to the wreck of the *Wanderer*, which he said washed ashore about a decade before he crashed on the island. Inside, the Iwi had converted the derelict ship into a sacred temple to their god: Kong. Marlow explained that Kong was god to the Iwi, as he and his ancestors fought to defend them from the "devils" of the island, vicious subterranean reptiles which he called "Skullcrawlers." Marlow said that one of the creatures killed his friend Gunpei Ikari, who had crashed on Skull Island along with him in 1944 and lived with him among the Iwi since then. He also stated that Kong was responsible for keeping the Skullcrawlers underground and prevent them from reaching full size. Kong was only defending his territory from the choppers dropping seismic charges on the island, Marlow explained, as they drew out the Skullcrawlers and once they were out the "Big One" might emerge, a giant Skullcrawler responsible for killing Kong's parents.

The Iwi were just as hospitable to Conrad's group as they were to Marlow and Gunpei, allowing them to stay within the safety of the village. While the Iwi rarely spoke, they interacted genially with the outsiders, even posing for photos taken by Weaver. While Weaver was photographing the Iwi, she heard a creature crying in pain from just outside the wall. The assembled Iwi watched as Weaver walked through a gap in the wall to find a Sker Buffalo trapped helplessly under a fallen chopper. She tried desperately to free it, only to witness Kong effortlessly lift it off with his hand, after which the Buffalo was able to walk away safely. Back in the village, Marlow showed the others the *Grey Fox*, a boat he and Gunpei had been building using parts from their airplanes. If they could finish it together, he said, they just might be able to travel upriver to the extraction point and get off the island. Through the combined efforts of everyone, the *Grey Fox* was completed in time to make the trip to the extraction point before their window closed. Before departing, Marlow looked to see the Iwi gathered in front of the boat. Marlow tearfully bid farewell to the Iwi and thanked them for all they had done, with two Iwi elders returning an understanding nod. The *Grey Fox* then departed, with the Iwi opening a gate over the river to let it through.

#### *Godzilla vs. Kong*

According to Dr. Ilene Andrews, almost all of the Iwi were wiped out by a storm. Jia, saved by Kong, was the only survivor and the last member of the Iwi.

## Technology

The Iwi do not possess particularly advanced technology, and rely on simple spears for defense. They are however quite skilled with architecture and engineering, building a highly sophisticated defensive wall around their village complete with a moving gate to allow water access into the village. The Iwi have constructed boats with sails for water travel, and converted the wreckage of the *Wanderer* into a temple complete with highly detailed petroglyphs. The Iwi manufacture and dye their own clothing, which can take a variety of styles despite its relative simplicity. They also are able to produce a medicinal brew, given the name "Monkey Juice" by Aaron Brooks, which can cause hallucinations which seem connected to Skull Island. The Iwi wisely have formed a symbiotic relationship with King Kong who defends their village from any threats they cannot handle.