Uku

Uku is the protagonist of the 2015 Pixar animated short Lava. He is a singing volcano who falls in love with a female volcano named Lele. In the short, he tells the story of his life through the title song.

Appearances[]

Lava[]

Throughout the short, Uku is described as a volcano lost in the ocean watching animal couples living near him such as two birds, whales, dolphins, and sea turtles together near him. Seeing the couples in love, Uku then sings that he wishes that he had someone to fall in love with him everyday for years and years. However, after millions of years pass, Uku then sinks to the sea all alone in the brink of extinction but he doesn’t know a female volcano named Lele is listening to his song as she also wishes she had someone to fall in love with her, which is similarly shared with Uku.

As Uku sadly sings his song of hope for the last time, Lele hears his voice and rises to the surface of the ocean; after this, Uku sees Lele who rose to the ocean surface. Unfortunately, Lele rises facing away from him, this leaves Uku separated with him ready to sink underwater as he sadly sinks to the bottom of the ocean. As Lele sings, Uku hears her singing, causing cracks of lava to form a heart and surround the volcano that sank underwater as Uku finally rises to the surface of the ocean. As a result, Uku is no longer lost and alone in the ocean as he finally falls in love with Lele as they sing together.

Finding Dory[]

Uku makes a cameo appearance on a poster in the film when Dory meets Hank in the quarantine office in the Marine Life Institute. His name is written on the poster.

Disney Parks[]

Trader Sam's[]

In Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar, there is a post-card for, "Ukulele Island" with a picture of Uku and Lele on it. At Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, Sam has a book titled Lava; Songs of Hawaii.

Trivia[]

• The names, "Uku" and "Lele", are a play on ukulele, an acoustic Polynesian instrument.

Gallery[]

Uku's cameo in Finding Dory (captioned as such)

References[]