Kīwalaʻō was born in 1760[2] to
Aliʻi Nui,
Kalaniʻōpuʻu and his queen consort
Kalola Pupuka.[4][5] He was the eldest son of the ruler and was the heir apparent. While he was alive at the time of
Captain Cook's arrival, he was not present and there is no foreign account of him.[6]
He is said to have been of a weak character while his half brother
Keōua Kuahuula was the exact opposite and more comparable to the knights of the
Middle Ages.[7]