Warning: This article contains spoilers for 2025's Lilo & Stitch.2025's Lilo & Stich is largely faithful to the story of the Hawaiian sisters who have recently lost their parents when they encounter a cute but mischievous blue alien that they adopt as a dog but leaves out some key information about their family's situation. Like the 2002 animated movie that it is a remake of, Lilo & Stitch is about Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a six-year-old who is in the care of her older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong). While Nani is struggling with having suddenly become a parent, Lilo's grief is made worse when she is an outcast in her peer group.

To remedy her loneliness, Lilo gets to adopt a dog, which is how she finds Stitch (voiced by returning actor Chris Sanders), who was turned over to the shelter after crash landing on Earth. Disney live-action remakes. Lilo & Stitch's strength is in being true to the core of the original but not being afraid to make some changes. While the omission of some details concerning Nani and Lilo's parents is frustrating, the sisters' relationship shines.

Where Are Lilo And Nani's Parents In Lilo & Stitch?

Nani Is Lilo's Guardian For Most Of The Movie

Lilo and Nani's parents have recently died at the time that Lilo & Stitch is taking place. They do not seem to have any extended family living nearby, so Nani has ended up, at least temporarily, as Lilo's guardian. However, both in the original and the remake, social services are in discussion with Nani about whether this is the best placement for Lilo, when Nani is overwhelmed by the responsibility, and Lilo doesn't see Nani as a parent. The domineering Cobra Bubbles becomes a separate character (Courtney B. Vance), while the girls' social worker is the more considerate Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere).

How Lilo And Nani's Parents Died In The Original Lilo & Stitch

Lilo Tells Stitch That Her Parents Died In A Car Crash

The live-action Lilo & Stitch doesn't ever say how Lilo and Nani's parents died, so people have generally assumed that the events recounted in the animated movie are still true. In the original Lilo & Stitch, Lilo tells Stitch that her parents died in a car crash on a stormy night. Oddly, the new movie does partially retain Lilo's ritual with Pudge the fish, which is actually very important concerning her parents' deaths.

In the animated movie, Lilo goes to feed Pudge a peanut butter sandwich every Thursday because she believes he "controls the weather." In other words, it's believed that Lilo thinks she needs to keep Pudge happy to prevent others from dying in car wrecks due to dangerous weather. However, this connection is lost in the new movie when it doesn't actually say how her parents died, instead elevating other story elements with her and her sister.

Does 2025's Lilo & Stitch Change Anything About Lilo's Parents?

New Moments Highlight Lilo's Parents' Lasting Presence

In other ways, the new Lilo & Stitch better emphasizes the tragedy the sisters have experienced and how their grief affects their current circumstances. While most of the story is essentially the same, new moments have a more emotional effect. When Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) attacks the house looking for Stitch, it highlights how he destroys their parents' bedroom. The movie also features a photobook with pictures of the whole family, which Lilo shows to Stitch. The book also gets destroyed, leading to the ending where Stitch tries to save a single photo.

2025's Lilo & Stitch's ending also features some big changes concerning the family. Namely, rather than retaining custody of Lilo, Nani goes to college while Lilo moves in with their neighbor Tūtū (Amy Hill), with Nani visiting all the time. The backdrop of Lilo & Stitch being about sisters who have suffered a family tragedy serves the story all about family, where Lilo and Nani are figuring out what their relationship will be like from now on, as Stitch comes along and changes their lives again. The new movie makes some changes to the backstory and the ending, but this element holds true.