Previously, on Avatar

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A lot of people dismiss the idea that Avatar hasn’t had a significant cultural impact, despite its massive popularity. Think about how much motion capture, virtual reality, IMAX, and 3-D technology have grown since the first movie came out in 2009. However, it’s understandable that casual viewers might struggle to keep track of the languages, characters, and storylines in these visually stunning films. To avoid feeling lost (or like a “skxawng” – the Na’vi word for “idiot” frequently used in the new movie), here’s a refresher on everything you need to remember from the first Avatar film and The Way of Water released in 2022.

So, all the action takes place on Pandora, a moon incredibly far from Earth. The name itself – a clear reference to the myth – hints that humanity’s efforts to colonize and gather resources there will unleash both amazing discoveries and serious trouble. It’s a pretty direct connection, don’t you think?

Okay, I understand. The first film takes place in 2154. Jake Sully, a former marine who is paralyzed, is sent to Pandora to control an Avatar – a hybrid body created from human and Na’vi DNA. He takes over this role after his brother’s death and is assigned to work alongside scientists and researchers in a military capacity.

You’re right, the Na’vi from the movie are the tall, blue aliens that look a bit like cat people! They’re known for being peaceful and living in harmony with nature. A key feature is the long, thin strands of hair they have – it’s actually a neural connection. This allows them to connect with animals, plants, and even other Na’vi, creating a deep mental and spiritual link. The entire planet Pandora is connected through a network similar to the roots of mushrooms. The Na’vi usually braid these strands to keep them neat.

That’s correct – in the longer version of the film, Jake and Neytiri engage in sexual activity involving their connection to the plant life of Pandora. Neytiri is the daughter of the leader of the Omatikaya clan, a native people who live in Pandora’s rainforests. This land is valuable because it contains unobtanium, a highly sought-after natural resource that humans are trying to extract – essentially, it’s like a massive oil deposit.

Stephen Lang played the villain in the movie. He was Colonel Miles Quaritch, who opposed the Na’vi people and their home. As Jake Sully gains the Na’vi’s trust, Quaritch orders him to spy on them, hoping to use the information to defeat them and destroy their forest in order to mine for a valuable resource called unobtanium.

I’ll never forget the Hometree from the movie. It wasn’t just a tree, though – it felt like a direct line to something bigger, almost like an internet connection to a deity. On Pandora, they call that deity Eywa, and the Na’vi connect to her through this incredible network of roots and tendrils. It’s how they communicate with ancestors, find guidance, and basically tap into a spiritual wisdom – a real ‘God-ethernet,’ if you will.

So, who meets their end? Colonel Quaritch and Dr. Grace Augustine both die during the final battle. Jake Sully nearly dies too, but thanks to Na’vi prayers and the power of Eywa, his consciousness is transferred permanently into his Avatar. This allows him to live out his life as his Avatar, separate from his human body. The Hometree is destroyed, but Jake and Neytiri survive together. That’s a summary of the first movie.

There also seem to be dragons in this world. The Na’vi people form strong bonds with and ride these dragon-like creatures. Jake Sully, however, manages to ride Toruk, a particularly large and powerful one. Because he’s only the sixth person ever to do so, the Na’vi see him as a special leader – they call him “Toruk Makto.”

Then, Avatar: The Way of Water features the amazing whale-like creatures called Tulkun. These aren’t just any whales; they have their own unique language, culture, and even create art through poetry and music. They’re brought to life with impressive computer-generated imagery.

Let’s recap the whales’ importance. Avatar: The Way of Water picks up 16 years after the first movie, and the Sully family has grown! They now have teenage sons Neteyam and Lo’ak, a teenage daughter Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver through motion capture – she’s the biological daughter of the late Grace Augustine’s Avatar), and their youngest child, Tuk. There’s also Spider, a human boy raised in the Na’vi world, who’s like a Tarzan figure and needs an oxygen mask to breathe.

Fans are wondering about Sigourney Weaver’s character. After Dr. Grace Augustine seemingly died, her Avatar body remained, kept alive but without a consciousness. Surprisingly, it became pregnant and had a healthy Na’vi baby, who was then adopted and raised by the Sully family alongside their own children.

Some people have commented on Kate Weaver playing a teenager, but it actually fits the character really well. She’s a little quirky and surprisingly mature for her age. She has a strong spiritual connection to Eywa, but using that power causes her to have seizures.

So, who is Spider? We find out he’s actually the biological son of Colonel Quaritch. His mother was also a soldier, but she died in combat. In the next movie, Quaritch returns, stronger than before, and is in charge—

I thought Quaritch died? 
Yes, but they downloaded his memories into a new Avatar.

Look, let’s be honest, this movie is pure melodrama! We’re talking sudden, shocking deaths and… unexpected pregnancies. But you know what? That’s exactly what I loved about Avatar: The Way of Water. It doesn’t shy away from the big, soapy emotions, and that’s what makes it so surprisingly compelling.

What role does the water play in the story? Quaritch captures Spider, and he shares information about the Na’vi, forcing Jake and Neytiri to seek refuge with the Metkayina clan. The Metkayina are a Na’vi people with blue skin, large eyes adapted for seeing underwater, and broad hands and arms for swimming. They live by and deeply cherish the ocean, and they have a close friendship with the Tulkun – the whale-like creatures of the sea.

Everyone knows and loves Payakan, right? Audiences adore him, but other Tulkun can’t stand him. He’s my best friend and the bravest creature I know. Payakan is a Tulkun who’s been cast out from his community, and he forms a deep connection with Lo’ak, the second oldest of the Sully children, who also feels like an outsider.

Payakan is an outcast because he broke with the peaceful traditions of his species, the Tulkun. Tulkun never use violence, even to protect themselves, which makes them vulnerable to human whalers who hunt them for a substance in their brains that can slow aging. Payakan attacked the whalers who killed his mother, and as a result, both the Tulkun and the Metkayina people rejected him.

At the end of Avatar: The Way of Water, the ruthless whalers continue to kill the Tulkun, and Quaritch starts hunting Jake Sully and his family. He captures their children, but Payakan fights to help, and Spider chooses to side with his adopted family over his biological father. The climax includes a large-scale, chaotic battle and a ship sinking, similar to other James Cameron films. Sadly, Jake and Neytiri’s oldest son, Neteyam, is killed during the fighting.

Will there be any other important characters in the third movie? Yes, Jemaine Clement will play a marine biologist who opposes the whalers, and Kate Winslet will return as Ronal, the pregnant leader of the water-Na’vi. Both characters have significant roles in Fire and Ash.

So, ‘Fire and Ash’ seems to be about the Na’vi who control fire, right? Actually, the story still focuses mainly on the water people. But the fire clan is the first major group of Na’vi we see who aren’t peaceful. They’re led by a Na’vi named Varang (played by Oona Chaplin), and they’re very different from the Na’vi we’ve gotten to know so far.

We can expect to learn more about Kiri’s unique bond with Eywa, and a closer examination of the whale culture. These are the highlights to look forward to from The Way of Water.

Will the third movie be horny?
It’s kind of so horny.

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2025-12-18 19:56