summary of first avatar

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, black writers week, cameron retains his crown.

Now streaming on:

Watching "Avatar," I felt sort of the same as when I saw "Star Wars" in 1977. That was another movie I walked into with uncertain expectations. James Cameron 's film has been the subject of relentlessly dubious advance buzz, just as his " Titanic " was. Once again, he has silenced the doubters by simply delivering an extraordinary film. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend $250 million, or was it $300 million, wisely.

"Avatar" is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It's a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeating viewings. It invents a new language, Na'vi, as "Lord of the Rings" did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to keep up with the conversation.

The story, set in the year 2154, involves a mission by U. S. Armed Forces to an earth-sized moon in orbit around a massive star. This new world, Pandora, is a rich source of a mineral Earth desperately needs. Pandora represents not even a remote threat to Earth, but we nevertheless send in ex-military mercenaries to attack and conquer them. Gung-ho warriors employ machine guns and pilot armored hover ships on bombing runs. You are free to find this an allegory about contemporary politics. Cameron obviously does.

Pandora harbors a planetary forest inhabited peacefully by the Na'vi, a blue-skinned, golden-eyed race of slender giants, each one perhaps 12 feet tall. The atmosphere is not breathable by humans, and the landscape makes us pygmies. To venture out of our landing craft, we use avatars--Na'vi lookalikes grown organically and mind-controlled by humans who remain wired up in a trance-like state on the ship. While acting as avatars, they see, fear, taste and feel like Na'vi, and have all the same physical adeptness.

This last quality is liberating for the hero, Jake Sully ( Sam Worthington ), who is a paraplegic. He's been recruited because he's a genetic match for a dead identical twin, who an expensive avatar was created for. In avatar state he can walk again, and as his payment for this duty he will be given a very expensive operation to restore movement to his legs. In theory he's in no danger, because if his avatar is destroyed, his human form remains untouched. In theory.

On Pandora, Jake begins as a good soldier and then goes native after his life is saved by the lithe and brave Neytiri ( Zoe Saldana ). He finds it is indeed true, as the aggressive Col. Miles Quaritch ( Stephen Lang ) briefed them, that nearly every species of life here wants him for lunch. (Avatars are not be made of Na'vi flesh, but try explaining that to a charging 30-ton rhino with a snout like a hammerhead shark).

The Na'vi survive on this planet by knowing it well, living in harmony with nature, and being wise about the creatures they share with. In this and countless other ways they resemble Native Americans. Like them, they tame another species to carry them around--not horses, but graceful flying dragon-like creatures. The scene involving Jake capturing and taming one of these great beasts is one of the film's greats sequences.

Like "Star Wars" and "LOTR," "Avatar" employs a new generation of special effects. Cameron said it would, and many doubted him. It does. Pandora is very largely CGI. The Na'vi are embodied through motion capture techniques, convincingly. They look like specific, persuasive individuals, yet sidestep the eerie Uncanny Valley effect. And Cameron and his artists succeed at the difficult challenge of making Neytiri a blue-skinned giantess with golden eyes and a long, supple tail, and yet--I'll be damned. Sexy.

At 163 minutes, the film doesn't feel too long. It contains so much. The human stories. The Na'vi stories, for the Na'vi are also developed as individuals. The complexity of the planet, which harbors a global secret. The ultimate warfare, with Jake joining the resistance against his former comrades. Small graceful details like a floating creature that looks like a cross between a blowing dandelion seed and a drifting jellyfish, and embodies goodness. Or astonishing floating cloud-islands.

I've complained that many recent films abandon story telling in their third acts and go for wall-to-wall action. Cameron essentially does that here, but has invested well in establishing his characters so that it matters what they do in battle and how they do it. There are issues at stake greater than simply which side wins.

Cameron promised he'd unveil the next generation of 3-D in "Avatar." I'm a notorious skeptic about this process, a needless distraction from the perfect realism of movies in 2-D. Cameron's iteration is the best I've seen -- and more importantly, one of the most carefully-employed. The film never uses 3-D simply because it has it, and doesn't promiscuously violate the fourth wall. He also seems quite aware of 3-D's weakness for dimming the picture, and even with a film set largely in interiors and a rain forest, there's sufficient light. I saw the film in 3-D on a good screen at the AMC River East and was impressed. I might be awesome in True IMAX. Good luck in getting a ticket before February.

It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for a man to stand up at the Oscarcast and proclaim himself King of the World. James Cameron just got re-elected.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

Matt Zoller Seitz

Black Barbie

Carla renata.

Monica Castillo

Kalki 2898 - AD

Simon abrams.

Brian Tallerico

Film Credits

Avatar (2009)

Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking

162 minutes

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri

Sigourney Weaver as Grace

Stephen Lang as Col. Miles Quaritch

Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon

Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge

Joel David Moore as Norm Spellman

CCH Pounder as Moat

Wes Studi as Eytukan

Laz Alonso as Tsu'tey

Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel

Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet

Written and directed by

• James Cameron

Latest blog posts

The Artful Tenderness of A Quiet Place: Day One

The 10 Best Fourth of July Releases of the 21st Century

KVIFF 2024: All We Imagine As Light, Panopticon, Three Days of Fish

Short Films in Focus: Flail with Director Ben Gauthier

Avatar (film)

The film is set in the year 2154 on Pandora , a fictional Earth -like moon in a distant planetary system. Humans, who have depleted their planet's natural resources, are engaged in mining Pandora's reserves of a precious mineral vital to the economy known as unobtanium , while the Na'vi , the race of humanoids indigenous to the moon, resist the colonists' expansion which threatens the continued existence of the Na'vi and the Pandoran ecosystem. The film's title refers to the remotely controlled, genetically-engineered human-Na'vi bodies used by the humans to interact with the indigenous population.

• 1.1 Jake's life on Earth
• 1.2 Arrival on Pandora
• 1.3 Living with the Omatikaya
• 1.4 Destruction of the Hometree
• 1.5 Battle of Ayram Alusìng
• 3.1 Early inspirations
• 3.2 Full production
• 4.1 Theatrical Edition DVD / Blu-ray
• 4.2 Special Edition re-releases
• 4.3 Extended Collector's Edition
• 4.4 3D Blu-ray
• 4.5 Disney+
• 4.6 Theatrical re-release (China)
• 4.7 2022 Theatrical re-release and remaster
• 4.8 Ultimate Collector's Edition
• 4.9 Collector's Edition
• 5 Soundtrack
• 6.2 Criticism
• 6.3 Racism and cultural appropriation accusations
• 6.4 Box office
• 7 Cultural impact
• 9.1 Books and comics
• 9.2 Video games
• 10.1 General
• 10.2 Actors
• 10.3 Unfinished Deleted Scenes
• 10.4 HFR-converted sequences
• 11 References
• 12 External Links

Jake's life on Earth

Earth in the year 2148.

In the year 2148, Earth has become overpopulated with over 20 billion humans and its resources rapidly depleting, with pollution, famine, poverty, and war. Jake Sully is a 22-year-old ex-marine paralyzed from the waist down due to wounds sustained in combat. He is living in a literal one-room dilapidated apartment resembling a prison cell. Jake is forced live out his life in a wheelchair because veteran benefits are not enough to pay for a spine surgery, especially in his highly inflated economy. Earth is suffering from an energy crisis and the residents of Jake's city wear masks to combat its air pollution.

Jake fighting the man in the bar

One night, Jake starts a bar fight with a man who strikes a woman. After breaking up the fight, the bouncers throw Jake out into the street, with one even throwing his wheelchair at him. Jake is approached by two Resources Development Administration (RDA) agents who confirm his identity and inform him that his identical twin brother, Tom Sully , has been killed by a robber.

The agents take Jake to a crematorium where he is shown Tom's body, and Jake laments his brother is dead due to someone wanting paper in his wallet. The agents mention Tom was one of the selected few scientists chosen to participate in the Avatar Program and one of even fewer avatar drivers . Tom had trained on Earth for three years in preparation for Pandora and controlling his avatar. Since Jake is genetically identical to his brother, he can link with the avatar, saving the RDA the cost of creating a new one. Jake agrees to take over his brother's contract and is put in cryosleep for the trip to Pandora .

Arrival on Pandora

Jake arrives at Hell's Gate on Pandora .

In 2154, arriving from the six-year journey to Pandora, Jake awakes from cryosleep with hundreds of other personnel to work at the human colony on this inhabited moon of Polyphemus , one of three fictional gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A . In the RDA's facility Hell's Gate , Jake attends a briefing led by Colonel Miles Quaritch , a hardened and seasoned military veteran who is in charge of security on the colony. Quaritch welcomes the new personnel and military soldiers and briefs them on Pandora. It is mostly covered with lush rainforests and wildlife, and home to the Na'vi , a race of tall blue-skinned humanoids.

Parker Selfridge reminds Grace how the RDA only really cares about unobtanium for its profit value.

Jake is introduced to Norm Spellman , a biologist who arrived on the same rotation of personnel as he did. He also meets Dr. Max Patel , who connects the avatars, and Dr. Grace Augustine , a botanist as well as the leader of the Avatar Program. Using the avatars, Grace and her team have made some considerable progress learning about the natives' language and culture. Grace is displeased with RDA administrator Parker Selfridge's decision to use Jake to replace his brother's avatar position. Parker stresses that Grace's science is being paid for by the extremely profitable mineral unobtanium , so she should suck it up and give the RDA some good results from the Avatar Program. Upon meeting Jake, Grace is very standoffish due to her disdain of soldiers, but implores Jake to begin making his own video logs to document his journey.

Jake awakens in his avatar which lets him walk again.

On the day Jake links with his avatar, things go dangerously due to Jake being ecstatic about being able to walk again, causing the scientists to become so concerned they attempt to tranquilize him. He runs outside the compound and enjoys sprinting, causing the scientists to drop their pursuit. Jake then meets with Grace who appears much happier in her avatar form. That night, Jake looks at his queue , a sensitive part of his avatar body that is located at the tip of a long appendage connected to his head (at the end of his "ponytail") that plays an important role in Pandora's ecosystem. After Grace tells him not to play with it or he will "go blind", Jake falls asleep in the avatar compound.

Quaritch offers to pay for Jake's spinal surgery if he provides intel on the Na'vi

The next day, Jake meets Trudy Chacón , a retired Marine pilot who is assigned to work with the Avatar Program. Upon hearing that Trudy could use someone else on her Samson's door gun, Jake volunteers. Jake is then directed to Quaritch who convinces Jake to become his informant to gather information on the Na’vi and their home, the Hometree , which has huge deposits of unobtanium buried deep below its surface. He wants Jake to gain their trust and convince them to leave their home within three months. Jake agrees when Quaritch offers to pay for his spinal surgery so that he no longer has to use a wheelchair.

Jake notices bullet holes in the school.

After being trained for several weeks in his new body, Jake, Grace and Norm explore the native wildlife with Trudy. The team explores an abandoned school house where Grace taught young Na'vi English. Grace reminiscences over how intelligent the children were and feels sad upon seeing the unused books scattered on the floor such as The Lorax . Norm asks Grace why the Na'vi don't return and she replies that they learned as much about humanity as they needed to. Jake notices bullet holes and asks Grace what happened at the school, but she dodges the question.

While Grace and Norm study the wildlife, Jake encounters a group of hammerhead titanotheres , a rhinoceros-like animal species. However, the titanotheres flee from a thanator , a terrifying land predator. Grace shouts at her group to flee. Jake runs from the thanator, who is after him, and loses most of his equipment and weapon in the process. He narrowly escapes death from the predator and falls into raging rivers below.

Living with the Omatikaya

Neytiri witnesses the woodsprites resting on Jake.

As darkness falls, Jake creates a fire torch using a sap substance on the trees, and once more runs and fights a large group of small sized viperwolves . A Na'vi named Neytiri rescues him and kills several of the viperwolves before they all flee. She is at first angry with Jake for having caused her to kill the viperwolves needlessly and leaves him. Jake goes after Neytiri, who tells him not to follow as she knows he is an avatar hybrid - a dreamwalker from the Sky People (humans). However, jellyfish-like creatures known as woodsprites briefly float on Jake, amazing Neytiri who explains that they are the seeds of Eywa , a spiritual and also physical biological entity that the Na'vi revere. Neytiri takes it as a sign that Jake may have a pure spirit, and tells him to follow her. Jake is caught by her fellow Na’vi, one of them being Tsu'tey , Neytiri's betrothed and next in line to be the clan leader. Neytiri defuses the situation by telling her clanmates that she witnessed a sign from Eywa, and this matter is for the clan's Tsahìk .

Meeting Eytukan and Mo'at , the leaders of the Omatikaya clan , who are also Neytiri's parents, Jake presents himself as a warrior "dreamwalker", a term the Na’vi used to call the avatar hybrids, with his intention to learn from them. Eytukan and Mo’at agree to teach Jake, making a reluctant Neytiri his tutor. From that day on, Jake spends his time learning the ways and culture of the Na’vi warriors, while jumping back to his original human body to report to Parker and Quaritch on information regarding the Na'vi. Grace arranges the movement of the avatar team to a remote camp in the Hallelujah Mountains after finding out from Max Patel that Jake has been having regular communications with Quaritch about the Na'vi.

Jake and Neytiri during Iknimaya

In his avatar form, Jake follows Tsu'tey, Neytiri, Saeyla and Ka'ani to Mons Veritatis . Here, he completes a rite of passage known as Iknimaya where he learns how to bond using his queue and control his flying mountain banshee whom he names Bob , while gaining respect and admiration from the Na’vi, his relationship with Neytiri continuing to grow, but also earning the jealousy and annoyance of Tsu'tey who begins to view Jake as stealing his future mate from him. Neytiri also tells Jake about the great leonopteryx as well as Toruk Makto , and how her great-great-grandfather was one of the few Na'vi able to ride one.

Grace happy to be reunited with the Na'vi children

Jake becomes somewhat addicted to being an avatar, causing Grace to force his human body to keep eating so that he does not become anorexic. Grace tells Jake about how she taught the Na'vi children for ten years, including Neytiri and her sister Sylwanin , and how they viewed Grace like a mother. Grace reveals the RDA shot Sylwanin to death after she destroyed a bulldozer when she was angry about the RDA's deforestation. Because Grace was exiled from interacting with the clan due to this incident, Jake is able to persuade Mo'at and Eytukan to let Grace back in, causing her great happiness when she returns to the Hometree to reunite with her students.

Jake and Neytiri become lovers.

Reporting back to Quaritch, the Colonel wants Jake to begin his plan to convince the clan to leave the Hometree, but Jake is now reluctant and wary of the RDA's desire to exploit the moon's resources. He tells Quaritch that he will attempt to convince the clan once he is made part of the People, a ceremony granting the greatest honor to an avatar. That night, Jake undergoes the ceremony where Eytukan considers him as one of their own and made part of the People, with Grace and Neytiri looking on. Jake is now part of the Omatikaya clan, and Neytiri takes Jake to the Tree of Souls where they hear the voices of her ancestors. Neytiri also explains he can choose to have a mate if he wishes, although his mate would also have to choose him as well. He and Neytiri choose each other and spend the night mating , and to the Na'vi, this means they are bonded for life. When Jake awakens as a human, he finds himself dumbfounded at his own actions, as he is now a couple with an alien.

Jake destroying one of the bulldozer's cameras.

When Jake and Neytiri awake, they encounter several bulldozers, sent by the RDA, destroying the nearby forests. In his attempt to stop them, Jake destroys one of the machine's camera arrays. Returning to the Hometree, Tsu'tey confronts him for mating with Neytiri. Before anything else can happen, Jake and Grace are suddenly sent back to their human bodies when soldiers sent by Quaritch arrive and open their link units to take them back by force. Quaritch and Parker have seen footage of Jake destroying the bulldozer's cameras and have checked his entry logs, indicating that the Na'vi refuse to leave their home. Grace tells Parker that the trees and plant life make up a huge network which connects the spiritual consciousness of all life, including the Na’vi, and must not be destroyed. Parker merely reacts with disbelief and thinks Grace has gone insane.

One of the six RDA corpses killed by the Na'vi.

That night, Tsu'tey and other Na'vi set fire to the RDA bulldozers. In the morning, the RDA discovers the wreckage and sees that six of their men were killed by the Na'vi. Quaritch insists he will try a humane approach towards the evacuation of Hometree using tear gas which Parker approves. Grace is upset and she tells Jake how the RDA never cared about the Avatar Program and that they bulldozed a sacred site on purpose to initiate a war in order to justify further brute force. Trudy tells Grace about the impending Hometree evacuation, causing Grace to confront Parker about them using violent methods to potentially kill the Na'vi. Jake convinces Parker to give him and Grace a final chance to persuade the Na'vi.

Destruction of the Hometree

Neytiri horrified by her father's death after Hometree is bombed.

Jake and Grace return to their avatar forms but the Na'vi refuse to listen after Jake reveals he was sent by his superiors to convince them to move. They are bound and labelled as traitors by the Na'vi who intend to defend themselves. A large strike force led by Quaritch attempts using tear gas first, but this causes the Na'vi to shoot back using arrows. In response, Quaritch authorizes incendiary rounds which topple Hometree to the ground, killing large numbers of the clan underneath. Mo’at releases Jake and Grace from their bonds and pleads them to save her clan. Eytukan is killed in the destruction by a sharp piece of wood, leaving Neytiri devastated. She tearfully rejects Jake when he tries to comfort her. Back at the RDA, Parker tells his crew to deactivate the avatars by Quaritch's force, which starts causing a fight in the lab.

Jake observes the destruction site.

In the chaos, Jake and Grace are sent back to their original bodies to be placed under arrest for treason, along with Norm, who tried to stop the military from disabling their avatar forms. Max and Trudy, who are sympathetic to the Na'vi and brave enough to rebel against the RDA, rescue the avatar team from prison and flies them to safety, however Grace is shot by Quaritch when he attempts to stop them from leaving the colony. The team has the camp container holding the avatar transfer pods sent near the Tree of Souls , where the remaining Omatikaya clan has fled to safety. Jake attempts to redeem himself in the eyes of the Na’vi and successfully tames and controls a great leonopteryx, making him the sixth Toruk Makto. Jake arrives to the clan on the creature, impressing Neytiri as it means he risked his life to aid the Na'vi.

Grace Augustine dies.

Jake makes a plea to Mo’at to save Grace from dying. This is done by trying to have her consciousness transferred permanently into her avatar form, using the Tree of Souls, before her human body expires. However, it is too late, as Grace is too weak to be transferred. Before she dies, she tells Jake that she's seen Eywa and she does exist. Following Grace's death, he asks Tsu’tey, who has been made clan leader, and the entire clan to stand with him and face the humans. Having earned back the clan's trust, Jake makes plans to join with other clans to strike back at the human forces.

Battle of Ayram Alusìng

Surveying the Na’vi, Quaritch learns that other clans have converged with the Omatikaya at the Tree of Souls and decides to destroy them and their holy ground to put an end to their defiance once and for all. The night before the battle, Jake prays to Ewya at the Tree of Souls to fight alongside the Na'vi, asking her to look into Grace's memories of Earth. Neytiri tells Jake that Eywa does not choose sides, protecting only the balance of life.

Na'vi and humans killing each other during the RDA's assault on the Tree of Souls.

A huge military fleet commandeered by Quaritch approach the Tree of Souls, beginning the assault on the Tree of Souls. Thousands of Na’vi warriors led by Jake and Tsu’tey take to the skies and attack the fleet, causing huge losses on both sides. Neytiri is knocked off her banshee and flees the military ground forces, while Norm's avatar is shot, forcing him to jump back to his real body and continue the fight as a human. Tsu’tey makes a valiant attempt to take down the shuttle carrying the explosives, but is shot and falls to the forest below. Trudy makes a valiant attempt to protect Jake from Quaritch's Dragon , but is outgunned and killed.

When all things seem bleak, the native wildlife of Pandora strikes back in force, seemingly responding to Jake's earlier plea to Eywa for help. The ground and aerial troops are scattered by the wildlife, while the shuttle carrying the explosives is destroyed before it reaches the Tree of Souls. During the wildlife's attack on the ground, a thanator approaches Neytiri and offers her to ride it. She accepts by bonding with it.

Neytiri kills Quaritch using two arrows, saving Jake.

Jake manages to bring down Quaritch's gunship, but the Colonel enters his AMP suit and escapes the ship's destruction. Finding the camp containing the avatar pods by chance, Quaritch attempts to destroy Jake's body but Neytiri and her thanator attack him. However, Quaritch kills the thanator with his AMP and is about to kill Neytiri when Jake arrives to challenge him. Full of hatred at Jake, Quaritch refuses to give up the battle despite Jake's claim the RDA has already lost, and calls Jake a race traitor. As they fight, Jake destroys the AMP's life support and canopy but is caught in the mech's grip. Neytiri saves Jake by planting two arrows into Quaritch's chest, killing the Colonel.

Neytiri sees Jake's human body for the first time.

The camp shack and Jake's avatar bed was damaged during Quaritch's attack and leaks deadly Pandoran air, leaving Jake's human body in danger from the poisonous air. Jake wakes up in his human body and tries to grab the nearby rebreather unit, but he accidentally falls onto the floor and begins to suffocate. Neytiri is able to find Jake, but it appears he has already suffocated to death. She helps him put on his exopack, just managing to save his life before he perishes. At this moment, Jake says to Neytiri " I See you ", the traditional Na'vi greeting. Neytiri sheds tears of joy and says it back to him. The words take on an entirely new meaning as Jake is in his human form.

A dying Tsu'tey passes his leadership onto Jake.

After the battle had ended in victory for the Na'vi, Tsu'tey is found bleeding heavily by a group of surviving Na'vi warriors who brought Jake and Neytiri to him. Tsu'tey, knowing that his death was imminent, passed on leadership of the Omatikaya clan to Jake before making him draw his knife and demanding that he end his suffering. Jake refused, but Tsu'tey proudly reassured him that he would be remembered because Jake, as Toruk Makto, would be his last shadow. He showed his respect for Jake by calling him a brother. Reluctantly, Jake granted Tsu'tey his last request and mercifully killed him. Jake then recited a prayer for Tsu'tey, wishing his spirit to become one with Eywa as Neytiri and the other warriors looked on in grief.

The Na'vi and their human sympathizers forcing the RDA off Pandora.

Having put an end to the military's attack, the Na'vi round up the remaining RDA personnel, which is approximately 90% of them, [2] to be sent back to Earth . However, a select group will stay with them on Pandora, specifically the Na'vi sympathizers, which includes Jake, Norm, Max, the avatar team and many other RDA defectors. While on the RDA's way out, Selfridge briefly walks out of the line and approaches Jake. Although Neytiri draws her blade at Selfridge, Jake allows him to speak. Selfridge merely asks "You know this isn't over?" but Jake does not answer, only giving him a look to keep walking.

Jake awakens as one of the Na'vi.

Jake decides to stay in his avatar form forever, and concludes his final entry video log of his experiences on his birthday. Returning to the Tree of Souls, he undergoes the consciousness transfer from his human body to his avatar form; Neytiri kisses his human body's shut eyelids. Jake then awakens to a new life as a Na'vi, showing he was able to pass through the eye of Eywa.

• Sam Worthington as Jake Sully , a paralyzed ex-marine veteran that goes to Pandora as an avatar driver. He is the main protagonist of the film.
• Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine , a xenobotanist and in charge of the Avatar Program .
• Joel David Moore as Norm Spellman , an anthropologist who studies plant and nature life like Grace.
• Stephen Lang as Miles Quaritch , is chief of security on Pandora and the main antagonist.
• Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge , the administrator of the RDA and the corporate, second-most prominent villain.
• Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacón , a SecOps pilot that transports the avatar team around Pandora.
• Matt Gerald as Lyle Wainfleet , a SecOps corporal.
• Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel , the doctor of the operation that passes the human mind on an avatar.
• Sean Anthony Moran as Sean Fike , another SecOps soldier working for the RDA.
• Scott Lawrence as Venture Star Crew Chief
• Michael Blain-Rozgay as Suit#1 , an RDA agent who sets up Jake's travel to Pandora
• Jon Curry as Suit #2 , an RDA agent who sets up Jake's travel to Pandora
• Kevin Dorman as Tractor Operator , an RDA employee who tries to bulldoze the Tree of Voices
• Jahnel Curfman as Basketball Avatar (female) , one of the avatar drivers in the Avatar Program.
• Ilram Choi as Basketball Avatar (male) , another of the avatar drivers in the Avatar Program.
• Zoe Saldana as Neytiri , the daughter of the Omatikaya clan leaders. Neytiri and Jake gradually fall in love with each other after she trains him for months.
• CCH Pounder as Mo'at , the clan's spiritual leader and mother of Neytiri.
• Wes Studi as Eytukan , the clan's leader and father of Neytiri.
• Laz Alonso as Tsu'tey , the clan's finest warrior that was supposed to become Neytiri's mate.
• Peter Mensah as Akwey , the leader of the Olangi clan
• Alicia Vela-Bailey as Ikeyni , the leader of the Tayrangi clan and Saeyla , member of the Omatikaya clan.
• Ilram Choi as Ka'ani , member of the Omatikaya clan
• Kyla Warren as Na'vi Child , member of the Omatikaya clan

Development

Early inspirations.

The ideas for many elements in the film date back to James Cameron's early life. While in 11th grade, he did a pen drawing entitled "Spring on Planet Flora". It depicts the jungle environment of an alien world with a human figure in a spacesuit walking on one of many gigantic trees, which have interconnected branches and are overgrown by vines and epiphytes. [3]

The glowing nightlife of Pandora was inspired by a dream James Cameron had as a teenager

The concept for Avatar stems back to a dream James Cameron had when he was 19, and at Fullerton Junior College. According to Cameron, the dream featured a bio-luminescent forest, with "lizards that didn't look like much until they took off." When he woke up, he drew it. Reportedly, the drawing has saved Cameron from about ten lawsuits pertaining to the film. [4]

In 1973, James Cameron wrote a story named "Absense" for a college project which evolved into a short film script titled "Chrysalis" in 1974. The script tells the story of a wheelchair-bound man who has all sensory input surgically removed and undertakes an inward journey across an alien landscape to eventually rise from his chair after repairing his own central nervous system. [3]

In the late 1970s, James Cameron worked as a co-writer on Xenogenesis , in which he further explored his earlier ideas. The script features a mile-long spaceship with fusion ramjet drive unit. With Earth at the brink of destruction, scientist try to find a new planet for humanity. The ship carries cell samples which an artificial intelligence would develop into cloned individuals once a suitable planet has been found. The protagonists experience exotic, danger-filled alien landscapes on different planets with bizarre flora and fauna, and take samples. Pandora was modeled after one of these planets, the Luminous Planet, which itself is sentient. It has a beautiful forest with a vast network of interconnected, bioluminescent trees, a glowing river, and a deadly atmosphere. The script also describes moss that glows with a violet light at nighttime, little ripples of light that expand at the impact of the protagonists' feet on the ground, a small, black lizard-like creature with orange and ultramarine spinning discs that unfold upon contacting a limb of the creature ( Fan Lizard ), a small flying creature which resembles a butterfly-sized dandelion seed with gently swaying filaments which lands of the female character's hand ( Woodsprite ), an "air shark" with distensible jaws and glassy dagger-like teeth ( Mountain Banshee ), and a "hybrid of a fiber optics lamp, a sea anemone and a willow" ( Tree of Voices ). These willow-like trees gravitate toward the female lead as she passes by and two characters kiss beneath the tendril trees. The planet reacts to the arrival of the protagonist by immobilizing him with creeper-like tendrils from the surrounding plants that embrace him, an idea that was re-used towards the end of Avatar when Grace Augustine's and later Jake's human bodies were placed under the Tree of Souls for their respective consciousness transfers .

Cameron produced a pencil sketch for Xenogenesis titled "Exploring the exotic environment of a luminous planet". The sketch shows a male and female character on an alien planet, a tree with a spiral shape and a spaceship in the background. The tree in the drawing became the basis for the helicoradian , and the "brain coral floor" went on to become the basis for the area around the Tree of Souls . Cameron also made a series of paintings, showing "jagged, vertical mountains or cliffs wreathed by clouds and mist". These paintings contain "material that was not used in the Avatar film but may be used in Avatar sequels".

Male protagonist in Xenogenesis after he has been captured by the large floating jellyfish-like creature; James Cameron concept, c.1978

A first draft of the Avatar script contained a similar scene as depicted in the concept art image of Xenogenesis (depicted right), where the protagonist gets captured by a jellyfish-like creature named "aerocoelenterate". Another painting for the project features a spaceship called "Cosmos Kindred" with a long central truss, engines glowing red with heat separated by a long boom from the habitability module in front, and cryo-capsules used for suspended animation. It became the basis for the Interstellar Vehicle Venture Star . A walking machine called "spider" was another painting Cameron did. A fight sequence using a physical model was filmed as short film of a small portion of the Xenogenesis script. The "spider" eventually became the basis for the AMP suit . [3]

The 1997 film Princess Mononoke served as inspiration

James Cameron openly admits Avatar was inspired by Dances with Wolves and does not try to hide it, saying, "Yes, exactly, it is very much like that." Cameron believes Avatar does enough different in its details to stand on its own. He believes the sci-fi take on a familiar classic story about someone experiencing a different culture is what makes Avatar interesting and enjoyable, commenting regarding the audience, "They're not just sitting there scratching their heads, they're enjoying it and being taken along. And we still have turns and surprises in it, too, things you don't see coming." [5] The anime film Princess Mononoke also partially inspired life on Pandora, and contains elements of "man versus nature". [6] Cameron also took inspiration from Indian mythology for the film. [7]

Full production

Avatar itself was in development since 1994 by Cameron, who wrote a 114-page scriptment for the film known as Project 880 . He wrote the script from a ranch he owned in California. [9]

James Cameron originally attempted to get the film released in 1999 as his immediate follow-up to Titanic (1997), and filming was supposed to take place after the completion of Titanic . However, at the time, the special effects he wanted for the movie ran the proposed budget up to $400 million, and he also felt technology needed to catch up with his vision of the film. No studio would fund the film, and it was subsequently shelved for almost ten years.

Seeing the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) convinced James Cameron that CGI visual effects had progressed enough to make Avatar . Cameron had the choice to make Alita: Battle Angel or Avatar , and went with Avatar .

Concept art of the Na'vi before their feline inspiration.

The look of the Na'vi was inspired by a dream that Cameron's mother had, long before he started work on Avatar , in which she saw tall blue people. Visual artists were conflicted about the look of the Na'vi and how alien they should appear; they ended up removing elements such as gills in order to make them still be physically appealing to most people. [10]

When Cameron showed his script to 20th Century Fox executives, they asked him to tone down the "tree-hugging, Ferngully stuff" in it. However, Cameron stood his ground, saying the environmental conscious themes were integral to the storyline of Avatar , and he was determined to create a mainstream movie focused around it. For example, the destruction of Hometree is meant to symbolize the damage of Earth caused by humankind. [11]

In early 2006, James Cameron developed the script, the language, and the culture of Pandora. A CGI prototype was also developed to showcase the CGI and motion capture technology.

The first on-set image to be released with James Cameron and Sam Worthington.

The movie is 40% live action and 60% photo-realistic CGI. A large amount of motion capture technology was used for the CGI scenes. The process of facial tracking required the application of dots all over the actor's face. To apply the dots to the same positions every day, a face mold was used. The actor then had to go through a calibration process to verify that all dots were placed correctly. The markers were tracked by small cameras mounted to a helmet and placed in front of the face of the actor. The recorded marker movements were translated to the face of the respective CGI character to achieve natural-looking facial animations. [12]

The film is estimated to have cost over $300 million to produce, and another estimated $200 million for the distribution and other costs, thus totaling to about half a billion dollars. Avatar was touted as a breakthrough in terms of filmmaking technology for its development of 3D viewing and stereoscopic filmmaking with cameras that were specially designed for the film's production. About 1 petabyte of data accumulated during the production of the film. [13]

After the film was produced, issues arose again between Cameron and another Fox executive. who begged Cameron to shorten the film. Cameron was reluctant and replied, "I think this movie is going to make all the fucking money. And when it does, it’s going to be too late for you to love the film. The time for you to love the movie is today. So I’m not asking you to say something that you don’t feel, but just know that I will always know that no matter how complimentary you are about the movie in the future when it makes ALL THE MONEY. You can’t come back to me and compliment the film or chum along and say, ‘Look what we did together.’ You won’t be able to do that." The executive "went bug shit" on Cameron and Cameron told him to get the fuck out of the office. [4]

Release and editions

Avatar - Official Trailer (HD) - 20th Century FOX

Trailer featuring the music "Guardians At the Gate" by Audiomachine

The film was released in traditional 2D and 3D formats, along with an IMAX 3D release in selected theaters. The film was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and moderate tobacco usage.

There are three editions of the film: the theatrical edition, which was the version originally seen in theaters, as well as the special and extended collector's editions, which have additional scenes added. While all three have seen several home media releases, only the theatrical edition has been made available in 3D.

Theatrical Edition DVD / Blu-ray

Blu-ray Edition

The theatrical version of the movie was released on April 22nd, 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray . This was a bare-bones release, containing nothing in the way of special features.

Special Edition re-releases

On August 27, 2010, the special edition of the film was released to theaters. It included an extra 9 minutes of footage, and was only available in RealD 3D and IMAX 3D. Additionally, there was a second limited run of the special edition from September 16 2011 to October 13 2011 in Latin America and Asia Pacific exclusively. The following scenes and shots were added in the special edition:

• Extended first flight over Pandora, with the team seeing a Sturmbeest herd. The animal was not featured in the original theatrical release.
• Grace, Norm and Jake visit the Old School House . Grace tells Jake how it was closed: Sylwanin , along with several other Na'vi children, had burned an RDA bulldozer and fled to Grace's school seeking protection. RDA soldiers, however, followed the children to the school and opened fire. Despite Grace's best efforts to keep the Na'vi safe, Sylwanin and many others were killed and Grace herself was shot.
• Extended bioluminescent jungle scene, during Jake's first night on Pandora.
• The scene near the campfire is extended. Neytiri tells Jake her full name.
• A scene is added after Jake, Grace, Trudy and Norm arrive at the remote base Site 26 in the Hallelujah Mountains . In this scene, it is explained why the mountains float.
• Expanded fan lizard scene.
• Expanded Iknimaya scene, with Neytiri flying past on Seze .
• A sturmbeest hunt after Jake learns to ride an ikran (Jake kills one of these creatures with his bow from atop his ikran).
• The mating scene is extended and shows Jake and Neytiri connecting their queues and the deep meaning that this act has for the Na'vi.
• Another added scene is inserted after the destruction of the Tree of Voices by RDA bulldozers . Tsu'tey leads a war party against the RDA. The Na'vi attack the bulldozers and kill the human escorts, leaving the equipment destroyed and burning. Even the soldiers in AMP suits are killed. This scene shows Lyle Wainfleet reporting the scene of the attack to the Operations Center , where Miles Quaritch and Parker Selfridge observe the aftermath. It serves as the decisive moment for the RDA to destroy the Hometree.
• Extended Hammerhead Titanothere attack scene during the battle.
• Extended combat between Quaritch, Jake and Neytiri.
• A scene near the end of the film where a mortally wounded Tsu'tey assigns the clan's leadership to Jake and orders him to end his agony. Jake unwillingly does so, and recites a prayer for him.

During its theatrical run, the movie grossed $2,781,132,032 worldwide including the Special Edition re-releases, surpassing Titanic as the highest-grossing film of all time, worldwide.

Extended Collector's Edition

Extended Collector's Edition Blu-ray

Avatar- Extended Collector's Edition- On Blu-ray-DVD November 16

The Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition , containing all three versions of the film and bonus content, was released on November 16th, 2010. It is a three disc set, containing behind the scenes material as well as deleted scenes. It contains a further seven minutes compared to the special edition and omitted two minor shots.

• The Earth opening, in which Jake Sully attempts to intervene in a bar fight. He then witnesses his brother's funeral, and hears about his opportunity on Pandora.
• An additional shot during the landing sequence.
• Additional dialogue in the link room following Jake's first night in Hometree.
• After months in the Na'vi part of his life, Jake starts to hate human food. Jake refuses to eat a microwave-heated burrito, a food considered by the Na'vi (in the script) as "food for larvae."
• Additional dialogue ahead of the attack on the Hometree, with Grace musing about the situation. "You know, they never wanted us to succeed. They bulldozed the sacred site on purpose - to trigger a response. They're fabricating a war. They get what they want."

A 3D version featuring the theatrical cut was also released on December 1st, 2010. This version was exclusively bundled with Panasonic 3D TVs and Blu-ray players, with customers who had purchased the relevant model from March 2010 onwards retroactively eligible for the free discs. [14] A general release was planned for Q1 of 2011, but the bundling period was extend by one year until early 2012. [15] Albeit for copies circulating on the internet, these discs were never made available for individual sale.

The 3D version of the movie was not made available for individual purchase until 2012 when a limited 3D edition was released. Like the bundled version, it only features the theatrical edition and was released on October 16, 2012. [16]

The film was released on the Disney+ streaming service on November 12th, 2019 along with its original trailer, a family edition adapted for younger audiences, and five behind-the-scenes featurettes. The logo on the title card for the film was officially changed from the original logo, modified from the popular "Papyrus" font to a newly designed custom one. [17]

The film was removed from Disney+ ahead of its 2022 theatrical re-release.

Theatrical re-release (China)

On March 12th, 2020, Avatar was re-released in theaters in China. It grossed a total of $57 million in additional revenue which placed it back at the top of the list of highest-grossing films of all time, surpassing Avengers: Endgame . [1]

2022 Theatrical re-release and remaster

Updated poster for the re-release

At Disney's CinemaCon 2022 presentation, it was announced that Avatar would be remastered and re-released for a fourth time on September 23, 2022. The trailer for the remaster was released online August 23, 2022, one day before Jake's canonical birthday and two days after the original "Avatar Day" in 2009. Shortly before the trailer's reveal, the film was quietly removed from Disney's streaming service, Disney+.

The re-release featured remastered picture and Dolby Atmos 9.1 surround sound. Visually, the film was upscaled to 4K resolution, with a higher level of detail and altered color grading. Select scenes were updated to play in high frame-rate (HFR). The audio was updated to feature high dynamic range (HDR) and Dolby Atmos 9.1 surround sound. The film was also available in 3D.

The new scene with Parker where he intimidates Jake.

The re-release added one change to the standard theatrical cut: as the humans are leaving Pandora after the final battle, Neytiri confronts Parker Selfridge with her knife. Jake tells her to stay calm, and Parker remarks, "You know this isn't over, yet?" before continuing toward the shuttle. Otherwise, the re-release has identical scenes as the theatrical cut.

A preview of Avatar: The Way of Water also showed after the first credits of the re-release; three different scenes are chosen seemingly at random to play for audiences:

• One of the Sully children playing in the ocean with children from the Metkayina clan
• Jake and Neytiri's second-born son, Lo'ak , meeting and playing with Payakan the tulkun
• A confrontation between the Sully family and the Metkayina clan leaders about Lo'ak befriending Payakan

The film was added back to Disney+ on November 21, 2022. The version of the film available on Disney+ remains the theatrical release, rather than the remaster. [18]

Ultimate Collector's Edition

Avatar: Ultimate Collector's Edition is a 4K Blu-ray set released on June 20, 2023. It features the upscaled edits from the 2022 theatrical remaster, although it lacks the extended additional scenes from previous releases. This is the first time Avatar has been available physically in 4K, albeit upscaled using AI. It is a three-disc set; the first disc is the 4K disc, the second disc is a 1080p version, and the third disc features 3 hours of bonus features. The bonus features include:

• Memories from Avatar: Jon Landau, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang recall warm memories from production and reflect on the film's success.
• Avatar: A Look Back: Cast and filmmakers reflecting on creating the film, the new technologyies used and the film's impact.
• Capturing Avatar: "Journey with James Cameron and crew in this documentary, as they embark on a film the likes of which the world has never seen
• Featurettes: Explore Pandora's creation and the making of Avatar with 17 featurettes.

Collector's Edition

Another 4K Blu-ray edition was released on December 19, 2023 known as the Avatar: Collector's Edition . The title can be seen as an ironic misnomer because this "Collector's Edition" release can be seen as being more definitive than the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" released half a year prior. This is a four-disc set featuring three different versions of the film, allowing viewers to select the theatrical release or the film with all extended scenes. The final disc is for bonus features.

The music of Avatar was composed by James Horner . Avatar is the third and final collaboration between James Cameron and James Horner prior to Horner's death (the other two being 1986's Alien and 1997's Titanic ).

James Horner also collaborated with ethnomusicologist Wanda Bryant . The two worked together to create unique music that sounded as if it was "never heard before"; Wanda Bryant looked into minority cultures for inspiration, collecting sound samples that felt otherworldly.

Leona Lewis - I See You Theme from Avatar

Avatar: Music from the Motion Picture was released on December 15, 2009. A promotional 3-disc set was also released. A 5-disc set referred to as Avatar: Complete Score was announced, but the set was leaked ahead of the launch and ultimately never released commercially.

A CD single of the song I See You performed by Leona Lewis was released on December 3, 2009.

Avatar received generally positive reviews, garnering 7.9 on IMDb and a 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. [19] Praise was directed to the film's worldbuilding, graphics and visuals, art design, music, dream-like qualities, as well as its environmental and spiritual themes about living harmoniously with nature and the connectivity of life. According to IMDb, men in general and women above the age of 45 are most likely to enjoy Avatar , while teenage girls are most likely to dislike the film. The film was also received extremely well in India. [20]

Jim Vejvoda of IGN gave Avatar a 9/10, saying "The running time and the overall formulaic nature of the story is what keeps me from giving Avatar a higher score. To say that I was pleasantly surprised by Avatar is an understatement. My advice to you is to forget all that you think you know or believe about Avatar." [21] Matthew Pejkovic of Matt's Movie Reviews felt the film has a spiritual quality to it and said, "Avatar provides the ultimate journey to a world unlike anything seen before it, with a deep spiritual core giving substance to its most impressive display of style... Avatar is not only a magnificent display of innovative filmmaking, but it is also a spiritually uplifting and imaginative cinematic experience." and gave it 4 and a half out of 5. [22]

James Cameron did not know that Avatar would become the most financially successful movie of all time, saying, "We didn't see this coming." Cameron believes the success of Avatar is the sum of its parts, and it can not be simplified to a single element such as its 3D or visuals or story. Cameron acknowledges that Avatar tells a fairly simple and easy to understand story, attributing its success to being able to be comprehended, resonating across all age demographics and cultures. He believes certain people's strong emotional response to the film created word-of-mouth, and also said Avatar was meant for women as well. [23] Cameron believes that much of the human race has an inherent connection to feel connected to nature, even if it is a subconscious desire, which many people do not receive.

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic gave the film a C+ and complained the movie lacks story, and criticized the film's attention to detail with its CGI, calling it visually exhausting to watch, and said the film was forgettable. [24] Michelle Alexandria of Eclipse Magazine gave it a C, saying she felt the 3D was not impressive, and said she did not care about the characters or story, and despite that the film is an allegory for real-life genocide, war and the abuse of vulnerable groups, she claimed the story should have been more "cute" and "funny", complaining she felt the story takes itself too seriously. She felt Sam Worthington's performance as Jake was stiff and overall felt Avatar is a "big pile of meh." [25]

Long-time criticism of Avatar has created discourse over the years, as well as outright resentment and hatred towards the film, with many calling it overrated and questioning if the film deserved its financial success. Critics have also claimed Avatar lacks original ideas and is not much different from FernGully , Pocahontas , Dances with Wolves and The Ant Bully . In defense, Cameron said that the idea of a major "going native" film being from the perspective of the "invaders" and the "aliens" (i.e. humans) has never really been done before. [citation needed]

Jake changing his species to live on another planet

Another aspect of Avatar which may be considered original is the sheer amount of misanthropy the film exudes, especially for its time. The film does not shy away from showing the worst of humanity and portraying humans as corrupt and evil, to the degree it attempts to make viewers sympathize with Jake when he begins shooting up humans during the final battle. It can be argued that prior to 2009, there was not a lot of misanthropic media where the protagonist changes their own species to fight humanity and subsequently live on another planet (one exception being District 9 to a degree), and forces humans to return to a dying planet where humanity's ultimate fate is left ambiguous with possible extinction. It was a common trope for humans to be the victims and extraterrestrials to be the perpetrators ( Alien , Signs , War of the Worlds , They Live , etc). Avatar flips the idea on the head to portray the Na'vi as being oppressed by the RDA.

Hometree falls and burns due to humanity's actions, resulting in Na'vi being crushed to death under their ancestral home

One journalist felt "Avatar takes Cameron’s misanthropic perspective to a whole new level of anti-humanism." [26] Humans are also portrayed as overpopulated and destroying the Earth. James Cameron said the Na'vi are supposed to represent the better aspects of humanity (caring for the environment, respecting animals, trying to create a peaceful world, etc). He hopes audiences will aspire to be more like the Na'vi. He denies he is anti-human, saying most audiences have figured this message out, and said people who don't understand this message by now are pseudo-intellectual boneheads. He also mentions the fact that the Avatar films are successful at the box office is evidence people understand the message, and gives him faith in humanity. [27]

A figure of Jake Sully in a wheelchair, inspiring children to empathize with disabled people

Another aspect that can be considered is the film's disability representation; prior to 2009, it can be argued there is a lack of media featuring disabled protagonists. While there are exceptions such as Forrest Gump , Avatar: The Last Airbender , for example, has Aang being the main protagonist instead of the blind Toph, even if she is a central character. In Avatar , Jake is clearly the protagonist given much screentime, and he also surprises Grace when he lifts himself, showing that he is more capable than she (as well as the audience) believe. Jake is also insulted by Fike and Wainfleet for being disabled, getting the audience to sympathize for Jake. Disability represented in Avatar has been both praised and criticized; for example, it can be noted Jake's wheelchair lacks a pressure cushion. [28] Some have also claimed Avatar is ableist because it portrays Jake as wishing he would rather not be disabled instead of being content with the way he is, as he wishes to obtain a spinal surgery, and he also nearly dies near the end because he is disabled. Jake also takes the opportunity to cure his disability in the ending.

Racism and cultural appropriation accusations

Neytiri drawn by James Cameron.

Although Avatar is an attempt at trying to make viewers sympathize with Indigenous peoples, some viewers think it is a racist movie, or at least problematic, due to claims of James Cameron making the movie out of "white guilt", and creating it due to a supposed belief he has that Native Americans did not fight back hard enough against colonists. This is due to an old quote James Cameron once said:

The use of the phrase "dead-end society" did not fare well with many. In Project 880 , the original Avatar script written by Cameron, a line reads, "If the Navaho and the Sioux had known what was coming for them, they never would have made those treaties. They would have fought to the last man."

Other people claim the Na'vi "culturally appropriate" Indigenous people with their clothing and bows, and that Jake is a problematic protagonist due to being white and that the movie has a "white savior trope" which can send the problematic idea that people of color are unable to save themselves, and need a white "messiah" or a literal deity (Eywa) to save them. Some viewers wish Jake was portrayed as a young Native American man who rediscovers the spirituality of his own heritage through his interactions with the Na'vi.

Jake delivering the speech to the Na'vi rather than Neytiri, Mo'at or Tsu'tey

Jake becomes a revered figure to the Na'vi by becoming Toruk Makto, and some viewers feel Neytiri and the Na'vi seem to forgive Jake too easily. Jake is the one who delivers the motivational speech to the Na'vi instead of Neytiri, Tsu'tey or Mo'at, which some viewers feel is a missed opportunity that would have alleviated this interpretation. While well-intentioned, Jake may be seen as ordering the Na'vi around instead of inviting them to his idea. Jake also says "this is our land!" which may be seen as going too far after the consequences his role brought to the Na'vi.

Cameron mentioned the film was intended to be seen as an allegory for a white man making amends for what settlers did to Indigenous peoples. [29] He also said "[Avatar] asks us to open our eyes and truly see others, respecting them even though they are different, in the hope that we may find a way to prevent conflict and live more harmoniously on this world. I hardly think that is a racist message." [30]

Wes Studi portrays chief Eytukan

Cameron said there is a "fine line" to walk when it comes to celebrating existing cultures without appropriating them, but believes Avatar has always tried to honor minorities and not oppress them, featuring many actors of color such as Zoe Saldaña , Michelle Rodriguez , Wes Studi , CCH Pounder , Laz Alonso , Dileep Rao , and so forth. He commented, "I hope they see the intention, which is to celebrate the wisdom keepers. I see the Indigenous people that still remain in our world today as the people who are more connected to nature than we are in our industrialised urbanised civilization, and we need to learn from them. The movie is intended to celebrate those philosophies, that spirituality." [31]

In 2022, James Cameron apologized to anyone offended by the films and mentions he does not invalidate hurt feelings, saying, "If we offend anybody in the process, I can only apologise, but we're doing the best we can." "It is not up to me, speaking from a perspective of white privilege, if you will, to tell them that they're wrong. I have to listen. I have to say, "If that's what you're feeling, that's what you're feeling."

Opening to critical acclaim, Avatar earned an estimated $27 million on its opening day and an estimated $77,025,481 domestically its opening weekend. Worldwide, the film grossed an estimated $232,180,000 its opening weekend, the ninth largest opening-weekend gross of all time, and the largest for a non-franchise, non-sequel and original film.

Avatar is the first film to earn more than $2 billion (and $2.5 billion) worldwide at the box office, as Titanic earned $1.8 million prior to its re-release in 2012.

Avatar was the highest-grossing film of all time for 9 years until it was surpassed by Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Taking worldwide inflation into account, it ranked 2nd, behind only Gone with the Wind . With inflation in North America, it was ranked 15th.

Avatar later saw a re-release in China and retook the top spot of the highest-grossing film in March 2021.

Cultural impact

Neytiri and Jake on Entertainment Weekly .

It has become a sentiment by certain people over the years that Avatar has had no cultural impact, with some people going so far as to claim no one cares about Avatar , or implying that Avatar is a bad or meaningless movie due to supposedly having little to no cultural impact. However, an in-depth analysis about the film's cultural impact can be read here . For example, there have been a number of references to Avatar in other media. Avatar has also created new filmmaking techniques and popularized 3D technology.

Empire Awards

• Best Movie (Winner)
• Best Actress (Zoe Saldana) (Winner)
• Best Director (James Cameron) (Winner)

Academy Awards

• Art Direction (Winner)
• Cinematography (Winner)
• Directing (James Cameron) (Nominated)
• Film Editing (Nominated)
• Music (Score) (James Horner) (Nominated)
• Best Picture (James Cameron and Jon Landau) (Nominated)
• Sound Editing (Nominated)
• Sound Mixing (Nominated)
• Visual Effects (Winner)

British Academy Awards

• Best Cinematography (Mauro Fiore) (Nominated)
• Best Director (James Cameron) (Nominated)
• Best Editing (Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron) (Nominated)
• Best Film (Nominated)
• Best Music (James Horner ) (Nominated)
• Best Production Design ( Rick Carter , Robert Stromberg , Kim Sinclair) (Winner)
• Best Sound (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Addison Teague) (Nominated)
• Best Special Visual Effects ( Joe Letteri , Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham , Andrew R. Jones) (Winner)

Golden Globes

• Best Motion Picture: Drama (Winner)
• Best Original Score (Nominated)
• Best Original Song (Nominated)

Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA)

• Best Picture (Nominated)
• Best Cinematography (Winner)
• Best Art Direction (Winner)
• Best Editing (Winner)
• Best Makeup (Nominated)
• Best Visual Effects (Winner)
• Best Sound (Winner)
• Best Action Movie (Winner)

Saturn Awards

• Best Science Fiction Film (Winner)
• Best Actor (Sam Worthington) (Winner)
• Best Writing (James Cameron) (Winner)
• Best Supporting Actor (Stephen Lang) (Winner)
• Best Supporting Actress (Sigourney Weaver) (Winner)
• Best Music (James Horner) (Winner)
• Best Production Design (Winner)
• Best Special Effects (Winner)

New York Critics Online

• Best Picture (Winner)

Producers Guild Award

Director's Guild Award

Writer's Guild Award

• Best Original Screenplay (James Cameron) (Nominated)

In other media

Books and comics.

James Cameron's Avatar: The Na'vi Quest

James Cameron's Avatar: The Na'vi Quest is a novelization of Avatar written by Nicole Pitesa, however, it is only 58 pages long, is written for pre-teens in mind and only covers the first half of the film. Avatar 3D Annual 2011 is also a novelization of the whole film, although it is a bit short and mainly summarizes its events, rather than trying to give the reader new insight and backstory.

James Cameron intended to write a prequel novel exploring events such as Jake's time on Earth and Tom Sully 's killer. However, in 2013, it was announced that Steven Gould would be hired to write four Avatar novels instead as part of a novel series . Nothing has currently become of this and it is possible these were quietly cancelled. In 2017, it was announced Penguin Random House would be working to release Avatar books, though any relation to a novel series is unclear. Despite this, Penguin published The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration in 2022.

A series of tie-in books provides in-depth information about the world that Avatar is set in, including Na'vi culture, Pandora, its flora and fauna, the RDA and production details. This includes James Cameron's Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide , The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration and an artbook called The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure .

Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path adapts the film's story into a six-issue comic book, however, the story is told from the perspective of Tsu'tey and not Jake Sully. Multiple other comics cover the time before and after the film.

Video games

The player riding a direhorse in the tie-in game

There is a variety of video games titled James Cameron's Avatar: The Game . There are different versions of the game for the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and mobile phones. They all tell different stories and they are all prequels to the film with the exception of Avatar: The Mobile Game which lets players play as Jake, although the story is a very loose adaptation of the film. Otherwise, their stories have little to do with the events of the actual film, instead showing the build-up of the RDA's activities on Pandora and feature Na'vi protagonists Rai'uk and Nok trying to oppose them.

Other versions are about humans Able Ryder and Ryan Lorenz who have their own avatars like Jake. Only a few characters such as Grace, Trudy and Quaritch appear in the games, although they act more as cameos. Neytiri's sister, Sylwanin , also has a greater role in the games. All of the 2009 video games were deemed non-canon in 2023.

Jake opening his eyes.

Aerith in the opening of Final Fantasy VII

• Avatar shares a large amount of parallels with the 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII (also discussed on the RDA's Trivia section). Final Fantasy VII begins with a close-up of a main character's face ( Aerith Gainsborough 's); she then walks through a city street as the camera zooms away to show a full view of the city. The game ends with Aerith opening her eyes. In Avatar , it begins with Jake using his wheelchair to get across a city street, the camera zooms out for a full shot of the city, and it also has Jake opening his eyes in the ending.

The Papyrus-like logo has become the subject of jokes.

• The font used for the film's previous logo is Papyrus, with a few minor adjustments. A new logo, featuring a brand new font designed by Anneke Suyderhoud and Joshua Izzo , was put into use for the film's title card and all Avatar material in November 2019. [33] [34] Saturday Night Live created a skit in 2017 joking about the lack of originality regarding the font. James Cameron replied to the skit, saying he had no idea the font was an off-the-shelf one.
• A casting call was posted on the website of Mali Finn Casting in early December 2005 for the female lead. The casting call was erroneously reported to be for James Cameron's Battle Angel , then planned for 2011.
• Although the film is almost three hours long, Avatar does not pass the "Bechdel test" which requires that two named female characters must talk about something other than a male character. Grace, Neytiri and Trudy do not interact with each other, and when Mo'at and Neytiri talk, it is regarding her training Jake. The Way of Water does manage to pass the test, however.
• Uncle John's Slightly Irregular Bathroom Reader (2004) claims on page 435 that Avatar would probably never be made, and also mentions the film was supposed to be set in 2040 instead of 2154. The page can be read here .
• During the scene where Jake first meets with Selfridge, when Selfridge complains about the Na'vi refusing human technology, Jake's digital watch face says it is 2:19. However, only 38 seconds later, as Jake asks what the plan is to get the Omatikaya to leave Hometree, his watch face says it is 2:53.
• The film is rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking, according to commercials on air. It is James Cameron's third film to receive this rating (with Titanic and The Abyss ).
• The mating scene was cut short in the original release because James Cameron felt that it would make some audience members feel uncomfortable, and to avoid an "R" rating of the film.
• Avatar was the first film to debut the new 20th Century Fox logo, which is animated by Blue Sky Studios, the creators of Ice Age (2002).
• The major part of the film takes place in August 2154, 200 years after James Cameron's birth (* 16. August 1954).
• Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Colonel Quaritch. He met with James Cameron three times and saw some of the 3D footage, but in the end it simply came down to the fact that Cameron didn't want people thinking it was Aliens (1986) all over again, as Sigourney Weaver had already been cast.
• Sigourney Weaver plays a "James Cameron" persona for her character in Avatar . Sigourney stated in an interview, "I teased him because to me I'm playing Jim Cameron in the movie as this kind of brilliant, approach-driven, idealistic perfectionist. But that same somebody has a great heart underneath. So I have to say I was always kind of channeling him."
• Avatar is the second James Cameron film that doesn't feature either Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Jennette Goldstein, or Arnold Schwarzennegger, the first being Piranha 2: The Spawning .
• Sam Worthington beat out two other actors for the role of Jake Sully: Chris Evans and Channing Tatum . This was based on his delivery of the crucial speech to the Na'vi at the Tree of Souls. [35]

Unfinished Deleted Scenes

There were a number of other scenes left unfinished at various stages in the production process. About 45 minutes of footage exists for the following entries, which were present on the Extended Collector's Edition's second disc. Additionally, the original script had a number of unused scenes and these are also listed below.

• Stingbat Attack : Jake, in his wheelchair, comes near the fence that surrounds Hells Gate, staring at a creature that resembles a stingbat, orange and has wings that appear more bat like, attacks the fence, trying to get at him, but is killed by Lyle Wainfleet.
• The script had a character working in Hell's Kitchen named Hegner , who lost his Avatar to a Slinth . "Hegner felt himself die, and he hasn't been right since. Added to the trauma is the loss... the loss of his other life, the one lived in his avatar body."
• In the script, Trudy Chacón and Norm Spellman have a romantic relationship. Before she crashes, Trudy whispers: "Norm, I love you." Jake discovers their relationship, when, getting out of a link, finds them sharing their intimacy in Norm's bunk.
• The script version of Tsu'tey's death was marginally longer, having had his queue cut off by Lyle Wainfleet.
• The mating scene between Jake and Neytiri has some additional dialogue.
• The Dreamhunt : After having captured his ikran, Jake is actually an "adult" Na'vi. The last rite is the Uniltaron , when a Na'vi will discover his "protective animal", similar to rituals in some Native American cultures. During the rite, Jake sees a toruk , the "last shadow," and is shy about sharing his vision, as the animal is considered to be a symbol of bad luck. Mo'at decrees that the vision is not clear and that Jake is not obliged to share it.
• Hunt Festival : Another scene sees Jake and Tsu'tey, during a hunt festival, engage in a drinking contest. Tsu'tey is ready to open himself emotionally to Jake, but Neytiri interrupts them and takes Jake to dance with her, angering Tsu'tey. While Jake and Neytiri dance in the front of the fire, Tsu'tey watches them jealously.
• The Challenge : In another scene, Tsu'tey, upon learning that Jake and Neytiri are mated for life, challenges Jake to a fight to the death. Jake accepts the challenge, and the two fight with staffs. The fight ends when Jake and Grace are returned to their human bodies by Quaritch, and Tsu'tey is stopped from killing Jake's inert avatar by Neytiri.
• You're a long way from Earth : Prior to the Assault on the Tree of Souls, Quaritch takes over the operation, much to Selfridge's fury, who angrily berates the Colonel for "turning the mine-workers local into a freakin' militia!" and tries to stop him from proceeding with the assault. Quaritch dismisses Selfridge and prepares for the upcoming battle.
• New Life : Neytiri was shown in this scene to be pregnant with Jake's child.

HFR-converted sequences

The following sequences are known to have received an HFR conversion as part of TrueCut Motion's post-conversion process:

• The 20th Century Studios logo and the opening shot
• The hammerhead titanothere encounter
• The thanator chase
• The viperwolf fight and Jake's first meeting with Neytiri
• The bonding with the mountain banshees
• The mating scene
• Neytiri riding the thanator during the climax
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 Box Office Mojo
• ↑ Pandorapedia: Neytiri
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Declaration of James Cameron in lawsuit Morawksi vs. Cameron
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 GQ: The Return of James Cameron, Box Office King
• ↑ Gizmodo: James Cameron Admits Avatar Is Dances With Wolves In Space
• ↑ Screenrant: Did James Cameron's Avatar Ripoff Princess Mononoke?
• ↑ Understanding Indian Myths , p.g. 46
• ↑ AMA with James Cameron on Reddit
• ↑ RealEstate: James Cameron selling his California ranch for $49.1m after moving to New Zealand
• ↑ Gizmodo: James Cameron Fought the Studio to Keep His Aliens Weird in "Avatar"
• ↑ LA Times: Is ‘Avatar’ a message movie? Absolutely, says James Cameron
• ↑ Business Insider article
• ↑ Wētā FX tweet
• ↑ Gizmodo: Avatar 3D Blu-ray Finally Available—When a Panasonic 3DTV is Bought
• ↑ HDTVtest: Panasonic Extends Complimentary Avatar 3D Blu-ray Disc Offer Yet Again
• ↑ Blu-ray.com: Avatar 3D Blu-ray Release Date and Pre-order
• ↑ CinemaBlend: Disney+ Has Totally Changed One Thing About Avatar That Was Mocked After Release
• ↑ What's on Disney Plus: “Avatar” Returns To Disney+
• ↑ Rotten Tomatoes
• ↑ IMDb ratings
• ↑ IGN review
• ↑ Matt's Movie Reviews
• ↑ James Cameron on The Charlie Rose Show
• ↑ The Independent Critic
• ↑ Eclipse Magazine
• ↑ Spike Online: Avatar: misanthropy in three dimensions
• ↑ Reddit: James Cameron on Pseudo Intellectual critics who accuse Avatar of being “Anti-Human”
• ↑ 'Avatar' Gets Mixed Praise From Paraplegics
• ↑ VOA News: Native Peoples See Themselves in 'Avatar'
• ↑ CBS News: Racist Theme In 'Avatar'?
• ↑ Unilad: James Cameron addresses Avatar ‘racism’ accusations
• ↑ Hollywood Reporter: James Cameron Urges All to Be “Guardians for the Ocean” as He Opens Natural History Museum Exhibit
• ↑ SwellType: Avatar
• ↑ SwellType: Yep, I created the new AVATAR font
• ↑ Empire: Avatar 2: James Cameron Talks Jake And Neytiri’s Family In Sequel – Exclusive

External Links

• Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/officialavatar
• Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/avatar
• Official Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/officialavatar
• Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

• 1 Na'vi
• 3 Jake Sully

by James Cameron

Avatar summary and analysis of part 1.

The film begins with a shot of the lush rainforest of Pandora. We hear a voiceover of Jake Sully, a former Marine and war veteran who is now a paraplegic, and who has been having dreams of flying. He wakes up on a spaceship that is heading towards Pandora. Pandora is a moon of a planet called Polyphemus. When Jake wakes up, he has been asleep for almost 6 years, in a process called cryosleep. He opens his locker and we learn more about his backstory, including the fact that he had a twin brother, Tom, who is now dead—shot by someone who mugged him. Tom was a scientist and was slated to participate in a study and exploration of Pandora as part of a corporate and military agenda.

Because Jake has the exact same genetics as his brother, he has been given the opportunity to take Tom's place, for good pay. Pandora is 4.3 light-years from Earth, and the ship is just now about to touch down. Outside the landing site, various industrial machines begin mining projects, extracting resources from the nutrient-rich landscape of Pandora. Jake, along with his fellow participants in the mission, are briefed on the planet. They learn that the atmosphere on Pandora does not support human life and will render a human unconscious after 20 seconds of exposure and kill them after 4 minutes.

As the participants approach the base, nicknamed "Hell's Gate," Jake uses a wheelchair and is teased by some of the other Marines, who disparagingly refer to him as "Meals on wheels." In voiceover, he narrates that he became disabled during a war on Earth and does not have the money to get the spinal surgery required to recover.

In the base, Colonel Miles Quaritch, the head of the operation, gives a speech to the soldiers who have agreed to embark on the mission to Pandora, priming them on what to expect on Pandora and describing the native population, known as the Na'vi. Quaritch is an old military veteran and warns that it will be difficult to stay alive on Pandora, and that they must try and kill Na'vi however they can, even though they are "very hard to kill." He suggests that in order to survive, the Marines need to play by the rules.

In the hall, Jake meets a biologist named Norm Spellman, an old friend of his brother's, who brings him to a lab where he meets Max Patel. Norm and Max are part of the Avatar Program. In the Avatar Program, humans are linked to an avatar, which is a composite of a human and a Na'vi, and then able to roam around Pandora as a native. Jake will be able to walk around Pandora and breathe the atmosphere embodied as a Na'vi that looks similar to his human form. Jake thinks his avatar looks like his late brother, and prepares to embark on the mission.

Jake makes a video log, a requirement for the mission, so that participants can get in the habit of documenting everything. "It's all part of the science," says Norm.

Dr. Grace Augustine, the program's science lead and a famed botanist, comes out of her pod that has been linking her to her avatar. She is a rather impatient woman, and asks for a cigarette upon emerging. She has learned the Na'vi language and converses with Norm in Na'vi in order to assess whether he has proper command of it. When she meets Jake, she tells him that she has no use for him, since he has never had any experience with lab work, unlike his brother, who had a Ph.D. and trained for the mission for three years. "I dissected a frog once," he says, jokingly, but Grace doesn't crack a smile. She goes off to talk to Parker Selfridge, the base commander, and a representative of the RDA (Resources Development Administration), which is in charge of everyone on Pandora. She finds Selfridge putting golf balls into a jar, and kicks it out of the way when he doesn't pay enough attention to her.

Grace tells Selfridge that she is not impressed with Jake, even though Parker insists that he is perfect for the mission, given his identical genetics to Tom and his military experience. Parker argues that they need military personnel who can infiltrate the Na'vi community and help the military mission on the planet, which is about extracting a mineral called "unobtanium." Unobtanium is being harvested for capitalistic gain—it can be sold for high prices ($20 million per kilogram), while also bringing energy to Earth, which is in an environmental crisis. Grace remains unconvinced that Jake will be helpful in terms of her botanical research, and also expresses disapproval about the fact that military personnel have killed many Na'vi individuals under Selfridge's leadership. Selfridge thinks that military representatives will help relations with the Na'vi, but Grace insists that the opposite is true.

The next morning, Jake arrives in the lab, where he and Norm are linked up with their avatars. When he is linked, Jake, embodied in his avatar, becomes very excited, as he has not been able to walk for years, and begins moving very quickly, knocking things over in the lab and causing some chaos. He is ecstatic and goes out to a recreation area outside, where avatars are playing sports and preparing for their mission. Norm follows him, telling him that they aren't supposed to be running. Outside, Jake finds Grace's avatar, who is much nicer than the actual Grace. She tosses him a piece of fruit, which he bites into, and then takes him to the barracks, where he looks at his Na'vi body more closely. He finds that he has a long braid-like appendage on his head, which is a neural queue, with tendrils on the end. When his avatar sleeps, Jake awakens in the human world, emerging from his pod.

Later, Jake meets Trudy, a Marine pilot who he's going to be working with. She will be flying him around Pandora and needs him to operate the door gun, since she's down a man. Jake then goes to meet with Colonel Quaritch. In the middle of lifting weights, Quaritch tells Jake that he is impressed by his record and all the things he accomplished on his tours, one of which was in Venezuela, before telling him that Pandora is exceptionally dangerous.

Quaritch tells Jake that he thinks the Avatar Program is not worthwhile, but that he wants to use Jake specifically to help the military aims of extracting more unobtanium. He tells Jake that if he keeps the Na'vi away from the ore deposits (and kills them if they refuse), Quaritch will help finance the surgery that will allow Jake to walk again. On paper, he is still in Grace's charge, but Quaritch is Jake's real boss. After their talk, Quaritch gets in an AMP suit, a specific exoskeletal vehicle, and goes out onto Pandora.

On his next linking with his avatar, Jake flies with Trudy on her gunship. Grace and Norm are also present, and the group lands in a forest.

In the forest, Jake looks around, curious about the wildlife. Grace points out a prolemuris, a monkey-like creature swinging from the trees, which is not aggressive. She tells him to put down his gun. While Grace and Norm do research, Jake wanders towards a patch of helicoradian flowers—large beautiful coral-colored flowers that shrink at his touch. After observing the flowers, he faces a titanothere, a kind of hammer-head creature with a violent streak. Grace advises Jake to stand his ground and not shoot, as violence is useless and will only lead the titanothere to charge and kill them. Jake heeds her advice, but heckles the animal as he does so.

The titanothere retreats when it sees another jungle creature, a thanator, standing behind Jake. The thanator snarls and roars, before leaping over Jake. He turns to Grace and Norm asking what to do, and Grace advises him to "Definitely run!" The thanator chases him, but he manages to hide under a tree, before shooting his machine gun at the animal. This has no effect, and the thanator snatches away his gun, so he must run yet again. When the thanator gets ahold of Jake's backpack, he wriggles free and jumps off a cliff into a lagoon, losing the thanator and his companions.

The protagonist of the film, Jake Sully, has already endured a number of trials before the plot of the film even begins. For one, he is a paraplegic, having lost the use of his legs on a mission years ago. Now, he is unable to pay for surgery, but has been given the option to embark on a mission to Pandora nonetheless. Additionally, he recently lost his brother, Tom, and is basically alone in the world. Before the conflict of the film has even begun, we see that Jake has faced many obstacles in his life, and has little left to lose.

The world of the film is an entirely foreign one, taking place on the fictional moon of Pandora. While Pandora looks somewhat recognizable, filled with rainforests and earthly features, there are key differences. The moon is populated by the Na'vi, a species unlike anything humans have ever seen, and the atmosphere is not welcoming to human life. The science-fiction premise of the film transports the viewer into an entirely different realm, one in which the recognizable trappings of human life are thrown into relief.

Jake's disability would seem to make him an unlikely candidate for the mission on Pandora—which is where the title comes into play. Not only is the military operation sending people to the planet in person, but it is also using an "Avatar" program, in which humans can "link" to an avatar of a human/Na'vi composite being that they can then use to navigate the planet. Jake and others are able to assume other identities in order to experience the world of Pandora. This has many implications for identity, in that it not only enables a disabled veteran to walk, but it enables a human to experience life as another species, an assumption of a completely different way of being.

Through the character of Grace, we see that there is a division between the scientists and researchers working on Pandora and the military personnel who are there to help carry out a commercial project. The military is on Pandora in order to extract a natural resource to bring back to Earth to sell as an energy source, while the scientists are there to learn more about the environment of Pandora and the Na'vi people. Because of their differing aims, they also have a different approach to the world that already exists on Pandora. While military participants are willing to kill Na'vi in order to fulfill their military duties, the scientists working on the planet have a more peaceful project, one that resorts to research rather than violence or extraction.

This moral quandary between science and the military puts Jake directly in the middle when Quaritch makes his special offer to pay for Jake's surgery if he helps to extract more unobtanium. Jake is working for Grace, who has a peaceful agenda on the planet, while also taking orders from the pro-violence colonel. The fact that Quaritch is willing to help him with a crucial medical procedure should he conform to his requests puts Jake in a complex ethical position; of course he would like to be given the gift of mobility again, but at what price?

Avatar Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Avatar is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Jake Sully is a paraplegic. Once a Marine, he enlists as a part of the Avatar Program after his twin brother is killed.

Is there a soliloquy in this movie?

Do you mean the first Avatar or second? I don't recall a soliloquy-like speech in the first one.

Why did Neytiri tell Jake he was ready?

Chapter please/

Study Guide for Avatar

Avatar study guide contains a biography of James Cameron, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Avatar
• Avatar Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Avatar

Avatar essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Avatar by James Cameron.

• Interstellar: Visual Splendor Eclipsing Storytelling & The Assertion of Film Values

Wikipedia Entries for Avatar

• Introduction
• Themes and inspirations

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

• James Cameron
• Sam Worthington
• Zoe Saldana
• Sigourney Weaver
• 3.8K User reviews
• 513 Critic reviews
• 83 Metascore
• 91 wins & 131 nominations total

• (as Zoë Saldana)

• Dr. Grace Augustine

• Trudy Chacón

• Colonel Miles Quaritch

• Parker Selfridge

• Norm Spellman

• (as Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder)

• Tsu'tey

• Dr. Max Patel

• Corporal Lyle Wainfleet

• Private Fike
• Cryo Vault Med Tech

• Venture Star Crew Chief
• Lock Up Trooper

• Shuttle Pilot
• (as James Pitt)

• Shuttle Co-Pilot
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The Na'vi language was created entirely from scratch by linguist Dr. Paul R. Frommer . James Cameron hired him to construct a language that would be easily enunciable for actors to pronounce but would not resemble any human language. Frommer created about 1,000 words. Cameron requested Dr Frommer that the Na'vi language must be entirely new, as it's supposed to be from another planet, and that it should sound "nice" to the audience. Cameron didn't want any additional editing done to their voices and wanted them to sound authentic and not unnatural. Equipped with a vast knowledge of linguistics, Dr Frommer understood what kinds of sounds the Na'vi language would or wouldn't have. Just like "j" and "r" don't exist in Korean, in English, the 'h' sound is unaspirated. In a similar vein, Frommer's conception of the new language totally avoided the sounds of "ch", "th", and "sh". Additionally, Frommer had to decide on the language's syntax -- or rules regarding word order. He came up with his own set of constraints and words to be used in the language of Pandora. The tongue took inspiration from the natural languages of the world to create a totally different spoken form.
• Goofs When Jake's late brother, Tom, is uncovered, he's played by Sam Worthington . In the next shot of Tom being covered again it's clearly someone else.

Jake Sully : Neytiri calls me skxawng. It means "moron."

• Crazy credits There are no opening credits of any kind, outside of the 20th Century Fox fanfare. The title of the film doesn't appear on screen until the end of the movie. For the 2022 re-release, the 20th Century Fox logo was swapped out for a 20th Century Studios logo for consistency with the second film.
• Herd: As they fly over Pandora in Trudy's gunship, Jake, Grace and Norm get a closer look at some of Pandora's creatures.
• The Schoolhouse: Entering an abandoned schoolhouse in the jungle with Grace and Norm to retrieve supplies, Jake makes a grim discovery.
• Purple Moss: Jake follows Neytiri after his rescue, and delights in the bioluminescent moss that glows beneath his feet with every step. I Don't Even Know Your Name: Newly tasked with teaching Jake the Na'vi ways, Neytiri brings him to dinner with the entire clan.
• What Does Hold Them Up?: The Avatar team lands at their new base camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, and Jake and Norm marvel at the floating mountains.
• Extended Montage: Jake learns the ways of the Pandoran forest under Neytiri's tutelage, and the gulf between his two worlds grows ever wider.
• Neytiri's Flyby: As Tsu'tey, Jake and two other young hunters travel across suspended vines to dizzying heights, Neytiri sails past on her banshee.
• Sturmbeest Hunt: Omaticayan hunters on direhorses attack a massive herd of sturmbeests, while Jake takes aim from atop his banshee.
• Extended Love Scene: Jake and Neytiri confess their feelings for one another and bond together for life under the Tree of Voices in this extended scene.
• Drums of War: The morning after the military's attack on the Tree of Voices, Parker and Quaritch get some bad news from the reconnaissance team.
• Tsu'tey's Fall: In the RDA assault, Tsu'tey fights fiercely after boarding the Valkyrie shuttle. But the soldiers counter with a hail of bullets.
• Strumbeest Attack: Sturmbeests charge to the rescue when Neytiri is cornered by RDA soldiers in AMP suits.
• Extended Thanator Fight: Neytiri and her fearsome thanator battle Colonel Quaritch in his AMP suit in this extended sequence.
• The Last Shadow: When Neytiri and Jake find Tsu'tey mortally wounded, he passes leadership of the Omaticaya to Jake, with one last request of him.
• Connections Edited into Bones: The Gamer in the Grease (2009)
• Soundtracks I See You (Theme from Avatar) Performed by Leona Lewis Music by James Horner and Simon Franglen Lyrics by Simon Franglen , Kuk Harrell , and James Horner Produced by Simon Franglen and James Horner Leona Lewis performs courtesy of Syco Music

User reviews 3.8K

• Dec 15, 2009
• What's meant to happen to Sully's Navi/"Avatar" body, when his human body gets woken up on-base? And between sessions? We never see Navi-Jake returning to base; Is his switched-off Navi body just laying comatose, in a forest full of predators? Do the real Navi just think Jake has narcolepsy??
• If at the the end of the movie, the humans were, as Jake said, sent back to their dying planet (Earth), are we to assume that they all were sent back and simply died?
• What is 'Avatar' about?
• December 18, 2009 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience
• Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA (rain forest)
• Twentieth Century Fox
• Dune Entertainment
• Lightstorm Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $237,000,000 (estimated)
• $785,221,649
• $77,025,481
• Dec 20, 2009
• $2,923,706,026

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 42 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• Games & Quizzes
• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction

Avatar (2009)

Avatar: the way of water (2022).

• What are some of the major film festivals?

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Table Of Contents

Avatar , American science fiction film series and media franchise created by director James Cameron . The films follow a U.S. Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who becomes part of a program in which human colonizers explore and exploit an alien world called Pandora. The humans interact with a humanoid species called the Na’vi by inhabiting genetically engineered “avatar” bodies that resemble those of the Na’vi. It is one of the most successful movie series of all time, with its first two films each surpassing $2 billion at the global box office. It has also inspired comic books , video games , and a section of a theme park. A third film, potentially titled Avatar: The Seed Bearer , is currently planned for 2025. The Avatar film series is not to be confused with the unrelated Avatar: The Last Airbender animated television program and its associated franchise.

The series began in 2009 with the release of Avatar . The film shattered box office records, becoming the highest grossing film of all time both domestically (until the 2015 release of Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens ) and worldwide (a record lost in 2019 with the release of Avengers: Endgame but reclaimed after a 2021 rerelease of Avatar ).

The film stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a disabled Marine who has been sent to Pandora to assist Earth’s Resources Development Administration (RDA) in its search for an exotic substance called “unobtanium.” Because Pandora’s atmosphere is toxic to humans, and because the planet is inhabited by a large humanoid species called the Na’vi that threaten mining operations, a program has been designed to genetically engineer Na’vi bodies with human DNA to produce “ avatars ” that humans can remotely control. Jake, able to use his legs in this avatar form, serves as a bodyguard for a pair of scientists who use their avatars to explore Pandora. At odds with the ruthless practices of the mining operations, the lead scientist, Dr. Grace Augustine ( Sigourney Weaver ), is determined that humans and Na’vi should coexist peacefully.

When Jake becomes separated from his charges, he is found by Neytiri ( Zoe Saldana ), a young Na’vi who begins to teach Jake about her clan and its connection to the natural world of Pandora. Jake becomes caught between his growing love for Neytiri and her people and the plans of RDA administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who threaten the Na’vi clan and the massive tree it calls home in their mission to obtain unobtanium. This leads to open conflict between the humans and the Na’vi, resulting in the destruction of the Hometree and the deaths of Neytiri’s father and Dr. Augustine, among others. Jake persuades the Na’vi to let him lead them in their resistance campaign, though the battle seems lost until Pandora’s wildlife rises up to help repel the human invaders. Jake is transferred permanently to his avatar body by using a connection with the Na’vi sacred tree, the Tree of Souls.

Avatar received generally favorable reviews upon release. The innovative use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create the stunning visual world of Pandora thrilled viewers enough that most were willing to forgive a script that was widely dismissed as derivative. Saldana’s performance, though cloaked in CGI, was singled out for particular praise as a stunning marriage of acting skill and performance-capture technology. The film also attracted some controversy, as the film’s colonial themes played into “white savior” tropes.

After the massive success of Avatar , Cameron signed on to make two additional films in the series, initially planned for 2014 and 2015. This plan eventually swelled to include fourth and fifth movies, and the time line for the sequels’ release was pushed back several years. The second film in the series, Avatar: The Way of Water , was finally released in 2022. Like the first film, it was a box office blockbuster.

The second film takes place years after the first, with Jake and Neytiri now parents to a large family, including their three biological children, the Na’vi daughter of Grace Augustine’s inactive avatar body, and the human son of Miles Quaritch. Though Quaritch was killed in the previous film, he returns in an avatar body seeking revenge against Jake and Neytiri. The family is forced to flee their forest clan and hide with a distant clan of coastal Na’vi who have physical adaptations suited for life in and around the sea. Over the course of the film, the family must adjust to their new surroundings, while the RDA continues its exploitation of Pandora—now brutally focused on the sentient , whale-like tulkun—and Quaritch hunts the family.

Avatar: The Way of Water received generally positive reviews. Once again, the innovative visuals were praised, but the narrative was more divisive . The film also continued to receive criticism for its portrayal of the Na’vi, which relied on tropes based on human cultures that have been victimized by colonialism. Nevertheless, the exceptional financial success of the film and Cameron’s passion for the project have ensured that subsequent films in the series remain in development.

Advertising Terms & Conditions Privacy Statement Press

© 1999 - 2024 Cinema.com

Advertisement

Supported by

Movie Review | 'Avatar'

A New Eden, Both Cosmic and Cinematic

• Share full article

By Manohla Dargis

• Dec. 17, 2009

With “Avatar” James Cameron has turned one man’s dream of the movies into a trippy joy ride about the end of life — our moviegoing life included — as we know it. Several decades in the dreaming and more than four years in the actual making, the movie is a song to the natural world that was largely produced with software, an Emersonian exploration of the invisible world of the spirit filled with Cameronian rock ’em, sock ’em pulpy action. Created to conquer hearts, minds, history books and box-office records, the movie — one of the most expensive in history, the jungle drums thump — is glorious and goofy and blissfully deranged.

The story behind the story, including a production budget estimated to top $230 million, and Mr. Cameron’s future-shock ambitions for the medium have already begun to settle into myth (a process partly driven by the publicity, certainly). Every filmmaker is something of a visionary, just by virtue of the medium. But Mr. Cameron, who directed the megamelodrama “Titanic” and, more notably, several of the most influential science-fiction films of the past few decades (“The Terminator,” “Aliens” and “The Abyss”), is a filmmaker whose ambitions transcend a single movie or mere stories to embrace cinema as an art, as a social experience and a shamanistic ritual, one still capable of producing the big WOW.

The scale of his new movie, which brings you into a meticulous and brilliantly colored alien world for a fast 2 hours 46 minutes, factors into that wow. Its scope is evident in an early scene on a spaceship (the year is 2154), where the passengers, including a paraplegic ex-Marine, Jake (Sam Worthington, a gruffly sensitive heartthrob), are being roused from a yearslong sleep before landing on a distant inhabited moon, Pandora. Jake is woken by an attendant floating in zero gravity, one of many such aides. As Jake himself glides through the bright cavernous space, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore, as someone soon quips (a nod to “The Wizard of Oz,” Mr. Cameron’s favorite film). You also know you’re not in the gloom of “The Matrix.”

Though it’s easy to pigeonhole Mr. Cameron as a gear head who’s more interested in cool tools (which here include 3-D), he is, with “Avatar,” also making a credible attempt to create a paradigm shift in science-fiction cinema. Since it was first released in 1999, “The Matrix,” which owes a large debt to Mr. Cameron’s own science-fiction films as well as the literary subgenre of cyberpunk, has hung heavily over both SF and action filmmaking. Most films that crib from “The Matrix” tend to borrow only its slo-mo death waltzes and leather fetishism, keeping its nihilism while ditching the intellectual inquiries. Although “Avatar” delivers a late kick to the gut that might be seen as nihilistic (and how!), it is strangely utopian.

It doesn’t take Jake long to feel the good vibes. Like Neo, the savior-hero of the “Matrix” series played by Keanu Reeves, Jake is himself an avatar because he’s both a special being and an embodiment of an idea, namely that of the hero’s journey. What initially makes Jake unusual is that he has been tapped to inhabit a part-alien, part-human body that he controls, like a puppeteer, from its head to its prehensile tail. Like the rest of the human visitors who’ve made camp on Pandora, he has signed on with a corporation that’s intent on extracting a valuable if mysterious substance from the moon called unobtainium, a great whatsit that is an emblem of humanity’s greed and folly. With his avatar, Jake will look just like one of the natives, the Na’vi, a new identity that gives the movie its plot turns and politics.

The first part of Jake’s voyage — for this is, above all, a boy’s rocking adventure, if one populated by the usual tough Cameron chicks — takes him from a wheelchair into a 10-foot, blue-skinned Na’vi body. At once familiar and pleasingly exotic, the humanoid Na’vi come with supermodel dimensions (slender hips, a miniature-apple rear); long articulated digits, the better to grip with; and the slanted eyes and twitchy ears of a cat. (The gently curved stripes that line their blue skin, the color of twilight, bring to mind the markings on mackerel tabby cats.) For Jake his avatar, which he hooks into through sensors while lying in a remote pod in a semiconscious state, is at first a giddy novelty and then a means to liberation.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

15 Groundbreaking Facts About 'Avatar'

By scott beggs | sep 28, 2022.

In 2009, James Cameron decided to break his own Titanic  box office record by releasing a boundary-pushing CGI feature that promptly made $2.9 billion at the box office.

Avatar  represented a huge leap forward in cinematic technology, imbuing an adult version of FernGully with breathtaking visuals of the moon Pandora, its lush vegetation, and fascinating creatures. In the film, former Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) deploys to Pandora as part of a corporate team attempting to mine huge quantities of an energy-generating mineral known as unobtanium from the moon, despite an indigenous species of humanoids called the Na’vi already living there.

Sully infiltrates the tribe, but falls for Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and decides to fight for the Na’vi instead of against them. Cameron’s long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water , is scheduled for release in December 2022—and will presumably do for the ocean what the first movie, which is currently in re-release, did for the sky.

While you await Avatar ’s sequel, here are 15 facts about James Cameron’s bluest film.

1. Sam Worthington was living in his car when he auditioned for Avatar .

Cameron originally offered the role of Sully to Matt Damon, who had to turn it down because of his commitments to the Bourne series. So Cameron turned to the idea of casting a newcomer instead of a big star in the lead. Worthington was fairly well-established as an actor in his native Australia, where he had appeared in TV shows and at least one low-budget horror movie alongside some crocodiles . Even so, he was reportedly living in his car when he auditioned for Avatar .

Half a year later, Worthington got the call confirming he'd gotten the gig. In fact, Cameron was so impressed by Worthington that he helped get him a starring role in McG’s Terminator Salvation .

2. Matt Damon missed out on a $600 million payday by passing on Avatar .

The fact that Damon passed on making what would quickly become the highest-grossing movie of all time—a record it still holds —was not lost on the Oscar winner. In 2021, Damon joked that, “I was offered a little movie called Avatar , James Cameron offered me 10 percent of it. I will go down in history ... you will never meet an actor who turned down more money.”

Just how much money are we talking here? Approximately $603 million . When presented with the math, Damon was understandably shocked. “Stop it!,” he said. “No way! Are you serious?”

3. James Cameron wrote the movie in 1994, but had to wait for Gollum before he could make it.

Cameron had an 80-page treatment for Avatar in 1994 , but the technology to bring his vision to life at that time was either too expensive or didn’t exist yet. It was even listed in a trivia book at the time as a movie that would likely never be made because of its estimated $400 million price tag.

Fortunately, The Lord of the Rings and Gollum came along and proved to Cameron that the tech was finally ready to achieve what he described to Entertainment Weekly as “compelling photo-realistic, fully CG characters, in a photo-realistic world.”

4. They borrowed animal noises from Jurassic Park .

You don’t even have to listen closely to hear the recycled sounds of dinosaurs on Pandora. The Hammerhead Titanothere uses Brontosaurus sounds; the Great Leonopteryx (which they ride) used baby T. Rex noises; the Thanator Jake runs from uses T. Rex roars; and the Direhorse uses the Velociraptor barks made memorable by Jurassic Park ’s kitchen hide-and-go-seek scene. 

5. All those cigarettes are CGI.

An incredible amount of the film was rendered by computers , including the cigarettes that Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) puffs on. In the DVD commentary, Cameron explains that Weaver had to pantomime smoking; the cigarettes and their smoke were digitally added afterward. It’s a testament to the animators that you'd likely never realize the cigarettes were fake without being let in on the secret. 

Cameron reportedly chose to use CGI cigarettes so that Weaver didn’t have to actually have a lit cigarette in her hand; she used a toothpick instead. The director did, however, get a lot of flak for the amount of smoking shown on-screen. In response to these criticisms, he told The New York Times : “I wanted Grace to be a character who is initially off-putting and even unpleasant. She’s rude, she swears, she drinks, she smokes. She is not meant to be an aspirational role model to teenagers.”

Cameron also noted that, “speaking as an artist, I don’t believe in the dogmatic idea that no one in a movie should smoke. Movies should reflect reality. If it’s OK for people to lie, cheat, steal, and kill in PG-13 movies, why impose an inconsistent morality when it comes to smoking?” On a personal note, however, he said that “Smoking is a filthy habit which I don’t support, and neither, I believe, does Avatar .”

6. Dr. Seuss made a cameo.

One of the books Dr. Augustine shares with the Na’vi children is Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax . It’s the story of a jealous corporate entity destroying an entire forest in order to make an obscene profit while driving all the natural inhabitants off the land.

7. Fox executives asked Cameron to cut out the "tree-hugging, hippie crap."

When Jake jokes that he hopes all the “tree-hugger crap” he learns during training “won’t be on the final,” it’s a bit of art imitating life—that’s exactly what Fox executives asked Cameron to do to the final cut of the film. Cameron admitted that the production staff was “worried going into Avatar  that the environmental themes—that went to a spiritually deep profound level—would actually hurt the film.” Ultimately, it was Cameron who got his way, as the movie is awash in pro-environmental messaging. 

8. It borrows from Christian, Hindu, and Hebraic traditions.

The word avatar comes from Sanskrit, and is used to describe godlike beings taking human form to restore balance through good deeds. Cameron also made the Na’vi people blue (and tall) as a nod to Vishnu , the Hindu god who sustains the universe. Likewise, navi is a Hebrew word that means “prophet,” and the Na’vi of the movie worship a deity called Ey’wa, which is Yahweh—one of the names of the Hebrew God—transposed. Plus, Cameron continued his own tradition of naming heroes using Christian symbols. That includes Bishop in Aliens and Monk in The Abyss , and while he’s never confirmed it, Dr. Augustine may be a reference to St. Augustine, Rome’s emissary to bring Christianity to England. 

9. China renamed one of its mountains because of the movie.

The Avatar design team based the look of Pandora’s floating mountains on a stunning stone pillar at China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park that had inspired Cameron—and the success of the film inspired China to rename one of those pillars. The Southern Sky Column was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain because, according to the park, it’s the pillar that most inspired Cameron. Interestingly enough, the Chinese government also pulled the film from theaters briefly because they were worried the revolt of the Na’vi would stir similar sentiments in citizens who had also been displaced to make way for economic growth.

10. One of the visual artists is Cameron's old boss.

After cutting his teeth as a model maker on Roger Corman’s low-budget movies, Cameron was hired as an art director (credited as Jim Cameron) by producer Chuck Comisky for  Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). Nearly 40 years later, Comisky lent his 3D expertise to Avatar , working for his former employee. 

11. James Horner invented instruments for the score.

Late Oscar-winning composer James Horner took the assignment of creating music for another world seriously. In 2009, he told the Los Angeles Times that he had invented some instruments “from scratch. They were programmed. There were a lot of instruments that sound like flutes of different sorts, but they were combined with gamelan-sounding instruments.” (The gamelan is a bell-sounding Balinese instrument.) Horner also manipulated vocal sounds on a computer and combined instruments to come up with sounds that truly hadn’t been heard on this planet before.

12. A linguist made 1000 words in the Na'vi language.

Dr. Paul Frommer is a linguist who teaches at the University of Southern California and moonlights inventing languages for movies. Before he made the Barsoomian language for John Carter , he crafted approximately 1000 words for Avatar . Despite teaching the cast their lines, he felt like he was the only one who really knew the language and wished that the fan base would be interested enough to learn it , as they have with Klingon , Dothraki , and other fictional tongues. There are no unofficial Na’vi operas (yet), but fans are definitely learning to speak it thanks to apps and websites that promise fluency in as little as three months .

13. Cameron nailed cell phones to the wall if they went off during the shoot.

To be fair, this has been an apocryphal story from most of Cameron’s sets, but Worthington confirmed it was the standing rule on the Avatar set. Cameron admitted that he’d definitely use the nail gun if it came to it, but not in an “emotionally enraged” way. “I would do it in a calculated theatrical way. But when the story gets told later it sounds like somebody who’s constantly off at the deep end,” he told Express . “That’s the beauty of my reputation. I don’t have to shout anymore because the word is out there already.”

14. There's an easy way to tell the Na'vi and human avatars apart.

Let’s say you meet a tall blue person at a party and want to know whether it's a Na’vi or a human parading around in a Na’vi avatar. What to do? Easy. The Na’vi only have four fingers , and they don’t have eyebrows . Even in avatar form, humans still have the fifth digit and the little strips of hair above their eyes. If the person has five fingers, no eyebrows, and is drumming on a PVC pipe, that’s a member of the Blue Man Group .

15.  Avatar has its own Cirque du Soleil show.

Cirque du Soleil has found inspiration for shows in everything from The Beatles to Shakespeare , but Avatar  is the only movie they’ve based a project on. In Toruk—The First Flight , an array of acrobatic acts tell a prequel story of two Na’vi hunters gathering five talismans that will give them the power to ride the Toruk which, along with several other animals made famous from the movie, are rendered by large-scale puppets.

• Series Recaps
• Film Artist
• Screen Writing

See More: ‘Avatar 2’ Ending, Explained: What Does The Future Hold For Sully Family And Pandora?

• Action Thriller

Latest articles

‘house of the dragon’ season 2 episode 3 recap, key highlights and takeaways, ‘ezra’ 2024 ending explained & movie recap: what happens to max and ezra, ‘a good girl’s guide to murder’ series recap & ending explained: who killed andie & why, ‘demon slayer’ season 4 ending explained & finale recap, .tdi_107{margin-bottom:10pximportant} .tdb_module_title{display:block;position:relative;margin:0;font-family:var(--td_default_google_font_2,'roboto',sans-serif);font-size:21px;font-weight:400;line-height:1.2}.tdb_module_title a{transform:translatez(0);transition:box-shadow 0.2s ease;-webkit-transition:box-shadow 0.2s ease}.tdb_module_title .tdb-module-title-excl{font-family:var(--td_default_google_font_2,'roboto',sans-serif);color:#fff;background-color:#ff0000;padding:4px 8px 2px;margin-right:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:1;vertical-align:middle}.tdb_module_title .td-element-style{z-index:-1}.tdb_module_template_51326 .tdc-row .tdb_module_title_0{text-align:left;font-family:montserratimportant;font-size:16pximportant;line-height:1.15important;font-weight:700important;letter-spacing:0.5pximportant}.tdb_module_template_51326 .tdc-row .tdb_module_title_0:hover a{box-shadow:inset 0 -1px 0 0 var(--ev-black);color:#000000}.tdb_module_template_51326 .tdc-row .tdb_module_title_0 a{color:#000000}@media (min-width:1019px) and (max-width:1140px){.tdb_module_template_51326 .tdc-row .tdb_module_title_0{font-family:montserratimportant;font-size:18pximportant;line-height:1.15important;font-weight:700important;letter-spacing:0.5pximportant}} ‘house of the dragon’ season 2 episode 3 recap,..., .tdi_129{margin-bottom:10pximportant} ‘ezra’ 2024 ending explained & movie recap: what happens..., .tdi_151{margin-bottom:10pximportant} ‘a good girl’s guide to murder’ series recap &..., .tdi_173{margin-bottom:10pximportant} ‘demon slayer’ season 4 ending explained & finale recap, .tdi_195{margin-bottom:10pximportant} ‘oloture: the journey’ series recap & ending explained: will..., .tdi_217{margin-bottom:10pximportant} ‘the mole’ season 2 contestants list.

Masonry of Angry Filmmakers

• Privacy Policy
• Write For Us

To get email updates from Film Fugitives

A full history of the 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' universe

• "Avatar: The Last Airbender" premiered on Nickelodeon over 15 years ago, and it just hit Netflix this summer along with sequel series "The Legend of Korra."
• The "Avatar" universe spans far past "The Last Airbender" and "Korra," and has a rich history that's further expanded in auxiliary novels and comics.
• Insider has combed through the "Avatar" canon to compile a full history of the universe.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

It's been over 15 years since "Avatar: The Last Airbender" first premiered on Nickelodeon. In the years since, the series has stood out as one of the century's fantasy greats.

Avatar takes place in a world comprised of four nations: the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads. Certain members of each nation have the ability to bend one of the four elements, and one individual known as the Avatar has the power to bend all of them. In turn, the Avatar is tasked with maintaining balance in the world, particularly between humans and spirits. 

The world of "Avatar," as Nicole Clark wrote in Vice , is on par with other fantasy greats like "Lord of the Rings." However, it draws inspiration from a variety of Asian cultures (primarily Chinese, Clark notes) as opposed to European, as is the case in most Western fantasy fare. Its bending disciplines are based on different martial arts including Northern Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

While the worldbuilding of the original "Avatar" series is comprehensive, the universe's seemingly limitless history has only expanded with recent releases like F.C. Yee's 2020 spin-off novel "The Shadow of Kyoshi." Add that to a continuous stream of comics, a full sequel series, and assorted animated shorts and auxiliary materials, and there's a lot of canon material to parse through.

We've combed through the canon materials of the "Avatar" universe — including the main series, comics, animated shorts, and novels — to put together a comprehensive timeline. Whether you're a longtime fan of the series or someone who's just looking to get their facts straight, here's a history of the universe of "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

The time before Wan, the first Avatar

Canon materials: "The Legend of Korra," "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

This period was characterized by spirits crossing over into the physical world after Vaatu, the spirit of darkness, broke through the barrier that separated the spirit world from the terrestrial. Humanity was forced apart, and many settled on the backs of lion turtles, who in turn protected them and gifted them with the ability to bend an element when they departed into the wilds where spirits lived.

Other important events:

• Raava, the all-powerful spirit of light, and Vaatu battled every 10,000 years during an event called Harmonic Convergence.
• According to the "Avatar" Wiki , the spiritual Bhanti tribe found its roots in the Fire Islands. They would later go on to become sages in the four nations.

The era of Wan

Canon materials: "The Legend of Korra"

Wan was the first Avatar, fusing with Raava in order to defeat Vaatu during Harmonic Convergence. After breaking Raava and Vaatu apart and freeing Vaatu in the process, Wan worked with Raava to master all four elements. Eventually, he fused with her, defeating Vaatu during Harmonic Convergence and sealing him away in a tree in the Spirit World. Per "The Legend of Korra," this event occurred 10,000 years before Korra fought Vaatu in the show's second season.   

Wan also made the decision to close the portals at the North and South poles, separating the human and spirit worlds. Spirits left the physical world, and Wan appointed himself as the bridge between the two. He was unable to achieve lasting peace during his lifetime, but having permanently fused with Raava, the spirit of the Avatar was reincarnated.

• Wan lived in poverty in a lion turtle city, gaining firebending while venturing out on a hunt in the Spirit Wilds and using it to attempt a raid on the city's ruling family. 
• After being banished from the city, he trained with the spirits, honing his bending skills. 
• After teaming up with Raava, he traveled to other lion turtles and gained the ability to bend other elements that were only accessible when Raava passed through him.
• After Wan's departure from the city, others followed him and began clashing with the spirits, marking some of the first violent conflict seen in the "Avatar" universe between the two groups.
• After Wan defeated Vaatu, the lion turtles retreated from their position as humanity's protectors, ceasing to grant them bending powers.

The time after Wan

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Legend of Korra," "The Rise of Kyoshi," "The Shadow of Kyoshi," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Smoke and Shadow"

The timeline between Wan and Yangchen, one of the earliest Avatars whose history is relatively well known in the original series, is somewhat unclear. A variety of information, drawn from episodes of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and auxiliary materials such as the "Avatar" comics series and "The Rise of Kyoshi" and "The Shadow of Kyoshi" by F.C. Yee, gives us a glimpse into the history of the world prior to Aang or any of his most recent predecessors. 

The events during this timeline are loosely organized in a chronological order, but primarily in terms of theme. Broadly, this time was characterized by humanity learning the bending disciplines from the original benders, later coalescing into the four nations — the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads — that exist in "Avatar."

Humanity learned from the original benders and coalesced into the four nations

Canon materials: "The Legend of Korra," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Rise of Kyoshi," "The Shadow of Kyoshi," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Smoke and Shadow" 

Airbenders (contemporaries of the earth, water, and fire tribes) learned how to airbend from sky bison, the original airbenders. At some point, they coalesced into temples in the North, South, East, and West. 

Earthbenders learned their art from badgermoles, the original earthbenders. At some point, the Earth Kingdom came together under monarchial leadership in Ba Sing Se.

The Sun Warrior people learned firebending from dragons, the original firebenders. Their civilization later influenced many aspects of Fire Nation culture.

Before the Fire Islands were united under the first Fire Lord, they were ruled by warlords who fought each other for territory.

Waterbenders learned how to waterbend from observing the moon's influence on the tides. 

Per the "Avatar" wiki , a supplemental text titled "The Lost Scrolls" gives some insight into the Tribes' history: after a period of unrest, a group of people split from the Northern Water Tribe in order to found the Southern Water Tribe, which is a collection of autonomous chiefdoms.

There's no clear timeline of when the four nations came into existence in relation to one another, although evidence in "The Legend of Korra" and "The Rise of Kyoshi" suggests that the Air Nomads may have founded the Northern Air Temple prior to the founding of the other four nations. In "The Legend of Korra," Zaheer says that Guru Laghima lived 4,000 years in the past at the Northern Air Temple. In "The Rise of Kyoshi," it's noted that Laghima's contemporary, Shoken, was older than the four nations.

• Guru Laghima was an airbender who reached enlightenment. Unbinding himself from earthly desires, he achieved the ability to fly and spent his last 40 years completely off the ground. His writing was collected into at least one published collection known as the "Poems of Laghima," and he had a contemporary, Guru Shoken, who was less popular and seen as heretical by some.
• Oma and Shu, two lovers from warring villages, were the first earthbenders. They learned how to earthbend from the badgermoles, creating tunnels throughout the mountain that divided their homes. Oma later used earthbending to stop the war between their villages after Shu was killed in the war. The two villages then united to form the great city of Omashu.
• Toz the Cruel, a particularly powerful warlord in the Fire Islands, collected tribute from every village in his territory. When one village refused, he kidnapped all of its children, causing their mothers to die of sadness. Later, Toz was haunted by spirits known as Kemurikage, which took the children and caused Toz's followers to abandon him. The Kemurikage haunted other warlords until the islands were united under the banner of a single nation. The first Fire Lord brought the warlords to justice and ushered in an era of peace.
• Per a blog post from co-creator Bryan Konietzko , a "Council of Elders" governed the South, with the Northern chief serving as a figurehead ruler of the South.
• The capital city of the Northern Water Tribe is called Agna Qel'a.
• At some point during this time, Wan Shi Tong brought his spirit library into the physical world, where it resided in the Si Wong desert.
• Per a cursory mention in "The Rise of Kyoshi," Avatar Salai lived at some point before Avatar Yangchen. 

The era of Szeto

Canon materials: "The Shadow of Kyoshi"

Szeto was an Avatar that preceded Yangchen. Szeto rose through the ranks of Fire Nation bureaucracy while working under the royal family. Szeto helped bring the Fire Nation to peace during a tumultuous time, leveraging Avatar's authority from within the Fire Nation government.

Other details:

• The Fire Lord during Szeto's time was Fire Lord Yosor. 
• During his reign, the clans — families descended from pre-unification warlords that retained governance rights — began to fight and plagues struck the nation.
• Szeto was so revered that the Fire Nation celebrated the Festival of Szeto in the years after his death.

The era of Yangchen

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Rise of Kyoshi," "The Shadow of Kyoshi," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Rift"

Yangchen was the Air Nomad Avatar preceding Kuruk and Kyoshi. Generally revered, she was considered to be a political master. Her reign as Avatar brought about peace, although her interest to placate human desire neglected spiritual concerns and many spirits turned dark and vengeful following her era.

• It's rumored that two of Yangchen's friends and bending masters died to protect her.
• During her lifetime, Yangchen studied both Gurus Laghima and Shoken, among other philosophers.
• She made an agreement with a spirit named General Old Iron. Upset by the perceived death of his spirit friend, Lady Tienhai, he destroyed the city that had been erected on her land. Yangchen made an agreement to keep the land free of human development and erected a statue of Lady Tienhai that airbenders would pay their respects to during an event that came to be known as Yangchen's Festival.
• Yangchen also developed accords with the Fifth Nation pirate fleet.

The era of Kuruk

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Shadow of Kyoshi," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Escape from the Spirit World"

Kuruk was publicly known as a hedonistic Avatar who delighted in the pleasures of life but did little to tend to the duties of his station. In reality, he was forced to contend with the vengeful spirits that Yangchen had neglected during her time. His first fight with a dark spirit left him with a spiritual wound that only worsened as he fought off more spirits attempting to break into the physical world. 

He met his wife, Ummi, at the New Moon Festival, an event that brought the Northern and Southern Water Tribes together. She was taken by the spirit Koh, who stole her face. Kuruk later died at age 33.

• Kuruk's friends and traveling companions were Jianzhu, an Earth Kingdom sage, Kelsang, an Air Nomad, and Hei-Ran, a Fire Nation soldier. 
• A man from the Bhanti tribe, Nyahitha, was sent to aid Kuruk. In secret, the pair hunted dark spirits who were attempting to wriggle through cracks between the worlds.
• Ummi was pulled into the pool of the Spirit Oasis in the Northern Water Tribe during the time of Kuruk's wedding.
• Kuruk discovered that a spirit named Father Glowworm was making holes between worlds. He fought it, but the battle left both with lasting wounds. 
• Kuruk kept his spirit-fighting pursuits a secret from his friends.

Between Kuruk's death and Kyoshi's teenage years

Canon materials: "The Rise of Kyoshi"

This era was politically tumultuous, characterized by the rise of pirates as well as daofei — bandits who abided by strict honor and conduct codes — in certain regions of the Earth Kingdom. Kuruk's former companions, in particular Jianzhu and Kelsang, were forced to contend with matters in his absence.

Earth Kingdom sages experienced significant difficulty in finding the Avatar, even using methods drawn from the different nations. Eventually, Jianzhu and Kelsang settled in Yokoya, a town in the southern Earth Kingdom, establishing an estate to train the next Avatar. They believed that an Earth Kingdom boy named Yun was Kuruk's successor. 

• Jianzhu largely took out the Yellow Necks, a group of bandits led by Xu Ping An, that drove an insurgency in the Earth Kingdom. Xu Ping An was declared dead following the conflict, but was actually imprisoned to study his ability to bend lightning. 
• The leadership line of the Fifth Nation pirates was descended from the Southern Water Tribe, who disowned the family.
• Kelsang used airbending to unleash a storm of a group of Fifth Nation pirates who attempted to pass the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom. The incident cleared up the line of succession within the group, allowing waterbender Tagaka to rise to power. Pirate fleets stayed in the eastern seas out of fear after the incident. 

The era of Kyoshi

Canon materials: "The Rise of Kyoshi," "The Shadow of Kyoshi," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Shells," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Escape from the Spirit World"

Kyoshi was born to daofei parents who abandoned her in Yokoya as a child. Kyoshi grew up working at the Avatar's estate, but later learned that she was the Avatar and not Yun, the boy who Kelsang and Jianzhu had identified. When Jianzhu killed Kelsang, Kyoshi's mentor, she fled with Rangi, a young Fire Nation soldier.

Kyoshi reunited with her parents' daofei company, swearing their oaths and training with them. Later, she defeated Xu Ping An, the leader of the Yellow Necks. She sought out revenge against Jianzhu, but Yun — returned from the Spirit World — killed him before Kyoshi could.

Kyoshi spent some time clearing up corrupt daofei in the Earth Kingdom, but traveled to the Fire Nation to attend the Festival of Szeto and help Fire Lord Zoryu solidify his political hold on the nation. After helping to resolve a clan war over claim to the throne, Kyoshi and Rangi battled and killed Yun, who had fused with a spirit and was seeking revenge on those who had wronged him.

Kyoshi famously defeated Chin the Conqueror when he attempted to invade her home. She split her home peninsula from the Earth Kingdom mainland, creating Kyoshi Island and killing Chin in the process. Kyoshi later trained the first Kyoshi Warriors in her own image. She died at age 230.

Other details about Kyoshi:

• Kyoshi encountered Jianzhu and Kelsang as a child, taking the Air Nomads' Avatar test but running away before finishing it. 
• Along with Kyoshi's help, Yun and company defeated the Fifth Nation pirates.
• Kuruk's nemesis, Father Glowworm, determined that Kyoshi was the Avatar and not Yun, taking Yun as a sacrifice in the process. 
• Kyoshi's classic garb and weapons — red and white face paint and fans — were inherited from her parents, who wore the paint during their daofei days. Kyoshi's mother Jesa, an airbender, fought with the fans.
• Kyoshi was bisexual, and she and Rangi were together.
• Kyoshi trained under Tieguai the Immortal, a powerful assassin also known as Lao Ge.
• Kyoshi communed with both Kuruk and Yangchen, learning of their time as Avatars and the spirits they dealt with.
• Kyoshi founded the Dai Li while dealing with a peasant uprising in Ba Sing Se.

Political developments during Kyoshi's time

Leadership in the Earth Kingdom was somewhat fractured in the absence of an Avatar. The Earth King's leadership wasn't felt across the full continent, and a group of sages led by Jianzhu served as its most important political leaders. After Chamberlain Hui confronted Jianzhu with a number of other sages regarding his loss of the Avatar, Jianzhu killed them via poison.

In the Fire Nation, a succession contest played out between two sons of the late FIre Lord Chaeryu, Fire Lord Zoryu of the Keohso clan and his half-brother Chaejin of the Saowon clan. After Zoryu framed the Saowons for conspiring with Yun, Kyoshi's childhood friend, to orchestrate an attack on the Fire Nation Palace during the Festival of Szeto, he solidified his legitimate rule and vowed to break the clans.

Other Earth Kingdom political details: 

• The Chuje Islands, a set of contested islands between the Earth Kingdom and the Southern Water Tribe, become briefly relevant after Jianzhu proposes a loan to help the Southern Water Tribe establish a navy. Chamberlain Hui argued that allowing the tribe to build a navy would potentially allow it to claim the islands.
• Wars of succession played out in Ba Sing Se as well, with members of the royal family sending assassins like Amak, Yun's waterbending master, after each other.

Other Fire Nation political details:

• Fire Lord Zoryu was born to Fire Lord Chaeryu's wife, Sulan of the Keohso clan. 
• Chaejin was born out of wedlock to Fire Lord Chaeryu and Lady Huazo of the Saowon clan. Fire Lord Chaeryu recognized him as his child but did not make him a member of the royal family, leaving his place in the line of succession unclear.
• The conflict between the Keohso and Saowon clans came to be known as the Camellia-Peony War.

The era of Roku

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Escape from the Spirit World," "The Legend of Korra — Turf Wars"

Avatar Roku followed Kyoshi in the Avatar cycle and was born in the Fire Nation. Close friends with Fire Lord Sozin, Roku attempted to dissuade him from expanding the Fire Nation empire, later giving him an ultimatum when he learned that Sozin had occupied Earth Kingdom territory.

When the volcano on Roku's home island erupted 25 years later, he attempted to halt the disaster. Sozin helped him, but chose to leave Roku to die so that his plans could continue unhindered.

• Roku and Sozin were born on the same day and grew up together. On their 16th birthday, the Fire Sages revealed that Roku was the Avatar.
• Roku was friends with Aang's mentor, Monk Gyatso.
• Upon entering the Avatar State during the Winter Solstice, Roku partially destroyed the Fire Sages' temple.
• Roku was married at the palace later in life, which was when Sozin pitched him on the idea of expanding the Fire Nation's empire.
• Sozin criminalized same-sex relationships in the Fire Nation during his rule.

The early days of Aang

Canon Materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Promise"

Aang was born when Roku died. Raised at the Southern Air Temple and mentored by Monk Gyatso, he earned his tattoos and airbending-master status at a young age, partially through his invention of the air scooter.

The Southern Air Temple monks told Aang that he was the Avatar at age 12, and facing the possibility of being separated from Monk Gyatso, he fled the temple. Caught in a storm, Aang went into the Avatar State and encased himself and Appa in an iceberg, where he remained for 100 years.

• As a child, Aang was friends with Bumi, the future King of Omashu, and Kuzon of the Fire Nation.

The Hundred Years War

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Search"

Sozin used a comet, which gave firebenders increased power, to commit mass genocide against the Air Nomads. The Fire Nation also began to occupy parts of the Earth Kingdom, but tried and failed to take the Northern Water Tribe.

Fire Lord Azulon ascended the throne after Sozin's death. Ozai, then a prince, married Ursa. They had two children: Zuko and Azula.

The Fire Nation began to raid the Southern Water Tribe, capturing its Waterbenders. General Iroh led the siege of Ba Sing Se. He eventually broke through the outer wall, but his son, Lu Ten, was killed in the conflict.

After Azulon's death, Ozai rose to the throne. Ursa was banished from the capital. During Zuko's childhood, he fought an Agni Kai duel with his father and lost. Ozai banished Zuko, sending him on a search for the Avatar.

• Azulon and Ozai sought Ursa out in the village of Hira'a, searching for a descendant of Fire Lord Roku for Ozai to marry. Ursa had recently become engaged with Ikem, a man from her village, but went with Ozai.
• In a raid, the Southern Raiders took Katara and Sokka's mother Kya, thinking that she was the last waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe.
• Ozai, while prince, asked Azulon for Iroh's claim to the throne soon after the death of Iroh's son, Lu Ten. Enraged, Azulon commanded Ozai to kill Zuko to experience the pain of losing his son. In order to protect Zuko, Ursa provided Ozai with a poison to kill Azulon.

The era of Aang: water

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

100 years after the beginning of the war, Katara and Sokka freed Aang from the iceberg. The three traveled across the Earth Kingdom to the Northern Water Tribe in search of a master to teach Aang and Katara waterbending. 

En route, they frequently ran into Prince Zuko, who was attempting to capture Aang, as well as Admiral Zhou, a Fire Nation soldier also hellbent on capturing Aang and taking the Northern Water Tribe. During the siege of the Northern Water Tribe capital city of Agna Qel'a, Zhou killed the moon spirit, causing Princess Yue to sacrifice herself to restore it. Aang went into the Avatar State, effectively ending the siege.

• Aang learned of the genocide of his people upon visiting the Southern Air Temple.
• Aang, Katara, and Sokka met the Kyoshi Warriors while stopping on Kyoshi Island.
• Aang encountered his old friend Bumi, now the King of Omashu. 
• Aang, Sokka, and Katara orchestrated a jailbreak on a Fire Nation rig that was imprisoning earthbenders.
• Aang learned that Sozin's comet would return soon, and aimed to defeat the Fire Lord before its arrival.
• Aang, Katara, and Sokka encountered Jet, an Earth Kingdom rebel, and his group of freedom fighters, saving the villagers of Gaipan when Jet schemed to flood the town to rid it of Fire Nation occupation.
• Disguised as the Blue Spirit, Zuko saved Aang after he was captured by Zhao.
• Aang briefly trained with Jeong Jeong, a firebending master, but injured Katara. Katara learned that she could heal using waterbending.
• Aang, Katara, and Sokka learn that a group of refugees was sheltering in the Northern Air Temple, having developed the technology to navigate it. The Fire Nation gained a prototype hot air balloon from the refugees when they attacked the temple.
• Sokka briefly courted Princess Yue before she sacrificed herself to save the moon spirit Tui.
• Aang traveled into the Spirit World and spoke with Koh, the face stealer.
• After the siege of the north, waterbending master Pakku and others from the Nothern Water Tribe travel to the south pole to help rebuild the Southern Water Tribe.

The era of Aang: earth

Aang, Sokka, and Katara traveled back to the Earth Kingdom to search for an earthbending master. Azula, the Fire Nation princess, and her friends Mai and Ty Lee began to pursue Aang; Zuko and Iroh traveled as refugees, having abandoned the Fire Nation. 

The gang met Toph, an incredibly skilled blind earthbender who eventually agreed to train Aang. The group later traveled to Ba Sing Se, where they fended off a Fire Nation attack led by Princess Azula and convinced Earth King Kuei that the war was real.

Aang attempted to master the Avatar State, but left to protect Katara after Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee executed an attack on Ba Sing Se from the inside. Azula struck Aang with lightning, and Katara brought him back from death using water from the Spirit Oasis. Zuko returned to the Fire Nation and Ba Sing Se fell.

• Aang, Sokka, and Katara traveled to Omashu to seek out Bumi, only to discover that the city had been occupied by the Fire Nation.
• The group discovered that there are waterbenders living in the Foggy Swamp.
• In order to train Aang, Toph left her family, the influential Beifongs, and her home town of Gaoling.
• Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph located Wan Shi Tong's library in the Si Wong Desert, learning there that firebenders lose their power during a solar eclipse and that one that would occur prior to Sozin's comet. 
• Appa was captured and sold by sandbenders, and Aang eventually found him in Ba Sing Se.
• Zuko and Iroh ended up in Ba Sing Se, where Iroh became a popular tea maker.
• Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph exposed Long Feng, Earth King Kuei's advisor and the leader of the Dai Li, for his corruption. The Dai Li later aligned with Azula.
• Aang attempted to master the Avatar State with the guidance of Guru Pathik.

The era of Aang: fire

Zuko was reinstated as the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation following the battle in Ba Sing Se. Sokka planned an attack on the Fire Nation Capital to take place during the solar eclipse, but the attack failed after Aang was unable to locate the Fire Lord and fight him. 

Zuko abandoned the Fire Nation, offering his services as a firebending master for Aang. The two trained together, and Team Avatar prepared for the fight against the Fire Lord. During the comet, Aang fought the Fire Lord, taking his bending and effectively ending the war. Zuko was crowned as the new Fire Lord, and Ozai was imprisoned.

• General Iroh was imprisoned following the conflict in Ba Sing Se.
• Both Aang and Zuko learned of Roku and Sozin's relationship.
• During the eclipse, Zuko confronted his father, telling him that Aang was not dead and that he planned to train him.
• Also during the eclipse, Bumi freed Omashu from Fire Nation occupation.
• Zuko and Aang communed with the original firebenders, dragons under the protection of the Sun Warriors. 
• Sokka and Zuko traveled to the Boiling Rock, a fortified Fire Nation prison, to rescue Sokka's father and his girlfriend Suki.
• Katara and Zuko hunted down the man who took Katara's mother so that she could confront him.
• Aang learned the art of energybending from a lion turtle, allowing him to take Ozai's bending.
• Zuko defeated Azula in an Agni Kai during the comet.

The era of Aang: post-war

Canon materials: "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Promise," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Search," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Rift," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Smoke and Shadow," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — North and South," "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Imbalance," "The Legend of Korra"

The post-war period was characterized by rebuilding, particularly in the former Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Some colonies formed coalition governments with representatives from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. The Southern Water Tribe also underwent reconstruction with assistance from the North, establishing diplomatic ties with other nations, with Katara and Sokka's father Hakoda at the helm.

In adulthood, Aang and Katara had three children: Kya, a waterbender, Bumi, a non-bender, and Tenzin, an airbender. Toph had two children: Lin and Suyin, both metalbenders. Zuko had a daughter named Izumi.

Aang and Zuko eventually helped former Fire Nation colonies transform into the United Republic of Nations, with its capital city being Republic City. Aang later defeated Yakone, a bloodbender, and took his bending. 

• Toph established her metalbending academy.
• A battle took place at Yu Dao, the oldest Fire Nation colony that has a mixed Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom culture. While Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko clashed over the fate of the colony, eventually they helped establish a coalition government there.
• Aang established the Air Acolytes out of members of his fan club, helping to preserve Air Nomad culture.
• Iroh invented bubble tea.
• Zuko found his mother, who had her original face and memory erased by a spirit. She regained her memories and old identity, and traveled back to the capital city with Zuko and her new family.
• Zuko fended off attacks from the New Ozai Society, which desired to see Fire Lord Ozai regain the throne. Spirits called Kemurikage reappeared and kidnapped children, but were revealed to be led by Azula. Zuko helped rescue the children.
• Aang resolved a spiritual conflict in Cranefish town, where the Earthen Fire Refinery had been built on sacred ground. He establishes the Spirits' Friendship Festival to honor the spirits, and later stops a bender supremacist uprising in the village.
• Southern Water Tribe citizens, led by Gilak, lead an attack against Northerners who were trying to turn the tribe into a colony of the North. Team Avatar defeats Gilak but helps the Southern Water Tribe maintain sovereignty.
• Tonraq, the heir to the Northern Water Tribe throne, destroyed a spirit forest and was subsequently banished, taking up residence in the South. His brother, Unalaq, became the heir apparent.

The era of Korra: air

Korra was born in the Southern Water Tribe, and the Order of the White Lotus confirmed that she was the Avatar at a young age. After completing her firebending training, she moved to Republic City to train under Tenzin, Aang, and Katara's son. There, she joined a pro-bending team alongside brothers Mako and Bolin, and befriended Asami Sato, a tech heiress.

The Equalists, an anti-bending group led by Amon, attacked Republic City. The United Forces, led by General Iroh, defended the city, and Amon briefly took away Korra's bending. After unlocking her airbending, she exposed Amon's true identity: Noatak, a waterbender and Yakone's son. Korra reconnected with her past lives after the battle, and Aang restored her full bending.

• The Red Lotus, led by Zaheer, attempted to kidnap Korra as a child. They were apprehended and jailed in specialized prisons.
• When Asami Sato was young, her mother was killed by the Agni Kai triad.
• Mako and Bolin's parents were also killed when they were children. 
• Korra moved to Republic City and lived on Air Temple Island with Tenzin and his family: Pema, his wife, as well as children Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.
• Lin Beifong, Toph's daughter, was the chief of police of Republic City.
• After the battle, Hiroshi Sato was imprisoned for aiding the Equalists.
• Bumi, Tenzin's brother, retired from the United Forces to live with Tenzin and his family.
• The United Republic Council, which was previously composed of representatives from the four nations, dissolved, leaving democratically elected President Raiko in power.

The era of Korra: spirits

At the Glacier Spirits Festival in the Southern Water Tribe, Korra broke ties with Tenzin and decided to train her spiritual side with Unalaq, her uncle, and the chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Unalaq persuaded Korra to open the Spirit Portal at the south pole, but his forces invaded the Southern Water Tribe and launched the two tribes into a civil war.

Korra attempted to garner support from Republic City against the Northern occupation but was unsuccessful. She was later swallowed by a dark spirit, losing her memory. She reconnected with Wan, the first Avatar, and learned of the battle between Raava and Vaatu. 

Unalaq forced Korra to open the Northern Spirit Portal, freeing Vaatu when Harmonic Convergence began. He became the first "Dark Avatar," fusing with Vaatu. Korra defeated both of them, but lost her connection with the previous Avatars in the process. She made the decision to keep the Spirit Portals open, and declared that the Southern Water Tribe was independent with her father Tonraq as chief.

• Tonraq led Southern Water Tribe rebels to protest the Northern occupation, but was imprisoned.
• Varrick, an entrepreneur, orchestrated various attacks to fan the flames of the civil war and profit off of it.
• Bolin starred in Varricks "movers," propaganda films intended to garner support for the Southern Water Tribe.
• Jinora guided Korra into the spirit world when her father Tenzin could not.
• Desna and Eska, Unalaq's children, became co-chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe.

The era of Korra: changes

Korra's decision to leave the Spirit Portals open resulted in a number of non-benders, including Bumi and Zaheer, to gain the ability to airbend. After Zaheer escaped, he reformed the Red Lotus and began to track down Korra. 

Korra, Tenzin, Asami, and the rest of the crew traveled around the world in search of airbenders, discovering that Earth Queen Hou-Ting had captured a number of new airbenders and was training them to serve her. Korra liberated the airbenders in Ba Sing Se.

Later, the Red Lotus assassinated the Earth Queen and took the airbenders at the Northern Air Temple Hostage. Korra agreed to give herself up, and the Red Lotus poisoned her in order to force her into the Avatar State and destroy the Avatar permanently. Korra defeated Zaheer, but was badly wounded in the process.

• Korra traveled to Zaofu, the metal city, and trained in metalbending under Suyin Beifong, whose daughter Opal became an airbender.
• After the Earth Queen's death, the Red Lotus tore down Ba Sing Se's inner wall, throwing the city and the nation into chaos.
• After P'Li, of the Red Lotus, was killed, Zaheer gained the ability to fly by following Guru Laghima's teachings.
• Zaheer was imprisoned after his defeat.
• Jinora earned her airbending tattoos after the Red Lotus was defeated.
• The airbenders became nomads once again.

The era of Korra: balance

After the battle with Zaheer, Korra spent two years recuperating in the Southern Water Tribe before setting out on her own. Kuvira, of Zaofu, worked to reunite the Earth Kingdom following the Earth Queen's death. 

Three years after Zaheer's defeat, Kuvira interrupts Prince Wu's coronation as the newest Earth King, announcing that she will instead form a new Earth Empire. Toph Beifong heals Korra from the remaining poison in her body, and Korra returns to Republic City. Meanwhile, Varrick helped Kuvira develop a weapon powered by spirit vines capable of mass destruction.

Kuvira attacked Republic City in a giant mechanical suit equipped with a spirit vine-powered cannon, intending to back all lands that originally belonged to the Earth Kingdom. Korra and Kuvira fought, with Korra using the energy from the cannon to open a third portal into the Spirit World in Republic City. After Kuvira was arrested, Korra and Asami romantically set off into the Spirit World on vacation.

Other important details:

• Korra attempted to protect the city of Zaofu from Kuvira, but was unable to do so.
• Bolin and Varrick defected from Kuvira after learning of her true nature. 
• Hiroshi Sato, Asami's father, sacrificed his life in order to help the team gain access to the interior of Kuvira's mech.
• Prince Wu said that he planned to hold democratic elections in the Earth Kingdom rather than ascend to the throne.

The era of Korra: post-Earth Empire

Canon materials: "The Legend of Korra — Turf Wars," "The Legend of Korra — Ruins of the Empire"

Following Kuvira's defeat, humans attempted to profit off of the new Spirit Portal in Republic City, clashing with the spirits. Wonyoung Keum, a businessman, intended to build an amusement park around the portal, angering the spirits. Following conflict between Korra and Toguka, the Triple Threat Triad leader, Keum renounced his claim to the land. Zhu Li Moon wins the presidential election in Republic City, defeating Raiko.

Prince Wu attempted to start the Earth Kingdom's transition to democracy but encountered difficulty in Gaoling. Kuvira's former subordinate, Commander Guan, ran for governor, brainwashing the citizens and Wu in order to ensure his victory. Korra later defeated Guan, and Wu slowed down his transition into democracy in order to ensure fair elections.

• Korra and Asami came out to Korra's parents, who were supportive but warned Korra that others may not be so accepting. 
• Kya came out to Korra and Asami, telling them that she had previously had girlfriends.
• Korra freed Kuvira so that she could convince Commander Guan to step down. She was unsuccessful but helped Korra defeat him.
• During the election of Gaoling, Korra and Prince Wu convinced Toph Beifong to run for governor given that Gaoling was her home town.
• Kuvira was sentenced to house arrest in Zaofu after her help in Gaoling.
• Why it's so worrying that the original 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' creators are no longer in charge of Netflix's live-action show
• The return of 'Avatar' to Netflix reignited a debate about whether its sequel series 'The Legend of Korra' stands up to the cartoon classic
• After watching 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' on Netflix, follow it up with must-watch sequel series 'The Legend of Korra'
• 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is on Netflix now, and it still stands up as one of the best animated TV series ever

• Main content

7 facts you need to remember about Avatar before seeing The Way of Water

Why is Jake Sully important? Why do the humans have beef with the Na'vi? And where are we again?

We’ve waited 13 years for this: James Cameron's stereoscopic revolution, Avatar, is finally soaring back to theaters with a second splashy installment . In the sequel, which takes place more than a decade after the battle between Na’vi warriors and human soldiers that concluded the first film, Jake and his lifemate Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) have formed a family with four children — and one adopted teen — on Pandora. They’re trying their hardest to stay together, but new and ancient threats against their civilization loom on the horizon, forcing their family to migrate from the forest to the reefs.

It’s understandable if some of that sounded like gibberish given how long ago the first movie came out. Here’s everything you need to know to get back up to speed just in time for The Way of Water.

What is Pandora?

Pandora’s floating mountains and flying mountain banshees.

Pandora is a fictional extrasolar moon in the very real Alpha Centauri star system, the closest one to our own Solar System. The fifth moon of a fictional Saturn-sized gas giant dubbed Polyphemus, Pandora is rich in wild scenery and bioluminescent beings (and unobtanium, a rare and valuable compound). Discovered by humans at some point between 2050 and 2077, the most curious element is that all its vivid and exotic species — the Na’vi included — are connected by an electrochemical flow, effectively acting as a neural network. Pandora’s gravity is 20% less than Earth’s, and its atmosphere is deadly to humans thanks to its high concentration of carbon dioxide.

When did Avatar 1 take place?

By the 22nd century, humans had arrived on Pandora to extract the rare mineral unobtanium.

Avatar 1 takes place between 2148 to 2154. Humans only became advanced enough to start the avatar program and conduct interstellar travel by the 22nd century, a little less than a hundred years after Pandora was first spotted in telescopes. Avatar 2 takes place 14 years after the events of the franchise starter.

What is the Avatar Program?

The Avatar Program, steered by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), allowed humans to live and breathe as Na’vi on Pandora. It used artificially created human-Na’vi hybrid bodies called avatars, which could be linked to the minds of their designated hosts and operated remotely.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) was a rare exception— because his DNA was nearly identical to his twin brother’s, he could claim Tom’s avatar as his own. Like normal Na’vi bodies, avatars are tall, slim, and blue, and can form electrochemical bonds with the flora and fauna of Pandora. The Program was set up to enhance the flow of information between humans and Na’vi: Some Na’vi attended an English language school, while humans like Jake, while in their avatar forms, were able to study Na’vi customs up close.

Why is Jake Sully important?

Every fairytale — even science fiction ones with slinky, blue aliens — needs a Chosen One, and Jake is that messianic savior of Na’vi who peacefully bridges the divide between humans and Pandora’s indigenous people. Jake starts as an impetuous jock, a paraplegic renegade Marine veteran who winds up in the Avatar Program after his twin brother’s death. Jake takes advantage of his renewed ability to walk in his brother’s avatar body and gets to know the Omaticaya Na’vi clan because he’s been promised the restoration of his human legs in exchange for giving intel to the bloodthirsty Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).

But after spending time with the Na’vi, appreciating their way of life, and falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Jake rebels. He turns against the Resources Development Administration (RDA) and leads the Na’vi into battle to drive the humans from Pandora. Jake is also the first known human to successfully transfer his consciousness into his avatar body permanently.

What happened to Sigourney Weaver’s character?

Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine.

Dr. Augustine, a xenobotanist and linguist at the helm of the Avatar program, respects the Na’vi and is less consumed by greed than those who fund her research. Instead, she wants to learn about the Na’vi’s spiritual and scientific connection to their home, and earn their trust in the process.

Quaritch kills Grace’s physical body, but her consciousness was salvaged by the Omaticaya Na’vi clan, who transferred her spirit over to the Tree of Souls. The neural link between Grace and the divine tree allowed her memories to be uploaded to Pandora’s ecosystem. In a sense, Grace lives on after Avatar , although her human body is dead.

What happened to Stephen Lang’s character?

Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar .

During the clash between the RDA and Na’vi, Quaritch and Jake fight an epic battle. Jake makes a final attempt at diplomacy, but Quaritch lunges at Jake’s avatar body with a knife. Just before he strikes, Neytiri comes to her soulmate’s aid and kills Quaritch with her bow.

However, Quaritch and his soldiers have their DNA embedded in their dog tags. Just a little piece of Avatar trivia to keep in mind.

Why and how were the humans defeated?

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) versus Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).

The Na’vi win the battle, albeit at a heavy cost, shortly after Quaritch’s demise. The RDA surrender and return to Earth, while xenoanthropologist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) and civilian scientist Max Patel (Dileep Rao) stay on Pandora with Jake and his new Na’vi family.

Of course, as we know from the Avatar 2 trailer, this wasn’t the end of the conflict. You can find out more about what happens to Jake and his impossibly tall, blue-hued pals in theaters soon.

Avatar 2: The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16.

This article was originally published on Dec. 14, 2022

• Science Fiction

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Dreamlight Valley
• Lethal Company
• Monopoly Go
• Jujutsu Chronicles
• UGC Limited
• Call of Duty
• Legend of Zelda
• Ethics Policy
• Review Policy
• Privacy Policy

What Is Avatar About? James Cameron’s Masterpiece Explained

Avatar: The Way of Water is finally ready to go a whopping 13 years after the release of the first film. The sequel will bring audiences back to Pandora for another visually striking adventure with the Na’vi. Given the massive time gap between releases, though, some may need a quick refresher on the story of the first film before hauling it to the theaters to catch the sequel. Here’s everything you need to know regarding what James Cameron’s Avatar is about .

James Cameron’s Avatar Explained

2009’s Avatar is a science fiction film that takes place in the year 2154 on the fictional alien planet of Pandora. This planet is a habitable moon within the Alpha Centauri system, and with Earth’s natural resources being depleted, humans are attempting to colonize Pandora to acquire the extremely valuable material known as unobtanium (I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that is its actual name).

This colonization at the hands of humans, however, threatens the life of the planet’s humanoid, alien-like species, the Na’vi. Humans, however, cannot travel on Pandora by themselves as the air is poisonous, meaning that they have to send their scientists into Pandora as human-Na’vi hybrids known as “Avatars.”

Our main protagonist, a paraplegic marine named Jake Sully, is sent out as an Avatar to aid the humans but becomes initiated into the planet’s society when a Na’vi woman named Neytiri saves him from being attacked by one of Pandora’s wildlife creatures. This leads him to an unfortunate crossroads; can he accomplish the mission his superiors have given him while helping Pandora to survive?

The film dives into themes involving the dangers of imperialism and the struggle between humans and the environment. These themes could also be central to the plot of Avatar: The Way of Water, as the film’s synopsis promises that an old threat will resurface and that Jake will have to fight against humans again.

That’s everything we’ve got on what James Cameron’s Avatar is about . With the sequel finally around the corner, check out Twinfinite’s look at how much money this massive movie will need to make to break even .

Macy’s Fourth of July deals are live! Shop Clinique, Levi’s, more

• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show
• TODAY Plaza

What to remember from 'Avatar' before watching the sequel

So, you’ve seen the trending hashtags and trailers for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and either you’re wondering what all the hype is, or you’re eager to brush up on the event from the first “Avatar” from 2009.

Well,  we see you.  Or,   as the protagonists of James Cameron’s “Avatar” say, “Oel ngati kameie.” And we’re here to help with a recap of the original movie to prep you for its forthcoming sequel, which has been over a decade in the making.

“The Way of Water” is the second installment in Cameron’s planned "Avatar" franchise, which, so far, consists of five films in total. Though the upcoming titles for the subsequent films have yet to be released colloquially, they have been dubbed “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5.” 

Thirteen years ago, in 2009, “Avatar” rocketed to the top of the list of highest-grossing films . The groundbreaking movie gained acclaim for its revolutionary approach to motion capture and complex world building, exposing viewers to a lush alien world rife with flora and fauna ... and hair that can communicate with trees.

With the debut of the movie’s sequel just around the corner, there are quite a bit of details, characters, and events that draw from the first movie to remember.

Below, find a straightforward breakdown of things to remember from the 2009 movie.

Where does 'Avatar' take place? Take me to Pandora!

The 2009 movie takes place on an exo-moon ( not a planet) referred to by humans as Pandora.

The human-like indigenous species that inhabit the moon are called Na’vi, and the Na’vi call Pandora "Eywa’s Child." In Na'vi culture, Eywa is the Great Mother, the deity overseeing all living things.

The Tree of Souls (Na’vi name: Vitraya Ramunong) is thought to be the closest connection to Eywa.

Remind me: What is the plot of 'Avatar'?

The 2009 James Cameron film is set in the year 2154 in the superabundant world of Pandora. The world is inhabited by a highly evolved human-like population called the Na'vi.

The story follows American earthling Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed Marine. At the start of the movie, Jake replaces his deceased identical twin brother in a program operated by an extremely powerful non-governmental organization called the Resources Development Administration (RDA).

Specifically, Jake joins the Avatar Program, which uses "avatars" to explore the world of Pandora from afar. Through his avatar, Jake is instructed by the RDA to collect vital information about Pandora's indigenous Na’vi population to influence them into abandoning the land they live on so that it can be mined by humans for a rare resource called Unobtainium, a superconductor with a strong magnetic field.

While living among the Na'vi on Pandora, Jake quickly starts to question his mission — and earthly values. Jake learns about the corrupted company he has been recruited to work for and falls in love with a Na’vi princess named Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña).

Similar to how on Earth we have countries and ethnicities, various clans exist throughout Pandora. The original “Avatar” film centers around Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) Omatakaya clan— a peaceful and ancient group that lives in the rainforest.

By the end of the movie, he decides to defect to the Na’vi species and live as his avatar. 

The main themes of “Avatar” are centered around environmental destruction, militarism, corporate greed and imperialism.

What is an avatar?

First, it's crucial to remember that avatars are not the same as Na’vi. In "Avatar," Na’vi are actual beings, whereas "avatars" are shells that look like Na’vi, created so that humans can live on Pandora.

Pandora’s atmosphere is high in carbon dioxide, making it poisonous to humans. Avatars allow humans to navigate Pandora without oxygen-providing masks that act as atmosphere filtration systems.

Think of avatars as cars or virtual simulation characters. You know how in the computer game “The Sims,” users operate characters that look like teeny, tiny humans? In the movies, humans operate avatars that instead look like the indigenous Pandoran population/

Avatars are biological shells hybridized with human DNA and created to help humans explore Pandora and communicate with the indigenous population.

What is a Na’vi?

Na'vi, the population indigenous to Pandora, are like humans in that they have similar musculature to humans — arms, legs, eyes, and the like. They're capable of complex speech and communication. Some, like Neytiri, speak English.

But don't get it twisted: They are not human. First of all, they are giant! Second of all, they are blue! Third of all, they ride large mountain banshees (called ikran)! The list goes on — and we haven't even gotten to those braids yet.

There are various ways to tell an avatar apart from a Na’vi. Some obvious distinctions include the fact that avatars have eyebrows and eyes that appear to be more human than the cat-like eyes of the Na’vi. Also, where humans typically have five fingers on each hand, Na’vi have only four.

Who are the main  characters in ' Avatar'?

Let's break down the main players in "Avatar" and what happens to them.

• Jake Sully  (Sam Worthington) is a paralyzed Marine from the United States. Jake had an identical twin brother who was a scientist. After his death, Jake is tapped to replace his brother and drive his avatar. As an avatar, Jake is fully mobile. It's important to note here that this detail (Jake's paralysis being something to escape) has been critiqued for its ableist connotations .
• Neytiri  (Zoe Saldaña) is a Na’vi and princess of the Omaticaya clan. Having made contact with Jake Sully first, she is instructed by her parents to teach him the ways of the Na’vi. Eventually, she and Jake fall in love.
• Dr. Grace Augustine  (Sigourney Weaver) is a human scientist in charge of the Avatar Program. She is responsible for bringing peace between the Omaticaya clan and the humans on Pandora. At the end of "Avatar," she dies from injuries sustained in a gunfight.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” will see Sam Worthington revive his role as now fully assimilated Na’vi Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri. Without giving too much away, Sigourney Weaver has received top billing.

What's up with the tails?

The Na’vi all appear to have a braid, but it's actually something far more complex. It's actually a neural queue (called a tswin in Na'vi) of braided neurons.

Think of the queue as another hand. In the same way you might hold your partner’s hand or connect to a pet or animal by petting it, the queue is used as a way to help organisms bond. 

At one point during an intimate scene, Jake and Neytiri famously merge their braids. The script, per Roger Ebert , describes this as "The ultimate intimacy," with Jake "(rocking) with the direct contact between his nervous system and hers)."

But no, because you're wondering: The Na’vi don’t use their tails for sex. Sometimes, Na’vi might use their queue to form an emotional connection while mating. That’s all!

What's the significance of the phrase 'I see you'?

Following the tradition of Na'vi, people who operate avatars might say, "I see you."

"I see you" is a Na’vi greeting spoken by the Na’vi. In the Na’vi language, the phrase translates to “Oel ngati kameie.” But it can also take on a meaning closer to "I love you:" When Neytiri tells Jake she sees him while holding his human body, that means she loves, understands and respects him.

The phrase is so significant it's the name of the official theme song.

What happens at the end of ' Avatar'  2009?

The end of "Avatar" sees the Na’vi sustain a massive blow to their population and environment after it is pillaged by the Resources Development Administration. In addition to the death of Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Captain Trudy Chacon (Michelle Rodriguez), many Na’vi die.

At the end of “Avatar,” Jake decides to have his consciousness permanently moved from his human body to his avatar. The final seconds of the film see his transfer complete as Sully awakens in his new life as a member of the Na'vi.

How many hours is 'Avatar' 2009?

The original film runs at two hours and 42 minutes — not nearly enough if you’re a true-blue fan.

Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.

A childhood memory helped lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt to star with Eddie Murphy in new 'Beverly Hills Cop'

‘Wicked’ movie gets earlier release date. Find out when it will hit theaters

‘A Family Affair’ stars Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and Joey King can’t stop laughing in behind-the-scenes video

‘Inside Out 2’ tops $1 billion at the global box office, first film to do so since ‘Barbie’

Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron reveal the explicit original title for their new rom-com ‘A Family Affair’

June Squibb on being an action hero at 94: ‘I loved thumbing your nose at age’

Sam Worthington on filming Kevin Costner's 'Horizon' and the future of 'Avatar'

‘A Family Affair’ ending explained. Do Brooke and Chris end up together?

The true story behind Peacock’s ‘TikTok Star Murders’: Where is Ali Abulaban now?

Find out which movie won in TODAY’s summer blockbuster bracket

3 things to remember about Avatar before you see Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar came out in 2009. It’s not your fault if you don’t remember every detail.

by Alex Abad-Santos

If you buy something from a Vox link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Given what the pandemic has done to how we understand time, I can’t blame anyone for not remembering what they did last week, last month, or the last year. Asking someone to remember what happened in James Cameron’s Avatar, which came out roughly 13 years ago? A Herculean task. Movies were different back then! The world was different back then! How many things does one really remember about 2009?

Even though Avatar is still the biggest movie of all time (grossing $2.9 billion worldwide), it’s completely normal not to remember all the details after more than a decade.

Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, comes out this week, and some of the movie requires a basic working knowledge of its predecessor — multiple characters, many themes, and some of the central conflict carries over into The Way of Water .

Of course, watching the original between now and the release date would be the ideal thing to do, but maybe you don’t have the time for the two hour and 41-minute behemoth of a movie, or perhaps you’re a purist who won’t feel right watching Avatar on your non-3D TV, computer, or, heaven forbid, your phone. So here’s the next best thing: a brief refresher on the three or so main things you need to know about Avatar for The Way of Water to make sense — and the two new things that you might feel like you should know but that don’t actually appear in the original film.

Where are we? And what are we mad about?

The first Avatar is set on Pandora, a moon where flora and fauna are in abundance, home to the indigenous race of beings known as the Na’vi, big blue cat-like humanoids. The Na’vi have their own language and spiritual connection to Pandora. Every animal, plant, and element, the Na’vi believe, is connected to the mother goddess Eywa.

But in 2154, when the movie is largely set, Earth is slowly becoming uninhabitable. More than 20 billion people live on the planet, and resources are low. As Earth faces desperate times, humans begin staking out other places to find resources, and Pandora has huge deposits of a natural mineral called unobtanium, an extremely valuable resource on Earth.

The diametrically opposing worldviews between the resource-burning humans and the nature-loving Na’vi clash when the humans find a large unobtanium deposit in what’s known as the “Hometree,” a place where the Omaticaya tribe of the Na’vi live. The conflict between humans and the Na’vi then represents greed versus altruism, destruction versus birth, survival versus death, and touches on themes of imperialism and colonialism.

In Avatar , Cameron didn’t necessarily break new ground. One of the common refrains is that the Titanic director basically retold Pocahontas or Fern Gully with alien life forms and copious amounts of CGI.

If there’s a lesson in Avatar , it’s that the humans (whom the Na’vi refer to as “Sky People”) won’t ever learn from their mistakes. They are destined to destroy. They keep coming back for more. And the only thing that will stop them from coming, it seems, is their own elimination.

What’s an avatar?

The main thing standing between humanity and its desire for interstellar resource plundering is that planets and moons like Pandora are physically hostile to human beings — the atmosphere is toxic to humans. Humans need filtered oxygen masks to breathe the air. Also, the flora and fauna on Pandora — in Avatar: The Way of Water especially — react with extreme hostility toward human beings.

In order to get around this, a human organization called the Resources Development Administration (RDA), which handles space exploration and transportation (and is responsible for said resource plundering), creates what’s known as the Avatar Program. The project allows humans to control a synthetic, genetically engineered human/Na’vi hybrid creature through a link to their brain. That creature, the human’s avatar, looks similar to a Na’vi, sharing their agility, size (Na’vi are around 9 to 10 feet tall), and ability to breathe on Pandora.

The first film paints avatar creation as an extremely time-consuming and expensive process. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), the human protagonist, is chosen to be a part of the Avatar Program because his identical twin brother, Tom, a brilliant and highly trained scientist, died before mission time. Because Jake and Tom share the same genetics and because Tom was neuro-linked to his avatar, Jake — a Marine — is the RDA’s best option to salvage their investment.

Humans at first used these hybrid avatars to broker peace with the indigenous Na’vi. Characters like Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) are altruistic scientists who study the Na’vi language, fauna, and culture through their avatar selves. But others within RDA, primarily Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), see the Na’vi as a means to an end. Quaritch, who heads the security force at RDA, uses Jake as a double agent to gather strategic intel on the Na’vi and to get them to abandon their unobtanium deposits.

This doesn’t work out as Quaritch planned. By the end of Avatar , Sully is taken in and develops an unbreakable bond with the Omaticaya clan of Na’vi, having fallen in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He helps defend his new tribe from the human onslaught. After defeating the Sky People and sending them back, the Omaticaya attempt to perform a spiritual transfer in which Sully’s consciousness is transferred to his avatar body (thereby nullifying any need for a computerized neural link). The last moment of the film shows that it’s successful, and Sully’s new life as a full-fledged human/Na’vi hybrid is where the second movie begins.

Okay, but why do I care about Avatar ?

Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards , including Best Picture, and won for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. That’s a great haul for an action movie! When it comes to critics’ reviews, Avatar stands at 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 percent on Metacritic . Those are good scores! Avatar is also the biggest movie of all time , topping the chart of the biggest worldwide gross in history at $2.9 billion. That’s an enormous amount of money!

But the knock on Avatar is that, despite it being both celebrated and history-making, it’s also somehow also largely inconsequential . The common refrain is that “ no one remembers ” Avatar . Avatar doesn’t have the same kind of clout as a Marvel, Harry Potter , or Star Wars movie (other entries in the list of biggest movies of all time). While someone can easily name three Avengers, it’s exponentially more difficult to remember three Avatar characters’ names. And I bet that if you ask people on the street what a Jedi is versus an Omaticaya tribe member, more would be familiar with the former.

I don’t think that’s entirely Avatar and Cameron’s fault, though.

Since the movie’s release, pop culture consumption has shifted and studios have really invested in successful action-driven franchises, pumping out sequel after sequel. Unless you’re living under a rock, it’s impossible not to be familiar with the big, upcoming Marvel movie of the moment, and intellectual property is king. Familiar characters and the fandoms that grow up around them are central to blockbuster filmmaking in a way that simply wasn’t true in 2009. The initial film wasn’t built for those expectations (more on what it was built for in just a moment). That said, hypothetically, if Avatar had a sequel that was released two or three years after the first movie, it might have much more pop culture clout.

Another factor worth considering is what Avatar has always done well: look cool as hell. Its emphasis on spectacle was strangely prescient.

The debate in moviegoing today is that the rise of franchises coupled with the advent of streaming has made the moviegoing audience reluctant to see non-blockbusters at the theater. People go to movie theaters primarily to see big-budget, gigantic action movies.

Avatar , with its next-level effects, lush cinematography, and masterful use of 3D, is made to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Avatar and its sequel are the quintessential “go to the theater, buy a big popcorn and soda, maybe pop an edible depending on what state you live in, and enjoy” movies. There is no movie that needs to be seen in a theater more than Avatar .

That said, determining the worth or relevance of anything — Avatar ,sushi, V-neck T-shirts — is a subjective and extremely personal exercise. But I feel like if you’re into big action scenes and charismatic megafauna , you’re probably inclined to like Avatar .

That’s what you need to remember from the first Avatar . Here are a couple of things The Way of Water might have you scrambling to remember, even though there’s no reason you should.

Who is Spider?

Avatar: The Way Of Water is a movie that doesn’t really rely on its predecessor and doesn’t really have too many “WTF” moments — except for when it does. Cameron engages in a medium amount of retconning, i.e., when a fictional work includes new information that changes what we knew about the previous work.

First, there’s a “feral child” named “Spider” in Way of Water , the son of human settlers who was raised on Pandora and was unable to return home with his parents. He tells invading Avatars that his last name is Socorro. What? Who?

Thinking I missed something, I went over the characters in the first movie, did some rewatching, and perused the internet a bit, but did not find any kind of human child in the previous movie, or even character with the last name Socorro in the first film.

What I did find is that the character seems to be based on one that appears in the Avatar: High Ground comic book , which is based on James Cameron’s original screenplay for the sequel. In the comic, Spider is the son of Paz Socorro, an RDA pilot on Pandora killed in the battle for the Tree of Souls, but his father is unknown. In this new film, Spider’s origin story is a little hazier. We don’t know who his parents are — they were likely killed during the attempted invasion — but he has the same last name.

Spider was just a baby during the humans’ defeat in the first movie, and therefore too small to fit in the returning spaceship’s cryopreservation chambers. ( Avatar has very specific rules about space travel when it wants to.) Since he can’t go back to Earth, he is raised between the Sullys, the Na’vi, and the remaining science department members on Pandora. And because he’s human, Spider needs to have an oxygen mask to survive on the planet.

Spider, now a teen, dresses like the Na’vi, with long blond dreads, and speaks the language fluently — two factors which make the RDA-affiliated humans look down on him and call him “feral.” This demeaning term reflects more about human attitudes about the Na’vi than it does Spider himself.

Spider’s not the only child of mysterious origin in the movie, and the other teen — Kiri — is played by a somewhat unexpected actor.

What happened to Sigourney Weaver’s character?

Kiri, Jake Sully and Neytiri’s older, adopted, Na’vi/human hybrid daughter is played by none other than Sigourney Weaver. Kiri is the biological daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine — also played by Weaver — who died at the end of the first film. Or rather, Kiri is the biological daughter of Dr. Augustine’s avatar, who gave birth in suspended animation after her own death. I didn’t know avatars could do that, but I also am, admittedly, not very well-versed when it comes to the rules and restrictions of avatar mating. Perhaps even more confounding, Kiri’s father is unknown (although the kids have some guesses, including scientist Norm).

The Way of Water doesn’t go to great lengths to explain it, and it builds the mystery around Kiri’s conception. But we can look to the first movie for clues!

Introduced as an accomplished botanist, Augustine was a prominent figure in the first movie. She was one of the “good” human characters who tried to forge peace with the Na’vi. She learned their culture and customs, taught their children, and forged relationships with them. She was also very suspicious of Sully and Quaritch’s motives. Quaritch turned out to be a war-mongering, nature-hating asshole, so her intuition was right!

Augustine opposed Quaritch, his attempted invasion, and Na’vi slaughter. In doing so, she was mortally wounded, but not before Sully and the Omaticaya tribe tried to save her. They believed that if they placed Augustine’s body on the Tree of Souls, a spiritual beacon for the Na’vi, they could transfer her consciousness to her avatar form, essentially switch bodies, and save her life (it’s the same ritual that the Omaticaya perform on Sully at the end of Avatar ). The ritual isn’t successful, but before she dies, Augustine tells Sully that she was with Eywa, the goddess of life that the Na’vi worship. Her consciousness is absorbed by the tree and Pandora’s neural network.

Granted, none of this spells out exactly how Kiri was born from an unconscious avatar body, but there’s a sense that she’s a special being. Augustine had a connection with and compassion for the Na’vi, respect for the planet, and a love of nature. She was the rare human who cherished life in all forms, and thus she formed a unique bond with Eywa and Pandora itself. If there’s any sort of divinity on Pandora, Augustine would be one of the people who could tap into it — possibly through her avatar form.

With humans returning to Pandora for round two, Spider and Kiri, the movie’s two mystery children, as well as the entire Sully family, are going to figure into things in important ways. Expect them to tell a story about what it means to be accepted, to be family, and to fight for the future of where you belong. It’s a continuation of a story that Cameron began telling more than a decade ago.

More in Everything you need to know about the 95th Academy Awards

5 winners and 4 losers from the 2023 Oscars

Why Everything Everywhere All at Once won ... everything

This is the most populist Oscars in a long time

Most popular, the caribbean has a defense system against deadly hurricanes — but it’s vanishing, do other democrats actually poll better against trump than biden, 5 terrible reasons for biden to stay in the race, the supreme court’s disastrous trump immunity decision, explained, the supreme court also handed down a hugely important first amendment case today, today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

More in Culture

Chappell Roan spent 7 years becoming an overnight success

The Spotify conspiracy theories about "Espresso," explained

Tiktok is full of bad health “tricks”

How the UFC explains the USA

Kevin Costner’s ego and the strange road to Horizon

Hawk Tuah Girl, explained by straight dudes

Diljit Dosanjh is one of India’s biggest stars. Now he’s taking on America.

Our most meaningful solutions to the climate crisis are hidden in plain sight

What 6 degrees of warming means for a community built on ice

What about Kamala?

Food is no longer a main character on The Bear

Should Biden drop out? The debate, explained.

The Ending Of Avatar Finally Explained

When James Cameron 's "Avatar" premiered in 2009, it quickly became a box-office juggernaut. Science fiction fans and filmmaking technology geeks had been anticipating the movie for months, learning all they could about the motion-capture technology used to turn human actors into alien creatures. By the time the movie finally arrived, everyone had heard about how cool it was supposed to be, with its high-definition, three-dimensional projection and hyper-realistic CGI effects.

"Avatar" soared its way to over $2 billion worldwide at the box office, spawning numerous planned  sequels . And the results were cool. The story may rehash some familiar fish-out-of-water culture clash themes from movies like "Dances with Wolves," but the stunning visuals and incredible world-building allowed audiences to look past the repetitious plot points.

It will no doubt be long remembered as a groundbreaking technological achievement in cinema. But for as cool as "Avatar" is, sometimes it gets a little hard to follow. With actors playing both humans and aliens, a subtitled alien language, and heavy action, crucial details might seem a little fuzzy now and then. With more "Avatar" films on their way to theaters — as "Avatar: The Way of Water" lands on screens December 16 — you might need a bit of a refresher. So here's the ending of "Avatar" finally explained.

The world of Avatar

"Avatar" takes place in 2154. Humans have depleted the Earth's natural resources and moved on to outer space, colonizing worlds like Pandora, a moon orbiting a gas giant. The main character is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former Marine. His identical twin brother was part of a team of scientists on Pandora who are researching the planet and its indigenous inhabitants, the Na'vi. Using human-Na'vi hybrids called avatars, the humans can walk among the Na'vi, communicate with them, and learn their ways. Jake joins Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), scientist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), and Marine pilot Trudy (Michelle Rodriguez) on their research mission.

Of course, the Resources Development Administration (RDA) has more in mind. As RDA administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) points out, the real reason humans are on Pandora is to mine a mineral called unobtainium, which sells for millions on Earth. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) offers Jake a deal: Find out all he can about the Na'vi, and he'll make sure Jake gets new legs.

But Jake's "infiltration" into the Na'vi civilization doesn't go as he expected. He meets a Na'vi woman named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), learns about the planet and the Na'vi's spiritual connection to all living things, and becomes one of them. Jake and Neytiri fall in love and become lifemates — complicated by the fact that Jake is still a human, living vicariously through his Na'vi avatar, and the fact that he's technically a spy for the RDA.

The battle for Hometree

Toward the end of " Avatar ," the RDA orders the destruction of Hometree, Neytiri's tribe's home base, because of the rich deposit of unobtainium that lies beneath. By this point, Jake is fully on team Na'vi, even though Neytiri and other members of her tribe have turned against him after finding out about his spying. Jake has completely changed his identity, considering himself a part of the Na'vi, embracing their beliefs, and so he fights for their cause against the RDA.

But Quartich's huge military planes, massive guns, and numerous soldiers quickly overpower the tribe, and Hometree is destroyed. During the battle, many lives are lost, including Neytriri's father, Eytukan. Jake, Grace, and Norm's human bodies are rescued by Trudy, who airlifts them and their avatar capsules to a safe location, while their Na'vi avatars are left in the forest. But during the mayhem, Quartich shoots them, with a bullet hitting Grace.

In order to regain the trust of Neytiri, the Omaticaya tribe, and their new chief Tsu'tey, Jake mounts and bonds with Taruk, a huge dragon-like beast related to the smaller banshees. By bonding with this fierce beast, whom the Na'vi both revere and fear, Jake proves that he's a part of the Na'vi, that he respects their culture, and he wants to live among them. Jake is embraced by Neytiri, her mother Mo'at, and Tsu'tey, and together they make plans to gather the numerous Na'vi tribes to fight back against the RDA and evict them from Pandora.

Grace's death

Before Jake sets out to unite the Na'vi clans, he has one request of Mo'at: Save Grace. Still suffering from her gunshot wound, Grace's life is in Na'vi hands, as is the life of her avatar. As Neytiri explains, all life on Pandora is connected via a biological neural network, though the Na'vi consider it more of a spiritual connection than a scientific one. The Tree of Voices allows living Na'vi to hear the memories of their ancestors, while the Tree of Souls is said to be the closest connection to Eywa, the guiding force of Pandora that the Na'vi worship as a deity.

The Tree of Souls, Neytiri explains, has such power that it can take her consciousness, her memories, and her personality, and transfer them through the immersive neural network of Pandora and have them permanently placed into her avatar body so she can survive. This transformation doesn't just highlight the Na'vi's spiritual beliefs, but also hints at the potential scientific advancements that could be achieved in the future. Grace's body is weak, and she unfortunately doesn't survive the process, but before she dies, she assures Jake that she sees Eywa, the connections are real, and the world of Pandora is truly a living thing.

Eywa hears their prayers

The final battle for Pandora includes the RDA soldiers, the many tribes of Pandora, and one final participant: Eywa herself — or at least Eywa as manifested through the animals and wildlife of Pandora, who come to the Na'vi's defense at the last minute. The night before the battle, Jake connects neurologically to the Tree of Souls and asks that Eywa help them on their quest to defeat the RDA. This, more than his bond with Toruk, proves Jake has fully embraced his life as a Na'vi. He used Toruk to regain Neytiri and the other Na'vi's trust, but his prayer to Eywa is a private act, showing us that he now believes in the power of Pandora and its spiritual network.

During the battle, at a moment when it looks like the Na'vi might be defeated once again, suddenly a great rumble is heard from beyond the forest. Numerous animals from throughout the planet join the fight, understanding that the RDA is destroying their world and their survival depends on their involvement. Not only is the neural connection on Pandora more significant than previously thought, but the creatures of the planet are capable of more complex decisions. "Eywa has heard you!" Neytiri screams as the animals join the fight, eventually leading to the RDA's defeat and the return of Pandora to its original inhabitants.

Jake's transformation

After the battle, many of the humans left on Pandora are forced to head back to Earth. Jake, of course, wants to stay, but he can't really do so while still in his human body. The love between Jake and Neytiri is strong, but with humans unable to breathe Pandora's air, maintaining their relationship would be rather difficult. Not to mention the fact that Jake doesn't even consider himself human anymore. He's spent so much time as one of the Na'vi, learning and embracing, that remaining human would just be a letdown.

So Jake asks the Na'vi to connect his human body as well as his Na'vi avatar to the Tree of Souls via their neural networks. The Na'vi pray together, chant, and ask that Eywa transfer Jake from his human form into his avatar. The closing shot of the film is Jake's avatar opening his eyes urgently, suggesting that the process did indeed work, and that Jake can now go on living as a true Na'vi.

The supporting cast

Sigourney Weaver's Dr. Grace Augustine doesn't survive the battle of Hometree, and she was far from the only casualty. During the epic final conflict, Trudy switches sides as well, outfitting her fighter plane and face with Na'vi colors, but her plane gets shot down. Omaticaya chief Tsu'tey is also mortally wounded in the battle, and after the battle ends, asks Jake to end his suffering. At first, Jake is reluctant to do so, but as Tsu'tey explains, it is a great honor, and passes the tribe leadership on to Jake, before Jake ends his suffering.

On the human front, scientist Norm Spellman survives the battle. Unfortunately, his Na'vi avatar gets shot and dies, so Norm has to remain in his human form on Pandora from then on. Norm is one of the few humans who is permitted to stay, and he fronts a new and ongoing scientific exploration team — one that has nothing to do with procuring unobtainium or conquering the indigenous peoples of the planet. Neytiri's mother Mo'at also survives the final battle, and it's she who supervises the ritual at the Tree of Souls to transfer Jake's consciousness from his human body to his Na'vi avatar.

The bad guys

Greedy RDA administrator Parker Selfridge was only out for one thing: the money and power that came with dominating the Na'vi and destroying their land. As a character, Selfridge was the movie's embodiment of colonialist and imperialist capitalist interests. His description of the Na'vi as "fly-bitten savages who live in a tree" could mirror any of history's conquering forces as they dominated the indigenous peoples in various countries across the world. Thankfully, Selfridge is banished from Pandora by the end of the film, though it isn't known whether he's learned any kind of lesson.

A much more gruesome fate befalls Colonel Miles Quaritch, who over the course of the movie becomes a more sinister, violent, and frightening villain than Selfridge. During the final battle, Quaritch heads to the Hallelujah mountains where Jake's human body is connected to his Na'vi avatar through the pod. Quaritch tries to disconnect and kill Jake, but his mission is interrupted by Neytiri riding her new thanator, a fierce land mammal of Pandora that looks like a cross between a horse and a dinosaur. Just as Quaritch is about to crush Jake with the use of his AMP suit, Neytiri launches two giant arrows into his chest. It's after Quaritch's death that Neytiri meets Jake's human form for the first time, lovingly greeting each other with the traditional Na'vi saying, "I see you."

The meaning of Avatar

There are a number of ways to read "Avatar" and how it connects to our own history and possible futures. First, it's easy to see the parallels between the RDA's conquest of Pandora and the European colonization of America, Africa, Asia, and other nations. The RDA is financially driven, as were European countries during various imperial spreads. Gobbling up resources and forcing original inhabitants to move, or killing them when they didn't, was unfortunately a huge part of the formation of the modern world; its aftermath comes in the form of continued racism, the consequences of industrialization, and lost civilizations. "Avatar" is particularly evocative of the plights of Native Americans against European forces, which is why it's often compared to films like "Dances with Wolves."

There's also the future that "Avatar" is suggesting. In 2154, humans have basically destroyed the Earth and turn to other planets in a repetitive cycle of environmental destruction. "Avatar" provides us with a view of what humans used to have: a pristine world of untouched, lush landscape — an atmosphere not destroyed by pollution and a planet that is still thriving. ”There's a sense of entitlement," James Cameron told The Telegraph , adding that humans believe they're "entitled to every damn thing on this planet. That's not how it works and we're going to find out the hard way if we don't wise up and start seeking a life that's in balance with the natural cycles of life on Earth.”

Looking ahead: Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5

"Avatar" was so successful, and James Cameron became so immersed in its world-building, that it's no surprise there are plans for a whopping four additional movies. The second and third installments in the franchise finished filming principal photography in November of 2018 . "Avatar: The Way of Water" will hit theaters on December 16, 2022, while "Avatar 3," which is rumored to be called "The Seed Bearer"  is scheduled for December 20, 2024. "Avatar 4," which is may be titled "The Tulkun Rider," will follow on December 18, 2026, and the fifth film, rumored to be dubbed "The Quest for Eywa" is slated for a December 22, 2028 release.

The second film will feature the return of the principal cast of "Avatar," including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang. Also joining the cast is Cameron vet Kate Winslet, who starred in his other record-breaking film, "Titanic," and is bringing her water-acting experience to Pandora. In fact, it might have been the water portions of the sequel that made production take so long by interfering with the mo-cap technology used to render the world. As Cameron told Collider , "The problem with water is not the underwater part, but the interface between the air and the water, which forms a moving mirror. That moving mirror reflects all the dots and markers." The principal cast reportedly completed production on their parts of "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" in 2018.

And what of movies 4 and 5? Don't get excited just yet. The first two sequels will need to make it worth the studio's while at the box office first. As Cameron told Vanity Fair , "Let's face it, if 'Avatar 2' and '3' don't make enough money, there's not going to be a '4' and '5.' They're fully encapsulated stories in and of themselves. It builds across the five films to a greater kind of meta narrative."

The legacy of Avatar

With or without all of the upcoming sequels, James Cameron's "Avatar" was a truly innovative and interesting film, one that plunged audiences deep into a new world and heralded a new era of filmmaking. The motion capture technology as well as the use of 3D definitely had an impact on the film industry. Although 3D as a gimmick is dying down a bit these days, motion capture, as well as new advances in computer graphics and life-like animation are more integral to filmmakers than ever.

It's those technological advancements that will be the lasting legacy of "Avatar," as well as Cameron's ability to bring action and heart to some of his most elaborate worlds. Regardless of how the sequels fare, the original ushered us into the new millennium of cinematic experiences. So it's exciting to imagine what's coming next from Cameron and Pandora when the second "Avatar" movie, "The Way of Water," debuts in December 2022.

Avatar ( 2009 )

Plot summary.

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Giovanni Ribisi , Zoe Saldana , Michelle Rodriguez , Sam Worthington , Stephen Lang , Joel Moore

Genres: Action , Adventure , Sci-fi , Thriller

In the year 2154, a human colony has been established on a distant planet called Pandora. The humans are hunting for a rare mineral that could solve the ecological crisis on Earth. However, their plans are thwarted by an indigenous race called the Na'vi, whose village is resting right on top of the rare ore they need. To solve this problem, Col. Quaritch sends ex-Marine Jake Sully out into the wild piloting an Avatar- a remote control alien body that will allow Jake to breath the air on Pandora- to gain the Na'vi's trust and get them to relocate. As Jake discovers the new world of the Na'vi, he meets a beautiful Na'vi woman named Neytiri , who teaches him the values that her race shares. As Jake starts to see the world through her eyes, he realizes how much this new world matters to the Na'vi and to him and fights to protect his new race.

moviedragon

More for Avatar

DVDs can be longer or shorter under different countries' TV systems. Please try one of these times:

PAL: 00:11:46     NTSC: 00:12:44

Jake Sully : Look, at first it was just orders. And then, everything changed. Okay, I fell in love. I fell in love with the, with the forest, with the Omaticaya people, with you. With you.

PAL: 02:15:26     NTSC: 02:26:44

Question : There is a scene where Parker is telling Grace that the piece of ore he is holding, called "unobtainium", is why they are on Pandora. This same ore was used in the 2003 movie, " The Core ", to build the manned drilling machine to bore through Earth, to the core. Was the use of the same ore name in Avatar, done with permission from the earlier movie? Or was it a mistake?

Chosen answer: The Core didn't originate the name - it's been used since the 50's and even has its own Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium . There it's described as "any fictional, extremely rare, costly, or impossible material, or (less commonly) device needed to fulfill a given design for a given application."

Jon Sandys ★

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership , this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

• Privacy Policy
• Sample Page

The Reading Order

Feel the Need … the need to READ !

Every Avatar Movies in Order of Release Date

Curious to take in James Cameron’s Avatar film series in chronological order, which represents one of the most expensive franchises and one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken. Beginning with the groundbreaking “Avatar” in 2009, the franchise introduced us to the lush and vibrant world of Pandora, captivating us with its intricate mythology and thought-provoking themes. With its revolutionary visual effects and compelling storytelling, the series has solidified itself as a cultural phenomenon.

In 2009, James Cameron kicked off his sci-fi adventure series with Avatar, which went on to smash multiple box office records and become the highest-grossing film of all time, overtaking Cameron’s own Titanic by twelve years. Avatar held the title of highest-grossing film in the world for nearly a decade until it was surpassed by Avengers: Endgame in 2019. However, thanks to a re-release in China, Avatar reclaimed the title in March 2021 and has held it ever since, with a worldwide box office gross of over $2.9 billion.

The success of the first Avatar movie led to the announcement of two sequels; this number was later increased to four. All four sequels will be “completely encapsulated” and “come to their own conclusions,” just like the first film. A single narrative thread runs through all four movies, making them into one massive saga. James Cameron has said that the sequels are “a natural extension of all the themes, and the characters, and the spiritual undercurrents” of the original. As we eagerly await the upcoming sequels, let us embark on a chronological exploration of the Avatar movies, delving into the captivating narratives and the breathtaking spectacle that has made this franchise an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Order to Watch Avatar Film Series Movies

1. avatar (2009).

James Cameron, winner of an Oscar for Best Director, presents Avatar, the story of a former Marine who is thrust into combat on a distant planet teeming with strange and fantastic life forms.

Set in the middle of the 22nd century, when humans have colonized Pandora, the lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the valuable mineral unobtanium. The Na’vi, an indigenous humanoid species on Pandora, are in danger of extinction due to the mining colony’s rapid growth. Avatar confirms once again James Cameron’s unique gift for imaginative, engrossing filmmaking, even if its technical achievements outshine its storytelling ones.

During its theatrical release, the film surpassed James Cameron’s Titanic, which had held the title of highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada for the previous twelve years, and set a number of new box office records. After Avatar held the top spot for nearly a decade, it was passed by Avengers: Endgame in 2019, but after a re-release in China in March 2021, it was Avatar again.

2. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

“Avatar: The Way of Water” reaches new heights and explores undiscovered depths as James Cameron returns to the world of Pandora in this emotionally packed action adventure.  Set more than a decade after the events of Avatar (2009), the second film in Cameron’s Avatar franchise, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their children), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. All of this against the breathtaking backdrop of Pandora, where audiences are introduced to new Na’vi cultures and a range of exotic sea creatures that populate the majestic oceans. 

Cameron has stated that the sequels will expand the universe by visiting other moons of Polyphemus; the first sequel will center on the ocean of Pandora and will include more of the rainforest. Even though the film will pick up where the first one left off with its environmental message, the plot will be more focused on fun than anything else.

Get pleasure from it. At its heart, this is a story about the lengths to which we will go in defense of our homes and our loved ones. The story centers around [James Cameron’s] loved ones and the happiness they bring him, as well as the vulnerability that comes with becoming a parent.

3. Avatar 3 (2025)

The untitled third installment in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise is commonly known as “Avatar 3.” Cameron has stated that the title “Avatar: The Seed Bearer” is among the options being considered for the film, which is a sequel to “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022). Avatar 3 started shooting simultaneously with Avatar: The Way of Water in New Zealand on September 25, 2017; filming was completed in late-December 2020.

The film is planned for December 19, 2025. During mid-2010, interviews hinted that the third film would delve deeper into the Alpha Centauri system, a triple star system located in the constellation Centaurus. Alpha Centauri is a triple star system made up of the stars Rigil Kentaurus (also known as Alpha Centauri A), Toliman (also known as Alpha Centauri B), and Proxima Centauri (also known as Alpha Centauri C).

4. Avatar 4 (2029)

Avatar 4 is the unofficial name for James Cameron’s upcoming epic science fiction film, which he will co-write, co-edit, co-produce, and direct. It is the sequel to 2024’s Avatar 3 and the fourth installment in the Avatar franchise. Cameron has stated that the title “Avatar: The Tulkun Rider” is among those being considered for the movie. Many of the original cast members, including Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaa, will be back for this. On December 21, 2029, 20th Century Studios will release the film, with a sequel, Avatar 5, set to debut in theaters in 2031.

5. Avatar 5 (2031)

The unofficial name for the sequel to 2026’s “Avatar 4” and the fifth and final film in the Avatar franchise is “Avatar 5.” According to Cameron, “ Avatar: The Quest for Eywa ” is a title that is being considered for the film. The premiere date of the film is set for December 19, 2031.

How many Avatar Movies are there?

There is only one film in the Avatar franchise at the moment. As a result of the box office success of Avatar, James Cameron has signed on with 20th Century Fox to produce four sequels. “Avatar 2” and “Avatar 3” has already wrapped, and the films are set to be released on December 16 and 19, 2022 and 2025, respectively. And  “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5” set to be released on December 21, 2029, and December 19, 2031.

All Avatar Movies in Order of Release Date

Here are the Avatar Films in the order, they were released.

1. Avatar — December 18, 2009

2. Avatar: The Way of Water — December 16, 2022

3. Avatar 3 — December 19, 2025

4. Avatar 4 — December 21, 2029

5. Avatar 5 — December 19, 2031

The Alleged Titles for the Four Upcoming Avatar Sequels

20th Century Fox addressed fan criticism of the “Avatar” franchise by unveiling a new logo that eschewed the papyrus font that was widely mocked in the original. However, the studio was hit with four new issues when a BBC report revealed the rumored titles for the four upcoming sequels. According to the release schedule, James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar films are:

Upcoming Avatar movies alleged titles:

1. Avatar: The Way of Water

2. Avatar: The Seed Bearer

3. Avatar: The Tulkun Rider

4. Avatar: The Quest for Eywa

Where to Watch Avatar Movies?

James Cameron’s Avatar film series is one of the most expensive film franchises and one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken. However, I need to know the proper order in which to watch the Avatar movies. The Avatar series can be viewed online in chronological order and can be rented or purchased through Amazon Prime.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Avatar film series has enthralled audiences with its mesmerizing visuals and compelling storytelling. From the groundbreaking “Avatar” (2009) to the upcoming sequels, the franchise has left an indelible mark on cinema. With each installment, the series expands the immersive world of Pandora, exploring themes of environmentalism, cultural clashes, and unity. Led by visionary director James Cameron, the franchise continues to push the boundaries of technology and captivate audiences worldwide. The Avatar movies serve as a testament to the power of science fiction storytelling, and fans eagerly anticipate the next chapter in this epic journey to Pandora.

Thanks for Visit!

Related Posts

How to Watch Pearl Movies in Order [Chronologically]

How to Watch A Quiet Place Movies in Order [Chronologically]

How to Watch Bad Boys Movies in Order of EVENT

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Avatar Movies in Order: A Streaming Guide to Pandora

Alexandra Kon

Official JustWatch writer

James Cameron’s science fiction epic Avatar made history in 2009 as the highest grossing film of all time — and continues to top the list, despite stiff competition in recent years. The film introduced audiences to the Alpha Centauri star system, and within it the habitable moon of Pandora, which is home to the native Na’vi people. Its monumental success paved the way for four more instalments, the first of which ( Avatar: The Way of Water ) was released in 2022 and became the highest grossing film of that year.

Check out JustWatch’s guide below to find everything you need to watch all the Avatar movies in order below!

How to Watch the Avatar Movies in Order

Here’s a full list of all of the Avatar movies that have been both released and are upcoming:

Avatar (2009)

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Avatar 3 (2025)

Avatar 4 (2029)

Avatar 5 (2031)

The first Avatar film was written and directed by James Cameron for 20th Century Studios in 2009. It follows the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic US Marine who is brought into a Resources Development Administration (RDA) project to extract the resource unobtanium from the moon of Pandora. To do this, Jake’s consciousness is transplanted into the body of a Na’vi avatar, so that he can navigate through the native population. But as he integrates into the Na’vi community — even finding a partner in Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) — he grows to deeply appreciate their way of life and rebels against the RDA’s plan to violently uproot the community and take their resources.

The second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, is once more written and directed by James Cameron, and returns to Pandora over a decade later. Jake and Neytiri have started a family, and Jake is now the chief of the Omaticaya Na’vi clan. However, when the RDA returns to Pandora with intentions to colonise, Jake, his family, and the Omaticaya seek refuge in the planet’s water region where the Metkayina clan reside as they regroup for a rebellion.

While information about Avatar 3 has remained sparse, James Cameron gave some insight in 2022 to French publication 20 Minutes, saying he wanted to explore more Na’vi tribes and show their darker side. The Way of Water introduced the water tribe of the Metkayina, and in Avatar 3 he plans to introduce the war-oriented Ash People, who represent fire and live near volcanoes.

Even less information is known about Avatar 4 , although the film’s producer Jon Landau did state at a press conference in 2023 that they filmed scenes for the fourth instalment simultaneously with Avatar 2. The reason for this is a six-year time jump that occurs at the beginning of Avatar 4, and those scenes featuring the child actors therefore had to be filmed earlier. In 2022, Landau also commented on Avatar 5 , hinting that there will be a storyline in which Neytiri comes to Earth and gets to experience Jake's home planet for the first time.

Where to watch all the Avatar movies online

With the first two Avatars already having been released and the third instalment set to arrive in 2025, now is the perfect time to rewatch or watch the Avatar movies for the first time. Use the JustWatch guide below to get everything you need to stream all the Avatar movies in order on platforms like Disney+ , Apple TV , and more!

In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

The third entry in the Avatar franchise.

Sequel of Avatar 3 (2025). The plot is unknown.

Sequel of Avatar 4 (2029) and last movie of the "Avatar" saga. The plot is unknown.

Screen Rant

Avatar, the last airbender: the reckoning of roku reveals an excerpt from chapter 1 [exclusive].

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

A Court Of Silver Flames Makes It So Much Harder To Root For Nesta & Cassian

10 most-anticipated fantasy books coming out in july 2024, stephen king's cujo sequel finally gave me closure after 43 years.

• Screen Rant presents an excerpt from the upcoming novel Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku .
• Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku delves into Roku's past, highlighting his friendship with the future Fire Lord Sozin.
• The book explores Roku's time with the Air Nomads, offering insights into Aang's eventual journey.

The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender continues to grow with Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku , a new book by award-winning author Randy Ribay. It is the 5th book in the Chronicles of the Avatar series, but as the series focuses on different Avatars throughout the world's history, the latest offering can be enjoyed as a standalone entry. It centers on Roku, the Avatar who directly predates the TV series' main protagonist Aang, during the formative years of the Fire Nation-born Avatar's life and training.

Screen Rant is excited to present a lengthy excerpt from the first chapter of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku. The excerpt sees the young Avatar Roku living with the Air Nomads and struggling with the teaching methods of his airbending master, Sister Disha. The excerpt also hints at Roku's ambitions, even if they are loftier than he is prepared to truly enact. Take a look at the excerpt, below, and get ready to read Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku when it is released on July 23.

Read An Excerpt From Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Reckoning Of Roku

Roku laced the layer of dried nipa fronds into place to complete the roof, then sat up to survey his work from atop the hut. He was no builder—in fact, his parents had made sure their sons never performed any manual labor—but it looked decent enough. At the very least, it had walls and a roof, whereas it had been a pile of shattered and splintered wood like nearly every structure in the seaside fishing village when he and the Air Nomads arrived almost two weeks ago in the wake of one of the most powerful typhoons that had swept over the southwestern Earth Kingdom coast in recent memory.

They had all gone silent that day as their sky bison descended through the clouds. The village had been the picture of destruc­tion. Not a single structure remained standing. Debris littered the bay and the crescent-shaped beach. Jagged tree trunks jut­ted out of the ground like broken spears, while others had been uprooted and strewn across land and sea. The small harbor was destroyed, the boats sunken by the storm—and with them, the villagers’ livelihood. It was as if some vengeful spirit had dragged a mountainous arm across the coastline.

The Air Nomads and the new Avatar had come to help, sky bison saddles loaded with as much food, clean water, medicine, and other supplies as the great beasts could carry. Roku had spent the summer accompanying them on one such humanitar­ian trip after another, but hopelessness had still overcome Roku when he had taken in the scale of devastation and the work that lay ahead.

“Why don’t they just move elsewhere?” he’d asked his air­bending master, a short and slight older woman named Sister Disha who kept her tattooed head completely bald instead of only shaving the front half like most other Air Nuns Roku had seen.

Sister Disha answered patiently as she guided her sky bison, Amra, toward a clearing outside the village. “This is a poor vil­lage, Avatar Roku. Many of the younger generation have already left to find work in Gao Ling or Omashu or the other cities, and those who remain do not have the means to start again else­where. Even if they did, I doubt they would.”

“Why is that?”

“This is their home.”

That, for once, was something Roku understood better than any Air Nomad. “So what will happen when the older genera­tion passes?”

“I suspect so too will the village,” Sister Disha said evenly. Catching Roku’s look of dissatisfaction, she added, “Everything in this world is temporary.”

And so, the villagers—with the help of the Air Nomads and their sky bison—had gotten to work. From sunrise to sun­set through the late-summer heat, they had worked together to clean, clear, carry, bury, repair, replant, rebuild. And what might have taken the villagers months if working by themselves took only a couple of weeks. There was still more to do, but now that the bulk of the reconstruction was complete and the season was ending, the Air Nomads would return to the Southern Air Temple.

“Looks good,” Sister Disha said as she floated up to the roof to examine the final portion of work Roku had just completed, hands clasped behind her back. “I’m sure this family will be happy to move out of their tent.”

“I would’ve had time to make many more families happy if you’d taught me any airbending yet,” Roku said, then nodded across the way where a young Air Nomad used her airbending to blow a dozen palm fronds perfectly into place in a matter of seconds.

Sister Disha drifted back to the ground. “In order to fly, one must first learn to let go of the ground.”

Roku sighed and climbed down the bamboo ladder. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the hem of his saffron and yellow robes, retied his hair, and replaced the headpiece Sozin had gifted him. “Are we to begin those lessons after we return to the Southern Air Temple?”

“They’ve already begun.”

Roku laughed, but his airbending master kept a straight face. “I don’t mean any disrespect, Sister Disha, but all we’ve been doing is bouncing from one relief mission to the next. I’ve learned to mend pants, sweep floors, stir stews, wrap wounds, repair huts, distribute supplies—but that’s it.” Roku swept his arm out in imitation of a basic airbending motion. Nothing happened.

“Are those skills insignificant?”

“Of course not,” Roku said without conviction. “But I’m not here to train to be . . .”

Sister Disha waited for Roku to finish his thought. When he didn’t, she prompted, “To be what?”

Roku hesitated, but his frustration shoved the answer from his lips. “A servant.”

A look of disappointment crossed the Air Nun’s face. “Walk with me, Avatar Roku.”

They started down the main footpath. People nodded or stared as they noticed the Avatar and his airbending mas­ter walking by, and Roku attempted to return their greetings with the expected gravitas. They passed the new huts, the new school, the new temple, the new stalls of the rebuilt fish market and arrived at the beach where new boats swayed on anchored lines, their bamboo outriggers slapping gently against the water. A group of Air Nomad and Earth Kingdom children ran past, laughing and kicking up sand as they chased a dozen or so turtle-ducklings.

A light wind stirred the air, and storm clouds hung on the horizon. Hands still clasped behind her back, Sister Disha watched the waves. And kept watching. Roku crossed his arms and dropped his eyes to the sand, still uncomfortable around open water. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for her to speak. He wasn’t yet accustomed to the long stretches of silence with which the Air Nomads peppered their conversations.

Nothing else to occupy it, Roku’s attention turned to his sore feet, his aching arms, his greasy hair, his empty stomach. How he longed for those post-training hours spent at the Royal Spa when he and Sozin would lie back in the steaming tubs of water, sipping tea and snacking on fertilized turtle-duck eggs while servants trimmed their nails, brushed their hair, and massaged their shoulders. Once this conversation with Sister Disha ended, all Roku had to look forward to was a campfire she’d make him light by hand, another meatless meal, a threadbare bedroll, and a hard patch of ground.

Patience folding, Roku broke the silence. “Why don’t we do more?”

Sister Disha considered his question. “More what?”

“More good.”

“And how do you define ‘good’?”

“Progress,” Roku answered without hesitation this time.

“Tell me more.”

“As you said yourself, this village is in decline. Despite all the work we’ve put into its rebuilding, it will disappear with its elders—or with the next typhoon.”

Sister Disha didn’t disagree.

“We could establish a fund that each nation could contribute to. Then we could use that money to provide disaster relief and develop struggling villages like this,” Roku suggested, trying to sound more confident than he felt. But it was a clever idea, one that his own business-obsessed father might have come up with. “Help them build boats that can compete with the larger fishing vessels from Gao Ling. Teach to them how to be merchants instead of simply fishermen. Provide loans for those who wish to start new business ventures. Basically, we give those who’ve left a reason to return and those still here a reason to stay. In a generation, this could become a bustling port of commerce.”

Sister Disha kept her eyes on the waves, standing a full head shorter than Roku. “An interesting plan. But how do you suppose the leaders will feel about using their resources to boost the economies of the other nations?”

“As long as we’re assisting everyone, I don’t think they’d object.”

“Hmm.”

“What?” Roku asked, ready to defend his idea.

“We are to do this throughout the world then?”

“Wherever it’s needed.”

“And who will determine where it is needed?”

“We will.”

“You and me?”

Roku thought for a few moments before landing on the solution. “The Council of Elders at each Air temple could do so for their regions. I—as the Avatar—could help when needed.”

Sister Disha nodded. “That’s reasonable. But who will manage the funds?”

Roku faltered as he began to grasp the scope and layers of responsibilities accumulating in his proposed endeavor. “Also the Councils, I guess. No—wait—what about a group with representatives from each nation?”

“How will the representatives be selected?” the Air Nun pressed. “Who will choose the proposals? Who will draw up the contracts? Train the individuals?”

Roku didn’t have an answer this time. She had made her point.

“Who will monitor their dealings? Audit their accounts? Evaluate the impacts upon the Human and Spirit Worlds? Settle disputes? Deal with those who misuse the funds?”

Her questions extinguished the nascent pride Roku had felt in his cleverness only moments before.

“This is why you are not ready to airbend,” Sister Disha said. “You have not yet learned to leave the ground.”

Roku tensed his shoulders. “Meaning?”

“You’re still thinking like a Fire National.”

“I am a Fire National.”

“You’re the Avatar,” she corrected with the stinging disappointment of a teacher whose pupil still failed to grasp an obvious lesson.

Roku sagged with shame, wondering if she regretted leaving her life at the Eastern Air Temple to train him.

Sister Disha placed a hand on his shoulder and softened her tone. “If you are to be a good Avatar, you must understand that you are a spirit of no nation. A spirit whose sole purpose is to maintain balance within and across the worlds. But you must be patient with yourself. History tells us this has always been a particular struggle for Fire Avatars.”

“Like Szeto?” Roku asked, referring to the last Fire Nation reincarnation of the Avatar.

“Like Szeto,” Sister Disha confirmed, withdrawing her hand.

She didn’t need to explain further. When Roku had first arrived at the Southern Air Temple, he began to devour every scroll he could find about his past lives, eager to learn about his new role. Avatar Szeto—who had also served as the Fire Lord’s Grand Advisor—was revered in the Fire Nation, but the other nations’ historians didn’t hold Szeto in such high regard. They believed Szeto’s official attachment to the Fire Nation wove bias into every institution he helped establish, every protocol he helped craft, every decision he influenced. They warned that this would become more apparent as the years passed—and that the consequences would be disastrous. Roku found this assessment unfair and alarmist, thin on evidence and over reliant on speculation.

The group of children who had run past them earlier returned, grounding Roku back into the present moment. This time, however, it was the turtle-ducklings who were chasing the kids. Still laughing, the children ran into the water as if forgetting their tiny assailants could swim.

Sister Disha laughed.

But Roku was unable to brush off his failure so quickly. “So how do I learn to do that—to let go of my attachment to my nation?” His question was genuine. He wanted to be a good Avatar—he just wasn’t convinced he had it in him.

Her smile widened as she continued to watch the children who were screaming in mock fear as they playfully splashed the advancing turtle-ducklings. “Go for a swim.”

Roku raised an eyebrow. “A swim?”

Sister Disha nodded.

“You can’t be serious,” Roku said.

Instead of answering, she began to remove her outer robes, revealing the nearly full length of the blue arrow tattoos that ran along her arms and legs, up her back, and over the top of her head.

Although she still wore her undergarments, Roku averted his gaze. Despite having lived among the Air Nomads long enough to learn that they carried absolutely no shame when it came to their bodies, it hadn’t been long enough to unlearn the Fire Nation sense of propriety, especially when it came to women.

Paying Roku no mind, the Air Nun folded her robes neatly and set them on the sand next to her feet. Then she ran down the beach, laughing. “I’ll save you!” she called to the children and dove into the water with a gentle blast of air that made the turtle-ducklings flutter their wings and quack with annoyance.

Roku remained on the shore, envying the way they all moved as if without a care in the world, as if free.

How Avatar, The Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku Expands On What We Know About The World Of Avatar: The Last Airbender

The legacy of past Avatars has always been an important aspect in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender ( Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender intro even features some), and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku is the deepest look yet at the life of Aang's predecessor. Roku is a large part of Aang's story in Avatar: The Last Airbender , with his spirit helping to guide the young Avatar on his journey to heroism. In teaching Aang, Roku often references his own past, and the new book offers readers a chance to understand the events that shaped Aang's eventual teacher more fully.

One of the most consequential events in Avatar: The Last Airbender is the Hundred Year War , and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku is also set to recontextualize that conflict. The official synopsis for the novel reveals that it will focus heavily on a young Roku's friendship with the Fire Nation's Crown Prince Sozin, who ultimately would become the aggressor in that war. Roku himself would go on to stall the start of the Hundred Year War for as long as he could, and the first chapter of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku showcases Roku's desire for collaboration and peace between nations.

The tragedy that sets up Aang's crucial importance in Avatar: The Last Airbender is Sozin's eradication of the Air Nomads during the Hundred Year War. Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku focuses on Roku's time learning from the Air Nomads, increasing readers' depth of understanding of what was lost. With characters like Sister Disha and a young airbender named Gyatso factoring heavily into the story, readers will get a clear glimpse of a society that is lost by the start of Avatar: The Last Airbender .

Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku will be released July 23.

• Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is an Animated Fantasy and Adventure series that appeared on Nickelodeon and was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series featured voices from Zach Tyler Eisen, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco, and Mae Whitman. The premise follows a young boy named Aang, an Air Bender who is set to be the next Avatar, master of all elements, in a bit to unite the nations together and bring peace.

• Exclusive Stories

“Chama”: Israel Adesanya Transforms into Avatar to Knock Out Alex Pereira in This Crazy Fan-made Video

Israel Adesanya has reacted to Alex Pereira's UFC 303 victory with a unique twist!

• Israel Adesanya shared a fan-made edited video of his and Alex Pereira's 2023 fight after Pereira's KO victory at UFC 303.
• The clip features Adesanya as an Avatar: The Last Airbender character, defeating Pereira with powerful moves, captioned with "Chama" (Let's go).
• Instead of praise, Adesanya's post received criticism, with fans cringing at his "embarrassing" antics.

In the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) world, a lot has been going on lately, and now Israel Adesanya is trying to become a part of it. Not directly, but he still seems to be trying to take over the limelight of one other fighter. This fighter is the Brazilian mixed martial artist cum former kickboxer and the latest winner of UFC 303, Alex Pereira.

This comes after Izzy recently took to social media to share something rather peculiar in the case of the recent turn of events that resulted in Pereira’s KO victory at UFC 303. In the post he shared, there was a crazy fan-made video of his and Pereira’s fight from 2023, though this one was so brutally modified that it inevitably sounds like Izzy is trying to steal Pereira’s spotlight.

Israel Adesanya Reacts to Alex Pereira’s UFC 303 Win

At the recently held main Light Heavyweight event of the main card fighters of UFC 303, Alex Pereira was met with a match against Jiří Procházka. During this, the Brazilian mixed martial artist efficiently embraced a KO victory as he took down his opponent to become the winner of the UFC 303 main event as well.

However, this victory doesn’t seem to have sat well with Israel Adesanya , the Nigerian-New Zealand mixed martial artist cum kickboxer and former boxer. This is because of the way he decided to celebrate Pereira’s tremendous victory, which basically included him posting a highly photoshopped clip from his and Pereira’s Middleweight fight in UFC 287 in April 2023.

“Hasn’t the community made it clear we hate these?”: Unlike UFC 303, Conor McGregor Turns Up in Bizarre Crossover With Hitman: World of Assassination, and the Fans Have Spoken

This clip featured him transforming into a full-blown Avatar from the  Avatar: The Last Airbender universe — something he is notably very famous for being a huge fan of, considering how even his nickname is ‘The Last Stylebender.’ Moreover, Adesanya captioned this clip with a Moai emoji as well as the word [via @stylebender on X ]:

Chama 🗿 pic.twitter.com/4YunnsKFEo — Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) June 30, 2024

For those who may be unversed, ‘Chama’ is actually a Brazilian word that means ‘Let’s go.’ Plus, not only did Adesanya brutally defeat Pereira in this video, but he also channeled such Avatar energy into his moves that his opponent is seen crashing many floors down on the roof of a car before Adesanya lands the final move that incorporates all four Bending techniques down on top of him .

Dwayne Johnson Could Get His First Oscar Nomination Soon and UFC President Dana White Strongly Believes It

Ironically enough, while Adesanya inevitably posted this to remind fans of the one time he actually defeated Pereira, it all seems to be taking a negative toll on him. This is because, instead of once again heaping praise on him for the way he immaculately landed his final move on his opponent, fans are cringing at these “embarrassing” antics of the Nigerian-New Zealand fighter.

Fans are Cringing at Israel Adesanya’s “Embarrassing” Antic

While he did win that one time against Alex Pereira during the Middleweight main event of UFC 287 that happened on the 9th of April, 2023, that wasn’t the only match this pair faced each other in. If anything, Pereira has enjoyed defeating Izzy before this latest match between them, and now fans are pointing at the same thing while cringing at Adesanya’s latest “embarrassing” act.

That said, they have some of the most hilarious reactions to Izzy’s brand-new post taking a dig at Pereira. Taking to the comment section of the same, here’s how they’re reacting:

You make too much noise — VERIFIED homie (@Homiebishop) June 30, 2024

My god you are embarrassing 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cgurEPMzyS — 𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙭 (@basedinmatrix) June 30, 2024

Israel at the bar right now. Before another DUI. “ I beat that guy one time”. — C_Poff (@BattleBorn_Poff) June 30, 2024

😂 this is sad. I’m your fan, you beat the guy once out of 3 and we were all happy. He’s still on top and you’re not fighting. Let it go — Interesting Facts (@Interesting228) June 30, 2024

" yea i beat that guy" sips on a beer — lil Pepe (@lilPepe100x) June 30, 2024

Did you touch your dog to make yourself feel better? — Colblander 🌴🛡️ (@TheColblander) June 30, 2024

Bro he defeated you 3 times, arent you a shame to post that you win once? — PAC♡ (@Serg27157844) June 30, 2024

UFC Pros Give Their Verdict After Watching Dwayne Johnson Train MMA to Become the Smashing Machine in His Upcoming Movie

To put it in a nutshell, it seems like Israel Adesanya dug his own grave by sharing something like this, no matter how cool he might look in the video after transforming into his very own favorite Avatar and performing all of those Bending feats.

UFC 303 can be watched on ESPN+.

Alex Pereira Israel Adesanya

Written by Mahin Sultan

Mahin Sultan is a News Content Writer at FandomWire. With more than a year's worth of experience in her field, she has explored and attained a deep understanding of numerous topics in various niches, mostly entertainment.

An all-things-good enthusiast, Mahin is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Commerce, and her love for entertainment has given her a solid foundation of reporting in the same field. Besides being a foodie, she loves to write and spends her free time either with her nose buried in a good book or binging on COD or K-dramas, anime, new movies, and TV serials (the awesome ones, obviously).

So far, Mahin's professional portfolio has 1,000+ articles written on various niches, including Entertainment, Health and wellbeing, and Fashion and trends, among others.

Copyright © 2024 FandomWire, LLC. All rights reserved.