It’s been just over a decade since the release of Avatar. With the release of the long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, we’re being reintroduced to Jake Sully and his small tribe of five children, whom he shares with his mate, Neytiri. They’re parents to three biological children; sons Neteyam and Lo’ak and daughter Tuk and two adoptive kids, Kiri (the daughter of Grace Augustine’s Avatar body) and human child, Miles “Spider” Socorro. The film offers a ton of revelations about the character development of the Pandoran inhabitants.
In this post, we’ll share what we learned from the film regarding the characters. This will be a long post as there is a lot of information to share. So, we hope you join us on this crazy, exciting journey. Please note that this post contains MASSIVE spoilers and revelations about the film.
1. How Kiri’s Conception Happened Is Unclear And What Jake And Neytiri Knew
Jake’s opening narrative brings the audience up to speed on the last fifteen years. Within the first year, they welcomed two children. They had their firstborn son, Neteyam and adopted their eldest daughter, Kiri, the daughter of their late human friend Grace Augustine’s Avatar body.
The birth order of Kiri and Neteyam is seen to be Neteyam and then Kiri. However, Kiri could have been born just before Neteyam, as they were simultaneously bonded to the Tree of Souls. Also, infant Kiri is seen to be a little more aware than Neteyam. This occurs during an early feeding scene where she grabs Jake’s finger.
Kiri’s conception, Jake explained, is unclear how the Avatar body became pregnant without male material. It is also made clear that Jake and Neytiri were aware of what was going on with the pregnancy. While they don’t dive into this much, it’s not necessary for a full explanation. It is also clear that Norm was involved in deciding what to do about the baby once she was born. He is seen to be present in a shot where Jake and Neytiri look at Grace’s somewhat pregnant Avatar.
2. The Humans Raised Spider At Hell’s Gate
One question mark when it was announced that one of Jake and Neytiri’s adoptive children would be human. However, despite how Neytiri feels about it, Spider isn’t precisely adopted by the Sullys but is more of an honorary member.
Jake explains in his narration that Spider was left orphaned on Pandora after the death of his parents, both of whom served in the RDA and were killed. Since the boy was too young to be sent back to Earth and had no connection with the planet, the science team decided it was best to raise him themselves.
3. Jake Instilled Human Customs As Well As Na’vi Customs With The Kids
One of the biggest revelations early in the film is that Jake insisted that his children be raised with both human and Na’vi customs. One example of a human tradition is that the kids’ height is regularly measured, while the second is Jake plays with one of the kids by picking them up like an aeroplane and flying them around.
As for Na’vi customs, the kids go through what the Omaticaya would consider christening or baptism.
4. The Spider Is Quaritch’s Son Theory Was…
A very early fan theory is that Spider was Quaritch’s son. This theory was true, as it is hinted at reasonably early in the film. It is also not a secret, as the Sully kids, especially Kiri, know. This is also why Neytiri doesn’t have a good relationship with Spider.
Quaritch caused her family a lot of pain. As a result, she almost lost Jake because of it. Every time she looks at Spider, she sees Quaritch. This was also explained in more detail in the Avatar: The High Ground comic series.
5. Quaritch’s First Walk In His New Body Mirrors Jake’s From The First Film
A surprising parallel in The Way of Water is how Quaritch starts his new journey. While his human body is long dead, he has been revived as a Recom, which is like an avatar, but the difference is that the Recom doesn’t require a human body. Memories are taken from a human, and the memories are used to be inserted into a Recom body if the human body dies.
Many of Quaritch’s first memories in his new body mirror Jake’s from fifteen years earlier. One of the most famous moments is when there’s a first-person perspective of Quaritch looking down at his blue hands for the first time, like Jake did.
6. Jake Has Incorporated Human Weaponry Into The Omaticaya
The Na’vi aren’t known for using advanced technology. During the fifteen-year jump, Jake has incorporated human weaponry into the Omaticaya, especially during the skirmishes with the remnants of the RDA.
7. Norm’s Avatar Healed After It Was Shot In The First Film
Since the end of the first film in 2009, it was always a question mark as to whether Norm’s Avatar survived. One scene cut from the film showed that a team member of Quaritch killed the Avatar. However, in the movie, the Avatar was shot, which resulted in Norm being forced to eject from the body, feeling the effects of what the Avatar felt.
Norm doesn’t use the Avatar in the comics that entirely fill in what was going on after Jake became Na’vi. Also, a flashback to Neteyam’s baptism as an infant shows Norm in his human body. It’s not until a few scenes later in the present day that we see Norm’s Avatar did survive being shot.
8. Neteyam Is The Golden Child Who Follows The Rules Too Much
While this doesn’t count as one of the more significant revelations, it does explain why Jake is so uptight around his younger son, Lo’ak. He favours Neteyam over Lo’ak because he is a stickler for the rules, while Lo’ak reminds Jake too much of himself.
9. Kiri Plays Babysitter To Tuk And Spider
Speaking of the Sully kids, we learn early that Kiri is Tuk and Spider’s babysitter. Despite being younger than Spider, Kiri is probably the most mature of the Sully kids outside of Neteyam.
10. Jake Is Hard On The Boys And Acts More Like A Military Commander Towards Them Than Their Father
Jake’s overprotectiveness of the kids is a massive part of his character in The Way of Water. Instead of seeing Neteyam and Lo’ak as being kids and as his sons, Jake treats them like soldiers and comes down hard on them if they screw up the tiniest task.
11. Kiri is Fiercely Protective Of Her Brothers
Being the second eldest, Kiri is often forced to pacify situations between her brothers and their father. She fiercely protects them and often stands up to Jake when he comes down hard on them. One example is when the boys are cut up early in the film, and Jake continues to criticise them, prompting Kiri to jump in and tell him that her brothers are hurt and need medical attention.
Neteyam and Lo’ak are often quick to protect Kiri from bullies, especially from the teenagers of the Metkayina clan, who tease her about being different.
12. Mo’at Plays An Active Role In Her Grandchildren’s Lives And Playfully Challenges Kiri Over Her Medical Knowledge
Early on, one of the more significant revelations is the role Mo’at, Neytiri’s mother, plays in her grandchildren’s lives. She loves them all but is closest to Kiri, who shares her interest in healing. While Mo’at doesn’t appear much in the film, her one notable scene is when she teases Kiri over her being overly qualified to be a healer when the job of the Tsahik is to be a healer.
13. Neytiri Often Has To Remind Jake That He’s Too Hard On The Boys
Like Kiri, Neytiri is often forced to play peacemaker between Jake and their sons. She must constantly remind him that Neteyam and Lo’ak are their sons, not soldiers in his army.
14. Spider And Lo’ak Tease Kiri That Norm Is Her Father
As all siblings do, Spider and Lo’ak are seen teasing Kiri over the possibility that Norm could be her father. This comes as the trio watch Grace’s old video logs and notes how Grace and Norm look at each other.
This comment is embarrassing for Kiri as it has always been a mystery who her father was.
15. Spider Is Aware Quaritch Has History With Jake And Neytiri
One of the more extensive revelations is that Spider is well aware of his father’s history with Jake and Neytiri. It comes up in conversation a couple of times throughout the film.
16. Kiri Has Seizures
Kiri is seen to be very in tune with the world around her, and it’s seen as one of her strengths. However, we consider this to be the biggest of the Kiri revelations. It is learned that Kiri’s abilities also have a side effect that no one sees coming. She suffers a seizure after she connects with the Metkayina clan’s version of the Tree of Souls. Norm is called in to help her. He pulls Jake aside and tells him that if Kiri connects with the tree again, it could kill her.
17. Ronal Doesn’t Like Neytiri In The Beginning
It might seem difficult to believe initially, but the Tsahik of the Metkayina, Ronal, doesn’t take kindly to Neytiri initially. She criticises her for having children with a “demon” while calling the kids demons because they have some human blood.
Neytiri ultimately stands her ground and defends Jake, saying that he is the Toruk Makto and that she should respect him.
18. Tonowari Is More Accepting Of The Sullys Than Ronal
Tonowari, the chief of the Metkayina and the husband of Ronal is seen to be much more accepting of the Sullys than his wife. This trait was passed to their daughter, Reya, who is very accepting of Lo’ak and his siblings.
Meanwhile, Reya’s brother shares the same thoughts as their mother and picks on the Sully kids, especially Kiri, for being different.
19. Kiri Gets To Meet Grace… In A Sense
Of all the revelations surrounding Kiri, this is probably one of the bigger ones. Despite having never known Grace personally, Kiri only has her old video logs and Avatar to understand her, though she gets to meet her briefly when she links with Eywa.
20. Tuk Is A Perfect Blend Of Her Parents
To end our revelations post, we have to touch on little Tuk. She is the perfect blend of her parents. While her brothers are either like one or the other, Tuk is the one who shares traits with both of them. She’s fierce like Neytir and yet stubborn like Jake.
