What the Navi Characters Really Look Like

Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully, who must confront the grief pulling his family apart in order to protect them against Pandora’s human invaders and a new, more antagonistic tribe of Na’vi.

“My job in the performance capture, the acting part, that’s been the same. It’s just pure acting with another person,” Worthington recently told Variety about making “Avatar” movies for more than a decade. “The digital makeup is way more nuanced now. Every thought, every movement my body does when I’m truthful has been protected. “That was a promise Jim made me in the first movie — and he’s delivered on it. It’s incredible to watch because it is me, 100%.”

Zoe Saldaña returns to the role of Neytiri. Following the death of her son Neteyam in “The Way of Water,” Neytiri finds herself consumed by grief and vengeful against the humans who killed him. This rage puts her at odds with Spider (Jack Champion), the human child who is the Sully’s adopted son.

The Oscar winner has called the performance capture technology used on the “Avatar” movies “the most empowering form of acting,” adding: “It gives us the credit, the ability to own 100 percent of our performance on screen… From the archery, the martial arts, the free diving, the scuba diving  to the language [James] conceived out of thin air, to physically training with former gymnasts, circus performers, and acrobats so you can learn how to walk like an extraterrestrial human species… That’s all us, and a group of incredible stunt actors that make our characters feel bionic. God bless them. With the technology that Jim creates, he gives the artist the power of complete ownership.”

James Cameron’s “Aliens” icon Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage daughter Kiri, who during “The Way of Water” appeared to possess powers connected to Pandora’s spiritual center Eywa. These powers and Kiri’s connection to Eywa are explored further in “Fire and Ash” and make her one of the most powerful characters in the franchise.

Weaver recently told Variety that “Avatar’s” environmentalism themes match her real-life interests, explaining: “I’m very involved with the oceans and the High Seas Treaty. The movie shows even more graphically what corporations and humans are willing to do to their fellow creatures. It’s so sad — but it educates you. These creatures are equal citizens of our world. You need to wake up… respect other species. This is not your world. You can’t just do whatever you want with it.”

Stephen Lang’s Colonel Miles Quaritch is at the center of an existential crisis in “Fire and Ash” after discovering in the previous film that Spider is his biological son. Quaritch’s mission remains to imprison Jake Sully, but it gets increasingly complicated by the fact that Spider loves Jake and views him as his actual father. Spider is more or less one of the Sully children, which forces Quaritch to team up with Jake in order to protect them all.

Oona Chaplin is the major new addition to the “Avatar” franchise in “Fire and Ash” as Varang, the leader of a volcanic tribe of Na’vi. Varang’s people regularly run raids on other Na’vi tribes to secure resources after a volcano decimated their home and left them bitter at Eywa. As the franchise’s late producer Jon Landau once put it: “There are good humans and there are bad humans. It’s the same thing on the Na’vi side. Oftentimes, people don’t see themselves as bad. What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we aren’t aware of.”

Chaplin praised the “Avatar” franchise back in 2018 when she was cast in the role and described it as “Trojan horse cinema” due to how Cameron uses big budget filmmaking “to explore things that he finds important…like our relationship with nature, our relationship with people, our relationship with ourselves and the spirit.”

Britain Dalton returns as Lo’ak, Jake and Neytiri’s second son whose relationship with his father is especially strained following the death of his older brother. Lo’ak is a hot head, with Dalton once telling press: “He’s a rebel, sort of a guy who gets in trouble and a screw-up in that way. He’s an outcast and he’s alone in the world.” But his brother’s death forces Lo’ak to mature amid serious growing pains.

The Sully family’s youngest daughter is Tuk, played by Trinity Jo-Li Bliss. While she often needs to be protected by her older siblings amid various battles and chases, Tuk “does not see herself as the youngest” and “she’ll do anything to protect her family and Pandora,” Bliss once told Variety. Tuk’s courage factors into one of “Fire and Ash’s” most climactic moments.

Also new to the “Avatar” franchise in “Fire and Ash” is David Thewlis as Peylak, who is the leader of the Wind Traders. This tribe of Na’vi are sky-bound and nomadic and live on massive, flying caravans that traverse Pandora. Viewers only get an introduction to Peylak and the Wind Traders in the film, although James Cameron has been clear that this tribe would play a bigger role in “Avatar 4” should it move forward.

“They’re going to be throughout the cycle of 3, 4 and 5,” Cameron told Empire previously. “They’re still 100% Na’vi but they’re not place-specific, which is different because most indigenous people are very rooted in their sense of place.”

Kate Winslet, reuniting once again with Cameron after “Titanic,” plays Ronal, a free diver of Pandora’s water tribe (called the Metkayina) and the wife of the tribe’s leader Tonowari. Ronal remains pregnant as “Fire and Ash” begins.

“She is strong. A warrior,” Winslet told Empire magazine about her character. “Even in the face of grave danger, and with an unborn baby on board, she still joins her people and fights for what she holds most dear: her family and their home.”

Cliff Curtis plays Tonowari, the leader of Pandora’s Metkayina tribe who is under increased scrutiny from his people after accepting the Sully family and putting a target on the tribe’s back as a result. The human forces are once again targeting the Metkayina village for various reasons. Quaritch is on a mission to arrest Jake Sully, while the larger RDA forces are continuing to hunt the whale-like Tulkun creatures for their plasma. Just because the RDA’s mission failed in “The Way of Water” does not mean they are going down without a fight in “Fire and Ash.”

Bailey Bass returns as Tsireya, a member of the Metkayina tribe who also happens to be Tonowari and Ronal’s daughter. Tsireya is a love interest for Lo’ak and becomes a more emotional support system for him in “Fire and Ash” after the death of his older brother.

“She’s strong, kind and I think people will see the beauty inside as well as the beauty outside,” Bass previously told Variety. “The first time I saw myself… she’s beautiful!”

Filip Geljo’s Aonung is Tonowari and Ronal’s son and Tsireya’s protective brother. While initially resistant to welcome the Sully family into the Metkayina, Ao’nung begins “Fire and Ash” viewing the Sully’s as allies.

Duane Evans Jr. stars as Roxto, a young male hunter and free-diver of the Metkayina who is best friends with Ao’nung.

CCH Pounder returns very briefly as Mo’at, the Omaticaya’s spiritual leader and Neytiri’s mother. The Omaticaya village was destroyed in the original “Avatar” movie, forcing Mo’at and her remaining Na’vi villagers to seek shelter in the flying mountains.

Jamie Flatters’ Neteyam is the oldest son of Jake and Neytiri. He died during the climactic battle in “The Way of Water,” which pushes the Sully family into the depths of grief as “Fire and Ash” begins. Flatters reappears as Neteyam a few times in the new film as various characters tap into Eywa and can visit their late son in the spiritual realm.