James Cameron has kept the characters of Avatar alive for 13 years to prepare them for a return in Avatar: The Way of Water. The sequel to the epic 2009 science fiction film is returning after quite a long wait. Avatar: The Way of Water will pick up more than a decade after the events of the first film. While the latest addition to the Avatar franchise will introduce a new host of characters in the world of Pandora, some of the original ones are definitely making a return. Given that Cameron almost took what feels like a lifetime to come up with the much-awaited sequel, it's fair that one must revisit the characters who traversed the wilds of Pandora in the first film. So, to prepare you for your return to Pandora, here's where we left the main characters of the first film.
Jake Sully
At the beginning of Avatar, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic Marine who was sent to Pandora after his identical twin brother died. A misfit in a dangerous ecosystem, Jake undergoes the most transformative journey in Pandora - literally and metaphorically. On one of his first outings into the wild in his avatar, he gets separated from his colleagues, Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), and finds himself amidst the Na'vi tribe of Pandora, Omaticaya. While the Resource Development Administration initially allows Jake to become a part of the tribe in a bid to find a peaceful solution to the question of the tribe's relocation, the resulting situation deviates from the real plan as Jake finds a sense of belonging living amidst the Omaticaya people.
When Jake's plan to convince the Omaticaya to relocate fails and the RDA proceeds with violent means, Jake is forced to pick a side. To everyone's wonder (not really), Jake picks the side of the Na'vi and assumes the position of the leader who must unite the tribes of Pandora in a battle to defend their land. After leading the Na'vi to victory in the war, Jake permanently becomes a Na'vi as he takes the help of the Omaticaya to permanently transfer his consciousness to his avatar. In The Way of Water, Jake Sully will remain at the center of the story as the sequel will follow him and his family.
Neytiri
Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) is a Na'vi of the Omaticaya tribe who plays a pivotal role in Jake's initiation into the Omaticaya. Things would have been way different for Jake had Neytiri not been stopped by Eywa from killing Jake. Neytiri is the daughter of the chief of the Omaticaya clan, and she comes across Jake in a chance encounter in the wild. Upon the presentation of the stranger in front of the clan, Neytiri is handed the responsibility of teaching Jake the ways of the Omaticaya. During the process, Neytiri falls in love with Jake but is heartbroken when she finds that Jake was aware of the eventual doom awaiting her people. Although initially, Neytiri tries to maintain a distance from Jake after this revelation, Jake's appearance as the Toruk Makto convinces her that he is the one who's going to lead the clan in times of distress. In the final moments of Avatar, Neytiri kills Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and saves Jake. The Way of Water will continue Neytiri and Jake's romance as they raise their four kids together.
Miles Quaritch
Colonel Miles Quaritch is the primary antagonist of the first film. A war-toughened veteran, Colonel Quaritch does not believe in a peaceful way of settling things with the Na'vi and always places his trust in the power of brute force. When the news of Jake's placement in the Omaticaya clan spreads through the base, he approaches Jake to ask him to serve as his mole and give him timely intel. In return, he promises Jake the healthcare he needs to be able to use his legs again. The deal between Colonel Quaritch and Jake goes awry when Jake decides to side with the Na'vi who are being brutally targeted by the Colonel and his mercenaries. In the final battle, he brings Jake to his knees but meets his end when Neytiri sends multiple arrows through his chest. Although he is shown to be dead in the climax of Avatar, it was confirmed that Stephen Lang will return as the ruthless Colonel Quaritch albeit in a different form - that of a Na'vi. The Way of Water will witness the return of the dead soldier as he has been brought to life with a new technology introduced by the RDA. This will definitely add to the conflict in the sequel as Colonel Quaritch no longer needs to resort to an AMP suit to match the strength of the Na'vi.
Dr. Norm Spellman
Just like Jake, Dr. Norm Spellman was selected for the Pandora program. However, unlike the newbie Jake, Dr. Spellman had undergone extensive training and was well aware of the ways of the Na'vi even before Jake underwent the initiation. At first, Dr. Spellman is jealous of the fact that it's the amateur Jake who gets the opportunity to interact closely with the Omaticaya. But he changes his stance soon enough and helps Jake in his initiation, teaching him the ways and language of the indigenous. He even joins Jake on the side of the Na'vi and fights in the war against the RDA's forces. In the climax, Norm is among the ones who survived the war and stays back on Pandora.
Mo'at
Mo'at (CCH Pounder) is the spiritual leader of the Omaticaya clan, also known as the Tsahik. Wife of the former clan leader Eytukan and mother of Neytiri, Mo'at interprets the will of Eywa, the deity of Pandora. She plays a crucial role in the events of the first film as she allows Jake to live with the Omaticaya and learn their ways. As much as Neytiri, Mo'at is horrified when she realizes that Jake's original plans were different. However, understanding that the Omaticaya will not survive the rampage by the outsiders without the help of Jake, she releases him and requests him to help her people if he really wants to prove that he is one among the Omaticaya. She also unsuccessfully tries to save Grace through the Na'vi ritual. But she does help Jake transfer his consciousness into his avatar. Given that Mo'at is an important figure among the Omaticaya as a result of her connection to the guiding force of life on Pandora, she can be expected to have an important part to play in The Way of Water.
Parker Selfridge
Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) is the boss man of the RDA in Avatar and handles the corporate side of things. Unlike Colonel Quaritch, Parker is only interested in the Unobtanium deposit below the Tree of Souls and does not mind reaching his goal without bloodshed. He is consistently at odds with Dr. Grace Augustine as he needs to keep an eye on the profit margins more than the scientific benefits of the research on Pandora. A true corporate man, Selfridge wants to avoid the bad press that would come with the unrestricted killing of the natives, but he is forced to make the choice for violence when he realizes that the Na'vi won’t give up the Home Tree without a fight. Even on the wrong side of the situation, he does show some remorse in blatantly killing the indigenous and gives Jake a chance to convince the Omaticaya to move. Realizing that this is something that will not happen, he hesitatingly gives Colonel Quaritch the green light to proceed with the assault on the Home Tree and the Tree of Souls. In the end, he is made to leave Pandora along with the rest of the humans, and he is also given a silent warning by Jake to never return.
Dr. Max Patel
Max Patel (Dileep Rao) was a scientist in the Avatar program and becomes Sully's man on the inside during the attack on the Home Tree. Upon Jake and Norm's arrival on Pandora, he introduces them to the Avatar program and oversees the linking of Jake to his avatar. A close associate of Dr. Grace, Max informs her that Jake is spying for Colonel Quaritch, forcing Grace to relocate the entire team to Site 26 in the Hallelujah Mountains. He also helps Captain Trudy Chacon (Michelle Rodriguez) in freeing Jake, Grace, and Norm from the RDA's captivity. Although he stayed away from the war on the ground, he's allowed to stay on Pandora, along with Norm.
Dr. Grace Augustine
Dr. Grace Augustine is a xenobotanist who serves as the head of the Avatar program. She has worked extensively on the life of the Na'vi and even wrote a book about them. Before the events of the film, she had also interacted with the Omaticaya as she previously established a school for the people. Grace shows a bit of reluctance in accepting Jake as a member of her team as a result of his Marine background and lack of training in science. However, after knowing that Jake has gained access to the Omaticaya, she understands that it could be a great way of forming ties with the indigenous. Over time, Grace forms a close bond with Jake as well. After Jake becomes a member of the Omaticaya, he helps Grace find her way back into the tribe.
Grace does not believe in the greedy motives of the RDA and is only associated with the organization to pursue her scientific endeavors. In the later part of the first film, she is wounded by Colonel Quaritch when the three members of the avatar team are trying to escape the RDA base. In an attempt to save Grace, Jake seeks the help of the Omaticaya, and Mo'at tries to save Grace by transferring her consciousness into her avatar form. Unfortunately, the attempt fails and Grace dies. But before dying, Grace does confirm to Jake that she is with Eywa. The big news is that Grace Augustine will not be returning to Way of Water, but Sigourney Weaver will in the form of the teenage daughter of Jake and Neytiri, Kiri. Although it is unknown whether Grace has some connections with Kiri, it can be said that there are some similarities between the two characters.
With new cast members such as Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, and Jemaine Clement coming with exciting new additions to the interesting character set of the Avatar franchise, it will be interesting to see how these new characters fit into the journey of the already existing ones. Given multiple films in the franchise are in the works, the number of characters will grow exponentially. It'll be interesting to see how the journey of the returning characters continues after the events of the first film and what role they'll play in the future of Pandora.