Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of WaterAvatar: The Way of Water is, by any measurement, a resounding victory for cinema. James Cameron took thirteen years to release the sequel to 2009’s Avatar, and the extended development time paid off. The Way of Water is even prettier than the first movie, has action set pieces that surpass the original, and has a story anchored in layered characters and emotional growth. On top of all that, The Way of Water expands on Cameron’s alien mythology, showing the new corner of the moon of Pandora, filled to the brink with wildlife and cultural landmarks.
There’s so much packed in three hours that Cameron could have easily split the story of The Way of Water into multiple installments. So, if you came out of theaters feeling overwhelmed, we got your back. Let’s break down the main events of Avatar: The Way of Water and explain everything that happened during the film’s explosive ending.
What Have Jake and Neytiri Been Doing?
At the end of the first Avatar, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) helps the Na’vi defeat the military forces of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). After their victory, the Na’vi kick most humans out of Pandora, which allows the native people to enjoy a new period of peace at the paradisiac moon. In the fifteen years that follow Avatar, Jake and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) begin a family, birthing two sons – Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) – and a daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li). The couple also has adopted Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), a girl who was mysteriously gestated in the womb of Dr. Grace’s (Weaver) deactivated avatar. Finally, there’s Spider (Jack Champion), a boy born in Pandora who couldn’t be sent home because cryogeny is dangerous to babies. Spider grew amidst Na’vi culture and developed a deep affection for Jake and Neytiri’s children.
Who Are the Main Villains in 'The Way of Water'?
Together, the Sullys lead their Na’vi tribe and learn what happiness truly means. However, fifteen years after their victory against humans, the colonizers return to Pandora, bringing war and destruction. Jake leads the Na’vi into fierce battles against humans the following year, disrupting their supply chains and trying to contain their exploration of native life. Unfortunately, the humans came prepared to face the Na’vi and brought their own team of avatars to hunt Jake and his family. This new team, known as Recombinants, is formed by avatar bodies hosting the memories of fallen warriors, such as Quaritch, who comes back from the dead to kill Jake and snuff out the Na’vi rebellion.
Why Does the Sully Family Leave the Forests of Pandora?
To get to Jake, Quaritch goes after the warrior's children, almost killing some of them in his vicious attack. While everyone gets out unscathed, Spider is kidnapped by Quaritch. As it turns out, Spider is the son of Quaritch, and even if the Colonel’s Recombinant says he doesn’t have affection for the boy, they begin to bond. Spider also proves crucial to Quaritch’s revenge, as the boy can teach him the native customs and tongue, giving him a tactical advantage.
To protect his family from Quaritch, Jake decides that the Sullys should escape and hide among a different tribe. Their escape would also protect the rest of their tribe since they are the primary target for Quaritch. So, the Sullys take shelter in the Metkayina clan, also known as the Reef People. There, they must learn the way of water and forge a new home.
Who Are the Sully's New Clan?
The second act of Avatar: The Way of Water occurs at the Metkayina village. While the Sullys might be mighty warriors in the jungle, they are utterly ignorant of the Reef People's customs. So, they must learn how to ride new animals and which creatures are sacred in their culture. For instance, the members of the Metkayina clan create soul bonds with Tulkuns, gigantic beasts that resemble Earth whales.
What are Tulkuns?
The Tulkuns are highly intelligent, can communicate with Na’vi, and are sensitive creatures. They also have a culture of their own, preaching peace above everything else. Lo’ak is the only member of the Sully family to bond with a Tulkun, an outcast named Paykan. Paykan tried to get revenge on the humans that killed his mother, leading an assault against a whaler. The assault fails, and many Tulkuns and Na’vi die. Paykan is held responsible for their deaths, and since he betrayed his people’s culture by waging war, he’s now doomed to swim alone in the ocean. That is until Lo’ak helps the gentle giant by removing a spear stuck in his fin.
Killing a Tulkun is the same as attacking one of the Metkayina themselves, a provocation that can lead to war. Sadly, the Tulkuns are the only source of Amrita, a liquid extract from their brains that can halt human aging. This new substance is what’s funding the recent colonization efforts at Pandora. When Quaritch is hunting Jake, he finds out his enemy has been hiding in an archipelago that hosts dozens of Na’vi tribes. So, the general starts to search each village, burning houses, beating up tribe leaders, and killing innocent animals. When this strategy doesn’t work, Quaritch decides to bring Jake to him. The Colonel takes control of a whaler and orders the crew to hunt a Tulkun inside the Metkayina territory.
How Does Quaritch Capture the Na'vi Kids?
The death of a protected Tulkun is the last straw that pushes the Metkayina to war, but Jake still tries to convince everybody to stand down. The clan decided to warn the Tulkuns about the human attacks to keep them safe while avoiding conflict. Lo’ak warns Paykan, knowing he’s an outcast and won't hear from other Tulkuns. Lo’ak is followed by his siblings and the children of the Metkayina leader, Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), and the whole group encounters Quaritch, who’s leading a hunt against Paykan.
Jake and Tonowari rally the Metkayina troops to rescue the children, but they get there too late. By the time Na’vi reinforces arrive, Quaritch has already taken Lo’ak, Tuk, and Tsireya (Bailey Bass) hostage. The Colonel’s only demand is for Jake to turn himself alone. Jake is ready to follow the Colonel’s orders, but at the last moment, Paykan attacks the whaler to save Lo’ak. And in the chaos that ensues, the Na’vi find the perfect opportunity to destroy the humans.
Who Dies in the Final Battle of 'The Way of Water'?
The biggest battle sequence of Avatar: The Way of Water happens right at the end. During the battle, Jake and Tonowari lead the Na’vi against the whaler's crew while Paykan attacks from below the water. Neteyam climbs aboard the whaler to save his siblings and Tsireya, but instead of leading everyone to safety, he’s enlisted by Lo’ak to save Spider. They manage to rescue their human companion, but Neteyam is shot in the confrontation. Neteyam’s death drowns the Sullys in pain. Even so, since Quaritch manages to keep Tuk and Kiri as hostages, Jake and Neytiri turn their sadness into hate and attack the Colonel’s forces all by themselves.
Jake and Neytiri kill the Colonel’s troops one by one until Quaritch is the last man standing. To protect himself, Quaritch grabs Kiri and puts a knife in her neck. Driven by grief, Neytiri does the same with Spider. At first, Quaritch calls Neytiri’s bluff, but when the Na’vi warrior cuts the human boy’s chest, the Colonel releases Kiri. Everyone is safe and sound, but Jake decides to end the struggle by taking down the Colonel. The two avatars fight to their deaths in a sinking ship, trapped inside a flooding chamber. As for Neytiri’, she gets sucked into the ship after Tuk slips inside a shaft. Despite feeling like his father always treated Neteyam as his favorite son, Lo’ak goes to Jake’s rescue, showing how he learned the way of water and using the Metkayina teachings to save them. Meanwhile, Kiri uses her special connection to Eywa to ask a school of luminescent fish to light the way to her mother and sister. And just like that, Kiri and Lo’ak become heroes, saving their families from drowning.
What Will 'Avatar 3' Be About?
After the battle at the whaler, Neteyam is buried close to the Metkayina Tree of Life. Tonowari also greets the Sullys as one of their own, giving the family the People of the Reef title. Before the credits roll, Jake promises to make his final stand in the ocean. The humans will attack the Na’vi after the whaler’s destruction, and the people of Pandora must unite to defeat the invaders once more. Quaritch is also alive at the movie’s end after being saved by Spider. Spider despises Quaritch’s military actions and wants to remain with the Na’vi. Still, he just couldn’t let his father die. That means Avatar 3 will probably be about the last duel of Jake and Quaritch, as the two warriors decide the fate of Pandora.