Following the events of The Way of Water, Jake Sully and Neytiri face a new threat on Pandora—not just from the sky, but from within the Na'vi themselves. They encounter the "Ash People," an aggressive volcanic clan led by the ruthless Varang, revealing a darker side to the indigenous population. As the war with the RDA intensifies and internal conflicts ignite, the Sully family must navigate treacherous fire landscapes and test the strength of their bond like never before.
Information |
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Language |
English, Na'vi |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
December 19, 2025 |
Running time |
TBD minutes |
Genre |
Sci-Fi
Action |
Budget |
$250,000,000 (Estimated) |
Box Office |
TBD (Future Release) |
Crew |
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Directed by |
James Cameron |
Produced by |
James Cameron Jon Landau |
Written by |
James Cameron Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver |
Music by |
Simon Franglen |
Cinematography |
Russell Carpenter |
Edited by |
David Brenner James Cameron John Refoua |
Production Co. |
Lightstorm Entertainment TSG Entertainment |
Distributed by |
20th Century Studios |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #03 in Avatar Collection
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The Plot
Ghost of the Past and the Scavengers
The film opens within a dream sequence, reuniting Lo'ak with his deceased brother, Neteyam, as they soar through the skies on their ikrans in a joyous ride. The reunion turns solemn when Neteyam asks how he died. Lo'ak recounts the tragic events, but Neteyam offers absolution, reassuring Lo'ak that it was not his fault, before Lo'ak detaches from the Spirit Tree and wakes. In the waking world, Jake Sully and Neytiri are still grappling with the crushing grief of losing their eldest son. While Jake tries to hold the family together, Neytiri has developed a deep-seated hatred and racism toward humans and everything they have brought to Pandora.
Meanwhile, the younger generation—Roxto, Aonung, Tsireya, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Spider—have been secretly scavenging weaponry from the wreckage of the S-76 SeaDragon, left over from the skirmish at the Three Brothers. They recover assault rifles, specifically Recom M69-ARs. This transgression upsets Olo'eyktan Tonowari and Tsahìk Ronal, who believe Jake is violating one of the Three Laws of Eywa, which forbids the use of metal from the ground. They urge Jake to return to his role as Toruk Makto, but he refuses, ominously stating, "When you ride the beast, you become the beast."
Fathers, Sons, and Forgotten Weapons
While General Frances Ardmore fumes over the loss of the SeaDragon she lent to the Recombinants, Colonel Quaritch remains fixated on vengeance against Jake. At the wreckage site, Lo'ak and Tsireya discover Neytiri’s ancestral bow, which belonged to her father Eytukan before his death in the First Pandoran War. They consider repairing it, but Lo'ak deems it too ruined and buries it in the sand. Tensions rise in the Sully household when Jake offers Neytiri explosive arrows tipped with M83 Rocket Launcher warheads; she flatly rejects the human technology. The emotional chasm widens as Lo'ak continues to blame himself for Neteyam's death, and Jake begins to doubt the will of Eywa.
One night, a terrifying incident occurs when Spider nearly suffocates because his exopack runs low on oxygen, and the family struggles to locate his spare. Shortly after, flying merchant ships arrive, signaling the presence of the Tlalim Clan, known as "The Wind Traders." Fearing for Spider's safety, Jake and Neytiri suggest he travel with the traders back to High Camp to live with the allied humans of the Resistance. Kiri, who shares a profound bond with Spider, and Lo'ak, terrified of losing another brother, protest vehemently. A compromise is reached: Jake and Neytiri will accompany Spider and the convoy on the journey to High Camp.
Ambush by the Ash People
The journey turns catastrophic when the Wind Traders' convoy is swarmed by the Mangkwan Clan, also known as "The Ash People." Led by their vicious Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk, Varang, this aggressive clan attacks with burning arrows, fire bombs, and kamikaze tactics. Peylak, the leader of the Wind Traders, is killed along with many of his people. The Ash People ruthlessly loot the ships and sadistically execute the survivors. In the chaos, Jake, Neytiri, and the children survive but are separated. Before they lose contact, Lo'ak defies his father's previous orders and uses a machine gun to kill several Mangkwan warriors, proving his combat capability despite his father viewing him as irresponsible.
The Capture and Neytiri's Fall
Following the skirmish, the RDA initiates a wide-range search. Recom Quaritch and Wainfleet, dispatched to arrest Jake and retrieve Spider, eventually corner Jake as he searches for his family. They arrest him with the intent of taking him to Bridgehead City. However, upon learning from Jake that Spider has lost his backup oxygen mask and is at risk of suffocation, the group shifts focus to find the boy. During a violent confrontation with Varang, Neytiri is pierced in the left shoulder by an arrow and falls from her ikran into the forest below. Though gravely injured, she manages to mount her ikran, which carries her to High Camp. There, she receives emergency treatment from her mother, Mo'at, and human scientists led by Norm Spellman.
The Breath of Pandora
Deep in the forest, Spider collapses from asphyxiation as his exopack finally runs out of charge while fleeing the Ash People. Kiri, acting on powerful intuition, connects her queue to the ground and places a woodsprite into Spider's mouth, pushing it down his throat. As Eywa's vines envelop his body, a physiological transformation occurs: Spider gains the miraculous ability to breathe Pandora's toxic atmosphere naturally.
Uneasy Alliances and Escape
The group is eventually trapped by the Ash People. Varang displays a fascination with the modern firearms. Quaritch, Wainfleet, and Jake arrive, observing from a distance. To save Spider, Quaritch forms a temporary truce with Jake, removing his handcuffs and arming him with a knife. Quaritch reveals himself to the Mangkwan, demonstrating the power of a machine gun to force a standoff. He grabs Varang, but she subtly forms a neural connection with him, incapacitating him and allowing the Ash People to regain control. Forced to teach Varang how to use assault rifles, the humans are in a precarious position until Kiri uses her connection with Eywa to command a plant with projectile thorns, killing several fighters and creating a distraction for their escape.
That night, while the group rests, enemies become temporary confidents; Jake and Quaritch share a friendly exchange where Jake attempts to make the Colonel realize the true danger the RDA poses to Pandora. By morning, a rescue party from High Camp—including Tarsem, Norm, and Neytiri—locates them. Taking advantage of the confusion, Quaritch and Wainfleet flee unnoticed, returning to the RDA.
The Secret of the Mycelium
Spider's new ability becomes known to both the Resistance and the RDA. Parker Selfridge immediately sees the value in abducting Spider to advance colonization efforts. Scientists at High Camp discover that a mycelium organism planted inside Spider allows him to process the air, a trait that could be reverse-engineered to allow all humans to breathe on Pandora. However, removing it would kill him. Amidst these revelations, Kiri learns from Mo'at and Jake that she is a clone of Grace Augustine’s avatar and has no father. Realizing Spider is a target, Jake decides to move the family back to Awa'atlu for safety, overruling Neytiri, who argues that Spider is a liability they should abandon.
Exile, Outcast, and Despair
On the Eastern Sea, Mick Scoresby resumes his cruel tulkun hunting. At the Metkayina village, Ronal continues Neytiri's medical treatment. Spider, having grown a queue, bonds with an ilu. The clan holds a council meeting with the tulkun, concluding that the outcast Payakan must remain exiled for life for violating the Tulkun Way. Lo'ak protests furiously in front of the clan. In the ensuing argument, Jake suggests Lo'ak bears fault for Neteyam's death. Devastated, Lo'ak flees to an isolated area and attempts suicide with a rifle. He ultimately refrains, and is found by Kiri and Tsireya, who comfort him in his darkest moment.
The Dark Pact
Quaritch interrogates various clans for Spider’s location without success. Changing tactics, he and Wainfleet travel to the Mangkwan village. Quaritch strikes a deal with the Ash People, supplying them with automatic weapons and flamethrowers, promising that together they can subjugate all other clans. A romantic relationship develops between Quaritch and Varang as they solidify their alliance. Varang uses her unique queue ability to torture a reef Na'vi, extracting the location of Jake and Spider.
The Fall of Awa'atlu
Back at Awa'atlu, Lo'ak and Tsireya repair Neytiri’s ancestral bow. When Lo'ak presents it to his mother, they share a reconciling embrace. Acting on a hint from Tsireya, Lo'ak ventures out to find Payakan, followed by Tsireya, Aonung, and Rotxo. While Spider and Kiri share their first kiss in the forest, they are ambushed by Varang, Quaritch, and Wainfleet. Spider lures them away to allow Kiri to escape but is captured.
An RDA fleet, bolstered by the Mangkwan army, attacks Awa'atlu. Quaritch orders troops to set fire to the village. To stop the destruction, Jake surrenders. He and Spider are taken to Bridgehead City—now the residence of the Mangkwan—to face execution by firing squad for betraying the human race.
Infiltration and Chaos at Bridgehead
As hundreds of tulkun gather for the "Calf Communion," an event the RDA plans to exploit for millions in Amrita, biologist Ian Garvin tries futilely to protest. At Bridgehead, Jake is imprisoned in a glass cage while Spider undergoes research. Neytiri, desperate to save her husband, disguises herself as a Mangkwan warrior. She steals a special pager to infiltrate the city unnoticed. She confronts Varang, nearly killing her, and uses the very explosive arrows she once rejected to trigger massive explosions across the city.
Ian Garvin steals a bulldozer to smash Jake’s cage, freeing him. Meanwhile, Spider uses his father’s dog tags to unscrew a panel and escape his cell. Recognizing his value as a research subject prevents the RDA from shooting him, Spider acts as a human shield for Jake, and they escape the base to reunite with Neytiri.
I See You
Safe by a stream, the adrenaline fades, leaving a grim reality. Jake, fearing the consequences if humanity gains the ability to breathe on Pandora, takes Spider to a secluded spot. He sorrowfully considers killing the boy, assuring Spider he loves him as a son. Neytiri, washing the red paint from her body, sees it as blood on her hands. Reminded of Neteyam and realizing she is descending into the same darkness as Varang, she rushes to intervene. She stops Jake and tells Spider, "I See You," finally accepting him as a true part of the family.
Toruk Makto Returns
Jake reclaims the mantle of Toruk Makto to mobilize the clans. The tulkun council initially refuses to fight, citing their pacifist morals. However, Lo'ak arrives with Payakan and Ta'nok, the sole survivor of a human attack on his clan. Their testimony sways the council, and the tulkun agree to join the war.
Battle at the Cove of the Ancestors
The following day, General Ardmore fires Quaritch for his failures. A massive human fleet engages the coalition of Na'vi and tulkun. The RDA ships are decimated, but the Mangkwan counter-attack on ikrans, inflicting heavy casualties. Rotxo is killed in the fighting. Ronal, fatally wounded, dies in childbirth; Neytiri saves her newborn baby, Pril. Jake takes an arrow to the left leg, while Varang captures Neytiri and Tuk. Amidst the chaos, Mick Scoresby meets his end when a tulkun drowns him.
The Power of Eywa
Kiri and Spider, now a couple, unlock the full power of Eywa to control the wildlife, turning the ocean against the RDA submarines. Lo'ak provides covering fire while Kiri rescues Neytiri and Tuk, frightening Varang away by attaching her queue to the Ash chieftain. Above, Jake battles on the Factory Ship. His Great Leonopteryx, acting independently, flings a C-21 Dragon gunship into the "Flux Devil," a magnetic anomaly. The impact cripples the Factory Ship, disabling its engines. As the ship drifts into the magnetic field, Ardmore orders an evacuation, but the magnetic force rips the vessel apart, killing her in the explosion.
Redemption and the Spirit Tree
The wreckage leaves Jake, Quaritch, and Spider stranded on floating rocks above an inferno. Spider shoots Quaritch in the arm with a crossbow to protect Jake but falls from the debris. Quaritch catches him, and Jake reluctantly pulls both of them to safety. Neytiri arrives with an escort. Realizing his defeat and refusing to let his Recom body die a "human death" like his previous self, Quaritch throws himself off the rock into the fire below.
In the final scene, Spider connects to the underwater Spirit Tree with the clan. He accesses the memories of the fallen: Tsu'tey, Eytukan, Grace Augustine, Neteyam, Rotxo, and Ronal. Kiri assures him that his spirit will live in Eywa forever. The clan formally initiates him as a Na'vi. The camera zooms out, revealing the vast, glowing neural network of Eywa spreading across all of Pandora.
