This article contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of WaterJames Cameron is truly a genius filmmaker. One of the best things he did for the much-anticipated sequel to Avatar (2009) was introduce the audience to so many new characters. It kept the story interesting and fresh by filling the screen with characters we haven’t seen before, and actually giving them complex stories and plot lines. Giving Jake Sully and Neytiri five kids might have seemed like too many, but Cameron structured it in such a way that they all balanced one another out. Although, some say that James Cameron’s history with writing children is often used as ammunition for a tragic ending, which is also the case in Avatar: The Way of Water. Still, the band of characters in this movie is memorable and worth the hype that has gathered around them. Here’s a list of every major character from The Way of Water, ranked.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 Quaritch
20th Century Studios
Coming in at dead last is Quaritch for seemingly obvious reasons. If there was one positive thing to say about him, it would be that he is a great villain for the Avatar franchise, simply because of how ruthless and unhinged he is throughout both movies. In the first Avatar, Quaritch becomes vengeful because of Jake’s betrayal toward him, so that definitely drives him this time around. Not only that, but once he watches the footage of himself being killed by Neytiri, he becomes scared, and in response to feeling that way, he’s out for blood.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Spider
20th Century Fox
Following in the footsteps of his dad, Spider ranks pretty low on the list. He had potential in the beginning, since he was raised by the Sully family, but proves to be a controversial character the longer the movie progresses. It is understandable that Spider would feel some sort of guilt toward his dad after he saved his life from the hands of Neytiri, but did he really have to go against his entire family? The family that took him in when they really didn’t have to? And then not say a word about it?
8 Ronal and Tonowari
Roan and Tonowari are a nice addition to the sequel, making it interesting to see how they take care of their people of the water. Tonowari is more easy going and accepting, like Jake, while Ronal is more suspicious and cautious, like Neytiri. One of the best scenes is when Ronal helps Kiri when the young girl has an underwater seizure; Ronal performing a healing ritual even though she wasn’t sold on the Sullys living in her home.
7 Tuk
Tuk is very much the little sister that demands to be taken everywhere with her older siblings, even if it puts them in harm’s way; and we love her for it. She’s the youngest of the Sully family and everyone looks out for her, even if her brothers bring her along to places that she definitely shouldn’t be at. It makes her role as the youngest sister that much more believable, and it’s great to see what characteristics she has of both her parents.
6 Tsireya
Tsireya was a great addition to the franchise, and a perfect love interest for Lo’ak, telling him that she sees him, which is an endearing phrase for the Avatar people. Not only that, but since Lo’ak feels so alone, Tsireya is there to remind him that she’s there with him, and she truly sees him for who he is. She’s also just a kind-hearted character that accepts the Sullys right away, teaching them how to swim, and helping them adapt to their new home.
5 Jake Sully
Yes, Jake is lower than most of his children on this list, but it makes sense when you compare him to the other characters that are more appealing. In this movie, we get to see how Jake is as a dad, and some might say he’s doing a bad job at it, so far. He puts a lot of responsibility on his children, especially Neteyam, and showcases an old-school way of parenting; having his kids call him sir and having them “fall in” when they all needed to talk. It does hit extra hard that Neteyam died thinking that his father wasn’t proud of him.
4 Neteyam
Neteyam is the oldest son, so in return, he has an extreme amount of weight and responsibilities to carry around with him. From what we saw of Neteyam, he’s most like Neytiri in a sense that he’s more level-headed than his brother and father. Neteyam is a great character because of how he acts as the oldest brother and sibling, often taking the brunt of Jake’s disappointment, and also the blame for whatever Lo’ak has gotten himself into. Especially when the entire family has to move to a different tribe, and he still has to be the face of responsibility and a perfect son when things are turned upside down.
3 Lo’ak
20th Century Fox/Lightstorm Entertainment
Since Neteyam is so much like Neytiri, there’s no doubt that Lo’ak is a carbon copy of Jake. His mannerisms, the way he taunts the other kids, and even his speech is a copy-and-paste of his father, so it makes sense that the two knock heads often. Lo’ak feels like the black sheep of the family, not fitting in with his siblings and also lacking the positive attention from his father. He proves to be a good kid though, as he makes friends with Payakan, the outcast Tulkun.
2 Kiri
Kiri is the daughter that Jake and Neytiri adopted after Grace died in the first movie. She proves to have Jake’s smart mouth and Grace’s intellect, as she fights and struggles with being different from the other members of her family. She’s very in-tuned with nature, like Grace was, but also has an emotional side, as she wishes she knew who were biological father was. It seems that Kiri is going to play an even bigger role in the third movie, so it’s exciting to see where her character will go from here.
1 Neytiri
In Avatar: The Way of Water, Neytiri deals with a lot, in rapid succession. First, she has to leave her home after promising her deceased father that she would watch over her people, and she feels an enormous amount of guilt for that. And then her oldest son is shot and killed by the hands of the sky people, her biggest enemy. Her range of emotions from watching him die, openly sobbing to turning her emotions off when Jake tells her that Quaritch has their daughters, is amazing. Neytiri is the best character in this movie by far, and it’s because of how much she goes through in such a short amount of time.
