Avatar: The Way of Water provided a worthy continuation to the world of Pandora, introduced meticulously by James Cameron 14 years ago. While the essence of the franchise’s two heroes, Jake and Neytiri, carried over from one movie to the other, there were a few new elements to their clan that brought their own special kind of magic to the story.
Viewers last saw the couple happily mated for life at the end of Avatar after stopping the Resources Development Administration — led by Colonel Quaritch — from violently occupying Pandora. Beyond the introduction of the Metkayina, an aquatic Na’vi clan who live in Pandora’s reefs, the biggest change to the couple’s lives in The Way of Water came via the introduction of a few fresh mini-mes.
Jake Sully and Neytiri’s kids, biological and adopted
In the years between the 2009 movie and its 2022 sequel, Jake and Neytiri added five members to their family, some biological children, and some adopted. Speaking to Empire, director James Cameron explained why it was important to give his protagonists a family in this second installment.
“I look around – I don’t want to specifically say the Marvel Universe, or the DC Universe – at current fantasy and science-fiction and all these heroes seem unbound in the mire of relationships, the stuff that pulls you down and clips your wings, that stops you running around and risking your life. I thought, ‘What if I take these incredible characters of Jake and Neytiri and give them a family?’ That gives them feet of clay right there.”
Miles ‘Spider’ Socorro
Spider, whose nickname comes from his natural ability to climb, is a human teenager who is like a brother to the Sully children. He was born in Hell’s Gate, the base for all human colonial operations, and is 16 at the start of The Way of Water. Spider’s mom, Paz Socorro, died in the final battle in Avatar, and his dad, Colonel Quaritch — the villain of both films — was killed by Neytiri. Orphaned, and too small to be sent back to Earth, Spider was taken in by humans Nash and Mary McCosker, but always preferred to be with the Na’vi in Pandora, particularly Jake and Neytiri’s children.
They grew up together and became like siblings, but Neytiri always found it difficult to separate Spider from the rest of the human species, for which she naturally held contempt, due to the trauma from past hostilities. The matriarch’s anxieties are somewhat confirmed when Colonel Quaritch is essentially brought back to life through a Recombinant (human/Na’vi hybrid soldier), who has been implanted with the man’s memories and personality traits.
Spider is played by Jack Champion, best known for his role in 2018’s The Night Sitter.
Kiri
Kiri is Jake and Neytiri’s adopted 14-year-old daughter. Although we know Kiri is the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s avatar, little is known yet about her origins, including the identity of her father. In The Way of Water, she is portrayed as having a strong connection with Eywa, Avatar‘s version of Mother Nature, as she’s able to feel and communicate with her to a degree. In the film, Kiri tells her adoptive father that she “feels her,” and can “hear her heartbeat.” As Grace died at the Tree of Souls, meeting Eywa in the process, fans have speculated that Kiri could either be directly related to the powerful entity or a reincarnation of Sigourney Weaver’s character.
Like her siblings, Kiri is also part avatar, which is why she has eyebrows and five fingers (the real Na’vi only have four). She and Spider share a special bond based on their family history and separation from their biological parents, but Kiri is also very close with her baby sister Tuk. She is played by Avatar returnee Sigourney Weaver, who played Grace in the first movie.
Neteyam, Lo’ak, and Tuktirey
Neteyam, Lo’ak, and Tuktirey are Jake and Neytiri’s biological children. Neteyam is their oldest son, Lo’ak is the younger brother, and Tuktirey is the couple’s youngest daughter.
Neteyam is 15 in The Way of Water, and — as Jake and Neytiri’s oldest son — he is next in line to lead the Omaticaya. Because of Neteyam’s dutiful personality, which inspires trust and a level of preference in his parents, Lo’ak is incredibly jealous of him, and the two often clash. He’s played by British actor Jamie Flatters.
14-year-old Lo’ak is a stand-out character in The Way of Water. He’s the rebellious son, always getting scolded by his parents, and even putting his siblings in danger thanks to his hunger for adventure. He’s also the only of Jake and Neytiri’s biological children with eyebrows and five fingers, like avatars. As a result, he feels misunderstood and singled out, leading in him to act out.
After moving to Awa’atlu, Lo’ak is rescued by a tulkun, a sentient whale-like creature from Pandora, named Payakan. The two bond, but the leader of the Metkayina clan, Tonowari, tells Lo’ak that Payakan has been exiled from his pack for murdering someone, something which is not allowed among its species. He is played by Britain Dalton, best known for playing a young Nathan Drake in the video game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
As for Tuktirey, she 7 years-old in The Way of Water, and is referred to by her nickname “Tuk”. She is the baby of the family, always eager to go on adventures with her siblings, and curious about the world around her. She is played by The Garcias‘ Trinity Bliss.
The Sully family’s relationship, explained
Despite differences in background and personality, the Sully children are close, as they play and swim together, stick up for each other, and try to help one another when needed. In The Way of Water, they are very much set up as the next generation of Avatar, and the center characters of the three future films James Cameron has planned.
Sam Worthington, who plays Jake, spoke to Empire about how his character’s military background clashes with Neytiri’s pacifist nature, as they decide how to raise their children.
“Jake comes from the point of view of being a Marine and leans into that way of thinking because that’s what was ingrained in him about surviving. Pacifism and militarism are definitely going to come clashing.”
The addition of Jake and Neytiri’s children into the world of Avatar instantly sprouts a number of exciting possibilities for the future of the franchise.
Avatar: The Way of Water is available to rent, buy, or watch now on Disney Plus and Max.