It’s the Avatar: The Way of Water day!
After a criminally long and painstaking 13 years, James Cameron is back with Avatar: The Way of Water, the sequel to his 2009 mega blockbuster Avatar. Set over a decade later, the epic sci-fi film brings back several cast members from the original offering, like Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña.
Avatar: The Way of Water sees Worthington’s Jake Sully and Saldaña’s Neytiri having “a family of pre-teens and teenagers,” as said by Cameron in a September interview. Their five children include Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), and Spider (Jake Champion).
To note, Neteyam and Lo’ak are Jake and Neytiri's biological sons; Tuk is their daughter, while Kiri and Spider are their adopted children.
Now, it is not known how the biological clock of the Na'vi tribe works or how the year went for Pandora. However, going by the promotional materials for Avatar: The Way of Water, we know that the youngest of Jake and Neytiri's children is an 8-year-old and we can assume that the eldest might be around 15 years of age.
Meet the children of Avatar: The Way of Water’s protagonists
1) Neteyam - Jake and Neytiri's firstborn
Since Neteyam is Jake-Neytiri's firstborn, the couple has raised him to lead by example. Jake wants his (biological) eldest son to take over the mantle from him and be the leader of the Na'vi Omaticaya clan after his death.
Since Neteyam was born shortly after the Avatar events, he must be around 14 or 15 years old. His role in Avatar: The Way of Water won’t end that happily if reports are to be believed, but it will be significant.
2) Lo’ak - Underdog who rises to the occasion
Neteyam’s younger brother, Lo’ak, has been shown as an underdog in the promotional materials of Avatar: The Way of Water. Termed as his family’s ‘golden child,’ Lo’ak should be around 13-14 years old as he looks of a similar age to Neteyam.
Lo’ak is the only one among Jake and Neytiri's biological children to have human features with five fingers and eyebrows, which is why he feels like an outcast.
It seems Lo’ak has a bigger part to play in Avatar: The Way of Water compared to Neteyam, as he breaks his insecurities, rises to the occasion, and ultimately proves his worth. Post-credits of the recently-released theatrical version of Avatar shows Lo’ak getting rescued by Payakan, Pandora’s sentient whale-like creature.
The teenager also has some connection with the Metkayina clan (led by Cliff Curtis’ Tonowari) and apparently develops a romantic interest with someone from there in Avatar: The Way of Water.
3) Tuk - Playful pre-teenager
Tuktirey or Tuk is Jake and Neytiri's youngest child who is an eight-year-old. Described as playful and somewhat mischievous, the girl is extremely close to her sister Kiri and mother.
In a 2019 interview, Cameron shared that there will be “a three-page argument scene between Jake and Neytiri,” which will be shown from Tuk’s perspective.
“There's a three-page argument scene between Jake and Neytiri, a marital dispute, very, very critical to the storyline. I wound up shooting it all from the point of view of the 8-year-old hiding under the structure and peeking in.”
4) Kiri - Grace Augustine's daughter
Kiri took birth from Grace Augustine's inert Na'vi avatar and her father's identity isn't known yet. The second oldest among the five siblings, Kiri is roughly 14 years old.
In one particular footage for Avatar: The Way of Water, Kiri is seen saying “hi, ma,” to Grace’s avatar body stored in a water tank, underlining the spiritual connection between them. Like Jake, she has human features, making her part avatar, part human.
5) Spider - Colonel Miles Quaritch-Paz Socorr's son
Miles “Spider” Socorro aka Spider was born in Hell's Gate (Pandora’s human base as shown in the first film). The teenager has a strong bond with Kiri. Son of Avatar’s Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the late Paz Socorro, Spider is of Neteyam’s age.
Though Jake and Neytiri have taken him in, they are also wary of his presence, given his lineage. However, several clips show Spider happily mingling with Pandora's inhabitants while fighting his own anxieties.
Avatar: The Way of Water producer Jon Landau has confirmed that Spider will be the main driver behind the visual spectacle, and the character is expected to appear in the other three sequels, too.