‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Ending Explained (& Does It Have a Post-Credit Scene?)
Welcome to the Ending Explained for Avatar: The Way of Water, the latest James Cameron film. The film arrived thirteen years after the release of the first film, which completely revolutionized the film industry. The film continues the story of Jake Sully, and Neytiri. Now, the parents of several children, Jake and Neytiri, try to start a new life far from the forest after the humans return to Pandora, with Colonel Quaritch looking for vengeance after his death in the first film.
Avatar: The Way of Water proves once again that Cameron and his entire team are at the peak of their game. The film is an experience unlike anything you have ever seen in the theater. The movie boasts visual effects that are even more impressive than the ones in the first film and that really deliver Pandora as a place that feels real and breathes in every single shot. The story is also wonderful, with Cameron focusing a lot more on the old and new characters to expand the thematic richness of the now-famous franchise. We can’t wait to see the future sequels set in this magnificent world.
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water. Read at your own risk.
How Does Colonel Quaritch Return From The Dead?
As we remember from the previous film, the humans were forced to leave Pandora after they tried to destroy the Tree of Souls, one of the most sacred places for the Na’vi. After this event, Jake tells us how he and Neytiri built a family and became the parents of a wonderful group of kids. Among them, we can find Neteyam, Lo’ak, and Tuk. These three are natural-born children between Jake and Neytiri. Meanwhile, they adopted Kiri, a girl born from Grace’s avatar. Her origins are a mystery, and Kiri resembles her mother very much, both physically and mentally.
The family has also allowed a boy named Spider to become close to them. Spider is human, and he is the son of Miles Quaritch, the villain from the first movie. He became stuck in Pandora as a toddler and was raised by both the scientists who remained after the cull and Jake’s family. He wants to be a Na’vi. Neytiri finds it hard to get close to the boy, knowing whose son he is. However, Spider has become a true brother of Neteyam, and the others. Spider also has a clear romantic interest in Kiri, who seems to share as well.
Jake’s family peace is interrupted when spaceships arrive once again on Pandora, human ships. The ships carry not only new humans looking to exploit the natural resources of Pandora, but they also carry with them Colonel Quaritch and his entire team. All of them were killed in the previous movie but are now resurrected in avatar bodies. Quaritch and his team don’t remember their deaths, as their mental backups were done before it. But Quaritch tells himself in a video tells himself that he will probably be looking for revenge on Jake Sully if he manages to get killed.
Quaritch and his team land on Pandora. We are told that this time, human presence on Pandora goes beyond the simple exploit of Pandora’s resources, but also as the first wave to make the planet into the new home for humanity. This is quite alarming. Jake and his Na’vi begin a guerrilla war against the humans, but it all comes apart when Quaritch arrives and catches Jake’s kids. Most of them manage to escape, except for Spider, whom Quaritch recognizes as the son of the previous Quaritch.
Jake knows that Quaritch is after them only, so he makes the hard choice of leaving the forest so that his people remain safe. Neytiri and the kids are not very happy about the decision, but they understand that staying would be putting everyone else at risk. So they leave.
What Is The Deal With Kiri’s Powers?
The family arrives, seeking asylum from the Metkayina’s clan, a tribe that inhabits the coast of Pandora. They are sea people, and they have evolved to be able to remain for long periods of time inside the water. Their tails have the shape of a fin, so they can move in the water much quicker. Lo’ak and the rest of the children have a hard time getting used to their new home, but they manage to do it. Lo’ak even meets Tsireya, the chief’s daughter, and they have an immediate connection. Lo’ak also makes friends with a Tuluk, a giant sea creature.
However, it is Kiri, who discovers something beyond herself when she arrives at their new home. Kiri has always felt different; she even says she can listen to the heartbeat of Eywa, their deity. Kiri develops the ability to control other beings in the ocean, and her ability to remain in the water without breathing surpasses her siblings’ by much. When she connects herself to the Tree of Souls in this location, she has a seizure, and Norm and Max tell Jake she might be having epilepsy. However, Kiri even meets Grace inside Eywa. It is clear she has abilities beyond everyone’s comprehension.
Quaritch and his team arrive with Spider at the coast village after having destroyed a number of other villages looking for Jake and his family. This is the third act of the film, and there is a huge battle that ends up paying off the numerous setups that were made throughout the film. In the end, we see that Quaritch has softened quite a bit from his previous version. When Neytiri holds Spider at point-blade, Quaritch steps down. Sadly, Jake’s oldest son, Neteyam, dies during the battle. Spider saves Quaritch but doesn’t go with him. He goes back to Jake, and he recognizes him as another son of his.
The movie ends with Neteyam’s funeral as he is returned to Eywa. It is a very sad moment, but let’s not forget that Eywa is a god who actually exists and provides his followers with a proper afterlife. The last scene of the movie is Jake and Neytiri sharing a moment with his dead son, who has returned to Eywa. Meanwhile, Kiri is clearly a form of Jesus Christ in the world of Pandora. She was conceived with no father in a body that was already dead. You could say that she is the Avatar of Eywa, and we will see her become stronger with her abilities as future movies move the story forward.