All 3 Avatar Movies Ranked, Worst to Best

James Cameron’s Avatar movies are a breathtaking cinematic experience, and after three installments, it’s hard to see the sci-fi franchise going away any time soon. Avatar (2009) introduces the captivating world of Pandora, where paraplegic former United States Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) inhabits the body of a Na’vi avatar while working for Earth’s Resources Development Administration (RDA) to colonize the moon. After growing close to the Na’vi in Pandora’s forest region, Jake rebels against Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the occupiers, becoming a permanent member of the Na’vi. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) see Jake and his partner Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) start a family, meet new Na’vi tribes, and protect their loved ones and home from the resurrected Quaritch and the threat of the RDA.

Revered for its trailblazing use of motion capture technology and detailed CGI, Cameron’s Avatar trilogy has also grossed over $5 billion combined at the global box office. The films contain their fair share of flaws, but they all succeed as wondrous spectacles worth watching on the biggest screen possible in 3D. One of the Avatar movies is better than the other two, and they are all ranked from worst to best below.

3) Avatar

There’s no denying that Avatar was a groundbreaking work of cinema when it opened in theaters. However, the last 16 years have only amplified the movie’s weaknesses. A cookie-cutter narrative severely lacking in character depth, Avatar doesn’t take the best approach to an anti-imperialist and pro-environmentalist tale. On the one hand, it’s easy to root for the Na’vi, who risk losing their resources and homes to the Earth-born colonizers. But on the other hand, Avatar feels like an overly simplistic white savior story akin to Dances with Wolves. Three-dimensional characters are hard to come by in Avatar, which develops important figures like Neytiri and Quaritch through superficial traits. Jake’s life-altering experience on Pandora is fascinating at times, but those around him are far too easy to forget.

On the bright side, Jake’s time spent exploring Pandora as an avatar includes some exciting scenes, such as his first flight on a banshee and his early encounters with Neytiri. The final battle against the RDA delivers heart-racing action, leading to a satisfying ending. Still, Avatar isn’t that remarkable anymore. The visuals were ahead of their time, but the film doesn’t look nearly as good today compared to the more recent Avatar installments. Because Avatar can no longer lean on its technical achievements, the film has aged as a mediocre piece of storytelling.

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2) Avatar: Fire and Ash

Rinse and repeat defines much of Avatar: Fire and Ash, but not all of its components fall flat. Once again, the franchise brings outstanding visuals to the big screen, heightened by thrilling 3D effects. There are tons of epic battles, both in the air and on the ground, in Fire and Ash, and they look absolutely terrific. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. Fire and Ash is dreadfully overlong, and its plot meanders excessively once it passes the one-hour mark. The film repeats the same scenario of characters being captured, escaping, and initiating a major battle. It’s engaging at first, but Fire and Ash cannot sustain momentum for three hours and 15 minutes through recycled plot points and gorgeous effects alone.

It’s amazing how little Fire and Ash accomplishes narratively over such a long period. The movie hardly spends any time on Jake and Neytiri’s grief after losing their son, instead focusing on their interminable conflict with Quaritch. Miles “Spider” Socorro’s (Jack Champion) path to becoming one of the Na’vi and breathing Pandora’s air stands out as a fresh and compelling arc in Fire and Ash, but everything else feels like something audiences have already seen. Making matters worse, the new villain Varang (Oona Chaplin) and her Mangkwan Clan, also known as the Ash People, are bafflingly underdeveloped. Fire and Ash never fleshes out the group that inspires its title, reducing the viciously antagonistic Ash People to mere caricatures. The third Avatar entry doesn’t quite land the emotional punch it attempts near the end, so viewers have to settle for another exhilarating spectacle nearly devoid of feeling.

1) Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water isn’t perfect, though it’s the most well-rounded installment in the franchise to date. Cameron impressively expands the world of Pandora in The Way of Water, introducing the oceanic Metkayina Clan and the underwater creatures in their territory. Although thinly developed as individuals, this new Na’vi faction elevates the franchise. Furthermore, Jake and Neytiri’s children, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss) are compelling personalities. The addition of Spider cleverly mirrors Jake’s arc of joining the Na’vi as a human, though his unique circumstances prevent The Way of Water from rehashing the first movie’s narrative. Fresh and engrossing thanks to its never-before-seen elements, the Avatar sequel prevails as a superb sci-fi picture.

The Way of Water also boasts vastly improved visuals over Avatar, and the sequel was an astounding sight to behold in theaters. It’s hard to forget the excitement of returning to Pandora after 13 years, as The Way of Water proved worth the long wait. The Way of Water might be about 30 minutes too long, but its three-hour-and-12-minute run time features several epic battles and a riveting finale that sees its heroes thrown into a tense ocean fight with Quaritch’s forces. The death of Neteyam adds the emotional stakes the movie needs, providing a solid foundation for the future of Avatar.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters.

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