Avatar: The Way of Water will be arriving in theaters 13 years after the original Avatar hit theaters – so it is understandable that people may be fuzzy on the exact details of the film. There will certainly be a lot of people going back to watch the original Avatar (now on Disney+) before they go to the theater to see Avatar 2 – but in case you never saw the first film, or don’t have a burning desire to watch it again, we can answer one burning question a lot of people are asking:
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Do You Have To Watch Avatar to Understand Avatar 2?
No, you don’t HAVE to watch Avatar, to understand the story of Avatar: The Way of Water, as the sequel is enough of a soft-reboot of the franchise for new viewers to jump in without too much trouble. However, Avatar 2 doesn’t necessarily invest extensive time and effort recapping the first movie. The references that are made are insightful enough, but there are also certain things you may want to be reminded about.
Everything From Avatar to Know Before Seeing Avatar 2
The Basic Premise – James Cameron’s Avatar was set in 2154, a time when Earth’s resources are depleted and humanity’s existence is in danger. A rare mineral called Unobtanium is found on the distant moon world of Pandora, which can be harvested and converted into an energy source that would help power Earth’s cities and food production, while also powering a global trnasit system. The Resources Development Administration (RDA) controls the mining process on Pandora, and the allocations of resources on Earth, giving it a powerhold over mankind. However, the RDA’s biggest opposition are the Na’vi, humanoid aliens native to Pandora, who fight to keep the invading forces from destroying the sentient environment of the planet (Eywa).
Why It Matters: Even though the RDA was defeated in Avatar and banished from Pandora, the desperate situaiton on Earth, and the valuable riches clearly waiting on Pandora, almost demand that the RDA return to Pandora and strike again – which we now they will in Avatar: The Way of Water.
The Major Characters – Here are the principal characters from Avatar you need to know for the sequel:
- Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) – A paraplegic Marine and the main character/hero of the story. Jake came to Pandora to work an RDA job originally meant for his twin brother, Tommy. Jake began piloting a Na’vi avatar body ot protect scientist, Dr. Grace Augustine, as she pioneered the Avatar program to help make peace between humans and Na’vi. Ultimately, Jake fell in love with a Na’vi woman named Neytiri and turned against the RDA, winning the war against them and becoming the legendary hero, Toruk Makto. Avatar 2 follows Jake over a decade later, raising a family with Neytiri when the RDA finally returns to Pandora with a new plan of conquest.
- Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) – A Na’vi woman, warrior, and daughter of the Omaticaya Clan leaders. Neytiri is fiercely protective of Pandora and her people, and reluctantly falls in love with Jake Sully (“My Jake”) despite knowing he’s human. In Avatar 2, Neytiri must protect her family while also dealing with leaving her forest home to live with the water clans.
- Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) – An exobiologist who pioneered the Avatar program. Grace was mortally-wounded battling the RDA, and the Na’vi attempted to transfer her essence into her Avatar to save her. It didn’t work for Grace (it would for Jake), but in her last moments she claimed to have had her soul make contact with Eywa. Weaver appears in Avatar 2 as “Kiri,” a teenage Na’vi girl mysteriously connected to Grace…
- Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) – Quaritch was the head of the RDA mining operation security. Quaritch was a hardliner who hated the Na’vi, and worked with Jake Sully and Grace Augustine to tame them, until tense politics turned to all-out war. When Quaritch tried to exterminate the Na’vi, he was confronted and killed by Jake Sully and Neytiri, while trying to kill Jake’s human body while he was still piloting his Avatar. Somehow Quaritch will return in Avatar 2’s story…
Avatar: The Way of Water will be in theaters on December 16th.
