Avatar is still the highest-grossing film of all time, and its sequel, The Way of Water, didn't fall far behind, grossing over $2.3 billion worldwide. However, the films do have a repetitive formula.

The story focuses on a character in a new environment. They befriend a Na'vi clan and then team up to fight colonialist humans. In the first film, introduce a Na'vi villain who leads a tribe that isn't interested in being friendly with others.

Avatar: Fire & Ash's Villain Is Varang & The Ash Clan

Varang Is The Leader Of A Na'vi Clan From A Volcanic Environment

The first two Avatar films explore earth and water, and the third film will introduce a new clan who emerge from the fiery ashes of their homeland. Fire & Ash will introduce the Mangkwan clan, also known as the Ash clan. The Mangkwan lived similarly to the Omatikaya, Jake and Neytiri's clan, with a large tree in the center of their village. However, a volcanic eruption destroyed the tree and their village, leaving it barren and covered in ash. This experience made them bitter and harsh toward nature, straying away from what many other Na'vi.

However, Cameron says Varang is complex and doesn't want the film to be "black-and-white simplistic."

The clan is led by Varang, played by Oona Chaplin. Speaking with Empire, director James Cameron described her as the "leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship." She is a relentless and vicious character who "will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil." However, Cameron says Varang is complex and doesn't want the film to be "black-and-white simplistic." She may believe that what she's doing is best for her people, and the best villains are those who believe they're right.

The First Two Avatar Movies Pulled Back From Using The Na'vi As Villains

There May Be Some Fighting But The Na'vi Are Never Villains Toward Each Other

The first Avatar mainly focused on the Omatikaya to introduce Jake and the audience to the Pandora world. While there were some internal conflicts between the clan, especially those who refused to accept Jake into their tribe, none of the Na'vi ever betrayed or sought the destruction of their people. When it came time to fight the humans, the tribe united with several others, forming an army that successfully but temporarily drove the humans away from Pandora.

The same thing happened in The Way of Water. There were some petty conflicts between Jake's family and several younger of the Metkayina. However, they set their differences aside once Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) found them, and united to fight his army. The Metkayina could easily have shunned Jake's family, especially since the war followed them to the oceanic clan's home, but they never did. While the Na'vi may not live by the same customs, they have the same goals of protecting their families and the natural world around them.

Avatar 3 Is The Right Time To Make The Na'vi The Villains

It's Time To See The Darker Side Of The Na'vi

The Way of Water mainly kept humans as the villains but added a twist. Quaritch and several of his closest allies took on the bodies of the Na'vi through Avatars, making them stronger and more accustomed to their environment. However, Quaritch was the central antagonist of the first film. The sequel didn't add a new villain, despite his new look. It's unclear what Quaritch will be doing in the next film, but Avatar 3 can't use him as a villain again. It would be too repetitive, and make the rivalry between him and Jake feel redundant.

Making a rival Na'va clan the main Avatar 3 villain works for two reasons. First, it will change the formula of the films. While critics and audiences responded positively to the sequel, one of its main criticisms was that it felt too similar to the first film. Second, a villainous Na'vi clan will show a uniquely dark side of Pandora, revealing that not every clan is peaceful. While the Metkayina clan differed from Jake's, they still felt similar in many ways. It'll be interesting to explore a clan that represents a harsher part of this beautiful environment.

Avatar 3's Na'vi Villains Will Be More Impactful After The First Two Movies

It'll Be Hard To Root Against Any Na'vi Clans

The first two Avatar films portray the Na'vi as the objective good guys. The humans operate a colonialist war machine, seeking to strip Pandora of its resources to benefit their people back home. While the Na'vi are traditionally peaceful, they will fight to protect their homes and are deeply loyal to their families, homes, and traditions. The Na'vi are easy to root for since they're victims of a violent regime that will kill them and destroy Pandora and its animals to find any resources they deem valuable. However, that will change in Fire and Ash.

It's unclear why the Ash clan is emerging now, but it'll be hard to dislike a group of Na'vi after the first two films established them as the protagonists. The Na'vi are usually open-minded towards each other, even if they come from different backgrounds. While Varang's actions could have solid reasoning behind them, watching a civil war emerge between the Na'vi will make Fire and Ash more impactful than another battle against humans. The Ash clan represents the cruel underworld of Pandora, and it will be intriguing to uncover a darker side of the moon.

Source: Empire