When Avatar’s sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, finally hit theaters, the new movie introduced audiences to an entirely new cast of characters, including Jake Sully and Neytiri’s five children; Neteyam, Kiri, Lo’ak, Tuktirey, and Spider. The Avatar franchise takes place on Pandora, a far-off moon that is the home of the Na’avi people. In 2009’s Avatar, paraplegic marine Jake Sully volunteers to be sent to Pandora to mine the planet for resources, but he soon discovers that the Na’avi’s fantastical lifestyle is too precious to destroy. In Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake and his family move to the coast, and learn more about the water Na’avi.
While the original Avatar set the groundwork for Pandora and the Na’avi people, Avatar: The Way of Water cast expands into many new and exciting directions. Not only do audiences get to meet the Metkayina clan on the coast of Pandora, but they also get closer looks at Jake and Neytiri’s children. These younger characters add a totally fresh perspective to the Avatar franchise, and also, they bring in new story elements that will likely continue into Avatar 3 and beyond. Jake Sully and Neytiri made for strong protagonists in Avatar, and now their children are paving the way for even more exciting storylines.
Neteyam Sully
15 Years Old
Neteyam Sully is the eldest child and first son of Jake and Neytiri. He was born in 2155, making him 15 years old during Avatar: The Way of Water. Neteyam grew up with the Omatikaya clan, and spent much of his childhood watching out for his younger siblings. In many ways, Neteyam was seen as “the perfect son,” which caused tension between him and his younger brother Lo’ak. During The Way of Water, Neteyam stayed close with Lo’ak to ensure he didn’t get into too much trouble. As a result, when Neteyam was protecting Lo’ak and Spider at the end of the film, he was fatally shot.
Kiri
14 Years Old
Kiri is Jake and Neytiri’s adopted daughter, and the second eldest of their children at 14 years old. Though Jake and Neytiri have cared for Kiri since she was a baby, her real mother is Grace Augustine, one of the human scientists studying Pandora in the first Avatar. In the film, Grace is a significant advocate for the Na’avi, but she sustains a fatal gunshot wound while trying to escape Hell’s Gate. Although Jake tries to put Grace’s soul into an avatar before she dies, she is too weak to survive. Despite this, her avatar still manages to give birth to Kiri.
Kiri plays quite an important role in Avatar: The Way of Water. First and foremost, her existence alone makes her quite the mystery among the Na’avi, as she is half Na’avi, half avatar. This makes her a target of bullying when the Sullys join the Metkayina tribe. However, Kiri’s differences don’t end with her appearance or genetic makeup. While near the ocean, Kiri becomes infatuated with the sea and its creatures, and she notes that she can “feel Eywa” while there. Kiri seems to have a connection to nature that far exceeds most Na’avi, and in fact, she can even manipulate nature to her will at times.
Lo’ak Sully
14 Years Old
Lo’ak is the second son of Jake and Neytiri Sully and is the third-eldest child. Like Kiri, he is 14 years old. While Neteyam is often considered to be the responsible one of the Sully children, Lo’ak is more of the rebel. He tends to make mistakes due to his intense emotions, and can become bitter about what is going on around him. This is especially clear when the Sullys join the Metkayina clan and Lo’ak finds himself making enemies of the Metkayina youth. Lo’ak seems to have a desire to prove himself, though his brash behavior often has negative consequences for him rather than positive ones.
The most important parts of Avatar: The Way of Water for Lo’ak are his relationships with Payakan and Tsireya. Payakan is a tulkan, or a species of intelligent marine mammal that is similar to a whale. Though the Metkayina believe the tulkan to be vicious killers, Lo’ak forms a bond with Payakan after saving his life. The two are considered spirit brothers, and their relationship shows Lo’ak’s more caring, heroic side. Furthermore, Lo’ak forms a relationship with Tsireya, a member of the Metkayina clan. This relationship showcases Lo’ak’s youth and his ability to be understanding and kind, despite the angry, adolescent facade he uses with his family.
Tuktirey Sully
7 Years Old
Tuktirey Sully, also known as Tuk, is the youngest Sully child and Jake and Neytiri’s only biological daughter. During Avatar: The Way of Water, Tuk is 7 years old. Though all the Sully children are prone to getting themselves into dangerous situations, Tuk is the most vulnerable of the group because of her age. Despite this, Tuk is very curious and demands to go on adventures with her older siblings. She is a lighthearted child that wants to learn more about the world. Because of her age, not too much is known about Tuk’s personality or desires, but she is sure to play a larger part in future Avatar films.
Miles “Spider” Socorro
16 Years Old
Miles Socorro, better known as Spider, is the unofficial child of Jake Sully and Neytiri. Though the Sullys did not adopt Spider like they did Kiri, Spider is still essentially a part of the Sully family. Spider grew up in Pandora after the deaths of his parents Colonel Miles Quaritch and Paz Socorro. For much of his life, Spider knew nothing about his biological parents, only that his father was a bad man who tried to destroy the Na’avi. Ultimately, Spider’s connection to Quaritch made him somewhat isolated from the rest of the Na’avi. His father’s crimes often made it hard for others to accept him.
Throughout Avatar: The Way of Water, Spider’s story mostly focuses on his relationship with his father. Quartich abducts Spider and tries to form a relationship with his son, though it is very much strained because of Spider’s connection to the Sullys. As much as Quartich tries to make Spider see his side, the two seem to be on two very different playing fields when it comes to Pandora. But, despite this, by the end of the film, it does seem that Quartich and Spider do form some sort of complicated father-son bond.
