Let's Talk About The First Look At Avatar 3 (pt 2)

Let's talk about the first look at Avatar 3 (pt 2)

🚨SPOILER WARNING FOR AVATAR 3!🚨

Next up, I want to talk about the next two images I saw from D23: Neytiri riding on her ikran, and the sky ship.

You can read my post discussing Varang and the Ash People here.

In the first image, we see Neytiri flying at night on her banshee, with what appears to be several large flying ships behind her, and in the second image, we have a clearer shot of the "sky ship" in daylight.

The ships are clearly Na'vi-made, since we see the natural weaving pattern and no metal. They have a large sail-like structure on top, and behind Neytiri we see a flying stingray-like creature that appears to be harnessed to the sky ship and pulling it along.

This was really exciting for me to see because I never imagined we'd see the Na'vi creating actual flying vehicles rather than just riding on the backs of flying animals. Most interestingly, even though these sky ships are more complex technology than anything we've seen from the Na'vi before, they appear not to break any of the laws of Eywa. They don't appear to be made of stone or metal, and they don't use wheels. I really like seeing this because I hate that one theory that Eywa intentionally keeps the Na'vi from technologically advancing out of some malevolent goal. Eywa doesn't have any problem with technological advancements, she only prohibits things that would harm the balance of nature, like mining metal and tearing down the forest to build roads for wheeled vehicles.

I believe that these sky ships belong to the Windtrader clan James Cameron has hinted at. These ships look pretty different from anything we've seen from the Ash People, plus Neytiri is flying alongside them like they're allies. It would also make sense based on the name for people called "windtraders" to fly through the sky using the wind and also have large ships capable of carrying material to trade with other clans. I can't wait to see what a windtrader Na'vi looks like and if they have unique adaptations to set them apart from other clans! Perhaps they would be smaller in order to be lighter on the ships and have bigger lungs to process oxygen at such high altitudes.

Now to talk about the sky ship itself, it appears to have three main components: the cabin, the steed, and the sail. The cabin is the woven part of it that is the actual ship where the Na'vi would ride and store their goods. The steed is that stingray looking creature behind Neytiri that looks like it's harnessed to the cabin and pulling it through the air. I would really like an in-universe explanation for how in that giant stingray thing is flying. It looks HUGE, maybe a little over half as long as tulkun. I know Pandora has lower gravity and a thicker atmosphere, so the physics are different, but come on that things has to weigh a hundred tons! They better have a sci-fi explanation for how that big thing flies. And if you look closely, there seems to be a na'vi riding on it's back, implying it has kurus to plug into up there. From what I can see of its back, it looks blue with white spots, kind of like a whale shark.

The last part of the ship is the large sail-like structure that appears to be keeping the whole contraption buoyant. I saw folks on the r/Avatar subreddit speculating about what it is, and I believe they had the right idea when they guessed it was a Medusa.

The medusa is a giant, flying jellyfish-like creature that James Cameron dreamed up many years ago. Here are some old concept arts for it, and as you can see, they look quite different. Cameron never settled on a final design for this creature, just that it was a flying carnivorous jellyfish. He wanted to include it in the Avatar universe, but never had the chance to. He recently said in an interview a few months ago that Avatar 3 would finally include his alien creation, but he didn't say how. Since the Na'vi would lack the ability to create hot air balloons or zeppelins like humans, I believe the windtraders are using a creature from their environment to lift their ships, and that creature is the medusa, given a final design by James Cameron and his creative team. The sails are a pale purplish membrane like in the concept art, and if you look directly behind Neytiri's head, there seem to be tentacles hanging down from the ship, implying it is a medusa.

So it seems to me like the windtraders weave their boats out of the same material that maruis (Na'vi homes) are made from, then they attach it to a medusa to lift it into the air, and then they harness it to a flyinf stingray to pulls the boat where they want to go. The windtraders must be super smart to come up with all this! I cannot wait to see it in action!

And the way Neytiri is flying with them gives me the vibe that she and Jake have been reaching out to other clans to join the fight against the RDA and the windtraders agreed to team up with them and now they're flying off on a mission together!

What do you guys think of all this? Did I miss anything?

Ooh Kukulope is very pretty! It looks like her skirt is made with fur, so maybe the Windtraders get skins from animals that live in cold areas where they would need fur! I can see why people think she might be a Windtrader.

But part of me also hopes she isn't. Kukulope appears to be have all the same traits as other forest Na'vi. I was really hoping we'd get to see more biodiversity, and the windtraders would have more distinct physical characteristics to help them survive at high altitude or in a desert homeland!

I wonder if the airships are the work of Ash's na'vi or the good guys. Can't wait for that!

I believe the airships belong to the Windtraders! James Cameron has hinted that we will not just be introduced to the Ash Clan, but also another Na'vi group called the Windtraders. We know literally nothing about them except for that they presumably like wind and trading things. I think giant floating sky ships with plenty of storage space for trading goods must belong to the Windtraders!

ooh I love all of this theorizing! The D23 images breathed some life back into the fandom!

One thing I disagree with is the Youtuber Avatar Theory's theory that the Ash Na'vi cut their kurus off and give them to Varang. We see in the other Ash Na'vi image that there's a whole bunch of them flying on those ikran-like creatures, which you can only do if you have a kuru. Even though it would be a way to show the extreme devotion of your followers, it wouldn't make sense to essentially cripple some of your loyal subjects just for the sake of a power play. Without a kuru, her followers would be unable to ride any creatures, making them less useful warriors and hunters. I love Avatar Theory, but I think he's got it wrong here. I still stand by my original theory that Varang cuts off the kurus of her enemies and wears them as a fear tactic, and @nilnether suggested she might do it as a spiritual practice where she believes she's absorbing the strength of her enemies, which I also think is pretty likely.

@dumbass--tumbler--cryptid I've seen that image of Spider a hundred times but I somehow never noticed that his hair is significantly darker at the roots, it almost looks black rather than the natural darkening of blond hair with age. I wonder if its another side-effect of the "miracle" that will happen to him.

Ahh I can't wait for Avatar 3! I know it probably won't happen but I would like to see Spider join the ranks of Ash's na'vi either through re-kidnapping or willingly as some kind of inside spy or ambassador for the good guys (kind of like Clarke from the 100 if you know this show). And while I'm not a fan of the idea of ​​Quaricth being romantically involved with Varang I think it would be funny to see her and Spider together since she would basically become his stepmother

I loved the idea of ash clan Spider and was having so much fun with the ideas you listed until the theories based off the D23 pic started being talked about. My friend @cyren-myadd has some great thoughts on everything and I’m also a big fan of Avatar Theory on YouTube. I was watching his break down of the Ash Clan last night and he noted that the other Na’vi in the picture with Varang don’t seem to have kurus hinting that they might cut them off and give them to Varang as a sign of loyalty. If that actually happens then that is so insane to me. This isn’t just a tribe of out casts, it’s a cult.

In the original Avatar there’s actually a deleted scene of Tsu’tey, who survives his fall, though is still very injured. He’s found by Wainfleet who says that he heard having their kurus cut off is worse then death for a Na’vi and then proceeds to cut off Tsu’tey’s. When Tsu’tey is found he makes Jake the next leader and then begs him for death which Jake gives him. I think knowing all that is what makes the idea of Na’vi willing cutting off their kurus so off putting to me. It’s not only severing their connection to Eywa, but to every loved one they could connect with, every creature they could bond with. And it’s all for Varang. That is beyond scary for me and so I don’t want my boy anywhere near that crazy cult although I know he will be.

I’m pretty certain from the set leaks we’ve gotten that at least Spider and Jake will be captured by Quaritch. So yeah Spider will definitely meet the ash clan through re-kidnapping. But I don’t think he’ll stay with them for long. The ash clan is obviously working with the R.D.A.

 We see in this image that the background ash clan are all heavily armed. They’d only get that kind of firepower from the R.D.A. My guess is that Varang wants to be all powerful and spread her cult to all the tribes. She probably doesn’t care about the great balance if her followers cut off their kurus and so she makes a deal. For their firepower Varang will let the R.D.A strip Pandora for resources.

From script and art leaks we know that a miracle will take place where Spider will be able to breath Pandoran air and possibly from the art leak have a kuru of his own.

This image has been kicking around for a while now and you can see Spider has a braid like a kuru but I’m thinking that might actually be his kuru. Now hear me out because my evidence is very tenuous for this but you see how Spider’s hair is significantly darker at the roots. Like their Jack Champions real hair color. Could just be attention to detail since some blonds do change to brunettes as the age or it could be because we’re going to lose the wig I.e all our angst fics come true and we actually do see Spider get his dreads cut off.

(Which even though I’ve written that scenario a few times I legitimately don’t want to see it happen just because I don’t want to see our boy in anymore pain)

And the only way I really see that happening is if he’s captured (like we know he will be) and experimented on by the R.D.A. They’d most definitely want to see how his kuru attaches to his brain and you can’t perform brain surgery on a patient with a full head of hair. Quaritch wouldn’t be able to just stand by and let this happen though. He cares about his son for sure but also he’s indebted to Spider for saving his life. I can see a moment mirroring the one on the rocks where Spider left Quaritch after saving him, though this time it’s Spider who was saved. Spider would be seeing his dad’s potential for change and want him to come with him but Quaritch refuses this time. He’s all out of sorts because he’s seen how crazy Varang is and has no desire to return to the ash clan but he also can’t go back to the R.D.A now that he’s betrayed them. So he just says “now we’re even,” hops onto Cupcake and flies away leaving Spider to return to Jake.

Those are all just theories though. I’m just as excited as you for Fire and Ash! Everything from D23 had me pricing out how much a weekend trip to Animal Kingdom would cost me just so I could go to the world of Pandora there. I think I’ll cry happy tears the day I finally have enough money to go and bask in the world I love so much.

Thank you so much for reaching out! 💞💞

Sketched out a diagram of the Windtrader Sky Ship

I can't wait to see what they look like in action!

I just need a scene where Spider finds out that Quaritch is dating Varang and realizes that she's actually his stepmother now. That's it, thanks for your attention.

Spider realizing he now has to deal with not one, but TWO insane evil parents

[Reunited] I think this is one of my favourite renderings I've done. Of course I wouldn't be able to use this type of lighting situation every time but I wanna try and use this type of set up again