After rewatching Avatar: The Way of Water, I’m convinced I’ve figured out a major plot in Avatar: Fire and Ash. James Cameron is undoubtedly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and his Avatar movies are unparalleled spectacles. I can’t say how many times I’ve rewatched the first two movies, and I couldn’t resist The Way of Water‘s return to the big screen.
Cameron has always known his movies work best on theater screens. In his view, it’s not so much about the size; it’s about the investment of time. “You’re making a deal between yourself and a piece of art to give it your full attention,” he observed. “And you don’t when you’re at home. People don’t cry as much when they watch a movie at home as they will in a movie theater.“
That perhaps explains why, even though I’ve rewatched The Way of Water more times than I care to count, it was only on this rewatch that I began to figure out the overarching direction of one character’s story.
Avatar: The Way Of Water Set Kiri Up As A Messianic Figure
Sigourney Weaver unexpectedly returned in Avatar: The Way of Water as Kiri, the mysterious daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine. The movie wasn’t exactly subtle about portraying Kiri as a potential Messianic figure, because she was literally a “virgin birth” – a mysterious, unexplained conception born from Grace’s avatar.
Kiri possessed a mysterious bond with Eywa, who she related to as “Mother” in a far more personal and intimate way than other Na’vi. This initially seemed more of a liability than anything else; she struggled to relate to others, and was frequently mocked. Her incredible potential wasn’t revealed until the third act, when she manipulated the natural world.
Rewatching Avatar: The Way of Water, though, I found myself struck by how much of this story consciously evokes the opening chapters of Matthew’s Gospel:
- As noted, Kiri’s conception is obviously miraculous; Avatar inverts the traditional image of Jesus as the “only begotten of the Father,” using female imagery instead. This is perfectly in keeping with the first Avatar movie’s approach.
- Everything kicks off because of a new star rising in the sky – paralleling the star followed by the magi in Matthew 2.
- In Matthew 2, the arrival of the star causes King Herod to begin the hunt for Jesus (likely two years old or so at this time). Jesus’ family flee to Egypt for sanctuary.
The Way Of Water Is The Story Of The Exile To Egypt… & Her Baptism
It’s easy to spot the Messianic imagery around Kiri. But that last point is the real key to understanding her story; Cameron actually appears to be recreating the story of Jesus in Kiri. No doubt there are countless other stories woven in that are focused on the other characters, but this Messianic story is clear – and it appears to be central.
Continuing through the Matthew narrative, the next stage is Jesus’ baptism in water. Here, Jesus is blessed by the Father, who openly proclaims him to be His Son. This clearly parallels The Way of Water, which even features a striking scene in which Kiri bonds with Eywa and hears “Grace” – clearly something far more – proclaim her to be her daughter.
The Way of Water isn’t just the exile to Egypt recreated in glorious sci-fi fashion; it’s also the baptism stage. Following that logic, then, we can deduce what this means for the next step in Kiri’s journey. It’s time for the temptation.
Avatar: Fire and Ash Is The Temptation Of Jesus
Continuing through Matthew’s Gospel, the next part of the narrative is commonly referred to as the temptation of Jesus. Here, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where the devil confronts him with three temptations. At heart, though, every one of these tests boils down to a single question: Does Jesus trust the Father?
In the first temptation, the devil invites Jesus to use his powers selfishly for his own benefit; Jesus insists he lives to do the Father’s will. In the second, he tempts Jesus to choose a different path of life, a crown of glory rather than the cross the Father intends for him; Jesus refuses. In the third, the devil explicitly tempts Jesus to worship him and avoid all suffering; again, Jesus rejects the notion.
Trailers for Avatar: Fire and Ash have repeatedly stressed that the Sully family must decide whether they trust in Eywa or not. The new Fire Na’vi live in a wasteland, and have turned against Eywa because she did not protect them from suffering when a volcano erupted. The Sullys are traveling into their lands, and will face the same question as Jesus.
This won’t just be Kiri’s quest, of course. In The Way of Water, Jake instinctively turned to his old human ways when Kiri suffered a seizure; that act brought doom down upon his adopted tribe. Neytiri became so consumed with bloodlust that her ancestral bow was broken – signifying damage to her relationship with Eywa after her son’s death.
If Cameron continues to follow this pattern, then Avatar: Fire and Ash must resolve this double-mindedness within the Sully family. Jake must come to trust Eywa, Neytiri must confront her anger and rage, and Kiri… Kiri must be prepared for whatever her ministry must be.
What Does This Mean For Kiri’s Story After Avatar: Fire And Ash?
If Cameron’s Avatar movies are following a Messianic pattern with Kiri, then she is the key to this story. But it also means we should see conflict between Kiri and the rest of her family; Jesus’ ministry saw him break away from his own family, after all, to the point that his own brothers rejected him as Messiah.
In Matthew 12: 46-50, Jesus’ mother and brothers came to speak to him. In a shocking departure from Jewish custom, he replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?… Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.“ Is it possible Kiri’s relationship with Eywa will force her to take a different path to her family?
Taking a step back, there are some fascinating broad similarities between the Sully family and the zealots of Jesus’ day. Jesus ministered at a time when Israel was occupied by the Romans, and the Jews expected a Messianic figure to liberate them by leading them to war. In Jesus’ time, “zeal” was something you did with a knife, fighting against the occupiers.
Jesus was not the Messiah the people expected. Rather than lead an uprising against Rome, he told his followers to love their enemies; rather than preach violence, he warned his disciples that those who lived by the sword, would die by the sword. It is possible Kiri will have to find a third way, reconciling the humans and Na’vi, bringing about peace on Pandora.
But how far will James Cameron push this? Jesus’ mission was fulfilled, in the end, through an act of self-sacrifice. If Cameron continues with this Messianic imagery, then Kiri too must eventually face a cross and resurrection. We’ll likely know more when we see Avatar: Fire and Ash, and get a sense of how this plays out.
