While Avatar 3’s Fire Clan story sounds like it will transplant Jake Sully’s entire family all over again, there is a strong argument for one member staying behind. There was a huge in-universe time jump between the end of 2009’s Avatar and the opening scenes of its sequel, 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. By the time viewers caught up with Jake Sully and his love interest Neytiri, they had been living on Pandora for years and built a sizable family. Avatar: The Way of Water introduced viewers to their children, including Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Tuk.
Tragically, Avatar: The Way of Water’s ending saw Neteyam killed during a battle with the RDA. Although Jake’s family and the Meykayina emerged victorious from this fight, Jake mourned the loss of his son and vowed to once again take up arms against the human invaders. According to franchise creator James Cameron in an interview with the French outlet 20Minutes, this will set up Avatar 3’s story of Jake visiting the Fire Clans. While Pandora’s Na’vi characters have been comparatively heroic until now, Cameron has promised that the Fire Clan will show another side of them.
Lo’ak Should Stay With The Metkayina In Avatar 3
Jake Sully’s son should remain with the water clan in the sequel
However, not all of Jake Sully’s family need to leave the Metkayina behind and join the Fire Clan in Avatar 3. Jake’s rebellious son Lo’ak has built a bond with Payakan and a relationship with Tsireya, and staying with the Metkayina would allow him the independence he always wanted from his father. Avatar 3’s story should open with Jake, Neytiri, and Tuk leaving the water clans behind, but the sequel should see Lo’ak, Kiri, and potentially their human friend Spider stick around for numerous reasons. This would make Lo’ak’s arc more impactful as he would have more freedom.
Furthermore, this would allow the newly mature Lo’ak to get some distance from his father, Jake. Although Jake tried not to blame Lo’ak for Neteyam’s death, there is no getting around the fact that the older, more cautious brother was the one who died in Avatar: The Way of Water. Both Jake and Lo’ak need time to process this reality, and they are both admittedly obstinate characters, meaning they’re likely to butt heads if they remain together. Lo’ak was already shown struggling with his father’s authority in Avatar: The Way of Water, meaning the sequel doesn’t need to revisit this plot.
Avatar 3 Shouldn’t Rely On Jake Sully’s Story Alone
The original Avatar hero is no longer the franchise’s best hope
While he was an effective protagonist in the original movie, Avatar 3’s story must move past Jake Sully and offer the series a new protagonist. Jake’s character arc was arguably the least engaging part of Avatar: The Way of Water and the promise that Avatar 3 will introduce villainous Na’vi means his personal journey will once again struggle to hold the audience’s attention. In contrast, Lo’ak’s growth from an immature kid into a warrior was the sequel’s strongest storyline. If he was paired with Kiri as she attempts to discover the secrets of her powers, Avatar 3 could be a great follow-up.
Kiri hasn’t had enough screen time to make much of an impression, but her powers make it clear that she is central to the story of the saga. Pairing her up with Lo’ak would give the young hero a chance to prove that he has matured and grown since Avatar: The Way of Water ended while also gradually making Kiri a more important and central figure in the series. Avatar 3 could explain Eywa’s role in Kiri’s mysterious powers, but she will only be able to learn the sacred tree’s significance if she is still living with the Metkayina.
Splitting Up The Sully Clan Raises Avatar 3’s Stakes
The Metkayina’s plight is more engaging if Lo’ak lives among them
Meanwhile, Spider should remain with Lo’ak and the Metkayina since this will make the revelation of his betrayal more meaningful. The Sully clan don’t know that he saved Miles Quaritch, and the most affecting way for Avatar 3 to reveal this would be for Spider to come clean to his closest confidante, Lo’ak. Spider also displayed a potential romantic interest in Kiri, and there is an in-built conflict in this storyline as it would leave Lo’ak’s allegiances divided between his father and his friend.
Furthermore, it’s already known that Avatar 3’s villains include Mick Scoresby and his Tulkun hunters. Since the Tulkun hunters will be back, their revenge on the Metkayina will be much more meaningful if some of the Sully clan are living among them. Payakan should be accompanied by Lo’ak when Tulkun faces off against his attackers once again, and Jake Sully’s son should get a chance to prove that he is a brave warrior even when he isn’t supported by his parents. As such, it is clear that Avatar 3 needs to keep Jake’s son among the Metkayina.
