Na'vi (Avatar)

The Na'vi are a species that features in Avatar.

History

Na'vi (English: The People) were a race of tall extraterrestrial humanoids that were native to the planet Pandora.

In the 22nd century, humans came to discover Pandora during a search for resources to save Earth from dying.

When the Sky People first descended upon Pandora in the mid-21st century, the Na’vi initially viewed the arrival with a mixture of profound curiosity and cautious hospitality. The first contact began not with war, but with the establishment of Resource Development Administration (RDA) outposts, where the newcomers sought the precious mineral Unobtanium. During those early years, a fragile diplomatic bridge was built through the efforts of Dr. Grace Augustine, who established schools to teach the English language and human customs to the youth of the Omatikaya clan. These schools allowed for a brief period of cultural exchange; many Na’vi, including Neytiri and her sister Sylwanin, learned to communicate with the humans, and for a time, it seemed that the two species might coexist in a state of mutual learning. However, the relationship soured as the RDA’s industrial hunger grew more aggressive, leading to the clear-cutting of sacred forests and the desecration of sites held dear to Eywa. The tension reached a tragic breaking point when Sylwanin and other young Na’vi protested the destruction of a sacred grove, resulting in their deaths at the hands of RDA security forces right at the schoolhouse steps. This bloodshed shattered the trust between the cultures; the schools were closed, the Na’vi withdrew into the deep jungle with hearts full of bitterness, and the humans retreated behind the fortified walls of Hell’s Gate. In the years that followed, the Avatar Program was maintained as a desperate, underfunded attempt to restore diplomacy, but the reality on the ground had already shifted to a cold, intermittent guerrilla war. The Na’vi came to see the Sky People no longer as strange visitors, but as a "malignancy" that refused to listen to the heartbeat of the world, setting the stage for the total conflict that was to follow.

A paralysed marine named Jake Scully volunteered to take part in the Avatar program. As humans cannot breathe Pandorian air, his mind is connected to an Avatar, a Na'Vi/human hybrid. With his new body, he can explore the Na'Vi's strange and mysterious world. As he ventures into the Na'Vi world, he finds a beautiful Na'Vi princess, Neytiri, and he falls in love with her and agrees to help the Na'Vi, as he helps them he starts a war that he must survive to save Pandora and Earth.

When the RDA’s destructive encroachment threatened the Omatikaya’s ancestral home, the Na’vi initially sought a peaceful coexistence, yet they ultimately rose in a desperate defense of their world. After the devastating destruction of Hometree by the Sky People’s gunships, the displaced clans gathered under the leadership of Jake Sully, who had earned their ultimate respect by taming the Great Leonopteryx to become Toruk Makto. Swiftly, messengers were dispatched to the furthest reaches of Pandora, uniting the Tipani, the Tayrangi, and the horse clans of the plains into a singular, massive resistance force. During the final confrontation in the Hallelujah Mountains, the Na’vi warriors launched a daring aerial and ground assault against the RDA’s specialized Valkyrie shuttles and Dragon Gunships. Despite being outmatched by superior human technology, the Na’vi fought with fierce determination alongside the wildlife of Pandora—which rose to assist them through the intervention of Eywa—successfully disabling the invasion fleet and reclaiming the Tree of Souls. In the aftermath of their hard-won victory, the Na’vi oversaw the forced expulsion of the human military and corporate personnel from their moon, allowing only a select few friends of the Omatikaya to remain.

Overview

Biology

In appearance, the Na’vi were towering humanoid beings who typically reached heights between nine and ten feet. Their bodies possessed a slender yet highly muscular build, characterized by an elongated neck, a narrow waist, and wide shoulders that formed a distinct V-shape. Their smooth, iridescent skin was a vibrant cyan blue, marked by unique patterns of darker stripes and clusters of bioluminescent dots that followed the lines of their nervous or circulatory systems. These markings served as a form of identification and could even glow more intensely to reflect the individual’s emotional state. Their faces were feline in nature, featuring large, amber-colored eyes designed for nocturnal vision, high cheekbones, and mobile, pointed ears capable of independent movement. Notably, they had four digits on each hand and foot—comprised of three fingers and an opposable thumb—and lacked eyebrows, which distinguished them from human-grown avatars. A long, prehensile tail aided their balance during movement, and their entire skeletal structure was reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber, providing them with immense physical strength and durability.

One aspect of their body was a neural queue (Na'vi name: tswin) that were an external bundle of nerve endings that were protected inside of a braid of hair. It allowed the Na'vi to tap into the collective and planetary psionic emanations of Eywa that also allowed them to commune with the flora as well as fauna of their home. This allowed them to also communicate telepathically with the giant trees of Pandora and any animal who possessed similar nerve clusters. Connections were referred to as the tsaheylu (Na'vi: The Bond). The bonding of the two nerve clusters allowed them to share memories and information.

Society

As a people, they were noted for being excellent hunters and warriors that were skilled in surviving in the harsh environment of their homeworld.

The Na'vi monogamous creatures who mated for life.

Using 'the bond', they could mind-meld with a mount allow them to control the movements of the beast.

Central to the clans were the Olo'eykte (Translation: Clan Leader) who operated as chieftains.

An important figure within the Na'vi communities was the Tsahik who operated as a spiritual leader of the tribe. They were said to be responsible for interpreting the will of Eywa.

A Na'vi tribe often made their camps by the massive Hometrees that doted Pandora's surface.

Known tribes included:

• Omatikaya Clan :
• Metkayina Clan :
• Mangkwan Clan : a marauding clan also known as the Ash People that resided in the Ash Village, which was located on the ruins of a forest that was destroyed during a volcanic eruption.
• Tlalim Clan : a nomadic clan also known as the Wind Traders who travelled in caravans using medusoid and windrays to travel as airships.

Among their people, the Anurai Necklace was a symbol of friendship among the clan.

Those that rode a banshee wore the Rider's Mask that was a piece of eye-protection used during flight.

It was noted that they were fond of dipping their arrows in a neurotoxin capable of stopping a human heart in one minute.

Members

• Neytiri :
• Tsu'tey :
• Eytukan :
• Mo'at :
• Tonowari :
• Ronal :
• Aonung :
• Tsireya :
• Pril :
• 'Varang ':
• Kiri :

Notes

• The Na'vi were created by James Cameron and featured in the setting of the Avatar universe.

In other media

Video games

• In James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, the Na'vi appeared in the setting of the video game set in the world of Pandora.
• In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the Na'vi fetured in the setting of the video game tie-in.

Appearances

• Avatar:
• Avatar: Fire and Ash:

External Links

• James Cameron Avatar Wiki Entry

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