Avatar: The Way Of Water is the biggest movie of 2022, and might even be of 2023. The long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s Avatar is an amazing story of family, culture and standing up for your beliefs. The movie also seemingly kicks off an entire franchise with even more sequels coming up. And with that in mind, there are elements within Avatar: The Way Of Water that seemingly set up the sequel. So while we don’t get answers to everything, there is a promise of those answers to come in the sequel. But until then, here is an Avatar 3 theory, about one of the characters we met in the sequel. And how she might be a kind of ‘chosen one’ within the Avatar franchise.
Disclaimer: The following will contain heavy spoilers for Avatar: The Way Of Water.
What Happened To Grace In Avatar?
Image via 20th Century Studios.
Before we get into the details of my theory, let’s quickly recap the fate of one specific character from the first Avatar movie. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) was the scientist in charge of the Avatar program. She was a botanist who engaged with the native Na’avi and taught them English and became an honorary member of their society.
The events of the film saw Grace mortally wounded in a firefight, shot by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Knowing about the healing properties of the Tree Of Souls, Grace Jake takes her there as a human, but along with her Avatar body as well. The intention was for Mother Eywa, the spiritual entity the Na’avi pray to, to bring Grace to life in her Avatar body naturally, transferring her consciousness from her human body to the Na’avi body.
Unfortunately, her wounds were too severe for any healing or transference to occur. Grace died. However, before her death, she does mention to Jake that she is now with Eywa.
Who Is Kiri And Why Does She Sound Like Sigourney Weaver?
Image via 20th Century Studios.
In the opening scenes of Avatar: The Way Of Water, we learn that one of Jake and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) kids is adopted. That’s because she was born of Grace’s Avatar body. Apparently, the body was pregnant sometime after the events of the first movie. The body birthed Kiri, who Jake & Neytiri then adopt as their own. Kiri is even played by Sigourney Weaver, which is why she sounds like her. How or who Kiri’s father is is a mystery to everyone. While the kids jokingly theorize that it might be Norm, it’s never revealed either way. And this is where my Avatar 3 comes into play.
Avatar 3 Theory About Kiri’s Sacred Connection
Image via 20th Century Studios.
Throughout Avatar: The Way Of Water, we see Kiri as a troubled teen. She isn’t like the other kids; mature beyond her years and has a certain wisdom. There’s even a moment when she dozes off in the forest, as the blades of grass pulsate around her. When the entire family has to leave their home behind and join the Reef People, Kiri is even more disjointed from everyone. The loss of Spider (Jack Champion) didn’t help either.
But Kiri soon discovers that she has a certain connection to everything around her when she’s in the water. She can connect with the creatures and living beings around her in a way no one else can. Later on in the movie, she’s even seen controlling certain sea creatures, without bonding to them with her braid, as most Na’avi do. When Kiri bonds with the Tree Of Souls in the water, she sees a vision of her mother, Grace, but eventually succumbs to a seizure. They make it seem that Kiri is basically an epileptic and they should be careful going forward. But all of this, including the mystery of her conception and birth, to me sounds like Kiri is extremely special.
Virgin Birth And Saviour Figure Of Avatar 3
Image via 20th Century Studios.
My Avatar 3 theory is that Kiri is actually Mother Eywa herself, reborn through her attempted healing of Grace in the first Avatar movie. I think when the Tree Of Souls was attempting to revive Grace, it intentionally or unintentionally impregnated Grace with the energy of Mother Eywa. And so Kiri was born, in something similar to a Virgin Birth, although, I’m sure Grace wasn’t a virgin, her Avatar body might have been.
This explains when Kiri reveals to Jake that she has an intense connection to Mother Eywa. Even able to hear her mighty heartbeat. Kiri’s abilities to control things around her and this special connection could easily mean that she is Mother Eywa herself, reincarnated or born anew, through Grace. Similar to how Anakin Skywalker was so strong in the force due to an implied father-less conception, where Midi Chlorians may have had a hand.
But Why Does This World Need A Messiah?
Image via 20th Century Studios.
As for why Mother Eywa would choose to be born into a mortal body, we need to look to the ending of Avatar. When Grace died, her memories became a part of Eywa. In a moment of vulnerability, Jake connects with the Tree Of Souls and prays for Eywa to look into Grace’s memories, and get a understanding of his world and what humans are capable of.
While Neytiri warns Jake that Eywa doesn’t take sides, she’s almost proven wrong in the climax. The native beasts of Pandora rise up and join the fight against the evil RDA soldiers. It may be that after looking into Grace’s memories, Eywa realized the human threat is not over. And that she might have to play a more active role in helping protect Pandora. And maybe that’s why she decides to be born into the world, so as to take on whatever is to come, herself.
This Avatar 3 theory could also mean that there are a lot larger things in store for Kiri in the future Avatar sequels. But only time will tell how out of was this theory is, or if it in fact a variation of this.
Avatar: The Way Of Water is in theatres now.
What did you think of this Avatar 3 theory? Do you think I’m totally off base? Let me know in the comments below.
