Promising to be the biggest cinematic event of the Christmas 2025 season, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash opens wide on December 19. Instead of continuing the story of the Na’vi Metkayina Water Clan from Avatar: The Way of Water, fans will meet the Mangkwan Fire Clan, also called the Ash People, for the first time.
With less than two months until the movie’s release, it’s time to meet the Fire Clan and their fierce leader, exploring their origins, beliefs, allies, and customs. As Sully (Sam Worthington) grapples with a devastating tragedy from the previous film, the Ash People are sure to light a fire beneath the former U.S. Marine and force another major battle for the future of Pandora.
What Is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ About?
A cinematic sequel years in the making, Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in James Cameron’s immersive fantasy epic. Written with Cameron by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, Avatar: Fire and Ash picks up one year after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water. Still reeling from the emotional blow of losing their Na’vi son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Jake Sully and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) settle with the Metkayina and try to get over their profound loss.
During the grieving period, Jake, Neytiri, and the Metkayina are viciously attacked by a hyper-aggressive Na’vi tribe that uses fire as their primary elemental lifeforce. Also known as the Mangkwan Fire Clan or the Ash People, the Na’vi tribe is very different from the others and is nowhere near as reverent toward the natural world. The fundamental differences between tribes spark a massive war over the fate of Pandora, forcing Sully to protect his family while fighting alongside the Metkayina.
Of course, the Avatar movies are less about their elementary storytelling and more about their immersive spectacle and massive-scaled visual artistry. Preview reports indicate the film will feature wall-to-wall battle action between the Fire and Water Clans, with Sully repeatedly separated from his family. With one child already lost, Sully must do everything in his power to protect his bloodline and Pandora.
Who Are the Fire Clan, aka Ash People?
The Fire Clan, also known as the Ash People, is an aggressive, antagonistic tribe within the Na’vi species. Although they share similar origins as the forest-dwelling Omatikaya tribe, a volcanic event gave them their distinction. Once living in an enormous “hometree” at the center of their village, the Mangkwan tribe was devastated when a massive volcano erupted, turning them into the Ash People. After the volcanic event, the clan pleaded to the Great Mother, Eywa, to restore their natural form.
Alas, when their prayers went unanswered, the volcano-dwelling Ash People developed a hatred and resentment toward the natural world. They stopped abiding by The Three Laws of Eywa, nature-preserving rules meant to foster harmony in Pandora. The rules forbid the Na’vi from pillaging the natural land to develop manmade structures with stone, metal, or a plow. Disobeying the creed, the Ash People became known as the Fire Clan, the first Na’vi tribe to embrace technology and use human-made firearms.
Disconnected from the natural order, the Fire Clan was saved from starvation by their leader, Varang (played by Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash). Varang lifted the tribe out of its despair following the volcanic devastation, becoming a hero that the tribe is willing to follow and die for. The tribe grows stronger under Varang’s leadership, including allying with the greedy, exploitative Resources Development Administration and the corrupt US Marine Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the primary nemesis in the first and second Avatar films.
Under Varang’s leadership and Quaritch’s backing, the mission of the Fire Clan is clear: eliminate the Na’vi at all costs and ensure their resistance is stopped. In addition to the benevolent Na’vi, the Fire Clan is also violently hostile toward other tribes, such as the Aranahe and the Tlalim. For instance, in the 2023 video game Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, the “From the Ashes” DLC included a Fire Clan and RDA attack on Aranahe, destroying the tribe’s hometree in the Kinglor Forest.
The Fire Clan’s Function in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ Explained
As the Fire Clan teams with the RDA to stop the Na’vi resistance, their function is complicated by several factors. According to Cameron, the Fire Clan represents the worst characteristics of the Na’vi race, telling D3 Brazil (via SFF Gazette): “We [humanity] have a lot of anger and a lot of rage in the world we live in right now.”
With the Fire Clan expressing violent rage toward the Omatikaya and Tlalim tribes, they look to Varang for leadership. Cameron told Yahoo! Entertainment:
“Varang is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil. One thing we wanted to do in this film is not be black-and-white simplistic. Or blue-and-pink simplistic. We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.”
Sully and Neytiri will also do anything to protect their family, which includes their son Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-li Bliss), and Spider (Jack Champion), the adopted son of Miles Quaritch, who fights against the RDA and his father’s mission. According to Champion, fans can expect an even more intense culture clash when the Fire Clan attacks in James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, telling The Hollywood Reporter:
“I was very shocked by it [the script]. It just takes a hard left turn, and that’s not a bad thing. You think you know where it’s going, but then a wrecking ball comes. So you’re completely like, ‘Oh wow, I never thought that would’ve happened.’ You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures. So I think it’s even better than Avatar 2. Collectively, they’ll each get better.”
Cameron also teased the introduction of new characters meant to continue Pandora’s lore heading into Avatar 4. One such new character is Peylak (the great David Thewlis), leader of the Na’vi Wind Traders in the Tlalim clan. Although the Tlalim are said to be neutral in the eternal war between the Na’vi and RDA, massive consequences lie ahead in Avatar: Fire and Ash.
As for the Fire Clan, the biggest takeaway is that it is a violent tribe that uses weapon technology to fight its own kind. Having turned against the natural world after being scorched by a volcano, the Ash People use the RDA’s military might to stop the Na’vi from controlling Pandora. Avatar: Fire and Ash will hit the big screen on December 19, 2025.