James Cameron’s Avatar revolves around the Na'vi, the indigenous people on the alien world of Pandora, though some fans have theorized that they may have originated elsewhere. One of the highest-grossing movies of all time with record-breaking box office performance, Cameron spent 15 years giving Avatar breathtaking scenery and immersive worldbuilding. But while the narrative focuses on the Na'vi and the fight against invading humans, there are a few things which don't quite fit properly.
It’s no secret that Cameron very deliberately chose to make the Na’vi an allegory for the Native Americans here on Earth, and their treatment at the hands of European colonizers. This caused Avatar to have a divisive reception among audience members, with many criticizing Cameron for playing into a distasteful white savior narrative, ending with outsider Jake Sully as the leader of the tribe. However, the movie also contains strong messages of anti-imperialism and decolonization, sharply contrasting the symbiotic relationship the Na’vi have with their home against the destructive and exploitative mentality of the human colonizers (though sequels are likely to include Na'vi villains too).
Despite being heavy-handedly coded as indigenous people, the Na’vi still feel slightly out of place to many viewers. Scientists have noted that the Na’vi do not match other creatures on Pandora in many regards (via Smithsonian Mag). On Earth, most vertebrate animals have the same basic design — from humans to salamanders to velociraptors, two eyes and four limbs are standard. The wildlife on Pandora is shown to have six limbs, four eyes, and breathing holes just below the neck, but the Na'vi have none of these things. Additionally, where most creatures on Pandora have two nerve clusters on their heads, the Na'vi have only one, hidden in their ponytails.
One possibility (via Reddit) is that they may have been genetically engineered by an advanced alien species, to adapt to life on Pandora. This Avatar fan theory could explain how they have a noticeably distinct appearance but still have a nerve cluster which can connect with other Pandoran life. A more surreal theory (via SR's YouTube) is that the Na’vi are descended from Earth life which found its way to Pandora. This could explain how humans were able to combine Na’vi genetic material with human DNA to make the avatars, but leaves the much bigger question of how Earth life could have crossed the unimaginably vast distances of interstellar space.
Alternatively, there are simpler explanations that also fit. Avatar 2 will reveal more of Pandora, and likely show more of its wildlife. There may be creatures much closer in appearance to the Na’vi, such as the monkey-like prolemuris seen only fleetingly so far. Or the Na’vi may be descended from a different evolutionary path than the hexapods which dominate Pandoran wildlife (via Reddit). Of course, a more mundane reason is simply that most audience members are human, so giving the Na’vi a more anthropomorphic appearance is an easy way to make them relatable.
Regardless of the origins of the Na’vi in Avatar, the fact remains that Pandora was their world first and, even if they came from elsewhere, it doesn’t undercut the core narrative that the human military is invading someone else’s home. There may or may not be any confirmation in canon for the specific origins of the Na’vi, but one thing’s for certain — with four Avatar sequels planned, the stories are likely to show plenty more history and culture of the people of Pandora, and the life they’ve built there.
