Sigourney Weaver returns in Avatar: The Way of Water, now playing Jake and Neytiri's adopted daughter Kiri - and she's key to the entire story. Sigourney Weaver played the part of Dr. Grace Augustine in James Cameron's first Avatar film, a human scientist who had fallen in love with the planet Pandora. Grace died trying to protect her beloved Na'vi, but she's actually returned in the sequel - voicing a new character named Kiri, revealed to be Grace's daughter.
According to Avatar: The Way of Water, Kiri is something of a mystery. 14 years ago, after the initial defeat of the Sky People, the Na'vi were surprised to discover Grace's avatar form was pregnant. Jake and Neytiri adopted the daughter, Kiri, as their own. Kiri has always felt like something of an outsider among the Na'vi, aware of her human heritage and the mystery of her birth. But Avatar: The Way of Water strongly hints there's a lot more to Kiri's story than she realizes - and that she will be the one who finally ends the war between the Na'vi and the Sky People.
Avatar: The Way Of Water Positions Kiri As A Messiah Figure
In thematic terms, the sequel is the story of one generation who are trapped in a cycle of violence, and who must be rescued by the next generation. This is typified by Jake Sully and the resurrected Colonel Quaritch, whose final battle at the end of Avatar: The Way of Water even follows similar beats to their last clash. Kiri is the most important of the savior generation, positioned as something of a Messiah figure because of her miraculous conception. She appears to be unusually sensitive to the guidance of Eywa, hearing the Mother's heartbeat in the ocean just as a baby in the womb might hear their mother's. This spirituality builds to a climax that feels evocative of Jesus' baptism, as Kiri dives into the water and bonds with the Metkayina equivalent of the Soul Tree. She receives a vision of love, just as Jesus heard the voice of the Father speaking out love during his baptism.
Jake and Neytiri have no idea how important Kiri really is, with Jake's trust in human science blinding him to her true nature. Kiri's true potential is seen in the third act, when she summons bioluminescent fish and uses them to enter the shipwreck her parents are trapped in, guiding them out of it. The image of the Messiah as light is central to Christian theology, so this should be seen as the beginning of Kiri's true ministry. She is fulfiling the destiny Eywa intends for her.
How Kiri Could Shape The Future Of The Avatar Franchise
The Bible describes Jesus as having a "ministry of reconciliation," and that appears to be Kiri's role in the Avatar films as well. She seems able to adapt to any environment, meaning she could be crucial in bringing the 15 Na'vi tribes together; she is immediately able to spend unusual amounts of time underwater, and there are moments where she seems to breathe underwater without any difficulty too. But Kiri's abilities go beyond this, because another scene shows she is able to spend extended periods of time in a human environment without needing to use an exo-pack. All this means Kiri has the potential to serve as a bridge between the Na'vi and the Sky People - and it's notable she is the only one of the Sullys who seems to truly care about Spider, the human boy.
There have been rumors Avatar 5 will leave Pandora and travel to the otherwise doomed planet of Earth. Kiri may explain why that is the case; born of Eywa, she could bring Pandora's blessing to Earth and end the Avatar story. This is only a theory, of course; James Cameron is a skilled filmmaker, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him take events in an unexpected direction. Still, the idea would certainly complete the Messianic imagery surrounding Kiri in Avatar: The Way of Water, as well as with the theme of the past being redeemed by the next generation. Such a plot would also enhance the environmental ideas inherent in the Avatar franchise, adding a powerful note of hope to the overarching story. Cameron's message would become an encouragement to the teenagers of today to step up and work to save this planet, one that has been so badly damaged by the current generation.
