The English-speaking Na’vi in Avatar: The Way of Water run the risk of creating a Pandora-sized plot-hole. In the first Avatar, writer-director James Cameron went to great lengths to create an intricate and believable ecosystem on a moon far from Earth, populated with an alien species rich in culture and their own social hierarchy. That iconic blue-skinned species, the Na’vi, not only had a unique way of life but their own language, too. The Na’vi language was created for Avatar by Paul Frommer, a professor from the University of Southern California, and it was spoken throughout the first movie by both humans and Na’vi.
Avatar: The Way of Water trailers offer a glimpse at an entirely new clan of Na’vi and the oceans and coastline they inhabit. The Metkayina clan is an impressive addition to the Avatar lore and has several physical differences from the Omaticaya, including tattoos inspired by real-world Maori culture. One question has arisen, however: why do they speak English? It’s unlikely that any other clan except the Omaticaya would be able to speak English at all, and even then, there’s no reason for them to use it. Unless there’s a good explanation for why the Na’vi language has been dropped, it opens the door for a rather large plot hole.
The Real Reason For English-Speaking Na'vi In Avatar 2
The real reason for English-speaking Na’vi in Avatar: The Way of Water could be very simple: it's an easier sell to audiences. What is known of the plot so far seems to suggest that Jake Sully, who has become a permanent Na’vi, and his family will be butting heads with the mysterious Metkayina clan. Common sense would suggest that the Na’vi and their various clans would all speak their native dialect when talking to each other, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. However, the Na’vi speaking English could be that mainstream audiences will be less receptive to sitting through an entire movie with subtitles.
The In-Universe Explanation For Avatar 2's Language Plot Hole
There hasn’t been a confirmed in-universe explanation for this Avatar: The Way of Water plot hole yet, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one. It could be speculated that all the clans on Pandora speak various different languages, and English has been adopted as a common tongue. It could also be that the Avatar: The Way of Water trailers are only showing snippets of the movie with English being spoken, and the Na’vi language will indeed be the prominent one spoken between the characters.
The ability to speak English may have been shared with all clans of Pandora by Eywa, the sacred Na’vi entity also known as Great Mother. All the clans of Pandora believe in a shared consciousness through the life force called Eywa, who protects their delicate ecosystem through mutual communication. Avatar: The Way of Water may explain that to give the Na’vi a fighting chance against the humans, Eywa taught English to all the Na'vi clans.