OVERLAY REPORT

In *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022), the title refers to a central philosophical and spiritual mantra of the **Metkayina clan** (the reef-dwelling Na'vi). It represents the interconnectedness of all life on Pandora and serves as both a literal survival guide and a metaphorical outlook on the cycle of existence. ### 1. The Significance in Relation to the Plot The title is significant to the plot in three primary ways: * **Adaptation and Survival:** After the Sully family flees their forest home (the Omatikaya) to live with the Metkayina, they must physically and mentally adapt to a marine environment. "The Way of Water" represents the specific breathing and meditative techniques required to dive deep and bond with aquatic creatures like *ilus* and *tulkuns*. * **The Cycle of Life and Death:** The mantra posits that "the sea gives and the sea takes," which foreshadows the film’s tragic climax. The sea "takes" the life of Jake’s eldest son, **Neteyam**, but it also "gives" protection and a new home to the survivors. This mirrors the spiritual theme that energy is "borrowed" from Eywa and must eventually be returned. * **Connection to Eywa:** Just as the first film focused on the "neural network" of the forest, this film explores how water acts as a medium for Pandora's life force. This is literalized through the **Spirit Tree of the Metkayina** (the *Tulkun* Way of the Ancestors), which is located underwater. ### 2. Direct Character References The phrase and the full mantra are referenced directly by multiple characters during pivotal moments: #### **Tsireya (Reya)** She is the first to introduce the mantra. As the daughter of the Metkayina chieftain, she teaches it to **Lo'ak** and his siblings to help them master the art of free-diving. She recites the full mantra: > *"The way of water has no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home, before your birth and after your death. Our hearts beat in the womb of the world. Our breath burns in the shadows of the deep. The sea gives and the sea takes. Water connects all things. Life to death. Darkness to light."* #### **Lo'ak** Lo'ak references the mantra at the film’s emotional climax. When he and Jake are trapped inside the rapidly sinking RDA ship (*Sea Dragon*), Jake is exhausted and prepared to die. Lo'ak recites the mantra back to his father, using its rhythmic philosophy to calm Jake’s breathing so they can make a final, desperate swim to safety. #### **Jake Sully** While Jake doesn't chant the mantra as a meditative exercise like the children, the film concludes with his narration reflecting on its truth. In the final scene, after Neteyam’s funeral, Jake acknowledges their transformation from "forest people" to "reef people," stating: > *"I can't save my family by running... This is where we make our stand."* The film then closes with a close-up of Jake's eyes opening—a direct callback to the first movie—as he fully accepts "The Way of Water" as his new reality.