Neytiri’s faith is strained but not destroyed; in Avatar: Fire and Ash she faces grief and doubt that test her devotion to Eywa and to the family and people she loves[2].
Neytiri is portrayed as grieving the loss of her son, a trauma that pushes her toward anger and thoughts of vengeance, and forces her to confront whether faith alone can hold her through unbearable pain[2]. This grief becomes a focal point for her identity crisis: the spiritual beliefs that once gave her meaning are now under pressure because they seem, at least emotionally, unable to prevent the suffering she endures[1][2].
The film shows Neytiri vocalizing faith even as she wrestles with it; she states, “All I have is my faith. This is the Great Mother’s plan,” which signals that faith remains a declared anchor for her even while she experiences deep doubt[2]. At the same time the story places her faith in dialogue with family bonds and moral choices: Jake tells her she has family and love, and both parents prepare to protect and even sacrifice for those they care about, indicating that Neytiri’s loyalties are shared between spiritual trust and earthly responsibility[2].
Narratively, her crisis does not simply erase belief but reframes it. Scenes of prayer, chanting, and other Na’vi spiritual practices continue to appear, and characters such as Kiri—who has a profound mystical link to Eywa—keep the spiritual thread active in the story[2]. The tension comes when faith demands acceptance and surrender, while personal grief demands action, retribution, or at least answers; this tension is what drives Neytiri’s emotional arc[1][2].
Critical moments emphasize that Neytiri’s struggle is also an identity conflict. The film treats faith as part of who she is rather than as a separate doctrine; when her sense of home and purpose is threatened, so too is the practical expression of her faith, making the crisis not only theological but existential[1]. This framing suggests she may shift how she practices or interprets faith without abandoning it outright.
Taken together, the film indicates Neytiri is very likely to lose certainty and experience profound doubt, but not to renounce faith entirely; instead the narrative uses her suffering to deepen and complicate her beliefs, pushing her toward new understandings that balance spiritual conviction with the imperative to protect family and community[1][2].
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kUShThbvdSg
https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/avatar-fire-and-ash-2025/
