Avatar: Fire and Ash brings a fresh clash to Pandora with its two main Na’vi groups: the fierce Ash People from the Mangkwan Clan and the peaceful Forest People led by Jake Sully. The Ash People live in a scorched volcano village, a place once green but ruined by a massive eruption that turned their home to ash.https://www.slashfilm.com/2057128/james-cameron-real-life-inspiration-avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clan/ Their leader, Varang, blames Eywa, the planet’s life force, for not saving them, so they reject her and embrace fire as their power.https://comicbook.com/movies/feature/avatar-fire-and-ashs-biggest-disappointment-is-an-insult-to-the-navi/
These Fire People, or Ash People, stand out with their wild rituals. They do fire dances where dancers run through flames, kick up sparks that burn skin, and wear big animal masks to call spirits. James Cameron got this idea from the Baining people in Papua New Guinea, where he saw men dance for hours in fire during celebrations like births or harvests.https://www.slashfilm.com/2057128/james-cameron-real-life-inspiration-avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clan/ In the movie, the dances mix pain and blood, like after they capture the Sully kids. Fire means hate and anger to them; Varang lives in rage, and they team up with human invaders called the RDA, trading help for guns to burn their foes.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrKZV29o9Wghttps://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clans-wind-traders-ash-people-explained/
The Forest People, on the other hand, stay true to Eywa and nature. They bond with Pandora’s creatures through their neural queues, live in harmony with glowing forests, and fight to protect their world from humans. Jake and his family represent this balanced life, using teamwork and the land’s power against threats. Unlike the Ash People, who see death as a purifying burn, the Forest People value connection and growth.https://james-camerons-avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Mangkwan_Clan
Tensions explode when the Ash People attack the Sullys in the air and on the ground. They scalp enemies by cutting their queues, hang up bodies, and raid without mercy, making them seem like brutal outcasts.https://beigemoth.blog/2025/12/30/avatar-fire-and-ash-enter-the-bad-indian/ Some say this paints them too simply as evil, skipping deep reasons for their ways beyond one line about the volcano.https://comicbook.com/movies/feature/avatar-fire-and-ashs-biggest-disappointment-is-an-insult-to-the-navi/ Still, their fire obsession contrasts sharp with the Forest People’s green world, pushing the story into new fights over Pandora’s soul.https://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clans-wind-traders-ash-people-explained/
Sources
https://www.slashfilm.com/2057128/james-cameron-real-life-inspiration-avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clan/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrKZV29o9Wg
https://comicbook.com/movies/feature/avatar-fire-and-ashs-biggest-disappointment-is-an-insult-to-the-navi/
https://beigemoth.blog/2025/12/30/avatar-fire-and-ash-enter-the-bad-indian/
https://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-new-navi-clans-wind-traders-ash-people-explained/
https://james-camerons-avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Mangkwan_Clan
