Does Neytiri Forgive Spider?
In the world of Avatar, Neytiri starts off with strong feelings against humans, especially after losing her son Neteyam in Avatar: The Way of Water. Spider, the human boy raised by the Na’vi, becomes a big part of her struggle because he is the son of Colonel Quaritch, the man she blames for so much pain. For more on this, check out https://collider.com/avatar-3-fire-and-ash-zoe-saldana-neytiri-racism-james-cameron-spider/.
Neytiri sees Spider as a reminder of her enemies. She calls him “son of demon” and keeps her distance. Her hate comes from deep hurt and her Na’vi ways that teach her to fight sky people who destroy Pandora. But her own kids, like Lo’ak and Kiri, push her to see Spider differently. They show her his good heart and bravery.
In the new movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, things change. Zoe Saldana, who plays Neytiri, talked about this in an interview. She says Neytiri acts like a full-blown racist at first toward Spider. Neytiri does not want to accept humans, even though she loves Jake, who was once human. But she has to grow because her children need her to. Saldana explains that Neytiri learns from her kids, moving from just putting up with Spider to truly accepting him. Details from Saldana’s chat are in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cksPp2R2PbU.
James Cameron, the director, keeps Spider key in the story. Spider links Jake and Quaritch in tough ways. Neytiri hates Quaritch most, so forgiving his son takes time. Yet the film shows her heart opening up through big emotional scenes. For Cameron’s thoughts on Spider’s role, see https://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-spider-role-important-explained-james-cameron/.
Neytiri’s bond with Jake helps too. She loves and protects him, even after learning his human past. This sets up her path with Spider. Her growth means facing her own biases, guided by family. By Fire and Ash, she shifts to see Spider as one of her own in some ways.
Sources
https://collider.com/avatar-3-fire-and-ash-zoe-saldana-neytiri-racism-james-cameron-spider/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cksPp2R2PbU
https://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-spider-role-important-explained-james-cameron/
https://heroes-and-villain.fandom.com/wiki/Neytiri/Relationships
