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Avatar fans' predictions about James Cameron's Avatar 3 have come true! The highly anticipated threequel introduces Varang, Pandora's first antagonistic leader of the "Ash People", the Na'vi clan who wields fire.
The teaser introducing Varang has drawn comparisons to the formidable firebending princess in The Last Airbender, Azula.
Why Are Azula Fans Rooting for Avatar: Fire and Ash's Teased Baddie?
One of the biggest predictions Avatar: The Last Airbender fans made about Fire and Ash is that it would be Cameron's ironic reflection of the original Nickelodeon series and its take on elemental benders. Varang, the leader of this antagonistic Na'vi clan, is a testament that fans had been right all along.
"From ash, we rose. From fire, we rule," Varang (played by Oona Chaplin) narrates in her own teaser trailer, "Pandora's beauty is a lie. And lies must burn."
Apart from Chaplin's chilling voiceover, Azula fans couldn't help but envision Varang scaring even the likes of Miles Quaritch, the first main antagonist in the 2009 film. A terrifying baddie is exactly the cup of tea Avatar fans are looking for.
As much as fans refuse to liken the animated firebending princess, Varang possesses similar traits that they saw (and had grown to love) in Azula. They're both set to lead their nations to victory and are willing to do whatever it takes to stand on top of the world, ruling above all.
Not to mention, the order in which the Na'vi nations were highlighted in Pandora. Who would've guessed that the clan, right after The Way of Water, would be their opposing element?
While ATLA showcased the Earth Kingdom before the Fire Nation, Zuko and his people had long been terrorizing the world with their dominion, which leaves little to the imagination about how much Fire and Ash could present similar worldbuilding in the franchise.
What to Expect from James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash?
Unlike the peaceful Omatikaya and Metkayina clans in The Way of Water, the Ash Clan are warriors who wield human weapons and live amid fire and destruction, with seemingly no plan of forming any alliances with outsiders from their home.
"We're not doing black-and-white storytelling," Cameron recently said, noting to fans that despite the portrayals of the Ash Clan from the teasers, it is crucial that viewers understand that Pandora is a much larger place to navigate moralities between clans.
Remember how the Na'vi used to fear humans? Well, the Ash Clan might convey a related storyline and expand the world of Pandora beyond what Jake, Neytiri, and their family grew up in.
For now, fans can wait for Avatar: Fire and Ash to premiere on the big screens on December 19.