With ending of Avatar: The Way of Water leaves the sequels with many possibilities, but certain events must occur before the saga's conclusion.

After 2009's Avatar, every sequel has a compelling subtitle that hints at what the story will be about. Of course, they need to address the events of the preceding movies, but the sequels' main role is to advance the larger plot. Although director James Cameron has confirmed he has plans for a sixth and seventh Avatar movie, neither has yet been greenlit. As such, Avatar 5 is arguably the main contender as the film to end it all. Details are scarce about what the fifth movie will be about, but its title could feature the biggest clue of all.

Avatar: The Quest For Eywa's Setting Suggests The Na'vi Originate On Earth

The Na'vi travel to Earth in Avatar 5

Eywa is a mysterious being that the Na'vi treat almost as a deity. She seems to be non-corporeal and part of Pandora itself. The fifth movie, Avatar: The Quest for Ewya has been confirmed to be set - at least in part - on Earth. The Na'vi making their way to the human homeworld is certainly a compelling thought, but it also raises the question of why the Pandoran natives are making their way to Earth in an implied search for the Na'vi deity. The strongest theory is that Eywa has a strong connection to Earth as well as Pandora.

If Eywa was artificially created on Earth, then it's not an unreasonable stretch to assume that humans are also responsible for the birth of the Na'vi people.

If Eywa was artificially created on Earth, then it's not an unreasonable stretch to assume that humans are also responsible for the birth of the Na'vi people. If so, installing a being like Eywa on Pandora may have been an attempt to also pacify the Na'vi, making them easier to dominate. With Sam Worthington's Jake Sully leading the battle against his former people, the Na'vi are not so easily defeated, and so Eywa may be deemed a waste of resources. So, humanity could deactivate her, leading the Na'vi to chase the trail of their deity back to Earth.

Humans In Avatar Have Already Proven They're Able To Create Na'vi Bodies

There's evidence to suggest humanity is responsible for the birth of the Na'vi

In the world of Avatar, humanity is incredibly advanced by the time of the mid-22nd century. Interstellar travel is no longer a thing of science-fiction, but perhaps the most relevant breakthrough to this creation theory is that humanity can create of the Na'vi race from scratch. Sure, the ones that have been made have been Na'vi/human hybrids - known as Avatars or Recombinants, but they establish a strong possibility that those from Earth can create 100% authentic of the Na'vi race without the need to include human DNA.

Although every lab-grown Na'vi that's been shown so far has essentially been an empty vessel without a consciousness of its own, the possibility persists of a Na'vi being grown at an earlier stage in their development and being allowed to mature naturally. This hasn't been shown in either of the first two Avatar movies, but it's certainly far more than possible given humanity's established scientific abilities within the world of the franchise.

The Problems With The Earth-Originated Na'vi Theory

It's difficult to make the Na'vi's origin on Earth make sense

This theory isn't without its flaws. One of the biggest issues is that, while the Na'vi would understandably be blissfully unaware of their Earthly origin, it would surely be a regular topic of conversation among the human characters. Unfortunately, no one has ever brought it up or mentioned it onscreen. This doesn't necessarily disprove the theory, but it does make it a little less likely. There's also the fact that, if the Na'vi did begin life on Earth, the humans would likely be far more prepared for their conflicts with them and aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century, and as with many sci-fi franchises, it roughly adheres to humanity's real-world technological development.

There is perhaps a far more notable reason why this theory can easily fall apart, and it comes down to when the franchise is set. Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century, and as with many sci-fi franchises, it roughly adheres to humanity's real-world technological development. Unfortunately, the Pandoran civilization is much, much older than is possible for it to have originated on Earth. In short, the Na'vi were probably already present on their moon for generations long before humanity reached the stars or gained the ability to create the blue aliens or Eywa.

The Na'vi & Eywa Being Created By Humanity Would Be A Great Twist For Avatar

James Cameron's saga would benefit from a big last-minute reveal like this

Although there would be a few narrative backflips required for the twist to make sense, it could still be a brilliant reveal for the Avatar franchise if executed well. However, if it's going to work, it'll need to make a few concessions. For instance, it's possible that life on Earth was itself created by an external source, and that same source may have also created another branch of humanity on another world altogether. Depending on how far in the past this other human civilization began, they could have been the ones responsible for seeding life on Pandora before going extinct.

Avatar Franchise Release Timeline

• Avatar (2009)
• Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
• Avatar: The Tulkun Rider (2029)
• Avatar: The Quest for Eywa (2031)

Alternatively, perhaps the Na'vi were created in the same way as humanity - by some unseen galactic phenomenon. If so, the death of Eywa on Pandora could result in the Na'vi traveling to Earth in Avatar 5 to seek out an alternate form of their spiritual entity to help regulate their moon's biological functions. This could be argued to be a little too high-concept for a franchise like Avatar, but its status as a space opera means anything is possible.

Although the saga is certainly heading toward a victory for either humanity or the Na'vi, it would be somewhat of an underwhelming and predictable finale without a flourish such as the origin of the Na'vi being revealed. Having said that, Cameron's stories for the Avatar movies have been relatively basic so far, with the focus being on making the franchise a visual marvel rather than adhering to a complex storyline. So, Avatar 5 may not include a huge twist at all.