There's nothing we have that they want. We're a horror to them. We're the monsters from space.Jake Sully in the original script on how the Na'vi view humanity.
Humans (Na'vi name: sawtute meaning "sky people") are a sapient bipedal mammalian dominant species native to planet Earth, who by the 22nd century has become a technologically advanced species capable of interstellar travel and colonization.
By the year 2170, humanity has reached a population of over 20 billion and faces extinction due to overpopulation and dwindling resources on Earth, resulting in not only resource wars on Earth, but also on Pandora with the Na'vi. To save humanity from extinction, the RDA has ferried humans to Bridgehead on Pandora.
Anatomy[]
Winslow, a male human
Humans are mid-sized hominid primates and the only extant species of the genus Homo, with an upright bipedal posture and prehensile forelimbs, each with a highly dexterous five-digit hand adapted for fine motor functions.
Skin color varies from very pale to nearly black. Hair color can be blonde, brown, black, and even reddish-orange. Hair tends to become grey and white due to aging. Height can also be quite different, with some growing up become 5 feet tall while others can grow to become 7 feet tall.
Trudy Chacón, a female human
Humans display noticeable sexual dimorphism. Men are generally being taller, stronger and more muscular than women, and they tend to run 10% faster in marathons. Men are generally hairier than women, with the exception of men experiencing balding. Women tend to have longer head hair than men due to cultural values. Men need to buy more food than women due to requiring more calories to support their larger bodies. Cisgender women have the ability to breast feed, and tend to live around 5 years longer than men. Cisgender women can give birth, with some exceptions (e.g. menopause). Cisgender men can produce sperm. Women tend to be better at verbal-based episodic memory tasks, while men tend to be better with spatial memory. Men tend to suffer more hearing loss and color blindness, while women tend to suffer more vision loss. Men are able to withstand cold temperatures better than women, and women tend to prefer room temperature at 2.5C warmer than men.
Miles Quaritch working out to combat Pandora's lower gravity
The human anatomy (even in the most fit condition) is quite weak by Pandoran and even their own planet's standards and are prone to muscle atrophy in the lighter gravity of Pandora without constant exercise. However, their skeletal structure may be slightly more resistant to fall damage than on Earth due to their adaptations to stronger gravity as well as the denser atmosphere (which would create more speed resistance in the fall). Apart from this, given the dense terrain on Pandora, many human anatomical adaptations such as sustained endurance is of little to no advantage. They would also be physically outmatched by even the most same-sized animals on the moon (given that their own planet's animals already physically exceed them). In combat, humans tend to avoid melee combat due to their outmatched physiology and favor chemically powered range-based projectile weapons such as firearms, as well as explosives, and employ heavy use of aircraft and weaponized exoskeletons such as the AMP suit.
Jake wearing an exopack.
Like Pandoran animals, humans are oxygen-breathers, but can't survive in the high-carbon dioxide atmosphere of Pandora, and thus are heavily dependent on air filtration systems such as exopacks.
Behavior and Beliefs[]
A city built by humans
Humans have brains capable of abstract reasoning, advanced language, introspection, problem-solving, and organization, and over the millennia have accumulated knowledge and expertise. However, unlike the Na'vi who speak one language, humans have spoken hundreds of different languages with many portions of their species unable to understand others, requiring translators such as multi-lingual humans or technological devices. By the early 21st century, the Internet permanently changed human society when it became mainstream, and it became common for humans to use the Internet to socialize with others through websites, video streams and social media.
Humans deciding to go to war with the Na'vi. War has always been an aspect of human history.
Humans are known for being highly territorial, and have initiated countless wars and genocides on Earth against themselves since their founding of their first civilization. Human history is rife of countless stories of them dividing themselves into countries, arguing over religion, land borders, race and skin color, and killing each other en masse. Wars and bloodshed has even been spilled over trying to obtain spices such as pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. An estimated 70-85 million people died during World War II alone. Even in the 22nd century, the Resource Wars are occurring.
The country system forces many humans to stay in the same country they were born in, especially if they are living paycheck-to-paycheck, have difficulties learning other languages, or happen to have poor career prospects. Humans lack a Na'vi equivalent of uturu.
Humans hunting tulkun.
While the Na'vi try to minimize animal suffering, many humans exhibit little sympathy towards animals, both on Earth and on Pandora, and the vast majority of humans have chosen to eat animals throughout history. In the 22nd century, because of Earth's natural shortages, human diet consists of diminishing phytoplanktons, low-quality carbohydrates and synthetic proteins.[1] The lack of empathy towards animals has resulted in humans performing animal testing and experimentation on Pandoran wildlife, and even eating tapirus, a pig-like species whom the Na'vi treat like pets. For the purpose of anti-aging remedies, humans also hunt tulkun despite their intelligence and capacity to suffer.
While the Na'vi are not known for using currency, humans invented money and assign values to objects, buildings, and land. In this system, humans force other humans to earn money by spending much of their adult lives working, or else they may go homeless or starve, which some people have called an advanced form of slavery. Earning money through jobs and selling belongings is a major component of human society which can dictate and control their entire life, relationship prospects, and futures. Some people's desperate desires to obtain money has led to theft and murder, as was the case with Tom Sully. By 2148, the economy in America is extremely inflated to the degree a cup of coffee costs 12 dollars.
Tom Sully's cremation
While the Na'vi clans have different ways of burying their dead, humans commonly cremate the remains of their deceased. Many humans believe in the existence of a god, and believe they will judged by their deity when they die, which may or may not allow them to live in an afterlife. The discovery of the Na'vi completely challenged humanity's idea that they were alone in the universe; many religious leaders have used the Na’vi similarity to humans as a demonstration of “intelligent design” but this has triggered its own controversy as to whether Na’vi should be considered “human”, if they have an "immortal soul", and should therefore be accorded the protection and recognition of the church.[2]
History[]
Evolution[]
Earth, which is where humans lived before Pandora
Humans share a common ancestor with apes, gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees. It is theorized all life on Earth originally came from the ocean, and over millions of years, animals began to evolve in different ways in order to find different ways to survive. The modern human's earliest common ancestor with all other primates is the rat-like purgatorius.
Modern humans first evolved between 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. They are part of the genus Homo. The genus includes now extinct hominids such as Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalenis (Neanderthals), Homo ergaster, Homo habilis, and many more. Humans are the only surviving member of the genus homo, thanks to their unparalleled intelligence compared to the rest of the genus.
20th century[]
Humanity began forays into the universe during the mid-20th century after their Second World War, first by launching 'primitive' satellites into low orbit, and then sending human occupants to orbit around their planet. About 25 years after the first unmanned craft was launched from Earth, humans first made the journey to the nearest celestial body to Earth, the Moon, working as a political milestone for one of the biggest superpowers on the planet during its Cold War against another nation. Manned missions to the Moon happened for a period of four years until the Moon Program was cancelled.
21st century[]
In the early 21st century, Humanity set up an international coalition dedicated to funding and building the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. in the following decades, private corporations grouped together and built interstellar vessels like the ISV Venture Star, which allowed the human race to expand to other nearby star systems, particularly the Alpha Centauri System, and explore their planets and moons.
Sometime during this century, the Resources Development Administration was formed in Silicon Valley, California when its two founders borrow money from friends and family to begin the company. The corporation would eventually grow into a powerful staple of society.
22nd century[]
Jake Sully's city on Earth.
Following the ravaging of their home planet by pollution and war which left Earth largely unsuitable for life and in the midst of an energy crisis, the goal of humans shifted to venturing to Pandora to mine the mineral unobtanium, which is valued at 20 million dollars a kilogram. The Security Operations (Sec-Ops) group, which is owned by the RDA, was installed at Hell's Gate to protect the interests of the RDA as they mine the valuable mineral from Pandora. Sec-Ops also served to prevent any and all intrusions by Pandoran natives. The RDA also established the Science Operations (Sci-Ops), a branch dedicated to researching Pandora, interacting with natives, and possibly synthesizing various flora and fauna for practical use on Earth; compared to Sec-Ops and the Mining Operations, Sci-Ops is largely underfunded.[3]
The Hell's Gate facility on Pandora.
Though relations between the human and the Na'vi initially started peaceful, things eventually deteriorated. Tensions and conflicts escalated to the point where both sides were on the brink of war. Upon Jake Sully's arrival on Pandora, the RDA made one last attempt to find a diplomatic and peaceful agreement with the Na'vi, so they could mine the unobtanium from the moon without interference. However, this unfortunately failed and the RDA resorted to using full force against the Na'vi in order to get the resources they desired.
Humans fighting the Na'vi during the Pandoran War.
The RDA's plans were foiled by the Na'vi who defeated them during the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains with the help of like-minded humans. Most humans were exiled from Pandora, though a few were permitted to stay. Many of the humans who stayed behind did not agree with the RDA's goals and worked with the Na'vi to rebuild, as well as sustain themselves. Despite this, relations between the humans who stayed and the Na'vi remained resentful. The remaining humans on Pandora were eventually able to build a suitable home for themselves where they could survive and even started to raise families of their own.
Amrita harvested from a tulkun.
However, although the RDA was banished from Pandora, they returned fourteen years later and established the Bridgehead complex to create a permanent colony, as Earth's situation deteriorated to almost uninhabitable levels. Many of the humans who originally stayed on Pandora were forced to return to the RDA. Reasons for this included fear for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones, while others were secretly still loyal to the RDA. Even so, some humans remained with the Na'vi side and joined a group called the Resistance led by Jake Sully in a series of guerrilla operations against the RDA during the Second Pandoran War. Later on, the RDA started plundering the Pandoran oceans for their resources as well, and even found amrita, a substance which could stop human aging and potentially make people live for hundreds of years.
Near/Far Future[]
Generations after the RDA's chokehold presence on Pandora, the Alpha Centauri Expeditions set to work repairing the relationship between Na'vi and humans. After reaching peace with the nearby Omatikaya clan, ACE set up a thriving ecotourism system in the Valley of Mo'ara so that humans could return to Pandora and learn about the Na'vi, as well as about the RDA's harmful practices. The Pandora Conservation Initiative helped to undo environmental destruction caused by the RDA and relaunched the Avatar Program to continue their research and allow guests to experience Pandora through avatar bodies. With these measures in place, Na'vi and humans largely live harmoniously.
Technology[]
Humans have created advanced technology over the centuries, including sub-luminal interplanetary and interstellar space travel and colonization, which is required to travel between Earth and the Alpha Centauri system in a realistic time span. Other technologies developed are superluminal communications, virtual 3D printing and holography mapping; and advanced methods of cryonics (cryosleep) and psionics (via synthetic telepathy interface) are employed.
A link unit for humans.
Using their capability of advanced genetic engineering, humans develop cloned "avatar" hybrid bodies from genetically distinct modified-human DNA and Na'vi genetic material. Through psionics, genetically matched humans are then mind-linked to these "avatars" for remote control operation. The Avatar Program technology, link units, enables linking to an avatar. Once transferred to an avatar body, a human can live comfortably on Pandora. Later on, avatars were refined to Recombinants, autonomous Na'vi-like hybrid clones with the memories and personality of a human, which were recorded and stored on a Soul Drive during the individual's lifetime.
In the area of medicine, humans have developed advanced stem cell neuroregeneration technology, such that Jake Sully hopes it can cure his paralysis. However, in 2154, the technology is still extremely expensive and is not covered by Veterans Affairs benefits. The NeuroSect is also an impressive piece of technology which can map people's brains and read their minds.
Companies[]
Even though humans have advanced technology, they have ravaged their planet, Earth, to the point of resource depletion. As such, the economies of Earth's nations have become poor. The majority of power on Earth has been split up among powerful companies, corporations and organizations that enlist ex-military soldiers and civilians.
A list of notable human organizations, including those with substantial presence on Pandora, are as follows.
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- IBSF Protection Solutions
- Sinclair Precision Piping
- Interplanetary Commerce Administration (ICA)
- Masa-Cirre Ltd.
Na'vi Views on Humans[]
Jake Sully views humanity's destruction.
Humanity is the first and only alien species known to the Na'vi, the sapient species native to Pandora. Many Na'vi find humans especially horrifying. While the Na'vi tower over humans and do not fear them in a physical sense, they know how cruel and dangerous humans can be, from their polluting factories and their advanced weaponry. Other reasons involve the way humans have treated their own kind, instigating wars and killing each other over politics in their blood-stained past, as well as destroying the environment (although Na'vi are largely unaware of human history). Humans have also exploited and killed animals on a mass scale, especially in slaughterhouses.
As a result, many Na'vi such as Neytiri generally do not like the species and are wary of the suffering humans can bring, believing they lack deep empathy, spirituality and are unable to "see". The Omatikaya clan once forbid contact with all humans and avatars. In Frontiers of Pandora, walking around the Na'vi can make the player hear comments about how they pity the Sky People.
The Na'vi refer to these aliens (humans) that are invading and colonizing their moon as tawtute (pl. sawtute), meaning "sky person/people" in the Na'vi language, and derogatorily as "pinkskins".[4] They have also been called vrrtep ("demons") by Tsu'tey and Ronal.
Trivia[]
- Humans may be considered, for the most part, the main antagonists of the Avatar series due to the Resources Development Administration being comprised of humans, as well as due to ruining Earth and Pandora. Despite this, various good-natured exist on both sides in the franchise.
- James Cameron said the Na'vi are supposed to represent the better aspects of humanity (caring for the environment, respecting animals, trying to create a peaceful world, etc). He hopes audiences will aspire to be more like the Na'vi. He denies he is anti-human, saying most audiences have figured this message out, and said people who don't understand this message by now are pseudo-intellectual boneheads. He also mentions the fact that the Avatar films are successful at the box office is evidence people understand the message, and gives him faith in humanity.[5]
- Jakes states "I don't want your pity, you want a fair deal, you're on the wrong planet." This would indicate that humanity has fallen into deep apathy as by the 22nd century humanity has been conditioned and numb to Earth degraded natural, social, and political conditions.
- Because Avatar is set in the 22nd century, even going so far as 2170, this article can not make claims about who the longest living human is. For example, Jeanne Calment is the real-world longest living human at age 122. However, it's possible some girl born in the year 2030 is now 140 years old in the year 2170 in the Avatar universe. Richard Wadlow is also the tallest real-world human at 8 ft 11 inches, but it's also possible this has also been exceeded in Avatar.
External Links[]
- Human on Wikipedia
- Avatar vs Human on HumanCompare