When Jake Sully, Neytiri and their children came to the clan seeking refuge, Tonowari accepted their visit, offering to train them to adapt to their ways. Tonowari and the clan joined Jake and Neytiri in their war against the RDA to save their children, accepting the Sully family as part of the clan.
Tonowari and Ronal contemplate sheltering the Sully family.
When the Sully family arrived in Awa'atlu, Tonowari greeted Jake and Neytiri with pleasant surprise but also concern as to why they were seeking refuge with them in a tradition known as uturu. His doubts about accepting the Sully family into the clan came down to his fear of war with the RDA, and how the forest Na'vi would fare in the marine environment. Jake convinced him that he was done with war and wanted to run away to protect his family and learn their ways.
Tonowari's mate, Ronal, was much more vehemently opposed to the Sully family's presence, singling out Jake for being cowardly and their children for having "demon blood". Tonowari managed to convince her, and they decided to grant uturu. Tonowari assigned his children Aonung and Tsireya to teach the Sully children their ways, which his son agreed to with great disgust, but Tonowari would not discuss it with him as it is decided.
Tonowari disappointed in Aonung.
As the kids explored the underwater world, Tonowari taught Jake how to ride the skimwing. Fearing he could not cope with such a difficult animal to tame, he offered an ilu at first, but Jake insisted on the skimwing. Tonowari was a patient and understanding teacher, watching Jake's first failed attempts to mount the skimwing with concern. When he finally managed to mount one, Tonowari was proud of him. Soon after, when Tonowari learned that his son had taken Lo'ak off the reef and abandoned him at Three Brothers Rocks, he demanded that he apologize to him, but Lo'ak decided to take the blame.
Upon the return of the tulkun to the coast of Awa'atlu, Tonowari welcomed them after their annual migration of several months. After the migration on a rainy day, a saddened and enraged Tonowari broke the news to Jake about the Sky People's attack on the local clans. He gave orders to the neighboring clans to hide Jake's location in case of avoiding a war with the RDA. He could hardly hide his resentment that Jake was the reason for the attack.
Tonowari having a serious talk with Lo'ak.
When he learned of Lo'ak's friendship with the outcast tulkun Payakan, Tonowari had a serious conversation with him and even scolded his daughter Tsireya along with Lo'ak for allowing the latter to bond with Payakan, venting his rage at such a flagrant violation of Tulkun Way. He explained the history of the tulkun and why Payakan is marginalized. He was clearly irritated that Lo'ak openly disagreed with his words, as Lo'ak claimed Tonowari simply did not understand Payakan who, in Lo'ak's eyes, could not be a bloodthirsty killer.
Shortly after, Tonowari, Ronal, Jake and Neytiri discovered the corpse of Ro'a, his partner's spiritual sister, murdered by the tulkun hunters. When the rest of the clan found out about this, they decided to go into battle to take revenge on them. Jake desperately tried to speak in front of the clan. Shouting over Tonowari, he showed them the red device with which tulkuns are marked for hunting. He explained that the device allows the Sky People to track them down, and convinced them to tell their tulkuns to flee the village so they wouldn't be hunted as well. With sadness, Tonowari and the clan accepted Jake's words.
An attempt to prevent the Metkayina from revealing itself to humans proved to be a fiasco when hunters attacked Payakan and the children accompanying Lo'ak. Lo'ak, Tuktirey, and Tsireya were captured and taken hostage by Miles Quaritch aboard the SeaDragon. Tonowari and Ronal led their warriors to engage the hunters. They stopped their attack when Quaritch ordered Jake to surrender by threatening to kill his children and Tsireya. However, Payakan's attack on the ship caused enough confusion that the Metkayina entered the war. Tonowari personally killed at least one member of the tulkun hunting crew with his Metkayina spear.
It is currently not fully explained what Tonowari and the rest of the clan were doing as the battle continued during the eclipse and the SeaDragon began to sink.
Admitting the Sullys into the Clan[]
Tonowari welcomes the Sully family into the clan.
After the battle ended and the Sullys returned to Awa'atlu, the clan held a funeral for their eldest son, Neteyam who had fallen during the battle. The next day, Jake surprised him by deciding to leave the village so as not to put the clan in any more danger. Tonowari decided that by burying Neteyam according to Metkayina customs, the family would be considered full members of the clan, and therefore he persuaded Jake and his family to stay.
Personality and Traits[]
Tonowari proud of Jake Sully.
As Olo'eyktan, Tonowari overseers the welfare of his clan and is respected by his clan for his ideals and ability to guide them through times of great challenge. Another one of Tonowari's responsibilities includes overseeing the repairing and building of village structures.[1] He is a brave and strong leader, willing to join the front lines of his clan during battle.[2] However, he also greatly values Ronal's input in decision-making and does not make a move without her wisdom.
As father to Aonung and Tsireya, he is much stricter. When Aonung’s bullying risks Lo'ak's life, he demands his son to explain and apologise. He also reprimands his children and Lo'ak when the latter bonds with Payakan, but also explains the history of the tulkun.
Tonowari convincing Ronal to accept the Sully family.
While Ronal is more distrustful, Tonowari is shown to be more benevolent and willing to give people chances, a behavior he has apparently passed down to Tsireya. He takes in the Sully family not long after their arrival and plea for refuge, and instructs his clanmates to hide their location even amidst great chaos by the RDA. He also welcomed the Sully family as part of the Metkayina clan after the final conflict with the RDA. He does not entirely resent or blame Jake for accidentally bringing the RDA's war to the reefs, as after seeing the RDA slaughter the tulkun, Tonowari realizes the depth of humanity's greed first-hand. Tonowari understands the growing conflict between the Na'vi and the RDA would inevitably subjugate their clan sooner or later. Tonowari also recognizes Jake has also spent the last 15 years fighting the RDA himself in order to make things right with the Na'vi.
Tonowari is a loving partner and tries to prevent Ronal from participating in the battle while pregnant. He respects her opinion, but tries to convince her to be more open and flexible towards certain situations. Ronal has deep respect for her husband.
The relationship with his son resembles that between Neytiri, Mo'at and Eytukan. Aonung goes his own way and reluctantly accepts the responsible tasks his father imposes on him, such as teaching the Sully children, which he sees as stealing his precious free time. However, Tonowari is strict, demanding and does not tolerate opposition, especially since he must prepare his son for the future transfer of the title of clan head to him.
Tonowari seems to value his daughter and her abilities. He entrusts her with helping the Sully children learn about life in the reefs. However, he does not hesitate to reprimand her harshly and shows disappointment when Tsireya allowed Lo'ak to bond with Payakan, as he has given her the responsibility of teaching the clan's customs. Tonowari eventually became upset when he learns that Tsireya has been captured by the RDA and immediately rallies the clan for an offensive.
Tonowari and Jake met before their children were born, presumably before the Battle of Ayram Alusìng, in which Jake rallied the clans to war against the RDA. Tonowari respects Jake as Toruk Makto and a great warrior, and though he fears that war will come to his clan, he understands his desire to protect his family and is in favor of granting him refuge. During the assimilation, Tonowari personally teaches Jake the ways of the Metkayina in order to prevent the shame of becoming useless. Despite friendly relations, Tonowari makes no secret of his fury at Lo'ak's insubordination and hopes that Jake will take appropriate disciplinary action against his son. Also, despite Jake's earlier warnings and his own decision to help him, Tonowari seems resentful that the Sky People finally found the Metkayina's home and threatened them with war. After Neteyam died in the Skirmish at the Three Brothers and his body was buried in the Cove of the Ancestors, Tonowari allows Jake and his family to stay as full members of the Metkayina Clan.
Trivia[]
There is a deleted scene titled Scenes 2134-2136-2133A-2119 "Learning Montage" of Tonowari teaching Lo'ak and Neteyam how to weave a marui. He tells the brothers to work together as they are building not merely a house, but also a village and a family.
In the original script, Tonowari says this to Jake: "Once I was afraid the war would come because you are here. Now I See -- you are here because the war is coming. We cannot defeat this enemy that comes from the stars. Not unless we join with other clans. Many clans. Sea people with forest Na’vi. Then we can drive them out. Lead us. Ride great Toruk, as you did before."
Tonowari has scars on his left forearm but it is unclear how he obtained them.
There is a sense of irony in his casting because Cliff Curtis portrayed another leader in another "Avatar" film: Fire Lord Ozai from The Last Airbender. It is ironic because Tonowari and Ozai represent the opposite elements (water and fire), Tonowari is a good-natured character while Ozai is a villain.
„Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters. They do not know the sea so they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless.“- To his clan when the Sully family arrive.
„Tsireya, you disappoint me daughter. And you, son of a great warrior who has been taught better.“- Tonowari to Tsireya and Lo'ak.
„Sit... sit... SIT DOWN!“- Tonowari before teaching Lo'ak about the Tulkun Way.
„Hear my words, boy. In the days of the first songs, tulkun fought amongst themselves for territory and for revenge. But they came to believe that killing no matter how justifiable, only brings more killing... so all killing was forbidden. This is the Tulkun Way. Payakan is a killer so he is outcast.“- Tonowari to Lo'ak.
„They are killers of tulkun. They must die... here... today!“- Regarding the RDA.
„Your son lies with our ancestors. You... are Metkayina now.“- To Jake.
