Exploring the Ash People: Understanding Varang’s Clan in Avatar: Fire and Ash

After a three-year hiatus, we’re back on Pandora for another thrilling journey in Avatar: Fire and Ash. This time, Jake Sully and his crew face more than just the usual whale-hunting humans. Still grappling with the loss of their son, Neteyam, the fractured Sully family must defend their home against the ruthless Ash people, or Mangkwan clan, led by the vengeful Varang.

But what’s driving the Na’vi to turn against each other? In Avatar: The Way of Water, we witnessed the Reef People, including Ronal, initially resist the forest dwellers but eventually come to accept them. So, what’s Varang’s story? We’ll explore that below, but be warned—major spoilers ahead!

With Varang still alive at the end of Fire and Ash and the potential for two more Avatar films on the horizon, it’s clear that director James Cameron has kept some backstory and lore under wraps for future use. The motivations of the Mangkwan clan remain somewhat ambiguous in the film, but we’ll break down what we know, from Varang’s troubled childhood to her dark alliance with Colonel Miles Quaritch of the RDA.

The Ash people, introduced in Avatar: Fire and Ash, come from a mountain village that was obliterated by a volcanic eruption, taking their Hometree with it. This disaster claimed many lives, and despite their desperate calls to the Na’vi goddess Eywa, no help arrived, leaving them embittered and seeking revenge. They harbor a deep-seated hatred for those who still revere Eywa, particularly the Sullys and the Metkayina clan.

The Ash people were first mentioned in issue 4 of a 2021 comic series. Like other Na’vi tribes, they wield wooden weapons, including bows and arrows, and ride nightwraiths and banshees. Fierce and brutal in combat, they often sever their opponents’ kurus to break their spiritual connection to Eywa, showcasing their contempt for her.

While the film doesn’t delve into it, the official companion book, The Visual Dictionary, reveals that Varang’s mother, the clan’s former leader, perished in the eruption, paving the way for Varang’s rise to power. Upon reaching adulthood, she usurped her older sister’s position as tsahik and, at just 15, poisoned her father, whom she deemed a weak leader, claiming the title of the clan’s sole “messiah.”

With no choice but to inhabit the ruins of their former village, the Ash people now resort to piracy and plundering for survival. After attacking a Wind Trader vessel in the film, Varang discovers the Sully family’s weapons and becomes fascinated by their destructive power. She later encounters Quaritch, who offers her an arsenal of firearms in exchange for her clan’s assistance in hunting down Jake Sully.

In one of Fire and Ash’s more surreal moments, Varang hints at a unique connection to fire, suggesting she’s developed a resistance to its dangers over time. Her followers, however, do not share this bond, though they engage in powerful fire rituals.

Oona Chaplin, known for her role in Game of Thrones, brings Varang to life. She shared her approach to embodying the character, stating, “I studied [Neytiri actor] Zoe [Saldaña] for the moves, because Zoe is Pandora for me. I would go into the rehearsal room and try to imitate her movements, thinking about what happens when you close your heart, as Varang has endured immense trauma and doesn’t trust the world like Neytiri does.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently in theaters.