After the Na'vi clone version of Colonel Quaritch (as the original died in the first film) attacks Jake and his family in the forests of Pandora, they flee to the oceanic Pandoran sea. There they meet the Metkayina clan led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet), who introduce them to their aquatic way of life. Their children Tsireya (Bailey Bass) and Aonung (Filip Geljo) help Jake and Neytiri's children adapt as well until Aonung plays a dangerous practical joke on Lo'ak. This leaves the young, land-dwelling boy stranded at sea, where a terrifying sea beast attacks him in a suspenseful chase scene. He's suddenly rescued by an enormous Tulkun named Payakan, whose intellect allows it to communicate with Lo'ak.
At first, it seems audiences found the subtitled whale a little goofy, according to users on Reddit. The unconventional bond seemed a bit strange to some viewers, as u/Dawesfan shares, "My audience died of laughter when they put subtitles for the whale. Later we are told the whales are smarter than us. It suddenly makes sense to have them communicate with the Na'vi." Payakan's traumatic backstory unfolds through its unique relationship with Lo'ak to inform the audience that its entire tribe was ravaged by poachers. We later find out that they're seeking the Tulkun's biological fluid, which stops the human aging process entirely and is worth upwards of $80 million a vial.
