Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora - The Best 8 References, Explained

Summary

• Explore new Pandora region & interact with unique fauna, characters, and enemies in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
• Themes tie back to Avatar franchise; understanding canon will enrich gameplay experience in conflict-plagued planet.
• Utilize Tsaheylu, bond with Ikran, and learn Na'vi traditions to navigate through the western frontier of Pandora.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora helps to expand James Cameron’s epic sci-fi world. Taking place in a new region of the titular Pandora, you can directly interact with all new fauna, characters, and enemies. All of which help to further establish the conflict that plagues the planet, as well as understand the cultures that exist there.

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Apart from all that is new, there are also elements of the game that help tie it back to the Avatar franchise. These themes and plot points could be missed by those unfamiliar with the series canon. But for those who do catch these references, you’ll have a better understanding of just how deep the world of Pandora can go.

8 Jake Sully

Jake and the protagonist of Frontiers Of Pandora share very similar themes when it comes to their origins. Both of them were tasked by the RDA to betray the Na'vi but in both cases, these plans backfired spectacularly.

Jake Sully is brought up by several RDAs as well as some of your allies throughout the game; discussed with a great deal of respect, and those who are familiar with the movies will know why. Jake is the main protagonist of both the original Avatar film and its sequel, The Way of Water, and he's a former human who had his consciousness transferred into an Avatar body with the initial goal of infiltrating the Na'vi.

As he learns more about the natives of Pandora, his allegiance shifts and he eventually becomes a hero of the people, leading his new allies against the RDA. This sets off a chain reaction across the planet, including the increased aggression that you’ll find yourself up against in Frontiers of Pandora.

7 Oxygen Suits

The RDA troops that make up the bulk of the enemy forces in Frontiers Of Pandora are an intimidating bunch, as their weapons are far more advanced than what the Na'vi have, and one of the most notable parts of their gear is the oxygen masks they all wear. Your human allies are also forced to utilize the same kind of equipment whenever they are outside the main resistance HQ.

With how much Pandora can resemble the lush jungles of our homeworld, it’s hard to imagine what could be wrong with the air to make it toxic for humans. The answer is provided through movie material where we learn that Pandora’s atmosphere is highly unique, containing certain gases that are toxic to humans; on top of the air quality, some other notable traits include increased air resistance, which can be seen in-game by your character surviving falls uninjured that would be lethal on Earth.

6 Tsaheylu

The Tsaheylu has shown to be capable of several different uses throughout the franchise, but Frontiers Of Pandora is the first time we see Tsaheylu used to access the memories of other Na'vi

A central theme in all Avatar-related media is being connected to nature. The Na'vi take great pride in their capacity to live side by side with the various plants and animals that inhabit Pandora. However, this connection runs deeper than just a sweet sentiment, as the Na'vi are each equipped with a special appendage that can allow them to connect with Pandora’s creatures, experiencing their emotions and even reliving some of their memories.

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In the films, Jake uses this skill to great effect to turn the planet against the RDA forces, and it is of great importance as he learns to understand why preserving Pandora’s way of life is a worthy cause. The player utilizes their own Tsaheylu in several instances throughout the story, establishing a similar bond as they get to truly experience nature after having been locked away by the RDA for their childhood.

5 Bonding With Ikran

The Ikran are arguably one of the most recognizable creatures from James Cameron’s Avatar universe; huge winged beasts that dominate the skies with whom Na'vi develops incredibly close relationships. Their bond is an important part of their culture but, from a militaristic standpoint, also helps the Na'vi to keep up with their human adversaries in the realm of air combat.

In the first film, several scenes are dedicated to showing how important the bond between a rider and their Ikran is. When Jake Sully does eventually tame his Ikran, it elevates his status in the clan, and in Frontiers of Pandora, a very similar situation occurs wherein your character forges their bond with their Ikran, reinforcing the idea that clans across Pandora hold this tradition in high regard.

4 So'lek

Although So'lek's Journey was the only comic book created exclusively for Frontiers of Pandora, there are five other comic series covering events never seen in the movies or games.

So’lek is one of the first Na’vi that you come into contact with after your character’s initial escape from the RDA. A capable soldier, he helps to teach you the ways of your clan as well as build up your early survival skills, and the motivation behind So’lek’s determination can be found in a companion comic released before Frontier of Pandora.

In the comic, we learn that So’lek was there for the battles seen in the first movie and swore revenge on the RDA for what they did to his clan. In the years since he fled to the western frontier and has conducted his guerilla war there, and this isolation has led to his unique fighting style, which combines human weapons and Na’vi tactics.

3 The Western Frontier

An often negative trope in science fiction is that when new planets are shown, they are often limited to a singular city or nation, which fails to capture the scope of what it means to find a truly brand-new world. Avatar manages to avoid this by setting Frontiers of Pandora in a new region of the planet.

This gives the game’s title a fun double meaning; while your character upholds the values of their ancestors by exploring the region, the player is also treated to a new angle in a familiar setting. The western frontier brings with it all kinds of new plants, animals, and clans that are native to the region while still bearing several familiar sights that spread planet-wide.

2 Eywa

The name Eywa is brought up frequently by characters throughout Frontiers of Pandora. The reverence the name is given would indicate that it is a being of spiritual significance for the Na’vi and that is partially true, as Eywa is a deity that the Na’vi view as helping to keep the planet in balance.

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But it is more than that, as Jake Sully learns in the films; in reality, Eywa is the name given to the complex neural network that runs throughout the planet. Essentially, Eywa’s existence means that all of Pandora is a living creature, making your mission to stop the RDA from poisoning the planet further all the more pressing.

1 Songcords

The Na’vi have many traditions that you get to explore firsthand in Frontiers of Pandora, and one of the first ones is that you are introduced to the idea of the songcord, as your main character is able to hold onto it while part of the RDA is considered a privilege. Throughout the game, the songcord is also updated along with major events.

But exactly what is its purpose? The songcord is used to record the personal and clan history of each Na’vi. With their culture relying on oral tradition rather than the written word, these objects assist in creating the song of each clan member's life.

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