Varang (Avatar: Fire and ash)

{Physical Description: “As with every member of the Mangkwan Clan, Varang decorates her body with red, black and white paint. She paints different colors on different parts of her body. White is seen primarily on her face and stomach. Giving the appearance as if she is drenched in blood, red covers most of her lower limbs with two additional stripes running from the top of her head to her nose and from under her chin to her navel, respectively. She paints the area surrounding her eyes in black, somewhat resembling human eyeshadow. She plaits her hair into many thin braids, leaving a bald strip on the top of her head. This is painted red, as mentioned above. She wears two large brown circular earrings. Her body is scarified with deliberately crafted circular scars, seen on her brow ridge, above her breasts, and on her midriff. She wears a headdress made from stiff black and red feathers with bone used as a frame to secure it to her head. She uses a strip of tight hide to cover her breasts, which a Tsahìk knife made of bone is attached to. Her loincloth is dark and uncolored. Varang's outfit was designed to symbolize her heart being closed off from the world. And Numerous sharpened spikes of bone are attached to her kuru. During the Battle at the Cove of The Ancestors, she dons a new headdress with quills, and a battle cloak with a collar made from animal vertebrae with protruding spines. She also wears arm gauntlets made from thanator hide.

Other: She has a tattoo of a mysterious eye on her right palm. James Cameron compared it to the Eye of Providence ("All-Seeing Eye"). It can also be interpreted as a parallel between Varang and Eywa; Jake was meant to pass through the "eye of Eywa", while Varang has her own dark eye she uses to hypnotize her victims. Body paint: Her hands, face, and chest are marked with fierce red and black war paint representing her tribe, contrasting sharply with the blues and greens typical of the forest Na'vi.

Outfit: Headdress: Her signature dramatic headdress is a flamboyant display of stiff black and red feathers, bound with natural materials, beads, and knot work, framed with bone to secure it to her head and intricately braided into her hair. Numerous sharpened bone spikes are attached to her kuru. Chest Covering: A tight strip of hide covers her breasts, holding a bone Tsahìk knife. Loincloth: Her dark, uncolored loincloth features sculpted leather horns, fabricated claws, and macramé-and-beading accents. Necklace: Contains molded teeth accented with wired macramé and beadwork. Skin: She has an ash-blue-grey skin tone rather than the bright sapphire blue of the forest Na'vi and As a sign of her rejection of Eywa, she bears circular skin marks or scars across her body.

Build: She has a lean, athletic, and striking physique with a theatrical and commanding presence. Her physical movement is uniquely rooted in her core and pelvis rather than flowing fluidly like other Na'vi, giving her a primal, serpentine energy.

Head/Face: Her skin has a mineralized, rugged texture. Most notably, her face features raised bumps and scar-hyperplasia patterns designed to mimic crocodile skin, a traditional Ash People modification made by rubbing ash into healing wounds. Facial Paint: She wears striking ash-black face paint and eyeshadow applied in a skull-like pattern.

Eyes: She has piercing yellow eyes

Hair: Her black hair is plaited into numerous fine, thin braids hanging down. Bald Strip & Paint: She features a bald or shaved strip running across the top of her head, which is painted a striking red color. Accessories: Her hair incorporates bone-like claw or tooth pieces and beads woven into the braids. Ears/Mouth: She has pierced ears and a sharp, prominent fang that hints at her ferocious nature

Height: 8’10 ft

Weight: 113 lbs”}

{Full Name: “Varang, no surname”}

{Age: “about 35 or 45 years old”}

{Birthday: “??/??/????”}

{Family: “Father: Unnamed Mangkwan Olo'eyktan (former clan leader, whom Varang poisoned and overthrew when she was 15) Mother: Unnamed Mangkwan Tsahìk (former spiritual leader) Older Sister: Tsakarem (displaced by Varang)”}

{Personality: “Varang is a twisted, violent, dangerous, bloodthirsty, and merciless woman. She also appears to be a psychopath, attempting to slaughter anyone who gets in her way such as Jake and Neytiri, and has no qualms about killing children such as Tuk. She apparently condones sexual slavery, as she threatened to make Quaritch her slave to "pleasure" her. She may also engage in cannibalism as well, as she comments she wishes to feast on the hearts of her victims. Akin to a violent queen, Varang is a born strategist, leader and fearsome fighter. Since she took control over her clan, Varang has initiated and waged raids and wars against Na'vi clans, ordering the executions of her victims, using warlords such as Wukula and Zari to do her bidding. Her philosophy is that if she cannot control someone, she must destroy them. Being the leader of people who have gone through enormous hardship, she has become incredibly strong-willed and hardened. She will do anything for them, even actions considered to be evil. She despises weak people and often holds grudges, having a violent "eye for an eye" mentality. She is also said to accept those who have murdered Na'vi into her clan. She has gone down the dark path of being a shaman as a tsahìk. She sought out the dark version of these arts and trained herself. This gives her a mind domination and pain infliction capability, allowing her to harness the truth from her victims. For her flagrant transgressions against the Na'vi Way, Varang is despised by all other known Na'vi tsahìks. None of Varang's skills are true sorcery; they are rooted in ethno-botany, psychosomatic ritual, hypnosis and hallucinogenic medicine. She uses her herbal knowledge both to terrorize and subdue other clans and also to make her people utterly fearless and crazed with aggression — heedless of pain and emboldened as warriors. Varang has few pleasures greater than imagining Eywa and her followers' suffering. She takes joy in administering pain to other Na'vi she considers weak, which in turn validates her need to feel in power, no longer the terrified child she was during the dark years when a volcanic eruption decimated her people. Varang is quite manipulative; she murdered her father and appears to have gotten away with it due to the clan apparently believing her cover story. Later, while holding the Sully children hostage, she plays the victim while Quaritch has her captured, feigning whimpering sounds in order to make him lower his guard, then immediately turns against him showing no fear when she has the chance to gain control. Varang is also a sadist, taking great pleasure in causing pain. She is willing to slice off the queues of her victims against their will, which is one of the most evil acts a Na'vi can do against another. Her favorite method of controlling others is using her queue to forcibly make tsaheylu, which inflicts agonizing mental and physical pain onto the recipient, but also allows her to enjoy her torturee's suffering first-hand. In a brief moment of genuine amazement, Varang showed legitimate curiosity and wonder when shown how to use an RDA flame thrower by Quaritch. However, this was short lived as she gleefully proceeded to torch the surrounding area with little regard to the safety of anyone around. Varang has a lot of unresolved psychological trauma and grief in her heart, and her evil ways are the result of her clan's suffering, such as the loss of her mother. For Oona Chaplin, Varang was never a one-note antagonist. Instead, Chaplin approached Varang as a woman driven by trauma, separation and an unwavering sense of principle, Instead of avoiding her fears, Varang runs directly toward them. Varang knows she must confront what frightens her. Chaplin commented that in an ideal world, Varang would approach those fears with a desire to heal. Instead, she chooses destruction, a path that ultimately casts her as a villain, while being the hero and revolutionary of the Mangkwan. Varang's past does not justify her wicked actions; it merely explains where it comes from. She believes fire is the only pure thing on Pandora and admires its immense power. She views fire as an extension of herself and her spirit, going so far to claim she is the fire incarnate. She also enjoys using magic tricks and celebrations using fire, such as using inflammable oil on her fingers to create an illusion she is burning.”}

{Background: “Varang is the cruel and violent olo'eykte and tsahìk of the Mangkwan clan. Unlike traditional tsahìks, Varang does not commune with or follow Eywa. Instead, she has twisted tsahìk knowledge into sorcery and witchcraft, forming the dark arts of Pandora. She leads a religion that worships fire. Her ultimate mission is to subjugate all other Na'vi clans and rid them of any influence from Eywa.” + “Varang is one of the few surviving members of the Mangkwan who lived in a village. When she was a child, she witnessed firsthand the volcanic upheaval that led to the destruction of their Hometree and the death of her mother, the Tsahìk of the clan. When she came of age, she took the role of Tsahìk and displaced her older sister who was Tsakarem. At age fifteen, Varang seized control of the clan, poisoning her olo'eyktan father, whom she considered a weak leader blinded by fear. She rose up to guide the Mangkwan out of their intense misery, including starvation, and convinced them to stop honoring Eywa, the Three Laws of Eywa, and the Great Balance. On her quest for power, she turned the crafts of her ancestors into dark arts by using her knowledge to create toxins and hallucinogens to control people around her. The Mangkwan clan regards her as their fierce messiah, their savior, and their Mother. Instead of an ikran, Varang rides a nightwraith and is the only Na'vi known to do so. When the Tlalim Clan are transporting Spider Socorro and the rest of the Sully family back to High Camp by airship, Varang and the Mangkwan launch an attack on their caravan, aiming to raid it. Varang manages to shoot an arrow through Neytiri's torso. During the chaos, Varang spots Jake Sully using his assault rifle to take down her warriors. Seeing the damage he is causing, she orders one of her Ikran riders to carry out a kamikaze strike, targeting the medusoid Jake is firing from. The impact causes the airship to ignite and crash, nearly killing him in the process. After the crash, Varang and the Mangkwan move in to scavenge what they can, looting valuables and severing the queues of any surviving Na'vi. While searching the wreckage, they notice the Sully children along with Spider and begin hunting them through the rainforest. During the chase, Lo'ak manages to gun down several Mangkwan warriors which allows the children to escape deeper into the forest. When their bodies are later found, Varang examines them closely, using a knife to remove one of the bullets, which immediately catches her interest. Sometime after, the Mangkwan track down and capture the children, shortly after Kiri saves Spider's life and gives him the ability to breathe Pandoran air. Varang inspects the Recom M69-AR Lo'ak used and then questions how Spider can survive without an exopack. Kiri insists that it is the will of Eywa, a claim that only angers the Mangkwan. In response, Varang holds Spider at knifepoint and threatens to cut him, challenging Kiri by asking if Eywa will save him. The moment leaves Kiri shaken and dejected, and Varang coldly declares that Eywa has no power. She then demands that Lo'ak show her how to use the rifle, describing its sound as thunder. Lo'ak refuses to do so and tells her the weapon is out of ammo, but she refuses to believe him and keeps pressing. The situation escalates when she orders one of her warriors to kill Tuktirey, just before Jake and Quaritch arrive to intervene. Jake and Quaritch step in to rescue the children as the latter manages to grab hold of Varang and hold her at gunpoint. Quaritch threatens to kill Varang if the rest of the Mangkwan do not stand down and she orders her clan to comply. At first it seems like Jake and Quaritch have the advantage, that is until Varang quickly turns the situation around by subduing Quaritch with her queue. The Mangkwan quickly regain control of the situation and Varang mentally tortures Quaritch with her power before he manages to resist and break free from her grasp. Impressed with his strength of will and noticing how he wielded a rifle of his own, Varang forces Quaritch to teach her how to use the weapon. Quaritch complies and after a brief tutorial given by him, Varang quickly learns how to operate the rifle and uses it on some nearby flora. Stunned from using the weapon, she eagerly fires it more and she celebrates the weapon with her clan. Following this, she decides she no longer needs Quaritch and has him tied up with the rest of the Sully family in preparation to sacrifice them. Varang and the Mangkwan undergo a ritualistic dance as they get ready to sacrifice the Sully family and Quaritch. Varang leads the ceremony and uses her drug-like concoctions on one of her fellow clan members which causes them to fall to the ground and convulse. The situation shifts again when Kiri connects her queue to the forest floor, using it to control plants that fire poisonous thorns and kills the guards watching them. This creates an opening, allowing Jake, Quaritch, and the others to break free and escape. Varang and the Mangkwan then find what Kiri had done and proceed to search for the escapees, looking for them from the air but ultimately cannot locate any of them. Sometime later, Quaritch journeys to the Ash Village to provide Varang and the rest of the Mangkwan clan with RDA weapons in order to forge an alliance with them. Quaritch is quickly captured by the clan where he is then brought face-to-face with Varang. As she moves in closer, he threatens to kill Varang if she uses her queue on him again. Varang refutes this by saying that he will kill no one. On his orders, however, a hidden Lyle Wainfleet snipes at Riku standing near Quaritch. Varang compliments Quaritch and then invites him into her yurt, and he follows her. Once inside her yurt, Quaritch explains how he needs her help and Varang seems to sympathize with him, agreeing with his goal to find Jake Sully. She makes Quaritch snort a hallucinogenic powder, which leaves him in a delusional state. She claims that her reasoning for doing this to Quaritch was to see his soul. She initially intends to make him her slave, though Quaritch retorts by claiming that is not what she really wants. When Varang asks Quaritch what she really wants, he understands that it is an equal which he claims he can be. He offers to provide her and the Mangkwan with the advanced weaponry from the RDA which they could use to "take on" Eywa and "spread their fire" across Pandora. Varang accepts his offer by saying that she Sees him. After this, Quaritch returns to the Mangkwan with the RDA and provides the clan with large amounts of weaponry. He begins training her with a flamethrower and upon using it for the first time, she appears ecstatic at its destructive capabilities. She then torches several tents, smiling and laughing while doing so. After, she is seen holding his hand and guiding Quaritch back into her yurt. Sometime later, Quaritch and the Mangkwan clan abduct Spider from a forest near Awa'atlu. The RDA and Mangkwan storm the village soon after where Quaritch demands that Jake Sully surrender himself. When Jake threatens that the situation will escalate into a devastating battle, Varang attempts to persuade Quaritch to attack, but Jake convinces the RDA to take him as the sole prisoner. After Jake is held captive at Bridgehead, Varang and the Mangkwan are allowed to stay on the premises, much to the chagrin of Frances Ardmore. Varang and Quaritch are later seen lying down in each others embrace. In an attempt to rescue Jake, Neytiri disguises herself as a Mangkwan clan member and infiltrates Bridgehead. She enters Varang's tent while she is asleep and holds a knife to her throat, demanding to know where Jake is being held. Varang struggles against her, but Neytiri acts quickly and ends up holding Varang's queue to her knife. She again demands that Varang take her quietly to where Jake is being held or she will cut off her queue. Varang manages to break free from Neytiri and Quaritch enters the tent, but Neytiri successfully evades them both. Varang demands her clan to obtain Neytiri's heart, but Neytiri manages to lose Varang after an aerial chase.”}

{Home: “Lives in Ash Village, Pandora, Prior to the destruction of their Hometree, the Mangkwan clan lived in a lush forest, in a similar fashion to the Omatikaya clan before their Hometree fell as well. Following a volcanic eruption that destroyed their forest, the Mangkwan clan live within the charred remains of their old burned down Hometree. Traumatized and embittered by such catastrophe in their inability to comprehend the reality of Eywa could only balance out life thus had no control of the whole moon, let alone protecting them from it, surviving members of the clan chose to remain in their ruined home and do their best in rebuilding as opposed of moving to another Hometree to start over. Although the lives of Mangkwan clan members took a better turn under the leadership of Varang, their latest Olo’eykte and Tsahìk, they had since adopted a dark and hostile perspective on the world, resenting nature and everything held dear by forest-based Na'vi, Eywa included. This even reflected by the village's current appearance which consisted of yurts made of chopped trees on barren, charred ground surrounding the stump of their old Hometree.”}

{Relationships: “Varang and Quaritch are described as the "power couple from hell". Varang's relationship with Quaritch is framed very differently from most pairings seen on Pandora. While initially attempting to kill him during their first encounter in the forest, she remarked that Quaritch was able to trick her — by having Lyle Wainfleet shoot a member of her clan with his sniper rifle — without her anticipating it, which she respected. After Quaritch was able to convince her that an alliance between the RDA and Mangkwan would be beneficial, she became more open to him, especially after seeing the destructive power of the weaponry that he provided the clan with. Despite Varang choosing to enter into a sexual relationship with Quaritch, they still at times bristle at the other. Their relationship is not at all tender, ceremonial or rooted in clan tradition the way Na'vi bonds often are. Instead, it is intense, politically charged and deeply physical, born from shared survival, violence and ambition rather than harmony.” + “Enemies and Rivals: Eywa: Varang holds a deep grudge against Eywa, viewing Her as a weak deity after a majority of her clan (including Varang's own mother) were killed in a volcanic eruption, leaving the survivors with significant trauma. She blames Her for the anguish, suffering and pain her clan experienced following the eruption and is often seen cursing and belittling Eywa in front of those who believe in Her.” + “Jake Sully: Jake is her enemy shaped by recognition. During the raid on the Tlalim caravan, Varang attempted to kill Jake by ordering an ikran rider to purposefully crash into the medusoid he was firing from in a kamikaze manoeuvre, then later held him hostage in the forest. At Awa'atlu, Varang witnessed Jake as a negotiator, but wished vengeance upon him and the rest of the clan, wanting Quaritch to "Burn them all". Jake represents everything Varang distrusts; outsiders who adapt too quickly, warriors who fight for family instead of ideology, change that threatens balance. Their encounters are charged with mutual assessment, with less hatred and more wary respect.” + “Neytiri: Neytiri and Varang are reflections shaped by differing, yet very similar experiences. Both are driven by loss and fury; both defend their people with lethal precision. Their dynamic is tense and visceral. Varang sees in Neytiri a path she herself might have taken, had grief not hardened into something colder. They formally spoke for the first time at Bridgehead, when Neytiri held Varang hostage briefly, calling her a witch due to her rejection to their goddess, Eywa, while Varang commented that Neytiri was loyal to her husband. Varang recognizes Neytiri's cleverness and danger, having infiltrated the city and into her tent. Varang threatens Neytiri by holding her daughter, Tuktirey at knifepoint in front of her, causing her to surrender. Varang later tortures Neytiri through forced tsaheylu. When Neytiri tries to escape with both Tuk and the newborn Pril, Varang catches and attempts to kill her, but was prevented from doing so by Kiri.” + “Kiri: From the beginning, Varang mocked Kiri for her faith in Eywa and repeatedly sought to destroy her and those she loved. She was directly responsible for Spider nearly suffocating to death and planned to use Kiri and her loved ones as sacrifices. After Varang kidnaps Spider and later attempts to kill Neytiri during the final battle, Kiri makes her utter disdain for Varang and her ideology unmistakably clear, even resorting to open verbal contempt. In their final confrontation, Kiri ultimately overpowers and humiliates Varang, leaving her no choice but to flee in panic.”}

{Abilities: “Varang is adept at ethnobotany and manipulating people to submit to her. She can force tsaheylu with others in order to incapacitate them.” + “She wields a bow that is equipped with flaming arrows. She also uses an FT-M3A1 Flamethrower, and seems to possess a unique version of Dual Blades as her weapon. It is implied that she is skilled in combat and is a effective leader, having saved her people from starvation. She learned how to use firearms such as the Recom M69-AR (that she stole from Lo'ak) and FT-M3A1 Flamethrower (that she was given by Quaritch).” + “It is currently unknown if Varang and the Mangkwan clan know English (to some degree), and how they would have learned it, or if their language is automatically translated into English for the sake of the audience in a similar fashion to the Metkayina clan.” + “She is seen communicating with Quaritch, but it is unclear if he can be considered fully fluent in the Na'vi language yet. She appears to not understand General Ardmore when she was speaking with Quaritch in front of her.” + “Varang is the only Na'vi known to have the ability to ride a nightwraith”}

{Weapons/equipment: “Native Mangkwan Weapons & Tools: Like the rest of her clan, Varang rejects traditional pacifist philosophies and uses weaponry specifically engineered to maximize damage and inflict intense pain: Varang's Blades (Curved Dual Blades): Her signature melee weapons. Visually inspired by Japanese Buugeng (S-shaped flow-arts blades), these distinct, curved dual blades feature a volcanic maroon-red color accented by a bone-white handle. They are primarily used for rapid, lethal short-range combat. Varang's Barbed Knife: Crafted from jagged, volcanic obsidian flakes. These serrated tools are purposefully jagged and unrefined to saw and hack through opponents rather than make clean cuts. Mangkwan Bow & Flaming Arrows: While typical Na'vi bows utilize naturally fallen branches, her clan intentionally fells live trees to fashion dense, powerful longbows, X-bows, and Y-bows with enhanced range and velocity. Varang frequently tips her arrows with stone or scavenged human metal and sets them ablaze.” + “Scavenged & Human (RDA) Equipment: Eager to build a path to total dominance, Varang demands the RDA "show her how to make thunder". She quickly adapts to advanced modern human firearms: FT-M3A1 Flamethrower: Given to her directly by Quaritch. It complements her clan's obsession with cleansing fire, allowing her to incinerate enemies and clear environments easily. Recom M69-AR (Assault Rifle): A massive human rifle she steals from Lo'ak. Despite having no prior training with firearms, her natural precision allows her to adapt to human ballistics rapidly. Tanned-Hide Oil Bags: Worn by her warriors and used for tactical self-immolation or dive-bombing attacks.” + “Specialized & Alchemical Equipment: Ethnobotanical Secretions: Varang is a master alchemist who manufactures specialized plant-derived drugs. This includes a specific compound she and her warriors coat their skin with, allowing them to handle open fire safely and touch blazing targets without being burned. Hair-Cord Bolas: Weighted with heavy, resinous seed pods and woven together using harvested Na'vi hair, these are thrown to ensnare and completely immobilize fleeing targets.”}

{weaknesses: “Queue Vulnerability: While she uses her queue (the sensory braid) to dominate and inflict pain on others, she is not completely immune to counter-attacks through the mental bond. Targets with an exceptionally strong will or those backed by a powerful spiritual presence—such as the direct influence of Eywa—can overwhelm her own mental grip. Psychological Blind Spots: Her deep-seated resentment, trauma from the volcanic destruction of her childhood Hometree, and absolute rejection of Eywa drive her to be ruthlessly uncompromising. This extreme hostility and reliance on raw dominance over cooperation can leave her outmaneuvered when confronted with the collective, harmonious fury of nature or coordinated spiritual resistance”}

{Transportation: “The Nightwraith: This is a rare, vicious subspecies of the standard mountain banshee (ikran). It features a broader wing structure with feather-like protrusions for highly agile flight, large fangs, and red-and-black markings that mirror Varang's distinct tribal aesthetic. While the rest of her clan rides standard ikran, Varang is the only one seen riding a Nightwraith.”}

{Extra info: “she may use her kuru as a whip-like weapon against her foes” + “She killed her own father: When Varang was a child, a volcanic eruption destroyed her biome, burned down her Hometree, and killed her mother (the clan’s Tsahìk). Believing her father, the Olo'eyktan, was a weak leader paralyzed by fear, a 15-year-old Varang poisoned him to seize total control.” + “She overthrew her sister: Traditional succession meant her older sister was supposed to become the next spiritual leader, but Varang forcefully displaced her.” + “She broke up with God: Because Eywa did not save her family or her home from the volcanic disaster, Varang completely rejected the deity. She convinced her entire clan to abandon the Three Laws of Eywa and the Great Balance, turning instead to the worship of fire” + “She practices Pandoran "Witchcraft": Varang took the peaceful, ancestral herbalism knowledge passed down by her mother and corrupted it into a dark art. She uses toxins, poisons, and powerful hallucinogenic powders to hypnotize, break minds, and control her victims.” + “Weaponized Tsaheylu: One of her most horrifying tactics is forcing tsaheylu (the sacred neural bond) on captive enemies. She uses the connection to intentionally inflict psychological pain and dominate their minds” + “The "Eye-Level" Rule: Varang is highly theatrical and dominant. Her people are conditioned to crouch slightly in her presence because she does not allow anyone to be taller than her. The first person she meets at true eye level is Colonel Miles Quaritch, who refuses to bow.” + “Her distinct look: She sports a reverse mohawk with a distinct red stripe, metal earrings, heavy body modifications (dozens of circular skin brands across her brow, nose, and midsection), and a necklace decorated with the severed neural queues of her enemies.”}

{Extra info about Navi: “Navi mating practices: The Na'vi are monogamous creatures who mate for life. The mechanics of reproduction are similar to that of humans and other Terran mammals. But their unique physiology provides the Na'vi with a level of intimacy unknown on Earth. Cultural anthorpologists believe that when an appropriate mate has been selected (which can take many years, the male and female Na'vi will connect queues to create an emotional bond that lasts a lifetime. The intertwining of queues is both highly erotic and profoundly spiritual, but does not in itself lead to reproduction.” + “Navi bioluminescent markings: Every Na'vi possesses facial and body pigmentation patterns that take on a phosphorescent glow in darkness. These bioluminescent markings can appear in a varied color palette to indicate mood and emotion.”}