The film delves deep into the turmoil and emotional struggles of the Sully family, with heartache permeating their lives. The characters are still reeling from Neteyam’s tragic death, each coping in their own way. Jake (portrayed by Sam Worthington) has grown detached from his clan, channeling his anger towards his second-oldest, Lo’ak (played by Britain Dalton), whom he sees as reckless and immature. Meanwhile, Lo’ak struggles with the newfound burden of leading his siblings, nearly buckling under the pressure. Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldaña) distances herself from her adopted son, Spider (Jack Champion), due to his human heritage. In a tense moment, Jake and Neytiri almost harm Spider, only to realize they cannot bring themselves to do so, acknowledging his place within their tribe. But this is just the beginning of the film’s unsettling themes.

20th Century Studios

The Na’vi possess a unique physical feature called kurus that enables them to connect with each other and their deity, Eywa, the spiritual heart of Pandora. The audience is shocked when Varang (played by Oona Chaplin) cuts off a kuru during the interrogation of a captive Na’vi, an act of cruelty that leaves viewers appalled. Her excessive brutality diminishes her villainous journey, which comes to an unsatisfying end when she abruptly vanishes in “Fire and Ash,” setting up a loose end for “Avatar 4.”

Kurus are physical part of the Na’vi body that allow for them to make a connection with one another and back to Eywa, their goddess and the very center of all spiritual life on Pandora. That’s why it’s so shocking when Varang (Oona Chaplin) severs one while interrogating a captive Na’vi, leaving the audience immediately distraught by Varang’s viciousness. The action is so over-the-top it makes her unsatisfying villain arc even more irritating when she simply disappears at the end of “Fire and Ash,” leaving behind a cliffhanger that serves as nothing more than set-up for “Avatar 4.”

Tulkans are gentle, pacifistic creatures, but the last two “Avatar” movies have not been kind to them. In “Fire and Ash,” a whole bunch of them die onscreen. Payakan (Kevin Dorman) — the most prominent member of their race in the “Avatar” series of films — has an already-sad backstory that turns even more tragic in “Avatar 3.” Still excised from the tulkan community, he has vowed never to sing again. The Sully kids reunite him with his voice, but when he meets the only survivor of his pod, he turns out to be just as shell-shocked from the trauma they’ve been through as Payakan. Want a recap of all of the audience-depressing moments that occur in “Avatar: Fire and Ash” before watching the movie? Click our video above and sob your heart out.