Meet The Clans Of Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Avatar – Frontiers Pandora introduces three brand-new clans to the Avatar universe: the Aranahe, Zeswa, and Kame’tire. Each tribe calls one of the Western Frontier’s three biomes – Kinglor Forest, Upper Plains, and Clouded Forest, respectively – home. Ingratiating yourself with each one by learning their ways is an important step in your journey to reclaim your Na’vi culture, as well as garnering enough support to push back against the exploitative mining of the villainous RDA.

For a heads-up on what to expect as you try to warm up to each clan, here’s a breakdown of the culture and personality.  

Aranahe 

The Kinglor Forest is where you’ll find the first clan. The Aranahe, like the Omatikaya from the first movie, live in Hometrees and share a relationship with Kinglors, which are large, moth-like animals. That’s because the clan primarily consists of weavers and artisans, so these Na’vi rely on the Kinglor’s silk to create extravagant and intricate fabrics. The silk’s strong fiber is also applied to weapon crafting, such as making powerful bow strings. As a reward for their generosity, the Kinglor is cared for by the Aranahe. 

Unfortunately, this balance becomes disrupted by the RDA’s presence in the area, and one of your first tasks is restoring this way of life. Rallying the clan to retaliate won’t be easy, though. The Aranahe’s refined tastes mean they have a proud, somewhat superior attitude. When you initially meet them, their leader, Kan’nat, is in a bit of denial about the dire situation and distrusts you and the resistance, burying his head in the sand to the chagrin of his rebellious daughter, Etuwa. 

Aranahes are peaceful and orderly people who value consensus above individual needs.

Zeswa

These colorful, boisterous and fierce warriors roam the hills of the Upper Plains. Their eagerness for battle means that, unlike the Aranahe, they seek out the player’s help in fighting RDA. You can easily spot their settlements thanks to their large, colorful kites that soar overhead thanks to the Upper Plains’ perpetually windy environment. 

Zeswas are nomads because they live with large, friendly creatures known as zakru. These peaceful, elephant-like animals produce milk that forms the basis of the Zeswa’s diet. Zakru are rarely active and feed by burrowing their trunks into the ground to consume bacteria. The Zeswa’s tents are pitched on and around their stationary bodies to shield them from the Upper Plains’ powerful winds. Massive, the developer, describes the move of the zakru as an event that occurs only once every generation. 

According to narrative designer Chella Ramanan, Massive looked at Kenya’s Maasai tribe as a primary influence for the Zeswa. This is reflected in the Zeswa’s hues of red and yellow for their fabrics and their beautiful braided hairstyles that sometimes resemble horns. These Na’vi love to have fun as much as they love to fight. According to Ramanan, they’ll even welcome you with a party once you prove yourself to them as a capable warrior.

Kame’tire

Search well enough and you’ll find this secretive tribe hidden within the foggy depths of the Clouded Forest. Reclusive, introverted, and as mysterious as their home, the Kame’tire are expert apothecaries and herbalists. Organic clothing reflects their intimate understanding of plant life and respect for it. Wood shaping is a technique that allows for the creation of imposing armor. 

Befitting the nature of the clan, Massive was the most cagey about sharing specifics for the Kame’tire. We do know that no one has seen the clan for some time, as they’ve chosen to live in self-seclusion. Personality-wise, Ramanan describes the Kame’tire as “moody,” “suspicious,” and “a bit brutish” compared to the other two clans, and they are not eager warriors. The Kame’tire would prefer to hide the items they cherish than defend them physically. Most of all, the Kame’tire are renowned caretakers and, despite their wariness of outsiders, would make valuable allies. 

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora will be released on 7th December for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series Series X/S and PC. Subscribe to our magazine now to access the digital version. Visit the cover story hub to see more videos and exclusive content this month.