Avatar 2: how big is the Tulkun, the huge whale in the film? 10 Fascinating Pandora Creatures

Toruk, Tulkun, Nantang… The Avatar universe is full of creatures, each more fascinating than the next! To better find your way around this abundant bestiary, we offer you a slideshow devoted to the main critters from the films.

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With the planet Pandora in Avatar, James Cameron has created a real universe of exceptional richness. Thus, many animals live among the Na’vis, sometimes creating a spiritual osmosis with them. We remember in particular the Ikrans, these flying creatures that ride the blue-skinned tribes.

In The Way of the Water, released on December 14, we find absolutely fascinating new aquatic creatures to complete the already substantial bestiary of the first film.

To see more clearly among all the critters that inhabit Pandora, we offer you a straightforward decryption of the beetles… in pictures!

IKRAN

Ikrans, also called mountain banshees, are flying creatures reminiscent of Pterodactyls and Sharovipteryx. The Na’vi use these beasts to move through the air.

Establishing a bond with them is a dangerous initiatory act, requiring a good dose of courage. It is also a ritual of passage for the hunter allowing him to have his place in the clan. An Ikran binds to only one Navi throughout its existence.

PA’LI

A sort of 6-legged horse, the Pa’li, also called Equidius, acts as an extremely fast land mount for the Na’vis. They have carbon fiber protection on the bottom of the neck, on the top of the front legs and on the head.

ANGTSIK

This immense animal, also called Titanosaur-hammer, is a kind of elephant-rhinoceros. The huge protuberance of their head is also reminiscent of the hammerhead shark. They move in herds and respect a hierarchical structure. They are also very territorial animals.

Faced with danger, the Titanosaurus does not hesitate to charge headlong. Faced with human armaments, the skin of the creature, very thick, resists projectiles. If the Angtsiks all charge at the same time, nothing stops them!

PALULUKAN

The Palulukan, or Thanator, is the most terrifying of Pandora’s land predators. By way of comparison, they are for the Na’vis what the saber-toothed tiger was for prehistoric men.

It has an armored tail very useful for defense and for attacking certain prey. The Thanator is amazingly agile. If he leaps towards you, you won’t get out of it, unless you’re a Na’vi!

TORUK

Toruk, also called Leonopteryx, is a gigantic flying creature similar to Ikran, but much more massive. If the Ikran is compared to a Pterodactyl, Toruk is rather reminiscent of a Pteranodon.

For the Na’vis, this animal has a legendary aura. Bonding with him remains a monumental feat, which Jake Sully achieves in the first Avatar. He was therefore chosen by the Omaticaya tribe to become their leader. Thus, he was elevated to the rank of “Toruk Makto”, “the rider of the last shadow” in the Na’vi language.

NANTANG

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The Nantang (or Wolf-viper) has 6 legs, like the Equidius. It is thus able to travel very long distances to find prey. Physically, they are between the greyhound and the hyena.

SYAKSYUK

For the Na’vis, the Syaksyuk (or Prolémuris) is the equivalent of the monkey in men. They have 6 members. It seems that these creatures are the distant ancestors of the Na’vis. They would be in a way the missing link between animals almost all equipped with 6 legs and the Na’vis having only four members.

YERIK

The Yerik, also called Hexapod (it has 6 legs), looks like deer. Very fine, muscular and very fast, the Yerik is hunted a lot by the Na’vis, who appreciate its meat.

SKIMWINGS

In La Voie de l’eau, the viewer gets to know impressive new aquatic creatures, such as the Skimwings. According to producer Jon Landau, this creature is like a giant flying fish but keeps its track in the water – its tail serves as its propulsion.

“The Metkayina water tribe and all the reef dwellers use them as military mounts when going into battle. They can go 100 km/h for endless periods of time,” says Landau.

ILU

The Ilu is the aquatic equivalent of the Equidius. “They are more playful than the Skimwings,” says producer Jon Landau.

TULKUN

The Tulkun is arguably Pandora’s most extraordinary and impressive marine mammal. On Earth, it would be the equivalent of our whales.

“The idea was to create a creature on the scale of Pandora. A Tulkun is about 90 meters long. They are a sentient species and as intelligent in the same way as the Na’vi are”, explains Jon Landau. For comparison, the blue whale is about 30 meters long. With its size and its 170 tons, it is the most imposing animal on Earth.

In The Way of the Water, we discover that the Tulkuns have a very important place in the existence of the aquatic Na’vi tribes like the Metkayina clan. One of these sea monsters will befriend Lo’ak, the youngest son of Jake and Neytiri.