Sylwanin

Sylwanin
Biographical Information
Died	2152
Lives in	Pandora
Clan	Omatikaya clan
Mate	Betrothed to Tsu'tey †
Occupation	Tsakarem (until her death)
Physical Description
Species	Na'vi
Status	Deceased (killed)
Gender	Female
Eye Color	Yellow
Family Information
Family Members	Eytukan † (father) Mo'at (mother) Neytiri (younger sister) Kamun (grandfather) Jake Sully (brother-in-law) Neteyam (nephew) † Lo'ak (nephew) Kiri (adoptive niece) Tuktirey (niece)
Affiliations
Loyalty	Na'vi Omatikaya clan
Behind the Scenes
Actor	Catherine Taber (game voice)
First Seen	James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (Wii/PSP)
Last Seen	Avatar: Adapt or Die

No! She is not like the others! She is a friend of the People!

Sylwanin defending Grace Augustine from Rai'uk.

Sylwanin te Tskaha Mo'at'ite was the daughter of Eytukan and Mo'at and the older sister of Neytiri. As the eldest daughter of the Omatikaya clan's leaders, Sylwanin was trained to be the next Tsahìk and would become Tsu'tey's partner.

She was killed at the hands of the SecOps mercenaries at Dr. Grace Augustine's school in 2152, causing the Omatikaya clan to break their relations with the humans and ban them from their land, denying them any further entry.

Biography

Early life

Sylwanin was born as the eldest child of Eytukan and Mo'at, placing her next in line to be the next Tsahìk of the Omatikaya clan.

The mysterious disease (Avatar: Adapt or Die)

Sylwanin enthusiastic about the Na'vi teaching humanity their ways

When Sylwanin was a young teenager, Dr. Grace Augustine was in contact with the Omatikaya clan and proposed the idea of a schoolhouse where Na'vi and humans could interact. Mo'at and Eytukan were against the idea but consulted Sylwanin, Neytiri, and the other children for their thoughts on the matter. They requested to visit Hell's Gate, and Mo'at brought them there to meet Grace and learn about human operations. Grace gave Sylwanin and the other children a tour of the base and taught them how to play basketball.

After they returned home, Mo'at discussed with the children what they thought about attending the human school. Neytiri was excited about the idea, and Sylwanin pointed out that at school, the Sky People will be able to learn from the Na'vi and not the other way around. Mo'at and Eytukan agreed and decided to open a school, but were interrupted when Tsu'tey's father, Ateyo, showed up with a sick child who visited Hell's Gate with Mo'at. The boy had had a fever since shortly after disembarking from the Samson aircraft. Soon, many other children came to Mo'at with symptoms of a mysterious illness, and Eytukan declared that the humans must have poisoned them. The illness spread through the clan as Grace and Mo'at desperately searched for both the cause of the disease and a cure for it. Thankfully, with the help of Mireya, Mo'at discovered a cure and Grace found out that the sickness was being caused by humans dumping chemicals into the local water supply. Together, they administered a cure made from the syekalin flower to all of the affected members, including Neytiri, whom Sylwanin teased for reeling at the bitter taste of the cure.

Later life and death

Sylwanin later became a student of Grace Augustine after the establishment of her school house, along with her sister, Neytiri. Grace viewed the pair as her two best students.

At some point, she was betrothed to Tsu'tey, Eytukan's chosen successor. Although their marriage was arranged, Sylwanin was truly in love with Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey holding Sylwanin's body

After around a decade of being one of Grace's students, in 2152, Sylwanin stopped going to school because she was angry about the RDA's work on Pandora, and one day she and a few other young Na'vi set a bulldozer on fire in protest of the RDA's deforestation. They fled to Grace's school hoping that she would be able to protect them, but they were followed by RDA soldiers and killed in the school before Grace could intervene. Sylwanin was shot to death in the doorway, right in front of Neytiri. Her body was also held by a heartbroken Tsu'tey. This incident led to Mo'at and Eytukan's decision to ban the humans from the Omatikaya clan, resulting in the closure of the schoolhouse and forcing Grace to study the Na'vi in secret.

Due to her untimely death, Neytiri took her place as the new Tsahìk-in-training destined to become her fiancé's mate.

Post-death (Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path)

In 2154, after the arrival of Jake Sully, Tsu'tey and Neytiri travel to the Tree of Voices in an attempt to commune with Sylwanin's memory. They discuss how much they miss Sylwanin and their concerns about Jake. While Tsu'tey firmly believes that humans only bring death, Neytiri believes it's an opportunity to learn from him and teach humans another path beyond the damage they've already done to the Na'vi and Pandora.

Tsu'tey speaking with Sylwanin's memory

Later, Tsu'tey visits the Tree of Voices again to commune with Sylwanin's memory and receive guidance as she understood "the spirit of the People" better than he did. Due to being a backed up memory within Eywa, she manifests without memories of how she died or any knowledge of what came after her death, even despite Tsu'tey telling her about her death in the past. After Tsu'tey's explanation about the current state of affairs and his requests for guidance, she tells him that while things had changed since she died, she is still stuck as a young girl. She insists he gets help from someone wiser than her among the living.

Sylwanin happy for Grace and Tsu'tey's reunion

Eventually, Tsu'tey is in the bushes hiding from Grace Augustine. After talking to Atan, he works up the courage to come out of hiding and speak to Grace. Grace, for her part, is busy with some children, and Tsu'tey kindly greets her with the traditional phrase "I see you". When Grace asks if he remembers his lessons, he says yes, calling her sa'nok, meaning "mother". Sylwanin's memory smiles as the Na'vi and the avatar join palms then disappears; it is not clarified what this means, as neither Tsu'tey or Grace are connected to a spirit tree, although it can be interpreted as a symbolic representation of Sylwanin's happiness for them, rather than proof of her being a ghost.

Tsu'tey's and Sylwanin's spirits reunited

After Tsu'tey's death during the Assault on the Tree of Souls, Sylwanin's memory finds his memory sitting alone by himself. Their memories joyfully reunited, they hold hands and Sylwanin leads him to be with Eywa.

Personality

Sylwanin is shown to have been wise; she had learned early on that there was good to be found in humans and passed this knowledge onto her younger sister, and was sought after by Tsu'tey as a source of advice. Despite this, Sylwanin undermined her wisdom to Tsu'tey, stating she was unequipped to be helping him and advising him to seek aid from someone among the living.

She is calmer than both her sister and former betrothed alike, appearing unfazed by the news of what had happened in her absence as well as the knowledge that she had been killed by humans. Unlike Tsu'tey, she was naturally empathetic and understanding of the emotional and spiritual needs of the People, a skill likely passed down from her training with her mother.

Although she believed that humans could be good, she also condemned the immoral among them, describing their practices as "foolish destruction" and resorting to setting an RDA Bulldozer on fire in protest of them.

Abilities

Sylwanin was training to become a Tsahìk and successor to her mother Mo'at. It is unknown how skilled she became in this area before her untimely death. Mo'at remarked that Sylwanin understood the duties of a tsahìk better than her sister, Neytiri.

Relationships

Tsu'tey

Tsu'tey with Sylwanin

Sylwanin was in love with Tsu'tey before and after her death, though they had quite different personalities, with Sylwanin teasing Tsu'tey for his headstrong attitude. Tsu'tey was distraught over Sylwanin's death and her passing greatly fueled his hatred towards humans; after his passing, Sylwanin's memory welcomed him to Eywa.

Neytiri

Sylwanin in school with Grace and Neytiri

Sylwanin cared for Neytiri, although she occasionally teased her younger sister. The sisters attended Grace Augustine's schoolhouse together and were known to be great students; tragically, it was in the schoolhouse where Sylwanin was shot to death, her killing being witnessed by Neytiri and devastating her emotionally.

If she was aware of it, Sylwanin did not seem bothered by Neytiri becoming betrothed to Tsu'tey in her place.

Grace Augustine

Sylwanin seemed to approve of Grace and was eager to attend her schoolhouse, although she viewed it as an opportunity for the humans to learn from the Na'vi, rather than the other way around. She viewed Grace as one of the good humans and asked Tsu'tey about her after he visited the Tree of Voices. She also considered Grace and her schoolhouse as a source of safety, fleeing to her after being pursued by humans, but Grace was unfortunately not able to protect her and her companions.

Eytukan

Eytukan's spirit with Sylwanin's

Sylwanin was Eytukan and Mo'at's eldest daughter. While their relationship is unknown, Sylwanin's death at the hands of RDA soldiers prompted Eytukan and Mo'at to forbid the humans from ever coming to Hometree. Their post-death memories are seen together trying to help save Grace's life.

In the Games

iOS & Android (non-canon)

Sylwanin in the game

Sylwanin appears in James Cameron's Avatar (iOS/Android). Years before Jake Sully's arrival, she told Neytiri the story of an avatar driver named Ryan Lorenz. Sylwanin first met Ryan when he was unarmed and anonymously threw a staff at him with which Ryan was able to survive and even defeat an enraged Hammerhead Titanothere. She, with the help of the Ni'awve Clan, brought an unconscious Ryan, who had passed through the Dream Hunt, to the Valley of Origins. There, he stayed for a while and Sylwanin taught Ryan about the ways of the Na'vi.

Sylwanin imprisoned at Hell's Gate

In the story's final chapters, Sylwanin was kidnapped by a group of humans and held at Hell's Gate, eventually being rescued in a heroic attack by Lorenz and a group of Na'vi. After the rescue, Sylwanin met Dr. Grace Augustine for the first time and was impressed by her knowledge of the Na'vi. Among others, Sylwanin along with Ryan and the Ni'awve Clan participated in the attack on the human base, but after Ryan Lorenz's sudden death, the attack was thwarted and Sylwanin apparently returned to her native clan.

Wii & PSP (non-canon)

Sylwanin also appeared in the Wii and PSP version where she is voiced by Catherine Taber. Several years after Ryan Lorenz's death, Sylwanin was inspired by the bravery of Rai'uk, one of the few surviving members of the Anurai Clan seeking revenge on the humans, and sought his help. As he spoke of a Metal Village destroying his home, the land of the Omatikayas, he mentioned something that sparked his fury. She told him about the humans who wore the skin of the Na'vi and were teaching the People their ways and language. Humans called them avatars.

Sylwanin disheartened by Rai'uk's poor view of Grace

Driven by hatred, the warrior agreed to meet Sylwanin at the school where the avatars taught the People. Sylwanin told Rai'uk the location of the human base. Dr. Grace Augustine then left the school, and Rai'uk became angry at Sylwanin and confused as to why she was dealing with humans. Grace explained that humans are not all the same and some want to live in harmony. Rai'uk then left and told Sylwanin to prepare.

Trivia

One of the photographs

• Two photographs of Sylwanin, standing alongside Neytiri and Grace Augustine, can be seen hanging on the fridge at Site 26.
• Sylwanin and her death are only mentioned in the director's cut edition of the film and a handful of deleted scenes later included in the Extended Collector's Edition.
• Sylwanin's name does not follow the traditional Na'vi phonetics system, wherein the letter "y" is never used as a vowel. The correct spelling of her name is "Sìlwanin".
• Grace Augustine's avatar appears to wear the same necklace Sylwanin wore while alive.

Memorable quotes

• „There is good in all. Even among the Sky People, there is sometimes good.“ - Sylwanin to her sister Neytiri
• „We stand ready to hear, and to consider. But shouldn't we wait for Neytiri? She attempts something new.“ - to her parents after they summon the children to get their opinions on the schoolhouse
• „So small! The sky people are all the size of children!“ - after visiting Hell's Gate and seeing the humans
• „Then it is up to us to guide them! They need us more than we need them, isn't that right?“ - explaining her opinion on the schoolhouse
• „It is such a small amount, Neytiri. Don't be such a--“ - after Neytiri complains about the taste of the cure

Appearances

(1 film)

• Avatar (in a photograph)

(2 games)

• James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (Wii/PSP) - Catherine Taber
• James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (iOS/Android)

(2 comics)

• Avatar: Adapt or Die
• Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path

References

See the image gallery for Sylwanin