Na'vi Clans: Guide To All Canon Pandora Tribes

The Na'vi are an indigenous humanoid species native to Pandora, living in clan-based societies that reflected the moon's varied biomes. Each clan developed its own traditions, survival methods, and spiritual practices centered on Eywa, the Great Mother. Canon material from films, official game projects, and expanded universe sources provide a range of clans that contributed to Na'vi history and their resistance against the RDA. Here is the list of the known canon Na'vi clans from Pandora (12 in total), including clans and tribes from the movies, games, and the Avatar comic books. The list is in progress of expanding, while some of the clans from the older Avatar games are not included, as they are considered non-canon.

Omatikaya Clan

The Omatikaya clan was a central forest-dwelling people who lived in the lush jungles beneath the Hallelujah Mountains. They were known for their craftsmanship, spiritual leadership, and deep bond with sacred sites such as the Tree of Voices and the Tree of Souls. During the conflict with the RDA, the Omatikaya provided the core resistance that rallied other clans, showing their influence among forest communities. After the destruction of Hometree, many members relocated to the hidden refuge of the eastern mountains, adapting their society to new environmental pressures. The Omatikaya clan is the most well-known Avatar clan, being home to both Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their children.

Olangi Clan

The Olangi clan were nomads who roamed the wide plains of Pandora and specialized in direhorse riding and mobile encampments. Their leadership structure encouraged cooperative tactics during hunts and conflicts, enabling them to move swiftly across long distances. The Olangi were one of the first clans to answer the call to unite against the RDA, demonstrating both their loyalty and strategic value. Following the devastating losses suffered in the battle for the Tree of Souls, surviving Olangi integrated into Omatikaya territory, blending aspects of their culture with forest clan traditions. The Olangi clan was briefly seen at the end of the first Avatar movie, when Jake Sully rallied nearby clans.

Tayrangi Clan

The Tayrangi clan resided along the eastern coastline, where they developed exceptional skill in both ikran riding and maritime navigation. Their dual mastery of air and sea allowed them to defend their region effectively and maintain trade or contact routes between coastal clans. Under the leadership of Ikeyni (the Na'vi rank of Olo'eykte), they joined the great alliance that confronted the RDA during the first film's events. Their close relationship with both marine resources and cliffside roosts created a hybrid lifestyle distinct from other ikran-based societies. As the Olangi, the Tayrangi was briefly seen at the end of Avatar.

Metkayina Clan

The Metkayina clan was a major reef dwelling people who lived amid expansive coastal mangrove structures known as marui. They relied heavily on aquatic fauna such as the ilu and maintained symbiotic cultural ties with the tulkun, whom they regarded as spiritual siblings. Perhaps the most distinctive Na'vi type, the clan was known for its unique physiology adapted to water environments, including broader chests and stronger swimming abilities. During the turmoil involving Jake Sully and his family, the Metkayina became a sanctuary and later a key ally in efforts to counter expanding RDA maritime operations. Headed by Tonowari, the Metkayina is the second most famous Pandora clan, being heavily featured in Avatar: Way Of The Water.

Tipani Clan

The Tipani clan was referenced in early Avatar materials and depicted in later game-based media as formidable warriors of a forest region marked by dense undergrowth and heavy foliage. They developed silent combat techniques, and armor crafted from local cuirass crab materials, giving them a reputation for ferocity in territorial defense. Their disciplined social structure emphasized strength, vigilance, and group protection, which shaped their interactions with neighboring clans. Despite their aggressive style of warfare, they shared the Na'vi reverence for Eywa and maintained ritualistic traditions that honored their environment. They appeared in the Avatar: Sol'ek's Journey comic book, helping Sol'ek gain the necessary skills to become one of the strongest Na'vi.

Kekunan Clan

The Kekunan clan lived in the floating mountain regions and were recognized for their elite ikran riding traditions. Their hunters performed aerial ceremonies and dances that highlighted the bond between the rider and their banshee. Access to high altitude rookeries shaped their isolation from lowland clans, but they were respected for their bravery and mastery of vertical terrain. When the great call to battle came, their aerial advantage provided essential support during the large-scale clash against RDA aircraft. The Kekunan clan was part of the Avatar: Toruk – The First Flight performed by Cirque du Soleil, which is considered a canon prequel story.

Sarentu Clan

The Sarentu clan were known historically as a people devoted to storytelling, music, and diplomacy, which gave them an important cultural role among Na'vi societies. By the time of the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora video game, the Sarentu had nearly been eliminated by their refusal to cooperate with the RDA during the early periods of occupation. The few survivors carried with them an intense commitment to preserving Sarentu's memory and educating other clans about their lost traditions. Their near extinction underscored the destructive impact of human expansion on Na'vi culture. The main protagonist in the game is also a Sarentu, but he or she is never given a name.

Aranahe Clan

The Aranahe clan lived in the Kinglor Forest, a region shaped by towering vegetation and the presence of Kinglor creatures whose silk they utilized for weaving. Their craftsmanship was considered among the most intricate on Pandora, producing clothing and structures that reflected a refined aesthetic. They initially avoided large-scale conflict, preferring to maintain their independence, but later recognized the threat posed by the RDA's expansion. Their weaving skills and arboreal knowledge made them essential contributors to interclan resource networks. The Aranahe clan is prominent in the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora video game, being the first clan that the protagonist visits.

Zeswa Clan

Also from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the Zeswa clan inhabited the Upper Plains and lived a nomadic lifestyle supported by large zakru herds that provided transportation, food, and cultural identity. Their brightly colored wind kites and mobile camps allowed them to travel across vast distances shaped by heavy winds. The clan held strong warrior traditions and often confronted threats directly on their direhorses while wielding ranged Na'vi weaponry, using their mobility to great tactical effect. Their partnership with Zakru symbolized a deep ecological connection similar to the ikran bonds of aerial clans.

Kame'tire Clan

The Kame'tire clan lived in the Clouded Forest, an area defined by mist-laden terrain and dense plant life. They were recognized for extensive knowledge of medicinal flora and for maintaining ancient healing practices that supported surrounding clans. Their isolationist history stemmed partly from past interclan tensions, though they eventually joined broader alliances against human incursions. Cultural emphasis on spiritual healing and oral tradition made them guardians of some of Pandora's oldest remedies and rituals. The Kame'tire was the last clan the protagonist visited in the main game of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Mangkwan Clan

The Mangkwan clan, or the Ash People, lived near volcanic territories that eventually destroyed much of their homeland. This catastrophe contributed to their rejection of customary Na'vi beliefs and created a hardened outlook marked by resentment toward other clans. In later periods, some Mangkwan aligned with human forces, diverging from the Na'vi's spiritual unity under Eywa. Their trajectory illustrated how ecological trauma and cultural loss could lead a clan to abandon long-standing traditions. One of the newest clans in the Avatar series, they will act as villains alongside the RDA, although it's not clear if they fully ally with the humans.

Tlalim Clan

The Tlalim clan were nomadic wind-based traders who traveled long distances using windrays and medusoid creatures along aerial routes. Their role as merchants made them essential for spreading goods, stories, and diplomatic messages between otherwise isolated Na'vi groups. The clan's mobility shaped a flexible culture that valued negotiation and exchange over territorialism. Their air caravans served as moving cultural hubs that strengthened interclan cohesion across Pandora. Also from Avatar: Fire and Ash, the Tlalim clan provided Jake Sully's family with another refuge and helps to transport them to another secure location.

Conclusion

The known Na'vi clans show how different life on Pandora could be from one region to another, with each group shaped by its own environment and traditions. From forest hunters to reef dwellers and wandering traders, every clan added its own history and identity to the larger Na'vi world. As more stories are told across films, games, and comics, the picture of Na'vi culture continues to grow, revealing new clans and expanding what is known about Pandora.