10 Most Shocking Movie Deaths Of 2022
6. Neteyam - Avatar: The Way Of Water
Though the trailers seemed to imply that Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) might not make it through James Cameron's long-gestating Avatar sequel in one piece, it was actually another member of her and Jake Sully's (Sam Worthington) unconventional family that didn't survive to the end.
It's ultimately Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), their eldest son, who is mortally wounded after being shot by Quaritch's (Stephen Lang) men while rescuing Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), Tsireya (Bailey Bass), and Spider (Jack Champion).
Given the movie's overall family-as-fortress thematic and the tendency for big Hollywood blockbusters to avoid killing off children, it came as a genuine surprise, in turn delivering an unexpected emotional gut-punch to boot.
The affecting cherry on top comes at the very end of the movie when, after Neteyam's funeral, Jake and Neytiri connect to the Metkayina's Spirit Tree and interact with Neteyam through their memories of him as a young boy.