# Avatar is basically Aliens but from the perspective of the Aliens **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 16, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714 "2026-07-16T12:11:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/21 "2026-07-16T22:41:00Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > This fella had a minigun in broad daylight! He killed exactly zero aliens! Dude expended all his energy being a Goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus. He should have spent more energy on killing aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/22 "2026-07-16T22:47:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Plus do you really think Endor will run out of Ewoks before you run out of 5.56mm rounds at a rate of 1000 rpm? I just build up a pile of smoking bodies between me and the massed hoards of spear carrying teddy bears. Do you really think they’ll keep attacking until the last one is left alive? Even the xenomorphs knew when the miniguns won. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/23 "2026-07-16T22:56:30Z")
I always thought of _Avatar_ as _[Midworld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midworld),_ but blue-themed instead of green. > [@msmith537](#): > > Is that your fan theory or is it canon in like a side comic or something? Because I don’t think that’s ever stated or even implied in the films and there’s a lot logically wrong with that theory. I vaguely recall it being mentioned in some side material may years ago, among other things as an explanation why the Na’vi had a different body plan than the rest of Pandoran animal life. Googling, it does seem a common belief. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/24 "2026-07-17T01:50:37Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Right, I get that. I’m responding to this bit: > > > [@](#): > > > > The battles at the end of all the films would be sci-fy horror in any other film. > > …by pointing out that there are a lot of franchises that have similar scenarios that, also, do not frame the conflict as a horror scene. Fine, not literally every single franchise. Let’s not be pedantic. I’m just saying that most of the humans in the Avatar films aren’t portrayed as Space Nazis or Space Raiders working for some Space Warlord. Sure, the Resources Development Administration (RDA) comes from the same DNA as Wayland-Yutani. But most of the soldiers and workers seem like the same hapless sort who would have found themselves on ships like the Nostromo or Sulaco (or on any number of space or underwater facilities in various knock-off films), working out of economic necessity or for the survival of the Earth. Probably not even realizing how much of assholes their employers were until the final act! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/25 "2026-07-17T02:12:36Z")
Same as soldiers and explorers since the beginning of time. They’re earning a living. The morality, be it good or evil, is far removed and far above their pay grade. And mostly beyond their comprehension. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/26 "2026-07-17T13:59:12Z")
Naah, that’s bullshit excusemaking. They are all independent moral actors who _choose_ to be on the side of exploitation and attempted genocide, just like those earlier explorers. They’re knowingly earning a living by doing evil. They’re not children, the morality of the things they do are not incomprehensible to them. As for the OP - naah. The Na’vi were perfectly fine with humans on their planet when those humans weren’t trying to destroy their entire culture and environment. Xenomorphs would not have been. Nothing alike. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/27 "2026-07-18T01:40:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Same as soldiers and explorers since the beginning of time. > > They’re earning a living. The morality, be it good or evil, is far removed and far above their pay grade. And mostly beyond their comprehension. I’m just saying Avatar from the POV of the work-a-day humans would basically be like the Aliens franchise or Starship Troopers or any number of various knockoffs. The would be spending their days going out into the jungle or out on the seas whaling with tension building every time one of their buddies doesn’t come back. The scientists and this new guy (Jake Sully) who were supposed to be figuring out a solution to this mess will suddenly become traitors and turn on them. And then every few years their base is going to get swarmed by these savage blue giants riding fucking dragons and all their animals friends and massacre everyone. Colonel Miles Quaritch would basically be the equivalent of Michael Bien, Michael Ironsides, Ed Harris, or Bill Paxton (in Edge of Tomorrow…not Aliens obviously). The nonsense military commander basically trying to keep his people alive. Even his attack on The Magic Tree in Avatar wasn’t completely unrestrained. It only came AFTER Sully fucked up his actual mission to broker an agreement and was being held at knifepoint. Any he only attacked the structure after using gas to clear it out first. Ok, not a humanitarian mission, but not exactly nuking the site from orbit either. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2026, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/28 "2026-07-20T09:49:38Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The would be spending their days going out into the jungle or out on the seas whaling Do strip mining and slaughter of sentient beings strike you as morality-free “work-a-day” activities? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/29 "2026-07-20T12:06:00Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Naah, that’s bullshit excusemaking. They are all independent moral actors who _choose_ to be on the side of exploitation and attempted genocide, just like those earlier explorers. They’re knowingly earning a living by doing evil. They’re not children, the morality of the things they do are not incomprehensible to them. I generally agree with this and struggle with it quite a lot. I only have reservations to the extent that there may be an open question as to whether mitigating circumstances could exist for some involuntary servicemembers under particularly oppressive regimes where they serve only under extreme duress under conditions akin to slavery. > As for the OP - naah. The Na’vi were perfectly fine with humans on their planet when those humans weren’t trying to destroy their entire culture and environment. Xenomorphs would not have been. Nothing alike. Moreover, the Na’vi have complex societies and clearly possess as much or greater capacity for moral decision-making and a corresponding demand for personhood and the basic (I would normally say _human_) dignity that comes along with it (but to call it _human_ dignity in this context would be incredibly speciesist) as their human antagonists do. Xenomorphs, by contrast, do not. These are simply not equivalent, and it is incredibly reductionist to claim they are alike simply because, “Well, you see, they’re both not human and they’re both trying to kill humans.” Again, it’s speciesist. And to the extent that the Na’vi are Native American-coded (both implicitly, according to James Cameron, explicitly), could be genuinely problematic, maybe even… a little racist? Although a white man trying to write NA-coded aliens (and doing a bad job of it, falling for many racist tropes himself) might be the original sin. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/30 "2026-07-20T16:11:18Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > I only have reservations to the extent that there may be an open question as to whether mitigating circumstances could exist for some involuntary servicemembers under particularly oppressive regimes where they serve only under extreme duress under conditions akin to slavery. I don’t really - at least for the killing part. The moral choice is to choose death over being made a murderer. I can see more leeway for a slave stripminer, but a slave génocidaire? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/31 "2026-07-20T18:39:07Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Moreover, the Na’vi have complex societies and clearly possess as much or greater capacity for moral decision-making and a corresponding demand for personhood and the basic (I would normally say _human_) dignity that comes along with it (but to call it _human_ dignity in this context would be incredibly speciesist) as their human antagonists do. Xenomorphs, by contrast, do not. > > These are simply not equivalent, and it is incredibly reductionist to claim they are alike simply because, “Well, you see, they’re both not human and they’re both trying to kill humans.” Again, it’s speciesist. And to the extent that the Na’vi are Native American-coded (both implicitly, according to James Cameron, explicitly), could be genuinely problematic, maybe even… a little racist? Although a white man trying to write NA-coded aliens (and doing a bad job of it, falling for many racist tropes himself) might be the original sin. “What do you mean _they_ cut the power? How could they cut the power, man? They’re animals!” Fact is we don’t much about whether Xenomorphs have any sort of culture or intelligence. AFAIK, the only ones we see on film are furious because they either just broke out of a lab where they were being experimented on or found themselves born in isolation in what is clearly NOT their natural habitat. For all we know, they have a rich and diverse, possibly advanced culture on their home planet. If you were to explain to them the events on the Nostromo, LV-426, and the Sulaco, they might be like “Yeah brah. That’s what happens if you don’t raise an egg properly. It would be like if you have birth to a baby human on a space ship, except the baby quickly grew to the size and strength of an angry full-grown gorilla within a few hours.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/32 "2026-07-20T18:42:37Z")
It’s tough to disprove the existence of a complex society, but the Xenomorphs don’t show any signs of it. The Na’vi, however, clearly do. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/33 "2026-07-21T11:46:41Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > “What do you mean _they_ cut the power? How could they cut the power, man? They’re animals!” Hudson clearly never had to deal with Argentine ants… > [@msmith537](#): > > For all we know, they have a rich and diverse, possibly advanced culture on their home planet. This presupposes they’re a natural species in the first place. All indications from _Prometheus_ and _Covenant_ point to this not being the case. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/34 "2026-07-21T14:51:35Z")
Nah, Xenomorphs are a bio weapon transported by that elephant looking thing at the controls of the crashed space ship in **Alien**. Their queen based society could never develop interplanetary space travel. They are like acidic ants. They don’t care about the ecology of their environment, their life cycle requires them to feed on populations they don’t exterminate. There will never be an ecological balance, they are meant to destroy planets they are transported to. So nothing like Avatar. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/35 "2026-07-21T15:13:00Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Nah, Xenomorphs are a bio weapon transported by that elephant looking thing at the controls of the crashed space ship in **Alien**. [Correct](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenomorph#Characteristics). > Ridley Scott stated in the DVD commentary for _Alien_ (and the accompanying 2001 DVD documentary _Alien Evolution_) that the concept behind the origin of the _xenomorphs_ is that nothing so deadly could have evolved naturally, but was instead designed through genetic engineering by some other ancient race as a [biological weapon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_warfare "Biological warfare"). He described the crashed Derelict encountered by the _Nostromo_ as essentially a “bomber” that would carry payloads of _xenomorph_ eggs and drop them onto targeted planets. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/36 "2026-07-21T15:22:45Z")
It’s cool the director agrees with my interpretation, but it isn’t necessary. The artist made something and I get to interpret it how I like, that’s the deal. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/37 "2026-07-21T21:13:45Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Nah, Xenomorphs are a bio weapon transported by that elephant looking thing at the controls of the crashed space ship in **Alien**. Their queen based society could never develop interplanetary space travel. They are like acidic ants. They don’t care about the ecology of their environment, their life cycle requires them to feed on populations they don’t exterminate. There will never be an ecological balance, they are meant to destroy planets they are transported to. > > So nothing like Avatar. Well I think this is clearly an important species we’re dealing with and I don’t think that you or I, or anybody, has the right to arbitrarily exterminate them! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/38 "2026-07-21T21:27:44Z")
Yeah? Watch us. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/39 "2026-07-21T22:05:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > This presupposes they’re a natural species in the first place. All indications from _Prometheus_ and _Covenant_ point to this not being the case. That doesn’t necessarily preclude them from having a culture, though - especially since their creators/masters have been dead for centuries/millennia by now. Assuming some level of genuine sapience, they’re going to develop ways of interacting with each other and expressing ideas to each other. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714/40 "2026-07-21T22:32:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That doesn’t necessarily preclude them from having a culture, though It’s more the “home planet” part I was saying isn’t evident. From what we’ve seen, Engineers’ biotech-fu can create different kinds of obviously related creatures, from basically just the black goo and a host. That seems to preclude them having a home planet. And some of their creators were still around for David to kill in both movies. > [@Miller](#): > > Assuming some level of genuine sapience I think only the Queens we’ve seen really displayed that, and somehow I doubt they chat over tea… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-is-basically-aliens-but-from-the-perspective-of-the-aliens/1031714.md?page=3)