Avatar: The Way of Water: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language.
An epic sequel for families with teens, longer and more emotionally intense than the first film. The Sully family flees to an ocean clan to escape a vengeful military commander, and the kids end up at the center of the fight. The final hour is a nearly continuous battle with shootings, impalings and a sinking ship, children are held hostage at gunpoint, and one of the Sully children is killed. Hunters kill a whale-like creature in a scene that upsets animal lovers. There is one f-word, about 15 s-words and brief nonsexual nudity. Age 13 reflects the violence and the grief.
What's in it
Violence
ModerateGunfire leaves bloody wounds, arrows and spears hit chests and heads, one man loses an arm, and many die in explosions and fire. Teen brothers brawl with bullies and come away bloodied. The last hour is close to nonstop combat.
Language
ModerateOne f-word and roughly 15 s-words, plus bitch, bastard, ass, damn, hell, crap and goddamn. Other kids taunt a girl as a freak and a half-breed, and a sibling uses a crude name.
Sex and nudity
MildA Na'vi woman's breasts are visible for a moment in a nonsexual lab scene, and the Na'vi wear minimal clothing throughout. Teens flirt and hold hands, and the married parents kiss and embrace.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
NoneNo drinking, smoking or drug use on screen. A scientist jokes that the source of his research money is why he drinks, and someone mentions being owed a beer.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongChildren are held at gunpoint and trapped in a flooding, sinking ship. Hunters harpoon and kill a whale-like creature, and a calf dies too. A girl has a seizure underwater, and a teen's death leaves his family devastated.
Sensitive topics
- Death of a child
- Animal death
- Bullying
Worth talking about
Talk about how the Sully kids cope with being outsiders in a new community, and whether Jake's demands for obedience protect his family or push his sons away.
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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, Wikipedia, the MPA, moviemom.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.