Toruk Makto explained – what does Jake Sully's mythical title mean in Avatar, and why is it important to Avatar: Fire and Ash?

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters, and after skipping The Way of Water, Toruk Makto is back. The sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water, it sees the Sully family reckoning with the death of eldest son, Neteyam, while attempting to stay one step ahead of the RDA and Col. Miles Quaritch. There's also a new threat in the shape of the fiery Ash People, led by the formidable Varang.

Of course, everyone who watched 2009's Avatar knows that Jake Sully is no ordinary Na'vi. He emerged in that film as a figure of mythical importance to the people of Pandora – a fact that comes in handy when it's time to unite the disparate Na'vi tribes and go to war once again in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

But if you haven't seen Avatar in 16 years, you might be wondering what it means to be Toruk Makto and why it's such a big deal on Pandora. That's where we come in. Below you'll find a full explanation of Jake's venerated title, how he earned it, and why it's so important in Avatar: Fire and Ash. But beware, spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash follow, so if you've yet to see the new movie, be sure to check out our Avatar: Fire and Ash review first.

What is Toruk Makto?

Jake Sully learns of the legendary Toruk Makto in 2009's Avatar. In that film, Neytiri explains to Jake that there have only been five Na'vi in history to hold the title, which is earned by bonding with the Great Leonopteryx – the largest Mountain Banshee on Pandora and the planet's apex predator.

The emergence of the first Toruk Makto was detailed in the (canonical) Cirque du Soleil show, Toruk – The First Flight, which ran from 2015-2019. Set thousands of years before the films in 837BC, it tells how Entu, a 14-year-old member of the Omatikaya clan, became the first person to ride the Great Leonopteryx during a volcanic event that threatened to destroy the Tree of Souls.

Nothing is known of the 2nd, 3rd or 4th Toruk Makto (not outside James Cameron's brain, anyway), but the fifth was Neytiri's great-great-grandfather, who used the position to unite the disparate Na'vi clans during a "time of great sorrow." The sixth, of course, is Jake Sully.

Translating as Rider of the Last Shadow, to become Toruk Makto is like pulling the sword from the stone – only those with a "strong heart", the mental fortitude and brazen courage stand a chance of bonding with a banshee as dangerous as the Great Leonopteryx. Jake does so at a low point during the events of Avatar, following the destruction of Hometree. Realising that "the baddest cat in the sky" would never need to look up, he's able to jump on Toruk from his own, significantly smaller, banshee. And while we don't see the struggle it took to bond with Toruk on screen, Neytiri's reaction when Jake descends from the sky atop the Great Leonopteryx says it all: "I see you."

Like Neytiri's great-great-grandfather, Jake is able to utilize the position of Toruk Makto to unite the Na'vi clans, who look to Toruk Makto as a leader at the darkest times. Thanks in part to the size and strength of the Great Leonopteryx, which can toss RDA gunships around like frisbees, the Na'vi emerge victorious during the Assault on the Tree of Souls and drive the RDA from Pandora. When the battle is won, Jake releases Toruk, the two parting ways until it's time to ride into battle once again.

Does Toruk Makto return in Avatar: Fire and Ash?

Yes! While, somewhat confusingly, Jake doesn't call on the Great Leonopteryx during the events of The Way of Water, Toruk Makto does ride again in Avatar: Fire and Ash. Initially resisting calls to mount up – "When you ride the beast, you become the beast," Jake warns – he eventually realises the only chance the Metkayina have in the face of a full-on RDA assault is if he is able to call on the support of every Na'vi clan within one day's ride as Toruk Makto.

Returning to the mountain cave the Great Leonopteryx calls home – which is strewn with skulls and bones, naturally – Jake takes flight and initially dominates the sky during the battle with the RDA, turning gunships into projectiles. The tide turns, however, following the arrival of the Ash People, who have been armed with flamethrowers and explosives by Quaritch. Eventually, the Great Leonopteryx is shot out of the sky and separated from Jake, though we later see the beast emerging from the water to fight another day.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is in cinemas now. For more, check out the movie release dates of all the biggest upcoming titles, or if you need a full refresher ahead of Fire and Ash, dive into our Avatar: The Way of Water ending explained.