James Cameron’s Avatar franchise takes place in a sprawling world, full of incredibly well-thought-out fictional technology, including 10 extremely powerful weapons. Avatar has become one of the biggest, most lucrative movie franchises ever, grossing over $4.2 billion between its first two films. While the main attraction of the Avatar franchise has always been James Cameron’s visionary special effects, the world-building is a significant aspect of its appeal as well.
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A lot of work has been put into building out the world of Pandora, including its native species and the various cultures of the Na’vi. Cameron has taken inspiration from our world in many cases, including eight real locations that inspired Pandora and various forms of fictionalized military technology that were clearly derived from modern weaponry. The inspiration Cameron takes from the real world is often used as a baseline before he inevitably cranks things up to 10. This strategy results in 10 incredibly powerful weapons in Avatar’s world, which can be ranked by their deadliness.
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10 Crab Suit
The Crab Suit, or SMP-2, is a bodysuit designed for humans to wear underwater, much like the AMP Suits used to fight the Na’vi in Avatar. The Crab Suit, which threatens the cast of Avatar 2 one several occasions, has four retractable legs that allow it to be used on land or underwater, and its body is made from lightweight carbon fiber, allowing it to move quickly while maintaining enough strength to withstand various forms of attack. It is armed with a rotary speargun, and its versatility allows it to be used in several areas of combat, but it lacks the firepower to rank any higher.
9 AMP Suits
The AMP (amplified mobility platform) Suit was made famous by the first Avatar movie when Quaritch wears one during his final fateful encounter with Jake Sully. These 16-foot tall exoskeletons are used to make the humans on Pandora capable of fighting in the planet’s hostile atmosphere. AMP Suits allow the user to fight some of Pandora’s most powerful creatures, including the Na’vi. They are armed with 30 mm autocannons, capable of firing 350 rounds per minute. Their speed, versatility, and firepower make for a deadly combination, but they still fall short of the elite weapons on this list.
8 Picador Jetboat
The Picador Jetboat is another of Avatar’s most dangerous weapons, typically used for short-range patrol missions and tulkun hunts. These are some of the fastest boats in Avatar’s world, and they come heavily armed to boot. The Picador Jetboat carries five people, who operate the boat’s two .50 caliber machine guns and either the grenade launchers or the sound canon, depending on which the boat is armed with. The speed and significant firepower of the Picador Jetboat makes it one of the deadliest weapons in Avatar, but it is easily outgunned by some of the franchise’s other weapons.
7 The Mako Sub
The Mako Sub is a powerful submarine designed for tulkun hunts and exploratory missions. These small submarines are capable of moving extremely quickly, and they are armed with a speargun, several harpoon torpedoes, and wildlife nets for hunting. While these underwater vehicles are designed for hunting, their highly specialized weaponry makes them highly deadly against underwater wildlife and swimming Na’vi. The Mako Sub may hold less total firepower than the Picador Jetboat, but it’s more deadly to the creatures it’s designed to hunt because of its specialized equipment.
6 GAV Swan
The GAV Swan is a six-wheeled utility vehicle that is designed to travel over all forms of terrain, regardless of how bumpy or uneven it may be. These vehicles are armed with four sixty-millimeter rotary autocannons, and its gunner platform is gyrostabilized, allowing the guns to remain steady even when the vehicle is bouncing on rough terrain. The four gunner turrets make the GAV Swan extremely deadly, and its versatility across various forms of terrain make it viable in any type of land-based combat operation. It’s only hindered by the unprotected wheels that make it vulnerable.
5 AT-99 Scorpion Gunship
The AT-99 Scorpion Gunship is a heavily armed and armored gunship that serves as one of the most powerful weapons on Pandora. It’s primary close range weapons are he-cluster .50 caliber rotary chain guns, which are capable of rotating a full 360 degrees and firing around 700 rounds per minute. Scorpions are also equipped with 190 WAFAR rockets, which can be fired from any of its 10 19-tube rocket launchers, as well as eight Hawkeye NPB-9 Hellfire missiles. This heavily armed gunship is easily one of the top five most dangerous weapons in Avatar.
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4 Matador Gunboat
The Matador Gunboat is a perfectly adapted patrol boat, capable of destroying almost any foe it might come across in the vast Pandoran oceans. This gunboat carries eight passengers, including five gunners. Avatar’s Matador Gunboat is armed with three .50 caliber machine guns, a large harpoon canon, and a deadly depth charge launcher. Although the Scorpion Gunship carries more total weaponry, the Matador’s specialized harpoon canon and depth charge launcher make it deadlier to the foes it’s designed to face.
3 SA-9 Kestrel
Avatar’s SA-9 Kestrel is a heavily armed gunship and utility transport that is capable of massive destruction. It is armed with two 20 mm guns, three mounted machine guns, four Hellfire missiles, two volley-firing rocket pads, and two 30 mm rotary chain guns, making it one of the most heavily armed vehicles in Avatar’s world. Its variety of guns, rockets, and missiles allow it to engage in various forms of combat, making it one of the most versatile gunships in Avatar. The Kestrel’s extensive arsenal is the main reason for its high ranking.
2 AT-101 SeaWasp
Avatar’s AT-101 SeaWasp is the successor to the Scorpion Gunship, and easily one of the deadliest weapons in James Cameron’s fictional world. This versatile gunship, which is shaped much like a modern fighter jet, boasts several 30 mm rotary chain guns, 38 rockets, 16 Hellfire missiles, and a guided missile system. The SeaWasp is incredibly dangerous because of the combination of heavy weaponry, advanced targeting systems, and its impressive mobility and speed. It could easily be the most dangerous weapon in Avatar, if not for the existence of the franchise’s deadliest weapon.
1 C-21 Dragon Assault Ship
The C-21 Dragon Assault Ship is easily the deadliest weapon in James Cameron’s Avatar world. This massive gunship is used to carry AMP Suits into the climactic battle at the end of Avatar. It is armed with a massive variety of weapons, including eight 50 mm sentry guns, a variety of heavy machine guns, dozens of missiles and rocket launchers, grenades, incendiary rockets, Gatling guns, and a myriad of other projectile weapons. The Dragon Assault Ship is so loaded with advanced weapons and targeting systems that it’s a wonder anything on Pandora has survived its presence.