(AKA Avatar if it was made by me instead of James Cameron)
This is my attempt at giving the Na'vi anatomy that would be more consistent most other Pandoran animals. I wanted to maintain a somewhat human appearance that would be easy for general audiences to empathize with while also giving them a more alien "cool factor" that I personally feel they lack in the films.
*Disclaimer: I made these redesigns purely for fun and out of love for speculative biology. If you prefer the original design for the species and don't like seeing them changed, then this isn't for you. That being said, I am open to constructive criticism as long as you're civil about it.
More info under the cut:
Na'vi:
I gave them four arms, four eyes, and breathing holes. I cheated a bit and gave them a "nose" by adding heat sensing pits above their mouths just because I find they look weird without any. Their brain tendrils are a bit sturdier in my version and lack the delicate filaments on the ends, instead they just clasp other tendrils and pass information through skin contact. Seems like a safer method because it avoids the risk of passing infections (along with looking less… Gross). I threw in some digitigrade legs and longer tails just because I thought they'd be cooler that way.
I've overhauled their reproduction process entirely. Instead of mating as we do, they instead turn into stationary pods once they reach old age and gestate baby Na'vi inside them. The babies are then raised by the entire clan. To increase genetic diversity, pods will reach out to one another with roots and exchange DNA as well as memories from their lives. When enough pods take root in the same place, they will form a great tree that provides their clan with shelter. (In my version, the hometree and the tree of souls are one in the same.)
Although they lack romantic or sexual partnerships, Na'vi can form strong bonds with each other.
Na'vi society in my version would be more biopunk. All clothes, weapons, and tools are alive in some way. Everything the people use has been carefully bred over millennia to fulfill a specific role without disrupting the delicate balance of nature around them. While I didn't draw them here, the weapons they use are very reminiscent of those featured in Half Life: Opposing Force, with bug-guns that spit acid and such.
Avatars:
My Avatars only have one set of eyes and vestigial secondary arms. This is because the human brain can't handle having so many extra appendages, so special goggles and mechanical prosthetics are added to compensate. They also lack bioluminescence because human scientists haven't figured out what gene produces it in the Na'vi (Some speculate it might be the result of a symbiote living under the skin, however vivisections were inconclusive).
Early tests resulted in Avatars waking up on their own and going rogue, thus they had to be euthanized. Chips were installed in their brains to shut them off while pilots weren't active. Avatar pilots still require rigorous psychological training just to retain control of their alien bodies. Jake especially has a difficult time with it since he's also inhabiting a body that was originally made for his deceased twin brother. The combination of mourning and body dysmorphia takes quite a toll on him. Being able to walk again is nice, but is it worth it?
Story changes:
I admit I'm not skilled enough of a writer to come up with an entire script rewrite, but I do have some key changes in mind. Firstly, I'd keep Neytiri's lost sister from the deleted scene and it would serve as a parallel to Jake losing his brother. Jake and Neytiri's relationship would be like that of siblings rather than lovers.
Once Jake is fully integrated into the Omatakaya, the elders trust him enough to share one of the Na'vi's most precious secrets: their nursery at the heart of their tree. Jake is astonished, and horrified to realize the RDA will kill infants in their search for resources. He informs Quaritch why the tree is too precious to be cut down and Quaritch agrees to back off… Only to go back on his word and cut down the tree anyway. The RDA was never interested in harvesting "unobtanium" they want to exterminate the Na'vi and replace them. The company has given up on Earth and wants to colonize Pandora as the new home of humanity (or a twisted, genetically modified version of it).
Jake and Neytiri barely survive and escape the attack. Neytiri isn't angry at jake because she understands this isn't his fault, but they are at a huge disadvantage. It is then that Jake suggest they attempt to tame a Toruk. In this version, no one has ever managed to do this before because it turns out Toruk has 4 brain tendrils! Jake and Neytiri tame and ride it together, going on to unite the clans as seen in the movie.
In the final battle, Jake sacrifices his Avatar to help Neytiri strike the final blow against Quaritch. The real Jake almost dies too, but Neytiri saves him just in time. With the Na'vi freed from the RDA, a few humans are allowed to stay on Pandora while most are forced to leave. Inspired by Neytiri, Jake decides to go back to Earth in order to help restore it's natural ecosystems and hopefully inspire other humans to do the same. Although separated by the stars, he still dreams of his alien friend…
If you find yourself wandering long enough in the Backrooms, you may start noticing the movement in the corners of your vision. Insects that seem to blend in with the patterns of the endless walls and carpets skitter about, barely noticeable.
Are they really there? It's not so impossible. After all, many species have evolved to live in the basements and attics of human homes. It is likely that populations of them have gotten trapped in this strange dimension the same way you did. Time dilation and other anomalies could lead to their accelerated evolution.
... Or perhaps you're just hallucinating out of lonely desperation to see something... Anything...
