Why Are AVATAR Aliens Blue?

Why are the Na'vi blue? James Cameron answered the question in a recent interview saying he wanted there be an "otherness" to the love story between Sully's avatar and the native alien, Neytiri. Since skin color is "such a big issue on our planet," Cameron decided to use that issue as a thematic driving point. Other skin tones were already taken by humans, while green was already a cliché in other alien movies. "We had big blue women, not little green men," Cameron said. No word on why the Na'vi's skin sparkles, but you have to admit it is a cool effect.

Meanwhile, the Houston Press' Hair Balls blog has video clips of other blue-skins that have come before AVATAR.

Sponsored by Panasonic VIERA. Return to the world of AVATAR in stunning full HD with the Panasonic VIERA HD TV.

Comments

[Account Deleted]

"Advanced forms of blue-blooded life – the equivalent of mammals, say – exist on other worlds? Conceivably they might on planets with high surface pressures and abundant oxygen, where great oxygen-carrying efficiency wouldn't be at such a premium".
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/B/blood.html

[cannon]

Maby there blue to blend into thare envierment.

[zach]

I am with cannon.

[Account Deleted]

They are blue now but, what would the introduction of military industrial toxins and/or byproducts of warfare do to the local (island soil) and distant (water, atmosphere) environment? What strange plants and creatures would arise from the land? The Banshees flying through the toxins of the atmosphere. The Na'vites bathed in the toxic mist of the clouds and waterfalls. What kind of tragic post trilogy (if any) side story that be? The "Union Carbide" of Pandora that would break the soul of Grace Augustine.
I definitely could see the post war era in which the Na'vites are born with all kinds of strange afflictions, patterns, mottlings, every color of the rainbow, blue eyed pink stripped albinos, purhaps even covered in the "tabby cat" hair (fuzzy petable Pandorans?) of their most distant ancestors.

[Zjayksulli]

In the film, the Na'vi still have red blood. So they still have high-oxygen carrying rates in their hemoglobin-filled blood cells. It's just a pigment in their tissue that makes them blue.

[Account Deleted]

I enjoy this color effect and sparkles very much! With such colors Na'vi comes really interesting. And as for me this is a essential part of the Na'vi idea. I like it and I didn't think about the reasons yet.

[Jeremy Walls]

Their skin color also blends into the jungle very well.

[Esther Miller]

I think that the sparkles on their faces and bodies represent a sort of respiratory system, not unlike the gills of a fish or pores that are found in human skin.

[Nicholas Carreras]

People! Come on, the fluorescence on the Na'vi is not a strange issue or even a real issue. Think about it, other animals and plants on Pandora all have the fluorescent traits. Some use it as defensive measures, others perhaps as a way of mating, while others use it as form of intimidation.

Even on Earth, fluorescence in animals or plants is not all that strange or even rare. It is simply that humans are generally not in a position to observe fluorescent occurrences. Also, a majority of these happen in the rainforest (and deep oceans). How many of you can say you've wandered the rainforest at night?

In essence, this fluorescence that the Na'vi possess is not only an exact result of their environment, it is a trait that is common throughout their planetary ecosystem.

[FTU]

They wanted to create some "otherness" because skin color is such a huge issue on our own planet.

[Neytirifanboy]

I recon they used light blue because it had to be different from human skin colour and because light blue is the most attractive colour. It is noticeable that the attractive aliens in Mass Effect video game are also light blue in colour.

Red would look too aggressive and green/yellow would look sickly.

Light blue is a nice calming colour. It reminds us of a clear blue sky or a calm clear sea/lake.

That is why I think they are blue. Anyway, I like it.

[FTU]

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movies/461839/does-sam-worthington-feel-a-weight-on-his-shoulders.jhtml#id=1627494

At about 5:45 Jim explains why he made the Na'vi blue.

[Lily]

On the begining when jack arrives to pandora i understud that the envoirement was full of dioxid carbone than is not very logique on a green planet like that unliste if the plants works like on the deep sea that's explain ery well the dioxid carbon ...all this talk to realise that the coleur bleu is natural for me because that dioxid carbone normally humans when thay breed dioxid carbon they becames blue....i don't know how to explain but te coleur bleu it seems logique for the Navis.

[Sandy]

Pandora is like an Amazon rain forest where birds and reptiles have brightly colored feathers and skin. So the blue skin of the Na'vi fit into that scenery. Also the blue may be a color serves as a protective color for the radiation from Pandora's sun. Since this is science fiction about an alien planet, it seems right to make them a different color than here on earth, and Pandora is much different than earth.

[Steve]

Bio luminescence is much more prevalent on Pandora than on earth, probably due to the lower light levels there (resulting in the greatly enhanced light sensitivity in the Na'Vi), and the increased availability of essential phosphorific elements in the environment. What you are calling the 'sparklies' are simply consistent with the other flora and fauna of Pandora. If one were to infer a evolutionary derivation for the skin coloration of the Na`Vi, it would not be inappropriate to attribute it to a defensive adaptation; it makes them more difficult to discern in the forest.

You'll also note in the film that Neytiri's speckling changes with her mood.

[Chris]

Maybe the humanoids have blue skin to blend in their environment and the atmosphere of Pandora has made the humanoids adapt, causing them to be blue for enrichment of the present gases they ingest. However, considering all variables such as atmosphere composition, plant-Na'vi relationship, predator-Na'vi relationship, geography, food-chain, position of the planet and star stage and star composition. Also, the "sparkles" might be for how the male Na'vi show off to mate. I wonder also if the purpose of the bonding might result death if that end was cut off? Anyways, the Na'vi are an unique race that could in fact result to become the next "humans" because they still have much to learn. I believe that the Na'vi should have been destroyed if it was for not human error. The Na'vi should of burned with Home tree and kill Jake when they had a chance.

Sigh. I got ahead of myself :(

[Steve]

Ahh but Chris... you forget about E`wa. Remember, the humans aren't fighting against just the Na`Vi; they are battling literally the entire planet. It's going to be tough to come out victor in that battle.

[Account Deleted]

I like the blue :)
it goes well with the world and the name < Na'vi >

[Hannah]

i would think that the skin has sparkles because they are part of nature just like that plants and other animals that have a glow to them they do as well because theyre all connected to eywa. as for it being blue, the difference in atmosphere could have an affect on it.... if it were real... but im wondering if James Cameron was trying to show what early americans did to indians, because in all honesty thats what we did, not necessarily for a pricey rock but for land.

[Eric Kyle]

Well in my opinion..Blue would be a great color for the Aliens/Na'vi... It was better than picking a expected color such as green or any other color. There skin was beautiful and so was the world of Pandora...Completely amazing.. James Cameron has done a great job and I have to say by far that this movie is the best of 2009 and also my favorite.. I very much think its better than Twilight and The Blind Side...But hey its just my opinion.. And heres a shoutout to all of my Avatar fans..WoooHooooo

[Jay]

I like the blue. It makes them more realistic because they blend in well with the jungle. The ears, too. I must say that I don't get the cat-like nose, but I would not change them a bit. Did everyone else notice that they only had four fingers?

[JKpolarbear]

As has been previously mentioned before though, blue blends in well with the shady colours of the forest.

Generally, I associate the colour blue with serenity and calmness. It is also the colour of mystery, hence the fact that the majority of the humans on Pandora are lacking in real knowledge about the Na'vi.

Blue is also a very mellow, emotional colour. The Na'vi are deeply tied with nature and have an unquestionable bond with Eywa. There is a sense of protectiveness and family associated with the Na'vi.

[JKpolarbear]

As has been previously mentioned before though, blue blends in well with the shady colours of the forest.

[JKpolarbear]

Thinking about it more deeply though, blue is a colour that can be associated with mystery. The humans are very in the dark as to how the Na'vi actually live as a community and the scene where Grace tries to explain to some of the scientists about their deep connection with nature and devotion to Eywa, they simply laugh.

Blue is also a calm, serene and emotional colour, which again is reflected in their deep connection and devotion. There is a sense of protectiveness and family within the Na'vi.

[JKpolarbear]

Sorry for the spam, I was momentarily worried that my original post disappeared! Feel free to remove the two posts after the original and this one too, if possible. I'm not sure if I can delete my own? (I'm new to this)