Namaari is hit theaters and Disney+ in March. It stars Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Awkwafina as Sisu, as well as Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians) as the film's primary antagonist, Namaari. Little is known about Raya's nemesis, other than the fact that she is from a different group of people that occupy the various places in the vast world of Kumandra.
A new Raya and the Last Dragon trailer finally showed off the film ahead of its release, previewing the struggles Raya will face as she seeks out help in saving the world of Kumandra from unseen evil forces. Those evil forces, named the Druun, won't be only the group that Raya goes up against. The world of Kumandra is deeply divided and the warring factions all have a stake in Raya's journey. One of the leaders of those warring factions is Namaari, a mysterious rival that Raya faces off against briefly in the trailer.
The film's writer Qui Nguyen told SR that there's more to Namaari than meets the eye. Nguyen says that the whole theme of the movie is unity and bringing these warring factions together and while the film gives a close look at Raya's heroic journey, Namaari has one of her own. Nguyen makes it sound that Namaari will be the primary human antagonist of the film, but one with more layers than just villainy. Namaari is ultimately relatable, says Nguyen, and is comparable to a Killmonger or Darth Vader. Nguyen said:
The whole theme of this movie was trying to bring people together that had opposing views. When we created our big bad or our antagonist, she had to be a reflection of Raya. She has all the prejudices that Raya has, and she is very much like Raya. The big difference is Raya got to meet Sisu and her character journey happens a lot earlier than Namaari. But she is a character that we relate to. I think the most interesting bad guys are the ones we sympathize with, like Killmonger in Black Panther or like Darth Vader in Star Wars. You're like, "Oh, I get your story." They're just way more captivating, and that was something I think all three of us were very motivated to do when making her.
Raya and the Last Dragon is shaping up to be an exciting entry in the Disney princess canon. While Raya is clearly the main focus, the writers and directors have emphasized the themes of unity that pervade the film. Kumandra is a world that sounds deeply divided and Raya has taken it upon herself to save her world for the greater good of all the people, even if they don't get along.
Namaari may not be heavily featured in the promotional materials, but it sounds like her role is integral to the film. As Raya's foil, Namaari will be a key character for her evolution as the potential savior of her people and it sounds like they might have to ultimately come together to save Kumandra. Namaari, Raya, and the various other groups involved all have a stake in saving Kumandra and they may have to set aside their differences to see their world stay safe from the dark forces that have been teased as world ending. Raya and the Last Dragon will be the latest foray into animation for the studio and, on top of the themes of unity and trust, action will be heavily featured in what looks like an exciting entry for Disney's animation studio.
