Namaari

Namaari is the secondary antagonist appearing in Disney's 2021 animated feature film Raya and the Last Dragon. The daughter of Chief Virana, she is the princess of Kumandra's Fang. Since childhood, Namaari has envied Heart's prosperity. Believing the Dragon Gem to be the source of their opulence, she plotted to steal it and use its power to expand Fang's fortunes. Though her cause was noble, Namaari's willingness to perform underhanded deeds to accomplish her mission made her a dangerous adversary.
==Background==
Namaari was raised in Fang by her single mother, Virana. What became of her father is unknown. From an early age, Namaari revered the long-deceased dragons that once inhabited Kumandra. She owned various artifacts related to the serpentine beings, including a scroll detailing the legend of Sisu and a necklace bearing the water dragon's likeness.
As an adult, Namaari commanded her own unit of Fang soldiers and worked diligently to sustain her homeland's survival. As both a warrior and a leader, Namaari was revered by her people. She was particularly popular amongst children. The dialogue suggests that Namaari had little in the way of actual friends. Her only known companion was Serlot, a cat-like creature that served as her steed.
===Official Description===
:Brilliant, calculating, and a formidable warrior, Namaari is Raya's unrelenting nemesis. She is the daughter of the Chief of the Fang lands and is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her people. However, down deep, she holds a secret love for dragons.
===Personality===
From a young age, Namaari was taught by her mother to place the well-being of Fang above all else, even at the expense of other people. As a child, she was completely endorsed in this mindset to the point that she happily went along with her mothers plan to steal the Dragon Gem from Heart, which they believed would benefit their tribe better than agreeing to reunite Kumandra. She was manipulative enough to actively deceive Raya into thinking that she was a shy but kind girl who agreed to her fathers plan. As well as cold enough that, despite genuinely bonding with Raya and admitting they could have been friends in another life, she still gleefully punched her in the back and tried to steal the Dragon Gem for Fang, even mocking her slightly as she did so.
Even at that age, Namaari loved dragons, which she bonded with Raya over, and identified as a "dragon nerd". She especially revered Sisu, though she did not believe the fairy tale that she was still out there somewhere. Though, overall, Namaari is more concerned with the world being a better place for her own people. She was also shown to be completely loyal and devoted to her mother, which lasted well into her teen years, making her willing to do things she knew were wrong for her approval. Despite these negative traits, she genuinely cared about her people and family.
After the release of the Drunn due to her actions, Namaari became guilt ridden over "breaking the world" and especially making things harder for her people. Though this guilt and bitterness over being blamed for the state of things caused her to become even colder and more ruthless, determined to keep her tribe protected above all else. This led to her developing a rather gruff personality, assaulting one of her own subordinates for questioning her and being willing to set a village on fire to achieve her goals. She also displayed a rather cocky and unapologetic demeanor toward Raya. However, after she discovered that Sisu was alive and that Raya was close to fixing the world, Namaari became esthetic over her past mistakes being undone. In a moment of vulnerability, she admitted that she never wanted to hurt anyone and she even tried to perseuade her mother into helping Raya instead of risking things by trying to steal the credit for fixing the world. This shows that Namaari has a kinder heart than she lets on and is capable of feeling remorse and caring about others outside her own tribe. However, the Fang-centric mindset that she has been immersed in her whole life had caused her to repress these feelings and put up a cold front instead, mirroring her mother.
However, Namaari's ultimate flaw would be her desperation for her mothers approval. Despite knowing that trying to steal the gem peices and Sisu from Raya was a bad idea, she still went along with it (betraying Raya, AGAIN) out of fear of disappointing her mother. Likewise, Namaari tended to deflect her own feelings of guilt onto others, notably Raya. Though she admitted she was to blame for Sisu's death, she also spitefully claimed that Raya was equally to blame, falsely believing that Sisu died because Raya didn't trust her enough. Rather hypocritically ignoring that Namaari had never done anything up until that point to give Raya a reason to trust her due to her constant betrayals. Which manifested as her attacking Raya in rage.
However, after being entrusted to fix the Dragon Gem and save the world, Namaari seems to move on from her toxic mindset. Giving into the guilt she repressed all these years for betraying Raya and her mistakes in the present, she makes peace with Raya and the rest of Kumandra. Even returning the Dragon Gem rather than keep it for herself, accepting that living in peace and making friends outside her own people is better for the world and her tribe overall and being much happier as a result.
===Physical appearance===
Namaari is a young Southeast Asian woman of average height with a slender, slightly muscular build, tan skin, short black hair with a side shave cut, and dark brown eyes. She is noticeably, but slightly, taller than Raya. She usually wears a long, gold-pierced earring on her left ear, a beige tank top, a gold belt with a crimson sash, black baggy pants, dark brown pointy boots with crimson trimming and golden soles, and gold arm bracelets on both of her biceps.
===Abilities and Weapons===
Namaari is a skilled martial artist. According to a conversation with Raya, she prefers fighting with blades over hand-to-hand combat, yet is perfectly capable of besting the former that way in single combat. She is agile and shows great reflexes in combat. Despite hand-to-hand combat, Namaari also possesses her main weapons to fight:
*Dual Swords: Namaari's primary weapons are her twin swords, which she often uses for close combat.
*Crossbow: Namaari also used a crossbow as a secondary weapon during the film as a threat.
==Appearancs==
===Raya and the Last Dragon===
Namaari is first seen attending a feast of having all the tribes of Kumandra being reunited together just as Virana, the Chief of Fang, introduces Namaari to Raya, as part of a plan for her to manipulate Raya into showing her the Dragon Gem so that Namaari can steal it for Fang (as they thought it was the source of Hearts prosperity). She later goes in a conversation with Raya, explaining that she and Raya both have single parents who are terrible at telling jokes. As Raya explains to her that she and Namaari are both in possession of Sisu, she explains to Raya that according to her own kingdom's legend, Sisu is still roaming around. Namaari opens her scroll and tells her the legend that after the Mighty Sisu blasted away all the Druun, she fell into the water and floated downstream as legend says that she is now resting at the river's end just as she hopes that things would feel better when a dragon returned to Kumandra.
As Raya takes Namaari to the chamber where the Dragon Gem rests, Namaari betrays her by punching Raya in the back. She admitted that in another life they could have been friends, but says that she must do what is right for Fang. Raya engages in a duel against her, much to Tuk Tuk's anger for their feud, which causes the tribes to feud again after launching a flare into the air. Namaari manages to survive the Druun ambush after Raya and Tuk Tuk venture off to restore the Dragon Gem before Kumandra falls.
Arriving at the land of Tail, Namaari, now grown up, rides on her trusty Serlot along with a group of Fang mercenaries who also ride on the same cat-like creature as Namaari's, just as Namaari and her mercenaries plan to go after Raya who is on her quest to restore the Gem. Later, Namaari and a group of mercenaries arrive at the chamber where piece of the Dragon Gem on the hands of the Tail chief's skeleton where she overhears Raya devising a plan to Sisu to escape from Namaari and her troops to which she stares at Sisu (in her human form), to which she does not recognize that Sisu turned into a human just as Namaari sends her troops to seize her to which Raya and Sisu manage to escape from Namaari and her soldiers.
Upon noticing the three escape with Boun, a fellow mercenary tells Namaari that Raya and her friends have the Gem pieces as Raya, Sisu, and Tuk Tuk are on their way to Talon just as Namaari and troops retreat back to Fang to speak to Chief Virana.
On their way to Fang, Namaari and her troops walk past numerous dragon statues that were petrified by the Druun a long time ago as Namaari and her mercenaries continue returning to Fang.
Upon arriving at Fang, Namaari approaches her mother Virana, who explains to her that she located Raya seeking the gem pieces to restore the Gem just as she brings in a group of Fang warriors to go after her just before Virana tells her to look at the canals around the palace protecting the kingdom from the Druun just as Namaari explains to her mother about General Atitãya's decision to expand the kingdom to secure Fang's future as the only decision she thought of just as Virana tells Atitãya to ready her Royal Army thanks to Namaari's plan.
Arriving at the Land of Spine, Namaari arrives and alerts a group of Spine soldiers to hunt down Raya only to notice that the Spine soldiers have already been petrified by the Druun as they are unable to attack. After Raya tells Tong to protect her friends, she approaches Namaari, who is readying her mercenaries to fire their flaming arrows on the wooded gate. Namaari engages in a confrontation against Raya at Spine during a duel against the two princesses to which after a tough battle, Sisu arrives and roars at Namaari just as Raya escapes from her via Shrimporium.
Back at Fang, Namaari goes into a conversation about her encounter with her mother, to which Virana explains to her daughter that if she had Sisu and the gem pieces reunited, everything would be forgiven and Kumandra would be saved, but the most important thing is that her people should remain safe.
The next day, Raya talks with Namaari to confirm that she is on her side to which she hands Raya the last piece of the Dragon Gem only to betray her again as Namaari grabs a crossbow to fire an arrow at Sisu only to be briefly halted by Raya's friends. Raya then throws her father's sword at Namaari's crossbow, to which her arrow also hits Sisu, causing her to fall to her death. With Sisu gone, the water disappears and the Druun arrive at Fang. Raya angrily confronts Namari for her betrayal, with Namari (having just witness her mother's petrification by the Druun) also pointing Raya's share in the blame for her inability to trust others. With the Druun back at Fang, Namaari engages in a duel against Raya for betraying her just before she spares her. Furthermore, Namaari manages to help Raya fight against the Druun to which the gem's magic continues fading off. Raya tells Namaari to trust her as the Druun continue to petrify everyone in Fang as Raya tells Namaari to trust her just as her friends get along with her as they become petrified with Namaari the last survivor attempting to reunite all the Dragon Gem pieces before being petrified.
With all the pieces of the Dragon Gem reunited, the Druun are wiped away once again, just as Namaari is revived alongside everyone in Kumandra. Namaari remorsefully reforms with Sisu and gets along with Raya's friends. She is later seen visiting the Kingdom of Heart with everyone else in rejoice just as the tribes are reunited together.
===Once Upon a Studio===
In the short, Namaari is seen watching Fairy Godmother use her wand to lift Goofy up to the ladder and he sets the timer on the camera. She then joins Raya on the back of Tuk-Tuk as they sing the last line of "When You Wish Upon a Star" as the group photo is successfully taken for Disney's 100th anniversary. 
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*Namaari's costumes were designed with sharp edges and harsh shapes to directly contrast the soft, colorful aesthetic of Raya's clothes.
*Ami Thompson, the character art director for the film, designed Namaari's facial features to resemble the fierceness of a cat or tiger.
**In some visual development art by Thompson, Namaari is depicted as having a prosthetic left arm.
*Namaari's fighting style was inspired by Muay Thai kickboxing and Krabi Krabong configurations from Thailand.
*Namaari is the first princess in an animated Disney film to be depicted as an antagonist, as well as a reformed one.
*While recording her dialogue, Kelly Marie Tran personally interpreted Raya and Namaari's relationship as romantic. By Tran's own admission, however, this was not made official by Disney.
==References==
==External links==
*Namaari on the Villains Wiki
*Namaari on Raya and the Last Dragon Wiki
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