The perfect redemption story for Colonel Quaritch has been set up in Avatar: The Way of Water. After appearing as the face of the RDA and the primary antagonist of Avatar, Colonel Quaritch met his demise at the hands of Neytiri, but returned in The Way of Water in a new avatar body as a recombinant soldier. Stephen Lang's portrayal of Quaritch in Avatar showed him to be an immovable and emotionless enemy to Jake Sully and the Na'vi, but James Cameron's second installment in the Avatar franchise made many subtle changes to the character, which could spell good news for his future in the upcoming sequels.
The version of Quaritch delivered in Avatar: The Way of Water has been significantly changed by his former self's death, on top of some huge revelations that were uncovered during Cameron's new film. The Way of Water introduced audiences to Miles "Spider" Socorro, Quaritch's biological son who, after being abandoned on Pandora during the human evacuation at the end of Avatar, grew up with Jake and Neytiri's kids in the forests of Pandora. Quaritch's new avatar body and budding relationship with his son have already been shown to be changing the formerly steadfast character, and this is sure to continue as the story develops further.
Quaritch's Quest To Understand His Enemy Is Changing Him
Immediately after awakening in his new avatar body, Quaritch and his team of recombinant soldiers set to work on their vengeful mission against Jake Sully, the man who brought down their operation in Avatar. This journey takes him deep into the forests of Pandora, where he not only comes across his son, Spider, but also the site of his own death, which marks the catalyst for his change, as he experiences an existential moment which is demonstrated through Quaritch crushing his human skull. After renouncing his past life, Quaritch decides that the best way to track his enemy is to understand them, so begins to embrace Na'vi life.
Spider teaches his father pieces of the Na'vi language, and guides him on what to eat, how to treat other Na'vi, and how to bond with his own Ikran (the real way). These moments are incredibly formative for Quaritch's new direction in the Avatar franchise, as his quest to understand his enemy is actually making him become more like them. He is experiencing Pandora for the first time through fresh eyes, in much the same way that Jake Sully did during Avatar, which means that he is gaining his own appreciation of Pandora and everything it has to offer - and not just in the valuable materials that humanity exploits.
Quaritch Has Exposed Himself To The Eywa Network
At the crux of James Cameron's message of the Avatar franchise is the idea of Eywa, the global network on Pandora that represents the Na'vi's spirituality and their source of contact with their ancestors. Eywa was hugely important in Avatar, becoming the means for the final battle to be won, and for Jake to permanently transfer his consciousness into his avatar body. The Way of Water emphasizes this importance further. Grace Augustine's daughter, Kiri, has an intense connection to Eywa, so this will surely become even more important as the series progresses, and this is also something that is subtly hinted at in Quaritch.
Perhaps unknowingly to him, Quaritch exposes himself to the Eywa network several times during Avatar: The Way of Water, most notably with each time he makes the bond with his Ikran. This process must surely be expanding his neural pathways, perhaps making him more susceptible to Eywa, and opening his eyes further to the beauty of Pandora and the value of the Na'vi's connection to nature - something which he was completely oblivious to in Avatar. Through the Na'vi bonding technique, Pandora itself could be changing Quaritch from the inside out, which could see him become more Na'vi, and less human, with each film.
Is Avatar Setting Up A Redemption Story For Quaritch?
Stephan Lang has been confirmed to be appearing in all three of the upcoming Avatar sequels, so perhaps the natural progression for the character would be to set him on a redemptive journey, especially now that he knows that his son is alive and well, and he has started to integrate himself properly into life as a Na'vi. This same storyline was demonstrated with Jake in Avatar, as he started as a military grunt who was eager to infiltrate the Na'vi and destroy their home, to a man who was willing to sacrifice his old life and fight to protect the Na'vi and Pandora.
James Cameron has teased the introduction of new clans and different locations in the Avatar sequels, so there's a chance that Quaritch could find a home with any number of Na'vi clans. It would be fascinating to see such a powerful adversary turn his back on humanity just as Jake did, fully embracing life among the Na'vi, and perhaps even building a true father/son relationship with Spider. Avatar: The Way of Water made some serious changes to Quaritch, adding layers to the character that seemed all but two-dimensional in the original film, so the future is looking very bright for this new version of the villain.
