Spider's dad in Avatar: The Way of Water was revealed to be Miles Quaritch, and this revelation will have a major impact on the upcoming Avatar sequels. While the conflict between nature and humans is the central theme of the Avatar franchise, familial themes play a large role in Avatar 2, as the film picks up with Jake and Neytiri's expansive family unit living on Pandora. Jake and Neytiri lead the Omaticaya Clan, and have a total of five children. Three of these kids are their biological offspring; the heir Neytiri was pregnant with at the end of Avatar, Neteyam; the misfit middle child Lo'ak; and their youngest daughter Tuk.

However, Jake and Neytiri have two adopted children — Kiri, the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine, and Spider a teenage human boy. Spider seemingly being the only human on Pandora leads to the question "who is Spider's dad in Avatar?", and the query is answered relatively early on in the film. After Quaritch is revealed to be alive in the body of a Na'vi, he kidnaps Jake's children. Most of them escape, save for Spider, and it's revealed that Spider's dad in Avatar is none other than the villain Quaritch. Quaritch and Spider suffer a complex dynamic throughout the film, with Spider ultimately saving his life in the end.

Spider Is Quaritch's Son - But He Wasn't In Avatar

Spider smiling in Avatar The Way of Water

The revelation that Spider's dad in Avatar is Quaritch came as quite a shock to audiences due to the fact that Spider didn't feature in the first Avatar movie at all. Only adding to the confusion is the fact that Spider's last name is Sorroco, which is a surname that's completely absent from Avatar. While this may seem like a plot hole or a retcon at first glance, the origin story of Spider's parentage is actually chronicled in the comic Avatar: The High Ground. Since the comic takes place 14 years after the first film, Spider's origins are told through flashbacks.

In the Avatar comics, it's revealed that Spider was born to Quaritch and an RDA pilot named Paz Sorroco while living on an RDA base. While Paz never formally appears in Avatar, she's part of the ending battle in which the Na'vi defeat the humans. During battle, Spider's mom is killed and Spider is too small to return to Earth in a cryopod. Therefore, Spider is left on Pandora and taken in by Jake and Neytiri. Nothing else is revealed about Quaritch and Paz's relationship. Regardless, Spider's dad in Avatar manipulates his son's feelings of being an outcast in his adoptive family to find and wage war on Jake.

The Quaritch Is Spider's Dad Twist Was Guessed Early On

Spider (Jake Champion) shooting a bow and arrow with Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in Avatar 2.

Before Avatar 2 even came close to hitting the screen, audiences accurately theorized that Spider's dad in Avatar was Quaritch. The theory proposed that Spider is the biological son of Colonel Quaritch, the villain played by Steven Lang in Avatar who returned in Avatar: The Way of Water, only this time as an Avatar himself. Quaritch was shown in the first film to be nothing more than a military grunt, uncaring towards the Na'vi and willing to uproot their lives (literally) to complete his mission of obtaining the unobtainium. However, audiences realized that the character would see a lot of development in The Way of Water.

It was correctly guessed that Quaritch's return in Avatar: The Way of Water came with a more personal touch since he did head back to Pandora for his son. While this wasn't his sole motivation and rather a tactic for manipulation, Spider's revealed parentage provided more emotional depth to Spider's dad in Avatar. It also added to Neytiri's, and the Omaticaya's, uncertainty around Spider, since Quaritch was responsible for the destruction of their fortress. This culminated in Neytiri threatening to sacrifice Spider, holding a knife to his throat to call Quaritch off. The decision ultimately sealed Quaritch's fate, as Spider rescued him from death at the end of Avatar 2.

What Spider’s True Heritage Could Mean For Jake And Quaritch

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Now that the identity of Spider's dad in Avatar is known and a bit of their dynamic has been revealed, it will have resounding consequences for the rest of the Avatar sequels. It's been teased that the upcoming Avatar movies will have a greater focus on Jake and Neytiri's children, meaning Spider could see more of a role and a compelling arc. Spider obviously feels different from the rest of his adoptive family, and his insecurities over being human are what coerces him to reveal information to Quaritch. Though Spider goes back to Jake and Neytiri, he secretly saves Quaritch's life, clearly affected by Neytiri's willingness to sacrifice him.

Spider may become a conflicted antagonist in the Avatar franchise, due to his connections with Quaritch and Jake. While Spider's dad in Avatar commits heinous acts against nature, Spider is upset but still helps him locate Jake. Spider may end up being a reluctant ally of Quaritch, feeling somewhat indebted to his father simply because he's his biological parent and feeling rejected by Na'vi. This will inevitably cause grief in Jake, who despite making mistakes has always viewed Spider as his son and a member of their clan. Avatar: The Way of Water set up some complicated family dynamics that are sure to affect the narrative of the following movies.

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