Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water.Avatar: The Way of Water star Jack Champion explains Spider's game-changing decision. One of the few human characters in the sequel, Spider was born in Hell's Gate on Pandora and, since he was unable to be transported to Earth in cryostasis as a young boy, was taken in as a part of Jake and Neytiri's family. It is later revealed that Spider, whose real name is Miles Socorro, is actually the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the leader of the RDA security forces who is reborn as a Recombinant and is seeking revenge against Jake.
Early on in the Avatar sequel, Quaritch kidnaps Spider to learn information about Jake's whereabouts, and throughout the film, the father and son actually end up bonding as the boy teaches the Recombinant soldier about Na'vi culture and language. During Avatar: The Way of Water's climactic third act, Jake strangles Quaritch into unconsciousness and leaves him for dead underwater. Just when it looks like the Avatar antagonist has finally met an end, Spider surprisingly saves Quaritch from drowning. During a recent interview with THR, the actor who portrays Spider, Jack Champion, explains his game-changing decision to save Quaritch:
Well, I think it’s because he spent months with Quaritch at that point. So they built up this father-son relationship, and Spider, being a lonesome character that’s always wanted a family, latched onto that. And Quaritch just saved his life from Neytiri [Zoe Saldana]. So at that moment, he thought, “I’m not going to join him. I’m sure as hell not going to do that, but I can’t just let him die. That’s just as good as murdering him.” So Quaritch is kind of his father, and at that moment, he might be his last hope of a family. So it’s a whole bag of things.
What's Next For Spider & Quaritch In Avatar 3
Champion's comments touch on the various reasons why Spider decides to save Quaritch's life during the Avatar: The Way of Water ending. As a young boy, Spider was adopted by Jake and Neytiri and grew up with their four Na'vi children in the Pandoran rainforest, adopting much of their Na'vi language and culture. However, there is a part of Spider that has always yearned to be with his real human family. The time he spends with Quaritch throughout the film helps him realize that, despite the man his father might be.
Spider also feels indebted to Quaritch since earlier on, the Recombinant soldier saves his life when Neytiri has a knife to his throat, demonstrating the feelings of acceptance are mutual between the father and son. Even though Spider decides to save Quaritch, he's not quite ready to join the dark side yet, as he renounces his father's cruelty and returns to the Sully family. While he doesn't join him, Spider's inability to let him die suggests he considers Quaritch to be redeemable.
Avatar: The Way of Water is a movie about family, and as the franchise continues with Avatar 3, which was shot back-to-back, it will likely continue embracing this theme. Avatar 3 should see Spider and Quaritch cross paths again, a scenario that seems very likely when the Sully family learns that Spider just saved the life of the man who has been hunting them ruthlessly and is responsible for Neteyam’s death. Spider's decision to save Quaritch could have several ramifications, including him being outcast from the Sully family, forcing him to turn to his only other family, Quaritch, for refuge.
Source: THR
