In Avatar there are many striking visuals and cultures going on in the background but above all that a few groups stand out. Ghosts who come back no matter how many times it looks they were killed, a phantom who is an omen of destruction, or the hero Earth needs?
The third movie of the Avatar movie franchise recently released and with it some people are starting to have a change of mind when it comes to Quaritch’s motivation and whether or not humans truly are the “bad guy”. In the first movie of the franchise where Quaritch could debatably be described as the most evil, he is loyal and a good friend. After the death of the original Sully, he went out of his way to get Jake Sully and pulled strings so that he could walk again in his original body. While others were still warming up to Sully, he immediately took him in. Additionally, given the state of Earth and its population of 20 billion it is no longer enough to satisfy the population with only Earth’s resources. Which eventually leads to the world of Pandora. While Quaritch and the wider RDA were quick to violence it is understandable given Earth was failing.
In the 2nd movie Quaritch experienced tunnel vision when it came to finding and killing Jake Sully. This motivation is understood by many fans, through many of Sully’s past transgressions like sabotaging his operation and his wife killing him. When Quaritch does meet his son, Spider he does show concern for him. Learning the ways of the Navi and learning about him. Whenever Spider is in danger he goes out of his way to save him, even when it means disobeying orders. At the end of the third movie he stops fighting Jake when Spider falls over the edge, working with him to save Spider.
Other fans have described him as being borderline racist toward the Navi. This is because he shows a mild bloodthirst when it comes to killing the Navi and has a general aggressive demeanor when it comes to them. Furthermore, while Earth is a dying planet, it is mostly because of humanity’s mistakes, mistakes they aren’t trying to learn from when they discover Pandora. The Navi are deeply connected to their world so when people come from the sky and start breaking down some of the resources on it they respond defensively. The Navi’s bond with the plants and wildlife in their home is so strong that they can literally feel some of their pain if they have formed a bond. In the 1st movie while humans do connect with the Navi the moment they find a resource that would make them rich back on Earth they were ready to tear down a sacred part of Navi culture to get it. In the 2nd movie the humans go on a whaling operation to create a cream that would slow down the effects of aging on the skin. The native clan doesn’t take this too kindly though leading to another battle where Sully once again gets involved. In the 3rd movie humanity allies with one of the more savage clans, working with them to bring in Sully and Spider for questioning. Once this happens they once again try an even bigger whaling operation where the planet’s spirit helps fight back against the humans. Quaritch and humanity’s ultimate intention is both driven by the need to survive, revenge, and greed. While the Navi are focused on survival, preservation of tradition and protecting what is sacred to them.
