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You're not leaving, are you, Jake? Knowing I'm out there? Knowing that I'll never stop? I'm coming for you and when I do, I'll kill your whole family.
Quaritch threatening to kill Jake's family

Colonel Miles Quaritch is the main antagonist of the first two Avatar films. He was an RDA Security Operations commander, serving as the chief of security on Pandora in the early 2150s.

Serving as the senior RDA commander during the Pandoran War, he directed the destruction of the Omatikaya clan's Hometree and led SecOps forces in the Assault on the Tree of Souls, where he was killed in action by Neytiri at the age of 51. It was also around this point in time that Quaritch fathered a son named Miles "Spider" Socorro.

In 2170, Quaritch's duplicated consciousness was put into a 20-year-old Recom under Project Phoenix and given the code name Blue One, effectively making this version a clone. He was chosen as the commander of the 1st Recom Squad. Upon arriving on Pandora, he was ordered by General Frances Ardmore to hunt down and kill Jake Sully for his role as the leader of the Na'vi insurgency and the strategic raids he had been leading against the RDA.

History

Before Pandora and First Days

Quaritch was born in the year 2102 or 2103.[3] Before joining SecOps, Colonel Quaritch served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. He saw combat in numerous Earth military engagements without injury, most notably three tours in Nigeria with the Marines' First Reconnaissance Battalion.

On his first day on Pandora, he was attacked by viperwolf, giving him a trio of trademark scars to the right side of his head and face. He was given the option to return home to Earth for reconstructive surgery but opted to stay on Pandora. With his impressive record, he was eventually chosen as the chief of security operations on Pandora in 2152.

Quaritch was the chief of security for at least two years.[4] He was responsible for the security of the RDA operation and its personnel, which necessitated keeping the Na'vi in check. He had his own Dragon Assault Ship, which was personalized with an orange-colored Chinese dragon painted below the cockpit. During this time Quaritch also included a sexual relationship with one of his scorpion pilots named Paz Socorro which resulted with the birth of a son named Miles Socorro shortly before the Assault on the Tree of Souls.

Conflict with the Na'vi (Avatar)

Quaritch security instructions

3D Version: red/cyancross-eyedColonel Quaritch in a security briefing

Quaritch was impressed by Jake Sully and made Jake a bargain that, in return for intelligence on the Na'vi, he would talk to the RDA corporate executives and get approval for Jake to receive the expensive treatment for his spinal injury, which would return the use of his legs. However, as time passed, Quaritch began to question where Jake's loyalties lay, becoming suspicious that his contact with the Na'vi to be distancing him from his humanity and mission.

When Jake, in his avatar form, attacked and damaged a bulldozer, Quaritch personally went to arrest him, deactivating Jake's link pod and then punching him after telling him he crossed the line. Based upon Jake's video logs which lamented the hopelessness of convincing the Omatikaya to leave Hometree, along with the report from Corporal Lyle Wainfleet that the Na'vi had retaliated for the destruction of the Trees of Voices by burning the bulldozers and killing the squad of troopers protecting them, Quaritch came to the conclusion that the Omatikaya were a threat to the RDA's operation and could not be peacefully convinced to vacate their Hometree.

Quaritch2

Quaritch during Hometree's destruction

Quaritch asked for Parker Selfridge's permission to go forward with the destruction of the Hometree, claiming it would be non-lethal and humane. Quaritch personally led the operation, first launching non-lethal gas canisters to force out the Na'vi, then ordering the destruction of the tree using missile strikes. Despite the attempt to flush out the Na'vi with gas, this operation resulted in the death of a number of Na'vi, including the Omatikaya's clan leader, Eytukan.

Quaritch fires an SMG

Quaritch fatally wounds Grace

When Jake Sully, Grace Augustine, Norm Spellman and Trudy Chacón escaped custody, Quaritch was the first to act, moving outside of the Operations Center without an exo pack, attempting to stop their escape by firing on their SA-2 Sampson with a CARB Submachine Gun and his Wasp sidearm. He fatally wounded Dr. Augustine, but failed to stop the team from escaping Hell's Gate.

Assault on the Tree of Souls and death

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Trudy fighting Quaritch in the sky

Quaritch devised the Assault on the Tree of Souls as a means to permanently sever the Na'vi's connection with Eywa and to decisively end the Pandoran War. He personally led the operation against the Na'vi in his Dragon Assault Gunship. While the Na'vi's numbers initially appeared to give them the advantage, Quaritch's heavily armed and well trained SecOps soldiers quickly dispatched the lightly-armed Na'vi, despite some losses. During the battle, while pursuing Jake, his gunship was attacked by the rebel Trudy in a stolen SA-2 Samson, allowing Jake to escape being killed. Quaritch's gunship was able to destroy the Samson and killed Trudy.

Advancing relatively unopposed towards the Tree of Souls, the tide of the battle is unexpectedly changed when Pandora's wildlife, seemingly at the direction of Eywa herself, attacked RDA forces in mass. With all escorts distracted or destroyed, Jake was able to board the Valkyrie shuttle containing two "daisy cutter" bombs, and destroyed it, leaving only Quaritch in his Dragon gunship. Despite Quaritch's best efforts, Jake still managed to inflict catastrophic damage to the gunship, causing it to lose control. Boarding his AMP suit, Quaritch jumped from the Dragon before it crashed.

Hey Sully HD

Quaritch calls Jake a race traitor during the battle

Now alone, Quaritch advanced to the Tree of Souls, where he stumbled across the module containing the link pod being used by Jake, but was attacked by Neytiri riding a thanator before he could destroy it. He lost control of the GAU-90, but killed the thanator with his AMP suit knife, leaving Neytiri trapped beneath her slain mount. Jake's timely arrival caused Quaritch to focus on him, saving Neytiri. Using the bayonet of the wrecked GAU-90, Jake was able to deflect Quaritch's attacks in a fierce bout of melee combat long enough to destroy his AMP suit knife and land a piercing blow to the glass canopy. The damage to the AMP suit canopy reduced visibility to near-zero and allowed toxic Pandoran air into the suit, forcing Quaritch to don an exopack. Realizing Jake's same weakness, Quaritch made a break for the module and managed to smash a window and an empty link unit open before resuming combat. This exposed Jake's human body to the toxic air, interrupting the link between Jake and his avatar, allowing Quaritch to subdue Jake.

Neytiri saves Jake

Neytiri stops Quaritch from cutting Jake

Quaritch picked up Jake by his hair, specifically his queue which is why Jake made an intense scream of pain. Quaritch intended to use Jake's own dagger to cut his avatar's throat in an act of retribution for his betrayal of humanity. However, before Quaritch could do so, Neytiri, who had taken the time to free herself from under the thanator's carcass during the fight between Jake and Quaritch, fired an arrow into the Colonel's chest. Although the one arrow would have probably been more than enough to kill him, Neytiri decided to fire a second arrow anyway, then hissed at him while guarding Jake.

Quaritch Death

Quaritch with an expression of horror.

Before he died and his AMP suit fell, Quaritch had an expression of sheer horror, with his mouth agape and his eyes fixated in one direction. For unknown reasons, but likely due to the animosity of his actions, the Na'vi did not give Quaritch a proper burial. For over a decade, his body was simply left to rot in the forest of the old battlefield, consumed by the nature and the animals of the forest. This would leave only a skeleton remaining, although his skull's exopack managed to remain unshattered. Despite being universally hated by the Na'vi as well as his own son growing up, the RDA propped up Miles Quaritch as a revered war hero who sacrificed his life to protect humanity from the Na'vi.[5]

Jake's Nightmare (Avatar: The Next Shadow)

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Jake haunted by Quaritch's memory

When Jake falls into a coma after being poisoned by Arvok during First Blood, the image of Tsu'tey is replaced by that of a giant Colonel Quaritch, standing with two arrows protruding from his chest. Jake still blames himself for the destruction of the Omatikaya Hometree and the deaths that resulted from it. Quaritch calls Jake a fool "playing house" and kicks him to the ground where he is surrounded by the apparitions of the dead Omatikaya and the giant Tsu'tey. However, the dream suddenly shifts, and the spirits of Eytukan and the real Tsu'tey appear to Jake to help heal Jake. Later, while viewing the real world, Tsu'tey and Jake's spiritual selves visit what seems to be Quaritch's AMP suit.

Recombinant (Avatar: The Way of Water)

Quaritch is reborn as a recombinant

Quaritch is reborn as a recombinant

Before the death of his human body, 2 hours before Quaritch was on a mission to fight the Na'vi stronghold, his memories were backed up using a device known as a Soul Drive. A Recom body for Quaritch was engineered on Earth and was sent to Pandora in an amnio tank in the ISV Vindicator. On the roughly 6-year transit, a daily dose of proprioceptive neuromuscular simulators conditioned, matured and strengthened his new body. His identity and memory were uploaded from the previously created backup on the Soul Drive.[2] As a result, the Recom could only remember events that occurred before his original self underwent the backup process. The Recom Quaritch possessed no memory of human Quaritch's death. He now serves as the commander of the 1st Recom Unit with Lyle Wainfleet as his lieutenant, although he is outranked by Frances Ardmore.

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Recom Quaritch being briefed by his human counterpart.

At the moment of awakening in his new Recom body, Quaritch is disoriented and aggressive as he attacks the doctors and his colleagues before being restrained by the latter. He soon collects himself and is then stunned by his reflection in window. Quaritch views a recording made by his human self before the assault on the Tree of Souls, in which he tells Recom version to take revenge on Jake Sully. While still in Pandora's orbit, before boarding the shuttle and landing on the moon, Quaritch conducts a briefing for his new squad, beginning with the same words he used to greet the newcomers in his original body: "You're not in Kansas anymore." He explains the objectives of future missions, paying special attention to the fact that they have been reborn in the bodies of their enemies, which, however, are better adapted to the environment of Pandora.

Quaritch and Ardmore meet

Quaritch meets Frances Ardmore

Aboard a shuttle, Quaritch and the other Recoms arrive at the Bridgehead base. There, Quaritch is greeted by general Frances Ardmore, the new manager of the RDA's interests on Pandora. She informs him of the new goals of human operations on Pandora, which this time are focused on colonizing the planet, as Earth is becoming virtually uninhabitable. She further explains that one of the RDA's main objectives is to "pacify" the Na'vi so that they do not pose a threat to the colonists. Ardmore shows Quaritch footage of native attacks on RDA industrial and transportation facilities, including footage of the recent train attack by the Omatikaya led by Jake Sully. Quaritch recognizes his old enemy and decides to find him, which becomes the main objective of his Recom squad.

The Search for Jake Sully

Quaritch with a Skull

Recom Quaritch holding the skull of his original human body

The team heads into the jungle, Quaritch and his 1st Recom squad visit Site 26. There, Quaritch grimly discovers his decomposed remains, pierced with Neytiri's distinctive arrows. He then orders Wainfleet to retrieve the footage from the suit camera. But before they do that, the Recoms discover and capture Jake's children, Quaritch notices Lo'ak and Kiri's five-fingered hands and identifies them as Sully's children. He then identifies Spider as the son of his human counterpart and is surprised they didn't send him to Earth, to which he says that babies cannot be put into cryosleep. Quaritch then watches the last moments of his life as a human during the fight with Jake and then his death by Neytiri's arrows. Learning how his former self perished, Quaritch proceeds to crush his own skull.

When they are ambushed by Jake and Neytiri, Quaritch recognizes Neytiri's arrows. He asks if it is her by referring to her as Mrs. Sully and exclaiming that they have "unfinished business" between them. When Neytiri is shocked that Quaritch was reborn as a recombinant, she calls him a "demon" and vows to kill him as many times as they meet, to which he tells her that she and Jake have sired an entire litter of half-breeds. Although Jake and Neytiri manage to rescue their children, Quaritch kidnaps Spider while he escapes with his team.

Quaritch Recom Unwatermarked

Quaritch watching Spider being tortured

At Bridgehead, RDA scientists attempt to coerce information about Jake from Spider via mental torture but he resists. However Quaritch, moved by the boy's suffering, stops the torture and convinces Ardmore to allow him to change tactics, but she reminds him that he is not his son. Quaritch approaches Spider and tries to act like a father figure towards him, asks for his aid in understanding the Na'vi and their culture in exchange for avoiding further torture. Although initially uncooperative, Spider does grudgingly agree to assist. Quaritch and his remaining Recom squad set about learning the Na'vi language, though they fail miserably, to which Spider laughs. The Colonel also comes up with the idea of using their new bodies' natural adaptations and taming their own banshees.

Spider laughing at Quaritch

Quaritch decides to tame a banshee like Jake did

To this end, they go to the banshee rookery in the Hallelujah Mountains. Quaritch wants to use tranquilizers to make the animal easier to tame, but Spider speaks of his ambition by saying that even the Na'vi can handle the banshees with their bare hands. However, he fails to mention that a banshee catcher is often used during the Iknimaya ritual, and Quaritch rushes to meet the ikran chosen completely defenseless. He fights with the ikran for a long time, who finally throws himself off the cliff with Quaritch. The recombinants are convinced that the colonel is dead, but Quaritch emerges a moment later, already with his queue connected to the ikran's.

Ta'unui threaten

Quaritch interrogating the Ta'unui clan

Later, when Quaritch learns Jake and his family retreated to the oceans of Pandora, when the Bridgehead staff picked up on radar the presence of the mutineer Samson whom Jake contacted for help while en route to the archipelago, Quaritch asks for permission from Ardmore to go there and enlists the help of a whaling vessel that hunts tulkun for their brain enzymes the crew of the SeaDragon, led by Mick Scoresby to find it. Scoresby initially tries to object, saying that he can't waste time on unprofitable trips, but Quaritch successfully intimidates him. Quaritch arrives at the Ta'unui clan and interrogates the villagers for information on Jake using brute force, but fails to get any information because they all hide his location on the orders of Tonowari, the leader of the Metkayina clan. Quaritch threatens to kill the Tsahìk but he is influenced by Spider's pleas. He lets her live but orders the entire village to be burned.

Quaritch and Scoresby hunt

Quaritch and Scoresby as they try to kill Ro'a

Realizing that this may lead Sully to run away once more, Quaritch proceeds to have the whaling crew hunt down the tulkuns to lure Jake to him. Scoresby and fellow scientist Ian Garvin demonstrate the tulkun hunting process to Quaritch. After killing the female tulkun Ro'a and transporting her aboard the SeaDragon, they drill into her skull to obtain amrita. Scoresby explains that this substance stops human aging, and that it is now the main export product that allows them to pay for the activities of the RDA. With the death Ro'a, who was the spirit sister of Ronal, the Tsahìk of the Metkayina clan, they managed to attract the wrath of the clan.

Skirmish at the Three Brothers

Quaritch threatens Lo'ak

Threatening to kill Lo'ak, Quaritch orders Jake to come alone.

In another hunt, Quaritch sees Jake's children who rescue Payakan, the outcast tulkun they marked as their next target. He captures Lo'ak, Tuktirey and Tsireya the daughter of the Metkayina leaders, and takes them aboard the SeaDragon as hostages. When Jake and the Metkayina clan arrive at Three Brothers Rocks, Quaritch talks to Jake through Lo'ak's communicator collar, ordering him to turn himself in by threatening to kill his children, berating him for betraying and murdering his own kind. Jake agrees to give up and swims towards the ship alone.

However, the whalers are intercepted by Payakan which leads both sides to start a naval battle. In the ensuing confusion, Jake on his skimwing leaps out of the water, surprising Quaritch by flying off on his banshee. The two end up in the water, but Quaritch manages to escape by getting back to the ship. Lo'ak, Tuk and Tsireya escape with Neteyam's help, and upon seeing them Quaritch and the recombinants open fire, mortally wounding Neteyam and recapturing Tuk with Kiri. Knowing that the boy has died, Quaritch relays the message to Jake, who is still mourning his son, informing him that he has his daughters and telling him to report immediately before the ship sinks. Jake decides to confront Quaritch and finally finish him off.

Quaritch threatening

Quaritch holds Kiri at knifepoint.

Once Jake manages to reach Quaritch, he holds Kiri at knifepoint, demanding that Jake submit, Spider attempts to defuse the situation, but Quaritch orders him to stay back, Neytiri, enraged by Neteyam's death, also holds to Spider as a hostage threatening to kill him. At first Quaritch denies Spider as his son, only to desist when Neytiri cuts the latter's chest and about to kill him, he reflexively lets go of Kiri, betraying his weakness towards the boy. He lets Jake and his family go, however, he announces that the next time they meet, they will finish him off and he won't hesitate to kill the rest of his family.

Knifefight

Jake and Quaritch engaged in a knife fight.

Jake decides to finish it immediately and launches into a fight with the colonel. At the same time, the SeaDragon sinks and they all get separated. Quaritch and Jake fight underwater, mutually unarmed. They try to strangle each other, and Jake eventually succeeds in choking Quaritch unconscious, letting his body sink into the water. However, he is found by Spider. At first he hesitates to save him but ultimately decides not to leave him and drags him out of the ship onto land. Quaritch regains consciousness and begs his son to come with him, but Spider refuses and returns to the Sully family, leaving an injured and weakened Quaritch to fly away on his banshee.

Appearance

00.21

3D Version: red/cyancross-eyedQuaritch working out with weights

Quaritch had the appearance of a lifelong military man. He wore his hair short and was in outstanding physical condition despite his age, and regularly worked out to offset the low gravity on Pandora so he did not get soft.

He was covered with battle scars, most notably a trio of claw marks on the side of his head which he sustained during his first day on Pandora. As seen on his corpse in The Way of Water, these scars went down to the bone, with the three marks having raked across his skull. He views the scars as a badge of pride.

Quaritch's Recombinant body was similar to that of an avatar. The Recom has many physical similarities to the original Quaritch, including a tattoo of an eagle taking flight on his left arm. The Recom also has a few noticeable differences. He lacks the scars of the original Quaritch. Being younger and a different species, the Recom's hair is black and styled somewhat differently. Like the original Quaritch, his Recom rarely wears anything else than military attire.

Personality

Quaritch has been hardened by a tough military life. Despite that he has fought with honor, it is said that he has been "without ever really having a cause worth fighting for." This suggests that he was not alleged to any one nation or country on Earth, and that he realized humans fighting each other on Earth for resources was, ultimately, pointless and detrimental to humanity as a whole. On Pandora, he finally found a cause he finally believed in: the survival of the human race, which he feels far outweighs the livelihoods of the Na'vi. Quaritch, however, became influenced by the greed of his corporate employers such as Selfridge, manifesting in his strong desire to obtain unobtanium.

Quaritch and Stone Arches

Quaritch giving a presentation on why they must destroy the Tree of Souls.

It can easily be thought that one of the more terrifying aspects of Quaritch is not necessarily Quaritch himself, but rather, the fact that people actually listen to him and are persuaded by his charisma and propaganda. He is shown to be able to go so far as to rally his soldiers into killing innocent Na'vi and destroying their home and spiritual sites. Quaritch is also shown to be emotionally manipulative; he blames Jake for killing "good men and women", despite that these supposed good people are working for a corporation oppressing the Na'vi, as well as massacring the tulkun, sentient beings who can suffer. Additionally, Quaritch is shown to have invaded Jake's privacy, having spied on his video logs.

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Quaritch's supposedly "humane" evacuation of Hometree

Quaritch was apathetic and callous towards the Na'vi due to their resistance against the RDA. He would refer to the Na'vi as aboriginals, savages, "dumb bastards" and also compared them to roaches. He actually had some faith in them, saying he bet they would be willing to evacuate Hometree. He told Parker that the evacuation of Hometree would be humane "more or less" with minimal casualties and they would use tear gas first. He was surprised when the Na'vi began to fire back with arrows, causing him to authorize destroying their Hometree using incendiaries despite that he knew there could be hundreds of Na'vi inside. The Hometree was set on fire and toppled, killing numerous Na'vi in the process. After it was over, he displayed no remorse and saw his actions as merely a mission and remained mostly indifferent about the destruction. In fact, he actually made a callous comment about how the RDA should throw a dance party ("let's boogie!") and offered to buy everyone drinks.

He also seemed very concerned about the idea of race. When he fought Jake, he called him a race betrayer and when he was a Recom, he tried to claim he did not care about Spider being killed due to them being different species.

Jake and Quaritch - discussion

Quaritch claiming he will pay for Jake's spinal surgery in exchange for intel

Despite his menacing actions towards the Na'vi, Quaritch was not completely evil and had some redeemable qualities. Quaritch believed he was fighting for humanity's future and he took care of his own, and had good relations with his SecOps soldiers, who respected him as a commander and leader. As a Recom, Quaritch also cared for his Recom crew. However, he also acknowledged during an initial briefing that he would not be able to save all of those he was charged with protection, due to Pandora's harsh environment. He showed great admiration for the dedication Jake showed by willingly performing covert intelligence gathering from within the Na'vi people, and he promised to repay Jake by paying for his spinal operation, although it is uncertain if he would have followed through with it. Although he threatened Jake, there are various instances during their conflicts where Jake began fighting first. For example, when he threatened to kill the Sully family, Jake had the opportunity to escape but instead said "let's get it done" and attacked first.

Recom Quaritch staring

Quaritch staring uncomfortably after learning about amrita

Upon realizing the RDA is focused on amrita instead of unobtanium, and listening to Mick Scoresby gloat about amrita's monetary value, it can be seen that Quaritch seems to have an expression of disbelief and discomfort, right after Scoresby jokes about dropping the amrita vial. Quaritch is seen staring off as if he is reevaluating his life choices, suggesting he is starting to become disillusioned by the RDA. Quaritch once thought it was worth dying for unobtanium to safeguard humanity's future, and asks Scoresby, "So that's what this is all about?" after learning amrita is the next big thing.

Quaritch threat

Quaritch threatening to kill the Sully family

Upon becoming a Recom, Quaritch remained mostly the same in many ways. He did not seem to take much issue with his new body rather than be surprised and had adopted a few Na'vi mannerisms such as speaking their native language and bonding with an ikran. He believes that understanding one's enemy is key to victory and so he feels one step close to defeating them already. In rare instances, he also displayed a sense of mercy, as demonstrated when he spared the life of the Ta'unui Tsahìk and chose not to kill Kiri when Neytiri used Spider as a hostage against him.

Abilities

Quaritch was an outstanding soldier and a deadly opponent in combat. He claimed to have survived three tours of Nigeria without a scratch. Quaritch was an expert marksman, managing to fatally wound Grace Augustine during the avatar team's escape from Hell's Gate. He's also shown to have a high tolerance for pain, easily ignoring his shoulder when it was set on fire.

His prowess in close range combat was also considerable as it took the combined efforts of Jake and Neytiri to finally defeat him. Quaritch was an expert with his AMP suit, which made him even more lethal due to the protection the suit provided. He killed Neytiri's thanator during their encounter, stabbing it several times with his AMP suit knife.

After being resurrected as a recom. Quaritch has become an even more dangerous, and formidable fighter. His military training and combat experience. Combined with his new found Na'vi size, strength, and speed. Have made him incredibly deadly. As a recom he was easily able to face Jake Sully in hand to hand combat. And almost bested him on several occasions.

Relationships

Family

Miles "Spider" Socorro

Spider Quaritch

Recom Quaritch introduces himself to Spider.

Although the Recom Quaritch admits that Spider is technically not his real son, he still feels a degree of compassion and empathy towards the boy's welfare. Despite his ruthless nature, he consistently shows attachment towards Spider. For example, when the boy is tortured to reveal his family's location, Quaritch is shown to be visibly upset and quickly intervenes, convincing the scientists to allow him to get the information through different means. The two bond during their months together, especially as Spider tutors Quaritch into the Na'vi language. Spider is able to talk the Recom out of murdering a Na'vi. Quaritch ends up freeing Kiri as a hostage to prevent the boy from being harmed by Neytiri. Spider later begrudgingly rescues the Recom from drowning. The Recom calls Spider his son and offers him to come with him, but Spider runs off.

Friends and Allies

Paz Socorro

Paz kissing Quaritch

Quaritch and Paz Socorro kissing

Quaritch had a sexual relationship with Paz Socorro, one of his scorpion pilots around a year before the banishment of the RDA from Pandora which resulted with the birth of a son named Miles Socorro which Paz apparently named after the boy's father. Any details on their relationship, such as if it lasted until her death, are unknown.

Lyle Wainfleet

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Wainfleet following Quaritch

Quaritch appeared to get along well with Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, sending him to examine a squad that had been killed by the Na'vi as revenge for the destruction of the Trees of Voices, and referred to him by his first name while Wainfleet gave the report. Wainfleet was loyal to Quaritch and was in command of some of the ground forces during the assault on the Tree of Souls while Quaritch had overall command.

Wainfleet is also brought back as an Recombinant as one of SecOps' most loyal and trusted soldiers. Wainfleet remains loyal to Quaritch and the RDA by serving as Quaritch's lieutenant in the 1st Recom Squad during their hunt for the Sully family. He is also the only confirmed member in the squad to survive the final battle with the Metkayina, along with Quaritch.

Parker Selfridge

Quaritch and Parker

Quaritch's with Parker

Quaritch and his boss, RDA Administrator Parker Selfridge, appeared to have a good relationship and a mutual liking for each other, however Quaritch's more dominate presence greatly undermines Parker's authority over him and isn't afraid to disregard his orders, as shown by his deliberate escalation of forcing the Na'vi to leave Hometree, leading to massive casualties.

While Parker just wanted the Na'vi to leave the Hometree so they could mine, Quaritch planned the destruction of the Hometree, although Selfridge was not as ruthless as Quaritch and was concerned that killing the Na'vi would look bad on the RDA's report on Earth. Quaritch manipulated Parker that he would force the Na'vi to leave the Hometree in a humane way. However, he purposefully escalated the disaster, leading scores of Na'vi were killed in the assault, and Selfridge, unlike Quaritch, became more reluctant to proceed with any further attacks on the Na'vi.

Recom Quaritch was watching a video in which Parker and human Quaritch were teasing each other while Parker was explaining Recombinants. Quaritch seemed annoyed.

Frances Ardmore

QuaritchArdmore

Ardmore allowing Quaritch to try a softer approach.

Although Ardmore and Quaritch are new acquaintances, she is shown to respect him for fighting for humanity's side during the first Pandoran War, and was excited to meet his Recom when they met at Bridgehead. She has entrusted him with killing Jake Sully for her, though does not want Quaritch to be emotionally attached to figures such as Spider, as seen when she agrees to stop his torture at Quaritch's request.

Enemies and Rivals

Jake Sully

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3D Version: red/cyancross-eyedQuaritch and Jake upon their first meeting

When Jake first arrived on Pandora, Quaritch was very interested in him, as Jake was both in the Avatar Program and a former Marine, much like Colonel Quaritch. Quaritch soon made an offer to Jake, that if he gained intelligence on the Na'vi, Quaritch would speak to the RDA executives about paying for Jake to have an operation to fix his spinal injury and regain the ability to walk. Jake at first agreed, and willingly gave Quaritch intelligence about Hometree and the Tree of Souls. Quaritch was impressed by Jake, and the two shared a mutual respect, only until Sully began to show a noticeable affection for the Na'vi. This led Quaritch to start questions Jake about his loyalty after he did not report in to him for two weeks.

Quaritch Jake THG

Quaritch about to fatally cut Jake.

Their relationship changed after Jake assaulted an RDA bulldozer and defected over to the Na'vi. During the assault on the Tree of Souls, they faced one another in combat and prior to his demise, Quaritch refused to stand down against Jake.

After becoming a Recom, Quaritch became more ruthless and determined than ever before, calling Jake Sully out for his supposed betrayal. He sought to get to Jake through any means necessary. Quaritch would go so far as to threaten the lives of Jake's family, other Na'vi, and native wildlife all so he could get to him.

Neytiri

As with all the Na'vi, Quaritch viewed Neytiri with contempt and despise, calling Neytiri Jake's "batshit crazy wife". Since she was the one who killed his human body during the Assault on the Tree of Souls, Quaritch holds a stronger animosity towards Neytiri, exclaiming that they have 'unfinished business' with each other after referring to Neytiri as "Mrs. Sully". Neytiri threatened Quaritch, exclaiming that she would kill him as many times as she had to, even calling him "demon". During the Skirmish at the Three Brothers, Quaritch reminded her that he owes her a death, hinting that he would try to seek revenge for what happened sixteen years ago.

Grace Augustine

Colonel Quaritch and Dr. Augustine were visibly opposite forces from the beginning, as their conception of Pandora was completely different. While Grace considered Pandora to be a miracle from her own scientific point, the Colonel considered the place just to be a wild planet full of deadly creatures that had to be exterminated. Also, they had little respect for each other, as both disagreed with the way that the Na'vi should be handled. Quaritch wanted to use military force to get the Na'vi to cooperate, Grace on the other hand was against any form of brutal force or aggression towards the locals. Grace was later shot by the Colonel while escaping from Hell's Gate with Jake, Norm and Trudy. She died of her injuries before she could be saved by the Omatikaya.

In the Games

Avatar: The Game (PC, Xbox 360 & PS3)

Quaritch2

Quaritch appears in Avatar: The Game, only appearing if the player sides with the RDA. After Commander Karl Falco went over the edge, Miles Quaritch took over the operation from the Central Command in the Plains of Goliath. He ordered Able Ryder to take out the Na'vi commanders and stop the battle in the Plains of Goliath so that they could retrieve Falco.

Quaritch game

Quaritch at the Plains of Goliath

Later, Ryder receives a radio transmission from Quaritch who says that Na'vi all across Pandora have lost control of their war animals, and are retreating en-masse from every defensive position. Quaritch then congratulates Ryder for greatly helping RDA forces to win the day, and tells them that, "Your Dragon better be spotless when you get back".

The Mobile Game

In the mobile game, the character does not physically appear, but is mentioned as the commander of the ground forces and John Cage's superior. In this version of the game, his last name is misspelled as "Quarritch".

Avatar: Pandora Rising

APR

Miles Quaritch in Avatar: Pandora Rising

Commander Information

Quaritch appeared in the game as a Soldier class Commander. He was a Legendary-type Commander and therefore harder to obtain.

Biography

"Marine Colonel Miles Quaritch has taken charge of RDA security on Pandora and has been in charge of security for fifteen years. On his first day on this moon, he was attacked by a Viperwolf, and this caused him to develop an ongoing hatred of Pandora's population, including the Na'vi. Quaritch is a born soldier who knows duty and honor, and while he never had a good reason to fight, he found one on Pandora: the survival of the human race, which in his opinion far outweighs the needs of the trees, animals or noble savages."

Trivia

Quaritch Comic

Quaritch as he appears in the comics.

Quaritch threatens Parker

Quaritch threatening Parker.

  • Quaritch is a minor supporting character in the Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path comic, first appearing during the destruction of Hometree. He also appears briefly in Jake's dream sequence during Avatar: The Next Shadow, as well as an opening flashback of the final battle in Avatar: The High Ground.
  • In a deleted scene, Quaritch threatens Parker Selfridge when Selfridge tries to wrestle authority away from Quaritch. Quaritch puts his hands on Selfridge's neck and warns him that he's a long way from Earth.
  • James Cameron envisioned Quaritch as being an extremely muscular character. According to Lang, "Jim wanted Quaritch to be massive. He said, 'Get as big as you can. Then get bigger." The reason Quaritch is not bigger in the final film is because Lang did not want to take steroids of any sort to get there (this should not be misconstrued as Cameron wanting Lang to take steroids, however.)[6]
  • Lang says that he does not really want to know people who like Quaritch or agree with him.[7]
  • The name Miles means "soldier" in Latin.
  • In the original script, Quaritch held the same position and had the same name, but there were some additional scenes with his participation, in particular, during the battle at the Well of Souls, he shot down one of the leonopteryxes with a missile. Additionally, during the battle on the ground, Jake finished off Quaritch in a different way: he himself untied the AMP's cockpit and pulled Quaritch out, after which he let him escape, until he was devoured by a pack of viperwolves.
  • In a non-final version of the script, Quaritch is more profane, asking Jake if he's found some "local pussy" instead of "local tail" and he tells Grace to shut her "fucking hole" (mouth) which was changed to "shut your pie hole".
American flag

Blinds resembling USA's flag

  • During his speech in Avatar, it can be seen that the window behind him strongly resembles the flag of the USA which is potential symbolism through environmental storytelling.
  • According to Stephen Lang, Selfridge is the one who asked Quaritch to participate in the Project Phoenix, saying it is company policy.[8]
  • The scene in Avatar: The Way of Water in which Recom Quaritch discovers his human corpse and eventually crushes its skull was suggested by Stephen Lang. James Cameron liked the idea and added the scene to the script.[9]
  • Quaritch's awakening in his Recom body shares some parallels to Jake Sully's awakening as an avatar.
    • Both had a very excited awakening in their new bodies, though Quaritch's was more violent compared to Jake. In both of these scenarios, doctors attempted to sedate them but did not succeed.
    • Both were astonished from examining their new forms and quickly adapted to them as well.
  • Michael Biehn, who is a frequent collaborator of James Cameron, was considered for the role of Quaritch and even watched some 3D test footage with Cameron. After Sigourney Weaver was cast as Grace Augustine, Cameron rejected him for the role, for fear of audiences drawing Aliens comparisons.[10]
  • In October 2013, James Cameron confirmed that Quaritch would return in the sequels.[11]
  • Multiple interviews with Stephen Lang suggest that Quaritch will be a part of all five films.[9][12]

Memorable Quotes

Avatar

  • You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies, and gentlemen. Respect that fact. - Quaritch welcoming his team.
  • It is my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed. Not with all of you. - Quaritch getting the attention of the 'fresh meat'.
  • You crossed the line. - Quaritch to Jake after witnessing him disable an RDA bulldozer.
  • So, you find yourself some local tail, and you just completely forget what team you're playin' for? - Quaritch to Jake after he attacks a dozer.
  • I'm getting all emotional. I might just give you a big wet kiss. - to Jake after he accidentally provides intel.
  • This is Papa Dragon. I want this mission high and tight. I wanna be home for dinner. - Quaritch speaking prior to the assault on the Tree of Souls.
  • We will fight terror with terror.
  • When we destroy it, we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep that they won't come within a thousand klicks of this place ever again. - regarding destroying the Tree of Souls to inflict generational fear into the Na'vi
  • Scorpions, pursue and destroy! - Quaritch ordering Scorpion Gunships to engage Na'vi forces on the ground and in the air.
  • Light her up! - Quaritch orders his pilot to engage Trudy Chacón, who had just defected to the Na'vi.
  • Nothing's over while I'm breathing! - Quaritch speaking to Jake before their battle.
  • Hey Sully, how's it feel to betray your own race? You think you're one of them? Time to wake up. - Quaritch going after Jake's human body.

Avatar: The Way of Water

  • Well, ain't this a bitch. - seeing himself as a Recom
  • In case you haven't figured it out yet, you're Colonel Miles Quaritch, only younger, taller, bluer, and not nearly as good-looking. - the human Quaritch to his Recom
  • Remember, kid, a Marine can't be defeated. Oh, you can kill us, but we'll just regroup in hell. - the human Quaritch to his Recom
  • Now, I know you're all asking yourselves the same question. Why so blue? - to the Recoms
  • For our sins in our past life, we have been brought back in the form of our enemy. - to the Recoms
  • Is that you, Mrs. Sully? I recognize your callin' card. Why don't you come on out, Mrs. Sully? You and I, we got some unfinished business. Guess you and the Corporal have been pretty busy, haven't ya? Got yourself a whole litter of half-breeds. - recognizing Neytiri's arrow
  • I'll be nice, once. Then I won't. - to Mick Scoresby
  • I took you under my wing, Jake. You betrayed me. You killed your own. Good men, good women. I will not hesitate to execute your kid. - threatening to shoot Lo'ak in the back of the head
  • You think I care about some kid? He's not mine. We're not even the same species. - to Neytiri regarding Spider
  • I owe you a death. - Quaritch swearing revenge against Neytiri for killing his original body

Appearances

(2 films)

(2 games)

(3 comics)

References

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