The following contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water, now playing in theaters.

Every successful science fiction blockbuster needs an evil antagonist, and the Avatar franchise is no different. The first film, Avatar, introduces Colonel Miles Quaritch, the human tasked with security on the alien world Pandora. Right from the start, it is clear that his intentions go way beyond just "security." As he begins a relationship with Jake Sully, it is revealed that Miles Quaritch has a deep hatred for the local aliens known as the Na'vi. He often refers to them as "savages," and throughout the film, makes it his mission to destroy the alien civilization. However, this mission did not come to fruition. Quaritch was killed by multiple Na'vi arrows lodged in his chest.

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Quaritch comes back from the grave and is more dangerous than ever. While the original Miles Quaritch's skeleton rests decomposing in the forest, his thoughts and personality are implanted into a Na'vi clone. While this is technically a new character and not the original Quaritch, he has all the makings of an unstoppable, evil force of nature. No longer constrained to his human form, Quaritch now has all the advantages that come with being a Na'vi. This new version of the character is more dangerous than the original because of his physical strength, connections to the creatures of Pandora, and, most importantly, his newfound vendetta against Jake Sully.

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Quaritch's New Na'vi Strength Makes Him a Force To Be Reckoned With

Quaritch and his friend holding guns in Avatar 2

The Na'vi, while being far inferior to their human enemies when it comes to technology, hold a key advantage over them -- their incredible size and physical strength. While the average human reaches a height of anywhere from five to six feet, the Na'vi are nine to ten feet, nearly double. Their bones have naturally-occurring carbon fiber, a lightweight alloy that is far stronger than humans' calcium comprised bones. The Na'vi have a slim build that, when paired with their lightweight yet incredibly strong bones, makes them perfect for hand-to-hand combat. Colonel Quaritch was already a fearsome warrior by human standards, but now he has incredible newfound strengths. Combining all of his intense military experience with what is basically a super soldier body, this new Quaritch is Avatar's evil Captain America.

Quaritch's Banshee Makes Him a Terror of the Skies

Avatar 2 has Quaritch bonding with the Ikran

This new Quaritch possesses something else that gives him an upgrade over the last incarnation -- Tsaheylu, the otherworldly bond that Na'vi can make with the animals that they share the planet with. The animals of Pandora are not only massive but extremely nimble and dangerous. In fact, the animals were what turned the tide of the battle against the humans in Avatar, as Eywa answered Neytiri's call, summoning a vast army of formidable alien creatures. The mountain banshees made short work of the human aircraft, and on the ground, the hammerhead titanotheres crushed the human-made mech suits. In Avatar 2, Quaritch forms a bond with a banshee, giving him superior mobility in the air. The banshees can fly everywhere on Pandora, unlike the human aircraft, whose instruments do not work in certain locations, such as The Hallelujah Mountains. This gives Quaritch an incredible tactical advantage that he did not possess before.

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Quaritch's Revenge Drives Him to Dangerous New Lengths

Quaritch hunts Jake's family in Avatar

Possibly the most important factor that makes this Quaritch more dangerous is his newfound hatred for Jake Sully. This leads his tactics to become more aggressive and ruthless in Avatar 2. In the first film, while Quaritch is very hostile, he still tries to pursue peace as an option. He attempts to persuade the Na'vi to leave their home, offering to move them to another tree. In the second film, Quaritch does no such thing. He becomes more willing to use force and violence to achieve his goals. He holds a Na'vi village hostage, burns their shelters with flamethrowers, and even kills their animal companions. His thirst for vengeance against Jake Sully has no bounds, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to find the exiled Na'vi leader, including using his enemies' children as hostages. He even commandeers a human-manned water vessel that is primarily used for hunting the whale-like Tulkun. In the first film, Quaritch showed respect to his fellow Homo Sapiens. In Avatar 2, he forces humans at gunpoint to help him capture Jake Sully.

This hatred for Jake Sully also strains Quaritch's personal relationships. In the first Avatar, Miles Quaritch focuses on serving the RDA mining cooperation and his higher-ups. However, in Avatar 2, Quaritch's relationships with other characters become more complicated and strained. He no longer solely takes RDA's advice when CEO Parker Selfridge orders him to retreat from Pandora and stop the invasion. Quaritch does not heed this advice and continues his campaign against the Na'vi. Quaritch also finds out about his supposed son and attempts to form a relationship with him. When his son, Spider, does not take too kindly to this, it only further deteriorates Quaritch's mental state. When he sees that his arch nemesis, Jake, has a loving family, this makes him jealous and only further fuels his hatred for the Sully Clan.

With the actor Stephen Lang having confirmed Quaritch's return for the rest of the Avatar sequels, it is clear through the events of the second film that he will only become more and more dangerous. In his new Na'vi form, Quaritch finds superior physical strength, becoming twice as strong as his previous self. He gains access to the banshees, some of the most formidable animals on Pandora, and uses them to cover vast distances in short periods of time as he searches for the elusive Jake Sully. His mental state deteriorates more and more as Jake continues to evade him, which results in Quaritch capturing his children, resulting in the death of Jake's oldest son, Neteyam. At the end of Avatar: The Way of Water, Quaritch ultimately survives his battle with the Na'vi, something he did not do in the previous film. With the highly anticipated Avatar sequels right around the corner, one thing is certain -- Miles Quaritch is now more powerful than ever.

To see the new and improved Quaritch, Avatar: The Way of Water is now in theaters.