Yes — in Avatar: Fire and Ash Colonel Miles Quaritch is portrayed as becoming more Naʼvi than human, but that change is complex: it is physical, psychological, and contested by other characters and by the film’s framing[1][2][3][5].
Essential context and evidence
– Physical transformation: Quaritch returns in a Naʼvi body (a recombinant clone or “recom” of a Naʼvi form), which is the clearest, literal element of him becoming Naʼvi rather than human[1][2][3].
– Behavioral and emotional change: Several reviewers and interviews note Quaritch shows different behaviors after being in a Naʼvi body — he displays increased comfort in Naʼvi culture, different drives, and new emotional dynamics with characters like Jake and Spider[1][3][5].
– Dialogue and character moments reinforce the idea that the Naʼvi body and Pandora’s environment alter perspective. Jake explicitly tells Quaritch that the old human memories are dead and that Quaritch can choose a different path with “new eyes,” which frames the transformation as offering genuine possibility for change[2].
– Internal conflict and continuity with the past: Critics and promotional interviews also highlight that Quaritch retains aspects of his human past — memories, guilt, or violent impulses — so his Naʼvi form does not erase who he once was[2][3][5]. This creates tension between biological change and psychological legacy.
– Filmmaker and actor commentary: Stephen Lang and promotional pieces treat Quaritch’s recom state as altering how he sees the world and interacts with Naʼvi culture, suggesting the movie intends viewers to accept a meaningful shift in identity even while showing resistance and moral complexity[3][4].
How “more Naʼvi than human” can be read
– Literal/biological: He is literally in a Naʼvi body, so in the simplest sense he is more Naʼvi than human by form[1][2].
– Cultural/behavioral: He adopts some Naʼvi behaviors and can engage with Naʼvi social life, which reviewers and Jake’s conversations imply[2][5].
– Identity/psychological: The film asks whether identity is defined by body, memory, choice, or past actions. Quaritch’s retained memories of being a human soldier complicate claims that he is now fully Naʼvi[2][3][5].
– Moral/ethical: Some scenes and critics show Quaritch still driven by dominance and aggression in ways tied to his human history, so calling him “more Naʼvi” in moral terms is disputed in the story[2][5].
Notable scenes and reactions cited by critics
– Jake’s reassurance that Quaritch is free from “dead man’s memories” is used directly in reviews to argue the movie presents the Naʼvi form as an opportunity for real change[2].
– Reviewers note intimate cultural scenes (Quaritch’s interactions with Varang, and his acceptance among certain Naʼvi figures) as evidence of his assimilation into Naʼvi life, while other scenes highlight continuing threats and violent aims that reflect his human past[2][5].
– Interviews with Stephen Lang discuss how the experience of being a Naʼvi recom changes Quaritch’s perspective, supporting the film’s portrayal of transformation as genuine but complicated[3][4].
Limitations and interpretive points
– The degree to which Quaritch is “more Naʼvi than human” is a narrative and thematic question the film intentionally leaves ambiguous; sources (reviews and interviews) interpret that ambiguity differently[2][3][5].
– Because much commentary comes from reviews and actor interviews rather than in-universe documentary evidence, assessments combine on-screen text with creators’ and critics’ readings[1][3][5].
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcyOpItyfQc
https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/avatar-fire-and-ash-2025/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmnuszW6cQE
https://www.aol.com/articles/avatar-star-stephen-lang-quaritch-180000526.html
https://screenrant.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-jake-sully-quartich-relationship-changed-explained/
