Is Quaritch Still the Main Villain in Avatar 3?
In Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third movie in the series released on December 19, 2025, Colonel Miles Quaritch shares the spotlight as a villain but does not stand alone as the top bad guy. A new threat, Varang and her Ash People tribe, steps up as a major force against Jake Sully and his family. For more on the film’s ending, check out this breakdown from GamesRadar at https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-movies/avatar-fire-and-ash-ending-explained-who-dies/.
Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, has been the big enemy since the first Avatar film back in 2009. He came back in an avatar body after dying in the original movie. In Fire and Ash, he leads human forces against the Na’vi while dealing with his own changes, like his bond with his son Spider. The story shows him teaming up with Varang, the leader of the violent Ash People. In one key scene, Quaritch offers her guns, comms, and RPGs to help her spread destruction across Pandora. You can watch that clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iSMQsZ9FcI.
Varang brings a fresh kind of evil. She is a ruthless Na’vi who leads her fire-worshipping clan. Unlike Quaritch, who fights for humans and the RDA, Varang wants power over other Na’vi tribes. Her group attacks after a big war, pushing the Sullys to their limits. Stephen Lang talked about this shift in an interview, noting how sharing the villain role with Varang adds depth to the story. See his thoughts in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-P22aw3vhk.
The movie’s wild ending leaves Quaritch’s role open. He fights Jake Sully in an anti-gravity well and almost gets a shot at redemption when they save Spider together. But when Neytiri and the family show up, Quaritch panics and falls into the fires below. No one sees his body, so fans wonder if he survives, just like he did before. Lang himself wants to keep playing the character if there is more to come. Details on that are in this Digital Spy piece: https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a69825557/avatar-3-quaritch-dead-alive/.
Quaritch still causes plenty of trouble and drives key fights, but Varang takes center stage as the new big bad with her own goals. This mix makes the threats feel bigger for Pandora.
Sources
https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-movies/avatar-fire-and-ash-ending-explained-who-dies/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iSMQsZ9FcI
https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a69825557/avatar-3-quaritch-dead-alive/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-P22aw3vhk
