Avatar: The Way of Water is groundbreaking in many aspects, especially its revolutionary visuals, which took viewers to a new level of immersion beyond anything they had ever experienced. While the story wasn’t as solid as fans hoped, it’s not surprising given that James Cameron’s main focus has never been storytelling, but rather the representation of a distinctive world with exciting characters. Following his remarkable creation of Pandora’s world, the director introduced a fascinating antagonist in both the first and second parts: Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang).

Though it was a bit redundant, seeing as how he was also featured in the first part, Quaritch from Avatar: The Way of Water was unique in his desire to exact revenge on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) for betraying him. However, fans expected he would bring more to the table than just the usual revenge plot and family strife. Fortunately, this was only the second installment in the series, and it laid the groundwork for future films, including antagonists that may help shape an excellent storyline for viewers. These are the villains we can look forward to seeing in Avatar 3.

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The Fire Na’vi Tribe

     20th Century Studios

Apart from Omatikaya and the recently introduced Metkayina clan, there are about a dozen known clans in Avatar. Depending on where they grew up, each clan has different cultures, lifestyles, and biological quirks. In the previous two films, the Na’vi have been portrayed in a positive light; therefore, it is possible that Cameron now sees fit to introduce the Fire Na’vi Tribe, also known as the Ash People, as Pandora’s true evil.

It is pretty apparent that Na’vi people are far superior to humans, and if we were to consider the Ash clan a potential threat to other clans, they should resemble Orcs from fantasy movies. Given how the other clans introduced so far have adapted their appearances to the regions in which they have settled, the Ash clan would likely make its home in places like volcanoes and deserts. Furthermore, while all the other tribes live in harmony with Eywa, the Ash People may be tyrants seeking to dominate Pandora. Cameron revealed to the French news outlet Culture Crave how a new tribe would be introduced in Avatar 3.

Miles Quaritch (Spider)

Spider (Jack Champion) is already the most controversial character in Avatar: The Way of Water, and the reason for this hatred stems from one of the film’s most contentious scenes, in which Spider saves his father, Colone Quaritch, from the death door. Spider was too young to return to Earth after the first film’s events, so he stayed on Pandora. Despite growing up among other Omatikayans, not everyone in the clan accepts him, including Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña).

I want to reveal the Na’vi from another angle because [so far] I have only shown their good sides. In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3, we’ll do the reverse.

Before the climax, when Quaritch kills Netiyan and threatens to murder another of Neytiri’s sons, she holds a knife to Spider’s neck, threatening to kill him, claiming “a son for a son.” While she didn’t kill him because Quaritch surrendered first, in Spider’s mind, Neytiri is now more of a frightening woman than a mother. Also, because he didn’t tell Jake Sully how he saved Quaritch, it could be a big problem if Neytiri finds out. Given that there could be a significant time jump in Avatar 3, as there was between Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, it could also examine the circumstances that turned Spider, one of the most benevolent characters, into a villain.

General Ardmore

While Colonel Quaritch had been cruel to the Omatikayan people, destroying their home, General Ardmore (Edie Falco) in Avatar: The Way of Water wasn’t any better. Ever since she assumed command of RDA forces on Pandora, she has issued a shoot-to-kill order against Jake Sully for his raids and has ordered the expansion of RDA bases. She’s a soldier who says she’s acting selflessly for the greater good of humanity, and when it’s necessary to resort to aggressive means, she doesn’t bat an eye.

Furthermore, she is a manipulative and cold-blooded woman, making her a potential candidate for the antagonistic character in future Avatar films, as seen by her earlier appearance in Avatar: The High Ground, a graphic novel series released in November 2022. Despite having relatively little screen time in Avatar: The Way of Water, her character could return in Avatar 3 as a commander of the RDA and pursue her ambitions to seize Pandora.

Although the Avatar franchise has produced two feature-length films, we are only scratching the surface of the story, as James Cameron has planned a total of five films that could span several years. Avatar 3 will be released on December 20, 2024, and it is only a matter of time before we can return to the magical land of Pandora.