TV & Movies

Avatar 2: Who is Spider? Human character explained

Cameron Frew
avatar 2 spider20th Century Studios

Avatar 2 introduced a new character named Spider, a human boy who feels closer to the Na’vi than his own kind. He also has a strong connection to a key figure – but who is he in The Way of Water, and why is he important? 

Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time, finally arrived in December 2022 after a 13-year wait. 

The movie follows Jake and Neytiri around a decade after the events of the first film, caring for their children when the RDA and Quaritch return to Pandora, forcing them to seek the help of the oceanic Metkayina clan. 

Of their kids, one sticks out: Spider, a young human who spends more time with the Na’vi than his own kind – so, who is he? Spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water to follow…

Who is Spider in Avatar 2? 

Spider is played by Jack Champion. Not only is he a child of the humans who stayed on Pandora after the initial eviction of the RDA at the end of Avatar, but he’s Quaritch’s son. 

Spider grew up around the Na’vi, spending time with Norm and Max in the labs and bonding with Jake and Neytiri’s kids. 

While Jake believes Neytiri will always see him as “an alien”, their kids (Neteyam, Lo’ak, Tuk, and Kiri, the latter of whom they adopted) see him as a cousin, if not a brother. 

Speaking to D23, Champion said: “Spider is a high-energy, tough, fun kid. He thinks of himself as one of the Na’vi, even though he knows he has limitations that they don’t. 

“I think I got to infuse some of my own light-heartedness and empathy into Spider. We both share a love of outdoors and tree climbing. I even sent Margie some pictures of me in our neighborhood trees during the audition process.

“The Sullys have mostly accepted Spider into their family, except for Neytiri. She has a more complex relationship with him as she sees him as one of the people that killed her family and destroyed their home. The rest of the Na’vi people also don’t entirely accept him. The younger generation is more accepting than the older generation is.”

When they’re teasing Kiri over who her true father may be, Spider tells them that “sometimes it’s not so great to remember who your father is,” before the scene cuts to Quaritch’s recombinant. 

The pair share a subtle bond throughout Avatar 2; even though Quaritch abducted him, he’s still his dad, and Spider is hesitant to rebel too harshly against him or let him die. You can find out more about what happens between them in our breakdown of the ending. 

One thing is evident: Spider will clearly play a large role going forward in the Avatar franchise – it’s just a matter of if we’ll ever learn who his mother was or is. “This is a generational story, and if you stick with it, it will lead to fantastic adventures, love, and discovery,” Champion added. 

Avatar: The Way of Water is available to stream via VOD now. Check out our other coverage below:

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