Spider is Avatar: Way of Water’s most controversial character

You can watch more than three hours worth of movies The Way of Water: AvatarThe world of Pandora is alive and well. That makes sense for a movie with three planned sequels hopefully (but not certainly) on the way; there’s a lot of sci-fi world to build out, and a whole new generation of Na’vi kids to get us to that future!

The most controversial of these new characters is Spider (Jack Champion), a human boy who was too young to cryo-sleep his way back to Earth, and thus grew up among Na’vi on Pandora. Many things are possible through him. Avatar 2’s themes of identity, respect for nature, and belonging get filtered. And so there’s a lot riding on his character and… Maybe, maybe he’s not good?

Look, we’re not sure; there’s a lot of debate here at Polygon HQ. As such, we’ve done a full investigation, and we’re here to present our evidence: Spider, yea or nay?

Opening remarks

Zosha: Look, I get it; no one is here to simply dunk on a child who’s really going through it, watching his closest friends lose everything as they work to defend their planet against alien invaders. Also, Spider is a twit! He is an utter suckster! He is supposed to be the main human we connect with, who sees Pandora the way the Na’vi (and we) see it. As a viewpoint character, he can be distractingly irritating. I get that he’s just out there doing his best like the rest of us, but Water’s Way doesn’t make the best case for following him for three more sequels.

Patches: Spider is a lonely boy who found new life under the wing of man-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully. Spider really struggles to keep his head up. He is a hunter, swings through the trees and hisses when it’s appropriate. And he hates Sky People. The entire world crumbles down when all the Earthlings are back on Pandora. Spider, who are you? Water’s WayThat question can only be answered by beginning to address it.

Presentation of evidence

Zosha and the Case against Spider It is annoying. For stories like these, he is probably the most annoying archetype. The last one in the Avatar 2 kid rankings just because he is grating and doesn’t get a ton to do beyond being an assist.

Spider defends Patches Spider needs to be given time. If my father was to die while nuking an entire alien race, would I become the irritating kid who interrupts every conversation and becomes too attached with my neighbours? Would that make me bitter and leave me with only bitter human leftovers as a child? Probably! He is definitely the cast-in-season-7-younger-brother-to-boost-ratings little brother of the Sully family, but I’m pulling for Jack Champion to be more Leonardo DiCaprio on Growing PainsCousin Oliver is on Brady Bunch. In my opinion, Spider calling human Marines “buttholes” should actually win him points.

blonde moppet-headed cousin oliver from brady bunch giggling like a fiend

Young Leonardo Dicaprio wearing red and blue plaid giving himself bunny ears in Growing Pains

Zosha and the Case against Spider I’ve been around long enough to say that one of our first introductions to him being a crush on Kiri worries me. This is boring at best for them both, but annoying at worst.

Spider defends Patches Spider and Kiri have a very flirtatious relationship. I cannot imagine how those days were for Champion (who was around 15 years old at the time) and Sigourney Weber (who, despite being a young actor, was gaining weight towards 70). God bless James Cameron’s vision of young extraterrestrial romance. The Spider-Kiri romance could have a bit of a sitcom logic, however. Avatar 3It could be that the Eywa or even beyond will transform their relationship. They have a lot of growing to do over the intended course of this series and I’m rooting for my bro Spider to learn his hormones aren’t everything, as so many of us young men learned when we were jumping around the Hallelujah Mountains in our teen years.

Zosha and the Case against Spider His Na’vi? It wasn’t great. James Cameron could get these kids to hold their breath for several minutes at a time, but he couldn’t get a few more Na’vi Duolingo sessions in?

Spider defends Patches No, Spider isn’t rattling off “rutxe” or “irayo” or “oel ngati kameie” with the grace of a Omatikaya princess, but let’s give the guy credit for meeting the Na’vi on their level instead of yipping about yelling, “UH, ENGLISH, POR FAVOR?” like an ignorant American slob. He has a deep respect for the Na’vi and wants to learn their ways. And Cameron wisely throws in a scene where he drags Clone Quartich’s ass for barking broken Na’vi, proving he’s at least not the WorstForeign speaker about the moon.

Zosha and the Case against Spider This is extratextual, and not Spider’s fault, but as the sole human operating around a bunch of CGI’d Na’vi he tends to stand out a little extra, in the wrong ways, in Avatar’s HFR. Nothing personal, but it doesn’t reflect WellYou can find him.

Spider defends Patches Jack Champion is a bit like Justin Bieber, but in a loincloth. Water’s Way: Being the only character that does not get a sweet CG boost. He’s basically in Roger Rabbit, Who Was He Framed?However, he will be able to swim more. Spider is a great swimmer. Avatar 3. HFR will look better on his ho-hum human flesh once he’s leading the human resistance for Jake Sully or, potentially, having his Anakin Skywalker moment and turning to the dark side. So if what you were saying is “give Spider more screen time,” yeah, couldn’t agree more.

Zosha and the Case against Spider Yes, I do. TechnicallySpider is a prisoner in war. However, Spider must be sympathetic to others. Avatar 2It is necessary that he be available for many war crimes. At first he’s upset, sure; then he’s just… kind of overwhelmed? He is terrible at stopping the houses being torched.

Spider defends Patches Keep in mind that Spider wears a bomb helmet. If he attempts anything, his mask can fall off and he dies. The child is powerless but he convinces the human avatar contingent to stop murdering anyone. Spider’s stuck in a David and Goliath scenario, but Goliath is an avatar of his dead father. He deserves points for utilizing Dad Feels.

Zosha and the Case against Spider Then, and after All that and moreHe continues to willingly, and eagerly follow the Sky People’s instructions as they massacrate space whales. Doesn’t sit right with me! Those scenes just don’t have enough emotion from Spider to really communicate the depths of his identity struggles, so he just seems weirdly interested — even complicit! — in harming these sick-ass majestic animals.

Spider defends PatchesSpider has so many challenges to conquer Water’s Way. His entire world has been turned upside down, and after being kidnapped, turns out his Clone Dad isn’t all that bad. These complex emotions are more human than the original. Avatar really did not have time for, and we’ve only seen Act I. I try to put myself in his shoes (uh, if he wore shoes): If I were 15 and dragged along on a whale hunting expedition I would probably be morally offended but not have the courage to derail the entire operation. This is easier said than done. It seems that he is a complete human failure by gawking like an idiot. But he does end up seizing control of the boat and ramming it into a jagged rock — good on our boy Spider!

Zosha and the Case against Spider Look, for whatever in-universe explanation we can have for Spider’s hair, the fact of the matter is that he looks like a white boy with dreads who they wanted to have a Tarzan look for. Instead it’s just kind of a bad wig that looks like a mop. Obnoxious.

Spider defends Patches [Googles “white people dreadlocks why”]It seems like this is what happens when surf bros spend too much time together.

Zosha and the Case against Spider All that being said, it’s kind of weird how the movie never finds the time to acknowledge how fucked up Neytiri threatening to kill him is, and how Jake making him “part of the family” doesn’t… fix? Is that right? This undermines his stories about the relationship he has to his environment and history as well as his identity.

Spider defends Patches Neytiri doesn’t just threaten Spider, she frickin’ slices his chest! Hardcore. And no, it’s not dealt with at all, but the seeds for more interesting drama are there. Cameron peppers the first hour with Neytiri’s hostility, and then has Spider save Clone Quaritch in a pivotal finale scene. There’s more to this story, and instead of finding that lack of closure to be flattening of Spider, I see it as the No. The number 1 rule of showbusiness: Never stop giving them more. We want Spider.