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Alright ladies, let's bring the pain.
Lyle gives the word for his AMP suit squad to deploy.

Corporal Lyle Wainfleet was a human mercenary who worked for the RDA, and a Sec-Ops corporal. As a member of Sec-Ops, Wainfleet's duties included guarding the Hell's Gate compound and command of the AMP suit squad. He also served as one of Trudy Chacón's door gunners on her Samson.

16 years after the death of his human body during the Assault on the Tree of Souls, Lyle was revived as a Recombinant (Recom) under Project Phoenix and chosen as the team leader of the 1st Recom Squad, with the Recom of Colonel Miles Quaritch serving as his commanding officer.[1]

Biography[]

Lyle was employed by the RDA as a Sec-Ops soldier. He eventually became second in command of the Hell's Gate security forces, serving directly under Colonel Miles Quaritch.

Avatar[]

Lyle was present during various critical events during the hostile takeover of Pandora by the RDA. He was the additional non-avatar security on Dr. Grace Augustine's sample-collecting mission. Originally assuming to be heading out with the science team, Grace dismissed him, citing that "one idiot with a gun is enough", referring to Jake Sully, so he remained behind.

When the Na'vi destroyed several bulldozers and killed the human soldiers on patrol in retaliation for the destruction of the Trees of Voices, one of the Omatikaya clan's most sacred places, Wainfleet reported the scene of the attack to Quaritch and Parker Selfridge, leading to the Destruction of The Hometree. Lyle commanded a door gun on a Samson piloted by Trudy Chacón and was eager to participate in the assault before Trudy refused to fire upon Hometree and returned them both to base.

AMPsuit

Wainfleet fighting in an AMP suit

When Quaritch mustered all available Sec-Ops units to attack the Na'vi at the Tree of Souls, Wainfleet took point with his AMP suit troopers. Forming up into a skirmish line, both his mechanized and foot-mobile forces held the line against the Na'vi for much of the battle. During the assault, he was able to shoot down Seze, Neytiri's ikran. However, after Pandora's local wildlife entered the fray, he was killed when a hammerhead titanothere rammed into his AMP suit and then crushed him under one of its feet.

Avatar: The Way of Water[]

Avatar The Way of Water 02

Wainfleet resurrected as a Recom

Years later, Wainfleet was resurrected along with Quaritch and Sean Fike with the most elite soldiers of Quaritch as Recombinants. Wainfleet was promoted to lieutenant for his loyalty and became Quaritch’s Second in command in the Recom squad.

During Spider's rescue on the SeaDragon, Wainfleet is one of two Recoms who shot at Neteyam who ended up being deadly wounded. While somewhat ambiguous in the final film, its original script affirms Wainfleet was the one who killed Neteyam.

During the skirmish at the Three Brothers, Jake fought Wainfleet. Jake managed to throw him off the side of the SeaDragon, and he is sitting hitting part of the ship and falling underwater. Wainfleet mysteriously disappeared for the rest of the ship's sinking. He is the only member of Quaritch's squad to survive after all the battles.

In the Games[]

Avatar: Reckoning[]

Wainfleet has a small cameo. He is seen in an AMP Suit during a brief holographic simulation which shows him fighting Neytiri.

Avatar: Pandora Rising[]

Lyle

Wainfleet in Avatar: Pandora Rising

With a basic - might makes right - attitude that drives his every action, Lyle Wainfleet is the Sec-Ops soldier that believes a bigger AMP Suit makes him the bigger man. As one of Colonel Quaritch's loyal men, Wainfleet is a soldier who doesn't fight for a cause, but rather for the RDA paycheck or the sheer brutal thrill of hurting. Although he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, Wainfleet is a highly-proficient marksman, an incredibly skilled AMP Suit driver with countless hours in the field, and has no qualms about using every dirty trick in the book to overwhelm his opponent in combat situations.[2]

Personality and traits[]

Wainfleet smiles

Wainfleet smiling when the Avatar Program is cancelled

Wainfleet is intended to be an ignorant grunt and a mercenary who only fights for two reasons: the brutal thrill of hurting others, and a paycheck. He embodies the concept of "might makes right" and when he enters his AMP Suit, it provides him with a sense of supreme moral authority. He is meant to portray the uglier side of militaries when they can be at their worst: ugly aggressors.[3]

Wainfleet was not a vocal member of the Sec-Ops force, instead preferring to let his weapons and his superior, Colonel Quaritch, do the talking, even though he was present for several critical events during the days that lead to the RDA's expulsion from Pandora. Unlike Trudy, his experiences with the scientists of the Avatar Program did not sway him to their cause, and he joined Quaritch's force during the Assault on the Tree of Souls.

Recom Wainfleet's first appearance

Wainfleet staring at Recom Quaritch waking up

As a Recom, Wainfleet remained loyal to both Quaritch and the RDA. Like the rest of the Recom squad, he had developed at least a few Na'vi traits, such as learning the native language and bonding with an ikran.

In one instance, Wainfleet did display at least a small degree of compassion. While in search of Jake Sully, Quaritch had begun rounding up and interrogating Na'vi villagers for Sully's location. He threatened to have a Na'vi woman executed if they did not cooperate. The notion of killing the unarmed Na'vi seemed to make Wainfleet at least somewhat uncomfortable. He openly questioned Quaritch if they were truly going to follow through with the threat. Luckily Spider was able to talk down Quaritch.

Abilities[]

Lyle was a fierce and able soldier, and often seemed to enjoy himself when engaged in combat. He appeared to be skilled with an AMP suit, gunning down many Na'vi as well as Neytiri's ikran, Seze, with a GAU-90 in the final battle.

As a Recom Wainfleet has become even more dangerous. His military training, combined with his new found Na'vi size, strength, and speed make him even more deadly.

Relationships[]

Friends and Allies[]

Colonel Miles Quaritch[]

Wainfleet and Quaritch have a normal "chain of command" relationship, something very common in any military institution. The Colonel trusts in Wainfleet's abilities and in exchange, Wainfleet is completely loyal to Quaritch, obeying any order that his superior gives him. During the Assault on the Tree of Souls it was Lyle who commanded the AMP suit squad to attack by ground, later perishing alongside many of his companions.

Sixteen years later, Lyle was brought back to life as a Recom thanks to the technology of Project Phoenix. It was him, alongside Zdinarsik, Fike, and Zhang who were the ones who first "greeted" the Colonel after him awakening as a Recombinant. During that moment, Quaritch's first instinct was to attack him, managing to punch Wainfleet in the face. Despite this, the Corporal was able to talk him down and explained the current situation. Lyle was promoted to Lieutenant for his loyalty, becoming Quaritch's right hand. They fought together during the events of the Skirmish at the Three Brothers. By the end of the battle, Wainfleet and Quaritch were the only confirmed surviving Recoms from the 1st Recom Unit.

Sean Fike[]

They are considered to be friends. Both were first seen during the arrival of the new recruits at Hell's Gate. The two of them were making jokes and teasing the new soldiers. Lyle and Sean fought and died during the Assault on the Tree of Souls. In the year 2170, Fike was among the soldiers brought back as Recoms by Project Phoenix, also serving as a member in the 1st Recom Unit. The private Fike was the second Recombinant to die at the hands of the Sully family, as he was hit right in the eye with an arrow shot by Neytiri, resulting in him dying a second time.

Zdinarsik "Z-Dog"[]

Not much is known about their relationship, but it was evident that existed some comradery between them. Z-Dog was with Wainfleet and Fike when the Colonel woke up as a Recom, and helped to restrain him when he tried to "defend" himself. She was brutally killed by Neytiri during the Skirmish at the Three Brothers.

1st Recom Unit[]

Lyle served as the team leader of the 1st Recom Unit, with Colonel Quaritch as his commanding officer. His relationship with the team is not completely explored, although as their leader, it is clear they followed his orders. By the end of the battle at the SeaDragon, the only living members of the 1st Recom Unit were Wainfleet and Quaritch. As for Mansk, it is unknown if he survived.

Enemies and Rivals[]

Jake Sully[]

Wainfleet and Jake first met when the former arrived at Hell's Gate. While Wainfleet's friend, Fike, mocked Jake because of him needing a wheelchair, saying "Check it out man. Meals on wheels", Lyle just replied that it was wrong to bring someone like Jake to a place like Pandora. During Jake's first expedition as an escort for Grace and Norm, they were accompanied too by Lyle and the pilot, Trudy. Their animosity began when Jake decided to support the Na'vi cause, becoming enemies with Wainfleet and the other soldiers loyal to Quaritch.

Their rivalry is further explored during the events of Avatar: The Way of Water, turning into something more personal between them when the Recoms managed to capture (and nearly kidnapped) his children. By the end of the battle on the SeaDragon, Jake is apparently unaware that Neteyam's death could have been caused by Wainfleet.

Neytiri[]

Despite never having spoken directly, there is certainly a lot of bad blood between them. Wainfleet is not just completely loyal to Quaritch, but also, is the one to blame for many events that have truly affected both Neytiri and her family. In 2154 during the Assault on the Tree of Souls, he was the soldier who shot and killed Neytiri's Ikran, Seze.

Sixteen years later, the Recom Wainfleet alongside Quaritch and the rest of the team captured and used Neytiri's sons and daughters as hostages. Neytiri and Jake were visibly distraught due to fear of their family being killed at the hands of their mortal enemies. The last transgression committed by Wainfleet against her family took place during the Skirmish at the Three Brothers, where Lyle was possibly responsible for the death of her eldest son, Neteyam.

Trivia[]

Wainfleet game

The scrapped Wainfleet in Avatar: The Game

  • Wainfleet's model can be found in the files of James Cameron's Avatar: The Game but he does not appear in the final game for unknown reasons.
  • In the original script, Wainfleet's role was significantly larger. He was something of a moral antagonist to Josh Sully and often came into conflict with the operator of the avatar. Wainfleet was also involved in several additional scenes: for example, during the first arrival in the jungle, staying behind to guard the ship, Wainfleet shot several Direhorses passing the edge of the clearing, causing Grace to fly into a fit of rage, and it was this episode that served as the beginning of the feud between Josh and the mercenary.
  • Wainfleet originally had a much larger role envisioned for him. In James Cameron's early scriptments, Wainfleet served as Quaritch's senior enlisted man, and cultivated an enmity with Jake Sully after he tried to shoot Grace's avatar in their first mission.
  • Wainfleet is a rural town in Southern Ontario about an hour's drive from Cameron's native Chippewa, Ontario. It is often the butt of good-natured jokes around the region, and quite possibly the inspiration for this character's name.
  • In the script, Lyle stumbles across Tsu'tey after he fell from the Valkyrie shuttle, where he had been shot to the forest floor below, and cuts off his queue, leaving him screaming in agony.[4]
  • The scream Wainfleet emits before he is killed is later heard when one of the mercenaries is crushed between two large crates of explosives on the Valkyrie.
  • In a deleted scene from the Extended Collector's Edition, Wainfleet's death is different; he is pulled out of his AMP suit and crushed by Neytiri's thanator.[5] Another deleted scene shows him killing Norm Spellman's avatar.[6]
  • In The Way of Water, Wainfleet is heard saying "Oorah!" twice when Quaritch watches the video log. This is a battle cry in the Marines. This is not the first time "Oorah" is heard in the series as Jake also said it climbing Iknimaya.
  • In an extended deleted scene for The Way of Water, Wainfleet is shown to be ready to kill the Ta'unui Tsahìk, telling Quaritch, "Just say the word, Colonel." This contrasts the final film which makes him look more on the fence.
  • An image of Wainfleet in The Way of Water spawned a meme known as Staring Avatar Guy.
  • In the original The Way of Water script, Wainfleet says, "that is just wrong" while watching Ro'a being hunted, a reference to the first film.

Memorable Quotes[]

Avatar[]

  • Look at all this fresh meat! - Lyle referring to the new troops arriving at Hell's Gate
  • Sean Fike: Hey check this out, man. Meals on wheels.
    Lyle: Oh, man, that is just wrong.
    - Lyle and Fike see Jake Sully in a wheelchair, coming from the Valkyrie shuttle
  • It looks like they hit with banshees first. See the angle's steep? They set the AMP suit on fire. Driver's toast. - Lyle reporting the Na'vi's assault to the Operations Center
  • Alright ladies, let's bring the pain. - Lyle gives the word for his AMP suit squad to deploy
  • Yeah! Get some! - Lyle firing his GAU-90 at Na'vi horsemen during the assault on the Tree of Souls

Avatar: The Way of Water[]

  • Colonel, check it out. Four fingers... we got a half-breed. - Lyle finds out that Kiri is different
  • We really going to waste her? - considering killing the Ta'unui Tsahìk
  • Hey, light 'em up! - Lyle orders his team to burn down the Ta'unui clan's marui
  • Let's go, buttercup. - Lyle making Kiri feel uncomfortable

References[]

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