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Building Tomorrow.
The RDA's motto

The Resources Development Administration, or RDA, is the main antagonist in the Avatar franchise.

The RDA is the largest single non-governmental organization in human space. Its power is such that it outmatches most Earth governments in wealth, political influence, and military capability. The RDA has monopoly rights to all products shipped, derived, or developed from Pandora and any other off-Earth location. These rights were granted to the RDA in perpetuity by the Interplanetary Commerce Administration (ICA), with the stipulation that they abide by a treaty that prohibits weapons of mass destruction and limits military power in space.

The RDA first arrived on Pandora for varying reasons including the extraction of rare resources such as unobtanium for uses back on Earth. The organization soon came into contact with the native species of Pandora, the Na'vi and had numerous interactions with them. However, the RDA soon became engaged in a violent war with the Na'vi after failed attempts to make peace with them and find a diplomatic solution to prevent any conflict, and resorted to using forceful methods. The war ended with RDA's defeat by the Na'vi and expelled from Pandora with the majority of humans returning to Earth.

However, worsening conditions on Earth led the RDA to return to Pandora fourteen years later in 2168 to establish a permanent colony base there and restart the war with the Na'vi. The RDA now seeks to claim Pandora and make it the new home for humanity, and oppose the Resistance.

History[]

Background[]

RDA

A propaganda poster for the Resources Development Administration, the leader in pioneering outerspace development.

With 263 million shareholders, the RDA is the oldest and largest of the quasi-governmental administrative entities (QGAEs), but its origins are far more modest. The entity that would become the RDA was little more than a Silicon Valley garage startup in the early 21st century, when its two founders borrowed money from friends and family to begin the company.[1]

After only a few decades, the company had the capital and stature to propose the construction of a world-spanning rapid transit system that would allow entire population groups to conveniently commute hundreds or even thousands of miles to perform work where it was needed, without impinging on the cultural values of host populations. The success of the venture led to the current global network of maglev trains that require the superconductor material known as unobtanium for their continued operation.

Additionally, the RDA expanded to the skies, creating hundreds of orbiting factories on Earth's moon, Mars, and the solar system's asteroid belts. However, these factories somehow caused a pollution of toxins to frequently rain down on Earth.[2]

Colonization and mining of Pandora (2120s)[]

RDA banner

An RDA advertisement

The company's early expeditions to Pandora were seen as a colossal risk; the construction of the ISV Venture Star in the late 21st century alone put enormous strain on capital resources, but with exclusive mining rights to unobtanium (which is valued at 20 million dollars per kilogram raw and 40 million dollars processed), and potential profits from countervirals, biofuels, and cosmetics, the enormous capital investment has paid off.[3] The RDA then began to suppress Terran alternatives for unobtanium, which created a black market for the substance which helped to fund terrorist groups.[4]

Interactions and conflict with the Na'vi (2130s-2153)[]

During the RDA's time on Pandora, the company came into contact with the Na'vi, a blue-skinned humanoid species native to Pandora. The Avatar Program was developed by RDA scientist Dr. Cordell Lovecraft. Avatars, a hybrid species of the Na'vi mixed with human DNA, were created. Originally created for more efficient workers on Pandora, the Avatar Program was then repurposed to improve communication with the Na'vi, with xenolinguists bridging communication due to the Na'vi's unique language. Events were generally peaceful at first, with Dr. Grace Augustine founding a school to help the two species learn more about each other. However, several of the organizations practices were harmful to the environment which led to tensions forming. Even so, the two groups continued to interact with one another.

At one point, there was an event which led to the accidental contamination of the water which in turn created an unknown ailment in the Na'vi, though this was later resolved thanks to Grace Augustine.

Tsu'tey (young) holding the body of Sylwanin

Sylwanin's death worsened relations between the RDA and Na'vi.

The murder of the Na'vi Sylwanin te Tskaha Mo'at'ite in 2152 acted as the catalyst for the RDA's relationship with the Na'vi to worsen. Sylwanin was the tsahìk-in-training for the Omatikaya clan, the sister of Neytiri, and was betrothed to the apprentice clan leader, Tsu’tey te Rongloa Ateyitan. Sylwanin was shot by an RDA soldier at Grace's school after she destroyed a bulldozer in protest of the RDA's deforestation. As a result, the Omatikaya clan forbid further contact between their clan and the humans, and Grace's school was abandoned. Despite this, the RDA continued its operations led by administrator Parker Selfridge at Hell's Gate.

The Ambassador Program (c.2138-2154)[]

TAP black

The Ambassador Program

Throughout the 2140s, the RDA had a program known as The Ambassador Program (TAP) which was meant to create Na'vi diplomats and negotiators for the organization. The program was created by John Mercer and Alma Cortez. While Alma believed the program could be used for good, Mercer created it in order to get easier access to Pandora's resources from the Na'vi without the financial expense of a prolonged conflict.

I will protect you

Alma resolves to protect the Sarentu children after the massacre

Unbeknownst to the organization and other Na'vi clans, children had been abducted for the program, some were from the nomadic Sarentu clan who Mercer had executed. The children from the clan were taken and kept at the TAP's residential school and while there, they were pressured to speak English and lose their Na'vi customs and belongings, such as their clothing and toys. Mercer, Cortez and Angela Harding hid the truth of how they obtained the Na'vi children from the RDA.[5] Barrels of corrosive acid were used to hide the remains of the Na'vi, but this ended up creating a toxic mist called the yavä' in the Clouded Forest.

RDA-trained Na'vi

A Na'vi learning human weaponry as part of TAP.

As Na'vi and human relations on Pandora soured, the program started leaning towards military and covert skills to be used in a more confrontational landscape. The goal turned to having Na'vi children at the program be raised as humans and eventually turn them against their own kind. This included training them with human weapons such as guns, which broke the Three Laws of Eywa due to the Na'vi belief that touching metal can poison one's heart.

First Pandoran War (2154)[]

In 2154, the RDA's mining operations on Pandora continued while met with resistance with the Na'vi, no longer able to interact with them peacefully. Upon Jake Sully's arrival on Pandora, the RDA made one last attempt to find a diplomatic agreement with the Na'vi, so it could mine the unobtanium from the moon without interference. This, however, failed when Jake revealed that the Na'vi would never be willing to move. With this, the RDA resorted to more forceful means to achieve its goals.

Tree of Voices

The RDA bulldozing the Tree of Voices

The RDA Sec-Ops' destruction of the Trees of Voices and the assault on the Omatikaya Hometree had led to a war between the RDA and the native Na'vi. According to Grace Augustine, the bulldozing of the Tree of Voices on August 18th was supposedly an act intended to provoke the Na'vi and make them the RDA's enemy which could be used to justify further force against them. This apparent plan worked when Tsu'tey's team took the bait and led a war party to set the bulldozers on fire, killing six RDA employees.

Destructionoth

The RDA setting the Omatikayan Hometree on fire.

On August 20th, the RDA arrived to topple the Omatikayan Hometree using incendiary missiles. Aerial forces initially attempted to drive the Na'vi away with teargas, but the latter quickly started fighting back using arrows. The RDA responded to this with lethal force and many Na'vi such as Eytukan lost their lives in this traumatic incident. The Na'vi refused to let their land be subjugated by the corporation any further and with the help of Jake Sully, rallied their clans together.

Meanwhile, the chief of security Miles Quaritch claimed that the Na'vi planned to attack Hell's Gate with thousands of Na'vi, and convinced the military to lead a preemptive attack. In order to "fight terror with terror" and "blast a crater in their racial memory so deep they won't come within a thousand klicks" of Hell's Gate ever again, the RDA decided to destroy the Tree of Souls which would sever the Na'vi's main connection to Eywa and inflict long-lasting fear and inter-generational trauma.

War

The Na'vi fighting the RDA in the skies.

On August 23, a massive battle was fought in the skies of the Hallelujah Mountains and on the ground beneath. Although the RDA appeared to be winning against an estimated 2,000 Na'vi, a large amount of Pandoran animals began to attack the wildlife which Neytiri believed was Eywa's retaliation. Quaritch lost his life during the battle against the Na'vi as well. Around this time, John Mercer ordered the executions of all TAP students and destroyed the TAP facility in an explosion in a cover up attempt.

Neytiri threatens Parker

Neytiri threatens administrator Selfridge.

After the conflict, the RDA was driven off Pandora, caused by RDA defectors Grace Augustine, Norm Spellman, Trudy Chacón and Jake Sully. About 90% of the RDA were forced off Pandora; a select group of human defectors including Max Patel, Alma Cortez, Hajir Beshara and Nash McCosker were allowed to remain.[6]

During the RDA's absence from Pandora, the company used propaganda to make it seem like its employees were the victims who were mistreated by the Na'vi.[7] Great things were also said about Quaritch.[8]

Return to Pandora (2168-2169)[]

Ardmore threat 2

Ardmore broadcasting her threat to the residents of Hell's Gate.

Nearly 14 years later, in 2168, the RDA returned to Pandora with ten spaceships since Earth was reaching inhospitable levels. The new head administrator Charles Stringer, along with general Frances Ardmore, threatened the occupants of Hell's Gate to surrender and be given amnesty, or die. This worked for most of the people on Pandora, as over half of them decided to surrender. Instead of doing nothing, Jake, humans who were willing to fight, and the Na'vi attempted to once more drive the RDA away and began training in zero gravity.

Confronting Ardmore

Jake and Neytiri confronting Ardmore.

Eventually, the group piloted a spaceship directly to the RDA's ship and threaten to destroy the unobtanium and the various structures as leverage to get the RDA to surrender peacefully. However, the group did not expect that a human named Nash McCosker was secretly working to sabotage the plan. When Jake claimed the RDA would simply never hold their end of a treaty, Ardmore simply replied "we're done here" showing that the RDA no longer had any interest in any sort of diplomatic solution.

The Water of Water Burned Forest Still

The RDA setting Pandora's forests and animals on fire during its return

After a brief violent conflict with the Na'vi on their spaceship, the RDA reclaimed Hell's Gate and began re-colonizing Pandora again to make it the new home for humanity, setting the forest and the animals on fire as troops disembarked. The RDA also desired to kill Jake Sully due to his raids against the RDA's supply lines and his influence with the Na'vi.

Second Pandoran War against the Resistance (2169-early 2170s)[]

RDA beer

RDA™ beer, such as Viperwolf Ale, that is "freshly brewed on Pandora"

The terraforming resumed and the RDA constructed a coastal city known as Bridgehead under a year using advanced 3D printing and spider-like robots and began manufacturing products such as beer. The Avatar Program was restarted with plenty of more avatars produced. The RDA established bases and factories of varying sizes across Pandora, determined to extract resources and combat any who oppose them.

The RDA soon discovered that the tulkun, a highly intelligent whale-like species, had a yellow liquid called amrita which prevents aging, making it the most wanted resource on the moon since unobtanium. As a result, the RDA began whaling operations in order to kill the tulkun and harvest their amrita, with Ardmore providing captain Mick Scoresby the necessary ships and equipment.

Colonization of the Western Frontier[]

Teamwork makes the dream work :D
An RDA employee in a memo
FOP Base

The RDA polluting Pandora again

By 2169, the RDA had expanded its operations into the Western Frontier.[9] Meanwhile, John Mercer also returned to seek revenge and spearheads this branch. Under his leadership, the RDA constructed numerous bases across this part of Pandora, many of which were shown to be polluting the environment with plant life around the region becoming shriveled and dying out. The division of the Resistance in the Western Frontier would actively fight against the RDA. A member of the Sarentu clan alongside their allies would work together to shut down these facilities and in doing so, would allow the surrounding land to recover.

Operations[]

SciOps logo

SciOps logo seen in an abandoned facility

Science Operations[]

Main article: Science Operations

The Science Operations (SciOps) is comprised of current and former scientific, scholarly and other intellectual personnel from Earth, whether seasoned or newly trained, now serving as a research group on Pandora. They handle the Avatar Program.

Mining Operations[]

The Mining Operations (abbreviation unknown) is comprised current and former mining and construction personnel from Earth, now serving as a labor force on Pandora. They handle mining minerals such as unobtanium, although they have also been engaged in mining to create materials such as steel and concrete in order to continue their re-colonization.

Security Operations[]

SecOps logo

Sec-Ops emblem.

Main article: Security Operations

The Security Operations (Sec-Ops) is comprised of former military personnel from Earth and civilians without prior training or military background recruited and trained by the company itself through Sec-Ops programs, now serving as a private military company on Pandora. The RDA's Sec-Ops strength is significantly larger than most other military forces on Earth, and includes large interstellar ships, walkers, and heavily armed infantry.

Air fleet

The RDA-owned Sec-Ops fleet of aircraft

Some of its ships include the Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson, Scorpion Gunship, Dragon Assault Ship, and Valkyrie shuttlecraft. Its ground forces include Amplified Mobility Platforms and infantrymen. They receive their supplies from Earth by interplanetary supply ships, such as the ISV Venture Star ship, and even bigger vehicles. Their mining vehicles are the Bucket Wheel Excavator, the bulldozer, and many other vehicles. Their fast and lightly armored vehicles include the Swan, the Buggy, and the ATV Grinder vehicle. Their water-related vehicles include the Gator and the RDA Boat.

Weapons and equipment for Sec-Ops is provided to the RDA by Hirte and Fahl Arms Manufacturing Ltd., Masa-Cirre Ltd. and the Matanza Arms Corporation.

Despite these hardwares and softwares, Sec-Ops couldn't use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) such as nuclear weapons due to a treaty prohibiting these weapons as well as the RDA's military space power, in a mandate set by the United Nations.[citation needed]

Cetacean Operations[]

Main article: Cetacean Operations

Sea Dragon

The S-76 SeaDragon, an RDA marine vessel

The Cetacean Operations (Cet-Ops) is the marine arm of the RDA's presence on Pandora. Its fleet consists of various vessels for marine and submarine operations and commercial whaling used to fund the RDA's colonization effort during its return to Pandora and extraction of amrita from tulkun.

CON-DEV[]

Main article: CON-DEV

CON-DEV is an administrative entity of the RDA established after 2154, whose role is to strengthen cooperation between construction companies and other entities working on the construction of the city base in Bridgehead.

Equipment[]

Weapons[]

When the RDA first came to Pandora, weapons were brought to allow for self-defense against the native fauna and other such threats. However, events eventually caused the RDA to take a more offensive approach which ultimately led to the Pandoran War.

Upon the company's return to the moon and the second war, the RDA started to develop far more powerful armaments to use against the Na'vi.

Vehicles[]

The RDA designed and manufactured numerous vehicles for traversing the environment on Pandora. All kinds of vehicles were created and adapted for the many different terrains of Pandora.

Interstellar Vehicles[]

Isv

The Interstellar Vehicle Venture Star

The Interstellar Vehicles, or ISVs, are the only known way to travel between Earth and Pandora. There are at least twelve ships transporting cargo and crew between Pandora and Earth, seven at the same time.[10] However, the later task force of General Frances Ardmore used ten in its invasion to establish Bridgehead. By then, every vessel was armed to the teeth, making them de facto warships.[11]

Treatment of Animals[]

Animals fire

Animals fleeing the fire in Avatar: The Way of Water

Reckoning animals

Animals in cramped cages in Avatar: Reckoning

Apart from treating the Na'vi and environment poorly, the RDA has been involved with ethically controversial practices regarding Pandora's animals which involve animal cruelty, abuse and neglect:

  • When the RDA first landed on Pandora during its return, its ships likely roasted thousands of animals to death in the forest fire they caused.
  • After its return to Pandora, the RDA engaged in poaching across the Western Frontier.[9]
  • The organization is known to abduct animals from their families and cage them for undisclosed lengths of time in claustrophobic cramped cages.
  • In an audio log by John Mercer, it is mentioned the RDA aims to make Pandora safe for new settler, and as such, intends to cull predators. However, it is also mentioned the RDA wants to make leisure hunting an activity.
  • The RDA has experimented on animals; they had a project known as the Feral Project in an attempt to train animals to be vicious killers that could be controlled. For example, thanators and viperwolves had traumatic surgeries performed on them. Their kuru, their sensitive neural whips, were forcefully removed.[12] This has resulted in them exhibiting erratic behavior, not only severing their connection to Eywa but also with other animals.

In non-canon media[]

Earth Syndrome

An animal killed by Earth Syndrome

Note: This section contains information from the non-canon 2009 video games.
  • When humans arrived on Pandora, animals began to mysteriously die of a virus dubbed Earth Syndrome, causing mass suspicion that the virus was spread by bacteria on humans themselves. Despite the potential danger that humans could pose to the wildlife, Parker Selfridge told Conrad Olson they would choose not to report on the virus until it was known for sure what the cause was, endangering the lives of many animals.
  • They are involved with animal testing; in an attempt to tame them, they have psychologically experimented on them by trying to alter the minds of controlled animals which severs their bond with Eywa. The experiments are described as "cruel".[13]
  • Sec-Ops is shown to be blunt and lacking humane protocols; when Tan Jala asked a group of sturmbeest to be euthanized, Able Ryder, a new RDA member, "euthanized" them by firing dozens of bullets at them which goes against the point of euthanasia (seen here).
  • Some RDA members openly slaughter Pandora's animals. Angela Henrick, for example, killed a titanothere and posted a selfie of her with its corpse to her social media.

Trivia[]

RDA utopia

A poster for the RDA

  • In the franchise, there have been differing views about the RDA and their practices. Some support them, while others are against them.
    • Many members of the organization believe they are benefiting humanity and are fighting for Earth's future to save their kind.
    • However, the RDA still becomes involved with controversial matters such as genocide, theft, child abduction, environmental damage and animal cruelty in doing so.
  • At an unknown point in time, the RDA collaborated in order to create the Pandoran Research Foundation.
  • In Avatar: The Way of Water, one of the Cet-Ops members has a cartoonish pin-up girl of a recombinant on his vehicle.
  • The RDA can be compared to the Shinra Electrical Power Company from Final Fantasy VII. Both are ethically dubious organizations with similar environmentally harmful practices.
    • Both are corporations whose activities harm a world where the consciousnesses and spirits of the deceased return to after death (Eywa and the Lifestream).
    • Both the RDA and Shinra have their own city with a circular design: Bridgehead and Midgar.
    • The two group possess as a bio-engineered army (SOLDIER and Recombinants). Certain high-ranking members of this army are thought to be killed by the main characters via torso injuries (Neytiri shoots Quaritch in the chest using arrows, and Cloud impales Sephiroth with a sword), but they are able to return from death by cloning their consciousness (Recoms use Soul Drives and Sephiroth has Jenova clones),
    • An army member kills a main character by a fatal torso injury, who is then given a water burial.
    • Members of both groups burned villages (Ta'unui and Nibelheim), and are responsible for killing people by dropping their own home during a massive crush (Hometree, Sector 7).
    • Despite all the damage, Gaia is healed by its own Lifestream while Eywa sends the wildlife to keep its nature alive at the end of Avatar; this is suggested to be the result of two women who are within Eywa/the Lifestream (Grace and Aerith).
  • The RDA can also be compared to the conglomerate Buy n Large from the film WALL-E, another environmentalist film set in the future involving a dying Earth. Both organizations were responsible for putting Earth into a dying condition.
  • The RDA's cruel animal experiments in the video games (attempting to control their minds and behavior using technology) foreshadowed, in reality, Elon Musk's Neuralink Corporation nearly a decade in advance, as sites have claimed the corporation caused over 1500 animals to suffer and die via surgeries and brain implants.[14]
  • While many members of the Avatar fandom dislike the RDA, the RDA is respected by many members of the Warhammer 40,000 fandom.

Notable Members[]

Avatar[]

Avatar: The Way of Water[]

Comics[]

James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (non-canon)[]

James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (Wii/PSP) (non-canon)[]

James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (DS) (non-canon)[]

James Cameron's Avatar (iOS/Android) (non-canon)[]

Avatar: Pandora Rising (non-canon)[]

Avatar: Reckoning (canonicity unknown)[]

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora[]

References[]

  1. James Cameron's Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide, page 15
  2. James Cameron's Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide
  3. Pandorapedia - RDA article
  4. James Cameron's Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide pg. 18
  5. World Knowledge entry
  6. Pandorapedia: Neytiri
  7. Seen in Frontiers of Pandora
  8. Frances Ardmore in The Way of Water
  9. 9.0 9.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=difL_diHo2o&t=1s
  10. Pandorapedia.com - ISV Venture Star
  11. Avatar: The High Ground part 2
  12. Frontiers of Pandora entry: Feral thanator
  13. Seen in the menu UI for the Na'vi mission during Torukä Na'rìng
  14. The Guardian article on Neuralink
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