Wade Watts
A co-owner of GSS whose discovery of the ONI sets off a new quest and a rift with his former girlfriend.
Wade Owen Watts is the narrator of Ready Player Two, a co-owner of Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS), and one of the creators of the High Five. Although he has become one of the world's wealthiest people, he remains socially isolated and spends much of his life in the OASIS. His decision to release the ONI and his initially dismissive response to Samantha's objections drive their estrangement.
Quick Facts
- Avatar name
- Parzival
- Affiliation
- High Five
- Occupation
- Co-owner of Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS)
Lore & Background
Wade Watts, known in the OASIS as Parzival, is a co-owner of Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS) and a member of the High Five. A few days after winning James Halliday’s contest, he discovers an inscription on Halliday’s Easter egg that leads him to a prototype OASIS Neural Interface (ONI). He shares the ONI with fellow GSS owners Aech (Helen) and Shoto (Akihide), but Samantha Cook (Art3mis) is against its release, warning that it could make the OASIS even more addictive. Wade counters that it can give disabled and poor people experiences they’d never otherwise have, but their disagreement ends their romance. Over the following three years, GSS launches the ONI to huge success, ultimately acquiring its former rival, Innovative Online Industries (IOI). Wade, Aech, and Shoto also create the Vonnegut, a spacecraft and cultural archive containing a self-sustaining copy of the OASIS called ARC@DIA.
Reader's Guide
Wade Watts begins Ready Player Two as a co-owner of GSS, having won control of the OASIS. His discovery of the ONI prototype leads to a rift with Samantha, who opposes its release. Over three years, GSS launches the ONI to huge success and acquires IOI. When a new quest begins, Wade offers a billion-dollar reward for the first shard, which is found by L0hengrin. After Anorak traps half a billion users, Wade must find the remaining six shards to free them. He travels through OASIS worlds based on Kira’s favorite things, including Shermer, The Revenge of Shinobi, Prince’s music, and Tolkien’s mythology. He loses Shoto and Aech as avatars along the way. Wade and Samantha find Sorrento and Og, but Sorrento fatally wounds Og before being killed by Anorak. Og defeats Anorak with the Dorkslayer brought by L0hengrin, but dies from his wounds. Wade uses the Rod of Resurrection to create digital copies of himself, his friends, Og, Samantha’s grandmother, and the L0w Five, sending them aboard the Vonnegut to Proxima Centauri. In the real world, Wade marries Samantha, and they expect a daughter named Kira.
More in Avatars & Players
Elsewhere in Ready Player One
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced