When it first aired in 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender transcended the limitations of children’s television, appealing to a vast demographic of viewers from every age group. Taking ample inspiration from Japanese anime, this American-made animated series conjured up a fantasy world as complex as The Lord of the Rings and as expansive as Star Wars, drawing audiences in with its elaborate setting and cast of memorable characters.
In fact, like all the absolute TV shows, Avatar relied on characters of startling dimension for a Nickelodeon show–characters who grew, changed, and learned from every major event in their lives, from war and loss to love and friendship. Meet the best Avatar: The Last Airbender characters.
Zuko
An interesting twist few fans might have seen coming, Prince Zuko–the initial main antagonist of The Last Airbender–transformed himself into one of the series’ most compelling protagonists.
Exiled by his estranged Fire Lord father and forced to prove himself by capturing the Avatar, Zuko never displays the same flat-out psychopathy as Ozai or his sister, Azula. A good man at heart driven to evil by his lack of parental love, Zuko’s growth from a reluctant villain into a selfless hero makes for one of Avatar’s most engrossing storylines.
Toph
The Yoda of the Avatar: The Last Airbender characters, Toph serves as proof that greatness can come in any form. A prodigious earthbender with preternatural hearing, Toph doesn’t let her physical blindness get in the way of her everyday life.
Displaying plucky enthusiasm, quirky wisdom, and an often fiery attitude, she may join the young cast later in the series. However, she also appears among the strongest protagonists in all of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Sokka
One of the original three protagonists of Avatar, Sokka remains synonymous with his light-hearted humor (with most of the jokes coming at his expense). While a palpable comic relief, Sokka’s growth into maturity characterizes his entire journey in The Last Airbender.
Beginning the series as an insecure, misogynistic, wannabe warrior, Sokka learns patience, virtue, and the inner strength that lies within all individuals (especially women) on his travels, helping him become an even more formidable leader.
Aang
How often does a main character rank below his supporting cast?
The titular Avatar and the last airbender in the world, Aang also makes for one of the most likable protagonists in any children’s show. Like Sokka, his character experiences meaningful change throughout the series, obtaining inner wisdom, maturity, patience, and–more often not–a willingness for forgiveness. While he may have possessed elements of those qualities at the start of the series, he only becomes more comfortable with them (and his role as the Avatar) as the show continues.
Iroh
Next to Toph, Iroh appears as perhaps the wisest of all Avatar: The Last Airbender characters. The older brother of Ozai, Iroh chose to step away from a leadership role in the Fire Nation following the death of his son, accompanying his nephew abroad after Zuko’s banishment.
Having long learned the true cost of ambition for ambition’s sake, Iroh hands out countless meaningful lessons to his young, hot-headed nephew, serving as more of a father figure to Zuko than Ozai ever did.
Katara
Another member of the original Team Avatar, Katara brings an element of balance and paternal responsibility to Aang’s group. Wiser beyond her years, Katara also serves as one of the most influential figures in Aang’s life, coaching him on his temperament and encouraging his skills in waterbending.
The glue that holds the Avatar crew together, her maturity and grounded pragmatism meshes well with the sometimes childish antics of Aang, Toph, and her brother Sokka.
Appa
The faithful companion to Aang and his crew, Appa also provides Team Avatar their main means of transportation. A fun-loving flying bison who comforts and supports Aang and his friends, Appa seems like the spiritual center of Aang’s group–a support animal and helpful mount wrapped into one.
Azula
In many ways, one might describe Azula as the complete opposite of her brother, Zuko. Childhood rivals for their father’s affection and attention, Azula’s status as Ozai’s favorite child comes from her unparalleled abilities as a firebender alone. Like Zuko, she hungers for her father’s love, making her all the more tragic, flawed, and relatable a villain in her repeated attacks on Aang.
King Bumi
The childhood friend of Aang, King Bumi reigns over the Earth Kingdom of Omashu. A wizened old man who seems to have more than a few screws loose, Bumi nevertheless harbors a deep wisdom and empathetic worldview that characterizes his monarchical rule. He also appears as one of the strongest earthbenders in the world, driving the Fire Nation out of Omashu on his own.
Momo
Alongside Appa, Momo appears as another faithful animal companion to Aang and his friends on their journeys abroad. A rare Flying Lemur, Momo gets into all kinds of trouble in almost every episode of The Last Airbender, his mischievous attitude making him a hilarious companion to the similarly-tempered Aang.
Suki
The leader of the all-female Kiyoshi Warriors, Suki serves as the main love interest to Sokka throughout the series. Breaking down Sokka’s preconceived notions over female frailty, Suki’s leadership and combat skills speak for themselves. A face-painted warrior never afraid to back down from a fight, Suki’s dedication to the greater good makes her one of the strongest-willed and most sympathetic characters in the central narrative of The Last Airbender.
Ty Lee
The childhood friend of Azula and Mai, Ty Lee assists her lifelong companions in their attempts to capture Aang. A proficient acrobat who prides herself on her idiosyncratic personality, Ty Lee also displays an enthusiastic attitude that juxtaposes well with Mai and Azula’s deadpan seriousness.
Mai
The best friend of the aforementioned Ty Lee and Princess Azula, Mai stands in sharp contrast to the energetic Ty Lee, maintaining a level-headed lack of emotion that never betrays her true feelings. Despite her icy cool exterior, Mai (like Ty Lee) also adheres to her own moral codes, helping her beloved Zuko even at the cost of her own safety.
Gyatso
The surrogate father to Aang, Monk Gyatso equipped Aang with many of his most defining traits in life. A wise, compassionate monk known for his vast emotional intelligence, Gyatso also proves himself capable of great humor, delighting in practical jokes with his ward.
Though long dead by the time Aang reawakens from his century-long slumber, Aang looks back on his time with Gyatso as some of the happiest, most enlightening moments of his childhood.
Fire Lord Ozai
Every well-known film series has its formidable antagonist, whether in the form of The Lord of the Rings’ Sauron or Star Wars’ Darth Sidious. With Avatar, that distinction falls to the leader of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai. The estranged father to Zuko and Azula, Ozai acts as the personification of pure evil in The Last Airbender, sacrificing his entire family for the sake of the throne.
Jet
The teenage leader of the Freedom Fighters, Jet also remains known for his turbulent relationship with Katara throughout the show.
After losing his parents to a Fire Nation attack, the orphaned Jet grows a deep-seated resentment towards the country, displaying a willingness to attack Fire Nation soldiers and civilians alike. A Robin Hood-type outlaw, Jet’s redemptive sacrifice in Ba Sing Se makes him all the more likable and fascinating a character.
The Boulder
One of the sillier characters in the Avatar universe, The Boulder acts as a hilarious spoof of the WWE wrestler, The Rock.
Borrowing elements of Dwayne Johnson’s famous alter ego, The Boulder speaks about himself in the third person and even mimics the same grandiose intonation as WWE’s Brahma Bull. Despite his less-than-amicable initial appearance as Toph’s earthbending rival, The Boulder redeems himself by participating in the high-stakes invasion of the Fire Nation, aiding Aang and his allies in their final battle against Ozai.
Koh the Face Stealer
Without a doubt the most terrifying character in all of Avatar, Koh the Face Stealer appears as an ethereal spirit who guides Aang towards the Moon and Ocean spirits, Tui and La. A nightmarish creature who steals the faces of anyone unable to keep a neutral expression in its presence, Koh’s horrifying design makes him a character audiences couldn’t forget even if they wanted to.
Zhao
Along with his superior Fire Lord Ozai, Zhao has little to any redeeming qualities as a character. An ambitious admiral of the Fire Nation, Zhao competes against his rival, Zuko, for a chance to capture Aang, thereby earning the favor of Ozai. Petty, cruel, and sadistic without reason or merit, Zhao makes for a character audiences love to hate whenever he appears on-screen.
The Cabbage Merchant
How could anyone ever forget about the Cabbage Merchant?! As his name suggests, this nameless character remains most well-known for his very niche profession.
Peddling his goods across the kingdom, the long-suffering Cabbage Merchant tries–and often fails–to protect his wares from destruction, leading to his distressed exclamations of “My cabbages!” whenever his veggies face harm. An innocent throwaway joke made all the more hilarious by his random repeated appearances, viewers can’t help but chuckle every time the Merchant pops up.
