List of Avatar: The Last Airbender characters

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From left to right, Sokka, Mai, Katara, Suki, Momo, Zuko, Aang, Toph, and Iroh relaxing at the end of the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar characters.jpg
From left to right, Sokka, Mai, Katara, Suki, Momo, Zuko, Aang, Toph, and Iroh relaxing at the end of the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender .

This is a list of significant characters from the Nickelodeon animated television programs Avatar: The Last Airbender , its sequel The Legend of Korra , co-created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, and its live-action remakes of the same name. This list also includes characters from the comic continuations as well as the Kyoshi and Yangchen prequel novels by FC Yee and Michael Dante DiMartino.

Contents

Overview

In The Last Airbender, a fictional universe composed of four sovereign nations, some people are "benders" and can control air, fire, earth or water. Only the Avatar—a being who represents the bridge between the physical and spirit worlds—can master all four elements and thus bring balance to the land, but has been missing for the past 100 years. [1] During this absence, a war started by the Fire Nation resulted in the Air Nomads' genocide, the near extinction of the Southern Tribes' waterbending population, and the Earth Kingdom's extensive colonization.

Character conception

Character designs were originated from a series of drawings by one of the show's creators, Bryan Konietzko. The main sketch depicted a middle-aged monk with an arrow on his head and later included a flying bison as his pet. Konietzko's partner, Michael Dante DiMartino, was interested in documentaries related to the South Pole at the time. They combined these ideas and created the concept of an "air guy" and "water guys" trapped in a snowy wasteland, with "fire guys" invading them. [2] Additionally, the writers based the characters' different bending abilities on distinct styles of martial arts.

The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender were designed by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the co-creators of the series. [2] The anime-styled character art was inspired by Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop , Samurai Champloo , and FLCL (Fooly Cooly) of Gainax. [3] The original character conception was derived from a sketch by Bryan Konietzko that depicted a middle-aged balding man with an arrow on his head. [2] Studios such as Studio 4°C, Production I.G, and Studio Ghibli, which produced anime-styled cartoons, were also sources of inspiration. [4]

Influences

The greatest influences on the series were Asian art, culture and history; the characters' various personalities and traits are based on philosophical teachings such as Taoism and Buddhism. [5] [6] In the show, some characters have the ability to manipulate one of the four classic elements of ancient philosophy: Water, Earth, Fire and Air, although the Avatar has the ability to control all four. [7] Each of these employ a different form of martial arts in their fighting choreography: tai chi for Waterbending, Hung Gar for Earthbending, Northern Shaolin for Firebending, and baguazhang for Airbending. [8] These individual styles of martial arts also reflect on the personalities of the user and the nations as a whole. [9] [10] [11] These starkly individual tendencies are explained in eighty-five distinct types of " Jings ", or internal energy. [12] For example: baguazhang employs the "negative jing" to create erratic circular movements and capitalizes on centripetal force and defensive positions; Northern Shaolin follows the "positive jing" and emphasizes brute strength and aggression to generate power; and Hung Gar uses the "neutral jing" in its ability to predict an opponent's movements and heavily relies on patience and reacting to the opponent's fighting accordingly. [8]

The cultures of the four nations are also greatly influenced by East Asian and indigenous cultures. The Water Tribe is based on Inuit, Yupik, and Sirenik Eskimos cultures; the Fire Nation on Imperial China and Imperial Japan; the Air Nomads on Tibetan Buddhist monks, Tibetan culture, Buddhism and Hinduism; and the Earth Kingdom on Imperial China with Korean cultural influences. [13]

Personalities

Many of the recurring characters of the series have received traits based on the respective element. Aang is carefree and childlike, as is commonly attributed to "wonder" of the unknown, or the "freedom" of the wind and the air. [14] [15] As a spiritualist, a pacifist and a vegetarian, he is very Yin, hyper-attuned to the spirit world, and prefers non-violent alternatives to solving problems. Toph, despite being blind, is extremely perceptive of the world around her due to her connection to the Earth. Unlike Aang, she is extremely brusque when criticizing others, as attributed to Earth's toughness. [16] [17]

Avatar: The Last Airbender main characters

Overview

CharacterVoiced by Avatar: The Last Airbender / The Legend of Aang
Book One: Water Book Two: Earth Book Three: Fire
200520062007–08
Aang Zach Tyler Eisen Main
Katara Mae Whitman Main
Sokka Jack DeSena Main
Zuko Dante Basco Main
Iroh Mako Iwamatsu Main
Greg Baldwin Main
Appa Dee Bradley Baker Main
Momo Main
Toph Beifong Michaela Jill Murphy Main
Azula Grey DeLisle SilentMain
Suki Jennie Kwan GuestRecurringMain
Fire Lord Ozai Mark Hamill RecurringGuestMain
Mai Cricket LeighRecurring
Ty Lee Olivia Hack Recurring

Avatar Aang

Avatar Aang (Chinese :安昂; pinyin :Ān'áng) (voiced by Mitchel Musso in the unaired pilot, [18] voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen in Avatar: The Last Airbender , [19] D. B. Sweeney in Books One and Two of The Legend of Korra , portrayed by Noah Ringer in The Last Airbender , [20] Gordon Cormier in the live-action series) is the protagonist of the original series and the current Avatar, a cyclically reincarnating being who maintains world balance. [21] [22] Aang often acts in a fun-loving, carefree manner. [23] His pacifism and vegetarianism are primary traits of Buddhism. The creators intended Aang to "defeat enemies with his wits" and be a "trickster hero". [24] [25] Though Aang is often frivolous and enthusiastic, he becomes serious during a crisis. [26] [27] In the original series, Katara and Sokka rescue Aang from a century of suspended animation due to being frozen in an iceberg. Having already mastered his native Airbending, Aang learns Waterbending from Katara and later Pakku at the North Pole in Book One, [28] Earthbending from Toph in Book Two, [17] and Firebending from Zuko in Book Three. [29] [30] Throughout the series, Aang aids the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom, whom the Fire Nation has oppressed. Unwilling to kill Fire Lord Ozai despite the past Avatars insisting on it, Aang ultimately learns the ancient Lion-Turtles' technique of energybending, which allows the user to give or take away a person's bending, and uses it to render Ozai a non-bender. In The Legend of Korra , it is revealed that Aang, with the help of his friends, created the United Republic of Nations. He also married Katara and had three children, with his youngest son Tenzin restoring the Air Nomads while instructing the next Avatar, Korra. Like Roku before him, Aang appears at times before his reincarnation Korra, serving as a spiritual advisor, prior to their connection being destroyed by Unalaq.

Appa

Appa (阿柏; Ābǎi) (vocal effects provided by Dee Bradley Baker in the original animated series, [20] [31] Matthew Yang King in the live-action series) is Aang's male sky bison, animal guide and spirit companion. He is Aang's best friend and serves as the group's mode of transport around the world. [9] He can fly and can use his tail to create powerful gusts of air. According to Aang, flying bisons were the first Airbenders. [32] The show's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, have described Appa's appearance as a cross between a bison and a manatee. [33] He is known to shed his coat at the end of winter. [34]

Momo

Momo (模模; Mómó) (vocal effects provided by Dee Bradley Baker in the original animated series, Matthew Yang King in the live-action-series) is the only known Winged Lemur. Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator Bryan Konietzko admits that Momo is his favorite character to draw and that his body language is derived from memories of a childhood cat. [35] Momo was introduced when Aang finds him at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet. [36] Although Momo has been in many dangerous situations while traveling with the protagonists, he has also been of aid to them and a source of comic relief throughout the series. According to the creators, Momo was intended to represent the spirit of Monk Gyatso, Aang's mentor. [37] Momo is a cross between Bat and a Lemur and is the last of his kind in the show much like Appa (though it is possible based on the descriptions by the Pirate Captain in "The Waterbending Scroll" and by Tho in "The Swamp" that a few more of his kind may exist in captivity and circuses elsewhere in the Four Nations). [38] [39] Momo was introduced in the episode "The Southern Air Temple". In the episode, Aang finds Momo at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet. After Momo eats a peach, Aang decides to name him Momo, which is Japanese for "peach" and the name of Tibetan dumplings. [40]

Katara

Katara (卡塔拉; Kǎtǎlā) (voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series, [19] Eva Marie Saint in Books One, Two, and Four of the sequel series, portrayed by Nicola Peltz in the live-action film, [20] Kiawentiio in the live-action series) is a 14-year-old Waterbending master from the Southern Water Tribe, best friend and later wife of Avatar Aang, and Sokka’s younger sister. In the original series, Katara is known to be very caring and compassionate while also having a strong determination to stand up against systems of oppression and injustice. While she may have been a relatively inexperienced Waterbender at the start of the series, by the end of Book One Katara manages to claim the title of "Waterbending Master" surpassing the skillset of Avatar Aang. Having left the Northern Water Tribe at the beginning of Book Two Katara continues to train Aang's as his teacher. In the episode "The Deserter" Katara learns that she possesses healing abilities, which she often uses to help her friends throughout the series. In addition to healing, Katara's abilities as a Waterbender range from temperature control, (turning water into ice shaped weapons such as spears, hooks, and blades as well as controlling steam) using streams of water to grab onto people and platforms, being able to manipulate the water in clouds, creating pockets of air in large bodies of water, being able to pull water from the air and plants, and the ability to control the water inside another living organism also known as Bloodbending. In The Legend Of Korra , Katara is revealed to have married Aang and had three children with him. It is also revealed that she becomes Avatar Korra's Waterbending teacher after the death of Aang.

Sokka

Sokka (索卡; Suǒkǎ) (voiced by Jack DeSena in the original series, [19] Chris Hardwick in the sequel series, portrayed by Jackson Rathbone in the live-action film, [20] Ian Ousley in the live-action series) is a 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara's older brother. [17] With no bending power of his own, Sokka relies largely on a metallic boomerang, a blunt metal club, a machete, and later a black jian, or sword, created from the metals of a meteorite. [41] Surprisingly in an inhabitant of a mystical world, Sokka is an engineer and something of a jack-of-all-trades, in which respect he is easily able to understand the Fire Nation's advanced technology, and perfects the design of the hot air balloon. [42] In addition, he is both heterodox and resourceful in his endeavors, [43] and a source of comic relief throughout the series. Sokka was in love with the Northern Water Tribe princess Yue at the end of Book One and later shifted his affections to the Kyoshi Warriors' leader Suki in Books Two and Three. In the sequel series, flashbacks reveal Sokka was the first representative of the Southern Water Tribe to sit on the Republic City Council, and possibly its first chairman. He died a few years after Aang, when the next Avatar, Korra, was still a child.

Toph Beifong

Toph Beifong (北方拓芙; Běifāng Tuòfú) (voiced by Jessie Flower in Books Two and Three of the original series, [31] voiced by Kate Higgins in flashbacks of Books One and Three from the sequel series, and by Philece Sampler in Book Four of the sequel series) is a blind and barefoot Earthbending grandmaster of the prestigious Beifong family in the Earth Kingdom. [16] In the original series, Toph helps Aang master Earthbending. [16] Toph is often sarcastic, direct, and confrontational; commonly depicted as the choleric and tomboy of the group. [16] Though blind, Toph can feel vibrations in the earth. Through this heightened sense, she can identify people's locations, their distance from her, and their physical build. She learned this technique from the blind Badger Moles. This 'seismic sense' provides her with a distinct advantage when facing other Earthbenders in combat, as they require contact with the ground and extract rocks from their surroundings. As another result of her blindness, Toph has acute hearing, enabling her to recognize people by the sound of their voices and to eavesdrop on distant conversations. [26] Unlike other Earthbenders, Toph has a distinct style of earthbending not based on Hung Gar but on the Southern Praying Mantis, featuring quick generation of energy and low kicks, to suit her small stature. [44] Toph taught herself metalbending by manipulating the metals' impurities at the end of Book Two and throughout Book Three. [45] In the sequel series, flashbacks reveal that Toph was the first Chief of the Metalbending Police Force, the police department of Republic City. Toph eventually became a single mother of two daughters: Lin, who eventually succeeded her mother as police chief, and Suyin, who founded a commune of free-thinking Earth and metalbenders known as Zaofu. By the time the series begins, having once lived with Suyin's family in Zaofu, Toph took residence in the Foggy Swamp where she assists Korra.

Zuko

Zuko (祖寇; Zǔ Kòu) (voiced by Dante Basco in the original animated series, [19] Bruce Davison in the sequel series, portrayed by Dev Patel in the live-action film, [20] Dallas Liu in the live-action series) is the banished prince of the Fire Nation, who ultimately becomes Fire Lord. When exiled, prior to the beginning of the series, by his father Fire Lord Ozai for forfeiting an Agni Kai, a special firebending duel therewith, [46] Zuko believed that capturing the Avatar would regain his honor. [47] In addition to his firebending, Zuko is proficient in the use of double broadswords wielded in his alter ego of the "Blue Spirit".

Zuko's ancestry reflects his own anxieties, in that his paternal great-grandfather Fire Lord Sozin started the war while his maternal great-grandfather Avatar Roku attempted to prevent it. [48]

In Book One, Zuko fails many times to capture the Avatar but disguises himself as the Blue Spirit and rescues Aang from Zhao's fortress. In Book Two, Zuko and his Uncle Iroh earn further displeasure from Ozai and Azula and they are subsequently forced to flee into the Earth Kingdom, where he befriends locals and goes so far as to rescuing them from corrupt Earth Army guards. [46] [49] When tempted by his sister Azula's offer of honor's restoration, he betrays his uncle to assist Azula's fight against the Avatar. [50] In Book Three, Zuko eventually rejects his father Ozai's plans and joins Aang. [51]

After he learns the secret of Firebending with Aang from two dragons, Zuko becomes Aang's Firebending teacher; [29] helps Sokka rescue prisoners; assists Katara in confronting her mother's killer; and receives his uncle Iroh's forgiveness. [52] [53] After defeating Azula, Zuko becomes the new Fire Lord and ends the war. [54]

The sequel series reveals that Fire Lord Zuko aided Avatar Aang reorganizing the Fire Nation's colonies in the Earth Kingdom as a United Republic of Nations and is the only one of Republic City's founders not to have lived there. After abdicating the throne in favor of his daughter Izumi while her son Iroh later serves as a general in the United Forces, Zuko travels the world as an ambassador for peace and keeping major threats in check while Aang's reincarnation Korra is still a child.

Suki

Suki (蘇琪; Sū Qí) (voiced by Jennie Kwan in the animated series, [31] portrayed by Maria Zhang in the live-action series) is the leader of the exclusively female Kyoshi Warriors, a sect established by the Avatar incarnation of the same name. [23] She is an exceptionally skilled fighter, first meeting Team Avatar when they visited her home of Kyoshi Island, where she captured the intruders. She also humiliated Sokka, causing him to change his chauvinistic ways, eventually striking up a friendship as she taught him how to fight. The two later reunited in Book Two, where she and Sokka began to date.

Later in Book Two, Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors encountered and fought Azula, after which they were defeated and imprisoned. She was liberated by Sokka and Zuko in Book Three, [55] and remained with the protagonists thereafter.

Suki joined Toph and Sokka to disable the Fire Nation's air force. The other Kyoshi Warriors were released after the war and allowed Ty Lee to join them. She later served with Ty Lee to serve as Zuko's bodyguards after the war ended, reuniting with Sokka on several occasions.

Uncle Iroh

Uncle Iroh (艾洛; Aìluò) (voiced by Mako in Books One and Two of the original series, [19] Greg Baldwin in Book Three of the original series and Books Two and Three of the sequel series, [56] portrayed by Shaun Toub in the live-action film, [20] Paul Sun-Hyung Lee in the live-action series), also known as General Iroh and "The Dragon of the West", is a Firebending master and former heir to the Fire Nation throne. After the death of his son at the Siege of Ba Sing Se, his younger brother Ozai superseded him as Fire Lord. [46]

Unlike most firebenders, Iroh lacks hostility toward other nations and generates his fire and lightning not from fury, as is conventional, but from an understanding of fire as a source of life-giving energy. He learned this from the dragons, the original source of firebending, and protected them from being discovered by stating (falsely) that he killed the last remaining dragons. [29] As a member of the Order of the White Lotus, Iroh has social connections throughout the Four Nations. Iroh is outwardly easy-going and friendly and particularly fond of food, good tea (ginseng tea is his favorite), [57] the strategy game Pai Sho, [58] cheerful company, and pleasant music. [9]

In his old age, he focuses more on relaxation and amusements than on the pursuit of the Avatar, a habit that clashes with the obsessions of his nephew Zuko. [46] At the end of the series, after enlisting his fellow White Lotus members to release Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's rule, Iroh reopened his tea shop within the city called "The Jasmine Dragon". [27] [54]

In The Legend of Korra sequel series, near the end of his life, Iroh left his physical body and his soul ascended into the Spirit World where he offers his assistance to Aang's reincarnation Korra, and later to Aang's children Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi during their initial visits to the Spirit World. Iroh is also the namesake of Zuko's grandson.

Azula

Azula (阿祖拉; Ā Zǔ Lā) (voiced by Grey DeLisle in Books Two and Three of the animated series, portrayed by Summer Bishil in the live-action film, Elizabeth Yu in the live-action series) is Zuko's younger sister and a gifted Firebending master and prodigy, capable of creating blue fire and lightning. After Zhao's death, Azula is sent by Ozai to capture the Avatar, Zuko, and Iroh. Her amorality and ability to act without hesitation or remorse also accounts for her ability to create lightning, a skill that requires peace of mind. [17] Despite her cruel temperament, she becomes distraught when abandoned by her friends Mai and Ty Lee, [55] and collapses mentally when her father leaves her the now-worthless position of Fire Lord, [30] in which she becomes increasingly irrational, paranoid, and mentally unstable, [27] and ultimately suffers a full psychotic breakdown, in which she is overcome by Zuko and Katara. [54] Following the end of the war, Azula is placed at a mental institution to be closely monitored. As revealed in the comic sequel, The Search, Azula managed to convince Zuko to let her accompany him in the search for their mother. But in reality, her madness tied to the hatred she bears towards her mother, Azula's reasons were to eliminate Ursa upon finding a letter that claimed Zuko to be only her half-brother and thus making her the legitimate heir to the throne. But after her attempt to kill her mother failed, and unable to accept Zuko still caring for her after everything she had done to him, Azula fled into the Forgetful Valley before the letter's contents were later revealed to be false.[ citation needed ]

The Legend of Korra main characters

Overview

CharacterVoiced by Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Book One: Air Book Two: Spirits Book Three: Change Book Four: Balance
201220132014
Avatar Korra Janet Varney Main
Mako David Faustino Main
Bolin P. J. Byrne Main
Asami Sato Seychelle Gabriel Main
Tenzin J. K. Simmons Main
Lin Beifong Mindy Sterling Main
Naga Dee Bradley Baker Main
Pabu Main
Jinora Kiernan Shipka RecurringMain

Avatar Korra

Avatar Korra (寇拉; Kòulā) (voiced by Janet Varney and by Cora Baker as a child) is the immediate reincarnation of Aang from the original series. Athletic, confident, tomboyish and headstrong, Korra fully embraces and relishes her role as the Avatar, but lacked in spiritual development. [59] Over the course of the series, Korra battles foes, both within and outside herself, as she tries to keep the world in balance. She overcomes having her bending removed by Amon, having her connection to her past lives severed by Unalaq and Vaatu, suffering posttraumatic stress disorder due to Zaheer's mercury poisoning, and having her position as world peacekeeper usurped by the military dictator Kuvira. [60] Korra is especially notable in the Avatar franchise for connecting with the first Avatar Wan and starting a new Avatar cycle.

Korra was designed to be an inversion of Aang. Said DiMartino, "We also wanted to explore an Avatar who was the exact opposite of peaceful Aang, so we chose a hot-headed teenage girl from the Water Tribe. Her 'punch first and ask questions later' attitude opened up a whole new world of story possibilities." Korra's design was a collaboration between Konietzko, co-executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos and supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu. Four-year-old Korra was designed by Ryu. [61] For Korra's look and attitude, the designers took reference from mixed martial artist Gina Carano as well as competitive female snowboarders. [62]

Naga

Naga (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a female polar bear-dog that belongs to Avatar Korra as her loyal animal companion and main form of transportation. Historically, polar bear-dogs were feared and hunted by the Water Tribe, and Korra is the only person to have ever befriended one. Naga is very protective of Korra, and uses her strength to help Korra out of trouble. [63] The story of how Korra and Naga met is featured in the first official The Legend of Korra comic, published by Dark Horse Comics for 2016 Free Comic Book Day. [64]

Naga was first revealed at the 2011 The Legend of Korra San Diego Comic-Con panel. Naga's design is based on a hybrid of a polar bear and a golden retriever. [65] One of the three original concepts for Avatar: The Last Airbender, Naga was first developed in 2002 as a sketch of a bipedal polar bear-dog creature by co-creator Bryan Konietzko. The creators never found a place for the character in the first series, but brought her back as Korra's companion as they wanted Korra to have an animal mode of transport, and the original sketch was remodeled after the co-creators' dogs. [66] [65] [61]

Mako

Mako (馬高; Mǎ Gāo) (voiced by David Faustino) is a firebender who grew up on the streets of Republic City as an orphan with his younger brother, Bolin. Forced to take on adult responsibilities at a young age, Mako is cynical and serious. [61] :15 Physically, Mako is tall, lean and handsome. [59] Mako is Korra's love interest during the first two seasons, [67] but they decide in the season 2 finale "Light in The Dark" that they are better off as friends. [68] Mako is level-headed and fiercely loyal, and as the series progresses, he becomes someone his brother and friends can always rely on. [67]

The final design for Mako was done by supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu. [61] :16 The character was named after the late Mako Iwamatsu, the original voice actor of Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender . [65]

Bolin

Bolin (愽林; Bó Lín) (voiced by P. J. Byrne) is an earthbender who grew up on the streets of Republic City as an orphan with his older brother, Mako. Despite his tough childhood, Bolin is high-spirited, easy-going, optimistic, [69] and has a somewhat childlike and naive view of the world. [61] Physically, he is stocky and muscular. [59] Bolin acts as the comic relief of the show, and is constantly underestimated by those around him. [60] In the season 3 episode "Enter the Void", Bolin discovers he can lavabend, a rare earthbending technique. Loyal and brave, Bolin matures throughout the series and tries to help others in ways other than fighting. [67]

The idea for Bolin and Mako's characters came from the creators desire to include a story about brothers in the series. They were also meant to illustrate how cultures had blended in Republic City, with their late mother and father hailing from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom respectively. [61] Bolin's character was inspired by the original concept of Toph Beifong, who was going to be a male character Konietzko described as "kind of a big, not sharpest tool in the shed." When Toph's character was changed to a young girl, the creators still had many ideas for the male earthbender, which they implemented into Bolin. [70] The final design for Bolin was done by supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu. [61] Bolin is voiced by P.J. Byrne. Bryne related to the character as he explained, "I'm a people person, I'm a peoplely people, and I think that's what my character is." [71]

Pabu

Pabu (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is a mischievous male fire ferret who Bolin rescued from a local pet store. [72] The story of how Mako and Bolin come to adopt Pabu is featured in the Nickelodeon three-part web series Republic City Hustle. [73]

Pabu was first revealed at the 2011 The Legend of Korra San Diego Comic-Con panel. [65] Pabu was designed by Konietzko, [61] and is based on a hybrid of a red panda and a black-footed ferret. [65] The original inspiration for Pabu was Futa, the "seemingly-bipedal red panda who had captured the adoration of the Japanese public" years ago during the production of Avatar: The Last Airbender. [74]

Asami Sato

Asami Sato (Japanese: 佐藤麻美, Hepburn: Satō Asami) (voiced by Seychelle Gabriel) is the nonbender only child of wealthy industrialist Hiroshi Sato. After her Equalist father was imprisoned following the events of season 1, she took over his company, Future Industries.

Although the well-mannered Asami grew up in a life of luxury, she also has a tough side. She is an expert driver and has been trained in self-defense since she was a child. [59] She often uses an electrified chi-blocker glove for combat. [75] As the only nonbender in Team Avatar, Asami compensates for this with her mastery of hand-to-hand combat, mechanic skills, and tech savvy. Throughout the series, she invents various weapons, devices and modes of transportation the team uses. Later on in the series, she becomes Korra's closest confidant and eventual girlfriend. [67]

The idea for the character of Asami came later in the development process. Said DiMartino, "Once we had the idea for a nonbender revolution, we knew we'd need a character who wasn't a bender." Originally conceived to be an Equalist spy, DiMartino and Konietzko ended up liking the character so much that they decided to keep her on Team Avatar. Konietzko had previously had difficulty drawing women and chose to design Asami by himself, wanting a challenge. [61] :22 According to Konietzko, Asami's design was his "idea of a Hollywood Golden Age actress in the Avatar world," and her hair was inspired by that of 1940s actress Rita Hayworth. [76] [77]

Tenzin

Tenzin (丹增; Dān Zēng, Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་; Bstan 'Ẑin) (voiced by J. K. Simmons) is the youngest child of Avatar Aang and Katara, and the couple's only airbending child. Tenzin is a traditionalist who works hard to protect and pass on Air Nomad teachings and culture. He embodies the peaceful, calm, spiritual nature of the Air Nomads. [59] At the start of the series, he was the only airbending master in the world [78] and thus served as Avatar Korra's airbending teacher and spiritual guide. [59] Tenzin, however, had to undergo a lot of spiritual growth himself, facing his insecurities of living in his father's shadow. [60] Tenzin and his wife Pema have four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo and Rohan.

Tenzin is the biggest link to Avatar Aang and the original series. On the conception of Tenzin's character, DiMartino said, "He was probably the second character we came up with after Korra. Since Korra would have to learn airbending, who would be better to teach it to her than Aang's son? His peaceful, traditionalist personality also provide a good source of conflict for the hotheaded, modern-thinking Korra." Tenzin's final design was done by supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu. [61] :20

Lin Beifong

Lin Beifong (北方琳; Běifāng Lín) (voiced by Mindy Sterling and by Grey DeLisle when young) is the Chief of Police of Republic City's metalbender police force, the daughter of Toph Beifong, and the older half-sister of Suyin Beifong. A play on the "tough cop trope", [60] Lin is tough and uncompromising, but also loyal and brave. [59] [79]

Although her mother taught Avatar Korra's previous incarnation, Aang, how to earthbend, Lin displayed no affection toward her when they first met, instead seeing Korra's arrival as a threat to her authority and to the rule of law she's worked hard to enforce. [59] Lin's feelings toward Korra improves as the series progresses, and she would do anything to protect the Avatar from danger. [80] In season 1, Lin and Tenzin work through their strained relationship caused by their past romance, and Lin ultimately helps save Tenzin's family from The Equalists. [67] Lin's estranged relationship with her mother and half-sister is explored in seasons 3 and 4. In the season 3 episode "The Metal Clan", Lin and her sister Suyin meet again for the first time in 30 years. [80] It is revealed in the following episode, "Old Wounds", that Suyin was the one who gave Lin her distinctive facial scars. The sisters eventually reconciled after a duel. [81] [82] In the season 4 episode "Operation Beifong", Lin reveals that she still harbors a lot of anger over Toph's decision not to reveal the identity of her father to her. After 20 years apart, the estranged mother and daughter finally reconcile after admitting their flaws. [83] Zach Blumenfeld of Paste magazine described Lin's story as one that "unfolds beautifully over the course of The Legend of Korra," noting that "she balances the female strength that pervades the Avatar universe with the very real loneliness that tends to arise when people prioritize their careers over personal relationships." [60]

Lin's character design was partly inspired by Han Young Ja, a longtime friend and colleague of Konietzko and DiMartino. [84] Elements of her design also came from Marlene Dietrich as the creators wanted her "to have a tough and natural beauty". Lin's design was collaborated on by DiMartino and Joaquim Dos Santos. [61] :23

Jinora

Jinora (voiced by Kiernan Shipka) is an airbender and astral projectionist. She is the first child and eldest daughter of Tenzin and Pema and the granddaughter of Katara and Avatar Aang. She has a major role since season 2. Unlike her rambunctious siblings, Jinora is a reasonable and disciplined airbender [85] who takes her spiritual duties seriously. [86] Unlike her father, Jinora has a natural affinity for spirits and is able to communicate with the spirits in the Spirit World from the physical world. In season 2, when Korra needed to enter the Spirit World to close the spirit portals before Harmonic Convergence, Jinora became Avatar Korra's guide into the Spirit World. [87] [88] In the season 3 finale "Venom of the Red Lotus", Jinora leads the new airbenders in creating a giant cyclone and she saves Korra, earning her airbending tattoos and the title airbending master from her father, assuming a permanent leadership role in the new Air Nomads. [89] She entered a romantic relationship with Kai on season 4. Jinora is capable of astral projection, an advanced airbending technique combined with spirituality; when using this ability, her spirit is capable of teleportation. She can also track down people by locking on to their energy. [90]

Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club described Jinora's role in the series as being very similar to Katara's in the original Avatar series: "a sweet, but powerful bending master in the early throes of puberty. (That connection is accentuated by her romance with Kai, who is clearly carved from the Aang mold.)" [89]

Supporting characters and organizations

Known Avatar incarnations

The Avatar Cycle follows the cycles of the seasonal order of Earth's climate, as each element represents a season: Winter (Water), Spring (Earth), Summer (Fire) and Fall (Air).

Appearing Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appearing in The Kyoshi's Novels

Appearing in The Legend of Korra

Spirit World Denizens

The Legend of Korra introduced the concept of dark spirits, spirits who have become unbalanced due to the influence of the spirit of darkness and chaos, Vaatu. Co-creator Bryan Konietzko designed how the spirits would look in various states: in the 'dark' state, they were "rough and jagged...with deep, jewel-like colors on the body and a bright pattern for the face"; in 'neutral' state, they were "smoother and less menacing"; and in 'light' state, their colors were a "negative image" of the 'dark' state. [97] :24

After the events of season 2 of The Legend of Korra, spirits become a more regular fixture in the series, often seen floating around in the background. Co-executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos noted that some of the spirit designs were inspired by the works of Studio Ghibli, while "others were just a fun way for the designers to cut loose and create with a sense of whimsy." [98] :29

Appearing in Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Legend of Korra

United Republic of Nations

The United Republic of Nations is a sovereign state founded by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko after the events of the original series as a haven for immigrants from all four nations. Its capital is the 1920s-inspired metropolis, Republic City. [99] Its inhabitants were designed to reflect the multiculturalism of the city, such as firebender Mako and earthbender Bolin, brothers whose late mother and father hailed from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom respectively. [61]

The Legend of Korra

Varrick was introduced in the second season as a comedic character who represented the prosperity of the Southern Water Tribe. [97] :15 He masterminded a civil war between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, [104] but his attempt to draw the United Republic into the war led to his arrest. [105] Varrick managed to escape from prison during Unalaq's attack on Republic City at the end of season 2. [106] In the season 3 episode "The Metal Clan", it is revealed that he had settled down in Zaofu as the head of the city's technology division. [107] In season 4, Varrick joined Kuvira on her quest to reunite the Earth Kingdom. Unwilling to weaponize spirit energy for her, [108] Varrick eventually deserted her army and helped Team Avatar to stop her from conquering Republic City. After Kuvira was defeated, Varrick and Zhu Li get married in the series finale "The Last Stand". [109]
Varrick was well-received, with critics praising the character's charisma [110] and Higgins' voice acting. [111] [108] [112] Ed Liu of ToonZone News wrote that Varrick "may be the Avatar franchise's most fascinatingly ambiguous character yet...The audience is kept as baffled and off-guard by Varrick as the characters on the show". Liu noted that the character had hidden depth despite "[seeming] like an oddball combination of Howard Hughes, Steve Jobs, and Andy Kaufman, and his flamboyant animation is matched by John Michael Higgins' enormously entertaining vocal performance." [113] Zach Blumenfeld of Paste magazine ranked Varrick as the eighth best character from the Avatar franchise, writing:

He's consistently the funniest character on The Legend of Korra, combining the wackiness of The Last Airbender's Bumi with the mechanical genius and motormouth of Tony Stark. But more importantly, he's probably the most modern character in the entire Avatar universe: a war profiteer and robber baron who slowly discovers a conscience buried under his previous selfish motives. Varrick's charisma and ruthlessness allow Korra to address such topics as propaganda, the military-industrial complex and weapons of mass destruction in a light-hearted way. He contributes enormously to the series' vivacious, faux-1920s aesthetic, and he's almost impossible to dislike. [60]

John Michael Higgins described the character as "part Rupert Murdoch, part Thomas Edison, part Bozo the Clown." [114]
Co-creator Bryan Konietzko drew the first concept art for Tahno in 2010. Supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu then designed the character based on Konietzko's initial concept, with Konietzko adding minor tweaks to the final design. Tahno's character was largely inspired by Japanese kickboxer Kizaemon Saiga, who is known for his "ridiculously over the top" antics. [117]

Earth Kingdom

Appearing in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appearing in The Legend of Korra

Kuvira was received well, with reviewers describing her as a sympathetic villain [119] with noble but extremely misguided intentions. [120] The Artifice wrote of Kuvira's motivations: "Kuvira may appear to be a cool and calculating villain on the outside, but much like Princess Azula of Avatar: The Last Airbender , there exists deep resentment and anger beneath that facade. In the series finale, Kuvira reveals the unlikely connection between her desire for world conquest and her personal background. The now-scattered Earth Kingdom is a painful reminder of her rootlessness as an orphan, feeling unwanted and having to construct and carve out her identity all on her own." [121]
Said DiMartino on the conception of Kuvira, "For our fourth and final antagonist, we were looking to have a female character who was physically similar to Korra. We wanted our hero to have to face the shadow version of herselfa woman who was fierce, uncompromising, and a bending heavyweight, Kuvira brought a lot of new story and character possibilities to the table, and I really enjoyed writing the female hero/villain dynamic." [122] :10 DiMartino and Konietzko "took some pages out of history" in crafting Kuvira's villain arc, with DiMartino explaining that, "a lot of [dictatorships] would begin in the way we have Kuvira's story, where they were given power during a time of chaotic disruption, and it was a temporary power." Konietzko added that, "A dictator came from a temporary "okay, you can do whatever you want," because it's such an emergency, and then you're supposed to give it back. Historically, they rarely did that." [123]
The character was designed by Konietzko and Ki-Hyun Ryu. Konietzko noted that "[he] had been wanting to do a military dictator as a villain for a long time, so it was fun to finally play around with what the uniform motifs would be." When designing Kuvira, Konietzko intentionally gave her a "somewhat similar vibe" to Korra, just a bit more intense." To incorporate Kuvira's metal armor in battle, the designers gave her thin strips of metal stacked on her back and upper arms that Kuvira could bend. [122] :11
On Prince Wu's character, DiMartino said, "Despite Prince Wu's obnoxiousness and arrogance, he's a good guy underneath. We wrote him to be goofy and to annoy Mako, but when he has his breakdown on the fake throne in the restaurant in episode three, he showed his vulnerable side, and his character gained some more depth. It's always fun to write for characters like this, who don't have any social filters and say and do whatever they like." [122] :14 Prince Wu was designed by character designer Christie Tseng and Konietzko. The character's design went through a lot of versions during the concept stage. According to Konietzko, Wu seemed "too cool" in most of them, while Konietzko wanted him to be "more feeble, with less of a chiseled jawline." On Wu's final design, Konietzko noted he was "particularly happy with his fabulously coifed bangs." [122] :14

Fire Nation

Appearing in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appearing in The Legend of Korra

Water Tribe

Appearing in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appearing in The Legend of Korra

Tonraq was designed by Bryan Konietzko and Joaquim Dos Santos. The design was based on the idea that Tonraq is "built like a barbarian and fights with a brutish in-your-face style" in contrast with his brother Unalaq's "slender frame and elegant technique." [97] :20
Zach Blumenfeld of Paste magazine compared Unalaq to the High Sparrow from Game of Thrones , both being "a brilliant schemer who hides a power-hungry soul under a spiritual veneer." [60] Unalaq was designed by Ki-Hyun Ryu and Joshua Middleton. Co-creator Bryan Konietzko said that initially he was not pleased with Unalaq's design due to its visual similarities with Tarrlok's, the secondary villain from season 1. [97] :20
Kya's design was a collaboration between supervising producers Lauren Montgomery and Ki-Hyun Ryu, and co-creator Bryan Konietzko. Kya's outfits were designed as a callback to Katara's outfits from the original series. [97] :13
Eska and Desna were designed by Joshua Middleton and Ki-Hyun Ryu. Middleton initially struggled to design Eska and Desna's look, and it was not until Ryu "took a pass and gave them their distinctive hunch and dead-eyed expression that the characters finally came to life." [97] :21

Air Nomads

Before the genocide, airbenders were a diverse and migratory people united by the Four Air Temples. The Four Air Temples were self-governed by a unitary pseudo-ecclesiastical adhocratic senate, known as the Councils of Elders. Composed of wise airbending masters, they had limited authority in their respective temples; they served as counsel for its citizens and airbending instructors. Except for Air Temple Island, sex segregation was par norm; the Northern and Southern Air Temple branches were exclusively male, while the Eastern and Western Air Temple branches were exclusively female.

After the genocide, to preserve the culture of the extinct Air Nomads, Avatar Aang founded the Air Acolytes; the group primarily consisted of Earth Kingdom non-benders that would uphold Air Nomad philosophies and traditions. After the acolytes' formation, the air temples were each administered by abbots and abbesses. Following harmonic convergence-event of 171 AG, Tenzin, by virtue of being the world's most senior airbending master, continued to have a say in global affairs as the figurehead of the Air Nation. He continued to reside on Air Temple Island branch.

Appearing in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Appearing in The Legend of Korra

According to series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the inspiration for Meelo and many of his antics came from their mutual friend's son, Milo. [61] :20 Konietzko and DiMartino decided that the character "would be a fun, chaotic personality to throw in the mix and test Tenzin's patience and fathering skills." While they originally envisioned Meelo to be a "cute kid", supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu, who worked on Meelo's design, insisted that Meelo should be "ugly" instead. [144]
Writer Joshua Hamilton, who wrote the first episode Kai appears in, named the character after his son. Kai's personality was inspired partly by Avatar Aang and Avatar Wan, with the writers wanting to have "an adventurous kid with a slightly shadowy background." Kai's design was done by character designer Angela Song Mueller and supervising producer Ki-Hyun Ryu. [100] [98] :30

Metal Clan

Zaofu is an autonomous city state. A progressive metalbending city, [140] it is the home of the Metal Clan and was founded and governed by the Beifong family. Considered the safest and most prosperous city in the world, the settlement is constructed entirely out of metal alloys and protective platinum domes.

Suyin and her sister, Lin, clashed a lot in the past due to their different personalities. Matt Patches of ScreenCrush described Suyin as the "liberal arts-educated, poetry-quoting, world-traveling, New Yorker -reading, self-identified foodie" to Lin's "blue collar, bread-and-butter townie." [80] Max Nicholson of IGN wrote that despite "how different Lin and Su were from each other," they were "also the same -- almost like two sides of Toph's coin." [148] Suyin was designed by Konietzko and character designer Christie Tseng. [98] :68
Baatar Jr.'s design was done by Konietzko and Angela Song Mueller. On designing Baatar Jr., Konietzko noted that the character "got a pretty major update from the dorky, awkward young engineer he was in Book Three to this harsh, creepy second in command of Kuvira's forces in Book Four." [122] :18

The White Lotus

The White Lotus is an international organization of teachers, philosophers, and warriors, who value knowledge and wisdom above nationality. Their name comes from the White Lotus tile, a low-ranking piece in the game of Pai Sho, which is the most common form of communication among members. Iroh is among the highest-ranking members, and hints of the Order are dropped throughout the series through his actions. Iroh, a Grand Lotus, eventually calls the entirety of the Order to reveal themselves and liberate Ba Sing Se during the events of "Sozin's Comet".

In The Legend of Korra, the White Lotus has expanded to act as an elite international police force among the Four Nations, while also taking responsibility for finding, guiding and defending the next Avatar, a task previously the responsibility of internal sages within each Nation. However, it would cause a division among its ranks with those disillusioned forming the anarchistic Red Lotus.

The Red Lotus

The Red Lotus is an anarchist splinter faction of the Order of the White Lotus that appears during the events of "The Legend of Korra" as the main antagonists of season 3. Disillusioned with the White Lotus doctrine and founded during Korra's childhood, former White Lotus member Xai Bau founded the Red Lotus on the ideal that chaos is the natural order of things and that all the world's existing power structures must dismantle. [151] To achieve this "true freedom", the Red Lotus planned to eliminate world leaders and end the Avatar cycle. [67] It is revealed in the season 3 episode "The Stakeout", that the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Korra when she was a child and use her to release Vaatu: a scheme their former member Unalaq carried out to his own design. [133] After being released when Zaheer manifested airbending abilities, the Red Lotus seek to capture Korra and kill her in the Avatar state to end the Avatar cycle. [89] Though they failed, the Red Lotus's actions caused a power vacuum in the Earth Kingdom with the murder of the Earth Queen in the episode "Long Live the Queen". [152]

Creating and writing for the Red Lotus was "a blast" said co-creator Bryan Konietzko, "[ Michael Dante DiMartino ], Tim Hedrick, Joshua Hamilton, and I got to dream up a team of baddies who represented each of the four elements, but with rare and deadly skills." [98] :26

In pursuit of his goals, Zaheer and three of his comrades were captured and imprisoned. After becoming an airbender thirteen years later, he escaped the custody of the Order of the White Lotus and subsequently freed his allies from prison. He threw the Earth Kingdom into chaos by assassinating the Earth Queen [152] and attempted to end the Avatar cycle by killing Avatar Korra while she was in the Avatar State, though failed, leaving him as the only survivor of their group of four. [89] Following his defeat, Zaheer was once again imprisoned. Zaheer returned in the season 4 episode "Beyond the Wilds" when Korra confronts Zaheer in his prison cell. Realizing his actions unintentionally created a tyrant, Zaheer helps Korra reconnect with Raava in the face of their common enemy Kuvira. [153] [121]
Zaheer was well-received as a morally ambiguous [60] and sympathetic villain. [119] Zaheer is the first, and only, villainous airbender seen in Avatar franchise. With Zaheer, it is the first time viewers see airbending used in brutal and agonizing ways. [121] Geek.com noted that, "After two show's worth of seeing airbenders as oppressed, lighthearted, good people, it was jarring witnessing the logical dark conclusions of a valid interpretation of airbender philosophy. Air is the element of freedom, so total anarchy is the only real political stance. Zaheer's more violent airbending techniques, from flight to literally sucking the life out of someone, were also a visual treat." [140]
Zaheer was designed by Konietzko. On the conception of Zaheer, Konietzko explained that, "All the way back to Avatar days, writers would pitch 'evil' Airbender premises. Whether these were interesting or not, Mike and I always shot them down, saying, 'Aang is the last Airbender.' But when Harmonic Convergence created new Airbenders, we finally had the opportunity to explore such a character, and we loved doing so!" [98] :10
The idea for Ming-Hua's character came from a joke pitch Konietzko and DiMartino had about Amon surviving the boat explosion at the end of season 1, but needing to bend water in the place of his missing limbs. The character was designed by Konietzko, who based Ming-Hua's face and petite build on a friend of his. [98] :27
Ghazan was designed by Konietzko, who noted that "Ghazan's basic look came together pretty smoothly" for him, however, "pinning down the specifics of his tattoos in the final model sheet took much more time." [98] :26
To design P'Li, Konietzko researched extremely tall female athletes for inspiration as he wanted to break the stereotype of females being the smallest and shortest in a group. P'Li's third-eye tattoo design was derived from ancient depictions of the third eye of the Hindu god, Shiva. [98] :58

Freedom Fighters

First encountered in "Jet", this rag-tag group led by the episode's namesake operates in the forests of the Earth Kingdom. The group consists of its leader Jet and his subordinates Pipsqueak, Smellerbee, Longshot, the Duke, and Sneers.

The Equalists

The Equalists are an anti-bender revolutionary group based in Republic City that evolved into a full-blown terrorist organization under the leadership from Amon, and weapons supplied by Hiroshi Sato. Their ultimate goal was to create equality for all by eradicating bending altogether. According to The Equalists, nonbenders are systemically oppressed by benders in Republic City, where bending grants greater social power and nonbenders must work substantially harder in order to succeed. [155] The Equalists used electrified chi-blocker gloves so as to even the playing field between them and benders. [155] [121] Although they were defeated at the end of season 1, The Equalists movement resulted in the dissolution of the non-elected City Council, with nonbender Raiko becoming the first democratically elected president of the United Republic of Nations after being elected by the nonbending majority. [100] [101]

Bryan Konietzko and Joaquim Dos Santos did the character designs for The Equalists, including their leader, Amon. [65] According to Dos Santos, the design for the Equalist chi-blockers did not come easy and was only approved after 20 to 30 different takes. [61] :29

Amon is meant to be a mysterious dude; no one knows exactly where he came from or what his ultimate goal is. The story was designed so that the viewer discovers information about Amon along with Korra. I think the reason he is so fearsome is that Korra, and in turn the audience, doesn't quite know who she's dealing with or how she's going to defeat him. It's not a simple case of 'beat up the bad guy and the hero wins.' It's much more complex. [156]

Claiming to be a nonbender to whom the spirits granted the ability to remove a person's bending permanently, [158] a power previously demonstrated only by the Avatar, [157] Amon gained the confidence and support of many people with his ideas. DiMartino said of the idea for Amon's character:

Korra is so in love with her powers and thinks bending is the greatest thing in the world, so we thought the best antagonist to challenge a character like that would be Amon and his anti-bending revolution. Since Korra isn't a reluctant hero, like Aang was, the challenge was coming up with a problem that she couldn't solve just by beating someone up, although she tries! Amon is able to sway people to his side with just his ideas. And the idea of a world where benders are targeted by the enemy is a shock to this young Avatar, who comes of age in a world where bending skills are traditionally celebrated. [156]

By the end of season 1, when the complete conquest of Republic City by The Equalists became imminent, Amon's true identity was exposed to the public by Korra. [159] In actuality, he was a prodigious Northern Water Tribe bloodbender, an illegal and highly feared style of bending, and the son of bloodbending crime boss, Yakone, whose own bending had been removed by Avatar Aang. Amon and his brother, former councilman Tarrlok, were forced by their cruel and perfectionist father to become master bloodbenders and shaped to become a tool in Yakone's master plan for revenge against the Avatar. [121] [160] Tarrlok described Amon as being obsessed with fairness throughout his life, helping those deemed inferior as a child, but growing colder as he got older. [121] Although he succeeded in removing Korra's bending (which was later restored by Aang), Amon had to leave Republic City with his brother after his past was revealed. As they fled, a remorseful Tarrlok used an Equalist glove to ignite the fuel tank of Amon's boat, killing them both. [159] Max Nicholson of IGN summed up Amon and Tarrlok's underlying story arc as being "about two estranged brothers striving to carry out their father's quest for vengeance, only to realize that it was a fool's errand all along," calling it "really a touching concealed narrative". [161]
Amon's body and costume were designed by Dos Santos, while his mask was designed by Konietzko. According to Konietzko, Amon's mask was designed to reference Chinese and Korean masks and face painting traditions, while remaining simple enough for animators to draw and "iconic" enough to be a symbol of the Equalist revolution. [61] :28
In the season 1 episode "The Aftermath", he was revealed to be an Equalist, creating and supplying the anti-bending group high-tech weaponry to fight against benders. Hiroshi hated benders because a firebender had killed his wife, Yasuko. [120] [77] He was imprisoned for his crimes after the anti-bending revolution was quelled in season 1. By season 4, Hiroshi was shown to be remorseful over his actions and tried to reconcile with his daughter, Asami. [120] [110] When Kuvira threatened Republic City, Hiroshi was temporarily released from prison by Lin Beifong in the two-part series finale to help arm the prototype hummingbird mechas with plasma saws. He made his final amends with his daughter before ultimately sacrificing his life to give Team Avatar the opportunity to take down the giant mecha suit and its spirit energy cannon by cutting through its platinum armor and giving them an entry. [109] [168]
Hiroshi's character design was inspired by and modeled after US President Theodore Roosevelt and Japanese industrialist Keita Gotō. His mustache is based on Mitsubishi founder Iwasaki Yatarō's. [169]

Reception

The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender received praise from reviewers. Troy Island Mell, of IGN, felt that the story "would [not] be anywhere near as good as it is without its ability to create such strong characters". In particular, Mell enjoyed the development of Katara and Zuko throughout the first season, but thought that Zuko's relationship with his uncle was not "very organic." [170] Jamie S. Rich of DVDTalk generally agreed with Mell's assessment of the characters. Rich also praised the fact that, unlike many cartoon television series, Avatar introduces antagonists that have a deep backstory and "are [not] just evil for the sake of it". [171]

Jeremy Mullin, another IGN reviewer, felt that the characters were not brilliantly done, though he noted that they introduced some drama and romantic tension usually not found on Nickelodeon, especially between Aang and Katara. [172] Lair of the Green Knight and DVD Verdict also enjoyed the romantic tension, focusing mainly on the female cast: Katara, Toph, and Azula, as well as the two minor characters, Mai and Ty Lee. Fitz at Lair of the Green Knight lauded the decision to not stereotypically fashion the women into the "usual weak female characters" but to instead give them "strong opinions and strength". [173] IGN also compared character relationships, complimenting "Sokka and Princess Yue's forbidden love" while criticizing Iroh and Zuko's relationship as not being executed properly. [174] DVDVerdict felt that some minor characters, especially Mai and Ty Lee, were "love em' or hate em'" characters. [175] Gabriel Powers of DVDActive thought that while the characters fit into neat "archetypes", it was not a bad thing and fit well with the series. [176]

In 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender was awarded a Peabody for its "unusually complex characters". [177] This makes the cartoon one of few animations to win the award and the only one to be cited for its character development. [178]

Film casting

Katara and Sokka as depicted in the third season of the animated series (left) and live-action film (right). The casting of white actors to portray dark-skinned characters sparked controversy and accusations of racism against the studio and casting agencies. Katara and Sokka cartoon versus film versions.jpg
Katara and Sokka as depicted in the third season of the animated series (left) and live-action film (right). The casting of white actors to portray dark-skinned characters sparked controversy and accusations of racism against the studio and casting agencies.

M. Night Shyamalan originally offered the roles of Aang to Noah Ringer; Sokka to Jackson Rathbone; Katara to Nicola Peltz; and Zuko to Jesse McCartney. [179] In selecting Nicola Peltz, Shyamalan commented that he did not want to make The Last Airbender without her, saying that "I said that only once before in my career, and that was when I met Haley in The Sixth Sense auditions." [180] In February 2009, Dev Patel replaced McCartney, whose tour dates conflicted with a boot camp scheduled for the cast to train in martial arts. [181] [182]

The casting of all-white actors for main protagonist roles in the live-action, Asian-influenced film triggered a negative reaction which was marked by accusations of racism, a letter-writing campaign, and a protest outside of a Philadelphia casting call for movie extras. [183] [184] [185] Jackson Rathbone dismissed the complaints in an interview with MTV, saying, "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan. It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit." [186] Shaun Toub, who plays Iroh, also defended the casting choices. He noted that "if they would have put all Asians in a certain nation, I think then there would be people who come out and said, 'Well, now you're stereotyping, saying that anything that has to do with martial arts has to do with Asians and chop suey and all that.' So it's nice to mix it up and just do the unexpected." [187]

Movie critic Roger Ebert was one of the critical voices against the casting decision. When asked about selection of primarily white actors to portray the characters, he said, "The original series Avatar: The Last Airbender was highly regarded and popular for three seasons on Nickelodeon. Its fans take it for granted that its heroes are Asian. Why would Paramount and Shyamalan go out of their way to offend these fans? There are many young Asian actors capable of playing the parts." [188] Jevon Phillips of the Los Angeles Times noted that despite Shyamalan's attempts to defuse the situation, the issue will "not fade away or be overlooked", and that this film exemplifies the need for a debate within Hollywood about racial diversity in its films. [189] Popular Korean cartoonist Derek Kirk Kim reacted to the film's casting by comparing it to a hypothetical film which depicts white actors wearing traditional African clothing and eating traditional African food in traditional African huts. [190] Shyamalan, however, countered that "this movie, and then the three movies, will be the most culturally diverse tentpole movies ever released." [187]

Related Research Articles

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Avatar: The Last Airbender, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zuko</span> Fictional character from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra

PrinceZuko, also known as the Blue Spirit, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Eric Coleman and designed by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character is voiced by Dante Basco in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bruce Davison in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender and Dallas Liu in the 2024 Netflix live-action remake series.

Katara (<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i>) Character in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra

Katara is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series and Eva Marie Saint in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. She is Chief Hakoda and Kya's daughter and Sokka's younger sister. In the 2010 live action film adaptation, she was played by Nicola Peltz, while in the live-action television series adaptation, she is portrayed by Kiawentiio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iroh</span> Fictional character in Avatar: The Last Airbender

General Iroh, credited as Uncle, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character was voiced by Mako in the first two seasons and, due to Mako's death, by Greg Baldwin in the third season and the sequel series The Legend of Korra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Siege of the North</span> 19th and 20th episodes of the 1st season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"The Siege of the North" is the two-part finale of the first season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and comprises the 19th and the 20th episode of the first season. The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara and Sokka and hunted down by Fire Nation prince Zuko. The first part of the episode was written by John O'Bryan and directed by Lauren MacMullan, with the second part being written by Aaron Ehasz and directed by Dave Filoni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azula</span> Character in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Princess Azula is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and voiced by Grey DeLisle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aang</span> Fictional character from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar Aang, or simply Aang, is the titular protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang was the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, and the youngest ever airbending master.

The Chase (<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i>) 8th episode of the 2nd season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"The Chase" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the 28th episode overall. The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara, Sokka, and Toph Beifong ), and hunted down by Fire Nation prince Zuko and princess Azula. The episode was written by Joshua Hamilton and directed by Giancarlo Volpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toph Beifong</span> Fictional character in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Toph Beifong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, voiced by Michaela Jill Murphy in the original series and Kate Higgins as an adult and Philece Sampler as an elder in the sequel series.

Omashu (<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> episode) 3rd episode of the 1st season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"Omashu" is the third episode of the Netflix adventure fantasy television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is based off the animated television series of the same name (2005–2008). The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka and hunted down by Fire Nation prince Zuko. The episode was written by Christine Boylan and directed by Jabbar Raisani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Crossroads of Destiny</span> The finale of the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"The Crossroads of Destiny" is the twentieth and final episode of the second season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the 40th episode overall. The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara, Sokka, and Toph Beifong, and hunted down by Fire Nation prince Zuko and princess Azula. The episode was written by head writer Aaron Ehasz and directed by co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Secret of the Fire Nation</span> 12th and 13th episodes of the 2nd season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"The Secret of the Fire Nation" is the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the second season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, also titled "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill" respectively, and the 32nd and the 33rd episode overall. The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara, Sokka, and Toph Beifong, and hunted down by Fire Nation prince Zuko and princess Azula. In other regions and on the Book Two DVDs, the two parter was collectively named "Journey to Ba Sing Se". "The Serpent's Pass" was written by Joshua Hamilton and Michael Dante DiMartino, and directed by Ethan Spaulding, while "The Drill" was written by DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and directed by Giancarlo Volpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day of Black Sun</span> 10th and 11th episodes of the 3rd season of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"The Day of Black Sun" is the collective name for the tenth and eleventh episodes of the third season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008). The show follows Aang, the last airbender and the “Avatar”, on his journey to bring balance to a war-torn world by mastering all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. On his quest, he is joined by companions Katara, Sokka, and Toph Beifong. The season also follows Zuko as he returns to the Fire Nation only to face his conflicting feelings about his part in the war. The episodes have the sub-titles "The Invasion" and "The Eclipse" respectively.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> season 2 Second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender animation series

Book Two: Earth is the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. The series starred Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Jessie Flower, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Mako Iwamatsu and Grey DeLisle as the main character voices.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> season 3 Third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender episode list

Book Three: Fire is the third and final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series stars Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Michaela Jill Murphy, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Greg Baldwin, Grey DeLisle, and Mark Hamill as the main character voices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sozin's Comet</span> Series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender

"Sozin's Comet" is the four-part series finale of the American animated Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It was written by the creators alongside Aaron Ehasz, and directed by Ethan Spaulding, Giancarlo Volpe, and Joaquim Dos Santos. Although the finale is split into four episodes, it aired as a two-hour four-part film on July 19, 2008. The Saturday airing of "Sozin's Comet" acted as a climax to a week of ten new episodes that concluded Avatar's third season. Before the week of July 14–19, no episodes had been shown in the US since November 30, 2007, though some episodes had been released on DVD prior to their airdate. This is also considered a 92-minute television movie.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise</i> Graphic novel

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise is a graphic novel in three parts written by Gene Yang and illustrated by Studio Gurihiru, the first in a series of graphic novel trilogies serving as both a continuation of the Avatar: The Last Airbender and a prequel to The Legend of Korra, both animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Part 1 was released on January 25, 2012, Part 2 was released on May 30, 2012 and Part 3 was released on September 26, 2012.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search</i> 2013 graphic novel

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search is a graphic novel, written by Gene Yang and illustrated by Studio Gurihiru that was released in three parts throughout 2013. It is a continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and a prequel to The Legend of Korra, both of which are animated TV series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It takes place after the events of the graphic novel Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise. It is followed by a sequel, Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift.

Tenzin (<i>The Legend of Korra</i>) Fictional character in The Legend of Korra

Tenzin is a major character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by J. K. Simmons. Tenzin's father, Aang, was the Avatar who preceded Korra and kept world peace by preventing the Fire Nation from taking over the world during the Hundred Year War, which occurred about seventy years before the beginning of The Legend of Korra. Tenzin's mother, Katara, greatly assisted Aang in his efforts to save the Earth Kingdom from destruction. Tenzin is the youngest of the three children of Aang and Katara.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> (comics) American comic book series

The Avatar: The Last Airbender comics are an official continuation of the original Nickelodeon animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series includes The Lost Adventures, published from 2005 to 2011 and set between episodes of the original series, and the graphic novel trilogies, published since 2012 and set a few years after the original series. A related comic continuation, taking place seven decades later, The Legend of Korra, began publication in 2017.

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