Line #385 WMG/KorraTheGaang


1	For theories about other subjects, see [[WMG/TheLegendOfKorra The Legend Of Korra Wild Mass Guessing Index]].
2
3	%% Please add new Wild Mass Guesses at the bottom of the page, not the beginning. This way people will know which Guesses are newer and which ones are older.
4
5	[[WMG: Katara will not die in this series either]]
6	Remember the fortune teller? She predicted that Katara would die when her great grand-daughter was born. Unless book 2 takes place several years after Book 1, Katara most likely will not die.
7	* Katara could be like Obi-Wan of the Star Wars saga, TheConstant. Someone that is connected to both of the series, and present in both as well, while being a major character in it. Obi-Wan in the prequels is probably the main character, while in the next trilogy he took a step back and became some sort of extra. If something happened to Tenzin by the end of season one, Katara could replace his position. Katara, being one of the two (we know of) that is in the previous series and the current one, is most likely not to die.
8	** Wait...then who are the droids, the only other characters appearing in every movie? (Counting Vader and Anakin separately)
9	* Katara's two other kids are older than Tenzin, so they could easily have adult children of their own. (So could Tenzin, if he hadn't had his kids so old.) It's not unlikely, then, that Katara already has great grand-children, so there's nothing to conflict with what the fortune teller said.
10	** And there's also the fact that we have no evidence that any of her predictions were true (As Sokka would quickly point out)
11	*** It's equally likely that the Fortuneteller was just telling her things off the top of her head in the hopes that it would satisfy Katara enough to make her go away.
12	*** Confirmed.
13
14	[[WMG: ''Korra'' will give us the future of the Avatar cast.]]
15	Who ended up with whom, what happened to the world, Zuko's mom, post-epilogue related stuff, Toph's parents, [[strike:Ty Lee's]] Azula's future...Also, some of the cast will be descendants of the first series's cast.
16	* Given the presence of Tenzin, Aang's son, let's call this one at least partially [[IKnewIt Confirmed]].
17	* Rumored character Wei Bei could be Wei Beifong.
18	** I got money on Toph and The Duke.
19	** I got money on them too.
20	** Thirded.
21	** Forth... ed.
22	** Five-ded? From now on, let's just say "5!" "6!"
23	** Okay then. 6!
24	** 7!!
25	** 8!
26	** Possibly confirmed: Beifong, Toph's daughter, is a character.
27	** If the dad is The Duke, it would explain why she has her mother's last name.
28	*** Though she may have taken it since the Beifongs are a prominent family.
29	** Toph's parents are Poppy Beifong ( I can't remember her dad's name ). They're like, important characters in '''The Blind Bandit'''.
30	* Yeah, we're ''[[TrollingCreator never]]'' [[TrollingCreator going to find out what happened to Zuko's mom]]. '''Ever'''.
31	** We did. In The Promise. It's canon, man.
32	** Regarding Azula's Future bit, considering one of the plotlines in the comic is us (and arguably the writers' themselves) finding out whatever happened to her, it's safe to say we won't find out anything about Azula until the comics reach their answer.
33
34	[[WMG: The Gaang are/were the senior members of the White Lotus.]]
35	Aang or Zuko was the Grand Lotus after Iroh, and Katara, Sokka, Toph and (maybe) Suki had the same ranks as Pakku, Jeong Jeong, Bumi, and Piandao.
36	* [[spoiler:Confirmed with Katara, holy cow.]]
37	** [[spoiler: Semi-jossed with Sokka, as he's confirmed dead, though it's possible he was previously a member.]]
38	*** [[spoiler: Confirmed in Season 3. Sokka was a White Lotus member who helped Tonraq and Zuko arrest Zaheer's gang 13 years prior.]]
39
40	[[WMG: How the Gaang died.]]
41	Given the 100+ lifespans we've seen before, I highly doubt everyone died of natural causes. Here's how I think everyone died.
42	* Toph: Circumstances conspired to place her on a ship at sea without any waterbenders on board, which sunk taking Toph with it.
43	** Given that she founded the police force, she might have died doing her job, or perhaps her daughter was involved?
44	** A recent theory seems to be that Toph was killed by the man who threatened peace 42 years ago, which is the reason why Lin dislikes the Avatar; because Aang couldn't save her mother.
45	*** Jossed. Toph is confirmed to be alive as of season three and wandering the earth much like Zuko did. And she finally makes her first present day appearance in Book 4.
46	* Sokka: Got too close to the Unagi after moving in with Suki on Kyoshi Island.
47	** Alternatively, Sokka could have been killed by Zaheer or another Irregular Bender when they tried to kidnap Korra.
48	* Katara: Poisoned by one of Aang's enemies.
49	** This one is jossed, Katara is confirmed to be alive.
50	* Aang: Gets revenge for Katara's death, then dies of grief over her.
51	** Also jossed, as Katara outlived him.
52	** Korra said that the 100 years in the iceberg caught up with Aang. He was 66.
53	* Zuko: Assassinated by his second son's wife.
54	** Jossed, The Welcome To Republic City game confirms that Zuko is still alive.
55	** I like the Sokka one
56	** I second the opinion of the above troper. I can seriously see that happening, sadly.
57	* Suki: Killed by Yakone.
58	** That would probably explain why Suki didn't appear in the show nor was mentioned a whole lot.
59	[[WMG: Katara will die during the series, likely in a season finale.]]
60	* the purpase of having most of the Gaang be dead seems to be PassingTheTorch for the new generation. Katara seemed to sadly accept that, which is why I give her the life expecency of at least a season. But seriously, she looks ancient. She won't survive the series.
61	** And then we'll get a TogetherInDeath scene with Aang and Katara. [[TearJerker Tears will ensue.]]
62	** I hate to support a theory that's really heartrending, but it does make sense, and not only would it make room for the above, but it'd be a great place to have a gathering of all her kids, and a few others who would be most likely to see her off; like an elderly Zuko, even perhaps also an appearance by Chief Lin- if only in respect and honor for her own mother. Finally culminating in that TogetherInDeath moment...dammit...it's almost too damn sad.
63	** You know what would make it even worse/better? If they played "The Avatar's Love", Aang and Katara's love theme, when they're reunited.
64	*** Jossed. Katara's still alive after her last appearance in Korra.
65	[[WMG: Azula broke out of prison (or wherever they were keeping her after she went insane) and killed everyone from the first series in a fit of madness before killing herself]]
66	Because there is no way EVERYONE from the original cast could have died unless some serious shit went down. Especially since Bumi lived to be over 100 years old.
67	* Now [[DroppedABridgeOnHim wouldn't that be a bridge-dropping?]]
68
69	[[WMG: The Equalists caused the death of at least most of the Gaang.]]
70	Most of the Gaang are benders, and pretty famous ones at that. They would be the movements first targets. Suki and Sokka were also targeted because they were friends with bender, or they died protecting their friends. Some of the Gaang may have died because of other reasons, but mostly its the Anti-Benders fault.
71
72	[[WMG: The main cast of the previous series died heroically while taking down a four hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings.]]
73	It makes sense.
74	* Would make a great homage to Azula but would piss off everyone
75	** It's the way they would have wanted to go.
76	*** Well, minus the platypus.
77	*** ''Not'' minus the [[MixAndMatchCritters platypus]]. Because dying heroically while taking down a four hundred foot tall purple ''bear'' with pink horns and silver wings [[SincerityMode would just be weird]].
78
79	[[WMG:Sokka will have gone on an epic quest to get his Space Sword back]]
80	And then become the greatest swordsman in the world, and taught it to many of his fellow Southern Water Tribespeople.
81
82	[[WMG: Sokka will be a sword master like Piandao.]]
83	He'll have his own idiosyncratic (and comedic -- this ''is'' Sokka) way of "testing" students if they're truly ready to learn. Like Piandao, he'll also be a senior member of the Order of the White Lotus.
84	* He would make an awesome badass Grandpa.
85	* {{Jossed}}: Katara explicitly mentions in the first episode that Sokka has already died.
86	** There's always {{flashback}}s to consider, he could have still ''been'' all these things, and we'll hear or see it from those who knew him.
87
88	[[WMG: Azula/Sokka happened after the war, and was key to the founding of the Equalist movement.]]
89	In short, Azula's mental health improves significantly, caused by(or leading to) a HeelFaceTurn. In an attempt to make up for her past actions, she helps with the founding of the United Republic, becoming romantically entangled with Sokka in the process. Suki doesn't like this one bit, obviously, causing the founding of the Equalists.
90	* Really, I just like the irony of a CrackPairing that happens offscreen being vital to the premise, while the Kataang/Zutara debate that dominated the fandom is reduced to trivia.
91	* Also, it might explain why Ty Lee trained Amon, if she lost both of her potential love interests to each other.
92
93	[[WMG: Iroh is still alive, and doesn't look like he's aged at all.]]
94	Probably not, but I would be very happy if this was true. It'd be even better if he was also breeding dragons (to try to keep them from going extinct.)
95	* [[spoiler: Jossed. Iroh's been dead for nearly 40 years, but can still be visited in the spirit world.]]
96	** [[spoiler: Well, only [[ComicallyMissingThePoint half-Jossed]]. Iroh really doesn't look like he's aged at all...spirit world benefits?]]
97
98	[[WMG: Zuko will be this series' Iroh.]]
99	I could already see him teaching Korra about the balance between the four elements, just like what Iroh taught to Zuko in an episode. Bitter Work, maybe?
100	* Now that we know Zuko's alive, I want this to happen!!
101	* He'll even ''look'' like Iroh and inherit his obsession with tea, plus he'll hit on Pema and Chief Beifong to show he's become a DirtyOldMan like his uncle was. He ''won't'' hit on Korra because even [[EveryoneHasStandards Even Perverted Ex-Firelords Have Standards]]. Korra will be extremely offended by this and Tenzin will be exasperated as usual.
102	** Jossed: He looks more like Sozin.
103	* To add onto the above [[WaxOnWaxOff he'll insist that brewing tea brews inner peace]] and in the process, get Korra hooked on the stuff too.
104
105	[[WMG: King Bumi will still be alive in this series]]
106	Avatar Kyoshi lived to be 230 years old; who's to say Bumi isn't alive and well at the age 182 as of Legend of Korra? Also of note, if you check his age on Website/ThatOtherWiki it doesn't say that he's deceased as of Korra, while it does say so for the rest of the Gaang. It could be a simple oversight, but then again it may not be.
107	* I suspect that if he is still alive, he is using his power in the White Lotus to sabotage the anti-bender revolts. Perhaps he will at some point utterly destroy important infrastructure as a continuity nod.
108
109	[[WMG: Aang didn't die of old age.]]
110	All it takes is some simple math to reach this conclusion. A:TLK takes place 70 years after the first series, and Korra looks to be about 16 judging by the concept art. Therefore, Aang died when he was about 66 (12+ 54). Considering powerful benders like Iroh, Bumi, Pakku, and most Avatars live to be much older than this, it isn't much of a leap to assume that Aang died, not of old age, but instead in a manner very similarly to how Roku did: he was either murdered or left for dead, possibly by someone he trusted. Assuming this is true, the principal question concerning Aang's death isn't "How did he die?" but rather "Who killed him?"
111	* Possibly {{Jossed}} by WordOfGod:
112	-->'''Bryan Konietzko''': You gotta keep in mind that [Aang] was frozen in a state of suspended animation for 100 years, so he kind of burned up some of his extra Avatar time.
113	** Of course, it's still ''possible'' that Aang didn't die naturally.
114	** I thought it meant that the Avatar is destined to live for a certain amount of time and Aang had spent 100 years of his destined life span in that ice.
115	** While that may explain Aang's "early" death, the rest of the original cast is supposed to be dead too. The 3 most powerful single-element benders (and a sword master) of that generation didn't make it to their ''mid-eighties''? Even if Aang died peacefully, ''something'' must have happened to the rest of them later.
116	*** And now there is a large anti-bender sentiment. These things probably aren't unrelated.
117	** Not to mention that some Avatars have lived much longer than a hundred years. Kyoshi, no matter how you slice it, lived for over two hundred years or more. It would make sense if Aang died young by Avatar world standards (i.e. eighty or eighty five), but even if you allow the maximum among of time for Aang to be alive (i.e. Korra told she is the Avatar at twelve and then going through a "cram-tastic bending session" like Aang), the maximum time Aang could have been around is about seventy-five years.
118	** And you also have Zuko's unusual death to take into account. WordOfGod is that Sozin lived to be over one hundred, in part due to the power of the comet. Zuko was around during the comet, and yet he would have lived to be ninety one at the maximum (and that's if he keeled over the day the new series started).
119	*** Why assume that Zuko is dead with no evidence? He could still be an elderly Firelord for all we know.
120	*** Maybe chi is somehow leaving the world due to the anti-bending sentiment? All benders would suddenly become short lived.
121	*** That really doesn't make sense. Benders are supposed to be unusually spiritual people and possess powers for this reason, so why would they be affected by the feelings of unspiritual people?
122	*** Zuko's supposed death might not be all that "unusual." He got electrocuted pretty badly during his fight against Azula. It's quite possible that the injury took years off of his life-span... especially because the scarring was in a bad location and could've plagued and pained him for the rest of his life.
123	** Last couple of points are [[LyingCreator jossed]]. Zuko is confirmed to still be alive.
124
125	[[WMG:An 82 year old Toph will teach earth bending to Korra]]
126	Likely {{Jossed}}; rumor is that Korra will already be a master of everything except Air. Which isn't to say that Toph ''wasn't'' Korra's instructor; just that it will be backstory either way.
127	* I tend to think that Toph was the one to teach her, I doubt there's a better earthbender in the world and Toph would certainly have the financial/political pull to make it happen if she wanted it to. Only reason I can see for her not to teach Korra is if its too painful for her to be around the reincarnation of her friend.
128	** Which is kind of doubtful when you consider how hopeful she sounded in ''The Avatar and the Firelord'' after Aang mentioned Roku's line about friendships transcending lifetimes.
129	** Alternatively, ''Korra'' might have refused Toph's wish to be her earthbending teacher. Perhaps because she already had someone else committed to her, or because she's trying to avoid living in Aang's shadow whenever possible. Following up arguably the most important and influential Avatar in modern history has to be tough.
130	* Alternatively, Toph could teach Korra (and Bolin) not earthbending, but ''metal''bending. Who better to train the Avatar and her friend in metalbending than the very person who invented the technique? And yes, I know Korra can metalbend, but as she said herself, she's still new to this. Toph could help her become much better at it, and Bolin get over his block in learning it.
131	* Another possibility: Korra ''really'' wanted Toph to be her earthbending teacher but the White Lotus said no. Most likely, Katara had told her stories of "The Blind Bandit" and young Korra was excited about meeting her. When it came time for to begin her training, however, it didn't work out that way. Toph most likely wanted to train Korra, but the White Lotus, still paranoid about the Red Lotus kidnap attempt said "No, we already have a teacher for her, thanks for asking." That's when Toph decided to wander the world "looking for enlightenment", hoping that one day, Korra would get out from under her guardians' thumbs and find her.
132	** Well, she disappeared for other reasons, but Korra and Toph DO meet in Book 4, and, just like with Aang, Toph is NOT gentle in her personal retraining of Korra.
133
134	[[WMG: Toph was a Grade-A MamaBear.]]
135	First of all, it gives a nice contrast to her parents. Second of all, Chief Beifong has some fairly large scars on her cheek. No matter how she got them, it's hard to imagine that the person responsible got off without a bunch of rocks in their face.
136	* "Old Wounds" shows us how Lin got her scars...from her half-sister, Suyin Beifong by accident. Suyin got banished from Republic City for it (that and assisting a crime in progress), instead of getting tossed in jail. It was the best solution Toph could see.
137
138	[[WMG: Toph still lives, but she's totally blind now due to diabetes.]]
139	Toph developed diabetes in her old age, and, after treating her doctor's dietary rules with the same respect she showed any other rules, ended up needing to get both legs amputated below the knee. What tremor-sense Toph still has left is pretty lousy, and she needs a live-in nurse to help take care of her. She spends most of her days alone in her luxury mansion, eating food she hates, listening to pro-bending matches on the radio and daydreaming about the springtime of her life when she was still the champ.
140	* Well, I've got my daily dose of depression today, thank you very much.
141	** Seconded. If Toph had to lose her legs, she'd learn to walk on her hands. Heck, Bumi could earth bend with his ''face''. There's no reason Toph couldn't do the same.
142	** Prosthetics already exist in the Avatar universe (Combustion Man). Toph could have metalbent some false legs and went on as if nothing happened.
143	* Jossed: Toph not only had her legs in ''Korra Alone'', but was clearly still connected to events around her in the swamp via Seismic Sense.
144
145	[[WMG: While she helped train them, Toph was never officially a member of the police force.]]
146	Unless she mellowed out from old age, becoming a police officer seems out of character for Toph. Too authoritarian. While she might have helped out in the event of a major emergency, she was never officially a member of the force.
147	* I agree. Either that, or when Toph ran the metalbending cops, it was a little less strict and obsessive about order in the city than it is under Lin Beifong's command. I can see Toph agreeing to try to control rampant, ugly crime in the city while kicking the ass of the offenders, but not to go as authoritarian as Lin did.
148	** My theory is that when Toph was running things, Republic City wasn't the great capital that it is now. It was kind of a frontier town, and Toph was running things like a sheriff rather than a big-city police chief, with her apprentices as deputies. That's something Toph would be a natural at.
149
150	[[WMG: Ty Lee will or will not reappear]]
151	Will Not: She is a minor character, arguably the least important of the main characters
152	Will: Could be a chance for more screen time
153	seems like she would live long
154	techniques could be used by antibenders.
155	* Confirmed.
156	** That she will or will not appear?
157	*** [[MathematiciansAnswer Yes]].
158	*** [[Series/DoctorWho Dammit, River!]]
159	* Ty Lee won't be in it, everyone in the original is dead.
160	** Flashbacks are your friend.
161	** Identical granddaughter, perhaps? Hopefully?
162	** Seven identical granddaughters.
163	** Seven identical daughters each having seven identical daughters resulting in forty-nine identical Ty Lee granddaughters. Why? [[RuleOfCool Cause they can.]]
164	*** NO! You miscalculate! Ty Lee is one of seven in the first place, so if we assume each of them had seven identical daughters who each also had seven identical daughters, that's somewhere like 343 identical Ty Lees. This must be where the entirety of the non-bender fighting force comes from.
165	*** My God! A Ty Lee army. 343 Ty Lee fighters commanded by their 49 Ty Lee parents, so 392 Ty Lees so far. Unless they reach the Great-Granddaughter Generation (it could happen), adding ''another'' 2,401 Ty Lees. If that happens HEAD FOR THE HILLS!!! The Ty Lees Are Taking Over The World!
166	*** I for one welcome our pink overlords.
167	*** Hopefully the 1 out of 2,401 Ty Lees will try to be different from the rest, resulting in a Ty Lee that helps the Avatar stop the impending horde of Ty Lee's. And in order to be different, this Ty Lee will be the [[TheStraightMan Straight Woman]] instead of the {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.
168	*** Ty Lee herself tried to be different, which would mean 1/7 of the 2,401 Ty Lees would be unique.
169	** Ty Lee will appear as a slightly batty, but badass old lady in Kyoshi Warrior uniform fighting the Equalists. Turns out Amon (or some high-ranking Equalist) was her DeceptiveDisciple, and she's rather pissed that someone is abusing the techniques she taught. [[spoiler: OK, not likely due to the "everyone's dead" thing, but you know that would rock.]]
170	*** Partially jossed. Chi-blocking is hardly a unique skill, but in the original the only one shown to use it was Ty Lee. Apparently it's a very ancient art, probably developed by non-benders in order to fight off their naturally more powerful opponents.
171	*** Let's say if Ty Lee did grow up to be an old lady, she'll give a CurbStompBattle to the Equalists with a taste of their own medicine. NeverMessWithGranny
172
173	[[WMG: Ty Lee, Sokka, and Suki will all receive a major in-universe HistoricalHeroUpgrade... by the Equalists.]]
174	Face it, Team Avatar is going to have a ''lot'' of plays, operas, and novels written about them. Heck, by Korra's time there will probably be silent movies about them. But the social movement that will give rise to the violent Equalists didn't come out of nowhere. So who will artists sympathetic to the anti-benders -- or artists simply looking to make a buck off them -- re-purpose history for their propaganda purposes? Simple: they'll give the non-benders surrounding Avatar Aang {{Historical Hero Upgrade}}s. Suki will be a feminist-ish figure for Earth Kingdom women, important in a now-industrial society that has men and women sharing roles, with the benefit over Toph that she's a peasant who made good. Sokka is the male non-bender who could hold his own alongside the greatest benders of his generation. Ty Lee can be the "good German" who was Fire Nation but wasn't guilty of her nations crimes. In fact, she turned against her own crown princess, and not merely out of friendships, but, according to writers of a certain political bent, in the name of justice and human decency against bender oppression. (Mai's contribution here is minimized by the Equalists, since she was a 'traitor' who was romantically involved with the Firelord.) Moreover, Ty Lee can be a feel-good figure for the people of Republic City in terms of multiculturalism, as she left her homeland to live abroad amongst foreigners.
175	** Not to mention that the Equalists employ chi-blocking skills not dissimilar to Ty Lee's in order to fight benders. They had to learn them from somewhere.
176	*** Probably not from her, the skill is very old and very difficult, but there were people who trained it in secret.
177	[[WMG: [[MemeticBadass Wang Fire]] will become a major icon of the Equalists]]
178	Going through some old bureaucratic paperwork, Fire Lord Zuko will find mention of a [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Private_Fire Private Wang Fire who died heroically fighting against earthbenders and waterbenders]]. Knowing full well that "Wang Fire" is just Sokka's alter ego (perhaps hearing of the events from the Gaang himself), Zuko will expunge "Pvt. Fire's" name and "deeds" from the records, as he technically never existed. However, as Fire's sergeant said, "his memory lives on," and the bearded Sokka's "final battle" will grow upon the years into an epic tragedy, with Wang Fire fighting heroically against a vast army of Earth- and Waterbenders until his inevitable demise. The anti-benders will note this and seize on Zuko's erasure of Fire from the records, claiming it to be Benders jealously hiding the fact that non-benders can be just as badass - or even more so - then those who bend the elements.
179	* In addition, the flag of the anti-benders will be Sokka's Boomerang and Space Sword, symbolizing the ultimate weapons of non-bending. Sokka Style combined with Wang Fire Legacy will be the patron saint of non-bending.
180
181	[[WMG: The compound wasn't Aang's idea.]]
182	While Aang knew that something had to be done to keep an Avatar from going missing like he did, he only realized it near the end of his life and he didn't have enough time to come up with a specific plan. So he basically told the White Lotus to handle things for him. When he finally meets Korra as her SpiritAdvisor, he'll explain what happened, but apologize to her nonetheless.
183	* Confirmed, the compound was a co-effort between Tenzin and Korra's dad to protect her from the Red Lotus, the main antagonists of Book 3.
184
185	[[WMG:Zuko will have a cameo]]
186	Now that we know he's alive, he'll have a very short just-passing-through appearance, possibly as a BigDamnHeroes moment. My wish is for Zuko to intervene in a fight with the Lieutenant, grabbing an electrified kali stick and redirecting the charge into the Lieutenant's face. Then he can teach Korra how to redirect lightning off-screen, if she hasn't learned that yet.
187	* "Retired and traveling the world as an ambassador" is just code for "can show up at any time."
188	* [[spoiler: Zuko shows up in Season 3.]]
189
190	[[WMG:Hiroshi Sato was sponsored by a member of the Gaang.]]
191	Probably Sokka. He was having his shoes shined and was doing small talk with this boy who started to gush about his dream of making motor transport reality for everybody. Needless to say, Sokka would be incredibly exited over such a technological achievement, and cough up the cash for the prototype on the spot.
192
193	[[WMG:Yakone killed Sokka]]
194	Look carefully at that vision flashback which shows the grown-up Gaang in "The Voice in the Night" - Aang looks ''furious'', which is not at all typical for him. Something ''really'' bad must have happened to get him that pissed off. Something like one of his friends being killed. We know it can't be Katara or Zuko since they're still alive. My bet is it was Sokka, who was specifically confirmed in the first episode as having died. We see Sokka in the flashback too, with a very serious - pained? - expression on his face. And the Yakone incident is apparently still a sensitive subject with Tenzin 42 years later. My guess is that Yakone was a rogue bender (perhaps even a bending supremacist) and Sokka's death at his hands had something to do with the start of the Equalists - if even a skilled and experienced warrior like Sokka can be cut down, what non-bender is safe? Perhaps the Equalist movement even started with Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors, who are already established as having learned chi-blocking from Ty Lee.
195	* Agreed. Something drastic had to have happened to make Aang that angry, and harming his friends could be one of those things. Of course, Toph could also have been killed, but right now Sokka seems like the more reasonable option, considering how he's confirmed as dead.
196	* Seconded. In the flashback in episode 6, Toph is seen pointing at something or someone for Aang to look at, and Aang is seen going all Avatar state on Yakone.
197	* Even more support in episode 8-- Korra has another flashback in which Yakone can clearly be seen attacking and inflicting great pain upon Sokka with [[spoiler:bloodbending]]. He also hits Aang and Toph with it; while Aang obviously survives, this puts Toph in jeopardy as well, given that we don't know her current status.
198	* [[spoiler:Wow, they both lived.]] I guess we can call this one {{Jossed}}, though it was certainly a close call for them.
199	** They weren't shown living. I'm pretty sure they died here.
200	*** They weren't shown ''conscious''. Aang himself was only knocked out cold; the only reason he woke up before the others is because the Avatar State told him his life's work was in danger and woke him up. Toph and Sokka probably just regained consciousness a couple of minutes later with an urge to kill in the former, a hankering for seal-jerky in the latter, and massive headaches all around. They're fine.
201	* They made it. Later flashbacks and revelations in the series makes it clear that none of the Gaang died in the Yakone incident.
202
203	[[WMG:At least some people from the first series took up pro-bending]]
204	Zuko and/or Katara could almost certainly get into a sport like pro-bending. It seems even more like something that would appeal to Toph, but she would be disadvantaged because she couldn't see any of the flying elements. It would be in-character for Haru, Bumi, or anyone from the Earthbending tournement (especially The Boulder) to be their third man. Hell, they might have even invented the game.
205
206	[[WMG:Sokka started the equalist movement]]
207	He didn't have any harm intended when he started the movement. He just wanted equality in the workplace and in quality of living between benders and non-benders. Unfortunately many of his followers bore deep resentment towards benders and tainted his idealistic campaign to something more hateful and radical.
208
209	[[WMG: Some more Zuko theories:]]
210	* Zuko will save Korra from whatever Tarrlok is planning. ([[CallBack Bonus points if he drags her back to Republic City while she's in the spirit world.]])
211	* Dante Basco's character will be Zuko's grandson/traveling partner. [[Foil He will be a huge fan of his Grandpa]][[StalkerWithoutACrush and take notes on everything he does.]]
212	* Firelord Zutara (C'mon, that's a rockin' name!) shows up, explaining to her father and maybe son that it's no longer safe to be in Republic City . . . and then shows them them the fleet she's donating to Korra's cause. Zutara will be a middle-aged Ursa expy with some [[BlatantLies inexplicable]] [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan Snarker]] [[PassingtheTorch traits.]]
213	* Zuko's appearance will lampshade his PaperThinDisguise in Season 2, for instance, the team re planning a stealth op, and Zuko asks to come along
214	-->Asami: No offence sir, but aren't you a little... ''(gestures at her left eye)'' recognisable?
215	-->Zuko: ''(shakes out his hair and puts on a long coat)'' You would be very surprised
216	* Zuko will either use a cane or be prone to coughing fits. [[IncurableCoughofDeath Nothing serious]], just something to show his best years are behind him. He may also require constant tea breaks.
217	** What could be very cool is if his cane has a handle like his old swords used to, and when a fight breaks out (which it will), he picks up his cane and [[BifurcatedWeapon pulls it in half like his broadswords]].
218	* Zuko will spend most of his appearance feigning deafness and/or senility, partly to make younger opponents underestimate him, and partly just to mess with people
219	* Zuko will tell a successful {{Koan}}.[[LampshadeHanging Then he'll tell]] whoever he told it to that [[RunningGag it took him several decades to come up with it.]]
220	* After old age has taken it's toll, Zuko has lost the ability to conjure fire, so he uses a lighter or a box of matches
221	* Zuko will be a GrumpyOldMan who will grumble about how things were better in his day, and might complain about the UniquenessDecay of special techniques like lightning or chi-blocking that were rare in the original series.
222	* After escaping Tarrlok, Korra will go to Katara, knowing she was one of the few who will remember how Yakone was beaten. She will [[GondorCallsForAid call for Zuko's aid]] and the two will help Korra defeat Tarrlok.
223	* Zuko will show up and save the day by blasting the bad guy of the episode with Lightning showing that he eventually was able to generate it after the War ended.
224
225	[[WMG: Toph is alive.]]
226	This is based entirely on Hiroshi's "Not even your renowned mother can bend a metal so pure" statement. Note that he says ''can'', not ''could''.
227	** No, he says could.
228	* [[spoiler: Season 3 confirms that she's ''probably'' still alive...she decided to [[WalkingTheEarth walk the Earth]] at some point before the start of the series and hasn't been seen since then. Which basically translates to "might show up any time".]]
229	* [[spoiler: Confirmed, as of Season 4.]]
230
231	[[WMG: Zuko's official title now that he's retired:]]
232	Fatherlord
233	* Likewise, his official seal is based off of his scar.
234
235	[[WMG: Azula killed everybody's parents]]
236	About fifteen years ago, Azula escaped from her prison and started committing random acts of violence in an attempt to destabilize Republic City (or maybe she's just that crazy now) She killed Amon's parents and burned Amon, but couldn't bring herself to kill him, because now he reminds her of Zuzu and she ran away. Then she killed Asami's mother, and then she killed Mako and Bolin's parents.
237	* Zuko abdicated the throne to his daughter three years ago so he could chase down Azula and stop her crazy shit!
238
239	[[WMG: Zuko and Katara will both be back for the season 1 finale and help take back the city while Korra goes for Amon]]
240	* Jossed. [[spoiler:Katara does return, but only to try and fail to restore Korra's bending. Zuko only returns ''much'' later, in Book 3.]]
241
242	[[WMG: Suki was the prosecutor at Yakone's trial.]]
243	Brown hair, gray eyes, and a sharp, confident voice that could've been shaped from years of training a militant group of BadassNormal women. [[https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/599439_669996170777_1376128407_n.jpg You]] be the [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/suki_avatar.jpg judge]].
244	* Her clothing looks slightly [[BuffySpeak Water Tribey]], so she might have married Sokka?
245	* Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest, since Sokka was the presiding judge at Yakone's trial?
246	* The jaw/chin, eyes, and nose aren't the right shape either.
247
248	[[WMG: Katara is not allowed in Republic City because she's a bloodbender.]]
249	The very act of being a bloodbender seems as illegal as using it. Katara doesn't appear in Republic City in flashbacks or modern day.
250	* Unless she was busy tending to the children on Air Temple Island in those Flashbacks, and she likely is at the South Pole due to her age/possible health issues. It seems silly they would banish a key hero from the war over having to bloodbend on two random occasions on-screen. In fact, Katara was likely the one who proposed that bloodbending should be deemed illegal for its malicious potential!
251	** The part about her being the one to get bloodbending outlawed is actually true! Yakone mentions as much during the flashback sequence in the finale. Kinda weird that she didn't face any complications from said law, though...I mean, she herself was a bloodbender-- what kind of loophole could have gotten her out of it?
252	*** Not using bloodbending. People are physically able to do all manner of things that are illegal, but it's only a crime if one actually tries to do them.
253	*** Indeed, Yakone mentions that it was thanks to Katara that bloodbending was made illegal in the first place. She would have made using the ability a crime, not the ability itself.
254
255	[[WMG: Zuko will act as mentor to either Asami or Tarrlok.]]
256	He knows how it is having a villainous parent and gives some pretty good advice after his escapades as firelord, not to mention as a father.
257
258	[[WMG: Sokka grew up to be a great artist.]]
259	His work would be well-known around the world.
260
261	[[WMG: Sokka died recently]]
262	Even though Sokka is her brother it seems odd that Katara would only mention Sokka by name when listing the dead, so it occurs to me maybe until recently Korra knew Sokka.
263	* [[spoiler:Depending on your definition of recently, this was confirmed in Season 3. While it's not known exactly when he died, at the very least he was still alive when Korra was four years old, so his death was less than 13 years ago.]]
264
265	[[WMG: Iroh II was born shortly after [[DeadGuyJunior Iroh's death.]]]]
266	Benders do tend to have long lives, so it's possible.
267	* Also, he is the original Iroh's reincarnation.
268	* Possibly [[spoiler:confirmed. Iroh died about 30 years after the original series]], and Iroh II looks to be in his mid to late-20s.
269
270	[[WMG: Sokka died childless]]
271
272	[[WMG: Azula is still alive and acting as her niece's advisor.]]
273	Well, I always preferred to think that she eventually was cured and became, if not a good person, then at least capable of functioning in a civilized society. She should resemble Lo and Li from the original series, and give hard, cynical advice to balance her niece's inherited idealism with realities of ruling a kingdom -- much like Ozai seems to be doing for Zuko from behind the bars in ''The Promise''.
274
275	[[WMG: Zuko never became an avid tea drinker like Iroh, but instead became a coffee lover]]
276	One of the things he did as Firelord was reconnect the Fire Nation with the Sun Warriors in order to spread the teachings of their more spiritual Fire Bending. One of the things the Sun Warriors then introduce him to is a local drink brewed with the seeds of plant that grows around their temples - ones that look a lot like beans. This never sits quite right with Iroh, but Zuko loves it.
277	* This is my Fannon now
278
279	[[WMG: Katara doesn't remember how to bloodbend]]
280	Bending techniques are skills, that like any other, you'll forget if you don't keep using them. Remember Katara's reaction when she first used bloodbending? She certainly didn't seem like she was ever going to use the technique again. Since it's been 70 years since she last used bloodbending, it wouldn't be a surprise if she simply can't put it into practice again so easily. [[spoiler: And this was why she couldn't fix Korra when she was debended. She didn't remember how to properly bloodbend to even try to undo Amon's bloodbending.]]
281	** There wasn't a full moon out and unlike Amon, Katara needs it to bloodbend.
282
283	[[WMG:We'll be seeing Yue again in season 2]]
284	The next book is called Spirits,is focusing on the spirit world,and of course Yue is the Moon Spirit now..
285	* And having been a princess of the Northern tribe in life, she'll hate and resent what Korra's uncle is doing in the name of the North and the spirits
286	** Jossed. She doesn't appear at all.
287
288	[[WMG: At least part of the reason why Zuko's reign was so long was because he didn't want his (oldest) daughter to have to deal with the stress of running the Fire Nation and raising children at the same time]]
289	Frankly the fact that Zuko gave up the throne at all is unique and completely against everything monarchy stands for. The Crown is a Divine Given Duty given to you through your Royal Blood rather than a job you can retire from. His reign was so long because he took the throne at sixteen and is still alive at 86. The fact that he surrendered it to his daughter at all is extremely un-kosher and may or may not be tied to the fact that Aang died and he must now cover for him, playing the peace-keeper until the new Avatar is ready to take over (my favorite WMG by the way)
290	* Also, the fact that Zuko was able to be The Fire Lord while he was raising his children was because his wife helped him with the child-rearing while he was busy being The Fire Lord. Clearly his daughter had to experience the same help from her husband because anything less than that is extremely sexist.
291	** OP here: I was trying to tie "Zuko retired to cover for Aang" with him appearing to have taken his time about it (Aang had been dead since Korra was born but Zuko didn't start covering for him until a few years before the series started)and with him making an attempt to be a better, more hands on father than Ozai (a parenting style that probably rubbed off on Zuko's daughter).
292	* Just when Zuko gave up the throne hasn't been stated, but it's implied to be recent-ish; his daughter would likely be in her fifties, like Tenzin and Lin Bei Fong. She would at least have been in her forties and had teenagers or young adults, and thus didn't need much help in raising them. And I just figured that the Fire Nation's throne went to the oldest child regardless of gender; Ozai offering the position to Azula was so unusual not because she was female but because she was the younger sibling.
293
294	[[WMG:Aang didn't mean to favor Tenzin, he just did]]
295	* Favoring one of his kids sounds unlike Aang, but I don't think he intentionally did it. Rather, as he got older, he became more conscious of the fact that he was all that remained of an entire culture, a burden that would one day shift to his youngest son. He probably ended up favoring Tenzin without realizing it.
296
297	[[WMG:Zuko wears the Crown Prince topknot crown.]]
298	The last actual Crown Prince of the Fire Nation to actually wear it was Sozin, who gifted it to Roku as he was leaving to begin his Avatar training. Since then, the piece has become more associated with Roku than with the Crown Prince (as evidenced by several depictions of Roku wearing it). To evoke the imagery of his maternal great-grandfather, Zuko wore it during his time after abdicating the throne and being a wandering {{Ambadassador}}, proverbially holding down the fort for Aang's successor.
299
300	[[WMG:Azula is the female Fire Sage from "Beginnings."]]
301	They both have similar appearances.
302	* She became a Fire Sage after [[spoiler: getting a new face from the Mother of Faces. She has no memory of her past life. In the process, she regained her sanity and became a calmer, more spiritual person, the exact opposite of the sociopathic princess we know.]] We'll be seeing her again, either in The Rift, or in a future book.
303	* If that were the case, wouldn't the Fire Sage's firebending burn blue? Unless Azula's blue firebending is the result of a conscious choice on her part, [[spoiler: or unless the Mother of Faces gives new firebending colors as well as faces]], that could be a potential hole in this theory.
304	** The blue fire could have been a representation of her inner rage, and once she figuratively cooled down, her firebending became normal, as well.
305
306	[[WMG:Zuko will visit Iroh in the spirit world now that it's open to humans.]]
307	Self-explanatory.
308
309	[[WMG:Zuko will appear, but not until Book 4]]
310	They're gonna make us wait.
311	* Jossed. He comes up in Book 3.
312
313	[[WMG: Zuko will ''never'' appear in the show]]
314	They are having way too much fun with this BaitAndSwitch.
315	* Jossed. Bryke would't do that with one of the most iconic members of the Gaang and the retired Fire Lord. He appears in Book 3.
316
317	[[WMG: Zuko will appear and he will be voiced by Michael Ironside.]]
318	Because why not?
319	** He does appear in Book 3, but he's voiced by Bruce Davison instead.
320
321	[[WMG: Zuko is the figure riding the dragon in the Book 3 teaser.]]
322	* Confirmed.
323
324	[[WMG: Iroh helped Azula recover from her breakdown long ago, and she is currently living in Ba Sing Se.]]
325	This WMG has several stages, so buckle in:
326	* In her youth, Azula underwent a grueling journey across the world that eventually brought her to the Jasmine Dragon. There, Iroh gave her a job as a waitress and tea-brewer, and her poor little OCD brain became obsessed with brewing the perfect tea, every time. Eventually she became just as good at tea-brewing as Iroh, and in the process Iroh worked his magic and helped her to become sane again (because Iroh is just that good, dammit).
327	* A tragic fire hit the lower levels of Ba Sing Se, and, much like the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire Great Chicago Fire]], it was caused by a dropped lantern. Azula, who had helped battle this fire with Iroh due to their bending prowess, got the idea in her mind to create a safer form of illumination besides an open flame, and thus, ATLA electric lighting was born. She soon became quite the force behind modernization in most cities, and even imparted the traditionally-sacred, royals-only art of lightningbending to other firebenders so that they could power the generators she invented. This cemented her reputation as a force for good (if a somewhat eccentric force, at that), and eventually she was able to rebuild her sibling relationship with Zuko and actually forge friendships with the rest of the Gaang.
328	* Iroh left her his tea shop when he died, and when she retired she began running the Jasmine Dragon full-time, much like Iroh did. She now spends her days obsessively brewing tea, hatching mad matchmaking schemes to pair up all her favorite young people with each other, plotting to take down the coffee shop next door so as to eliminate the competition, and occasionally dabbling in information-dealing to keep the White Lotus from breathing down her neck.
329	* This future may or may not involve a love interest, which in turn produces a son named Lu Ten, who may or may not be Amon's Lieutenant just to satisfy that silly pun WMG.
330	** Fan-Fic Please
331
332	[[WMG: Sokka died protecting Korra from Zaheer.]]
333	It's the only time Sokka's even been mentioned since the flashback episode in Book 1. It's entirely possible that Sokka's sacrifice helped prompt Tenzin and Tonraq to build the compound. Zuko also describes just how formidable Zaheer and his gang are, and both he and Tenzin seem to be genuinely terrified of them. The only characters to have that effect on the Gaang are those who have proven to be a serious and deadly threat to someone the Gaang care for deeply (Ozai and Azula, for instance; the Gaang were not all that concerned about Zhao or Long Feng, but Ozai and Azula scared most of them spitless).
334
335	[[WMG: Toph will show up to help Zuko et al take down Zaheer]]
336	And she'll call Korra 'twinkle-toes' if they meet.
337	* Jossed, she doesn't appear at all in Book 3. [[spoiler: Although she does call Korra Twinkle-Toes when they finally meet in Book 4.]]
338
339	[[WMG: Toph's decision to seek enlightenment is a cover for something.]]
340	Come on, this is Toph Bei Fong we're talking about here. Some kind of journey to discover inner whatever seems like a bit of a jump for the girl who used to showboat in front of Pro-Earthbending crowds or swindle firebenders out of their money. Either she had one heck of a mid-life crisis or there's considerably more to the story.
341	* Maybe she got that life-changing trip with Zuko she always wanted, but the Fire Lady thought [[MistakenForCheating something else was going on]] and made Toph... disappear. Alternatively, Toph got tired of humans and went to live with the badgermoles.
342	* Maybe she ''did'' had a huge mid-life crisis, in no small part due to her estranged daughters. Heck, according to Lin (who is biased, granted), Toph felt so guilty for covering up Suyin's crime that she retired early.
343	* Maybe she knew she was dying and decided she would rather entomb herself than be a burden to others. Well, the series has gone to dark places before...
344	* What if it's Aiwei's cover for something? He's a traitor and the only one who has mentioned Toph's supposed "enlightenment journey".
345	** Possibly, but Lin and Su talks about their mom as if she's still alive.
346	* Helping a secretly alive Sokka (or continuing his mission, were he dead) with the investigation on the Red Lotus.
347
348	[[WMG: Toph will die in either book 3 or 4.]]
349	Remember the swamp? Aang saw her vision while Katara and Sokka saw their mother and Yue respectively. Katara's vision represents family love and the death of the person in the past timeline of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sokka's represents partner love and the death of the person in present timeline. What does that leave with Aang? Friendship love and the death of the person in the future. Legend of Korra is the future of The Last Airbender...B
350	* [[spoiler: Well, she doesn't appear in Book 3, but she IS in Book 4. And the WMG is jossed, as she's still alive after her last appearance in Operation Beifong.]]
351
352	[[WMG: Sokka isn't dead, HesJustHiding.]]
353	There could be a {{Retcon}}; where it is explained that Katara only said he was gone because she ''believed'' it to be the case. Some time after [[spoiler:Zuko, Tonraq, Sokka and Zuko saved Korra from the Red Lotus]], some more crap happened which resulted in Sokka suffering a DisneyDeath and/or be forced into hiding. He'll show up eventually and help Korra out (if not directly, then at least with a plan).
354	* One possibility is that Sokka was forced to fake his death after [[HeKnowsTooMuch learning too much about the Red Lotus society]] (like their existence, or maybe even their plans), and has since been doing what he can to learn more or bring them down--[[TheMole maybe even from the inside]]! If Book 4 deals with the leader of the Red Lotus society (which seems likely), Sokka could show up to provide vital information to the Krew or cripple the Red Lotus in some way.
355
356	[[WMG: Toph will appear in Book 4 and will cure [[spoiler: Korra's metal poisoning]]]]
357	If she is really alive, she is the certainly the best metalbender of the world and the only one who could do it.
358	* Yes and no. Toph's appearance has been teased at the very end of the Book 4 trailer, though it's too vague to tell whether that is Toph in person or something ''about'' her. And regarding [[spoiler:the metal poisoning]], Korra's gotten over it by herself.
359	** [[spoiler:Confirmed in a way. Toph does some "therapeutic" training with Korra, and after the airbabies arrive, Korra is able to remove the remnants of the Red Lotus venom from her body via metalbending.]]
360
361	[[WMG: Sokka isn't dead, but appears dead for a good reason]]
362	Remember Zaheer's complaint about the White Lotus becoming a glorified bodyguard service as opposed to its roots in secrecy as seen in the original series? Also recall how in the original, the White Lotus consisted of fairly old people (even mocked about as being a society of old people). What if the New White Lotus is actually a front, and the original White Lotus proceeds to function as it did in the past? Sokka, a member of the White Lotus, faked his death as a requirement for the secretive cell of the White Lotus society, which acts separately and independently of the exposed White Lotus while adhering to their original goals (a less pragmatic means of entering the secretive cell is to, oh, maybe retire/disappear off into a world-trotting enlightening trip like a certain earthbending badass has been claimed to be doing?). And maybe, right now, one of their pressing concerns is dealing with the Red Lotus' existence.
363
364	[[WMG:Yakone killed Aang]]
365	True, Aang died 26 years after the Yakone accident, and from apparently-natural causes. His relatively early death is attributed to his 100 years in the iceberg, but what if that's not the case? During Yakone's escape from custody, he knocks everyone ''except'' Aang out, then deals with him individually. This guess posits that he did not merely throw Aang into some stairs and knock him out; he left Aang with subtle but permanent damage to his circulatory system, making his blood clot more easily.
366
367	Over the next 26 years, Aang suffered from multiple [[http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/TIA/TIA-Transient-Ischemic-Attack_UCM_310942_Article.jsp transient ischemic attacks]], which are known to reduce life expectancy, ''can'' cause minor but permanent damage, and can be a precursor to full-out strokes. Eventually, one of these clots took Aang's life, directly or indirectly. The death certainly would seem completely natural, and the iceberg hypothesis an easy one to come to, but really, though Aang took Yakone's bending away from him, Yakone still got the last laugh.
368
369	[[WMG: We will see more of Zuko in Book 4.]]
370	A possible reason that he didn't appear as much in Book 3 is because they wanted to introduce him to the audience and give him a little more screen time.
371	* Confirmed.
372
373	[[WMG: Toph and Azula got together eventually.]]
374	Which is how Azula is Lin's "dad." Biologically she's not, but she helped Toph raise her daughters.
375
376	[[WMG: Sokka beat Zaheer in combat and designed the special prisons for the Red Lotus members.]]
377	Which would make sense, since Sokka trained with Kyoshi Warriors and was an excellent swordsman. Zaheer's scars may have come from a boomerang. And Sokka's inventive mind would most certainly come up with ways to contain powerful benders.
378
379	[[WMG: While Korra is talking with [[spoiler: Toph]]]]
380	Korra will tell her that [[spoiler: her granddaughter is an airbender. Toph will not be surprised by this... until she hears that it was Suyin's daughter, rather than Lin's, since Toph didn't even realize that Lin and Tenzin had broken up.]]
381	* Even if Toph hadn't been able to observe Zaofu and Republic City through the swamp, she was in contact with her daughters recently enough that Opal remembers Toph's visits, so it's unlikely that Toph left society before Tenzin and Pema got together, considering Jinora's age.
382
383	[[WMG: Toph [[spoiler: will teach Korra how to use Seismic Sense.]]]]
384	Because it would be awesome.
385	* It would also be quite helpful if Kuvira manages to put a metal blindfold on her, like she did with the bandits in 4x01.
386
387	[[WMG: Toph can lavabend]]
388	This theory has been suggested on Reddit and a few other sites. The [[https://imgur.com/PjK9vnl cauldron we see Toph cooking with]] at the end of "Korra Alone" looks like it's being heated with lava, not regular fire...
389	* Agreed. Given that Toph is very creative when it comes to earthbending, who's to say she didn't ''invent'' it?
390	** Then again, when Bolin mentions that he can lavabend, all Toph says is that it's a "very rare ability", giving no impression that she herself was capable of it. It seems like lavabending is different from metalbending-- any earthbender can learn to metalbend (as Toph herself says), but lavabending may be some kind of in-born ability that only a few earthbenders have.
391	*** Bolin can lavabend. Bolin can't metalbend. Henceforth, lavabenders can't metalbend and metalbenders can't lavabend.
392
393	[[WMG: Toph will turn out to be a CoolOldLady who teaches Korra the importance of fun.]]
394	Much like Monk Gyatso did for Aang.
395	* Well, she did teach Korra the importance of fun.. of Toph kicking her butt just for laughs.
396
397	[[WMG: Zuko grew his beard after Iroh [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence "died"]].]]
398	Elderly Zuko has quite a beard, which seems to be inspired by Iroh's. [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/95/dd/9c95dd1eccab783e868e4e827aaf4b00.jpg This picture]] shows that Zuko was clean-shaven as a younger adult, so he must have grown his beard later in life. Iroh states he "died" roughly 40 years before Book Two (in 131 AG). At that point Zuko would have been 47, and perhaps that was when he grew a beard to honor his dearly departed uncle.

Context WMG / KorraTheGaang