Characters / Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)

Character page for Netflix's live action adaptation of Avatar The Last Airbender. Click here for the characters from the original Nickelodeon cartoon.

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Team Avatar

Aang

Avatar Aang

"I'm the Avatar, and I'm gonna save the world, with my friends."

Portrayed by: Gordon Cormier

"I like to play airball and eat banana cakes and goof off with my friends. That's who I am, not someone who can stop the Fire Nation. Not someone who can stop a war. The other kids always say I'm lucky because of the things I could do, but I'd trade places with any of them. I don't wanna leave. I don't want the responsibility. I'm scared of my power. I'm scared of being alone!"

The youngest Airbender master in history, the last Airbender... and the Avatar who disappeared from the world for a hundred years. His reawakening instantly changes the political landscape of the world, even though he just wants to be normal.

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• Adaptational Angst Downgrade: On the one hand, Aang's status as the Avatar was not public knowledge among the Air Nomads before Sozin's attack, so he didn't get shut out by the other kids, and his flying into the storm was simply a result of needing to clear his head, rather than running away from his supposed duty. That said...
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Aang suffers a lot more open angst about his situation, being a hundred years out of time and everyone he knew being dead, to say nothing of getting called out by people for supposedly failing his duty. He feels responsible for the siege in the north and his failings as an avatar haunt him a lot more. He's also far more reluctant about being the Avatar in general. Unlike his animated counterpart, his naturally powerful airbending actually made him initially dangerous to the other kids thanks to Power Incontinence before he learned how to control it, leading him to become concerned if learning the other elements will lead to history repeating.
• Adaptational Romance Downgrade: Unlike the original incarnation, Aang doesn't have an immediate crush on Katara.
• Adaptational Wimp: In the original show, when Aang awoke from his 100 year coma, the first thing he does upon waking up is ask Katara to go penguin-slidding with him and is introduced as fairly energetic. Here, Aang gets out of the iceberg in the Avatar State and immediately faints since his body is not used to it yet. He only awakes in the Wolf Cove village after Katara and Sokka bring him there.
• All-Loving Hero: Aang is willing to take a more peaceful approach with his enemies. Zuko in particular gets a lot of compassion from Aang as the boy is willing to save him in “Masks” and genuinely tries to bond with him while they’re hiding from Zhao’s search party.
• Badass Adorable: A cute, bald-headed kid who can Blow You Away in a single swipe of his staff.
• Bald Mystic: Aang was the youngest Air Nomad to ever get his tattoos and status as an airbending Master at 12 years old. He's also the Avatar, who has strong physical and spiritual abilities.
• Blessed with Suck: Aang says all the other students at the Air Temple thought he didn't have to study to develop his powers because airbending came so easily to him. On the contrary; Aang's Airbending strength was so great that he had to learn to control his prodigious power, lest it end up hurting someone. And that was before he learned how carelessly he could accidentally hurt someone with uncontrolled use of the Avatar State.
• Blow You Away: Being an airbender, he can use the winds as both a defensive and offensive tactic.
• Born Lucky: What he assumed was behind his natural skill at airbending, before Gyatso told him the truth.
• Break the Cutie: Upon discovering his trashed homeland and seeing Gyatso's skeleton, Aang enters the Avatar State out of grief and can only cry into Katara's arms when he manages to snap out of it.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: He was good enough to be made an airbending master at the age of twelve, but openly admits to Zuko he'd goof off or take naps rather than study.
• Cheerful Child: Starts the series as an optimistic, goofy kid. While the effects of the Hundred Years war do get to him, Aang doesn't let go of his positivism and fun nature during his quest to become the Avatar.
• Child Prodigy: Due to being the Avatar, he was naturally a powerful airbender, with his training instead being devoted to keeping his airbending under control so he wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: As Aang soon comes to realize, a lot of things changed during the 100 years he was stuck in the iceberg, most importantly the world was ravaged by war and the other nations closed their borders to anyone else. Part of his characterization is a feeling that he is in a world he doesn't belong. In the first season finale, this feeling of isolation is so strong Aang is unwilling to de-merge from the Ocean Spirit.
• Hope Bringer: Explicitly called this at multiple points, as his return motivates those who've been terrorized by the Fire Nation to finally go on the offensive after having previously been worn down by a century of defending their homes.
• Human Popsicle: He spent 100 years frozen in ice.
• It's All My Fault:
  • Blames himself for the Air Nomad genocide. It takes a meeting with Gyatso in the Spirit World to get him to start moving on.
  • Does it again after the Siege of the North. Katara and Sokka both point out this is wrong.
• Last of His Kind: The eponymous last airbender.
• Not Quite Flight: Aang is able to float without his glider in this show, by controlling the air around him.
• Older Than They Look: You wouldn't believe he is 112 years old at first glance. Granted, he was a Human Popsicle for those hundred years, so he wouldn't have aged over that time.
• Power Incontinence: When he was younger, and since he had no idea he was actually the Avatar, Aang was naturally a powerful airbender and had difficulty keeping his power under control. It almost caused his fellow airbenders to fall off a cliff, to his horror.
• Power Tattoo: His arrow tattoos glow when he's meditating or in the Avatar State.
• Refusal of the Call: When Aang learnes from Gyatso he is the Avatar and must start his training to stop the Fire Nation from causing a war, Aang panics and makes it clear he doesn't want the responsability. It's only when he awakes from 100 years in an iceberg and realizes the world has been plunged into war that Aang takes on his duty and aims to restore balance to the world.
• Sole Survivor: Since he wasn't at the Southern Air Temple when it happened, Aang was the only Air Nomad that survived the genocide.
• Survivor's Guilt: A huge part of Aang's development in the first season is to let go of the guilt of not being able to save his people from the Fire Nation's genocide.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Aang, seeing Zuko's reaction after he mentioned mercy and compassion, can't help but feel sorry for him and whatever he had to go through.
  Aang: [staring at Zuko's scar] I have a feeling you've been hurt... more than enough.
• Translator Microbes: A perk of being the Avatar is he can understand spirits, where normal humans cannot.

Katara

Katara

Portrayed by: Kiawentiio, Meadow Kingfisher (young)

"Waterbending is what built our culture. Our way of life. Keeping it alive is our duty."

The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, and younger sister of Sokka. She carries enormous guilt for her mother's death, and struggles to live up to the legacy of a Waterbender.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: This time around, the trauma from witnessing her mother's death is at the forefront of Katara's character for the early episodes, with her waterbending being heavily hindered because of said trauma.
• Adaptational Badass: In the cartoon series, Katara ended up being taught fighting techniques by Pakku (since she's his ex-bethroted's granddaughter). Here, Pakku considers her an excellent waterbender who doesn't need his tutelage, and Katara remains exclusively self-taught to the end of the first season.
• Adaptational Nice Girl: Since the show skips past the events of "The Waterbending Scroll", or at least pieces the plot of the titular item apart in a much different way, Katara never snaps at Aang over his skill with waterbending.
• Adaptational Personality Change: Downplayed. While Katara is still The Heart of the team and a gentle, caring soul, she's far less motherly towards Sokka and Aang than she was in the cartoon. She also lacks her animated counterpart's explosive temper.
• Adaptational Romance Downgrade: She was Aang's main love interest in the series, whereas here his relationship with Katara is so far purely platonic.
• Adaptational Wimp:
  • Katara is capable of waterbending here, but starts off unable to do more than create ripples in a small pool of water until Aang gives her some advice. Only then is she able to levitate a sphere of water like in the original animated series.
  • Since the plot point of Zuko making off with an unconscious Aang at the North Pole is excised, their rematch ending in Katara decisively whupping his behind is left out, with only their first fight, which is interrupted by the building they're in being demolished before either can win, left in.
• Adapted Out: Gets the Waterbending Scroll from her grandmother, not by stealing it from pirates. Aang also never burns her hands by accident, so Katara remains unaware of her culture's healing abilities until she meets Yagoda in the Northern Water Tribe.
• The Artifact: Her necklace doesn't get stolen by pirates or used by Zuko to track her, nor does it apparently have the same backstory with Pakku. There's still a small implication that the necklace is actually her mother's as shown in "Omashu", as she's seen fiddling with it when she explains her mother to Jet.
• Badass Boast: While fighting Zuko at Agna Qel'a:
  Zuko: You little peasant! You found a master, haven't you?
  Katara: (traps Zuko in ice) Yes. You're looking at her!
• The Chief's Daughter: Her father, Hakoda, is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. However, her father left at war three years prior the events of the series, so that trope in itself isn't a plot point.
• Deadpan Snarker: Whenever Sokka is involved, Katara always has a snarky comeback.
• Harmful to Minors: As a child, Katara witnessed first-hand her mother being burned to death by a Fire Nation soldier, and could only silence her screams and cries as it happened.
• Healing Hands: Played With. Since the events of "The Deserter" were Adapted Out, Katara's hands aren't burned by Aang in this series and thus she never knew she could use waterbending to heal until she gets to the North. When she takes healing classes with Yagoda, she claims that she is a natural at it, which hints Katara's healing abilities will be explored in further seasons.
• An Ice Person: As she gets the hang of her waterbending abilities, Katara learns to freeze water as well.
• Innocently Insensitive: During an argument with Sokka underneath Omashu, she yells that he's not their dad. The next episode shows that Sokka's most painful memory is Hakoda dismissing his abilities as a warrior, a fact Katara is unaware of.
• Last of Her Kind: She is the last Southern Tribe Waterbender, as all the other ones were killed by Fire Nation.
• Making a Splash: She's a waterbender, and most specifically the last one of her tribe.
• Nice Girl: Definitely. She's kind, empathetic and is the one who never stopped believing in Aang from the get-go.
• Psychosomatic Superpower Outage: The reason this version of Katara struggles with waterbending so much for much of the first season is because she associates it with the memory of watching her mother get incinerated right in front of her.
• Slipknot Ponytail: Her hair gets undone during her fight with Pakku.
• Tragic Keepsake: Implied. While talking about her deceased mother to Jet, Katara can be seen holding her necklace.
• Worf Had the Flu: In the final episode, after Zhao kills the Moon Spirit, Katara is depowered and can't bend while fighting Zuko. It's what stops her from delivering a Curb-Stomp Battle to Zuko.

Sokka

Sokka

Portrayed by: Ian Ousley

"It's a big responsibility, all these people's lives in your hands. Personally, I take that responsibility very seriously."

The duly-appointed guardian of the Southern Water Tribe... due to being the oldest combat-capable person around. Katara's older brother, he is much less certain of Aang's destiny than his sister.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: His relationship with Hakoda is much more strained, and Sokka has a lot of angst over whether he's even capable of being a warrior or not.
• Adaptational Badass: On top of being less of a Butt-Monkey, Sokka puts up more of a fight when trying to fight Zuko, though he still loses the encounter. It's reflected visually as well: instead of having the build of a gangly mid-teenager, he has a more athletic build (which Suki gets awkwardly fixated by)
• Adaptational Jerkass: Sokka is more willing to hand Aang over to Zuko to get him to leave, not doing so only after being dissuaded by Katara, is more hesitant to rescue Aang after he surrenders to Zuko, and is more willing to abandon Aang on his journey after he enters the Avatar State for the first time and scoffs at the idea of saving the world. That said, he does have a motive for this under Big Brother Instinct.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: He isn't sexist at the start of the series like his original counterpart was. His initial dismissal of Katara's waterbending is also given greater context than him thinking bending is weird, as he wants to keep his sister from getting killed by the Fire Nation for being a waterbender.
• Adaptational Personality Change: Sokka is not sexist, nor a Butt-Monkey compared to his animated counterpart. While this Sokka have his fair share of comedic moments, he's far less of a hammy Plucky Comic Relief than Cartoon Sokka.
• Age Lift: Minor example; he's sixteen here while his animated counterpart was fifteen.
• Amazon Chaser: Is clearly impressed when Suki easily overpowers him in a fight.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Sokka spends most of the first season being annoyed by Momo and his antics. But when Momo gets hurt and is on the verge of death after rescuing a child from falling debrits, Sokka is terrified of losing him and is on the verge of tears. Sure enough when he gets better thanks to Yue, the first thing Sokka does is hug Momo.
• Battle Boomerang: Like in the original series, though here Sokka appears less skilled with it and only uses it once.
• Big Brother Instinct: The reason he discourages Katara from waterbending is because he wants to protect her from the Fire Nation, who have been systematically eradicating the waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe. His motivation for abandoning Aang early on is due to him fearing what will happen to the village without him protecting it as well as Aang potentially harming his sister should he go into the Avatar State again.
• Butt-Monkey: Heavily downplayed when you compare to the slapstick Cartoon Sokka went through, but he still has his moments.
• Cannot Talk to Women: Since there was no girls his age range in his village, Sokka is very nervous when encountering girls, if his interactions with Suki and Yue are of any indication. That doesn't stop him from succeeding in his conquests, however.
• Carry a Big Stick: Sokka's main weapon of choice is a club.
• Chick Magnet: Only this season alone Sokka romances three girls, Suki, an unnamed Firebender warrior and Yue.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's still got the sarcasm down.
• The Dutiful Son: After his father left him in charge of the Wolf Cove when he went to war, Sokka takes his responsabilities very seriously. He promised his father he would take care of everyone, and puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders to be a good leader, warrior and brother.
• Endearingly Dorky: Whenever he's around a girl he finds cute, he becomes a nervous, blabbering mess.
• Has a Type: Judging by Suki and Yue, he has a thing for selfless, independent gals who can and will sass him to pieces.
• I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Blames himself for Yue sacrificing herself, even though she preemptively froze his feet so he couldn't stop her. Her father is far more accepting of the situation, assuring Sokka that his presence meant Yue wasn't alone when she passed.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Helping the Mechanist with his designs inadvertently leads to the Fire Nation developing the war balloon, which Zhao uses to get into the Spirit Oasis, adding an extra layer of guilt to Yue's death.
• Noodle Incident: Flirted with a girl who unbeknownst to him was a Fire Nation soldier and sold him and his friends out, which sparked the opening chase from ""
• Sad Clown: In their first meeting, Yue notes he tends to use jokes when avoiding talking about stuff.
• Teacher/Student Romance: He becomes Suki's student in martial arts in "Warriors", and they quickly get smitten with one another.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Part of Sokka's angst is to prove to himself, and by extension his father, that he is a good warrior. His worst memory is overhearing his father voice his disappointment in his abilities.

Appa

Appa

Voiced by: Matthew Yang King

Aang's loyal companion and spirit animal, a sky bison, and Team Avatar's main form of transportation.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: While his current design is fairly similar to the one from the cartoon, this Appa is far cuter than the Appa from the live-action movie which was given lemur eyes for some reason.
• Adaptational Name Change: In the cartoon, his species are called Flying Bison before getting a Sudden Name Change to Sky Bison later on. Here, they are called Sky Bisons from the beginning for consistency.
• Blow You Away: Being a Sky Bison, Appa is the original airbending species. While not showcased, he can airbend using his breath or flapping his flat tail.
• Cryogenically Frozen: Was frozen in the iceberg alongside Aang after he entered the Avatar State, saving both their lives and remaining in ice for a complete century.
• Cute Giant: A large, fluffy six-legged creature and loyal companion to the Avatar.
• Demoted to Extra: In the first season of the animated series, Appa took part of a lot of fights by blowing opponents away using his tail to protect his owner. This Appa, due to CGI contraints, has less screentime, and thus no moments where he is seen doing anything else than carrying the team across the world.
• Familiar: Aang's loyal and loving pet, and his spiritual animal guide (each Avatar has one).
• Gentle Giant: An enormous fluffy bison hybrid, and Aang's loyal and friendly pet.
• Horse of a Different Color: A six-legged, giant bison with the ability of flight, he's the team's main mean of transport.
• Last of His Kind: Following the Air Nomad genocide, Appa is the last Sky Bison remaining.
• Non-Human Sidekick: Each Avatar has a spiritual companion, and Appa has this role for Aang.
• Phrase Catcher: "Appa, yip-yip!"
• Signature Team Transport: His main role is to carry Aang and his friends across whatever destination they need to go on the globe.
• Team Pet: Appa's pet, and the team's main mean of transport.
• Undying Loyalty: To Aang. In Air Nomad culture, each airbender bonds with a sky bison, and that bond lasts for life.

Momo

Momo

Voiced by: Matthew Yang King

A flying lemur who joins Aang and his friends on their quest.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed: while not ugly, Cartoon Momo's design looks more silly than cute. This adaptation pushes the adorable factor to the roof by giving him a realistic lemur appearance, but keeping his cute large eyes, in contrast to the live-action film which just gave him a realistic lemur's face to horrifying effect.
• Adaptational Intelligence: In the cartoon series, Momo was incapable of understanding human speech. Here, he seems to understand it, as he whimpers when Sokka tells he's sure Momo Tastes Like Chicken.
• Amplified Animal Aptitude: Contrary to the Momo from the original series, this Momo understands human speech perfectly.
• Big Eater: His main character trait is his huge appetite, as he is introduced trying to take food from Katara's bag and steals a piece of meat from Sokka at some point.
• A Death in the Limelight: Of the Disney Death variety. Momo has a brief arc involving him getting crushed after performing a Heroic Sacrifice on a little girl about to be crushed by concrete debris. He's between life and death, and it's Yue who saves him after bringing him to the Oasis.
• Death Is Cheap: Is barely alive after chunks of concrete crush him, and completely recovers once Yue heals him in the Oasis.
• Demoted to Extra: Due to budget contraints for the use of CGI, he and Appa are far less prominent in the series compared the cartoon, although Momo does have a scene where he gets saved from certain death by Yue after being crushed by debris.
• Expressive Ears: His large ears lower when he's sad or scared, and perk when curious, startled or happy.
• Foregone Conclusion: Momo is around the entire span of the cartoon series. It's easy to assume he doesn't die of his wounds after getting crushed by concrete and that Yue using her powers within the Oasis' waters will heal him.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Rescues a little girl from falling debrits and gets crushed as a result, to Sokka's horror. Thankfully,Yue saves his life by bringing him to the Oasis.
• Last of His Kind: Implied to be the last flying lemur left, as no other members of his species can be seen when Aang, Katara and Sokka are at the Southern Air Temple. Aang even lampshades that the sky used to be filled with them.
• Light Is Good: White in color, and is a sweet and loyal critter who accompanies the Avatar and his friends on their quest to save the world.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Like in the cartoon, but it's more blatant in this series considering the Darker and Edgier tone compared to his predecessor.
• Mischief-Making Monkey: Momo is a lemur, but the mischief part still stands.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Take a sifaka lemur, give it large pointy ears and mix it with a bat, you get Momo.
• Non-Human Sidekick: Like Appa, Momo is a loyal animal companion to Team Avatar, mostly to Sokka as of the Season One finale.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: Like in the cartoon, but the live action effect makes him look even more adorable.
• Sticky Fingers: Has a tendency to steal food, to Sokka's dismay.
• Team Pet: Shares this role with Appa.

Fire Nation

Royal Family

Zuko

Prince Zuko

Portrayed by: Dallas Liu

"Let me make something clear. Our mission is vital to the future of the Fire Nation, and so we will find the Avatar. We will prove ourselves worthy, and we will see our homes and families again... or we will die trying."

Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, sent to hunt down the Avatar. The fact that this was supposed to be an Impossible Task does little to deter him.

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• Adaptational Badass: Zuko does end up putting up a fight against Ozai when the latter forces the former to duel him in Agni Kai, but loses due to refusing to follow through on a blow to the face that would've hurt his father, prompting Ozai to scar Zuko the way Zuko would have scarred him had he ragefully followed through.
• Adaptational Heroism: In the original series, Zuko is willing to hire June to capture Aang the moment he sees her bounty hunting in action. Here, Zuko is appalled at the thought of hiring any bounty hunter to capture Aang (mainly because he thinks it's shameful to resort to such tactics), only to be convinced by Iroh that he needs to do the unexpected to get a leg up on Zhao's own hunt for Aang.
• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul:
  • In the original, Ozai wore his contempt for Zuko on his sleeve, never so much as bothering to conceal it, even to Zuko himself. Here, while Ozai is still harsh and imperious to his son, he shows approval for Zuko when he does something Ozai thinks worthwhile, and deserving of recognition, to the point he even defends him to Azula. Granted, it's implied that he only favors Zuko as far as he proves himself worth it, and could lose it just as easily.
  • Zuko's relationship with his cousin, Lu Ten, was never directly shown, but unlike Ozai and Azula, who treated Lu Ten's death with complete apathy and exploited Iroh's grief to take the throne, Zuko held high respect for his late cousin. Here, the two cousins were close as Lu Ten always gave Zuko company and comfort whenever Ozai gave him a bad day, and Zuko was equally devastated by the loss of his cousin.
• Age Lift: Minor example; he's seventeen here while his animated counterpart was sixteen.
• All for Nothing: After spending three years of searching the world for the Avatar, Zhao reveals to Zuko that his entire "mission" was all just Ozai's plot to inspire Azula to become his ultimate pawn. Even if Zuko succeeded, his father would still think him too weak to ever take back. Zuko does not take this well.
• Ambition Is Evil: Played with. Zuko's motivation for finding the Avatar is not to restore his honor (in fact, he hardly mentions the word), but so that he can be restored as heir to the throne. However, it's also pretty clear that Zuko has no plan for what to do after that. As he admits to Aang, he's doing it because he believes that's what everyone expects of him.
• And Then What?: In the first season finale, Zuko finds himself without a goal nor a home now that he knows that he was nothing but a pawn for Azula and his father, who never planned to have him back in the first place and has branded him a traitor. He doesn't know what he'll do, all that he knows is that he's tired.
• Angrish: He's so livid when Zhao taunts him that his father would've never taken him back and he's nothing but a test for Azula, Zuko can't even form a coherent sentence and cries unintelligible noises in rage.
• Badass Bookworm: Zuko's obsession with finding the Avatar means his room is crammed with all manner of notes, scrawlings and trinkets gathered from every corner of the world, and his learnings all compiled in a handy notebook. This actually does Aang a service, since thanks to the war and the Fire Nation a lot of information had been destroyed or passed out of general knowledge, and Zuko's meticulous eye for detail means it's a pretty handy source of information.
• Big Damn Heroes: Jumps to his uncle rescue's when he gets taken by Earth Kingdom soldiers.
• Berserker Tears: After Zhao taunts him that his father was using him to test Azula and he was never meant to return home, Zuko can only scream in anger while tears go down his face.
• Burn Scars, Burning Powers: Zuko got his burn scar during an Agni Kai against his own father. Hesitating to give the final blow is what caused Ozai to burn his face to teach him a lesson.
• Deadpan Snarker: See his reaction when Lieutenant Jee brushes off the claims of a witness seeing "kids playing with ice blocks":
  Zuko: [blinks in disbelief] So someone saw ice in a place where no ice should exist? Some people would call that unusual, wouldn't they, Lieutenant Jee? Unless they were an idiot!
• Didn't Think This Through: Zuko is an impulsive, temperamental teenager, and is often really bad at thinking things through.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
  • He might be violent, dangerous and ruthless in his goal to capture the Avatar, he truly loves and cares about his uncle Iroh, who is the closest thing he has to an actual father.
  • He genuinely loves his father Ozai and wants to make him proud, but his compassion causes him to hesitate in the Agni Kai against his father, which pisses off Ozai because he wants a son that shows no mercy to anyone, even to his own kin. Despite the fact he was scarred and burned by his own father, Zuko still insists that Ozai is a great man and rejects any obvious evidence on the contrary.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Is disgusted by the thought of committing anonymous bombings to get at opponents, since it lacks honor.
• Evil Is Hammy: Obviously, it's Zuko: anything can screamed in a dramatic manner.
• The Exile: Forbidden from returning to the Fire Nation on pain of death unless he finds and brings back the Avatar... who hasn't been seen in a hundred years. But according to Zhao, even if Zuko had succeeded, Ozai would still think of him too weak to accept back and was merely using him to shape his younger sister, Azula, into his greatest pawn. It painfully sinks into Zuko that all of his attempts to capture Aang throughout the season was ultimately All for Nothing and he's now been branded a traitor to his own country.
• Extremely Protective Child: Towards his uncle Iroh. He gives up his chance on capturing Aang when he is close by in order to rescue Iroh from ending up in a prison for war criminals. When an Earth Kingdom soldier throws a knife in Iroh's back, Zuko knocks his lights off with a kick.
• Eye Scream: His father burned him on the eye during their Agni Kai. While it didn't harm his vision, it's still a jarring reminder of his father's abuse.
• Friendless Background: The closest thing he has to a friend at the moment is Iroh. Aside from that, it's not clear if he ever had any friends back home.
• Hidden Depths: If his notebook or his room is of any indication, this Zuko appears to be a skilled artist. He even draws a pretty accurate sketch of Aang after seeing him closely for only a few minutes.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: There is still good and compassion in him, it's just buried under the pain, and he refuses to show it to anyone after the "lesson" his father taught him about compassion and mercy. However, it tends to show mostly around his uncle.
• Important Haircut: He shaved his hair to its current look somewhere after his exile began.
• It's All About Me: Zuko doesn't seem to understand that not everybody shares his maniacal obsession with capturing Aang.
• Mean Boss: Endlessly rude or hostile to the crew of his ship, which has left them with an extremely dim view of him. This lightens up after they learn more about the circumstances of his banishment.
• Missing Mom: His mother Ursa is missing under as-yet unclear circumstances.
• Mythology Gag: Zuko's last dialogue in the season finale is the same one from the cartoon's first season: "I'm tired."
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: All of Zuko's notes on the past Avatars are so fiercely accurate, that it actually helped Aang.
• Playing with Fire: A firebender fueled by his rage and agony, which makes him a fierce fighter.
• Pose of Supplication: When he realized he was challenged to an Agni Kai by his father, a young Zuko fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. Ozai brushes it off and orders him to get up and fight.
• Replacement Goldfish: It's clear that Iroh sees Zuko like his son since Lu Ten's death. If anything, Zuko is his Living Emotional Crutch, since Iroh claims that "everything he needs is on this boat" when Zuko gets banished.
• Royal Brat: In the eyes of his crew, who just see his rude, short-tempered, tantrum-throwing side, just as in the original series.
• Shrinking Violet: When he was younger. He was very nervous about going to a war meeting, and stuttered when asked for his opinion. This trait is gone by the present day, thanks to the trauma Zuko endured.
• Stalker without a Crush: His room on his ship even looks like a Stalker Shrine, covered with memorabilia and drawings of the Avatar and a map of their recorded movements, and when he meets Aang he furiously scribbles a drawing of him and adds that to the collection, but Zuko's obsession with the Avatar is purely so he can go home.
• Tantrum Throwing: After Aang steals his notebook, Zuko trashes his room in frustration looking for it (though Aang escaping him also contributes to the carnage).
• This Cannot Be!: In the second episode, his reaction to seeing Kyoshi (channeled through Aang) pull a Big Damn Heroes to save Katara is to exclaim "Impossible!"
• Trauma Button: Don't mention things like mercy or compassion around him. Just... don't.
• The Unfavorite: Surprisingly downplayed. The original show made it abjectly clear that Ozai heavily favored Azula, and rarely ever spared Zuko the time of day. Here, it's indicated that Ozai doesn't have any distinct favorites, and only favors either of his children depending on what they do to get it. Indeed, when Zuko starts showing accomplishment, Ozai begins to display favor towards him, and becomes less approving of Azula. However, Zhao reveals that Ozai never intended to take Zuko back, even if he succeeded his Impossible Task. Apparently, all his talk of "favoring" Zuko was solely to fuel Azula's desire so he can shape her to become his "true heir" (although that could have also been Azula lying to Zhao or engaging in wishful thinking, which leans this into a very Ambiguous Situation).
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: If Iroh's flashbacks are anything to go by, Zuko was painfully endearing when he was younger. He gave his condolences and company to his uncle after the death of his cousin Lu Ten, and spoke up when a crew of recruits were going to be used as a live bait. It was his good heart and compassion that led to Ozai burning and banishing him, and three years at sea searching for an Avatar that may or may not exist soured Zuko up considerably. We see a glimpse of the friendly young man surface again for a moment during "Masks" as they're hiding from Zhao's search parties, and he and Aang start to connect, but then Aang says the wrong thing prompting Ozai's Virtue Is Weakness indoctrination to reassert in Zuko and then it's back to enmity with Aang.
• Villainous Breakdown: Has one in the Season One finale after learning he was used by his father to test Azula, who helped Zhao hinder him from the beginning, and that he was never meant to return home in the first place, whether he succeeded his Impossible Task or not. He can only scream in rage in Zhao's face and can't hold back his Berserker Tears.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Even after everything Ozai's done to him, Zuko is still desperate to please him, and angrily insists to Aang that in spite of all the evidence he is "a great man".
• What You Are in the Dark:
  • When infiltrating Omashu's prison, Zuko realizes that Aang is within reach, but also that his uncle was sent to The Pit, a prison for war criminals that no one comes back from. What does he choose to do? Rescue his uncle.
  • Not drawn attention to, but when he rescues Iroh he chides him for showing mercy to the Earth Kingdom soldiers... even though Zuko himself didn't kill the man when he attacked and makes no effort to kill him even when he wounded Iroh, instead prioritizing just getting away.
  • He could have told his crew he's the reason they're alive instead of being sacrificed as a diversion, but he said nothing.
• Worf Had the Flu: Evenly matched with Katara during the battle of the North, but Zuko was worn out by his infiltration of the North, which involved swimming through arctic waters, while Katara was powered up by the full moon. Basically his Firebending was at its absolute weakest while Katara's Waterbending was at its best.

Uncle Iroh

Iroh (formerly General Iroh)

Portrayed by: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee

"Some people say it is within our nature to expand and consume like fire itself. Others believe that true stability in this world can only happen under our rule, so the drive to conquer is a drive for peace and unity."

Former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation before his younger brother Ozai took the throne, and famed Dragon of the West. Zuko's uncle, he tries to encourage his nephew to live well instead of aggressively pursuing the Avatar above all.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Downplayed. Iroh has always been heavily affected by the death of his son in previous versions, which led to him becoming disillusioned with the war itself. But this Iroh is also confronted by Earth Kingdom soldiers who blame him for causing the deaths of their loved ones due to being the general that laid siege to Ba Sing Se. Though Iroh doesn't openly apologize for it, his somber expression makes it clear he regrets his role in that siege and all the lives he took directly or indirectly and deep down knows he got his son killed.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: In the original series, Iroh has an almost-out-of-character attraction towards June to the point he willingly fakes his own paralysis just to enjoy having June's paralyzed body on top of him. Here, he only has professional respect for June and if anything, he's more confused and playful when June flirts with him. On a much lighter note, he also doesn't commit the small act of theft he performed in that same episode.
• Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed. The original Iroh barely helps Zuko hunt Aang, and often tries to slow his nephew down with side trips such as market shopping and hot springs. This Iroh, while still preferring to go on market trips than hunting Aang, does offer Zuko actual advice on how to capture the Avatar, such as hiring a bounty hunter to gain an advantage over his rivals, but retains his hesitance in doing so. Similarly, he still possesses a degree of imperialistic pride in the Fire Nation even if he is now personally against its war.
• Affably Evil: From Aang's perspective, Iroh is easily the nicest and most reasonable Firebender he has ever encountered in present day, far more so than Zuko, to the extent he can't grasp why Iroh would willingly help him. While he does help Zuko hunt Aang several times in the show, it's only to prevent his nephew from falling into despair, and it's heavily implied that he would have otherwise let Aang go.
• Anti-Villain: Unlike in the original series, he does assist Zuko in hunting down Aang on a few occasions but only because the hunt for the Avatar is the only thing keeping his nephew from falling into despair.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: His attention is easily taken away by the things he likes or finds entertaining, such as becoming distracted by sticky rice whilst in the middle of imparting some wisdom to Zuko. He later becomes distracted watching a game of Pai Sho, though the tactics of the players actually give him the idea of employing June to track down and capture the Avatar.
• Badass Boast: The same one used in the animated series, when Zhao threatens to kill the Moon Spirit:
  Iroh: Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you TENFOLD!
• Badass in Distress: Gets captured offscreen to save Zuko in Omashu, and it's up to his nephew to rescue him from being sent to "The Pit", a concentration camp for war criminals who never come back from it. Iroh is still the Dragon of The West, but specically chooses not to fight back, because that's just who he is.
• Badass Pacifist: He's the feared Dragon of the West, but if a situation can avoid direct confrontation, Iroh will be this. Even then, Iroh refuses to kill anyone, stating that the world has seen enough death as it is. Unless you try to murder his nephew. Zhao found that out the hard way.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Iroh isn't afraid to get dangerous when need be. He threatens Zhao to try and get him to release the Moon Spirit and when Zhao kills it anyway, Iroh gets angry. He's also the one who kills Zhao when he tries to firebend Zuko In the Back.
• Big Fun: A bit more openly fond of food than tea, and he tries to lift Zuko's spirits by cracking jokes sometimes. Reception is frosty at best.
• Cain and Abel: The kind and gentle Abel to his brother Ozai's cruel and murderous Cain. It's more jarring in this series, where they actually interact contrary to the original cartoon.
• Call-Forward: Iroh's firebending here sounds like dragon roars; not only is he known as "The Dragon of the West", the third season of the cartoon series revealed that Iroh learned firebending from dragons (the original Firebenders) and protected the last remaining two since all the other dragons were slaughtered by the Fire Nation.
• Captain Obvious: When he and Zuko arrive at a small Earth Kingdom village and see some locals talking animatedly about the return of the Avatar, Iroh's reaction is to quietly state that it seems like these people have already heard of the Avatar, earning him an exasperated look from Zuko.
• Constantly Curious: He's always willing to try and learn or experience new things, especially if there's food involved, and tries to get an unreceptive Zuko to do the same.
• Cool Uncle: To Zuko. He is wise, patient and helpful in his quest, but not without adding some humor in the mix.
• Cultured Badass: Has a fondness for playing Pai Sho, and a great knowledge of Earth Kingdom architecture, albeit one gathered from several decades fighting them.
• Deadpan Snarker: About the only person who can get away with snark aimed at Zuko:
  Zuko: When have I ever caused trouble?
  Iroh: [Beat] When indeed.
  • When Iroh asks Zuko what his plan is in "The North":
  Zuko: The plan? The plan is to prove my father wasn't wrong trusting me with this mission. The plan is to go in and capture the Avatar once and for all! The plan is to reclaim what's rightfully MINE!
  Iroh: [Beat] So no plan?
• Death Glare: Gives a major one to the callous guard holding him captive and about to crush him with a rock.
• Defiant Captive: When taken to a concentration camp, the Earthbending guard in charge of the travel beats him and treats him like less than human as revenge for causing the death of his brother when Iroh was beseiging Ba Sing Se. Iroh doesn't let him crush his spirits, even dropping this line on him, which angers the guard so much he tries to crush him with a boulder:
  Iroh: War pushes us to the edge. Some of us don't like what we find here.
  Guard: Is that your pitiful way of saying you're sorry for what you did?
  Iroh: [Death Glare] I wasn't talking about me!
• Dramatic Irony: The Earthbending Guard in charge of transferring Iroh to the Pit accuses Iroh of having no humanity, and having no idea what loss is. Of course, the audience and fans of the original series know this isn't true at all, and the following scene shows that Iroh lost his son during the Siege at Ba Sing Se.
• Hazy-Feel Turn: Iroh clearly has changed since the death of his son, and his distaste for war is made evident by his refusal to kill. However, he avoids outright condemning the Fire Nation when people like Aang question him about his stances, making it difficult to know if Iroh is still loyal to the Fire Nation in Season One or if he had already turned against it, but is keeping his head low for the time being.
• "I Can't Look!" Gesture: He turns his head at the moment his brother scars Zuko on the eye, not daring to watch it unfold.
• Leitmotif: An orchestral rendition of "Leaves From The Vine", the song Iroh sang to his son's shrine in the original series, play during heartfelt moments between Iroh and Zuko.
• Like a Son to Me: Not as explicit as the original version, but the sentiment between him and Zuko is still there.
• The Mentor: To his nephew Zuko. Not only does he help with his physical training, he mostly gives him tactical advice on how to capture the Avatar and tries to reason with him when Zuko faces an issue (key word on "trying", since considering it's Zuko, he rarely listens).
• Morality Chain: About the only person who can bring out a smidgen of Zuko's better nature.
• Must Make Her Laugh: Rare gender-inverted, non-romantic example; he frequently tries to crack jokes to lighten Zuko's considerably darkened spirits. They don't work. Saying he was going to stick with Zuko almost did it, though.
• My Greatest Failure: His siege on Ba Sing Se is this to him, since it led to the death of his only son, Lu Ten. By the present day, Iroh also deeply regrets causing so many deaths during that time, as his belief in war as justified has been shattered.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Back when he was a feared General leading the Siege on Ba Sing Se, Iroh gained the nickname "The Dragon of the West".
• Nice Guy: Of course he's this, it's Uncle Iroh!
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He spares the life of a cruel guard who beat him during his travel to a prisoner camp. His reward for it? The guard throws a knife in his back.
• Non-Answer: Iroh never gives a straight answer to either Aang or the Earth Kingdom solider of his personal stances on the war. Often, he gives a detailed summary of why the Fire Nation as a whole believes in world conquest or why he's expected to have blood on his hands. But he doesn't actually answer their questions, as if he's still trying to find any good thing that came out of the Fire Nation's war campaign despite his personal experiences telling him otherwise.
• One-Man Army: After Zhao kills the Moon Spirit, Iroh fights through his men without so much as breaking a sweat.
• Outliving One's Offspring: He lost his son Lu Ten during his siege at Ba Sing Se, which crumbled his world and caused the beginning of a Heel–Face Turn that remains in motion as he travels alongside Zuko.
• Papa Wolf: Very protective of his nephew Zuko. When Zhao was going to firebend Zuko In the Back, Iroh jumps in and burns Zhao, making him fall into the waters of the North Pole and leaving him to an unknown fate. It can be easily explained that Iroh already lost one son, and won't let anything happen to the one he has now.
• Parental Substitute: Iroh takes on a fatherly role for his nephew, trying to help him focus on enjoying life instead of chasing after Aang. His demeanor seemed to truly begin before Zuko’s banishment as Iroh disapproved of his brother’s treatment of Zuko, unable to understand how a man could be so cruel to his own son.
• Playing with Fire: Iroh is a firebender, but prefers to use his bending as a last resort.
• Retired Monster: Nice, polite, cheerful, easily distracted by food... feared and loathed by the Earth Kingdom as the monstrous Dragon of the West, who laid siege to Ba Sing Se for nearly two years, and killed a lot of people in that time.
• Single Tear: When Zuko offers him his son's medal and stays by his side during Lu Ten's funeral, Iroh's composure slightly breaks as he cries a lone tear.
• Silver Fox: At least June thinks so, something which both delights and confuses him.
• Token Good Teammate: He's from the Fire Nation Royal Family, but he's polite, kind and empathetic, which is a stark contrast to anyone else that share his heritage.
• Thousand-Yard Stare: Stares blankly ahead of him during the funeral of his son Lu Ten.
• Trademark Favorite Drink: While he's not quite as obsessive about tea as previous versions, he still has some fondness for it, jokingly claiming that his bag full of tea is all he needs.
• Tragic Keepsake: During Lu Ten's funeral, Zuko gives his uncle one of Lu Ten's medals that his cousin gave to him because he believed it should belong to someone "destined to do great things". Iroh is deeply touched by that gesture, and still carries his son's medal to the present day.
• Undying Loyalty: With the reason given a different context; no longer guilt for inviting Zuko to the war meeting that led to his banishment, but for Zuko being there for him after Lu Ten died when no-one else was.
• Was It Really Worth It?: Is often confronted by this question from Aang and others opposing the Fire Nation. Iroh doesn't directly answer, likely out of fear of being seen as a traitor to the Fire Nation, but he heavily hints his distaste for the war underneath his explanations for why the Fire Nation does what it's currently doing, especially when it came to personal loss.

Fire Lord Ozai

Fire Lord Ozai

"Compassion is a sign of weakness."

Portrayed by: Daniel Dae Kim

"Tyranny? Don't you mean... unity? Prosperity? Are we not the greatest nation in the world? Have I not led us to the brink of bringing the entire world under one rule, our rule, to ensure an era of peace?"

Ruler of the Fire Nation, father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother to Iroh. Ozai took the throne under complicated circumstances, but has been leading the Fire Nation to glory ever since. He exiled his son to hunt for the Avatar, never expecting he'd actually have a chance to succeed.

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• 0% Approval Rating: Under Ozai's regime, rebellions and assassination attempts within the Fire Nation are high enough for the Fire Lord treat it like another daily routine rather than a serious problem. His disregard for his people's well-being actually caused some of his soldiers, namely the 41st Division, to swear loyalty to Prince Zuko over him. And the subjects who remain loyal to him are only doing it to climb the social ladder and gain perks, with some like Zhao wishing to one day usurp the Fire Lord himself.
• Abusive Parents: In a class of his own. Any love for his children is entirely conditional, and can and will be withdrawn if they don't measure up to his impossible standards, not to mention him still burning Zuko's face as he did in the original show. This show does some Adaptation Expansion and has Ozai treat his horrific scarring physical abuse as just another parental lesson about how Virtue Is Weakness.
• Adaptational Badass: More in demeanor than power. Ozai in the original series turned out to be a Dirty Coward when faced with someone who could actually stand up to his overwhelming power, while this Ozai actually expresses disappointment when Zuko holds back on delivering a strike that could have hurt him, possibly even scarred him, during their Agni Kai.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Ozai shows himself as early as episode 2 in the remake where in the original show, he was The Faceless in both seasons 1 and 2, and doesn't fully reveal himself until season 3.
• Adaptational Intelligence: While Ozai was stated to be a master of manipulation in the original series, within the show's present-day events, it was more of an Informed Attribute^note The effects of such manipulation were more indirectly stated through Azula, who clearly got her craft from him, and part of Zuko’s development was about recognizing and overcoming his father’s manipulation from childhood, with him acting more like an overgrown bully who used his natural power to have his way and otherwise was content to sit around and let those under him handle matters of their own accord. This Ozai actually displays a degree of cunning, deliberately pitting his two children against each other with his conditional favoritism in order to get them to accomplish his goals without revealing his involvement, something his animated incarnation never thought to do. He also has a network of spies and saboteurs to quash dissent, again something that his animated counterpart never considered needing due to his arrogant assurance in his own authority.
• Adaptational Jerkass:
  • He's much more open to Azula about how conditional his love is towards her and outright dismisses her when Zuko seems to have the leg up in locating the Avatar. Additionally, he's a textbook example of The Caligula who has no regard for his subjects, while just how much they suffered under his rule was left more ambiguous in the original cartoon, with the only indicator being that one fishing village in vicinity of a military factory.
  • Part of the inciting incident that leads to the Agni Kai. In the original version, Ozai remained utterly silent through the events. Here, he openly asks Zuko, a teenager with absolutely no military experience who'd been politely sitting still and remaining quiet, what he'd do just to humiliate him when can't answer.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Incredibly downplayed but still noticeable.
  • His conditional love is more flexible compared to his animated counterpart. Unlike in the original series where he considers Zuko nothing more than a disgrace until he's led to believe Zuko killed Aang, he's willing to acknowledge his determination and considers Zuko even locating Aang an accomplishment. Granted, he said that in deliberate context of Azula's own accomplishment, so he may have just been doing that to provoke her.
  • Unlike his animated counterpart, he doesn't immediately exile Zuko after their Agni Kai. In fact, it's implied that this version of Ozai initially considered burning off half his son's face to be punishment enough. It's only after hearing a freshly-scarred Zuko verbally refute his Social Darwinism to his face that Ozai finally banishes his son and gives him the seemingly impossible mission to capture the Avatar.
  • On that note, whereas the animated version of Ozai cruelly burns Zuko without any signs of remorse, this version is shown having an almost pained expression as he does so, as if he viewed his actions as cruel but a necessity. He also takes time to visit Zuko's bedside, and compliment him for his apparent resilience, and seems to offer him sincere advice about Zuko's compassion being a weakness.
  • He also actually has the decency to offer condolences to Iroh at Lu Ten's funeral, while Ozai in the original series just used Lu Ten's death to try to convince his father that Iroh wasn't fit to inherit the throne (of course, in this version he had the throne already at that point.)
• Adaptational Villainy: Due to being more involved with the story than in the original animated series, Ozai's villainy is far more prominent. Whereas the animated series only hints at Ozai's regime being awful for the people of the Fire Nation (namely through pollution from his factories), this series has Ozai putting down rebellions within the capital city, all but confirming that many Fire Nation denizens despise him. Additionally, whereas animated Ozai treats the Siege of the North as a complete disaster caused by Iroh's "betrayal", this Ozai shrugs off the failure of the siege, stating it was merely a diversion from the real military campaign at Omashu in spite of near complete loss of the Fire Navy fleet at Agna Qel'a.
• Awful Wedded Life: Unsurprisingly, it doesn't sound like there was any love between him and Ursa, as he refers to her as "soft", and regards it as a bad influence on Zuko.
• Berserk Button:
  • Maybe. He takes accusations of being a cruel tyrant in calm stride. When the assassin ringleader begins to bring up the Avatar, Ozai finally kills him by burning him and his friends alive before he could even finish his sentence.
  • As part of his warped worldview, he actually seems offended that Zuko refused to kill him on the grounds of, y'know, being his father.
• Big Bad: As Fire Lord of the Fire Nation, Ozai is the one responsible for the War's progress. However, he has very little involvement with Team Avatar's plot, with Zuko and Zhao seeking Aang in Ozai's stead.
• Blatant Lies: He welcomes different opinions at his war-council meetings. Supposedly. Iroh warns Zuko ahead of time he really shouldn't test that one.
• The Caligula: His own citizens hate his guts for his willingness to sacrifice countless men and women for the sake of his own ambitions. The only thing keeping him in power is everyone's fear of being roasted alive by him and his network of spies to root out dissenters.
• Condescending Compassion: His condolences to Iroh at Lu Ten's funeral is simply praising Lu Ten as a brave soldier who died honorably in battle. He never once gives thought that Iroh would rather have Lu Ten be seen as an actual person rather than another soldier martyr for a war without end.
• Cruel to Be Kind: Subverted. Ozai deigns to present his exiling Zuko as being for his own good, saying that Zuko needs to be hardened by the outside world, after living a life in the palace, acting as if he had done wrong by his son for sheltering him. However, it's ultimately still an Impossible Task, that Zuko was clearly never expected to fulfill.
• Cult of Personality: The Fire Sages have largely shifted their original loyalty to the Avatar to worshipping him.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil: Despite all his other faults, about the only thing Ozai isn't is sexist, with women serving in all parts of the military.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He believes compassion is a sign of weakness, and thus dedicates himself to never feel compassion to anyone, even to his own family. He fails to realize that compassion is the reason why Zuko's crew swears loyalty to the Prince rather than to him because they feel grateful for Zuko saving their lives from becoming Cannon Fodder at the war room meeting, while he has to deal with constant assassination attempts because many of his subjects, namely the peasants, hate him for his tyrannical behavior.
• I Control My Minions Through...: Fear. Ozai's rule is very unpopular with the Fire Nation citizens due to his willingness to sacrifice countless soldiers as diversion bait for his real goals. However, they are unable to overthrow the Fire Lord due to him sowing discord within their ranks through his network of spies and saboteurs led by his daughter, Azula. Additionally, he makes an example out of those defy him to serve as a reminder to his loyal subjects of what happens if they fail his impossibly high expectations.
• I Meant to Do That: It's made clear that Ozai had expected Zuko's banishment to be permanent, since the Avatar hadn't been seen for a hundred years. When he got news that Zuko has actually found the Avatar, however, Ozai quickly changes his stance and blatantly lies to Azula that Zuko is making him proud doing what he asked him to do. All of this is to motivate Azula to sabotage Zuko's quest without showcasing his father's involvement.
• It Runs in the Family:
  • Iroh's conversation with Aang gives a hint as to just where Zuko's bull-headed stubbornness comes from, as he explains Ozai believes in total victory or total defeat. This is a man so insanely proud he would rather die at the hands of his own son than yield any ground.
  • Towards the end of “Legends”, Ozai proves that he's just like his grandfather in that he uses military strategies to divert attention away from his actual goal. Attacking the Northern Water Tribe, whether it was successful or not, was merely to keep attention from his conquest of Omashu.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He quickly shuts down Azula's attempts at flattery, calling her out on it.
• Kick the Dog: He treats just about everyone appallingly; prisoners of war, his own citizens, his children, all victims of his sadism.
• Manipulative Bastard: He plays everyone in the Fire Nation like a fiddle, knowing what they want and how desperate they want it. He knows that Zuko will do anything to return home and reclaim his right as heir to the throne. He knows that Azula is willing to do anything to retain her father's favoritism and position as heir to the throne. So he praises Zuko of his accomplishments right in front of Azula and voices his disappointment in Azula's lack of achievements, knowing full well that Azula will try to sabotage Zuko and find ambitious players willing to do the dirty work for her.
• Misery Builds Character: How he frames his banishment of Zuko; whereas the animated Ozai did it to teach Zuko "respect", this version does it because he thinks Zuko needs exposure to the harshness of the wider world. He even goes so far as to act as if he was doing Zuko a disservice by "sheltering" him.
• Mr. Fanservice: Portrayed by the very attractive Daniel Dae Kim, who gets a Shirtless Scene during the Agni Kai against Zuko.
• Mythology Gag: He's never treated as The Faceless here like in the animated series, but the framing of one shot near the beginning of "Spirits" shows him from the neck down as if the show were trying to hide his face.
• Obliviously Evil: What makes him a lot more horrifying than his animated counterpart is that this Ozai truly wants to be a good father for his children but due to his upbringing in a warmongering regime, he believes that physically and emotionally abusing them is the best way to do so. He genuinely thinks his worst parental mistake was sheltering Zuko from the outside world, making him "soft" with compassion.
• Orcus on His Throne: An extremely powerful firebender, but he's content to stay back in the capitol and manage the war from there, rather than leading on the frontlines like his brother or Sozin did.
• Parental Favoritism: Actually downplayed, in that he doesn't seem to have a distinct favorite. Whereas in the original, Ozai very clearly favored Azula from the outset, here it's indicated that he favors whichever child he thinks has more potential and use to him. Indeed, when he finds that Zuko is actually on the Avatar's trail, he shows approval, and becomes more dismissive of Azula.
• Pet the Dog: Did at least offer condolences to Iroh at Lu Ten's funeral, as opposed to original Ozai who just used Iroh's grief as an excuse to try and suck up to their dad. Possibly subverted given his completely detached, unemotional delivery of these condolences, showcasing he’s doing it because it’s an expected formality instead of out of care for his brother and late nephew.
• Plausible Deniability: Ozai never directly intervenes to sabotage Zuko's hunt for the Avatar. He only approves what Azula requested and knowingly puts her in her place by speaking highly of Zuko's accomplishments. And Azula actively conspires with Zhao to get insight on Zuko's quest so she can undermine her brother at every turn. This layered conspiracy makes it difficult for Zuko to know if Ozai really wants him back or not.
• Playing with Fire: Of course, being the Fire Lord, he is also a Firebender, and confirmed to be one of the most powerful of his time.
• A Real Man Is a Killer: Ozai is actually impressed by Zuko's resilience, but does show disappointment when he sees his son holding back against him in the Agni Kai duel, where Zuko could've landed a decent punch on his face, but refused. When Azula angrily defies Ozai's demand for further training, generating deadly lighting out of her hands to demonstrate she is serious about her defiance, Ozai smiles and grants her request to end the training sessions and lead his armies to victory.
• Sink or Swim Mentor: Far darker than even the usual fare, but he appears to genuinely attempt to teach Zuko a lesson on ruthlessness and weakness by scarring him.
• The Social Darwinist: For Ozai, the natural world is cruel and weeds out the weak, leaving only the strong behind. Thus, he doesn't care if his soldiers live or die by his order. If they die, they are not worth grieving over, only praised for their values as pawns in war. If they survive, then they've proven themselves to be worthy for more important missions.
• So Proud of You: In a hideously warped way as only he can provide.
  • When Azula finally stands her ground, he gives a small, satisfied smirk and then tasks her to head real military campaigns.
  • Subverted with Zuko. He's mostly happy with Zuko's resilience and determination, but despises the fact his son only shows it when defending the merits of compassion. He banished Zuko to the outside world in the hopes of eroding that compassion away, leaving behind only a determined, merciless son completely loyal to his father.
• Virtue Is Weakness: He banished his son because Zuko not only relented on hurting him, possibly even burning him during their Agni Kai, but dared to speak out against him about his brutal Social Darwinist philosophy.
• We Have Reserves: He dismisses the loss of the Fire Navy in the North Pole as a mere distraction from the real military campaign in Omashu.
• Would Hurt a Child: He scars his own son with firebending and throws a fireball at his daugther's feet when she threatens to leave her training. And he will kill his enemies regardless of their age.
• Xanatos Gambit:
  • How Ozai ultimately sees Zuko's hunt for the Avatar as. Though he intended the banishment to be permanent due to its Impossible Task nature, Ozai is open to the idea of Zuko succeeding. If Zuko succeeds against all odds, then he has proven himself capable of doing the impossible to please his father and thus deserves to return as his right-hand. If Zuko fails, then it's simply nature taking its course of weeding out the weak. And no matter the outcome, Zuko's progress serves as useful motivation for Ozai's favorite child, Azula, to become an even more perfect weapon for the Fire Nation.
  • Similarly, Ozai engineers the Siege of the North to be a Fire Nation victory no matter the outcome. If Zhao succeeds in conquering the Northern Water Tribe, then that's good for the Fire Nation. But if he fails — and Ozai believes he would likely fail — then the siege would distract the whole world from noticing that Omashu has fallen to a Fire Nation battalion led by Azula.

Azula

Princess Azula

Portrayed by: Elizabeth Yu

"It's not good enough."

Zuko's younger sister, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai. She remained behind in the Fire Nation while her brother was sent on his Impossible Task.

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• Adaptational Nice Girl: Marginally. She's still a devoted servant to her father, willing to help him kill attempted traitors while smirking as they die and set her brother up for a fall. Likewise, Mai and Ty Lee seem to actually be in her company of their own free will, and not because of a threat of something unspeakably horrible happening to them otherwise.
• Adaptational Personality Change: A more subtle version, but still present. In the animated series, Azula never lacks for confidence or a cool demeanor for getting things done (until the end), always carrying herself with a sense of superiority and self-confidence. While this is still true to some extent here, Azula is shown to be more insecure and feels inadequate when compared to her father, and even moreso when it comes to Zuko. She's also shown to be more hotheaded in training, requiring active intervention at one point.
• Adaptational Skill: In addition to being just as skilled a Firebender as she was in the original series, this Azula is a keen archer, as shown when she trains with the Yu-Yan Archers.
• Adaptational Sympathy: She comes across as more sympathetic at the start thanks to it being more overtly shown how conditional Ozai's love for her is. It helps that the acts of cruelty and sadism her animated counterpart engaged in are more downplayed or haven't occurred yet.
• Adaptational Wimp: While the original Azula, for all her insecurities was prior to her Villainous Breakdown, depicted as a smug, sociopathic, Machiavellian, grandiose narcissist who inspired awe and dread in everyone around her, even her best friends, and was possibly the only person whom her father respected. This version of Azula, while still all those things, has a bit more of an obvious inferiority complex due to never being good enough for her father (which is all part of the plan; it's actually motivation by Ozai to make her his ruthless pawn in future battles). She also isn't quite as good at sucking up to people as her original incarnation. When she tries flattering Ozai, he immediately shuts her down and tells her to stop. Somewhat downplayed however, since Ozai manipulated her in the original series (and still does so here).
• Adaptation Expansion: The first season shows Azula progressively growing into the fearsome villain she would become later down the road. She trains hard to prove herself as a worthy warrior to her father, eventually developing her infamous lightning powers and leading the army herself to take over Omashu.
• Call-Forward:
  • When she unleashes her rage on a sparring partner, her fire briefly turns blue before Mai stops her. In the cartoon series, Azula was the only firebender whose fire was exclusively blue.
  • Azula's last scene in the first season finale is successfully conquering the city of Omashu and asking "What's next?" In the cartoon series, Azula manages to do what Iroh failed as a General: conquering the city of Ba Sing Se, which she does also in a season finale.
  • Ozai's "love" and approval of Azula is shown to be entirely conditional here, as it was revealed in Book 3. When Azula proves herself worthy in this season finale, Ozai smirks because he knows she will be of use to him. But that won't stop him from backstabbing her when she becomes too much a threat for him in Book 3's finale.
  • Azula's frustrations when unleasing a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown at a sparring partner hints at her Daddy Issues, damaged mental state and inevitable Villainous Breakdown in Book 3.
• Canon Character All Along: Introduced as a servant girl who is part of the resistance, only to reveal herself to be Azula when she betrays them to her father Ozai.
• Characterization Marches On: Azula starts the series as her father's loyal minion, but when he starts to switch his favorism to Zuko after he found the Avatar, Azula subcounciously and ironically starts to become more like her brother: hot-headed (pun intended), impulsive, insecure and determined not to lose her father's respect. However, by the end of the first season, Azula develops the ability to bend lightning and leads a successful capture of Omashu. This achievement is the start for Azula into becoming the cold, calculating and composed mastermind she is introduced as in the orginal series.
• The Chessmaster: While not as manipulative as her cartoon counterpart, Azula still stands out by being The Woman Behind the Man for Zhao in order to hinder her brother's quest to capture the Avatar.
• Cute and Psycho: Looks like your average teenage girl, but has a gleeful look in her eyes when she watches people burn to death.
• Daddy's Little Villain: The closest thing Ozai has to a second-in-command, though it gets deconstructed as his love and approval is conditional, and he puts a ton of pressure on Azula's shoulders to be as perfect, cruel and merciless as possible.
• Dark Action Girl: A talented firebender, martial artist and archer, who later gets the ability to bend lightning, and she's ruthless in a fight.
• The Dragon: As in the original, she more or less is this to Ozai.
• Establishing Character Moment: Azula is introduced infiltrating a group of Fire Nation rebels by pretending to be a new recruit, only to lead them into a death trap by tricking them into entering the Fire Nation castle, where they all get unceremoniously burned to death by Ozai while she looks on —she's a manipulative, cunning, and deeply unchildlike teenage girl who's been molded to follow in her father's footsteps.
• Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: Her round, youthful face and large brown eyes makes Azula look cute and innocent, and it's fair to say it hides very well how messed up and sadistic she truly is.
• Fireball Eyeballs: A live action example. When Ozai scorches the rebels to death, a Gory Discretion Shot is used by reflecting the fire in Azula's eyes, as she watches the carnage with a slight psychotic smile.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Learning that Zuko is on the trail of the Avatar and may actually capture him (thereby earning back Ozai's respect) quickly gets Azula seething with resentment.
• Iconic Attribute Adoption Moment: The end of Season One finally has her gaining the ability to bend lightning, setting her up to be one of Team Avatar's most dangerous foes.
• Lady Legionnaire Wear: Wears the Fire Nation armor with a skirt when she takes over the city of Omashu.
• Leitmotif: Her theme song from the cartoon makes a return here, typically playing during her more cunning moments.
• Little Miss Badass: A villainous example. Azula is 14 years old and an excellent firebender and martial artist, and by the end of the series, she leads a coup and takes over the city of Omashu.
• Master Archer: This Azula is an exceptional archer, rivaling her skills with the Yu Yan. She's able to perfectly aim an arrow in the bullseye. In another arrow.
• Metaphorically True: In her maiden persona, she tells the rebels she infiltrates that she lost her mother and her brother to the war. While they did not die, in true Azula fashion, she didn't actually lie: her mother went missing during her childhood, and her brother Zuko was banished by their father.
• Missing Mom: Her mother Ursa is missing under as-yet unclear circumstances.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Early concept art of Azula in the series had her wearing an armor and helmet, before it was dropped for her final design. Here in Azula's final appearance from the first season, she leads an army to take over the city of Omashu where she sports a full armor and helmet.
  • Azula ends the first season the same way she ended the second season of the cartoon: successfully conquering a city that was impossible for the Fire Nation to take over in the past (Omashu and Ba Sing Se respectively).
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Azula's growing frustrations at her father putting her through a Training from Hell everyday leads to her punching down a sparring teacher and almost scorching him, if not from Mai intervening.
• Not So Stoic: Is depicted as the more cunning and calculating of the Fire Nation siblings, however Azula starts to lose her cool when Ozai's expectations for her become too much to handle, to the point of beating and almost scorching her sparring partner in frustration.
• The Perfectionist: Almost perfect isn't good enough for Ozai. In fact, even perfection itself seems subject to criticism. This leaves her with an obsessive need to prove herself by any means necessary.
  Ty Lee: You're perfect.
  Azula: (voice faltering) It's not enough.
• Pet the Dog: A psychotic Villainous Princess she is, she treats Mai and Ty Lee like actual friends here, contrary to her animated counterpart (who used fear to maintain their loyalty).
• Playing with Fire: Has yet to have her gained her iconic blue fire, but that doesn't make this Azula any less of a ferocious firebender.
• Psychotic Smirk: It wouldn't be Azula if she didn't do this. She flashes a sadistic smile to the rebels she betrayed in her debut episode, and smirks again when she watches them burn to death by her father's hands.
• Shock and Awe: Finally breaks out the lightningbending in Episode 7 as a demonstration to Ozai she's done playing around.
• Sibling Rivalry: Much like the source material, there isn't any love lost between her and Zuko, and the two are indicated to have a bad relationship. Though that said, it's portrayed slightly different. In the original, Azula never doubts her superiority over Zuko, always looking down on him, and basking in their father's favor. Here, due to the show downplaying Ozai's Parental Favoritism, Azula is in more direct competition with Zuko for his favor, and feeling the need to constantly demonstrate her superiority to their father.
• Technicolor Fire: So far, no... save for one scene where she's really angry, her firebending momentarily flashes blue.
• Teens Are Monsters: Lures a group of teenagers plotting to assassinate Ozai into a trap, and smiles sadistically when her father burns them to death.
• Terms of Endangerment: Refers to her brother as "Zu-Zu". It's not used affectionately...
• They Look Like Everyone Else: Looks like a regular teenaged girl, and can pass convincingly as a meek servant girl just long enough to lure a group of assassins into a trap, hiding the burgeoning psychopath underneath.
• Training from Hell: Ozai's idea of teaching Azula bending is throw her into the deep end against live opponents, firebending teachers or prisoners of war who are implicitly sent to fight her to the death (theirs, obviously). No matter how well she does, it's never remotely good enough, and she's made to do it all over again. And again. And again.
• Villainous Friendship: In this series, Azula actually seems to get along with Mai and Ty Lee, who willingly hang around her, while Cartoon Azula used fear to gain their loyalty. She also shares her insecurities (about Ozai's expectations) with them, something the original Azula only did once in the third season (about how her mother saw her as a monster).
• Villainous Princess: The only daughter of the current Fire Lord, and aims to follow his footsteps in order to become a powerful, ruthless and feared leader.
• "Well Done, Daughter!" Girl: Everything she does is to maintain her spot as Ozai's favored child. it doesn't help that Ozai is much more open about how conditional his love is for her in this series.
• Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Passes as a poor, exploited maiden working at the palace to infiltrate a rebel group, and they realize too late they lended their fates to the sadistic princess of their nation when she lures them into a trap.
• The Woman Behind the Man: Directly supports Admiral Zhao, partly so it'll undermine dear old Zu-Zu.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Pretends to be a scared, innocent maiden working at the palace in order to lure rebels planning an assassination attempt on Ozai into a trap.
• Young Conqueror: In the Season finale, she leads an army and successfully conquers Omashu and now has King Bumi captive.

Fire Lord Sozin

Fire Lord Sozin

Portrayed by: Hiro Kanagawa

The ruler of the Fire Nation a hundred years ago, he was the one who decided to use the Great Comet to wipe out the Airbenders and declare war against the entire world.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: Almost impressive given he's got the major points of the original Sozin's rap-sheet already there; he's gleefully sadistic about burning people alive.
• Evil Old Folks: Already clearly quite elderly when he starts on his campaign of genocide and world-conquest.
• Final Solution: The instigator of the Air Nomad Genocide, on the justification of killing the Avatar before they can be properly revealed and trained.
• Flying Firepower: How he and his troops got to the Air Temples without flying bison, using the boost in power given by the comet to just fly up the cliffs.
• Missed Him by That Much: Had he attacked the Air Temple any sooner, he would've caught and most likely killed Aang then and there.
• Playing with Fire: Being the Fire Lord, it's a given, but this version of Sozin is shown to take part of the Air Nomad Genocide.
• Predecessor Villain: He is long dead in the present day, but his genocide against the Air Nomads began the Hundred Year War that still continues through his grandson, Fire Lord Ozai.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: He seems to be stronger than his soldiers; while Gyatso manages to asphyxiate them, Sozin keeps standing.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears in the prologue, but his actions left an impact on the world that's lasted for one hundred years.
• Take Over the World: His ultimate end goal. He didn't succeed, but the war he started in the attempt is still going a hundred years later, and the damage still being felt.
• Villain Respect: He acknowledges Gyatso's airbending skills and admits he may have lost a fight against Gyatso had the comet not been overhead.
• Would Hurt a Child: The fact the Avatar was still a child means nothing to him, and just to be absolutely sure he's got them, he kills every last airbending child there is.

Lu Ten

Prince Lu Ten

Iroh's son, Ozai's nephew and Zuko and Azula's cousin. He was killed during battle during Iroh's Siege at Ba Sing Se. His death caused Iroh to completely change his view on war and violence.

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• Cool Big Bro: Was this towards his cousin Zuko, and even offered him his medal to cheer him up when Ozai was too hard on his cousin,
• The Ghost: While a flashback shows the events of his funeral, Lu Ten has yet to make his debut onscreen.
• Morality Chain Beyond the Grave: Lu Ten's death had a massive impact on Iroh and his view of the Fire Nation. Before, he was a feared General complicit of the Fire Nation's imperialism. But after losing his son, Iroh ceases any further contribution to the Fire Nation conquest of the world, instead opting to spread kindness and peace instead.
• Mythology Gag: Easy to miss, but Lu Ten's photograph depicted during his funeral is the same one Iroh put on the shrine he made for him during "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" episode in the original series.
• Nice Guy: Zuko holds him in high regard, mentioning that his cousin offered him his officer medal because he believed it should belong to someone "destined to do great things".
• Playing with Fire: Implied. Since he was an officer in the Fire Nation army, one could assume he was a firebender.
• Posthumous Character: Died about three years before Zuko's banishment.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Hinted at; despite being a Cool Big Bro to Zuko, he was still fighting in the name of the Fire Nation and finished first in his officer class.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Lu Ten died years prior to the events of the series, when Zuko was barely 13 years old, but his death is the catalyst to his father giving up on the Fire Nation's violence and inhuman view of the world.

Fire Nation Military

Zhao

Commander/Admiral Zhao

Portrayed by: Ken Leung

"Believe me, there's nothing more important than knowing where to place my loyalties."

A commander, later Admiral, of a minor Fire Nation outpost. He catches wind of the Avatar's re-emergence and seeks to capture him before Zuko can.

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• Adaptational Dumbass: While the original Zhao came across as a General Failure, this was partly because he was hotheaded and shortsighted. His actual strategic ability was great enough to actually capture Aang by personally selecting the otherwise wasted Yuyan archers for the job, and he smoothly invaded the Northern Water Tribe and came up with the plan to kill the Moon Spirit entirely of his own accord. In this version of the story, Zhao does not independently decide to outsource the Yuyan archers and instead has them foisted upon him at Azula's behest. Even then, he doesn't actually capture the Avatar himself, only taking him after Zuko and Iroh have already captured him with June's help. He also doesn't disocver the location of the Moon and Ocean Spirits himself and is given the information by a Fire Sage. His ability to get to the inner sanctum is also entirely dependent on the hot air balloon in this version. And while the original Zhao was a respected military officer from the get-go, this one is mentioned to have failed his commanders' exam thrice over. He is also delusional enough to believe he can actually overthrow Ozai, while in the original cartoon no matter how bad his god complex got he never gets overconfident enough to have any treasonous ideas in his head.
• Adaptational Personality Change: Less personally obnoxious, but in exchange is more of a slime-ball. He also lacks much of the original Zhao's sloppy temper.
• Adaptational Villainy: As bad as the original was, he never intended on usurping Ozai as Fire Lord.
• Adaptational Wimp: Starts much lower down the Fire Nation chain of command, only gradually working his way up to admiral over the course of the first season. It ties into his ambitiousness being a greater aspect of his character in this version.
• Ambition Is Evil: Everything he does is to work his way up the Fire Nation chain of command and get the prestige he believes he deserves. In the first season finale, he reveals his intention to eventually depose Ozai and take the throne for himself.
• Blatant Lies: Whenever he tries to cover up what he's doing it's with paper-thin lies.
• Dies Differently In The Adaptation: In the original show, his duel with Zuko is interrupted when the moon reappears, Zhao realizing that his great accomplishment has been undone... right before the Ocean spirit, returning to its pond, snatches him and drags him to a Fate Worse than Death. Here he attempts to attack Zuko from behind, only for Iroh to shoot him in the back, making him fall into the water and sink to an unknown fate.
• Dirty Coward: After he kills the Moon Spirit and Iroh attacks his men, Zhao runs away in terror.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Zigzagged. When Iroh presses him on his plan to kill the Ocean and Moon Spirits, Zhao quickly clarifies that he has no intent to kill the Ocean Spirit, noting how that would lead to the deaths of all the Water Tribespeople, and is visibly taken aback by Iroh's implication that he would ever do such a thing, even saying word-for-word "I'm not a monster". Still, he'll just kill the Moon Spirit, which is not any better.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: After taking Aang captive, he mockingly advises Aang to be more concerned for himself and is surprised when Aang rejects it, unable to understand that he is concerned about the well being of Katara, Sokka, and the rest of Koh's captives.
• Evil Is Hammy: His hammy side starts to emerge towards the second half of the season as he makes his play for power. Especially noticeable in the climax of "Legends" when he loudly declares his victory upon killing the moon spirit.
• Faux Affably Evil: His attempts to appear civil and polite absolutely drip with condescension or obsequiousness.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Is introduced as being fairly low on the totem pole within the Fire Nation military; Ozai himself dismisses him as being unimportant. His alliance with Azula leads to him getting promoted, up to the point of being put in charge of the entire fleet besieging the Northern Water Tribe.
• Horrible Judge of Character: By the time he's killed the Moon Spirit, he's so high on his self-importance that he offers Iroh the chance to serve him if and when he overthrows Ozai, apparently assuming Iroh doesn't know he tried to kill Zuko as recently as the other day, never mind the constant attempts to undermine him.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: He might have delusions of grandeur, but when Avatar Kyoshi goes One-Woman Army on his troop on Kyoshi Island, Zhao makes the wise decision to retreat to the ship.
• Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: Zhao's obsession with conquering the Northern Water Tribe and going down in history as the Moon Slayer has blinded him to the very obvious outcome that there would be no world left to remember his deed if he succeeds. Even Iroh points that Fire Lord Ozai would rather have a world to rule over, to which Zhao simply replies that he'll just have to supplant Ozai as the new Fire Lord.
• Mythology Gag: His battle with Zuko in the North Pole is basically their Agni Kai from the original series transplanted into a new location, right down to Zuko choosing not to finish him off after defeating him and Zhao attempting to get in a cheap shot while Zuko's back is turned. And just like in the original series, Iroh intervenes just in time, though the results are seemingly more fatal for Zhao this time around.
• Pet the Dog: He spares the Ocean Spirit out of his own horror that the Northern Water Tribe would die out if he didn't, even saying "I'm not a monster". The Moon Spirit, on the other hand, isn't lucky.
• Psychological Projection: Naturally, the arrogant glory hound Zhao offers Iroh the chance to restore his glory as Dragon of the West if he becomes Fire Lord.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Zhao believes himself to be destined for great things and thinks that having Azula help him is proof of that. Never mind the fact he failed his commander's exams thrice, and is so low in the Fire Nation's military ranks that Ozai considers him to be a nobody and only values him as a useful pawn for a military diversion.
• Smug Snake: He has the original Zhao's inflated sense of self-importance, but it's even more noticeable here thanks to his lower rank.
• The Starscream: By the first season finale, his arrogance has gotten so bad he figures he could have a shot at overthrowing Ozai.

Lieutenant Jee

Lieutenant Jee

Portrayed by: Ruy Iskandar

"Loyalty? General, with all due respect, your nephew doesn't know the meaning of the word. If he did, he would've shown us, the people who've been with him night and day for three years, a lot more respect. Instead, we've had to put up with his insults and abuse and tantrums. He doesn't care what we've had to sacrifice, because he's never had to sacrifice anything. If you ask anyone here, they'll tell you, 'He may be a prince, but he's not our prince.' Sir."

A soldier on Zuko's crew.

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• Adaptational Hairstyle Change: In the cartoon, his hair was a flat top and he had mutton chops. Here, he has long hair in a topknot, and his mutton chops were reduced to sideburns.
• Adaptation Origin Connection: As opposed to "just" being Zuko's crew in this adaptation, Jee and his men are the same battalion that Zuko was exiled for defending. This adds weight to Iroh's conversation with Jee, as unlike in the cartoon Zuko has already made personal sacrifices for his crew.
• Adaptational Personality Change: In the original series, Jee was bold enough to voice his dislike of Zuko to the prince's face. This version is much more afraid of Zuko's wrath and only speaks his true thoughts about the prince to Iroh.
• Age Lift: This Jee is younger than his animated counterpart. There's a reason for that.
• Ascended Extra: It's never elaborated on what happened to the battalion of soldiers that Zuko spoke out for and subsequently lost everything for due to his "insolence". Here, they were assigned to be his crew.
• Conflicting Loyalty: At one point, between Zuko, his immediate commander and member of the royal family, and Zhao, who outranks him and has a direct line to the Fire Lord. No matter which one he obeys, he's technically disobeying someone, and he's all too aware of this. He ultimately settles on Zuko, after learning that he and his comrades were to be sent on a suicide mission, and it was Zuko who spoke in their defense.
• Ensign Newbie: He's a junior officer fresh out of the academy, and serving under Zuko was his first real assignment.
• Gossipy Hens: Jee's a little too loose lipped. He's the one who told one of Zhao's crew about the Avatar, inadvertently leading to the Fire Lord and Azula knowing, and later on tries to talk rumors about Zhao when he hears Zuko speaking ill about him.
• I Owe You My Life: Not said out loud, but once Jee and the rest of the crew learn why they were assigned to work for Zuko, they become a lot more loyal to him. He ends up repaying the favor by warning Zuko about his new status as a traitor and Zhao being after him.
• New Meat: Jee and his entire platoon were fresh recruits scheduled to be used as a diversion, with the expectation of a 100% casualty rate. Zuko speaking up in their defense is what got him scarred and banished.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He's working for an imperialistic nation out to conquer the world, but isn't a Card-Carrying Villain, just a guy with a job he hates working for a boss he doesn't like.
• Reassigned to Antarctica: From Jee's point of view, he and the rest of the crew have for no readily apparent reason been stuck with a moody brat of a prince, doomed to sail around the world looking for the Avatar with no hope of ever going home.
• Undying Loyalty: Towards Zuko, though not at first. Jee initially doesn't like Zuko very much, as he is subjected to the prince's rage and insults practically every day during their journey. It's only after learning that Zuko indirectly saved his life and the lives of his men does Jee develop any real loyalty towards him. When the time comes, he chooses to follow Zuko rather than Zhao.
• Uncertain Doom: The fate of Jee, and the rest of Zuko's crew, is left up in the air after the siege at the North Pole. Iroh's reasonably confident they survived, at least.
• Unwitting Pawn: Zhao feeds him information knowing he'll try to warn Zuko, luring Zuko into an assassination attempt.
• With Due Respect: Uses it towards Iroh just before outlining exactly why he thinks so little of Zuko (and the nervousness is justified given he could be outright killed for speaking so out of turn about a member of the royal family).

Yon Rha

Commander Yon Rha

Portrayed by: Tom Lim

The commanding officer of the Southern Raiders, and the killer of Katara and Sokka's mother Kya.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: The original series did not elaborate on Yon Rha (and Kya's death) until one of the final episodes. Here, he shows up a few times through Katara's flashbacks.
• Age Lift: Yon Rha appeared to be of middle age by the time he killed Kya in the cartoon. The live action series portrays him as a slightly younger man.
• All There in the Manual: His name is only given in the credits, and since he is a flashback character, his name is yet to be revealed (though fans of the original series are already aware of the identity of Kya's killer).
• Playing with Fire: A high-ranked Fire Nation soldier, he is a firebender and kills Kya by scorching her.
• Red Is Violent: Sports the Fire Nation Army red uniform, and is not above burning innocent civilians to death such as Kya.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He has only appeared in flashbacks so far, but his murder of Kya permanently traumatized Katara, and she is still dealing with the grief to this day.

Azula's Team

Mai

Mai

Portrayed by: Thalia Tran

An unflappable and stoic teenager, and a close friend and ally of Azula.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: She shows up a season earlier alongside Ty Lee. In the cartoon, they didn't show up until Book Two.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: A black-haired Emo Teen who doesn't hide her contempt and boredom.
• Blade Enthusiast: While Azula practices archery, Mai can be seen holding one of her knives.
• Brutal Honesty: She lacks tact and bluntly says what's on her mind.
• Call-Forward:
  • One scene shows a bored Mai twirling a knife. Those were her main weapons of combat in the cartoon series.
  • Mai brings up Zuko twice (not caring that she's next to Azula), about how he's lucky to be out exploring the world and he's logically the direct heir to the throne. Book 2 of the cartoon revealed Mai had a crush on him since they were children.
• Emo Teen: Is utterly bored being in the Fire Nation outside from the real world and doesn't hide her contempt.
• Emotionless Girl: Downplayed compared to her animated counterpart; while Cartoon Mai was The Stoic and rarely showed other emotions, this Mai is seen to be horrified and stops Azula before she can kill a sparring partner.
• Honest Advisor: Serves as one for Azula, several times assessing the source of her problem and telling her as such.
• Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here: Mai is utterly bored in the Fire Nation capitol, and would rather be out in the world doing something, anything.
• Not So Stoic: Though she's rather emotionless a lot of the time, she rushes in to stop Azula when it looks like she's about to kill a sparring partner in anger.
• Odango Hair: Has two small buns on each side of her head, with the remaining hair in pigtails.
• The Stoic: Always holds a deadpan and bored expression.
• Those Two Girls: Yet to be seen apart from Ty Lee.
• With Friends Like These...: It's made pretty clear that her friendship with Azula is conditional on not pissing her off, constantly agreeing with and supporting her at all times. Especially where Zuko is concerned. Which is not a good mix with Mai's bluntness.
  Mai: In fairness, [Zuko] is the heir to the Fire Lord.
  Azula: (glower)
  Mai: Which, obviously, he doesn't deserve.

Ty Lee

Ty Lee

Portrayed by: Momona Tamada

An energetic and upbeat Fire Nation teenager, and a close friend and ally of Azula.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: She wasn't a player until Book Two in the original series. Here, she and Mai show up as early as the third episode.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: From light brown hair in the cartoon to a dark brown in live action.
• Adaptational Modesty: In the animated series, Ty Lee mainly wears a hot pink two-piece that exposes her midriff. This version however, wears an outfit that covers her midriff but the outfit is still the same colors as her original outfit.
• Adapted Out: Her running away and joining the circus is excised, and she's shown to still be with Azula.
• Genki Girl: Always in a good mood, and is peppy and upbeat.
• Nice Girl: It wouldn't be Ty Lee is she wasn't. She praises Azula's abilities and calls her perfect when she is seen doubting herself.
• Nightmare Fetishist: Befitting her Perky Female Minion nature, she seems way too cheerful asking Azula for details about her mission infiltrating the local resistance, and whether she was in danger.
• Odd Friendship: A sweet, quirky girl, and a loyal friend to a sadistic Villainous Princess. And then there's Mai, who's her polar opposite in terms of personality.
• Pink Means Feminine: Ty Lee is the sweetest of the three Fire Nation girls, and wears a mostly pink outfit.
• Those Two Girls: Yet to be seen apart from Mai.
• Yes-Man: Much more willing to sing Azula's praises than Mai.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Azula starts to give in to the pressure her father puts on her, Ty Lee tells Azula she is perfect and the best there is, and that Ozai is clearly testing her.

Fire Nation Rebels

Fire Sage Shyu

Fire Sage Shyu

Portrayed by: James Rha

"My name is Shyu, I believe the Avatar represents not any one kingdom, but the hope for a unified world. Sadly the Great Sage and the others believe the Fire Lord is their true spiritual leader. They have lost their way."

A sage of the Fire Nation, he is deeply spiritual despite his nation's pragmatic and militaristic approach to bending.

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• Age Lift: Noticeably younger than the cartoon's Shyu.
• Go Through Me: In order to buy Aang some time, he stands in front of the other Fire Sages and tells them they'll have to get through him first. They do, but June knocks them out before they can go any further.
• Nice Guy: Genuinely believes fire should not balance the elements, and hopes for a world where all the elements can live in balance with eachother again. Sure enough, he helps Aang reach Roku's shrine and holds off the other Fire Sages while he meets up with him.
• Playing with Fire: Comes with being part of the Fire Sages.
• Token Good Teammate: The only one of the Fire Sages who is loyal to the Avatar, rather than unthinkingly loyal to the Fire Lord, and the only person from the Fire Nation so far to be actively helpful to Aang in any way. That said...
• Uncertain Doom: He was last seen facing off the five Fire Sages in what appears to be a duel to the death. But when Aang gets out of Roku's chamber, the Fire Sages have been knocked out by June and there is no evidence of a charred corpse or even a fire duel, so it's unclear if the Fire Sages did kill him or if June intervened and saved Shyu's life for the time being.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Among his collection of relics is a spirit knife of Kuruk's, which Zhao gets his hands on, and which helps lead to the events at the Siege of the North Pole.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: It's unknown what happened to him after he was about to fight the other Fire Sages. While June and Nyla ended up paralyzing the Fire Sages, Shyu is nowhere to be seen.

Tan

Tan

Portrayed by: Osric Chau

A rebellious Fire Nation peasant who makes the mistake of trusting a disguised Azula with a coup plot.

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• Canon Foreigner: He's a new character created for the series, made to represent even civilians within the Fire Nation do not adhere to the war and colonialism it preached for the past hundred years.
• Death by Irony: His assassination attempt on Ozai backfires spectacularly when it's his devoted daughter, a.k.a the princess of the Fire Nation, that leads the rebels into a trap, where it's Ozai who kills them instead.
• Defiant to the End: He keeps telling off Ozai after being captured and facing certain execution and takes a second or two to start screaming as he is burned alive.
• Didn't Think This Through: As Ozai points out, even if the rebels did succeed in murdering Ozai, they clearly did not consider the tons of palace guards would want to avenge their leader, which means that their coup was a death wish from the beginning.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Burned to death, like all his friends, courtesy of Ozai.
• Fatal Flaw: Trust. He trusted a girl who claimed to be working at the Fire Nation Palace, who revealed herself to be Princess Azula when she betrays them and delivers them on a plate for her father. Then again, she is a Manipulative Bitch and who knows how long she was infiltrating the rebels...
• Gory Discretion Shot: While he and his mates are burned to death, all that is seen of the massacre is the reflexion of Ozai's fire in Azula's eyes while their screams echo in the background.
• Horrible Judge of Character: He sealed his fate and those of his group when he entirely put his trust on a maiden he barely knew, who unbeknownst to him was the princess of his nation in disguise. Then again, it's not like he knew what Azula might've looked like, and she is a pretty good liar.
• Rebel Leader: Fed up with the casualties of the royal family's war and believing in the balance the Avatar embodies, he seeks to assassinate Ozai and bring about peace, which leads to a We Hardly Knew Ye fate.
• La Résistance: His rebel group signifies how the Fire Nation's imperialism is starting to lose hold over its regular citizens after 100 years of war with no end in sight, and how Fire Lord Ozai really treats his people as.
• Man on Fire: He and his group die by Ozai's firebending.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Not much is known about him other than he was a Fire Nation citizen who wanted to assassinate Ozai to end the war (which is implied to have claimed the life of at least one of his loved ones) and recruited a group of like-minded people to his cause.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Ozai mocks him for his belief that, even if his plan had succeeded, the Fire Nation guards would have a Heel Realization and join him rather than just killing him and his friends for regicide.

Others

The Great Sage

The Great Sage

"Then you shall burn along with the rest of the non-believers."

Portrayed by: François Chau

"The only one who can provide balance is Fire Lord Ozai. He will unify the world, not the Avatar. And you have no idea how powerful he will soon become."

The leader of the Fire Sages.

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• Ascended Extra: He appears much more frequently than his cartoon counterpart, even sharing scenes with the Fire Lord himself.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Double-Subverted. He asks why Fire Lord Ozai isn't bothered by the complete failure of the Siege of the North despite the fact they lost nearly an entire armada. When Ozai reveals that the siege was just a distraction to cover their real military operation at Omashu, the Great Sage simply praises Ozai for his brilliance rather than asking if the lives lost was worth it.”, although he does still ask about the safety of Zuko and seems surprised at how indifferent Ozai is to whether his son is alive.
• Evil Old Folks: An elderly sage who swears allegiance to a tyrant, and aids him in his plot for world domination.
• Playing with Fire: Being the head of the Fire Sages, he's explicitly a firebender.
• Science Wizard: He is a firebending mystic who also has some astronomy and mechanical engineering talents.
• Spared by the Adaptation: The Great Sage in the original series was arrested by Zhao for supposedly conspiring with the Avatar to undermine the Fire Nation, even though it was only Shyu who turned against the Fire Nation. While Shyu was later revealed in the comics to have been promoted as the next Great Sage under Zuko's regime, the original Great Sage faced an Uncertain Doom. In this adaptation, the Great Sage isn't arrested by Zhao or falsely accused of helping the Avatar, so he retains his position and even gets to collaborate with Ozai over strategy at the end of Season One.
• Sycophantic Servant: The Great Sage lacks any real charisma, sucking up to Ozai, who has more charisma, in the hopes of getting a piece of his power.
• Undying Loyalty: To Fire Lord Ozai, whom he venerates almost like a deity.
• Would Hurt a Child: The minute he sees Aang, who just wants to talk to the Fire Sages, he launches a fireball at him.
• Yes-Man: Despite the fact he's willing to question the Fire Lord during the war room meetings, the Great Sage always applauds Ozai's decisions in end, especially if Ozai can explain his reasoning behind them.

Earth Kingdom

Kyoshi Island

Suki

Suki

Portrayed by: Maria Zhang

"Before she died, Avatar Kyoshi trained an elite force in her image. One ready to protect not only our homes but our way of life. That tradition has been passed down through the generations, and it is now my honor to protect this community and to uphold the values of the Avatar. That is why I'm not just a warrior. I'm a Kyoshi Warrior."

Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and daughter of the village head.

---

• Action Girl: No doubts about that. She's the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors for a reason.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Her hair is black here, while it was more of a light brown (or auburn, depending on the artist) in the animated series.
• Adaptation Expansion: She still only appears in one episode, but since the show's episodes are longer than the original, she appears for twice the length, giving more time to explore her and her relationship with Sokka. She also desires to explore the world outside of the island, something Cartoon Suki never brought up.
• Ambiguously Absent Parent: Does slightly better than original flavor Suki in this regard, in that her mom is alive and present, but her father is a complete blank spot.
• Call-Forward: Of the comic books: Yukari tells Suki that one of her worries is how people would take advantage of Suki's kindness. It's what happens in "Suki Alone" where a fellow prisoner at the Boiling Rock betrays Suki.
• Combat Hand Fan: Those hand fans are razor sharp, and she's got a very good aim with them.
• Covert Pervert: Catches a sneak peak of Sokka shirtless.
• Disappeared Dad: No mention of her father whatsoever.
• Distracted by the Sexy: She arrives to tell Sokka about a feast while he's changing, and stays for a good minute to stare at him.
• Eating the Eye Candy: She sneaks in on a shirtless Sokka, and gets an eyeful for a good moment, to the point of making him self-conscious.
• Girly Bruiser: Wears Kyoshi's infamous makeup in battle, and it doesn't make her any less of a skilled warrior.
• Heroic Lineage: Hinted to have become a Kyoshi Warrior after her mother, who is seen fighting with fans the same way Kyoshi Warriors do.
• Hero-Worshipper: Holds Avatar Kyoshi in high regard, and being the current leader of the elite group named after her, Suki takes her duties as a Kyoshi Warrior very seriously. When Kyoshi takes over Aang's body and successfully gets rid of Zhao and his men, Suki watches Kyoshi curb-stomp the firebenders with a reverent awe.
• It Runs in the Family: Her mother is the head of Kyoshi Island, and shows she's every bit of capable of kicking bender behind as her daughter.
• The Leader: Of the Kyoshi Warriors.
• Not So Above It All: A serious warrior she is, she can't help but stare at a shirtless Sokka.
• Parent-Child Team: With her mother, an ex-Kyoshi Warrior, they make a pretty good team fighting off Firebenders.
• Related in the Adaptation: In this continuity, she is the daughter of the mayor of Kyoshi Island.
• Socially Awkward Hero: It's clear that Suki was never around guys her age before, and it shows when she's around Sokka: especially when she shamelessly appreciates the sight of Sokka shirtless.
• Smitten Teenage Girl: Immediately gets flustered by Sokka, even admiring him as he changes.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: She's really good at popping up unexpectedly and giving Sokka heart attacks.
• Teacher/Student Romance: She becomes Sokka's martial arts teacher, and the two quickly hit it off.

Yukari

Mayor Yukari

Portrayed by: Tamlyn Tomita

The Mayor of Kyoshi Island, and Suki's mother.

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• Action Mom: Hinted to have been part of the Kyoshi Warriors, as she is shown to be just as skilled as her daughter in a fight.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: An ex-Kyoshi Warrior turned Mayor.
• Badass Normal: A non-bender just like her daughter, but a capable fighter who can send grown men flying barehanded.
• Blue Is Heroic: Wears a blue kimono, and is a fair leader and excellent fighter.
• Canon Foreigner: Downplayed. While the Mayor of Kyoshi Island was male in the cartoon series, Suki's parents were never even mentioned. Here, her mother has a name, Yukari, and is a retired Kyoshi Warrior.
• Combat Hand Fan: Uses them to fight, showcasing her as an ex-Kyoshi warrior.
• Gender Flip: The Kyoshi Island's mayor was male in the series. Here, not only she's female, she's also Suki's mother.
• Heroic Lineage: Was part of the Kyoshi Warriors, and passed the torch to her daughter Suki.
• Mama Bear: Part of her reasons to (initially) refuse helping Aang is to protect her village, and most importantly her daughter Suki.
• Muscles Are Meaningless: Appears to be an average middle age woman, however she manages to send a Firebender soldier flying around with sheer strenght without being a bender herself.
• Parent-Child Team: Teams up with her daughter when Fire Nation invade their village.
• She Is the King: The female mayor of Kyoshi Island.
• Slipknot Ponytail: Her Prim and Proper Bun comes undone during her fight against Zhao's troops.

Omashu

King Bumi

King Bumi

Portrayed by: Utkarsh Ambudkar, Pradnesh Prakash (young)

The king of Omashu, one of the Earth Kingdom's largest cities, and Aang's friend from a hundred years ago.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: King Bumi in the original series was a goofy Cool Old Guy who only gave Aang the runaround during their first meeting to give him a new perspective on how he could face the obstacles in his future. Bumi in this series has actually become jaded and cynical from the events of the Hundred-Year War, giving Aang a hard time in part because he had legitimate grievances with Aang disappearing at the start of the war. With that being said, he's still pretty goofy.
• Adaptational Origin Connection: In the cartoon, Aang bought his bison whistle from a market in the present day. Here, Bumi carves it as a child and gifts it to him, long before he disappeared for a century.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Original series Bumi was a redhead with Anime Hair as a kid. Here, to go with the Race Lift, his hair's short and black.
• Badass in Distress: Bumi ends the first season as Azula's prisoner as she and her army had conquered Omashu.
• The Chains of Commanding: Leading Omashu while a century-spanning war is going on has not been easy for him. The Sadistic Choice he forces on Aang during their fight is openly symbolic of the sacrifices he had to make, forced to choose every day who he could save with the very limited resources he had.
• Composite Character: Of Bumi of course, but he now has traits of the Old Fisherman from "The Storm" from the original series at the forefront of his character, viciously chewing out Aang for disappearing for the last 100 years.
• Dishing Out Dirt: You get a subtle hint at how powerful an Earthbender he is by his sphere wheel throne that he can keep level and move around with nary a thought. In his youth, he Earthbend-sculpted Aang's bison whistle.
• Easily Forgiven: Despite Bumi putting him through harsh challenges and forcing him to make a Sadistic Choice, Aang forgives his old friend once they find common ground and understands how much grievance the war put him through.
• Hat of Authority: Instead of the crown-hat from the cartoon, he instead wears an incredibly oversized turban.
• Living Relic: Lampshaded. Bumi is 112-years-old, but Aang is astonished by how he's even still alive.
  Bumi: Clean living, the right diet, ooh, and luck... Hard to say if it's good or bad luck.
• Obfuscating Disability: Looks like a hundred year old man who walks with a notable limp, but is probably one of if not the most powerful earthbenders alive, and his mind's as sharp as it was when he was a kid.
• Old Friend: To Aang, though their reunion is far less happy than it was in the original series. Bumi still comes around, however.
• Pungeon Master: During his feast with Aang, he can't stop making food-related puns.
• The Resenter: He is mad at Aang for not being there when the war started. A hundred years of war, loss and death took its toll on Bumi, who blames his old friend as a result even if Aang never meant to disappear in the first place. He gets over this when Aang shows him his stone whistle Bumi made him.
• Signature Laugh: Has a pronounced cackle, which tends to get interrupted by snorts. This is how Aang recognizes him as his old friend.
• Too Important to Walk: He can walk, albeit slowly, but sometimes he just uses his earthbending to cart himself around, without any apparent effort.
• Took a Level in Cheerfulness: After he realizes Aang kept the bison whistle he gave to him 100 years ago, King Bumi lets go of his resentment and even asks Aang one last challenge: slide down the delivery system just for fun, like they did back in the day.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Was an upbeat Cheerful Child back when he was friends with Aang in their youth. However, the Hundred Year war soured him up considerably, and Aang refuses to believe that the sweet and goofy kid he once knew is entirely gone.
• What the Hell, Hero?: He is very upset with Aang for not being there the last century. He eventually gets over this when Aang shows him the carved stone whistle he gave him when he was a child and allies with his old friend to finally end the war.
• The Wonka: Omashu seems to be doing pretty well under him, but is should not be understated how nuts the man is, as he consistently subjects his court to his odd declarations and terrible puns. Notably, when he makes them, the guards' expressions don't show any surprise, as if this is pretty normal for him.

Jet

Jet

Portrayed by: Sebastian Amoruso

An Earth Kingdom citizen fighting the Fire Nation.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: Unlike the animated version, Jet never tries to destroy an entire village as revenge against the Fire Nation, and his main goal is instead to kill King Bumi and his associates during the former's meeting with Sai. He also never physically abuses an innocent old man like Cartoon Jet did.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Much of the conflict in Jet's eponymous episode in the animated series was Sokka's rivalry with him, with Sokka eventually discovering just how unnecessarily ruthless his Freedom Fighters actually were. Here, they barely interact at all, barring a bit of one-sided snark on Jet's side. Instead, the focus is on his and Katara's relationship, while Sokka is busy with Sai in their own subplot.
• Badass Normal: A nonbender, but he is pretty skilled with his meat hooks in a fight.
• Beauty Is Bad: Downplayed. Jet is a fair young fellow and aims to fight against the Fire Nation's colonialism, however, he doesn't care about the innocent people that get caught up in his plans, making him an Anti-Villain.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Initially appears to be a nice sort of fellow who helps the Gaang get into Omashu no problem, and even assists Katara with the psychological block she has with her waterbending. Then Katara finds out about what the Freedom Fighters get up to.
• Black-and-White Insanity: Just like in the original series, Jet believes that anyone remotely associated with the Fire Nation deserves to die.
• Dark and Troubled Past: His father hid him in a well while his village was under attack by the Fire Nation when he was 8 years old. When he came out of it, he found his entire family dead and had to fend for himself ever since.
• Dual Wielding: He sports two hook swords as weapons, like in the cartoon.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Jet may be merciless and unstable, he holds dear memories of his mother, who was a warrior, was the one who taught him how to fight and died a Heroic Sacrifice to protect Jet while his father hid him in a well. It gets deconstructed as her death along with the rest of his family's delusioned Jet into hating and wanting the death of anyone remotely associated with the Fire Nation.
• Freudian Excuse: Like so many, he's feeling the psychological scars of a hundred year long war. Katara even brings it up after he's tried attacking her that she can at least see why he's the way he is.
• Harmful to Minors: The only survivor of a Fire Nation attack on his village when he was 8 years old, and he also discovered the corpses of his family. No wonder it messed him up...
• He Who Fights Monsters: Jet has a deep hatred for the Fire Nation since he survived a raid on his village that killed his entire family. However, as Katara points out, Jet is so overwhelmed by his desire for revenge he has no qualms about innocent people, who have nothing to do with the Fire Nation, getting caught in his quest, which makes him as unscrupulous as the firebenders.
• Iconic Item: Chews on a piece of wheat, like his cartoon counterpart.
• Messy Hair: Initially keeps it quite tidy, but when he's out freedom fighting, it's a wild mane.
• The Power of Hate: Katara points out that Jet is letting his hate of the Fire Nation get the best of him, making him fight for all the wrong reasons.
• Revenge Before Reason: Jet became so jaded by the war and his hatred of the Fire Nation for killing his family, that he is willing to have innocents hurt if it means getting closer to his revenge.
• Sole Survivor: At 8 years old, he was the only one from his family that survived a Fire Nation massacre.
• The Unfettered: There are no lines Jet won't cross to fight the Fire Nation, including outright terrorist bombings, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.
• With Us or Against Us: Subscribes to this mentality when fighting the Fire Nation. Katara disagrees.

The Freedom Fighters

The Freedom Fighters

Pipsqueak portrayed by: Vincent Huang

Smellerbee portrayed by: Wes Valarao

The Duke portrayed by: Taylor Lam Wright

Longshot portrayed by: Nathaniel Kong

A group of Earth Kingdom rebels consisting of orphans led by Jet.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Pipsqueak has a very thuggish-looking face in the cartoon. While he's still big and imposing here, he at least looks like a regular teenager.
• Adapted Out: Sneers is the only member to not appear in this series (or at least not be properly introduced).
• Alliterative Name: The Freedom Fighters.
• Aloof Archer: Longshot, who is quiet and composed, and has no problems assassinating people using a fire arrow and blasting jelly.
• Arrows on Fire: Longshot uses fire on his arrow at some point in an attempt to assassinate Sai and King Bumi, only to be stopped by Katara.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Longshot; he may not say much, but he's a skilled archer who nearly assassinates the king of Omashu himself with a flaming arrow and blasting jelly.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Most of them survived Fire Nation attacks that took the lives of their loved-ones.
• Demoted to Extra: Smellerbee, Pipsqueak and the Duke have far less scenes and characterization than they had in their debut episode from the cartoon, with Longshot having the most screentime.
• Free-Range Children: The Freedom Fighters consists of orphaned kids that lost family to the Fire Nation, who live in a community led by Jet and who try to fight against the Fire Nation's regime.
• Ironic Name: Katara initially believed that "Pipsqueak" was The Duke, since it's most befitting, only to be told that Pipsqueak is actually a tall, bulky guy.
• Parental Abandonment: Most of the kids living with the Freedom Fighters lost their parents and family members to Fire Nation raids.
• La Résistance: Jet leads the Freedom Fighters in an attempt to counter the Fire Nation's dictatorship.
• Master Archer: Longshot, of course. It's in the name.
• Minor Living Alone: A bunch of orphan kids living among eachother in a camp. Justified since their parents are likely dead thanks to the Fire Nation.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: In the cartoon, the Freedom Fighters lived in shelters built in trees. Here, due to the realism of the series and the fact most of them are kids with no building expertise, they instead live in a camp base.
• Tribal Face Paint: Smellerbee has three red paint lines on each cheek.

Sai (The Mechanist)

Sai

"The world is filled with warriors. But there are far too few great engineers"

Portrayed by: Danny Pudi

"Protecting the ones we love is important, but I also know we must pursue the talents that we've been given. Sokka, you're a gifted engineer. Don't ignore that. It's not always easy to find your path in life, but when you find it, you must embrace it."

A genius inventor trying to fight the Fire Nation in his own way.

---

• Abled in the Adaptation: Still has all his fingers in this version.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Being transposed to Omashu, he hasn't obliviously remodelled / desecrated the Northern Air Temple.
• Adaptational Origin Connection: In this adaptation, he lives in Omashu and serves as King Bumi's royal mechanist whereas in the cartoon, he worked independently and lived in the Northern Air Temple.
• Adaptation Personality Change: Much less of a Cloudcuckoolander than the original version.
• Birds of a Feather: He gets on quite well with Sokka over their fondness for gadgets, though things do get strained after Sokka finds out he's selling information to the Fire Nation.
• Blackmail Backfire: After a calling out from Sokka and Teo, he's able to turn things around on the Fire Nation agents, and in the space of a few hours manages to get them all caught.
• Forced into Evil: Was blackmailed by Fire Nation to make plans for their army, or else they would harm him and his son.
• Gadgeteer Genius: Right there in his title.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door: He's a naturally good man who was Forced into Evil by the Fire Nation, but eventually found the courage to denounce the spies to King Bumi and becomes his royal mechanist.
• Horrible Judge of Character: He was feeding information to the Fire Nation, but he thought the knowledge he was giving them was harmless things they wouldn't be able to use to hurt people. Sokka points out that anything can be turned into a weapon with enough thought.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Tries saying as much, but neither Sokka or Teo are especially convinced.
• Meaningful Name: His name, Sai, can mean "one who strives"; Sai is a hardworking mechanist.
• Named by the Adaptation: In the original series, he was only referred to as "The Mechanist". Here, he is given a name: Sai.
• Papa Wolf: Claims the reason he gave information to Fire Nation spies in the first place was to protect Teo, whose life was threatened if Sai wouldn't cooperate.
• Regretful Traitor: Is clearly not proud of working for the Fire Nation, but it's not like he had a choice in the matter without putting his life or his son's at risk.

Teo

Teo

Portrayed by: Lucian-River Chauhan

The idealistic and high-flying son of Sai the Mechanist.

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• Adaptational Personality Change: While he still is a Cheerful Child like Cartoon Teo, here he is way more affected by the loss of his mother and gains a Troubling Unchildlike Behavior that consists of wanting Fire Nation soldiers dead.
• Ambiguous Situation: Since it was not addressed in the cartoons either, it's not made clear if Teo became crippled after an accident (he does fly on a homemade airplane) or if it's the result of the Fire Nation raid that also killed his mother.
• Broken Pedestal: Greatly respected his father, until he learns from Sokka and Katara that he's been reluctantly giving design ideas to Fire Nation spies.
• Genius Cripple: Teo may be crippled, but just like his father, he's still pretty smart, even helping construct designs that could help the Earth Kingdom. He is able to pinpoint the tunnel where the terrorists gather, and understands the dangers of blasting jelly.
• Graceful in Their Element: Enjoys flying around Omashu with his wheelchair, even Aang mistaken him for being an airbender.
• Missing Mom: His mother was killed when the Fire Nation raided his village and lived in Omashu with his father ever since.
• Protectorate: His father only became affiliated with Fire Nation spies in order to protect Teo from their wrath if they refused.
• Stylish Protection Gear: Wear black, hexagonal googles with golden edges whenever he is flying.
• Super Wheelchair: Teo is able to use his wheelchair as an airplane to fly above Omashu.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Way too eager about the thought of Aang's aerial superiority allowing the opportunity to rain fire and destruction down on the Fire Nation.

The Cabbage Merchant

Portrayed by: James Sie

"'MY CABBAGEEEEEEES!"

A poor merchant who keeps running afoul of Team Avatar.

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• Advertised Extra: As shown above, he has his own character poster despite his minimal screentime. Then again, he's still one of the most iconic minor characters in the franchise — with focus given to the fact that he's played by the same actor as in the original — so it's warranted.
• Bait-and-Switch: In a deliberate tease for the fans, he gets cut off before uttering his famous catchphrase, twice. Then when Zuko accidentally sets his cart ablaze, he finally screams it to the heavens.
• Butt-Monkey: He spends about 90% of his screentime getting screwed over in some way.
• Character Catchphrase: "MY CABBAGES!!!"
• Decomposite Character: His cart doesn't get tossed over the bridge by Omashu's guards this time; that happens to a separate, unnamed merchant. It doesn't save his cabbages from getting destroyed later, though.
• Iconic Item: His cabbage cart, of course!
• Skyward Scream: He screams his catchphrase when Zuko burns his cabbage cart.
• Unlucky Extra: The guy just wants to sell his wares only for them to get burned, smashed or whatever else happens.

Chong

Chong

"Hear that? Harmony. That's what we're all about. Harmony, music, and love."

Portrayed by: Justin Wong

"'Love is brightest in the dark.' Remember that, especially if you're going into the dark void from which no living being ever returns."

A laidback minstrel who travels the world and plays music with his crew. Katara and Sokka find them hanging out in the tunnels beneath Omashu.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: Chong and his friends did not appear in the cartoon until Book 2. Here, they show up in the fourth episode, pointing the way for Katara and Sokka as they head into the Cave of Two Lovers.
• The Bard: A nomad playing the dramyin (an Himalayan lute), he travels around with his fellow musicians and is the one who tells Oma and Shu's story to Sokka and Katara.
• Demoted to Extra: He actually accompanied Team Avatar as they traveled through the tunnels in the original. Due to the different circumstances here, he only shows up for one scene, though he still helps Katara and Sokka and even tells the story of Oma and Shu.
• Dissonant Serenity: As he finishes his song and watch Katara and Sokka enter the tunnels, he smiles widely as he quips: "They're doomed!"
• Mr. Exposition: He is the one who recounts the story of Oma and Shu, and the tunnels underneath the city.
  Chong: It's a tale of two lovers. Oma and Shu met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages. The villages were enemies, so they couldn't be together, but their love was strong so they found a way. They learned earthbending from the badgermoles, becoming the first Earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels so that they could meet secretly. But one day, Oma didn't come. She'd been killed in an attack. Devastated, Shu wielded her earthbending power to bring the villages to their knees. She could've destroyed them all. But instead, she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love.
• New-Age Retro Hippie: A laidback wanderer with a knack for acoustic music, Chong is a hippie in every sense of the word.
• Nobody's That Dumb: Chong and his crew merely hang out by the cave entrance. Even they aren't foolish enough to actually go into the tunnels proper.
• The Storyteller: With the help of some ancient cave paintings, he tells the siblings the story of Oma and Shu, the two lovers that Omashu was named after.
• Wandering Minstrel: Chong and his friends go wherever the wind takes them. They just happen to be in the Omashu tunnels by the time Katara and Sokka get there (for the acoustics, man).

Captain Dixit

Captain Dixit

Portrayed by: Albert Nicholas

An earthbending captain operating in Omashu. He gets put in charge of transfering Iroh to the Pit, a prisoner camp for war criminals, and is violent and cruel towards Iroh as revenge for causing his younger brother's death in Ba Sing Se.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: Is explicitly more violent towards Iroh compared to his animated counterpart, who only resorted to crush Iroh's hands because he considered him too dangerous. Though in this case, it's because his younger brother was killed when Iroh was leading an army to conquer Ba Sing Se.
• Adaptational Backstory Change: There was no indication that the Earth Kingdom captain that captured Iroh in the cartoon had family killed during the Ba Sing Se Siege, although he still held strong contempt for Iroh for his role in the war.
• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul:
  • While the captain that had captured Iroh in the cartoon hated him for the Siege at Ba Sing Se in general, here his hatred is more intense (and justified) because his younger brother died during Iroh's time as General, and it's clear that he has no one else to blame but Iroh for it.
  • It was not made clear who the earthbending captain was working for in the series, though it's implied to be Ba Sing Se since he had planned to take Iroh there so he could be trialed for his crimes. Here, he seems to be working under King Bumi in Omashu, and he and his men take Iroh from his jail cell to take him to the Pit, a prison for war criminals that no tenant has ever returned from.
• Anti-Villain: He's really cruel, violent and outright petty towards Iroh, but then again, his younger brother was killed during the Siege and Captain Dixit never grieved him properly, even catching sight of the charred remains of his brother. Now that he has the man responsible for his death, Captain Dixit gets blinded by his hatred and desire for vengeance.
• Bait-and-Switch: Captain Dixit introduces himself to Iroh as a professional soldier, asking Iroh if he needs anything to make his ride more comfortable. Iroh answers that he is alright... and then the Captain punches him in the stomach.
• The Captain: A soldier captain in service for King Bumi in Omashu.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Explicitly an earthbender, he attempts to crush Iroh with a boulder at one point.
• Dramatic Irony: Captain Dixit accuses Iroh of having no humanity, and no idea what loss is, unaware that the Siege at Ba Sing Se also took the life of Iroh's son Lu Ten, which is the reason why Iroh gave up on Ba Sing Se in the first place.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Evil from Iroh and the audience's perspectives, but he still cared deeply about his younger brother and his grief blinds him with vengeful intentions.
• It's Personal: His younger brother was burned so badly by Iroh's army, that there wasn't much left of him to bury in the aftermath. Oh, and he was 19. No wonder he's so embittered and "takes his time" during the ride to the Pit.
• Get It Over With: When he's overpowered by Iroh, he urges him, as if daring him, to finish him off. Iroh refuses to prove his point, believing there is no need for more pointless death, and spares him.
• Green and Mean: He's from the Earth Kingdom, wears a green uniform and acts like a cruel batterer towards Iroh.
• Hero Antagonist: Being from the Earth Kingdom, Captain Dixit is on the good side of the war. But when he has Iroh under his "care", he personally makes his life miserable because of his younger brother's death by Iroh's army.
• He Who Fights Monsters: He holds Iroh accountable for the death of his younger brother, and thinks of him as a barbaric, homicidal monster (which is far from the case). But his cruel treatment of Iroh makes him no better than the image he has of his brother's "killer".
• Kick the Dog:
  • Dixit punches Iroh in the stomach, just for talking.
  • Later, he offers Iroh some water, only to spitefully pour out the entire pitcher right in front of him. After all, firebenders don't need water, right?
  • Finally, when Iroh spares his life, the captain thanks him by throwing a knife in his back. Zuko promptly kicks the disgraceful captain out cold for all the grievance he put his uncle through.
• Knight Templar Big Brother: Seeks out to avenge the death of his younger brother by beating up and treating Iroh like an animal, even if Iroh is not a threat anymore and cooperates during his transfer.
• Laser-Guided Karma: After beating and psychologically tearing Iroh, Zuko comes to his uncle's rescue and beats him and his men. He then decides to be an Ungrateful Bastard and throw a knife in Iroh's back, when the latter had chosen to spare his life. Zuko answers by kicking Captain Dixit in the face, knocking him out.
• Named by the Adaptation: He was unnamed in the original series, whereas here he is credited as "Captain Dixit".
• Revenge: Now that he has the "Dragon of the West" captive, Captain Dixit makes him his duty to make his life a living hell during the ride to the Pit, as payback for the death of his brother.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Iroh spares his life and claims that the world as seen enough death as it is. Captain Dixit still decides to throw a knife in his back. Zuko kicks the disgraceful captain out cold.
• Wham Shot: Punching Iroh in the stomach comes out of absolutely nowhere, since he initially presented himself as a professional and well-mannered soldier.
• Would Harm a Senior: Has no qualms punching Iroh in the stomach.

Others

June

June

Portrayed by: Arden Cho

"I've heard the stories about how you're gonna save the world. Here's the thing. Some of us don't need saving. Some of us have got this world figured out. So you got your Firebenders and your Earthbenders and your whatever benders, and they all want something. And they're willing to fight to get it. So if you're smart, you just sit back and wait for the dust to clear. And then pick through broken pieces for the leftovers. Far as I'm concerned, world's just fine the way it is."

A bounty hunter hired by Zuko and Iroh.

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• Adaptational Badass: She actually manages to capture Aang in this series, something she never succeeded in the cartoon (she only captured Sokka and Katara).
• Adaptational Early Appearance: In the original show, June made her appearance after Zuko managed to free Aang as the Blue Spirit from Zhao's fortress. Here, she's the one who managed to capture Aang before he was sent to the fortress where he was freed by the Blue Spirit.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Originally, Iroh was the one interested in her despite her lack of interest. Here, she's the one flirting with Iroh and he's the one who isn't interested.
• Adaptational Villainy: Conditionally, due to the circumstances surrounding when she attacks Aang changing. June's personality and motivation remain unchanged, but her actions endanger several lives Aang's trying to save.
• Amazonian Beauty: She is quite buff, likely on account of her job requiring her to beat people up and haul their paralyzed bodies about, and also very good looking.
• Bounty Hunter: Her job, as always. Iroh and Zuko hire her to capture Aang, and unlike the cartoon, she actually succeeds.
• I Take Offense to That Last One: Shrugs off Zuko calling her a lowlife bounty hunter.
• Likes Older Men: If her crush on Iroh is of any indication.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: With just a scrap of fabric from Aang's cape she and Nyla manage to work out where Aang will be going, get there (crossing a small ocean), knock out several Fire Sages without taking a hit, and get the drop on Aang before transporting him back to the mainland before he can recover.
• Only in It for the Money: Tells Aang she doesn't give a damn about the war or its consequences, so long as she gets her money.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Tries to avoid killing her bounties if she can help it, a problem when your pet shirshu paralyzes people and can occasionally stop them breathing. Dead pays less than alive.
• Punch-Clock Villain: She doesn't care what side of the war she advantages, she just wants money to be able to live.
• Skeleton Motif: Her hair buckle is doted with a skeleton.
• Tattooed Crook: A bounty hunter with red spiral tattoos on each arm.
• Whip of Dominance: She carries a whip and is an effective bounty hunter.

Earth Kingdom Spy

Earth Kingdom Spy

Portrayed by: David Sakurai

A spy for the Earth Kingdom who was captured and executed by Fire Lord Sozin after being pursued by Fire Nation guards for possessing and giving battle plans to his accomplice sending it to the Earth King.

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• Canon Foreigner: He is an exclusively new character to the live action adaptation with no counterpart to the original animated show.
• Dishing Out Dirt: He is the first ever character shown in the adaptation to be an earthbender and uses his ability to hinder the Fire Nation guards chasing him such as creating huge spikes from the ground, launching multiple rock pellets, and constructing a giant wall; although it wouldn't be enough for him to live throughout the fight.
• Establishing Series Moment: His presence in the show with his earthbending showcases the visual effects the live-action show will employ. Later, his onscreen death sets the standard that the live action adaptation will be much darker and less comedic than the cartoon, and feature more graphic violence.
• Heroic Sacrifice: When he finds himself far behind from his friend to escape together with the Fire Nation guards catching up to the spy, he tosses the battle plans to his friend and then makes a barrier between him and his accomplice in order to distract the Fire Nation guards while his messenger friend would escape to send the battle plans to the Earth King which results in the spy getting captured and later burned alive.
• No Name Given: His name and his comrade's is left unknown throughout their entire presence.
• Pursued Protagonist: The first episode of the show begins with him being chased through a street in the Fire Nation capital and delaying pursuers with his powers as he gives stolen war plans to a comrade to take to the Earth King before staying behind to Hold the Line. He's later captured, taunted about how the plans were fakes that the Fire Nation wanted the Earth King to have, and then murdered.

Water Tribe

Southern (Wolf Cove)

Gran-Gran

"Gran-Gran" Kanna

"You are a waterbender. That is who you have always been and always will be. Never forget that."

Portrayed by: Casey Camp-Horinek

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. And so the Fire Nation marched and laid waste, plunging us into a time of darkness. Everyone in the village knows this story, but you don't, do you, young man? Just as you don't know that airbenders haven't been seen in generations and that the Southern Air Temple was the first to fall, because you've been trapped in that ice this whole time. The last time the Great Comet was seen in the sky was 100 years ago. He may seem like just a boy, but he's much more. He is the last airbender."

Sokka and Katara's maternal grandmother and the matriarch of the Wolf Cove.

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• Adaptational Personality Change: In the cartoon, Gran-Gran was a Deadpan Snarker and was doubtful that Aang was really the Avatar and hope to save the world. Here, she recognizes Aang as an airbender when she sees his tattoos, and sees his return as a miracle and hope for the future.
• Affectionate Nickname: "Gran-Gran" is how her grandchildren call her.
• All There in the Manual: Fans of the series know her name is Kanna, but she isn't refered as such by anyone in the series.
• Ambiguous Situation: Because the subplot with Katara's necklace was Adapted Out, it's made unclear if Kanna comes from the Northern Water Tribe, was engaged to Pakku and knew Yagoda.
• Cool Old Lady: A kind and loving grandmother to Sokka and Katara, and the one who gives her granddaughter a waterbending scroll to help her train during her quest.
• Doting Grandparent: To both her grandchildren, but most specifically to Katara when she gives her a Waterbending Scroll she had kept hidden until the day Katara would be ready to develop her skills.
• Ms. Exposition: After Katara and Sokka brings an unconscious Aang back to the village, Gran-Gran sees his tattoos and confirms him to be an airbender, and most importantly, the last one remaining. She also lets Aang know what happened the past hundred years where he was trapped in the iceberg.
• Mythology Gag: When talking to Aang about the Hundred Year War, she speaks the exact same opening monologue as Katara in the cartoon series' intro.
• Outliving One's Offspring: Her daughter was murdered by Fire Nation soldiers when her grandchildren were young.
• Title Drop: Calls Aang "the last airbender".
• Wasteland Elder: Gran-Gran is a source of important exposition and is the oldest member of her tribe of isolated, struggling arctic hunter-gatherers who, due to the ravages of war, consist mostly of women and bumbling Child Soldiers led by her grandson.

Hakoda

Chief Hakoda

Portrayed by: Joel Montgrand

Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, father of Sokka and Katara. He left with all the warriors three years ago to fight the Fire Nation, leaving Sokka in charge of the village's defense.

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• Adaptational Jerkass: Animated Hakoda was nothing but loving, supportive and proud of his kids. Here, Hakoda makes some pretty damn harsh comments about Sokka behind his back.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Gives Sokka nothing but praise as his initiation ceremony, but the minute his son's out of earshot (or so he thinks), he's much harsher about it, even shooting down Bato when he tries defending Sokka.
• Crusading Widower: Katara tells Aang her father left with other warriors to track down Firebenders, most specifically those who killed her mother.
• Disappeared Dad: He left three years prior to Aang's return with all the warriors from the village in order to find the Firebenders that murdered his wife.
• Freudian Excuse: His criticism on Sokka's warrior skills can be explained that Hakoda is still affected by the murder of his wife, and it has consequences on his parenting now that he must raise their two kids alone.
• Innocently Insensitive: He gives harsh feedback to Bato about Sokka, not realizing his son is within ear reach.
• Parents as People: Sokka and Katara's conversations about their father imply that he does love them, but based on what we saw from Sokka's most painful memory, it's also heavily implied that both the war and the death of his beloved wife hit him as hard as it did his children.

Kya

Kya

Portrayed by: Rainbow Dickerson

"You will [bend]. I know it. Someday, you are gonna show the world just how powerful you are. You will protect all of us."

Mother of Sokka and Katara, she was killed years ago during a Fire Nation raid on the village.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: In the cartoon series, Kya was only mentioned occasionally and finally appeared in the flesh during Katara's flashback in Season 3's episode "The Southern Raiders". Here, the flashback of her death happens in the first season in order to give depths to Katara's trauma and how it affects her waterbending.
• Deceased Parents Are the Best: Katara only has good memories of her mother, who was kind and loving, and performed a Heroic Sacrifice to save her life. Jet tells Katara to remember the moments she was alive in order to ease the trauma that blocks her waterbending.
• Defiant to the End: Kya stood up to Yon Rha and claimed to be the last waterbender so he wouldn't find Katara's hiding place.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Contrary to the cartoon where her death occurs offscreen, here we get to see her get burned and hear her cries of agony while a young Katara can only muffle her horrified scream without being able to do anything.
• Gory Discretion Shot: Downplayed. While we see her get burned and hear her screams, the death itself is hidden and we see instead a young Katara cry in silence as her mother gets murdered.
• Heroic Sacrifice: She likely knew she would get killed, but still pretended to be the last remaining waterbender to save her daughter's life.
• The Lost Lenore: To her husband, Hakoda.
• Mama Bear: She sacrifices her life by pretending to be the last waterbender in order to protect Katara.
• Missing Mom: Is outlived by her children after being killed by a Fire Nation soldier while protecting Katara.
• Nice Girl: A kind, nurturing mother beloved by her children.
• Posthumous Character: She died years before Aang came back. However, her death still heavily weights on Katara and affects her waterbending abilities.
• Woman on Fire: She gets burned alive by a Fire Nation soldier.

Bato

Bato

Portrayed by: Trevor Carroll

Friend of Hakoda and his second-in-command.

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• Demoted to Extra: At least in the first season; the original show gave him an entire episode in Book One, but here, he only shows up for a flashback (albeit a significant one).
• Honorary Uncle: Being close friends with Hakoda, Sokka looks up to Bato and seems to have a better relationship with him than his father. It's explicit when Bato defends Sokka when Hakoda gives harsh criticism behind his back.
• The Lancer: To Hakoda.
• Nice Guy: Holds high esteem for Sokka and believes he's a capable warrior, despite his mishaps. He even tries to defend the boy when Hakoda voices his doubts about his own son's capabilities.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Bato tries to tell Hakoda to cut Sokka some slack because he's trying his best, only for Hakoda to harshly shoot him down.

Northern (Agna Qel'a)

Princess Yue

Princess Yue

Portrayed by: Amber Midthunder

Princess of the Northern Water Tribe.

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• Adaptational Angst Downgrade: None of the problems with being stuck in an arranged marriage to a nasty piece of work here. She and Hahn broke up mostly amicably.
• Adaptational Badass: Although she has no combat experience because of the archaic traditions of her tribe, this Yue is a Waterbender with healing abilities, contrary to her animated counterpart who was simply a nonbender. She is also explicitly stated to be able to reach the Spirit World in her dreams, due to her half-deity status, and rescues Momo from certain death by healing him in the Oasis.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: An interesting example: while her first appearance as a human is the same as the series (during the Siege of the North), it's revealed that Yue has a spirit form, a grey kitsune fox (due to having some Moon Spirit within her), which is introduced earlier when Sokka is trapped in the Spirit World with Aang and Katara.
• Adaptational Superpower Change: Yue is a fully-fledged waterbender here, whereas in the animated series she was a non-bender before becoming the Moon Spirit. She also has spiritual powers, being able to enter the Spirit World through her dreams.
• Amicable Exes: Broke off her engagement with Hahn when she was sixteen, but they are shown to be on good terms in spite of it.
• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Since she has some Moon Spirit within her, Yue sacrifices her mortal life and becomes the new Moon Spirit in order to bring balance back to the world after Tui was killed by Zhao.
• The Chief's Daughter: Daughter of the Chief of the Nothern Water Tribe, making her its princess.
• Deity of Human Origin: Double Subversion. Spirits aren't gods in the western sense, but the Moon Spirit is treated as a Cosmic Keystone, which fulfills a similar role in the metaphysics of the world. So, when the Moon Spirit is killed, the moon crumbles and is removed from the sky, rather than just turning a deep red as it did in the series. When Yue gives up her mortality to be the new Moon Spirit, she becomes this.
• Fantastic Foxes: Turns into a kitsune (multiple tailed fox) in the Spirit World, courtesy of having a bit of a spirit in her.
• Friend to All Children: She uses her waterbending to make desserts to children in the kitchens.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Sacrifices herself to restore (and become) the Moon Spirit and ease the rage of the Ocean Spirit.
• An Ice Person: Being a waterbender, she is able to freeze water, as seen when she traps Sokka's feet in a puddle of ice so he doesn't stop her from sacrificing herself to the Moon Spirit.
• Iconic Item: Sokka recognizes Yue as the fox he met in the Spirit World when he realizes her hair buckle is the same one the fox had on her tail.
• I'm Having Soul Pains: Since she's tied to the Moon Spirit even without being a bender, she feels it when Zhao kills Tui.
• Interclass Romance: Sokka's just a regular guy from the South Pole, and she's a princess.
• I Owe You My Life: Because the Moon Spirit saved her life as an infant, Yue pays back the favor by giving her life to save the Moon Spirit's and restore balance to the world.
• Making a Splash: Explicitly a waterbender, though since she's from the Northern Water Tribe she has no combat skills whatsoever. She does, however, seem to have healing abilities like the other women, as she heals Momo in the Oasis.
• The Medic: Being a waterbender, Yue is able to heal, which is showcased when Momo faces certain death after being crushed.
• Modest Royalty: When not doing official princess duties, she hangs out in the kitchens using her waterbending to help prepare desserts for children.
• Morphic Resonance: Her fox form still has her silver hair and jewellery, which helps Sokka recognize her when they meet in the regular world.
• Mystical White Hair: Her hair turned silver after the Moon Spirit saved her life as a baby. Her fox form in the Spirit World is also silver in color.
• No Body Left Behind: While in the animated series Yue died in Sokka's arms and her soul became the new Moon Spirit, here she is seen to merge with the Moon Spirit's, and there is nothing left of Yue in the aftermath.
• Princess Classic: A beautiful, kind and friendly princess, who takes her duties seriously and is good with children.
• Rebellious Princess: Was betrothed to Hahn since birth, but Yue broke off their engagement to keep her independence. No one seems to hold it against her however, as she hasn't been betrothed to anyone else since.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: During the siege, Yue is willing to help move her subjects to safety rather than sit back and let them get hurt.
• True Blue Femininity: A beautiful princess dressed in the blue colors of the Water Tribe.

Chief Arnook

Chief Arnook

Portrayed by: Nathaniel Arcand

The Chief of Agna Qel'a.

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• Action Dad: Yue's father and a strong, noble warrior who fights alongside his people to protect his tribe from a Fire Nation attack.
• Adaptational Badass: Chief Arnook from the cartoon series was not even hinted to be a fighter. Here, he takes part of the defense against the Fire Nation's attack on the North.
• Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The Chief of the Northen Water Tribe, who shows himself to be more than effective in combat.
• Badass Normal: He isn't a waterbender, but can and will fight for his homeland.
• Nice Guy: He politely welcomes Aang and his friends and vows to protect them and help defeat the Fire Nation. He also comforts Sokka after he blames himself for not being able to save Yue, by saying it was her choice and that he made sure she wasn't alone during that time.
• Outliving One's Offspring: He outlives his daughter Yue, who sacrifices her life in order to save the Moon Spirit and restore balance to the world.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: He may not be a Waterbender, but he's more than willing to participate in the battle against the Fire Nation.

Pakku

Master Pakku

Portrayed by: A. Martinez

One of the best waterbending masters of the North, he's a traditionalist who forbids women to practice combat.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: This Pakku is far less smug and obnoxious than his animated counterpart. Though he still upholds the sexist traditions of the Northern Water Tribe, it's more because he believes it's tradition, and not because he's a jerk. He also sympathizes with Katara for having been deprived of being around other waterbenders in her youth, something Cartoon Pakku never did.
• Adapted Out: The minor subplot about Katara's necklace having been made by Pakku, and therefore causing him to stop fighting on reconsideration of the damage the Northern Water Tribe's traditions cause, is left out.
• Ambiguous Situation: Because the subplot with Katara's necklace was Adapted Out, it's left unknown whether or not he and Gran-Gran know each other at all in this series.
• An Ice Person: Being a waterbender, he also has the ability to freeze water, which he demonstrates against his fight with Katara.
• Jerkass Realization: Has one following the events of The Siege of the North, where being at death's door made him realize he's been countering the very meaning of his element all this time: change. Contrary to his cartoon counterpart, Pakku realizes women have potential and that it's time to move forward with the future and not stay in the past.
• Making a Splash: A waterbender master that specializes in combat.
• Mythology Gag: During his fight with Katara, their dialogue in the aftermath is almost indentical to the ones used in the cartoon series. There's also this line before the fight:
  Pakku: Fine. You wanna learn how to fight? Study closely!
• Took a Level in Kindness: The aftermath of the Fire Nation's attack on the North made him realize he was wrong to uphold the sexist traditions of the North, when the entire point of his element is change. He also praises Katara on her waterbending, telling her she'll make a great Master to Aang.

Hahn

Hahn

Portrayed by: Joel Oulette

A warrior in the Northern Water Tribe.

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• Adaptational Badass: Actually displays combat competence here, compared to the cartoon version, who gets unceremoniously tossed off a ship without landing a single blow.
• Adaptational Intelligence: Cartoon Hahn was a Jerk Jock who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. In this series, he is much smarter and less prideful, even asking Sokka about his experience fighting Firebenders to sharpen the North's fighting stance against them.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Cartoon Hahn is a disrespectful Jerkass and an arrogant rival of Sokka's for Yue's heart. Here, he is nothing but respectful towards Sokka and his experience actually fighting Fire Nation soldiers, and accepts Yue's breaking of their betrothal with good grace, even if he is clearly disappointed. He also seems to genuinely care about Yue, whereas his animated counterpart was more interested in the "perks" that would come with marrying her.
• Amicable Exes: Yue broke off their engagement years ago, but they still remain on friendly terms.
• Death by Adaptation: The animated Hahn was sent flying off of Zhao's ship in a comedic manner and was never seen again. Here, he is explicitly killed in battle.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Was betrothed to Princess Yue in their youth, but she broke it off upon turning sixteen. He handles it remarkably well.
• Heroic Sacrifice: He dies a hero by allowing Chief Arnook to escape unharmed while Hahn and his men hold the Firebenders off, at the cost of his own life.
• Hold the Line: Dies while covering the injured Arnook's retreat.
• Nice Guy: A stark contrast from the cartoon characterization, this Hahn is nothing but a kind and friendly young man, who amicably broke things off with Yue and befriends and respects Sokka's warrior status.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Hahn was a kindhearted and courageous young man, who died fighting for his homeland and allowing his Chief to safely retreat, which is stark contrast to the fate of his animated counterpart, who was more of an Asshole Victim, if anything.

Yagoda

Yagoda

Portrayed by: Irene Bedard

"Feel the flow of energy through the body. Connect the flow to the energy in yourself. Healing is more than a phyiscal process. It's about empathy. You must understand what it means to feel pain. Then take that pain away."

A waterbending teacher who teaches female students healing with water.

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• Adaptational Personality Change: Partially. She is still a Nice Girl and Cool Old Lady, but contrary to the cartoon, Yagoda initially believes it is not a woman's duty to fight, and that it's tradition that women only use waterbending to heal. She changes her mind when the Fire Nation attacks Agna Qel'a and confronts Pakku to let her and the other women fight.
• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: In the cartoon series, Yagoda recognizes Katara as Kanna's granddaughter, whom she tells is her spitting image. Here, Yagoda makes no such comment, which makes it ambiguous if she knows Kanna or not. She also shares a scene with Pakku in this series, while the two characters never interacted in the cartoons.
• Adaptational Badass: While only seen healing in the original series, here she rallies other women and personally appeals to Master Pakku to allow them to fight.
• Age Lift: The original Yagoda looked to be one of the improbably-elderly characters in the series and was voiced by an 89-year-old Lucille Bliss. This version of Yagoda appears to be in her sixties at the oldest (mid-50s Irene Bedard being made to look only slightly older).
• Ascended Extra: While still a minor character, this Yagoda has more characterization and screentime compared to her animated counterpart, who only appeared in one short scene for the total of a single episode.
• Character Development: When Katara asks when she can practice fighting techniques, Yagoda is shocked and almost insulted, and answers that women are not allowed to fight: the tradition is that women heal and leave the fighting to the men. However, when the Fire Nation attacks the North, Yagoda rallies with all the other women and confronts Pakku to let them defend their homes.
• Combat Medic: She's a healer, as that's the only type of Waterbending women of the North are permitted to learn, is the master of the craft, and eventually insists of aiding frontline defenders of the tribe.
• Cool Old Lady: While not as elderly as she was in the original series, she's a good teacher, a healer and Adaptational Badass who rallies other women to convince Pakku to let them help defend their land.
• The Empath: Discussed by Yagoda, who states that in order to heal, a waterbender must understand the pain that is felt in order to get rid of it.
• Female Misogynist: Downplayed. While it's due to Deliberate Values Dissonance, Yagoda seems to truly believe that women should not use water to destroy, and leave the fighting to the men per tradition. She grows out of it when the North is under attack, and the tribe needs all the help it can get.
• Healing Hands: Since bending is performed through the hands, she is able to treat injuries with waterbending.
• Heal It with Water: She's a waterbender who specializes in treating and healing wounds and injuries.
• The Medic: A waterbending teacher who strictly uses her abilities to heal, and is scandalised when Katara mentions fighting. Initially.
• Took a Level in Badass: Went from only using waterbending to heal, to use it for offense in order to protect the North from the Fire Nation Siege.
• What You Are in the Dark: Initially believed women shouldn't be fighting, until her home gets invaded, and confronts Pakku with all the waterbending women from the village to let them defend Agna Qel'a.

Spirit World

Monk Gyatso

Brother Gyatso

"Always remember who you are."

Portrayed by: Lim Kay Siu

"You may be more advanced than the others, but there’s much you have to learn. And believe it or not, there may come a day when you wish you’d spent more time with your teachers."

An Air Nomad monk of the Southern Temple, and Aang's Airbending mentor.

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• Adaptational Badass: While lacking the body count of his animated counterpart, this version of Gyatso was able to hold off Fire Lord Sozin himself, with Sozin even commenting that if not for the comet's powerup, Gyatso could have beaten him.
• Adaptational Wimp: The original series had Gyatso's skeleton being surrounded by mountains of Fire Nation corpses, heavily implying that he killed them all through Airbending asphyxiation. This version of Gyatso almost did the same feat... but unfortunately for him, his opponent was Fire Lord Sozin who managed to break through the defenses and personally kill Gyatso.
• Ascended Extra: Gyatso was a Posthumous Character in the original series, only appearing in Aang's flashbacks. His absence from present day serves as a tragic reminder for Aang that he never got a chance to reconcile with his mentor after running away. In this adaptation, Gyatso appears in the Spirit World and gives Aang some much needed closure of his guilt of running away, namely telling him that it's not his fault that the Hundred Year War started. Additionally, he gets a scene defending the children from Fire Lord Sozin, which leads to his death.
• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: After his death, Gyatso decided to move into the Spirit World and waited for Aang's return, because he knew he would need his help. He supposedly moved on from that after his last conversation with Aang.
• Bald Head of Toughness: He's a powerful airbending master, and wipes the floor with Sozin's soldiers. While he loses against the Fire Lord himself, Sozin acknowledges Gyatso's power and flat out says he would've beaten him if not from the comet enhancing his firebending.
• Blow You Away: An airbending master, and Aang's main instructor in the discipline.
• Cool Old Guy: Compared to the sticklers in the council, Gyatso is very outgoing and playful, two traits that have certainly rubbed off on Aang.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Like many Air Nomads, Gyatso gets burned alive onscreen, though in his case the screen cuts to black before the entire death can be seen.
• Friend to All Children: Aang adores him and considers him a close friend, and Gyatso is good enough with children to try and protect the young airbenders from Sozin and his army.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Sozin kills him with his fire while Gyatso was protecting the younger airbenders. Sadly, it becomes a Senseless Sacrifice as it's fair to say likely Sozin killed the children afterwards.
• Like a Son to Me: Aang's parents still remaining unseen, Gyatso is the closest thing Aang has to a paternal figure in his life.
• Man on Fire: Among the casualties of Sozin's massacre of the Air Nomads, and personally scorched by the man himself.
• The Mentor: Was this to Aang, as his main airbending teacher and father figure.
• Mythology Gag: Manages to halt his reincarnation for some time to live in the spirit world, much like Iroh was revealed to have done in The Legend of Korra.
• Nice Guy: Playful, kind, wise and a protective, comforting figure.
• Papa Wolf: He serves as the last line of the defense for the Air Nomad children, hiding them in the temple while he holds off the fire benders. He nearly succeeds until Fire Lord Sozin enters the scene.
• Parental Substitute: He was the closest thing that Aang had to a father, and it shows.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Gyatso was a goofy, friendly and wise old man who died protecting children from Sozin and his soldiers, and he's part of the many casualties of an Air Nomad genocide. When he finds Gyatso's skeleton, Aang gets hit by grief hard and enters the Avatar State. It's only when he remembers the last moment he spent with him, which Gyatso tells him he'll always be his friend, that Aang manages to snap out of it and breaks into tears in Katara's arms.
• Worthy Opponent: To Sozin, who is well aware of how powerful airbenders are and knew he would be defeated in a fight against a master if not from the comet.
• You Did Everything You Could: Gyatso's spirit tells Aang that he shouldn't blame himself for not being there when the Fire Nation attacked since the Fire Nation caught them all by surprise and Aang, being a child, would have just been another causality on the list instead of the Hope Bringer that is the Avatar.

Koh the Face Stealer

Koh the Face Stealer

"Your friends? Now why would I let you play with my food?"

Voiced by: George Takei

"What have we here? Someone who can resist? That can't be possible. Unless... Ah, of course. It's my old friend, the Avatar."

A dangerous spirit with a habit of stealing faces who has a grudge against the Avatar for stealing the totem of the Mother of Faces, Koh's mother.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: Downplayed, but the original Koh appeared during the "Siege of the North" two-parter. This version appears before that.
• Adapted Out: Only three of Koh's faces from the original cartoon are shown in the live-action show so far; the female Noh mask face, Ummi's face, and the curly-tailed blue nose's face. The remaining five faces he showed in the original cartoon are currently adapted out.
• Adaptational Superpower Change: There is no indication that he is able to steal people's faces the moment they change expression. He also now hones the ability to haunt people's fog-induced memories, so that he could swoop in and snatch them for food.
• Adaptational Villainy: Original Koh was the Face-Stealer, but didn't go beyond that (though he wasn't above tricking people so he could snatch their faces). Here, he openly torments prey before trapping and eating them.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Koh is only as evil as a predator is to their prey. He only hunts people to feed himself and while he does enjoy tormenting them, he is a spirit of his word, willing to trade all of his potential food for a statue of his mother that Avatar Roku stole from him. In short, Koh can be reasonable if you know how to appease him. Just don't wander into his territory in the Fog of Lost Souls, especially if you cannot handle your worst memories.
• Composite Character: Takes Hei Bei's role as the one who abducts some villagers and Sokka into the Spirit World.
• Creepy Centipedes: As always, he is a giant centipede-like spirit with a disturbingly human face that resembles a Noh mask.
• Deader than Dead: According to Gyatso, this is the fate of people who fall victim to him, as he consumes their souls and prevents them from continuing in the cycle of death and rebirth; presumably, this was poor Ummi's fate. This contrasts with the original continuity, where he only steals faces, and it's established that at least some characters (the monkey Aang saw outside his cave and Rafa from the comics) can survive without them.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: A primordial face and soul eating evil he may be, but he's still got some fondness for his mother, and is very upset about Roku stealing a statue of her from him. Notably, he gives up his potential food when Aang returns it.
• Evil Laugh: He lets out a creepy, high-pitched cackle that contrasts his leathery baritone voice.
• Evil Sounds Deep: George Takei gives him a hauntingly deep voice, similar to Erik Dellums in the original series.
• The Juggernaut: It doesn't help that while projected into the Spirit World the Avatar is powerless, but it's implied that even with bending on their side, there's not much even a fully trained Avatar could do to Koh.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: You clearly don't want any issues with a spirit called "the face stealer".
• Pet the Dog: Aang returns the totem of the Mother of Faces in exchange for the missing villagers and his friends. Koh releases his "food", no strings attached.
• Plot-Irrelevant Villain: Koh doesn't have any relevance to the plot, since Aang doesn't deliberately seek him out, and while he does have a grievance with the Avatar that's not why he abducts Sokka and Katara. They're just on his patch and he's hungry.
• Voice Changeling: Koh's voice changes to match the face he's presently using. In the original cartoon, Koh's voice does not change when he changes faces.

Wan Shi Tong

Wan Shi Tong

"I am the spirit of knowledge itself."

Voiced by: Randall Duk Kim

"There are things in here that will reveal truths to humans. Truths they're never prepared to face. It will show them who they really are, and that can cause a great deal of pain. Farewell, Avatar, and remember, stay on the path."

An inhabitant of the spirit world that the Gaang encounter on their journey through the spirit world.

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• Adaptational Early Appearance: Wan Shi Tong first appeared in the Book 2 episode, "The Library". Here, he appears in Season 1 in an episode that mostly adapts Book 1's "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)".
• Adapted Out: The original series' second season would reveal that he had encountered Admiral Zhao in the recent past. No such encounter is mentioned here (as Zhao learns of the Moon and Water Spirits through human knowledge, rather than Wan Shi Tong's library).
• Adaptation Deviation: Only the Avatar and other spirits can hear his speech, he just sounds like an owl to normal humans. In the original series, he could communicate with humans easily.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Nice guy is a bit of a stretch, but he actively warns the team of the dangers in the spirit world and doesn't attack them. Which cannot be said about his animated counterpart.
• Giant Flyer: Just like his animated counterpart, he is a giant flying owl.
• Informed Ability: He claims to be a knowledge spirit, but without the library to backup his claims, he seems no more intelligent than most other spirits (which is pretty consistent with Wan Shi Tong's depiction in the original Avatar and The Legend of Korra, where he was a Horrible Judge of Character and a lousy fact-checker).
• Ominous Owl: A large owl-like spirit who appears to warn Aang about some of the threats present in the Spirit World. Fortunately for them, he's just ominous, not actively threatening.
• The Unintelligible: To Katara and Sokka, who can't understand him, he just sounds like he's making owl noises at them.

The Moon and Ocean Spirits (Unmarked Spoilers)

Tui and La

The Moon and Ocean Spirit, respectively. Each year, they come to the physical world in the form of koi fish in order to live as mortals for one night.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Added with Aang's guilt of failing as an Avatar 100 years ago, the Ocean Spirit is so consumed with the grief of losing the Moon Spirit that even once it destroyed the Fire Nation fleet, it's just going to keep on going forever, and refuses to let go of Aang.
• Adaptational Dumbass: In the original, after possessing Aang, the Ocean Spirit is shown to be very deliberate in its actions, only attacking Fire Nation forces, while being careful to avoid attacking any Water Tribespeople or buildings. Here, the Ocean Spirit is indicated to be little more than a swirling, barely conscious force of wrath, to the point it doesn't even use formal waterbending motions, instead lashing out blindly at everything in its path. According to Yue, it's searching for its lost partner in a blind rage, and because it'll obviously never find it, will continue on forever.
• Adaptational Explanation: It's never explained in the cartoon why the Moon and Ocean Spirits came to the mortal realm and permanently took vulnerable, physical forms. Here, they are indicated to only come once a year on a specific date, and only remain for a single night before withdrawing to the Spirit World. Yue suggests that they do this to understand how it feels to be mortal.
• All There in the Manual: Their names are stated to be Tui and La in the original cartoon, even if they are never referred as such in this series.
• Almighty Idiot: The Ocean Spirit's "Koizilla" form is depicted as a raging, mindless force of nature driven by grief. It will destroy everything in its path to find the Moon Spirit again, which means the destruction of the entire world since the Moon Spirit is dead. And since Aang allowed himself to be used as a vessel for the Ocean Spirit, the Avatar has essentially ceased to exist since the Ocean Spirit will not let go of Aang until the Moon Spirit is revived.
• Always a Bigger Fish: No pun intended, but Tui and La are far more powerful even than the Avatar.
• Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: In order to save the North and the world from chaos, Aang merges with the Ocean Spirit, which transforms into a huge koi monster that destroys Zhao's entire fleet.
• Berserk Button: La becomes enraged when Zhao kills the Moon Spirit.
• Dies Differently In The Adaptation: In the cartoon, Zhao kills Tui by scorching the spirit with his firebending. Here, he stabs it with Kuruk's magic knife.
• Living Emotional Crutch: Not just emotional, spiritual. They can't exist without the other, and when the Moon Spirit is killed, the Ocean spirit goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. Yue says the Ocean Spirit will never stop ravaging anything in its way until it finds its other half.
• Lord of the Ocean: La (the black koi fish) is the Spirit of the Ocean, and Tui (the white koi fish) is the spirit of the Moon. They represent the constant push and pull of the tides and are both stated to be the first waterbenders. Shall one of them cease to exist, all waterbenders will be deprived of their power; when Tui is killed by Zhao, Aang fuses with La and turn into a giant water spirit that makes a carnage out of the Fire Nation's fleet.
• Lunacy: Tui is the personification of the Moon Spirit, and is doted with magical powers, such as fueling the power of each waterbender, and bringing back people from the dead (as seen with Yue).
• Physical God: Each year, Tui and La choose a specific night to come to the physical world in the form of koi fish. When Aang allows La to use the power of the Avatar State, they fuse to become a huge, water monster.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After Zhao kills the Moon Spirit, the Ocean Spirit is furious, and when Aang allows it to use his powers, it turns into a giant mass fueled by rage seeking to avenge its partner, destroying anything that comes with its path.
  Zuko: (Horrified) What is that?
  Iroh: This... is wrath.

Past Avatars

In General

The previous incarnations of the Avatar, who now serve as Spirit Advisors to their current successor Aang.

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• The Cameo: Avatar Yangchen is mentioned a few times throughout the series, but she only appears briefly in during Kyoshi's narration when Roku joins the past avatars in the debut episode.
• Cynical Mentor: Kuruk and Kyoshi's experiences have left them pretty sour. The more upbeat Roku tells Aang he and Kyoshi barely agreed on anything.
• Decomposite Character: While each of the incarnations got their chance to speak with Aang in the original series, Roku served as his main Spirit Advisor. Here, the role is divided among them. Roku ironically gets the least amount of screentime out of the spirits, at least in Season One.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Once they enter the Avatar State, the current Avatar's eyes glow bright white light, which usually means bad news for whoever provoked them into it.
• Heroic Host: Avatars have the ability to "channel" their predecessors, who mind you have passed away decades, centuries or even a millenium ago. They take over the current Avatar's body, but keep their own physical appearance from the time they were alive.
• Hero of Another Story: They've all had their own adventures as the Avatar and their own worlds to save back when they were alive.
• I Work Alone: Something shared between them, and that they all, one way or another, try to impress upon Aang. Roku says that the idea the Avatar must work alone is about the only thing he and Kyoshi ever agreed upon.
• Neglectful Precursors: The Avatar may be an all-powerful being, they are still humans, and they all make mistakes that their successor will have to deal with as part of their duties. Yangchen's neglect on the Spirit World caused Kuruk's early death, which had its own consquences for Kyoshi.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Each Avatar's actions creates ripples the next one inevitably has to deal with. Yangchen's mistakes with the Spirit World led to Kuruk's early death, and Kuruk's attempts to clean that up nearly lead to Zhao causing the end of the world, while Roku antagonising Koh has left the Stealer of Faces very angry at Aang, and that's assuming there's nothing else he's not mentioning, like for example connections to a certain Fire Lord...
• Not Quite Dead: Their physical bodies may have died centuries ago, but their spirits live on through the current living Avatar, Aang for that matter.
• Posthumous Character: Long dead by the present day, but live throughout their current living successor and their spirits can always be channeled for advice.
• Reincarnation: When the Avatar dies, they're reborn again in the next element along (fire, air, water, earth). However, as Roku points out to Aang, they're also their own individuals as well, and not beholden to act exactly like their predecessor.
• Spirit Advisor: While dead, Aang can get in contact with them if in a place with a strong connection to them.
• Super Mode: The Avatar State, which allows the current Avatar to connect with all its past lived and gets the power of a thousand men.

Kyoshi

Avatar Kyoshi

Portrayed by: Yvonne Chapman

"Run away from your responsibilites again, and even more will be hurt! Being the Avatar means putting your duties above all else. Even your life! I was like you once. But then I saw what was at stake and I will show you what will happen if you fail. Tragedy awaits the North, and unless you do something about it, another race of benders will be wiped out just as Air Nomads were. You asked me what it means to be Avatar. It means being a warrior. A mighty, mericiless warrior."

The first Avatar that Aang encounters on her eponymous island, Kuruk's successor and Roku's predecessor.

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• Action Girl: A powerful and notorious Avatar, Kyoshi channels through Aang and sends Zhao and his men running when they attack her island in "Warriors".
• Anti-Hero: According to her, being the Avatar means being a "mighty, merciless warrior".
• Ascended Extra: Kyoshi had less time in the original show while Roku was Aang's primary mentor as the Avatar. Here, Kyoshi gets a little more screen time while Roku gets a little less. Not to mention that Kyoshi is the one who takes over Aang during the battle on Kyoshi Island instead of Roku at Crescent Island Fire Temple.
• Big Damn Heroes: Arrives on time to rescue Katara through Aang before Zuko could scorch her.
• Combat Hand Fan: Her main weapons, and what the warriors named after her use in her honor.
• Composite Character: Kyoshi is now the first spirit that Aang meets, and the one who emerges from the Spirit World to fight off the Firebenders. In the cartoon, this was Roku's role.
• Contralto of Strength: Has a deep, booming voice and is a force to be reckoned with.
• Emerald Power: Being from the Earth Kingdom, Kyoshi wears its traditional green colors and proves herself to be one of the most powerful Avatars to have existed.
• Flying Firepower: Kyoshi uses her firebending to shoot around like a rocket, much like Sozin did. The difference being he needed the boost from the comet. As the Avatar, Kyoshi can do it on her own by tapping intrinsically into the Avatar State.
• Good Is Not Soft: Kyoshi is pretty blunt and confrontational, telling Aang that his job as the Avatar is to be a warrior and general. Roku later shrugs this off and tells Aang she was like that with him as well.
• Iron Lady: Wears makeup, fights in a dress and uses hand fans as weapons, but she's a strong fighter who takes the duties of the Avatar very seriously.
• Jerkass Realization: As she harshly critisizes Aang for things wanting to go easy and avoiding his responsabilities, Kyoshi stops her speech when she sees Aang on the verge of the tears, forgetting for a moment she's a tall imposing figure and that he is still just a kid. She kneels down to his level and speaks more gently from that moment on.
• Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Wears a green dress in battle, and has no problems wiping the floor with her opponents with it.
• Lady of War: She's a tall, beautiful woman wearing makeup and incorporating dance moves into her fighting, but she proves herself to be one of the strongest Avatars when she easily disposes of Zhao's troop and sends them running.
• Long-Lived: Because Kuruk died at a young age, Kyoshi was able to live until the age of 230 years old. She is stated to be the longest-lived Avatar.
• More Deadly Than the Male: Kuruk's grouchy, but no more than that, and Roku good-natured, while Kyoshi is far more aggressive than both.
• One-Woman Army: Kyoshi gives a demonstration of what an Avatar with full control of all four elements can do when she lets loose and goes through Zhao's army like a knife in butter.
• Our Founder: Kyoshi has an island seperated from the rest of the Earth Kingdom, which is named after her. She also created an elite group of warriors in her image, which have been operating for generations even long after her death.
• Pet the Dog: Kyoshi gives Aang a rather brutal wake-up call during their meeting, which almost makes him cry since she is way taller than him and clearly intimidates him. When Kyoshi realizes how harsh she was being, she calms down, kneels to Aang's level to appear less threatning and speaks to him more gently.
• Serious Business: Her grave serious demeanor is poked fun at a little bit by Roku when Aang communes with him later.
• Statuesque Stunner: Kyoshi is incredibly tall and very good looking, though it does make her an intimidating figure for the pre-teen Aang when she literally looms over him.
• Working-Class Hero: Kyoshi started out as a servant girl before finding she was the Avatar, and eventually founded her own community.

Roku

Avatar Roku

Portrayed by: C.S. Lee

"Aang, I hope that you're able to save your friends. But the truth is, for the Avatar, friends can be... a liability. The Avatar has to make the impossible choices, placing the world's needs ahead of your needs. On that, Kyoshi and I agree. Trust me, it'll save you and the ones you love a lot of pain."

Aang's direct predecessor from the Fire Nation, and Kyoshi's successor. He is encountered in his shrine in the Crescent Island Fire Temple.

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• Adaptational Mundanity: Roku's first spiritual appearance is this, as he and Aang just chat thanks to the enemy Fire Sages being taken out by June. No awesome volcano lava-bending here.
• Adaptation Personality Change: Roku is more openly jovial, compared to the stoic and serious Roku of the show. While it was shown he was capable of joking around in life, he never did so with Aang.
• Ambadassador: In contrast to Kyoshi, Roku maintains that an Avatar should try to be a diplomat first, rather than a warrior. He tried, but apparently failed in a significant way at one point.
• Bait-and-Switch: The first meeting between Aang and Roku has the former Avatar seeming even more stern and serious than his own predecessor... until he tells Aang it's customary to meet another Avatar by hopping on one foot. He's just messing with Aang.
• Cool Old Guy: Wise, cheerful and has quite the sense of humor, giving Aang a surprising contrast to Kyoshi, the first previous Avatar he communed with.
• Cryptic Background Reference: Roku suggests Aang should be a little less willing to rely on his friends, but doesn't elaborate as to why.^{From the cartoon}Roku was a close friend to Sozin when he was alive, and tried to intimidate the latter into not going on a war of conquest against the world. Roku's death involved Sozin abandoning him to be killed by a lava flow, which left Roku's spirit very bitter about his former friend.
• Demoted to Extra: Rather than serving as the previous Avatar Aang confers with most, Roku and Aang only converse once; the role he played as Aang's spiritual mentor is instead spread across the other previous Avatars.
• Eccentric Mentor: Contary to his cartoon counterpart and his successors, Roku is more lighthearted and a bit of a prankster. He still gives Aang good advice and helps him save his friends from Koh.
• The Gadfly: When Aang meets him, he pretends to be a serious, imposing figure like Kyoshi... until he orders Aang to hop on one foot and laughs at the prank he pulled on him.
• Historical Badass Upgrade: Gyatso tells Aang that Roku managed to defeat Koh, but when they meet Roku sheepishly admits this is an exaggeration. He just stole a totem from him.
• Mythology Gag:
  • The depiction of Roku seen in Zuko's book is his appearance from the original series.
  • Roku has an issue with friends, and suggests Aang might be a bit more cautious about his, but doesn't elaborate further. Viewers of the original series can guess as to why he's saying this. See Cryptic Background Reference.
• Red Is Heroic: An Avatar dressed in the red colors of the Fire Nation.
• Verbal Backspace: Roku tells Aang that he can ask him about anything, until Aang says he needs info about Koh. Roku immediately says anything but Koh.

Kuruk

Avatar Kuruk

Portrayed by: Meegwun Fairbrother

"After I became the Avatar, I discovered dark spirits were on the verge of crossing over into our realm from the Spirit World. I had to stop them, so I spent my life fighting them. The war I waged on the spirits damaged my body and corrupted my soul. In my condition, I wouldn't be able to control the Avatar State any more than you could. And despite all my sacrifices, I still couldn't save the one that mattered the most. A predatory spirit came to seek vengeance on me. Ummi, my beloved, paid the ultimate price. The spirit stole her face. Listen to me, Aang. The Avatar must walk alone, or else the ones you love will suffer."

A past Avatar from the Northern Water Tribe, Yangchen's successor and Kyoshi's predecessor.

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• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Kuruk is much more open about the pain spending his life fighting dark spirits because of Yangchen's own failures brought him, compared to original Kuruk, who was outwardly mellow and refused to say anything for fear of tarnishing his predecessor's reputation.
• Ascended Extra: Kuruk has more screentime in this season, appearing in two episodes (of 50 minutes formats) contrary to a short scene in a single episode from the first season of the original series. His character is also more developed, when he shares with Aang the consequences of Yangchen's mistakes had on him and the Spirit World, and warns him when he senses that his magic knife is within the wrong hands.
• Blue Is Heroic: An Avatar from the Water Tribe and wears its traditional blue garments.
• Covered in Scars: Kuruk is revealed to be covered in gruesome scars from years of fighting dark spirits, which corrupted his soul and refrains him from taking over Aang the way Kyoshi did (and Roku in the cartoon series).
• The Greatest Story Never Told: Yue says that Kuruk actually has a less favorable reputation among the Avatars, saying he rarely interacted with the nations and was off doing his own thing. Tragically, Kuruk reveals that his life was spent focusing on an issue regarding the Spirit World and that his body and spirit was irreparable harmed dealing with dark spirits (the original canon said he died abnormally young due to this) and he lost his beloved to Koh the Facestealer. He may have made the greatest personal sacrifice of the Avatars, but is either seen as a failure or simply forgotten.
• I'm Having Soul Pains: Kuruk can't manifest through Aang the way Kyoshi did because his body and spirit was too damaged by years of being in the Spirit World to refrain its creatures from causing chaos in the physical world.
• Immortal Breaker: During his reign as the Avatar, Kuruk made a special knife made to destroy dark spirits. It found itself in the hands of the Fire Sages, and it gets stolen by Zhao who plans to use it to kill the Moon Spirit. It's hinted a part of Kuruk's own spirit is within that knife, since he can sense when it is nearby and immediately goes to warn Aang about it.
• The Lost Lenore: Kuruk lost his beloved to Koh the Face Stealer.
• My Greatest Failure: Koh stole the face of the woman he loved, and Kuruk still blames himself for it to this day.
• My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Kuruk makes an apparition to Aang to warn him he can sense his spirit knife is nearby. Sure enough, Zhao, who stole it, is on his way with an entire fleet and plans to kill the Moon Spirit with it.
• Mythology Gag: A really dark one; the novels covering the lives of Kyoshi, Kuruk and Yangchen stated that Yangchen had the hope that if Kuruk had told people about her misdeeds he might not have died so young. Here, Kuruk is more open about Yangchen's mistakes... and still seems to have died pretty much the same way.
• Nemean Skinning: Sports the entire skin of a polar bear as his main attire.
• Shoo the Dog: Kuruk's reasoning for the Avatar working alone is that if their friends aren't around, they won't get hurt as a consequence.
• Soul-Cutting Blade: His knife has the ability to kill immortal spirits. So when it finds itself in the wrong hands, Kuruk wastes no time to warn Aang.
• Suddenly Shouting: Aang and Kuruk have a back-and-forth about the latter taking control of the Avatar State, until Kuruk bellows that he can't.

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