Avatar: The Last Airbender

Honestly, Sokka's just a fun character to ship. Sokka/Toph and Sokka/Ty Lee are both fun. Even the Sokka/Azula Crack Ship can make for a good time if you're into that Enemies-to-Lovers abuse-romanticizing nonsense.

But over the course of the series, Suki vanishing from the show and then dramatically returning over and over again is the best argument for why Sokka/Suki is the official Sokka pairing. Suki is a boomerang. No matter how far she goes or how long she's gone, she always comes back - often accomplishing something awesome and/or saving the day in the process.

EDIT: Sokka/Yue is also good, but specifically as a star-crossed ship. What makes Sokka/Yue fun is not just that it didn't work out, but how it didn't work out. The best part of this ship is that the universe was so adamantly opposed to Sokka finding love that it turned his girlfriend into the moon.

Whether it's Sokka pining for the moon, the moon pining for Sokka, or a romantic moonlit night shining jealously or supportively down on Sokka and Suki, everything great about Sokka/Yue revolves around the absurdity that Sokka briefly hooked up with a massive stellar object.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 12th 2021 at 9:24:16 AM

I should mention that I actually do quite like Sokka and Suki. Heck, I even voted for them in that poll. It helps that Sokka has by and large the best written romances in the franchise.

Also, as someone who has been exposed to a lot of shipping through comics, media marketed toward teens and young adults, CW shows, and namely any major sci-fi fantasy franchise, I'm used to Official Couples getting destroyed for one reason or another.

Sokka and Suki's relationship not lasting wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Honestly, I think it would be pretty realistic, even though it would make me a little sad as well because I want nothing but good things for both of them.

There's also the fact that Sokka is the token normal of the team, so the self-insert angle is also there.

It's worth noting that teenage romances generally do not work out.

...buuuuuuuut a big part of the reason teenage romances generally do not work out is because college splits people up. If you and your S.O. are high school sweethearts in Missouri but then you're going to college in New York and they're going to college in Oregon, then I guess it sucks to be you.

That's. Not. Really. A problem. In the Avatar universe.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 12th 2021 at 9:34:46 AM

"Enemies-to-Lovers abuse-romanticizing nonsense."
That part, and the "I can fix him" part of the stringy haired emo boy trope, are things I significantly dislike about shipping (which carries over to both ships and shippers). Speaking as someone with depression and with firsthand and secondhand knowledge of abuse, we're people who need actual support, not to effectively have that taken advantage of for self-gratification.

On that note, does anyone else feel like "If I know someone ships Zutara, they probably ship Reylo?"

Ah, the CW... I was very tempted to list "incest" as among those tropes fanfic writers and fans seem to like, in part due to Supernatural.
As for non-incestuous relationships, I was never a Destiel fan, but I could understand a little bit about why some people like it, and I understand their frustration with how the finale went.

Yup.

Indeed. Fortunately, even in the comics they come back to each other as if they never spent time apart. That's sweet.

I don't want to read anyone for filth in particular. I do not wish to be horny anymore. I want to be happy, and I want others to be happy, too.

Obligatory "who would you put in an Avatar fighting game?" question.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 12:21:17 PM

I saw a neat post about how Azula never underestimates Sokka and always takes him seriously whenever they interact because she knows first-hand the potential non-benders have, given that her closest friends and lieutenants are both non-benders.

Another big reason is that many people tend to change drastically after their teenage years. Hormones change, responsibilities increase, life really starts to kick in, and goals and desires turn into new goals and desires.

I could imagine things changing for a lot of these characters in ATLA. Becoming an adult is hard and new endeavors change people. I mean, just look at Zuko and Mai in the comics.

Actually, I've seen quite a few Zutarians that despise Reylo, mostly because everything they love about Zutara is completely absent in the Reylo pairing. Reylo is rooted in Rey changing Kylo for the better, while Zutara (at least at its best) is rooted in Katara falling for a redeemed Zuko who's already done the self-work himself. Also, Zuko's not a mass-murderer.

As far as the CW, there are some romances that are done pretty well like in Jane The Virgin or...actually, that's about all I can think of. And yes, I've watched enough Supernatural to know that what happened with Destiel was trash.

Edited by deuteragonist on Feb 12th 2021 at 10:21:56 AM

I didn't even watch the last... 5? seasons of Supernatural, and I still feel I understand why they were let down.

It takes me a lot of restraint to avoid shitting on the Reylo pairing, for the reasons you said plus more. And also because Finn was the perfect character to be central to the third film (and is a much better pairing for Rey, which there were clear signs for), and instead became the most wasted character in all of the Star Wars movies (followed by Qui-Gonn and Dooku).

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 12:31:01 PM

& I agree with a lot of this, but Star Wars shipping is both off-topic and usually Flame Bait.

Personally, I'm surprised that Sokka/Zuko has only recently gained popularity. As pointed out, it fits a lot of typical fan-preferred tropes.

Perhaps the Shipping Fandom is looking for a middle ground with which to end the long-standing Ship War and are beginning to jump ship :p

Sorry for getting off topic and venting.

This is where we point out Katara/Suki make a good pairing, and Aang and Mai could be paired for the lulz.

But yeah, the Sokka/Zuko pairing efficiently ends the Zutara, Maiko, Sukka, and Tokka ships.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 2:12:37 PM

This is true. But it should be noted that these kids are front line soldiers of a bloody war. Life kicked in for them a long time ago.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 12th 2021 at 12:20:56 PM

For an Avatar fighting game, I would love it to go all-out with the roster, from obvious picks like Aang and Korra to more out there picks like the Cabbage Merchant and Varrick and Zhu Ali disguised as a platypus bear.

I never cared much either way. I was fine if all the relationships we saw at the end of the series just happened to last, but I also wouldn't get riled up if they didn't because, relationships can end. Even having a solid foundation is no guarantee people will be together forever.

Related to this, I never got the obsession with the fathers of Toph's daughters having to be people she meet during the series, and the arguments that if they were people she meet somewhere else in her life that's "unsatisfying".

Basically, the elasticity of Sokka/Suki is what gives them longevity. It's the boomerang quality. The characters can be apart from each other for vast periods of time and then come back together and everything's great! And then not see each for months and then BOOM, romance. Both characters seem more or less satisfied with that as a dynamic.

Romance isn't really complicated. A good relationship is one where, whatever the dynamic in it is, it's something that both people are happy with. That's all it takes. No two relationships look alike. There is no correct formula for a healthy relationship. Everyone has different needs and wants and desires.

If Sokka and Suki get lonely and their hearts start to wander during their time apart, that's a problem. But if they don't, then there's nothing wrong with the relationship they have.

Also, if they do, then they might want to consider an open relationship. There are solutions for problems once you put aside social expectations of romantic normalcy.

And then sometimes there's not and people wind up breaking up and that's okay too.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 12th 2021 at 12:21:42 PM

Right.

Agreed about Toph's daughters.

Eh, it's hard to meet and have a lasting relationship with people outside of your profession. At least without the help of mutual friends or online dating.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 3:28:25 AM

Now I'm getting flashbacks of whenever Overwatch fans got mad the game revealed characters were dating people who weren't soldiers on the playable roster, even though it's plenty likely (arguably more likely) for them to date people who they don't associate with work or risk dying on the battlefield.

I feel like an Avatar fighting game, even if it covers the two animated series, should have no more than 30 fighters. The character selection heavily depends on the engine used. I'm picturing something 3D, and very similar to how Tekken handles how fighters are based on real world styles. I also see arenas being more open, like the Naruto UNS games.

Playable characters:

1. Book 1 Aang (airbending only)
2. Avatar Aang (w/ Energybending)
3. Book 3 Katara
4. Book 3 Toph
5. Sokka (Boomerang, Space Sword, and Club)
6. Zuko
7. The Blue Spirit
8. Azula
9. Ty Lee (w/ Mai assists, w/o Kyoshi warrior training)
10. Suki (w/ Kyoshi Warrior fans, katana, and shield; w/o chi blocking)
11. Jet (w/ Longshot assists)
12. Iroh
13. King Bumi
14. Long Feng
15. Fire Lord Ozai
16. Book 4 Korra (pre-airbending)
17. Avatar Korra (w/ Spiritbending and Metalbending)
18. Mako
19. Bolin
20. Tenzin
21. Lin Beifong
22. Amon (w/ bloodbending, evasion and deflection)
23. The Lieutenant
24. Tarrlok
25. Tonraq
26. Eska
27. Zaheer
28. P'Li
29. Ming Hua
30. Kuvira

If Airbenders and Avatars are counted together, that'd be perfectly balanced:

• 3 Avatars (not counting Book 1 Aang)
• 3 Airbenders (counting Book 1 Aang)
• 6 Waterbenders
• 6 Earthbenders
• 6 Firebenders
• 6 Non-benders
• 15 characters per show
• Unplayable mid-boss: Huu
• Unplayable Final Boss: Unavaatu

Notable fighter exclusions / Possible DLC:

• Pakku
• Zhao
• Jeong Jeong
• Hama
• Xin Fu
• Piandao
• Asami (redundant to and more limited than the Lieutenant)
• Mecha Suit (piloted by Bataar Jr., Zhu Li, or Varrick)
• Kya
• Suyin Beifong
• General Iroh
• Ghazan (Lavabending is uncounterable, even by himself or another Lavabender)
• Avatar Wan

Except for Airbenders, once again perfectly balanced:

• 1 Avatar
• 3 Waterbenders
• 3 Earthbenders
• 3 Firebenders
• 3 Non-benders
• 6 characters per show (not counting Wan)

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Jan 31st 2022 at 10:42:30 AM

And this is why I think Avatar's portrayal of relationships is generally realistic for the most part, including LOK for all of its faults with romance. The way characters deal with romance works for their respective time periods.

As far as a fighting game (specifically Varrick and Zhu Li), I would love to see Mecha Tank Zhu Li as a playable character. I guess Varrick would be playable as that mosquito-bird thing from the Book 4 finale.

comment moved.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 3:27:28 AM

Aw, I missed the ship talk?

Well I just want to add that in The Boiling Rock, Chit Sang seems to think that Sokka, Zuko and Suki are a triad. Or, at least, it’s fun to imagine he does.

Edited by SalFishFin on Feb 12th 2021 at 2:52:41 AM

I honestly think book one Aang is a little redundant. I would replace him with Jinora (since she could have cool projection/spirit attacks). Pre-airbending Korra would be a little more interesting.

No Asami is a bit weird, its not liek she has a lot of overlap given she is one of the few CQC fighters and could probably bust out the planes, trains and automobiles for super attacks anyway.

Seems lopsided to leave out Asami to include some Lieutenant I had to look up to remember who he was.

I like Jinora, but Aang (and his glider/staff) is definitely more interesting to me for combat. Plus I couldn't have 2 of Zuko and Korra, and not have 2 of Aang.

I specified I'm envisioning a Tekken or Pokken type game. Those wouldn't have vehicles. Even including Desna & Eska together is a significant stretch of how fighting games often work.

Edited by wanderlustwarrior on Feb 12th 2021 at 7:58:15 AM