List of Avatar: The Legends of Aang and Korra characters

From left to right, Sokka, Mai, Katara, Suki, Momo, Zuko, Aang, Toph, and Iroh relaxing at the end of the original series' finale.

This features a list of significant characters from the animated television programs Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.

Overview

In The Last Airbender, a fictional universe composed of four sovereign nations, the Avatar —a being who represents the bridge between the physical and the spirit worlds— alone holds the power to master all four elemental powers, but has been missing for the past 100 years. During this absence, a war started by the Fire Nation resulted in the Air Nomads' genocide, the Southern Tribes' waterbending population near extinction, and the Earth Kingdom's extensive colonization. In The Legend of Korra, set 70 years later, Republic City, the capital of the United Republic of Nations, serves as the primary setting for the repercussions of said wars, leading to events such as the Equalization movement for non-benders, Harmonic Convergence of the spirit world, civil war in the southern polar region, and the reunification of the fractured Earth Kingdom.

Character conception

Character designs were originated from a series of drawings by one of the show's creators, Bryan Konietzko. The main sketch depicted a middle-aged monk with an arrow on his head and later included a flying bison as his pet. Konietzko's partner, Michael Dante DiMartino, was interested in documentaries related to the South Pole at the time. They combined these ideas and created the concept of an "air guy" and "water guys" trapped in a snowy wasteland, with "fire guys" invading them.[1] Additionally, the writers based the characters' different bending abilities on distinct styles of martial arts.

The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender were designed by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the co-creators of the series.[1] The anime-styled character art was inspired by Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and FLCL (Fooly Cooly) of Gainax.[2] The original character conception was derived from a sketch by Bryan Konietzko that depicted a middle-aged balding man with an arrow on his head.[1] Studios such as Studio 4°C, Production I.G, and Studio Ghibli, which produced anime-styled cartoons, were also sources of inspiration.[3]

Influences

The greatest influences on the series were Asian art and history; the characters' various personalities and traits are based on philosophical teachings such as Taoism and Buddhism.[4][5] In the show, some characters have the ability to manipulate one of the four classic elements of ancient philosophy: Water, Earth, Fire and Air, although the Avatar has the ability to control all four.[6] Each of these employ a different form of martial arts in their fighting choreography: T'ai chi for Waterbending, Hung Gar for Earthbending, Northern Shaolin for Firebending, and Ba Gua Airbending.[7] These individual styles of martial arts also reflect on the personalities of the user and the nations as a whole. These starkly individual tendencies are explained in eighty-five distinct types of "Jings", or internal energy.[8] For example, Ba Gua employs the "negative jing" to create erratic circular movements and capitalizes on centripetal force and defensive positions while Northern Shaolin follows the "positive jing" and emphasizes brute strength and aggression to generate power.[7] The negative jing reflects Aang's bending styles and his tendency to be unpredictable and extremely carefree, as well as his pacifist and non-aggressive nature.[9][10][11]

Personalities

Many of the recurring characters of the series have received traits based on the respective element. Aang is carefree and childlike, as is commonly attributed to "wonder" of the unknown, or the "freedom" of the wind and the air.[12][13] As a spiritualist, a pacifist and a vegetarian, he is very Yin and notably feminine, hyper-attuned to the spirit world, and prefers non-violent alternatives to solving problems. Unlike her predecessor Aang, Korra is very Yang and distinctly masculine; she was inspired by various female MMA fighters and is "very tough, very headstrong, and not scared to get into a fight," as attributed to Water's attributes.[14] Her stubborn realism and hot-headed personality prevents her from easily learning airbending or connecting with the Spirit World.[15] Toph, despite being blind, is extremely perceptive of the world around her due to her connection to the Earth. Unlike Aang, she is extremely brusque when criticizing others, as attributed to Earth's toughness.[16][17]

The Last Airbender principal characters

Avatar Aang

Main article: Aang

Avatar Aang (Chinese: 安昂; pinyin: Ān Áng) (voiced by Mitchel Musso in the unaired pilot,[18] voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen in Avatar: The Last Airbender,[19] voiced by D. B. Sweeney in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Noah Ringer in The Last Airbender[20]) is the protagonist of the original series, and in it, the current Avatar, a being who exists through reincarnation to maintain world balance.[21][22] A reluctant hero, Aang often acts in a fun-loving, carefree manner.[23] His pacifist and vegetarianism demonstrates his love for life, a primary trait of Buddhism. The creators intended Aang to "defeat enemies with his wits" and be a "trickster hero".[24][25] Though Aang is often frivolous and enthusiastic, he becomes serious during a crisis.[26][27]

In the original series, Aang is rescued from a century of suspended animation by Katara and Sokka. Having already mastered his native Airbending, Aang learns Waterbending at the North Pole in Book One and continues his instruction from Katara in the rest of the series,[28] Earthbending from Toph in Book Two,[17] and Firebending from Zuko in Book Three.[29][30] Throughout the series, Aang comes to the aid of Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom oppressed by the Fire Nation. Unwilling to kill Fire Lord Ozai, despite his past Avatar incarnations insisting on it, Aang ultimately learns the ancient Lion-Turtles' technique of energybending, which allows the user to give or take away a person's bending, and uses it to render Ozai a non-bender.

In The Legend of Korra, is revealed that Aang aided Zuko in creating the United Republic of Nations. He also married Katara and had three children, with his youngest son Tenzin restoring the Air Nomads while instructing his reincarnation Korra. Like Roku before him, Aang appears at times before his reincarnation Korra prior to their connection being destroyed.

Appa

Main article: Appa (character)

Appa (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the original animated series[20][31]) is Aang's flying bison, animal guide and spirit companion. He serves as the group's Mode of transport around the world.[9] He possesses the ability to fly and can use his tail to create powerful gusts of air. According to Aang, flying bison were the first Airbenders.[32] The show's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, have described Appa's appearance as a cross between a bison and a manatee.[33] He is known to shed his coat at the end of winter.[34]

Katara

Katara (Chinese: 卡塔拉; pinyin: Kǎ Tǎlā) (voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series,[19] voiced by Eva Marie Saint in the sequel series, and portrayed by Nicola Peltz in the live-action film[20]) is Aang's best friend and eventual girlfriend.

In the original series, she had mastered the art of waterbending at the end of Book One,[35] and therefore began teaching Aang the art alongside his study of earthbending in Book Two.[17] Katara is known for resisting gender stereotypes;[28] but acts as den mother to the other protagonists.[17] As a waterbender, she is able to heal injuries, change water into ice, and use it to cut through solid objects. She is known to become enamoured easily, and is often angered by treachery or dishonesty. She also learns bloodbending, the manipulation of liquids within a living creature, in Book Three.[36]

In the sequel series, Katara is revealed to have married Aang and had three children. In an earlier version of the pilot episode, Katara's name was Kya: a name later re-used as her mother's name and later that of her daughter. In the sequel series, Katara is Korra's Waterbending master.

Sokka

Main article: Sokka

Sokka (Chinese: 索卡; pinyin: Sǔo Kǎ) (voiced by Jack DeSena in the original series,[19] voiced by Chris Hardwick in the sequel series, and portrayed by Jackson Rathbone in the live-action film[20]) is a 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara's elder brother.[17] With no bending power of his own, Sokka relies largely on a metallic boomerang, a blunt metal club, a machete, and later a black jian created from the metals of a meteorite.[37] Surprisingly in an inhabitant of a mystical world, Sokka is an engineer and something of a jack-of-all-trades, in which respect he is easily able to understand the Fire Nation's advanced technology, and perfects the design of the hot air balloon.[38] In addition, he is both heterodox and resourceful in his endeavors,[39] and a source of comic relief throughout the series. Sokka was in love with the Northern Water Tribe princess Yue at the end of Book One and later shifted his affections to the Kyoshi Warriors' leader Suki in Books Two and Three.

In the sequel series, flashbacks reveal Sokka was the first representative of the Southern Water Tribe to sit on the Republic City Council, and possibly its first chairman. He died a few years after Aang, when the next Avatar, Korra, was still a child.

Toph Beifong

Main article: Toph Beifong

Toph Beifong (Chinese: 北方拓芙; pinyin: Běifāng Tuòfú) (voiced by Jessie Flower in the original series,[31] voiced by Kate Higgins in Books One and Three of the sequel series, and by Philece Sampler in Book Four) is a blind Earthbending grandmaster of the prestigious Bei Fong family in the Earth Kingdom.[16]

In the original series, Toph helps Aang master Earthbending after leaving her home.[16] Toph is often sarcastic, direct, and confrontational; commonly depicted as the choleric and tomboy of the group.[16] Though blind, Toph has the ability to "feel" vibrations in the earth, be it the presence of trees and buildings or the march of ants several meters away. Through this heightened sense, she can identify people's locations, their distance from her, and their physical build. This 'seismic sense' provides her with a distinct advantage when facing other Earthbenders in combat, as they characteristically require contact with the ground and extract rocks from their surroundings. As another result of her blindness, Toph has an acute sense of hearing, enabling her to recognize people by the sound of their voices and to eavesdrop on distant conversations.[26] Unlike other Earthbenders, Toph has a distinct style of earthbending not based on Hung Gar but on the Southern Praying Mantis, featuring quick generation of energy and low kicks, to suit her small stature.[40] Toph taught herself metalbending by manipulating the metals' impurities at the end of Book Two and throughout Book Three.[41]

In the sequel series, flashbacks reveal that Toph was the first Chief of the Metalbending Police Force, the police department of Republic City. Toph eventually became a single mother of two daughters: Lin, who eventually succeeded her mother as police chief, and Suyin, who founded a commune of free-thinking Earth- and Metalbenders known as Zaofu. By the time the series begins, having once lived with Suyin's family in Zaofu, Toph took residence in the Foggy Swamp where she assists Korra.

Zuko

Main article: Zuko

Prince Zuko, later Fire Lord Zuko (Chinese: 祖寇; pinyin: Zǔ Kòu) (voiced by Dante Basco in the original animated series,[19] voiced by Bruce Davison in the sequel series, and portrayed by Dev Patel in the live-action film[20]) is a central character: the primary antagonist of Book One, an anti-hero of Book Two, and a protagonist in Book Three. Throughout Book 1, he has a shaved head with ponytail. In Book 2, he cuts it off and grows his hair. In Book 3, his hair is shoulder length.

When exiled, prior to the beginning of the series, by his father Fire Lord Ozai for forfeiting a duel therewith,[42] Zuko believed that capturing the Avatar would regain his honor.[43] In addition to his firebending, Zuko is proficient in the use of double broadswords wielded in his alter ego of the "Blue Spirit". Zuko's ancestry reflects his own anxieties, in that his paternal great-grandfather Fire Lord Sozin started the war while his maternal great-grandfather Avatar Roku attempted to prevent it.[44] In Book One, Zuko fails many times to capture the Avatar, and in Book Two, Zuko and his Uncle Iroh earn further displeasure when they flee into the Earth Kingdom, where he befriends locals and goes so far as to rescuing them from corrupt Earth Army guards.[42][45] When tempted by his sister Azula's offer of honor's restoration, he betrays his uncle to assist Azula's fight against the Avatar.[46] In Book Three, Zuko eventually rejects his father Ozai's plans.[47] After he learns the secret of Firebending with Aang from two dragons, he becomes Aang's Firebending teacher;[29] helps Sokka rescue prisoners; assists Katara in confronting her mother's killer; and receives his uncle Iroh's forgiveness.[48][49] After defeating Azula, Zuko becomes the new Fire Lord and ends the war.[50]

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

Iroh

Main article: Iroh

General Iroh (Chinese: 艾洛; pinyin: Aì Lùo) (voiced by Mako in Books One and Two,[19] voiced by Greg Baldwin in Book Three and sequel series,[51] and portrayed by Shaun Toub in the live-action film[20]), also known as "The Dragon of the West", is a Firebending master and former heir to the Fire Nation throne. After the death of his son at the Siege of Ba Sing Se, his younger brother Ozai superseded him as Fire Lord.[42] Unlike most firebenders, Iroh lacks hostility toward other nations and generates his fire and lightning not from fury, as is conventional, but from a sense given to him by dragons, the original source of firebending.[29] As a member of the Order of the White Lotus, Iroh has social connections throughout the Four Nations. Iroh is outwardly easy-going and friendly, and particularly fond of food, good tea,[52] the strategy game Pai Sho,[53] cheerful company, and pleasant music.[9] Something of a hedonist in his old age, he focuses more on relaxation and amusements than on the pursuit of the Avatar, a habit that clashes with the obsessions of his nephew Zuko.[42] At the end of the series, after enlisting his fellow White Lotus members to release Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's rule, Iroh reopened his tea shop within the city.[27][50]

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

Momo

Momo (Chinese: 模模; pinyin: Mò Mò) (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the original animated series) is the only known Winged Lemur. Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator Bryan Konietzko admits that Momo is his favorite character to draw and that his body language is derived from memories of a childhood cat.[54] Momo was introduced when Aang finds him at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet.[55] Although Momo has been in many dangerous situations while traveling with the protagonists, he has also been of aid to them and a source of comic relief throughout the series. According to the creators, Momo was intended to represent the spirit of Monk Gyatso, Aang's mentor.[56]

Momo is a cross between Bat and a Lemur and is the last of his kind in the show much like Appa (though it is possible based on the descriptions by the Pirate Captain in "The Waterbending Scroll" and by Tho in "The Swamp" that a few more of his kind may exist in captivity and circuses elsewhere in the Four Nations).[57][58] Momo was introduced in the episode "The Southern Air Temple". In the episode, Aang finds Momo at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet. After Momo eats a dumpling, Aang decides to name him Momo, which is Tibetan for "dumpling".[59] In the series Momo has been a recurring part of the team.

Azula

Main article: Azula

Princess Azula (Chinese: 阿祖拉; pinyin: Ā Zǔ Lā) (voiced by Grey DeLisle in the animated series and played by Summer Bishil in the live-action movie) is Zuko's sister who is a major antagonist in Book Two and Book Three.[60] She is a gifted Firebending master. After Zhao's death, Azula is sent by Ozai to capture the Avatar, Zuko, and Iroh. Her amorality and ability to act without hesitation or remorse also accounts for her ability to create lightning, a skill that requires peace of mind.[17] Despite her cruel temperament, she becomes distraught when abandoned by her friends Mai and Ty Lee,[61] and collapses mentally when her father leaves her the now-worthless position of Fire Lord,[30] in which she becomes increasingly irrational, paranoid, and mentally unstable,[27] and ultimately suffers a full psychotic breakdown, in which she is overcome by Zuko and Katara.[50]

Following the end of the war, Azula is placed at a mental institution to be closely monitored. As revealed in the comic sequel, The Search, Azula managed to convince Zuko to let her accompany him in the search for their mother. But in reality, her madness tied to the hatred she bears towards her mother, Azula's reasons were to eliminate Ursa upon finding a letter that claimed Zuko to be only her half-brother and thus making her the legitimate heir to the throne. But after her attempt to kill her mother failed, and unable to accept Zuko still caring for her after everything she had done to him, Azula fled into the Forgetful Valley before the letter's contents were later revealed to be false.

The Legend of Korra principal characters

Avatar Korra

Main article: Korra

Avatar Korra, (voiced by Janet Varney and by Cora Baker as a child) is Aang's immediate incarnation in the sequel series The Legend of Korra. While more confident and energetic than her past life, Korra lacked a connection to the spiritual world. Through her confrontations with Amon (the son of an enemy of Aang's), her uncle Unalaq (who became a Dark Avatar through Raava's counterpart Vaatu and severed Korra's ties to her past lives), and Zaheer (leader of the anarchistic Red Lotus who believed the Avatar's death is needed for people to have freedom), Korra realizes a commonality as they were unbalanced despite their noble intentions. This allows her to peacefully resolve matters with the totalitarian despot Kuvira. In this way, despite the contrasts between her and Aang, Korra's progress in becoming a better person mirrored Aang's journey in a way. As with Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra's story ends with the beginning of a romantic relationship, in this case with Asami Sato,[62][63] a member of the Team Avatar of her lifetime.

Naga

Naga is a female polar bear dog that belongs to Avatar Korra as her animal guide and spirit companion and main form of transportation.[2] Despite her intimidating appearance, Korra describes Naga as a "sweetheart" and regards her as her best friend.[3] Undyingly loyal, she is protective of Korra and her friends and has learned how to use her strength to help them out of perilous situations

Asami Sato

Main article: Asami Sato

Asami Sato (Japanese: 麻美)is an elegant, intrepid young woman with unwavering loyalty to her friends and allies. The only child of the former wealthy industrialist, Hiroshi Sato. Although a nonbender, when she discovered that her father was working with the Equalists, she rejected his hatred of benders and actively fought against the Equalists as a member of Team Avatar. After her father's imprisonment, she became the new Chief Executive Officer of Future Industries, planning to bring the company back to the peak of economic dominance and restore its reputation. Two weeks after Harmonic Convergence, she joined her friends in the search for the new airbenders. However, their search stopped when the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Avatar Korra in Zaofu and they worked to bring the organization down instead. Three years later, in 174 AG, Asami assisted in defeating Kuvira and began a romantic relationship with her best friend, Korra.

Bolin

Bolin (Chinese: 愽林 pinyin: bó lín) is an earthbender from a multicultural family. He grew up on the streets of Republic City under the protection of his older brother, Mako, after their parents were killed by a firebender. Eventually, he and his brother founded a pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets, that would later include Avatar Korra. After the Pro-bending Tournament ended, Bolin joined Team Avatar in an attempt to stop the Equalist organization.

In the following months, Bolin quickly became close friends with the Southern Water Tribe industrialist Varrick and starred in The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South, a propaganda film series created by Varrick in an attempt to drum up support for the Southern Tribe within Republic City during the Water Tribe Civil War. After reuniting with Team Avatar, Bolin attempted to help his friends stop Chief Unalaq from merging with Vaatu, the spirit of darkness, during Harmonic Convergence.

A few weeks after Harmonic Convergence, Bolin and his friends traveled around the Earth Kingdom to search for airbenders. At one point, the group had to flee from Ba Sing Se and split up from Tenzin. They continued their search until the Red Lotus attacked Zaofu, at which point they instead worked to combat the anarchist organization.

After bringing down the Red Lotus, Bolin began a relationship with Opal and joined Kuvira in her goal of reuniting the divided Earth Kingdom with military force with the rank of corporal, believing it gave him the opportunity to help others. He eventually realized, however, that there was a darker side to the army's actions, which prompted him to desert, though he was apprehended. However, he managed to escape with Varrick, leaving the army to believe they were dead for a while, and rejoined Team Avatar in Republic City to help them defeat Kuvira, while rebuilding his relationship with Opal.

Pabu

Pabu is a mischievous male fire ferret who belongs to Bolin. Although he often gets into trouble, his agility and sharp teeth make him dependable in sticky situations. He has been Bolin's partner in crime on more than one occasion. He is also known to play practical jokes on Mako.

Mako

Mako (Chinese: 馬高 pinyin: mǎ gāo) is a firebender from a multicultural family who grew up on the streets of Republic City as an orphan with his younger brother, Bolin. Mako always wore his signature red scarf that was once his father's, who was murdered along with his mother when he was a boy. He formed a pro-bending team with his brother and Hasook and aspired for his new career to bring him fame and fortune. His aspirations changed, however, when he met Avatar Korra, who joined the team to replace Hasook and became a loyal friend. Mako, with the help of his teammates, was able to lead the team to second place in the championship. After the tournament's conclusion, Mako joined Korra in her efforts to stop the Equalists.

In the following months, Mako joined the Republic City Police Force, where he steadily rose up from being a beat cop to a detective. He joined his friends in an effort to stop Unalaq and Vaatu from merging. A few weeks after Harmonic Convergence, he rejoined Team Avatar in their search for new airbenders. However, they stopped when the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Korra in Zaofu, instead working to bring down the anarchist organization.

After taking down the Red Lotus, Mako returned to his work as a police officer and was later appointed as Prince Wu's bodyguard, a position he continued in after the latter's coronation as Earth King.

Tenzin

Tenzin is the youngest child of Avatar Aang and Katara and the oldest living airbending master. He lives on Air Temple Island with the Air Acolytes, his wife Pema, and their four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. During the resurfacing of airbending across the Earth Kingdom after the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, Tenzin and his family temporarily relocated to the Northern Air Temple. A calm and serious man, he represented the Air Nation on the United Republic Council in Republic City prior to its dissolution and was responsible for educating Avatar Korra in the art of airbending and spirituality.

Lin Beifong

Main article: Lin Beifong

Lin Beifong (Chinese: 北方琳 pinyin: běi fāng lín)is the Chief of Police of the Republic City Police Department, the daughter of Toph Beifong and Kanto, and the older half sister of Suyin Beifong.[4] Although her mother taught Avatar Korra's previous incarnation how to earthbend, Lin displayed no affection toward her when they first met. However, Lin's feelings toward the young Avatar changed when Amon and his Equalists made their public appearance and openly challenged the benders of the world.[5] Lin is brave, loyal, and willing to sacrifice herself in order to do what she believes is right.

Zaheer

Main article: Zaheer

Zaheer is the leader of the Red Lotus, a martial arts expert, and an anarchist, who strongly believes in the foundation of a new world without the Order of the White Lotus, the four nations, or the Avatar. After the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, he also became an airbender and, after having let go of his final earthly tether, he unlocked the ability of flight, becoming the second person ever to have done so.

In pursuit of his goals, Zaheer and three of his comrades were captured and imprisoned. After becoming an airbender thirteen years later, he escaped the custody of the Order of the White Lotus and subsequently freed his allies from prison. He threw the Earth Kingdom into chaos by assassinating the Earth Queen and attempted to end the Avatar Cycle by killing Avatar Korra while she was in the Avatar State, though failed, leaving him as the only survivor of their group of four

Following his defeat, Zaheer was once again imprisoned. To his disappointment, he heard of Kuvira placing the people of the Earth Kingdom under her military dictatorship, thus rendering his attempt to free them from oppression futile. Because of this, Zaheer helped Korra in 174 AG to meditate into the Spirit World and let go of her fear of him and of "what might have been". Under the pretense of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", he hoped that by aiding Korra, she could stop Kuvira.

Kuvira

Main article: Kuvira

Kuvira is a master earthbender and metalbender who was part of the Metal Clan in Zaofu. Prior to her departure in 171 AG, Kuvira served as both the captain of the city's guard and part of Suyin Beifong's dance troupe. Following the outbreak of anarchy in the Earth Kingdom, Kuvira earned the trust of the world leaders by stabilizing Ba Sing Se and was appointed as the nation's provisional leader. She subsequently set out to reunite the rest of the kingdom with her army, which earned her the title of "Great Uniter". In her pursuit of order, Kuvira offered to protect the nation's states from bandits in exchange for their loyalty. During Prince Wu's coronation, Kuvira denounced the authority of the Earth King and dissolved the Earth Kingdom in favor of an "Earth Empire" under her leadership. Her reign came to an end, however, after she was defeated in Republic City and imprisoned. She was also engaged to Baatar Jr., who left Zaofu with her to support her ideals, though ended their relationship when she was willing to sacrifice him to have a chance to end Avatar Korra's life.

Recurring characters

Known Avatar incarnations (in order of precedence )

The Avatar-cycle follows the cycles of the seasonal order of Earth's climate, as each element represents a season: Spring (Earth); Summer (Fire); Autumn (Air); Winter (Water). In Aang's case, he was an Air Nomad, thus Korra (his immediate reincarnation) was born as a Water-bender.

Spirit World Denizens

United Republic of Nations

Earth Kingdom

Fire Nation

Air Nomad

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

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

Water Tribe

Metal Clan

Zaofu is an autonomous city state, home of the Metal Clan; founded and governed by the Beifong-family. Considered the safest and most prosperous city in the world, the settlement is constructed entirely out of metal-alloys and protective platinum domes.

Order of the White Lotus

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

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

The Red Lotus

The Red Lotus is an anarchist splinter faction of the Order of the White Lotus founded by Xai Bau after the Hundred Year War. Until 171 AG, the organization's existence was completely unknown to the public, and the motives of those who worked for it remained unknown. The Red Lotus' agenda is to have the humans and spirits coexist again and usher in a new world order by dismantling the established nations and their leaders, which they originally planned to do by releasing Vaatu from his prison within the Tree of Time, and later by assassinating world leaders and ending the Avatar Cycle.

The only Red Lotus members who were publicly revealed as such were all powerful, influential individuals: the former Chief Unalaq, the truth-seer Aiwei, and a group of terrorists led by Zaheer. The latter had been incarcerated for thirteen years following a failed attempt to kidnap Avatar Korra. Zaheer managed to escape his imprisonment two weeks after Harmonic Convergence, using airbending abilities he had acquired due to the planet's energy shift and subsequently liberated his three associates. They managed to send the Earth Kingdom into chaos, but failed to murder Korra, resulting in the incarceration of Zaheer and the deaths of his three comrades.

Freedom Fighters

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

Equality Movement

Other recurring characters

Other known nations and organizations

The following is a list of collective entities within the fictional universe.

Reception

The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender received praise from reviewers. Troy Island Mell, of IGN, felt that the story "would [not] be anywhere near as good as it is without its ability to create such strong characters". In particular, Mell enjoyed the development of Katara and Zuko throughout the first season, but thought that Zuko's relationship with his uncle was not "very organic."[77] Jamie S. Rich of DVDTalk generally agreed with Mell's assessment of the characters. Rich also praised the fact that, unlike many cartoon television series, Avatar introduces antagonists that have a deep backstory and "are [not] just evil for the sake of it".[78]

Jeremy Mullin, another IGN reviewer, felt that the characters were not brilliantly done, though he noted that they introduced some drama and romantic tension usually not found on Nickelodeon, especially between Aang and Katara.[79] Lair of the Green Knight and DVD Verdict also enjoyed the romantic tension, focusing mainly on the female cast: Katara, Toph, and Azula, as well as the two minor characters, Mai and Ty Lee. Fitz at Lair of the Green Knight lauded the decision to not stereotypically fashion the woman into the "usual weak female characters" but to instead give them "strong opinions and strength".[80] IGN also compared character relationships, complimenting "Sokka and Princess Yue's forbidden love" while criticizing Iroh and Zuko's relationship as not being executed properly.[81] DVDVerdict felt that some minor characters, especially Mai and Ty Lee, were "love em' or hate em'" characters.[82] Gabriel Powers of DVDActive thought that while the characters fit into neat "archetypes", it was not a bad thing and fit well with the series.[83]

In 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender was awarded a Peabody for its "unusually complex characters".[84] This makes the cartoon one of few animations to win the award and the only one to be cited for its character development.[85]

Film casting

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

M. Night Shyamalan originally offered the roles of Aang to Noah Ringer; Sokka to Jackson Rathbone; Katara to Nicola Peltz; and Zuko to Jesse McCartney.[86] In selecting Nicola Peltz, Shyamalan commented that he did not want to make The Last Airbender without her, saying that "I said that only once before in my career, and that was when I met Haley in The Sixth Sense auditions."[87] In February 2009, Dev Patel replaced McCartney, whose tour dates conflicted with a boot camp scheduled for the cast to train in martial arts.[88][89]

The casting of all-white actors for main protagonist roles in the live-action, Asian-influenced film triggered a negative reaction which was marked by accusations of racism, a letter-writing campaign, and a protest outside of a Philadelphia casting call for movie extras.[90][91][92] Jackson Rathbone dismissed the complaints in an interview with MTV, saying, "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan. It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."[93] Shaun Toub, who plays Iroh, also defended the casting choices. He noted that "if they would have put all Asians in a certain nation, I think then there would be people who come out and said, 'Well, now you're stereotyping, saying that anything that has to do with martial arts has to do with Asians and chop suey and all that.' So it's nice to mix it up and just do the unexpected."[94]

Movie critic Roger Ebert was one of the critical voices against the casting decision. When asked about selection of primarily white actors to portray the characters, he said, "The original series Avatar: The Last Airbender was highly regarded and popular for three seasons on Nickelodeon. Its fans take it for granted that its heroes are Asian. Why would Paramount and Shyamalan go out of their way to offend these fans? There are many young Asian actors capable of playing the parts."[95] Jevon Phillips of the Los Angeles Times noted that despite Shyamalan's attempts to defuse the situation, the issue will "not fade away or be overlooked", and that this film exemplifies the need for a debate within Hollywood about racial diversity in its films.[96] Popular Korean cartoonist Derek Kirk Kim reacted to the film's casting by comparing it to a hypothetical film which depicts white actors wearing traditional African clothing and eating traditional African food in traditional African huts.[97] Shyamalan, however, countered that "this movie, and then the three movies, will be the most culturally diverse tentpole movies ever released."[94]

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