List of Avatar: The Last Airbender characters
Encyclopedia
The animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender
and its live-action film adaptation, The Last Airbender
, feature an extensive cast of characters created by Bryan Konietzko
and Michael Dante DiMartino
. Taking place in a fictional universe composed of four sovereign nations, the series deals with a war started by the belligerent Fire Nation as an attempt to conquer the world. The Avatar, a being who represents the spirit of the Earth itself and alone holds the power to counter the Fire Nation aggression, has been mysteriously missing for the past 100 years, plunging the world into a century of war. The first phase of war ended with a genocide
of the Air Nomads, near extinction of the Water Tribes, and extensive colonization of the Earth Kingdom, thus setting up the world in which the characters of the series live.
The main protagonist
of the series is Aang
, the most recent incarnation of the Avatar, who is released from an iceberg after being frozen
for 100 years. With his new friends Katara and Sokka
, and later Toph
, Aang sets out to master the three unlearned bending arts and end the war that has ravaged the world during his absence. While primarily focused on Aang, the series also focuses on Zuko, the crown prince
of the Fire Nation. Zuko is initially portrayed as an antagonist who tries to capture Aang, but with the help of his uncle
, he eventually develops conflicting feelings about the war and becomes one of the deuteragonists.
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. Additionally, the writers based the characters' different bending abilities on distinct styles of martial arts
.
and Bryan Konietzko
, the co-creators of the series. The anime-styled character art was inspired by Shinichiro Watanabe
's Cowboy Bebop
, Samurai Champloo
, and FLCL
(Fooly Cooly) of Gainax
. 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. Studios such as Studio 4°C
, Production I.G, and Studio Ghibli
, which produced anime-styled cartoons, were also sources of inspiration.
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
. 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. Each of these employ a different form of martial arts
in their fighting choreography: Ba Gua
for Airbending, Hung Gar
for Earthbending, Northern Shaolin for Firebending, and T'ai chi for Waterbending. 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. 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. 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.
Many of the recurring characters of the series have received more depth in their personalities, which are usually based on their respective element. Aang, a pacifist monk, is also very carefree and child-like, which is commonly attributed to the "freedom" of the wind
and the air. 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, which is attributed to Earth's tough and unbreakable nature.
in the unaired pilot and Zach Tyler Eisen
for the remainder of the animated series. He is portrayed by Noah Ringer
in the live-action film. He is the primary protagonist
of the series and current incarnation of the Avatar, who is the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. A reluctant hero
, Aang often acts in a fun-loving, carefree manner. 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". Though Aang is often frivolous and enthusiastic, he becomes serious during a crisis.
After Aang is rescued from a century of suspended animation
by Katara and Sokka, the trio embark on a quest to teach Aang the remaining three elements: water, earth, and fire. Aang eventually learns Waterbending at the North Pole and continues his instruction from Katara in the rest of the series, Earthbending from Toph, and Firebending from Zuko and the last two dragon
s in the world. Throughout the series, Aang comes to the aid of those of oppressed by the Fire Nation. Aang ultimately defeats the Fire Lord at the end of the series; but instead of killing him, deprives him of firebending ability.
in the animated series and portrayed by Nicola Peltz
in the live-action film. She is the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, the others being captured or killed by the Southern Raiders. At the age of fourteen, she had mastered the art of waterbending , and therefore began teaching Aang the art alongside his study of earthbending. Katara is very stubborn and is known for resisting gender stereotypes and discrimination ; but acts as den mother to the other protagonists. As a waterbender, she is able to heal injuries, change water into ice
, and use it to cut through solid objects, and masters a difficult skill which involves the manipulation of liquids within a living creature, called 'blood-bending'. She is known to become enamoured easily, and is often deeply hurt and angered by treachery
or dishonesty.
in the animated series and portrayed by Jackson Rathbone
in the live-action film. He is a 15-year-old warrior from the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara's elder brother. He is one of Aang's companions; but has no bending power of his own, and instead relies on his intellect, courage, and martial skill.
Surprisingly in an inhabitant of a mystical world, Sokka prefers science and is 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
. In addition, he is is shown to be both heterodox and resourceful in his endeavors , and is a source of comic relief
throughout the series.
in the animated series. She is a blind Earthbending grandmaster of the prestigious Bei Fong family in the Earth Kingdom. Though blind, Toph has the ability to "feel" even the most minute vibrations in the earth, be it the presence of trees and buildings or the march of ants several meters away. Through this heightened seismic sense, she can visualize where people are, their relative distance to her, and their physical build. This 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 acquired an acute sense of hearing, enabling her to recognize people by the sound of their voices and to eavesdrop on distant conversations. Unlike other Earthbenders, Toph has a distinct style of earthbending, produced by her blindness, that is not based on Hung Gar
as is conventional, but rather the Southern Praying Mantis
. This style places emphasis on quick generation of energy and low kicks that complement Toph's build.
To avoid her parents, Toph learned Earthbending through secret training and later fled her home to completely escape her family's control of her and to help Aang master Earthbending. Toph is fiercely independent, sarcastic, direct, and confrontational; commonly depicted as the choleric and tomboy
of the group. Toph taught herself metalbending while escaping from a metal box, by means of intensive concentration on the earth and manipulation of the impurities within the metal.
in the animated series and portrayed by Dev Patel
in the live-action film. At first, Zuko appears with a shaved head and a long topknot; but as the series continues he cuts off his topknot and then grows his hair into a shaggy mane. He is the primary antagonist
of the series, but developed into an anti-hero
, and later a protagonist
. Zuko had been exiled prior to the beginning of the series by his father, and believed that capturing the Avatar was the only way to regain his honor.
Zuko's ancestry reflects his own conflicted nature; his paternal great-grandfather is Fire Lord Sozin, who started the war, while his maternal great-grandfather is Avatar Roku, who attempted to prevent it .
As a result of his failure to capture the Avatar, he and his eccentric uncle Iroh earn the further displeasure of Firelord Ozai, and must flee into the Earth Kingdom, where Zuko befriends the locals and once goes so far as to rescue a town from its corrupt Earth Army guards. After being tempted by his sister Azula's offer of honor's restoration, he betrays his uncle ; but later rejects his father's plans and seeks his uncle's forgiveness , later to become Aang's friend and Firebending teacher. With Aang, he learns a secret of Firebending from two dragon
s. During the series finale, Zuko is crowned Fire Lord and ends the war. Originally only a semi-competent Firebender , he becomes far more proficient as the series progresses, eventually reaching mastery. In addition to his firebending, Zuko is proficient in the use of double broadswords wielded in his alter ego
of the "Blue Spirit". The upper-left part of his face is fire-scarred, giving the left eye a squint. He later loses his obsession; but retains his sense of honor and self-discipline.
for two seasons and Greg Baldwin
for the final season of the animated series. He is portrayed by Shaun Toub
in the live-action film. Commonly known as the "Dragon of the West", Iroh 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, Iroh's younger brother Ozai was named Fire Lord. Iroh, unlike most firebenders, is shown in tune with all four elements. He is also very well-versed in the history of firebending methods and generates his fire and lightning not from fury, as is conventional, but from a sense given him by dragons, the original source of firebending. As a member of the Order of the White Lotus, Iroh has many connections throughout the Four Nations, and organized the release of the city Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's rule. At the end of the series, his self-stated wish is to resume operation of a tea-shop therein.
Iroh is outwardly easy-going and friendly, and particularly fond of food, good tea
the strategy game Pai Sho,, cheerful company and pleasant music. Something of a hedonist
in his old age, he focuses more on the pursuits of relaxation and amusements than on the pursuit of the Avatar, often clashing with the goals and aspirations of his nephew .
in both the animated series and the live-action film) is Aang's flying bison
who serves as the group's main form of transportation
around the world. 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. The show's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino
and Bryan Konietzko
, have described Appa's appearance as a cross between a bison
and a manatee
. and is known to shed his coat at the end of winter.
in both the animated series and the film) is the only known Winged Lemur
. Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko
admits that Momo is his favorite character to draw and that his body language comes from the memories of his childhood cat
. Much like Appa, Momo is the last of his kind in the show. Momo was introduced in the episode "The Southern Air Temple". In the episode Aang finds him at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet. Director: Lauren MacMullan, Writer: Michael Dante DiMartino. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2005-02-25. No. 3, season 1. 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 Aang's mentor, Monk Gyatso.
Azula is voiced by Grey DeLisle
in the animated series and played by Summer Bishil
in the movie. Despite cameo appearances in the first season of the series, Azula became the primary antagonist only in the second season. She is a gifted Firebending master, able to produce both blue fire and lightning. After Admiral Zhao's death, Azula is sent to stop Aang at all costs, but also to capture and humiliate Zuko. She lacks empathy, treats people as expendable, and is unable to view them as her equals. Her amorality
and ability to act without hesitation or remorse also accounts for her ability to create lightning
, which skill requires peace of mind. Despite her cruel temperament, she becomes distraught, and later insane, when abandoned by her friends Mai and Ty Lee.
in the animated series, Cliff Curtis
in the live-action film), ruler of the Fire Nation, is the father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother of Iroh, husband of Ursa, and the supreme antagonist of the series. In Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle
, he renames himself the Phoenix King, ruler of the world, and appoints Azula to watch over the Fire Nation alone ; but is defeated by Aang. Ozai is depicted as a cruel and merciless leader, and is described as "the worst father in the history of fathers" by his son Zuko. Ozai went as far as to banish his own wife, and later admitted that he felt banishment was too light a punishment. He favors Azula over Zuko, because he sees her as a firebending prodigy and sees his own beliefs embodied in her.
, 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." 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".
Jeremy Mullin, another IGN reviewer, disagreed with Mell and Rich; he 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. 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". 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. DVDVerdict felt that some minor characters, especially Mai and Ty Lee, were "love em' or hate em'" characters. Gabriel Powers of DVDActive thought that while the characters fit into neat "archetype
s", it was not a bad thing and fit well with the series.
In 2008, Avatar was awarded a Peabody
for its "unusually complex characters". This makes the cartoon one of few animations to win the award and the only one to be cited for its character development.
originally offered the roles of Aang to Noah Ringer
; Sokka to Jackson Rathbone
; Katara to Nicola Peltz
; and Zuko to Jesse McCartney
. 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." In February 2009, Dev Patel
replaced McCartney, whose tour dates conflicted with a boot camp scheduled for the cast to train in martial arts.
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. 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." 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."
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." 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. 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. Shyamalan, however, countered that "this movie, and then the three movies, will be the most culturally diverse tentpole movies ever released."
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
and its live-action film adaptation, The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a live-action film adaptation of the first season to the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender....
, feature an extensive cast of characters created by Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
and Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
. Taking place in a fictional universe composed of four sovereign nations, the series deals with a war started by the belligerent Fire Nation as an attempt to conquer the world. The Avatar, a being who represents the spirit of the Earth itself and alone holds the power to counter the Fire Nation aggression, has been mysteriously missing for the past 100 years, plunging the world into a century of war. The first phase of war ended with a genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
of the Air Nomads, near extinction of the Water Tribes, and extensive colonization of the Earth Kingdom, thus setting up the world in which the characters of the series live.
The main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series is Aang
Aang
Aang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
, the most recent incarnation of the Avatar, who is released from an iceberg after being frozen
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
for 100 years. With his new friends Katara and Sokka
Sokka
Sokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena...
, and later Toph
Toph
Toph Bei Fong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character was voiced by Jessie Flower.Toph Bei Fong is a blind Earthbending master...
, Aang sets out to master the three unlearned bending arts and end the war that has ravaged the world during his absence. While primarily focused on Aang, the series also focuses on Zuko, the crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of the Fire Nation. Zuko is initially portrayed as an antagonist who tries to capture Aang, but with the help of his uncle
Uncle Iroh
Iroh is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender...
, he eventually develops conflicting feelings about the war and becomes one of the deuteragonists.
Character designs were originated from a series of drawings by one of the show's creators, Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
. The main sketch depicted a middle-aged monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
with an arrow on his head and later included a flying bison as his pet. Konietzko's partner, Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
, was interested in documentaries related to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North 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. Additionally, the writers based the characters' different bending abilities on distinct styles of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
.
Character conception
The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender were designed by Michael Dante DiMartinoMichael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
and Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
, the co-creators of the series. The anime-styled character art was inspired by Shinichiro Watanabe
Shinichiro Watanabe
is a Japanese anime filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for directing the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.Watanabe is known for blending together multiple genres in his anime creations...
's Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop
is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 1998 Japanese anime series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, written by Keiko Nobumoto, and produced by Sunrise. Its 26 episodes comprise a complete storyline: set in 2071, the series follows the adventures, misadventures and tragedies of five bounty...
, Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo
is a Japanese anime series created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004 through March 19, 2005 on Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo has earned Watanabe a renowned title in the anime and Japanese television communities...
, and FLCL
FLCL
is an original video animation series written by Yōji Enokido, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which included Gainax, Production I.G, and Starchild Records....
(Fooly Cooly) of Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
. 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. Studios such as Studio 4°C
Studio 4°C
is a Japanese animation studio founded by Eiko Tanaka in 1986. The name comes from the temperature at which water is most dense.-History:STUDIO4°C has produced numerous feature films, OVAs, and shorts. Early film titles include; Memories , Spriggan and Princess Arete...
, Production I.G, and Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...
, which produced anime-styled cartoons, were also sources of inspiration.
The greatest influences on the series were Asian art
Art of East Asia
Arts of the Far East include:*Buddhist art*Chinese art*Japanese art*Korean art*Tibetan art*Thai art*Laotian art*Vietnamese art...
and history; the characters' various personalities and traits are based on philosophical teachings such as Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. In the show, some characters have the ability to manipulate one of the four classic elements of ancient philosophy: Water
Water (classical element)
Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
, Earth
Earth (classical element)
Earth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
, Fire
Fire (classical element)
Fire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
and Air
Air (classical element)
Air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
, although the Avatar has the ability to control all four. Each of these employ a different form of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
in their fighting choreography: Ba Gua
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
for Airbending, Hung Gar
Hung Gar
Hung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga....
for Earthbending, Northern Shaolin for Firebending, and T'ai chi for Waterbending. 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
Neijia
Nèijiā is a term in Chinese martial arts, grouping those styles that practice nèijìng , usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects...
", or internal energy. For example, Ba Gua employs the "negative jing" to create erratic circular movements and capitalizes on centripetal force
Centripetal force
Centripetal force is a force that makes a body follow a curved path: it is always directed orthogonal to the velocity of the body, toward the instantaneous center of curvature of the path. The mathematical description was derived in 1659 by Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens...
and defensive positions while Northern Shaolin follows the "positive jing" and emphasizes brute strength and aggression to generate power. The negative jing reflects Aang
Aang
Aang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
's bending styles and his tendency to be unpredictable and extremely carefree, as well as his pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and non-aggressive nature.
Many of the recurring characters of the series have received more depth in their personalities, which are usually based on their respective element. Aang, a pacifist monk, is also very carefree and child-like, which is commonly attributed to the "freedom" of the wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
and the air. 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, which is attributed to Earth's tough and unbreakable nature.
Aang
Aang is voiced by Mitchel MussoMitchel Musso
Mitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the...
in the unaired pilot and Zach Tyler Eisen
Zach Tyler Eisen
Zachary Tyler "Zach" Eisen is an American actor and voice actor. His roles include Aang in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lucas Nickle in The Ant Bully , Andrew in Nick Jr.'s Little Bill, and Pablo the Penguin in Nick Jr.'s The Backyardigans...
for the remainder of the animated series. He is portrayed by Noah Ringer
Noah Ringer
Noah Andrew Ringer is an American teen actor of American Indian heritage and a martial arts practitioner. He starred as Aang in the 2010 film The Last Airbender and played Emmett in Cowboys & Aliens.-Life and career:...
in the live-action film. He is the primary protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series and current incarnation of the Avatar, who is the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. A reluctant hero
Reluctant hero
The reluctant hero is a heroic archetype described by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces:The reluctant hero is typically portrayed either as an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances which require him to rise to heroism, or as a person with extraordinary abilities...
, Aang often acts in a fun-loving, carefree manner. His pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and vegetarianism demonstrates his love for life, a primary trait of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. The creators intended Aang to "defeat enemies with his wits" and be a "trickster
Trickster
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
hero". Though Aang is often frivolous and enthusiastic, he becomes serious during a crisis.
After Aang is rescued from a century of suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
by Katara and Sokka, the trio embark on a quest to teach Aang the remaining three elements: water, earth, and fire. Aang eventually learns Waterbending at the North Pole and continues his instruction from Katara in the rest of the series, Earthbending from Toph, and Firebending from Zuko and the last two dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s in the world. Throughout the series, Aang comes to the aid of those of oppressed by the Fire Nation. Aang ultimately defeats the Fire Lord at the end of the series; but instead of killing him, deprives him of firebending ability.
Katara
Katara is voiced by Mae WhitmanMae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
in the animated series and portrayed by Nicola Peltz
Nicola Peltz
Nicola Peltz is an American actress. Her most notable role to date is Katara in the 2010 film The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.-Career:...
in the live-action film. She is the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, the others being captured or killed by the Southern Raiders. At the age of fourteen, she had mastered the art of waterbending , and therefore began teaching Aang the art alongside his study of earthbending. Katara is very stubborn and is known for resisting gender stereotypes and discrimination ; but acts as den mother to the other protagonists. As a waterbender, she is able to heal injuries, change water into ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
, and use it to cut through solid objects, and masters a difficult skill which involves the manipulation of liquids within a living creature, called 'blood-bending'. She is known to become enamoured easily, and is often deeply hurt and angered by treachery
Treachery
Treachery is a statutory offence in Australia. There was also an unrelated statutory offence bearing that name in the United Kingdom, but it has been abolished. Both of these offences were derived from or inspired by the related offence of treason. The name treachery was chosen because it is a...
or dishonesty.
Sokka
Sokka is voiced by Jack DeSenaJack DeSena
Jack DeSena is an American screen and voice actor. He is best known for his work on the sketch comedy series All That, having joined the show's cast at the start of its 7th season in 2001 Jack DeSena (born John Patrick DeSena; December 6, 1987, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American screen and...
in the animated series and portrayed by Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....
in the live-action film. He is a 15-year-old warrior from the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara's elder brother. He is one of Aang's companions; but has no bending power of his own, and instead relies on his intellect, courage, and martial skill.
Surprisingly in an inhabitant of a mystical world, Sokka prefers science and is something of a jack-of-all-trades
Jack of all trades, master of none
"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills but is not necessarily outstanding in any particular one....
, in which respect he is easily able to understand the Fire Nation's advanced technology, and perfects the design of the hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
. In addition, he is is shown to be both heterodox and resourceful in his endeavors , and is a source of comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
throughout the series.
Toph
Toph is voiced by Jessie FlowerJessie Flower
Jessie Flower is an American voice actress. She is most well known as the voice of Toph Bei Fong in the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She also voiced the character Meng in the season one episode "The Fortuneteller". She voices Peggy in Random! Cartoons episode Tiffany...
in the animated series. She is a blind Earthbending grandmaster of the prestigious Bei Fong family in the Earth Kingdom. Though blind, Toph has the ability to "feel" even the most minute vibrations in the earth, be it the presence of trees and buildings or the march of ants several meters away. Through this heightened seismic sense, she can visualize where people are, their relative distance to her, and their physical build. This 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 acquired an acute sense of hearing, enabling her to recognize people by the sound of their voices and to eavesdrop on distant conversations. Unlike other Earthbenders, Toph has a distinct style of earthbending, produced by her blindness, that is not based on Hung Gar
Hung Gar
Hung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga....
as is conventional, but rather the Southern Praying Mantis
Southern Praying Mantis (martial art)
Southern Praying Mantis is a Chinese martial art native to the Hakka people...
. This style places emphasis on quick generation of energy and low kicks that complement Toph's build.
To avoid her parents, Toph learned Earthbending through secret training and later fled her home to completely escape her family's control of her and to help Aang master Earthbending. Toph is fiercely independent, sarcastic, direct, and confrontational; commonly depicted as the choleric and tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
of the group. Toph taught herself metalbending while escaping from a metal box, by means of intensive concentration on the earth and manipulation of the impurities within the metal.
Zuko
Prince Zuko is voiced by Dante BascoDante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
in the animated series and portrayed by Dev Patel
Dev Patel
Dev Patel is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...
in the live-action film. At first, Zuko appears with a shaved head and a long topknot; but as the series continues he cuts off his topknot and then grows his hair into a shaggy mane. He is the primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series, but developed into an anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
, and later a protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. Zuko had been exiled prior to the beginning of the series by his father, and believed that capturing the Avatar was the only way to regain his honor.
Zuko's ancestry reflects his own conflicted nature; his paternal great-grandfather is Fire Lord Sozin, who started the war, while his maternal great-grandfather is Avatar Roku, who attempted to prevent it .
As a result of his failure to capture the Avatar, he and his eccentric uncle Iroh earn the further displeasure of Firelord Ozai, and must flee into the Earth Kingdom, where Zuko befriends the locals and once goes so far as to rescue a town from its corrupt Earth Army guards. After being tempted by his sister Azula's offer of honor's restoration, he betrays his uncle ; but later rejects his father's plans and seeks his uncle's forgiveness , later to become Aang's friend and Firebending teacher. With Aang, he learns a secret of Firebending from two dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s. During the series finale, Zuko is crowned Fire Lord and ends the war. Originally only a semi-competent Firebender , he becomes far more proficient as the series progresses, eventually reaching mastery. In addition to his firebending, Zuko is proficient in the use of double broadswords wielded in his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of the "Blue Spirit". The upper-left part of his face is fire-scarred, giving the left eye a squint. He later loses his obsession; but retains his sense of honor and self-discipline.
Iroh
Iroh is voiced by MakoMako (actor)
, born , was an Oscar- and Tony-nominated Japanese actor. Many of his acting roles credited him simply as Mako, omitting his surname. -Early life:...
for two seasons and Greg Baldwin
Greg Baldwin
Greg Baldwin is an American actor. Raised in Spring, Texas, he currently resides in the San Fernando Valley with Melissa Baldwin, his wife of twenty-six years and their two children, Sydney and Cooper...
for the final season of the animated series. He is portrayed by Shaun Toub
Shaun Toub
Shaun Toub is an Iranian-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Farhad in the 2004 movie Crash, as Rahim Khan in the movie The Kite Runner, and as Yinsen in the movie Iron Man.-Personal life:...
in the live-action film. Commonly known as the "Dragon of the West", Iroh 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, Iroh's younger brother Ozai was named Fire Lord. Iroh, unlike most firebenders, is shown in tune with all four elements. He is also very well-versed in the history of firebending methods and generates his fire and lightning not from fury, as is conventional, but from a sense given him by dragons, the original source of firebending. As a member of the Order of the White Lotus, Iroh has many connections throughout the Four Nations, and organized the release of the city Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's rule. At the end of the series, his self-stated wish is to resume operation of a tea-shop therein.
Iroh is outwardly easy-going and friendly, and particularly fond of food, good tea
the strategy game Pai Sho,, cheerful company and pleasant music. Something of a hedonist
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
in his old age, he focuses more on the pursuits of relaxation and amusements than on the pursuit of the Avatar, often clashing with the goals and aspirations of his nephew .
Appa
Appa (Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in both the animated series and the live-action film) is Aang's flying bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
who serves as the group's main form of transportation
Mode of transport
Mode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...
around the world. 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. The show's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
and Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
, have described Appa's appearance as a cross between a bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
and a manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
. and is known to shed his coat at the end of winter.
Momo
Momo (voiced by Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in both the animated series and the film) is the only known Winged Lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
. Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko
Bryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
admits that Momo is his favorite character to draw and that his body language comes from the memories of his childhood cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. Much like Appa, Momo is the last of his kind in the show. Momo was introduced in the episode "The Southern Air Temple". In the episode Aang finds him at the Southern Air Temple and then keeps him as a pet. Director: Lauren MacMullan, Writer: Michael Dante DiMartino. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. 2005-02-25. No. 3, season 1. 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 Aang's mentor, Monk Gyatso.
Azula
PrincessPrincess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
Azula is voiced by Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
in the animated series and played by Summer Bishil
Summer Bishil
Summer Yasmine Bishil is an American actress. She first came to prominence for her role as Jasira in the 2007 film Towelhead. She has been chosen to portray Azula in the sequel to M. Night Shyamalan's film The Last Airbender....
in the movie. Despite cameo appearances in the first season of the series, Azula became the primary antagonist only in the second season. She is a gifted Firebending master, able to produce both blue fire and lightning. After Admiral Zhao's death, Azula is sent to stop Aang at all costs, but also to capture and humiliate Zuko. She lacks empathy, treats people as expendable, and is unable to view them as her equals. Her amorality
Amorality
Amorality is an absence of, indifference towards, or disregard for moral beliefs. Any entity that is not sentient may be considered amoral. In addition, it can be argued that sentient but non-human creatures, like dogs, have no concept of morality and are therefore amoral...
and ability to act without hesitation or remorse also accounts for her ability to create lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, which skill requires peace of mind. Despite her cruel temperament, she becomes distraught, and later insane, when abandoned by her friends Mai and Ty Lee.
Ozai
Ozai (Mark HamillMark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
in the animated series, Cliff Curtis
Cliff Curtis
Clifford Vivian Devon "Cliff" Curtis is a New Zealand actor who has had major roles in film, including The Piano, Whale Rider, and Blow, and most recently has appeared in NBC's television series Trauma. He is also co-owner of independent film production company Whenua Films...
in the live-action film), ruler of the Fire Nation, is the father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother of Iroh, husband of Ursa, and the supreme antagonist of the series. In Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle
Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle
"Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle" is the series finale for the Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was directed by Ethan Spaulding, Giancarlo Volpe, and Joaquim Dos Santos, and written by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Aaron Ehasz. Though intended to be split...
, he renames himself the Phoenix King, ruler of the world, and appoints Azula to watch over the Fire Nation alone ; but is defeated by Aang. Ozai is depicted as a cruel and merciless leader, and is described as "the worst father in the history of fathers" by his son Zuko. Ozai went as far as to banish his own wife, and later admitted that he felt banishment was too light a punishment. He favors Azula over Zuko, because he sees her as a firebending prodigy and sees his own beliefs embodied in her.
Major recurring characters
- Suki (Jennie KwanJennie KwanJennie Kwan is a Filipino-American actress and singer from Los Angeles, California. She is best known for her roles as Samantha "Sam" Woo on California Dreams and as Suki on Avatar: The Last Airbender.-Career:Jennie began acting at age 11, when she started performing with the touring company,...
in the animated series) is the leader of the young, and exclusively female, Kyoshi Warriors. She is an exceptionally skilled fighter and staunch ally of the protagonists. She was imprisoned by the Fire Nation after the Kyoshi Warriors were defeated by Azula, but was released by Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda, and Chit-Sang. She remained with the protagonists thereafter and joined Toph and Sokka to disable the Fire Nation's air force.
- Admiral Zhao (Jason IsaacsJason IsaacsJason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
in the animated series, Aasif MandviAasif MandviAasif Hakim Mandviwala , known professionally as Aasif Mandvi , is an American actor and comedian. He began appearing as an occasional contributing correspondent on The Daily Show on August 9, 2006. On March 12, 2007, he was promoted to a regular correspondent.-Early life and stage career:Mandvi...
in the live-action film) is a hot-tempered Fire Nation admiral in pursuit of the Avatar and is Zuko's principal rival throughout the first seasonAvatar: The Last Airbender (season 1)Season One of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series on Nickelodeon, aired 20 episodes from February 21, 2005 to December 2, 2005...
. Zhao is a very ambitious man who is intent on making a mark on history, as by attempting to kill off Zuko for his interference in his capture of Aang and planning to kill the moon spirit and thus destroy the waterbending capability to take control of the Northern Water Tribe, in which he fails when Water Tribe Princess Yue becomes a new moon spirit to replace the old, and is himself killed by the ocean spirit.
- Avatar Roku (James Garrett in the animated series) is Aang's immediate predecessor. A friend of Fire Lord Sozin, Avatar Roku attempted to prevent him expanding the Fire Nation at others' expense; wherefore, and despite their friendship, Sozin left Roku to die in a volcanic eruption. Avatar Roku acts as Aang's mentor many times throughout the series, offering advice and occasionally helping Aang evade or escape his enemies. Roku is also Zuko's maternal great-grandfather. In the live-action film, Roku's role as Aang's guide is assumed by the Dragon Spirit (John NobleJohn NobleJohn Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
).
- The Cabbage Merchant (James Sie in the animated series) Though never given a name, this character appears occasionally throughout Seasons one and two. His character is used mainly for comic relief, frequently expressing despair at having his cart of cabbages destroyed in various situations.
- Mai (Cricket LeighCricket LeighCricket Leigh is an American actress. Cricket was born in Michigan, raised in Chicago and graduated from New York University before moving to Los Angeles. She played all eight characters in, and wrote Constantly Distracted in 2005. She also played Alma on Pop Tarts in 1999. In 2002, Cricket Leigh...
in the animated series) is an impassive, bored, nearly emotionless young noble-woman who, along with Ty Lee accompanied Azula on her quest to capture Zuko, Iroh, and the Avatar. She is the elder child of the Governor of New Ozai (previously Omashu) and his wife. She has a very dry and cynical personality and sense of humor. She is a master of stealth and light weaponry; her primary weapons are all kind of throwing knives and shurikenShurikenA shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
kept concealed in her clothing. Ultimately, her conscience chose Zuko over Azula and betrayed the latter, which led to her imprisonment. She is released after Zuko defeats Azula , and later marries Zuko.
- Princess Yue (Johanna BraddyJohanna BraddyJohanna Elizabeth Braddy is an American film and television actress, best known for being the voice-actor of character Princess Yue in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Jordan in the ABC Family television series Greek.-Early life:...
in the animated series, Seychelle GabrielSeychelle GabrielSeychelle Suzanne Gabriel is an American film and television actress and singer.-Life and career:Gabriel was born in Burbank, California, and is of Mexican descent. She graduated from Burbank High School....
in the live-action film) is the daughter of Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe. When Yue nearly died at birth, her father invoked the Moon Spirit to give her life, which it granted, knowing she would be useful to it thereafter. She first appears in the series as a sixteen-year-old girl engaged to marry the warrior Hahn; but befriends and eventually develops a romantic bond with Sokka . When the Moon Spirit is killed by Fire Admiral Zhao, Yue gives up her mortal existence to become the new Moon Spirit , in which role she re-appears in later episodes. The word Yue (月) means "moon" in Mandarin ChineseStandard MandarinStandard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
.
- Ty Lee (Olivia HackOlivia HackOlivia Hack is an American actress and voice actress, best known for providing the voice of Rhonda Wellington Lloyd in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!, and for playing Cindy Brady in the 90's theatrical Brady Bunch films. She has also done voices for Fillmore!, Bratz as Cloe, Family Guy, Blood+ and...
in the animated series) is cheerful, energetic, and somewhat of a valley girlValley girlValley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...
who, along with Mai, accompanies Azula on her quest to capture Zuko, Iroh, and the Avatar. She is one of seven sisters and joins the circus at an early age to appear "different from a matching set". She is a peerless acrobat and can paralyze people or temporarily neutralize their bending powers by strikingVarma KalaiVarma adi or Marma adi is a part of the art of healing and harming Varma Kalai Marma Vidhya, It is a component of adi murai "law of hitting" which is a martial art that teaches methods to attack pressure points of the human body.This system of marmam is part of Siddha Vaidhyam, attributed to...
pressure pointPressure pointA pressure point in the field of martial arts refers to an area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner...
s. After betraying Azula, she was temporarily imprisoned and released when the Fire Lord was defeated. She later joined the Kyoshi Warriors, whom she had earlier impersonated .
- Jet (voiced by Crawford WilsonCrawford WilsonCrawford Wilson is an American actor and voice actor, from Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for playing the lead role in the Nintendo GameCube RPG Baten Kaitos Origins, Sagi...
in the animated series) is a charismatic teen-aged rebel who holds a deep grudge against the Fire Nation. He is the leader of the Freedom Fighters, a group of children who spend their days antagonizing Fire Nation soldiers, even at the expense of innocent lives. In the show's second season, he takes refuge in Ba Sing Se, in which most of the main characters are also in hiding. Jet's hatred of the Fire Nation and intent to kill even innocent citizens thereof was described by critics as a bad influence on the series' viewers . In Ba Sing Se, Jet is brainwashed by Long Feng, the Earth King's chancellor, after attacking Zuko and Iroh; but released from this condition by the protagonists, and later killed during a fight against Long Feng .
Other characters
- Chief Arnook is the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, and father of Princess Yue. In episode "The Siege of the North", he helps to defeat the Fire Nation in their raid of the tribe, but is not seen or mentioned thereafter.
- Bato (voiced by Richard McGonagleRichard McGonagleRichard Francis McGonagle is an American actor and voice actor.McGonagle was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Hildagard Virginia and William Francis McGonagle....
) is a friend of Hakoda. He is first seen in the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe", and later takes part in Sokka's invasion of the Fire Nation; eventually to be imprisoned at its failure, and released in the finale.
- King Bumi (voiced by André SogliuzzoAndré SogliuzzoAndré Sogliuzzo is an Italian-American voice actor, comedian, and actor.-Animated roles:* American Dad! – Dill* Avatar: The Last Airbender – King Bumi, Hakoda, Haru* The Batman – Duncan* Brandy & Mr...
) is the eccentric, elderly king of Omashu, an Earth Kingdom stronghold. As a child, Bumi was a close friend of Aang. Despite his age and apparent frailty, Bumi is an Earthbending master, himself claiming at one point to be "the most powerful Earthbender you'll ever see". He appears only once in each season: in Book 1 wherein his character is introduced, in Book 2 when Aang seeks to learn Earthbending from him, and in Book 3 wherein he aids Iroh and others to recapture Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation.
- Combustion Man(also known as "Sparky Sparky Boom Man") first appeared in the third season as an assassin hired by Prince Zuko to track down and kill Aang, and served as an antagonist until his apparent death. Utilizing a unique method of Firebending which allows him to trigger explosions via an eye painted on his forehead, he terrorizes the Avatar and his friends, following them on their travels across the Fire Nation. He has no speaking parts and shows no mannerism except those suggesting a fierce attachment to his purpose.
- Earth King Kuei (voiced by Phil LaMarrPhil LaMarrPhillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
) is the king of the Earth Kingdom. In his first appearance, he is shown to have been tricked by his chancellor who kept the war with the Fire Nation a secret from him. Upon learning of the war, the king joined forces with the Avatar and arrested his chancellor, eventually leading to the fall of the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. His final appearance is at the end of the second season, where it is said that he left to travel the world with his pet bear Boscow.
- Monk Gyatso (voiced by Sab ShimonoSab ShimonoSab Shimono is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in character roles.-Career:An accomplished stage actor, he has appeared on Broadway and in regional theaters including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre...
) was a member of the Council of Elders at the Southern Air Temple. He was Aang's guardian and surrogate father in addition to being a powerful Airbending master, and is noted for his kindness and sense of humor. Gyatso also had a strong friendship with the previous Avatar, Roku. Gyatso was killed by Firebenders before the beginning of the show, and only appears in flashbacks and dream sequences.
- Hakoda (voiced by André SogliuzzoAndré SogliuzzoAndré Sogliuzzo is an Italian-American voice actor, comedian, and actor.-Animated roles:* American Dad! – Dill* Avatar: The Last Airbender – King Bumi, Hakoda, Haru* The Batman – Duncan* Brandy & Mr...
) is Katara's and Sokka's father and the leader of the Southern Water Tribe. Much of Sokka's ingenuity and craftiness in the show is attributed to Hakoda's teachings. Hakoda went to fight the Fire Nation before the beginning of the series, reappearing later to lead his son's invasion.
- Haru (voiced by Michael Dow) is an Earthbender that Sokka, Aang, and Katara meet in the first season, and whom they assist freeing his father and other Earthbenders from the Fire Nation. Like many other characters, he appears later in an invasion of the Fire Nation.
- Jeong Jeong (voiced by Keone YoungKeone YoungKeone J. Young is an American character actor. His father is Chinese and his mother is Japanese.He has been prolific in his character work and has made numerous guest appearances on such varied television series as Diff'rent Strokes, The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, Mad About You, Family Matters,...
) is one of Aang's firebending teachers, a former admiral from the Fire Nation's navy, who lives as a fugitive with his followers. He notably despises the destructive power of firebending, in spite of his mastery. Though he had once been Zhao's teacher, Zhao quit because he believed Jeong Jeong's teaching methods ineffective. It is later revealed that he is a member of the international Order of the White Lotus, as which he helped reconquer Ba Sing Se in the series finaleSozin's Comet: The Final Battle"Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle" is the series finale for the Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was directed by Ethan Spaulding, Giancarlo Volpe, and Joaquim Dos Santos, and written by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Aaron Ehasz. Though intended to be split...
.
- Long Feng (voiced by Clancy BrownClancy BrownClarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
) is the intelligent Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, head of the Dai Li, and advisor and chancellor to the Earth King. Shortly after his appearance in the show, it becomes apparent that the Earth King is a figurehead of Ba Sing Se's government, with Long Feng holding power. He utilizes the Dai Li, Ba Sing Se's cultural protectors, to silence anyone who is disrupting the peace, secretly imprisoning them and using hypnotic tactics to subdue them. This effectively keeps the citizens of Ba Sing Se in ignorance of the war until Ba Sing Se is captured by the Fire Nation.
- Joo Dee (voiced by Lauren TomLauren TomLauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
) is a woman in Ba Sing Se, who appears as the protagonists' hostess but later turns out to be one of the Dai Li. She shows little emotion at all and, despite seeming brainwashed, understands the city's situation. She is not seen after the episode "Lake Laogai".
- June (voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
) is a bounty hunter who travels around the Earth Kingdom. She hunts her prey with the help of her mount, a giant beast called a Shirshu, named Nyla, which is totally blind but possesses a heightened sense of smell. June is confident and self-assured, and considered very beautiful, but dangerous. She also possesses impressive physical strength.
- Avatar Kyoshi (voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
) was the incarnation immediately preceding Avatar Roku, 412 years before the start of the series. Kyoshi is described as a gigantic woman, possessing the largest feet of any Avatar, and lived to be 230 years old. Her traditional weapons are golden metal fans which, in addition to her manner of dress and style of fighting, were adopted by the young warrior women of Kyoshi Island, which she detached from the mainland to defy a self-stimulated conqueror.
- Longshot is another member of the Freedom Fighters. He rarely speaks, until the final episode in which he appears, "Lake Laogai".
- Nyla is a male Shirshu, who served as the mount and companion of the bounty hunter June. Characteristic of his species Nyla's tongue contains poisonous neurotoxins that can temporarily paralyze a human being. Also like other Shirshus, Nyla has no eyes and "sees" by his powerful scent receptors; a trait utilized by Sokka by tipping perfumePerfumePerfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
s into Nyla's path.
- The Mechanist (voiced by Rene AuberjonoisRene AuberjonoisRené Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
) is a brilliant and eccentric inventor and engineer from the Earth Kingdom who led his people into the mountains to take up residence in the abandoned Northern Air Temple when their village was destroyed by a flood. His ingenious inventions, some inspired by the Airbenders, made his people's lives easier. Because of his scientific approach to the world, he quickly becomes friends with Sokka, and they develop a number of devices together. Unfortunately, his abilities come to the attention of the Fire Nation and he is coerced into developing a number of machines, redeeming himself after he breaks the arrangement and helps Aang repel the Fire Nation when they raid the temple. He later aids the invasion on the Day of the Black Sun with numerous new inventions, including waterbending-powered submarines. When the invasion fails, he is captured and later reunited with his son Teo after the war.
- Teo (voiced by Daniel SamonasDaniel Samonas-Background:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Samonas moved to Coral Springs, Florida with his family when he was 11. There he did print modeling and became involved in theater. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.-Career:...
) is the Mechanist's son, rendered paraplegic and wheelchair-bound after a flood destroyed their village and killed Teo's mother. To give his son and the villagers a new and happier life, the Mechanist led them into the mountains, where Teo became adept with at flying on a special glider. A kind-hearted, respectful, and honest boy, he soon becomes friends with Aang. After discovering that his father has been reluctantly creating machines for the Fire Nation, Teo aids Aang repelling Fire Nation raiders. He returns during the invasion of the Day of the Black Sun, but is forced to separate from his father when the Avatar's group is forced to surrender. He accompanies Aang to the Western Air Temple and befriends Haru and the Duke before the Avatar's group is forced to flee when Azula attacks the temple. He is reunited with his father after the war.
- Master Pakku (voiced by Victor BrandtVictor BrandtVictor Brandt is an American actor mostly known for his voice-over performances.Brandt was born in Los Angeles, California. He has appeared as an actor in several classic shows such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible and T.J Hooker...
) is a Waterbending master and instructor of the North Pole's Northern Water Tribe Waterbending classes. He is dryly sarcastic and very serious about his teachings. He is also stubbornly set in the customs of his culture, as by only teaching Waterbending to male students; but his ways change after identifying Katara as the granddaughter of his runaway fiancee (Katara's grandmother), whom he later marries.
- Master Piandao (voiced by Robert PatrickRobert PatrickRobert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) is a swordsmith and master of swordsmanship, based in the Fire Nation, who teaches a foundation of his skills to Sokka. He is later shown assisting the others of the White Lotus in recapturing Ba Sing Se.
- Smellerbee (voiced by Nika FuttermanNika FuttermanNika Futterman is an American actress, singer, voice artist, and comedienne.She did the vocals "Give it to me, baby" in The Offspring hit single "Pretty Fly ."-Animated Series:...
) is a Freedom Fighter. She was first seen in the episode "Jet", wherein she helped destroy a dam. She is seen in Ba Sing Se, after watching Jet become obsessed with proving that Iroh and Zuko are Firebenders; but is not seen after Jet is killed in "Lake Laogai".
- The Boulder (voiced by Mick FoleyMick FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
) is an earthbender first seen in the episode "The Blind Bandit" as a prizefighter. He speaks of himself in the third person, and his name is thought a parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of The Rock; but re-appears during the attempt to invade the Fire Nation.
- Big Bad Hippo (voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
is an opponent of Boulder's in an Earthbending match, and later appears with him in the invasion. He is a tall, heavy man with 4 especially-prominent teeth, and is possibly a parody of King HippoKing Hippois a fictional boxer from Nintendo's Punch-Out!! series. King Hippo first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, as the second competitor in the Major Circuit. Hippo also garnered huge fame on the NBC Saturday morning cartoon Captain N: The Game Master, which...
of the Punch-Out!! franchise.
- Fire Lord Sozin (voiced by Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
) was the Fire Lord who started the warWorld warA world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
with the other nations. In a flashback, it is shown that he was once friends with Avatar Roku, but disobeyed his advice against war and later permitted his death. With the Avatar no longer there to maintain balance, Sozin wiped out the Air Nomads using the power of a nearby cometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
, which was renamed Sozin's Comet in his honour. It is hinted that, in his last moments before deathDeathDeath is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, Sozin regretted his actions.
Organizations
The following is a list of collective entities within the fictional universe.- Freedom Fighters - First encountered in "Jet", this rag-tag group led by episode's namesake and operates out of the forests in the Earth Kingdom. The group consists of its leader Jet, along with Pipsqueak, Smellerbee, Longshot, The Duke, and Sneers.
- Kyoshi Warriors - A group of female warriors from Kyoshi Island who are led by Suki. They are known for specializing in martial arts utilizing metal fans in combat and style themselves after Avatar Kyoshi. Ty Lee joins the group at the end of the series.
- Sandbenders - Earthbenders who specialize in bending sand. They are nomads who live in a great desert in the Earth Kingdom.
- Order of the White Lotus - Organization of people, such as teachers, philosophers, and warriors, from all around the world. They value knowledge and wisdom above all else, and their allegiance lies to no one nation, but to the people of the world.
- Dai Li - The secret policeSecret policeSecret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
and cultural enforcers of Ba Sing Se. They are powerful Earthbenders formerly led by Long Feng, whose control over them is usurped by Princess Azula until she banishes them shortly before her coronation as Firelord. The group had originally been created by Avatar Kyoshi to protect the social conventions of Ba Sing Se, but had become corrupted by totalitarian control of their leaders over time.
Reception
The characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender received both praise and criticism from reviewers. Troy Island Mell, of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, 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." 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".
Jeremy Mullin, another IGN reviewer, disagreed with Mell and Rich; he 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. 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". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
also compared character relationships, complimenting "Sokka and Princess Yue's forbidden love" while criticizing Iroh and Zuko's relationship as not being executed properly. DVDVerdict felt that some minor characters, especially Mai and Ty Lee, were "love em' or hate em'" characters. Gabriel Powers of DVDActive thought that while the characters fit into neat "archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
s", it was not a bad thing and fit well with the series.
In 2008, Avatar was awarded a Peabody
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for its "unusually complex characters". This makes the cartoon one of few animations to win the award and the only one to be cited for its character development.
Casting
M. Night ShyamalanM. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
originally offered the roles of Aang to Noah Ringer
Noah Ringer
Noah Andrew Ringer is an American teen actor of American Indian heritage and a martial arts practitioner. He starred as Aang in the 2010 film The Last Airbender and played Emmett in Cowboys & Aliens.-Life and career:...
; Sokka to Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....
; Katara to Nicola Peltz
Nicola Peltz
Nicola Peltz is an American actress. Her most notable role to date is Katara in the 2010 film The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.-Career:...
; and Zuko to Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
. 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
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
in The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
auditions." In February 2009, Dev Patel
Dev Patel
Dev Patel is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...
replaced McCartney, whose tour dates conflicted with a boot camp scheduled for the cast to train in martial arts.
The casting of all-white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
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. Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....
dismissed the complaints in an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, 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." 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."
Movie critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
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." Jevon Phillips of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
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. 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. Shyamalan, however, countered that "this movie, and then the three movies, will be the most culturally diverse tentpole movies ever released."
External links
- http://www.cartoonwatcher.com/avatar-last-airbender/
- http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0082297/
- http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar_Wiki