There's No Way You Can Remember All of These Avatar: The Last Airbender Characters
- by Johnny Reynolds
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Nickelodeon has given us all some pretty incredible cartoons over the past couple of decades. But none of them have inspired quite the following that "Avatar: The Last Airbender" has. Itching to have their own supernaturally-focused franchise like Harry Potter, Nickelodeon hired Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko to create the anime-inspired series. And it was a massive success.
The show, focusing on people who had the ability to control and manipulate one of four elements, was unequivocally awesome. It was a story of good vs. evil: a group of young underdogs going up against an evil dynasty hell bent on taking over the world and destroying anyone who opposed them. But what propelled it into pop culture history were the diverse and dynamic characters.
It has since gone on to grow into a legacy, spawning a sequel series in "The Legend of Korra," as well as its own video games and comics that explore more of the world. With the ten year anniversary of the series finale fast approaching, it's time to look back at what made the show truly special: the characters.
So how many of them can you remember? We're sure you can name all the big ones, but what about all the minor characters? Take our quiz to test your knowledge
What was the main character's name?
We'll start off with an easy one. As the Avatar, this young boy is the only one in the world who has power over all four elements. His purpose is to bring balance to the world and to be a bridge between the four nations. But our young protagonist wasn't quite up to the task. He actually fled his monastery when he learned that he was the Avatar and got caught in a storm with his pet flying bison. Frozen for a hundred years, he returned to learn the world needed his help more than ever. What is his name?
Who is the name of this water bending hero?
As one of the two people who found and freed the Avatar, this young girl embarked with him on his quest to stop the evil Fire Nation. The Northern Water Tribe that she is a part of is quite small and she is the only water bender there. Needless to say, she's not very good at fighting. But that all changes by the end of Season 1. She becomes one of the most skilled fighters on the show and teaches the Avatar a thing or too, so naturally he has a massive crush on her. What is her name?
Who was the group's comedic relief?
As the show went on, it became a lot darker and dealt with more disturbing themes. So it's a really good thing the showrunners established a main character as comic relief to keep things a bit lighthearted. This young water tribe member discovers the Avatar with his younger sister. Initially just a goofball, he is shown to be much more. He has a strategic mind for combat and concocts many plans for his team in tough situations. What was his name?
What was the name of the show's antihero?
Being a prince of the evil fire nation, this young fighter is initially viewed as the villain. At the show's beginning, he is banished by his father for unknown reasons and tasked with bringing home the Avatar if he ever wishes to return. As his story unfolds, we learn there is much more to this antagonist. His struggle to do what is right versus what his family wants is a constant focus of the show, and it was this intense characterization that made him a fan favorite character. What was his name?
What is the name of the blind earth bender?
Season 2 brought many new characters, one of which was a girl younger than our trio of heroes. What made this character so interesting was that she was an earth bender who was blind. She never let her disability effect her though. In fact, she used her bending to be able to see. She was able to focus and feel the slightest of movements through the ground. This made her a surprisingly incredible fighter. She eventually joined the team and taught the Avatar how to be a great earth bender. What was her name?
What was the name of the Avatar's flying bison?
One of the more charming little things about "Avatar: The Last Airbender" are the animals that inhabit its world. Many of them are combinations of animals from our world like komodo rhinos, ostrich horses, otter penguins, and the extremely rare lion turtles. The most famous of the creatures shown, however, is the sky bison, as he is the Avatar's pet. He is actually a mix between a bison and a manatee that can fly, making the group's travel much easier. What is his name?
What was the name of the flying lemur?
Lemurs are already awesome, but when one can fly that makes it even cooler. Team Avatar first ran into this little guy at an abandoned air temple and decided to take him with them on their journey. Throughout the show's run, he was the source of many adorable and hilarious moments. But he can actually be quite useful and helps the team out several times. Beyond that, he also forms a strong bond with their sky bison, becoming best friends. What is the lemur's name?
What is the name of the Firelord?
The world has been at war for a century and it is because of this guy's grandfather. He keeps the family business going though, and his vile and evil plans would make his grandpa proud. He causes his son constant torment, banishing him and burning a scar into his face. As the leader of the fire nation, he wants nothing more than to see the Avatar defeated so he can rule the other nations through fear. Fun fact: he is voiced by Mark Hamill. What is his name?
What is the name of this teen vigilante?
Not every character on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" could bend an element. And not every character needed an ability to be a good fighter. Team Avatar first run into this boy hiding out in the woods with a group of other kids. Sadly, all of these kids are orphans, and they owe their current state of their lives to the Fire Nation. Known as the Freedom Fighters, these teens plan to destroy a town full of innocent people to exact their revenge before the Avatar stops them. He's highly skilled with his hook sword. What is his name?
What is the name of the disgraced Fire Nation general?
The Fire Nation is sort of like the Slytherin of the Avatar world. While a great deal of them are evil, there are many that are also good people. Take this general for example. After losing his son in battle, he gave up the chance to become Firelord, and so the throne went to his younger brother. He accompanies the young fire nation prince on his journeys and treats the boy as if he were his own. He helps the boy find the good he knows is in him. What is this general's name?
What is the name of the Fire Nation princess?
While her brother struggles with his morality on the show, this Fire Nation princess never does. She knows which side she is on, and she is pure evil. From the start of Season 2, she takes the spot of the terrifying and unpredictable villain that her brother never could. And it comes entirely natural to her. She dreams of one day leading the Fire Nation and is such a talented fighter that she can produce the rare form of fire bending known as lightning bending. What is this villain's name?
Who is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors?
The Avatar is reborn, cycling through each of the four kingdoms: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. But only one of the Avatars was cool enough to inspire her own group of warriors. Kyoshi was the Earth Kingdom Avatar and was alive two life cycles before the show takes place. And the Kyoshi Warriors are a group of all-female fighters that dress like her and protect the people of their village. While only a minor character at first, their leader becomes a big part of the later seasons and even helps take down the Firelord. What is her name?
What is the name of the knife throwing ally of the Fire Nation?
Introduced in Season 2, this moody teen is the daughter of a Fire Nation governor tasked with keeping the former Earth Kingdom city, Omashu, under the control of the Fire Nation. But she longs for something more to do and teams up with the Fire Nation princess who is hell bent on capturing the Avatar. She is incredibly skilled with knives and can throw them with near-perfect aim. And even though she comes off a bit harsh, she is shown to have a soft heart through her relationship with the Fire Nation prince. What is her name?
What is the name of the cheerful Fire Nation gymnast?
Also introduced in Season 2, this happy-go-lucky girl was working at a circus before the Fire Nation princess came calling for her to join her team. She is incredibly useful in a fight, as she is quite nimble given her acrobatic background. She is also a master of chi blocking, and can hit the pressure points of her opponents, temporarily paralyzing them or taking away their bending ability for a short time. While she is a formidable foe, she is happiest when she is performing for a crowd. What is her name?
What is the name of the previous Avatar?
Before the events of the show take place, the Avatar was a member of the Fire Nation. And one of the Avatar's abilities is to call on his past lives for wisdom and advice. So this guy shows up several times throughout the show to help the new Avatar. In Season 3, it is revealed that he was actually best friends with the Firelord who started the war 100 years ago. While he was sadly unable to stop him, he is able to help the current Avatar reach his goals many times. What is his name?
What is the name of this Southern Water Tribe leader?
When Sokka and Katara were very young, their village was raided by Fire Nation troops and their mother was killed. This leaves their father to raise the children on his own. But when the show opens up, their father is nowhere to be found. It is explained that he has left with the best fighters of the village to fight against the Fire Nation. He shows up later and helps his children, along with the Avatar, to victory. What is his name?
What is the name of this merciless Fire Nation Commander?
Team Avatar sure does have a lot of villains to face. In Season 1, they are hunted by this ruthless commander of the Fire Nation. Their conflict comes to a head when he leads his forces to attack the Northern Water Tribe. He's so evil, in fact, that he sneaks into the city and kills one of the moon spirits. This is a pretty big deal, as the water benders get their power from the moon. It all works out though, and he gets what he deserves. What is his name?
What is the name of the Northern Water Tribe princess who sacrifices herself?
The goal of our heroes during Season 1 is for Aang to reach the North Pole and learn water bending from a real water bending master. They accomplish this goal, but it leads to despair. Sokka falls hopelessly in love with the princess of this tribe, who almost died as a baby to an unknown illness but was saved by one of the moon spirits. Unfortunately, that moon spirit is killed during the Fire Nation attack a few episodes later. But she nobly sacrifices herself to save it. What is her name?
Who was the leader of the Dai Li?
Not every villain the gang runs into is a member of the Fire Nation. The Dai Li are an elite earth bending police force that serve the Earth King of Ba Sing Se, a large Earth Kingdom that has yet to fall to the Fire Nation due to the massive wall surrounding it. But as the team spends more time in the city, they discover that the Earth King has no idea there is a war going on outside his city. And it is because he has been lied to by his royal guards. What was their leader's name?
What was the name of the Avatar's mentor?
As we know, Aang ran away from his responsibilities once he found out he was the Avatar. But before he did, he had a mentor who trained him in the ways of airbending. This wise monk could see the vast potential inside Aang and tried to help him the best he could. But sadly, he couldn't reach the boy. One of the sadder moments early in the show is when Aang arrives back home after being unfrozen and discovers his old mentor's bones after his people were killed by the Fire Nation. What was his mentor's name?
What was the name of the Avatar's childhood friend?
The Avatar has been frozen for 100 years, so it comes as a surprise when he finds out that one of his childhood friends is still alive. Not only that, but he's the king of Omashu, one of the largest cities in the Earth Kingdom. Don't let his decrepit look fool you. This King is a seriously powerful Earth Bender who shows off his skills multiple times. He's also one of the kookiest characters on the show. The friendship between him and Aang is so strong that Aang names one of his children after him. What is his name?
What is the name of the Earth King of Ba Sing Se?
As he has never been outside of Ba Sing Se and is completely unaware that there has been a war going on in the outside world for the past 100 years, this guy isn't too smart for a king. But to be fair, he was led astray by his royal guard who were busy brainwashing people who tried to cause trouble. After the fall of his city, however, he travels the world with his pet bear in order to meet the people of his nation. So at least he tries to better himself. What was his name?
What is the name of the Firelord that started the 100-year-long war?
This old guy is hands down one of the most evil people on the show. Once a good friend to the Avatar, he became obsessed with power and strove to control the other 3 nations by dominating them. He ordered the genocide of the Air Nomads and is the reason there is so much pain in the world. He even left his best friend for dead so that no one would stand in the way of his plans. What is his name?
What is the name of this giant owl spirit?
The world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" features many powerful spirits. The group runs into one during Season 2: a giant owl who claims to know ten thousand things and brought his library from the spirit world into the real world. Our heroes go to the library seeking an answer to stopping the Fire Nation but must lie about it, as the owl mistrusts humans for using knowledge to hurt others. Unfortunately for them, he finds out what they're looking for and tries to sink his library with them still inside. What was his name?
What is the name of this Southern Water Tribe warrior?
As a close personal friend to Sokka and Katara's father, this Southern Water Tribe warrior grew to care very much for the children. The kids first run into him in Season 1 and learn the whereabouts of their father. But later on, he proves to be a crucial ally in the fight against the Fire Nation. He fights alongside them when they attack during the eclipse, but is unfortunately captured. He's brave, loyal, and would do whatever it takes to protect his tribe. What is his name?
What is the name of the Northern Water Tribe's water bending master?
This guy may come off as a giant jerk at first, but there's a bit more to him. When our heroes first arrive at the Northern Water Tribe, he is more than happy to teach Aang water bending. But when Katara also wants to learn, that's where he draws the line. He believes that women water benders should be healers, not fighters. Katara soon proves him wrong with her skills, and he agrees to teach her. He was actually engaged to her grandmother before she broke his heart. What is his name?
What is the name of this earth bending wrestler?
Although many of the side-characters on the show can be villainous or serious, there are also some that are hilarious. One is introduced in Season 2 while the gang is watching an earth bending wrestling match in search of someone to teach Aang earthbending. He speaks of himself in the third person and is a parody of all wrestlers (and is even voiced by Mick Foley). While a foe at first, he comes back in Season 3 to help invade the Fire Nation. What is his name?
What is the name of this captive earth bender?
In Season 1, Team Avatar comes across an Earth Kingdom village being occupied by Fire Nation troops. Here they meet an earthbender boy who must hide his abilities or face being thrown in prison with the rest of the village's earth benders, including the boy's father. With Aang being the helpful Avatar, they defeat the troops and rescue the village. This boy shows up later and helps his friends invade the Fire Nation, and he's one of the few who is able to escape when the plan goes South. What is his name?
What is the name of the face-stealing spirit?
While most of the evil characters of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" are people, this one is something straight out of a horror movie. Aang meets this spirit late in Season 1 when he must travel to the spirit world to learn the identity of the moon spirits. He must keep his guard up though, as this evil spirit steals the face of anyone he meets who shows emotion. Luckily, Aang is able to keep his face expressionless and escape the spirit world. What is the name of this face-stealing monster?
What is the name of Zuko's missing mother?
If there's one central thing that tortures the mind of Prince Zuko (of which there are plenty), it is the mystery of what happened to his mother. Growing up, Zuko was always kinder than his demented sister. He was much closer to his mother than he was his father, as she was a positive influence on his life. But when she mysteriously disappeared, Zuko was left alone with his sister and his stern father. The show never answered the question of what happened to her, but the graphic novel "The Search" did. What was her name?
What is the name of Sokka's master?
Sokka cannot bend. But he makes himself useful in other ways like coming up with plans and strategizing for attacks. But in Season 3, he begins to feel a bit useless when he can't help his bender friends during an emergency, so he seeks out a sword master. The man he finds trains him in the art of swordplay and also helps him craft his own sword. As a member of the White Lotus, he helps to free Ba Sing Se and stop the Firelord. What is his name?
What is the name of this bounty hunter?
As she is a bounty hunter with no allegiance to any nation, this character could be a friend or foe. Unfortunately for the Avatar, she is hired by Zuko in Season 1 to track Aang down. While she herself is very skilled, it is her vicious pet that makes her that much scarier. June rides atop a shirshu, a giant mole-like creature with no eyes but a highly developed sense of smell. This is how she tracks down her bounties. Her pet's tongue can also paralyze people, so there's that to worry about too. What is her name?
What is the name of the Northern Water Tribe leader?
This guy's got it a bit rough. His only daughter almost died when she was born, but was saved by one of the moon spirits. And after the Avatar arrives at his city, the Fire Nation attacks and is nearly victorious once that same moon spirit is killed. AND THEN his daughter dies anyway by sacrificing herself to keep the moon spirit alive, therefore letting the water benders keep their bending and continuing the fight. Heavy is the head and all. What is the name of this Northern Water Tribe leader?
What is the name of the Avatar's spiritual mentor?
The Avatar has many jobs, but one of them is being the bridge between the spirit world and the real world. As such, Aang needs someone to teach him about the many chakras he must unlock in order to reach the Avatar state, the most powerful ability that the Avatar has. He's a master of yoga and meditation and is 150 years old. He was even a friend of Aang's former mentor before the Air Nomads were killed off. What is this guru's name?
What is the name of this terrifying water bender?
In a Season 3 episode, the negative effects of the Fire Nation are explored in an entirely new way. While she may seem like a harmless old lady at first, this horrifying water bender proves she's anything but docile. As a young girl, she was captured by Fire Nation troops. While imprisoned, she learned that she could blood bend, which is a powerful form of water bending that gives the bender control over another person's body. In the episode, she used this to terrorize a small town before Katara put an end to it. What was her name?