Avatar: The Last Airbenderfeatures a cast of characters with incredible powers who are put to the test throughout the series. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko go through a lot to come together as a team in the end. Along the way, each of them goes on their own respective journeys to further develop themselves as characters. They encounter friends and enemies alike, and every conflict teaches them valuable lessons.
While Team Avatar always demonstrates how powerful they each are, they encounter several characters along the way that establish themselves as memorable, even if they may not have been a part of the larger narrative. Some characters, like Jet, displayed incredible skill and influenced Team Avatar through their own character development. Other characters, like Monk Gyatso, initially present as sweet and harmless but show their ability to be incredibly effective in battle.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Voiced by Daniel Samonas
Teo is the son of a mechanist who lives in the Northern Air Temple. After he was paralyzed as a child in a natural disaster that also cost his mother her life, Teo and his father found refuge in the deserted Northern Air Temple. His father created a glider for Teo to use with his wheelchair, which enables him to be incredibly mobile.Teo’s air acrobatics rival Aang’s, and his skills earned him the respect of his peers, including Team Avatar.
Teo’s time on the series may be minimal, but he establishes himself as a memorable character that Team Avatar meets during their travels. Teo’s story showcases the heart ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderand how the stories featured in the series are all about family. In the short time he is on the series, Teo demonstrates the fact that he is both incredibly talented and skilled and that he is able to adapt to any circumstance.
Voiced by Crawford Wilson
Jet was the leader of a group of refugee children from the Earth Kingdom who considered themselves Freedom Fighters. He is a skilled swordsman and a survivalist. He created an entire community of fellow refugee children and fiercely protected those under his care. He disbanded the Freedom Fighters after meeting Team Avatar. Jet then reunited with Team Avatar after he started a new life in Ba Sing Se. His story was ultimately amongAvatar: The Last Airbender’s most tragic.
Jet is underrated as a character because he has a single-mindedness that could be used for good or evil. He survived for so long on his own and ensured the survival of so many child refugees.This is no easy feat, and it required him to possess incredible physical skills and exceptional leadership abilities. Jet is also underrated because his character arc is so profound, even though he is a relatively minor character. In a short time, he shows his ability to break free of his fundamentalist ways of thinking.
8Master Piando
Voiced by Robert Patrick
On their travels,Team Avatar encounters many mentors. While most focus on training Aang to get him up to speed, others focus on other members of the group. Master Piando mentors Sokka, specifically teaching him the art and science of swordsmanship. Piando is a member of the White Lotus and participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se. He teaches Sokka to be more aware of his surroundings when in a fight and how to be a more grounded swordsman.
Master Piando is underrated because he is exceptionally powerful, skilled with a sword, and has wisdom that informs his skill. He shows that he can hear his opponent’s position even when temporarily blinded.Master Piando is also able to bring out the best in Sokka, a character who is so often regulated to comic relief. Master Piando is able to tap into Sokka’s humanity. Sokka is able to recognize his own worth with Master Piando’s guidance, even if he is not a bender like the rest of his friends.
7Admiral Zhao
Voiced by Jason Isaacs
Admiral Zhao appeared in the original animated series, the movie, andNetflix’s live-action TV show. Zhao was the leader of the Fire Nation’s navy. At the beginning of the series, he was one of the most powerful people in the Fire Nation. Zhao is one of the earliest villains that Team Avatar faces when he launches the siege against the Northern Water Tribe. He was eventually condemned by the Ocean Spirit, who sentenced Zhao to spend an eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls.
What makes Admiral Zhao so underrated is his brutality. Since he was such an early villain in the series, it is easy to overlook him. He didn’t have a complex backstory or motivations that made him sympathetic in any way.The fact that Zhao’s only goal is to consolidate power for the Fire Nation makes him a single-minded villain for the heroes to face. Had he not tangled with beings from the Spirit World, he could have continued to be a powerful anti-hero for Team Avatar to face.
Voiced by Jennifer Hale
June, a bounty hunter, was featured in both the animated andlive-action series ofAvatar: The Last Airbender. She was a mercenary and never declared any allegiance to any nation in the Avatar universe. She is hired by Zuko to track down Aang, and she subsequently travels through the nations using the scent from Katara’s necklace. June completes her mission with the help of her shirshu, Nyla, who can paralyze the people who June is chasing.
June is another character who is only featured in the series for a short time but has a massive impact. Throughout the series, as she pursues Team Avatar, it is clear that she will stop at nothing to achieve any mission for which she has been paid. She is stealthy and succeeds in catching Team Avatar off guard.It could have been interesting to see June develop more as a character, since she could have put her skills to use to track anyone.
Voiced by Olivia Hack
Ty Lee was a close friend of Azula and Mai. She was the daughter of the Fire Nation nobility.Ty Lee joined a Fire Nationcircus after feeling the need to establish herself as an individual after being a part of the “six sisters,” who all had the same appearance as Ty Lee. In addition to being a skilled acrobat due to her time in the circus, Ty Lee also repeatedly showed how skilled she was at combat, including being able to block opponents' chi.
Ty Lee is sweet and caring, and she always showed that she was a good friend. This is what made her underestimated so often. Her ability to block chi made her a formidable opponent, particularly in close combat.Ty Lee’s skill essentially froze her opponents in place and took away their ability to respond to her attacks or those of her friends. Her exceptional skill made her a powerful ally and even more powerful enemy.
Voiced by Jennie Kwan
Suki is an official member of Team Avatar, although this is often forgotten. She first meets the other members of Team Avatar when they travel to Kyoshi Island. She is the leader of a band of Kyoshi Warriors. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors show how well they work as a team when they defend their island from Zuko’s attack. Suki later leads the Kyoshi Warriors in fighting against Fire Lord Ozai after she is freed from being a prisoner.
Suki is an essential member of Team Avatar, even though she gets less screen time than the rest of the team.Her lessons make Sokka a better character since Suki corrects his many misconceptions about women in this universe. Suki also repeatedly demonstrates her ability to lead and gain the respect of those around her, which makes her a strong ally to have. Her skills are indisputable. Even when she is defeated, her ability to come back stronger than ever is unmatched.
3Jeong Jeong
Voiced by Keone Young
Jeong Jeong is considered a deserter from the Fire Nation after having been an honored soldier. He is known as one of the most skilled firebenders of his time. Aang asked Jeong Jeong to teach him firebending, and Jeong Jeong initially refused to do so. However, Jeong Jeong did eventually teach Aang the skills he needed to start learning the art of firebending. Jeong Jeong is also a member of the White Lotus and participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se.
Jeong Jeong is one of the first “good” firebendersintroduced inAvatar: The Last Airbender. This adds complexity to the universe.Jeong Jeong also emphasizes the tragedy of war and the toll that it can take. This honesty is important as Team Avatar continues on their quest. Jeong Jeong’s bitterness is well-earned after everything he saw and experienced in the Fire Nation. The fact that he was so isolated from his nation is proof that he is someone to fear and that he wields a lot of power.
2Monk Gyatso
Voiced by Sab Shimono
Monk Gyatso is an Air Nomad monk who is Aang’s mentor. He was also a father figure to Aang when he lived at the Air Temple.ThroughoutAvatar: The Last Airbender, Aang frequently cites Gyatso’s influence on his life and expresses that Gyatso’s death impacted him deeply. Gyatso allows Aang to be a child as much as possible, even as it becomes clear that Aang is the Avatar and has a massive destiny to confront.
Monk Gyatso is another example of a character who seems so sweet and mild-mannered. While this may be true, he is fiercely protective of Aang and his fellow Air Nomads.While he was killed alongside his fellow Air Nomads, the location of his body revealed that he had killed several Fire Nation soldiers before his own death. He was able to maintain his status as a powerful fighter while being true to his own values until the end of his life.
1Princess Yue
Voiced by Johanna Braddy
Princess Yue was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Her father was the Chief of the tribe. She meets Team Avatar when the group arrives at the Northern Water Tribe. Sokka is immediately smitten with Princess Yue, although she is engaged to someone else. Princess Yue and Sokka get to know one another and deepen their relationship. During the siege of the Northern Water Temple, Princess Yue sacrifices herself to replace the Moon Spirit.
Princess Yue’s sacrifice was apivotal moment inAvatar: The Last Airbender.Her courage is notable because she was able to make such a selfless decision to save her community and, ultimately, the entire Avatar universe. This courage inspired Team Avatar long after they left the Northern Water Temple. While she was only a part of the finale of Book One, Princess Yue’s story set the tone for the story moving forward.
