Avatar: The Last Airbender is a Nickelodeon TV series that aired from 2005 to 2008, but now remains a fan favorite on Netflix that can be binged in one sitting (for the dedicated only) instead of daily runs! As you have decided to read our article, chances are you are probably familiar with this TV series, or you’re considering becoming familiar with this TV series (to which we highly encourage and endorse you to do so), so we just wanted to let you know there may be a few spoilers as we unpack our analysis on Katara and Sokka!
Katara
Too often, female characters in shows and movies get reduced to two archetypes. After all, it’s a visual and auditory medium; to some degree, a character’s personality must be reflected in the way they look, dress, and sound. The problem arises when characters are lumped into archetypes without proper thought, reduced to only how they look, dress, and sound. Yet, Katara’s character design defies this trap: she is full of personality that shines of maturity despite being allowed to experience typical, simple child-like pleasures, and of duality without being diminished into a placid shell of her temperament.
Female characters especially tend to suffer from being stuffed into metaphorical boxes. The most common are “vapid but pretty,” where women lean too far into their girly tendencies, wasting time and effort correcting their appearance, or “smart but unkempt,” where they are intelligent at the expense of their femininity. In the most predictable shows, the end goal is to find a happy medium. The character must then release some of their femininity to either grow out of being shallow or take care of themselves better in each of the two tropes, respectively. (Thus the trope of putting down their hair and taking off glasses!)
Katara, on the other hand, embraces her multifaceted personality instead of suppressing it. She starts as only diligent, not powerful, but her passion is evident: she steals a waterbending scroll from an intimidating band of pirates , and secretly practices waterbending at night. Later on in Book 1, she challenges the sexism of the Northern Water Tribe, actively fighting Master Pakku to prove her worth; when she’s finally allowed to train with the men of the tribe, her hard work surpasses them. By all means, she’s a prodigy. Yet, even as she gains impressive bending skills and experience, she never loses touch with her femininity.
In Book 2, introduces us to Toph, a blind earthbending girl whose delicate appearance contrasts her personality. When Katara and Toph infiltrate the Earth King’s party in formal wear, she enjoys the chance to dress up, and Toph, a member of the high-ranking nobility, even praises her manners. Afterward, when they have a spa day and Toph becomes insecure about her appearance, she tells Toph that she’s “so strong, and confident, and self-assured,” but then adds on, “and I know it doesn’t matter, but… you’re really pretty.” Instead of dismissing the concern as shallow, Katara validates it while also affirming Toph’s inner qualities. While this shows her care for her friends, it also reveals her values: she doesn’t disparage self-care in pursuit of power.
Her femininity also connects Katara to her heritage; from wearing her grandmother’s necklace, passed down to her mother and eventually to Katara, to taking care of the children in her village, it’s no secret that Katara’s inherited a lot from the women who came before her. As the token “mom” of Team Avatar, she has to learn when to help her friends and when to step back and let them grow on their own
Though Katara becomes arguably the most powerful waterbender in the series, the most extraordinary part of her character lies in that she does not lose her passion or individuality.
Sokka (maturity/realization)
In a TV show, there must always be that one character that brings the group joy when times are dark, and that character in Avatar is the one and only Sokka!
More than just the “funny guy” in the group, Sokka brings so much more to Team Avatar. From intricate battle plans, a walloping appetite, and learning to transform from an “alpha male”-like mindset, Sokka’s character development can be viewed to portray boys growing into men. Now, what exactly do we mean when we say this? Well, let’s clear up how Sokka was in the beginning.
Due to the absence of his parents from a young age, Sokka must have felt pressure to take care of himself and his younger sister, Katara. However, we see how Sokka’s actions come off more childish when he tries to “defend” Katara or assert any dominance whatsoever. Was this on purpose? Why yes, it was. Katara being a waterbender is Nickelodeon’s inadvertent way of Katara asserting dominance on her older, yet more immature, brother. Furthermore, Sokka mentions during the latter part of the show that he has always viewed Katara like a mother, depicting how it was not Sokka’s “manliness” that filled the void of missing parents, but Katara’s motherly love.
Tracing back Sokka’s timeline to when we first met the immature, hungry boy, I invite you, dear analyst, to follow along as we take you through a pivotal moment that transformed Sokka’s character forever: the encounter with the Kyoshi warriors. Aang, Katara, and Sokka flew to Kyoshi village, an Earth bending town, where they were met with a sneak attack from the Kyoshi warriors. Aang and Katara notably put up a good fight before they were eventually overpowered due to the trickery of the warriors. Sokka, however, was almost immediately pinned down and was too stunned to speak when he found out the warriors were actually women. During Team Avatar’s time at the village, Sokka grows impressed by the technique of the Kyoshi warriors and wanted to both impress and learn from them, slowly but surely straying from his toxic masculinity and becoming more open-minded as he not only expanded his armory of techniques, but also his mindset towards women. We see the full extent of Sokka’s character development when Team Avatar leaves Kyoshi village:he’s dressed in a women’s Kyoshi warrior costume, wearing a full face of traditional makeup on, and completely head-over-heels for the Kyoshi warrior’s leader, Suki.
Though this doesn’t entirely cover the depths and trenches of the pivotal events Team Avatar encounters, these few instances of Sokka’s growth highlight how Nickelodeon used his character to challenge the gender norms placed by society for younger audiences. Suka’s later relationship with Suki (who saves him on multiple occasions) further reinforces this development, showing his growing respect for strong female figures.
And with that, we give you our analysis on the iconic brother & sister duo of Team Avatar, Sokka and Katara! There are many ways to interpret this show, so take what resonates with your viewing experience. We hope we got you to think a little bit differently about our favorite, binge-worthy TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Procrastination Duo, out (mic drop.)