The 10 Best Relationships in the Avatar Franchise, Ranked

most other franchises, The Avatar it would be nothing without its characters. Aang, Zuko, Korra and their allies are among the greatest heroes of all timeand their relationships with each other and their enemies, drive their stories. Instead of leaving things superficial, the interactions are fully developed and grow immensely over the course of the series.




In addition to the deep tradition of thrilling battles, powerful relationships drive both The Last Airbender AND The Legend of KorraSome of the best relationships in both series are friendly, familial, or romantic, while others are conflictual.


10 Aang and Sokka are supportive best friends

Sokka acts like a big brother to Aang

Sokka and Aang - Avatar: The Last Airbender


Aang and Sokka have one of the funniest dynamics among the Gaang. With Aang having lost 100 years, and still only twelve years old, Sokka is more than happy to share his wisdom about the world with him, even if he is often wrong. In turn, Aang enjoys playing pranks on his friend at every opportunity.

Already Accustomed to being Katara's older brother, Sokka casually slips into a role similar to Aang's after meeting, becoming protective of him, despite Aang being infinitely more powerful than he could ever hope to be. The difference in their abilities is rarely a factor in Aang's mind, as he deeply appreciates everything Sokka brings to the group, and is there for him when he needs an emotional boost.

9 Aang and Katara are at their best when they're focused on their friendship.

The series tinkers with Aang and Katara's romantic subplot

Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang and Katara dance


The love story between Aang and Katara is one of the longest-running plots in history. Avatar: The Last AirbenderWhile this aspect of the series is divisive, it's impossible not to love the friendship between the two heroes that is present throughout most of the series.

Aang and Katara are always very kind and supportive of each other, with the only times the two disagree being due to Aang's crush or one of their personal failures. Katara becomes Aang's waterbending master adds an extra layer of fun to the dynamic, as they adopt playful formalities in their teacher/student relationship while simultaneously becoming a fearsome duo in battle.

8 Korra and Tenzin are the heart of their series

Korra becomes part of Tenzin's family

Korra and Tenzin in The Legend of Korra


The Legend of Korra begins with the eponymous Avatar being sent to live with Aang's eldest son, Tenzin, to learn airbending, so it's only natural that the relationship between the two is one of the most developed in the series. While Rebel Korra initially finds Tenzin stifling and authoritarianand Tenzin, rigid and traditional, sees Korra as a nuisance, but the two end up loving each other and learning to understand each other better.

Korra adores her parents, but Tenzin becomes like a second father to her, he and his wife, Pema, welcoming her into their family, while Korra befriends their children. Tenzin becomes the person Korra turns to when she needs advice or to vent emotionally, and Tenzin comes to see Korra as a daughter, one he would die for without hesitation.


7 Katara and Sokka are always there for each other

The brothers of the Water Tribe are closer than their bickering suggests.

Katara is waterbending while Sokka looks shocked in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Katara and Sokka are the first characters introduced in the The Avatar franchise, and their relationship is one of the most important to its continued success. While they may argue, and Sokka can be overprotective and sometimes an asshole, The brothers of the water tribe love each other deeplyand always support each other.

The banter between Katara and Sokka is always great, and despite being so common, they almost never have serious arguments, proving that it's simply their way of showing affection for each other. They also work really well together, which is best seen when the two work together to take care of Aang during Book 1, guiding him through an unfamiliar world.


6 Tenzin, Kya and Bumi are a realistic representation of adult siblings.

Aang's children cast a controversial light on him

tenzin, kya and bumi in the legend of korra

Fans were excited to meet Tenzin's younger siblings, Kya and Bumi, in Book 2 of The Legend of Korraand came to appreciate them, but were less pleased with the revelations their introduction had led to. As will soon be revealed, the three's uneasy and quarrelsome relationship stems from Aang prioritized Tenzin over himself and Katara's other children. during their childhood, because he was the only airbender among them.


While many see this as a betrayal of Aang's character that makes him appear to be a bad father, the realistic nuance presented is what makes the relationship between Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi so strong. Aang wasn't a bad father, and neither Kya nor Bumi think so, but that doesn't mean they don't harbor some resentment toward both him and Tenzin. The resentment is small in the grand scheme of things, especially after all the buried grudges have been aired, and most of the time, the three are perfectly capable of getting along and fighting together.

5 Sokka and Suki Enjoy Avatar's Greatest Love Story

There's never a dull moment when Sokka and Suki are together


Most of the novels in The Avatar the franchise somehow falls short of what fans would have expected from them, but Suki and Sokka are the biggest exception to this by far.. The way their relationship develops in “The Warriors of Kyoshi” is perfect, as they go from disrespecting each other, to falling in love with each other and inspiring each other to change, with Suki helping Sokka unlearn his misogyny and Sokka convincing Suki to join the war effort.

It takes a long time for Suki to join the Gaang, but once she becomes part of the show's main cast, not an episode goes by without her and Sokka being adorable together. From this point on, there is never any drama between the two, they are simply two teenagers with big personalities who are madly in love.

4 Zuko and Azula have the most complex dynamic in Avatar

The sibling rivalry between Zuko and Azula is tragic

Zuko and Azula in the anime Avatar Last Airbender


Although Aang is the main hero of The Last Airbenderhas no personal connection to any of the series' villains. Instead, he is the series' deuteragonist, Zuko, with impactful ties to each season's main antagonist. Zuko's rivalry with Zhao works to highlight Zuko's nobility, and his relationship with his Ozai shows why Zuko is the way he is, but it's his turbulent relationship with Azula that offers the most intrigue.

The relationship between siblings Zuko and Azula is both twisted and tragic.. They hate each other and repeatedly try to kill each other, not by choice, but because they have been actively pitted against each other by Ozai since they were children, with him grooming Azula to be his golden child, while looking at Zuko with nothing but contempt. There are several points in the series where it is clear that there is still a sense of love between the two, but too many factors stand in the way of them ever making amends.


3 Zuko and Iroh have numerous stories of their own

Zuko and Iroh's storylines are often more compelling than the Gaang's.

Zuko and Iroh are happy as they open the Jasmine Dragon - Avatar: The Last Airbender

During the first two seasons of The Last Airbender, Zuko and Iroh's adventures define the show as much as those of the Gaang.While they initially represent an antagonistic force to the series' heroes, they are never treated as anything other than sympathetic and lovable, and their relationship with each other is the main reason it works.

With Zuko's father being a loveless monster and Iroh's son killed in the war, the nephew and uncle duo fill the missing roles in each other's lives. They are the world to each other, and their contrasting personalities and priorities make all of their exchanges both wholesome and hilarious. Iroh is the most important character in Zuko's story, doing his best to guide him on the right path from the beginning of the series to the end, and Zuko's guilt over betraying Iroh during Book 2 is a major factor in his decision to join Team Avatar.


2 Korra and Asami are so much more than a single moment

Korra and Asami's journey from rivals to girlfriends is extraordinary.

Korra and Asami are most famous for becoming a couple at the end of The Legend of Korra, making them one of the first LGBTQ couples on a children's showHowever, their relationship is much more than this single revolutionary moment, and of the series' four seasons, it becomes the most developed within the new Team Avatar.


Korra and Asami begin the show as romantic rivals, competing for Mako's affection, but that changes in Book 3, after they both realize he's not worth their time. The friendship between the two this season is one of the sweetest and most enjoyable in the franchise, and it leads to a touching moment in the Book: Asami caring for Korra as she's being tortured and traumatized by Zaheer. Book 4 continues to build on what Book 3 set up, and makes the romantic turn their relationship takes at the end feel completely natural.

1 Aang and Zuko mirror each other perfectly

Avatar: The Last Airbender only works because of its two heroes


Aang and Zuko's relationship is ever-changing The Last Airbenderand that's what makes it so great, because the audience never knows what the future holds for them. Starting out as nothing more than enemies, fans learn over the course of the first book how much they have in common, and by “The Blue Spirit,” Aang begins to realize it as well. The bad blood between them continues into the second book, even as they are repeatedly put in situations where they are forced to fight together against a common enemy, culminating with Zuko solidifying himself as a monster in Aang's eyes during “The Crossroads of Destiny.” This leads to Aang being reluctant to accept Zuko as his Firebending teacher once Zuko has finally made his decision to be a hero, but he eventually accepts him.

The period in which Aang and Zuko become friends in the second half of the third book is brief, but incredibly endearing.. Their contrasting personalities bounce off each other perfectly, and their adventure together in “The Firebending Masters” is a stunning demonstration of that. Knowing how far they've come since the beginning, the two's eventual reconciliation after the war, as they plan to rebuild the world together, is one of the most touching moments in the series.


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