Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world where young heroes must save the world from the destruction and misery of the Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang and his friends must face the harsh reality of war and strive to become smarter, wiser, and stronger in order to defeat the Fire Nation once and for all, and the experience will change them forever. In fact, a variety of supporting characters are also given different growth experiences, including flashback sequences.
Some characters in The Avatar They're static, starting with all the skills and powers they need to succeed, and this helps make character growth much more apparent. Uncle Iroh, for example, was immensely proud to see his nephew Zuko grow from a troubled prince to a wise young man. who was ready to take on the mantle of the Fire Lord. Growth can take many forms, such as embracing new ideas and worldviews, acquiring new skills, becoming more mature, and building new relationships of all kinds.
10 Earth King Kuei took a more active role in Ba Sing Se
Debut Episode: “City of Walls and Secrets”
Earth King Kuei's growth is the last among all the characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender mainly because he did not acquire any new skills or grow personally. However, he did gain a new perspective and learned to take a more hands-on role in his kingdom. He went from a figurehead to a man who genuinely wanted to directly support his people, but unfortunately, that did not last long.
The bright side is that The Gaang convinced King Kuei to accept the truth of the Hundred Year War. and take on the responsibility of defending his nation and the great city of Ba Sing Se. On the other hand, Long Feng and Azula both overthrew him, and not long after, the entire Earth Kingdom fell, marking the official end of the war, which devastated Kuei personally.
9 Hama invented a new style of folding to escape from prison
Debut Episode: “The Puppet Master”
All of Hama's personal growth was explained in a flashback sequence as she told the Gaang how she escaped from captivity in the Fire Nation. Hama was a young woman when the Fire Nation's raiding fleets began attacking the Southern Water Tribe, and after several raids, Hama was captured and imprisoned. Things seemed hopeless, but then Hama had a creative and desperate idea: to bend the blood of other living beings.
Hama spent years honing her new style of taming, and it secured her escape on the night of a full moon. It is extremely challenging and enriching for a tamer to develop their own style, but in this case, that growth felt twisted and frightening, as blood taming was a sinister art that Hama began to abuse once she settled into the Fire Nation.
8 Pakku has embraced the idea of waterbenders and found love again
Debut Episode: “The Waterbending Master”
Older characters like Pakku don't change easily, as they are already set in their ways and have much less to explore about themselves and the world around them. However, even characters like Pakku can be convinced to change their worldview for the sake of others, and that's what happened when Pakku encountered the Gaang in his native Northern Water tribe.
Pakku shared his tribe's conservative views on women and waterbending, so Katara challenged him to a waterbending battle.Although Pakku had won, he was still inspired to change his views and accept Katara as his first student.thus recognizing her as a worthy waterbender. This may also have inspired Pakku to act as a member of the White Lotus and fight alongside Iroh, Piandao, and the others when Sozin's Comet arrived. He even married the love of his life after so many years of being apart from her.
7 Never decided to take a stand for true love
Debut Episode: “Return to Omashu”
While acrobatic Ty Lee didn't do much as a kid, her moody friend Mai did. At first, Mai was the apathetic and bitter foil for the cheerful Ty Lee and the nervous Azula, but then The Avatar Fans saw another side of Mai. She had internalized the idea of keeping quiet and not disturbing others, she was afraid to express her true self in any way.
Eventually Mai came out of that shell and started having serious conversations with her boyfriend, Prince Zuko, which pushed Mai's character forward. and her relationship with Zuko into new territory. It hurt Mai's heart at times, but she grew as a person and a lover, which no doubt made her wiser about love and friendship as time went on.
6 Toph Beifong learned to work as a team and appreciate her parents more
Debut Episode: “The Blind Bandit”
On the bending side, Toph had a real breakthrough when she single-handedly invented the art of metalbending. In a moment of inspiration, Toph realized that metal was simply an extension of the earth, a wise idea that helped her escape her confinement and begin bending in new ways.
On a personal level, Toph has grown to learn to work as a team and embrace the power of friendship, rather than fighting alone in the fighting arenas as the Blind Bandit. Having new friends and fighting alongside them has shown Toph a whole new side of the world, and also helped her finally realize how much she had hurt her parents by running away from home.
5 Avatar Roku has dominated the elements in 12 years
Debut Episode: “Winter Solstice, Part 2: Avatar Roku”
Avatar Roku ranks in the middle of the pack for character growth simply because he did such a good job of learning to be an exemplary Avatar. At the age of 16, as is tradition, Roku was told he was the new Avatar, and he set out on a journey from his native Fire Nation to learn the ways of air, water, and earth, in that order. In 12 years, he had mastered them all, and was a good Avatar by the time he was 28.
Furthermore, Roku had grown mentally into his role as Avatar embracing the idea that he was responsible for the entire world.not only his homeland. He was as neutral and benevolent as the Avatar, which put him at odds with his increasingly evil friend, Fire Lord Sozin, who wanted his support in his attempt to conquer the entire world.
4 Katara has gone from a waterbending novice to a true master.
Debut Episode: “The Boy in the Iceberg”
Like his brother Sokka, Katara had a rather limited worldview, having grown up in the secluded Southern Water Tribe. While Katara adapted to the new ideas more easily than Sokka, Katara still had much to learn about the world, the art of waterbending, and even herself. For example, Katara eventually learned that revenge is not worth it, and that she is not the type to take a life to avenge a life lost.
Katara has also greatly expanded her waterbending abilities. She has made some progress as a self-taught waterbending expert, but she needed that rare waterbending scroll and Pakku's training to use her full potential. By the end of the series, Katara is a master of waterbending and has even learned bloodbending from Hama, although Katara personally despises bloodbending.
3 Sokka has expanded his worldview and become a great leader.
Debut Episode: “The Boy in the Iceberg”
Even more than his little sister, Sokka had a rather narrow mindset, having grown up in the Southern Water Tribe, to the point where he saw bending as a monstrous magic and could not conceive of female fighters. Oddly enough, the South had female Waterbenders like Hama, but they were all captured before Sokka could meet one.
During the show, and especially in the first book, Sokka quickly expanded his worldview, from meeting the Kyoshi warriors to seeing more bending in action and learning the way of the sword from Piandao.who was secretly a member of the White Lotus. Sokka also grew into his role as a leader, taking personal command of the Fire Nation counter-invasion when his father was injured in battle.
2 Avatar Aang has learned new elements and seen the world
Debut Episode: “The Boy in the Iceberg”
Like Roku, Kyoshi, and other Avatars before him, young Avatar Aang has learned much as he is gifted with the spirit of Raava to learn all four elements. In terms of bending, Aang has made impressive progress in about a year, crediting Katara, Pakku, Toph and Zuko for teaching him how to distort the elements from its native air.
Aang has also done some personal growth, going from a carefree kid hiding from his responsibilities to taking on the role of protector of the world. Aang made sure not to give up who he was in the process, though, hence his absolute refusal to kill Fire Lord Ozai when they had their final battle to decide the fate of the world.
1 Prince Zuko transformed into a wiser and kinder firebender
Debut Episode: “The Boy in the Iceberg”
Without a doubt, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation had the most significant and inspiring character growth in the entire series as his redemption arc began. When Ozai burned his face, Zuko was convinced that he had to capture the Avatar to regain his father's favor, which meant he was willing to doom the entire world for his sake. Then, Zuko began to question whether the destiny his father had given him was truly the right path.
In fits and starts, Zuko began to search for his destiny, gradually freeing himself from his wickedness. Zuko's priorities, methods, and goals changed for the better as he began to become the right person to help Aang save the world. and become Fire Lord, and when Sozin's Comet came, Zuko was exactly that person. He even reinvented his firebending, discarding his anger and instead using the power of life and passion to ignite his firebending, as the Sun Warriors had taught him.