Avatar the Last Airbenderis an awesome show with a great main cast. It’s hard not to love Aang, appreciate Katara and Sokka, and admire Toph. There are fluffy friends to love, mostly Appa and Momo, and incredible villains like Azula and Zuko that you love to hate (and eventually just love).
But our main cast isn’t the only thing that makes the show so great. There are a lot of epic side characters that really make the show special. You might not remember all of them, but you’ll find the very best of them below.
10King Bumi
The “Crazy” King
Bumi was Aang’s friend before he was frozen, which makes him one of the oldest characters in the series. It’s also very special because Aang didn’t have a lot of friends that survived. Many people consider him to be crazy because of the way he constantly cackles. But King Bumi is actually an incredibly strong earth-bending master.
Much of his so-called “craziness” was just a tactic to appear senile, so his opponents underestimated him. He was willing to bide his time to do whatever he needed for his kingdom.His most well-known sceneis the one where he and Aang ride down the Omashu delivery system.
9Hama
Blood Bender
Hama is an older waterbender who teaches Katara her ways. She’s a bloodbender and can be harsh, even kidnapping and trapping people who she felt had wronged her. She’s someone that you really like at first until the episode delves deeper into her true colors.
She’s especially memorable because of how horrifying blood-bending is. She can move people to her will, and it’s a pivotal point for Katara when she decides not to blood bend.
8The Cabbage Man
“My Cabbages!”
To know him is to love him. The cabbage man has the smallest part in Avatar of anyone on this list, but that doesn’t make him any less lovable. The Cabbage Man is a cabbage merchant who keeps accidentally getting entangled with team avatar.
His cabbage cart is destroyed on several occasions, and he screams out, “My Cabbages!” in shock and dismay. It’s a repeated joke at the poor cabbage man’s expense.
7The Boulder
“I Am The Boulder!”
When we first meet Toph, she’s participating in theearth rubble tournaments. That’s where she goes against Boulder, a professional wrestler. He’s known for talking about himself in third person, and refusing to fight Toph at first because he’s scared of hurting her: “The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young scared girl.”
When he’s taunted, he chooses to fight Toph. But that’s not the last we see of this character. He fought against the fire nation in the war, and was, overall, a sweet character with great puns.
6Chong
Secret Tunnel
You might not remember Chong at first because he didn’t have as big of a role as some of the other side characters. Chong and his wife, Lily, were nomads who lived a carefree lifestyle. Still trying to picture him? He sang the infamous song, “Secret Tunnel.”
This song has been sung by viewers everywhere, and the episode Chong is in has become almost a cult classic episode due to it.
Secret tunnel (Oh)
Through the mountain
Secret, secret, secret, secret
Secret tunnel (Oh-oh)
Through thе mountain (Woah-oh-oh)
Secret, secrеt, secret, secret tunnel, yeah
5Teo
Air Temple
Teo and his father are two people the avatar team comes across. Teo is a very sweet kid who uses a wheelchair. He is a great representation of disability, and his father helps him fly, almost as if to honor the air benders.
Unfortunately, his father was working with the Fire Nation, but Teo stayed true to himself and convinced his father to turn against them. He eventually joined the gang in their fight against the fire nation, and was there at the very end of the show at Zuko’s coronation.
4Jet
A Perfect Contradiction
Jet is a great character. Not only doeshe sweep Katara off her feet, but he makes questionable choices that are fascinating to watch. Because of his parents' deaths, he had a very strong hatred of the fire nation and created the Freedom Fighters to go against them.
He has quite a journey throughout the show. He eventually helps team Avatar find an appa, deals with getting brainwashed, and tries to start over. While we wouldn’t necessarily do the things Jet did, considering everything that happened to him, it’s hard to blame him for lashing out.
3Princess Yue
The Moon
Princess Yue is Sokka’s first love interest, and her time on the show is quite a doozy. We learn so much about the water nation and see Aang lose it for the first time. We also meet Tui and La, the moon spirit and the ocean spirit, who live in a haven as koi fish.
When Tui, the moon god, dies, it weakens the water benders with the disappearance of the moon. Princess Yue sacrifices herself and becomes the new moon to save everyone. Sokka talks about her later in the series, stating, “My first girlfriend turned into the moon.”
2Ty Lee And Mai
Azula’s Team
Ty Lee and Mai are two characters whoare forced into being villainsby Azula. They have so much growth throughout the show, and Mai even ends up with Zuko. Mai is a character that seems quiet and reserved, but has a good heart. She keeps her cards close to her chest, but her infamous line, “I love Zuko more than I fear you,” solidified her place as a fan favorite.
We first meet Ty Lee when she’s recruited from the circus. She’s an awesome fighter with a positive, bubbly personality. She’s a girls girl, and when Mai fights against Azula, she joins her. This character has a rich backstory, being one of six sisters and longing for a sense of identity.
1Suki
Kyoshi Warriors
Suki is the coolest side character in the show. She’s got epic combat skills and teaches Sokka so much about feminism and women’s strength. Every single time she appears in an episode, she shows strength, grace, and leadership.
She and the Kyoshi warriors fought to help the Avatar, and Suki herself planned and executed a prison break. She’s so much more than Sokka’s girlfriend. She’s a warrior, and she proves it constantly.
