Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has announced a casting choice that’s great news for Suki fans. After being introduced in Avatar season 1, the Kyoshi warrior quickly became a fan favorite. With the casting announcement of a woman named Yukari, played by Tamlyn Tomita, Netflix’s live-action series will finally expand further on Suki’s character — and that’s great news for Avatar: The Last Airbender fans.

So far, Netflix’s Avatar live-action adaptation is set to follow the plot of Book One: Water from the original animated series,  and the cast list so far confirms that. The main Avatar crew has all been cast — Gordon Cormier of The Stand is set to play Aang, Beans’ Kiawentiio has been cast to play Katara, and Young Sheldon’s Ian Ously has been cast to play Sokka. The Fire Nation family cast has also been rounded out, with Azula portrayed by Elizabeth Yu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee playing the beloved Uncle Iroh, Daniel Dae Kim as Lord Ozai, and Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko. Netflix’s Avatar will also introduce Maria Zhang as the Kyoshi warrior herself, Suki.

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Yukari’s casting in the Avatar live-action remake is great news for Suki’s character. Yukari is both the fierce and protective mayor of Kyoshi Island and Suki’s mother. This development is major for Suki, as her past was greatly ignored in the original animated series. While some information is known about her journey to become a Kyoshi warrior — which began at age 8 — little to nothing else is known about Suki’s family or her life before she met the Avatar. Despite being Sokka’s love interest and a major character in Book Three: Fire, Suki’s history was ultimately glossed over in the original series. With the introduction of Suki’s mother on the cast list, Netflix’s adaptation is sure to further explore Suki as a character.

Yukari’s introduction also means that the Netflix Avatar live-action adaptation looks to build upon the already-existing universe instead of a strict retelling of the series. The original series ended in 2008, and besides the failed M. Night Shyamalan The Last Airbender — which Suki and the Kyoshi warriors were cut from — there have been little to no additions to the main canon since. A small amount of lore regarding Kyoshi Island was revealed in the original series, but casting the mayor of Kyoshi in the live-action remake could further expand this mysterious Earth Kingdom island. Adding in the mayor of Kyoshi means that the show will not only explore more of Suki’s past, but the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. 

Currently, it is unknown just how big of a role Yukari will play in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender remake; but, her presence is enough to promise further exploration of the world fans have come to know and love. This news means fans of the Kyoshi warrior have plenty to look forward to in Netflix’s Avatar remake. Whether it’s information on Suki’s past or the history of Kyoshi, Yukari’s very existence will serve to further expand the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender — and that’s something every fan can benefit from.  

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Emily Clute
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Emily Clute is a features writer based out of New York. When a lifetime of fandom met a journalism degree, a ScreenRant writer was born. Emily is an avid fan of Marvel, anime, and horror (especially Stephen King), and is always willing to discuss Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. She is also a cosplayer who has attended conventions of all kinds for almost ten years. She can be found on Twitter @ejclute.

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