Avatar The Last Airbender: Main Characters, Ranked From Worst To Best By Character Arc

When one talks about the greatest animated shows of all time, then it goes without saying that Avatar: The Last Airbender would rank pretty high up in this conversation. Nickelodeon stumbled upon an absolute goldmine when this show took off like a rocket, with the popularity of Aang and his friends being so immense that the network decided to release a sequel to Avatar as well that would knock everyone’s socks off too.

A big part of what made Avatar: The Last Airbender such a brilliant show was its amazing cast of well-rounded characters, each of whom managed to come into their own as individuals while simultaneously playing a huge role in the overarching plot of the series as well. That being said, it was clear that some main characters were clearly more important than others, and the quality of their character arcs is a great way to compare their overall impact in the grand scheme of things. Keeping this in mind, here are all the main characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender based on how compelling their character arcs were.

7 Azula

It’s a testament to the brilliant character writing of Avatar: The Last Airbender that a person who has the least compelling arc out of all the other members of the main cast still manages to be a highlight in every scene she’s featured in.

At the end of the day, Azula is meant to be a foil for Zuko and the war that rages on in his own psyche. It’s this part of her character that ultimately prevents her from going through a character arc that is too dire and changes up her personality to a substantial extent — something that would end up ruining Zuko’s development. So, it’s nice to see that Azula still manages to be an interesting character even after being essentially bottlenecked into this role.

6 Sokka

At a glance, one may assume Sokka to be nothing more than a character meant solely for comic relief. However, as is the case with Azula, Sokka’s depth as a character is deceptive and truly interesting to witness.

His ethics and morals are something that he stands by no matter what — with the only exceptions being when his womanizing side comes at the forefront — while his loyalty for his friends is so strong that he’s willing to lay down his own life for them if need be. Though it would be impossible to discuss Sokka without mentioning his negatives, he goes through a great journey of growth throughout the series.

5 Toph Beifong

The blind earthbender with perhaps the sharpest tongue in the entire series certainly started off her character on a high note — after running away from her family who tried to force her into a marriage, Toph ends up joining Team Avatar in a bid to teach Aang the basics of earthbending.

While most people may argue that Toph’s entry into the team pretty much cemented her character without the need to even change, she still has her moments of growth throughout the series… even though they might not be all that frequent and don’t really change her personality all that much either.

4 Iroh

Easy one of the best and most intriguing characters in the entire series, Iroh is like a still, calm river in the turbulent waters of the Avatar series. There are moments when he may lose his cool at times and get frazzled by the events happening around him, but his age and wisdom prevent him from letting his emotions get a complete grasp of him. Rather, he makes sure that logic always dictates his actions and doesn’t let anything trouble him… especially anything that is completely unnecessary.

That being said, there’s an argument that Iroh’s age and timeless wisdom imply that his character doesn’t really change all that much throughout the series… but — just like Toph — he doesn’t really need to either.

3 Katara

While initially coming off as a naive waterbender with absolutely no knowledge of the world at large, Katara’s development throughout the series cements her as one of the best characters of all time and an absolute treat to witness throughout the series.

From breaking gender barriers to become an extremely competent waterbender to dealing with the emotions she feels for Aang — Katara experiences a ton of growth throughout the series and the way her character matures with the show’s progression is easily one of the series’ highlights.

2 Zuko

For all the lighthearted moments that Avatar might have throughout its episodes, the show actually deals with a ton of mature themes and motifs using the deftest of touches. A great example of this is with Zuko, who is consumed by hatred and rage in the initial few moments of the series due to the abuse he suffers at the hands of his father, only to realize the error of his ways and stand against the family that never even gave him a single moment of respite.

Zuko’s story is crucial to the overarching narrative of Avatar, showing that a person who might seem like the worst of the worst is ultimately a person who was shaped by the trauma of his past and should be judged for his personal growth as opposed to his foolhardy actions that were driven by a narrow view of the world and years of systemic abuse.

1 Avatar Aang

However, there’s no other character who has to deal with so many problems, issues, and responsibilities as Aang. The idea of being an Avatar who saves the world might seem rather enticing at first glance, but it’s the underlying duties that reside in this role that can truly wear a person down, especially if they’re destined to a preordained path from such a young age.

Aang shows viewers the effect that unrealistic expectations can have on a person, coupled with everything from survivor’s guilt to romantic feelings as well. He easily has one of the best and most intriguing character arcs in Avatar, which has even more of an impact given that he’s the main protagonist of the show.