Character Deep-Dive: Katara from Avatar the Last Airbender

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In a world where female characters are given terrible story arcs and little to no development (cough… Sakura cough..), Katara shines with her brilliantly written personality and back story. Avatar The Last Airbender is known for its world-building and complex character arcs that viewers cannot help but be amazed by, be it the redeemed villain Zuko, the chosen hero Aang or the wise man Iroh, all of whom deserve to have separate posts dedicated to them. But there is a tendency in the fandom to overlook Katara, whom I consider the cornerstone of the series. Thus, I decided to make this post celebrating the incredible woman that she is. Here are some qualities that make her one of the best characters out there.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for all three seasons

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Unmatched skills and resourcefulness

Katara is one of the best waterbenders in the series. Much of her skill is self-taught since there weren’t any waterbenders left in the Southern Water Tribe. Katara’s battles are the most fascinating to watch and she really displays her versatility through them. A part of the reason why waterbending looks like the coolest type of bending is because of how dynamic her battles are. Whether she is unleashing her wrath in her bout against Pakku (and the Patriarchy, more on that later) or carefully planning every move to trap her opponent in her joint battle with Zuko against Azula, Katara captivates the viewers’ attention with her unmatched skills.

And can we talk about how clever sweat bending is? Imagine being able to think straight and innovate a way to get you out when you’re taken captive. That’s how resourceful Katara is and it is apparent in all her battles.

“Katara, you’re a genius! A sweaty, stinky genius!” - Toph

I also love how ambitious she is about honing her skills. She stole the waterbending scroll from pirates to practice new techniques on her own and fought for her right to learn it from the waterbending master Pakku in the Nothern Water Tribe. She also managed to learn blood bending in just one night of demonstration (unwillingly of course). Katara’s healing abilities are noteworthy. Again, mostly self-taught, she was able to recover Aang and Zuko from the near-death experience of electrocution by Azula and function as Team Avatar’s official healer - a position often taken for granted.

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Compassionate and Caring

Being an amazing fighter and a badass does not stop Katara from being compassionate and kind. I hate when shows/books/movies portray that women can only be one or the other. Just because they can hold their ground in fights doesn’t mean that they must be completely devoid of emotion. And Katara is the poster girl for that. She is the ‘motherly one’ in Team Avatar. She has a strong moral compass and always wants to do the right thing (and wants others to do the same).

Sokka admits that he heavily relied on her because she took a lot of responsibility and brought stability to the mess that their family had become after their mother’s death. Despite being the younger sibling, she stepped in to fill the void left by their mother.

“But honestly, I’m not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara’s been the one looking after me. She’s always been the one that’s there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara’s is the only face I can picture.” - Sokka

Toph too says that Katara cared about her real self more than her own mother ever did. When Aang goes into the Avatar state after hearing about Appa’s capture, she helps him calm down and think rationally. She even impersonates a mythological figure (the Painted Lady) and supports an entire village by providing medicine and food and helping them drive out oppressive industrialists.

Katara can easily empathise with others and seeks to help those in need. After hearing Zuko’s story about how the fire nation took his mother away, she can relate to him and even offers to heal his scar with the help of the limited spirit water that she was having. Of course, Zuko ends up betraying her trust big time, but in the next season when he joins Team Avatar she threatens to kill him if he ever hurts her friends.

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Calling out sexism

Katara not only disproves sexist comments against her but outright calls them out and challenges them. Like in the pilot episode where she gets mad at Sokka for his blatant misogyny and tells him straight to his face that she was embarrassed to be related to him. Quick tangent- I think the show in general does women justice through amazing characters like Katara, Toph, Suki etc. And Sokka’s journey from a sexist jerk to a respectful man is genuinely satisfying to watch.

Back to Katara - She doesn’t let anyone stand in the way of achieving her goals and ambitions. I think one of her best fights in the show is against Pakku, the waterbending master at the Nothern Water Tribe. She wishes to learn combat techniques from him but he refuses to teach her saying that women could only learn healing there. The old guy also takes serious offence when Aang tries to teach her a few techniques and demands an apology from her. Annoyed, Katara challenges him to a duel in the most badass way ever.

“No! No way I’m apologising to a sour old man like you! I’ll be outside… if you’re man enough to fight me!” - Katara

Katara standing up for herself was such a powerful and inspiring moment and I admire her character for that.

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There are many more instances that reflect Katara’s complex personality- her attachment to her mother and the journey of avenging her death and eventually forgiving the contemptible man behind it.

She is a role model who shows that female characters need not be pigeon-holed into cliches. She shows that one can be affectionate, motherly and considerate as well as be an excellent fighter and strategist.

Let me know in the comments about your favourite Katara moments. If you haven’t watched Avatar the Last Airbender yet, I highly recommend watching it!

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