Top 10 Questions We Still Have about Avatar: The Last Airbender

Throughout their epic journey across three seasons, Aang and his friends encounter a memorable cast of characters - some of whom receive more closure than others. While many of the team’s allies turn up to help around the show’s climax, curiously missing are the Freedom Fighters Smellerbee and Longshot. That said, the two do reappear in the Avatar graphic novels. Another notable character with few appearances is Guru Pathik, who we never hear from again after Book Two, leaving fans to wonder whether he would ever continue Aang’s training. We would’ve also liked to catch up with the Swamp Benders more, although they do make a few brief appearances in Book Three.

This fearsome firebender honed her skills to prodigious levels. Driven to impress her father and increase her own power, Azula has trained relentlessly to master firebending - and it shows. Not only can she generate lightning, she also wields blue flames. This is a unique ability that isn’t explained in the show. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” co-creator Michael DiMartino has said that the color symbolizes her superior talent, and on a practical level distinguishes her attacks from Zuko’s. But how does blue firebending work in-universe? Are the flames just hotter? A popular fan theory suggests that the color represents Azula’s perfectionism, which has compelled her to achieve complete combustion. It’s an interesting theory, but we may never know for sure.

Sokka’s boomerang and “space sword” aren’t just iconic because they’re cool — they also symbolize the Team Avatar member’s character and growth. This connection to Sokka makes it extra meaningful when he shows how much he has grown during the series by losing these items during a heroic moment in the final episodes. Still, it would be unfortunate if Sokka never reunited with his weapons. Meteorite isn’t easy to come by, and you’d think Sokka wouldn’t want to part ways with a sword as one-of-a-kind as himself! Something to consider for a spinoff series, perhaps?

Combustion bending threatens the Aang gang a few times, notably in the form of the aptly named (by Sokka) “Combustion Man.” Info once hosted on the series website fleshed out this specific character — explaining that when he was young and couldn’t control his bending, he blew off his own arm and leg. Combustion bending also appears in The Last Airbender’s successor, “The Legend of Korra”, but the origin of this explosive subset of fire bending remains a mystery across both shows. Fans can only speculate on the source of this devious and destructive bending superpower.

While we don’t learn much about Iroh’s past, what we do glean is equally intriguing and heartbreaking. His connection with the mysterious Sun Warriors is one potentially exciting wrinkle to his character that we don't learn much about, much like his relationship with the spirit world. We do know that he’s encountered the Sun Warriors before. In that instance, he had firebending wisdom imparted to him by the dragons Ran and Shaw — whom he later protected by lying about their demise. It could be interesting to see the story of how Iroh mastered the Dancing Dragon on-screen or in supplementary material!

Suki is much more than just Sokka’s main love interest; the Kyoshi Warrior is one of the series' most beloved characters among fans. So it makes sense that we’re clamoring to learn more about what happens to her after the events of the series. While Suki appears in the comics, we want to know more than we learn there! In “The Legend of Korra”, Sokka has died before the start of the series, though he does appear in flashbacks—where Suki is surprisingly absent! This frustrating fact leaves us wondering what awaits our favorite pairing.

This awe-inspiring creature didn’t appear until the show's final episodes, leaving a lion turtle-sized question mark for fans at the end. Aang learns to energybend from the last living lion turtle … but we never find out what happens to the lonely creature. In “The Legend of Korra”, through the eyes of the first Avatar, Wan, we see a past where people lived in cities built on the backs of lion turtles. Supplementary material mentions that lion turtles were hunted to near extinction. However, the future of the species remains unknown - although the outlook is obviously pretty grim. Save the lion turtles!

Speaking of energybending, here’s another mystery introduced late in the show. Aang uses energybending to subdue Fire Lord Ozai without killing him. “The Legend of Korra” complicates things, adding more questions than it answers. Not only can energybending take away someone’s bending, it can also give it back and even create an astral projection. Then there’s the time Korra creates a spirit portal by energybending the spirit energy cannon! Despite all this, we know little about what energybending really is. Here’s hoping we learn more as the Avatar world gets bigger!

We sometimes see flashbacks to the earlier childhoods of Fire Nation siblings Zuko and Azula. Seeing what Zuko went through is part of what endeared him to audiences, proving that he was a morally complex character. On the other hand, seeing Azula's childhood makes it look like she was just evil, even then. Can such a character even be redeemed? Azula is one of Team Avatar’s most relentless enemies. The last we see of her, she’s had a complete breakdown. She does appear in the comics, but she continues her scheming, and never really gives up her evil ambitions. Could she ever be redeemed? Then again, would we even want her to be, or do we love her too much as a villain?

While the elusive Order of the White Lotus order emerges from the shadows during the show’s finale, its origins remain secretive. The show explains the Order’s initial purpose: for scholars to share their knowledge, rarely intervening in society. But we never find out who formed it or how! We also have plenty of other unanswered questions. For one, how did all its members become such badasses? This origin story is another unexplored corner of the Avatar universe. The “Legacy of the Fire Nation” scrapbook touches on the Order’s history, but doesn’t fill in all the gaps.

Did we miss the question that’s bending your brain the most? Let us know in the comments!