Top 10 Times Sokka Was Actually Brilliant on Avatar: The Last Airbender

A trip to the Northern Air Temple brings up complicated feelings for Aang once he discovers that Earth Kingdom refugees have moved into it. Sokka, however, is thoroughly interested in the machinery that fills the temple, particularly the flying machines. He initially impresses the mechanist that built it all by inadvertently figuring out how to detect gas leaks. Sokka really shows how smart he is when he intentionally helps perfect a war balloon to use against the Fire Nation. He uses both the airship and his intelligence when enemy soldiers attack the Northern Air Temple. By using a balloon's engine to cause an explosion, he is able to win the day.

Not being a bender like the rest of the group eventually gets to Sokka. He decides to seek training from a sword master named Piandao to become a better warrior. After Sokka demonstrates humility, Piandao takes him on. Throughout his training, Sokka displays an unusual approach to his master’s tasks. He adds a rainbow to a landscape painting and uses his face when asked to make his mark using calligraphy. However, Sokka’s creative way of looking at things proves to be ideal when he duels his master. He uses the terrain and clever tactics to get the better of his more experienced opponent several times. Although Sokka loses the duel in the end, he still becomes a better fighter.

Although Sokka and his sister Katara are the Team Avatar members that usually argue the most, she and Toph end up blowing up at each other while traveling in the Fire Nation. After Katara scolds Toph for scamming locals, Toph calls Katara out for being too motherly. While Sokka’s first attempt at reconciling the two of them is pretty boneheaded, he makes up for it with his second try. He sits down and talks to Toph while Katara secretly listens nearby. After Sokka acknowledges that his sister can be bossy and annoying, he admits that she’s been like a mother to him after their mom died. Sokka’s not usually very emotionally intelligent, but he shows surprising depth here.

Upon arriving at the walled city of Ba Sing Se, Aang and company discover that the outermost wall is being attacked by a large Fire Nation drill. Sokka quickly devises a plan to take down the drill from the inside. After breaking into the machine, he wisely decides to break something else to get the attention of an engineer carrying the drill’s schematics. The paper plans prove instrumental in finding where the machine’s structural weaknesses are. Although Sokka isn’t able to cut the braces holding the drill together like Aang and Katara can, his strategy and recommendations lead to the machine being destroyed. It’s a shame the team wasn’t as receptive to Sokka’s team nicknames. Sorry Sokka, we liked the “Aang gang” nickname too.

Although Sokka helped orchestrate a clever prison break in season 1, his crowning achievement in Fire Prison escapology takes place in season 3. (*xref) In order to rescue his father from a volcano prison known as the Boiling Rock, Sokka infiltrates the place disguised as a guard. Unfortunately, he has no solid plan to get back out. Sokka thinks up a clever way to escape by using prison’s cooler cells as boats. But he abandons the plan to save his dad. Fortunately, Sokka and father devise a new plan. With the help of his imprisoned girlfriend Suki and prince Zuko, Sokka and his allies get out of the Boiling Rock with their lives. It’s pretty dang impressive for a man who didn’t have a plan.

During the same episode that Sokka trains under sword master Piandao, the Gaang sits under a meteor shower. When one of the space rocks lands nearby and causes a massive fire, everybody but Sokka uses their bending to fight the blaze. Seeing his friends fight the flames with bending motivates Sokka to seek out his master’s tutelage. When the time comes for him to select a metal for his sword, he hits upon the idea of using the meteorite as a base. The resulting space sword is durable, incredibly sharp and proves invaluable on their further adventures. This cool weapon exists all because Sokka thought outside the box.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka meet a group of young Freedom Fighters led by a boy named Jet. But something about the teenage rebel rubs the water tribe warrior the wrong way. Sokka particularly gets upset when Jet and his freedom fighters rob a helpless old man just because he’s a Fire Nation citizen. Sokka eventually learns that the group plans to cause a flood that could kill or injure innocent villagers. But he’s captured by Jet’s freedom fighters. However, by thinking on his feet and using some traps already laid by the Fire Nation, Sokka’s able to escape and warn the villagers in time for them to evacuate. He’s got good instincts… usually.

The final battle of the series sees the Earth Kingdom being attacked by Fire Nation airships while firebenders are empowered by Sozin’s comet. In order to stop the invasion, Toph, Suki, and Sokka board one of the flying vessels. While Toph is naturally the muscle, Sokka uses a hairbrained, yet brilliant idea to conveniently get all the crew off the ship. He then uses the hijacked airship as a ramming weapon to take out most of the remaining fleet. The flying vessels were headed straight towards Aang’s fight with the Firelord. If not for Sokka’s plans, the airships might have interfered with the battle - and then where would the world be?!

When the Gaang meets Professor Zei, he tells them that Wan Shi Tong’s Library contains books from every nation. Sokka quickly realizes the strategic importance of such a vast collection of knowledge. Although Wan Shi Tong thinks the water tribe warrior is a bit dim, Sokka’s still able to fool the library owner into letting them learn new things. While exploring the building, Sokka hits upon a key piece of information – an eclipse is coming. During the phenomenon, the firebenders will be helpless. Sokka hopes the eclipse can give him and his allies a huge edge over the Fire Nation. This info eventually forms the cornerstone of the heroes’ eventual invasion plan. Not bad for someone Wan Shi Tong called “not very bright.”

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Fake Earthbending, “Imprisoned”
Even Though It’s Katara’s Idea, Sokka Still Helps Make It Look Real

Showing Up Hahn, “The Siege of the North, Part 1”
Sokka Shows Up His Romantic Rival by Providing Military Intelligence

Haiku Battle, “The Tales of Ba Sing Se”
And People Think Sokka Is Uncultured!

Throughout the show’s 3rd season, the group is pursued by a firebending assassin capable of creating explosions with his mind. Sokka names this explosive enemy Sparky Sparky Boom Man...before settling on the catchier nickname “Combustion Man”. When the assassin tracks the group to the Western Air Temple, he attempts to snipe them from afar. Luckily, a reformed Zuko knocks Combustion Man off balance. With explosions and rubble raining down on them, none of the benders can retaliate. Sokka then pulls out his trusty boomerang and uses it to hit Combustion Man in the head. This causes the explosive technique to fatally backfire on the assassin. If you don’t think that takes intelligence or skill, you’ve clearly never tried to hit something with a boomerang!