Aang

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Aang is a character from my favourite show called Avatar. Discuss your views on Aang and the show.

http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/AangAvatar Volume 2: The Last Airbender

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Aang was a male Air Nomad born in 12 BG and the Avatar during the century-long conflict known as the Hundred Year War. His immediate predecessor was Avatar Roku,[6] and his immediate successor is Avatar Korra. As the Avatar of his time, he was the only person capable of using all four bending arts: airbending, waterbending, earthbending, and firebending. He was also one of a select few Avatars, and one of the first in many cycles[7] to learn the ancient art of energybending, and the first Avatar known to have actively used the technique.

Shortly before the beginning of the Hundred Year War, Aang was frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years; he later emerged, still biologically twelve years old, into a world engulfed by war.[8] During his absence, the Fire Nation had waged war upon the other nations and managed to completely wipe out the pacifistic Air Nomads. It fell to Aang, the last airbender and the Avatar, to end the War by mastering the other three elements and defeating Fire Lord Ozai. He remained a kind and goofy kid at heart throughout his year-long struggle, despite the overwhelming loss of his people and the heavy burdens he was forced to bear. After his victory over the Phoenix King, Aang began a romantic relationship with his close friend, Katara.[9] The couple eventually married and raised a family of three children: Bumi, a nonbender who became an airbender later in life, Kya, a waterbender, and the youngest, Tenzin, an airbender.

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Aang was born to two Air Nomads in 12 BG. After selecting the Avatar relics from among thousands of toys, thereby inadvertently confirming his identity as the Avatar, he was taken away by the monks of the Southern Air Temple, who kept his position a secret from him.[10][11] As an Air Nomad, Aang traveled extensively around the world.[12][13] During his childhood, Aang was housed, raised, and educated at the Southern Air Temple, under the guardianship of Monk Gyatso, who served as his father figure, counselor, and tutor.[6] As a child, Aang was a member of the Air Scouts, where he learned essential skills such as how to tie reins to a bison's horns with the bison horn knot.[14] When Aang turned six years old, he and several other young Air Nomad boys were taken to the Eastern Air Temple where they each chose a sky bison as their lifelong companion. Aang approached his soon-to-be sky bison Appa and offered him an apple, which Appa accepted, thus marking the start of their deep and lifelong friendship.[15]

Aang was always able to excel at any new bending moves he learned; at the age of six, he was a better airbender than children twice his age, and by the age of ten, Aang had proven himself to be better than his own teachers.[16] For exhibiting prodigious talent with his native element, air, he earned airbending tattoos and the status of an airbending master at the age of twelve, making him the youngest airbending master in Air Nomad history[17] until 171 AG, when his granddaughter, Jinora, received her tattoos at the age of eleven.[18]

In his childhood, Aang also visited the other air temples, as evidenced by his obvious familiarity with the Western Air Temple,[19] as well as cities in the Earth Kingdom, such as Omashu, where he developed a lasting friendship with the good-natured but eccentric Bumi.[12] He even bonded closely with children in the Fire Nation, like Kuzon,[13] with whom he went searching for a dragon in the mountains and saved a dragon egg from poachers.[20]

Aang with the Avatar relics
Aang was informed of his Avatar status prematurely.

Due to the signs of a possible war approaching, Aang was told about his status as the Avatar at age twelve, four years earlier than the traditional age of sixteen. Aang felt burdened by his status as the other children refused to play with him anymore and he came to spend more time practicing airbending with the monks. Monk Gyatso was the only one who showed understanding of Aang's burden, having been good friends with Avatar Roku, Aang's past life,[21] and tried to help ease Aang through the transition from childhood to adulthood by providing Aang with balance through fun during the upheaval in his life.[11]

However, Aang later discovered that he would be sent to the Eastern Air Temple in order to complete his airbending training far away from Monk Gyatso, whom the other monks thought was too soft on him. Afraid and confused, the young airbender ran away with his flying bison, Appa, though they became caught in a storm shortly after, which caused them to crash into the water. Aang saved himself and Appa from drowning by semi-consciously entering the Avatar State and freezing them both in a sphere of ice through a combination of airbending and waterbending.[11] The Avatar State kept him alive, albeit not fully conscious, in the iceberg for about a hundred years while the war raged on.

Winter 99 AG
Main article: History of Aang (12 BG - 100 AG)
Aang in the iceberg
Aang did not physically age inside an iceberg.

One hundred years later, Aang was found and freed from the iceberg by siblings Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.[8] He quickly befriended them and almost immediately attracted the attention of Prince Zuko, who was to capture him by order of his father, Fire Lord Ozai.[22] A newly formed Team Avatar set out to find a waterbending master who could teach Katara and Aang, evading Zuko's attempts to capture them on their journey to the North Pole.[23] While helping rid Senlin Village of Hei Bai, a spirit that was destroying their village, Aang crossed over to the Spirit World where he met Fang, the animal guide of his predecessor, Avatar Roku. He was instructed to visit an Avatar Temple on Crescent Island during the winter solstice so he could talk with Avatar Roku.[24] Despite a run-in with most of the Fire Sages, a group whose loyalty had reallocated to the Fire Lord, Aang managed to speak with Roku, who warned him about the impending arrival of Sozin's Comet, which would grant the Fire Nation enough power to win the War.[25]

Koizilla destroys the Navy
Aang, merged with the Ocean Spirit, drove off the Fire Nation Navy.

Roku urged Aang to master the three remaining elements before summer's end, when the comet was due to arrive, or no one would ever be able to restore balance to the world.[25] When Aang was later captured by Admiral Zhao, Zuko came to his aid under the identity of the Blue Spirit, freeing the former so that he could capture the Avatar himself.[13] Aang, Sokka, and Katara continued their travels to the Northern Water Tribe, all the while developing a tighter bond and Aang beginning to develop a crush on Katara. Upon the group's arrival at the Northern Water Tribe, Aang was displeased to learn that the waterbending master, Pakku, would not teach Katara, due to the tradition of not teaching females in combative waterbending. Instead, Katara learned how to heal injuries using water. However, she was able to change Pakku's mind, and they both began to learn under him.[26] The period of calm was brief, as Zhao[13] commanded an attack on the Northern Water Tribe with a large fleet of ships.[26] Aang found the situation overwhelming and decided to seek the guidance of the Ocean and Moon Spirits, patrons of the Northern Water Tribe.[1] Aang learned through a spirit named Koh that the spirits existed in the mortal world, but his physical self had been captured by Zuko while he was in the Spirit World. Aang's friends managed to rescue him, but not before Zhao arrived at the Spirit Oasis, the lair of the spirits, and killed the Moon Spirit, who was the source of power for all waterbending. Determined not to fail the Water Tribe, Aang merged with the Ocean Spirit and proceeded to wipe out all Fire Nation ships, winning the battle.[27]

Spring 100 AG
Main article: History of Aang (Spring 100 AG)
Aang and Toph
Aang and Toph connected on a personal level.

Aang and the others flew to an Earth Kingdom base, from where they were to be escorted to Omashu, but decided to travel alone as the general in charge tried to force Aang into the Avatar State.[28] Upon arrival, they learned that the city had fallen under Fire Nation control.[29] They evacuated the citizens from the city in order to sustain the Omashu Resistance; but, in the process, the governor's son, Tom-Tom, followed them out. Team Avatar was sent a messenger hawk saying the governor would trade Bumi for Tom-Tom. However, Azula interfered and their attempt was called off. At that, Aang fought Azula, who deemed it her mission to capture him. Bumi told Aang that he needed to remain in Omashu and instructed the young Avatar to search for an earthbending master who waited and listened to the earth before attacking.[30] While in the city of Gaoling, the team learned about a tournament that housed the best earthbenders in the world which they attended, hoping to find a good earthbending teacher for Aang. After watching many rounds, they witnessed the final fight between one of the popular contestants and the current champion, a blind girl. During her match, Aang realized the girl was the same one he had envisioned while lost in the Foggy Swamp,[31] and noticed her technique of waiting and listening before attacking, thus easily defeating her opponent. The ringmaster offered a sack of gold pieces to anyone who dared to face the "Blind Bandit". Aang accepted that challenge in order to talk to the girl, but she ignored him.[32]

Aang wrecks the drill
Aang destroyed the Fire Nation drill.

The group later learned that the girl was of the Beifong family and went to the Beifong estate, gaining entrance by having Aang introduce himself as the Avatar. He learned, however, that the earthbender, Toph, hid her ability from her family. When the two were kidnapped, Toph managed to fight off all the attackers, revealing her skill to her parents, and ran away from home in order to join Aang's group.[32] As earth is the element opposite of air, Aang went through some difficulties while learning earthbending but eventually got it.[33] While taking a small vacation, the group found Wan Shi Tong's library in the middle of the Si Wong Desert and learned valuable information on a solar eclipse that would leave the firebenders powerless. While sorting through the library's information, however, they lost Appa, who was captured by desert people[34] and sold.[15] After meeting the kidnappers, an enraged Aang entered the Avatar State and destroyed the tribes' sand-sailers when he learned of Appa's fate. Despite Appa's absence, the group knew their new goal was to tell the Earth King in Ba Sing Se about the eclipse as the day of the eclipse will be the perfect opportunity for the Earth Kingdom to invade the Fire Nation. After finding their way out of the desert and crossing the Serpent's Pass, the group discovered a giant Fire Nation drill trying to penetrate the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se.[35] General Sung was reluctant at first to accept the group's help, but after witnessing the quick defeat of his Terra Team at the hands of Ty Lee and Mai, he gladly accepted the Avatar's assistance. In a joint effort, the group managed to fight them off and destroy the drill.[36]

Aang struck
Aang was struck down by Azula while entering the Avatar State.

Upon reaching Ba Sing Se, Aang discovered that the city was secretly corrupt; true power did not lie with the Earth King, but with his adviser, Long Feng, who controlled the secret police, the Dai Li.[37] They learned of and infiltrated Long Feng's secret base, believing that he was holding Appa captive. After reuniting with Appa,[38] they stormed the palace and informed the Earth King of the solar eclipse and Long Feng's betrayal. After they convinced the Earth King, Kuei, his men searched Long Feng's office and found a message for Aang from Guru Pathik, who had tied it to Appa's horn.[15] The message requested that Aang meet Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple to be taught how to control the Avatar State.[39] While there, Pathik helped Aang open all his chakras but one, the Thought Chakra. Aang struggled to unlock this one when he learned he had to let go of his feelings for Katara. During his attempt to do so, he envisioned her in danger and immediately returned to the city, blocking his chakra.[1] On the way back, he picked up Sokka and Toph and together they learned that Azula and her friends had infiltrated the city. After Aang freed Katara from the princess' imprisonment, they both fought Zuko and Azula in the Crystal Catacombs. Things took a turn for the worse when the Dai Li, now under Azula's command, arrived. Aang attempted to enter the Avatar State, but was struck down in the back with a lightning bolt fired by Azula. The severe attack rendered his seventh chakra impossible to re-open and killed him while he was in the Avatar State, severing the connection of the Avatar Spirit to the Avatar World and causing the Avatar to fall from the plane of existence. Katara caught Aang while he plummeted to the ground. A surprising intervention of Iroh allowed her to bring Aang's body to safety. While escaping the city on Appa, Katara used water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole to revive him, which restored the Avatar Spirit in turn, but his ability to use the Avatar State became inaccessible to him.[40]

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Zuko is a firebending master, born as a prince in the Fire Nation Royal Family, who held the title of Fire Lord from 100 AG to 167 AG. Originally the primary enemy of Team Avatar, Zuko devoted three years to trying to capture the long-lost Avatar to end his banishment and regain his honor as Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. He is recognizable by the distinctive scar on the left side of his face, which was given to him by his father, Fire Lord Ozai, shortly before his banishment as a result of an incident in which he unintentionally disrespected his father by speaking out of turn and refusing to duel him.[9]

With support from his paternal uncle, General Iroh, and after much internal struggle and turmoil, Zuko rejected Ozai and his model of the Fire Nation. He instead joined the Avatar's group to become Aang's lifelong friend and firebending mentor[10] and was determined to end the war and restore both his and the Fire Nation's honor.[11] While Aang defeated Ozai, Zuko, with the help of Katara, defeated his younger sister Princess Azula and took his place as Fire Lord, declaring the end of the Hundred Year War and the start of an era of love and peace.[7]

At the beginning of his reign, Zuko had to overcome great difficulties and solve several crises, especially those caused by the Harmony Restoration Movement[12] and the New Ozai Society.[13] Nevertheless, he succeeded in maintaining peace and eventually became one of the founders of the United Republic of Nations.[14] Zuko retired from his position as Fire Lord in 167 AG and became an ambassador of peace, relinquishing the throne to his daughter, Izumi.[4][15]

When he learned in two weeks after Harmonic Convergence in 171 AG that the Red Lotus had escaped their prisons, Zuko once again set out to help the Avatar to protect the world.

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Korra is the current incarnation of the Avatar and immediate successor of Avatar Aang. Born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe, where she mastered waterbending, earthbending, and firebending,[7] she later relocated to Republic City to attain a similar proficiency with airbending under the tutelage and guidance of Tenzin as well as overcome her aversion to the spiritual aspects of the bending arts. With the assistance of Aang's spirit, Korra gained the ability to energybend, and after connecting with her past lives, she gained the capacity to enter the Avatar State at will, marking her transition into a fully realized Avatar.[8] However, due to her temporary separation from Raava during the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, she no longer has a connection to her past lives.[9] After defeating Kuvira and bringing an end to the Earth Empire, Korra started a romantic relationship with Asami Sato.[6][10]

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Sokka was a Water Tribe warrior of the Southern Water Tribe and the son of Chief Hakoda and Kya. Following the death of his mother and his father's leave for war, Sokka was raised by his grandmother Kanna along with his younger sister Katara.

Hakoda left along with all of the other men in his tribe to fight the Fire Nation when Sokka was a young boy. Despite his desire to join his father, Sokka was not permitted to accompany the men on the mission and was left behind.[8] As there were no other teenage boys in the tribe, Sokka was the oldest male in the South Pole and, therefore, left as the leader of the tribe. He assumed responsibility for the tribe, haplessly training children to be future warriors, until his sister discovered an Air Nomad named Aang frozen in an iceberg.[8] When he learned that Aang was the Avatar,[9] he was at first skeptical that a child could really save the world. As he and his sister helped Aang on his quest, he began to believe that Aang really was the only hope for peace in the world.

Despite his inability to bend, Sokka became the strategist of the group, constantly trying to prove himself to be a great warrior like his father. He attempted to train the younger children of the Southern Water Tribe in fighting. Sokka was also the "matter of fact" guy in the group and did not believe in spirit magic, as he openly mocked it.[10] His leadership skills improved during his travels with the Avatar, culminating with his masterminding the plan for the invasion of the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun.[11] His humor and his ability to organize and plan became imperative to the group on their travels. By the conclusion of the Hundred Year War, Sokka became a master swordsman[12] and a great warrior like his father.

After Aang and Zuko formed the United Republic of Nations, Sokka became the representative for the Southern Water Tribe and he also became the United Republic Council chairman.[13]