Paul Sung-Hyung Lee will play the live-action Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender, confirming a more mature tone for season 1, similar to the later seasons of the Avatar animated series. Both Netflix's adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar Studios, helmed by Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, have given much hope to fans of the series.
Due to the stellar writing of the characters, Ranker, through the opinions of the Avatar Community, was able to determine which characters ranked the highest in terms of fan popularity, which Netflix will hopefully take into account when they no doubt rewrite the characters.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Ty Lee
Ty Lee is the "friend" of Azula and accompanies her as a part of her traveling entourage while hunting the Avatar. Ty Lee utilizes her unique martial art "Chi Blocking" to incapacitate enemies and disrupt a bender's Bending. Among Azula's companions, Ty Lee is known for her sunny disposition and constant acrobatic feats.
Contrasting her more monotone and stuffy traveling companions, Ty Lee's fun-loving personality, and casual flirty attempts on Sokka provide much-appreciated comedy to the dire situations they cause. Allowing Ty Lee to constantly break the building tension, and cement herself as a bubbly agent of chaos.
Suki
Suki is the leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors, Sokka's girlfriend, and the final addition to the GAANG in the latter half of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Suki is a highly intelligent and skilled martial artist whose fighting skills are only rivaled by the resident acrobat, Ty Lee.
Suki obtained her popularity for being an accurate and grounded representation of a teenage girl, when in her situation. Upon encountering the misogynistic Sokka, she clearly explains her frustrations that she wished to be treated as an equal, rather than a damsel for Sokka to "save." As Suki herself said, "I Am a Warrior ... But I'm a Girl Too."
Azula
Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, is the crowned Princess of the Fire Nation and the younger sister of Prince Zuko. Blessed with exceptional talent from birth, Azula is a textbook perfectionist which leads her to develop a crippling superiority complex where she sees everything less than perfect as beneath her.
Azula is by far the deadliest adversary the Gaang faces and brings true terror and anxiety whenever she appears. Azula is the true villain of the series with Ozai falling flat when compared to her. As Zuko becomes steadily more virtuous throughout the series, Azula's villainy grows exponentially as Azula becomes increasingly more unhinged throughout Avatar, lashing out at everyone and everything and making the two siblings perfect foils to one another.
Katara
Katara is a young Water Bender from the Southern Water Tribe who, while fishing with her older brother Sokka, accidentally discovers Aang frozen in an iceberg. Katara eventually becomes the Water Bending Master for Aang, his love interest, and the strongest Water Bender in the entirety of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
While Katara receives much criticism for being naggy throughout the show, fans gravitated towards Katara for her earnest, motherly feelings. As she and Sokka lost their mother when they were young, she understands feelings of loss and personally helps the entire Gaang through their familial issues. She also is an excellently written female character, being both an excellent source of comfort for the group, while also being potentially the deadliest character in Avatar.
Aapa
Aapa is the animal companion of Aang and is the last known remaining Sky Bison in Avatar: The Last Airbender. As Aapa can fly, his main role in the group is to help the Gaang travel the world to allow Aang to master the four elements quickly. Without Aapa's aid, the Gaang can barely function and are essentially stranded in Ba Sing Se, the Earth Nation Capitol, when Aapa goes missing.
For a character who cannot talk except for one episode, Aapa, with his supreme cuddliness, is by far the most beloved animal on the show. He has also shown incredible loyalty to the group often joining in battles, and on multiple occasions has saved the Gaang from certain doom. Aapa has become far more than an animal and has become a true member of the Gaang.
Aang
Aang is the main character in Avatar and is himself the Avatar, a person born into one of the four nations who is solely able to bend all four elements; Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. With the entire world wracked by a century's long war, Aang is tasked with mastering all elements in a matter of months when it would usually take years before Sozin's comet arrives and the Fire Nation gains enough power to destroy the world.
Aang's journey to master all of the elements becomes an exceptional life lesson to all who have watched the series, especially those who are young. Aang has his share of strengths, weaknesses, bad days, and good days, and though he is the Avatar series best Avatar, he's also just a kid and people can relate to how much pressure he faces with the choices he makes.
Sokka
Sokka is the older brother of Katara and acts as the Gaangs strategist, map reader, and resident comedian. Though initially misogynistic, after encountering Suki, Sokka slowly but surely learns how obtuse his thinking is, which allows him to grow as a person. While Sokka is a non-bender unlike the majority of the Gaang, he is undisputedly the most trusted member of the group.
Lacking the ability to bend, Sokka strives to learn how to fight in any way possible, and with any weapon that he can. With the exception of one instance, Sokka never lets his non-bending become an issu0,e showing that anyone can be a massive asset if they put their minds to perfecting what they are capable of. Sokka may not be perfect, but he is undoubtedly the glue that holds the group together, providing his own brand of wisdom whenever possible.
Toph Beifong
Toph Beifong is the only child of the esteemed Beifong family and was raised with an oppressive level of restriction, as her parents feared for her safety due to her being born blind. However, Toph utilizes her blindness to learn a unique form of Earthbending, eventually developing Metal Bending, which had never even been attempted before.
As the strongest Earth Bender and arguably the strongest character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Toph's supreme confidence in her abilities and the skills to back up her confidence make her shine on screen. Besides Sokka, Toph is also the funniest character on the show, with every scene she's in filled with hilarious physical comedy.
Zuko
Zuko was formerly the crowned Prince of the Fire Nation, though after inadvertently disrespecting his father, he was savagely mutilated and then banished from the Fire Nation for disgracing himself and the royal family. In order to restore his honor, Zuko is tasked with traveling the world to find the Avatar who had alluded capture for over a century and bring him back, dead or alive.
While Zuko was initially presented as an enemy, after traveling with Iroh and learning his father's true feelings, makes the tremendously difficult decision to join the Avatar while fully knowing they might attack and kill him after all he did to them. Seeing Zuko's progression from enemy to staunch ally in one of Avatar's best redemption arcs was an excellent example of how friendship can truly change a person.
Uncle Iroh
Uncle Iroh, also known as the Dragon of the West, is the older brother of Fire Lord Ozai and Uncle to Zuko. While Iroh lost his right to the throne after his son Lu Ten died, he is an exceptionally skilled Fire Bender and former Fire Nation general who now travels the world alongside Zuko to further his Fire Bending training, as well as keep his nephew company while hunting the Avatar.
Uncle Iroh, filled with wisdom and anecdotes for any conceivable situation, is by far the most beloved character in all of Avatar. With the exception of the Gaang, Iroh is one of the few people in all of Avatar who shows true compassion towards Zuko, even after Zuko abandons him in a moment of confusion. He has even shown compassion towards Toph when she was still Zuko's enemy and gave her advice when he could have easily ignored her.