Avatar: The Last Airbender has many beloved characters, and arguably the most beloved is Sokka. He is the smart yet dumb comedic relief who grows into a fearsome leader and warrior, and fans of the show love to both support him and laugh at him.
However, not every fan views him so favorably. The website Reddit shows many fans arguing rather unpopular opinions about him, from his strength in battle to his personality to his relationships. While these opinions may be unpopular, they are still worth talking about.
Sokka Is Useless
According to Reddit user Dennisbaily, "Sokka is way more useless than people think. He gets some important roles with planning here and there, but those numbers aren't high. In ''Sokka's Master,'' it's almost said that Sokka is just the comic relief. Sokka is the most replaceable character in the gaang."
But to Dennisbaily's credit, they don't necessarily hold this against Sokka: "I think they should have included him more in the story. The fact he only gets his episode in season 3 shows that he is underused. His feelings should have been addressed way earlier. This could also have allowed for greater and more nuanced growth and development over time."
Sokka Should Have Just Been Smart, Not Funny
Sokka was an interesting character in that he was the most intelligent member of the Gaang, but sometimes he was also the dumbest. This made him more complex than your average comic relief character, but according to Reddit user sampeckinpah5, this makes his character inconsistent: "I don't like it when he suddenly has an IQ of 10 in service of a comedic scene. If you want the character to be smart, they should be smart at all times."
Sometimes people can just be smart in different ways, and Sokka had many smart moments in Avatar, so generally, fans don't mind him being a little foolish in the moments where he is meant to be the butt of the joke.
Sokka Is Annoying
Sokka is arguably the funniest character in the whole Avatar franchise, but not everyone likes his style of humor. According to Reddit user Cephas11, "I used to think Sokka was really funny when I was younger but now that I'm older I find him pretty annoying as a character. While I get that shows need comic relief characters, his comedy is mostly annoying slapstick comedy, him tripping and falling in goo, or hitting himself in the face by accident."
While this particular opinion may be unpopular, fans may agree with Cephas11 in how they also find it annoying that "In the beginning he is flat out a bad person with his sexism," which is a valid point.
Sokka And Toph Are A Bad Ship
Toph and Sokka, despite never becoming a canon couple, was a very popular ship during the show's run. However, as Redditor -velox- states, "I don't get Tokka at all. When I watched the show I never even considered it a possibility, then I joined this sub and there are so many people who ship it. I never thought Toph had a crush on Sokka, and I prefer him with Suki anyway."
While many fans still ship Tokka, Sokka being the father of Suyin seems like it would be wildly out of character, and nowadays Sokka is far more likely to be shipped with Zuko, as many fans consider Sokka and Zuko soulmates.
Sokka And Suki Are The Only Good Couple On The Show
Shipping is an often hotly debated topic in the Avatar fandom, and according to Reddit user CallMeSassaphrass, "Really, the only romantic relationship that did and would make sense (and was genuinely nice to see) was Sokka and Suki."
While other fans may argue that other ships in the show work, fellow Redditor silverBruise_32 agrees, stating, "The only well-written romance was Sokka and Suki, and that's because the creators didn't give them any "drama" to overcome." While the pair did have issues that they had to talk through, this lack of petty drama is probably why Sokka and Suki are considered the most relatable couple, and fans love them for that.
Sokka Gets Too Goofy As The Series Goes On
While many fans love Sokka's antics, according to Redditor JosephBapeck, "As the series goes on Sokka's character becomes disproportionately goofier. Compare Sokka in episode 1 to Sokka in episode 61. In book 1 he is sarcastic, cocky, and scientifically minded with an underlying goofiness. After that, though he has become known for his goofiness as his defining trait."
JosephBapeck goes on to argue that it's "Like his character was reversed. No other character in the series feels like this. Sokka being humbled is good. Sokka being changed into comic relief who happened to be intelligent as well, instead of intelligent who happened to be comic relief as well is bad."
Sokka Isn't Funny
Sokka was considered the show's main comic relief, but sadly not every viewer found him amusing. Humor is always subjective, and as stated by Reddit user Randver_Silvertongue, "Iroh was the only one who could make me laugh. I felt Sokka was too loud and couldn't be hysterical without being obnoxious. All his comical moments felt like they were overdoing his goofy side, especially when he was hallucinating in the desert, it just felt cringy."
In Sokka's defense, ATLA is a kid's show, so it makes sense that the humorous moments would be a little goofy and silly. But despite this, most fans tend to love Sokka's antics and find them hilarious.
Sokka And Yue Are Overhyped
Sokka's tragic relationship with Yue, which ends in Yue's death, is one of the saddest things about Sokka, and it's often considered one of the saddest parts of the whole show. Because of Yue's memorable sacrifice, their relationship is considered iconic amongst the fans.
But not every viewer found their relationship so captivating. As argued by Redditor youcandoitlex, "I think the Yue hype is kinda overrated. Sokka “loved” her at first sight just because she was pretty but her personality was quite boring. I do think her sacrifice was awesome, don’t get me wrong! Past that though, their relationship was pretty bland."
Sokka Is Underappreciated In Battle
Despite being a capable warrior in his own right, since Sokka can't bend he is often underestimated in fights. The show itself addresses this issue, but according to one Redditor, it wasn't enough: "I've always hated how unappreciated Sokka is in battle. Sokka is the guy who can get the gaang through anything. He's so resourceful and some of his plans are complete genius. If I had to pick one character from the series to get me out of a situation alive it would be Sokka."
Sokka is more capable than the other characters give him credit for, and there's a good reason why he is named "The Plan Guy."
Sokka Is The Real Hero Of The Show
While the show is named after the Avatar, according to Redditor idankthegreat, the show was really about Sokka all along: "Hear me out. The only man left to watch over the village was a teenager who did his best, and once trouble came in the form of a fire nation warship, he was already ready to fight. Throughout the show, Sokka goes through what is arguably the most extensive character growth, from a boy desperate to look like his heroic father to a man who leads the charge against the fire nation."
While Sokka may not be the main character according to most fans, it's easy to see why fans like idankthegreat admire him so much.