Despite only having 3 seasons, Avatar: The Last Airbender has made a huge impact on those who have had the pleasure of watching it. The critically acclaimed series owes its success to its cast of well-written and complex characters, as well as the wonderfully immersive universe in which the ATLA story takes place.
All of the main characters in ATLA have excellent character arcs that slot in perfectly to the show’s main narrative. Many of the characters in ATLA undergo vast personal development throughout the show’s three seasons. Each character’s first and last lines in the series provide an interesting insight into their development as people during this time.
Suki
“And if you don’t answer all our questions, we’re throwing you back in the water with the Unagi.” - “And why did you paint me Firebending?”
Despite having first appeared in ATLA during the show’s 1st season, Suki joined Team Avatar quite late in the series. Her first interaction with Team Avatar perfectly typifies her fierce personality, threatening to throw them to the Unagi after mistaking them for hostile intruders.
Suki’s subsequent interactions with Team Avatar are far less hostile, and after becoming a fully-fledged member of the team, she begins a romantic relationship with Sokka. However, despite her love for Sokka, Suki is not afraid to criticize his dreadful painting in “Sozin’s Comet," as her final line of the series would suggest.
Iroh
“I won't get to finish my game?” - “Hey! My belly’s not that big anymore, I've really trimmed down.”
Iroh is initially portrayed as a lazy and light-hearted guardian of his nephew, Prince Zuko, and this is perfectly captured in his first line. His concerns in life at this point are focused on disposable pleasures such as games. However, from this point onwards, Iroh becomes ever more involved with his nephew’s endeavor to capture the Avatar, repeatedly showing fans why he is considered to be one of the most powerful benders in ATLA.
Iroh’s final line in the series is typical of his character - light-hearted and funny. However, Iroh’s concluding remark references how much he has developed physically throughout ATLA, starting out as rather unfit and lazy before transforming into a more athletic member of Team Avatar. This change resulted in Iroh being more active as a character and willing to join his teammates in potentially dangerous adventures.
Azula
“My brother and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame on all of us.” - “There you are, filthy peasant.”
Azula's first full appearance in ATLA occurs in season 2’s first episode, “The Avatar State." She is immediately portrayed as a strong and ruthless leader with little regard for sentiment, as her first line would indicate.
However, by the end of ATLA, Azula is a shadow of her former self, with her character arc ending bitterly and in disgrace. As Azula’s final line of the series would suggest, she has not come a very long way in terms of personal development, still clinging to her elitist mentality that contributed to her downfall.
Toph
“Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder” - “Well, I think you all look perfect!”
Toph bursts onto the small screen in “The Blind Bandit” in classic Toph fashion, goading the Boulder before their Earth Rumble match without a second thought. She continues her use of quick-witted dry humor throughout ATLA’s 3 seasons, providing some of the funniest scenes in ATLA.
Toph’s final line in the series is perfectly representative of how hilarious she is and is certainly one of her funniest quotes. Like all of the main characters in ATLA, Toph fought through many traumatic situations, but, as indicated by her final line, nothing can crush her spirit.
Zuko
“Uncle, do you realize what this means?” - “My hair is not that spikey!”
While not much can be said about Zuko’s first line, one thing it does show audiences is that the young prince’s first instinct is to share his thoughts with his uncle. Out of all the main characters in ATLA, Zuko has certainly changed the most between his first line and his last line.
Although Zuko’s final line in ATLA does not represent the vast character development he underwent during the series, it does capture the essence of his personality. It would not be a typical Zuko quote in The Last Airbender unless there was some form of whining, and of course, there is when he defends himself from the accusation that his hair is too spikey.
Katara
“Sokka, look!” - “Wait, why did you give me Momo’s ears?”
Katara’s first line happens to be the second line spoken in the entire series, and although it only contains two words, it represents how much she values her older brother. The line also provides a fantastic reference point from which to compare how far Katara has progressed as a waterbender. The excitement heard in Katara’s voice while she holds a fish with waterbending, compared with her masterful waterbending in “Sozin’s Comet," acts as quite an astounding comparison.
Katara’s last line is wonderfully typical of interaction with Sokka and reminiscent of the simpler times they shared together early on in season 1. Katara mocks Sokka’s dreadful painting of the group, causing the other members of Team Avatar to join in with the goading, making for a very funny moment that reflects the show's joyful spirit.
Sokka
“It’s not getting away from me this time!” - “Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?”
While just a simple quote, Sokka’s first line is indicative of his tenacity and his tendency not to give up very easily, which is something that he showcases on multiple occasions throughout ATLA. Sokka is always determined to get what he wants, even if it comes at a high personal cost to him or his loved ones.
Sokka also showcases his comedic genius on multiple occasions throughout ATLA, rarely failing to elicit laughter from fans. His final line is perfectly representative of his great sense of humor, and it is only fitting that his final interjection is a joke.
Aang
“I need to ask you something” - “The world’s so different now”
Having just been thawed out of an iceberg after one hundred years, Aang delivers a rather bizarre line that understandably surprises Katara, who should surely have been the one with all the questions. Despite the unusual circumstances under which Aang and Katara first met, a romance blossomed between them, with Aang’s first and last ATLA scenes taking place while he is in Katara’s arms.
However, Aang delivers his last line to Zuko, and it functions well as a summary of how significant the events of ATLA were to the Avatar timeline. It also perfectly summarises how much Aang has developed throughout the series. The world is different to Aang in multiple ways here as he gained new friends, lost some personal battles, and, perhaps most importantly, he has fully become the airbending master and high monk he was always meant to be.