Avatar: The Last Airbender returned to Netflix with great fanfare, as fans of the popular anime-style groundbreaking show immediately began streaming. The Nickelodeon original, which spanned three seasons and dealt with more challenging themes than a typical Nicktoon, garnered great praise for its story, its adoption of Eastern culture, and its visuals.
Fans viewed a three-season journey that centered around Avatar Aang and his friends, known as Team Avatar, as they took on the arduous challenge of ending a 100-year war started by the Fire Nation. But what were Team Avatar's highest and lowest points? For this list, the focus will be on Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko.
TOPH LOWEST: Losing Appa
Toph's lowest point in the series came due to circumstances beyond her control. In "The Library", while standing watch outside the Wan Shi Tong Library with Appa, she had to choose between ensuring her friends escaped the sinking library and protecting Appa from thieving sand benders. Not helped by the fact that she was standing on sand which limited her vision, she, unfortunately, lost Appa.
When Aang found out he was understandably furious, but his excoriation of Toph seemed incredibly harsh. Coupled with the fact that Team Avatar had to wander the desert without the flying bison, Toph really took a lot of unfounded criticism for trying to do too much at a considerable disadvantage.
TOPH HIGHEST: Creating Metalbending
Toph was already regarded as one of the best earthbenders in the world, but her escape from bounty hunters Xin Fu and Master Yu solidified her standing as the best of the best when she created metal bending. Realizing that metal was just a highly processed earth, Toph was able to detect impurities in her metal cage. As a result, she was able to manipulate the metal, escape from prison, and capture her captors.
Her metal bending proves to be a valuable weapon against the Fire Nation, as she used it to take out a fleet of airships. In the sequel series The Legend of Korra, metal bending became a required skill for the Republic City police force.
Zuko Lowest: Betraying Iroh
Long considered the black sheep of the Fire Nation Royal family, Zuko spent the first part of the series trying to capture the Avatar and regain his father's favor. While he was improving his relationship with his uncle Iroh throughout Book 2, Zuko ultimately cast it all away during the Coup of Ba Sing Se. Despite Iroh's hopes that Zuko would not be easily swayed by his sister's offer, he did and ultimately gave up Iroh to Azula and the Dai Li.
Though he believed he had restored his honor, he struggled with the guilt of his decision, especially considering how Iroh treated him more like a son than his own father did. That betrayal served as a constant theme through Book 3.
Zuko Highest: Realizing His True Destiny
To piggyback off of his lowest point, Zuko struggled with his identity after returning home to the Fire Nation. It wasn't until he received a cryptic note from Iroh telling him to learn about his great grandfather that he began to realize who he really was. After finding out that he was the great-grandson of Avatar Roku, he started to realize that what he was brought up to believe and what his father had done to him was wrong.
As a result, during the Black Sun invasion, Zuko told off his father and announced his intention to join Aang, and consequently set in motion the first in a long list of reforms to right the wrongs of the Fire Nation.
Sokka Lowest: Losing Yue
Towards the end of Book 1, Sokka found himself in love with Princess Yue, the daughter of Chief Arnook. Yue, who loved him back, could not reciprocate as she was already betrothed. Arnook, realizing their mutual attraction, requested Sokka be Yue's bodyguard. When Admiral Zhao killed the Moon Sprit, Yue made the decision to sacrifice herself and become the new moon spirit, dying in Sokka's arms.
Though this was out of Sokka's control, his guilt over not being able to protect Yue persisted throughout the series, as he was haunted by her spirit and early on, was unable to show his true feelings for Suki. Furthermore, the moon became a sensitive topic for Sokka, as seen in certain episodes of Books 2 and 3.
Sokka Highest: Planning The Black Sun Invasion
Though Sokka spent the series primarily as the comic relief, his value to Team Avatar as the strategist really started to show through in Book 2. In that, he started to plan the Black Sun Invasion, collaborating with his father, the Earth army, the Swamp Benders, and the Mechanist. It was a nearly flawless plan which would have worked, had King Kuei not accidentally told Azula about it.
Regardless of the actual result of the invasion, Sokka's value as the master strategist really added more depth to his character and ultimately allowed him to plan even more impressive sabotage of the Fire Nation's airship fleet on the day of Sozin's Comet.
Katara Lowest: Bloodbending
Seeking an opportunity to improve upon her water bending, Katara latched onto Hama, the last remaining Southern Water Tribe water bender, who taught her different skills that she never had the opportunity to use previously. However, it was the final skill she taught that came at a heavy price.
After learning about Hama's ability to blood bend, Katara was ultimately forced to use the dark art against her, holding her down until Hama was arrested. The experience mentally broke Katara, as the episode concluded with her crying. Katara would use bloodbending one last time to attack a fire nation soldier while looking for the one that killed her mother, but after that, she had bloodbending banned before the events of The Legend of Korra.
Katara Highest: Earning Pakku's Respect
Katara's long search for a waterbending teacher was rewarded when she finally was able to train under Pakku, however, it was a difficult ordeal. After initially being refused and relegated to learning healing, she learned the truth about Pakku's misogynistic tendencies. As a result, she challenged Pakku to a fight and was able to hold her own against him. When Pakku finally realized that Katara was the granddaughter of his betrothed, he realized why she had left him and agreed to teach Katara.
Katara immediately showed that she was a more than capable student, outclassing Pakku's students, and ultimately earning the respect and admiration of her teacher. His decision to find and re-propose Kanna and help rebuild the Southern Water Tribe led to him giving Katara his blessing to help complete Aang's waterbending training.
Aang Lowest: Abandoning Chakra Training
Aang's decision to learn how to harness the Avatar State led him to learn from Guru Pathik how to open his chakras. While he did manage to open six of his seven chakras with relative ease, the seventh chakra, where he was supposed to let go of any earthly attachment, in this case, Katara, prove difficult. Though he did try and came very close, he ultimately abandoned his training when he realized Katara was in danger.
As a result, when Aang prepared to enter the Avatar state to battle Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li, he was nearly killed by Azula's lightning strike, which would have ended the Avatar line and sealed the Fire Nation's victory in the 100 Year War.
Aang Highest: Learning Energybending
Though Aang knew his destiny ultimately was to defeat Ozai, he found great difficulty in the idea of killing the Fire Lord. As an Airbender with a pacifistic nature, he desperately sought an alternative, seeking guidance from his past lives. While none could provide him with an alternative to killing the Fire Lord, he ultimately found a solution in the lion turtle.
The lion turtle was able to impart the knowledge of energy bending, which not only allowed Aang to spare Ozai's life in the battle, and not violate his core beliefs, but also provided Aang with a new ability that he would ultimately use later in life to maintain balance in Republic City.