Avatar: The Last Airbender earth, fire, air, and water bent its way into viewers' hearts. Its storyline was compelling, its characters complex and humanized, its world one of spiritual energy, one of war, one of hope, one of redemption, and one of peace. Of many of the characters, one could not bend was Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.
But that didn't make him any less important, any less a vital part of the story. He did his fair share of brilliant things, but just like everyone else on the show, he was growing, and growing meant he also made his fair share of mistakes, in both action and character.
He Overreacted
One of the most memorable things about Sokka's character was his tendency to overreact. His facial expression consisting of bulging eyes, flared nostrils, and a gaping mouth in surprise or outrage.
Sokka would yell, grumble, or wallow depending on the circumstances. His overreacting, acting uptight, and hotheadedness generally didn't help the situation, but his character matured throughout the season.
Broke His Vegetarian Promise
"That's all I got. It's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy." When Sokka finds himself stuck in an earth fissure during a hunting attempt, he talks to a young saber-tooth moose lion who he names Foo Foo Cuddlypoops.
He says, "if I get out of this alive, it's a karmically correct vegetarian existence for me, no meat" He then tells the powers that be that he will be "Sokka, the veggies and straight talk fellow." When he does get out of the hole, he asks Aang if he has any meat, in the presence of Foo Foo.
Offered Momo As A Sacrifice
Aang takes Team Avatar and Earth Kingdom refugees through the Serpent's Pass, a narrow piece of land that leads to Ba Sing Se. But the group encounters the namesake of the pathway when the giant serpent rears its head in their direction.
Blamed, Doubted & Gender Stereotyped Katara
The Sokka from the final season was very different from the Sokka that fans were introduced to. His relationship with his sister Katara was one of less support and teamwork and more of doubt. It was also strained because she was a bender and he was not. He had not come to terms with his own abilities.
He was sexist toward Katara, saying she was a better fit for feminine tasks. "It's just the natural order of things." He also blamed her when things went wrong. "Leave it to a girl to screw things up."
He Put On A Hard Shell
Just as Sokka had grown up thinking there were certain roles for women, he grew up thinking he had to be the protector, the tough one. He had expectations for the type of masculinity he reserved for himself.
The times where Sokka let down his guard and shared personal moments were rare and treasured by fans. He doubted himself, lacked confidence, and was hard on himself. He made things more difficult than they had to be and hid his true emotions.
Didn't Want To Help Aang
When Katara and Sokka accidentally discovered Aang while they were fishing for the Southern Water Tribe, it was Katara who seemed more concerned while Sokka was suspicious and distrusting.
After Aang helped them get back to their village with the help of Appa, he also aided them in their encounter with the Fire Nation. Aang was the Avatar, the Last Airbender, the one who could bring peace to the elements. It was Katara who convinced Sokka to save Aang, to help him.
He Stole From The Library
Sokka deliberately disobeyed Wan Shi Tong, the spirit librarian's rules. Wan Shi Tong didn't want the knowledge from the Spirit Library to be used for violence but Sokka intended and revealed his intention to use the Day of the Black Sun to attack the Fire Nation.
"You betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes." Sokka left the library with the stolen scrolls as its ruins sunk in the depths of the earth.
Put Responsibility On Katara's Shoulders
Sokka and Aang liked to mess about and slack off and it was Katara who would end up parenting the group. Sokka would use humor to shake things off or deal with his problems. He would let his upbringing influence his expectation of gender roles.
Sokka's maturity grew throughout the series, and he saw his sister's face when he tried to remember his mother because of how much she had done for him, but there were many times where he didn't take responsibility when he easily could have taken the burden that weighed Katara's shoulders.
Inadvertently Put Technology In The Hands Of The Firebenders
Sokka helped the Mechanist work his hot air balloon by discovering that for a hot air balloon to work, the balloon must have a way to control the airflow and direction by way of a hole.
When the air balloon was used against the Fire Nation, Sokka and the Mechanist had to jump ship, leaving the balloon behind. The Fire Nation used the precious aircraft technology of the hot air balloon to create their own fleet of airships.
Sexist Toward The Kyoshi Warriors
The Sokka of the early season was one to belittle people, especially females. In season 1, episode 4 "The Warriors of Kyoshi," Sokka met the Kyoshi Warriors. He didn't believe girls to be capable of being fighters, of beating him, and was taken aback when he discovered the Kyoshi Warriors to be girls.
It is only through Katara's intercession that he isn't thrown to the unagi. When Sokka sees the Warriors training, they ask if he wants to show his moves. He is beaten and puts it down to going easy on them. After getting further embarrassed, he returns and asks to be trained by them, showing growth.