Avatar: The Last Airbender Characters - Major Recurring Characters

Major Recurring Characters

• Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill in the animated series, and Cliff Curtis in the live-action film) ruler of the Fire Nation, is the father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother of Iroh, husband of Ursa, and the supreme antagonist of the series. In Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle, he renames himself the Phoenix King, ruler of the world, and appoints Azula to watch over the Fire Nation alone; but is defeated by Aang. Ozai is depicted as a cruel and merciless leader, and is described as "the worst father in the history of fathers" by his son Zuko. Ozai went as far as to banish his own wife, and later admitted that he thought banishment too light a punishment. He favors Azula over Zuko, because he sees her as a firebending prodigy and sees his own beliefs embodied in her.

• Admiral Zhao (Jason Isaacs in the animated series, and Aasif Mandvi in the live-action film) is a hot-tempered Fire Nation admiral in pursuit of the Avatar and is Zuko's principal rival throughout the first season. Zhao is a very ambitious man who is intent on making a mark on history, as by attempting to kill off Zuko for his interference in his capture of Aang and planning to kill the moon spirit and thus destroy the waterbending capability to take control of the Northern Water Tribe, in which he fails when Water Tribe Princess Yue becomes a new moon spirit to replace the old, and is himself killed by the ocean spirit.

• Avatar Roku (James Garrett in the animated series) is Aang's immediate predecessor. A friend of Fire Lord Sozin, Avatar Roku attempted to prevent him expanding the Fire Nation at others' expense; wherefore, and despite their friendship, Sozin left Roku to die in a volcanic eruption. Avatar Roku acts as Aang's mentor many times throughout the series, offering advice and occasionally helping Aang evade or escape his enemies. Roku is also Zuko's maternal great-grandfather. In the live-action film, Roku's role as Aang's guide is assumed by the Dragon Spirit (John Noble).

• Suki (Chinese: 苏琪; traditional: 蘇琪; pinyin: Sū qí) (voiced by Jennie Kwan in the original animated series, and planned to be portrayed by Jessica Jade Andres in the live-action film) is the leader of the exclusively female Kyoshi Warriors (a sect established by a previous Avatar). She is an exceptionally skilled fighter and Sokka's girlfriend. She was imprisoned by the Fire Nation after the Kyoshi Warriors were defeated by Azula, but was released by Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda, and Chit-Sang. She remained with the protagonists thereafter and joined Toph and Sokka to disable the Fire Nation's air force; later to appear in the epilogue.

• Mai (Cricket Leigh in the original animated series) is an impassive, bored, stoic young noble-woman who, along with Ty Lee, accompanied her childhood friend Azula on her quest. She is the elder child of the Governor of New Ozai (previously Omashu) and his wife. She is a master of stealth and light weaponry; her primary weapons are all kind of throwing knives, arrows and shuriken kept concealed in her clothing. She later began a relationship with Zuko, culminating in her love for him prompting her to choose Zuko over Azula and betraying the latter, which led to her imprisonment. She is released after Zuko defeats Azula, and later reunites with Zuko. In one of Dark Horses comics, Mai broke up with Zuko, saying "You love your secrets more than you love me." after hearing from Suki that he has been secretly visiting his father.

• Ty Lee (Olivia Hack in the original animated series) is cheerful, energetic, and somewhat of a valley girl who, along with Mai, accompanies her childhood friend Azula on her quest. She is one of seven sisters and joined the circus at an early age to appear "different from a matching set." She is a peerless acrobat and can paralyze people or temporarily neutralize their bending powers by striking pressure points. She was temporarily imprisoned after she supported Mai against Azula by paralyzing her when she was about to attack Mai. She was released when the Fire Lord was defeated. She later joined the Kyoshi Warriors, whom she had earlier impersonated.

• Jet (voiced by Crawford Wilson in the original animated series) is a charismatic teen-aged rebel who holds a deep grudge against the Fire Nation. He is the leader of the Freedom Fighters, a group of children who spend their days antagonizing Fire Nation soldiers, even at the expense of innocent lives. In the show's second season, he takes refuge in Ba Sing Se, in which most of the main characters are also hiding. Jet's hatred of the Fire Nation and intent to kill even innocent citizens thereof was described by critics as a bad influence on the series' viewers, although when Jet returns in Book Two he openly condemns his previous actions with a desire for atonement. In Ba Sing Se, Jet is brainwashed by Long Feng, the Earth King's chancellor, after attacking Zuko and Iroh. He is released from this condition by the protagonists and is later killed during a fight against Long Feng.