Sokka is the Best Character in Avatar and I Can Prove It

[@ObviousPuppet]

Hi there, guy who made the video here. Since this somewhat singlehandedly made my channel monetizable, I feel like I owe the comments some answers. First off, I like Zuko, never said I don't, not sure why so many people think I did. I even specifically pointed out I think he's a well-written character, I just personally think it's more impressive to create something new and unique from a traditionally pointless comic relief archetype than to build off of an iconic formula, no matter how successfully you do it. I don't especially hate Katara either, I just thought it would be funny, but I do think the character suffers from having her arc paced sort of randomly for the sake of the overall plot. It makes everything feel less earned than it should. The only bad character in the show is Jet.

[@ObviousPuppet]

I did also see some people point out that Zuko killing his father would've created an unstable power vacuum within the fire nation instead of ending the war which good on you guys that was actually a great point and it made me laugh.

[@EggZu_]

to be fair the first thing you say in the video is "all my homies hate zuko"

[@clayongunzelle9555]

I've been saying it for a while now that his character arc is the most underrated, he went from thinking women don't belong in the battle field to going into the biggest battle of his life with two women by his side with suki and toph

[@TheRaineyMan]

This comment is meant to be constructive because you’re acting all confused why people don’t like this video. Dude, you definitely said that you hate Zuko. You literally say “all the Homies hate Zuko“ at the very beginning of the episode and then proceed to not say anything good about him for the whole video. And I agree with the main ideas of the video but you seemingly go out of your way to ruin them. You say contradictory stuff all throughout this video. You say that Sokka is a good guy from the very start even though that’s so wrong and all he ever does at the beginning is put down everyone around him and let the little bit of power he has go straight to his big head. Then a third of the video later you switch your tone and say “introduced as both arrogant and sexist” even though that’s the opposite of what you said earlier in the video. You’re constantly being reductive and disrespectful to Zuko and Katara for seemingly no reason. You constantly pick on Zuko saying “he’s only popular because he’s a bad boy “it’s only his redemption arc” ignoring the fact that I don’t think anyone can imagine a redemption arc executed as perfectly as Zuko’s. You’re constantly shitting on Katara acting as if it’s crazy that a little girl who saw her mother get incinerated in front of her wouldn’t have nightmares on the daily. You call her selfish for even thinking about vengeance even though she doesn’t even take revenge on him. If you imagine it going any differently, I guarantee you would’ve complained way longer. You accused the show of shipping people together for marketing sake and the only clip you can put on the screen is in the recap episode when they were making fun of people who ship them together. I always love to see avatar content, but when it’s as sloppy and unrefined as this… I gotta give a thumbs down. Sorry bro

[@ObviousPuppet]

You know while I do stand by the bits I did to keep the tone of this pretty casual, and I continue to stand by the 15 seconds later when I said Zuko is a good character albeit kind of fast, I feel like I have learned more about how easily anything you personally believe is not particularly serious can be taken the worst way by people who have never heard you talk before. Why should I expect everyone to know when I'm playing and when I'm trying to save myself an extra four to five minutes of in-depth analysis because I like to make short videos? I feel kind of bad, like I've insulted a decent handful of people over things I consider trivial, but I've never had this kind of attention before. This video has done me very well and I won't be convinced it's bad by people who are clearly just upset about me not necessarily liking things they like, but if you think I'm some douchebag here scratching my head wondering why anyone disliked my perfect video, just know that's not the case and notes HAVE been taken about maybe not just throwing around cavalier negativity in the future.

[@ianyoder2537]

Another underacted fact about Sokka is just how quickly he learns things. Man became a master swordsmen in a week, figured out how to destroy a million dollar war drill in half an hour and helped invent powered flight whilst preparing for a siege ... then proceeded to end the siege. Dude is the definition of quick witted.

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

the other stuff, yes. but the swordsman part is just super unrealistic. it's still one of my favorite episodes, but it's just totally unrealistic. it takes months if not YEARS to even become proficient with a sword.

[@ianyoder2537]

@@pIayingwithmahwii Just like how it takes months if not years to become a master bender? A master bender like Aang, Katara, or Zaheer? I get what you're saying, but there's plenty of similar examples of similar feats in this fantasy world where the characters got more powerful from surviving/ winning life or death battles like it's a DND game. Such as Katara learning blood bending in one night. Toph strait up invented a new bending stile on the fly, and proceeded to master it just as fast as Aang mastered the other elements. At this point it'd be more strainge that Sokka couldn't do something similar. Not trying to fight you buddy, just saying the logic's surprisingly consistent. In this world the magic is based on marshal arts, so learning and mastering actual marshal arts in a similar time frame tracks. Plus Sokka's not exactly an armature fighter, he took what he already knew from hunting, fighting fire nation solders, and surviving more powerful fighters and adapted it to what he learned from his master. Plus he was already shown to be able to quickly learn martial arts from when he was first training with Suki.

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

@@ianyoder2537 well first of all, aang was already a master airbender and a prodigy. it makes sense that a master of one element would be able to more quickly improve at other elements. (THAT SAID, he wasn't actually a master of any element except air. he only beat ozai through the avatar state). plus he's the avatar, and in his own words, he's mastered the elements "a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes." he has plot armor + the existent experience of his past lives. toph was already a master earthbender. she beat like 15 skilled earthbenders at once in like her first episode. she didn't actually improve much throughout the show. it's not far fetched to believe that a master like toph could have extrapolated her knowledge to a new sphere like metal-bending. katara and zaheer don't make much sense, that's true. katara is extremely driven as a bender, but she went from TRASH to master in like a week. that's also pretty unrealistic. the fact that zaheer went from 0 bending to almost as good as tenzin is also BS and makes no sense lol.

[@ianyoder2537]

@@pIayingwithmahwii Exactly. I'm not saying Sokka's an OP fighter, he was always a cut below the rest even after he became a master swordsmen. (Hell, Zuko's canonically a better swordsmen based off of the follow up comics, he was trained by the same master BTW.) I'm just saying it's not as unrealistic as you're implying and it makes since in context. But that's ok, He fills a role the team needs. Whilst the others are kicking but and taking names, he's figuring out how to defeat the enemy and directing them. Sokka, for all the flack he gets from his friends and sidelining he gets for not being the mane character was more often than not the teams actual leader. And more often than not he made the right calls at the right times.

[@Senkara]

@@pIayingwithmahwii let's not forget that Sokka was already a master with other weapons So while it's still unrealistic, it makes just as much sense as the others

[@nerinablais6623]

I honestly don't understand why nearly everyone in the fandom has so much hatred towards Katara. Yes, she constantly reminded everyone that the fire nation took her mother from her, but everyone seems to forget that she was 8 years old and the last one to see Kya alive when that fire nation fleet came to the Southern Water Tribe to take down the last waterbender in the South Pole. Katara's not just poorly dealing with grief, she's also dealing with plotting out her revenge towards the firebender who killed her mother. Don't forget, Katara does change for the better after coming face to face with her mother's killer. She had the chance to get her revenge, but she chose to forgive him instead. As a result, she was also able to forgive Zuko for different reasons. From that moment on, she stopped talking about her mother all the time and she grew from those experiences.

[@gloomygloomstalker3878]

Aha but you see she didn't forgive him, she just spared him out of spite and disgust of what a rat he was

[@drfifteenmd7561]

Nearly everyone? What am I hearing? I swear to god almost nobody hates Katara, the way people exaggerates and gatekeeps her though might make people hate her though.

[@cald1421]

She did not forgive the man who killed her mother. In fact she explicitly states that she may never forgive him-but she does let him live and move on. And she does forgive Zuko

[@daring6983]

I don’t think ‘forgive’ is the right word, more like ‘move on’ which is two words but my point stands.

[@nerinablais6623]

@@drfifteenmd7561 in all my Avatar fan groups on Facebook, nearly everyone in those groups hate her. From my experiences, nearly everyone in the fandom hates her. From my experiences, nearly everyone in the fandom hates Korra too.

[@alexanderkhandolishvili5336]

Sokka is the smartest character in the series imo. He can invent, make awesome strategic plans, can be manipulative (is really good with words), is a quick thinker. And still he can act like the dumbest guy alive because of his fun personality

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

So basically with the exception of the first point, you're basically describing Azula, and I find it remarkable how little people focus on their thematic rivalry even though it's one of those things that once you see it, you can't unsee it. Obviously the Water and Fire Siblings are sort of Dark Mirrors to one-another in various ways but the focus is usually on Katara and Zuko. I have a hunch that there was a plan to have a more overt rivalry between Sokka and Azula but that someone thought it might have stolen the show, which they nearly did irregardless, Sokka is the best character in Avatar after all, with Azula as close second... Shame how they were both done so dirty in the comics.

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

@@abrahamedelstein4806 i dunnooo, i don't think it stole the show. i like sokka but i find the zuko - azula rivalry much more interesting than sokka - azula, from a storytelling/philosophical perspective

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

i like how not all of his plans succeed. in fact, most of his plans in the early season FAIL. given that he's just a teen, this makes sense. he grows as the seasons go on, and his plans start to work better.

[@olli-lfe]

@@abrahamedelstein4806 dude yea a Sokka Azula thing would be great, but they would've had to expand the series a bit to make it work. I see a decent bit of Azula Sokka ship fan art online. A one-sided admiration from Azula would seem plausible, esp as Sokka aged. She could be impressed by someone not easily swayed by emotion.

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

@@pIayingwithmahwii Of course you would, because the Sibling rivalry is on the surface while the let's call Generals rivalry, is rather subliminal, I probably wouldn't have picked up on it myself if someone hadn't pointed out that the only time Azula and Sokka talk is on the Day of Black Sun, and either I've been Mandela effected hard or I could have sworn they interacted more, but it got me thinking on why I would have formed such a delusion in the first place, and I came to the conclusion that it's because on a fundamental level Sokka and Azula are pretty similar characters, or at least the Yin to the other's Yang.

[@rowandunning6877]

so uh...the point of Katara is that she deals with her mother's loss in a pretty unhealthy way and that's a realistic thing that happens in real life sometimes

[@neilmikhailroque5859]

True. Katara is not my fav but it’s because I don’t agree with how she copes with loss but that’s because I respect Katara’s writing. If you’re giving Sokka credit for being relatable, you have to also acknowledge that to many, Katara is also relatable because of her flaws and character arc towards acceptance and forgiveness. Tbh, I don’t really understand the tone of the video essay, I can’t distinguish the punch lines to actual argumentative points because the tone of the narrator is so monotonous so they might just be mentioning it as a joke but who knows.

[@smallfryskilledge1550]

Not true at all. She doesn’t enact revenge. Only seeks it. something rarely portrayed in television, was when she chose not to forgive. And that’s fine. She deals with it in a perfectly healthy way.

[@antoniomatos21]

Another point is that her mother died because of her, ofc sokka is hurt but katara deep down thinks she killed her mother making it way more relatable and realistic the way she handled her loss

[@dustyboialex]

esp considering she literally saw her mother dead in their home at the age of like 5

[@CMBBB]

I don't care I've always hated Katara she is the most annoying self righteous character in the show and she just pissed me off. She just saw everything as black or white and I couldn't stand it.

[@jamesgrenier8856]

Some of my favorite moments are when Sokka is just super mature and accepts that not everything is about him. For example in the waterbending scroll when Aang asks him to clean Appa's toes and he says "so while you two are playing in the water, I'm supposed to be hard at work picking mud out of a giant bison's feet?... Okay" AND THEN HE DOES IT LIKE A TOTAL BRO

[@en4833]

What can I say, The Appa Sokka bromance is real.

[@robtheservantof6257]

Tbh those are moments that makes me hate Karata and her selfishness. She Undervalues him a lot in the series and for no reason at all. Like when he lost his Bomerang. She went back for all her shit but couldn't help Sokka go get the one thing he has. I fw katara and their relationship but she be wildn sometimes

[@morgant.dulaman8733]

"Nothing is more metal than self-awareness." Joakim Broden with a pink boa and a Hello Kitty umbrella approves this statement

[@unromanoarecareanaveragero8275]

Lmao, I never expected to see a Sabaton comment in an ATLA video!

[@SympatheticStrawmanVA]

Yes

[@deqwek99]

@@unromanoarecareanaveragero8275 i thought for a second if i clicked on the right video lol

[@cjg8763]

I was scrolling the comments while listening to the video and I read this sentence at the exact moment it was said in the video.

[@Saberfighterx]

@@unromanoarecareanaveragero8275 I know right

[@domskillet5744]

Sokka has that "it" factor. He can go from goofy, and dumb to analytical and clever at the drop of a hat. Makes him both endearing/relatable but also stand out above the gang.

[@DXUnlimitedGamer]

Also he managed to beat two fire benders during sozen's comet, one of which he beat with one hand while holding onto Toph, who almost went overboard, with the other....all with a busted ankle

[@PANICBLADE]

They were also crew for Ozai's conquest. Probably some of the best firebenders around.

[@TheSpoegefugl]

"Not everyone needs a redemption" - Looking at all the Azula stans right now

[@techclass1896]

Sokka and Iroh come the closest in the series to one of my favorite things to do with characters. They come near to what I like to call "gentle guides" as opposed to being the "mom" or "parent" of the group. While I don't hate Katara as a character, I'm not crazy about shoehorning her into the "mom" role (they even hint at this idea several times in the series and it can rub the wrong way a bit), but Sokka out of the main group is more like a goofy uncle/guide that is willing to be corrected when necessary. (He doesn't have the age/experience of other characters, so it's not as automatic or natural early on in the series.) Iroh is the literal "uncle" character in the series who only enforces rules on Zukko when things become more dire, and it becomes important to the plot for him to be more of a "Dad/Father".

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

iroh never "enforces" rules. zuko never really has to listen to him. but he IS the only person whose rules zuko follows, because zuko accepts that his uncle knows best a lot of the time.

[@zeallust8542]

Okay so, around 3 minutes in you mentioned Sokka being both the comedic relief AND the straight man, and that its a hard balancing act. I never thought about that, but yeah, he fills both roles well enough that it didnt occur to me how difficult that balance is

[@autisticdancer]

You forgot one point: Sokka has the best lines out of anyone in the series and nobody can change my mind on that.

[@mattpassos5689]

I’ll change your mind with this single line: “My cabbages!”

[@josezazueta9853]

Have you lost your mind?!?! This is no time for flute practice!

[@Josh-sn7en]

AT THE LIBRARY!

[@sellerspiano9811]

That's rough, buddy

[@smiledespite]

I think u is all forgetting the time apa n mo mo talked to aang

[@Raaslen]

I always loved Sokka exactly because of this, he is just a random normal guy at a party of people with magical powers and the literal chosen one, and he is not only aware of that but he doesn't let it bring him down

[@emcustard]

I love Sokka so much. He's a great role model who committed at least one war crime.

[@icebox3120]

Which one was it ??

[@powerfuljmonk1938]

@@icebox3120training children to fight.

[@cynda1178]

I think both Sokka and Zuko are amazing characters, personally. I can't really decide which one is better. It isn't just that Zuko has a redemption arc, it's that he has a redemption arc that's flawless. It fits with real life, Zuko's struggles are relatable to those who have been utterly traumatized. That being said, I will say that Sokka is probably the most relatable character of all time, and probably the definitive best in Avatar, but... the jury's still out for me. I just think they're both pretty awesome.

[@zombiebean6191]

Tru

[@minizimi3790]

Iroh.

[@alliencat5700]

Agree with that. As someone who was raised by a narcissist, it took me a long time to come to terms with the abuse I went through and the fact that it was abuse in the first place. Zuko is relatable to many of us who went through the same thing and they handle it flawlessly when redemption arcs are so easy to mess up. But Sokka also has an amazing arc with how he grows and learns. He starts off as a very biased, closed-minded character who is over-confident for his skill level and ends as one of the most intelligent and emotionally mature who is one of the most important contributors to the team with how he discovered his own abilities. They are both amazing relatable characters and that is a testament to the writing.

[@d4s0n282]

its also not litterally a redemption arc, before he flips there is many, many times when its questioned and he slowly changes his views until he finally totally flips sides

[@MV1197]

Sokka's mom is dead too! But he not making it every one's problem. 🤣☠️ I'm done

[@travoedoi]

and that's a fact

[@Green_Pix-L]

Facts

[@blueblaze5160]

To be fair, The Southern Raiders implies that Katara walked in and saw her mom’s charred corpse on the ground.

[@lordnul1708]

@@blueblaze5160 yeah, there is a fair bit of different between just finding out what happened and actually being the one to *discover* the remains after it happened. And depending how soon... Yeah I can at least see why Katara mopes about it so much.

[@WhyForWhatNow]

@@blueblaze5160 ooft 😳 I never actually thought about that

[@cald1421]

He’s the heart, soul, brain AND funny bone of the show

[@AUgold404]

When Toph joked about Sokka being a non-bender, it really made me think how Sokka is the big brother that really carry’s Team Avatar. The man has to be one of the most skilled non-benders in my opinion.

[@ZebsAlleyOriginalMusic]

I don't agree that Zuko's Redemption arc is what makes him the fan favorite. I think it has more to do with his overall character development and how the trials and struggles he faces throughout his journey coupled with the people in that journey result in such profound changes. It's not the redemption arc, it's the way Zuko as a person never changes his actual goal and remains consistent as a character, even his redemption arc fits with his idea of restoring his honor that was pervasive to his character the entire time. His idea of how to go about that simply shifts as he encounters the world and learns more about not only himself but how him and the Fire Nation are seen by the rest of the world. All of these contribute to his overall change towards a member of team Avatar. It's not his redemption arc that's intriguing. It's watching him fail time and time again and learn and grow from it. Even making the blatantly wrong decision at times and regretting it. That is what makes his journey so enjoyable to watch. None of this is disagreeing with Sokka being an absolute beast because he is, and Zuko and Sokka are my 2 favorite characters and I think that goes for a lot of people. These 2 characters are very different and have different story arcs but it's enjoyable to watch both. Watching Sokka grow from an immature naive kid thinking he's got stuff into a humble warrior capable of leading battles to victory alongside one of the very people he naively underestimated in the early part of the show, Suki. Was absolutely amazing and is just as good just different from Zuko's arc.

[@farrex0]

Yep, I do love Sokka as a character a lot. But the way he dismisses Zuko, with just some handwavy comments about people loving him just because of a redemption arc. And how he was just an edgy and that is not relatable. Made me really question his ability to analize anything. I love Sokka, and while he grows a lot. But this video seems more, like a person that liked Sokka better than Zuko, but then saw that Zuko was the fan favorite. So he wrote an essay as a rationalization. The video says, Sokka is better and I can prove it. But most of the video he is like "Well I like it better" "Well he is in my favorite episode" "Well I personally realte to Sokka more". Those are not arguments, those are reason why you love it, not why he is better. And it is ok to love a character more than the other, but when saying it is better, you need objective reasons. But what make sit so funny, is that he loves Sokka for the Boiling rock episode. But the boiling rock episode is good, because Sokka and Zuko change places on their roles. So he loves Sokka, for showing traits of Zuko, which is ironic. And it is not something subtle, when the episode is about to start, Sokka says to Zuko "I need to regain my honor" and Zuko says "I get you, I will help you". Making it obvious from the start, that it is a clever way to analyze both characters via swaping their roles. There are several good reasons to like Sokka, and he is one of my all time favorite characters of all time. But while Sokka is fun to watch, Zuko is far more impactful on the emotional side, and that is why people love him. While Sokka can see sometimes like a cartoon character, Zuko feels real in almost every way. There is also the relatability, him growing up in a toxic family, with lots of expectations. He wants nothing but be accepted by them, and nothing he does is enough. Until he realizes that he doesn't need to be accepted by his family, that he can make his own. Is something, that I mgiht not personally relate, but I know A LOT of people that do. So I think, his only good point, about relateability, falls flat. Because more people relate to Zuko than Sokka. Otherwise, why is he the fan favorite?

[@ismaeo1]

"There's nothing more metal, than self awareness" - Sun Tzu

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

Sokka's development is hard to notice as it mostly in the background. Rarely you notice the steps when he grows. And yet, you are not surprised when you notice that he reached another level. Like when he manages to 'dance' with Ty Lee. At first he doesn't stand a chance. In their next meeting he manages to evade her a little. Finally she herself compares what they are doing with dancing as she can't lay a finger on him. And like this there he grows in other areas nearly unnoticed. While I admit that the episode felt shoehorned in, in 'Sokka's Master' we can see how much he has grown. He is able to match his skill with a Sword Master. That's no longer the boy that wasn't even a speed bump for Zuko. This is a deadly warrior if he chooses to be and a tactician to boot.

[@schris3]

I have absolutely nothing against redemption arcs in media, quite the opposite. However the audiences seem to put much weight on it on how they view the story or the character.

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

the reason we put weight on it is because of how hard it is to do well

[@Raaslen]

Also, Skyrim has that line from Paarthurnax "what is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?", which is a very good point, redemption shows effort and makes one's character strong. What makes Sokka great is, as the video says, the fact that he start as a good person, but he still manages to become a even better one through acknowledging his flaws and working on them, wich is essentially the same thing a redemption arch is

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

@@Raaslen i would say sokka's story is more of a "coming of age" story than a "redemption arc." as far as i can remember, he NEVER does anything morally wrong. even aang and katara do some morally questionable things at times. i think a redemption arc requires you to have at least done a few "evil" things, which sokka never really has. him working through his flaws is more aptly described as a coming of age story. he more so grows into himself than he does overcome his evil side. zuko is definitely more of a redemption arc. that said, paarthurnax's quote is good and all, but it doesn't describe zuko either. zuko was ALWAYS a good guy--he was litearlly exiled for speaking up against an evil plan. what zuko struggled with was the conflict between his good nature and his evil upbringing. his true self was good, but he WANTED to be evil and ruthless to earn the respect and love of his father.

[@kylegonewild]

@@pIayingwithmahwii He doesn't do anything malicious per say, but his casual misogyny in the first few episodes is morally wrong, which is why the show makes a point early on to humble him and point out that people are unique and capable regardless of gender. Without this humbling he wouldn't become Toph's rock (sorry), or a good partner to his fish-moon-girl nor Suki. When he becomes a tactician for the group later on this understanding of the strengths of everyone around him allows him to plan and utilize their strengths instead of making assumptions. But it's not a redemption arc (he's not a raging woman hater who has to do a 180, he simply had some shitty preconceptions), it's just character growth. His arc is definitely coming of age in a world much bigger than he initially ever dreamed of being involved in.

[@pIayingwithmahwii]

@@kylegonewild you could argue it's not morally wrong if you don't know it's wrong. he was just an ignorant boy from a small tribe--of course he's going to have questionable preconceptions. ignorance is not morally wrong. it would become wrong if he continued on with his misogyny even after he learned better. BUT once he DOES learn better, he pretty much drops the whole "women can't do this or that" shtick, which in my mind shows that he was never "morally wrong," he just didn't know any better. he might have behaved in a bad way, but there's a fine line between bad actions/attitudes and moral wrongness/amorality. so yeah i agree it was pretty much just a coming of age story, not so much a redemption arc like zuko--who started out as a frustrated and hateful colonizer and became a morally upstanding hero who finally did the right thing.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

If Sokka didn't say "Young" and just kept it as ladies, it would've been a perfect haiku. So close to being a Chad moment. Sokka is a genius joke wise and strategically. He may not be a bender, but his back is just as powerful as the Avatar with how much he carried it.

[@via3600]

Another cool detail about Sokka that I like: He's always there for Toph when she needs it and I find that really sweet Helping guide her when she can't see or immediately jumping to protect her when the blimps falling apart

[@mistikalcanavarlarparlamen3265]

I see you didn't talk about how Sokka absolutely did invent submarines and hot air baloons completely on his own with no guidance whatsoever.

[@laguser6362]

The writers didn't make him a bender not just because he didn't need it, but also because the show would have ended sooner if he was, he would have totally committed more war crimes if he had that advantage.

[@hug-dealer]

“He is John McClane. He is Bilbo Baggins. He is all of us” I’ve never related to something more in my life. This is truly the truth

[@kidtruck9157]

My favorite scene is when he and toph are on the airships and he instinctively protects her putting himself in harms way. And the fast reaction to fight even when injured and down a hand.

[@Amoeby]

Man, I still hope that he somehow found his sword.

[@shaurya78]

I feel like it needs mentioning again that the loss of their mother did affect both of them, while Katara made it her purpose to seek revenge (out loud), Sokka was also traumatized from not being there to protect his family, the task he was assigned as the sole guardian of the village. He spends the whole story doing exactly what Katara did but in the exact other way. Him maturing early, being the man, so to speak, is just a side effect of that, with his age showing at times.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Exactly, he doesn't need to be a bender when he *IS* an element. We wish we had Sokka as part of crew to come up with new military innovations to surprise the US across the DMZ.

[@yvaincallipso84]

Sokka is so underappreciated. He's the brains, spine AND the moving force behind the team. Sokka's Master episode even proved that the gaang is lost and aimless without him. He makes up the plans and schedules, leads the team into what they have to do, makes himself the rock of the team, all while doing his best to lift his friend's morale. It really is a testament that the rest of the gaang (incredibly powerful bending masters) listen and look to him for direction, even while being a non-bender. He is so complex! And I'm glad to see some Sokka appreciation in this latest Avatar renaissance.

[@ethanhuynh7573]

Sokka was fully willing to take on an entire warship full of men with fire powers with a boomerang almost completely alone. Fucking metal.

[@jordandwiggins1026]

“Shockingly suave yet thoroughly non-threatening masculinity” Damn I got to start using that to describe myself from now on. Would probably make me sound better, I think?

[@jonahjayverdon]

Sokka was always my favourite with Zuko only being second, his development is on par with every other character we see in this show if not even better. "Sokka's Master" alongside with "The Boiling Rock" were peak kino.

[@teamaang7915]

Sokka being high in the desert was my favourite part of that episode. Seeing aang so distraught, toph riddled with guilt and katara in mum mode, it was actually much needed. 🥰

[@heartnet40]

"Not Katara." My love of Sokka is preventing me from closing this video right there, but SIR you are chosing to lay on some *thiiiiiiin* ice coming at Best Girl like that.

[@thesocialistsarecoming8565]

Look at that, trying to make your personal issues someone else's problem. Like katara and her mom. Jk lol, funni

[@tumultuousv]

@@thesocialistsarecoming8565 bruh

[@bubefr]

@@thesocialistsarecoming8565 💀💀💀 bruh

[@itty2270]

@@thesocialistsarecoming8565 cringe

[@thesocialistsarecoming8565]

@@itty2270 🗿

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

Thank you for talking about how awkward the romance is in Avatar. Zuko + Mai in particular is just......whyyyy. I'm one of those weird people who really doesn't care about shipping at all, and shipping culture both baffles me and worries me a little in how intense it is. People send each other death threats, and worse, over liking two or more characters being together or not. It's like the crusades of the internet. I'd be up for another video dissecting toxic relationships in children's books, movies, ectc. I think it could be a really interesting topic to analyze and to show other options.

[@squiddler7731]

14:13 I do feel it's worth mentioning how it wasn't really that simple for Zuko. Iroh himself mentions later that if he were the one to kill Ozai, things wouldn't work out and it'd just go down in history as another violent power struggle between brothers. If Ozai's blood was on Zuko's hands, that would've permanently stained his rule as firelord which was critical for ending the war peacefully (assuming he could even still be firelord and isn't just executed on the spot the moment he returns to the fire nation after that).

[@Rainart520]

Katara is a great character. People can have negative opinions on her, but she’s still amazing

[@carby6831]

i like that they made the smartest person also the funniest person because a lot of comedians are frickin smart man

[@gloomygloomstalker3878]

You say Zuko wasnt a good person but the series shows time and time again even during his avatar hunt that he does have good tendencies and was good natured at heart before everything, I agree that there are WAY too many redemption arcs now tho, like everyone wants to write a Zuko story now and it's ridiculous XD Sokka and Zuko are definitely the backbone of the show to me tho, and I rewatch it to see how well theyre written and especially to watch The Boiling Rock

[@condawg5984]

The character development is sooooo underrated

[@smoothie7362]

yeah sokka even has his own arc. he starts out as an annoying self righteous teenage boy into a courageous man of action

[@its_vintage2601]

People forget to mention Sokka, a man with no magic throwing hands and WINNING against the literal strongest people in their world

[@simon-peterwilliamson2412]

Ur right. People prefer zuko bcus he's a bender with a seemingly deeper story. But sokka goes through so much and becomes a true leader. He's awesome

[@Jason_vinion]

When he said real couple stuff and it lined up with the same line on the show yessssss

[@caesar3435]

Most masculine guy in avatar (sokka supremacy 🙌🏻)

[@nathangehman7018]

I think Sokka and Zuko are the same tier of character. I think Zuko is so popular not just cause he has a redemption arc, but because of how well his redemption arc is written. We have a teen from actual royalty who cares about people's lives, and he gets punished for it. He becomes a dick afterwards (understandably) and then is banished. He throws pride to the wind so he can blend in, because it's required for him to survive. He starts to live among the people who used to be his enemy, and realizes they are just people. Then we get to see him in conflict because of that. He's at war with himself; the part of him that was nurtured into a dick, and the part of him that wants to be a good person, he understandably struggles between these 2 identities and we get to see what that looks like, before he finally emerges a good person with a learned dose of realism. I think that's beautiful.

[@tyferroooo]

I already KNEW Sokka was the absolute best character going into this…now I just have points to back up my statements so THANK you for that.

[@angelwingkat]

Also Metal? Managing to hold onto Toph even after breaking his arm in the process of falling. And then taking down two soldier while dealing with all that. Like... that was still to me the most impressive feat in the finale.

[@noahchiaravallotti6510]

Finally! A man of culture who also unababshedly loves Sokka. I've been saying it for years, he's the most relatable and likable too. His story and choices are something i can relate with, being comfortable with yourself and sticking to your beliefs and those you love. This is what it means to be a human. Thank you for your very well explained, charted, and edited video.

[@David23Howe]

Sokka's mom is dead too.... that line had me rolling

[@christianberrios8944]

I feel like most people forget that water bending powered submarines were sokkas idea. If I remember correctly

[@PMac13]

"Sokka's mom is dead too, loser" fuckin killed me.

[@OneWholeCabbage]

WE STAN SOKKA

[@razortheluckydice1878]

Sokka is the most relatable member of Team Avatar.

[@KJ7Tillymann]

I’m not tired of redemption arcs. They’re nice to see. HOWEVER I do agree that not every character needs a redemption arc. Like Azula, I don’t think she needs one, because she makes a great villain. I would however be curious to see Ozai’s path after losing his bending. I’d like to see whether he’s humbled by the experience or continues to manipulate for power. I do think that, considering he’s now a non-bender in a nation that only chooses the strongest fire benders to be royalty, he would be humbled. But I digress. Maybe I’ll read the books some day to see if they pay any attention to Ozai

[@CMBBB]

Thank no you didn't get carried away, she is selfish and incredibly self righteous. Where everyone is either black or white. Great video bro 👍🏽👍🏽

[@Streamer727]

came here after the total drama island video and man, you are really good. Keep it up!

[@swifty5098]

you're absolutely right!

[@jemm113]

Absolute banger, this and you deserve so much more support, and boomerang was always Sokka’s #1!

[@kylegonewild]

He grows past his learned misogyny, grows past his desire to be the hero, and is *always, always* there for the team. He's pragmatic, willing to do the scrub labor around camp, and will throw himself into certain danger to protect the ones he cares about whether he's prepared to do that or not. Great character.

[@alfredoscorfano7026]

Sokka not just the best character in avatar but one of the best in all Media space☝️🤓

[@voiceacticon667]

I didn’t get interested in the last air bender until 2008 and when watching it, Sokka was my favor character on the get go. In the sword master episode, Sokka was feeling insecure about not being a bender but I didn’t feel sorry for him. Why? Because he has the thing that is just as important as bending ability: strategic mind. I didn’t feel bad for Sokka about feeling insecure about not being a better because I had confidence in him and I have seen Mei, Ty Lee, and Piandao fight against benders and they are non benders themselves and also… it’s a pretty stupid thing to be insecure about; if they have potential in a fight as non benders, so can Sokka; his strategic mind made me have confidence in this water tribe joker. Years have passed since the original series ended and Sokka has still been my favorite character in the whole show. You don’t need to be a bender to be a badass. The human mind is the most important weapon of all. What’s the use of bending without the strategic mind to back it up? Azula was an excellent strategist and she’s shown that without her bending. Piandao fought 100s of fire benders who came to his home to arrest him for deserting the fire nation; he kicked their asses and they never bothered him again. Why can’t Sokka be a force to be reckoned with based on his strategic mind? Sokka for the win.

[@HellzSayzDANCE]

I haven’t even watched your video yet, but the title caught my attention and I want to say I completely agree already. You don’t need to prove it to me 😁

[@nathangay6404]

I KNEW there was a reason I liked him so much growing up! Thanks so much for articulating this.

[@cjg8763]

Sokka's intelligence (and also Katara's and Hakoda's intelligence) is astounding considering they came from a tiny podunk village in a frozen wasteland that had been largely disconnected from the rest of the world for decades. The teachers there must have been both very well read and traveled. Maybe they had a decent library we didn't get to see to study from. Books that had been around since before the war or had somehow found their way in after. They all also seem to be very quick to catch onto things, very quick learners.

[@RandomDoomer]

He has no bending, so he is the literally me character of the show.

[@mandeepsaini1631]

My man held his own amongst the most powerful benders, royalty, spirits and the Avatar. My favorite character

[@lucie1649]

Finally someone who talks about sokka, he is the most underrated character of the show

[@andrewvazquez9557]

Average Zuko Virgin Fanboy VS Average Sokka Chad Enjoyer

[@AizenMD]

I think we can appreciate both Zuko and Sokka for being good characters. Someone being naturally good and wanting to get better (Sokka) and someone who can let his pride go in order to see good from wrong (Zuko). To me they are both great and one being great don't take it from the other

[@AtlasNovack]

The algorithm blessed me with this recommendation, and I couldn't be happier. Plus a SABBATH stinger? You got a sub outta me good sir

[@wonderscall6486]

man video is so good it made me a subscriber

[@edenthemisfortunate2892]

Sokka deserves his own series.

[@Folkerts97]

Good writing. Keep it up!

[@gameinsane4718]

I’ll just say it seemed like Sokka was closer to their dad while Katara was closer to their mom. Sokka even gets it kinda easier bc he can’t even remember their mom

[@Yehezkiel_Tipton]

"Look at him NOT making everyone else's problem" That was cold lol

[@alexspace9878]

Barely 20 seconds in before a weird take. Can’t see how Katara isn’t a great character alongside the others. She had a lot of strong solo arcs and learning moments alongside Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Toph. Yeah, she’s a flawed person but practically every great character is. How is a strong and compassionate character who holds the team together at its lowest anything less than a good one?

[@ScarletStorm]

Personally, Katara always felt whiny to me. I understood she was a good person and a good character, and the team needed her, but I never liked her. With more perspective on growing up and looking back at this now... She was 14, who wasn't a bit whiny and self-centered at 14?

[@domskillet5744]

She has some great moments and was obviously vital to the gang, but she is obnoxiously petty and stubborn on multiple occasions and always butts her way into everyone else's business. It also seems weird that her arc is primarily about something Sokka also experienced but he's able to not let it hold him back (she gives the same speech about her mom like 4 times lol). She's still a great character but I'd say a cut below the rest (except maybe Aang, he was a little weaker too)

[@alexspace9878]

@@domskillet5744 Aight look it’s totally fair to say you don’t think she’s as strong as characters like Toph, Sokka, Iroh, etc. I don’t think those arguments cover it though. (Also ik this ain’t that deep but it’s late and I feel like writing an essay so apologies in advance for the wall of text below, but tl;dr her and Sokka did not have the same experience at all and some fans give Katara crap for stuff that they praise a character like Zuko for) One issue is that saying her and Sokka experienced the same thing isn’t accurate. In the southern raiders episode, we see her and her father running to and entering the hut where her mom was burned alive. We can infer she found her mom’s body there since everyone is absolutely sure she died. She probably blames herself for this and has survivor’s guilt since she couldn’t save her mom and was the last person to see her alive. I think it’s safe to say Sokka has a different perspective on this traumatic experience. Plus it’s kinda weird to hate on a 14 year old for talking about that experience when other characters like Haru and Jet also share their bad experiences with the fire nation to her before she talks about it. I will concede that they had a few episodes packed together where she gives the mom speech in book 1 which is valid to find as annoying. It was written for children to understand episodically though so I say it makes sense even if it’s bonked on the viewers head. As for her being “stubborn and petty”, this could apply to most members on the gaang (not Sokka really he be vibin) Aang fits under this in the desert and with the monk in book 2 (which was in character and good writing to help him grow) and at the beginning of book 3 when he tried running away from the team, and Toph fits under this description very well. I think people still love these characters with their flaws but they can’t look past Katara’s for some reason. Maybe it’s because she comes off as hypocritical since she does preach to the group a lot before making selfish decisions that aren’t best for the group, but best for her state of mind (painted lady comes to mind). I see the character growth that comes out of these flaws to be wayyy more impactful when she learns from her mistakes and makes strides to improve. Katara starts out with a flawed world view because of her trauma and experience having to basically be sokka’s mom which makes her want to help everyone but also paints the world as black and white when in reality there’s a lot of grey. When she has moments like trusting Zuko in the cave at ba sing se or doesn’t take revenge in the southern raiders, it’s like she’s getting her own redemption arc in spite of already being a protagonist. The difference between this character redemption and someone like Zuko is that her intentions were always for the greater good, but she has to learn the best way to do it and accept that things aren’t always as simple as killing evil and promoting good. Point being, people seem to think that it’s a bad thing for Katara to have flaws and grow from them while someone like Zuko, who also went through a lot of trauma, is praised for his growth. It’s all perspective and calling her a bad character like this guy basically did is a lame take.

[@domskillet5744]

@@alexspace9878 I'd agree with all of those points but I define a "good" character partly considering how enjoyable they are to watch on-screen. In terms of depth, all the characters are well-fleshed-out, but Katara is just not as much fun/interesting to watch than Sokka, Toph, or Zuko. Separately, I can't get over how she was so mean to her dad in the first episode of season 3. He completely didn't deserve it

[@alexspace9878]

@@domskillet5744 yeah that’s valid, not everyone likes the same stuff. My points there were more for people who actively hate. As for the Hakoda stuff, he didn’t deserve to be treated so poorly, but it was a realistic reaction from Katara. It might’ve been tough to watch, but I think that the honest conversation she had with her dad at the end of the ep where she verbalized her emotions made it clear that she identified why she was being so petty and made actual growth. It’s fair to call this tough to watch, but the development she goes through feels realistic to the point that I ain’t mad at her after the ep since she’s gone through a sort of redemption arc.

[@jeremy1860]

My vote goes to Katara, but Sokka's still pretty great, and you make your case well 😊

[@kvlegend542]

Ain’t no way

[@itty2270]

@@kvlegend542 All the way

[@antithoughtpolice7497]

I'd say Zuko's redemption arc is amazing because no one can compete with it, in terms of other redemption arcs. No one accepts the bad things they, any people they've influenced have done, and do so much better than him. But Sokka starts good, and just always gets better, which I ADORE. But Zuko shouldn't of killed his dad for two reasons: first, it'd absolutely haunt him, second, it's the same point as Iroh when he didn't want to take him down, how history will see it.

[@sketchflix6425]

Personally, I feel every single one of the characters are simply the best. All well written, out of the cliche and thought intriguing characters. A:TLA is one the best artwork in the history of Art.

[@vazinaypeter]

i almost agree, i hate aang but everyone else is great

[@theonlyone-l7y]

@@vazinaypeter why do you hate aang?

[@funfantasy3500]

"There is nothing more metal then self awareness... Sun Tzu said that" is the best line I have ever heard.

[@naomi_moon]

ok you convinced me. good video

[@mayteblass4031]

I absolutely love Zuko but I did always feel like Sokka wasn't ever given enough credit. I usually get annoyed by "comedic relief" characters but he turned out to be much more. And I agree that he really just wasn't in a setting to really grow into his own. He was the oldest male of a small village and was forced to be "a man", a warrior when he was never exactly that in the stereotypical sense. He was a clever strategist first. But what did his tribe need that skill set for? Not much. Watching him be allowed to have those moments where he got to use his mind (like at one of the air temples) always made me happy. And I loved the confirmation of it when he trained with the swordsman. To clarify, he was a good fighter, it just wasn't what was the most natural to him. I'm also not a fan of Katara. XD

[@angiecontreras9324]

Omg that was amazing and I loved everything you said. I love the sokka is metal part especially lol

[@thecaprikid1329]

I respect the respect you put on Sokka's boomerang.

[@lordnul1708]

Personally, as much as people make memes about a particular part, Sokka and Zuko's conversation from season 3 episode 14 always had a fond place in my heart.

[@i_am_supernowa]

There is nothing I can agree more than with that video, great job

[@stormyskiesstudio1947]

This is pretty well thought out and an awesome video!

[@Mast3rKK]

"I can prove it" the reason he didnt say "i will prove it" is because we all know hes the best character already, so theres no need

[@natee5104]

Also yes katara comes off annoying when it comes to her mom but u have to understand that not just another female figure to look up to for her she was the only other water bender so katara definitely looked up to her

[@1ndiebird]

Kya wasn't a waterbender.

[@zeallust8542]

Yeah great sentiment but no, she wasnt a bender lol

[@esmee6308]

Wasn't it part of Katara's guilt that Kya claimed to be the last waterbender, hence they killed her, rather than Katara?

[@itty2270]

She wasn't a waterbender, but she claimed to be and died *for* Katara.

[@sphereyahya]

@@itty2270 that's even worse

[@4c_aperture]

I have never wanted to reply with a picture more than right now-the painting of a jester wagging a finger at a pack of rapid dogs over a high wall-about your katara and zuko comments lmao

[@4c_aperture]

“either patty cake or russian roulette-in zuko’s case, both at the same time” SIR AJFBSHCNCDN GOODBYE

[@BarackObamaJedi]

Sokka quenching himself on psychedelic cactus juice is easily the funniest thing in the series

[@saribeepo.o5111]

"Redemption arcs are all the rage these days"...

[@shawnsouth327]

Redemption arcs have been a thing for decades in various media before avatar

[@PlayboySharti]

This video is so awesome and metal, 5 ⭐️, should have 100k plus likes

[@luiscorrea2274]

i'm gonna cry this is such a beautiful video!! bless the youtube algorithm. i am now subscribed. underappreciated content just hanging out right here

[@gatlyntygrett664]

Sokka is my favorite Character ever! My bestest good boy who passed away at 13 last year was named Sokka. When i named him as a pup it was between Sokka and Aang because he had an arrow on his neck but he also had white ‘socks’ on every paw. I went with Sokka, best name, best charcter, for the best boy.

[@josephmartinez7303]

“Take that you rock” best line