The characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender are what makes it the amazing show it is. If one of the seven main characters were removed from the show or replaced by a different character it would change the show to unimaginable levels. Each one plays their role so perfectly and has their own unique traits that make them seem like real people. Even the side characters earn their place in this show with lots of attention making them bring the world to life.
The Main Characters
I believe there to be seven main characters in the show, in other words, seven characters who drive most of the story and create and resolve most of the problems. These characters are Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, Azula, and Toph. Each of these characters has strong traits that define them and help the audience to know what to expect from these characters. All of these characters also go through major character developments with the exception of Toph. By having such strong and definable traits it becomes easy for the audience to understand why each of them makes their decisions and even gives some predictability to how many of them will solve their problems. Aang is most likely to avoid his problems until later in the show, Toph normally uses her firm will and determination to break through her problems, and Iroh is normally patient and considers all of his options before making a hasty decision. These are all things we expect from these characters because we learn what their personalities are like as we progress through the show.
Sub-Main Characters
These are characters I believe have a significant role in the story, just not to the extent of the main characters. I’m not going to list them all but this includes characters such as Suki, Admiral Zhao, Jet, Firelord Ozai, Long Feng, Mai, and Ty Lee. These characters have some development and strong traits, however, not as much as the seven main characters. Almost all of them made at least one significant decision in the story that shaped how the main characters eventually solved major problems. Even though these are not the main characters, the writers still gave them lots of attention by making sure they seemed authentic and were not just purposes of pushing the plot.
Side Characters
Characters that only show up for one episode or become a running gag still contribute strongly to the story. Many side characters help to build and develop the main characters which changes the outcomes of the plot as a whole. Even though they normally don’t have an effect on the plot directly, it is important to realize that many of them are still created to seem real and add more depth to the world of bending. I will not touch on many of these in this section but I will make sure to hit a few of them and give my opinions of them and tell why I think they are either a good or bad addition to the show.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Breakdown 