And so, without further ado, we present to you this super-sexy top fifty characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The criteria for this wasn't the funniest, most memorable, or even our favorite characters. But because of what they contribute to the series. (which still encompasses how funny/memorable/deep they are). The quotes below the pictures are ones we thought summed up the character, or were one of are favorite. And now, number 50!
[This is the first of four parts, with characters 50-31.]
50. Haru('s mustache)
"It wasn't the coal, Katara. It was you." – Haru,
"Imprisoned"
First Appearance: "Imprisoned"
Ah, Haru. Where to
begin? When we were first introduced to him,
he seemed like a pretty sympathetic character.
His father was imprisoned, he couldn’t Earthbend freely, he was forced
to live in poverty… Sure, he was
slightly annoying, but we felt for him.
We really did. “So what
happened?” you ask. “Why is he so low on
the list?”
I’ll tell you what happened.
Facial hair happened. When Haru
returned to the series in “The Day of Black Sun”, he sported a mustache. You know the one. The mustache that made us all cry, “What in
the name of Avatar Roku is on Haru’s face?” and “Oh god, why?!” I’m sure he did a lot of awesome things in
that episode, but I wouldn’t know. I was
too distracted by him mustache to notice.
We’re sorry, Haru. We
know you’re an important character, but that mustache makes you look like a
child molester. So you’re number 50.
– Berry
49. Hahn
"Admiral Choi! Prepare
to meet your fate!” – Hahn,
“The Siege of the North, Part 2”
First Appearance: "The Siege of the North, Part 1"
Yes, Hahn is an idiot.
And yes, his part in the series isn’t all that important. But in the few scenes that he appears in, he
proves to be an excellent source of amusement.
His bizarre mispronunciations, exaggerated arrogance, and general
foppishness all add up to make him one of the more memorable minor characters. Basically, Hahn is the idiotic
brawn-over-brains guy who you love to hate – which makes his scene with Admiral
Zhao all the more schadenfreude-tastic.
Oh yeah, popular fan speculation is that after falling off
Admiral Zhao’s ship, Hahn dies. Harsh. And yet, slightly amusing.
– Berry
48. Jin
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle." – Jin,
"The Tales of Ba Sing Se"
First Appearance: "The Tales of Ba Sing Se"
Okay, so she was only in one episode, but that doesn’t mean
that she isn’t an awesome character. Jin is the girl that gets a crush on Zuko after
visiting Iroh’s tea shop in Ba Sing Se a couple times. She tries to steal
Zuko’s heart. She’s kind, smart, and an all around nice character. I love the
way she just sees Zuko for the nice guy he can be. Unfortunately, Zuko and her
never meet again, but it is my personal opinion that they would have made a
great couple.
– Dee
47. Li and Lo
"But I'm Li." – Li
"And I'm Lo." – Lo
"So who's banished?!" – Li and Lo,
"Sozin's Comet: Part 3 - Into the Inferno"
First Appearance: "The Avatar State"
As Azula's crusty advisers, Li and Lo are two parts to one whole of "OMFG WHY ARE THEY STRIPPING?! MY EYESSS!!!" When they were first introduced, Li and Lo seemed as serious as Azula, training her to perfection. Always completing each other's sentences, their dialouge sounded half epic and half silly. Their silly side was fully shown in "The Beach", where they become both creepy old stripper ladies, and wise teachers. Just think of them as Iroh: Azula Edition.
– Luke
46. Princess Yue
"It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back." – Yue,
"The Siege of the North, Part 2"
First Appearance: "The Waterbending Master"
You're just lucky you sacrificed yourself, Yue.
Princess Yue almost didn't make it on the list, and got on mostly for her being a too important character to ignore. She's one of the weakest (character development wise, well, and physical ability wise) female characters on Avatar. For one thing, she's way too hot and cold. I'm pretty sure she goes and dumps Sokka three times during the season 1 finale. But still. She did sacrifice herself to become the f**king moon. That counts for something.
– Luke
PS she was molested by the moon.
45. Monk Gyatso
"All I want is what is best for him." – Gyatso,
"The Storm"
First Appearance: "The Southern Air Temple"
Gyatso fills the void of the “old wise man mentor” character
that would be empty without him. Although we don’t really get to know him
personally isn’t he damn cool with those cakes? He knows an “ancient
cake-making technique” and him and Aang become better friends because of it.
Who wouldn’t want to smash cake into people’s faces for fun? On the other side
of the spectrum, he is also a very important figure for Aang and helps create a
lot of Aang’s inner conflict. Whenever Aang doubts right and wrong it often
goes back to Gyatso and what he was taught when living among the monks. Although
not a particularly funny or charming character, Gyatso plays a key role in the
show and is deserving of the top fifty.
– Dee
44. Lion Turtle
"The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light." – [okay so that's like his only line but still!] Lion Turtle,
"Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters"
First Appearance: "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Master"
The Lion Turtle starts out our non-human Avatar characters in the list. He's pretty much lived forever, and looks more like a gigantic stone statue than an animal. His time on screen was very brief, but he was one of the most memorable hybrid animals on Avatar. While his cryptic gibberish seemed meaningless at first, it finally clicked when Aang had to bend his own energy into Ozai's without becoming corrupted. Plus, he taught Aang energybending, which is basically the coolest thing ever.
– Luke
43. Meng
“Floozy.” – Meng,
“The
Fortuneteller”
First Appearance: "The Fortuneteller"
Meng’s got it rough.
All she wants is for Aang to notice her, but she knows that just isn’t
going to happen with Katara in the way.
But instead of fighting Katara for Aang, Meng takes the high road and
actually encourages Aang in his attempting wooing of Katara. She’s a good person.
But she does call Katara a floozy. Because she’s just that awesome.
– Berry
42. Foamy
"Wdhglhgjathaeiwulgf" – Foamy,
"The Warriors of Kyoshi"
First Appearance: "The Warriors of Kyoshi"
Being the Avatar and all, Aang has his fair share of fans,
but Foamy is definitely his biggest.
What do most people do when they meet the Avatar? Scream?
Faint? No. A true fan foams at the mouth and practically
has a seizure on the spot. Foamy shows all
those amateurs how it’s done.
Now, that would be hilarious enough on its own, but Foamy
also appears in a much later episode, providing one of my all-time favorite
examples of a recurring joke. Well
played, Foamy. Well played.
– Berry
41. Kanna
"It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life,
my little Waterbender." – Kanna,
my little Waterbender." – Kanna,
"The Avatar Returns"
First Appearance: "The Boy in the Iceberg"
Kanna fills the void of the “old wise grandmother woman”
character that would be empty without her. After Sokka’s and Katara’s mother
dies and their father goes to fight in the war she becomes a very important
mother and authority figure. Not only that, but it’s nice how her back story
was wound into Master Pakko’s, that sexist man-whore! I mean, its sweet how
they get together in the end. It really is. (Man whoreeeeee!)
– Dee
40. Jeong Jeong
"Fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart." – Jeong Jeong,
"The Deserter"
First Appearance: "The Deserter"
Jeong Jeong may not be the most interesting of characters,
but he’s got something going on for him: he’s really the first good-guy
Firebender we see in the series. Sure, we
can tell early on that Zuko isn’t all that evil and that Iroh doesn’t really
care about capturing the Avatar, but from the Gaang’s point of view they’re
just two more Fire Nation people trying to kill them. In light of this, Jeong Jeong teaches Aang
and Co. an important lesson: Firebenders are people too.
– Berry
39. Sparky Sparky Boom Man (Combustion Man)
".................." – Sparky Sparky Boom Man,
"The Western Air Temple"
First Appearance: "The Headband"
First off, he has an awesome name, which is one of his most
awesome things about him. (Good going Sokka!) Besides that, he can shoot
freaking laser beams from his head! Damn straight son, he is hardcore! I’m
probably not cool enough to say that and actually be taken seriously, but he is! Also, he has an awesome hawk and awesome metal
claw hand and and! Oh, he also dies from exploding himself, another plus.
– Dee
38. Due and Tho
"Nothing to worry about. We just fixin' to eat ya." – Due,
"The Swamp"
First Appearance: "The Swamp"
Hillbillies at heart, they actually pack a pretty strong
punch against the fire nation’s forces. When the Gaang first runs into them in
the Swamp they’re trying to capture Appa. They seem like the bad guys, but we
soon learn that they’re fun loving characters who seem possibly a little high
at times. They provide some comic relief for the most part, but also play a pivotal
role in taking down the fire nation.
– Dee
37. Dock/Xu/Bushi
"My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?" – Dock
"I'm not Dock, I'm Xu. Dock's my brother."– Xu
"I'm not Dock, I'm Xu. Dock's my brother."– Xu
"Alright, I'm Bushi! Let's get some river cleaning done."– Bushi,
"The Painted Lady"
First Appearance: "The Painted Lady"
Multiple personality disorder, that is pretty great. Dock/Xu/Bushi a
very hilarious character that adds a lot of fun to his episode. When he first appears
he introduces himself as Dock, but later on with a different hat he’s Xu
(pronounced Shoe…like I literally thought his name was Shoe before I knew how
it was spelled) and then another when he portrays Bushi. I believe it’s Dock
who’s crazy, Xu who’s the blabbermouth, and Bushi who likes cleaning rivers.
They’re brothers, by the way.
– Dee
36. Longshot
First Appearance: "Jet"
"There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader." – Longshot,
"Lake Laogi"
This character never speaks, so when he does, it’s pretty
epic. Part of the freedom fighters Smellerbee and him are the ones who stick
with Jet, but leave his side when they realize he’s really going crazy. Also,
his name matches his skill set to a T. He is awesome with the bow and plays a
pivotal role in fighting off the fire nation and helping Team Avatar at
different points throughout the episode.
– Dee
35. Smellerbee 
"As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think." – Smellerbee,
"The Serpent's Pass"
First Appearance: "Jet"
HE IS A SHE! SHE IS A HE! I MEAN SHE IS A—SMELLERBEE
IS A GIRL! HOLY CRAP! So, this whole time, you think Smellerbee, that one guy, is pretty cool and he has some nice facepaint. Yeah, he’s a pretty cool guy. And then you see
him on the ship to Ba Shing Se and
heshe is like, “I’M A GIRL!” and you’re like, holy crap! And that, that in
itself, is what makes Smellerbee awesome. She
is so proud to be who she is. She is flippin’ great.
– Dee
34. Ursa
"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you." – Ursa,
"Zuko Alone"
First Appearance: "Zuko Alone"
Ursa
is a model for a perfect mother. Through flashbacks, Ursa was revealed
to be the desperately needed counter-point to Ozai. Unlike him, she
supported and loved Zuko unconditionally. She's fiercely
protective of and loving to Zuko, even when it meant risking her own
life. Without Ursa, Zuko would have died that night, and even if he
lived, would have turned into a monster like Azula. Ursa became a
fan-favorite, as evident by rapid fan-boys still raging over the fact
that we never learned what actually became of her.
– Luke
33. Ying and Than (and Hope)
"I know what I want to name our baby now. Hope." – Ying,
"The Serpent's Pass"
First Appearance: "Zuko Alone" (Hope gets birthed in "The Serpent's Pass")
They’re that neat couple who give birth (okay, well they don’t give birth, that’s just Ying,
but you know what I meant to say) after facing a giant sea monster. It’s
pleasing to see them sprinkled throughout episodes, appearing here and there.
It’s an excellent way to see how the rebels are getting along throughout the
series. On the other hand, they gave
their baby a rather cheesy name: Hope. It’s cute and relevant, so I guess I can
let it slide…this one time.
– Dee
32. Xin Fu and Yu
"I'm going to be
stuck here forever with you, aren't I?" – Xin Fu
"... I
have to go to the bathroom..." – Yu,
"The Guru"
"The Guru"
First Appearance: "The Blind Bandit"
Xin
Fu and Yu were hired by the Bei Fong family to send Toph back to her
parents. Both were talented Earthbenders and liked money, but their
similarities end there. Otherwise, they were total opposites, with Xin
Fu being a crude and violent host of Earth Rumble VI, and Yu a timid Earthbending teacher. Their clashing personalities were what made them
great though, as they delivered line after hilarious line all while
chasing the Gaang. There's a lot of small moments with them that add up
to one awesome bounty-hunting duo. And it's very likely that after Toph
imprisoned them in their own metal cage, they died a painful death,
slowly dying of thirst. If you haven't gotten it yet, dying gives you
big time points on this list.
– Luke
31. Hama
"They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters!
They deserve the same!"– Hama,
"The Puppetmaster"
First Appearance: "The Puppetmaster"
This is one creepy badass blood bender of a woman. The
moment she appears in the series she was so scary she scared the pants off me! She
has really creepy wrinkles, and what is with those cuts on her upper lip!?
Those are really frightening! Then of course, she can blood bend. This type of
bending is faced with a lot of controversy in the series, and rightly so. I
fully understand why she did it and she did
escape quite epically from the fire nation prison. When she starts blood
bending in the veins of innocent fire nation villagers, that’s just going too
far. Nonetheless, she’s a very important mentor to Katara, in teaching her not
only blood bending, but also how to get water from other living things around
her. Besides, though scary, blood bending is pretty remarkable, you have to
admit.
– Dee
Twenty characters down, thirty to go. None of these characters have a very large role in the show, but they all contribute to the awesomeness of Avatar. Just think how terrible your life would be without those villains of the week/season, or pregnant ladies, or multiple-personality-disorder tribal men who are actually girls. It'd be a sad, sad world.
Stayed tuned for characters 30-21 coming to a blog near you! (By which we mean, ForkThisLlama.)
