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The parallels between Katara & Aang throughout Avatar The Last Airbender

This will be a long post where I present parallels between Katara and Aang from the show, Avatar The Last Airbender.

Survivors of genocide

Katara: [Sadly.] No. You're looking at the only waterbender in the whole South Pole.

Aang: [Sadly.] But you were right. And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. [Close-up of his sad face, as he closes his eyes.] I really am the last airbender.

Early on in the show we are introduced to the fact that both Katara & Aang are the last remaining benders of their homes. They were both children when they survived the genocides that was done to directly hunt them down. Katara and Aang show us how different their experiences of genocide can be.

The genocide of Aang's people was absolute, he does not meet a single air bender up until his third Childs birth, Tenzin. Katara was the last water bender in the entire southern water tribe. The water bending culture in the South Pole had been obliterated after the benders of her grandmothers generation were taken away or killed.

Aang grew up with other air benders and was brought up by his master and father figure, Monk Gyatso. After waking up from his long sleep in the iceberg, his culture and people had been wiped out and forgotten. The genocide of the air nomads was absolute, he does not meet a single air bender up until his third Childs birth, Tenzin.

And from there their friendship blossomed. From penguin sledding to training together to helping each other rebuild their homes/cultures.

Katara, the last water bender of the southern water tribe & Avatar Aang, the last air bender of the Air nomads.

The Southern Raiders: She runs nervously past her brother. Several Water Tribe warriors are shown running about in a frantic motion. The camera focuses on Katara again, who arrives at their igloo and pushes back the curtain. Young Katara: Mom! She runs in to discover her mother seated on the floor, a man towering over her. Kya: Just let her go and I'll give you the information you want.

The Southern Air Temple: Aang enters the room and looks around with a sad expression on his face. The scene switches to a closer shot of the skeleton in the snow and slowly zooms in on it. The skeleton is adorned with a round necklace that supports the symbol of airbending. Close-up of Aang, as he stares at the skeletons. Cut back to a close-up of the skeleton dressed in yellow monk robes. The camera focuses on the round, wooden necklace. Cut back to Aang, whose eyes are trembling with sadness and hold back tears. Aang: [Devastated.] Gyatso.

No hesitation

In this parallel we are presented with how far Katara and Aang are willing to go for each other.

Katara, without any hesitation, chooses to be banished from her village and gets ready to leave with Aang. In a similar manner, Aang chooses Katara in a heartbeat over this one chance of learning water bending from a master water bender. The rejection and disrespect thrown at Katara from Pakku was enough for the monk to dismiss him.

These choices are extremely hard to pick and puts them both in very tough spots. Katara potentially losing her whole family and Aang losing a master whom can teach and guide him as the Avatar. Yet, they both plead to the other to not make rash decisions based on them. The respect and love and understanding these two have for each other is outstanding.

Imprisoned

Imprisoned: Approaches Katara, kneeling to stare into her obstinate expression. She crosses her eyebrows, scowling coarsely at the man. Warden: Simply treat me with courtesy that I give you– And we'll get along famously.

The Blue Spirit: Zhao: Tell me, how does it feel to be the only airbender left? Do you miss your people? [Aang looks down sadly.]

Katara & Aang are imprisoned for their bending abilities, chained down & humiliated. They bravely face the imperial violence & work in together with the members of the other nations to free themselves.

Oma and Shu

The Cave Of Two Lovers: A man and a woman from feuding towns met atop a mountain. Despite the dangers of meeting, the loving couple found a way to continue their relationship in secret. After learning earth bending by observing the natural skills of badgermoles, they created a labyrinth, which only they could navigate successfully and served as a meeting place.

The narrative symbolism in the show represents the love between Katara and Aang. The rest of the elements, where two people can’t be together because of the war, where one of them is killed (Aang & Shu), which leads to a powerful display of bending in the exact same position between Katara and Oma.

Can't be together because of the war - Katara telling Aang that their biggest priority should be focusing on the war in "The Ember Island Players" episode.

Shu is killed in the war – Aang enters his Avatar State to fight against them, but is wounded in the back by Azula's lightning and falls to the ground, dying.

Oma, in a fit of blind rage and sorrow, destroys everything in her path – Katara unleashes a powerful display of her water bending abilities and creates a huge wave.

The Southern Raiders and Sozin’s Comet

The Southern Raiders: Yon Rha: [Falls to his knees.] I did a bad thing! I know I did and you deserve revenge, so why don't you take my mother? That would be fair! [Attempts to smile weakly.] Katara: [Sorrowfully.] I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty. Yon Rha: [Humbly.] Please, spare me! [Cries.] Katara: But as much as I hate you ... I just can't do it.

Sozin's Comet: Aang: [With the voices of all previous Avatars.] Fire Lord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price! [Aang, under control of his past lives, combines all four elements together for his final attack. At the last second, however, he manages to regain control; he comes out of the Avatar State, lets his attack die out, and floats to the ground, freeing Ozai in the process. He now speaks in his normal voice.] No, I'm not gonna end it like this. Ozai: Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak!

Katara and Aang, two children who were stripped of their culture at a young age, and were able to have the chance to come face to face with the men who took away their loved ones. Yet, they both choose to let them go instead of taking revenge in the form of killing them.

Pride

Imprisoned: Katara: [Sits beside Haru, sets her fingertips on her necklace.] See this necklace? My mother gave it to me. Haru: It's beautiful. Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. [Hangs her head, turning away.] This necklace is all I have left of her.

The Awakening: Sokka: Here, [Offering a Fire Nation bandana.] tie this around your head. It will cover your arrow. Aang: I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow proudly! [He lies back down.]

Katara and Aang who proudly showcase their cultures in the form of a necklace and tattoo's. They honour the people that were taken away from them and the sacrifices made in their name.

Exploitation

"Let’s talk about how in these parallels, Aang and Katara are explicitly being exploited by adults that they thought they could trust, in an attempt for these adults to harness destructive power from within the children. in either episode, Aang and Katara, devastated and tearful, are brought to their knees, begging for the pain and torture to stop (in Aang’s case, he’s preventing general Fong from hurting Katara; in Katara’s case, she’s protecting herself from Hama, who is willing her to bloodbend). ultimately, the two children reach their breaking points, which results in them not only generating great bouts of power, but picking up a bending technique/state that goes completely against their moral beliefs." Read the rest here

A beautifully written parallel analysis on Kataang and the corruption of their powers! Written by the lovely @kataraslove

Disguises

The Painted Lady: Katara: Well, what was I supposed to do? Sokka: Leave! Do nothing! Katara: [Angrily.] No, I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me! [Gets up.] I'm going down to that village, and I am gonna do whatever I can.

The Headband: Male student #1: [Shyly hiding his face behind his collar.] I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave ... Male student #2: [Runs in front of the camera.] Yeah! What if someone finds out?! [Looks around nervously before exiting left.] Aang: Oh boy. Listen guys, dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you.

The Painted Lady (Katara) and Kuzon (Aang) are both identities that Aang and Katara put on to understand the Fire Nation people, to help them through their troubles , and to understand that good resides in places that were once thought to be inherently evil. These alter egos are driven by a desire to help the greater good.

Avatar Aang, the bridge between the spirit world and the human world, went undercover as his friend Kuzon to a Fire nation boarding school. There he spends his days playing hide and explode, making a noodle picture of the fire lord and seeing how the children of the fire nation are fed war propaganda.

Katara took it in herself to become a hero inspired by the village's wood carved spirit: The Painted lady, after seeing in what state the villager's were left in. Deprived and devastated by illnesses caused by the pollutants in their waters. She hid her identity and used her healing abilities to nurse them back to health and with the help of her friends, they clean up the river.

Bending Abilities

And at last, some overlooked bending parallels between Katara & Aang that they most likely learned by training together!

#this thread tho!!!#we are being fed well these days #kataang #katara #aang #meta #atla

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