This edited screenshot collage is dedicated to all of the Zuko x Katara, Sokka x Suki, and Aang x Toph shippers from all over the world. So, sit back, relax, and soak in Zutara's surprising genuineness, Sukka's undeniable gorgeousness, and Taang's intersting diversity.
I have finally deliberated. And after years of tug-of-warring with my shipping preferences, testing all of the waters, and thinking things through, I have firmly decided that I am a full-fledged Zutara, Sukka, and Taang OTP shipper and I am more than proud to be one. I no longer care what everybody else thinks. I am going to do things my way
As much as I did love Aang's and Katara's growth together in the show, Sokka's and Toph's surprising amount of interpersonal development and using humor as a coping mechanism, and Zuko's and Suki's mad skills as fighters, which were all fantastically done in the show, I felt that Zuko's and Katara's surprising amount of similarities and the potential they could have had to be together as a genuine couple, Sokka's and Suki's utter devotion towards each other, and Aang's and Toph's rugged playfulness which can blossom into young love were always the dynamics I have been getting behind and that have been close to my heart ever since I was involved in their journeys ranging from age 13 when the show started to age 16 when the show ended.
Sure, Sokka and Suki did end up becoming a canon couple, but I could never ever ignore the intrinsic love I have always had for Zuko x Katara and Aang x Toph as surprisingly lovely and interesting couples. I will not give these three couples a little start as to why I have treasured them since my adolescence. Fair is fair. So, I shall gladly indulge in the pleasure of what these three couples mean to me, give my own spin on why I believe they work, and give a few headcanons along the way which also explore their lives fifteen years after the show began.
Zuko x Katara (Zutara): A Complicatedly, Charmingly Complex Couple Who Have A Lot More in Common Than They Think
My whole experience with Zutara has been extremely difficult roller-coaster ride full of sharp drops, ups and downs, and a whole lot of unexpected turns. On the one hand, I have always treasured the fan art and the fanfics these two got themselves into and I have also learned to treasure the complexities of their situations which have brought them together. On the other hand, I could care less for certain fans who give shallow reasons as to why they love this couple without fully comprehending the context of this pairing or their characters, the never-ending shipping wars, and how I used to lose my mojo with Zutara because it was "overpraised". However, thanks to online reviewers such as Joshua Fagan and certain fanfics that mostly involve alternate retellings of the events of "Crossroads of Destiny", my undeniable appreciation for this ship has been reignited. I know it also does not help that Dante Basco and Mae Whitman were also the voices of Jake Long and Rose from American Dragon: Jake Long, given how Jake fell in love with Rose, even though she was The Huntsgirl by night, and that was what lead Zuko and Katara to fall into that dynamic of enemies becoming friends and, of course, becoming lovers in a lot of fans' minds including that of my own. Nevertheless, both Dante Basco and Mae Whitman were adamant supporters of Zutara, which made things all the more intriguing, interesting, and amazingly fun.
Perhaps, that is where my admiration for Katara lies for me, as well as the fun I have with this couple, as they do provide a huge labyrinth of possibilities for them to be together. Despite their differences, there is one facet that brings both Zuko and Katara together. They both lost someone they truly loved and they looked up to, and they have had to cope with this painful loss throughout their lives. Both Zuko and Katara lost their mothers and were robbed of the childhoods they could have had, even though Ursa was alive and well disguised as Noriko and reunited with her childhood love Ikem with a daughter called Kiyi. Both have used anger as a coping mechanism for the grief they have faced not only during their young years but also their formative years. Finally, both Zuko and Katara have proven themselves to be introspective, compassionate, and very human characters with real flaws and genuine understanding, especially when it came to addressing their dark sides and comprehending how forgiveness can overcome any form of revenge. The similarities both Zuko and Katara share make them a fascinating couple who can work out their problems in a surprisingly mature manner and can even benefit the group with Katara not only being the team mom, but also having Zuko as a well-deserved team dad. All one has to do is bring in Iroh and Hakoda to bless this couple's unity and they would be guaranteed to last because Iroh has seen a loving heart, a compassionate soul, and a warrior in need of healing such as Katara and Hakoda has seen a courageous, unwavering, noble soul in Zuko who would risk his life to protect his only daughter. Therefore, both fathers would be in high agreement that Zuko and Katara deserve each other.
Speaking of that headcanon, that is what my next point is all about. In order for this ship to work in its entirety and given how extremely conflicted and reasonably traumatized Zuko has been throughout Season 2, it would have made a whole lot sense to stick to his gut about Azula always lying, Ozai not being the father he needed in his life, and fully realizing that Iroh has always been that one family member to stick by his side and he can have true friends in Katara, Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Suki. After all, he did free Appa. At that moment, Zuko ended up wizening up by rejecting all of Azula's lies, rescuing his uncle, and even taking the lightning bullet originally intended for Aang in order for Team Avatar and Iroh to be free, thus realizing that this whole idea of honor was nothing more than a con and an emptily soulless promise. Katara, realizing how much Zuko has changed from the bully she initially met, was befuddled, but decided to take Zuko along with her, Aang, Sokka, Toph, Iroh, Momo, and riding on Appa's back. After curing Zuko from his wounds, it did take time for Katara to fully comprehend Zuko and all of the trials he went through and even realized that Ozai was the one who burnt half of his face and Azula played her part in hurting Zuko's psyche. Moreover, it did take time for Zuko to understand the complexity of his destiny, but he fully decided that he can be a valuable member to Team Avatar, bring peace to the four nations as the Fire Lord, and be Aang's firebending teacher, even though he did display signs of unwillingness and hesitation of being Fire Lord but thanks to the support of his true friends and his surrogate father, he finally learned to accept it. Moreover, in terms of his relationship with Katara, it ended up going a lot smoother than expected from fully understanding each other to aiding Katara in confronting the man who mercilessly took the life of her mother to fully accepting each other as their significant others to the final battle against Azula to finally tying the knot as Fire Lord and Fire Lady uniting the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation, despite Katara having moments where she was worried sick about Zuko constantly going through life-or-death situations to save her nearly all the time. Regardless, the trust they have built for each other never dissipated.
Nowadays, with Zuko at age 31 and Katara at age 29, all of the wounds they have had from the past have been fully dissipated without a trace and have cultivated a nurturing family they can call their own thanks to them being married for twelve years. They have seven children in the forms of 12-year-old eldest son Seiji, 11-year-old son Haku, 10-year-old daughter Izumi, 8-year-old twin daughters Sara and Mara, and 6-year-old twin daughters Kya and Kana. All of their children are capable of both fire- and waterbending, though they have different personalities with Seiji being take-charge, highly strung yet very honorable and dutiful, Haku being extremely clever, Izumi being utterly passionate, Sara and Mara being loving and healing souls full of compassion and introspection, and Kya and Kana being a couple of rambunctious firecrackers.
Sokka x Suki (Sukka): Warriors With Attitude Basking in the Glory of True, Unconditional Love
This is the couple I have had a relatively smooth sail with, given how consistent and persistent I have been with shipping Sokka and Suki as a warrior couple ready to kick loads of butt and still look amazing doing so. I did enjoy their clever rapports in Season 1 and even her re-introduction in Season 2's "The Serpent's Pass" as well as their devotion to each other all throughout Season 3 because of how much healthy sexual tension there was going to be between the aspiring Water Tribe Warrior and the young Kiyoshi Warrior. It was really clear to see that Sokka's combination of cleverness and goofiness and Suki's no-nonsense and vibrant flair gave them the legitimate green light in my eyes.
There was not a single boring moment with them together because of how well they can work both physically and psychologically. Sure, there was Yue who made Sokka know what true love and devotion can be, but Suki engendered her brand of love so well in terms of helping Sokka to be a little bit more humble in his approach, especially towards women. Therefore, there is that element of respect and allegiance that these two will indubitably uphold until their dying days, which is an absolutely astounding prospect. Moreover, they would really defend each other through thick and thin, thus ensuring that no external force nor vice can ever encroach the relationship they have been building up to.
Headcanon-wise, out of all the three couples in Team Avatar, Sokka and Suki are the most stable. Zuko and Katara may have had their incredible ups and downs but ended up finding their way towards each other through true love and Aang and Toph may be the embodiment of young, blossoming love, but Sokka and Suki engender what it really feels like to be in a surprisingly steady and long-lasting relationship based on respecting each others' strengths and weaknesses and acknowledging each other for what they can truly accomplish. Even Hakoda ended up approving of Sokka's desire to have Suki in his life because he not only made the right choice of choosing a strong, capable girl to be his bride, but Hakoda has also acknowledged just how wonderfully formidable Suki is as a combatant thanks to the training sessions they had during their time in prison at The Boiling Rock. It also helped matters that Hakoda told Suki a lot tales about his children and that how proud he was of them to rise above their circumstances to fight for what was right. Suffice it to say, Hakoda ended up blessing both Sokka's and Suki's joyous matrimony.
With Sokka approaching 31 in four months time and Suki at age 30, they have continued to maintain a super strong bond as a wonderful power couple. Every arduous challenge they have faced has been accomplished with resilience and a strong will which they have been doing as a married couple for twelve years. They also have seven healthy children in the forms of 12-year-old twins Taka and Mina, 11-year-old twins Masa and Lyra, 10-year-old son Kuro, 9-year-old daughter Asoka, and 8-year-old daughter Risa. All of their children are young warriors in training with Taka and Mina being aspiring commanders, Masa and Lyra being loving all types of swords and weaponry, Kuro being an expert with the boomerang, Asoka enjoying her shuriken-throwing, and Risa aspiring to be a Kiyoshi warrior just like her mother.
Aang x Toph (Taang): Two Young, Vibrant Souls Joining Together in Diverse Harmony
I do admit that I used to pair them together because of just how adorable they are together. However, that sole reason would be a disservice to these two young warriors who had to go through so much while they were still in their pre-teen years. What can blossom from Aang's and Toph's relationship is a lot of diversity and respect, thus having a bond that starts off as a firm friendship but will grow into something more as they get older.
Sure, Toph can be abrasive, harsh, and uncompromising and Aang does have the tendency to be naive and look at certain solutions through overly optimistic, rose-tinted glasses, but their personalities are what will give them the basis to gel together in an offbeat way. They can help each other in a way that Aang can be more assertive and headstrong and Toph can be a little bit gentler and more understanding. Ergo, Aang can help Toph realize that there is a lot more to life than just strength, muscle, and power and Toph can help Aang see that life is more than just harmony, diplomacy, and synergy and make him realize that not everything can be solved with words and words alone and action is mostly the go-to deed to get the job done.
As a couple, I cannot really see Aang wear the pants in this relationship, even though in his Avatar state, he is a whole lot more assertive than what meets the eye. Toph would be the one who shall gladly wear the pants in this relationship, which Aang will not mind at all. This dynamic would go much deeper than that, as they would have interesting history with their crushes on The Water Tribe siblings Sokka in Toph's case and Katara in Aang's case. Sure, they did admire them because Aang and Toph were just friends and she was his Earthbending instructor. However, when Katara started to realize that her feelings for Zuko were a lot deeper because they thoroughly understood each other and had a lot more in common than they thought and Sokka was spending a lot more time with Suki, both Aang and Toph confronted their crushes of how they felt. Katara stated to Aang that she really liked him and she was his best friend, but as much as they spent a lot of time together and helped each other through thick and thin, she felt that Zuko was the one who understood her the most on a much deeper level. As for Toph, Sokka assured her that he found her cool, fun, and enjoyable to talk to, but he felt that Suki had that extra experience about her that made him fall head-over-heels for her, thus making his relationship with Toph be on the realms of true friendship. With this experience, the two young warriors would comprehend that sometimes their first love would not always equate to being their forever person, let alone, soulmate for all eternity. It was a lesson both Aang and Toph learned the hard way, but they grew from it. As Aang and Toph sat next to each other by the fire, all while Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Suki were sleeping, they both talked to each other about how much of a bummer it was to be dumped by the first people they loved. Toph may have taken it well, but Aang was still hurting from the inside. Toph reminded Aang that there will always be other girls in the world who will like him for his flaws and all that jazz and who will always be there for him. Aang retorted by saying that Toph need not worry, as there will be other boys who will like her because of how independent and strong she was. As their fingers traversed to each other, their eyes were fixed on each other, and it was at that moment that both the peace-loving Air Nomad and the mouthy Earthbender had their first genuine kiss. To Aang, this kiss was a whole lot different from the ones he received from Katara and what he tried to give to her after The Ember Island Players' performance. Toph's kiss had heat and passion written all over it, and the funny thing was, Aang was about to turn 13 and Toph was about to turn 12 when they did that. After their first genuine kiss, they ended up smiling at each other, thus finding the comfort that they needed. From that moment on, it was the beginning of a genuine relationship, where Aang and Toph found each other, seeing that Aang admired Toph for her determination, strength, and unwavering resolve and Toph admired Aang for his selflessness, kind heart, and attentiveness.
With Aang about to approach his 27th year in life in four months and Toph about to approach her 26th year in life in five months, they have continued to maintain a sturdy relationship, as they were married a bit later than Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Suki, which was ten years ago. It took them a bit of time to marry because of Aang's duty as the Avatar and Toph's budding career as an Earthbending teacher to the children of the Earth Nation. However, it was one day when Aang was about to turn 17 and Toph was about to turn 16 that they proposed to each other and were going to be by each others' sides until they grew old. They ended up having seven children in the forms of 9-year-old son Bumi, 8-year-old son Tenzin, 7-year-old daughter Lin, 6-year-old twin daughters Ching and Ming, 4-year-old son Kang, and 3-year-old Suyin. Their children are a combination of their father's loving, peaceful, and serene nature and their mother's mouthy, determined, and relentless personality, as they have proven themselves to appreciate not only bending Earth and Air but also Fire and Water, thanks to the tutelage they have received from Zuko and Katara.
You might have noticed something when I was mentioning some of the Zutara and Taang children. Yes, Izumi, Kya, Bumi, Tenzin, Lin, and Suyin also appeared in the sequel series "Avatar: The Legend of Korra" as different offspring from the ones I have in my headcanon. Well, in my headcanon, I turned Izumi the Zuko kid and Kya the Kataang kid into my Zutara kids, Bumi and Tenzin the Kataang kids into my Taang kids, and have Aang be the father of Lin and Suyin. How they will look like in my headcanon is going to take a bit of time because I have a lot to do.
In conclusion, my undying love for Zutara, Sukka, and Taang will never go unquestioned. I have shipped them when I was a teenager and enjoyed every facet about these three couples ever since then. In spite of all the ups and downs I have endured, I have come back to loving these three as my Avatar OTPs for life.
I hope you all enjoyed this and I will see you in the next submission. Take care and stay safe, everybody.
Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, and Nickelodeon.
