The Feminism of Avatar

Author’s Note: I’m going to be saying “masculine” traits and “feminine” traits a lot in this article. In no way do I mean this to invalidate anyone’s gender identity, regardless of what traits they possess. I do not think “masculine and feminine” should dictate traits. I use these terms because there are stereotypical traits attributed between males and females, and our society has not progressed past these commonalities. I believe that regardless of your gender identity, every person should be allowed to grow authentically and not have to conform to any gender stereotype.

Avatar: The Last Airbender unequivocally changed me as a person.

Though, yes, I was a fully-developed teenager by the time I got around to watching it, there are lessons in Avatar that cannot go unmissed. Perhaps it’s because of my personal interest and dedication to social justice and feminist affairs that these lessons were so clear to me - but, regardless of reason or rhyme, Avatar undoubtedly left gen z prioritizing kindness, friendship, and diversity.

What ATLA did so wonderfully as far as diversity is that the writers did not allow “diversity” to compromise the story. Terribly, most shows and movies in modern times are only diverse because of societal pressure to make them diverse (of course, this is an incredibly broad statement, as there are so many great examples of diversity in modern media) instead of giving a voice to people of color in writing rooms in order to create genuine, human characters that aren’t placed randomly and stereotypically in a production.

The water tribe draws inspiration from the Inuit speaking people of North America. The earth kingdom folk are reminiscent of the Chinese nationality. The fire nation is based knowingly off of the imperialist empire of Japan. And the air nomads were based off of Buddhist monks. Animators knowingly researched real Asian martial arts to inspire the bending of each respective nation. Clearly, the creators did their homework; while, of course, nothing can be labeled as “perfect”, ATLA is a textbook example of proper cultural appreciation rather than appropriation.

Additionally, though the nations are fairly separate at the beginning of the story (with the fire nation being the “villains”) the story of Avatar is certainly one of appreciating others, regardless of differences. The characters from different nations learn from each other - Aang knows about airbending, but learns waterbending from Katara, earthbending from Toph, and firebending from Zuko. Iroh, the wise and kind uncle of Zuko, explains in an unforgettable episode that each nation has unique strengths, and those who take the time to respect other cultures will become better people because of their willingness to learn. For example, Iroh is such a strong bender because he respected other cultures and learned how to draw power from the strengths of other nations. Sokka is a good fighter because he learned fighting styles from every nation. No nation is the “best” nation. The main characters are so strong and lovable because, at the end of the story, they have all learned about friendship that transcends the “borders” of nationality.

ATLA also gave a voice to young girls that was way ahead of its time. The female characters were all unique, interesting, strong, and appropriately flawed. The female characters with typically masculine traits were no stronger than those with feminine traits. Some were emotional, some distant. They were rude and commanding, kind and quiet. Their genders didn’t make them somehow worse or better than the male characters.

Katara was kind and maternal, and painted to be the “love interest” character for Aang, but transcended that title (though she technically did end up with him in the end, which I bitterly resent as a Zutara shipper). She was sometimes bossy and emotional, but owned up to her mistakes and became a better person because of it. People are put off by female characters who are flawed and equally dislike characters who are too “perfect”. Katara is majorly disliked by some fans for being too “emotional” about her mother’s death - but it’s part of her character. The trauma of losing her mother and feeling like she’s the reason her mother was killed took an appropriate toll on her, and often watchers forget that she is a child. Obviously it would have some effect on her. Though she does have these typically “feminine” traits, she is just as much a waterbending master. The fact that she’s a girl doesn’t mean she isn’t still a talented bender. Her femininity doesn’t define her talent.

The same could be said about Ty Lee - she’s typically feminine and engages in a lot of flirtatious behaviors towards boys, but is still remarkably strong and a great fighter. She’s feminine, and she’s strong. The two traits aren’t mutually exclusive. Mai, on the other hand, has a lot more typically masculine traits - she’s reserved from her emotions, she’s curt, she’s closed-off. However, she remains a force to be reckoned with, and her personality (though different from Ty Lee’s flirty/more openly emotional/feminine personality) doesn’t mean she isn’t also capable of love or emotion.

Toph is a typically “masculine” character. She is sarcastic, sometimes arrogant, independent, opinionated, and periodically aggressive. She is also the greatest earthbender in the world, and isn’t afraid to say it. But her masculine traits aren’t what make her a better bender. It’s simply her talent - she still engages in emotional conversations with friends, is sometimes affectionate, engages in and enjoys typically “feminine” activities with Katara - the contrast of femininity and masculinity don’t make her any better or worse at earthbending.

Azula is an interesting character in general, but also an interesting argument about feminism. Azula’s deterioration into borderline insanity was because she never received the maternal love from her mother that Zuko did. She only knew the power-hungry teachings of her father. Though her story is sad, and she probably could have had a similar redemption arc to Zuko had there been more seasons of the show, the fact that Azula is a strong bender and interesting villain makes her a great addition to the show’s lineup of unique female characters. There aren’t many great female villains out there, because typically it’s easier for men to resort to villainy (growing up in a world that teaches boys to be power-hungry and emotionless - like Azula was, which she learned from her father) and Azula was a prime example of a well-rounded female villain. There was a reason why she was so evil. She is strangely likable, regardless of how “bad” she is, because she is a good character. Azula’s character is what happens when both men and women don’t have good role models of empathy and respect in their lives. She has typically masculine traits like analytical, proud, power-hungry, forceful, and dominant. Combined with the teachings of typically feminine traits, these would look something more like: logical, loyal, ambitious, assertive, and understanding. She could have been strong without being evil. You see, it’s the idea that masculine traits and feminine traits are mutually exclusive that really set Azula up for disaster. Girls can be snakes just as much as boys can be illustrations of toxic masculinity - but it’s systemic with boys. It’s when men don’t take anything from the typical traits of the opposite gender that makes masculinity toxic and we live in a world that teaches men to reject those traits. When boys (or girls) reject feminine traits, they learn to disrespect those traits and turn into rude bigots (sorry, but it’s true). It’s not really the same with girls rejecting masculine traits because masculine traits are valued in society. Azula rejected femininity in favor of the toxic traits her father taught her - that’s what made her evil, and that’s what made her fall apart. She couldn’t handle the pressures that come along with traits like those.

Of course, there’s other examples of well-designed female characters in ATLA. Suki is a strong warrior, but that doesn’t mean she can’t also have a boyfriend. Yue is reserved and feminine, but also brave and loyal (there’s something to be said about her sacrifice, but honestly, I’m not going to look too far into it. She made a sacrifice - that doesn’t have to turn into a “female sacrifice” thing… At least not in my opinion).

I could sit here all day and explain the complexities and wonderful choices the writers made in designing their female characters, but there is also a lot to be said about the male characters. To the surprise of many, feminism also involves men!

Aang is a great character for hundreds - nay, thousands - of reasons, and since he’s 12, I don’t want to look too far into his character in regards to how he views women. Frankly, Aang is just a really respectful, kind character who was never the type to view men or women differently - after all, he embodies the Avatar spirit, which isn’t necessarily male or female. To some extent, he expected to “win” Katara, but he knew that to win her affection, he had to put in work - he was kind, understanding, and treated her as an equal. He also rejects violence, despite his anger towards the fire nation.

Sokka is an interesting character because he had a lot of deep internalized misogyny at the beginning of the show. He had clear views about what women were “good at” or “should do”, and even though Katara attempted to refute those beliefs, they were clearly deeply held. It took lessons from a Kyoshi warrior, Suki, to teach him that his beliefs were wrong. There was nothing wrong with her being a strong warrior but also a girl. She didn’t need to be a man to be a warrior, and she didn’t need to be a warrior to be respected. He began to respect her as a person and understand that she didn’t need to be protected and he wasn’t above her in any way. We see the way his character changes after meeting Suki, and later after meeting Toph. His interactions with Katara even shift - though he’s still protective of her (because she’s his little sister), he understands her strength. After being surrounded by strong female characters, with both feminine and masculine traits, his perspective on women changes.

Additionally, Sokka is a character who considers himself masculine and tries very hard to appear that way - but, especially later in the show, he rejects that and doesn’t allow typically “masculine” practices to dictate his happiness. He enjoys art and poetry, he paints, he likes theater, his favorite activity is shopping. This is apparent after he has stopped being so sexist and really allowed himself to flourish. He is sometimes emotional, he is very affectionate to his friends and family, but he is still a strong, masculine character. His dismissal of the archetypal “manly” activities he used to participate in (warrior training, hunting, etc.) and decision to focus on the things that truly make him happy instead of what he originally thought he “should” enjoy doing makes his character development crystal clear. And it doesn’t make him any less manly - it just makes him a better character.

And finally there’s Zuko. He’s a prime example of perfect character development and one of the greatest redemption arcs in film history (yes, film history, it’s that good). But viewers downplay how much his redemption arc has to do with rejecting toxic masculine traits - traits that his sister Azula embraced, leading her to villainy and later insanity. In the beginning of the show, Zuko was an angry, damaged teenager whose only focus in life was to capture the avatar in order to earn back love from a father who had permanently scarred him because he spoke out of line. He drew power from anger and pain - but his uncle’s guidance led him on the right path (at least for a while) and he began to understand the power of learning from other cultures.

When he abandoned his uncle in favor of returning to his father, thus regaining his honor, he expected to find happiness again - he was the future fire lord and had everything he thought he wanted. But Avatar sneakily plopped another lesson in the story: forgiveness is an important skill, but ignoring someone’s wrongdoings if they have not held themselves accountable for their actions will only leave you in more pain. Zuko’s father didn’t feel any guilt for his actions - the only family member he had who actively tried to better themselves was his uncle. Iroh tried to teach Zuko that you don’t have to get along with people, even family, who are abusive and manipulative. Mutual respect is a two-person job. Zuko’s guilt eventually overtook him because the one healthy familial figure was Iroh - who he abandoned to regain his honor. After a long internal struggle, Zuko chooses to help Aang end the war.

What is so significant about Zuko’s choice is that he takes the lessons he learned from his mother and Iroh (lessons of kindness, respect, and embracing uniqueness) and prioritizes those. While kindness and respect for others aren’t necessarily feminine traits, he actively rejects toxically masculine traits that his father tried to instill in him (and successfully taught to Azula). His ultimate lesson is that being true to himself is the path to success - a lesson that a lot of young boys aren’t being taught. Boys are taught that fitting in equals success. In Zuko's rejection of this idea, he rejects toxic masculinity. Zuko’s embrace of feminism has nothing to do with women - and feminism doesn’t always have to do with women. Modern feminism is about allowing all genders to be equal. Boys can present how they want to present, whether feminine or masculine or anywhere in between. While we haven’t destroyed the concept of femininity and masculinity (and I don’t think we have to, because there is beauty in the binary just as much as there is beauty in the nonbinary) the movement attempts to assert that it is okay to identify as you are, regardless of the demands of gender stereotypes. Zuko started off in the series as angsty and aggressive. He finished as kind, respectful, and mature. This is because he rejected gender stereotypes and grew into his own person, which is just as feminist as a girl rejecting gender stereotypes.

There are a lot of beautiful themes in Avatar. Themes of friendship and respect. Finding power within yourself. Found family. Changing for the better. But, watching this children’s show as a seventeen-year-old, the theme that astounded me most was its treatment of diversity and “girl power” for lack of better description. Avatar was ahead of its time in many ways - the female characters had diverse interests and personalities, struggles, strengths, and unique beauty. Even as a teenager, the female characters made me feel strong. Avatar didn’t force the female characters to conform any certain way, or force them to break gender stereotypes. Every character felt natural and real.

How is it that it’s so hard to create female characters that feel real? They are either overly flawed or pictures of perfection. Bitchy or pushovers. But women don’t have to be opposites of each other to be unique, and they don’t have to have one specific personality type to be interesting people. Real girls have all sorts of traits - conflicting and complimentary. I have the stubbornness of Toph and the sarcasm of Sokka and the laziness of Appa (truly).

I love Avatar: The Last Airbender for thousands of reasons and so do many other kids my age. They grew up watching characters onscreen reject toxic masculinity and embrace their uniqueness. I think it made a lot of kids better people, braver people, kinder people. And what other goal should a kid’s show have than that?

You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.