do i even need to say who i voted?

a really defining moment of aang and sokka’s relationship is that sokka literally lets himself get beat up for aang’s amusement and entertainment like a day into knowing him. like he is literally letting aang drop him onto the ground from a not insignificant height over and over again just to see aang smile and laugh. he is putting his own safety and physical wellbeing at risk because it makes aang happy. and there’s a lot we could get into here about how sokka fundamentally views himself and his body as a vessel through which to provide services to others instead of a whole human being in his own right, but what matters for the purposes of this post is that it’s very immediately established that sokka will do anything to see aang enjoy himself, to the point that he will quite literally put up with physical abuse without complaint to make aang happy. so when people are like “it’s crazy how sokka is so smart and yet loses all his braincells whenever he’s around aang,” it’s like yeah, teenage boy adhd2adhd communication will do that, but also a large part of it is sokka contorting himself into an image that he thinks aang will appreciate, because he knows just how valuable preserving aang’s childhood joy and laughter is.

and what’s beautiful is that through actively becoming this person for aang’s benefit, he also actually starts to internalize the sentiment. through the process of letting himself be silly and goofy for the sake of making aang happy, he also absorbs some of that sillygoofy happiness and regains some of his own childhood joy and laughter and sense of wonder he truly thought he had lost forever. he’s not just helping aang retain his childhood, but aang is also helping sokka regain his sense of humanity. the sokka of book 3 is someone who enjoys “wacky, time wasting nonsense” and throws beach parties, a far cry from the sokka of book 1 who thought fun and joy were luxuries no one could afford. his selfless love for aang is also self-affirming, helps him to embrace aang’s point of view, to love himself slightly more than he otherwise would have. because to love aang is to necessarily let kindness into your life; it’s to learn how to be free.

aang haters are so insane cause you’re literally hating on happiness personified????????

he is literally just a guy

who is five apples tall

and needs his sleep

Katara: Gosh, I love this picture of me and the rest of team avatar. We were so happy.

Aang: But where's Zuko?

Katara: He hadn't joined us yet. That's why we were happy.

the best thing about atla is how EVERYONE was sure that Aang would defeat the Fire Lord

Hakoda, the gaang, the whole water tribe, the earth kingdom, even Zuko!

like, they didn't even have a plan B 😭

It wasn't "can Aang beat the Fire Lord?" but "will Aang kill the Fire Lord?"

People come up with a lot of stupid reasons to criticize atla but saying that Kataang ended up together because thats what Aang wanted and that its not reciprocated is definitely,,,, interesting.

Did you watch the show???? have you watched kataras arch???? it literally revolves around feminism,

The same Katara that traveled across the world to learn water bending and challenged their best teacher to a fight because he wouldn't teach her because she was a girl???

The same Katara who blew up a factory? Who successfully led a prison break???

Katara is literally the one who kick started the entire series by sticking up for herself.

Thats the Katara you think folded and built a whole life with Aang because he wore her down?? You think Katara married and had children with Aang because only Aang wanted to?? You think Katara would let anyone, even Aang, pressure her into a relationship she didn't want?

Like it showed her setting that boundary. She defends herself just fine. I can assure you Aang did not harass Katara into their relationship.

This downwards angle of aang haunted me waking and sleeping so I colored him for your viewing pleasure

I will never understand antis who say that Aang is too “immature” for Katara, but then they think he’s mature enough that he should have murdered Ozai (never mind the fact that even if Aang was Zuko’s age or older, the writers still won’t have Aang do that, because Avatar is an all ages cartoon).

It’s because they view pacifism and Buddhism as childish ideas and beliefs. Aang doesn’t do any of the things he does because “he’s 12 and a child”, he believes these things because his culture and people are modeled after actual culture and religion.

Saying “well he’s a child, he shouldn’t have to kill because he’s a kid” misses the point of what the story is actually conveying. Yes, Aang is a child, and it’s fine to acknowledge this. But he doesn’t refuse to kill Ozai because of his age. He refuses to kill Ozai because that is a sacred tenet of his culture. The story’s conclusion is far less about Aang’s age and far more about upholding his culture and people’s beliefs in a world that took it from him and in the face of a man who believes it is worthless and weak. The entire story is ultimately about this culture and these people who were murdered, and how said killings were seen as just and good because of a view of superiority, both racial and cultural.

The writers and bryke would never have had Aang kill Ozai not because of his age but because it would put his character arc, as well as the entire narrative of the story that everything revolves around, in complete shambles. It would make the entire story meaningless. It would send a message of “Yeah, Ozai is right to believe Aang’s culture and people were undeserving of life and he was right when he said it was inferior”.

every character can and sometimes should be criticized. but the way some of yall “criticize” aang just proves that yall seriously misunderstand not just him as a character but other characters (*cough* KATARA *cough*) as well LMAO

your fanon versions of them aren’t canon <3 (especially when it’s so obvious katara is just your self-insert)

every time a zk speaks on aang a fairy dies and the hole in the ozone layer gets larger 😟

defending aang from people who lack media literacy isn’t enough i need a GUN

*extreme sarcastic voice*

how dare the sole survivor of his people’s genocide, who was forced to grow up early due to a power he never asked for be selfish?!!!

yes, he saved everyone and the only reason anybody ended up having a happy ending was because he defeated the show’s greatest antagonist. and yes, he constantly put his own needs aside so he could take on his duty as avatar. and yes, he dealt with extreme racism and genocide-erasure during his journey. but how DARE he not continue being entirely self-less to end a war that took everything from him?? the AUDACITY

how DARE he not fulfill our western craving for violence. the show’s propaganda claimed the air nomads were weak because of their resistance to physical fighting, so aang (as the LAST air nomad) should have proved their point by rejecting his ideals at the end and killing ozai, especially after the man used those exact words to demean him as an air nomad :)

when ozai said “you’re weak just like your people. they didn’t belong in my world” aang should have proved him right!!! cause the only way to win a war is through violence! and every piece of media i consume must contain violence so my child-like brain can enjoy it! or else it is boring!! aang is boring!!

🙄🙄🙄

it’s so dumb when ppl say Aang is selfish in his choice to not kill Ozai. If such a thing makes him selfish, then so fucking be it. Aang sacrificed everything there is to sacrifice the whole damn story. So to see him put his foot down and refuse to bend to other ppls wants was liberating. There was no other way this story could possibly conclude. Aang is the last airbender. If he fails to preserve his culture that was taken from him, balance will never be achieved. Killing Ozai would simply be another sacrifice in a long list that Aang made throughout.

the airbending tattoos are actually so beautiful. like… they’re such an impecable representation of a bender’s life-long commitment to their bending art form and culture. the fact that it takes years to reach mastery level and the hard work is then cemented with beautiful light blue arrows across your limbs, a forever reminder of your connection to the element and your values… it’s just beautiful

and even without the cultural connection, the arrows are breathtaking to look at. aang’s character design is so amazing and iconic largely because of those arrows. they suit him so well and tell you so much about his character, especially since he’s surviving in a world that hunted everyone with those arrows. his people. those tattoos mean sooo damn much

his people are, in a way, literally ingrained into him. and i just think that’s so beautifullllll. i admire cultural markings like that so fucking much. the airbenders have such beautiful customs i could just scream about it

they also have the coolest and nastiest avatar states because of them, lets be real. absolutely nobody is touching them in that department. their whole body fucking glows THEY’RE TAKING ITTTTTT

Friendly reminder that Aang defeated the fire lord (amped by the comet), mastered the Avatar State, mastered all the elements (except fire) and saved the world in less than one year, at 12 :)

Oh and he's also the first avatar who used energy bending, the most powerful ability in the series and seismic sense

This kid was a beast and a prodigy

They are BROTHERS your honor :)

“aang is useless without the avatar state” 🤓

tell me you haven’t seen the show without telling me you haven’t seen the show. some of his nastiest bending happens outside the avatar state let’s be serious. you see this impressive shit??

he looks so fucking cool in this scene man

Are people waking up or something because these posts are so good and funny 😭

Glad that even Aang's power is appreciated!