Some Headcanons and Theories

Hey everyone! These are some personal headcanons and theories I’ve formed regarding the Avatarverse, some of which may or may not be proven or disproven in the movie!

Suki and Sokka were happy not having children

I’ve seen SO many theories as to why we don’t see Sokka’s children in Legend of Korra, the most popular of which being that Suki died young and Sokka went on to father Suyin. I hate that one. Not only is it out of character for Toph to hang on to her childhood crush while he was off being in love with a whole other woman, but it implies that the only possible way that Suki didn't procreate is for her to die. There are many other possible reasons women would not have children, and I believe it is time to represent that in the Avatarverse. At first, I speculated that Suki maybe just could not have children, but then it occurred to me that maybe Sokka and Suki for any number of reasons decided that they were not meant to be parents. They were both very busy, with Sokka being involved with the rise of the United Republic, and Suki’s responsibilities both to her home island and her friends surely multiplied as well. Perhaps they decided that a child wasn't in the cards for them, and that they were content being aunt and uncle to Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi (tell me Bumi didn’t spend lots of time with Sokka XD)

Zuko eventually was able to generate lightning, but never did so

In the show, Iroh expressed his concern that Zuko had too much inner turmoil, and that was the reason who could not successfully create a bolt of lightning. I believe that as he grew up and became at peace with himself and his decisions, Zuko did eventually gain the ability to generate lightning, but never did so, believing it to be the weapon of his father and sister, and choosing not to use it himself.

Aang’s life was shortened by the act of taking away Ozai’s bending

This was is actually semi-canon. I had the privilege of listening to a lecture from Aaron Ehasz, the showrunner of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, and the Dragon Prince. He expressed his displeasure with how easily the answer to defeating Ozai without killing him came to Aang, and that if there were to be a Book 4, one of the overarching plots would have been the negative toll using such a power took on Aang’s body. After all, a general rule of good writing is that wielding a godly power like taking bending away should have negative consequences and cannot be used without limit. This, along with the fact that he was frozen for 100 years, may have contributed to Aang dying in his 60s. This theory is also ed by Kuruk’s continued meddling with the spirits leading to his body failing him early in life.

Azula atoned for her sins by giving her life

This is a newer theory for me, and I’ve been pretty vocal about my displeasure with the treatment of Azula in the more recent comics (Smoke and Shadow; Azula in the Spirit Temple). I feel like she’s becoming one dimensional, when she was one of the most complex villains the show and Nickelodeon in general had to offer at that time. I like the idea of her never truly doing a 180, but instead becoming a grey (pun intended, shouts out to Grey Delisle) character, predominantly self-serving, sometimes siding with the heroes and other times opposing them depending on what her goals and ambitions are. In the end, whether it’s regarding some foe in the Fire Nation that Zuko cannot handle on his own, or perhaps when the Red Lotus came to abduct Korra, Azula in a final moment of atonement, gives her life, maybe to save her brother, maybe to save the Avatar, or maybe even to save Mai or Ty Lee. I think it would be a good and satisfying send off for her.

Roku and Korra’s Avatarhoods were cursed by their predecessors

It’s no secret that Roku’s era ended in disaster, and the recent announcement of Seven Havens implies that Korra has a similarly brutal end. Many fans put these consequences on the choices these characters made, but what if their eras were fated for disaster no matter what they did? Allow me to explain. In the Rise of Kyoshi, Rangi expresses her concern to Kysohi that the Avatar must learn the elements in the proper order, or else their era is cursed by the spirits to be riddled with tragedy. However, Kyoshi does in fact bend water before air, all be it by accident when Kirima hurls a stream of water at her face, not believing her to truly be the Avatar. Kyoshi reflexively protects her face with her fans, and the water stops in midair. While Kyoshi’s long era had its ups and downs, she was regarded by most as a successful Avatar. Her reincarnation less so. Roku’s era ended with his brutal death and the beginning of the Hundred Year War. Fast forward to Aang, insisting on learning firebending despite Jeong Jeong’s warnings. He does eventually create a flame before ever moving a single rock. Once again, Aang’s era is regarded as successful, but Korra faces one disaster after another, including severing the connection to her past lives, nearly being killed while forced into the Avatar State, and now this new not yet known tragedy that sets the stage for the next series. Many fans blame Roku and Korra’s choices for the tragedies they face, and there is sufficient evidence to do so, but in a world so influenced by the spirits and their relationship with humans, maybe no matter what they did, Roku and Korra were fated for suffering because Kyoshi and Aang disregarded tradition.

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Thanks for listening! All images used are official Avatar Studios images. Progress shots of the edit are attached.