Aang - The twelve-year-old Aang is the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple. He is also the current incarnation of the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. As Avatar, Aang can control all four elements and is tasked with keeping the Four Nations at peace. As the Avatar, Aang must master all four elements to bring peace to the world and balance between the four Nations.Every way the relunctant hero, Aang openly expresses that he rather be searching for fun adventure and making new friends than being charged with saving the world. Compounded with his energetic nature and childish naïvete, at times Aang can be somewhat oblivious of the world around him and others' true feelings, as he is often too preoccupied with the events immediately surrounding him to notice what occurs on a more in-depth level. However, over the course of the series, Aang matures drastically as his experiences cause him to fully realize the state of the world and gradually shape him into being physically and mentally suited for the task set before him.
Early Life
Aang is the current Avatar in the reincarnation cycle. At first, he traveled around the world making friends easily, such as Kuzon and Bumi. Monk Gyatso, the only father figure to him, became his mentor. Before he earned his blue arrow tattoos, which signified he was a master Airbender, he and some other Airbender boys traveled to the Eastern Air Temple; this is where he was to be partnered with his flying bison. There they were all given an apple. Aang offered it to a flying bison calf and they quickly became friends. Aang named the young bison Appa and traveled back to his home temple. When Aang was twelve, and was already an Airbending master, Aang demonstrated his new invention which he dubbed the Air Scooter. He was teaching this technique to other children about the temple when he was interrupted when summoned to speak with Gyatso. In private, the monks explained that he was the Avatar, the bridge between the spiritual and natural world. They knew this because he and other children had chosen different toys among thousands; Aang chose the four specific toys the Avatar has chosen for generations, which reflected the four nations and the four elemental symbols. They also mentioned the possibility of a war. Once the news spread that Aang was the Avatar, the other children of the temple limited him from playing games, as he would exhibit an unfair advantage. The Monks were soon getting agitated, thinking that they needed Aang to train more, but Gyatso insisted that Aang was in his charge and that he should continue training and have fun like a normal kid. The Monks debated Aang's situation and decided that he would be sent away to the Eastern Air Temple, regardless of Monk Gyatso’s objection. Unbeknownst to them, Aang had been eavesdropping and heard the final decision of the Monks. Teary eyed, he wrote a note for Monk Gyatso, and ran away with Appa, now large enough to carry Aang. Moments later, a determined Gyatso came into Aang’s room and said he was not going to let them take him away, only to discover that Aang had run off already. While fleeing the temple Aang was caught in a violent storm and plummeted into the water. He unknowingly entered the Avatar State for the first time and encased himself and Appa in wind and ice, remaining in the Avatar State for the next hundred years. On the day of which he would be free he would soon have to find out about the war the Fire Nation started and that his people were obliterated in a massacre when Fire Lord Sozin used a comet's power to do so. This would affect him for awhile as he would have to accept his role as Avatar and the last Airbender.
Book One: Water
After one hundred years, Aang and Appa are freed by Katara and her brother Sokka. Aang and Katara board an abandoned Fire Navy ship and accidentally set off a booby trap; this signals to Prince Zuko the location of Aang and the nearby Southern Water Tribe village. Upon returning to the village, Aang is banished by the suspicious Sokka, but returns to save the village from Zuko and his men. Afterward, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Appa set off for the Northern Water Tribe to find a Waterbending master.
First they travel to Aang's former home, the ruined Southern Air Temple. On learning of his people's genocide, a grief-stricken Aang enters the Avatar State. This outrage alerts the Fire Sages to his existence. In "The Winter Solstice", Aang meets his previous incarnation, Avatar Roku, who informs him that he must master all four bending arts and defeat Fire Lord Ozai before summer's end, when the return of Sozin's Comet will empower the Firebenders to finally win the war.
In "The Deserter" Aang receives rudimentary Firebending instruction from rogue master Jeong Jeong. Initially reluctant to train the unready Aang, Jeong Jeong relents after being goaded by a vision of Avatar Roku. Aang begins basic training, and soon becomes impatient, demanding to learn advanced techniques. His lack of control causes him to accidentally burn Katara's hands. As a result, Aang resolves never to Firebend again.
Reaching the Northern Water Tribe in "The Waterbending Master", Aang finds a Waterbending master, Master Pakku, who takes Aang on as a student; he refuses to teach Katara because tribal custom prohibits women from Waterbending. Aang decides to secretly teach Katara what he's learned, and is quickly discovered by Master Pakku, who bars Aang from further lessons. The next day, it is publicly revealed that Katara's grandmother fled to the Southern Water Tribe to escape an arranged marriage to Pakku. Realizing that his strict adherence to custom is foolish, Master Pakku agrees to teach both Katara and Aang.
In "The Siege of the North", when the Fire Nation attacks the Northern Tribe, Aang journeys into the Spirit World to seek the help of the Ocean and Moon spirits. There he learns of Admiral Zhao's plan to kill the Moon Spirit. He returns to the mortal world too late to stop its murder. Aang then channels an enraged Ocean Spirit in the Avatar State, using their combined might to drive off the invading forces. Balance is restored when Princess Yue gives up her life to restore the Moon Spirit.
Book Two: Earth
In "The Avatar State", Aang and his friends arrive at an Earth Kingdom base. General Fong tries to willfully induce Aang's Avatar State for offensive use in the war. He succeeds, but Aang learns that if he were to die in the Avatar State, the Avatar cycle would be broken, and the Avatar would cease to exist. In "Return to Omashu", Aang encounters a new enemy, Princess Azula. Aang later meets Toph Bei Fong, a blind Earthbender master, who joins the group as Aang's Earthbending teacher in "The Blind Bandit".
While traveling, Aang and his friends discover a hidden library guarded by a spirit in "The Library". Inside, they find out that a solar eclipse will occur in the summer before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, rendering the Firebenders powerless. Leaving the library, Aang discovers that Appa was stolen by Sandbenders. Filled with anger and grief, Aang becomes uncharacteristically bitter and hostile. He enters the Avatar State once again in "The Desert" when confronting the Sandbender responsible for the theft. The group finds out that Appa was sold and may be in Ba Sing Se. Eventually overcoming his grief, Aang and his friends journey towards Ba Sing Se to inform the Earth King about the solar eclipse that could be central to ending the war.
In "City of Walls and Secrets", the group encounters Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se. He hints vaguely that he has information on Appa's location, and warns them not to step out of line. In "Lake Laogai", they learn that Long Feng has kept the war secret from the Earth King, and is planning to overthrow him. They eventually infiltrate Dai Li headquarters, where Appa is imprisoned. A fight ensues, but Appa, freed by Zuko, arrives and provides means of escape.
The team returns to the palace and successfully informs the Earth King of Long Feng's treachery and the reality of the war. Comforted by the knowledge that the Earth King is preparing for war, the group separates temporarily and Aang travels to the Eastern Air Temple to find Guru Pathik. In "The Guru", Pathik tells Aang that to achieve complete control over the Avatar State, all seven chakras within his body must be opened. He is able to unblock six of them, but has trouble with the seventh, the chakra associated with earthly attachments, as he is unwilling to let go of his love for Katara. In the middle of the ritual, Aang has a vision of Katara in danger and rushes back to Ba Sing Se, with Sokka and Toph in tow.
In "The Crossroads of Destiny", Aang manages to find Katara. When they try to escape, they are confronted and eventually overwhelmed by Azula, Zuko and Dai Li agents. Aang succeeds in entering the Avatar State, but is fatally wounded when Azula strikes him down with lightning, to the point where his spirit seperates from his body. Katara manages to escape with Aang and successfully heals him with water from the Spirit Oasis. As the gang flies away on Appa, Aang slips back into unconsciousness.
Book Three: Fire
After weeks in a coma, Aang wakes up heavily bandaged with a scar on his back and finds out that the world believes him dead. His hair has grown due to lack of shaving while unconscious. Aang is now unable to enter the Avatar State because Azula's lightning strike blocked his seventh chakra. The gang is on board a captured Fire Nation warship and accompanied by Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom warriors, who inform Aang that despite the loss of the Earth Kingdom armies, all available forces will attack the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun.
After stealing Fire Nation clothes, the group continues their journey. While traveling, they gain a new enemy, an assassin hired by Prince Zuko, who firebends with his third eye. Aang also learns that Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin were best friends in youth, but became ideological enemies as they grew older.
Eventually, the group reaches the rendezvous point for the invasion. On their way to the Fire Nation, Aang confides in Katara about his worry that he might not come back. He then kisses Katara and takes off on his glider. Aang arrives at the palace to find it deserted, and realizes that Ozai knew of the invasion plan. With Sokka and Toph, he discovers the Fire Lord's secret underground bunker but is stalled by Azula until the eclipse ends, dooming the invasion to failure. With no other choice, Aang, his friends, and the younger members of the invasion force flee on Appa to seek refuge in the nearby Western Air Temple, while their elders stay and surrender.
Aang meets Zuko again in the "The Western Air Temple" and despite the entire group's strong reluctance to let their arch-nemesis join them, Aang eventually accepts Zuko's offer to teach him Firebending.
