Katara

Katara is a Waterbender, from the Southern Water Tribe. She has a brother, Sokka, and a grandmother, Kanna. Sokka meets Aang while her and her brother are fishing in The Boy in the Iceberg. Katara is hopeful that Aang can end the war with the Fire Nation.

Before Meeting Aang, Katara is a fledgling Waterbender. It is not until she comes across Aang that she really pushes to become an accomplished Waterbender. She eventually does master Waterbending, and teaches Waterbending to Aang.

Background

Katara is a strong girl, never afraid to speak her mind. She remains hopeful, even when it seems there is no hope. Her mother Kya was taken from her when she was 8 years old. She perished in a battle with the Southern Raiders. Her father left for war when Katara was 12 years old. Her grandmother became her caretaker. Katara normally helped with chores around the home, while her brother would assemble the local children to train them for the war.

Katara’s mother, Kya, sacrificed herself to save Katara. The Fire Nation attacked the Water tribe’s village, seeking to destroy the last waterbender. Kya claimed that she was the last waterbender, and the Fire Nation Killed her.

Katara’s Personality

Kya’s death shaped Katara’s personality. She has somewhat assumed the role of her mother. She does the “motherly” things around the house. She watches over her brother, as well as Aang and other friends that the group meets.

Katara is generally docile. She is a caring and hopeful individual. She looks after her friends, and is one of the only people who believed that the Avatar would come back to save the world. Just because she is generally docile, though, that doesn’t mean she can be pushed around. She is not afraid to stand her ground, and can be fierce when she feels it is necessary. Besides having somewhat of a temper, she can sometimes hold a grudge too. This can be seen in her relationships with Jet and Zuko. It takes time for them to earn her trust. She also holds some resentment for her father, because she feels like he may have abandoned her and her family when he went off to war.

Katara’s Abilities

Katara’s main ability is Waterbending. When we first meet Katara, she is a beginning Waterbender. She did not start to master the art of Waterbending until she found her Waterbending master, Master Pakku. Before meeting Master Pakku, she had only taught herself a few Waterbending moves. She also had little control of the water around her when she became upset, as was seen when she broke Aang out of the iceberg while yelling at Sokka. In order to prove her natural ability to Master Pakku, her and Pakku engage in a fight. Master Pakku is impressed by her skills, and had a past relationship with Katara’s grandmother, so he agrees to take her on as a student. Katara excels as a student, and learns Waterbending faster than anyone before her. She is declared a Waterbending master after defeating Zuko at the end of season one.

Katara uses an array of whips, waves, and streams of water when in battle. Her Waterbending powers are enhanced with a full moon. Her Waterbending skills continue to grow as she learns to draw water out of plants, and out of thin air. She even learns to bend the water in the human body (bloodbending) to control humans. She also discovers that she has healing powers when she and Aang suffer from burns. She uses the body’s chi paths to heal.