Avatar: The Last Airbender might mainly be so compelling because of a well-rounded and unique set of main characters, but there are many fascinating side characters they meet along the way to defeat Ozai, too. From beautiful princesses to terrifying villains with the ability to bend blood, some of these ing characters didn’t get enough screen time.
These are the characters that left the show too early or just weren’t included enough overall. While these characters are mainly heroic, there are a couple of villains who needed to reappear as well.
Jin
Jin is a character who didn’t serve much of a purpose overall as she was mainly introduced as a brief love interest for Zuko to show how he was changing while being an Earth Kingdom refugee. And, she was really only included in one episode.
She mostly came across as shy and kind, but there wasn’t much else told about her. It seems like it would have been best to include her in more interactions with Zuko, or to not include her at all. They went on one date together, and nothing came of their relationship after that. The storyline also didn't really serve to teach viewers anything new about Zuko or grow his character.
Teo
Teo meets Team Avatar early on in their journey in season one, and at first, it seems like he’s an air bender. But, he's actually able to fly using inventions his father made. While Teo does reappear later on to help with the invasion of the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun, he never gets any more character development after his first episode.
Just like Toph, Teo was a character with a disability, so it would have been a good idea to give him more of his own storyline. He could have been more of an ally and peer to the group, especially to Aang and Toph, so it would have been good to have more scenes with him.
Joo Dee
Joo Dee isn’t exactly one person but instead the name given to all of the Ba Sing Se officials who were brainwashed at Lake Lagoi. Team Avatar first encounters one Joo Dee only to have another help them and wonder what happened to the first woman. She, or they, appears a few times throughout season two.
While the mystery of the Dai Li is eventually unraveled, it would have been satisfying for fans to get some resolution as to what happened to all of the people who were brainwashed along the way. The Gaang, as well as viewers, are left wondering if there was a happy ending for all those impacted by these tactics. Hopefully, things turned out well for both of the Joo Dees.
Hama
Hama is one of the most intriguing, and also most Last Airbender. Her backstory is a tragic one that speaks to the horrors that the Fire Nation has committed, and using blood bending to escape was understandable. However, the way she continued to blood bend people who had never done anything to her is reprehensible.
Hama only appears in one episode, but even in that episode, she made a huge impression on fans. Katara is clearly hugely impacted by being forced to blood bend to save her friends, but then this storyline is somewhat dropped. It would have been beneficial to see it continue on at least a while longer. Hama was such a formidable villain that it seemed a shame for Katara to defeat her in one episode instead of giving Hama a longer villain arc.
Hakoda
Hakoda doesn’t exactly leave the lives of Katara and Sokka, but he leaves the show for all intents and purposes after the Boiling Rock episode where he is rescued. He appears a few times throughout the series, but he never sticks around for more than a couple of episodes in a row.
While having him around too much wouldn’t have made sense as Katara and Sokka wouldn't have been able to be on their journey with Aang, some resolution would have been nice. Sokka and Katara deserved to have some peace with their father as a family, and while the comics continued the storylines, fans never saw this moment on the screen. It made it seem like Katara and Sokka were already adults, but really they were still just teens when the series ended.
Haru
Haru is another character that appears in season one and then comes back again to aid the team during the Day of Black Sun. Haru never really got much character development, but with a little more rounding out, he could have been a great character. He appeared so early in the show that it hadn’t really gotten into its prime yet, so he feels a bit underdeveloped.
Haru could have been given a bit more backstory, or even just scenes to make him seem more like a relatable and real person than a flat character. Yet, despite not being the best-written character, fans did take a liking to him. He was also a possible love match for Katara who would have been more compatible than Jet.
June And Nyla
June and her Shirshu, Nyla, started off as antagonists who were hired to hunt down Aang, but they weren’t nearly as evil or cruel as many of the other antagonists on the show. Nyla was a fascinating creature that could have been explored more, and June herself was rather mysterious and cool.
They did briefly come back in part 2 of the “Sozin’s Comet” episode to help search for a lost Aang, but it always felt like more could have been done with these characters. Fans especially wanted to know more about shirshus and where they came from, and June also never got much backstory.
Yue
Yue is one of the most tragic characters from The Last Airbender, and her death as she became the moon spirit deeply impacted Sokka. However, having her die in this way felt a bit too stereotypical and less progressive than many of the series’ other choices.
Yue could have been a great romantic partner for Sokka, and it would have been really rewarding to see her grow into her own power and not be stuck in her duty as Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She’s a character who didn’t really get her due as she dies so young. So, she just becomes more of an inspiration for Sokka than her own character.
Ursa
Ursa’s story in the series is never explained that well on screen, and what happened to her remains a mystery at the show’s finale. She really only appears in a couple of backstory moments throughout the show.
And, while Ursa's life story is told in the comics, these stories have way less reach than the television series did. It felt like the show could have explained more about her or given another glimpse into the fact she was still alive at least. However, this knowledge is at least available to fans who care to know.