Quite a few characters from Aang, the last living Airbender and current incarnation of the Avatar who must master the art of "bending" the other elements of Water, Earth, and Fire in order bring balance to the world and end the Fire Nation's war on the Four Nations. Though Avatar: The Last Airbender concluded its three-season run in 2008, its story has continued graphic novel form, while its follow-up series The Legend of Korra debuted in 2012.
Set seven decades after the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra follows the Water Tribe-born Korra, voiced by Janet Varney, as she trains to master the elements as the new Avatar while facing her own set of challenges. The show would present her as a major contrast to Aang, who was raised as a Southern Air Temple monk and was put to the test in mastering Water, Earth, and Fire, while Korra could easily bend all three from her very first appearance, with Air representing her true hurdle as the world's new Avatar.
Thought short lived on TV, Avatar: The Last Airbender's success has spawned an entire franchise, including an live-action reboot that will surely draw long-time fans back. But while the first chapter of Aang's story ended in Avatar: The Last Airbender, his story - and, more importantly, the Avatar's story - continued in The Legend of Korra. Because of that, many characters from the first series returned in the follow-up show. Here are the Avatar: The Last Airbender characters who appeared in The Legend of Korra.
Aang
The Avatar's rebirth cycle naturally meant that Aang had died before the beginning of The Legend of Korra, but the show still had him appear as an adult, with D.B. Sweeney providing Aang's voice. Among Aang's intermittent appearances on the show, flashbacks to events between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra show various events with Aang alongside the other grown of Team Avatar. Aang also had three children with Katara - Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya - and Tenzin, voiced by J.K. Simmons, became Korra's Airbending teacher. Additionally, Aang being the previous Avatar gave him a direct spiritual connection to Korra, and he occasionally appeared in spirit form to provide her guidance.
Katara
Katara also returned as an elderly adult for The Legend of Korra, with Eva Marie Saint voicing her. For the show, Katara was one of three of Team Avatar to still be alive in the show's present tense, the other two being Toph and Zuko. As with Aang, Katara mentored Korra in Waterbending, and she remained a very maternal figure in her advanced age just as she had been on Avatar.
Sokka
Like Aang, Sokka had ed away before the beginning of The Legend of Korra, but he was still seen in adulthood through flashbacks with Chris Hardwick providing his voice. In his appearances, Sokka was seen on the United Republic Council representing the Southern Water Tribe, and also provided a guilty ruling for the bloodbending outlaw Yakonne. Sokka's memory was also honored on with a statue in his likeness outside of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center.
Toph Beifong
Among returning characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang's blind Earthbending friend Toph Beifong was among the most noteworthy in The Legend of Korra, where she was, respectively, voiced in adulthood and her elder years by Kate Higgins and Philece Sampler. The series established that she had set up the metalbending police force of Republic City. Her two daughters, Lin and Suyin, were also a big part of the show, being voiced by Mindy Sterling and Anne Heche, respectively (while Avatar's Azula and Toph voice actresses Grey Delisle-Griffin and Jessie Flower voiced them in their youth), with Lin also serving as an officer for the Republic City police. Toph retired and settled in Foggy Swamp, with an elderly Toph later meeting Korra there.
Zuko
Over the course of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko went from Fire Nation exile to Fire Lord, and he would appear again on The Legend of Korra, where he was voiced by Bruce Davison. Zuko was instrumental in the formation of the United Republic of Nations of the the war's end, while his daughter, Izumi, voiced by April Stewart, would succeed him as Fire Lord.
Uncle Iroh
Zuko's close guide and true father figure on Avatar: The Last Airbender, Uncle Iroh would also appear on The Legend of Korra, voiced by Greg Baldwin, with Baldwin having previously taken over the role on Avatar: The Last Airbender due to the ing of original voice actor Makoto Iwamatsu in 2006. Iroh transitioned into the Spirit World after his death, and was seen there as his old, jovial self on The Legend of Korra. Additionally, Zuko's grandson, General Iroh, was also named after him, with Zuko's original voice actor Dante Basco voicing him on The Legend of Korra.
Avatar Roku and Avatar Kyoshi
Aang's immediate predecessor as the Avatar, the Fire Nation-born Roku was seen on Avatar: The Last Airbender, with his Earth Nation-born Avatar predecessor Kyoshi also appearing, the two respectively voiced by James Garrett and Jennifer Hale. Like Aang, Roku and Kyoshi both held a direct spiritual connection to Korra as the new Avatar, with both being seen again on The Legend of Korra.
Zhao
Zuko's major rival in Book One of Avatar: The Last Airbender and a high-ranking, power-driven officer in the Fire Nation's Navy, Zhao was also seen in The Legend of Korra, with Jason Isaacs once again providing the voice. Despite his supposed death on Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra revealed that Zhao had been taken to the Spirit World and imprisoned within the Fog of Lost Souls. This would leave him to go completely mad, with Zhao rambling about being a conqueror who will capture the Avatar, while also mistaking Tenzin for Aang himself.
Wan Shi Tong
An ancient, wise owl who guards the Spirit Library in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Wan Shi Tong also returned for The Legend of Korra, with Hector Elizondo again providing the voice. Wan Shi Tong would be seen when Tenzin's daughter Jinora entered the library in her search for knowledge about the spirit portals.
