With the Netflix live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation, as well as the recent announcement of three additional animated films in development within the Avatar franchise, fans have much to be excited about moving forward. With the arrival of new content, fans will see the return of some of the main protagonists and the possibility of side characters making more prominent appearances.
Avatar is well known for its engaging combat and emotionally-driven fight scenes. Throughout the franchise, fans have witnessed benders of the Four Nations battle it out against one another and showcase some incredible abilities and skills. Because of this, non-benders are often overlooked and considered weak by others within their world. However, many non-benders prove important and powerful in their own right, and fans on Ranker have determined which of them are the best characters within the franchise.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Zhu Li
Zhu Li Moon is a character from The Legend of Korra who is introduced as Varrick's assistant. Over the entire duration of TLOK, Zhu Li proved herself to be extremely proficient in operating machinery and had expertise in the skills of deception, sabotage, and espionage.
Zhu Li used these skills to work undercover as a follower of the antagonistic Kuvira to protect both her friends and her experiment. Despite having no bending capabilities, Zhu Li was an incredibly powerful asset and proved she could escape almost any bad situation that occurred. Zhu Li was such a capable individual that she even became the second president of the United Republic.
Hakoda
Hakoda is known throughout the story of ATLA as the father of both Sokka and Katara. Although he only played a minor role in the story, Hakoda proved himself to be a very capable individual, and he is a character that many fans wish they knew more about.
Despite lacking any bending capability, Hakoda was a Southern Water Tribe Chief who later became the Head Chief of the entire Southern Water Tribe after the Hundred Year War. Hakoda is a skilled captain, weapon craftsman, and warrior who inspired much of his son Sokka's tactical planning and craftiness. Hakoda was a dedicated leader who oversaw the reconstruction and modernization of the South, among other great achievements.
Asami Sato
Asami Sato was introduced in The Legend of Korra as the non-bending daughter of Future Industries' Chief Executive Officer, Hiroshi Sato. After her father's imprisonment, Asami took over Future Industries and worked alongside Korra and the team to better the world.
Asami was a crucial member of Korra's team for her proficiencies with vehicle operation and mechanics. Asami also proved herself to be a strong hand-to-hand combatant, with significant skills in agility and acrobatics. Asami's lack of bending was no detriment to herself or the team, and the skills she possessed made her an invaluable member of the group.
June
June was a character seen multiple times throughout the story of ATLA. Accompanied by her Shirshu, Nyla, June was a professional bounty hunter who had made a name for herself as one of the best trackers in the world. June worked with ease alongside Nyla, tracking targets and paralyzing them with Nyla's venomous tongue.
June proved herself to be a formidably strong character, seen to be capable of victory in arm wrestling over muscular men. June also had many strengths in her fighting capabilities, including high speed and evasiveness, and powerful hand-to-hand combat skills. June is without a doubt a fan favorite non-bender and is often regarded as one of the most powerful female characters in the series.
The Kyoshi Warriors
As an order of female warriors founded and hand trained by Avatar Kyoshi herself, the Kyoshi warriors are a group of skilled martial artists seen throughout the Avatar franchise. The Kyoshi Warriors were powerful allies to the Gaang throughout ATLA and helped them in combat on more than one occasion.
The Kyoshi Warriors were exceptionally skilled fighters and meticulously calculated in their actions, using their opponents' force against them to create and exploit openings rather than fighting back with brute strength. The Kyoshi warriors were each trained in many fighting tools and weapons, including their golden fans, retractable shields, and a katana blade for specifically deadly encounters.
Sokka
Sokka is one of the main characters in ATLA, as the brother to Katara and friend of Aang. Sokka is the only non-bender in the original Gaang, and many opponents continuously underestimated him as a threat. However, Sokka was a creative and talented strategist who pulled off many intelligent plans to assist his friends.
Sokka was highly skilled with his trusted boomerang weapon, so much so that he could take down targets out of his line of sight by utilizing mathematics to predict the right angle to strike. Sokka was also personally trained in swordsmanship by Master Piando, giving him much more versatility in combat. Sokka was a brave and dedicated member of the team who continuously sought ways to better himself and assist the group, despite his lack of bending.
Mai
Mai was most significantly seen throughout ATLA as a member of Azula's antagonistic trio and was known for her specialty of thrown precision weapons, such as knives, shuriken, and darts. Mai's apathetic and gloomy attitude often caused others to overlook her, but in reality, she was a strong threat to "the Gaang" throughout the story.
Mai was shown to have no struggles immobilizing multiple targets, including highly skilled Fire Nation Prison Guards, and various benders throughout the Four Nations. As a hand-picked ally of Azula, Mai's skills were undeniable, and she proved this on many occasions when she hit her targets from an impressive distance. Mai's quick reflexes, speed, and agility enabled her to continuously hold her own against others, making her one of the deadliest non-bending characters in the franchise.
Master Piandao
Master Piando is a side character that appears on multiple occasions throughout ATLA. As a Fire Nation man, Piandao was once a prior member of the Fire Nation Army and has since become a swordmaster and bladesmith, having taught many students - including both Sokka and Zuko.
Master Piando incorporated techniques of warriors, artisans, and many benders into his sword fighting and was considered the greatest swordsman in Fire Nation history. Piando was said to have never lost a battle throughout his lifetime, making him one of the most powerful and skilled non-benders in the world.
Suki
As the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki was an important side character that assisted the of Team Avatar on multiple occasions, both inside and outside of combat. Suki was highly respected by others for her strong combat abilities and leadership skills.
Suki was an outstanding hand-to-hand combatant and was able to hold her own against multiple opponents, even if they were benders. Suki was proficient in the Kyoshi warriors' specialist weapons, including war fans, a shield, and katana. Suki also proved herself to have impressive physical strength and is often considered one of the most underrated characters throughout the Avatar franchise.
Ty Lee
Ty Lee is most commonly seen throughout ATLA as a side character and antagonistic member of Azula's trio, alongside Mai. Ty Lee was a fun and cheery character, but her personality was not to be mistaken for weakness. With high precision and knowledge of chi-blocking, Ty Lee took down many powerful benders throughout the story, often simultaneously.
As an ex-member of a traveling circus, Ty Lee was extremely acrobatic, agile, and fluent in her motions throughout combat. As many benders rely solely on their bending skills for combat, Ty Lee was a significant threat and used this to gain the upper hand against her opponents many times. After betraying her allegiance to Azula, Ty Lee ed the Kyoshi Warriors, where she put her acrobatics and chi-blocking skills to good use. The combination of Ty Lee's lovable personality, and her choice to do well by re-purposing her skills with the Kyoshi Warriors, earned her recognition as a fan-favorite character within ATLA and one of the best non-benders within the franchise.