With Avatar: The Last Airbender streaming on Netflix, old and new fans alike are enjoying the series and all it has to offer. The show has always been popular in pop culture and fandom, and many people of all ages have enjoyed the stories. Because the series is full of mostly teenagers, there are many romances and crushes portrayed throughout the three seasons.
Then, in Legend of Korra, fans learned more about some of these relationships and about the next generation. However, while the canon couples might be great overall, there are still some fan fiction couples that fans wish were real.
Zuko and Jin
When Zuko and Iroh are living in Ba Sing Se as refugees and hiding their true identities, Zuko meets Jin while working at the tea shop. She has a crush on him, and Iroh convinces Zuko to go on a date with her.
While this is a short-lived relationship, it’s a moment where Zuko gets in touch with his kinder side, and they do have a good date. While the couple wasn’t meant to be, they were kind of cute together.
Sokka and Zuko
There are a surprising amount of fan fiction relationships out there for the series, and this includes both straight and queer ships. While Sokka and Zuko are never portrayed as anything but having an interest in women, they do have one episode where they get to know one another and bond.
Many people enjoy these two together and they are one of the few popular male/male pairings from the show.
Ty Lee and Mai
While The Legend of Korra does have confirmed LGBT+ characters and relationships, The Last Airbender does not. However, it would make sense that at least some of the characters wouldn’t be straight. Ty Lee and Mai are close friends who have known each other for years.
Because of this, many fans shipped them together. The differences between their personalities combined with their long history make them appealing as a romantic couple for many people.
Katara and Zuko
This relationship is without a doubt one of the most popular ships from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Even while the show was airing many fans really wanted Katara to be with Zuko instead of Aang.
They definitely had chemistry, and the last episode of season 2 when Katara offered to heal Zuko with the spirit water was one that many fans thought gave evidence for their relationship. While Katara ended up with Aang, some fans still prefer this pairing.
Toph and Sokka
While Sokka never really sees Toph as anything more than a friend, Toph has a bit of a crush on Sokka throughout the series. While Toph ends up having a child with a man named Kanto, who is not in the series, many fans would have preferred that she end up with Sokka.
As these two got older, they would have actually gotten along well with Toph providing a more stable balance to Sokka’s energy, and they both have a good sense of humor.
Ty Lee and Suki
While many fans understandably love Suki and Sokka as a couple, there is something adorable about imagining Ty Lee and Suki together. For one thing, they do have some things in common.
They are both non-benders who use graceful, dance-like fighting styles to fight their enemies. They are both extremely talented and skilled at this, and they are both forces to be reckoned with. For these reasons, they would have made quite an exciting duo.
Katara and Yue
While it was Sokka who had a thing for Yue in the series, in some ways, Katara and Yue would make more sense. Fans already really loved Sokka and Suki together, and the side storyline with Yue wasn’t as compelling because of this.
Both Yue and Katara are extremely giving, nurturing, and fierce women and a relationship between them could have been interesting to explore given the more traditional society of the Northern Water Tribe.
Jet and Zuko
This pairing is one of the more rare ones on the list, but it does make a lot of sense when it comes to personality. When these two meet as they are both seeking to enter Ba Sing Se as refugees, they have a lot of similarities in how they deal with trauma.
They both tend to react in anger and hurt others around them even if they both have good inside of them. Their similarities would make for an interesting romantic couple.
Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin
While both Roku and Sozin ended up married to women, there’s no reason that they couldn’t have been bisexual. The friendship between these two is a big factor in their lives, and they clearly had a strong bond.
While the divides between them grew as Sozin sought to take over the world, many fans find this an extremely compelling narrative for a romantic storyline.
Ty Lee and Azula
With the resurgence in the popularity of the show, many people are pointing out queer subtext in the series and discussing people that could have been queer if the show had been made a little later.
Ty Lee and Azula are a popular pairing lately as many feel the intensity, although quite toxic, of their friendship could point to feelings of a romantic sort.