When whether Katara should end up with Aang or Zuko. While Katara and Aang’s relationship is built over time and ends up being the canon relationship, there are still many fans who think Katara would have been a better fit with Zuko or some of the other characters from the series.
This doesn’t mean of course that Katara and Aang weren’t a good match, but there are some other characters Katara could have been with based on personality or if the story had gone a little differently.
Jet
While Aang has a pretty obvious crush on Katara early on, Katara’s first really noticeable crush is on Jet, the leader of the Freedom Fighters. Jet seems cool and alluring, and Katara is quickly drawn in by his bad-boy charm.
However, this crush ends when she sees that Jet is willing to kill innocent people. While these two would have been a good match if Jet hadn’t gone to the dark side, this decision means Katara wouldn’t really have ever been with him.
Yue
Yue and Katara aren’t a ship many people think about given that Yue and Sokka have a romantic relationship and Sokka is Katara's brother.
However, in many ways, Katara and Yue would be a good match. They are both powerful women from the water tribes, and Katara’s stronger personality would be a great complement to Yue. They both also understand bearing heavy responsibilities and would relate on this level.
Azula
Azula and Katara are another pairing that might seem a little out there, but there are definitely people that ship them together. These two would definitely be more of an antagonistic pairing that follows the enemies to lovers trope as they are opposites in many ways.
However, they are both highly skilled benders that have a lot of ion. But, the fact that Azula is evil isn’t something Katara could ever really abide.
Ty Lee
While Ty Lee is also Katara’s enemy for most of the series, these two make a bit more sense than Katara and Azula. For one thing, Ty Lee ends up betraying Azula and then s the Kyoshi Warriors. So, it’s not far-fetched to think that she would end up being friends with Katara and the others.
Katara has a more serious personality while Ty Lee is rather upbeat and likes to have a good time. While they might be different in this way, these differences could complement one another.
Toph
This pairing is definitely one where you have to imagine these two characters as adults before they would consider dating one another.
These two grow to be close friends despite their personality differences and the fact that they butt heads, so there is some basis for a romantic relationship to grow from this friendship. However, they do approach the world very differently, and it’s likely Toph would always resent Katara’s need to control things.
Mai
Mai is another character who spends most of the series as an antagonist fighting with Azula against Team Avatar.
Plus, she also ends up with Zuko. However, Katara and Mai wouldn’t be a bad match. Mai is way less emotional than Katara, but this could be a good balance as Katara is rather driven by her emotions and Mai is not. Mai is also very loyal, and this is something that Katara values.
Suki
Once again, Suki is someone who dates Sokka, so as far as the canon goes, it wouldn't make much sense for Katara to be interested in someone her brother was into. However, if Sokka and Suki had never gotten together, Katara and Suki could be a great match.
They are both fierce warriors in their own right, and they have similar traits of loyalty and determination. Plus, they also have some different traits as Suki is a bit more relaxed than Katara and this would provide a good balance.
Haru
While Jet is the character many fans associate with being Katara’s first love interest, Haru was a much better fit for Katara personality-wise.
These two quickly hit it off by sharing some of their similar traumatic experiences, and they are both caring people who want to do good in the world. While Haru ends up being a minor character, these two would have made a great couple.
Zuko
It’s probably no surprise that Zuko is at the top of this list because this pairing was so popular. There definitely seems to be chemistry between these Zuko and Katara, and they have a lot of interesting development in season three.
Even in season two, Katara tries to help Zuko, but he betrays her to Azula. After this, Katara doesn’t trust him when he s the Gaang but they end up becoming close friends. These two could have had a rather compelling love story if the series had taken this route.