The show Avatar: The Last Airbender is beloved by people of all ages for many reasons, but while the plot and characters might be key, the animation of the fighting and bending styles is another big draw. Different characters have unique styles in a battle based on things like their culture, personality, and weapons of choice--and watching the main character in these fight sequences is a lot of fun for fans.
Because the series is an action-packed, fantasy, adventure story, more or less all of the main characters are good fighters. Because they are all so proficient and even expert level, the differences between one to the next are often minimal. And, it’s also somewhat subjective as to who is better as bending abilities and experience levels are so varied.
Mai
Mai is not a bad fighter by any means, and compared to everyone else in the world of Avatar, she’s basically an expert warrior. However, she is one of the main characters who isn’t a bender, and fans also don’t see her fight as often.
She’s very skilled at her throwing stars, but she’s not quite as deadly as Ty Lee nor as much of a prodigy as Azula, but this definitely doesn’t mean she’s weak.
Ty Lee
While Ty Lee might not be a bender per se, her chi blocking ability seems like bending in a sense. Her fighting style is very unique because of this. Though she might not look very scary at first, she can incapacitate opponents rather easily.
The main downside to her fighting style is that she has to get extremely close to people to take them down, so it isn’t as effective in a long-range battle situation.
Zuko
Zuko might be a good fire bender in many ways, but he’s not as good as some of the other fire benders on this list, at least at first. Zuko is rather erratic in earlier seasons of the show because his emotions often get the better of him, and it’s also well-known that he’s not the prodigy that Azula is.
However, once he learns the truth about the element of fire from Ran and Shaw and goes on his redemption arc journey, he becomes a lot more powerful and controlled. He really does become one of the best, but it takes him a little longer to become amazing.
Sokka
Similar to Zuko, Sokka is another fighter who takes some time to grow into himself. At first, he’s more just playing a warrior than someone who really knows what he’s doing, but he gets a ton of experience quickly once he starts traveling the world with Aang.
He starts to learn fighting styles from different people, such as Suki and later from Master Piandao, and by the end of the show, he’s one of the best warriors around.
Suki
Sokka and Suki do have many things in common when it comes to fighting because neither one of them is a bender. However, Suki had a lot more actual experience and training than Sokka when they first met.
She’s someone who acts as a mentor to him and helps train him, and as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki is extremely talented. While we don’t get to see her in action as much as some of the other main characters, she is a great warrior.
Uncle Iroh
Uncle Iroh would probably be a bit higher on this list, except that during the time of Avatar: The Last Airbender, he’s a lot older than most of the other characters.
On the one hand, this can help in some fighting situations because he has so much experience and strategy, but as far as pure strength and endurance, teenagers will beat almost any older adult out. However, it’s clear that Iroh is an extremely skilled fire bender.
Katara
Katara is a character who is sometimes underrated by fans, but the truth is that she’s a better water bender than Aang. She masters water bending before he does and becomes his mentor.
She’s able to pick up blood bending extremely easily, and she gets a lot of experience in battle situations once she s Aang on his quest to save the world. While there are a few benders who are stronger than her, she’s probably the best water bender in the series.
Toph
Toph is such an excellent earth bender that it’s hard to know exactly where to place her as she could be a little higher up on this list. However, her fighting ability depends a lot upon the situation. Anywhere that she can feel the earth with her feet, she can kick ass. However, in a situation like the airships, she struggles a bit more.
Still, Toph is easily one of the most adept in battle as she fought in the Earth Rumble tournaments from a young age. Plus, she also is one of the best benders ever as she is the first metal bender ever.
Azula
While Azula ends up having a mental breakdown that causes her to lose the end battle against Katara and Zuko, it still takes two other master benders to take her down, which just goes to show how powerful she is.
Azula is a fire bending prodigy and master of lightning bending from an extremely young age. Plus, her cunning and ability to often stay one step ahead of everyone else makes her absolutely terrifying in a fighting situation.
Aang
While there are actually many other characters who are better at lighting overall or at things like strategy and hand-to-hand combat, Aang has a special ability that no one else has.
Because he can go into the Avatar State, and because he does learn to use all four elements, he’s always going to have a trump card to play. So, while he might not be the best warrior of them all, he does have the most powerful fighting ability because of this.