Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is officially here, and it marks the return of our favorite characters from the original Nickelodeon series. But although the Gaang is back, they’re not voiced by the same actors — a fact that drives home how they’ve aged and changed in the new film. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender picks up with them into young adulthood, taking Aang on an adventure to revive his Air Nomad culture. That mission is complicated by Dave Bautista’s villain, Tagah, who has different ideas about how to bring it back from the brink of extinction.
Aang is undoubtedly the star of the new film, which digs deeper into his trauma and feelings about being the last airbender. Team Avatar is there to support him, though, even if it means interrupting their now-busy lives to do so. The film is now streaming on Paramount+, so viewers can finally catch up with the group. Here are the characters they can expect in the Avatar Aang movie, along with a breakdown of who voices them.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender shows us what Aang is like as an adult — and while he’s taller and a tad more serious, he’s still as goofy as ever in the new film. That’s a relief, and it balances his more emotional storyline in the movie nicely. This version of Aang feels like a solid middle ground between the boy we follow in Avatar: The Last Airbender and the man we get glimpses of throughout The Legend of Korra. In that sense, this story fits exceptionally well between the two.
Aang is voiced by Eric Nam in the new Last Airbender movie, who is known for his music career. Nam is a singer, songwriter, and composer. He also hosts the K-pop podcast Daebak Show. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender isn’t his first voice-acting role; he also brought Yoon Kwan to life in The Loud House. Avatar Aang is his biggest project, however, and he does an impressive job of bringing the film’s lead to life while keeping the qualities that make him so beloved.
Katara and Aang are married in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has seen The Legend of Korra. They don’t yet have kids, though there was apparently some debate over whether Katara should be pregnant in the film. Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino ultimately decided against that. We still get plenty of sweet moments between the characters. And fans get to see Katara in action, a reminder that she’s the best waterbender out there.
Katara is voiced by Jessica Matten in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. It’s Matten’s first major voice acting role, but she has plenty of other acting credits under her belt. She’s best known for playing Bernadette Manuelito in Dark Winds and Sokanon in Frontier. Fantasy lovers may also be familiar with her brief time as Maria in Shadowhunters. When she’s not acting, Matten does philanthropic work with Indigenous communities.
Sokka changes the least from Avatar: The Last Airbender to Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and frankly, that’s refreshing. He’s now a leader in the Southern Water Tribe, and he’s teaching its younger members what he knows. However, he’s still known to exaggerate stories, provide well-timed comic relief, and have a short fuse. It makes him feel very familiar, and Román Zaragoza’s performance sells his version of the character well. Of all the movie’s main characters, Sokka’s portrayal feels like the most seamless.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender marks Zaragoza’s first major voice-acting project as well, but like Matten, he’s been in live-action shows and films before. He’s best known for playing Sasappis in Ghosts, but he’s also appeared in series like Stumptown and Austin & Ally. It’ll be interesting to see if the Aang movie opens the door to any future voice acting projects, though we’re just as happy to catch up with him in CBS’ supernatural sitcom.
Toph returns in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and there’s good news: she’s still the greatest earthbender in the world. At least, that’s what she decides in the movie, confirming that her character is also pretty similar to her original-series counterpart. That’s unsurprising, as Toph remains as confident and sassy straight through The Legend of Korra. She’s consistent here, too, dropping hilarious one-liners and using her earth- and metalbending skills to aid Aang’s mission.
Dionne Quan lends her voice to Toph in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and like the other talent on this list, does a solid job making her feel like the character we know and love. Quan has a long history of voice acting, making her a natural choice for this film. She’s appeared in other Nickelodeon hits, including Rugrats, All Grown Up!, and The Fairly Odd Parents. She’s also wrapped up in the animated Bratz franchise.
It wouldn’t be a Team Avatar outing with Fire Lord Zuko, and fans get to see him taking on that role in the new Avatar: The Last Airbender film. The movie doesn’t stay in the Fire Nation long, but we do get to see Zuko hard at work…before Aang’s missive interrupts and embarrasses him mid-meeting, anyway. Zuko isn’t much different from his past self, except that he’s more relaxed and less concerned about pleasing his family. He’s closer to the Fire Lord we see in The Legend of Korra.
This adult version of Zuko is voiced by someone fans of animated media will probably know: Steven Yeun. Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, specifically, will recognize him as the voice of Avatar Wan in The Legend of Korra. But he’s best known for voicing the titular superhero in Prime Video’s Invincible. Other animated projects include Tuca & Bertie, Final Space, Wizards, and the Trollhunters franchise. On the live-action end, Yeun is also known for portraying Glenn in The Walking Dead and Danny Cho in Beef.
Who are you most excited to see again in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
