Unlike other cartoons of its generation, Avatar: The Last Airbender has created quite a mark in television for its compelling story and its world rich with culture and detail. As such, it makes sense for the original Avatar show to spawn a sequel and various spin-offs that expand on its universe, especially on the lives and cultures of its four regions. Now that Avatar Generations plans on reliving Avatar Aang’s adventures as an RPG, the game may offer players more opportunities to expand on the daily lives of people in the Four Nations.
In fact, one of the things Avatar Generations could offer within its game is alternate outfit options for its playable characters. Considering the number of outfits Team Avatar and their companions wore throughout the series, fans of the franchise may already have their eyes on dream outfits they want certain characters to wear while adventuring in the upcoming RPG.
10 Noble (Toph)
Despite her disability, the blind Earthbender Toph became one of the most formidable Earthbenders in the series. Her discovery of Metalbending led to the creation of the Metalbending Police Force of Republic City in The Legend of Korra, of which she wore a rather kickass police attire. In her younger years as part of Team Avatar, she wore comfortable clothes that aided in her Earthbending while at the same time hiding her origins: that of the wealthy Beifong Family.
In fact, during her first meeting with the Team Avatar, Toph wore a noble’s outfit that made her seem extremely fragile, unimposing, and incapable of defending herself. During her later encounters with the heroes, Toph proved to be not just a decent fighter, but also strong enough to win Earth Rumble championships. Seeing Toph wear her noble attire in the RPG will not only give strong nostalgia vibes but also present a strong contrast to usual Earthbender wear, which consists of rigid clothing.
9 Swordsman Student (Sokka)
Among the members of Team Avatar is the cheerful Sokka, bringing a breath of fresh air to the gang with his antics compared to his sister, the more serious Katara. Although the only non-Bender on the team, none of them can parallel Sokka in terms of ingenuity and creativity. Adept in science and logic, Sokka often leverages crazy strategies against even the toughest of Bending foes - and they work!
However, outside his jolly demeanor is a serious and determined learner, as evidenced by his dedication to training under the Fire Nation swordmaster Piandao. While Sokka often wears casual clothing, his traditional black robe while being a swordsman student gave him a renewed sense of seriousness that gave a fresh take on his character. Sokka received a finer, more elegant appearance with his outfit.
8 Circus Performer (Ty Lee)
When Princess Azula was recruiting team members in her journey to hunt the Avatar, she recruited both her childhood friends - the timid Mai, and acrobatic Ty Lee. Throughout much of the series, Ty Lee wore comfortable clothes to fit her free-spirited nature before donning the Kyoshi Warrior garb. However, her circus attire is one of her more interesting outfits that never got much exposure in the series.
This outfit primarily reflected her origins in a traveling circus. As such, the outfit consisted of a headpiece resembling fire, a lion’s mane, or a sunflower that coincided with a white blouse and a layered orange skirt. Ty Lee was actually wearing this outfit during her introduction in the series. This was perhaps one of the most colorful outfits in the franchise that sadly never returned for a second appearance.
7 Kyoshi Warrior (Mai)
Accompanying Azula as her main “assistants” in her journey to find the Avatar is Ty Lee and Mai. Compared to the acrobatic and cheerful Ty Lee, Mai is instead a stoic yet brooding figure, often bored by most situations. Hiding beneath this rather “meh” exterior is a being of immense self-control and discipline, reflected in her mastery of marksmanship. She’s Team Azula’s resident weapons master, capitalizing on using hand arrows and knives to catch enemies off guard and from afar.
As such, it makes sense for Mai to once don the disguise of a Kyoshi Warrior in an effort to infiltrate Ba Sing Se and get a hold of the Avatar. With Kyoshi Warriors known for their mastery of combat, Mai and her proficiency with weapons would fit right in with this disguise. Moreover, the Kyoshi Warrior attire is perhaps the only palette switch Mai had that was away from her usual black and red colors.
6 Kuzon (Aang)
When The Last Airbender introduced Aang to the world, he easily became one of the most recognizable protagonists of a cartoon series. Sporting a bald head with a unique arrow tattoo and orange-yellow clothing, Aang represented the freedom that came with the pacifist Air Nomads. Given his existence as the last Airbender, he carried his heritage with his outfit, staying with this color scheme and simple clothing throughout the rest of the series.
After recovering from a lethal injury from Azula, Aang eventually sported hair - a surprise that had fans taken aback. Now on the run while inside Fire Nation territory, Aang had to adopt not just a Fire Nation persona but also their clothing. During his short stay in the Fire Nation Academy as “Kuzon,” Aang sported the red scholarly attire of a Fire Nation child. This outfit is an interesting tone-shift for the Avatar’s appearance and may represent a more aristocratic vibe.
5 Blue Spirit (Zuko)
Brash and aggressive Prince Zuko traveled a path of redemption throughout much of the series, hoping to seek his father’s approval by capturing and delivering the Avatar to the Fire Nation. This resulted in a character development arc that eventually had Zuko turn on a new leaf, join Team Avatar, and save the world from tyrannical rule. And while this would be reflected in discarding his regal sense of entitlement and adopting a more humble appearance, early signs of this development came from his alter ego: the Blue Spirit.
In terms of “alternate costumes,” the Blue Spirit is perhaps the most recognizable due to his association with the character. The outfit simply consisted of black attire fit for stealth and acrobatic movement, as well as a blue mask. Zuko originally adopted this persona in missions to help “save” the Avatar from various threats, primarily so that he could be the one to capture him personally. Instead, this outfit became a symbol of his eventual transformation.
4 The Painted Lady (Katara)
As Aang grew in strength through learning various Bending styles, so too did Katara with Waterbending. During the last few weeks of her training, she came across the fishing village of Jang Hui, where she accidentally learned Bloodbending - a technique she refused to use in the rest of the series due to her moral standing. However, perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of Katara here is disguising herself as the Painted Lady to convince Jang Hui’s villagers to stop the pollution of the nearby river, with Katara’s Waterbending prowess proving more than enough to masquerade as the river spirit.
The Painted Lady is a benevolent guardian spirit of Jang Hui who once left the village after its villagers stopped caring for its nearby river. The Painted Lady returned to protect its home thanks to Katara’s help. This outfit was the closest Katara could get to an alternate color scheme, that of a white dress and a large white hat alongside red markings. In the RPG, the Painted Lady attire may give Katara a fiercer look.
3 Order Of The White Lotus (Iroh)
Throughout the series, Iroh is the ever-doting gentle uncle to the brash Zuko, always there to provide him with sage advice. However, beneath this jolly tea shop owner and Pai Sho hobbyist is a battle-hardened general who remains respected years after his retirement. Aside from having the moniker “Dragon of the West” for his breath-based Firebending, he also boasts a mastery of lethal lightning redirection. Not only that, but Iroh almost succeeded in invading the formidable Ba Sing Se.
His title of Grand Lotus is perhaps his most impressive achievement, indicating his leadership of the secretive Grand Lotus society that is in charge of finding and training the next Avatar. This consisted of a white robe with an aesthetic quite outside that of the Four Nations, representing the organization’s pursuit of unity beyond nationality. Such an alternate outfit adds a sense of regality to Iroh, whose outfits in the series often comprise straightforward outfits that often reflect his appreciation of life’s simplicities.
2 Kemurikage (Azula)
When the series revealed that Zuko had a younger sister in the form of Azula, fans were treated to a manipulative and ruthless lightning-controlling antagonist hell-bent on eliminating Avatar Aang to secure the domination of the Fire Nation - unfortunately, at the cost of her losing her mental stability. During her confinement in a mental health facility after the series, Azula escaped and once planned to usurp the throne from then-Fire Lord Zuko, and eventually wanted to rule through him.
After her exile, she returned alongside the Fire Warriors, an all-female group of Firebenders under her command. Her current appearance is that depicting the Kemurikage, spirits said to abduct misbehaving children. The outfit consisted primarily of a robe that hid a masked figure wearing form-fitting clothes resembling that of shinobi. This rather masked appearance is an interesting counter to Zuko’s Blue Spirit, denoting mystery in both her aesthetic and current intentions.
1 Phoenix King (Ozai)
One of the most mysterious and enigmatic figures in The Last Airbender came in the form of Fire Lord Ozai, the then-leader of the Fire Nation in their pursuit of world domination. By the time Avatar Aang mastered Firebending, Sozin’s Comet also reached the planet, giving Firebenders immense power and prompting their invasion. At this moment, Fire Lord Ozai made his move, donning the regal firebird-themed Phoenix King attire, consisting of a tall headdress and phoenix-themed decor that accompanied his kingly outfit.
Despite this outfit's decorative addition, it’s still enough to provide Ozai with a kind of regal terror expected from a megalomaniacal villain - at least, prior to when Aang took away his Bending via Energybending. Whereas his topless combat attire focused on his capabilities as a Firebender, the Phoenix King outfit reflected the sheer terror associated with his potential tyrannical rule. Such an alternate outfit for Ozai in the RPG can give players a more imposing appearance on the battlefield.
Avatar: Generations is slated to have a soft launch this August 2022 for Android and iOS.