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Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of the most beloved animated TV shows to air in the 2000s, and it still has many hardcore fans to this day. The spinoff show that aired later, The Legend of Korra, while fairly successful, didn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor, though it still has plenty of fans. Part of the appeal of the show was catching up with the characters first seen in ATLA, now that they're older, and even getting to see their children and grandchildren.
The new generation of Avatar characters in The Legend of Korra is interesting because they're living in a post-war world, while also dealing with the rise of new issues and threats. Aang's children especially have to deal with not just outside threats, but their own internal feelings and struggles with being the son of one of the most celebrated Avatars of all time. Aang's son Tenzin in particular had a large burden on his shoulders, as he was the only one of his siblings to be an airbender. But what is Tenzin's story, and why did Aang choose that name for him?
Who Is Aang's Son?
Tenzin is the youngest child of Aang and Katara, and he is an airbending master. As previously mentioned, he was the only one of Aang and Katara's children to be born an airbender, and so Aang trained him with the goal of keeping the tradition of airbending alive (as up to that point, Aang had been the last living airbender). In The Legend of Korra, he is living on Air Temple Island just off the coast of Republic City with his wife Pema and their four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan, all of whom are also airbenders. He becomes a mentor figure for Avatar Korra during TLOK, and teaches her airbending after she has mastered the other elements. The two often clashed because of their opposite personalities, but they still cared deeply about each other and were like family to one another.
Why Did Aang Name His Son Tenzin?
Tenzin might seem like an odd choice for a name, particularly because Aang and Katara's other children were named after people who were important in their lives. The name Tenzin, however, isn't seen anywhere else in either series, so where did it come from? The real-life answer is that Tenzin was named after the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The name Gyatso might also sound familiar to fans, as it was the inspiration for the name of Monk Gyatso, the airbender who mentored Aang as a child and was his father figure. Though it's never stated explicitly in the show, a lot of fans have theorized that Monk Gyatso's first name was Tenzin, as he would then be named after the Dalai Lama, which would mean that Aang named his son after one of the most influential figures in his life.
Does Aang Have Any Other Children?
Aang and Katara actually had three children together - Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin. Bumi was the oldest, and was named after Aang's childhood friend Bumi, who went on to become the King of Omashu and made an appearance in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Aang's eldest son Bumi was the only one of his siblings to be born a non-bender, but he gained airbending abilities after the events of the Harmonic Convergence in The Legend of Korra. He was a commander of the Second Division of the United Forces until he retired from the position shortly after the Battle for Republic City. He had a wild and slightly reckless personality, which put him at odds with the very straight-laced Tenzin on a number of occasions, but he was very loyal and always had the best interests of his loved ones in mind.
Aang and Katara's middle child, Kya, was the only girl and was a waterbender like her mother. Kya was named after Katara's mother and had a more free-spirited personality that was a sort of in-between of her brothers. As a waterbending master, she was a skillful healer and has a very nurturing nature, but she could also be strong-willed and sarcastic when she needed to be. In The Legend of Korra sequel comics, she revealed in a conversation with Korra and Asami about their own relationship that she is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, one of only a few Avatar characters to be confirmed as such. Kya and Bumi both had a bit of a strained relationship with their father, as they felt he favored Tenzin and was hyperfocused on preserving the Air Nomads. This caused a bit of tension between the two of them and Tenzin in their adult lives, but they eventually worked things out and became closer than ever.