Avatar: The Last Airbender is a beloved example of the traditional heroes journey. The reluctant Aang must enter a wide world of danger and challenges to fulfill his destiny and defeat a great evil. It’s standard literary tropes that have been around since ancient myth, and that can be found in the best fantasy, from Star Wars to The Hobbit.
Another series that follows this route is Harry Potter. Comparing the two, they share much of the same storytelling DNA with each other and the best hero based stories. So, why not bring them together? Here are the main characters of Avatar sorted into their Hogwarts Houses.
Ty Lee - Hufflepuff
Ty Lee is the acrobatic friend and crony to Princess Azula. A highborn girl who left behind her aristocratic life for artistic pursuits in the circus is really thoughtful and kind to those she cares about. While she is portrayed as a villain for much of the series, her characterization is far more complex.
In the context between her and her allies, she is beyond loyal and empathetic. Even when battling team Avatar, she doesn’t do so with malice or sadistic tendencies. Her actions are out of loyalty to her friends and her nation. Because of this, she would best fit into Hufflepuff.
Mai - Ravenclaw
Mai is on the opposite spectrum from Ty Lee. Where Ty Lee is personified as extraverted and bubbly, Mai is cold and apathetic. But, she is this way because of her realist attitudes. She sees the world as it is, warts and all.
Because Mai is so practical and calculated, she would be a Ravenclaw. Her logical and pessimistic attitudes might come across as villainy, but in reality, come from a place of logical understanding. She’s a nihilistic individual and places her priorities in few places that she deems as important.
Suki - Gryffindor
Suki is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, an elite fighting force made up of young women from Kyoshi Island. She has inherent leadership skills and is a powerful independent spirit. Getting on her bad side is not a good idea.
On the other hand, to those she cares about, she is fiercely loyal and dedicated to. There isn’t a length she wouldn’t traverse just to keep them safe. Because of this, she could fit in as a Hufflepuff, but her inherent bravery and willingness to take charge leans her more in the direction of a Gryffindor.
Azula - Slytherin
Self-preservation, ambition, and cruelty are just some of the terms one would use to describe Azula. This Fire Nation Princess has done anything in her power to, well, gain more power. Her most dominating trait is her ambition and thirst for control.
She has all the marks of embodying the most toxic tendencies of Slytherin House. She takes the ambition, self-reliance, and calculation and imbues it with a sadistic lens. Azula will go to any lengths to achieve her goals, almost always to a fault. This results in zero close allies near the end, and at her core, and incredibly lonely person.
Iroh - Hatstall
Iroh is an interesting character to sort because he has so many layers to his nuanced personality. In many ways, he embodies a Gryffindor. As a warrior, he is brave an courageous, but just and fair. Yet in many other ways, his cares and needs are simplistic, choosing a much more altruistic lifestyle. In these traits, he is more like a Hufflepuff. Yet his wise and practical ticks also come across as a Ravenclaw.
His multilayered personality would make him a Hatstall, someone who causes the Sorting Hat to take much longer to sort. Hermione, for instance, was a near Hatstall because the hat struggled between sorting her in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.
Zuko - Slytherin
Zuko is very similar to Azula in that they both are incredibly driven characters. When they set their site on a goal, they will focus on nothing but that. The difference though, between the two, is Zuko’s ambition comes from a place of yearning to belong. Zuko wants to accomplish his goals to be closer to his friends and family and to achieve acceptance.
Zuko wants to be seen and praised for who he is, and while that might go a bit overboard at times, it is more often his best trait. Zuko embodies the best of what Slytherin could be, using their ambition and drive for the betterment of themselves and those around them.
Toph - Slytherin
Toph also embodies the best of Slytherin House. She is fiercely independent and self-reliant. Because she is disabled, she has grown into someone who places a lot of value on her own ability to not only meet the bare minimum but to exceed in everyday life.
Toph’s independence can hurt her at times though, coming off as abrasive if not mean. Her less than welcoming attitude caused a lot of friction in the beginning. But, after scratching away at the hard surface, Toph became one of Team Avatar’s most trusted and valuable members.
Sokka - Ravenclaw
Sokka has a lot of traits that fit right into Gryffindor House. He is always ready for a fight, standing on guard to defend his friends. But this behavior often feels like a mask to cover up insecurity. When Sokka is at his most authentic self, he actually embodies a lot of the signature traits of a Ravenclaw.
Ingenious, resourceful, and always practical, Sokka is, as shocking as it might be, the brains of Team Avatar. He might come across as buffoonish or dorky, but actually looking at his actions and interests, he is the main navigator, hunter, gatherer, inventor and more. Sokka is constantly solving the day to day puzzles of the team.
Katara - Gryffindor
Katara is clearly the most perfect example of a Gryffindor in the entire series. All of her tendencies exemplify top tier Griffyindor traits. She is headstrong, brave, loyal, ingenious, and ready to challenge a bully at a moments notice.
Her no-nonsense attitude towards oppression is both a plus and a fault, as its incredibly commendable, but gets her in a lot of trouble with some dangerous characters. While it might be a source of annoyance and danger, the fact that she will stand in the face of oppression no matter what shows her dedication to always do what’s right, just like any good Gryffindor.
Aang - Hufflepuff
The hero at the center of it all is unsurprisingly a Hufflepuff. The most carefree and easy-going of the houses, Hufflepuffs rarely go in with the intention of causing conflict. Aang is the eternal optimist of the group, always seeing the best in everyone he meets. His brand of kindness and youthful energy makes him a ride or die Hufflepuff.
His struggle to commit to being the Avatar, carrying so much cosmic and political power, showcases these tendencies best. Aang is so opposed to the concept that it caused is a hundred-year hibernation. This trait is shared with other famous reluctant heroes such as Bilbo Baggins or Luke Skywalker.
