Kya (nonbender)


 * This article is about Katara and Sokka's mother. For Katara in the pilot episode, see Kya (pilot). For Aang and Katara's daughter, see Kya (waterbender).

"water"

- Just let her go, and I'll give you the information you want.

Kya was the mother of Sokka and Katara and the wife of Hakoda. She was loved by her family, and Katara owns a necklace that serves as a memento of her affection. Kya was killed during a Fire Nation raid on her home, the Southern Water Tribe, an event which had a profound impact upon both her children and her husband.

Early life and adulthood
According to a legend told by Katara, one winter, when Kya was a young girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Kya realized she had not seen her friend Nini since the storm. She and some others went to check on Nini's family, but when they got there, no one was home, just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Kya stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice saying, "It's so cold, and I can't get warm." Kya turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Kya ran outside for help, but when everyone came back, Nini was gone. Smoke was sometimes seen floating out of the chimney, like Nini was still trying to get warm.

At some point, Kya married Hakoda and bore two children: Sokka and Katara. When her daughter, Katara, became ill with a cold, Kya made a special paste out of blubber and pepper berries and rubbed it on the little girl's chest, which was always effective.

Death


When the Southern Raiders learned that one waterbender still remained in the Southern Water Tribe, they were charged by Fire Lord Azulon to find and dispose of the last remaining waterbender in the tribe. The Southern Raiders attacked Kya's village in an attempt to identify and kill the waterbender. The Raiders' leader, Yon Rha, found Kya in her house and began to interrogate her, demanding to know the identity of the last Southern waterbender.

The two were then interrupted by eight-year-old Katara. As she looked the man in his eyes, Kya told Yon Rha to leave her alone and that she would give him the information he wanted if he let her daughter go. Katara was scared, but her mother told her not to worry and to go find her father. When Katara did not move, Yon Rha told her that she had heard her mother, and to leave. She left, and Yon Rha resumed his interrogation.

Yon Rha demanded to know the identity of the waterbender who lived in the village. At first Kya denied it, saying that there were no waterbenders left, as the Fire Nation had taken them all away years ago. However, Yon Rha contradicted her, saying that a reliable source had told him of the existence of one waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. He told her that they were not leaving until they had found the waterbender. Kya deliberately told Yon Rha that she was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, lying to protect both her daughter and village. She told Yon Rha that she was ready to be taken as their prisoner, but Yon Rha told her that he was not to take any prisoners, and ruthlessly murdered her with firebending. Katara and Hakoda rushed to the hut as fast as they could, but by the time they arrived, Kya was dead—much to the grief of Katara and Hakoda.

Post-mortem
Kya's death had a severe effect on her whole family. Both Katara and Sokka developed a strong distrust in anybody from the Fire Nation, and Hakoda went off to war with his warriors in order to ensure the Tribe's survival following the War's end. Her death has had Katara expressing her grief on several occasions; Kya's death was first brought up when Katara talked about how ruthless the Fire Nation was throughout the War.

Sokka and Katara's mother was mentioned on several occasions. While Katara was talking with Haru, she pointed out the necklace she was wearing. Haru complimented her saying it was beautiful, to which Katara replied that she had lost her mother in a Fire Nation raid and that necklace is all she has left of her. Haru had stated that it was not enough, and Katara had agreed with him. In that same episode, she lost the necklace while trying to free the captured earthbenders from prison.

When Zuko and Katara were imprisoned in Ba Sing Se, Katara expressed her hatred and grief toward Zuko by tearfully confiding that his nation killed her mother. He sympathized with her loss in the wake of the loss of his own mother, but that was not enough to stop him from joining his sister in conquering Ba Sing Se.



Katara also saw a vision of her mother during her adventure in the swamp. However, what Katara thought was her mother was a tree stump in the middle of the swamp, masked by the Swamp's mystical powers and abilities. Katara then broke down into tears.

Sokka admitted to Toph that he was unable to remember what his mother looked like. He said that Katara always seemed like the maternal figure in the family, and assumed the responsibilities left by Kya. He even went as far to say that whenever he tried to picture Kya, Katara's face was the only thing he could see. Sokka held a grudge against the Fire Nation for the death of his mother, but that grudge slowly faded as he grew older. He later opposed the idea of his sister extracting revenge on the man who was responsible for Kya's death.

In an attempt to prove that he was indeed trustworthy, Zuko offered to help Katara find the man who had killed Kya, which he hoped would give Katara closure and justice. However, Katara also desired revenge. When she faced Yon Rha, she forced him to remember her face, and he finally did. He also revealed why he had murdered Kya: to kill the last Southern waterbender. Katara realized that her mother died saving her life, and she almost killed Yon Rha in a fit of rage. However, she ultimately relented when she saw how pathetic he was and decided to spare him. Although she would never forgive Yon Rha, she had the closure she needed to move on in life. She learned to trust Zuko and continues to value her mother's memory.

When Hakoda reunited with his children after they defeated the Fire Nation, he remarked that had she lived to see the end of the Hundred Year War, Kya would have been very proud of them. Katara shed a few happy tears at this statement, briefly touching her necklace.

Legacy
Katara and Aang later named their daughter after her.

Personality
Kya was a caring, loving wife and mother, establishing a strong bond with her husband and both their children, notably Katara. An extremely courageous woman, she willingly sacrificed her life to save her daughter, revealing that she harbored deep maternal instincts and felt highly obligated to protect her family at any cost.

Trivia

 * In the series pilot, Katara's name was originally "Kya", but was changed once the actual show began production. This name was later used for her mother instead. This was because there was a video game character named Kya, and the creators changed the name to Katara to avoid a potential lawsuit.
 * Prior to her name's revelation, Kya was referred to by fans as "NMOKAS", the acronym for "Nameless Mother of Katara and Sokka".
 * Nick's official series site and Avatar Extras use the spelling "Kaya", and also uses a Southern Raider's picture instead of Kya's when her name is clicked.
 * Kya was voiced by Grey DeLisle, who also voiced Azula and Ta Min.
 * In the Miyazaki film Princess Mononoke, Kya is the name of the main protagonist's (Ashitaka) fellow villager. This is likely a reference to the movie, as both of the shows creators are known to be aficionados of Miyazaki's work, and have been inspired by it before.
 * In Katara's vision of her in the swamp, Kya did not have the same hairstyle nor was she wearing her heavy coat. As such, she looked very different to how she appeared in Katara's flashback.
 * Kya's name was only mentioned once by Hakoda, when Katara told him about the man in their house during the raid.