Pakku

"water"

- It is respectful to bow to an old master, but how about a hug for your new grandfather?

Master Pakku is the Waterbending master and instructor of the North Pole's Northern Water Tribe Class. He is possibly the most powerful non-Avatar waterbender in the world. Dryly sarcastic, and very serious about his art, he is a harsh but effective teacher.

Likewise stubbornly set in the customs of his culture, he only taught Waterbending to male tribe members; however, his ways have changed recently after meeting Katara, the granddaughter of his runaway fiancee.

History


In his youth, Pakku was a talented waterbender engaged to Kanna, a Northern Water Tribe girl about his age. Unlike in most arranged marriages, he had deep genuine feelings for Kanna, however, she didn't share them. Her dissatisfaction with being forced to marry someone she didn't want to was so great that Kanna ran away from the Northern Tribe, moving to the Southern one and making a new life for herself.

Pakku was devastated by this turn of events, and rather than admit it was his and his tribe's stubborn insistence on customs that caused him to lose his beloved forever, he became something of a sourpus, devoting himself only to waterbending and blindly adhering to any and all customs his tribe held.

Years later, when Pakku consented to teach Aang, but rejected Katara, she schemed to learn from Aang at night. Pakku quickly discovered them and barred Aang from further instruction until Katara apologized. Rather than submitting to Pakku's sour chauvinism, Katara challenged Pakku to a fight. Though he acknowledged her skill, Pakku still would not consent to teach her, and eventually defeated her.

During his fight with Katara, Pakku knocked her grandmother's necklace to the ground. Later, he recognized its pendant as the betrothal necklace he had carved sixty years before for "the love of [his] life," his fiancée Kanna. Kanna did not return Pakku's love, and fled to the Southern Water Tribe to escape their arranged marriage, eventually passing down her necklace to her granddaughter, Katara. In his heartbreak, Pakku never pursued another bride and dedicated himself to his Waterbending.

Realizing that his stubborn adherence to custom had cost him a wife, Pakku consented to teach Aang and Katara. Katara rose to mastery faster than any of his students, and he tasked her with instructing the slower-learning Aang. Pakku played a critical role in defending the North Pole from a Fire Nation siege, and afterward decided to travel to the Southern Tribe to help them rebuild their nation.

Aang and his comrades accompanied Pakku at the beginning of his journey to the Southern Tribe, before leaving to travel to Omashu. When the groups split, Pakku gave Katara a vial of water from the Spirit Oasis in the northern city, and gave Aang a box containing scrolls of Waterbending techniques. As for Sokka, Pakku comically gave him only words of good luck.



Pakku and the other Northern healers and Waterbenders worked to restore the war-torn Southern Water Tribe. Pakku reunited with Kanna and finally married her, even making her a new betrothal necklace, though the circumstances of how he got together with her are unknown.

Pakku eventually joined the effort to liberate Ba Sing Se, when he and the other Order of the White Lotus members received a message from Iroh. In "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters", the Avatar's group reunites with Pakku and their other teachers who are in the Order of the White Lotus when they locate them. When Katara and Sokka reunite with him, he tells them that he is their new grandfather, as he finally married Kanna while he was away. The two children were thrilled with this engagement. Sokka tries to find a nickname of his liking, considering "Gramp-Gramp" and "Grampakku", but is unable to create a good one, and the scene ends with Pakku saying "No. You can just call me Pakku.", and Sokka's face falls as he is again dismissed by his step-grandfather.

Pakku and the White Lotus Society launched an attack on Ba Sing Se, working to liberate the city during the arrival of Sozin's Comet. Pakku created a large waterslide over one of Ba Sing Se's walls, distracting Fire Nation soldiers. He then froze the slide, trapping the soldiers and allowing himself and Piandao to slide into the city. He initially blocks a large fire blast, but is unable to recover in time to defend himself from a second blast. Fortunately, Jeong Jeong intervenes and dissipates the blast. A large wave of water is later seen in the background as Iroh burns the Fire Nation flag on the Earth King's palace. Pakku is last seen with his allies and family at Zuko's coronation.

Abilities
Pakku is a Waterbending master, possibly the best in the world along with Katara and Hama. He is the Northern Water Tribe's Waterbending instructor. During his duel with Katara, he creates very large waves of water and ice. He eventually defeats Katara by trapping her in ice spikes thrown down at her from the air, which he was able to guide each perfectly to trap her without hurting her. During the Siege of the North, Pakku holds his own against dozens of soldiers with his enhanced Waterbending, creating an extremely large water spout. It was partly because of his skill and training that helped Katara become a Waterbending Master.

During the Battle of Ba Sing Se, Pakku fights many comet enhanced Fire Nation soldiers alongside Piandao by creating a large wave, and then freezing it, allowing Piandao to slide down on it and disable the soldiers. He, along with the rest of the Order of White Lotus, successfully liberate Ba Sing Se.

Relatives

 * Kanna (Wife)
 * Sokka (Step-grandson)
 * Katara (Step-granddaughter)
 * Kya (Step-daughter in-law, deceased)
 * Hakoda (Step-son)