Shipping


 * Bryan Konietzko: I remember until mid-way through first season I never even knew what shipping was, and then suddenly on the internet... 
 * Michael Dante DiMartino: Suddenly on the internet you had writing about shipping and I was like, "What is this? What is this phenomenon about?" 
 * Bryan Konietzko: Yeah. I was all like "They're shipping love to each other?"



Shipping, abbreviated from "relationships", is a fan-created pairing of two Avatar: The Last Airbender characters. It became a very important part of Avatar for a large number of fans.

"Shippings" are commonly designated with portmanteau couple names, usually derived by combining the names of the characters or words that accurately describe them. Common reasons for fan-created pairings include extensive companionship, obvious "movements" by either character, subtle actions by either character, or even the fact that they look "cute together".

Many fans were very devoted to their preferred "ships" and wrote fanon to detail and support their theories. Subsequently, some fans conflicted over the validity of each other's supporter "ships", which resulted in an amused reaction from the creators.

Popular Ships



 * Aang and Katara - known as "Kataang": One of the two most popular "ships", "Kataang" was based on the fact that Katara and Aang became friends at the very beginning of the series, and Aang soon developed an obvious crush on her. Katara frequently gave him friendly kisses on the cheek. In The Fortuneteller, Aang's crush on her is made explicit, while Katara is told she will marry a powerful bender and has the appearance of an epiphany when Sokka casually describes Aang as a powerful bender. During The Crossroads of Destiny, his earthly attachment to Katara was preventing him from reaching the Avatar State. During The Invasion, Aang kissed Katara on the lips before leaving for the Fire Nation. Despite this, the two were not a couple, Katara even refusing Aang's romantic advances during The Ember Island Players. However, they kissed in the final shot of Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang, presumably beginning a romantic relationship.


 * Katara and Zuko - known as "Zutara": The counterpart to Kataang and the other most popular ship, Zutara cited evidence that was less overt. The ship's first real "moment" took place in The Waterbending Scroll, where Zuko tried to capture Katara. Zuko and Katara later happened to both be imprisoned in the same catacomb during the episode The Crossroads of Destiny; although at first Katara acted antagonistic to him, Zuko revealed he had also lost his mother to the Fire Nation, which caused her to be sympathetic towards him and offer to heal his scar. Later on, when Zuko joins Team Avatar in The Western Air Temple and helps Katara find the man who killed her mother Kya in The Southern Raiders, they slowly become friends. During the Final Agni Kai, they fight together against Azula. However, their relationship never turned romantic during the series, much to the chagrin of the ship's large fanbase. Most Zutara fans are known as "Zutarians".


 * Sokka and Toph - known as "Tokka" - This ship was mostly based on the pair's deep friendship and, later on, Toph's obvious crush on Sokka. Explicit hints about her feelings for him began in The Serpent's Pass, when Toph was bitter about how he ran straight to Suki instead of thanking her for saving his life. Later on, when Toph is drowning, Sokka announces his intention to save her, but Suki reaches her first. Toph, believing Sokka rescued her, kisses Suki on the cheek. At the end of season two she clings to his arm while they are flying on Appa. During season three their friendship was emphasized. Toph blushed when Sokka returned from training with Piandao in Sokka's Master, and Sokka gave her a gift of meteorite stone that she wore as a bracelet. They had a tender conversation in The Runaway. During the final battle, Sokka and Toph worked with Suki to bring down an entire fleet of Fire Nation airships. This exact battle, however, showed the reason why Toph and Sokka would not become a couple: His romantic involvement with Suki. Tokka was commonly shipped in tandem with Kataang, as it provided romantic partners for all four members of Team Avatar.


 * Sokka and Suki - known as '"Sukka" - Suki and Sokka's relationship began in The Warriors of Kyoshi. Sokka demonstrated sexism towards the Kyoshi Warriors, but Suki showed him the error of his ways. She later kissed him on the cheek before he left Kyoshi Island. They affectionately reuinited in The Serpent's Pass, although there were some awkward moments for them. Suki was captured by Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee some short time after, so they did not meet again until The Boiling Rock, Part 1. Later on, the two planned a romantic rendezvous in Sokka's tent during The Southern Raiders; however, it was interrupted when Zuko approached Sokka for advice on dealing with Katara. Their relationship was also highlighted in The Ember Island Players and Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King.


 * Zuko and Mai - known as "Maiko" - Set up ever since Mai's smile at the mention of Zuko in Return To Omashu, Maiko was one of the primary ships of the show. The two were childhood sweethearts, but drifted apart when Zuko began pursuing the Avatar. However, in The Awakening, it was shown they got back together. They shared kisses in The Headband and The Beach, although it was during their visit to Ember Island that Mai and Zuko had trouble with the other's anger or apathy. In Nightmares and Daydreams, however, they were much more affectionate to one another. During The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse, Zuko wrote Mai a letter detailing how he had to leave her and join Team Avatar. Mai interpreted this as him breaking up with her, and she reports it as having broken her heart in The Boiling Rock, Part 2. Despite this, in the same episode she betrays Azula, saying "I love Zuko more than I fear you." During Zuko's coronation near the end of Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang, they reaffirm their relationship with a hug and a kiss. Maiko fans commonly worked together with (or were) Kataangers, trying to show Zutarians that if Zuko liked Mai and Katara liked Aang, Zutara therefore would never get together.


 * Sokka and Ty Lee - known as "Ty Lokka" - Ty Lee demonstrated a crush on Sokka at several points in the story. When she first met him in The Chase, she commented to Mai that he was "kind of cute". In The Drill, she says, "It's the Avatar... and friends!" with a special emphasis on Sokka. During The Crossroads of Destiny, Ty Lee fights Sokka in such a way that "It's like we're dancing together! Sokka points out that he's "kind of involved with Suki". The two had little interaction after that, and are presumably just friends now that Ty Lee has joined the Kyoshi Warriors.


 * Aang and Toph - known as "Taang" - Toph and Aang had a close friendship throughout the series, although as Actor Sokka said in The Ember Island Players, they have a "rocky relationship". Aang had a vision of her in The Swamp, but did not meet Toph until The Blind Bandit. Toph initially refused to join their group, but had agreed to by the end of the episode. Due to the strong emphasis on Toph's integration into the group, and on her training Aang in Earthbending, there were a great deal of brief Taang moments. Proponents of the ship liked their nature as opposites, demonstrated clearly in Bitter Work. There was also a theory that Toph was the reincarnation of Avatar Kuruk's wife Ummi: She was blind because Koh stole Ummi's face. A supposed hint towards this connection was Toph's inquiry towards Aang in The Avatar and the Firelord about whether friendships survive lifetimes. Taang was commonly shipped in tandem with Zutara, as it conveniently solved the problem of Aang's romantic interest in Katara. Once Aang had mastered Earthbending, there was little plot-related reason for him to interact with Toph, and their friendship faded into the background.


 * Toph and Zuko - known as "Toko" - Toph was the first member of the group to accept Zuko, encouraging the others to let him join Team Avatar in The Western Air Temple. They had a tender conversation in The Ember Island Players, where Zuko expressed concern about his actions toward Iroh, but Toph assured him, based on her conversation with Iroh in The Chase, that he had probably already forgiven his nephew. She wanted to have a "life-changing field trip with Zuko" in Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King, clinging to his arm and causing Zuko to blush. Their friendship makes for a convenient fanon ship, as the complete Team Avatar (Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki) can be paired off among themselves as Kataang, Sukka, Toko.


 * Jet and Katara - known as "Jetara" - This ship arose after it was shown that Katara and Jet had a romantic attraction to each other, mostly in the episode "Jet". However, when Jet tricked Katara into harming innocent people, she abandoned all loyalty to him, and remained bitter towards him from then on afterwards. Any remaining chance of them becoming a couple was eliminated when Jet died in Lake Laogai. Interestingly, Jetara was commonly supported as a prelude to Zutara, as it was claimed to be proof that Katara liked bad boys.


 * Yue and Sokka - known as "Yuekka" - During the final episodes of Book 1, Sokka developed a strong romantic interest in Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. She came to love him too, but were kept apart due to Yue's engagement to another, very shallow warrior. When the Fire Nation attacked the tribe, Sokka swore to defend Yue, bringing them ever closer. Yue ultimately died when she gave up her life force to save the Moon Spirit Tui, and was thus reincarnated as Tui's successor. Yue kissed Sokka goodbye, promising she would always be with him. Sokka remains very upset about Yue's sacrifice, believing he failed to protect her. Although he has since fallen in love with Suki, Sokka's love for Yue remains very strong.


 * Haru and Katara - known as "Harutara" - A possible romance between Haru and Katara was suggested after Katara met Haru in "Imprisoned". When Haru was arrested by the Fire Nation, Katara tricked the Fire Nation into arresting her so that she could save him, a task in which she succeeded. She and Haru grew close after they confided their personal sadness to each other due to the ongoing war. Haru and Katara have since remained good friends, and fought by each other's side during the Day of Black Sun. Haru remains one of Katara's most cited love interests, a romance even Toph implied during the events of Sozin's Comet. However, Katara denies this, as it is clear that they are only friends and not in love. This romance was parodied by the creators in "School Time Shipping".


 * Song and Zuko - known as "Zong" - This short-lived ship came up after an Earth Kingdom girl named Song took an interest in Zuko and offered him food and shelter for the night after Iroh got himself poisoned by mistake. She sympathized with Zuko's inner pain and admitted to him that the Fire Nation hurt her, too. She told him they took her father and showed him her burnt ankles, a revelation that left Zuko genuinely stunned. Zuko respected Song, but didn't return her romance. This possible romance came to an abrupt end when Song saw Zuko and Iroh steal her family's ostrich horse, breaking her heart. The two never met again after this, but Zuko learned a lot from Song as he continued his travels.


 * Jin and Zuko - known as "Jinko" - This fairly-popular ship was inspired after Jin, a young girl in Ba Sing Se, displayed an open attraction to Zuko and eventually earned a date with him at Iroh's insistence. Zuko denied that Jin was his girlfriend, but he enjoyed his date more than he wanted anyone to know. Zuko and Jin even shared a kiss before Zuko realized that their relationship would never work out, leaving her somewhat saddened. Zuko later admitted to Iroh that his date was not all that bad. Jin and Zuko met again, but by this point, Zuko was back with his friend Mai, and it can be presumed that Jin has moved on after discovering this fact.

"Shipping Wars"


Fans often had a "fan preferred couple" which they attempted to find reasons to substantiate as well as reasons to disregard other possible matches with these characters. Some fans even designated a pairing which they defended fervently. Fanon was written extensively; forums were filled with "shipping" theories and rumors.

This often resulted in conflicts between conflicting "shippings", the most well-known example being between "Kataang" and "Zutara". Supporters on both sides became increasingly antagonistic to the other "ship", and theories extended beyond how their "ship" was correct to how the other "ship" was incorrect.

Also see Ship to Ship combat.

Reaction
As a result of the "shipping wars", the correct "ships" remained unrevealed throughout most of the show. At one point, the creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, said that they were inclined to "Kataang", but did not say outright that it was correct, noting "Zutara" as an interesting concept. They also expressed surprise about the concept of "shipping".

Damage
The "shipping wars" had a generally negative impact on the Avatar fan community. Although the correct "ships" have now been revealed, there is still an antagonistic feeling among a small number of Avatar fans. However, most ill-feeling is now directed at the Avatar film adaptation.