Kya (nonbender)

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

- Kya telling Yon Rha not to hurt Katara in The Southern Raiders

Kya is Katara and Sokka's mother who is frequently mentioned throughout the show. Her death at the hands of a Fire Nation raid on the Southern Water Tribe had a profound impact upon her children.

Background
Kya was born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe. Very little is known about her history, but at some point she married Hakoda, and they had two children: Sokka and Katara. It does show during the series that Kya was loved and missed by her children and husband.

Death
The Southern Raiders learned that one Waterbender still remained in the Southern Water Tribe, and attacked Kya's village in an attempt to identify and kill her. The Raiders' leader, Yon Rha, found Kya in her house, and interrogated her about the whereabouts of the last Southern Waterbender.

The two were then interrupted by 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 is scared, but her mother tells her not to worry and to go find her father. When Katara didn't move, Yon Rha told her that she heard her mother, and to leave. She did leave, and then Yon Rha resumed his interrogation.

Yon Rha demanded to know the identity of the Waterbender who lived in the village, and Kya initially told him that there were no Waterbenders left, as the Fire Nation had captured them all in previous raids. Yon Rha replied that he'd heard there was still one more, according to his "sources", and that they would not leave until they found the Waterbender. Kya claimed that she was the Waterbender, lying to protect her daughter. She told Yon Rha to take her as their prisoner, but Yon Rha told her he wasn't there to take prisoners, and killed her. 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. It is hinted in Sokka's flashback that Katara (or Hakoda) told him about Kya's death.

After Death
Her death had a severe impact 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.

Sokka and Katara's mother has been mentioned on several occasions. When Zuko and Katara were imprisoned at Ba Sing Se, Katara expressed her hatred and grief towards 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 wasn't enough to stop him from joining his sister in conquering Ba Sing Se. Another instance is when Sokka confesses to Toph that he can't clearly remember his mother's face, as it has been Katara who has cared for him since their mother died. Whenever he thinks of his mother, he sees Katara's face. ("The Crossroads of Destiny", "The Runaway")

Katara sees a vision of her mother during her adventure in the swamp. However, we only see her from the back, showing that her hairstyle resembles Katara's. In reality, what Katara thought was her mother was a tree stump in the middle of the swamp, masked by the Swamp's mystical powers. Katara then breaks down into tears. ("The Swamp")

In an attempt to prove that he was trustworthy, Zuko offered to help Katara find the man who 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 killed Kya: To kill the last waterbender. Katara realized that her mother died saving her life, and almost killed Yon Rha in a fit of rage. However, she ultimately relented when she saw how pathetic he was, and let him live. 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. ("The Southern Raiders")

When Hakoda reunited with his children after they defeated the Fire Nation, he remarked that had she lived to see the end of the War, Kya would have been very proud of them. Katara sheds a few happy tears at this statement. ("Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang")

Relatives

 * Hakoda (husband)
 * Sokka (elder son)
 * Katara (younger daughter)
 * Gran Gran Kanna (mother-in-law)
 * Pakku (step-father-in-law)

Trivia

 * In the Avatar 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.
 * Prior to her name's revelation, Kya was referred to by fans as "NMOKAS", derived from "Nameless Mother of Katara and Sokka".
 * Nick's Avatar site uses the spelling "Kaya," also showing a Southern Raider's picture instead of Kya's when you click on her name.
 * Kya is voiced by Grey DeLisle, who also voiced Azula and Ta Min.
 * In the Miyazaki film Princess Mononoke, Kya is the name of the main protaganist's (Ashitaka) little sister. This is possibly a reference to the movie, as both of the shows creators are expressed admirers of Miyazaki's work.
 * Kya did not actually give Katara her necklace. In the episode "The Southern Raiders" she had her betrothal necklace on before Yon Rha killed her.