History of Katara (85 AG - 100 AG)

Katara, a fourteen-year-old girl and the only Waterbender left in the whole South Pole, had to grow up rather quickly. A strong, brave girl who speaks and stands up for what she believes in, she has suffered through much sadness in her life, but still manages to hold on to hope. Her life changed forever when she and her brother discovered the Avatar, Aang, in an iceberg. Katara journeyed with Sokka, her brother, and Aang to the Northern Water Tribe in the hope of finding a waterbending teacher for herself and Aang.

Background


Katara was born in 85 ASC to Tribal Chief Hakoda and his wife Kya. She became their second child, one year younger than her brother Sokka. Prior to the present day, Katara led a normal life and displayed the ability to Waterbend. As the last living Waterbender in her tribe, Katara was a source of hope for her war-torn nation, and her parents sought out a teacher for her. Sadly, there were none to be found in the Southern Water Tribe.

Katara's mother Kya was killed in an attack by the Southern Raiders when she was younger, and her father, Hakoda, left to fight in the war when she was 12. Raised in a small Southern Water Tribe with her older brother Sokka, they were mostly taken care of by their grandmother, Gran Gran. While Sokka was off "playing soldier", Katara was cooking, cleaning, and doing the laundry. She is very motherly and protective of Sokka, even though she doesn't admit it. Things haven't been easy, but she never lost hope that it would get better and that the Avatar would return. Katara also narrates the show's opening sequence.

During "The Southern Raiders", it is revealed that the Fire Nation attacked Katara's tribe in an attempt to kill the last waterbender, which happened to be her. Kya sacrificed herself to save Katara's life by claiming that she was the last waterbender, and was in turn killed by the raiders. Katara would not discover this truth for years, but was devastated by Kya's death. Katara inherited her mother's necklace after her death and continues to wear it in honor of her mother's memory.

Boy in the Iceberg


While on a fishing expedition for their village, Katara and Sokka accidentally steer their canoe into a rip current, where it's crushed between ice floes. Sokka blames Katara for their predicament, and she begins to yell angrily about his inconsiderate behavior, gesturing emphatically as she does so. Unknown to her, she is involuntarily Waterbending, and accidentally cracks into a massive iceberg directly behind her. A large, spherical underwater portion bobs to the surface, revealing a flying bison named Appa and Avatar Aang, trapped in a state of suspended animation. Katara grabs Sokka's club and shatters the iceberg to free him. As she does so, a vertical column of bright blue light shoots up from their position into the sky like a beacon. The boy climbs out of the ice and collapses into Katara's arms. He introduces himself as Aang, an Airbender, and offers to escort them home on Appa. After her village gets attacked by a Fire Nation ship, led by Prince Zuko, Katara learns that Aang is the Avatar. She muses that they might find a Waterbending teacher at the North Pole, and Aang quickly brightens up, suggesting they learn Waterbending together. Along with Sokka, who decides to come along under the excuse of this being an opportunity to defeat Firebenders, they decide to journey together.

The Southern Air Temple
During a stop at the Southern Air Temple, Aang discovers that all Air Nomads have been killed, which pushes him into the Avatar State. Katara attempts to console Aang by imparting what she felt when she lost her mother, and even goes on to state that even though his people are gone, both she and Sokka are now his family. The words seems to reach Aang, who falls out of the Avatar state and slowly descends back onto the ground. Sokka backs Katara's statement with the promise that neither will let anything happen to him. With this, Aang finally comes to the conclusion that he is indeed the last Airbender.

Haru and the Imprisoned Earthbenders
Aang, Katara and Sokka awake from their camp site and are startled by loud noises coming from the distance. Aang and Katara are curious and set out to investigate with a less than cooperative Sokka right behind. They find that the noises were caused by a young Earthbender practicing his bending. Katara introduces herself, but before she can finish, the young bender races off seeming very fearful.

Katara decides that they should follow him and they end up in a small town that happens to be under fire nation control. They later find the same young man and follow him into a store. He is talking to his mother when Katara, Aang and Sokka enter the store asking why he ran. He tells them that his name is Haru, he and his mother explain that since the Fire Nation took control of the town any one discovered to be an Earthbender is arrested and sent to a Mining Rig in the far off shore. Haru then tells them that his father was also sent to the rig a long time ago.

Later on that day Haru and Katara are walking with each other both sharing their own stories and seemingly falling for one another when they come across an old man that has been trapped by a cave in. Haru reluctantly uses his Earthbending to save the old man.



The next morning, Katara wakes up to get some water when Haru's mother tells Katara that the old man Haru had saved told the Fire Nation that he was an Earthbender. The Fire Nation arrested Haru and sent him to the mining rig. Once Katara learns of Haru's situation, she decides to take action and find a way onto the rig. She decides the only way to get to that rig is if the Fire Nation thinks she's an Earthbender, so after some strategy she is able to "Earthbend" with the help of Aang and some ventilation pipes while fire nation soldiers are watching. The soldiers capture her and she's sent to the rig. There, she and some other captives meet the Warden of the rig, a self-important and cruel taskmaster. He states that since the entire rig is made of metal there is nothing for the Earthbenders to control, so they are helpless.

After finding Haru and his father Tyro, Katara asks what their plan is to escape. Tyro says that escape isn't an option; the only way to survive is to do what they're told and hope the war goes in their favor. Shocked by his lack of hope, Katara tries an inspirational speech to try and stir to life the spirits of the other benders on the rig, but to no avail. That night, Katara meets up with Aang and Sokka to try and find a way for the prisoners to fight back and gain back their confidence. Aang notices the smoke stacks and states that they are burning coal; therefore, there is earth on the rig that the prisoners can use.

Drawing from her experience from the fake Earthbending she used to get herself arrested, they have Aang close all the vents around the fire, save for one that will lead to the outer vent where Katara and Sokka are at. Then, the Warden discovers them and states that they are to surrender or die. As if on cue, the coal bursts from the vent and lands in front of Haru and the others. Katara tells them that this is their chance to stand up and fight, but no one seems to have the will to fight anymore.

The warden gloats that their spirits were broken a long time ago and he walks away in triumph. Or so he thinks, as a chunk of coal strikes him on the head. He turns around to see that it was Haru who threw it. The warden attacks Haru but his attack is blocked by Tyro and two other benders. Then all together the prisoners attack the fire nation soldiers and after a dramatic fight the Earthbenders are victorious and they throw the warden overboard. They then sail off in stolen Fire Nation ships.

After winning their freedom Tyro thanks Katara for giving his people hope again, then Haru thanks her. She is touched by Haru's words, but then she notices that her mother's necklace is gone. There on the rig, Katara's necklace is picked up by Zuko. And with a blank look he clutches the necklace and looks out toward the horizon.

The Waterbending Scroll
At a waterfall, Katara begins to teach Aang her knowledge of waterbending. Unfortunately for her, Aang immediately masters the lessons she gives him, despite the fact that it took her some time to master them. While she tries to hide it, she begins to grow jealous of Aang's natural talent.

Katara comes upon a waterbending scroll on a pirate ship which, featuring several waterbending techniques (including the single water whip), was among their loot, which they're reserving for a wealthy client in the Earth Kingdom, though he offered it to them if they had a better offer (two hundred gold pieces). They leave the ship, only to be chased by the crew. Aang and the others escape, only to find the reason they had been pursued: The pirates wanted the scroll back Katara had stolen. Katara convinces Sokka and Aang to keep the scroll and learn from it. Katara ends up growing even more jealous of Aang as not only does he learn the techniques easily, she herself has trouble getting them to work.



Zuko finds and captures Katara and ties her to a tree, attempting to interrogate her for information on the Avatar, showing her that he holds her mother's lost betrothal necklace in his possession, the last tie that she has to her mother in exchange. However, the pirates demanded the scroll. Yet, Zuko threatens to destroy it if they don't find Aang. With the help of Aang and Sokka, Katara escapes from the enemies. Later, Katara gives Aang a full apology, while Sokka reveals that he was able to regain the scroll in the fighting. Before he gives it to her, he asks what they learned. She says never steal ever, except from pirates.

Jet
While walking through the forest, Katara and her friends bump into some Fire Nation Soldiers. However, a group of children led by a teenaged boy wielding dual hook-swords suddenly descends from the trees, and begin combating the Fire Nation soldiers. The leader introduces himself as Jet, and his allies as the Freedom Fighters. Katara very quickly develops a crush on Jet, and shamelessly flatters him briefly. As Katara and Jet speak, in the process indirectly insulting Sokka's instinctual behavior, The Duke and Pipsqueak raid the now-abandoned Fire Nation campsite, finding crates filled with jelly candy and barrels of explosive blasting jelly. When the Freedom Fighters mention bringing their score back to the hideout, Aang expresses interest, and Jet invites them to come. Katara eagerly accepts on behalf of the group. Katara expresses further infatuation with Jet, temperately praising his bravery, which provokes a sarcastic comment from Sokka.

After Sokka sees Jet mistreating an old man he announces that they're leaving. Aang and Katara object, to which Sokka responds by revealing Jet's previous bullying action. Doubtful, Katara demands to hear Jet's side of the story. Jet reiterates that the man was with the Fire Nation, and then produces a knife, which has a compartment for poison in the hilt. He claims that the man was an assassin, sent especially to kill him. Sokka is still angry and heavily doubts Jet's story, stating that he never saw a knife on the man's person, although the explanation has convinced Katara and Aang. Sokka storms off, stating that he will be preparing to leave. Upon his departure, Jet quickly pleads for Katara and Aang to stay, stating that the Fire Nation plans to burn down the forest- he needs the two to use Waterbending to fill the nearby reservoir, which will allow the Freedom Fighters to quench the fires.



That night, Sokka overhears Jet and the core of the Freedom Fighters sneaking out of their base, and decides to follow them. The six bring with them the barrels of blasting jelly on a cart, and Jet reviews their plan: to blow up the barrels directly beneath the dam of a river, which runs through the city. With the reservoir full, the village will be flooded, wiping out the Fire Nation soldiers stationed there. After he is discovered, Pipsqueak and Smellerbee walk him into the forest so as to prevent him from warning Aang and Katara of the plan.

Soon afterward, Jet leads Aang and Katara to an extremely shallow river, which leads into the reservoir. Katara, still unaware of Jet's true plans, apologizes for Sokka's crude behavior, to which Jet responds by lying that Sokka has already apologized for himself, their dispute is resolved, and Sokka is currently out scouting with Smellerbee and Pipsqueak. Although Aang and Katara find it strange that Sokka would be so quick to apologize, they do not question Jet's word. Katara initially doubts her ability to Bend water that she cannot see, but Jet provides her with words of encouragement, accompanied by his hands on her shoulders, and soon she and Aang successfully release the water from one of the vents. Jet leaves and Aang and Katara decide to go to meet Jet at the reservoir.



Just then, Aang and Katara come to the edge of a cliff overlooking the dam, where they spot four Freedom Fighters setting up the barrels of blasting jelly. Aang immediately realizes Jet's plan, and moves to fly down and stop it on his glider. Katara, however, is in denial, until Jet jumps forward and snags Aang's glider with his hook-swords, preventing the boy from flying off. Jet confesses what his true plan is, and attempts to convince Katara that the action is necessary. He says that Sokka didn't understand, but was cut off by Katara, who immediately demands to know where Sokka is, and tears begin to flow from her eyes. Jet places a comforting hand on her cheek, but Katara has had enough- she draws water from her waterskin and uses it to violently throw Jet to the ground.

Katara bends water from a small nearby stream to aggressively attack Jet, pushing him back towards a tree and then freezing him to its trunk. Jet then makes the signal for the plan to start. Aang and Katara can only wait, and hope that Sokka succeeds where they have failed.

In mere seconds, the village is completely flooded. Sad, hurt, and angry, Katara turns on Jet and resumes insulting him for his actions; still, Jet does not back down, stating that this act was a victory against the Fire Nation, who will forever be absent from the valley, which will be safe. Suddenly, Sokka arrives, riding Appa and accompanied by Momo. He tells how he helped save the village from the flood. Jet asks for Katara's help, but all she says is goodbye and turns her back on Jet, and she, Aang, and Sokka fly off on Appa, leaving the leader of the Freedom Fighters frozen against the tree.

Bato and Jeong Jeong


The group meets up with an old friend from their Water Tribe village named Bato who had been injured and left behind. They head back to his current home in an Abbey of nuns who make perfumes and cures. They spend so much time reminiscing, that they neglect Aang. They suddenly start talking about how Katara and Sokka might be able to visit their father Hakoda, and that a message is arriving soon about Hakoda's whereabouts. Aang runs off feeling hurt that Katara and Sokka might leave him to go find Hakoda instead of helping him. While Aang is contemplating their possible departure, a messenger arrives with the news from Hakoda and instead of giving it to them, Aang hides it (though he later confesses it and by the conclusion of the episode he, Katara and Sokka have made up). Later the kids are flying on Appa. Aang asks what the plan is now. They tell him they're going to get him to the North Pole because he's their family. Aang gives Katara back her necklace. Katara goes over and kisses Aang on the cheek. Aang blushes and twiddles with his thumbs.



When the group meets a Firebender named Jeong Jeong, Aang finds this as the perfect moment to learn how to Firebend. Jeong Jeong starts teaching Aang slowly, focusing exclusively on breathing exercises, but the young Avatar desires to learn more advanced Firebending techniques. Jeong Jeong only assigns him the simple task of preventing a leaf from being completely burned. Jeong Jeong then leaves to other matters, and Aang, still feeling restricted, takes his exercise to the next step and creates fire. Aang plays around with it for a little while, although Katara insists that he be careful. Then he accidentally burns Katara's hands when he attempts to imitate a move the performer made at the festival. Katara cries in pain and then runs away, and Sokka becomes enraged as a result. Jeong Jeong, having returned, follows Katara into the forest. Katara tries to cool her hands from the burn in water, and somehow miraculously heals herself. Jeong Jeong tells Katara that she possesses vitakinetic healing powers, with water as the catalyst. Jeong Jeong then confesses of his desire to be a Waterbender like herself, due to its ability to heal, while fire only destroys.

Fight for Waterbending
As they progress towards the Northern Water Tribe, Sokka begins to complain that Appa is flying too slowly, Aang defensively replied that they should all climb on Sokka's back and he could fly them to the North pole. Katara tries to soothe the situation remarking that they are all tired and cranky as a result of flying for two days straight. Just as Sokka is voicing his doubts about finding the Northern Water Tribe the group is attacked by Northern waterbenders who lead them to their Water Tribe.



Outside the great palace of the Northern Water Tribe Sokka and Katara are celebrated as family from the Southern Tribe, and Aang is honored as a special guest. Aang and Katara are then delighted to see the Waterbending Master, Pakku, and his students performing elaborate and elegant waterbending moves for entertainment. After the Waterbending performance is over, Aang is introduced to Master Pakku. Katara is looking forward to Aang and herself learning Waterbending, after a few days rest. The next day as they approach the palace, Katara expresses her joy at being able to learn from a real master, saying she has waited for this day her whole life. However she is horrified to learn from Master Pakku that it is forbidden for women to learn Waterbending. He advises her to go to the healing huts and learn from Yugoda to use her Waterbending to heal. Although Aang initially refuses to learn from Master Pakku, outraged at the unfairness, Katara makes him return by saying that he can't risk his training for her.

Katara reluctantly goes to the class, which is taught by an old woman and where all the other students are very young girls. After the healing class, Katara thanks Yugoda who notices her betrothal necklace and asks her who she is getting married to. Katara explains that she is not ready for marriage and that the necklace was her grandmother's, passed down to her mother, and then her. Yugoda recognizes the carving and reveals to Katara that she is an old friend of Kanna's, and also that Katara's grandmother was born in the Northern Tribe and was engaged to a young Waterbender, but left mysteriously without saying goodbye.

Sokka suggests that at night Aang teach Katara everything he has learned in the day. Katara is excited at this idea, it allows her to learn Waterbending and Aang will have someone to practice with, everyone will be happy. They look up to the bridge above them to see Master Pakku, angry that Aang has disrespected him, his teachings and his entire culture. Aang hastily apologizes, but Master Pakku refuses to teach Aang anymore, saying he is no longer welcome as his student, before leaving. The next day at the palace, Katara pleads with Chief Arnook to make Master Pakku take Aang back as his student. Master Pakku agrees to continue training Aang as long as Katara apologizes. After a few patronizing comments by Master Pakku, Katara angrily refuses to apologize and challenges him to a duel.



Katara goes to wait outside for Master Pakku, who simply strolls past her, further angering her with patronizing comments. Katara, her temper pushed to breaking point, forms a water whip and slaps Master Pakku on the back of the head. He turns around and agrees to the fight, telling her if she wants to learn so badly, to study closely. The fight begins and it is discovered that Katara is much more advanced in waterbending than previously known. She demonstrates amazingly powerful techniques she never used before during the fight. The two are able to manipulate the water and snow around them amazingly, using basic and advanced Waterbending techniques. Master Pakku grins and smirks as he attacks, but when Katara launches discs of ice at him, he appears to realize how skilled she is as a Waterbender. After a few moments of violent Waterbending, it seems Katara has the upper-hand, as she topples ice-obelisks over Master Pakku, who disappears in a cloud of mist. But, Master Pakku quickly emerges and preforms a Waterbending move that renders Katara helpless, and she is beaten.

Her grandmother's necklace, which fell off during the fight, is picked up by Master Pakku and it is discovered that he made it for Kanna (Katara's Gran-Gran) 60 years ago. Master Pakku decides to start teaching Katara to waterbend. Under the tutelage of Master Pakku, Katara's waterbending skills have improved to the degree she can defeat Sangok and all other pupils with ease. To both Pakku and Katara's annoyance, the same cannot be said for Aang (who doesn't take it very seriously).

Siege of the North


After they see Fire Nation ships approaching, they all get ready for an attack. Princess Yue, after relating the origins of the Water Tribe and its power, gives Aang an idea. If he can tap into the spirit world and meet with the Moon and Ocean Spirits, perhaps they can help him defeat the Fire Nation. Yue takes Katara and Aang to a hidden oasis and the most spiritual place in North Pole. Aang enters a trance after staring at the two koi fish in a pool and heads off into the spirit world. Katara is left to protect Aang. When Zuko arrives, Katara duels him, and with the power of the moon, is able to temporarily defeat Zuko. However, the sun rises and it enhances Zuko's powers, allowing him to defeat Katara. Zuko then kidnaps the Avatar while Katara is left unconscious until Yue brings Sokka and Appa back to The Spirit Oasis.

Katara, Sokka, and Princess Yue eventually find Aang and Zuko. Zuko and Katara have a rematch but due to the moon being out this time, Katara easily defeats him in a matter of seconds. Aang takes the unconscious Zuko with him, despite some disagreement from Sokka and Katara.



When Katara and the others return to the oasis, Admiral Zhao has already captured the white koi fish. Immediately, the moon glows red, creating a lunar eclipse and color seeps from the world. Zhao however, is forced to release the Spirit when Iroh shows himself and easily defeats Zhao's Firebending escort. This causes the moon to return and the Waterbenders to resume fighting. In rage, Zhao suddenly throws fire at the koi, killing it. The moon vanishes altogether from the sky. Iroh and Katara attempt to revive the Moon Spirit, but it is too late. Aang suddenly fuses with the Ocean Spirit into a giant spirit creature and massacres the Fire Nation's invasion force. Shortly after, Iroh tells Yue that some of the moon spirits life is in her. Yue realizing her destiny, gives up the life to the white koi, and restores it life, killing herself in the process. After the battle, Pakku reveals to Katara his intention to head for the South Pole and help rebuild the tribe. He assigns Katara as Aang's new Waterbending master.