- This article is about a hairstyle used by male members of the Water Tribe. For the similar hairstyle used in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, see top-knot. For a hairstyle used by female members of the Water Tribe, see hair loopies.
| "What's wrong with ponytails, Ponytail?" "This is a warrior's wolf tail." |
| ā Katara teasing Sokka about his warrior's wolf tail.[1] |
Sokka pointed out the warrior's wolf tail's real name in response to Katara mocking it as a ponytail.
A warrior's wolf tail, or simply wolftail,[2] is a hairstyle worn by male Water Tribe citizens. The wolftail differs from a top-knot in that the hair is pulled back and tied into a short queue behind the crown of the head, rather than a knot on top of the scalp. Even so, the styles are similar enough that Sokka only needed to make minor alterations to his hairstyle while traveling incognito through the Fire Nation.
The warrior's wolf tail is analogous to the "hair loopies" worn by women in the Southern Water Tribe, with most people in the respective genders adopting to wear the hairstyle.
History[]
Sokka continued to don the wolftail in his later years.
Amak, who was the waterbending teacher of the false Avatar Yun, wore a wolftail haircut, although he later cut it to disguise himself as an Earth Kingdom citizen.[2]
Sokka wore the warrior's wolf tail during his journeys around the world. When Katara mockingly called it a "ponytail", Sokka pointed out the correct name of the style, but upon hearing the name, she again poked fun at him by saying that the style told the other warriors that he was "fun and perky".[1]
Sokka later gave up his wolftail for a top-knot in order to blend in better during his time in the Fire Nation,[3] but wore it again during the invasion of the Fire Nation and for the rest of Team Avatar's journey.
In 102 AG, a waterbender wore the warrior's wolf tail during an underground bending tournament in Yu Dao.[4]
In his later years, Sokka continued to sport this hairstyle, albeit in a modified version, donning the wolftail when he was the chairman of the United Republic Council.[5]
Trivia[]
- There are two names that are used to refer to this hairstyle: Avatar Extras called Sokka's hairstyle a warrior's wolf knot, but Sokka himself called it a warrior's wolf tail. Other characters simply referred to it as a "ponytail", and have been known to make fun of him because of it.[1][6]
- While Sokka often shaved the sides of his head - or wore that hair very short - to accompany the warrior's wolf tail, many older tribesman grew their hair long (at least shoulder length), so that the tail itself did not always stand out upon first glance.
- Sokka's wolftail in The Legend of Korra resembles a Japanese hairstyle called a chonmage, a hairstyle common in the Edo period.
References[]
- ā 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (May 26, 2006). "The Chase". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 8. Nickelodeon.
- ā 2.0 2.1 Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 16, 2019). Chapter Seven, "The Iceberg". The Rise of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
- ā O'Bryan, John (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (September 28, 2007). "The Headband". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 2. Nickelodeon.
- ā Hicks, Faith Erin (writer), Wartman, Peter (artist), Matera, Adele (colorist). Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy (February 16, 2021), Dark Horse Comics.
- ā DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Dos Santos, Joaquim, Ryu, Ki Hyun (directors). (June 9, 2012). "Out of the Past". The Legend of Korra. Book One: Air. Episode 9. Nickelodeon.
- ā O'Bryan, John (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 28, 2006). "Avatar Day". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 5. Nickelodeon.