Unveiling the Untold Story of Suki: A New Chapter in Netflix's Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender
Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has the opportunity to include one character-building story the animated series couldn't include. Suki's untold story from the graphic novel 'Suki, Alone' is a compelling narrative that provides depth to her character and adds a new dimension to the series.
Reimagined Narratives in Netflix's Live-Action Series
Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has the opportunity to include one character-building story the animated series couldn't include. Following the Avatar: The Last Airbender trailer, there's more hope that the series can correct what the live-action film wasn't able to do, such as replicate the various bending styles more accurately. From the CGI on animal hybrids like Appa and Momo to the elaborate locations like Omashu, the live-action series seems to be checking a lot of boxes, even though it's confirmed the story will be reimagined to some degree.
Suki looking sad in the Boiling Rock prison yard in Avatar The Last Airbender
Numerous live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender characters have been confirmed, such as Suki and Azula. Additionally, the Avatar universe is brimmed with stories from the graphic novels, like Zuko learning about his mother in The Search, and lore from the subsequent animated series, The Legend of Korra. This provides space for multiple untold stories to be explored in the live-action series, which would tie into the idea of reimagined narratives.
Suki and Kyoshi on the Suki Alone Last Airbender comic cover
Exploring Suki's Untold Story: The Boiling Rock and Beyond
In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Suki is first introduced in Book One when Team Avatar first arrives at Kyoshi Island. As one of the strongest female characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Suki's expansive fighting skills, confidence, and chemistry with Sokka make her a likable character fairly quickly. In Book Three, her presence is much more frequent and starts with her imprisonment on The Boiling Rock. This ordeal takes place over two episodes and is mainly a reveal resulting from Sokka and Zuko's mission to hopefully find Hakoda, Sokka and Katara's father.
Suki and Sokka standing in front of each other in a cell on The Boiling Rock
However, in the graphic novel, Suki, Alone, Suki's capture and time at the prison is explored. An integral element of the story is that it adds context to Suki's line in The Boiling Rock Part 1 when she tells Sokka she knew he would come for her. In the graphic novel, Azula taunts her, asking if she has a message for Sokka about how desperately she needs him to rescue her. At the time, Suki denies that she needs help, only to later break down while in isolation, showing clear feelings of abandonment. Suki, Alone expands on her mental strength and focus, while also showing her more vulnerable side.
Suki lying on a bed in her cell on the Boiling Rock in Avatar The Last Airbender
Suki, Alone's story switches back and forth between Suki's memories of Kyoshi Island and her time at The Boiling Rock. In her memory, she's with a friend, Mingxia, who leaves the island after her idea to break their isolation from other nations was rejected. In prison, Suki instigates collaboration with prisoners, namely Biyu, in order to better their situation by planting dumpling weed, as she used to with Mingxia. This highlights how Suki's original view that Kyoshi wanted her and her fellow Kyoshi Warriors to stay hidden from other nations has changed to align more with Mingxia's hope of sharing resources.
Suki in her cell on The Boiling Rock in Avatar The Last Airbender
The Importance of Suki's Character Development in Netflix's Live-Action Series
Suki's emotional journey in Suki, Alone outlines her personal outlook in a way that better explains her active involvement after her rescue. By addressing her complexity more directly, it can benefit her character and add to what makes her compelling, such as her loyalty. Taking the time to explore her story, even if only briefly, can strengthen the main storyline too, since it adds weight to how much she's grown and draws attention to how her opinions about her purpose have evolved to include more active involvement in helping others. This includes her fighting alongside Zuko and Sokka at the prison and helping find Aang later in Book Three.
Maria Zhang as Suki in Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Additionally, the graphic novel juxtaposes the strong, always-ready Suki that is mostly shown in the original series with a more uncertain and vulnerable Suki. This could add to Suki's character development even more in Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender without straying from the main plot points too much, since the Fire Nation attack on Kyoshi Island and the Boiling Rock rescue both occur in the original series. Using secondary stories to strengthen characters can help make the live-action's story arcs more grounded and give more voice to fan-favorite supporting characters.
Suki and Zuko on The Boiling Rock in Avatar The Last Airbender
