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Sokka

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Sokka
Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra character
Sokka in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
First appearance
Last appearance
Created byMichael Dante DiMartino
Bryan Konietzko
Voiced byJack DeSena (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Chris Hardwick (The Legend of Korra)
Román Zaragoza (Aang: The Last Airbender)[1]
Alex Felten (Quest for Balance)[2]
Portrayed byJackson Rathbone (2010 film)
Ian Ousley (2024 television series)
In-universe information
Full nameSokka
GenderMale
Weapon
  • Boomerang
  • Space sword
Family
Significant othersSuki (girlfriend)
Princess Yue (formerly)
NationalitySouthern Water Tribe

Sokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena in the original series and by Chris Hardwick in the sequel series. He is a warrior of the Water Tribe and the son of Chief Hakoda and Kya. In the live-action film adaptation, he is portrayed by Jackson Rathbone, while in the live-action television series adaptation, he is portrayed by Ian Ousley.

In the original series, fifteen-year-old Sokka is a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, a nation where some people are able to telekinetically manipulate, or "bend", water.[3] He, along with his younger sister Katara, discovers an Airbender named Aang, the long-lost Avatar, and accompanies him to defeat the imperialistic Fire Nation and bring peace to the war-torn nations.[4] Unlike his companions, Sokka is a non-bender, but as the show progresses he masters swordplay and proves himself to be a worthy and intelligent strategist. Being a non-bender, Sokka uses different weapons such as his boomerang and machete; and eventually a jian sword to combat enemies.

Conception and creation

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In the Avatar Nick Mag Presents: First Edition issue by co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, stated that Sokka was originally designed as a minor figure; but when his comedian voice actor Jack DeSena brought liveliness to his character, they began to emphasize this quality.[5]

As a result of his design, Sokka's character is a source of comic relief throughout the series, often a victim of visual comedy. Among various running gags involving Sokka are his immersion in viscous substances, such as raw sewage, slurry, phlegm, or saliva; and forgetting that Toph is blind. Sokka also has a tendency to produce or at times laugh at jokes shared by no other character.[6]

In "Tales of Ba Sing Se", Sokka's name was written as 索卡, whereof Sǔo (索) means to search, demand, ask, exact, or isolated and Kǎ (卡) means to check, block, or card.[7] The character for Kǎ also appears in Katara's name.[8]

Personality

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According to his sister Katara, Sokka was initially skeptical, abrasive, sexist, and immature but was always sharp-witted. Incapable of bending abilities himself, Sokka instead pursues martial arts, sciences, and engineering.[4][9] He is intelligent, resourceful, and at times he even proves to be quite scholarly. However, he is often clumsy and sometimes mistaken. Despite his flaws, he is loving, brotherly, and protective. He holds little interest in the mysticism of bending and prefers to rely on his strength and wits.[10][11] He tends to be rash, and his arrogance often leads to embarrassment, as during a haiku contest when, in his last verse of his song, he included too many syllables. Even though Sokka finds himself a victim of embarrassment, he has the capability to apologize and seek resolution to prevent further moments of embarrassment from occurring. This capability is evident from his sincere apology to the Kyoshi Warriors for his chauvinistic opinions in the fourth episode of Book One.

As an advocate of human carnivorism, Sokka is the main hunter in the group; often makes dry-witted jokes or abrasive remarks; and accordingly once describes himself as "the meat and sarcasm guy".[12][13]

Under the guidance of swordmaster Piandao, Sokka displays various unorthodox procedures when undergoing his training; such that Piandao relates that though Sokka's skills were unimpressive, he displayed much creativity, versatility, and intelligence.[14] As a rule, most or all of the foregoing characteristics appear as sources of comic relief.

After the failure of his Fire Nation invasion plan, Sokka attempted to restore his honor by risking his life to rescue his father from a highly secure prison known as 'the Boiling Rock'.

Innovations and abilities

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Unusual for an inhabitant of a mystical world, Sokka prefers mechanistic science and is something of a jack-of-all-trades. He seems naturally adept at creating weapons from any available material [9] and adapting them to various purposes, as when he used explosives to simulate Firebending[15] or optical illusions to help his sister Katara imitate Earthbending.[16] Alongside the Mechanist, Sokka devised a system of control for an experimental hot air balloon and partly began the design of waterbending-powered submarines. Sokka also demonstrated advanced mathematic skills and a talent for geometry towards the end of the series; but is whimsically depicted in the epilogue as a poor draughtsman.

In addition to his engineering and strategic skills, Sokka shows a remarkable talent for poetry in "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", wherein he competes with a local instructor in a haiku contest, and holds his own at length before mistakenly adding an extra syllable to the end of a haiku. Sokka writes with his right hand, but draws with his left hand,[17][18] and may therefore be accounted ambidextrous.

As one of the only two non-benders in Aang's group, with the other being Suki, Sokka is often overshadowed by the bending skills of his friends;[19] but his skill in martial arts improves as the series progresses, and it is sometimes he who devises a victorious strategy. Alongside his trademark boomerang, Sokka is shown wielding a club, a machete, a jaw blade, and eventually a black jian sword of meteoric iron capable of cutting through solid metal, identified as his "space sword". Sokka also receives a white lotus Pai Sho piece from his master, the symbol of the secret 'White Lotus' Society notable for disregarding traditional rivalries and hatreds between the nations; although most of the series' protagonists have had in-depth interactions with members of the White Lotus, Sokka is the only one to receive this implied invitation.

Appearances in other media

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Sokka's character has appeared in three THQ video games for the show, which are Avatar: The Last Airbender video game,[20] Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth[21][22] and Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno. Like Aang, Sokka also appears on some Avatar T-shirts sold by Nick,[23] as well as in Tokyopop's films comic (sometimes referred to as cine-manga).[24]

Film

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Sokka was played by Jackson Rathbone in the live-action adaptation The Last Airbender. His name in the film is pronounced "SOH-kuh". Unlike the show, this version of Sokka has a serious demeanor, with most of his immature and humorous qualities either toned down or removed entirely. Significant criticism was pointed at the character difference.[25] Rathbone received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

Remake

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Sokka is played by Ian Ousley in the Netflix remake.[26]

Family tree

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References

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  1. ^ Graves, Sabina (2024-04-11). "Aang: The Last Airbender Movie Has Found Its Cast, Including Dave Bautista". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  2. ^ "Alex Felten (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 2, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  3. ^ Pittarese, Frank (2006). "Nation Exploration". Nickelodeon Magazine (Winter 2006): 2.
  4. ^ a b Director: Dave Filoni; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (February 21, 2005). "The Avatar Returns". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 2. Nickelodeon.
  5. ^ "In Their Elements." (September 2006) Nick Mag Presents, p. 7
  6. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (2006-12-01). "The Guru". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 19. Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  7. ^ Definitions for 索 and 卡
  8. ^ Director: Ethan Spaulding; Writers: Lauren MacMullan (The Tale of Sokka), Joann Estoesta and Lisa Wahlander (The Tale of Toph and Katara) (2006-09-29). "The Tales of Ba Sing Se". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 15 (Book 2). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  9. ^ a b Director: Dave Filoni; Writers: Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (2005-11-04). "The Northern Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 17 (Book 1). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  10. ^ Director: Dave Filoni; Writers: Aaron Ehasz, John O'Bryan (2005-09-23). "The Fortuneteller". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 14. Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  11. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Tim Hendrick (2006-04-14). "The Swamp". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 4. Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  12. ^ Director: Lauren MacMullan; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino (2005-02-25). "The Southern Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 3. Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  13. ^ Director: Ethan Spaulding; Writers: Aaron Ehasz (2006-06-02). "Bitter Work". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 9 (Book 2). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  14. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Tim Hendrick (2007-10-12). "Sokka's Master". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 4 (Book 3). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  15. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino (2005-04-15). "Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2)". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 8 (Book 1). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  16. ^ Director: Dave Filoni; Writers: Matthew Hubbard (2005-03-26). "Imprisoned". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 6 (Book 1). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  17. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: John O'Bryan (2006-07-14). "The Library". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 14 (Book 2). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  18. ^ Director: Ethan Spaulding; Writers: Aaron Ehasz (2006-11-03). "Lake Laogai". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 17 (Book 2). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  19. ^ Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Joshua Hamilton (2006-05-26). "The Chase". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 8 (Book 2). Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Episode Transcript.
  20. ^ "Avatar: The Last Airbender Video Game". Nick.com. Nickelodeon. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  21. ^ "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Burning Earth" (Flash). Nickelodeon. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  22. ^ "IGN.com: Avatar: The Burning Earth". IGN. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  23. ^ "The Nickelodeon Shop — Avatar". Nickelodeon. Archived from the original on 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  24. ^ created by Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko. (2006). Avatar: The Last Airbender Cine-Manga Volume 1. Tokyopop. ISBN 1-59532-891-2. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  25. ^ Nicole Sperling, "Movies," Entertainment Weekly 1026 (December 17, 2008): 15.
  26. ^ "Avatar: The Last Airbender: Netflix Live-Action Series Reveals Cast and Creative Team". 12 August 2021.
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