Kya
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Imported: 2025-12-22
- This article is about the character in the pilot episode. For the other similar uses, see Katara (disambiguation) or Kya (disambiguation).
"The Fire Nation will do anything to capture Aang before he masters all four elements. So, I must keep him safe until he is ready to fulfill his destiny. My brother thinks I'm crazy, but I believe Aang can save the world."
β Kya narrating.[1]
Kya was an inexperienced waterbender who mainly acted as a motherly figure. She placed a great deal of importance on hope and determination.
History
Kya, Aang, and her brother, Sokka, were all fleeing Zuko who was aboard his ship. They encountered a sea serpent, but it took interest in Zuko's ship rather than them which allowed them to escape to an island. When there, Kya practiced her waterbending, but was unable to control it well; Aang offered her some advice and demonstrated the correct leg stance. When Sokka demanded they help search for food, Kya was reluctant to leave Aang, "the world's last hope", and so Sokka went off in a huff. Kya and Aang waited around and engaged in a slightly awkward conversation before Momo alerted them to danger.
When they reached the Fire Nation base and saw Sokka being taken in, Kya decided to go after him, but told Aang to stay hidden. She got captured as well, but refused to reveal Aang's whereabouts. When Aang flew in, shocking everyone, the soldiers threw Sokka and her into a pit. After Sokka failed to escape and found the situation hopeless, Kya tried to waterbend some water dripping into their pit. It turned out that there was a large container of water and Kya succeeded in getting them out by moving the water into the pit, carrying her and Sokka up. When they were surrounded by soldiers, Aang flew by, grabbed them and escaped. A terrified Kya screamed and moved up to hold onto Aang.[1]
Similarities to actual series
- Kya already seemed to have feelings for Aang, as noted by Sokka's "boyfriend" comment, recreated in the actual series.[2][3]
- Katara was originally given the name Kya, but this was later changed once the actual series began for legal reasons. The name was eventually reused for Katara and Sokka's mother in the third book,[4] and later for the daughter of Aang and Katara in The Legend of Korra.
- When the collector's edition of Book One was released, a small art booklet with commentary was included, and the creators of the show revealed why Katara's name was changed. "[H]er name was actually Kya, but when Nickelodeon's legal department vetted the name, they discovered there was already a video game character named Kya, so we had to change it". The next name they tried was Kanna, but it did not quite fit, so after co-creator Bryan Konietzko pitched the name "Katara", Kanna became the name of Sokka and Katara's grandmother.[5]