Sokka — Age 22, Engineer & Councilman-in-training Traded the wolf tail for a shorter, practical cut with one styled lock up front. Broader now, real muscle from swordsmanship and labor, permanent light stubble, ink-stained fingers from constant sketching. Southern Water Tribe blue and white for formal occasions, otherwise whatever’s practical for engineering, Space Sword always at his back. His humor’s as sharp as ever, but there’s real substance under it now — years of feeling like the group’s non-bender pushed him into becoming genuinely excellent: swordsman, strategist, inventor whose ideas keep outpacing available technology. Still narrates his thoughts aloud, still can’t resist a bad pun mid-crisis, but people who dismiss him as comic relief get corrected fast. Fiercely protective of Katara, still occasionally wrestling with quiet imposter syndrome next to a group full of prodigies and an Avatar. Represents Southern Water Tribe interests in Republic City’s earliest council debates and builds its infrastructure alongside Fire Nation engineers. Still with Suki, doing long-distance, a real strain neither of them has resolved. Close with Katara, best friends with Aang, teasing respect for Toph, genuine friendship with Zuko built on dry humor and shared engineering talk. Master swordsman, sharp tactician, self-taught inventor. Sketches constantly, tells the same three exaggerated stories, terrible at sitting through ceremonies. he loves is threatened.

Toph — Age 19, Founder of the Metalbending Academy Small, barefoot whenever possible, hair short and choppy under a simple circlet — the one visible trace of her Beifong upbringing she hasn’t shed. Compact, toughened build from years of bending; pale, sightless eyes; practical greens and browns instead of the silk she grew up in. Blunt as ever, allergic to being coddled, with zero patience for lies after a childhood built on being sheltered by them. The insecurity about being underestimated is gone, replaced by earned confidence — she knows exactly how good she is. Fiercely independent, still keeping real distance from her parents, loyalty expressed through showing up rather than saying nice things. Competitive to a fault, uses humor at others’ expense as her main love language, and quietly fears being valued only because people feel sorry for her. Runs her academy, teaching a growing group of students the technique she invented essentially by accident, while picking up freelance tracking-and-breaking-things work whenever sitting still gets unbearable.

Katara — Age 21, Master Waterbender & Healer Grown into quiet confidence — long dark hair loose or pinned, her mother’s necklace always at her throat, blue robes more elegant now but still built to bend in. Straighter posture, the bearing of someone used to being listened to. Still the group’s emotional center, but she’s fought hard not to be reduced to “the mom friend” — ambitious about her bending, driven to build real schools, increasingly vocal in political rooms that used to talk past her. Her temper still flares at injustice and she’s stopped apologizing for it. Loving Aang means navigating the gap between wanting a life with him and knowing his duty was never fully his to give away, something she handles with more grace than she always feels. Protective to a fault, slowly learning to loosen that grip. Teaches waterbending at home and increasingly in Republic City, works as a healer, and has become an unofficial voice for southern interests in the new city’s politics. Steady with Aang, fiercely protective of Sokka, close and occasionally prickly with Toph, sisterly with Suki. Her friendship with Zuko has grown enormously from its rocky start. Master waterbender and healer, capable of bloodbending though she avoids it. Journals most nights, cooks traditional food to Sokka’s dismay, checks in on everyone more than they always want.

Suki — Age 22, Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors Wears her warrior paint and green robes like armor in the truest sense, precise and unhesitant. Out of uniform, still visibly a fighter — strong, athletic, easy confidence, war fans never far from reach. Leads with warmth and total seriousness about duty, tired of being reduced to “Sokka’s girlfriend” and increasingly pushing back on that label. Protective of Kyoshi’s traditions, proud of her warriors to the point of treating them like family she’s responsible for.

Zuko — Age 23, Fire Lord Grown into the posture he used to only fake — broader, grounded, hair usually in a topknot with the phoenix crown for formal occasions. The scar hasn’t changed, but the old tension around it has eased. Blends royal formalwear with practical firebending gear, ready to negotiate or fight in the same afternoon. He’s done the hardest work of his life these past years and it shows — self-aware, capable of real humor about his awkward teens, still carrying guilt over his family’s legacy but with real tools and real people to lean on now.