Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Katara is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series and Eva Marie Saint in the sequel series. In the live-action film The Last Airbender, she is portrayed by Nicola Peltz.

Katara is, at the time of the story, the only Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, a race of people able to manipulate water, and earns the title of Master Waterbender from Master Pakku of the Northern Water Tribe at the age of fourteen. She and her older brother, Sokka, discover an Airbender named Aang, the long-lost Avatar, frozen in an iceberg and accompany him on his quest to defeat the imperialistic Fire Nation and bring peace to the war-torn nations.

Creation and conception
According to the un-aired pilot episode, Katara’s name was originally 'Kya', which was later used for her deceased mother instead. In “Tales of Ba Sing Se”, Katara’s name was written as 卡 塔 拉. Kǎ (卡) means to check, block, or card; Tǎ (塔) means pagoda; and Lā (拉) means to pull. The character 'Lā' appears in the first season's finale, while the character 'Kǎ' also appears in Sokka's name.

In the commentary of the unaired pilot episode, co creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino state that Katara's "hair loopies" were intended to hang downward, but were thought too hard to animate and looped backward instead.

Katara also is the owner of her grandmother's betrothal necklace, a navy blue choker bearing a blue pendant marked with the Water Tribe's symbol.

Plot overview
When Katara was eight years old, her mother, Kya, sacrificed her life during a Fire Nation raid in order to protect Katara; whereafter her daughter assumed an adult's role in later life. Though her interests lay in developing her Waterbending skills, she resigned herself to cooking and cleaning duties while her brother, Sokka, trained to become a warrior. Later, Katara’s father Hakoda and the other tribesmen journey to the Earth Kingdom to oppose the Fire Nation; leaving Katara, Sokka, and their grandmother Kanna to look after the tribe.

The events of Avatar: The Last Airbender begin six years thereafter, when Katara and Sokka find Aang in suspended animation and identify him as the Avatar. Bent on mastering Waterbending, Katara joins Aang to reach the Northern Water Tribe to find a Waterbending master, with Sokka alongside them. Upon arrival, Master Pakku refuses her apprenticeship, because the customs of the Northern Water Tribe dictate that females cannot learn Waterbending as a martial art; but upon noticing Katara's necklace, which he himself gave to Katara's grandmother, he agrees to teach her. Katara having achieved her own expertise, Pakku deems her sufficient to teach Aang.

Katara then accompanies Aang to the Earth Kingdom for him to learn earthbending. At an Earth Kingdom stronghold, General Fong places Katara’s life in danger to induce Aang's Avatar State; but achieves only destruction. After the earthbender Toph Bei Fong joins the group to teach Aang, Katara and Toph initially quarrel; but thereafter become friends. In the Earth Kingdom's capital, Katara encounters antagonist Prince Zuko and his sister Azula; and during the following battle, Aang is injured by Azula's lightning, whereupon Katara takes him to safety and eventually heals him.

In a village burdened by the Fire Nation's pollution, Katara disguises herself as the river spirit 'Painted Lady' in order to help the village. While staying with the semi-reclusive Hama, the protagonists learn she is a Waterbender of the Southern Tribe imprisoned by the Fire Nation. Later, she offers to teach Katara a Waterbending technique called “Bloodbending”, which enables physical control of animals and humans. When Katara refuses to learn this technique, Hama uses it on Aang and Sokka, forcing Katara to use the technique herself on Hama. When Prince Zuko offers to join the protagonists, he does not gain Katara's trust until he has assisted her finding the man who killed her mother.

During the finale, Katara goes with Zuko to stop Azula from becoming Fire Lord; and having captured Azula, heals Zuko. When the war ends, she is seen in Ba Sing Se with the other protagonists and she finally shares a passionate kiss with Aang, confirming that they are an official couple.

The sequel series, The Legend of Korra, features Aang and Katara's son, Tenzin, as the new Avatar's airbending master. Katara herself, now an elderly woman, is also present as Korra's waterbending master. In addition, it is stated that Katara and Aang had two other children: Kya, a Waterbender hinted to be named after her mother, and Bumi, a non-bender hinted to be named after Aang's friend, King Bumi of Omashu.

Waterbending
Katara's Waterbending abilities develop considerably throughout the series. At the outset, she has little control over her Waterbending, and often loses control in moments of frustration. Thanks to diligent practice, a Waterbending scroll, and Master Pakku's tutelage, her skill improves until Pakku names her a Master.

At her full power, Katara can use water to cut through objects; summon lashing waves and whips of varying sizes; cover herself with a sheath of water; surf on a length of ice; run and stand on the surface of water; melt and control existing ice; form ice into various shapes; freeze water and objects surrounded by water with little effort; create walls of mist and steam; transform steam into ice; evaporate large amounts of water; or derive a weapon from any moisture including her own perspiration. Additionally Katara is able to bend the fluids in a human body, leaving the target unable to move or resist in any way. Although she dislikes Bloodbending, she once uses it on an enemy soldier upon mistaking him for her mother's murderer.

Katara is one of the few Waterbenders born with the sub-talent of healing, as apparent when she is burned by Aang's first attempt at Firebending; an ability improved under the tutelage of the Northern Water Tribe's healer Yagoda. She uses it thereafter to relieve sickness; overcome brainwashing; and heal seemingly mortal wounds such as burns and bleeding injuries. Nevertheless, she cannot cure all sicknesses, completely mend brain damage or heal internal injuries and birth defects. Using the water she obtained from the Northern Water Tribes Spirit Shrine, that she kept in a small pouch hung around her neck, she was able to heal a fatal wound Azula inflicted upon Aang, thus reviving him from death. She speculated that she would be able to use that same water from the Spirit Shrine to heal the scar on Zuko's face when they were imprisoned underground together in Old Ba Sing Se, however they were interrupted before she could attempt it. By the time of "The Legend of Korra", Lin Beifong (Toph's metalbender daughter) claims that she is the strongest healer in the world.

Katara demonstrates the ability to bend water-based liquids, as well as pure water, in episode "The Southern Raiders", wherein Katara bends ink onto a map. She is also seen bending soup (which allows her to cook meals), and bends perfume while battling the blind monster Shirshu. In the episode "The Painted Lady," she uses her bending to create a thick fog. Katara also demonstrates the ability to bend sweat and the ability to bend mud with Toph, who bends the earth elements while Katara bends the water.

Personality
Katara is described as "smart, capable; almost a generic anime heroine", and as "kind, brave, and passionate." In many situations, Katara appears as den mother to the other protagonists: a role attributed to her tribe's losses to raids and the departure of many members to war, which allegedly required her (as well as her brother Sokka) to assume responsibilities beyond her age. Katara tends to be kind and generous, but is often stubborn, or confined by her morals; becomes angry if doubted, insulted, or betrayed; and carries resentment for years on end.

Appearances in other media
Katara's character has appeared in three THQ video games including the eponymous video game and another titled Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth and Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno. Like Aang, Katara also appears on some Avatar: The Last Airbender T-shirts sold by Nick, as well as in Tokyopop's films comic (sometimes referred to as cine-manga). Nicola Peltz stars as Katara in the feature film The Last Airbender.