Avatar Wiki
Advertisement
Avatar Wiki
This page is move protected. This article is a B-class article. It is written to a good standard. Airbender Air Nomads emblem
This article is about the character in the series. For the character in the film, see Appa.
"I guess this means we'll always be together."
Aang to Appa.[1]

Appa was Avatar Aang's loyal sky bison, who shared a strong bond with Aang and with Momo, as they were all some of the few remaining traces of the Air Nomad civilization.[4] Appa was most noted for his ability to fly in spite of his heavy weight, a feat achieved through airbending which made Appa the primary means of transportation utilized by Team Avatar.[5]

Quick Answers

What is the relationship between Appa and Avatar Aang? toggle section
Appa shares a deep and meaningful relationship with Avatar Aang. As Aang's loyal companion, Appa is not just a mode of transportation, but also a trusted friend. Their bond is so strong that Appa is often seen going to great lengths to protect Aang and his friends.
Provided by: Community
How does Appa, the flying bison, manage to fly despite his heavy weight? toggle section
Appa manages to fly despite his heavy weight through the use of airbending. This allows him to create powerful gusts of air, which he can use to lift himself off the ground and hover in the air. However, due to his size and mass, flying takes a lot of energy and Appa often needs to rest or stop after extended periods of flight.
Provided by: Community
What role does Appa play in Team Avatar? toggle section
Appa plays a crucial role in Team Avatar as its main form of transportation, carrying them on his saddle during flight, capable of crossing long distances throught the air or swim through water.
Provided by: Community
How did Appa become friends with Aang? toggle section
Appa met Aang when the young airbenders at the Eastern Air Temple were introduced to the sky bison, who would become their future companions. After being directed towards the young monks by his mother, Appa was offered an apple by Aang, the two of them becoming immediate best friends.
Provided by: Community
Why did Appa develop a fear of fire? toggle section
After being separated from the rest of Team Avatar in the Si Wong Desert, Appa was sold to a Fire Nation circus to be part of their performance. The sadistic circus trainer used a fire whip to train the animals and force them to perform, with the experience causing Appa to become fearful of fire.
Provided by: Community

History

Early life

Aang meets Appa

Appa and Aang met when the bison was a mere calf.

Appa first met Aang at the Eastern Air Temple while still a young calf. Young airbenders, usually six years old, were allowed to meet their future companions, who would bond with them for life. Not much was explained about the exact nature of the relationship between the Air Nomads and their flying bison, but it appeared that the herd's mother willingly directed her calves to meet the young monks.

Aang came forward and offered an apple to Appa, and almost immediately afterward, the two became best friends and were together for most of their lives up until Aang's death.[1]

Journey to the North

Just before the Air Nomad Genocide, Aang heard that the monks were going to separate him from Monk Gyatso, and he subsequently decided to run away, using Appa as his mode of departure. Appa did not know where he was going, only that he was leaving the air temples. Aang flew Appa over the ocean, at which point they were caught in a vicious storm which pushed the two underwater by stirring up the wind and the waves, and Aang lost consciousness. Faced with a life-or-death situation, the young Avatar entered the Avatar State and froze himself and Appa in an iceberg,[6] where Appa was stuck in hibernation along with Aang for one hundred years until they were discovered by Katara and Sokka.[7] After this, Appa became the group's main form of transportation in their quest to help Aang master all four elements.[5]

Disappearance

Appa captured

Appa was captured by sandbenders in the Si Wong Desert.

Appa became lost for a short while when the group was traveling through the Earth Kingdom, having been kidnapped by a group of sandbenders in the middle of the vast Si Wong Desert, while Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Momo were trapped in an underground Spirit library.[8] It was later revealed that he was eventually sold to beetle-headed merchants, who in turn sold him to a Fire Nation circus where a sadistic trainer attempted to make him part of the show. Encouraged by a sympathetic boy, Appa later escaped and hurried back to the Si Wong Desert where he last saw Aang. Understanding that his friends were not there anymore, he journeyed throughout the Earth Kingdom until he encountered the Kyoshi Warriors, who healed his various wounds, physical as well as emotional, that he had sustained on his travels. They wanted to escort him back to Aang, but they were soon thwarted in their attempt when Azula and her allies attacked. Appa was forced to flee, ushered away by Suki while the warriors tried to delay the three Fire Nation girls. On his journey he encountered Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple, where the Guru was able to tell Appa of Aang's location by reading his energy. Consequently, Appa flew to Ba Sing Se, where he was captured by Long Feng.[1]

Appa was kept in a secret location under Lake Laogai until his rescue at the hands of Zuko, who was initially planning on utilizing him to capture the Avatar, but after a talk with his Uncle Iroh, he decided to do the right thing and set the bison free. Appa found the group cornered by Long Feng and the Dai Li and was instrumental in their defeat, biting Long Feng on the leg when confronted by him. Once safe, Aang welcomed Appa in a tearful display of affection.[9]

Earth Kingdom

Appa took part in forcibly entering the Royal Palace of Ba Sing Se, providing the first piece of evidence to King Kuei of Long Feng's subterfuge since Long Feng's bite mark still lingered. When the Dai Li's cover up efforts left the Earth King skeptical of Team Avatar's claims, Sokka made a last-ditch effort to show the king the ruined Fire Nation drill by enticing him with a ride on Appa. Since Appa's saddle was lost during his capture, the group was forced to ride bareback.[10] After the fall of Ba Sing Se, Appa was seen spiriting Team Avatar, including a near-fatally wounded Aang, the Earth King, and his pet, Bosco, out of the now-captured city.[11]

In the Fire Nation

Appa stayed with the group as they found their way aboard Hakoda's commandeered Fire Navy vessel and had a new saddle constructed for him. After Aang ran off into a storm, Appa and the rest of Team Avatar split with Hakoda's crew and chased down Aang, and they regrouped on Crescent Island.[12] As they traveled through the Fire Nation, Appa was forced to stay hidden, and when Appa did have to fly, Aang and Katara created a cloud around him so that he resembled a cloud to any Fire Nation civilians.[13] When they left him and Momo alone, the gang had to cover Appa up with some form of camouflage.

Armored Appa

Appa was equipped with armor for the invasion of the Fire Nation.

After the invasion of the Fire Nation failed on the Day of Black Sun, Appa took Aang's friends and all of the younger members of the invasion force to the Western Air Temple in search of refuge.[14] Unbeknownst to Team Avatar, Zuko, who had abandoned the Fire Nation during the invasion, had followed them to the temple, and when he arrived, Appa immediately welcomed and licked him, a direct result of Appa remaining grateful to Zuko for freeing him from his imprisonment in Ba Sing Se. Zuko requested that he join the group so that he could teach Aang firebending. Despite Appa's obvious welcoming of Zuko, the group did not accept Zuko until later, when he saved the group from an attack conducted by Combustion Man.[15]

In the final days of the Hundred Year War, Sozin's Comet's arrival, Appa helped Team Avatar, excluding Aang, travel to the Earth Kingdom,[16] where they had June and her shirshu, Nyla, try to track Aang. Unsuccessful, they instead tracked down Iroh, using his sandal, who was residing outside Ba Sing Se with the rest of the Order of the White Lotus.[17] Appa later escorted Zuko and Katara to the Fire Nation Capital for their confrontation with Azula.[17]

After the Hundred Year War

After the Hundred Year War's end, Appa was seen in Ba Sing Se with the gang as they celebrated their victory at the Jasmine Dragon, seemingly enjoying Iroh's tsungi horn music.[18] After this, the team decided to take a ride on Appa before Earth King Kuei's celebration in announcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement to the kingdom.[19]

A year later, when the movement was being carried out, Appa helped Team Avatar transport Fire Nation colonials back to their nation.[19]

One year following the failure of the Harmony Restoration Movement, Appa once again embarked on a mission and transported Team Avatar to Hira'a in search of Ursa. However, he was visibly upset that Azula would be accompanying the team on the trip. On their way there, the party was attacked by a wolf spirit, and he aided in the battle against the beast.[20] Once the team learned about Ikem's flight up Forgetful Valley, Appa stayed behind and later flew back to Hira'a along with the remaining members of Team Avatar and the Mother of Faces.[21]

Personality

Appa soaring

Appa soared well into the sky.

There was little said about Appa's personality, as he lacked the ability to speak human language. However, he had displayed an ability to understand human language on several occasions.[1][22] He was also afraid of going underground[23][24] and, since his experience in the Fire Nation circus, of fire.[1] Appa seemed to have a reasonably trusting attitude, as he did not take long to accept the apple offered to him by Aang[1] and took an immediate liking to Sokka when he first saw him.[7] However, this trait was damaged due to his experience with the ringmaster[1] and the sandbenders.[1][8] In these difficult moments, Appa seemed to have similar feelings toward humans when he missed Aang and he tried his best to find the team. In the Eastern Air Temple, he also remembered with sorrow his childhood with his siblings and his mother.[1]

Appa also might have had some degree of intelligence as shown when he yawned after Aang prompted him,[25] and when he apparently "scolded" Hawky and Momo when the two fought due to Sokka's order that Appa was in charge.[26] Appa's intelligence was also shown when he was taking the team and Professor Zei to Wan Shi Tong's library. Zei asked Appa a question and Appa tried to respond, only letting out a groan.[8]

Abilities

Airbending

Appa airbends

Appa was able to generate large bursts of air with his airbending.

Being a sky bison, Appa possessed the ability to fly. He utilized his airbending for this purpose; his tail appeared to be the main driving force behind his bending,[27][28] but he also had shown the ability to accomplish it with his mouth.[1] Despite the tranquility related to his personality as well as his species, Appa had shown himself to be capable of fighting when necessary.[1] With his bending, Appa could create powerful gusts of air with just a flick of his tail and could gain an advantage over his opponents by hovering.[29] He even defeated Long Feng,[10] Ty Lee, and Mai.[28]

Stamina

Due to his size and mass, it took a lot of energy for him to stay aloft. As a result, Appa could not fly for an extended time and periodically required stopping and resting.[15][28] However, there were times when he displayed extreme stamina, such as when Katara stated that they flew two days non-stop,[30] as well as when Appa continually had to fly to avoid Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai for hours on end with only a few minutes of rest each time he stopped.[28] He was also capable of carrying quite a burden on his back, having once carried seven medium-weight people in one journey.[14]

Strength

Appa lifting tanks

Appa had enough strength to lift two Fire Nation tundra tanks with his horns.

Being a bison, he had a great deal of brute strength and endurance. The best demonstrations of this were in the fight against Nyla in the abbey,[29] and against a fully-grown boar-q-pine in the forest.[1] His strength was so great to the extent of Appa lifting two Fire Nation tundra tanks simultaneously each by the horn, flipping them over. Using his teeth alone, he was capable of grabbing Long Feng by his leg and throwing him a great distance.

Swimming

Appa was also capable of swimming, even being a fairly adept swimmer,[7][30] however, he would more frequently fly or walk[15][31] rather than swim.

Relationships

Main article: Appa's relationships

Relatives

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Appa's mother
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Unknown
   
   
Unknown
   
   
Appa
   
   
Unknown
   
   
Unknown

Appearances

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book One: Water (水)

Book Two: Earth (土)

Book Three: Fire (火)

Avatar comics

Book One: Water (水)

Book Two: Earth (土)

Book Three: Fire (火)

Graphic novel trilogies

Trivia

  • Appa was an herbivore, as indicated by his flat teeth and diet, which was mainly composed of plants and fruits. Like most farm animals, Appa seemed to prefer hay when it was available. Appa also consumed honey and attempted to snatch an egg when he was desperate for food.[1]
  • Appa would not respond to the bison whistle if he was napping.[32]
  • According to his missing posters[9] and a statement made by Aang,[33] Appa's weight was ten tons. In "The Warriors of Kyoshi", Sokka referred to Appa as a "ten-ton magical monster".
  • Appa's design is similar to that of the Catbus from the anime film My Neighbor Totoro which was made in 1988. The Catbus also has multiple legs and a large tail.
  • Appa's name is a palindrome, like Kuruk and Ikki.
  • Co-creator Bryan Konietzko described Appa as a manatee-bison hybrid, although the manatee aspect of Appa is extremely subtle. Early development sketches of Appa show him with much more manatee-like facial features.
    • Early designs also show Appa with spiral horns, however they were removed due to being "too difficult to animate by hand".[34]
  • Appa was originally a dog-like animal and much smaller, albeit still larger than Aang. The design was eventually recycled into Naga, Korra's animal companion.
  • Appa was claustrophobic,[23][24] and after the events in the Fire Nation circus,[1] he became pyrophobic as well.
  • It was shown that Appa could sleep on his side with his legs wrapped around his tail.
  • Although Aang is said to be the last airbender in the series, Appa, being a sky bison, was an airbender as well. This means more specifically that Aang was the last human airbender and more so the last Air Nomad.
  • In Avatar Extras for "The Library", it was stated that Appa had a double-chin.

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (October 13, 2006). "Appa's Lost Days". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 16. Nickelodeon.
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Yang Continues 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' in The Search. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved on June 25, 2012.
  3. Casey, Dan (2013-03-20). Comic Book Day: Join 'The Search' with Gene Luen Yang. Nerdist. Retrieved on April 27, 2013.
  4. DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (February 25, 2005). "The Southern Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 3. Nickelodeon.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender.
  6. Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (June 3, 2005). "The Storm". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 12. Nickelodeon.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Filoni, Dave (director). (February 21, 2005). "The Boy in the Iceberg". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 1. Nickelodeon.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 O'Bryan, John (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (July 14, 2006). "The Library". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 10. Nickelodeon.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Hedrick, Tim (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (November 6, 2006). "Lake Laogai". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 17. Nickelodeon.
  10. 10.0 10.1 O'Bryan, John (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (November 17, 2006). "The Earth King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 18. Nickelodeon.
  11. Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & DiMartino, Michael Dante (director). (December 1, 2006). "The Crossroads of Destiny". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 20. Nickelodeon.
  12. Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (September 21, 2007). "The Awakening". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 1. Nickelodeon.
  13. O'Bryan, John (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (September 28, 2007). "The Headband". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 2. Nickelodeon.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (November 30, 2007). "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 11. Nickelodeon.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch, Hedrick, Tim (writers) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (July 14, 2008). "The Western Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 12. Nickelodeon.
  16. DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 18. Nickelodeon.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 19. Nickelodeon.
  18. DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 21. Nickelodeon.
  19. 19.0 19.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Part One (January 25, 2012), Dark Horse Comics.
  20. DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Search Part One (March 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.
  21. DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Search Part Three (October 30, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.
  22. Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 8, 2005). "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.
  23. 23.0 23.1 Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (March 24, 2006). "The Cave of Two Lovers". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 2. Nickelodeon.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (July 17, 2008). "The Southern Raiders". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 16. Nickelodeon.
  25. Malis, Nick (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (March 4, 2005). "The Warriors of Kyoshi". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 4. Nickelodeon.
  26. Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (November 2, 2007). "The Runaway". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.
  27. Hedrick, Tim (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (October 21, 2005). "The Deserter". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 16. Nickelodeon.
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (May 26, 2006). "The Chase". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 8. Nickelodeon.
  29. 29.0 29.1 Wilcox, Ian (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (October 7, 2005). "Bato of the Water Tribe". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 15. Nickelodeon.
  30. 30.0 30.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (November 18, 2005). "The Waterbending Master". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 18. Nickelodeon.
  31. Eagan, James (writer) & Filoni, Dave (director). (May 6, 2005). "Jet". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 10. Nickelodeon.
  32. Pittarese, Frank (2006-09-12). Nation Exploration: Air. Nick Mag Presents: Avatar: The Last Airbender. Retrieved on August 13, 2013. Archived from the original on July 7, 2001.
  33. O'Bryan, John (writer) & Lioi, Anthony (director). (March 18, 2005). "The King of Omashu". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 5. Nickelodeon.
  34. Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series, page 21.

See also

no:Appa

Advertisement