Suki of Kyoshi Island

Suki is a young warrior from a small Earth Kingdom village on Kyoshi Island, named for the most recent Earth Kingdom Avatar who founded the place. She leads a band of specially trained, young, female fighters, called the Kyoshi Warriors, who protect the village from harm. They honor Kyoshi by wearing the same uniform, armor, and war paint as she did during her lifetime, making them a very distinctive band of warriors. Suki is a strong combatant, skilled at using an enemy’s strength against him, ninja-like stealth, and agility. While it is unclear how she became the leader, whether through her superior skill, appointment, or general agreement, she leads her team with confidence and determination.

One of her most outstanding characteristics is her bravery. She jumps into dangerous situations without hesitation, especially to protect the people around her. She jumps into the water with a sea serpent to save Toph from drowning and she and her warriors fight off Azula and her friends long enough to allow Appa to escape. She tackles difficult situations without any sense of self congratulations—she does what needs to be done when it needs to be done. Whatever fear she may feel, she does not allow it to stop her from accomplishing the tasks that need to be done, no matter how daunting or problematic. She certainly does not always win the day, but nevertheless, she keeps on fighting.

Still, there is far more to Suki than her job as a kick-butt action girl. While her physical and mental strength defines her as a warrior, she also possesses a great deal of emotional strength. She is able to be completely honest with Sokka and her feelings for him, even though doing so makes her vulnerable. Her inner strength also allows her to let Sokka go and pursue his personal mission with the Avatar while she attends to her own position helping people as a Kyoshi warrior. She is able to put the needs of the world above her own desire to be with him without any sense of bitterness or regret.

Unlike many action girls who are socially awkward or emotionally distant, Suki manages to both fight well and demonstrate a sense of kindness and social grace. She is also compassionate, which she demonstrates when she comforts Aang following the loss of Appa and when she helps care for Appa when she finds him lost and hurt in the wilderness. She possesses a strong sense of empathy and a desire to help and protect people, which are probably the characteristics that motivated her to become a Kyoshi Warrior in the first place.

Suki, unlike many action girls who look cool on paper, but would be annoying to be around in real life, seems like she would be a good person to have as a friend. She has a sense of humor, loyalty, and tact which make her seem like a really fun person to be around. Though honest and direct, Suki also understands other people’s feelings and generally avoids being hurtful or mean. That is not to say that she tolerates abuse of herself or her comrades. When Sokka acts like a jerk to her and her Warriors, she does not hesitate to humiliate him, but she only does this by using his actions and hubris against him, just like she uses her enemy’s force against him or her.

It certainly would have been nice to see Suki receive a little more development throughout the series, to see more distinctly her motivations and her flaws, but she still stands out as an awesome and fun character. As it stands, she gets a lot more development than a lot of girls who are called "action girls" but never actually get to show off their skill. She shows that an action girl can be both action and girl.

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