ATLA Star On Whether Katara Should’ve Ended Up With Aang or Zuko
Avatar: The Last Airbender star Zach Tyler Eisen, who voiced Aang in the animated series, has revealed where he stands on the fan debate of whether Katara should have gotten together with Aang or Zuko. The Kataang vs. Zutara discourse began during Avatar’s original run, and it remains a major point of contention within the fan base years later. Over time, different actors who worked on the franchise have chimed in with their own thoughts.
In the official Avatar: The Last Airbender canon, Aang and Katara start dating after defeating Fire Lord Ozai and stay together through the ensuing graphic novels. Eventually, Aang and Katara get married and have three children – Bumi, named after the powerful earthbending king, Kaia, named for Sokka and Katara’s mother, and Tenzin, the only born airbender of the three. Zuko ends the original series in a renewed relationship with Mai, but they later break up in the comics, leaving his own romantic future a mystery.
Some ships are strong enough to survive canonical rejections, however, and Zutara is one such ship. In a recent episode of the Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast, Eisen was asked by Zuko voice actor Dante Basco and Korra voice actor Janet Varney where he stood on the debate. His answer was quick and resounding – Kataang all the way. He even went so far as to tell Basco that Zutara is “all in [his] head.” The whole conversation is lighthearted and joking, but it’s clear that Aang’s voice actor stays true to both his character and the canon. Read Eisen and Basco’s full exchange below.
EISEN: “I’m gonna give the answer that everyone wants to hear. I can’t not say Kataang. It’s Kataang. Everyone was waiting for it the entire series. What else is there?
BASCO: “There are other ships, Zach.”
EISEN: “Of course, of course. I think Zuko and Mai are great. I love both of those characters. I think Cricket, who voiced Mai, was great.”
BASCO: “Mako’s great. Mako’s a great ship. There’s that Zutara ship, you hear about that Zutara ship?”
EISEN: “We don’t talk about that in these parts, all right? This is a Zutara-free zone. It’s all in your head, buddy.”
It’s not surprising to see Eisen backing up his own character, but it’s fun to hear him and Basco discussing a matter that’s been so central to the Avatar fandom for so long. While Zutara may not be canon, there are plenty of dedicated fans who ascribe themselves to the ship. Some have even theorized that Netflix’s upcoming live-action Avatar remake could give Zuko and Katara another chance at love, though that would be a big change from the source material.
Now that Avatar Studios is actively developing new movies and shows for the franchise, Zuko’s love life could also be getting some more canonical development in the near future. He and Mai haven’t gotten back together in the comics yet, and it’s never been revealed who the mother of his daughter Izumi is. The comics hint at a potential relationship between Zuko and Suki, but that’s yet to be confirmed. Regardless, both the Avatar: The Last Airbender canon and Eisen himself clearly support Aang and Katara getting together.
Source: Braving the Elements