The highly anticipated Netflix live-action adaptation is finally here. The Avatar: The Last Airbender cast ages are strikingly similar to their animated counterparts. Many fans of the OG show might be surprised to know how much the Netflix show stays true to the source material.
Avatar: The Last Airbender originated as an animated Nickelodeon show created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and premiered in 2005. The show has become a cult classic for it’s complex topics of war, genocide, and friendship while still being a child-friendly show. In fact, this isn’t the first time that there has been a live-action of the series. In 2012, M. Night Shyamalan released a movie adaptation The Last Airbender, which received negative reviews at the time of its release.
Netflix announced that they would be making a live-action adaptation in 2019, with DiMartino and Konietzko as showrunners. The duo left the show due to creative differences between the studio in 2020, and Albert Kim was announced as showrunner.
In comparison to the live-action movie, the Netflix remake features a cast of Indigenous and Asian actors as the animated series derives a lot from Asian and Indigenous influences, martial arts, and settings. Kim stated in a blog that “a live-action version would establish a new benchmark in representation and bring in a whole new generation of fans. This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.”
Though the series relies heavily on the storylines from the animated series, it’s a completely different kind of adaptation. “We don’t start the show the way the animated series starts,” Kim told Entertainment Weekly. “That was a conscious decision to show people this is not the animated series.” For another, “We had to sometimes unravel storylines and remix them in a new way to make sense for a serialized drama,” he adds. “So I’m very curious to see what’ll happen in terms of reaction to that.”
“All of our writers are also fans of the original, so they drew upon their own personal experiences and the things that they love the best,” the showrunner says. “We made sure to include all those in the show.”
So what are the Avatar: The Last Airbender cast ages and how do they compare to the Nickelodeon animated series? See what the Gaang looks like and read more to find out.
Played by: Gordon Cormier
Character’s Age: 12 (actually 112)
Actor’s Age: 14
Aang is Avatar: The Last Airbender’s main protagonist. He is a 12-year-old who got stuck in an iceberg for 100 years after finding out that he had the responsibility to be the Avatar, master of all four elements. Gordon Cormier was 14 when Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered.
Played by: Kiawentiio
Character’s Age: 14
Actor’s Age: 17
Katara is a protagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is a water bender from the Southern Water Tribe who helps Aang in his journey to master all four elements. Kiawentiio was 17 at the time of the Netflix series’ premiere.
Played by: Ian Ousley
Character’s Age: 15
Actor’s Age: 21
Sokka is a protagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is Katara’s brother who has the task of protecting the Southern Water Tribe while their father is gone. Ian Ousley was 21 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Dallas Liu
Character’s Age: 16
Actor’s Age: 22
Zuko is the antagonist of season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. He’s the crowned prince of the Fire Nation and son of Fire Lord Ozai and brother of Princess Azula. He travels across the world with his Uncle Iroh to track the Avatar and bring back honor to his life. Dallas Liu was 22 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Character’s Age: around 50
Actor’s Age: 51
Iroh is a character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He’s the uncle of Zuko and Azula, and older brother of Fire Lord Ozai. He accompanies Zuko in his journey to capture the Avatar. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was 51 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Elizabeth Yu
Character’s Age: 14
Actor’s Age: 21
Princess Azula is an antagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the sister of Prince Zuko and the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai. Elizabeth Yu was 21 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Daniel Dae Kim
Character’s Age: Around 40s
Actor’s Age: 55
Daniel Dae Kim plays Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He’s the father of Zuko and Azula and younger brother of Iroh. He’s the overall antagonist of the series who wants to take over the world for the Fire Nation.
Played by: Ken Leung
Character’s Age: Unknown
Actor’s Age: 54
Admiral Zhao is an antagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He commands a fleet and is given orders by Fire Lord Ozai to capture the Avatar. Ken Leung was 54 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Sebastian Amoruso
Character’s Age: 16
Actor’s Age: 24
Jet is played by Sebastian Amoruso in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is a leader of the Freedom Fighters who try to scare away the Fire Nation from the Earth Nation. Sebastian Amoruso was 24 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Maria Zhang
Character’s Age: Around 15-16
Actor’s Age: 24
Suki is a protagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors who protect Avatar Kyoshi’s home island. Maria Zhang was 24 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Casey Camp-Horinek
Character’s Age: Around 90s
Actor’s Age: 75
Gran Gran is a character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is Katara and Sokka’s grandmother and matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe. Casey Camp-Horinek was 75 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Danny Pudi
Character’s Age: Around 40s/50s
Actor’s Age: 44
The Mechanist is a character in season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is the father of Teo and is an inventor who secretly gives his inventions to the Fire Nation to take care of his son. Danny Pudi was 44 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
Played by: Arden Cho
Character’s Age: 20s/30s
Actor’s Age: 38
June is a character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is a bounty hunter who is hired by Zuko and Iroh to track Aang. Arden Cho was 38 at the time of the Netflix series premiere.
