Oh oh oh I wrote a quote for this in college. "Confidence is the acknowledgement that success is possible. Arrogance is refusing that failure is possible."
"You added a rainbow" "Is that okay?" Is such an underrated moment imo, Sokka has a way of adding fun and joy into everything he does no matter how mundane. That's another trait that makes him such an important part of Team Avatar
And Piandao subtlety goes along with Sokka's antics. When Sokka was tasked into feng shuing part of the garden into something that speaks positive energy, and turns it into a relaxing chair and ask for a beverage. Piandao adds, "I'd like hot tea with lemon, please."
Sokka works because he's not just a comic relief. He has a lot of the show's comedic moments, but what he lacks in bending he makes up with his resourcefulness, craftiness, leadership and sense of strategy and makes him an essential member of the Gaang. He's both smart AND hilarious.
the best part about the "fan and sword" bit is that it's a play on captain planet, and sokka should be saying "heart" not only because that's the last necessary component for captain planet but also because sokka is truly the heart of the group.
It's interesting to note that he wasn't meant to be comic relief at the beginning either. He was much more sulky and sarcastic in the first few episodes and especially the unaired pilot. Jack De Sena just had such a good voice and delivery for Sokka that the character naturally morphed around it. And it still just WORKS
@@spazzyshortgirl23 Ron Weasley's shining moments: Winning the Wizard Chess challenge while working with a handicap of not sacrificing a rook (Hermione) and bishop (Harry) demonstrating a tactical mind, being able to drive a flying car at 12 and braving the Forbidden Forest despite his serious arachnophobia, trying to shield Harry from Sirius despite having a broken leg, publicly vouches for Harry at school while the latter is the target of a smear campaign, and Weasley is Our King. And not only that, he is a member of a talented family rich in love, his father working for the Ministry so he has inside information for what's going on as well as growing up part of Wizarding culture (remember in the 2nd book he was the only one who knew the significance of the "mudblood" slur and was irate for it while Harry AND Hermione were ignorant and confused over the meaning). And while Hermione is famous for her book smarts and Harry is the hero and kid detective, occasionally both get too caught up in their own worlds that Ron is the one to bring them back down to earth and challenge them. It's a shame Steve Kloves eschewed these aspects of Ron and gave them to Hermione, and just feeding into the ignorant belief that Ron is useless.
Here are some ideas for more Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes: -Katara, childhood trauma, parentification, grief and revenge -Toph Beifong, disability and controlling parents -Azula, the price of perfection and being the golden child and abusive and neglectful parenting -Aang, overcoming guilt and grief, expectations and accepting responsibility BONUS: Korra and PTSD
Part of what makes Sokka's arrogance so unique is that, unlike other cocky, animated characters, his egotism stems from a grounded insecurity that allows him to be sympathetic. It's a rare maturity that makes Avatar stand out from other shows. As a non-bender surrounded by robust, bending peers, he pushes back as a coping mechanism for fear of being inadequate. Also, the adult role models who can teach him to improve are either enlisted or dead. This background is why we are sympathetic despite being critical of his actions.
Yess!!! So many people forget (especially with the whole live action changes conversation etc) that Sokka spent probably the most developmentally tumultuous years of his life without male role models or really any peers to sound off against, limit-test etc. He's operating on a 10 year olds concept ob masculinity while also living in a subsistence level community.
I think another important point is he was old enough to see what a good man is, but he wasn’t old enough to know how to be one. His stereotypes come from his father but all he knows is the stereotypes not the substance.
You also got to add the caveat that Sokka's dad left home to aid in the war effort when he was 12 or 13, making him the Man of the House to take care of sister and grandmother, heaving more responsibility and expectations for him to shoulder when he's still a child.
Sokka is one of the more brilliant moves ATLA made. He starts off a stereotypical meat head (for good reason), but he evolves, becomes better. Hell, he also exhibits traits most people would consider to be antithetical to stereotypical masculinity: he loves shopping, he can be pretty vain about his appearance, and he's willing to be vulnerable and emotional. Sokka's a testament to how sharp and well crafted ATLA's writing is.
@@dietotaku Try telling me you weren't cringey or awkward at some point during your teenage years. Sokka isn't even out of his mid-teens, so of course he's going to be awkward and weird. Not to mention, the only girls in his tribe were either 6 year-olds, his sister, 20 year-olds, or his grandmother. It's no wonder his romantic relationships are unpleasant to watch at times: He's never interacted with girls he would think of romantically. In essence, Yue is his first love, and Suki is his first real romantic relationship.
@@christianrose9166I think dietotaku meant the development of romance in the series was poorly developed. The writing is great overall, but the romantic subplots (Katara/Aang and Mai/Zuko) leave much to be desired.
@@SamuraiGirl02 I think that's fine though, I don't think every show needs to have a fulfilling romantic relationship, it being hinted at is fine, imo.
YES!!!!! Sokka is my favorite character. Zuko has the best redemption arc, but Sokka has the best character development. Such an underrated character. He is my inspiration. He shows us that even when surrounded by geniuses and incredibly talented people, I can still contribute and be an important member of the team. That I still have worth and my skills are valid as well.
@@LogicalThinking-p2s and who's teaching that? Sokka was not offended, its just overthinking that everyone has, everyone acknowledged his part in the group
@LogicalThinking-p2s What? Your statement makes no sense. The reality is that not everyone can do everything. You find what you are good at, get even better, and find the people who see and appreciate those skills. Is it easy? No. Does it hurt? Yes. But if you give up and accept mediocrity, you have failed. Maybe those skills aren't world changing. Maybe you end up just being an amazing server in a restaurant instead of a doctor. But you accept that and become the best server you can. You are still contributing to society. You can still make someone's day better and even save a life. A simple interaction for someone on the brink can be all that's needed to help them get through another day.
The first scene where Sokka tries to take on an entire Fire Nation battleship is so telling. For one, because it shows us just how foolhardy the kid is. It's truly a stupid move on his part, but it also demonstrates his bravery that will honed throughout the show as he becomes a real leader. It also shows us just how selfless he is, a point that is echoed near the very end of the show when he dives on top of Toph to protect her from falling debris. What an incredible character.
As for the selflessness thing, I think some of it comes down to his warrior attitude, and the purpose of warriors in his upbringing. The way of a water tribe warrior is to sacrifice oneself in the protection of others (we also see this with his father in the invasion), and since he thinks himself a warrior (because he very much was raised to be one), he considers it his duty to protect his people at any cost. Of course it takes him a bit for that self-sacrifice to also have some tact and understanding when is time to retreat and live to fight another day, but that warrior's spirit is something he carries with him the whole time.
I just realized Sokka goes from trying to take on one battleship in a ridiculous display of arrogance, to taking down a fleet in one swoop in a ridiculous display of resourcefulness.
CS Lewis, and he was not the first to say it, but I love his phrasing of it. "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself, less."
Beautiful quote, anything by Lewis is just gonna be gold. Sokka’s a great example of that quote’s growth process. His low moments always come from focusing on himself; everything from dealing with Suki to flubbing the invasion briefing to kicking a rock at a goose. His high moments are focused on others; thwarting Jet’s plan, multiple prison escapes, and defeating Ozai’s entire air fleet.
8:04 what Jonno just said about Sokka pivoting when he realizes he’s wrong made me think of Iroh learning lightning redirection from water benders. That’s part of their culture to flow and change like water in nature. Not only is it a great character detail but it really expresses where he comes from.
if you think about it, the characteristics that Iroh said about the water tribe are are very present in him. he has the capacity of adapt himself to diverse situations and even change parts of himself that, in the past he would've had a problem or even be against it, but, becasuse of the comunity and love that has develpot with the gaang and the things he has learn, he's willing to change and accept new things and ideas that help him protect the people he cares about, event though it was the community that he was born the one that gave him his first belifes that turn out to be wrong. the water tribe gave him those belifes, but he embreced change and that was crucial to help his tribe and the rest of the other nations in the laters seasons
I adore in that episode of Avatar, how horrible the humor is without Sokka on screen, like the three of them were dying for boredom and missed him so much, it wasn't them telling you this, we could feel the awkwardness of them not having Sokka and it's amazing, he doesn't realize how important his good humor and amazing attitude brings to the table, but they know and they trasure him so much ✨
I completely disagree with the fortune teller, from the EP The Fortune Teller. When he asks for his future tell and Aunt Wu says "Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted." By the end of the show and in the comics you can tell that he has grown up from that arrogance and childish perspective. Just as the teller explained to Aang "I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender. Just as you reshaped those clouds, *you* have the power to shape your own destiny" Same can be said about Sokka, he too can reshape his destiny. I'm sure it was Sokka's idea to steal her book and reshape the clouds in order to save the town. Which they do by the end. His humour is a plus along with his other traits, that's why we love him!
@hameley12 totally agreed!!! I want to think that that preduction was made based on pure prejudice or that maybe for her was too obvious, and that was the destiny of Sokka if he didn't change, which make sense to me but then again, we cannot base our lives in just believes, and Sokka acted and he made his own future, which gives him the reason twice 🥰
I really like the episode for Piandos line "Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all" especially as a fencer. Too much knowledge or art is lost because it isn't shared, either for some exclusionary reason, like "they're a girl", or some crap like that. If it's not shared, it maybe lost.
i feel like we don't talk enough about sokka as a caretaker, unless of course you're on tumblr. katara is often held up as the mother of the gaang (rightly so, she's a very caring person) but sokka is often the one reminding the others that they need things like supplies, that they have to keep moving, making plans to make sure they're where they need to be while the others focus on bending, training and meditating. being a non-bender means he arguably has more of a foot in the real world, remembering they're everyday needs as well mastering all the elements and winning the war.
Also, for all his bravado about it, he genuinely was a hunter and fighter, he knows how to pack for trips and what people need in travel, hunting isn't an afternoon activity, especially not in a snowy wastes like the Water Tribes live in, its a multi day expedition, Katara doesn't know much about that, and until now Aang has lived entirely off a pack of snacks and whatever he can gather when he needs it, since his travel was so swift and free, and his load so light, that he could just Go
Piandao's speech to Sokka when he's giving him the finished sword always hits me like a truck. Sometimes you just want to hear someone you respect believes in you.
A weaker script would have left Sokka as the comic relief. TLA not only makes Sokka a great comedic character but gives him a phenomenal growth arc that’s my favorite journey after Zuko and Iroh.
Sokka unironically became my favorite character in this show. I didn't watch it until a few years ago during the initial Covid lockdown. Had a lot of free-time so I binged it on Netflix. Sokka annoyed the shit out of me, because I thought he'd just be useless for the entire series, but my girlfriend told me to stick with it because "he's definitely worth rooting for." Watching him mature and evolve and develop throughout the story was so satisfying, especially in seasons 2 and 3. My personal favorite Sokka moment is in season 2. When the giant drill tank rolls up to the wall of Ba Sing Se. The whole series up to that point, nobody ever really listened to his ideas, even when he'd occasionally have a good idea. When the drill tank shows up, NOBODY had ANY idea how to take that thing down, and they all turn to him. He's SO SURPRISED that people wanted HIS idea, that he has to fight his desire to celebrate, and instead of bragging and going "oh so you want MY genius?" he buckles down and comes up with a plan. And while the plan did run into a couple hiccups along the way, IT WORKS. He didn't brag about it, he didn't go on about how he's the smartest member of the team. They asked him for help, he gave it, and he matured.
I also watched Avatar during the Covid lock down shortly after I lost my grandma and dad 🥺 I heard so many good things about the show and was on my list, but it came to me at the right time 🥰 and became my other forever favorite series ❤ I love the characters so much and it totally makes a huge emotional impact on you. Perfect. 👌
I said something similar about the drill! I think the drill was a great culmination of his leadership skills to that point-- you can see throughout the episodes he gradually gets really good at commanding benders. The other good example is in Bato of the Water tribe where he is able to lead the ship through "the ice" by directing Katara and Aang to use their bending and not just steering the ship normally. Episode 1 Sokka would never 😂 The drill is so cool because it's a dramatic battle and he's had time to add in the extra variable of Toph + use his engineering skills. It's also a really good fight between Aang and Azula, really shows how talented they both are! Everyone's personality shines through, too. "We lost", "just bend the slurry, woman *whack*", earth kingdom soldiers unable to win against three teenage girls, it's just so good
“People who are insecure and arrogant don’t love themselves enough to invest in themselves.” HOLY COW WHAT A TRUE LINE. Nicely done Bryson, Jono, and Alan!!
Something I really love about Suki and Piando's response to Sokka requests is that while they both initially start making fun of him, they don't *immediately* reject him. They're *ready* to reject him but that's only if he displays the same arrogance that Suki has seen in him before and Piando has definitely seen in multiple potential students. What makes it better is that they accept him despite him being a boy/ being from the Water Tribe, showing that they have the same open mindedness that Sokka develops.
The incredibly acerbic "Lemme guess you've come from your village hundreds of miles away where you're the best swordsman" says so much of what Piandao has seen and is tired of seeing, so seeing a young man genuinely supplicating himself with humility, not groveling but just genuine anxiety and desire to learn is a delightful break
I'm glad you guys talked about how remakes like the live action remove character flaws. It'd be one thing if some things simply didn't age well or it was never corrected in the original show but it was and that was the point, it's part of Sokka's arc! I really dislike the modern mentality that having a character do anything remotely bad or disagreeable suddenly means endorsing or promoting those behaviours, it just screams media illiteracy. A character can't grow if they're already in the right from the get go.
I'd like to address your comment in good faith, although your comment seems to be a broader complaint about 'modern media' that I feel is an entirely different point. The ATLA live action remake made a lot of different creative decisions and some of them missed hard, but to claim that they removed character flaws is just not grounded in reality. First of all-- how big a part of Sokka's arc is his overt misogyny, truly? It is a big part of the first 4 episodes and then.... not really mentioned again. More importantly, the live action series DOES tie cultural sexism into his character arc. It actually shows more insidious forms of it, sort of the "nice guy" version of a misogynist, if you will. His main internal conflict in the live-action centers around his lack of self-worth due to feeling like a failure as a warrior (the 'traditional' male role in his tribe), his failure to protect his loved ones (a toxic gender role of designating men as the sole 'protectors'), and his inability to take his sister seriously because he thinks she's too emotional (his 'male' rationality as opposed to her 'female' emotions blinding her to the truth). The live action series also isn't over yet! Maybe they'll whiff his development hard in the future but for now I think it would be nice to give them the benefit of the doubt :)
@theredfox_1359 Yeah, he's only sexist for the 1st four episodes, and really only the 1st and 4th. He doesn't even say anything sexist during episodes 2 an 3.
@@alldeilong3248 Good point! And thanks for this. It's really disheartening to see people in this community falling for that weird rage-bait culture war talking point. This whole Cinema Therapy episode proves that Sokka's character development doesn't revolve around that one issue
Another thing people forget, in the beginning Sokka had been the oldest male in the village for years. He hasn't had his father, who is a very good chief, around to help teach him the lessons. Once Sokka is outside the village, not the most powerful and seeing far more ways of living, he gradually learns. Sokka and Zuko are my favorite characters. (Aang and Toph are tied in third.)
Not just the oldest male in his village, but the oldest by a decent margin. Sokka's about 15-16 while most of the other Water Tribe kids seemed to be in the 6-10 year old range. Prior to his adventures with the Gaang, the only person he knew that was close to his own age was his sister.
Id like to see people compliment and encourage people that are on the path to change like sokka. I find that often times people mock little mile stones and say “thats just the bare minimum” or why should we praise people for being a decent person. While it’s true that some acts are just “not being sexist anymore” I think its worth it to acknowledge that this person is actively trying to change a mindset that they grew up with their entire lives. If we mock or put people down for their little mile stones, why would they want to become better and put in the hard effort to change? Its better to encourage people with positivity
Oh, totally 😄 I work in a preschool. When the kiddos do the right thing without being prompted (picking up toys, apologizing, helping a classmate, etc.), I always congratulate them. Yes, those are basic life skills, but I still want them to grow up to be good people.
Another thing I love about Sokka's arc is how his sense of accountability and responsibility grows throughout the whole show. Barring the fact that his father left Sokka in charge of the village while went to war, he's always felt a sense of responsibility to look after Katara and his people, even if he didn't know how to. He did what he thought he had to do to keep his loved ones safe from the Fire Nation. That being said, losing Yue was an absolute key point for his accountability and responsibility. Aside from them falling for each other, when he was entrusted with protecting her by the Northern chief, he took that duty very seriously, and it absolutely hurt him not just to watch her die, but to fail again. It's also why he's so hypervigilant and overprotective of Suki when they reunite, even when she's proved more than capable of fending for herself, but he isn't afraid to explain this to her when asked, and he isn't afraid to be vulnerable. When he learns about the solar eclipse, he's the one to create a plan to invade the Fire Nation, but he takes all the responsibility when that invasion fails. He couldn't have known that the Fire Nation already knew of the invasion, and he still did everything he could to lead the invasion force in his father's place, while also helping Aang get to the Fire Lord. Sokka is so incredible at learning and accepting when he's wrong and when he fails, and he never hesitates to try and make things right. From apologizing to Suki for being sexist in the beginning to breaking into the Boiling Rock to rescue any prisoners of war from the invasion, Sokka shows immense accountability and responsibility, and proves yet again that he is capable and willing to learn and grow. In conclusion, Boomerang Guy is great, love him. 🪃
Agree 100%! Also I don’t know that Sokka gets enough credit for not just the invasion plan, but you know he’s the one taking names and making connections with all the people who will join the invasion.
@@StoryLover-7 I don't know if there's much to discuss with Ozai psychologically. He doesn't have the same complexity that Zuko, Azula and Iron have. He could make for an interesting analysis of one demolishing their own identity for a nationalistic one.
I honestly love the whole Sokka's master episode, the whole Pi'an Dao, never looked at Sokka, from just a name and voice inflection, Pi-an Dao decided he was going to teach him.
Sokka’s lead against the fire nation air ships is the pinnacle of any character arc i have ever seen. Every single character trait that was a major flaw from that start is given its own scene to show the incredible transformation of Sokka. He trusts that Suki and Toph are capable and delegates them responsibilities he knows they can handle and will be good at. He never leaves anyone behind, he makes sure he is last to guarantee safety, and trusts in himself that he can navigate and overcome the obstacle. I absolutely love that segment
I also loved the way he came up with the idea of giving people "pox" with that little sucker animal to get past the Fire Nation. That was Sokka's idea. And it worked, and it was peaceful.
So, I just found out that Sokka's voice actor Jack de Sena has a UA-cam channel called "Chris and Jack". Pretty sure he'd be available for a collab if you guys wanted to do a part 2.
I love Sokka's arc because it's shows alot about positive and negative masculinity and what it really means to be a man. Zuko goes through a similar path as well.
I’ve seen this comment on several different threads, and I’m a little confused. I do agree that acknowledging the reality of a situation is critical to making positive changes, although I’m not sure how your comment is relevant to the content of this video. Are you saying that Avatar the Last Airbender teaches kids to be offended by reality? If so, how? Could you offer specific examples of what you mean?
0:27 there is static in fiction. For example, Sherlock Holmes stays almost the same. The story is about how he affects the world around him, not how he himself changes.
His arc is static, but honestly - he seems to be always spiraling downwards. That is part of how he is static. Nothing can change his own inner self-loathing.
Of all the ATLA characters, Sokka's growth brings me to happy tears most. Don't get me wrong, Katara stepping into her wrath and choosing mercy anyways is soul-gripping. Aang maturing, Toph working through hyper independence, and the glimpses of growth we see in a few other characters are all what I believe is part of the core about what makes this Coming of Age show exceptional. Still, Sokka's journey just hits different and I'm really glad you guys covered this.
idk if it's mentioned in the patreon version of the episode. but something i love in that scene of Sokka asking to become a swordsman, is that you can actually see Piandao would have rejected the sokka from series 1 episode 1. the language he uses when sokka asks to learn says "i've heard this song and dance before. you think you know everything. well i'm here to prove you know nothing." and it's the humility that sokka shows, that gets Piandao to accept him as a student
I absolutely love Avatar, the entire series is so incredible. What a great episode, thank you for doing this! One of my favorite things someone pointed out about ATLA to me years ago is how Sokkas story in some ways is similiar to Aangs, but without the bending. In the show Sokka starts off as someone who was trained to fight in the water tribe, then he learns the fighting style of the Earth Kingdom from the Kyoshi Warriors. He learns about technology from the people who are now living in the Air Nomad temples, then goes on to learn swordsmanship from one of the greatest swordsmen in Fire Nation history, essentially learning all of the fighting techniques of the different nations instead of their bending styles. It fits perfectly with this episode. As you talked about at the start, Sokka is just a normal person when compared to these incredibly powerful benders that he hangs out with all the time, especially Aang given he's the Avatar, but Sokka is actually incredibly smart and talented in his own ways, he's just too busy comparing himself to the incredibly talented and special people around him to see how much he's grown and learned.
Sokka's character makes so much sense given his backstory, too. He's not arrogant or insecure just because, he's that way because of the context in which he grew up. He's trying to live up to his father's expectations and not let anyone down. He's obsessed with being a warrior bc he knows first hand what can happen when you're not prepared for an attack. He probably has to convince himself that he's the best because to a certain point, he's all the protection his people have, which is why he's always willing to throw himself into danger. Honestly, his humor is probably the main reason he's as mentally healthy as he is
Sokka is a great example of getting the most use out of a comic relief character. He's not _just_ "the funny guy" and his role in the Gaang and overall story is in no way minor. "Sokka's Master" is also one of my favorite episodes. He's got the mind for battle strategy, but that only gets him so far when he's mostly stuck on the sidelines for the actual battle. Granted, he knows how to use his boomerang and a few other weapons, but like Katara in Season 1, he was operating on raw talent, improv, and trial-and-error at best without having anyone to teach him how to use them effectively.
Sokka has always been my favorite ATLA character, because, yes he’s goofy, but there are moments where he shows a maturity unlike anyone else. My favorite moments are him telling Toph that he sees Katara as his mother, when he beats Jet, and when Aang tells him he’s their leader. It shows his true self. And if he returned in LoK as an old man teaching Korra, I would’ve wept 😭
Sokkaaaaa!!! I was SUCH a Sokka girl when I was a kid. He really doesn't get the love he deserves. He's an absolute genius, which is probably why he comes across so crazy. His mind works in so many intelligent, unfathomable ways (he helped create the Fire Nation war balloon after all) but until he started traveling with the Gaang, he never had a way to use that intelligence. But once he has the opportunities and the resources to actually use that intelligence and grow as a person, boy does he ever. Thank you for another great video, internet bros!!!
It is exactly what you see in kids that because of different reason are not given the opportunities to succeed as soon as you give the opportunity the wroth is amazing
I love Sokka and at 11:34 when he says he can't do all the things everyone else in the group can, is so relatable. Growing up I always compared myself to my siblings. They were and are both smarter, better at school (while taking harder classes), and both went on to have careers that are more difficult and specialized than mine. I've always had that sense of I'm never going to achieve what they have. Needless to say I relate to Sokka a lot and I'm so glad there's finally an episode about him!
SAME!!! My sister can dance, sing, play instruments (self-taught) paint, just all around skilled then ….. there’s me 😀. But I’ve learned to celebrate and love in myself for what I do have❤️✨
Yeah, specially if it is more imposed by a parent, I didn't feel less than my sister even tho she is smarter and more skilled than me but the constant comparison made me feel inferior and resent her instead of confronting my parent. It took me years to undo all that, I still constantly get compared to her but I don't care anymore.
11:50 that reminds me of a scene. “I did everything right. I wanted it more than anyone. And I thought, I thought if I wanted it enough, I could show everybody that- that Mike Wazowki is something special. And I’m just… not.”
Sokka is the character I related to most on the show. As a kid I thought I had all this talent and skills then I realized I knew nothing and faked confidence for a while, over time my self-esteem got lower and I thought I had no skills at all. Now I working on actually improving myself and the skills I actually have to be a better version of me. And all along the way I'm getting my butt kicked by life.
Man, the more I watch, the more I love your channel. It's deep in a very light way, and easy to see the humility with which you both approach all these topics. Thanks.
Sokka’s character development is so interesting to me, especially when you consider where he started and why. He’s the oldest male in his village by a mile, tasked with protecting his sister and the people of his village from his father who has gone to fight in a war he was told he was too young to fight in at the time, AND he has suffered the loss of his mother. It makes a lot of sense that he would have an extremely outdated sense of what men and women should do. He admires his father and being left behind while he goes to war was scary, so he pours all of his energy into being the man he thinks his dad needs him to be in order to protect his sister and village. And without his mother alive to care for him, it’s harder for him to understand the value of what a woman can do in general. He has his grandmother, but I can almost see the death of his own mother being part of why he grows into this overly protective role.
Sokka inspires me so much. I grew up seeing people that had clear goals, gifts and qualities, while feeling that I never knew what I wanted to do or what were my strenghts. Him, and other things, made me just try stuff, and have fun doing so. And years later I feel so happy and cozy about the things I learned because of it, and ready to see everything I don't know and have fun learning some of it
I once read an origin story about Sokka’s master, and it stated that Sokka’s sword master was abandoned by his parents who were firebenders because he was a non-bender, and he later decided to learn and master the way of the sword, so I think it’s cool and full circle that he would become Sokka’s master as Sokka thought he was not good enough compared to his sister and his friends, who were benders.
At the beginning of the show Sokka’s over confidence makes sense when his father left him in a isolated village to go to war at a young age being left as the big fish in a small pond with no outside influence without gauging the strength of others stronger than himself which gives him a false sense of confidence.
This video is so relevant to my life right now. As a younger guy everything Sokka does is absolutely incredible and is an example of how we should all strive to change. I have many issues as a person that I acknowledge and know need to change, but it's so hard. Having someone in media who you can see doing the hard things, asking for forgiveness, recognizing his worth and value, is invaluable. It's especially great that they gave this storyline to the "normal" guy in the group. It makes it far more relatable and a better creator of healthy introspection. If it had been Aang who had the morality storyline, I don't think it would be as impactful. "He's got all that power, he's superhuman." But we get to see someone who is a regular person with normal human capabilities and goals, which makes it a more relatable viewing experience. I can say out of the whole show, my favorite characters are Sokka and Uncle Iroh for these exact reasons, giving young people role models and a healthy example of positive masculinity, growth, and humility. I wish I'd gotten to watch this show growing up, I am sure it would have nipped the bud on some of my issues.
_"It's so easy to discount the things you _*_are_*_ good at. 'Oh, well it's easy to me, and so therefore it's not impressive.'"_ Oof, yep, I struggle with this one. None of the things I'm naturally good at ever seem to get recognition, so it's tough to always view them as valuable traits or abilities when I always see people getting recognition for things they had to put effort it on. Naturally the thought pattern became "if you didn't have to put in effort, it's not impressive". I guess I'm wondering if that's one of the struggles most former "gifted kids" grapple with, since they're burdened with that expectation so early that things _should_ just be easy peasy and if you have to work at something it means you suck at it. I also have my unique case in the opposite direction where I'm quite good at things people usually take _years_ to learn (like pattern recognition, organizing/planning, or emotional intelligence), and my whole career most of the older people in leadership have REALLY not reacted well to a young person coming in out of nowhere knowing how to do the things that took them years to even remotely figure out, and so they would constantly tear me down about those abilities. So things I once actually did feel were impressive and valuable, now I really struggle to see any value in at all. Which is mostly to say, even if you do look at your own abilities in a positive light, depending on the environment you're in, it's not always easy to hang on to those good feelings. We all need to do better as a society of just letting people be good at the things they're good at instead of projecting what we _think_ people should be good or bad at.
I love Soka! He really brings a lot to the group despite not being a bender. He brings leadership and strategy. He is a bit too pessimistic for his own good and a little arrogant and sexist in the beginning, but he really learns a lot. I love Aunt Wu's fortune for him: "Your future is full of struggle and anguish, most of it self-inflicted." Because if he had never learned to be humble that prediction would have come true.
I’m just Sokka, your normal sarcasm guy. But in all honesty, he does have a huge journey. He has to become to the leader of a tribe at the age of 14 with all these responsibilities, he hasn’t really been given guidance on how to be a leader. He’s also sexist towards his sister, although he admits to Toph he wouldn’t be anywhere without her because she’s taken on the role of mother, and sexist towards the Kyoshi warriors, which he later corrects. He does feel awkward being the only non bender in the group but is able to hone his skills as a strategist and eventually a combatant with a sword and his trusty boomerang. He has a lot of doubts about things but is able to come through when he realizes how it will benefit everyone around him and he is willing to accept change as he becomes a man. He is an idiot but he does care for his friends and loved ones and he does try very hard. It’s all a matter of him wanting to prove himself to his dad very similar to Zuko except it’s not toxic. He also wants to prove to himself that he can be a leader and a hero
I’M SO HAPPY! Sokka is my favourite ATLA character, I love his journey from an insecure, arrogant, sexist jerk, to a brilliant, strategic, confident leader! Also I was really that you guys spent so much time on the ‘Sokka’s Master’ episode, because that’s favourite episode in the series, I loved Sokka’s character growth in that episode, also a space sword is freaking awesome!
He added a rainbow. He added a RAINBOW! In the middle of war he sees this beautiful view and makes it more beautiful. It's not diminished by all the horrors. And then he asks if that's okay? Is it okay to see wonder and joy when there's so much despair and hopelessness? When all his life he's been told to be a warrior, is it okay to be childish and wrong and optimistic and HUMAN? And that's really the question the whole show asks and then answers a resounding YES
One of my favorite episodes also shows Sokka's growth when he and Zuko break out of the prison with Suki. When the three of them fight on top of the Gondola, he seemlessly fights alongside Zuko against Azula despite very little time knowing him, but he also has enough faith in Suki that he's not checking on her own battle, whereas early Sokka might have been worried about 'his girl' in a fight.
I think my favorite thing about Bryson episodes is that he has such good insight. On a show that is literally experts in their fields, who are giving their observations using their experience in said fields. And then there's Bryson. Proving that you don't have to be an expert, or older (love you guys), or whatever other metric you want to put in there, for your opinion to be valid, powerful, and relevant. His insights are amazing, and I love when you guys include him
Back when I watched ATLA as a child, I always just thought of Sokka as the comic relief. The side character among the main cast. Now, as an adult, I can finally appreciate him for everything he is and I think he's one of the strongest written characters in the show!
I think it's not just maturing that has that effect, though I'm sure it's part of it. It was kind of easy to overlook Sokka's character growth because, from beginning to end, Sokka never really stops being stupid. What changes is that he goes from being a complete idiot to being occasionally kinda dumb, but also incredibly brilliant at times. And the funny thing is, quite often he manages to be brilliantly stupid. I think this is best displayed in Wan Shi Tong's Spirit Library: he outwits a spirit of knowledge by acting like an idiot, which is arguably something you'd have to be an idiot to try to do.
There was a meme that I saw recently that mentioned that Sokka was the avatar of nonbenders. He learned the fighting style of every nation while Aang learned his bending
I always needed to hear that for my entire life! Humility is neither self-hatred or self-loathing and that confidence and arrogance are truly two different things! And I am so happy to finally have someone said this for to prove that they are indeed correct. Thank you, Jonathan and Alan! P.S: What Sokka successfully learned is what the Fire Nation never learned until Zuko becomes the Fire Lord. They believed they had everything figured it out with treating men and women equally, being the first to industrialized, and some more. But they never know that "my way is not your way" at all and forcing it on other peoples is not a good thing at all. Yes, the other nations have their own social problems. But the Fire Nation has no rights to go and tell them what to do, right?
i love all the parallels in the writing and how the characters play off of eachother. There's a very lovely parallel in Sokka and Zuko's character with humility as the backbone of their character growth. Zuko had it all and slowly watched his fake world crumble around him. Humility was the only thing that kept him afloat in the end and brought him to a safe harbor in his life. Sokka started from nothing and had to rise to meet bigger and bigger chalenges. yeah, he was the chief's son, but even the northern water tribe didn't seem to think much of that, let alone the rest of the world. Humility is what cleared the path for him to get out of his own way and triumph impossible odds. In the end, Zuko and Sokka end up in about the same place, as equals. It's very fun to see.
After a hot minute of not being able to watch cinema therapy, this episode had me crying. These videos are so good and always help me to feel even just a little bit better about myself when watching them.
That quote by Uncle Iroh is so true though - pride is the source of shame. Therefore, I will boast all the more in my weaknesses so that my pride is destroyed and shame has no more hold over me. Rather, I will take pride in God who loves me and has paid for my sins.
... what in the hell, you're right, that's Robert Patrick. His more recent roles are Shane Langston from Reacher and Auggie Smith (Peacemaker's Dad). I never made that connection- that's wild, what in the world is Robert Patrick doing in this kids show?
It's also funny cause during their training, Piandao told Sokka to treat the sword like part of his body, specifically a really long sharp arm. And the T1000 could literally turn its arms into sharp blades.
This is why I love the show. The writing is just so strong. Not just about Sokka, who would have been a one-off character in any other. But just simple fact that all the characters in the show go through real moments. Like ATLA does these amazing things with each member of the core group, but realistically they do this for ALL characters in the show. Even looking past the antagonist group which themselves have a lot of depth, many people that the group meets are going through some really heavy stuff and responding to it in various ways. It's actually my favorite thing about Avatar. It shows this price of war narrative, all while teaching acceptance and accountability. The show expresses that everyone's reasons are in some way vaild, but it does it in a way that respects all sides of that narrative. I mean for example, the first time you meet Iroh he a slow old man on the enemy side.. but he ends up being a wise care taker crying in front of a grave. But even side characters tie into the narrative for many of the main characters. People who have their own story. Villains that take it too far, broken war criminals that are haunted by their guilt, common folk who are hurt and healing. People who are just trying to make their way through a tough place by carrying a song to all who will listen or make some kind of living. Everyone in the show has potential, motivation and a hidden lesson to teach the viewer. It's the most adult kid friendly show.. and I love it for that.
Ain’t nothing like opening UA-cam and seeing this video on the front page. One of my favorite guests of this channel, as well as my favorite tv show. Can’t wait to watch this :D
Another thing about Sokka that reflects this is how his comedy evolves over the course of the show. In the earlier episodes a lot of his jokes are from a mean-spirited place, or at least from a self-absorbed place. Over the course of the show he learns how to laugh with other people and to make jokes that other people appreciate. Finally this isn't me it's from an online post, but in the first season, Sokka says verbatim "you can't fight the fire nation with fun" but he becomes such a fun chill dude he eventually does exactly that (the specific example in the post is him impersonating the captain to commandeer one of the airships)
Every episode about Avatar makes me cry like a baby and I’m not ashamed of that. This more even more than the others. Sokka is my favorite character. I often feel useless and not good enough, and I also tend to be loud when I’m feeling especially inadequate. Sokkas growth is something I try to emulate. The writing is so good and the lessons are still helping me grow as an adult.
Omg, Sokka’s character growth was so good and it makes me so mad that they took it away in the live action because they think the audience is too dumb not to know that sexism is wrong. Sokka’s sexism in the beginning is literally how they found Aang and Suki is what helps him grow out of that💀
I really appreciate that Sokka is the comic relief but he also is allowed to have emotions outside of “funny”. He falls in love and suffers loss, he feels rage and frustration, pride and despair, empathy, etc. he’s not a one dimensional ha ha character he has so much depth and I always really appreciated the creators ability to show the world a comedic relief that actually works past childish humor.
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Sounds like a Scam
Please do episode about Teo🥺😫
You know ua-cam.com/video/C8sUu3WX4Is/v-deo.html
PLEASE!!!
you know ua-cam.com/video/C8sUu3WX4Is/v-deo.html
Oh oh oh I wrote a quote for this in college. "Confidence is the acknowledgement that success is possible. Arrogance is refusing that failure is possible."
Great quote
@AdamCortez11 thanks
Soooo....insecurity Is refusing that success is possible?
@@vik.6103Humility is knowing that Failure is Possible
Yooo, that's such a good quote 💯
"You added a rainbow" "Is that okay?" Is such an underrated moment imo, Sokka has a way of adding fun and joy into everything he does no matter how mundane. That's another trait that makes him such an important part of Team Avatar
I love that! And I identify with it so much 💖
And Piandao subtlety goes along with Sokka's antics. When Sokka was tasked into feng shuing part of the garden into something that speaks positive energy, and turns it into a relaxing chair and ask for a beverage. Piandao adds, "I'd like hot tea with lemon, please."
Sokka works because he's not just a comic relief. He has a lot of the show's comedic moments, but what he lacks in bending he makes up with his resourcefulness, craftiness, leadership and sense of strategy and makes him an essential member of the Gaang. He's both smart AND hilarious.
the best part about the "fan and sword" bit is that it's a play on captain planet, and sokka should be saying "heart" not only because that's the last necessary component for captain planet but also because sokka is truly the heart of the group.
It's interesting to note that he wasn't meant to be comic relief at the beginning either. He was much more sulky and sarcastic in the first few episodes and especially the unaired pilot. Jack De Sena just had such a good voice and delivery for Sokka that the character naturally morphed around it. And it still just WORKS
Exactly, it's a perfect example of: Sokka lacks Bending, so he chose to train the two things he DOES have, his mind & his body, and train them he did
Basically the difference between Book Ron Weasley and Movie Ron Weasley
He also takes good advice from anywhere, he's so adaptable.
"unlikely combination of Batman and Ron Weasley" 😂😂 perfect description of Sokka
But book Ron Weasley not the one note comedic relief of the movies.
@@spazzyshortgirl23 But he did have his insecure and jealous moments, so still fits.
I want to know where that art came from 😂
@@spazzyshortgirl23 Ron Weasley's shining moments: Winning the Wizard Chess challenge while working with a handicap of not sacrificing a rook (Hermione) and bishop (Harry) demonstrating a tactical mind, being able to drive a flying car at 12 and braving the Forbidden Forest despite his serious arachnophobia, trying to shield Harry from Sirius despite having a broken leg, publicly vouches for Harry at school while the latter is the target of a smear campaign, and Weasley is Our King.
And not only that, he is a member of a talented family rich in love, his father working for the Ministry so he has inside information for what's going on as well as growing up part of Wizarding culture (remember in the 2nd book he was the only one who knew the significance of the "mudblood" slur and was irate for it while Harry AND Hermione were ignorant and confused over the meaning). And while Hermione is famous for her book smarts and Harry is the hero and kid detective, occasionally both get too caught up in their own worlds that Ron is the one to bring them back down to earth and challenge them.
It's a shame Steve Kloves eschewed these aspects of Ron and gave them to Hermione, and just feeding into the ignorant belief that Ron is useless.
@@spazzyshortgirl23
No, but he was loyal and hotheaded just like Sokka.
Here are some ideas for more Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes:
-Katara, childhood trauma, parentification, grief and revenge
-Toph Beifong, disability and controlling parents
-Azula, the price of perfection and being the golden child and abusive and neglectful parenting
-Aang, overcoming guilt and grief, expectations and accepting responsibility
BONUS: Korra and PTSD
How about Aang?
Yyyyeeesssss please! We honestly just need AT LEAST one for every major character.
@@Aeras89 ATLA: Psychology Series!
@@estherfu6288 They actually did an episode on Aang as a Patreon exclusive, wink wink.
Azula and her fall into break from reality
Part of what makes Sokka's arrogance so unique is that, unlike other cocky, animated characters, his egotism stems from a grounded insecurity that allows him to be sympathetic. It's a rare maturity that makes Avatar stand out from other shows. As a non-bender surrounded by robust, bending peers, he pushes back as a coping mechanism for fear of being inadequate. Also, the adult role models who can teach him to improve are either enlisted or dead. This background is why we are sympathetic despite being critical of his actions.
Yess!!! So many people forget (especially with the whole live action changes conversation etc) that Sokka spent probably the most developmentally tumultuous years of his life without male role models or really any peers to sound off against, limit-test etc.
He's operating on a 10 year olds concept ob masculinity while also living in a subsistence level community.
I think another important point is he was old enough to see what a good man is, but he wasn’t old enough to know how to be one.
His stereotypes come from his father but all he knows is the stereotypes not the substance.
You also got to add the caveat that Sokka's dad left home to aid in the war effort when he was 12 or 13, making him the Man of the House to take care of sister and grandmother, heaving more responsibility and expectations for him to shoulder when he's still a child.
I love how Bryson looks exactly like how you’d imagine a child between Alan and Jon would look, lmao
OMG I'm dying, why is this so accurate??? 😂😂😂
I was gonna say the exact same thing! 😂 I wonder if they realized that
@@FedericaCorradinobecause he’s their baby ❤
Omg, you're right-!
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGH WHEN I SAW HIM
Sokka is one of the more brilliant moves ATLA made. He starts off a stereotypical meat head (for good reason), but he evolves, becomes better. Hell, he also exhibits traits most people would consider to be antithetical to stereotypical masculinity: he loves shopping, he can be pretty vain about his appearance, and he's willing to be vulnerable and emotional. Sokka's a testament to how sharp and well crafted ATLA's writing is.
And he likes going TO THE LIBRARY
well... to how well crafted the character development is. the writing can be pretty unpleasant, especially where romantic relationships are concerned.
@@dietotaku Try telling me you weren't cringey or awkward at some point during your teenage years. Sokka isn't even out of his mid-teens, so of course he's going to be awkward and weird. Not to mention, the only girls in his tribe were either 6 year-olds, his sister, 20 year-olds, or his grandmother. It's no wonder his romantic relationships are unpleasant to watch at times: He's never interacted with girls he would think of romantically. In essence, Yue is his first love, and Suki is his first real romantic relationship.
@@christianrose9166I think dietotaku meant the development of romance in the series was poorly developed. The writing is great overall, but the romantic subplots (Katara/Aang and Mai/Zuko) leave much to be desired.
@@SamuraiGirl02 I think that's fine though, I don't think every show needs to have a fulfilling romantic relationship, it being hinted at is fine, imo.
YES!!!!! Sokka is my favorite character. Zuko has the best redemption arc, but Sokka has the best character development. Such an underrated character. He is my inspiration. He shows us that even when surrounded by geniuses and incredibly talented people, I can still contribute and be an important member of the team. That I still have worth and my skills are valid as well.
@@LogicalThinking-p2s and who's teaching that? Sokka was not offended, its just overthinking that everyone has, everyone acknowledged his part in the group
@LogicalThinking-p2s What? Your statement makes no sense. The reality is that not everyone can do everything. You find what you are good at, get even better, and find the people who see and appreciate those skills. Is it easy? No. Does it hurt? Yes. But if you give up and accept mediocrity, you have failed. Maybe those skills aren't world changing. Maybe you end up just being an amazing server in a restaurant instead of a doctor. But you accept that and become the best server you can. You are still contributing to society. You can still make someone's day better and even save a life. A simple interaction for someone on the brink can be all that's needed to help them get through another day.
@@LogicalThinking-p2s What on earth are you talking about?
Yes yes yes!!
Beautifully put. 🤝❤️
The first scene where Sokka tries to take on an entire Fire Nation battleship is so telling. For one, because it shows us just how foolhardy the kid is. It's truly a stupid move on his part, but it also demonstrates his bravery that will honed throughout the show as he becomes a real leader. It also shows us just how selfless he is, a point that is echoed near the very end of the show when he dives on top of Toph to protect her from falling debris.
What an incredible character.
As for the selflessness thing, I think some of it comes down to his warrior attitude, and the purpose of warriors in his upbringing. The way of a water tribe warrior is to sacrifice oneself in the protection of others (we also see this with his father in the invasion), and since he thinks himself a warrior (because he very much was raised to be one), he considers it his duty to protect his people at any cost. Of course it takes him a bit for that self-sacrifice to also have some tact and understanding when is time to retreat and live to fight another day, but that warrior's spirit is something he carries with him the whole time.
I just realized Sokka goes from trying to take on one battleship in a ridiculous display of arrogance, to taking down a fleet in one swoop in a ridiculous display of resourcefulness.
Pp😊
You’re right! Dude took down an entire fleet of ships by the end.
CS Lewis, and he was not the first to say it, but I love his phrasing of it. "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself, less."
Yes l love this quote C. S Lewis is truly underrated
Beautiful quote, anything by Lewis is just gonna be gold.
Sokka’s a great example of that quote’s growth process. His low moments always come from focusing on himself; everything from dealing with Suki to flubbing the invasion briefing to kicking a rock at a goose.
His high moments are focused on others; thwarting Jet’s plan, multiple prison escapes, and defeating Ozai’s entire air fleet.
Oh that is a great quote! I gotta save that one.
8:04 what Jonno just said about Sokka pivoting when he realizes he’s wrong made me think of Iroh learning lightning redirection from water benders. That’s part of their culture to flow and change like water in nature. Not only is it a great character detail but it really expresses where he comes from.
Great observation, loved it! 👏🏻👏🏻
That is amazing!
if you think about it, the characteristics that Iroh said about the water tribe are are very present in him. he has the capacity of adapt himself to diverse situations and even change parts of himself that, in the past he would've had a problem or even be against it, but, becasuse of the comunity and love that has develpot with the gaang and the things he has learn, he's willing to change and accept new things and ideas that help him protect the people he cares about, event though it was the community that he was born the one that gave him his first belifes that turn out to be wrong.
the water tribe gave him those belifes, but he embreced change and that was crucial to help his tribe and the rest of the other nations in the laters seasons
@@sofiablanco8052 I’d say it wasn’t his ancestral community that gave him his se>
You know it’s a good day when Cinema Therapy covers Avatar again
I adore in that episode of Avatar, how horrible the humor is without Sokka on screen, like the three of them were dying for boredom and missed him so much, it wasn't them telling you this, we could feel the awkwardness of them not having Sokka and it's amazing, he doesn't realize how important his good humor and amazing attitude brings to the table, but they know and they trasure him so much ✨
I completely disagree with the fortune teller, from the EP The Fortune Teller. When he asks for his future tell and Aunt Wu says "Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted."
By the end of the show and in the comics you can tell that he has grown up from that arrogance and childish perspective. Just as the teller explained to Aang "I'll tell you a little secret, young Airbender. Just as you reshaped those clouds, *you* have the power to shape your own destiny" Same can be said about Sokka, he too can reshape his destiny. I'm sure it was Sokka's idea to steal her book and reshape the clouds in order to save the town. Which they do by the end. His humour is a plus along with his other traits, that's why we love him!
@hameley12 totally agreed!!!
I want to think that that preduction was made based on pure prejudice or that maybe for her was too obvious, and that was the destiny of Sokka if he didn't change, which make sense to me but then again, we cannot base our lives in just believes, and Sokka acted and he made his own future, which gives him the reason twice 🥰
@@ximenaallessandrij.5972 Yay! And we are here for a Sokka and Toph adventure! 😄
@@hameley12 Definitely! ✨️🥰
That transition from "No. This is my fight. Alone" to "Friendly Mushroom" just killed me🤣🤣🤣 0:55
"Sokkas master" is my top 3 avatar episodes for me. It shows the determination of sokka that he is more than just comedic relief.
I really like the episode for Piandos line "Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all" especially as a fencer. Too much knowledge or art is lost because it isn't shared, either for some exclusionary reason, like "they're a girl", or some crap like that. If it's not shared, it maybe lost.
i feel like we don't talk enough about sokka as a caretaker, unless of course you're on tumblr. katara is often held up as the mother of the gaang (rightly so, she's a very caring person) but sokka is often the one reminding the others that they need things like supplies, that they have to keep moving, making plans to make sure they're where they need to be while the others focus on bending, training and meditating. being a non-bender means he arguably has more of a foot in the real world, remembering they're everyday needs as well mastering all the elements and winning the war.
Also, for all his bravado about it, he genuinely was a hunter and fighter, he knows how to pack for trips and what people need in travel, hunting isn't an afternoon activity, especially not in a snowy wastes like the Water Tribes live in, its a multi day expedition, Katara doesn't know much about that, and until now Aang has lived entirely off a pack of snacks and whatever he can gather when he needs it, since his travel was so swift and free, and his load so light, that he could just Go
Piandao's speech to Sokka when he's giving him the finished sword always hits me like a truck. Sometimes you just want to hear someone you respect believes in you.
I think we all need a Master Piandao, and an Uncle Iroh in our lives.
A weaker script would have left Sokka as the comic relief. TLA not only makes Sokka a great comedic character but gives him a phenomenal growth arc that’s my favorite journey after Zuko and Iroh.
The script is so good that not only did Sokka have a growth arc, but it was obvious to me from the beginning that there’s so much in him.
Sokka unironically became my favorite character in this show.
I didn't watch it until a few years ago during the initial Covid lockdown. Had a lot of free-time so I binged it on Netflix.
Sokka annoyed the shit out of me, because I thought he'd just be useless for the entire series, but my girlfriend told me to stick with it because "he's definitely worth rooting for." Watching him mature and evolve and develop throughout the story was so satisfying, especially in seasons 2 and 3.
My personal favorite Sokka moment is in season 2. When the giant drill tank rolls up to the wall of Ba Sing Se. The whole series up to that point, nobody ever really listened to his ideas, even when he'd occasionally have a good idea. When the drill tank shows up, NOBODY had ANY idea how to take that thing down, and they all turn to him. He's SO SURPRISED that people wanted HIS idea, that he has to fight his desire to celebrate, and instead of bragging and going "oh so you want MY genius?" he buckles down and comes up with a plan. And while the plan did run into a couple hiccups along the way, IT WORKS.
He didn't brag about it, he didn't go on about how he's the smartest member of the team. They asked him for help, he gave it, and he matured.
This is my personal favorite as well!!
I also watched Avatar during the Covid lock down shortly after I lost my grandma and dad 🥺 I heard so many good things about the show and was on my list, but it came to me at the right time 🥰 and became my other forever favorite series ❤ I love the characters so much and it totally makes a huge emotional impact on you. Perfect. 👌
I said something similar about the drill! I think the drill was a great culmination of his leadership skills to that point-- you can see throughout the episodes he gradually gets really good at commanding benders. The other good example is in Bato of the Water tribe where he is able to lead the ship through "the ice" by directing Katara and Aang to use their bending and not just steering the ship normally. Episode 1 Sokka would never 😂
The drill is so cool because it's a dramatic battle and he's had time to add in the extra variable of Toph + use his engineering skills. It's also a really good fight between Aang and Azula, really shows how talented they both are! Everyone's personality shines through, too. "We lost", "just bend the slurry, woman *whack*", earth kingdom soldiers unable to win against three teenage girls, it's just so good
“People who are insecure and arrogant don’t love themselves enough to invest in themselves.” HOLY COW WHAT A TRUE LINE. Nicely done Bryson, Jono, and Alan!!
Something I really love about Suki and Piando's response to Sokka requests is that while they both initially start making fun of him, they don't *immediately* reject him.
They're *ready* to reject him but that's only if he displays the same arrogance that Suki has seen in him before and Piando has definitely seen in multiple potential students.
What makes it better is that they accept him despite him being a boy/ being from the Water Tribe, showing that they have the same open mindedness that Sokka develops.
The incredibly acerbic "Lemme guess you've come from your village hundreds of miles away where you're the best swordsman" says so much of what Piandao has seen and is tired of seeing, so seeing a young man genuinely supplicating himself with humility, not groveling but just genuine anxiety and desire to learn is a delightful break
My favorite line from Sokka: "Bye, space sword...."
OMG my heart went out to him.
I have a theory that Toph lives in the swamp in part because she's still searching for the sword for Sokka.
Wait I thought the line was "My space sword" have I been wrong this whole time 😅
@@bboo1688 well now, dang it, wait a minute...! Let me in your club, please! 😚
Don't know if this is true, but I heard he actually recovers it later in some way
I'm glad you guys talked about how remakes like the live action remove character flaws. It'd be one thing if some things simply didn't age well or it was never corrected in the original show but it was and that was the point, it's part of Sokka's arc! I really dislike the modern mentality that having a character do anything remotely bad or disagreeable suddenly means endorsing or promoting those behaviours, it just screams media illiteracy. A character can't grow if they're already in the right from the get go.
Mulan 2020 is the definition of this.
I'd like to address your comment in good faith, although your comment seems to be a broader complaint about 'modern media' that I feel is an entirely different point. The ATLA live action remake made a lot of different creative decisions and some of them missed hard, but to claim that they removed character flaws is just not grounded in reality. First of all-- how big a part of Sokka's arc is his overt misogyny, truly? It is a big part of the first 4 episodes and then.... not really mentioned again. More importantly, the live action series DOES tie cultural sexism into his character arc. It actually shows more insidious forms of it, sort of the "nice guy" version of a misogynist, if you will. His main internal conflict in the live-action centers around his lack of self-worth due to feeling like a failure as a warrior (the 'traditional' male role in his tribe), his failure to protect his loved ones (a toxic gender role of designating men as the sole 'protectors'), and his inability to take his sister seriously because he thinks she's too emotional (his 'male' rationality as opposed to her 'female' emotions blinding her to the truth). The live action series also isn't over yet! Maybe they'll whiff his development hard in the future but for now I think it would be nice to give them the benefit of the doubt :)
@theredfox_1359 Yeah, he's only sexist for the 1st four episodes, and really only the 1st and 4th. He doesn't even say anything sexist during episodes 2 an 3.
@@alldeilong3248 Good point! And thanks for this. It's really disheartening to see people in this community falling for that weird rage-bait culture war talking point. This whole Cinema Therapy episode proves that Sokka's character development doesn't revolve around that one issue
@theredfox_1359 Yeah his whole arc is about becoming a good leader and warrior, which is still in the Netflix adaption.
Another thing people forget, in the beginning Sokka had been the oldest male in the village for years. He hasn't had his father, who is a very good chief, around to help teach him the lessons. Once Sokka is outside the village, not the most powerful and seeing far more ways of living, he gradually learns. Sokka and Zuko are my favorite characters. (Aang and Toph are tied in third.)
Not just the oldest male in his village, but the oldest by a decent margin. Sokka's about 15-16 while most of the other Water Tribe kids seemed to be in the 6-10 year old range. Prior to his adventures with the Gaang, the only person he knew that was close to his own age was his sister.
"you're either self-improving or you're in a downward spiral" well damn, alan, you didn't have to come for my neck in the first 30 seconds 😰
I felt so called out!
But what about neutral Jing?
Isn't that the whole point of therapy
Id like to see people compliment and encourage people that are on the path to change like sokka. I find that often times people mock little mile stones and say “thats just the bare minimum” or why should we praise people for being a decent person. While it’s true that some acts are just “not being sexist anymore” I think its worth it to acknowledge that this person is actively trying to change a mindset that they grew up with their entire lives. If we mock or put people down for their little mile stones, why would they want to become better and put in the hard effort to change? Its better to encourage people with positivity
Right? Recognize the effort and improvement. It's crucial.
Exactly!!! Thank you!
Oh, totally 😄 I work in a preschool. When the kiddos do the right thing without being prompted (picking up toys, apologizing, helping a classmate, etc.), I always congratulate them.
Yes, those are basic life skills, but I still want them to grow up to be good people.
I love how Cinema Therapy is exclusive to movies EXCEPT Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show is just too good to leave out!!!
And Ted Lasso
and Arcane
They did Moon Knight too. They've done a couple shows, but only like 4 or 5
Id love for them to to explore Bojack horseman but I feel like that might be too heavy for this type of channel
This video is the quenchiest
DRINK CACTUS JUICE!!
NOTHINGS QUENCHIER!!!!
It'll quench ya!
ITS THE QUENCHIEST!!!!
FriEnDly MuShRoOm!!!
Another thing I love about Sokka's arc is how his sense of accountability and responsibility grows throughout the whole show.
Barring the fact that his father left Sokka in charge of the village while went to war, he's always felt a sense of responsibility to look after Katara and his people, even if he didn't know how to. He did what he thought he had to do to keep his loved ones safe from the Fire Nation.
That being said, losing Yue was an absolute key point for his accountability and responsibility. Aside from them falling for each other, when he was entrusted with protecting her by the Northern chief, he took that duty very seriously, and it absolutely hurt him not just to watch her die, but to fail again.
It's also why he's so hypervigilant and overprotective of Suki when they reunite, even when she's proved more than capable of fending for herself, but he isn't afraid to explain this to her when asked, and he isn't afraid to be vulnerable.
When he learns about the solar eclipse, he's the one to create a plan to invade the Fire Nation, but he takes all the responsibility when that invasion fails. He couldn't have known that the Fire Nation already knew of the invasion, and he still did everything he could to lead the invasion force in his father's place, while also helping Aang get to the Fire Lord.
Sokka is so incredible at learning and accepting when he's wrong and when he fails, and he never hesitates to try and make things right. From apologizing to Suki for being sexist in the beginning to breaking into the Boiling Rock to rescue any prisoners of war from the invasion, Sokka shows immense accountability and responsibility, and proves yet again that he is capable and willing to learn and grow.
In conclusion, Boomerang Guy is great, love him. 🪃
Agree 100%! Also I don’t know that Sokka gets enough credit for not just the invasion plan, but you know he’s the one taking names and making connections with all the people who will join the invasion.
I'm definitely looking forward to an analysis on Katara and Azula.
Me too!!! And Ozai. I forgot, if they already covered Aang in a video.... I'm most awaiting on Toph Beifong.
Oh yes please
There is one on the Patreon
@@kiarya7939 Dang it. I'm broke.
@@StoryLover-7 I don't know if there's much to discuss with Ozai psychologically. He doesn't have the same complexity that Zuko, Azula and Iron have. He could make for an interesting analysis of one demolishing their own identity for a nationalistic one.
I honestly love the whole Sokka's master episode, the whole Pi'an Dao, never looked at Sokka, from just a name and voice inflection, Pi-an Dao decided he was going to teach him.
Sokka’s lead against the fire nation air ships is the pinnacle of any character arc i have ever seen. Every single character trait that was a major flaw from that start is given its own scene to show the incredible transformation of Sokka. He trusts that Suki and Toph are capable and delegates them responsibilities he knows they can handle and will be good at. He never leaves anyone behind, he makes sure he is last to guarantee safety, and trusts in himself that he can navigate and overcome the obstacle. I absolutely love that segment
I once heard what I think is a perfect definition of humility. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Yes C. S Lewis was truly wise ❤
I heard that first in Ted Lasso
“It’s easy for me, therefore it’s not impressive” - just damn good
this is the other, less-discussed side of the dunning-kruger effect, why the more competence leads to less/tempered confidence
I also loved the way he came up with the idea of giving people "pox" with that little sucker animal to get past the Fire Nation. That was Sokka's idea. And it worked, and it was peaceful.
So, I just found out that Sokka's voice actor Jack de Sena has a UA-cam channel called "Chris and Jack". Pretty sure he'd be available for a collab if you guys wanted to do a part 2.
I love Sokka's arc because it's shows alot about positive and negative masculinity and what it really means to be a man. Zuko goes through a similar path as well.
I’ve seen this comment on several different threads, and I’m a little confused. I do agree that acknowledging the reality of a situation is critical to making positive changes, although I’m not sure how your comment is relevant to the content of this video.
Are you saying that Avatar the Last Airbender teaches kids to be offended by reality? If so, how? Could you offer specific examples of what you mean?
0:36 Happiest day, another avatar video!
Woo!
0:27 there is static in fiction. For example, Sherlock Holmes stays almost the same. The story is about how he affects the world around him, not how he himself changes.
Goku in dbz
Goku in super turns brain dead
His arc is static, but honestly - he seems to be always spiraling downwards. That is part of how he is static. Nothing can change his own inner self-loathing.
Of all the ATLA characters, Sokka's growth brings me to happy tears most. Don't get me wrong, Katara stepping into her wrath and choosing mercy anyways is soul-gripping. Aang maturing, Toph working through hyper independence, and the glimpses of growth we see in a few other characters are all what I believe is part of the core about what makes this Coming of Age show exceptional. Still, Sokka's journey just hits different and I'm really glad you guys covered this.
idk if it's mentioned in the patreon version of the episode. but something i love in that scene of Sokka asking to become a swordsman, is that you can actually see Piandao would have rejected the sokka from series 1 episode 1. the language he uses when sokka asks to learn says "i've heard this song and dance before. you think you know everything. well i'm here to prove you know nothing." and it's the humility that sokka shows, that gets Piandao to accept him as a student
They talk about that in this episode.
I absolutely love Avatar, the entire series is so incredible. What a great episode, thank you for doing this! One of my favorite things someone pointed out about ATLA to me years ago is how Sokkas story in some ways is similiar to Aangs, but without the bending. In the show Sokka starts off as someone who was trained to fight in the water tribe, then he learns the fighting style of the Earth Kingdom from the Kyoshi Warriors. He learns about technology from the people who are now living in the Air Nomad temples, then goes on to learn swordsmanship from one of the greatest swordsmen in Fire Nation history, essentially learning all of the fighting techniques of the different nations instead of their bending styles. It fits perfectly with this episode. As you talked about at the start, Sokka is just a normal person when compared to these incredibly powerful benders that he hangs out with all the time, especially Aang given he's the Avatar, but Sokka is actually incredibly smart and talented in his own ways, he's just too busy comparing himself to the incredibly talented and special people around him to see how much he's grown and learned.
Sokka's character makes so much sense given his backstory, too. He's not arrogant or insecure just because, he's that way because of the context in which he grew up. He's trying to live up to his father's expectations and not let anyone down. He's obsessed with being a warrior bc he knows first hand what can happen when you're not prepared for an attack. He probably has to convince himself that he's the best because to a certain point, he's all the protection his people have, which is why he's always willing to throw himself into danger. Honestly, his humor is probably the main reason he's as mentally healthy as he is
“Insecurity is counterfeit humility.” Man… I think I really needed to hear that. I think I struggle with distinguishing the two in myself.
Sokka is a great example of getting the most use out of a comic relief character. He's not _just_ "the funny guy" and his role in the Gaang and overall story is in no way minor. "Sokka's Master" is also one of my favorite episodes. He's got the mind for battle strategy, but that only gets him so far when he's mostly stuck on the sidelines for the actual battle. Granted, he knows how to use his boomerang and a few other weapons, but like Katara in Season 1, he was operating on raw talent, improv, and trial-and-error at best without having anyone to teach him how to use them effectively.
Sokka has always been my favorite ATLA character, because, yes he’s goofy, but there are moments where he shows a maturity unlike anyone else. My favorite moments are him telling Toph that he sees Katara as his mother, when he beats Jet, and when Aang tells him he’s their leader. It shows his true self. And if he returned in LoK as an old man teaching Korra, I would’ve wept 😭
Exactly, Sokka was even good before his big development. He‘s goofy and responsible at the same time. Always a team player. I looooove him!
Bryson saying “airship slice” was crazily accurate bro
Sokkaaaaa!!! I was SUCH a Sokka girl when I was a kid. He really doesn't get the love he deserves. He's an absolute genius, which is probably why he comes across so crazy. His mind works in so many intelligent, unfathomable ways (he helped create the Fire Nation war balloon after all) but until he started traveling with the Gaang, he never had a way to use that intelligence. But once he has the opportunities and the resources to actually use that intelligence and grow as a person, boy does he ever. Thank you for another great video, internet bros!!!
It is exactly what you see in kids that because of different reason are not given the opportunities to succeed as soon as you give the opportunity the wroth is amazing
Master Samwise put it best:
“Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself, less.”
Pretty sure thats CS Lewis originally.
But another solid channel 😊
Let's not forget that Sokka attracts the attention of all the ladies in the show.
I'm pretty sure that when Ty-Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki added a clause to the contract to the effect of "hands off my boyfriend" 😂.
I love Sokka and at 11:34 when he says he can't do all the things everyone else in the group can, is so relatable. Growing up I always compared myself to my siblings. They were and are both smarter, better at school (while taking harder classes), and both went on to have careers that are more difficult and specialized than mine. I've always had that sense of I'm never going to achieve what they have. Needless to say I relate to Sokka a lot and I'm so glad there's finally an episode about him!
SAME!!! My sister can dance, sing, play instruments (self-taught) paint, just all around skilled then ….. there’s me 😀. But I’ve learned to celebrate and love in myself for what I do have❤️✨
Yeah, specially if it is more imposed by a parent, I didn't feel less than my sister even tho she is smarter and more skilled than me but the constant comparison made me feel inferior and resent her instead of confronting my parent. It took me years to undo all that, I still constantly get compared to her but I don't care anymore.
It would have been so cool if y'all could have had Jack [the voice of Sakka] as a guest, too. He's also a UA-camr now with a sketch comedy channel
Chris and Jack
He also has an avatar channel with Janet Varney, VA for Korra.
20:12, that scene is how Piandao figured out Aang was the Avatar. Since Aang assumed an Airbending stance
11:50 that reminds me of a scene. “I did everything right. I wanted it more than anyone. And I thought, I thought if I wanted it enough, I could show everybody that- that Mike Wazowki is something special. And I’m just… not.”
Sokka is the character I related to most on the show. As a kid I thought I had all this talent and skills then I realized I knew nothing and faked confidence for a while, over time my self-esteem got lower and I thought I had no skills at all. Now I working on actually improving myself and the skills I actually have to be a better version of me. And all along the way I'm getting my butt kicked by life.
Man, the more I watch, the more I love your channel. It's deep in a very light way, and easy to see the humility with which you both approach all these topics. Thanks.
Sokka’s character development is so interesting to me, especially when you consider where he started and why. He’s the oldest male in his village by a mile, tasked with protecting his sister and the people of his village from his father who has gone to fight in a war he was told he was too young to fight in at the time, AND he has suffered the loss of his mother. It makes a lot of sense that he would have an extremely outdated sense of what men and women should do.
He admires his father and being left behind while he goes to war was scary, so he pours all of his energy into being the man he thinks his dad needs him to be in order to protect his sister and village. And without his mother alive to care for him, it’s harder for him to understand the value of what a woman can do in general. He has his grandmother, but I can almost see the death of his own mother being part of why he grows into this overly protective role.
Sokka inspires me so much. I grew up seeing people that had clear goals, gifts and qualities, while feeling that I never knew what I wanted to do or what were my strenghts.
Him, and other things, made me just try stuff, and have fun doing so. And years later I feel so happy and cozy about the things I learned because of it, and ready to see everything I don't know and have fun learning some of it
9:32 Jono: "a mediocre male" *points at Alan*
Sokka is the phrase "fuck around and find out" given form.
8:47 ah yes, Aang’s first instance of Fire bending
Avatar is the gift that never stops giving
I once read an origin story about Sokka’s master, and it stated that Sokka’s sword master was abandoned by his parents who were firebenders because he was a non-bender, and he later decided to learn and master the way of the sword, so I think it’s cool and full circle that he would become Sokka’s master as Sokka thought he was not good enough compared to his sister and his friends, who were benders.
At the beginning of the show Sokka’s over confidence makes sense when his father left him in a isolated village to go to war at a young age being left as the big fish in a small pond with no outside influence without gauging the strength of others stronger than himself which gives him a false sense of confidence.
23:54 Was not expecting that, but it is so accurate.
"Comparison is the thief of joy" is such a beautiful quote. I kinda want to get it as a tattoo
This video is so relevant to my life right now. As a younger guy everything Sokka does is absolutely incredible and is an example of how we should all strive to change. I have many issues as a person that I acknowledge and know need to change, but it's so hard. Having someone in media who you can see doing the hard things, asking for forgiveness, recognizing his worth and value, is invaluable.
It's especially great that they gave this storyline to the "normal" guy in the group. It makes it far more relatable and a better creator of healthy introspection. If it had been Aang who had the morality storyline, I don't think it would be as impactful. "He's got all that power, he's superhuman." But we get to see someone who is a regular person with normal human capabilities and goals, which makes it a more relatable viewing experience. I can say out of the whole show, my favorite characters are Sokka and Uncle Iroh for these exact reasons, giving young people role models and a healthy example of positive masculinity, growth, and humility. I wish I'd gotten to watch this show growing up, I am sure it would have nipped the bud on some of my issues.
I NEED that Avatar relationships video on UA-cam eventually
It's exclusive to Patreon, but you can do a free trial!
_"It's so easy to discount the things you _*_are_*_ good at. 'Oh, well it's easy to me, and so therefore it's not impressive.'"_
Oof, yep, I struggle with this one. None of the things I'm naturally good at ever seem to get recognition, so it's tough to always view them as valuable traits or abilities when I always see people getting recognition for things they had to put effort it on. Naturally the thought pattern became "if you didn't have to put in effort, it's not impressive". I guess I'm wondering if that's one of the struggles most former "gifted kids" grapple with, since they're burdened with that expectation so early that things _should_ just be easy peasy and if you have to work at something it means you suck at it.
I also have my unique case in the opposite direction where I'm quite good at things people usually take _years_ to learn (like pattern recognition, organizing/planning, or emotional intelligence), and my whole career most of the older people in leadership have REALLY not reacted well to a young person coming in out of nowhere knowing how to do the things that took them years to even remotely figure out, and so they would constantly tear me down about those abilities. So things I once actually did feel were impressive and valuable, now I really struggle to see any value in at all. Which is mostly to say, even if you do look at your own abilities in a positive light, depending on the environment you're in, it's not always easy to hang on to those good feelings. We all need to do better as a society of just letting people be good at the things they're good at instead of projecting what we _think_ people should be good or bad at.
You probably could've gotten Jack De Sena (Sokka's VA) to be part of the episode. He seems pretty open to collab and has his own channel.
Maybe they’re waiting for July sixth park to get him
I love Soka! He really brings a lot to the group despite not being a bender. He brings leadership and strategy. He is a bit too pessimistic for his own good and a little arrogant and sexist in the beginning, but he really learns a lot. I love Aunt Wu's fortune for him: "Your future is full of struggle and anguish, most of it self-inflicted." Because if he had never learned to be humble that prediction would have come true.
I’m just Sokka, your normal sarcasm guy. But in all honesty, he does have a huge journey. He has to become to the leader of a tribe at the age of 14 with all these responsibilities, he hasn’t really been given guidance on how to be a leader. He’s also sexist towards his sister, although he admits to Toph he wouldn’t be anywhere without her because she’s taken on the role of mother, and sexist towards the Kyoshi warriors, which he later corrects. He does feel awkward being the only non bender in the group but is able to hone his skills as a strategist and eventually a combatant with a sword and his trusty boomerang. He has a lot of doubts about things but is able to come through when he realizes how it will benefit everyone around him and he is willing to accept change as he becomes a man. He is an idiot but he does care for his friends and loved ones and he does try very hard. It’s all a matter of him wanting to prove himself to his dad very similar to Zuko except it’s not toxic. He also wants to prove to himself that he can be a leader and a hero
I’M SO HAPPY! Sokka is my favourite ATLA character, I love his journey from an insecure, arrogant, sexist jerk, to a brilliant, strategic, confident leader! Also I was really that you guys spent so much time on the ‘Sokka’s Master’ episode, because that’s favourite episode in the series, I loved Sokka’s character growth in that episode, also a space sword is freaking awesome!
Suki is what got sokkka to begin to himself. Sokka is the character who taught you to work on yourself and still be proud of your abilities
Sokka had one of the best glow ups in the show, right alongside Zuko
The world was NOT ready for Sokka with his hair down.
He added a rainbow. He added a RAINBOW! In the middle of war he sees this beautiful view and makes it more beautiful. It's not diminished by all the horrors.
And then he asks if that's okay? Is it okay to see wonder and joy when there's so much despair and hopelessness? When all his life he's been told to be a warrior, is it okay to be childish and wrong and optimistic and HUMAN?
And that's really the question the whole show asks and then answers a resounding YES
One of my favorite episodes also shows Sokka's growth when he and Zuko break out of the prison with Suki. When the three of them fight on top of the Gondola, he seemlessly fights alongside Zuko against Azula despite very little time knowing him, but he also has enough faith in Suki that he's not checking on her own battle, whereas early Sokka might have been worried about 'his girl' in a fight.
I love when Bryson is involved. He fits in extreme well and adds so much to the videos.
I think my favorite thing about Bryson episodes is that he has such good insight. On a show that is literally experts in their fields, who are giving their observations using their experience in said fields. And then there's Bryson. Proving that you don't have to be an expert, or older (love you guys), or whatever other metric you want to put in there, for your opinion to be valid, powerful, and relevant. His insights are amazing, and I love when you guys include him
Back when I watched ATLA as a child, I always just thought of Sokka as the comic relief. The side character among the main cast. Now, as an adult, I can finally appreciate him for everything he is and I think he's one of the strongest written characters in the show!
I think it's not just maturing that has that effect, though I'm sure it's part of it. It was kind of easy to overlook Sokka's character growth because, from beginning to end, Sokka never really stops being stupid. What changes is that he goes from being a complete idiot to being occasionally kinda dumb, but also incredibly brilliant at times.
And the funny thing is, quite often he manages to be brilliantly stupid. I think this is best displayed in Wan Shi Tong's Spirit Library: he outwits a spirit of knowledge by acting like an idiot, which is arguably something you'd have to be an idiot to try to do.
There was a meme that I saw recently that mentioned that Sokka was the avatar of nonbenders. He learned the fighting style of every nation while Aang learned his bending
I always needed to hear that for my entire life! Humility is neither self-hatred or self-loathing and that confidence and arrogance are truly two different things! And I am so happy to finally have someone said this for to prove that they are indeed correct. Thank you, Jonathan and Alan!
P.S: What Sokka successfully learned is what the Fire Nation never learned until Zuko becomes the Fire Lord. They believed they had everything figured it out with treating men and women equally, being the first to industrialized, and some more. But they never know that "my way is not your way" at all and forcing it on other peoples is not a good thing at all. Yes, the other nations have their own social problems. But the Fire Nation has no rights to go and tell them what to do, right?
i love all the parallels in the writing and how the characters play off of eachother. There's a very lovely parallel in Sokka and Zuko's character with humility as the backbone of their character growth. Zuko had it all and slowly watched his fake world crumble around him. Humility was the only thing that kept him afloat in the end and brought him to a safe harbor in his life. Sokka started from nothing and had to rise to meet bigger and bigger chalenges. yeah, he was the chief's son, but even the northern water tribe didn't seem to think much of that, let alone the rest of the world. Humility is what cleared the path for him to get out of his own way and triumph impossible odds. In the end, Zuko and Sokka end up in about the same place, as equals. It's very fun to see.
“Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.”
13:22 Probably my favorite moment in the show. He shows a level of maturity that many adults struggle with either knowingly or not.
Cinema Therapy with ATLA content is always a good day. I can't wait to watch this one and heal another small part of myself! Thanks you guys!!
You're so welcome! Hope you enjoy it. :)
@@CinemaTherapyShow just finished the video and y'all literally never disappoint! I'm so grateful for y'all and this channel
After a hot minute of not being able to watch cinema therapy, this episode had me crying. These videos are so good and always help me to feel even just a little bit better about myself when watching them.
I always used to say (mostly in MW2 online games) "if you're not moving forward, you're falling back." Which applies to this mentality.
That quote by Uncle Iroh is so true though - pride is the source of shame. Therefore, I will boast all the more in my weaknesses so that my pride is destroyed and shame has no more hold over me. Rather, I will take pride in God who loves me and has paid for my sins.
Fun fact: The man who played the T1000 in Terminator 2 is also the voice of Piandao!
... what in the hell, you're right, that's Robert Patrick. His more recent roles are Shane Langston from Reacher and Auggie Smith (Peacemaker's Dad). I never made that connection- that's wild, what in the world is Robert Patrick doing in this kids show?
It's also funny cause during their training, Piandao told Sokka to treat the sword like part of his body, specifically a really long sharp arm. And the T1000 could literally turn its arms into sharp blades.
This is why I love the show. The writing is just so strong. Not just about Sokka, who would have been a one-off character in any other. But just simple fact that all the characters in the show go through real moments.
Like ATLA does these amazing things with each member of the core group, but realistically they do this for ALL characters in the show.
Even looking past the antagonist group which themselves have a lot of depth, many people that the group meets are going through some really heavy stuff and responding to it in various ways.
It's actually my favorite thing about Avatar. It shows this price of war narrative, all while teaching acceptance and accountability.
The show expresses that everyone's reasons are in some way vaild, but it does it in a way that respects all sides of that narrative.
I mean for example, the first time you meet Iroh he a slow old man on the enemy side.. but he ends up being a wise care taker crying in front of a grave.
But even side characters tie into the narrative for many of the main characters. People who have their own story. Villains that take it too far, broken war criminals that are haunted by their guilt, common folk who are hurt and healing. People who are just trying to make their way through a tough place by carrying a song to all who will listen or make some kind of living.
Everyone in the show has potential, motivation and a hidden lesson to teach the viewer. It's the most adult kid friendly show.. and I love it for that.
Ain’t nothing like opening UA-cam and seeing this video on the front page. One of my favorite guests of this channel, as well as my favorite tv show. Can’t wait to watch this :D
Thanks so much!! 😊
Another thing about Sokka that reflects this is how his comedy evolves over the course of the show. In the earlier episodes a lot of his jokes are from a mean-spirited place, or at least from a self-absorbed place. Over the course of the show he learns how to laugh with other people and to make jokes that other people appreciate.
Finally this isn't me it's from an online post, but in the first season, Sokka says verbatim "you can't fight the fire nation with fun" but he becomes such a fun chill dude he eventually does exactly that (the specific example in the post is him impersonating the captain to commandeer one of the airships)
I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED I WANTED A SOKKA EPISODE SO BAD
Every episode about Avatar makes me cry like a baby and I’m not ashamed of that. This more even more than the others. Sokka is my favorite character. I often feel useless and not good enough, and I also tend to be loud when I’m feeling especially inadequate. Sokkas growth is something I try to emulate. The writing is so good and the lessons are still helping me grow as an adult.
Omg, Sokka’s character growth was so good and it makes me so mad that they took it away in the live action because they think the audience is too dumb not to know that sexism is wrong. Sokka’s sexism in the beginning is literally how they found Aang and Suki is what helps him grow out of that💀
I really appreciate that Sokka is the comic relief but he also is allowed to have emotions outside of “funny”. He falls in love and suffers loss, he feels rage and frustration, pride and despair, empathy, etc. he’s not a one dimensional ha ha character he has so much depth and I always really appreciated the creators ability to show the world a comedic relief that actually works past childish humor.
YEAH!!! I love Sokka, especially given that he does so much as a non-bender! Also love his character development throughout the show.