In the hit animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender, Aang's group is made up of himself, Katara the waterbender, Toph the earthbending prodigy and Sokka. Although Sokka isn't a bender, he is resourceful, creative, smart and forward-thinking, which makes him the strategist and planner for the team. Without him, the solar eclipse invasion would have been impossible.
What does Sokka look for in a teammate for a mission or quest? He'd prefer someone who can back him up in a fight, and it's even better if this teammate is smart and cautious like he is. Let's review some characters from Avatar as well as The Legend of Korra, and see which Sokka would choose for a team.
10 Team Up With: Uncle Iroh
Uncle Iroh has a lot going for him, from his advanced firebending to his decades of experience wandering the world and learning its many secrets. He also has a forgiving and kind personality, which makes him likable to just about anyone who meets him.
These traits of unity and acceptance make him a miniature avatar of sorts, and Sokka would definitely like Iroh's sense of humor and wise, patient ways. That, and his firebending skills can help Sokka win nearly any fight.
9 Reject: Ty Lee
The acrobat known as Ty Lee is a member of Azula's three-member squad, and she is the first character known to perform chi-blocking martial arts. She also has a bubbly and outgoing personality that makes her shine in any scene.
Her skills are formidable, but on a mission together, Sokka wouldn't really like Ty Lee's loud and eccentric personality, nor would he like her penchant to just dive into things without carefully planning first. She's too much of a wild card for Sokka's tastes.
8 Team Up With: Suyin Beifong
Like Iroh, Suyin is a sort of miniature avatar. In her youth, she was exiled from Republic City to avoid punishment for her crimes, and she wandered the world, seeing and doing a bit of everything. This made her wise and highly tolerant of others.
Sokka would like a flexible and creative teammate like Suyin, and she is brave but also smart, and doesn't typically rush into things. She is also a proficient earthbender and metalbender, which only adds to her long list of qualifications.
7 Reject: Admiral Zhao
For this list's purposes, each character's abilities and personality are being considered, rather than their faction. But even if Zhao weren't a villain, Sokka still wouldn't like him as a teammate. Zhao's methods and personality are highly unappealing.
He is vain and boastful, and he's also ruthlessly ambitious and wants to have it all. Sokka can't sympathize with that, and worse yet, Zhao is brutish and uses sheer force to win the day. But such methods can also be turned against him, and Sokka is getting fed up with Zhao by now.
6 Team Up With: Toph Beifong
Toph actually is one of Sokka's teammates in the real story, but even if things were reset, Sokka would still want Toph as a teammate. To begin with, she is a master bender of earth and metal, like her two daughters are.
In addition, Toph is tough and smart, and brave, too. She knows how to assert herself, but is also cautious enough to not just rush into things or get into fights for no reason. These balanced traits are just what Sokka needs in a partner.
5 Reject: Tenzin
Tenzin is an airbender monk, and he took Aang's place as the world's premiere airbending master when his father died. He is wise and patient, and likes to speak in terms of philosophy and pacifism, like a true airbender.
Sokka, however, has little patience for that, and Tenzin isn't terribly creative, either. Sokka doesn't want a wandering sage or poet as his ally; he wants an innovative, resourceful agent who can get the job done with limited resources. Tenzin's skills are in an entirely different category.
4 Team Up With: Mako
Meet Mako, the firebending member of Korra's team avatar. He and his brother Bolin have been orphans for years, and they learned how to look after themselves on the crime-riddled streets of Republic City. Mako has a strong sense of responsibility.
He's also a fierce firebender and lightning bender, which makes him all the more impressive. Sokka would definitely work by his side and find creative solutions to problems without needing to bargain with city officials or military commanders in the process. They can build solutions from the ground up.
3 Reject: Princess Yue
Princess Yue may have been Sokka's first love interest, but that wouldn't make her a good teammate. Sokka was highly protective of her, and he wouldn't bring her along on a dangerous mission and expose her to any threats or perils.
Besides, Yue has no known combat skills, and Sokka isn't about to take a chance on that, either. It's people like Yue who inspire Sokka to risk his life on a perilous mission, and bringing her along would ruin the whole point.
2 Team Up With: Bumi
This is Bumi, son of Aang (and named after Omashu's King Bumi). He is the first known non-bending child of an airbender, and he always felt a little bad about that. So, he joined the United Forces and made a name for himself in uniform.
Bumi is just like Sokka: smart, funny, independent-minded, creative and brave. They would be like two peas in a pod if they went on a mission together, and they would prove that no bending is necessary to get the job done.
1 Reject: Long Feng
It's true that Long Feng's plans conflicted with the interests of team avatar during the Ba Sing Se story arc, but that's not the only reason Sokka would reject him as a teammate. Long Feng's personality and method are repulsive to Sokka, even if they are on the same side during a quest.
Long Feng is a shadowy manipulator and schemer, and he is ruthlessly self-centered and callous toward others. Sokka may not be an ultra-romantic hero, but he'd still be disgusted by that, and Long Feng's methods woud put a bad taste in his mouth. Long Feng is indeed long gone.