Avatar: The Last Airbender is widely celebrated as one of the greatest and most sophisticated children's shows ever produced. However, one criticism levied against the show is that its first season is very much just for children, whereas the later seasons have a darker, more mature tone. This criticism is not wholly warranted, though, as The Last Airbender's first season has its fair share of dark nuanced stories.
One such example is the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe," which examines all that Sokka and Katara left behind as they encounter someone from their past, while also showing Aang in a moment of moral failure. It is this episode --and its central character, Bato -- that is worth exploring here. These are ten things most fans don't know about Bato:
10 He Was A Former Prankster
Throughout the episode where Bato is introduced, Sokka and Katara pepper the older member of the Water Tribe with questions, asking him to recount stories of adventures that Bato shared with their father. No doubt, these are stories that both youngsters grew up hearing.
Bato plays off their questions in a good-natured manner, but it is clear that when he was younger, Bato was quite a prankster, always getting into trouble. It seems Sokka might have gotten his own sense of humor from the example Bato and his father set.
9 He Was Present When Sokka & Katara's Mother Died
The Fire Nation has made ethnic cleansing a key part of its strategy. It committed genocide against the Air Nomads as part of its attempt to stop the Avatar, while it has targeted Benders for internment or extermination in the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom--specifically going after people and families with the genetic potential to Bend.
Katara's mother was killed when the Fire Nation learned that there was a remaining Waterbender among the Souther Water Tribe. Bato was among the men who defended the village from the attack.
8 He Suffered Permanent Burn Injuries
When Aang, Katara, and Sokka meet Bato, he has been separated from the rest of his war band, as he could not continue to travel with them after receiving severe burn wounds during a battle with the Fire Nation.
Bandages cover most of his torso and the length of one arm. Such severe burn wounds will leave permanent scars, meaning that Bato will be marked for the rest of his life by scars which make Zuko's look mild by comparison.
7 He's A Skilled Hunter
Bato's home is filled with pelts. While these are a part of the Water Tribe culture, it is not exactly like someone can just buy pelts, especially in the South Pole. His pelts were either brought from home or else obtained while traveling through the war. It is a safe bet that he personally killed a number of the animals whose pelts he has.
Sokka remarks that a number of the pelts are familiar to him, but one of them--a bear--seems native to the Earth Kingdom, suggesting it was killed recently. With between one and two dozen pelts in his home, there is no doubt that he is a skilled hunter.
6 He's A Great Cook
In addition to his hunting skills, Bato is also an incredibly gifted cook. He manages to recreate a Southern Water Tribe dish despite being miles from home.
His ability to find rare ingredients demonstrates both creativity and resourcefulness, in addition to his basic culinary competence. He even recreates a small personal cook fire inside his room in the abbey where he is staying, making a kitchen space where none existed.
5 He's Well Trained In Using Multiple Weapons
Bato wears what is either a long knife or a short sword on his hip (probably a whale tooth knife, like the one seen earlier in the episode). It is a safe bet that this is his preferred weapon of choice.
However, beyond the short sword, Bato also has a pair of Water Tribe spears and a war club with a stone head on one wall of his room, while a different type of spear is on the opposite wall near the door, ensuring there would always be a spear within reach while he was in his home.
4 He's Very Religious
Religion is never fully explored in the world of Avatar, but seems to involve veneration of the spirits as well as certain rituals sacred to each culture. Additionally, there are monasteries and religious cloisters, such as the one Bato stays at.
While his specific beliefs are vaguely defined, Bato has a piece of ceremonial regalia in his room at the abbey. That he carried this with him through a war zone and preserved it even after suffering an injury shows he is particularly devout. Furthermore, after taking Sokka ice dodging for the first time, he marks Katara, Sokka, and Aang each with sacred ceremonial symbols upon their foreheads over the Third Eye chakra, explaining the meaning in a solemn tone.
3 He's A Sentimentalist
Bato admits to being sentimental about his boat, which his father passed onto him. However, he seems sentimental about most other things. His respect for Water Tribe traditions like ice dodging is a great example.
Every aspect of his room in the monastery is dedicated to preserving his way of life back home from before the war. He reminisces about the past, almost never allowing himself to laugh at its silly moments, but seeming to cherish each memory.
2 He Spent the End of the War in Jail
Bato was captured by the Fire Nation during the siege against their capital city. Like the other assailants who cannot escape, he was imprisoned as a prisoner of war.
For the rest of the war, Bato remains behind bars until his release after Aang defeats Firelord Ozai. As such, Bato never gets to take part in the final fight.
1 He Attended Zuko's Coronation
The last episode of Avatar tries to wrap everything up quickly, so it can be hard to pick out all the returning characters and their corresponding arcs' conclusions in every scene. One character easily overlooked is Bato, who is present at Zuko's coronation.
Despite having warred with and been imprisoned by the Fire Nation, he remains behind to watch as a new generation of Fire Nation leadership takes over. This suggests that for all Bato has endured, he believes in the value of a peaceful future.