Summary

• Zuko's future romances are a mystery, with potential love interests like Mai and Suki explored in the sequel comics.
• Katara and Zuko's potential romance was never meant to set sail, as Katara ended up with Aang in Legend of Korra.
• Despite the mystery of who Zuko ended up with, his daughter Izumi proves to be a competent and diplomatic ruler.

The time gap between The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra means questions about some Avatar characters were left unanswered. Many of those elements have been addressed in the Avatar sequel comics, such as Azula's fate, Toph's parents, and Ursa's backstory. However, one significant storyline remains a mystery. The Legend of Korra confirms that Zuko eventually had a daughter named Izumi, who then had two children of her own.

Unfortunately, Zuko's wife — Izumi's mother — has never been confirmed in canon, raising the possibility that she's not anyone fans expected. Mai is a distinct possibility, given her fluctuating romance with Zuko, but there are also other likely characters. Let's take a look back at all of Zuko's past (and potential) love interests, and try to figure out if there's a chance they ended up with him.

Updated on February 27, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender released on February 22, and fans have never been happier. Although the live-action take on the beloved animated show didn't really surpass expectations, the story was enjoyable enough. Zuko, however, remains as cranky as ever. That said, we've updated this feature discussing Zuko's future romances, not to mention the potential identity of his daughter's mother.

Katara And Zuko's History Ruined Their Potential Romance

This Fan-Favorite Ship Was Never Meant To Set Sail

Notable Katara & Zuko Episodes:

Katara and Zuko were one of the most popular potential relationships among fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The two began as fierce enemies, with Zuko often attacking Katara in his hunt for the Avatar. At one point, he even held her hostage. The two found a moment of empathy while captured at the end of Season 2. However, that was lost when Zuko sided with Azula in the final battle of the season. Katara was the last of Team Avatar to trust Zuko when he joined them, but she eventually came around. Despite the wishes of some fans, the relationship never came to fruition — and was even teased as a concept in the self-deprecating "Ember Island Players." Legend of Korra confirmed that Katara ended up with Aang, rather than with Zuko.

Zuko also briefly had a flirtation with a young woman named Jin. While in hiding with his Uncle Iroh, disguised as refugees, Zuko initially thought Jin was a spy in the episode "Tales of Ba Sing Se." However, Iroh explained that she was simply interested in him. The pair went on a single date that actually went well, especially considering Zuko's circumstances. But after they shared a kiss, a nervous Zuko left. The two only saw each other one more time in canon, after the fall of the Earth Empire in a short comic story titled "Going Home Again." Jin saw him with Mai and asked who she was. Mai used Jin to terrify Zuko with a knife-throwing trick. The moment then led directly to Mai and Zuko beginning a romantic relationship, suggesting he moved past his brief flirtation with Jin. It's unlikely that she ever encountered him again.

Mai Is Zuko's Most Consistent Romantic Partner

However, Their Relationship Was Fraught With Multiple Break-Ups

Notable Mai & Zuko Episodes:

Mai is Zuko's most consistent romantic interest. One of Azula's only friends, Mai accompanies Azula on her hunt for Zuko and Iroh. She eventually helps to bring down the Earth Kingdom and, when Zuko is given credit for Aang's defeat, is able to fully enter a relationship with the restored prince. Their relationship is among the few things Zuko appreciates in his life once he returns to the Fire Nation. However, he leaves Mai to join Aang and teach him how to Firebend before his battle with Fire Lord Ozai. Although she was furious with Zuko, Mai refused to let Azula kill him. That landed her (and Ty Lee, who protected Mai from Azula's wrath) in prison. However, she was released upon the defeat of Ozai and Azula. The series ended with Mai and the newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko resuming their relationship.

Their relationship initially continued into the sequel comics but quickly ran into some serious problems. When Mai discovered Zuko had been meeting his father for advice without telling her, she became enraged and ended their relationship. She even tried to move on with another boy named Kei Lo. But the discovery that he secretly works for her father as a member of the terroristic New Ozai Society puts a serious strain on their relationship. The two were briefly able to make things work — especially as Kei Lo turned on her father and became an informant for Mai on their actions. She even defended him to Zuko. But by the end of "Smoke and Shadow," the two broke off their relationship. Mai has also been hinted to still have complicated feelings for Zuko. While they haven't gotten back together yet in the sequel comics, there's a good chance they resumed where they left off and eventually had a family together. But there's one other surprising person who could end up with Zuko.

Suki And Zuko Are A Compatible Match

She Began Offering Zuko Emotional Support In The Comic Narrative

• Zuko's relationship with Suki is most prominently developed in the spin-off graphic novel Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise.

Suki is one of the Kyoshi Warriors and is often recognized as their leader. She also became a dedicated ally to Aang and the rest of Team Avatar and even began a romantic relationship with Sokka. She was initially set up as an enemy of Zuko when he and his men attacked her home on Kyoshi Island. But, like the rest of Team Avatar, she learned to trust the Firebender after he helped rescue her from the Boiling Rock prison. By the end of the series, she was a fully recognized member of Team Avatar and the leader of the freed Kyoshi Warriors.

The sequel comics have seen her growing closer to Zuko. As revealed in "The Promise," Mai arranged for the Kyoshi Warriors to become Zuko's guard when he was almost assassinated a year after the events of The Last Airbender. Suki became concerned about him, especially when she accidentally revealed to Mai that Zuko had been keeping his talks with Ozai a secret. Feeling incredibly guilty, Suki began to offer emotional support to Zuko. She is still supportive of Zuko getting back together with Mai, given her conversations with Zuko in "Smoke & Shadow" and her continued relationship with Sokka. As such, Suki's proximity suggests that she and Zuko might be more compatible than anyone expected. It would be an unexpected swerve, but it could easily lead to the measured but determined Izumi.

Izumi & Iroh Couldn't Have Asked For A Better Father & Grandfather

The Identity Of Izumi's Mother Doesn't Matter In The Long Run

As far as The Legend of Korra goes, there has been no mention of either Mai or Suki even once across four seasons. It appears that the showrunners don't place too much importance on ancestry, since Aang's parents don't even play a role. Toph even refuses to divulge the identities of her daughters' fathers, a problem that was eventually brought up by her daughter Lin. Consistent with many of the other main characters' mysterious relationships, neither Avatar: The Last Airbender nor The Legend of Korra officially confirms who Zuko ended up with as a romantic partner.

Whatever the reason may be, it doesn't matter who Zuko ended up with in the long run for one simple reason — his daughter Izumi is a competent and level-headed ruler, showcasing her diplomatic skills while also insisting on peace. Zuko even abdicates his position as Fire Lord and hands the throne over to his daughter, proving that he trusts her to do what's best for their country as well as the world.

Similarly, Izumi's son Iroh has shown himself to be a remarkable man. He is as tender and kind as his grandfather while simultaneously leading a massive army as the General of the United Forces. Like his namesake, Iroh is loyal, honest, courageous, and unsurprisingly empathetic, especially given who raised him. He was supposed to inherit the throne from his mother, but it appears that his military career may not let that happen. That said, it's pretty clear that Iroh would be as exceptional a leader as both Izumi and Zuko, should he ever ascend the throne. On the other hand, there has been mention of an unnamed daughter — Iroh's sister — who could just as well become the next Fire Lord.