"I LOVE that episode!" - Feature 02 - Episode 1:04, "The Warriors of Kyoshi."
"Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at
hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things."
-- Sokka, episode 1:04 "The Warriors of Kyoshi"
This episode does a lot to set up the structure for the entire series. As you can see, this is the fourth episode of the first season--a time where Avatar: The Last Airbender was still gaining momentum as a contender as one of Nickelodeon's top cartoons. This episode, though it seems like a filler episode, actually sets up a dynamic for the audience that will follow them until the end of the third season.
What dynamic am I referring to? It's the dynamic of women in Avatar: The Last Airbender. There's only two episodes in the entire series that carry that "OMG YAH GIRL POWAH!" vibe, and this is one of them. Despite it's over-the-top "Girls can kick butt too!" theme, "The Warriors of Kyoshi" not only establishes the female presence among the battlefield, but establishes the more feminine side of the female characters as well. While Sokka is off making a fool of himself with Suki, one of the most notable female characters in the show, Aang is galavanting around trying to impress the local village girls and, specifically, Katara.
Suki and Katara's respective roles in this episode set up a standard that the viewer can come to rely on. Suki plays the role of the powerful warrior who is as tough (if not tougher) than any male warrior around (in this case, Sokka). Katara, in contrast, is portraying the woman in a more traditional sense: the love interest that is being courted by a foolish boy. The women of Avatar: The Last Airbender are both strong and in touch with what makes them ladies. Suki and Katara set up a mold in this episode that will later be reaffirmed by the likes of Toph, Princess Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Minor female characters ring true to this mold as well (i.e. Jun, Kya, Ursa, Aunt Wu, Princess Yue, Avatar Kyoshi, etc.)
"I am a warrior...but I'm a girl too."
-- Suki, episode 1:04 "The Warriors of Kyoshi"
I have to admit, I didn't think much of Suki the first time I saw her. It was only when they brought her back in episode 2:12, "The Serpent's Pass" did I realize that I enjoyed her as a character. Although my heart mourned for the bittersweet romance of Sokka and Princess Yue, I couldn't help but feel that Suki was always the better match for Sokka. She's patient, strong, and a fellow kick ass non-bender.
Episode 1:04 marks her debut to the show and it couldn't have given her a better introduction. Her fierce feminist attitude parried sharply against Sokka's "make me a sandwich, woman" sexist views. Suki simultaneously laid the groundwork for her future character development while also helping Sokka mature.
Although Suki's screen time is sparse throughout the series, she still maintains a strong influence amongst the GAang, thus her appearance towards the end of it all didn't seem strange or forced to me. It was like Suki was supposed to be there the whole time, but she was just busy doing other stuff. I'll admit, I can see why people feel that Suki was just an afterthought as a love interest for Sokka, but I really think that she had a bigger role in the mind of the creators. But, like many other things in the shoes, some things simply fall between the cracks when you have such strict time and content constraints.
At any rate, I think Suki's a great character. She's actually one of my favorites. It took her a while to get there, but she can easily be included in the top five favorite characters (which is a hard list for me to make, trust me).
"You kids had a big impact on Suki. She said you inspired her
and she wanted to help change the world."
-- Oyagi, episode 2:04 "Avatar Day"
In conclusion, "The Warriors of Kyoshi" offers first time viewers a clear view of what you can anticipate from the female characters in the show. As I mentioned earlier, this and only one other episode have overtly girl power themes. The beauty of the female presence in this show lies in the fact that they don't really need girl power oriented episodes. The ladies of Avatar: The Last Airbender do just fine making themselves look awesome. It's one of the few cartoons where there isn't just the token girl character and that's all. Women play an important role and equality amongst the genders is something that rests that the core of the show's writing.
It may seem like I'm pulling a lot of this out of thin air and making it deep thinking, but for those of you who have seen the show (namely, this episode) consider how it portrays women. True, this is one of the more childish episodes (most of early season one are) but the true intent is still there. Dig deep for it. Or I might have to come after you with a pair of fans.
"The Warriors of Kyoshi" provides some fantastic character development for Sokka, Katara and Aang, and also introduces Suki as a key contender in the series. It also offers a look at the female dynamic in the show, while concurrently focusing on the two primary roles of female characters (the fighter, the love interest) in the show. The episode has fluid transitions between story lines, and ties it all up in a neat little bow at the end.
And those are the reasons why I LOVE that episode!
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