Who is Teo in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender?’

In a world with already too many live-action remakes of all our favorite animated shows and movies, in comes Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. The episodic retelling of Aang’s quest to master the four elements and put a stop to the Fire Nation was released on Feb. 22, amid a casting controversy and concerns about the series’ writing. After all this time, networks still haven’t learned that fans do not take well to drastic changes to the stories they know and love.

Despite early criticism aimed at Netflix for ruining the characters of Aang and Sokka, the adaptation may still find its place in the hearts of some viewers. As it turns out, there are still some positive aspects to be found in this live-action, as it manages to deliver something fresh while maintaining the heart of its source material. Perhaps with time, even the most hardcore fans will be able to appreciate it for what it is, and in the meantime, newbies are having a blast.

As a result of this remake, new viewers are being drawn to the ATLA fandom. It’s only natural, as they get to explore this fictional world for the first time and meet characters that spark their interest. One such character is Teo, who is introduced in episode 3 of the Netflix show, “Omashu.” Although Aang’s hopes of meeting another airbender are dashed upon meeting him, the character ends up having an impact in the story. He may be a nonbender, but that doesn’t mean that he has nothing to contribute in the few appearances he makes in the series.

What do we know about Teo from Avatar: The Last Airbender?

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teo is a member of the Earth Kingdom who lives with his father, the mechanist. He is a kind, idealistic, and lively 13-year-old boy with an affinity for flying, and he’s quite skilled at it too, frequently flying the glider that his father created for him. Because Teo is paralyzed from the waist down, this aircraft attaches to the child’s wheelchair and proves to be extremely useful in combat.

As we come to learn, despite the boys’ joyous attitude, life hasn’t always been kind to Teo, who lost his mother as an infant. Her death was the result of a flood that destroyed the family’s home village, leading the mechanist and his son to become refugees. It was also due to this natural disaster that Teo lost the ability to walk.

All episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s live-action are available for streaming on Netflix. If you want a deeper dive into the story and its wonderful characters, though, be sure to also check out the animated version on streaming. You won’t regret it.