With Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series returning for a second and third season, fans will almost certainly get to meet one of the anime's best characters.
While the first season introduced many of the core Team Avatar characters, there's one that was noticeably absent: Toph. The earthbending master became a fan-favorite during the anime series' run, despite having less than two-thirds of the screen time as the other main characters.
That's because Toph didn't actually appear in the anime until early on in the second season. And as Season 1 of Netflix's live-action adaptation mostly covered the first season of the anime — with a few Season 2 characters appearing ahead of schedule — Toph was never actually introduced.
That should change with the upcoming second season. Speaking to The Direct at Paleyfest 2024, Jabbar Raisani, executive producer of Avatar: The Last Airbender Seasons 2 and 3, was asked about Toph's introduction, and how it could change the dynamics of Team Avatar.
"We really rely on the animated series. So I think you're gonna see a lot of the dynamics that were true in the animated series come through in live action. It won't be a one-to-one. You can never do a one-to-one, but, you know, expect that feeling all over again."
Despite her introduction coming in Season 2, Toph becomes a major character in the series as she becomes Aang's teacher for Earthbending. Blind since birth, Upon discovering badgermoles, earthbending animals who are also blind, Toph learns to use earthbending as an extension of her senses, giving herself the ability to "see" every vibration that passes through the ground. One of the most powerful benders, Toph also discovers metalbending.
Netflix has not yet announced specifics for Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, such as a release date or casting details, so we don't really know who will play Toph in the upcoming season.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 debuted in February and amassed 41.1 million views in just the first 11 days, Netflix announced at the time. Despite condensing some of storylines from the original animated series, the series adaptation was still well-received by fans (although not so much by critics). The first season boasts a 73% average audience score but just a 59% rating from critics who write: "Avatar: The Last Airbender serves as a solid live-action entry point into the beloved franchise, although it only sporadically recaptures the magic of its source material."
Based on the popular animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a fictional fantasy world where human civilization is divided into four nations based on the four classical elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. In each nation, some people known as "benders" can telekinetically manipulate one of the four elements. Aang, however, is the titular Avatar, which means he's the only one capable of mastering all four.