‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Ended 15 Years Ago: Meet the Voice Cast
Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender came to an epic conclusion 15 years ago, with the four-part “Sozin’s Comet” event airing on July 19, 2008. In that finale, the element-manipulating Aang faced off against Fire Lord Ozai in his series-long quest to bring peace to the four nations of Avatar’s world.
Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the three-season Avatar: The Last Airbender was a hit with viewers and critics alike, and the Peabody Awards hailed it as a series “distinguished by multidimensional characters, unusually complicated personal relationships for a cartoon serial, and a healthy respect for the consequences of warfare.”
The TV show’s 2008 finale, however, wasn’t the last that fans saw of the airbender. The Avatar franchise continued with comics, novels, video games, the live-action film The Last Airbender, and the sequel series The Legend of Korra. Now, Netflix is preparing a live-action version of the series for 2024, with a cast that includes Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio Tarbell, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, and Daniel Dae Kim.
Since we’ve reached the 15th anniversary of the original series’ finale, scroll down to check out the actors behind the voices.
Zach Tyler Eisen (Aang)
Eisen is also known as the original voice of penguin Pablo in The Backyardigans and the title character in the 2006 film The Ant Bully. He stepped away from acting during his teens but has resurfaced at recent fan events and conventions.
Mae Whitman (Katara)
Whitman is more famous for her onscreen TV appearances these days, having starred as Amber Holt on Parenthood and as Annie Marks on Good Girls. Earlier this year, she starred in the Hulu rom-com musical series Up Here.
Jack De Sena (Sokka)
De Sena now voices Callum in the Netflix animated fantasy The Dragon Prince and MK in the Kabillion animated series LEGO Monkie Kid. His other credits include guest-starring roles on Veep and House of Lies.
Michaela Jill Murphy (Toph)
Murphy is still doing voice acting, with recent parts in the TV series Super Club, Platinum End, Equestria Girls: Next Friendship, and Camp WWE. She also wrote, directed, and starred in the 2021 short film Staglia.
Dante Basco (Prince Zuko)
Basco, best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 film Hook, also had big voice acting roles in American Dragon: Jake Long and The Legend of Korra. His live-action parts, meanwhile, include recent guest appearances on the TV shows Angel and Blindspotting.
Mako & Greg Baldwin (Iroh)
Mako, an Oscar– and Tony-nominated actor known for films like The Sand Pebbles and Seven Years in Tibet, died in 2006. Baldwin took over the part of Iron and later landed voice roles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Samurai Jack.
Dee Bradley Baker (Appa, Momo)
Baker is one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood, having brought to life multiple characters on Family Guy, American Dad!, SpongeBob SquarePants, and the animated Star Wars shows, among other TV series. He also voiced Olmec in the original Legends of the Hidden Temple and its reboot.
