Atla Headcanons - Blog Posts

I FORGOT I MADE THIS

Enjoy :)

(for clarification this is Zuko)

“YOU MEAN ITS NOT OBVIOUS?!”

“IM ABOUT TO CELEBRATE BECOMING AN ONLY CHILD!”

more azula-fied Zuko, for the soul B)

I feel like he’s wear less red than the rest of his family, no idea why- probably tactical purposes-

more Zuko doodles :)

me when i me when when the me when the

(wip)

WATER TRIBE RAHHHH‼️‼️‼️‼️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

PT.2

They’re like this to me

Alternatively

They’re like this to me

Alternatively

Concept: Fire Lords traditionally dress like the stages of the sun to match their reign.

When Zuko is first crowned, he dresses in the colours of dawn. Bright yellows and pinks and even purples. He starts to wear more traditional crimson-and-gold robes after a few years, the colours of midday when Agni is at his strongest. And towards the end of his reign, when he's getting ready to pass the crown onto Izumi, he starts dressing like the setting sun.

Yandere ozai?

Yandere Ozai Headcanons

*GIF not mine*

A/N: Should I start watching Hunter x Hunter? Sorry, that was random. Anyways, just wanna warn you these hcs are a lil out of order, and I’m sorry. When I wrote it, I just kept coming up with more and more ideas for the “story” so I just kept adding to it. Anyways, hope you like it!

Word count: 956

First of all, you’re a maid in the castle. Yeah, of course he’s seen you in the halls and thought you were attractive, but he never really gave it more thought. 

Then Zuko and Azula’s mother left, and that’s when he got hooked on you. He felt lost and you, being the ever-faithful servant, stayed by his side and comforted him. 

(We are talking about adults here. You did have sex with him for “comfort.”)

Anyways, after that, you had sealed your fate. While you tried to get on with your life, Ozai wasn’t as forgetful. 

Honestly, I think this guy is one of those yanderes who initially don’t want to admit or believe they love you.

Like first, he’ll try other concubines. Women who will bow down to him and such. 

Then he’ll finally resort to keeping you near, allowing you to continue being a maid and such (because he initially planned on kicking you to the curb after your night together), but he still doesn’t like that he likes you. 

Part of him just feels… addicted. Like he doesn’t want to lose you. But he doesn’t like having that attachment. 

Honestly, he’ll want to blame his obsession on you, like make you feel bad for it and stuff. 

He’ll keep trying to show off with other women in the castle. 

Making out with them during breakfast and such while you’re serving them and you’re just standing around like “did you want eggs or…”

Then, at some point, he doesn’t exactly give in to his feelings, but he understands that as the leader of the world, it doesn’t matter who he’s with. 

Ozai’s not really self-concious of you ruining his image; if anything, he kinda wants to use you to flaunt how he can transform someone from rags to riches. 

At that point, he’s really fallen for you. He’s on the verge of taking over the world, his rebelling son is still banished, and he’s about to take over the last city that stands a chance against him: Ba Sing Se.

It’s a toss up of whether he wants to flaunt his world to you or to flaunt you to his world. 

You better treat everything he does like it’s amazing. Seriously, this guy is pure ego. 

If he gifts you something (which is something he does often), you must always repay him. Whether this is sexual or compassionate just depends on his moods. 

Maybe I’m wrong about this, but I really don’t think Ozai is the type of yandere to be like “you should feel blessed to be with me,” especially after he’s fallen for you. Initially? Yeah sure, he may have thought that a few times. But after he’s acknowledged the fact that he can’t let you go, I don’t think he’d rub his love in your face too much. He’d be more obsessed with showing you what he can do. 

You’re his world now, and giving you the entire world is his perfect gift. 

In the end, of course he’s captured for attempting to do this, and his third or fourth thought is “oh shit, where’s YN?”

He orders the last of all the Ozai loyalists to capture you and, I’ll be frank, he wants you to go out “together even in death” style. 

With a forced kiss, he’ll make you drink poison in his cell while he holds you in his arms (he ignores your struggling and crying). After the life has faded from your body, he takes his own swig and you go out together. 

Anyways, back to before all of this (sorry this is so out of order) right after you had sex with him to comfort his wife leaving, I think he more fell for you because you symbolized a new hope for him. 

He had made you feel so good that night. Deep down, he wanted to keep making you feel that good. 

Ozai wanted to prove to you but mostly himself that he could keep a woman and please her. He wanted his ex-wife to regret leaving him, so he was going to give you the world. 

Getting right back into it, he is a crazed king, mind you, so he will use his power for self-gain. If you’re talking to someone, no matter the gender, he’s going to banish them.

(Of course if they touch you, their life is the price of their misdeed.)

You, on the other hand, are also forced to take responsibility for your mistakes. 

It’s not uncommon that he’ll lock you away to keep you from interacting with others, but if you’re wrong-doings are especially horrible, whippings and burnings are not uncommon. (Plus, he likes the sight of his fire touching and permanently marking your skin. It’s like a physical claim no one, not even you, can get rid of. It keeps you knowing your place.)

There’s really no list of rules Ozai has set for you, but they’ve become clear to you over the years you’ve been with him.

1: No contact with others.

2: Always repay your lord for his kindness.

3: Bow when he enters and leaves a room.

4: Give him a kiss or more whenever he acknowledges your presence.

5: Never disobey an order from your master.

Truly, being with Ozai is quite simple: learn your place and no one gets hurt.

Okay so I just read your Yandere Zuko hc and I loved it!! ATLA was a massive part of my childhood, so I was wondering if I could request Yandere Sokka hc this time?? Thank you!

Yandere Sokka Headcanons

*GIF not mine*

A/N: (This lowkey got a lil 👀 near the end) Ughh yess I just love him??🥺 Thank you for the request bc he needs more recognition honestly. Hope you enjoy! (Also, thank y’all so much for 900 followers!!! akshfklsd)

Word count: 712

Truth be told, the way he fell for you was quite simple-- you laughed at his jokes.

Since then, he chased after you like a cat with a string (but we all know he’s relentless when it comes to something he wants.)

Everyone, including you, thought it was just innocent pining. You were all wrong.

It was so much more. 

You were part of the Gaang, and while traveling with them, he would always watch you with a goofy smile on his face.

Katara would try to make fun of him for it like “Ooooh look who’s got a crushhhhhh...”

“Yep.”

No shame, he’s fallen for you hard.

Then one day, he finally gets you. 

He saves you from almost getting scorched by a firebender, and in turn takes the burn himself. 

You kiss him afterward as a thank you, and that’s when you two become a couple. (Hey, where’d that firebender go...?)

All right, now to the definition of “headcanons.”

Hickeys. Everywhere. 

Every patch of skin your clothes leave bare are smothered in his love bites. 

“It’s the middle of June, YN, why are you wearing a scarf?”

Sokka hates confrontation unless absolutely necessary. Aka you’re covered in marks and he expects you to know who you belong to as much as everybody else.

This man will always give you 100% of himself. 

Like he will drop anything and everything for you. 

You want cuddles? Well fuck, guess there’s no dinner tonight. 

“Sokka, you were supposed to catch us some fish to eat!!”

“But my baby wanted cuddles!!” 

His baby.

He always tells you how beautiful you are. Every few minutes he jumps up in your face and shouts about how he’s so lucky to have you and that he loves you. 

He’s not ashamed of his feelings. Rather, he’s very proud he was able to catch get someone like you. He hugs you to his side everywhere you two go and smirks at people who stare

He’s not really one to hurt you. If anything, he’ll blame himself or everyone else. You’re a goddess in his eyes, worthy of being worshiped (only by him, of course.) Hell yeah he’ll get on his knees for you

Sokka is fiercely loyal to you. We’re talkin’ guard dog mode 24/7. As much as he’s learned that you can protect yourself, that doesn’t stop him from beating the absolute shit out of someone who’s tried to hurt you (or even looked at you).

(Body? What body?)

(The Planner™)

While traveling with the Gaang, Sokka will heavily convince you to sleep in his tent. 

Umm yeah. You’re the only one who can’t resist his puppy dog eyes💀

So anyways, every night he cuddles you to sleep (Sokka is big spoon always bc he is a MAN) in those tiny ass sleeping bags (zero proximity is key😌)

“Sokka?”

“Hmm?”

“Where the hell is my underwear?” 

As we all know, he aspires to be just like his father, so expect him to umm... want children from you. 

Call him daddy, I dare you.

Okay, here’s the deal. 

You weren’t quite ready to settle down after defeating the Fire Nation. You wanted to explore the world, visit new lands, meet different people!

Sokka was not okay with that. 

So naturally, you tried to break things off, but... oop.

I mean, technically it was your fault. 

Sokka is an excellent planner (see “guard dog” tings), prepared for every possible situation. Not even your rebellion blindsided him as much as you expected.

So he kidnapped you 🤷‍♀️

Come on, you really thought he was gonna let you go that easily?

Oh YN

You poor, sweet little thing.

Sokka loves you🥰

He would never let you go back out into the dangerous world all on your own! 

Don’t worry, you’ll always be safe in his room, in his own home, where nobody around can hear your silly little calls for help. 

(You are going to be an excellent mother to his children☺️)

Yandere Zuko Headcanons

*GIF not mine*

A/N: Short little thing for the night bc why tf not. So I finally finished ATLA and holy shit it’s fucking amazing. I definitely recommend. Sadly, there’s a severe lack of Yandere Avatar imagines, so I hope this’ll encourage better yandere authors to get somethin’ goin’. Hope you enjoy!

Word count: 886

Let’s get one thing straight before we start. This mf is possessive.

We all saw the beach episode (yah, that’s some anime shit right there), and we all saw how he went nuts over Mai.

With you, it’s more.

As the Fire Lord, you bet he’s gonna use his authority to kick out any guards of his who stare at you for a second too long. 

He has his most trusted adversaries follow you whenever you travel into town, or just straight up follows you himself (he got them Blue Spirit skillz)

Craves your attention 24/7 like a true momma’s boy

“YN, come here!”

Emotionally Unstable™

He always, always throws fits whenever you talk to someone

Like he’ll get angry and his hands light aflame without him even trying

Then he’ll walk up behind you and just stand there glaring at the other person.

You can feel the heat against your back, but you dismiss it. Meanwhile the other person is about to shit themselves. 

It’s not surprising that they run away mid-sentence

Moving on, lemme just say Zuko is never controlling of you. 

No, not of you. But the people around you... now that’s a different story. 

He may be awkward as hell, but he also knows how to threaten people (let it be known that this fucker was only an official good guy in the last five episodes)

Let’s hop into a lil story, shall we?

Okay, so first of all, you were part of the Gaang, and you were very accepting of him from the beginning. After all, your past wasn’t that squeaky clean either

Anyway, he meets you and you’re all snarky with him but kind when it counts and it’s all like bu-BAM. Obsessive mode engaged.

Any encounters you guys have with enemies like Fire Nation soldiers or the Dai Li or smth, Zuko always shoves you behind his back and protects you at all costs. 

You bitch him out about it afterwards, but he just zones out and nods along, admiring every inch of your face and body.

After Fire Lord Ozai is defeated, you’re helping Zuko prepare for his ceremony, exchanging the occasional kiss while helping him slip on the robe and tie up his hair. 

You leave to finish up getting ready yourself (even though he would prefer if you stayed in your bra and panties forever, holed up in his room) and that’s when Mai returns. 

“Mai!” Zuko is surprised (and lowkey pissed) at the feeling of her cold hands on his body. 

She’s all up in his face, ready to slap a smooch on his kisser, and of course that’s when you return to ask whether you should wear jewelry that matches his eyes or not (ofc, y would u even ask?🤦‍♀️)

He pushes Mai to the ground in an instant, but it’s too late. You’ve already stopped in your tracks, the contentedness on your face long gone.

“YN IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!” 

It’s really not, but the fact that he said that makes it look like it is.

Your eyes tear up but you force on a smile and shake your head. 

“No, no, I understand. I was just a replacement.” Your voice cracks along with Zuko’s heart. “I-I’ll leave you two alone now.”

You run out and of course Zuko’s gonna chase after you. He would track you to the ends of the Earth bc you know he’s got experience in that area

He tackles you in the middle of the hallway and just hugs you so tightly you can’t even breathe. Just the idea of losing you almost drove him mad in an instant. 

You struggle in his arms and tense up when you hear him begin to cry. 

“Don’t leave me. Please please don’t leave me.” 

He’s pressing kisses across your bare skin, up your neck and on the apples of your cheeks while his own tears begin to paint your skin. 

“Mai means nothing to me now. YN, you’re the love of my life. I won’t lose you.” 

The tone rattles you a little, but you still hug him back and nod. 

“Okay. I won’t leave.” 

“You’re my Queen.”

“Okay.”

“I love you so much.”

“...” It was a little too soon for you. “...o-okay.”

Just your agreement was enough for him, and soon he drags you all the way back to his bedroom, asking you to continue helping him get ready with a serene smile on his face like nothing ever happened wtfff

Mai’s disappeared, and little did you know that would be the last day anyone would ever see her again. You always try to ask Zuko, but he brushes it off with an insistence that it was “pointless to worry about” or that it was a “private, sensitive matter”

Overall, he loves you and would never hurt you. But the second your eyes aren’t on him or you’re not attached to his hip, you best believe someone’s gonna pay. 

Hama

Let's start with the canon(ish) timeline:

Assuming that the young woman with the hair loopies is Katara's grandmother Kana and she's around the same age as Hama, I'm going to say that both are in their early-twenties. This is because Kana needed time to emigrate from the Northern Water Tribe. Yue got engaged at 16, and the healer Yagoda thought Katara was old enough to be engaged at 14. Judging by these engagement customs, Kana was probably engaged and then left around 16/17. To give her enough time to cross the world and settle in, I'd say that she and Hama must be around their early 20s.

During "The Puppetmaster", Hama says "the raids started over sixty years ago". Based on this, Hama is in her 80s during the events of this episode.

As she is describing her escape, Hama says she "walked free for the first time in decades". This could mean anything, but given that she hasn't started graying yet, I'm going to say two decades. Making her in her 40s when she first escaped.

Now, when did Hama get to the village we see in "The Puppetmaster"?

I've collected the relevant pieces from the show and discussed them. I truly can't make up my mind on this point, so I'd love to hear what others think. Let me know if I missed anything or if you guys have different interpretations of the evidence.

Here is what is said in the episode:

A merchant explains to a customer that he won't have any ash bananas until next week. The customer then says 'oh right, the full moon'. The merchant then says that he can't lose another two delivery boys to the full moon.

This interaction, to me, can be used to justify that Hama either has or hasn't been kidnapping people in this specific village for a long time:

Kidnapping in the short time interpretation: The merchant looks to be around sixty or slightly older, so he'd have been around when Hama came to the village (if she arrived immediately after escaping in her 40s). Let's assume he's been running this business for that long. If Hama started kidnapping people near immediately, I'd assume the lost delivery boys incidents happened near the beginning of that time. In this case, up to four decades ago. The merchant might not bring up those incidents to a customer who is (two?) decades younger than him and might not remember that incident. Since telling the customer is kinda bad marketing and makes the merchant look irresponsible or reckless. This could imply that these incidents are more recent.

Kidnapping in the long time interpretation: The customer doesn't need to be reminded that the full moon is that night. He knows it instinctively and doesn't need the merchant to connect the dots between the two day journey and the full moon disappearances. This awareness of the moon phases could imply that this has been happening for long enough that people have been habitually paying attention to the moon for a long time.

2. The guy who tells Aang, Sokka, and Toph about Old Man Ding says he's the "only one person who ever saw it and lived".

The word "ever" here implies that this might have been going on for a long time. However, local legends are quickly made and inflated, so the timing might just naturally be exaggerated.

3. Old Man Ding interaction, in which he says, "I'm not ready to get snapped up by any moon monster".

Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. To me, this reads like a semi-recent event, but I don't have anything to really back this up. Apart from maybe Ding saying he's not ready to get snapped up by a moon monster in response to a conversation about his age, which could imply that he was already old when this event happened.

Fun fact: the credits say "old man dig" even though the subtitles and voices clearly say "old man ding" (: 

Now for some speculation:

If Hama escaped in her 40s, the earliest she could have gotten to the village was forty years ago. In my opinion, that is a LONG time to be kidnapping people and not get caught. However, she does only have the opportunity to kidnap people once a month, but still that seems like a really long time. This brings me to the part of this that is just me asking questions (so again, please let me know what you think!)

When did Hama start kidnapping people?

Did she go to other villages before she came to the one we see in this episode? If so, did she kidnap anyone in those previous villages (I'd guess yes)? If she was in other villages, was there a point before she started kidnapping people, or did she start immediately (I think it could be interesting if she struggled with it for a bit, then gave into the urge. Or even if the urge didn't appear immediately)?

Did she ever try to go home? If so, did she find that she wasn't able to let go of the need for revenge, and leave again?

One of the things I love about the Ember Island Players is that by trying to make fun of the possibility of romance between Zuko and Katara in the play-within-a-play, the show actually introduces Zutara as text into the world of the show, particularly in Fire Nation pop culture.

Like, there's this widely-advertised production that shows the Fire Prince and the Southern waterbending master falling in love. Then, probably the next thing the gen pop hears about their future Fire Lord is that he's jumped in front of his sister's lightning to save this same girl's life, doing absolutely nothing to beat those allegations.

There's just no way the gossip mill isn't churning. It's too juicy.

Republic City Zoo Animal Informational Article -- Sky Bison

Article by Keeper Lao of the Republic City Zoo, published in 176 AG

Research compiled with sources from Air Temple Island Archives

Sky Bison, Air Bison, Flying Bison. Whatever name you know it by, this marvelous creature is almost synonymous with Airbenders – and for good reason, as these animals have been their preferred companions for thousands of years!

Sky Bison nearly became extinct during the Hundred Year War due to the efforts of former Firelord Sozin. For a while, it was assumed that Appa, the iconic companion of Avatar Aang, was the last remaining Sky Bison in the world. However, after the war ended, a small population was revealed to have survived on a remote island, being protected by a group of sympathetic Fire Sages. All Sky Bison living today are direct descendents of this hidden population. Sky Bison were dedicated as an endangered species by Avatar Aang, and action has been taken all over the world to ensure their continued survival.

Prior to the Hundred Year War, both wild and domestic Sky Bison existed. Sky Bison were domesticated over hundreds of years by Airbenders. Domestic bison show a few noticeable differences to their wild counterparts, though both were able to interbreed with one another. Domestic bison are considered a subspecies of wild bison.

Wild Sky Bison

What differentiated a wild Sky Bison from a domesticated one was a simple, but major difference: wild bison did not depend on humans, nor did they seek out their companionship. Domesticated Sky Bison are just as attached to Airbenders as Airbenders are to them, and even domestic bison that are raised feral will be very receptive to human companionship when offered. Meanwhile, wild Sky Bison were very skittish and fearful of humans, avoiding them whenever possible. 

Domestic Sky Bison

As mentioned before, domesticated Sky Bison create very deep relationships with Airbenders. Airbenders are the only type of bender they create this bond with. While they can be friendly to people of all Nations, only an Airbender can truly become their lifelong companion. This is likely due to their shared bending history; Sky Bison are also Airbenders, and like seems to call to like. 

Before the Hundred Year War, there were two different breeds of Sky Bison. These were the Eastern and Western breeds. Large herds of bison were maintained at the Eastern and Western Air Temples, as the temperate climate is ideal for bison calves. Due to the separation of the temples, differences began to emerge between the two populations, eventually becoming distinct enough to be recognized as different breeds.

The Western Sky Bison is the only current surviving breed. Compared to the Eastern bison, the Western bison has a thinner stripe pattern along its back, and tends to have slightly darker fur, including brown ears rather than white. Their horns are also curved at a slightly different angle. Western Sky Bison were selectively bred for their fur, which is of higher quality than that of the Eastern Sky Bison. Eastern bison were selectively bred for their milk production, and tend to produce more milk with a higher fat content than the Western bison. 

As bison calves were largely born and raised at the Eastern and Western temples, Airbenders from the Northern and Southern temples would travel to their sister temples when it was time to bond with bison. Monks from the Northern temple would travel to the Western, while monks from the Southern temple would travel to the Eastern. 

Today, the largest breeding population of Sky Bison is kept on Air Temple Island, the main hub for all Airbenders in the world. The Republic City Zoo is also proud to host a small but prolific herd as well. 

Sky Bison Biology

Physical Traits

Sky Bison are massive, six-legged creatures, capable of carrying a multitude of people and supplies. They are extremely muscular and powerful, able to smash through rocks and even create shockwaves with a single slap of their tail. They are able to Airbend, and therefore spend plenty of time off the ground. They are highly adapted for long-distance and high altitude travel, and are able to survive for a long time on low-quality forage.

All Sky Bison have a thick, double layered coat consisting of a white or cream base and patterned with brown stripes. These stripes end in an arrow point on their forehead, and it is this pattern that inspired the iconic Airbender arrow tattoos. All have horns, though their shape and length can vary greatly due to breed, size, and other environmental factors. These horns are used for defense against predators, and on males, for showing off their battle prowess during mating season. 

The underbelly of the Sky Bison is hairless, dark, and leathery, and protected from the cold climates they hail from by a thick layer of fat. All bison also have a hump over their shoulders, which is another area of fat storage. This hump can grow or shrink depending on a bison’s access to food and water. Their feet are covered in hair except for their three toes, which are similar to their underbelly in look. Their toes are long, each with three knuckles, allowing them to have a minor amount of dexterity to the point of being able to grasp and pick up some objects. Unlike other herbivorous creatures, the eyes of Sky Bison are located on the front of their faces rather than the sides, likely due to their large size deterring most predators. 

Sky Bison have five-chambered stomachs, which allows them to digest even the toughest of plant material and access as much nutritional content as possible. Their teeth are large and flat, perfectly adapted for grinding down their food. 

Male and female bison have very few differences, and are difficult to tell apart from a distance. Females tend to be slightly larger, and are more likely to have a noticeable udder.

Flight

Many would assume that these giants couldn’t possibly become airborne, but that is not the case! Sky Bison are capable of Airbending, and keep themselves aloft by controlling the air currents around them.

Their large, paddle-like tails are used to generate both thrust and lift to get them off the ground, where they can then take over with Airbending. While in the sky, their tails act as propellers and rudders, essential for steering and controlling speed. Due to Sky Bison having the skill of Airbending, they are able to remain in the sky for longer than any other animal in the world, as they do not have to move their body to fly. 

Bison spend much of their time in the air, and seem to take great joy in flight. Many Airbenders fondly report the different Airbending tricks their giant companions play on them, as they can manipulate the air around them with all parts of their body. 

Diet

Sky Bison are herbivorous, meaning their diet consists entirely of plants and plant material. Though they are able to consume non-plant materials such as eggs or honey, these foods are only eaten in times of extreme desperation. 

Bison can eat a wide variety of plants, but most of their foraging comes from grazing on grass or eating from the tops of trees while they fly. Domestic bison are often given hay or vegetables as part of their diet if adequate grazing material is not available. 

Due to the unique structure of their stomach, Sky Bison are able to persist on very low-quality forage for a long time. They can also eat parts of plants other animals cannot, such as sticks or tree bark. Their stomachs allow them to extract all the nutrients they need. 

Herd Structure

All Sky Bison are very social creatures, though domestic bison generally do not form permanent herds. Instead, they form a very strong bond with a singular Airbender, and will be companions their entire life. If their Airbender companion dies, the bison will rarely bond with another.

Wild and feral Sky Bison do form herds, usually consisting of about 6-8 adults and 1-2 litters of juvenile calves. Herd hierarchy is not sex-based, but rather age-based, with the oldest and most experienced bison dictating where the herd travels. Herds are made up of a mix of unrelated males and females. Calves remain with their birth herd until around 4-5 years of age, and then will go off on their own to find other bison of similar ages to form their own herd. 

Males will be aggressive with one another when a female goes into estrus, also known as heat. While their battles can look very impressive, permanent injuries are rare. The female bison in heat will select the most impressive male to mate with; usually whichever one wins more fights, but some females have been observed to have different preferences. All Sky Bison in a herd work together to protect and raise calves, though the females are typically far more aggressive. Females will nurse their herd mates' calves if they are in milk, and all members will take turns watching calves while they are grounded, making their parenting style extremely communal. 

Life History

The mating season of the Sky Bison takes place during the summer, lasting from around the months of June to early September. Bison are seasonally monestrous, meaning their estrous cycles are triggered by the amount of daylight, and they only experience one estrous cycle per breeding season. Sky Bison begin to go into estrus when the days become longer.

Female Sky Bison become sexually mature at around 6 years old, while males are mature at around 4. The mating of domestic bison is usually controlled by their Airbender companion, but even wild and feral Sky Bison have very long pauses between each litter. Most females average around five years between the weaning of one litter and the pregnancy of another, and do not go into estrus during this time. While male Sky Bison are fertile most of their lives, females experience a significant drop in reproductive ability about halfway through their lives, making pregnancy after this point quite rare. Sky Bison are extremely long-lived, with an average lifespan of 60-70 years. Accounting for the time of maturity, most females can produce an absolute maximum of 6 litters – though they typically only end up having 3-4.

After mating, Sky Bison go through a gestation period of around 410 days, approximately 14 months. Pregnant bison can still produce milk throughout their pregnancy if they are helping to nurse other calves, though they will enter a “dry period” in the final 2-3 months of pregnancy. Milk production will stop, allowing the expectant bison to rest, save energy for birth, and produce colostrum for her own calves. 

Calving season takes place in the autumn, from the months of August through November. When a bison goes into labor, her herd mates will form a protective ring around her to guard her and the newborn calves from predators. As domestic bison usually lack herds, this role is fulfilled by Airbenders.

Bison litters are typically around 3-5 calves. Sky Bison have 6 teats on their udder, so litters larger than 6 may struggle to get enough food without additional help. Calves are born fully alert, with a full coat of hair and small horn buds that will begin to grow soon after birth. Their mother will lick them to warm them up and stimulate them, and the calf will usually be walking and nursing within an hour. 

While Sky Bison calves are able to walk at birth, it takes them a few weeks before they are able to fly. This period is referred to as “being grounded”. During this time, a wild herd will remain close to the ground, with at least one bison watching the calves or remaining extremely close by to protect them. Calves will typically begin flying at around 2-3 weeks of age.

The milk of a lactating Sky Bison is extremely rich and fatty. This is one of the reasons bison calves grow so quickly. Calves begin weaning at around 6 months old, and this is usually the time domestic bison are introduced to their future Airbending companions. At 3 years old, the Sky Bison will have reached its adult size and weight. Sky Bison will leave to seek out their own herds at around 4-5 years of age. This separation is usually triggered by the onset of sexual maturity (or, as we keepers like to call it, Sky Bison puberty). Adult bison can reach up to ten tons in weight. 

Behavior

Though their large size makes them very intimidating, Sky Bison are known for being gentle giants. They are very docile creatures for the most part, and will only show aggression if they feel threatened or stressed out.

Sky Bison are a diurnal species, being most active during the day and sleeping at night. Most of their day consists of foraging, eating, flying, and napping. 

Herds of wild bison (and today, feral bison) typically follow similar flight patterns each year. The leader of the herd remembers the best places to eat and rest, and will teach these routes to the next leader. Prior to the war, many rural areas could expect to see herds of bison returning to the same places year after year. 

Both domestic and wild bison have frequently been observed playing. Sky Bison of similar ages will often play-fight, headbutt each other, and spend time chasing one another on the ground and in the sky. Older bison will also play with younger ones as a means of teaching them important life skills. Airbenders often make time to play with their bison companions, or allow them time to play with others. It is noted that Sky Bison often don’t seem to know their own strength while playing with people, and it is not uncommon to see an Airbender receive a full-body tackle from their ten-ton best friend!

Sky Bison are incredibly intelligent creatures with an astounding memory. The bond between bison and Airbenders speaks to this intelligence, as bison learn a large range of commands, phrases, and even gestures so they can work seamlessly alongside their companion. Their memory is also incredibly impressive – a Sky Bison never forgets. 

Sky Bison Products

Sky Bison and Airbenders have an extremely symbiotic relationship. The bison provide many of the Air Nomads’ needs, including transportation, food, fiber, and even fuel. 

It is well known that bison are largely used for transportation. They are the preferred mode of travel for Airbenders, and can traverse huge distances at incredible speeds. The relationship between a bison and their Airbender is so close that many of them are able to direct their bison without reins!

As previously mentioned, Sky Bison milk is extremely nutritious. Airbenders famously do not eat meat, but bison milk is a massive part of the traditional Air Nomad diet. The milk is drank plain, and made into other foods such as butter, cheese, and yogurt. 

Unlike some other nations with dairy-producing animals, Air Nomads did not harvest milk from their bison until their calves were fully weaned. Even if it is not feeding calves, a Sky Bison will continue to produce milk for as long as it is being stimulated to do so. The main herds at the Eastern and Western temples historically contained several “nurse cows”; bison who were kept in milk all year round. This would allow for milk to still be harvested outside of calving season, as well as providing surrogates for bison calves who needed it. Many Air Nomads would not want to be without their bison for extended periods of time, so they would transplant the calves to the nurse cows, milk their bison for a few months to provide for their temple, and then allow them to dry off before returning to their nomadic ways. Although Sky Bison are extremely protective of their calves, their bond with their Airbender is even stronger.

Sky Bison also provided a major source of fuel for the Air Nomads. Bison produce plenty of dung, and because it is mostly comprised of plant fiber, it burns extremely well after being dried. This provided a traveling source of fuel for nomadic Airbenders, as well as a very consistent fuel source at the Air Temples. 

Lastly, Sky Bison fur can be used for many things. Bison go through a molt in the springtime. It is hypothesized that this is both due to the warming weather and as preparation for the upcoming mating season, so every bison’s coat can show off how fit and healthy they are. 

Bison have a double coat, which is an adaptation for cold climate and high altitudes. The outer coat is long, thick, and rough. These fibers were used to make ropes, tents, outerwear, rugs, and saddle pads. The inner coat is extremely soft and delicate. It requires more care, but was used to create clothing, bedding, and blankets. 

The molt is yearly, and each bison produces tons of fur. This fur is collected, and throughout the year Air Nomads would work their way through it, turning the fur into whatever they needed at the time. Airbenders were historically regarded as talented fiber artists, as every pair of hands was needed to process all the gathered fur each year. Weaving was one of the most common pastimes at the temples, and many Air Nomads would even weave as they traveled in order to pass the time. While Sky Bison fiber was exceedingly common before the Hundred Year War and often used as a bartering tool by traveling Air Nomads, today it is considered a rarity and regularly sells for quite a lot of money (most of the proceeds earned go towards the Air Nation Reparation Fund, established by former Firelord Zuko). 

Conservation

Although the Sky Bison has made an incredible comeback after its near-extinction, largely due to protection and carefully managed breeding, the numbers are nowhere near what they used to be prior to the Hundred Year War.

Avatar Aang, who headed up all Sky Bison conservation movements, suggested protection laws be established by the four nations, and later Republic City. All nations have passed these protection laws, prohibiting the hunting of Sky Bison worldwide. However, poaching still remains a large problem, with bison being killed for their meat, fur, and horns, and bison calves being routinely kidnapped from herds to be sold as pets or circus entertainment. 

The Republic City Zoo strongly opposes these practices, and our establishment seeks to educate the public on these beautiful animals and their importance in the world. To this end, members of the Republic City Zoo helped to lobby for the creation of protected lands for Sky Bison. In 155 AG, the Avatar Aang Bison Refuges were established at each Air Temple. These refuges, located in the land immediately surrounding the temples, serve as protected breeding, calving, and foraging areas for the many herds of feral Sky Bison. No development is allowed to take place in these areas to protect the habitat, and the punishment for harming a bison within the boundaries of the refuge are nearly triple that to other areas in the world.

So far, these refuges have reported large successes, with Sky Bison herds expanding yearly.

Our Herd

The Republic City Zoo maintains a small herd of Sky Bison, adding to the population of available calves for Airbenders to bond with, and providing an up close and personal look at these magnificent beasts to the general public. 

Meet our herd!

Sina: The eldest Sky Bison of the RCZ herd, and therefore the leader. Due to her age she spends most of her time in the exhibit, either grazing or napping.

Palden: Palden is the only male bison of our herd, and the father of any calves produced from the zoo. He is gentle and sweet, and easily the friendliest of the herd.

Yiomoh: She may seem a bit frightening, but Yiomoh’s roar is far worse than her bite. She is a bit shy, but once you’ve earned her trust you’d never know it!

Tseten: Tseten is the smartest of the herd, and a bit of a trickster because of it. She enjoys sneaking around – or at least attempting to – and surprising her herdmates to entice them to chase her.

Naalu: Our little swimmer, this Sky Bison can often be found floating in the middle of Yue Bay. She is incredibly affectionate, so watch out for wet bison!

Tinley: Tinley is one of the zoo’s best performers. She loves learning new tricks from the keepers – as long as she is handsomely rewarded with plenty of cabbages.

Meimei: The youngest and feistiest, Meimei thrives being the center of attention. She is rambunctious and playful, and can usually be seen wrestling with Tseten.

As Sky Bison require large areas to roam and fly, the RCZ utilizes an open-habitat concept. The exhibit itself is very large – the largest in the zoo, in fact – but there is no covering over the top, and therefore nothing keeping our bison from fulfilling their natural urge to fly. The Sky Bison can leave and return as they please. In the many years of managing this habitat, all bison return to the zoo nightly for feeding and attention, which is a true testament to the stellar care of our zookeepers!

We hope this and other animal articles help you to learn something new today. Enjoy your visit to the Republic City Zoo!