Analysis: ATLA Character Birthdays, Zodiac Signs, Headcanons
*Crucial EDITS made after posting noted in bold.
I wanted to do another one of these before the Zutara tag got flooded with posts because I have this awesome Zutara headcanon that suddenly appeared out of nowhere while I was writing this stupid thing. (You will find this headcanon in the below content).
Please forgive me for all the grammatical mistakes and any incomplete thoughts. By the time I finished this, I just didn’t give a shit anymore.
ATLA took place over the course of roughly nine months (December 20, 99 AG to September 20, 100 AG). The ages of the Gaang members given by Avatar wiki assumes that none of them had a birthday during those nine months, which would mean that all of their birthdays fall during the three months that the series did not cover. This, I find hard to believe.
We know that the majority of benders of a particular element are born during the dominant season of that element. For example, most waterbenders are born in the winter; most earthbenders are born in the spring; most firebenders are born in the summer; and lastly, most airbenders are born in the autumn. Although this rule doesn’t apply to all benders (EDIT: Lu Ten, who we assume is a firebender, was born in early to mid spring in the northern hemisphere), we can use it as a guide to estimate the birthdays of some of our favorite Gaang members (the benders only; sorry, Sokka).
Here is a map of the Avatar World with real world major lines of latitude (the equator, tropics, and arctic and antarctic circles) superimposed over it. The equator is, obviously, the black line that goes through the center of the map. As we can see, the Southern Water Tribe, Gaoling, and the Southern Air Temple (the birth places of Katara, Toph, and Aang, respectively) are located in the southern hemisphere and the Fire Nation Capitol (the birth place of Zuko) is located in the northern hemisphere.
Notice that I will place heavy emphasis on the benders’ locations of birth (whether they were born in the northern or southern hemisphere) in my analysis. At first, it may seem as though waterbenders, the majority of whom are born during the winter, are only born between December 20 and March 20 (the months that we, the people living in the real world northern hemisphere, associate with winter), but this is true only for waterbenders born in the northern hemisphere, for example, Pakku of the Northern Water Tribe. Katara, who is a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe in the southern hemisphere, was most likely born between June 20 and September 20 (the winter months in the southern hemisphere). According to the map, every nation (the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the nomadic Airbenders) had lands in both hemispheres, which means that there are a total of six months during which the majority of each nation’s unique population of benders are born.
Katara, as a waterbender born in the southern hemisphere, was most likely born between June 20 and September 20 (the winter months in the southern hemisphere). Toph, as an earthbender born in the southern hemisphere, was most likely born between September 20 and December 20 (the spring months in the southern hemisphere). Zuko, as a firebender born in the northern hemisphere, was most likely born between June 20 and September 20, which are the summer months in the northern hemisphere.
Aang’s situation is a bit more complicated. We don’t know where in the world Aang was born, only that he grew up at the Southern Air Temple. Further complicating the matter is the fact that Aang is the Avatar. He isn’t just an airbender; he is also a waterbender, earthbender, and firebender. Is the generalization between what element the individual can bend and the season of their birth or the native element of the individual and the season of their birth? In the first case, we cannot narrow down Aang’s season of birth because he can bend all four elements, however in the second case, we know that his native element is air, so depending on which hemisphere he was born in, Aang’s birthday would likely fall between September 20 and December 20 (if he was born in the northern hemisphere) or between March 20 and June 20 (if he was born in the southern hemisphere) since he was most likely been born in autumn, being an airbender and all. I will assume that Aang was born in autumn somewhere in the southern hemisphere, and since the Southern Air Temple is closer to his birth place than the Northern Air Temple is (remember, male airbenders train at either one of these temples - Northern or Southern), that is why Aang was sent to train there; this would mean that his birthday most likely falls sometime between March 20 and June 20.
Katara, born in June 20 to September 20, 85 AG.
Toph, born in September 20 to December 20, 87 AG.
Zuko, born in June 20 to September 20, 83 AG.
Aang, born in March 20 to June 20, 12 BG
Based upon the above analysis, Katara, Zuko, and Aang should have had a birthday during the series. Also, the options for zodiac signs to assign Katara, Toph, Zuko, and Aang are reduced to the following:
Katara: Cancer, Leo, Virgo
Toph: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius
Aang: Aries, Taurus, Gemini
How do zodiac sign assignments of these characters by fans compare to the zodiac assignments generated from this analysis? Some of the most popular zodiac sign fan assignments for these characters include:
Katara: Cancer*, Leo*, Virgo*, Scorpio, or Pisces
Toph: Taurus or Capricorn
Zuko: Aries, Cancer*, Leo*, or Scorpio
For the most part, the fan assignments line up with the analysis (*) with Toph being the only exception. I would agree with her being a Capricorn, but if I had to assign a zodiac sign to her based on my analysis, I’d pick Scorpio.
I feel that if Iroh were around for Zuko’s birthday, he would have celebrated it with his nephew, so it makes sense to me why Zuko’s birthday was never celebrated; Iroh and Zuko were separated for the majority of the summer of 100 AG, when I speculate Zuko’s birthday took place (Iroh was locked up in prison between episode 40 “The Crossroads of Destiny” and episode 51 “Day of the Black Sun, part 2: The Eclipse” and wasn’t reunited with Zuko until episodes 58-61 “Sozin’s Comet”, all of which took place during the summer of 100 AG). I’d even go as far to say that Zuko’s birthday didn’t occur until mid to late summer, after the day of the black sun (EDIT: a few weeks after June 20, 100 AG) but before Sozin’s Comet (circa September 20, 100 AG), making for a headcanon involving a Zuko feeling super lonely on his birthday without his family or uncle and in the company of a bunch of strangers, who still mostly hate him.
EDIT: The Day of the Black Sun occurred on August 1, 100 AG, according to the calendar in Wan Shi Tong’s Library in episode 30 “The Library” (see the image below), so to comply with my headcanon of Zuko’s birthday falling after the invasion of the Fire Nation Capitol, Zuko’s birthday must fall sometime after August 1.
There is also another reason why I want to believe that Zuko has a summer birthday. May I remind you that Lu Ten was born in early to mid spring, making him an Aries or Taurus and his birthday sometime between March 20 and May 20? Iroh celebrated his son’s birthday in episode 35 “The Tales of Ba Sing Se”, which took place smack-dab between episode 21 “The Avatar State” (late winter 100 AG as evidenced by the blooming cherry blossoms in the Earth Kingdom resort village that Iroh and Zuko visited) and episode 46 “The Avatar and the Firelord” (the summer solstice, June 20, 100 AG). I feel that it wouldn’t be fair for Lu Ten’s and Zuko’s birthdays to be so close to each other that only Lu Ten’s birthday received special attention from Iroh.
While I agree that Zuko’s personality is totally Aries to the T, I don’t want to believe he is one for the above reasons. Yet I cannot see Zuko as a Leo, which seems to be the second most popular fan-picked zodiac sign for Zuko after Aries. I actually think Leo describes Katara better than Zuko, although Cancer is a pretty good match for her as well. Since I am so torn between Zuko and Katara being Cancers or Leos, I think I’ll be most satisfied with assigning them birthdays on the Cancer-Leo cusp, making Zuko a Cancer (a firebender born as a water sign) and Katara a Leo (a waterbender born as a fire sign) because why not? Set during Zutara Week too? Hot damn. EDIT: However, to comply with the date of the Day of the Black Sun, which occurred on August 1, 100 AG, and my headcanon of Zuko’s birthday falling after the invasion, Zuko cannot be a Cancer. He would either have to be a Leo or Virgo, born between August 1, 83 AG to September 20, 83 AG.
Why not have them have the same birthdays but due to the time of day they were born, they were born under different signs? This just gave me an interesting headcanon in which Katara, before “The Southern Raiders, discovers she and Zuko share the same birthday while spying on overhearing him talking to a portrait of Uncle Iroh about how lonely he is since joining the Avatar’s group and how he (Iroh) would be here (there) with him to celebrate his (Zuko’s) birthday if he (Zuko) hadn’t effed up in Ba Sing Se… And so on their birthday (later that evening), when the others are doing a little something special for Katara (not knowing it is also Zuko’s birthday), the waterbender, feeling sympathetic towards the firebender, tells them that she is willing to share the attention with “’birthday boy’ over there” while looking directly at him (queue dramatic gasps of realization from the group). I suppose that Katara’s spying would have to happen between episode 52 “The Western Air Temple” and episode 55 “The Boiling Rock” since she was still so salty with him and their birthday would have to take place during the brief time that elapsed between episode 55 “The Boiling Rock” and episode 56 “The Southern Raiders” since the only reason I can fathom Katara warming up to him is for releasing Hakoda from the Boiling Rock; Katara’s acknowledgment of Zuko’s birthday is her showing gratitude towards him for rescuing her father, which allows her to celebrate her birthday with her father for the first time in years.
So here are my headcanon birthdays for the benders of the Gaang:
Zuko is a Cancer, born on July 22, 83 AG (EDIT: Zuko is a Leo, born on August 22, 83 AG).
Katara is a Leo, born on July 22, 85 AG (EDIT: Katara is a Leo, born on August 22, 85).
Aang is a Gemini, born on June 7, 12 BG.
Toph is a Scorpio, born on October 30, 87 AG.
EDIT: So I guess that I must amend my original headcanon so that Zuko is a Leo, born on August 22, 83 AG, and Katara is a Leo, born on August 22, 85 AG to allow Katara to remain a Leo and have the same birthday as Zuko.
Iroh is a Sagittarius, born on November 27, ? AG The most popular fan assignments for Iroh are Leo, Libra, and Sagittarius. Although Iroh is a firebender, who was most likely born during the summer - sometime between June 20 and September 20, I think Sagittarius would be as appropriate a pick for him as is Leo. Mako Iwamatsu, the voice actor of Iroh, was also a Sagittarius.
Sokka is an Aquarius, born on February 11, 84 AG. Sokka is an intellectual, which leads me to suspect he is either a Virgo, Sagittarius, or one of the air signs. I think Aquarius would be a good match for Sokka because, like the sign, his eccentricity shows through in his general personality and his ideas, strategies, tactics, and battle plans, although he is capable of being serious and practical when the situation calls for it. He is also stubborn, skeptical, suspicious, and grudge-bearing, typical characteristics of a fixed sign. Although he is not very accepting individual or eloquent a speaker at the beginning of the series, Sokka grows to become a flexible and highly adaptive person by the end of the war and a good communicator by the time he gains chairmanship of the United Republic Council.
Suki is a Taurus, born on April 24, 84 AG. Suki is tough, loyal, compassionate, and 100 percent woman. She is definitely a Taurus.
Ty Lee is a Libra, born on October 6, 85 AG.
Mai is a Capricorn, born on January 13, 85 AG.
Azula is a Scorpio, born on November 8, 85 AG. Azula has a very strong, captivating personality that demands attention - very Leo or Scorpio. Most fans agree that she is either one of the two, but I lean more towards Scorpio because the power she has derives from her being calculating, manipulative, and underhanded, which isn’t to say that all Scorpios are villains or vice versa.
Ozai is a Gemini, born on May 26, 55 AG. I don’t know anymore I think I’ve talked way too much now. I don’t want to have another Scorpio bad guy, so I will settle with Gemini. Ozai and Azula are very similar, however, Ozai strikes me as the type of guy who is all talk and little action. He knows just what to say to get under everyone’s skins and get everyone else do his bidding, including his father, his children, and his wife, but he, himself, can never accomplish anything great, unlike his grandfather Sozin, his father Azulon, his brother Iroh, and his son Zuko. He is a master of words, which he uses to abuse those who are close to him. He is the bad Gemini to Aang’s good Gemini.
Isn’t it interesting that I have it so the man whose birthright was to rule the Fire Nation but who didn’t ascend the throne (Iroh), the man who shouldn’t have become Fire Lord (Ozai), and the one who didn’t become Fire Lord (Azula) were not born during the summer while the only person to become Fire Lord through birthright and merit (Zuko) was born during the summer? Just a little food for thought.
Disclaimers usually come first thing, but I just want to throw it out there at this exact moment in time that these are not official birthdays and are merely my own speculations extrapolated from canon information with a touch of personal preferences.
Well, now that I’ve polluted your mind, I think I’ll sign off.
What an anti-climatic ending to such a life-changing post.
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