Establishing rich backstories for its characters was one of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s many strengths.
However, there are plenty more inhabitants of the universe created by A:TLA and broadened by The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra that fans would love to learn more about, and Avatar Kyoshi is near the top of that list. Now—or, rather, next year—we’ll finally get to know Kyoshi better through a YA novel starring the earthbending Avatar.
The Rise of Kyoshi is set for release next July. F.C. Yee is authoring the book with a little help from series co-creator Michael DiMartino, who’s consulting on the project. An as-yet-unnamed sequel will follow. “Avatar Kyoshi is one of the characters fans often ask me about,” said DiMartino. “So I’m excited to have the opportunity to help expand on her legend.” (So are we, Mike.)
In case you need a refresher course, Kyoshi served as Avatar before Roku, who preceded the star of A:TLA, Aang. Though Aang utilized the Avatar connection with multiple avatars, Kyoshi appeared more frequently than those further down the line. We never learned too much about her, though we do know three key facts: she lived to 230 years old, making her the longest-living human Avatar; she founded the Kyoshi Warriors, who first appeared in the series’ fourth episode; and she helped establish the Dai Li. (The Dai Li was a shadowy organization that, after Kyoshi’s time, helped tear down the Earth Kingdom. Here’s hoping that wasn’t Kyoshi’s original intent.)
I’m hoping the Kyoshi series will deliver on its promise just as the A:TLA graphic novels have. A:TLA is my all-time favorite TV series, and I love these opportunities to spend more time with the supporting characters. The fact that they’re starting with a complex female character is particularly exciting—and if that opens doors for more projects like it, then that’s all the better.
Which Avatar character do you want to learn more about? Let us know in the comments!