Avatar: The Last Airbender Fan Theory Hints One Fire Nation Icon Found Love in the Unlikeliest Place

Avatar: The Last Airbender might be one of the most universally beloved animated shows ever, but it was absolutely ground zero for shipping chaos. Zutara vs Kataang, crack ships like Zuko/Sokka... it never ends. And now there is a new contender for wildest fan theory: Zuko and Suki supposedly ended up together after the war. Yes, really.

Zuko, Mai, and the postwar mess

Zuko and Mai were a thing during the original series, and it was complicated from the jump. He broke up with her when he ditched the Fire Nation to join Aang and the gang, claiming it was to keep her safe. After the war, they reconciled. Still, happily ever after did not stick.

In the postwar comic The Promise Part Two, newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko is drowning in responsibility and goes to the absolute worst person for guidance: his father. He secretly visits Ozai in prison and keeps that visit from Mai. She finds out, reads it as a major trust breach, and ends things again.

Where Suki enters the chat

Right after that, Suki steps into the throne room and offers help. Specifically, she asks if the Kyoshi Warriors can assist with the growing unrest in the Fire Nation colonies. Zuko takes her up on it, and after a string of assassination attempts against him, the Kyoshi Warriors are assigned to protect the Fire Lord.

Between the new working relationship and their shared history, some fans started to see romantic potential. For context, here is the timeline of their connection:

• Book One: Water – Zuko first crosses paths with Suki when he torches Kyoshi Island to flush out Aang and his friends. The crew puts out the flames quickly, but damage done is damage done.
• Book Three: Fire – Zuko teams up with Sokka to break into the Boiling Rock prison to free Sokka's father. Instead, they find Suki, and Sokka and Suki reunite. Suki tells Zuko about their first meeting, which hits him with a healthy dose of regret. They work together effectively from there.
• The Promise (postwar comics) – After Zuko and Mai break up, Suki offers the Kyoshi Warriors' help with the colonies situation and becomes part of his protection detail.
• The Search Part One – Zuko and Suki share multiple scenes, all strictly platonic. Suki looks out for him, hears him out, and protects him and his family.

That last stretch, where their friendship grows naturally while she guards him, is what kicked the Zuko/Suki theory into gear. Never mind that Suki is dating Sokka and there is zero canonical hint of a breakup there. If Zuko ever told Sokka, he might have to dust off his most famous line:

"That's rough, buddy."

So who did Zuko actually end up with?

In the original series, Zuko has exactly two on-screen love interests: Jin (one sweet awkward date in Ba Sing Se) and Mai (the girlfriend). By The Legend of Korra era, we know Zuko has a daughter, Izumi, but the show never says who her mother is or names Zuko's wife.

Fans have played clue-hunter ever since. Katara is out, obviously, because she marries Aang. Jin making a comeback after a single date seems unlikely. That leaves Mai as the logical choice, especially since she literally betrayed Azula to save Zuko.

Gene Luen Yang, who wrote several Avatar comics, has even nudged the conversation: at Emerald City Comic Con 2017 (via a recorded panel), he said Zuko and Mai got back together three years after The Promise Part Two. That is a strong hint at endgame, but it is still not an official, in-text confirmation that Mai is Izumi's mother.

One more breadcrumb: the 2025 comic Ashes of the Academy shows Mai teaching at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls and on friendly terms with Fire Lord Zuko. Izumi also resembles Mai, which fans love to point out. Still, the franchise has not stamped it in ink.

The bottom line on Zuko and Suki

Zuko/Suki makes for a fun what-if, especially given their postwar proximity and Suki's steadying influence. But canon does not support them as a couple, and there is no suggestion that Suki and Sokka split. Meanwhile, all signs keep circling back to Mai as Zuko's long-term partner, even if the series refuses to say it outright.

Do you buy Zuko/Suki as a secret endgame or are you firmly Team Mai? Tell me your ship. And if you want to revisit the evidence yourself, Avatar: The Last Airbender is streaming on Netflix.