Water Tribes

The polar communities of the North and South.

The Water Tribes are communities in the polar regions of the Avatar: The Last Airbender world, based on circumpolar peoples such as the Inuit. The Southern Water Tribe lives mostly in small villages, while the Northern Water Tribe has vast cities of ice and snow.

Lore & Background

In the series the South has suffered Fire Nation raids: Katara and Sokka's mother, Kya, died in one, and Katara was the tribe's only waterbender. In the North, custom barred women from learning waterbending as a martial art until Master Pakku agreed to teach Katara. Admiral Zhao led an attack on the North and killed the Moon Spirit, and Princess Yue took its place.