Haru (Avatar) was one of the secondary characters of the Avatar The Last Airbender series. He was a skilled teenage earthbender whose Earth Kingdom village was temporarily occupied by the Fire Nation during the final years of the Hundred Year War. He was one of the very first allies that Team Avatar made in their course to teach Aang the elements.
After he breaks his father out of a Fire Nation prison rig along with other earthbenders, Haru Avatar joins forces with Hakoda; Katara and Sokka’s father. He helps out to invade the Fire Nation on the day of the solar eclipse. They lost that fight, so he escaped with the rest of Team Avatar on Appa.
They take refuge at the Western Air Temple. When the temple is attacked by Azula, Haru Avatar escapes with Hakoda and some other friends. After the war ended, he was present for Fire Lord Zuko’s coronation.
Early Life Of Haru Avatar
Haru Avatar was born to Tyro, his father and his mother who was unnamed throughout the series. His father taught him earthbending. When the Fire Nation attacked their village in the year 94 AG, Tyro and the other earthbenders fought off the invasion. But they were outnumbered and eventually taken away.
Haru Avatar grew up alone with his mother. To make sure he would not be taken, Haru’s mother stopped him from earthbending. This halted the development of his bending.
He however continued to practice in secret, as it made him feel closer to his father.
Haru Avatar In The Episode ‘Imprisoned’
During the season of late fall in 99 AG, Haru Avatar was practising his earthbending alone. Then, Team Avatar stumbled upon him. They all got to know each other better. Eventually, Haru and Katara would bond over their shared experiences; something that has made a section of the fanbase ship them together.
While they bonded, they came across a villager trapped under a rock slide. Using his earthbending, Haru Avatar saved him, but he was ultimately betrayed by the villager. He reported him to the Fire Nation soldiers who came to arrest Haru, just as his mother had feared.
Aang and Sokka staged Katara earthbending so she would also be arrested and taken to the shipyard as well. Whilst there, she teamed up with Haru to start a mass prison rebellion and escape. Now that Haru Avatar was reunited with his father, as well as the strength of the escaped earth benders, the villagers had a chance to drive the Fire Nation away from their home.
They hatched a series of plans together, and now fully reunited, Haru Avatar and his father helped to liberate their village from Fire Nation control as a part of the Earth Kingdom rebellions. They would go on to provide vital support for the Earth Kingdom in the war against the Fire Nation, as well as Team Avatar in the final days of the war.
Day of the Black Sun
Haru Avatar is now sporting a mustache and a goatee, was one of many familiar but noticeably distinct faces recruited by Sokka to help in the invasion of the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun. Haru and his father were members of the ground forces to attack the Fire Nation Capital.
When the submarines were destroyed, the warriors decided to surrender but Haru promised Tyro that they would return to rescue them. The young people, namely Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Teo, The Duke, and Haru, escaped on Appa and travelled to the Western Air Temple.
At the abandoned temple, Haru becomes friends with Teo and Duke, and together they begin to explore the Temple. They found out that it was the perfect place for Haru to practice his earthbending, as well as a nice place to hangout.
Their stay at the temple was marked with a number of activities, such as spectating in a sword bending match and practicing their bending. They also joined Sokka’s “Bendless Boomerang Club”, when he made the decision to open it up to everyone.
Azula Attacks Haru Avatar and His Friends
Haru was with Team Avatar until they were attacked by Azula and her air fleet. He fled with Hakoda and his friends, while Aang and the primary team escaped on Appa. They would later reunite during Zuko’s coronation; much after the Hundred Year War had ended. He was also finally with his father again.
Haru Avatar’s Abilities
Haru was shown to be a skilled earthbender. Even with the most minimal training, he was able to manipulate large boulders and was able to stop debris from crushing the villager. His bending style was much different from that of most earth benders. He preferred earthbending with his hands unlike most earthbenders, who preferred to earthbend with their feet.
Along with four other earthbenders, which included his father, Haru Avatar was able to create a shield that was strong enough to withstand combined blasts from numerous firebenders. With help from his father, he was able to compress large amounts of coal, and turn them into a single projectile. This is by no means an easy feat to accomplish.