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If Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best-loved animated series, Aang ranks among animation’s greatest heroes. Optimistic, friendly, and kind-hearted, Aang won fans over as the main hero of his series. His journey to fulfill his destiny ranks among the best examples of the Hero’s Journey in modern fiction.
Despite all his achievements, Aang is a flawed character at heart. His initial immaturity and reluctance to live up to his role were qualities his world could ill afford. While he would eventually rise to meet his role as Avatar, a few anime characters would make a better Avatar than him.
10 Senku Ishigami is Smarter Than Almost Anyone
One of the smartest anime protagonists in recent years, Senku Ishigami is a super-genius. He possesses a mastery of a wide range of scientific subjects, allowing him to solve problems in ways that most would consider impossible. Despite his intellect, Senku never lets success go to his head. Rather, he’s quick to point out the strengths other people have and encourages them to use their abilities to their fullest extent.
As the Avatar, Senku could use these traits to devastating effect. His knowledge of the elements would lead him to create new and innovative Bending forms that would stump the Fire Nation. Meanwhile, his ability to inspire others would encourage his allies to follow suit.
9 Edward Elric Would Ramp Bending Up to Unseen Heights
The titular Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, has a power set similar to Aang’s. His mastery of Alchemy allows him to manipulate the matter around him into whatever shape or form he sees fit. Moreover, unlike most Alchemists, Edward can perform Alchemy without needing a transmutation circle, albeit due to his past decision to perform a forbidden human transmutation.
If Edward Elric became the Avatar, his prior knowledge of Alchemy would give him an edge over most Benders. His raw power, combined with the focus and control Alchemy requires, would give Edward a level of precision and control that few Benders possess, including some Avatars.
8 Izuku Midoriya Would Throw Himself into His Training
Where Aang was born with an innate talent for Bending, Midoriya was his reality’s exact opposite. His Quirkless status never stopped him from dreaming of becoming a hero, working twice as hard as those around him to make up for his shortcomings.
If Deku became the Avatar, this would translate into mastering the elements in far less time than Aang. Additionally, his determination to save everyone would lead him to take his duties far more seriously than Aang initially did, though this could have negative consequences for Deku.
7 Naruto Shares Aang’s Burden But Has Greater Drive
Aang and Naruto are likable heroes with some surprising similarities. Both had a fondness for pranks when they were younger, and both would have burdens placed on them that they never asked for. However, what makes them different is how they choose to react to their duties.
Whereas Aang chose to run away from his life as the Avatar, and it took him some time to accept his role, Naruto never ran. Instead, Naruto turned responsibility into motivation as he worked toward his goal of becoming Hokage. Naruto would channel that same drive towards mastering the elements as the Avatar. He would likely continue to train until he passed out from the strain of doing so.
6 Giorno Giovana Would Pay Evil Unto Evil
Despite being the son of DIO, the hero of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind has the blood of the noble Joestar family running through his veins to balance that out. Driven by a desire to change the world around him for the better, Giorno is a living embodiment of resolve and refuses to allow anyone or anything to get in the way of his goal.
While Giorno’s capable of showing mercy to enemies, he’s also more pragmatic than Aang. If someone commits an act that he considers unforgivable, he will not hesitate to take their life in response. Were he the Avatar, likely, Fire Lord Ozai wouldn’t have survived their final battle.
5 Son Gohan is Compassionate, But Willing to Kill
As one of the main heroes of Dragon Ball, Son Gohan is one of the strongest characters in the franchise. Much like Aang, though, he started as a kid who hated the very idea of fighting, and this helped him largely keep his innate Saiyan bloodlust in check, only letting it out in times of extreme stress. His compassionate nature is one of Gohan’s best qualities.
The fact that Gohan’s a very analytical fighter makes him an even better potential Avatar than his father. Gohan will plan his next move ahead of time and work to achieve the best possible outcome in a fight. More importantly, despite his compassionate nature, experience has taught him not to hesitate to kill an opponent if the opportunity presents itself.
4 Naofumi is Incredibly Pragmatic
Another hero forced into a role they didn’t want, Naofumi from The Rising of the Shield Hero couldn’t be further from Aang as a character. Cynical, blunt, and slow to trust others, Naofumi can be a ruthless hero who’s willing to resort to underhanded tactics to win. This behavior is born out of pragmatism rather than malice, though, since his status as the Shield Hero leaves him unable to attack.
As the Avatar, this pragmatism would serve Naofumi well in battle. No longer restrained by his defensive role, Naofumi would use the elements to the full extent of their power. Additionally, his willingness to kill to survive means he won’t pull punches if necessary. Fire Lord Ozai wouldn’t live to see the light of day. Of course, it could be argued that these violent tendencies might make him a great warrior and a lousy Avatar.
3 Tanjiro Possesses Great Empathy and Willpower
The hero of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro Kamado is no stranger to loss and hardship. Whereas Aang would occasionally allow the difficulties he faced to overwhelm him, Tanjiro responded to pressure like an adult. Turning his loss into motivation, Tanjiro strove to become a Demon Slayer so that no one else would ever go through what he did.
No matter how many times he gets beaten down, Tanjiro always gets back up, even if doing so would cost him his life. This indomitable will, in spite of the numerous tragedies he’s faced in life, is what allows him to become a powerful Demon Slayer. Translating that over to being Avatar, Tanjiro would risk everything to stop the tyranny of the Fire Nation once and for all.
2 Luffy Would Ignore the Rules When Necessary
Monkey D. Luffy is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he’d make a friendly and fun-loving Avatar, much like Aang. His social nature would be quick to win over friends, while his overall martial prowess would leave the Fire Nation running for the hills.
What would make Luffy a far better Avatar than Aang, though, is his willingness to break the rules when necessary. For example, when faced with the likes of Long Feng and his attempts to control Ba Sing Se, Luffy wouldn’t put up with his nonsense for one minute. He’d go straight to the Earth King. Luffy can be too blunt sometimes but he also knows the simplest solution to a problem can be the best solution.
1 Lelouch Would Play the Fire Nation Like a Fiddle
At a glance, Lelouch Vi Britannia doesn’t seem like he’d make a good Avatar. However, his true genius is not in physical combat but in strategic planning. He would use his Bending abilities to force superior opponents into positions where they couldn’t hope to win, giving him an easy victory.
As for the war against the Fire Nation, Lelouch would find a way to turn a hopeless struggle back onto the Firebenders. With his skills, the Black Sun Invasion would likely succeed, whether or not it was a trap.
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