Let’s get right into it. **Spoilers ahead**
Everybody talks about Zuko’s arc, but every character has a great arc in Avatar the Last Airbender, and Sokka’s arc is one of the best. It just gets glossed over because it happens relatively early in the series. He’s super misogynistic and gets his butt whooped by a girl. Ever since, he’s able to have a better relationship with Katara, his sister, and every other woman in his life. It also allows him to be easier on himself because he doesn’t feel like he has to be strong all the time. When he gets down and out about being enough, he’s able to talk about it and fix it.
And though sometimes he feels useless, he actually really can keep up with the most powerful benders of his age. He learns sword-fighting and technological combat. Like Ty Lee, he proves that non-benders can be just as lethal as master benders.
He’s grounded. He’s not emotionally naïve like Aang or emotionally starved like Zuko. He’s just a normal guy. Despite his childhood hardships, Sokka rarely has difficulties in his personal relationships, whether that is with his family, his friends, his girlfriend, or the moon. While it seems like he’s combative because he’s not afraid to complain, whine, or make sarcastic remarks, no one ever has to guess what he’s thinking. This prevents any real fights or arguments.
He’s not just the dumb comic relief. Sure, there’s the time in the episode “The Desert” where he goes goofy on cactus juice and the time in “Bitter Work” where he got stuck in a hole in the ground, but when it really counts, he’s a great inventor, strategist, and warrior.
Fiinally, Sokka is hot, even when his hair’s not down. Again, everybody talks about Zuko, but Sokka never had that bald-headed ponytail or that reverse bald spot thing going on. Sokka has never had a bad hair day in his life.