Avatar: The Last Airbender series and franchise has quickly become a cult classic amongst cartoon and anime fans. Ranking right up there with other greats like Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Naruto. There are more than a dozen reasons as to why the series was so successful, but the main reason has to do with the focus put on each individual character. And not just human characters, all of them.

Appa is likely the most recognizable creature within the Avatar franchise, and he’s also the cutest. Yet, despite his cuddly nature, Appa can be tough as nails when he needs to be. He has defeated several opponents like Long Feng, Tai Lee, and Mai. Appa can also understand humans, giving him a high amount of intelligence for a flying chauffer.

The atrocity of the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender drastically changed Appa’s appearance, most notably moving his eyes to the front of his face as opposed to being on the side. But in all fairness, the live-action version trashed just about every character from the beloved series. Despite this hiccup, loyal fans haven’t changed their minds regarding Appa. And this goes for his buddy Momo too.

Appa and Momo had some of the best moments hidden away during the run of Avatar: The Last Airbender. They fit right in with Sokka’s comic relief, often misbehaving or goofing off while the rest of the team was talking about serious events taking place. From Appa’s origins and concept art to shenanigans abound with Momo and Hawky, here are 20 crazy things you might not have known about the legendary Appa.

20 Strictly Vegetarian

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Eating Habbits of Appa, Avatar TLA

Despite Sokka’s joke regarding Appa eating Momo, Appa is strictly a vegetarian. His teeth are flat, ideal for eating plants and fruits. Sky Bison are known to graze on the top of trees, much like other animals who graze in the fields. Appa however, preferred hay over plants. But he’s known to go toe-to-toe with Momo over a piece of fruit when the mood suited him.

Appa enjoyed eating honey (occasionally).

He was also shown eating an egg once although he was desperately hungry at the time. Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko designed Appa to be similar to a farm animal, which differs slightly from other Sky Bison. Most likely this was done to show how Appa was willing to adapt towards his new life with Aang.

19 Sea Manatee Bison

Avatar TLA Concept Art of Appa

Before Avatar: The Last Airbender hit the airwaves and became a celebrated hit in 2005, there were original concept art designs that needed some tweaking. Initially, Appa resembled a sea manatee, rather than a bison. There were even swirly horns on Appa’s head, but they were modified due to difficulty drawing them. During the process, it was also suggested that Appa be a giant dog.

Early sketches of Appa had him with manatee-like facial features. Co-creator Bryan Konietzko described Appa as a “manatee-bison hybrid,” even though the manatee aspect of Appa became subtler, while the Bison aspect won the creative team over.

Speaking of the creative team, Dave Filoni (artist and director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels) was on the Avatar team as a director during the first season. He directed 9 episodes, including the pilot. Making it likely that Filoni helped create the Appa we all know and love.

18 Crazy Anatomy

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Appa Anatomy Avatar TLA

Appa is unique from head to toe, including the make-up of his anatomy. Appa has five stomachs (that’s a ton of hay), a flat manatee-like tail, brown eyes, shaggy white fur, and a brown arrow that runs along his back from tail to forehead. He has six legs, unlike the whistle which only showed bison as having four, and his tail which could bend to reach the middle of his back. Appa could also carry up to five individuals comfortably.

Following the 100 Year War in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang, and Appa discover other Sky Bison similar to Appa. This group was slightly different in that they had multiple brown stripes running down their backs and brown ears as opposed to Appa’s white ones.

17 Destiny Pairing

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Appa and Aang, Avatar TLA

Audiences were shown how Aang and Appa first met during a flashback sequence in the episode “Appa’s Lost Days.” Air Nomads assign a young airbender a Sky Bison calf as part of their formal traditions, honoring the ways of the past. Appa first appears as a part of a large herd flying toward the Air Temple.

All it took was an apple and a smile.

The first interaction between Aang and Appa was him presenting Appa with an apple as a sign of friendship. Appa graciously accepts the gift, sealing the bond between them. Aang then names Appa, which he chose as a variation of the word apple. Destiny was in control as the two quickly became best friends. When Aang ran away, all he left with was his robes and staff — and of course, Appa too.

16 Super Snorer

via: girls-gone-geek.com

The Sky Bison within the Avatar franchise are gentle creatures even though they are known to be fierce warriors when angered or called into battle. In conjunction with their overall personality, they also enjoy curling up and diving into a deep sleep.

Appa was no exception as he is shown sleeping on his side with his legs wrapped around his tail. But did you know that Sky Bison (Appa included) are the loudest snorers in the world? And if that didn’t make things difficult for Team Avatar to sleep, airbenders are known as the second loudest snorers in the world (Aang included).

Between Appa and Aang, it’s quite a miracle that Team Avatar wasn’t discovered more often while sleeping. Poor Katara, she really must have loved Aang to put up with both of their snoring.

15 No Tight Spaces

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Appa Moments Avatar TLA

Due to Appa’s size, it’s no surprise he wasn’t too fond of tight spaces. In the episode “The Cave of Two Lovers,” Appa has a claustrophobic panic attack regarding the underground small tunnels. Being a species who enjoys the open freedom of the skies, it only makes sense that Appa would want to avoid tight and small spaces.

During Appa’s time with the Fire Nation circus, Appa also became a pyrophobic (which is classified as an irrational fear of fire). This was due to the trainer of the circus who was put in charge of getting Appa under control and ready for performances.

Even with Appa having a fear of fire, he still stood by Team Avatar through every battle with the Fire Nation. Showing that fears are fine if one can overcome them when necessary.

14 Last Airbenders

Via Avatar Wiki- Fandom
Sky Bison Avatar TLA

Technically Aang wasn’t the last airbender in the world, just the last human one. Appa and all the other Sky Bison were also airbenders. According to Avatar: The Last Airbender lore, the first airbenders learned how to bend from the Sky Bison who were a considered a sacred creature in the Air Nomad culture.

A Sky Bison typically uses its massive beaver-like tail to create gusts of wind, allowing them to fly without any a form of propulsion. They also use their mouths to bend too. The airbenders borrowed the arrow mark (shown as tattoos on airbenders) from the Sky Bison to pay homage towards the creatures who taught them how to master the skies.

The tattoo arrow markings symbolize an individual’s mastery of the airbending art and are given once their training is complete. Unlike other nations, all Air Nomads are born airbenders, due to the high amount of spirituality infused into the culture.

13 Cuddly And Strong

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Appa Cuddling Avatar TLA

Appa, like all Sky Bison, is docile a majority of the time. He enjoys napping and even cuddling up with others (like Aang) when napping too. Appa also had the ability to determine who to trust based on how they treated him, like Zukko. Despite most of Team Avatar being unsure whether to trust Zukko, Appa warmed up to him because it was Zukko who freed him from Long Feng and the Dai Li under Lake Laogai.

Don’t make the Sky Bison mad.

Much like one shouldn’t mess with a sleeping bear, the same goes for getting on the bad side of Appa. He is fiercely loyal towards protecting Aang and Team Avatar, but he has also shown ferocity when defending himself. Appa was attacked by a boar-q-pine while seeking shelter in the Earth Kingdom. Despite starting off the battle on the losing end, Appa turned things around and was victorious.

12 Shenanigans Afoot

Avatar The Last Airbender

Stuffed neatly away within the background of Avatar: The Last Airbender are the shenanigans that take place between Appa, Momo, and eventually Hawky. While Team Avatar is discussing their situation or plan of action, Momo and Appa can be seen in the background goofing off.

Sometimes it was over a piece of fruit, or merely to pass time. Because of this, others generally paid little to no attention towards the creatures. Which suited Appa fine as he had a general understanding of words and their meanings, unlike Momo.

This often made Appa the unofficial parent of the other creatures associated with Team Avatar. In book 3 of the series, Sokka places Appa in charge of Momo and Hawky. The two begin to fight which led to Appa scolding and separating the hooligans before all three of them in trouble.

11 After The War

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Appa and Zuko with Momo, Avatar TLA

Avatar: The Last Airbender started off as solo series, but due to its growing popularity turned into a franchise. Following the 100 Year War timeline, a series of comics and graphic novels were introduced. This eventually led to the Legend of Korra series which became the unofficial sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Appa during this time wasn’t showcased like he was in the original series, but he was still active. He was present during Earth King Kuei's celebration in an announcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement, assisting a year later in transporting Fire Nation colonials back to their nation via Team Avatar.

Appa also was called in to assist and provide transportation with Team Avatar regarding their search for Ursa. On the way back, the team was attacked by a wolf spirit. Appa didn’t miss a beat as he jumped right into the fight, providing the necessary assistance towards defeating the spirit.

10 Wind Buffalo

Via m.imdb.com
Appa Fire Nation Circus

Appa is always seen as a loyal friend and companion throughout the series, but not everyone in the world saw him like Aang and Team Avatar did. To most, Appa was an anomaly. Because he was seen as a rare creature, the Fire Nation circus was quick to purchase him from the beetle-headed merchants who got Appa from the sandbenders.

Sadly, the trainer of the Fire Nation circus was a cruel man who enjoyed torturing Appa as a means to break him. His official name for Appa was Wind Buffalo. Appa, however, remained strong, especially after being encouraged by a small boy. Refusing to become a Wind Buffalo, Appa would escape from the Fire Nation circus. But not before giving the cruel trainer a piece of his mind.

9 Impeccable Memory

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Appa's Memory Avatar TLA

Don’t let Appa’s big and goofy appearance fool you. His intelligence levels are higher than most give him credit for. Appa clearly understands Aang when being given directions. Likewise, when Sokka appointed him in charge of Momo and Hawky.

Appa’s memory is better than most humans.

But what really sets Appa apart from other creatures is his memory. During the desert arc within Avatar: The Last Airbender, Appa found his way back to the site of Wan Shi Tong's library. Except the temple was no longer there as it had disappeared into the Spirit World. The only thing left was a normal looking crater in the middle of a mostly featureless desert. Appa is also shown throughout the series to be aware of who is on Team Avatar’s side and who is against them.

8 The Power Of A Whistle

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Sky Bison Whistle Avatar TLA

Aang first stumbled upon a bison whistle at merchants’ pier near waterfall lagoon. After being scolded by Katara for it supposedly not working (too high pitch for human ears), Aang still hung on to it. Later, Team Avatar would find themselves in trouble. As they are about to head over a waterfall, Aang blows the whistle hoping to call Appa to save the day. Which Appa does, but not before Sokka gets a quick one-liner jab in.

“Now is not the time for flute practice.”

Appa would also hear and respond to the whistle when trapped by the sandbenders. During non-emergency circumstances though (especially nap time), Appa was known for ignoring the whistle — refusing to be summoned by its annoying high pitch vibrations.

7 From Stray To Friend

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Momo Avatar TLA

Momo wasn’t part of Team Avatar until they journeyed to the Southern Air Temple in late 99 AG. It was here that they would stumble across Momo, who was a Lemur. Aang was the first to take a liking to Momo, officially adopting him as a new pet. Although Sokka wasn’t too pleased at first, due to wanting to cook and eat him instead.

The moment Momo was accepted by Aang, Appa naturally followed his master and best friend’s feelings towards the Lemur stray. Momo and Appa would become close, although, their initial friendship could have been based on Momo’s talent for stealing and finding food (which he shared mostly with Appa). If anything, Momo was almost like a pet for Appa too. But that didn’t stop the two from growing close.

6 Heavy Armor Saddle

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Appa and Momo Avatar TLA

Heading directly into the heart of the Fire Nation at the end of the war presented Appa with new hurdles to overcome. But he took them all in stride, even rising to the task at hand. Upon boarding Hakoda's ship, Appa was decked out in a new military style saddle and armor.

The armor was comprised of a set of protective plates which acted as a shield from the various defenses that the Fire Nation domestic forces used, including fireballs, spears, and various other objects. The armor was created and designed by Sokka. Metal and brown leather made up the rest of the material, which also included a pocket for smoke bombs and various weapons. The only drawback to it was that it was heavy, causing Appa to tire faster than normal.

5 He Hates Sand

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Appa Avatar TLA

Appa was initially impartial to sand until the desert arc within Avatar: The Last Airbender. Much in the same way to how Anakin Skywalker hates sand, but under different circumstances.

It was in the Si Wong Desert where sandbenders ambushed Appa and Toph while the underground Spirit library was disappearing into the sand. Holding the structure in place, Toph was unable to fight by Appa’s side. The sandbenders would eventually subdue Appa and sell him off to a group of beetle-headed merchants. This set up a powerful arc in the story with Aang and Appa searching for one another while still gaining life experiences along the way.

While never officially stated within the storyline, we can only assume that Appa would prefer to never see sand again. Although, without this tragedy taking place, who knows if either of them would have been up for the final showdown with Fire Lord Ozai.

4 Voiceover Brilliance

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Dee Bradley Baker Avatar TLA

Dee Bradley Baker was the voice actor for Appa, along with Momo, Chong, several of the actors within The Ember Island Players, and within the Legend of Korra series. But his portfolio is much larger than just Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Baker has been in the voice acting industry for over 20 years. He’s done work on anything from cartoon series to video games. He was Squilliam Fancyson and Bubble Bass in SpongeBob SquarePants, and Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.

Dee Baker has also worked on Star Wars, Halo, Gears of War, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Cow and Chicken, Phineas and Ferb, and Batman: Arkham City. Just to name a few. While Appa didn’t have any speaking lines, his growls and voice inflections were a key component of the series.

3 Airbending Mystery

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Appa, Aang, and Momo

Based on what audiences were shown in the Avatar series, Lemur’s were creatures who took flight for no reason related to humans. But in the Avatar Extras for the Southern Air Temple, it’s noted that “flying lemurs were trained to bring Air Nomads their gliders.”

Originally Momo would serve Aang in this capacity.

But the question of who would have trained Momo to do this quickly put the idea on the shelf. This would explain why Aang felt a connection to Momo once discovering him at the Southern Air Temple. There was even talk that Momo would be the reincarnated spirit of Monk Gyatso.

Instead, the series creators chose to have Momo and Appa be able to understand one another. They also gave Momo a higher intelligence level as opposed to standard Lemur’s.

2 Trials Of Ba Sing Se

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Appa Ba Sing Se Avatar TLA

The Ba Sing Se arc was likely one of the most powerful and engaging parts of the Avatar: The Last Airbender storyline. During this troublesome time, Appa plays a major role. It was Appa who helped Team Avatar enter the Royal Palace of Ba Sing Se. This would lead to the team discovering the first piece of evidence of Long Feng’s betrayal towards King Kuei.

It would also be Appa who would save the day (along with Katara) at the end of the Ba Sing Se arc. Despite losing his saddle, Appa successfully flies off, with Team Avatar riding bareback after Aang is mortally wounded. If not for Appa, the team would have been discovered by Azula and Aang would have never been fully healed by Katara.

1 Fat And Happy

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Appa Fat and Happy Avatar TLA

Appa was big, everyone knows that. But he was actually larger than most Sky Bisons. According to Avatar Extras and the flyers Aang posts when searching for Appa, he weighs in at ten tons. That’s roughly the same weight as a city public bus. During “The Warriors of Kyoshi” episode, Sokka jokingly calls Appa a ten-ton magical monster.

Also stated in the Avatar Extras is the fact stating that Appa had a double chin. Whether this was due to Aang serving Appa massive amounts of hay and Momo constantly providing extras, is unknown. Either way, Appa wasn’t concerned about his weight. He was fat and happy much in part to his family through Team Avatar. Add in his charming personality and shenanigan pranks — Appa was, and will always remain, one of the best creatures featured in Avatar: The Last Airbender.