Avatar The Last Airbender: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Toph As A Character

Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender have a lot to be excited about. Not only is there a live action version of the series in the works for Netflix, but there are also new animated projects in development, letting fans once again return to the beloved world.

One of the most iconic characters from the series is Toph Beifong, the snarky, insanely powerful earthbender who has been an inspiration for fans all around the world. Part of what makes her such a great character is how complicated she is. As such, she could be a little difficult to describe at times, if not for the power of memes.

She’s Blind

Toph has distinct trait about her that makes her radically different from all the other characters in the show: she’s blind.

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This blindness means that not only can she not see with her eyes, but also means she can neither read nor write. But due to her being able to see with her earthbending, many of the characters, especially Sokka, tend to forget this fact since she can still move about normally. This has often led to many running gags throughout the series in which people forget that Toph can’t see.

Jokester

Though not as joking as Sokka, Toph is widely known for her joking, snarky nature throughout the show, proving even more why Toph is one of the show’s most popular characters.

Many of Toph’s jokes involve mocking people or being sarcastic with others, especially when they forget for the umpteenth time that she’s blind. Much of these jokes often cover up her sensitive side, but there’s no denying that her joking nature puts more lighthearted humor in a show that’s scattered with dark, mature themes throughout.

Hates Rules, But Later Enforces Them

Toph has proven several times throughout the show that she has no care for the rules due to her sheltered upbringing. But this later changes over time.

After the events of the series, Toph eventually becomes the police chief in Republic City, enforcing the rules that she once rebelled against all the time. This shows just how much the character matured over time, transforming from the snarky, rebellious girl she once was into an enforcer of law and order. Despite this maturity, even in her old age, Toph still shows off her rebellious, snarky side when training Korra.

Powerful Bender

It’s no surprise, given how powerful she is, that Toph could potentially take down the Fire Lord herself. And it shows throughout the series when she demonstrates the full extent of her powers.

Toph can trap people in the ground almost instantly, create massive boulders to fling at people, and even invented metalbending, something previously thought to be impossible. With all this power at her fingertips, she’s a formidable foe for anyone she’s fighting against, and she very rarely ever loses a fight, perhaps even making her as strong as the Avatar.

Handles Pain Very Well

Toph may be small and seem weak, but in reality, she can take pain like a champ, recovering from it relatively quickly.

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Due to her expertise at fighting, it’s very rare that she even gets struck with any painful attacks. But for the few times when she does, it doesn’t take her long before she’s back into the fight. Even getting her feet accidentally burned by Zuko only slowed her down slightly, with her still being able to earthbend at him, albeit less accurately than what she’s able to do.

Loves Bullying The Avatar

Toph is easily one of the best mentors in the series, but her teaching methods have been a little rough for both Aang and Korra.

Toph’s methods usually involve bullying, belittling, and trying to bring out the fierceness and stubbornness of an earthbender in the Avatar. What’s more is that she seems to really enjoy it. She is, after all, a twelve-year-old girl that has enough power to throw the Avatar around like a rag doll. Even though her teaching is borderline bullying, it’s still highly effective, and have helped both Aang and Korra become better earthbenders and better Avatars as a whole.

Can See Through Vibrations

As mentioned before, Toph is blind and can’t see like normal people. However, she does have her own methods of seeing, which she utilizes in some of the greatest earthbending fights in the series.

Using a form of echolocation, in a way, Toph can feel the vibrations in the ground around her, allowing her to see as if her eyes were working. This power even extends far below the ground, and she can even feel the vibrations of someone’s heartbeat to tell if they’re lying. All of this factors into just how strong of a character Toph really is.

Has Her Own Ways To Show Affection

Toph displays herself as a tough girl, showing very few moments of weakness or self-doubt throughout the series. Instead, she has her own ways of showing affection.

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Many of Toph’s ways of showing affection involves punching. All this is to show her tough side while hiding her more insecure side. Toph, due to her blindness, doesn’t want to display any signs of weakness, not wanting anyone to have to take care of her after years of being forcibly pampered. She wants to prove that she’s strong enough to take care of herself, and punching others affectionately is a part of that.

No Love Interests

Part of the romantic subplot of Avatar: The Last Airbender is Aang and Katara’s relationship. Later on, even Sokka finds love in the form of Suki.

Toph, however, remains out of the loop for relationships and love interests. While the others grow in their romantic relationships with each other, she is stuck on the outside looking in. Though she apparently does find love following the end of the series, she never encounters someone she truly falls in love with in the show itself, making her the third wheel for not one, but two different relationships.

Gets Even Stronger By The End Of The Series

Toph was already an immensely powerful bender even before she met Aang and his friends. But she still had her weaknesses, such as with sandbending.

However, as the series progressed, her power only increased. Due to her failures with sandbending resulting in the loss of Appa, she pushed herself and eventually mastered the art. She also invented metalbending and proceeded to later open a school to teach others how to metalbend. Toph was strong before, but by the end of the war, she was far stronger than when she started.

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