Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra have speculated often about whether or not Sokka had children, but one character rises up as a particularly likely candidate – Varrick. Both characters come from the Southern Water Tribe, and their personas are comparable in many different ways. Plus, a few possible Easter eggs within Avatar canon have even suggested that Varrick could be Sokka’s son.
While the post-show familial lives of many Avatar: The Last Airbender characters are shown and explained in Korra, very little has been canonized about Sokka’s adult life. He remains in a relationship with Suki through the current comics, but it’s never been confirmed whether or not they stay together long-term. Does he get married? Does he have children? How exactly does Sokka die? For such a popular character, there are a lot of questions about him with no concrete answers.
One popular theory is that Suyin Beifong – daughter of Toph – is actually Sokka’s child. She’s about the right age, and there are hints throughout The Last Airbender of possible affection between Sokka and Toph, but a lot of the details don’t seem to add up. Either way, Suyin isn’t the only Korra character with possible ties to Sokka. Could Varrick be a cousin to Tenzin, Kya and Bumi? Let’s look at the evidence.
What’s known about Varrick’s background is murky at best and self-contradictory at worst. According to old text from the e-book/mobile app The Legend of Korra: Enhanced Experience, Varrick was “born a poor seal-hunter’s son,” and “built his business from a single canoe into a global power.” In The Legend of Korra season 4, however, Varrick tells Zhu Li that he grew up on a farm with an ostrich horse named Mrs. Beaks. These two stories seem at odds, given that ostrich horses are native to the Earth kingdom, and that the Water Tribes aren’t necessarily known for their agricultural prowess.
One likely explanation to these seemingly conflicting accounts of Varrick’s youth is that either of them, or both, are made up. The “poor seal-hunter” story in particular sounds like the exact kind of childhood Varrick would want people to believe he had. It builds up his aura of enterprise and mystique. Does that mean the ostrich horse story is necessarily true? It’s more likely, given that he tells it to Zhu li in a moment of vulnerability, but that doesn’t totally prove it. Even his full name – Iknik Blackstone Varrick – feels larger-than-life in a way that could suggest he picked some or all of it himself. Is Blackstone even a Water Tribe name?
Similarly, as mentioned before, very little is known about Sokka’s adult life after The Last Airbender. It’s known that for some time he represented the Southern Water Tribe on the council of the United Republic, and also that he served as chief during Korra’s early life, at the very least. Beyond that, nearly nothing is known. While the absence of confirmed history for either character doesn’t prove their relation, it does leave the possibility wide open.
Regardless of the details of his childhood, Varrick’s Southern Water Tribe heritage seems concrete. He is accepted in the south as a favored son, not just because of his global success in business, but because of his history with the tribe – or so it would seem. When respected members of the community gather at the beginning of season 2 to discuss rebellion against Unalaq, Varrick is invited and listened to as a respected member of the tribe.
Again, Varrick’s confirmed southern heritage doesn’t prove he’s Sokka’s son by any means, but it does make it possible. If it were true, it’s likely that neither of them were ever aware. Sokka travelled around a good deal in his adult life (from what viewers know), and Varrick seems to have moved around a bit himself in his early years. This, combined with the fact that Varrick is notably younger than the other children of The LastAirbender generation, could all fit with a scenario where neither person was aware of their relation. Varrick’s mother would have almost surely known, but her apparent absence from the canonical picture means the potential remains.
Sokka is a nonbender who, throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender and the surrounding fiction, excels primarily off of his ingenuity, comedic timing, and analytical mind. He contributes to several major technological advancements in the Avatar world, including the hot air balloon and the submarine. His creative process often makes him seem eccentric, but that doesn’t stop from being clever and calculating. And he has a flair for the extravagant (accessorizing of fancy bags and fancy belts).
All of those bullet points ring true for Varrick as well. From his “idea storms” to his bouts of squeamishness, from his absurd yet perfect plans to his unique creativity, Varrick echoes Sokka in many ways. There are deviations of course, the most notable being that Sokka never seemed the type to bomb embassies and frame people for felonies in the interest of sparking global conflict to fuel his capitalist enterprises. Varrick, well, does all those things. But he also reforms.
Bolin clearly serves as the more direct parallel to Sokka in The Legend of Korra, but that doesn’t change any of the numerous ways Varrick also maps onto similar behaviors and traits. Looked at in totality, Varrick really seems more similar to Sokka than Bolin does, especially considering the nonbender aspect and their joint affinity for technology. In short, the two are much more alike than they are different.
There are also some specific, canonical moments that could easily be Easter eggs for a Sokka/Varrick connection. One examples comes in the comic Imbalance, when Sokka tells Aang to “Do the thing.” While it’s a relatively innocuous phrase out of context, that saying is one of the most recognizable catchphrases in either show, and it belongs to Varrick.
Similarly, in the fan-favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender episode “The Tales of Ba Sing Se,” there’s a brief scene of Team Avatar getting ready for the day. It shows Sokka shaving his facial hair, though it only seems to grow in two spots – either side of his upper lip. If he, say, weren’t to shave it, it could easily grow into a moustache that perfectly mirrors Varrick’s own. The genetics don’t lie – it’s just science.
Or how about the woman Varrick marries? While most fans know the name Zhu Li, it’s easy to forget that her surname is Moon. Could their love story possibly be the result of destiny atoning for a past tragedy? Sokka wasn’t able to be with his moon, but Varrick was. Now, maybe all these little Easter eggs are unrelated. Maybe they’re meant as a fun homage and nothing more. But maybe, just maybe, they tell a hidden truth of Avatar: The Last Airbender – that Varrick was Sokka’s son all along.
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