Appa

Origin 

Appa the Sky Bison is considered the last of his kind. As a young calf, Appa mets Aang, as all young Airbenders met with young Sky Bison pups, to befriend each other respectively and to share a life long connection. Appa and Aang got on very well from the offset, Aang offering Appa an apple. Aang overhearing a decision to separate him from his favorite teacher sent the young Avatar into an emotional state and along with Appa the two inadvertently head into a vicious storm which knocks both into the cold dangerous seas below.  In an act of desperation Aang freezes himself and Appa in a sphere of ice within the water, saving both of the them, but sealing them with an ice prison. 

Major Story Arcs 

Early Life

Following the traditions of the Air Nomads, Aang was brought to the Eastern Air temple to choose a sky bison cub. These cubs were to be companions to the Nomads for life. Aang gave Appa an apple, then Appa jumps on Aang and begins to lick him. The two became friends and remained close ever since.

When Aang discovered that he was the Avatar, he fled on Appa to escape from the adversity. While escaping they were caught in a storm. A massive tidal wave engulfed them and Aang used his Avatar state for the first time and encased them in an ice berg for 100 years.

Book 1: Water

After a hundred years had pass Aang and Appa were released from the ice berg by a young water tribe girl named Katara. Aang and Appa took kindly to Katara and her brother, Sokka. Later flies the group to the Southern Water Tribe. When the fire nation attacked and captured Aang, Katara and Sokka flew on Appa to try and save Aang. After saving Aang, the four set out to the Northern Air Temple. While there the Gaang made a new companion, Momo, who became one of Appa best friends and competitor for Aang’s affection. Ever since then Appa has been the Gaang’s means of transportation.

Book 2: Earth

After the siege of the north, the Gaang headed for the Kingdom of Omashu in hopes of finding an earthbending teacher for Aang. There the Gaang encountered Azula and her comrades. After defeating the trio, Appa and the Gaang set out to Ba Sing Se. 
 
On the way to Ba Sing Se, Appa and the Gaang were seperated when a tornado pulled them down into a mystical swamp. Appa spent his time defending Momo and avoiding be eaten by the swamp people. Later he and Momo are found by Aang. The Gaang few to Gaoling, where they met Toph. After a few close encounters, Appa and the Gaang flew to a deserted underground library in the middle of a desert. 

 When the Gaang went to the library, Appa and Toph stood outside. The library began sinking and Toph tried to stop it and save the others. As she’s stopping it from sinking, Sandbenders came and kidnapped Appa.

Appa  was sold by the Sandbenders to some merchents and he is then sold to a Fire Nation circus. Here Appa is shown to be afraid of fire, and after he’s treated cruelly and humiliated, he escapes. He shelters himself in various places, and after fighting a wild porcupine boar, he rests in a temple. He is then found by Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors, and they clean and feed him. They are then attacked by Ozai’s Angels, and Appa flees to Ba Sing Se. He is then taken captive by Long Feng.

After spending a while under Lake Laogai, Appa is freed by Prince Zuko, he and the Gaang are reunited. He is then again used as the Gaang’s method of transport yet again (not meaning to say he’s not loved).

Book 3: Fire

In book 3, Sokka builds Appa armor for the invasion. The children who took part in the invasion then use Appa to escape on to the Western Air Temple. 

 

Creation 

The character of Appa was created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.Appa first appears in the Avatar: The Last Air Bender animated series, episode “The Boy in the Iceberg”. Appa is voice by voice artist Dee Bradley Baker. Appa is described by creators as a manatee-bison hybrid. Appa originally started off development as a dog like creature, before evolving into his current finished form.  

Powers and Abilities

Appa is a flying bison, the original Airbenders, from which the Airbenders learned how to Airbend. He is able to Airbend and fly by using his tail. Appa weighs 10 tons. Appa also has five stomachs.

Appa is Aang’s best friend. 100 years ago Aang ran away because of the fact that his airbending teacher was told not to teach him any longer. Aang flew away with Appa but then there was a storm that strucked them both causing them to fall down to the sea. Aang was in his avatar state while going down and airbended a huge sphere making a glacier. 100 years later Katara and Sokka discovered Aang and decided to accompany him to train Aang to defeat the Fire Lord Ozai. Appa has been the transportation. He has five stomach’s and six hands. He also weigh 10 tons