The universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender has expanded with its third major animated series, Avatar: Seven Havens, which began streaming on Paramount+ this past Friday. From its opening episodes, the series establishes one of its main characters, an airbender named Jae, as openly gay.
Jae, who travels alongside the new Avatar, Pavi, is shown to be in a relationship with another young man named Datu. A brief scene depicting their affectionate reunion has been widely shared on social media since the show's debut, drawing a positive response from many LGBTQ+ viewers.
In the clip, Datu greets Jae with an enthusiastic embrace, and Jae gives him a kiss on the cheek before departing. The moment, while short, has been highlighted by fans as a significant moment of casual, upfront queer representation.
A Progression in Representation
The inclusion of Jae and Datu's relationship builds on the franchise's previous explorations of LGBTQ+ themes. The preceding series, The Legend of Korra, concluded with a final scene that implied a romantic relationship between its two female leads, Korra and Asami. Their bisexuality was later confirmed by the show's creators in materials outside of the series itself.
More recently, a new comic book story suggested that Prince Zuko from the original series is bisexual. However, Jae and Datu appear to be the franchise's first canonically gay male characters featured in the main animated storyline from the beginning.
The online reaction has reflected this distinction. "There’s an openly gay man who’s a lead in avatar seven havens yall!!" one user posted on X. "him and his bf are so cuteeeeeee!!!!"
About the Series
Avatar: Seven Havens is the third series in the main timeline, following Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The first season is slated for 26 episodes, with the first half being released in weekly batches on Paramount+ throughout October. A release date for the second half of the season has not yet been specified.
