Avatar: The Last Airbender/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth fighting a hundred year war here.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

Status guide:


 * Complete: Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
 * Ongoing: The fic is being updated on a regular basis, or has received an update after a significant absence.
 * Dormant: The fic has not been updated in a fairly long time (several months to a year or more) but the author has not pronounced it dead.
 * Dead: The fic has not been updated in several years, or the author has specifically said that it will not be updated.

Note: Fics listed as Dormant or Dead will be changed to Ongoing if/when they receive updates. If you see a rec with a blank status, and you're familiar with the fanfic, please add the correct status.

Authors and Websites
Wren Sharpbeak (link)
 * Recommended by hillraiser 2011
 * Status: Dormant.
 * Synopsis: The series essentially starts off with what Zuko would have done if he had found out Azula was only tricking him with regaining his honor before leaving Ba Sing Se. He initially resigns himself to his true fate in the Fire Nation, only to be unintentionally rescued by the Gaang, who rescue Iroh to be Aang's fire-bending teacher. Zuko and Iroh end up joining them, and it goes from there, spanning over several "chapters" (read: fics).
 * Additional Info: Writer of a compelling "Chapter 3: Fire" AU series, Wren originally based it on speculation of what she expected in the then-upcoming Season 3, but officially changed it to an AU once the real season started. What sets the series apart from most "Zuko joins the group" fics is that the eventual joining up with the Gaang isn't a seamless transition for anyone; it takes several "chapters" for Zuko, even with Iroh's guidance, to really settle in among the group, and for the Gaang to realize that Zuko isn't trying to capture Aang anymore...and never really wanted to for his sake.

Lyralocke
 * Recommended by Lady of Termina
 * Additional Info: Writes mainly for Kataang, although quite a few of her stories include other couples as well. Most of her works are WAFF, but she pulls off angst with finesse. Definitely, definitely read.

Alabaster86
 * Recommended by Ixmythot
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: A Fanfiction.Net author, Alabaster has the rare gift of both hammer and anvil, turning out quality completed stories in months, when most of the same quality would take years. Almost all her works are openly of the Mai/Zuko pairing, which, while more popular than it was originally, is still a pairing that some in the fandom can't say two nice things about. Because of this, or in spite of this, all her works have a natural feel to them, flowing as if they were written as part of the series itself. Furthermore, there's something for just about everyone, romance, drama, politics, even action, despite her claims that she cannot write action scenes to save her life.

Lady Azar de Tameran
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Another Fanfiction.Net author, Azar has an amazing talent for characterization. Although most of her stories are oneshots, she manages to capture the essence of the characters in each and every story.

The A:TLA Fanon Wiki
 * Recommended by Killing Joke.
 * This is a very large fanon community, filled with unique stories of every shape, that'll have a story for everyone.

General Fics
''Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.''

Bring Me All Your Elderly by RainAndRoses
 * Status: Complete
 * Recommended by Dachusblot
 * Synopsis: After seeing M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender,' a horrified Team Avatar takes it upon themselves to travel to the Movie!World and fix everything that went wrong. Lots of epic awkwardness ensues, Zuko has an existential crisis, and the Fourth Wall takes a massive beating pretty much throughout the whole thing. Also, there's cactus juice!

Shattered and Erosion by magnusrae
 * Status: Complete
 * Recommended by GM_ace
 * Synopsis: Two fics starring magnusrae's original Earth Kingdom character, Anko, alongside the usual cast. Shattered focuses on Zuko, and then others, falling in with Anko when Aang is captured by Zhao. Erosion is a prequel fic set during the war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom that expands on Anko's backstory, showing her history up until the days of Shattered.

Unbreakable: Eyes Open Wide and Unbreakable: Wordless Goodbye by The Quiller
 * Recommended by Hekateras
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: On a fateful night six years after the end of the war, Zuko is ambushed in a forest, and won't dare firebend for fear of endangering a nearby village. As the fight goes on, he is forced to come to terms with the consequences of that choice.

Shrouded in Darkness by RoMaHazz
 * Recommended by Black Charizard
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Toph's life as a blind girl, beginning with her birth and ending with her joining the Avatar.

Teaching Toph by blankdreamer-13
 * Recommended by Black Charizard
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Features Aang teaching Toph the philosophies of the other elements, starting with Airbending, then Waterbending and Firebending. Aang and Toph's relationship grows closer, so if you like to pair them up you can read some subtext between them if you want. It stands better as friendship, though.

Hide and Seek, Our Own Walls and Over My Dignity by Swiss Army Knife
 * Recommended by Black Charizard
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Three Zuko and Sokka friendship fics. Hide and Seek features the Gaang playing hide and seek (duh) as a training exercise, in Our Own Walls Zuko and Sokka infiltrate a Fire Nation village to get some information, and in Over My Dignity the Gaang (but mostly Zuko with the help of Sokka) deal with post-war negotiations. They aren't sequels, but there is the occasional Shout-Out between them.

In His Shoes by Avocado Love
 * Recommended by Acacia
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Fairly basic Freaky Friday premise: Zuko and Sokka are forced to live each other's lives, and the subsequent plot diverges from that of canon in all the right places to reflect their different approaches to problem-solving.

 Yes I Am An Animal and Eat The Weak by Slim James
 * Recommended by Kugi Gel
 * Status: Complete, sequel Ongoing
 * Synopsis: "Iroh is dead; Zuko is now truly alone. How will the Fire Prince manage to survive without his Uncle to guide him?"

Avatar Book 4: Air by Bizmarck
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete
 * Subverted. Half of the story is complete, while the second half is comprised entirely of (still detailed) episode summaries, as the author stated he lost interest in writing out full episodes the rest of the way.
 * Synopsis: Exactly What It Says on the Tin. The war may be over, but there's still a lot of work to do in getting the world back the way it was and healing old wounds.

Heart of Fire, Path of Fire, Soul of Fire by Master Ghandalf (Work page)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis:
 * Heart of Fire: A year after the end of the war, the renegade general Azun tries to use Azula in his mad quest to return the Fire Nation to its evil ways. However, the amnesiac Azula escapes his men and falls in with a pair of peasant siblings who travel with her as she tries to regain her memories. Zuko and Mai are doing all they can to stop Azun, but it may be only Azula who is capable of doing it. Part one of a trilogy.
 * Path of Fire: Azula has regained her memory, but remains haunted by hallucinations. Her latest desperate attempt to get rid of them results in her learning the whereabouts of her mother, sending her on a quest to find her that sees her teaming back up with Ty Lee and meeting more familiar faces. But a mysterious new enemy with incredible powers is also setting her own plans for revenge into motion. Part two of a trilogy.
 * Soul of Fire: Azula has completely redeemed herself after rescuing her mother and now stands as a true hero. And none too soon, as now she has to join forces with the whole Gaang to defeat the spirit of war itself. Part three of a trilogy.

AVATAR: The Children of Fire By Red Eyes Black Dragon Master
 * Recommended by The Dark Trex
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Zuko and Toph travel about the Earth Kingdom searching for his mother while in the Fire Nation Azula has escaped from prison thanks to the help of Ozai loyalists called the Children of Fire. Some of Aang's powers have copied over to Ozai and the Fire Nation is in threat of being over taken.

Avatar Aang: An Annotated Bibliography by The Big Rocky Eye (link)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Exactly What It Says on the Tin, descriptions of a series of books written about Aang by characters in the series and others.

From Mori to Smellerbee by Deep Azula Eyes
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: The tragic tale of how the daughter of a noble house became a Well-Intentioned Extremist named Smellerbee.

Reassembled by artemisrae (Also on FanFiction.Net)
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: When they all come together again. Seven reunions in the immediate aftermath of Sozin's Comet.

Guide Me Home by Qwi-Xux (link)
 * Recommended by Caellach Tiger Eye
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Ursa/Hakoda is the main one; Canon Pairings all compliant.
 * Synopsis: This is a story which looks at Ursa and Hakoda, who meet offscreen during the events of Book One, and their incredible journey as they grow to understand one another and fall in love.

The Children of War by Master Ghandalf
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Ursa is betrothed to Ozai, but soon learns Azulon has hidden motives for agreeing to the match. Meanwhile, recently promoted General Iroh begins to make a name for himself as The Dragon of the West.

Opheliac by cupid-painted-blind
 * Recommended by J Blaze
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Ozai may not be able to bend, but he's hardly powerless. Desperate to stop his father before civil war breaks out, Zuko is forced to turn to the only person who can possibly outsmart him: Azula.

Swim by sodomquake
 * Recommended by Joysweeper
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "Zuko, gen, about a PG-13, a little bit navel-gazing from time to time, spoilers up through the start of Book 3, warnings for some gross injury talk and for not making all that much sense all the time and for anyone who is, like my girlfriend, afraid of hypothermia."

(Unnamed Fic) by sodomquake
 * Rec'd by Joysweeper.
 * Status:
 * Synopsis: "Meant to be something that would happen in the show, only dumber." In Ba Sing Se, Zuko gets a baby out of harm's way and has to take care of it for a bit.

Adaptation by ali_wildgoose
 * Rec'd by Joysweeper
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "In which young Zuko disapproves of "Love Amongst the Dragons" (the tale of Princess Soza, Avatar Kuro, and a love that was never meant to be)."

Three Years At Sea by amanda91
 * Recommended by The Evil Oboist
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: "Zuko adjusts to his new situation, Iroh tries to guide him, and the Universe seems content to make the prince's life as miserable as possible. A series of short fics detailing Zuko's banishment."

Silent by Aleina Reigning
 * Recommended by Caellach Tiger Eye
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "Azula didn't always loathe her brother- instead she took her parents' words to heart and believed herself a monster. This story addresses a question I often think about- How loud does a cry for help have to be before it is answered?"

Shadow of the Dragon King by Lunatique
 * Recommended by Amanda91
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Why did a father turn so violently against his son? How did a teenaged prince earn a powerful enemy like Zhao? In this version of events, Zuko's exile was about much more than speaking out of turn: It was about the soul of a nation.

"My Own Savior" by Dragon of The West
 * Recommended by Killing Joke
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The tale of a troubled earthbender's life and his pursuit of redeeming for his misdeeds under the tutelage of Avatar Aang.

Fyre's Guide to Creativity by Forever Fyre
 * Recommended by The Rich Sheik
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The Avatar characters are actors, sick of playing the badly thought out, disturbing, and cliche fan fiction. Join Forever Fyre and friends on their quest to promote originality and fresh ideas into the dying fandom.

I Love Bad Fanfiction by Jiao-Jie
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Do YOU get tired of seeing the same stories over and over again? Sick of Mary Sues? Strange cross-overs? Do you like parties? Yes? Then come inside! This is my I Love Bad Fanfiction party and everyone is invited! An Inspired by Fyre story!

Alloys by DrunkenGrognard
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: To foster a child is to have a hostage; but while it can lead to troubled times it can also lead to peace... and the difference can be as thin and sharp as a knife's edge.

Consequences of Our Pasts: The Aftermath: Aang's Book by Gepetto
 * Recommended by Yami Vizzini
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: The War is over, but the Avatar is still needed. There's still discontent and anger in the world, waiting for someone to use it, and if the Air Nomads aren't found, the Cycle will fall apart.

Til Death Do us Part by Vivki So
 * Recommended by Kereea
 * Status: Completed
 * Synopsis: The Avatar and company face their greatest challenge: planning and getting through Zuko and Katara's wedding day! Why oh why couldn't they have just eloped? Comedic drabbles and randomness for everyone who hates weddings! COMPLETE!
 * This is not so much a Zutara fic as a massive crack fic with every "this can funny thing can happen at a wedding" cliche ever. In fact, despite the premise it's not a pairing fic at all besides having multiple crack pairs hinted at, most people getting happy endings, and Toph making fun of Azula's bridesmaid's dress with the line "I may be blind, but I can sense fugly a mile away". And did I mention that there's an open bar...?

''What SHOULD have Happened in AtLA by daveshan
 * Recommended by Gigle
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Okay, it's not quite a fanfic. It's actually the Avatar characters going through each episode of the show and either choosing to instead do what any reasonable person would do or pointing out how ridiculous what they are actually doing is. Jokes tend to include Zuko's inconsistent fighting capabilities, Appa's apparent unwillingness to ever help in fights and Toph's inconsistent super senses.

General Oneshots
Compass Lost by Zetjintsu
 * Recommended by Koop
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Ursa tries to reconnect with Azula during an important firebending rite of passage.

Thirty Avatar Short Stories by Sophia Prester
 * Recommended by Black Charizard
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: A collection of oneshots about several characters, from the main to the minor ones. There's even one for the Cabbage Merchant!

Azula Always Lies by Brownish
 * Recommended by Gracie Geek
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Azula always lies, even to herself. Azula is escaping the country, followed by the persistent hallucination of Ursa. Set after the show finale.

A Long And Lonely Night by Coeus
 * Recommended by Gemmifer
 * Status: Completed
 * Synopsis: Takes place during one night shortly after Azula seized Ba Sing Se; describes the thoughts and feelings of nearly the entire cast, as they all seem to lie awake that night.

Sleeping Close by Swiss Army Knife
 * Recommended by Mew24ever
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: A Sokka-centric fic examining the role Sokka plays in the Gaang, told through the eyes of Hakoda.

Male Bonding by Rawles and Ali Wildgoose
 * Recommended by The Lobster
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: As much as she intensely dislikes it, Katara understands why Zuko had to join them. What she doesn't understand is why he and Sokka have to spend every waking moment in each other's company.

Tenzin Talk With Toph by yerachael (fluffy)
 * Recommended by Agogobell
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Lin Beifong / Tenzin
 * Synopsis: Lin has a crush on Tenzin. Will Toph find out?

Never Look at the Sun by May Flyer
 * Recommended by Rebecca Hb.
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: There is no war in Ba Sing Se. Ask Jet. He can tell you.

Tools and Masterminds by Master Ghandalf
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: There was a bit more to Azulon's death than revealed in the show. Ozai gives Azula a lesson in being a Magnificent Bastard.

Season One Remix: Shirtless Zuko Style by Jakia
 * Recommended by Marlee Cross
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Everyone (and I mean everyone!)
 * Synopsis: Basically, an episode by episode look at how the series would have been different if Zuko had spent the entire time shirtless. Also check out the sequel: Season Two Remix: Shirtless Zuko Style

Theft Absolute by Vathara
 * Recommended by Squealing Sandry
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: None
 * Synopsis: Because anybody who could break into the North Pole has to have thought theft through better than that... AU bit of "The Cave of Two Lovers".

Since You Asked by Mistress of Sarcasm
 * Recommended by loracarol, Somariel
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: None
 * Synopsis: While at the Western Air Temple, Zuko and Sokka bond over swords, sisters, meat and girlfriends.

The Innocence of Youth by Omoni
 * Recommended by Neenie
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: None
 * Synopsis: Aang and The Talk

Slumber My Darling by auri mynonys
 * Reccommended by Fat Rat
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Toph has spent years trying to reconcile herself with her family, but when that fails, she withdraws to Ba Sing Se – and Iroh's teashop. There she tries to recover from old wounds with Iroh's help.

Combustion Countdown by snappleducated
 * Recommended by Candelabra
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: When Zuko's burned, branded, scarred, Azula smiles because it's the expression most familiar to her, and she doesn't want to think about what she should be doing instead. — Azula, Zuko

The Alchemy of Fire (and its sequel) by Shadowhawke.
 * Recommended by Candelabra
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Arc I of a series: The nature of Fire is that it transforms, and so after their victory the Gaang must deal with the aftermath of 'peace' amidst battle, growth, self-discovery, and the startling changes and beauty of love. Based on a slightly AU finale.

His Fathers Son by Marvel26. ""Power is not given. It must be taken""
 * Recommended by Dommie222
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis:

- The Godfather III

No One Cares About this Story (Or the Stuff That Happened to Xin Fu and Master Yu After They Got Written Out of All the Important Parts of History) by "peroxidepest"
 * Recommended by monster_lover13
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Slight hint of Xin Fu
 * Synopsis: Xin Fu and Master Yu do many pointless and idiotic things while the world moves on. Exactly What It Says on the Tin
 * Warnings: Spoilers for the 2nd season finale and onwards. OCs because Xin Fu and Master Yu didn't really interact with the known characters in the time of this story. Also, above mentioned Xin Fu.

Book One: Water by aliwildgoose
 * Recommended by The Evil Oboist
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: A "deleted scenes"-style drabble for each of the episodes of Book One.
 * Pairings: Mostly gen, but Aang/Katara, Jet/Katara, Jet/Sokka, Bato/Hakoda, Zuko/Mai, and Sokka/Suki are hinted at or discussed.

Baak by trascendenza
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Note on the Title: 'Baak' is the romanization of this fic's actual title, as the original characters cannot be rendered in standard HTML.
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Azula, post-canon, picking up the pieces.

Imakaimaka by Gingeh
 * Recommended by Yami Vizzini
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The one to kill the Avatar would have to be brilliant, powerful, stealthy, ruthless – and unexpected.

Crossing by Ingrid
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Three years after the war, four old friends reunite on Kyoshi Island. A Toph, Suki, Katara, and Ty Lee friendship fic.

Saving Face by meltinglacier
 * Recommended by Progeny Ex Machina
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The psychological showdown between Mai and Koh that was always meant to be.

Dreams by Simply Christian
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "Do not judge a man until you have walked a month in his shoes," says a Native American proverb. The spirits are satisfied with Katara walking only one night.

Operational Risk Management by Kimberly T.
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: How could the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe have dared to leave their own people utterly defenseless, to answer the Earth Kingdom's call for aid? Well, as it turned out, Hakoda had a plan... Warning: NOT a cute-n-fluffy fic.

Arnaaluk: The Woman Under The Ice by plumbloom
 * Recommended by Leradny
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: On the morning that Katara turned 13, she awoke to the smell of blood.

Conversations by Georgia Peaches
 * Recommended by Veloren
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "Zuko… you should grow a mustache." Aang and Zuko were stuck in that green stuff for a long time before the Sun Warriors found them. Silly, perfectly in-character crack.

Alternate Universe Fics
Stories where one fundamental aspect of the series is completely overhauled from its point of origin.

Looking Glass Wars by Lady Azar de Tameran
 * Recommended by Veloren
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: His mother is gone. His uncle is missing. And Zuko runs for his very life. An AU oneshot in which a very young Zuko flees the Fire Nation to avoid assasination, and ends up working for the White Lotus Society.

Our Large White Rock by guyw1tn0nam3
 * Recommended by ryuclockwork
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: They were all naive, young, but most importantly friends. A collection of short dialogues between a group of children, who create a story to convey their grief, despair, and dreams. That story is called Avatar.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Revised by Lovelyb0nes
 * Recommended by Doc Quinzel
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Join sixteen-year-old Ain, who was recently freed from self-exile, as he stokes the fires of rebellion and fights the Fire Nation, all with the coming solar flare looming overhead. Aiding him on his quest are nineteen-year-old chieftess Kyasin Jai, her sibling, the seventeen-year-old warrior Sakodi, and seventeen-year-old con artist Sai - but perhaps his friends are not what they seem.
 * Pairings: Sakodi/Suki

The Chong Sheng Trilogy by Rachel The Demon
 * Recommended by Beatrix Kiddo
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Splits off from the Season 2 episode "Appa's Lost Days." Delves into how the war could've really taken a few particularly gruesome turns had this not been a kids' show. There is some shipping, but it's not the story's main focus at all. Some original characters abound, but they're also well-constructed characters. Very dark, very gripping. Author has Nightmare Fuel down to a fine art, especially in the second installment.
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara, Mai/Ty Lee, Jet/Katara

Bringing Out the Blue by maguena1 (link)
 * Recomended by Felinesquids
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: The arrow injured the Blue Spirit instead of knocking him out, and Aang never found out his identity. Zuko made a Plan. He didn't expect so many truths to come from the lies. As Zuko struggles with the way that the Avatar and his companions are nothing like he expected, all their destinies begin to change subtly.
 * Pairings: All canon pairings, the most obvious being Maiko
 * Additional info: Now has its own page.

Life Bound by clockworkchaos
 * Recommended by Much Ado About Nonny
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Toph is a properly raised earth kingdom lady. With properly bound feet.
 * Pairings: Toph/OC, if you squint. He's a suitably awesome OC, too.

The Problem With Zuko By Avocado Love
 * Recommended by Aryashi
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis:When Prince Lu Ten returns with the Avatar and his Water Tribe companions in chains, Zuko is put in charge of their imprisonment. But things are not what they seem, both with the child Avatar and his own family. And soon, he will have a decision to make.

Gradual Changes by Kasamari (Alternate Reality/Ship Fic)
 * Recommended by Mr Mallard
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Taang, Zutara, Azula X OC and Ty Lee X OC.
 * Synopsis: A fic set in the modern day where Aang, as a 12 year old, sneaks into the Bei Fong place to get a ball and winds up meeting Toph who befriends him. A while later he has to leave town. Roughly 6 years later, he comes back and he and Toph become friends again. But something has changed between them, and they don't even know it...

Water Tribe by Rufftoon (Alternate Reality/)
 * Recommended by Liffguard
 * Status:
 * Synopsis: A fan comic with the premise that Zhao is spared by the Ocean Spirit, losing his memories and identity but not his basic personality. He's just as much of a Smug Snake as he always was.

Another Brother by Avocado Love (Alternate Reality, link)
 * Recommended by Otempora
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: An AU fic set before "The Boy in the Iceberg". Hakoda finds a scarred Fire Nation boy in a lifeboat. Hakoda takes Zuko back to the Water Tribe, where he befriends Sokka and Katara.

Knives in the Dark by Menamebephil (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Meklor
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: What if  had been taken by the fire nation during the raid where Kya was killed, and eventually became an assassin for Azula? Starts off at the beginning of season 2, and includes relationships between the captive/Ty Lee and Mai/Zuko.

The Requiem of Seasons: Book One - Spring by Radiant Requiem (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Shining Amaterasu
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Set in an Alternate Universe where the canon storyline and characters from the series never existed, T Ro S follows the story of Hayate, a boy from the Southern Water Tribe city of Sakuramura. Hayate stands out for being completely devoid of any waterbending talent, which is commonplace in the Water Tribes. The day starts out fairly normally, if not a little annoying, for him, until things take a turn for the worse. During a ceremony, the city is attacked by the Earth Kingdom, falling rather quickly. Most of the population is killed or taken prisoner, and by sheer chance Hayate, joined by resident jerkass Kiro and child prodigy Sukai, manages to escape the captured city. With nowhere to go back to, the three kids set on a journey to find out who was behind the attack on Sakuramura and what was the reason for it.

Distorted Reality by Ogro (Alternate Reality, link)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner, Progeny Ex Machina, Grand Prince Paul II
 * Status: Dead (the author has posted a summary including the unfinished second half)
 * Synopsis: Two years after failing to defeat Ozai, a bitter and cynical Aang is told by the previous Avatars that to fix things he'll have to have a completely new experience. With all his memories but not his abilities intact, Aang suddenly finds himself in a world where the Water Tribe attacked the other nations, as he travels with Zuko and Azula while being pursued by the exiled Prince Sokka and Kanna.

Avatar: The Last Firebender by clockworkchaos (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Aang didn't run away, and with the Avatar's help Fire Lord Sozin was subdued. However, in his place the Air Nomads became power hungry and attacked the rest of the world. A hundred years later the Fire Nation capital is finally destroyed and only Azula escapes. Circumstances lead her to the South Pole where she picks up Katara and Sokka, and the three of them need to find a way to defeat the Air Nomads, including the Avatar.

Darkest Before Dawn by Sifu Toph (Alternate Continuity)
 * Recommended by Deadpool Fan
 * Status: Possibly dead
 * Synopsis: Based in a semi-alternate universe, as it was written before and during the third season. Surprising though one can also see a lot of canon in it too, just by sheer luck. In the story, things didn't end as happily for Zuko as they did and in the end he became increasingly insane especially after Iroh's death. Now his former friends are trying to stop him. Toph and Sokka are sent on a mission to save an important person that's rotting away in a Fire Nation prison, but they're deep behind enemy lines and their chances of success are slim.

What It Is To Burn by Sky Warrior 108 (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Chad
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Due to Ursa's Death by Childbirth, Zuko is Ozai's favorite instead of Azula. Some of Azula's character is still there, like her ability to assess situations and her being firebending prodigy, but she's nice. And she gets sent off on what should have been Zuko's quest, complete with half a face courtesy of Dear old Dad, but with Ty Lee, because Iroh's dead. Did I mention Azula was a life-long victim of parental abuse? And Zhao's out to bone her? Azula-Centric, and obviously, the meetings with the Gaang are different.

Parlor Tricks by Lyralocke (Alternate Universe)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dead
 * Synopsis: In the era of US Prohibition, the city of Omashu is a cesspool of rival bootlegging gangs. After Boss Ozai of the Dragons wipes out the Aces, the gang's only survivor is taken in by the beleagured Riversiders and quickly revealed to be the Avatar.

The Fall of the Fire Empire (link) and Legacy of the Fire Empire by Master Ghandalf (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete, Sequel in Progress
 * Synopsis: It is a hundred years after Aang failed to defeat Ozai, and the Fire Nation rules the world under the control of the ancient but still very powerful and canny Azula. But various people throughout the world are starting to make moves towards finally ending the empire's reign.

Brothers In Arms by fuzzytomato (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Fire Lizard In A Bottle
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: In a palace in Ba Sing Se, one man awaits his death, one boy his torture, and another his destiny. An Iroh, Sokka and Zuko adventure.

When All Your Dreams Come True by Atiaran (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by MAI 742
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: When Zuko captures the Gaang and his honor is restored, he couldn't be happier... but he quickly learns that the 'return' to his old life is nothing like what he had imagined. AU, obviously.

Burn My Dread Complete by Miles Edgeworth (Alternate Universe)
 * Recommended by Zero Sennin
 * Status: Complete - the sequel is ongoing
 * Synopsis: Avatar meets Persona 3. Aang is a new student at the illustrious Phoenix High School in Ba Sing Se, run by the powerful Phoenix Group. As he meets up with various students, he learns that he is tied to the fate of not only his world, but also another... and that not all of his new friends are as ordinary as they look.

Book 3: Fire by xcgirl08 (Alternate Continuity)
 * Recommended by The Otaku Ninja
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Picks up where Season Two leaves us hanging... enjoy.

Reconstructed Destinies by DJNS (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Prince Aang, the lighthearted son of Fire Lord Ozai, decides to prove his honor by tracking down the Avatar on his own. Meanwhile, the sullen Avatar Zuko is discovered at the South Pole.

Blood, Silk, and Steel by Lost In A Dark Wood (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Nine of Eight
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Features a world where Hakoda died instead of Kya, turning Sokka into something between an Anti-Hero and a Villain Protagonist with shades of Magnificent Bastard. Instead of teaming up with Aang, as he does in the show, Sokka cast his lot with Zuko, helping him capture the Avatar and hitching a ride with Zuko to the Fire Nation, where he eventually hooks up with none other than Princess Azula.

Embers by Vathara (Alternate Continuity, link)
 * Recommended by Kalaong
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Early in Season Two, Zuko inadvertently discovers a method of using Firebending to heal. Zuko's discovery of nonviolent Firebending enables him to make a deeper connection with Iroh . Thus, he never strikes out on his own, learning from Iroh and experiencing the transformations of his canon mid-season Three Epiphany Therapy slowly over the course of Season Two. Eventually, he even

Damascus by drakensis (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by SAMAS
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Avatar Aang disappeared a long time ago. Avatar Kanna died at Serpent's Pass, taking Azulon and Iroh down with her. With the Fire Nation almost completely in control of the world, Toph Bei Fong is sent to Omashu where she gains a friend in Mai, and displays an aptitude for Firebending. But Toph of course has a secret: She's an Earthbender. Her learning Firebending can mean only one thing...

The Siege of the South by Lavanya Six (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Aang is freed from the iceberg after just 35 years by the teenaged Hama. The two of them soon team up with Kanna, and become good friends as Aang begins his training. He soon needs it when the Fire Nation attacks in force.

Chigai by Shinji Shazaki (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by beeftony
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Takes place in a universe where Aang wasn't found until several years after Sozin's comet. Focuses on two characters of the author's creation, Kailas Arav and Hova, and their role in staging the revolution that marks the Avatar's triumphant return.

The Gentleman of Weapons by Menamebephil (Alternate Universe)
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: In a world where things went just a little differently, Grand Lotus Piandao leads the Order of the White Lotus against the ruthless Fire Lord Iroh.

Morality Chain by Pureauthor (Alternate Reality)
 * Recommended by Completenerd
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: In short, Zuko and Azula love each other. No, not like that.

Second Nature by Lazy Artisan.
 * Recommended by Doodleniks
 * Status: Probably dead
 * Synopsis: Zuko is captured by the Northern Water Tribe at the end of season one, but eventually escapes, and makes his own way across the Earth Kingdom.

Enslaved by sharkflip (link)
 * Recommended by Jetfire
 * Status: Dormant
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: A triumphant war party returns with an exotic slave, a gift for the ruling house. Katara and Zuko AU.

Assimilation by Rebecca Hb
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Mai's father argues to the Firelord that the Water Tribesmen can be educated and made into proper sorts of people. So Azulon sees he gets a boy to prove this on.

The Full Metal Bitch by Lavanya Six
 * Recommended by Kalaong
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Who is Toph? Toph is the Greatest Earthbender in the World. What is Toph? Toph is not blind, but merely incapable of seeing anyone less awesome than she is. What could make Toph even more Crazy Awesome than she already is? Time. When the Gaang encounter her in Season Two, she is not twelve, but twenty-two. A veteran of the Siege of Ba Sing Se - perhaps the reason it failed. The richest woman in the Earth Kingdom due to her unique secret of Metalbending. Master of all around her. This doesn't make her as happy as she thought it would. So why should anyone else be happy?

A Twist Of Fate by Akatsuki Leader13
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Aang is killed in Sozin's purge of the Air Nomads, so that by the time a hundred years have passed, the current Avatar is none other than Azula. She's branded an automatic traitor and outlaw as soon as this becomes apparent, and is forced to travel with Katara and Sokka as she struggles to come to terms with her new life.

Reluctant Hero by P.A.W.07
 * Recommended by Caellach Tiger Eye
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: It had been an accident. That was what Zuko had said to his crew when he bended an element he hadn't been meant to. He wasn't the Avatar. The newest Avatar was in the Earth-kingdom hidden by its walls. Unless that Avatar had died long ago. So... how had he done it? AU

Scarlet and Black by Vathara (Alternate Continuity)
 * Recommended by Caellach Tiger Eye
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: "Zuko lost much more than an Agni Kai... AU tag to episode 2." Basically, Zuko was

ab igne ignem capere by Sangi (Alternate Universe Fic)
 * Recommended by K 9 The First 1
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: "In another world, Azula was born first. In another world, Azula wasn't the favorite."

Children of the War, Book 1: Water, Book 2: Earth, Book 3: Fire, and The War of Flames by James Golen (Alternate Universe Fic)
 * Recommended by Jacob Greyson
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: A rewrite of the entire series, essentially starting from the second season onward, based around the fundamental changes which result from Jeong Jeong throwing in his lot with Azulon thirty years ago. Ty Lee joins the Gaang, instead of Suki, and there's a deeper focus on the psychology of the characters, especially the villains. The War of Flames is its sequel, focusing on Azula, which according to Word of God, is going to be her redemption story. The whole series is now, per the author, finished.

Roku's Comet by Glyndwr
 * Recommended by Progeny Ex Machina
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: In his journeys, a naive Roku learns of the horrors of war, and becomes determined to someday put a stop to it.

The World Without the War by S-Michael (link)
 * Recommended by: shaun
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: The world of Avatar as it would have been without the century-long war.

Lotus Resiliens by Misora
 * Recommended by peachychan
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Season 3 Alternate Reality, past 310-311. Following the failed attempt to confront the Fire Lord during the Eclipse, Aang and his friends, accompanied by Zuko, must discover a new path towards ending the war - and unraveling the course of their shared destinies.

Ashes, Ashes by dragonsinparis
 * Recommended by Candelabra
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Things go a little differently at the Boiling Rock. As it turns out, sometimes one choice can change everything. Then again, sometimes a different one can change it back again.

The Chosen by Loopy777 (Also on FanFiction.net)
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Following his defeat at the hands of Avatar Aang, an unknown force allows Ozai to live his life over again.

Rest for the Wicked by Avocado Love
 * Recommended by Queenbri
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Ostensibly takes place... um... actually I have almost no idea when this story takes place. Basically it takes place in the Dexter-verse and it involves everybody's favorite serial killer doing what he does best to everyone's favorite Evil Overlord. Amazingly enough, both Dexter and Ozai manage to stay in character.

Destinies Rewritten by Master Ghandalf
 * Recommend by Eegah
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Lu Ten was not killed during the seige of Ba Sing Se, allowing Iroh to continue and win the battle, before becoming Fire Lord a year later. Now with Omashu the only free Earth Kingdom city (and Bumi the de facto Earth King), Hakoda has negotiated a new alliance between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, leading to some northern soldiers being stationed to protect the Southern tribe. Meanwhile, Prince Ozai is chafing under his brother's thumb, and sends Zuko and Azula to find the Avatar so he'll be able to swing popular opinion toward him becoming the new Fire Lord. Enter Katara, Sokka, and an iceberg...

Dragons in the Sun by donahermurphy
 * Recommended by Meteor
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: Fire Lord Ozai favors a more permanent solution to the problem of Zuko, and the spirits disagree. By allowing him to befriend an orphaned nest of dragons.

Speech Acts by ferricent
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: What if bending was like sign language?

Promises to Keep by Kimberly T
 * Recommended by Stratagemini
 * Status: In-Progress
 * Synopsis: One pirate gets impulsive, and an event starting in 'The Waterbending Scroll' sends ripples throughout the rest of Seasons 1, 2 and 3. Basically, a bad end in The Water Bending scroll leads to Katara being held prisoner by Zuko for much longer than either of them expected.

Imagine the Ocean by Damkianna
 * Recommended by Kaza999
 * Status: In-progress
 * Synopsis: Aang dies right before Katara is born, rendering her the Avatar.

Firestarter by Ondjage
 * Recommended by Parasurd
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: What if Zuko had gone against destiny the day of Black Sun and had killed his father then and there while he was powerless? What would the outcome be? More importantly, what would happen to the Fire Nation and an already unstable Princess? Temp. HIATUS.

"Journey" by "TezTra"
 * Recommended by templar627
 * "Status": In- Progress
 * "Synopsis": Avatar Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation and now lives in hiding, just wanting to stay low in the shadows. Dai Li Agent Toph was assigned to find the Avatar before the Fire Nation Princess, Azula, does. All is chaotic, but it is just the beginning...

Transference by Scuttlebutt Inc
 * Recommended by Eona
 * Pairings: Sokka/Zuko,
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: A high school AU that is absolutely amazing. The authors have done a great job making the characters believable. There is a prequel fic on Scuttlebutt Inc's fanfiction.net profile that is also worth checking out.

The Black Games and The Rise of One by Mrs Pettyfer
 * Recommended by adelz2
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Status: The Black Games is complete and The Rise of One is ongoing.
 * Synopsis: Once bound by ice, now bound by fire. 12 provinces. 24 tributes. 1 winner. Let the games begin.

Elsewhere Fics
''Stories that take place in-universe, but have little to do with actual canon, canon characters, etc. Almost always involve a cast of Original Characters, with possible cameos by canon ones. Any characters from actual canon are most likely one-shot characters or those with no given back-story.''

Avatar: The Legend of Keana by mramirez1991
 * Recommended by Ryan Lohner
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: After Aang's death, the next Avatar is a girl from the Southern Water Tribe named Keana. But there's a mysterious new evil power rising, and her quest to master the bending arts has enough danger to rival Aang's.

Darling by Dark Puck
 * Recommended by Rebecca Hb.
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: During the Occupation of Ba Sing Se, the Dai Li discover that one of their treasures has been stolen and abused. Dai Li-centric, Original Character.

Roses of the Valley by Funk Oni
 * Recommended by dreamshell
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The journey of a Fire Nation woman as she attempts to spread peace over conflict. Her actions bring her to the Kun valley, filled with adventure, conflict, friendship and a man known only as The Demon of War. Mostly OCs, canon character cameos.

Scorched Earth by J.Idanian (link)
 * Recommended by Red Cedar
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: An earthbender from a village conquered by the Fire Nation travels through a war-torn world seeking freedom for his people, picking up some interesting companions and learning more than he really wanted to along the way, about them, himself, and the world.

Spiral's Beginning by Shadow Wasserson
 * Recommended by Potman
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The story of the very first Avatar, fixing a big war between all the four nations.

Where Words Fail By TEi of Radio
 * Recommended by vp21ct
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The Story of Longshot and Smellerbee after they stay behind with their leader Jet.
 * Additional info: Has 6 parts. Illustrations for the first 4 parts here http://sioute.deviantart.com/art/WWF-1-1-126520560.

Plight of the Freedom Fighters by Sioute
 * Recommended by Aerodactylus
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: Smellerbee and Longshot escape from from the Dai Li headquarters with the mostly dead Jet, determined to save him.

Ultimate Avatar by EllaHayBoyz1234
 * Reccommended by Lightning Knight
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Possibly a trollfic, this So Bad It's Good story crosses Avatar: The Last Airbender, Maximum ride, and a teenage girl's fantasies. Rainbow Tracey Midnite Patterson Cullen (no relation to Edward), is given wings and a family in the flock. Eventually she goes through a portal (or "protal") and discovers she's an avatar! (Yes, 'an').

Mara The First Avatar by vifetoile89
 * Recommended by marikunin
 * Status: Complete
 * Synopsis: The story of the very first Avatar, a Water Tribe woman named Mara. Told like a traditional folktale. All OCs.

Gilded Green by Caelum Blue
 * Recommended by Feline Squids
 * Status: Complete, though a sequel should be posted soon.
 * Synopsis: "At the end of Iroh's Siege, the Dai Li decide to test their brainwashing abilities on a Fire Nation soldier. They don't know that their guinea pig-rat happens to be a supposedly-dead prince. First in a series."
 * Additional Info: The series will eventually span the six years Lu Ten spends thinking he's a Dai Li agent(and that everybody else spends thinking he died horribly). The OCs in the fic are spectacular, by the way.

Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

A Million Ways To Say I Love You by Mystic Katt (slash, femmeslash, het, animal pairings)
 * Recommended by The Affable Paranoiac
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Virtually all of them. From the Canon to the Crack Pairings.
 * Synopsis: A compilation of short fics based on just about every ship you would expect and many you wouldn't.

Cog In The Machine by ardy1 (femmeslash)
 * Recommended by Extraintrovert
 * Pairing(s): Sokka/Azula, Sokka/Ty Lee, Ty Lee/Anything that moves, insinuated Azula/Zhao
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: A Sokka-capture fic, originally intended as a parody of IKEA Erotica Sokka-capture fics, but rapidly evolved into a contemplative, loquacious, heavily character-driven four-way mental battle between Sokka, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai bordering on a Gambit Pileup while still keeping the characters believable.

Tempest in a Teacup by Aka Vertigo (AU)
 * Recommended by Universalperson
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: A counterpoint to Another Brother. Iroh finds a little Katara after a Fire Nation raid.

Lanterns by A-Terrible-Anonymess
 * Recommended by Revlid
 * Status: Complete/Possibly dead
 * Pairing(s): Aang/Azula, with moments of Aang/Katara
 * Synopsis: The Avatar giving the deposed princess a bit of therapy, simple as that. Well, it would be, if his friends would just stay out of the way for one night...

Reign Within by Rawles
 * Recommended by The Lobster
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Mai/Ozai, implied Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: She knows that she was not the reason. Not nearly. Her mother has merely ensured that she is one of the benefits.

Mai Rants about Zutara by keylee
 * Recommended by Potman
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Mai/Zuko, Katara/Aang
 * Synopsis: Exactly What It Says on the Tin. Her rant uses high amounts of sarcasm, so beware.

Release by Superbleh11
 * Recommended by Deadpool Fan
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Suki/Sokka/Toph Love Triangle
 * Synopsis: Its four years after Ozai is defeated and the Gaang is trying save Suki from a prison. But the rebels in the Fire Nation have other plans.

An Auspicious Beginning by DJNS
 * Recommended by The Evil Oboist
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Mai/Zuko, Aang/Katara, Sokka/Suki
 * Synopsis: Mai and Zuko's wedding day does not go quite according to plan.

Memories from the Western Air Temple by Darth Animus (Eventual slash) (Also on FanFiction.Net)
 * Recommended by Lua, Somariel
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Pairings: Zuko/Aang. Eventually. Really, most of it is gen.
 * Synopsis: The amazing thing about openly caring about the people around you, is that you learn to care about yourself as well. Zuko had never truly known companionship before he joined the Avatar.

Okay, We're In Trouble by Suzukiblu (explicit slashy smut)
 * Recommended by Rebecca Hb.
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Sokka/Jet, Sokka/Zuko, Sokka/Zuko/Jet
 * Synopsis: During season one, Zuko, Jet, and Sokka get captured and thrown in a metal box together by Earth Kingdom soldiers. Zuko's been drugged but the company's medic is new at the job, and Zuko's horny rather than spilling everything to any questions put to him. Sokka, naturally, wants to get out of the box however possible. Jet is, well, Jet.

Sexual Dimorphism, or Five Times Sokka Acceded Victory by Juxtaposie
 * Recommended by Joysweeper
 * Pairings: Sokka/Suki
 * Synopsis: Five moments every couple must face. Sokka wants to stick to tradition. Unfortunately, so does Suki.

As It Should Be by xcgirl08
 * Recommended by Marlee Cross
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Aang/Toph, Aang/Katara.
 * Synopsis: Aang and Toph are married, and Toph asks him one night if he ever wishes she were Katara.

Dancing in the Dark by DamageCtrl
 * Recommended by ~1angelette~
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara. Wait, don't go yet...
 * Synopsis: Having heard a rumor about two tea servers in the lower tiers of Ba Sing Se, Katara and Toph sneak away go to investigate only to have their suspicions confirmed. Zutara, Blutara.

The Hunter and the Prey by RedNovember
 * Recommended by Rabid Rainbow
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: The Prince of the Fire Nation will do anything to find the legendary Avatar, but what if the bait he captures to lure the Avatar decides to fight back and gains his attention in more ways than one?

A Man's Drink by Fandomme
 * Recommended by Clandestine Clear
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: Upon meeting Hakoda for the first time, Zuko discovers that Water Tribesmen have a unique way of determining manhood.

Things Fall Apart by MoonClaimed
 * Recommended by Jetfire
 * Status: Dormant
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: Each chapter is a facet of the Zutara fandom that has a serious flaw in logic, whether its purpose is to bring them together or keep them apart. No character bashing.

Mai's Ramblings by Loopy (link, also on Fanfiction)
 * Recommended by Badwolfwho
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Most of them
 * Synopsis: Mai's secret thoughts on all the Avatar ships - you know the funny is coming when the driest, most critical personality in the show decides to let it all out! Everything Avatar is analyzed and described in the most ridiculous way possible! A fan favorite!

Without a Fight and its sequel Never Give Up by suzukiblu
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status:
 * Pairing: Zuko/Song
 * Synopsis: Thirteen years old and alone in the Earth Kingdom, thrown out of his life and family and destiny with the burn on his face still raw and new, Zuko does not want to go on.

Crossing and Float by Sodom Quake
 * Recommended by Ailey
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Jet/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Crossing: 1. The act by which anything is crossed; as, the crossing of the ocean. [...] 4. Intersection, as of two paths or roads. [...] 6. Contradiction; thwarting; obstruction.

Infected by The Plaid Hatter (animal slash)
 * Recommended by Sara Jaye
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Momo/Appa
 * Synopsis: Momo thinks about his feelings towards Appa. Fluff ensues.

Stare by RazzyPop
 * Recommended by Sara Jaye
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Longshot/Smellerbee
 * Synopsis: A few years after the series' end, Smellerbee reflects and Longshot announces his feelings towards her in typical Longshot fashion.

Inspirations by MorganEnjoysFanfiction
 * Recommended by Sara Jaye
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Aang/Katara
 * Synopsis: A series of drabbles in no particular order.

48th by Otabe Yatsuhashi
 * Recommended by Marlee Cross
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: It had been Katara's 48th capture by Zuko. She wonders when Aang and Sokka will finally get the picture.

A Little Murder by Squidward Cullen
 * Recommended by Marlee Cross
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara.
 * Synopsis: Set in season 1. Katara breaks into Zuko's ship with the intent to kill him in his sleep. It doesn't work out...well not really.

Stormbenders by Fandomme
 * Recommended by beeftony
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: S3 AU from FBM. Deep in the Fire Nation jungle, the Gaang discovers a rogue tribe of exiled water ninja who send Zuko and Katara on a mission to recover the Fire Nation's secret battle plans.

The Tall Ships by alligatorade
 * Recommended by flamewolf
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Suki/Sokka
 * Synopsis: Sometimes the tides turn, and former lovers have to move on with their lives. But then again, sometimes we can learn to use the turning tides to our own advantage.

The Usual Reasons by Ali Wildgoose
 * Recommended by lettergirl
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Sokka/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Sokka would swear, later on, that it was completely innocent when it started.

Spilled In Beside Her by Rawles.
 * Recommended by The Evil Oboist
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: One-shot following the fall of Ba Sing Se. Mai decides to get drunk because she hates life in the Earth Kingdom and she thinks that Zuko doesn't like her the way she likes him. Zuko joins her, and they get smashed. One Thing Led to Another...

Something to Hold Onto by Ali Wildgoose (AU)
 * Recommended by lettergirl
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Jet/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Since the day the walls of Ba Sing Se fell, the Freedom Fighters have struggled to protect what remains of the city and its people. Jet and his second command, a mysterious boy named Li, have spent the summer piecing together an army, hoping for a chance to take the city back for good. But Li is also Zuko, and the time for that secret is quickly running out. Soon, he'll have to decide exactly who he is, what cause he's going to fight for and where his heart lies. Note: This is an AU that takes place during Season Three, and is built on the conceit that Jet never saw Iroh Firebending his tea.

Captive and Captor by theunknownvoice
 * Status: Complete
 * Recommended by Fat Rat
 * Aang/Azula
 * Synopsis: AU Azula manages to capture the Avatar. Now she is in desperate need of an heir.

Love Amongst the Embers by Misora
 * Recommended by peachychan
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Zuko/Katara
 * Synopsis: After the Ember Island Players' performance, and with the help of a little rice wine, Zuko and Katara decide to rewrite an alternate ending to their story. Oneshot, Zuko/Katara.

Avatar: Ladies in Love by The West Driver
 * Recommended by Progeny Ex Machina
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Almost every female character/almost every other female character
 * Synopsis: A series of one-shots about a multitude of pairings, from the borderline-canon to the utterly nonsensical, and how they might pan out.

In Our Bedroom After The War by aliwildgoose
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: In the months following the war, Zuko is feeling overwhelmed and Mai worries about him. She goes after him one night and tries to help him see that he's doing just fine as Fire Lord.

A Matter of Honor by Adridere
 * Recommended by Zaptech
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Toph/Aang, Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Suki
 * Synopsis: Five years after Sozin's Comet, the Gaang is gathering at the South Pole to take part in a peace conference between the surviving nations. While there, they begin to do some serious soul-searching, with the members of the Gaang questioning their relationships with one another. But as the peace summit progresses, Toph finds herself stuck in the middle of a portentious plot that will either destroy her or the entire Southern Water Tribe.

A Danger, Deceit by The Narrator (Illustrated version available here on deviantArt)
 * Recommended by Lavanya Six
 * Status:
 * Pairing(s): Mai/Zuko, eventual Mai/Jet
 * Synopsis: Two years after the Century War, Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko attempt to win the peace. Behind the scenes in the Fire Nation's Royal Palace, a young noblewoman wages her own war, where the battlefield is the Court and words & alliances are the weapons.

Half Asleep by The Crushinator
 * Recommended by andromeda
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Suki, Toph/Aang, Mai/Ty Lee
 * Synopsis: Five years after the end of the Hundred Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin's dart while walking in the marketplace with Mai. It sends him into a coma from which he cannot wake. Nothing can revive him; not antidotes, not rest, not even Katara's healing. But Katara has begun to suspect that there is something else she can do. For all she hears when she closes her eyes is his voice calling out to her from the Spirit World. To save Zuko, Katara must seek out Aang, who is the only person alive who can act as a bridge to the Spirit World. There's a problem, though, and it's not just what Toph calls 'Aang's Law.' Katara and Aang haven't spoken in over a year.

Road to Hell by skrybble
 * Recommended by Sammi J
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing(s): Zuko/Katara, Katara/Aang, Sokka/Suki, Sokka/Toph
 * Synopsis: ...When your sister's dating your angsty ex-enemy, her relatively preferable ex isn't over her, and you and your best friend have the plan of a lifetime, it's paved with good intentions. Sokka and Toph team up to break up Zuko and Katara so that she and Aang will get back together. Hilarity Ensues.

Comedy of Errors by Snoopy
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Complete
 * ''Pairing(s): Aang/Katara, Mai/Zuko, Suki/Sokka, Toph/Iroh
 * Synopsis: Takes place five years after The Avatar and the Firelord. On the eve of Sokka and Suki's wedding, the Gaang finds out that 18-year old Toph has a crush on the Dragon of the West.

Sozin's Bay by blue-lacquer
 * Recommended by The Evil Oboist
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairing: Zuko/Mai
 * Synopsis: Mai and Zuko run into each other in the colonies. She's accompanying her father on a business trip. He's having his ship outfitted for a voyage to the South Pole in search of the Avatar. This chance encounter stirs up long dormant feelings and leaves both of them wondering if they'll ever see each other again. Takes place shortly before Season 1.

Broken Dragon by Nikipinz
 * Recommended by Iceeh
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Ty Lee/Azula, Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Ty Lee visits Azula in prison, and subsequent action. Post-war. Its sequel, Firelight, is also complete.

People in the Mirror Are Closer than They Appear by Nele
 * Recommended by Amanda91
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Pairings: Jee/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Takes place almost a year before season one. Prince Zuko is growing up and discovering new ways to make Lieutenant Jee's life miserable. Just when Jee has had a bad, bad week of Captain Zhao popping in, an invisible thief stealing his things, his crew acting up, and an enemy bird invading his ship, Zuko brings matters to a head in bad, bad way.

Journeys of Three Thousand Miles by guyw1tn0nam3
 * Recommended by Cerberus7
 * Status: Complete
 * Pairings: Sokka/Toph, Sokka/Suki, others implied but not the focus
 * Synopsis: Spans a long period of time post-series. Sokka is fighting the remnants of Ozai's followers while Toph founds Republic City. Two Lines, No Waiting, and heart-wrenching.

Stalking Zuko (link), Not Stalking Zuko, and Not Stalking Firelord Zuko by Emletish
 * Recommended by: Iceheart123
 * Status: Stalking Zuko and Not Stalking Zuko are complete, Not Stalking Firelord Zuko is ongoing.
 * Pairings: Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Suki
 * Synopsis: Katara starts stalking Zuko at the Western Air Temple in "Stalking Zuko." In "Not Stalking Zuko," Katara has (presumably) left her stalking days behind her, but still has some stalkerish relapses. In both, the Gaang get into trouble, shenanigans happen and Katara and Zuko get into some...awkward moments.

Twist of Fate by jazzpha
 * Recommended by Namacub95
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Pairings: Zutara, Lu Ten/June, Azula/OC
 * Synopsis: An AU where Lu Ten survives the Siege of Ba Sing Se and Iroh is crowned Fire Lord. The Avatar has been discovered in the South Pole and it's Katara. Zuko is sent on a mission to the South Pole to propose to Katara so that the fragile peace that Iroh has built up isn't compromised. Meanwhile, in the Fire Nation, Ozai schemes to kill Iroh and take the throne for himself threatening to plunge the Fire Nation royal family into civil war. It mainly focuses on Zutara with a variety of side plots. It's updated every Saturday.

I'll walk you home by Justthisguyyouknow
 * Recommended by Edokage
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Pairings: Sokka/Suki in the beginning, Toph/Sokka eventually
 * Synopsis: After the war, Toph decides to leave for Gaoling on foot to see her family. Sokka, being the nice guy he is, decides to accompany her and a lot of adventures occur as they travel halfway across the world.

Love, Family, and Treachery by Amanda91
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Dormant
 * Pairings: Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Mai and Zuko thought they had enough to deal with in the three years following the war. They didn't count on a shotgun wedding, parenthood, and a deadly conspiracy from within their own inner circle. Written for the Maiko Big Bang on livejournal.

Sacrifices by Kimberly T
 * Recommended by Somariel
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Pairings: Katara/Zuko, Sokka/Suki, Katara/Aang, Mai/Zuko
 * Synopsis: Takes place post-series. The war is over, and everyone's doing just fine… Until tragedy strikes, it is revealed that in fact things are far from fine, and people have to make hard choices. Starts with canon relationships, but will slowly evolve to Zutara.

Hooked by TGP
 * Recommended by Eona
 * Status: complete
 * Pairings: Jet/Zuko
 * Synopsis: When Jet sees the scar on another refugee's face, he is both appalled and drawn. This fic is rated for sexual content, but the author does a good job keeping Jet and Zuko in character and on developing their relationship.

Crossovers
Is There a Doctor In The House? by firephonixe (Crossover)
 * Recommended by Chad
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: A House / Avatar Crossover. Aang gets sick, and the Gaang plus Zuko and Iroh are transported to "Our" universe, where House tries to discover the problem.

Elements of War by Bico (Crossover with Naruto)
 * Recommended by Danel
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Crossover/Fusion of the Naruto and Avatar series that intertwines the two stories in a clever and original way. Sasuke and his team hunt Aang for his power, while Zuko in turn chases them for revenge. More twists in the familiar stories follow.

Duality, Beneath Between Beyond by Avocado Love
 * Recommended by Blue Hospitality
 * Fandoms: Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender
 * Synopsis: An accident with two linked vanishing cabinets transports Prince Zuko and Draco Malfoy into a place between their two worlds. To escape they need to learn to work together, and it may turn out that the two aren't very different after all...

Avatar: Bender's Tale by MetropolisKid
 * Recommended by The Rich Sheik
 * Status: Complete
 * Fandoms: Futurama, Avatar: The Last Airbender
 * Synopsis: Bender crash lands in the world of Avatar and joins the Gaang. Warning for Crack Fic tendencies and Drunk!Katara/Zuko pairing.

"The Clash of Worlds Saga"
 * Recommended by Killing Joke
 * Status: Three Completed series, the fourth is yet to begin.
 * Synopsis: The original Clash was conceived as a comedic, non-canonical Negative Continuity crossover between five well-known Avatar Wiki Fanon stories, with one chapter being written by each author. The second had four of the series from the first being used, with one (Legacy of Fire) being replaced by Guardian. The third had the five series from the second, with two new series that had been created after the first two Clashes. A fourth Clash was recently conceived, following the departures/inactivity of five of the authors from Clash 3. This new Clash will consist of 8 series, with three of the series from the original trilogy (Wanted, Guardian and Child of Destiny) and their authors (Twilitlink, The Bos and Mightybrit) returning, as well as five "next-generation" series and their respective authors joining in.

Solar Winds by Morkhan
 * Recommended by caelae
 * Status: Ongoing
 * Synopsis: “Kurt Hummel, the current Avatar, finds a Firebending teacher in the young Prince Blaine. But is that all he finds? Or will circumstances conspire to push them into becoming more, to the world, and each other? Fusion Fic!” (author synopsis)

You Can't Take the Sky From Me by cupid-painted-blind
 * Recommended by Progeny Ex Machina
 * Status: Dormant
 * Synopsis: Six years after the end of the war, the Gaang somehow winds up on a planet called Persephone, where a cheerful mechanic offers them passage on a certain Firefly-class transport to try and find a way home. In the meantime, they find themselves not only adapting to life on Serenity and bonding with its crew, but becoming deeply involved with the workings of this strange new 'verse.