The Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra characters are some of the friendliest cosplay builds I know, because the shows sort everyone by color. Orange and yellow mean Air Nomads, blue means the Water Tribes, green means the Earth Kingdom, and red with black and gold means the Fire Nation. Get the palette and the silhouette right and people place the character before they notice the details. The thirty looks below run from heroes and villains to the cabbage merchant and the animal companions, with a clothing base, shoes you can walk in, hair, simple makeup and a safe prop for each. Most can be sewn or thrifted and finished with felt, and none of them needs you to change your skin tone.
Turning Thrift-Store Shirts Into Nation Tunics
Almost every character here wears a tunic of some kind, and you rarely need a pattern to make one. A long men's shirt or a plain knit dress is a good start, because the length is already there.
- Shop by color first. Hold the garment next to a reference picture in daylight; costume reds and greens look very different under store lights.
- For a wrap-front tunic like Zuko's or Aang's, cut off a button placket, overlap the fronts and stitch the overlap down at an angle.
- Add contrast trim with ribbon or felt strips. Felt doesn't fray, so a straight stitch along one edge is enough.
- Wide sashes are just long rectangles. Hem the long edges or use a fabric that doesn't fray, such as knit or fleece.
- Leave closures simple. Snaps or hook-and-loop tape are easier than buttonholes and quicker to get out of at the end of the night.
If you can't find a color, dyeing a cotton or linen shirt works well; polyester barely takes ordinary household dye, so check the fabric label before you buy for that purpose.
1. Aang Air Nomad Costume
Aang is loose orange pants, a fitted yellow shirt or tunic and a rust-red wrap across one shoulder, held with a simple fabric belt. I cut the shoulder wrap on the bias from a light cotton so it drapes rather than sticking out stiffly. Brown slip-on shoes beat going barefoot. A bald cap is optional; the blue arrow is what people look for, and skin-safe blue body paint or a temporary tattoo does it, though I'd patch-test paint on the inner wrist the day before. A painted cardboard staff is light enough to carry all night, and a thermal shirt goes under the tunic when it's cold.
2. Katara Water Tribe Costume
Katara's costume is layered blues built for cold weather. Wear a long blue tunic over navy leggings or wide-leg pants, with pale blue trim in ribbon or felt, a brown belt and gray faux fur at the collar and cuffs. Faux fur trim is easiest to sew if you buy it as ready-made binding; cutting it yourself leaves fluff on everything you own for a week. The hair is the giveaway: a long brown braid plus the two loops by her face, which clip-in extensions can form if your hair is short. Soft blue eye makeup, brown winter boots, and a translucent blue ribbon for her water.
3. Sokka Water Tribe Costume
Sokka is comfortable and a little funny, which is the point of him. A dark blue tunic over matching pants with white or pale blue trim, a wide brown belt and sturdy brown boots. His warrior's wolf tail is a high ponytail on an otherwise short, slicked head; a short dark wig makes it far easier if your own hair won't hold the shape, and you can pin a small hair piece at the crown for the tail. Minimal makeup suits him. Skip the weapon and carry a rolled map, a travel bag or a joke snack pouch labeled with his favorite meat. A blue cloak keeps you warm outside.
4. Toph Earth Kingdom Costume
Toph is small, green and easy to place. Pair cropped cream pants with a sleeveless green tunic edged in yellow, layer a darker green waist panel and tie it with a wide fabric belt. Flexible flats are a sensible swap for her bare feet. Her black hair goes in a round bun with a green headband and two white pom-poms; I sew the pom-poms to the headband itself so they sit evenly instead of drifting around a bun. Subtle green liner, and no mimicking blindness. A small foam rock or green pouch is the prop, with green wristbands and ankle wraps to tie the look together.
5. Zuko Fire Nation Costume
Zuko gets drama without armor. Black pants, a dark red wrap-front tunic and a structured burgundy vest, with gold ribbon at the collar and belt and red fabric wrapped over black boots. A short, slightly tousled black wig or your own hair swept back. The scar around his left eye is stylized makeup, not a wound effect: muted red and brown shading in a soft shape, set with a little powder so it doesn't slide by midnight. Carry a royal scroll or a paper flame emblem instead of his swords. A long red coat adapts it for cold weather.
6. Azula Fire Nation Costume
Azula is a sharp, polished villain. Wear fitted black pants under a long burgundy tunic with structured shoulders, deep red panels, gold edging and a wide black belt, with knee-high black boots. Structured shoulders on a costume tunic usually mean a layer of medium-weight interfacing fused to the shoulder pieces before sewing; that's what keeps her outline crisp without foam. Pull dark hair into a sleek high bun with a small gold flame comb cut from craft foam. Precise brows, a black wing, a muted red lip and a hint of blue shimmer at the outer corners for her blue fire. A gold-trimmed folding fan is a safe prop.
7. Uncle Iroh Fire Nation Costume
Uncle Iroh is the warmest, most relaxed costume here. Loose brown pants, a cream undershirt and a rust-red robe or long cardigan with wide sleeves, tied with a dark brown sash. Soft boots for a long night. A gray wig in a small topknot and a neatly shaped gray beard do most of the work. Costume beards look fake when they sit too wide, so I trim them narrower than the packet edge and blend the top line with a gray brow pencil. Warm the cheeks a little. A plastic teacup with an empty teapot is the obvious prop, and a padded vest keeps him comfortable outdoors.
8. Suki Kyoshi Warrior Costume
Suki's Kyoshi Warrior look combines structure, face makeup and fans. Begin with a dark green wrap dress or long tunic over black leggings, add a lighter green waist panel, structured shoulder pieces and a wide gold belt made of craft foam, with green boots or black boots covered in green fabric. Brown or auburn hair goes in a secure bun under a small gold headpiece. The white base, red eye shapes and black brows need skin-safe face paint, and I set the white with translucent powder, because a cream white base transfers onto a green collar within the hour. Two green folding fans finish her, and flexible foam lets you move freely.
9. Ty Lee Circus Costume
Ty Lee brings bright color and movement. A pink cropped top with short puffed sleeves, loose burgundy harem pants, a layered pink hip scarf and a slim red belt, with pink wristbands and soft ballet flats. Her long braid is the signature; a braided wig or clip-in braid is fine if your hair is short, and I wrap the end tie twice so it doesn't slip off during cartwheels. Rosy blush and a pink lip give her the cheerful face. A ribbon wand or juggling scarves are safe props, and a fitted pink tank and full leggings underneath add coverage.
10. Mai Fire Nation Costume
Mai is the Fire Nation's gloomy one, and her costume is simple. A long dark red tunic with wide sleeves over fitted black pants, a structured burgundy waist panel and a black belt for that narrow outline. Flat black boots. Her hair is two rounded side buns with the rest falling straight down the back; a long black wig is quickest, and buying one with heat-resistant fiber lets you flatten the straight lengths with a low iron. Straight brows, charcoal liner and a dusty rose lip. Skip throwing knives and carry a folded black fan or a small red scroll. Black gloves add detail.
11. Princess Yue Water Tribe Costume
Princess Yue is all pale blue fabric and white hair. Begin with a floor-length powder-blue dress or tunic over matching leggings, add white faux fur at the neckline, sleeves and hem, a wide blue sash and a silver pendant. White winter boots or silver flats depending on the setting. A long white wig in two high loops with loose lengths behind, pinned through a wig cap so the loops don't drop. White synthetic wigs show every tangle, so brush it only with a wide-tooth comb from the ends up. Silver eyeshadow and a cool pink lip, and no skin whitening; the wig and colors carry her.
12. Jet Freedom Fighter Costume
Jet can come almost entirely from a closet. Olive cargo pants, a tan shirt and a green or brown vest over the top, with fabric wrist wraps, a wide utility belt and a dark green scarf. Rugged brown lace-up boots handle outdoor events. Messy, swept-back hair with texture spray or a layered wig, and a little smudged brown liner. His signature is actually the piece of wheat or straw in his mouth, which costs nothing and tells fans who you are. Skip the hooked swords for a rolled forest map or a canvas satchel, and add a long brown coat if it's cold.
13. Cabbage Merchant Costume
The Cabbage Merchant needs hardly any sewing. Loose tan pants, a cream tunic and a long green or brown robe, with a wide sash and brown slip-ons. A conical straw-style hat, a short black wig, a mustache and very expressive brows give you his frustrated face. Regular costume makeup is plenty. Carry a small basket of artificial cabbages, which most craft and party aisles sell around Halloween, and add a handwritten price tag. The costume only lands if you play it, so practice a despairing pose for whenever anyone comes near your cabbages.
14. Avatar Kyoshi Costume
Avatar Kyoshi is tall, green and ceremonial. Wear a long dark green dress or robe over black leggings with a lighter green outer panel, a wide gold belt and structured shoulder accents, and hide flat boots under the hem. A long black wig sits under a gold headpiece with red side ornaments. I cut her headpiece from craft foam and paint it gold, because a metal one gets heavy within an hour. The white base, red eye shapes and black liner follow the same rule as Suki's: skin-safe paint, set with powder. Two large folding fans complete her, and long sleeves with gloves give extra coverage.
15. Avatar Roku Fire Nation Costume
Avatar Roku is older and spiritual. Loose burgundy pants and a dark red tunic under a long maroon robe, with black shoulder panels, gold edging and a broad sash. Dark brown boots. A long white wig in a topknot and a full white beard attached with skin-safe adhesive. Patch-test that adhesive on the jaw the day before, and keep a remover and cotton pads in your bag, because pulling a glued beard off dry skin hurts. Soft age shading around the eyes is enough. A scroll with simple elemental symbols or a light staff, and a padded red cape for warmth.
16. Fire Lord Ozai Costume
Fire Lord Ozai is about shoulders and control. Fitted black pants, a long burgundy tunic, a structured black vest or flexible foam chest panel edged in gold ribbon, a wide red sash and tall black boots. Long black hair goes half-up in a topknot with a small gold ornament, plus a trimmed black beard and strong brows. If you're working on a budget, a long red bathrobe with black felt panels and metallic trim makes a respectable Ozai; the felt hides the terry texture once it covers the chest and shoulders. Carry a royal proclamation scroll or a gold flame emblem.
17. Blue Spirit Costume
The Blue Spirit is mostly black clothes and one mask. A black long-sleeve shirt, loose black pants, a dark navy vest and a brown sash, with black fabric strips wrapped around the forearms and lower legs and flexible black boots. The mask is everything: buy a lightweight one or paint a blank craft mask blue with white and red details, and widen the eye holes before painting, since a mask narrows your view more than people expect. Tuck your hair under a black hood or head wrap. Carry a small dark satchel instead of his swords.
18. Appa Flying Bison Costume
Appa is the coziest costume here. Start with a cream or white fleece jumpsuit and sew soft brown felt patches along the back, arms and legs, plus a brown belly panel if the base is plain. The hood gets small ears, curved plush horns and the brown arrow running back from the forehead. Plush horns flop unless they're stuffed firmly and sewn to the hood on a felt base rather than straight onto the fleece. Cream slippers or fur-trimmed boots with nonslip soles, a brown-liner nose and a light plush tail. A saddle-shaped backpack makes the costume useful as well as funny.
19. Momo Winged Lemur Costume
Momo is light and quick to make, which is why I'd suggest him for kids. A cream hoodie with matching joggers, gray-brown felt panels on the chest, sleeves and outer legs, and big round ears on the hood with pink felt inners. Big ears tip forward unless you back each one with a second layer of stiff felt. Soft green wings on elastic shoulder straps and a long striped tail fixed at the waist. Cream sneakers for safe running, a small brown nose and green eyeshadow for his eyes. A plush peach or a fruit-shaped bag is the joke.
20. Korra Water Tribe Costume
Korra is built for movement. Dark blue pants or leggings with a sleeveless pale blue top, a deep blue waist wrap, white faux-fur edging and brown arm wraps in a flexible fabric. Sturdy brown mid-calf boots with pale trim. Her hair is a high ponytail with two sections framing the face, and a clip-in ponytail adds the length. I use a soft stretch knit for the arm wraps, since woven strips slide down the arm every time you lift it. Defined brows and subtle blue liner. Four narrow ribbons in blue, green, red and white represent the elements, and a cropped blue jacket keeps her warm.
21. Asami Sato Costume
Asami is the sleek one, no robes in sight. Fitted black pants, a burgundy high-neck top and a structured red moto-style jacket, with black gloves, a wide belt and tall black riding boots. Gold piping along the jacket gives her era. If you already own a red jacket, gold trim held on with double-sided fashion tape comes off cleanly afterward, which matters on a jacket you want back. Long black hair in glossy waves with a deep side part, a winged liner and deep berry lipstick. A blueprint roll or a small foam wrench points to her engineering.
22. Mako Firebender Costume
Mako is athletic layers in fire colors. Dark gray pants, a fitted charcoal shirt, a sleeveless maroon tunic or vest with a high collar and a red waist sash, with dark boots and wrist wraps. Black hair styled up at the front with strong gel, or a short spiked wig. The one detail fans look for is his long red scarf, and it's the easiest piece on this list: a strip of red knit or fleece, no hemming needed. A red-and-gold pro-bending patch on the chest helps too. Carry an arena program or a sports towel rather than combat props.
23. Bolin Earthbender Costume
Bolin is cheerful and thrift-friendly. Dark brown pants with a fitted olive or deep green shirt, a sleeveless green tunic over it with pale green edging at the armholes and collar, a broad brown belt and sturdy boots. Short, tousled black hair with gel or a simple wig, full brows and a big smile suit him better than dramatic makeup. Add a green pro-bending badge. The prop is Pabu, his red fire ferret, and a small plush red panda passes for him; I stitch a snap to its belly and one to the shoulder seam so he rides along without being held.
24. Tenzin Air Nomad Costume
Tenzin is calm, layered and good for a family theme. Loose burgundy pants, a fitted yellow long-sleeve shirt and an orange sleeveless tunic so the yellow sleeves show, plus a wide red sash and brown slip-ons. A bald cap gives the silhouette, with the blue arrow in skin-safe paint over the scalp and forehead. Bald caps only look right when the edge is blended, so I glue the edge down with the adhesive made for them and cover the seam with foundation before painting. A neat brown beard, a meditation mat or a cardboard staff. Choose breathable fabrics; three layers get warm in a crowd.
25. Lin Beifong Metalbender Costume
Lin Beifong looks armored without any weight. A fitted dark gray shirt and pants form the base, with silver craft-foam shoulder pieces, a chest plate, knee guards and forearm cuffs held on with elastic straps. Craft foam is easy to cut but creases when bent, so warm thin EVA foam with a hairdryer and curve it over your knee for the shoulder and chest shapes. Sturdy black boots and a wide gray belt. Short swept-back gray hair from a wig or color spray, and two thin cosmetic lines on her right cheek for the scars, kept stylized. Soft silver cords at the belt suggest her cables.
26. Amon Equalist Costume
Amon is a mask and a dark uniform. Black cargo pants, a charcoal high-neck shirt and a long dark coat or layered vest, with brown belts at the waist and across the chest, fabric bracers and black lace-up boots. A fitted black hood covers the hair. Paint a lightweight white mask with his red markings, and leave the eye openings generous; acrylic paint on a plastic mask chips at the edges unless you sand it lightly first. No makeup needed underneath. A rolled poster or a plain rally sign is the prop, and reflective strips inside the coat help if you'll be out after dark.
27. Zaheer Red Lotus Costume
Zaheer is comfortable and fast to put together. Loose dark brown pants, a sleeveless gray or tan tunic, a maroon waist sash, brown wrist wraps and simple dark boots. A long reddish-brown scarf brings in the Red Lotus color. Use a bald cap or leave very short hair as it is, then add a neatly shaped dark beard. A cheap beard sits better if you hold it in place for a minute while the adhesive grabs. Carry a small scroll or a fabric streamer on a short cardboard handle for his airbending. A thermal shirt under the sleeveless tunic makes it practical in the cold.
28. Kuvira Earth Empire Costume
Kuvira mixes military tailoring with green and silver armor. Fitted black pants, a dark forest-green high-neck top and a structured green vest with silver trim, then flexible foam shoulder, wrist and shin panels, a wide silver belt and tall black boots. Silver paint on foam cracks when the foam flexes unless you seal it first; a coat of flexible primer or diluted glue under the paint stops that. Pull dark hair into a sleek high bun with a narrow silver band. Paint her emblem on felt for the chest, carry a rolled city plan or a green banner, and keep every armor edge rounded for crowds.
29. Naga Polar Bear Dog Costume
Naga turns Korra's polar bear dog into a soft costume. A white fleece jumpsuit or hoodie and pants, a cream belly panel, small gray patches at the shoulders, round bear ears on the hood and a long plush tail. White fleece shows every mark, so I pre-wash it once before sewing; it softens the nap and stops it shedding on the first wear. White sneakers or padded nonslip boots work better than big animal feet. A gray nose and whisker dots, a pale blue collar with a silver tag, and a little blue saddlebag. Keep every attachment soft and easy to remove.
30. Team Avatar Group Costume
Team Avatar is the group costume I'd steer friends or a family toward, because everyone wears a different look and it still reads as one cast. Aang gets the orange-and-yellow robe with a blue arrow, Katara the blue fur-trimmed tunic and braid, Sokka navy with his wolf tail, Toph green with a bun, and Zuko the red-and-black royal look. Settle shoes for the whole group first, since one person in sandals sets the pace for everyone. Wigs, belts and safe props such as ribbons, maps, fans and foam rocks finish each character, with no skin-tone changes. A sixth person can join as Suki or as Iroh with a teacup.
Foam Armor That Bends When You Sit
Lin, Kuvira, Suki, Kyoshi and Ozai all have armor or structured pieces, and for a Halloween costume foam beats anything rigid. Thin EVA foam, the kind sold in craft rolls and floor mats, softens with a hairdryer or heat gun and holds a curve once it cools. Thin craft foam sheets are cheaper and fine for small flat pieces such as Azula's comb or Kyoshi's headpiece, but they crease rather than curve.
- Seal the foam before painting with a flexible primer or a thin coat of diluted craft glue; unsealed foam soaks up paint and cracks.
- Contact cement holds foam seams far better than hot glue, which lets go in cold air. Work in a ventilated room.
- Attach armor with wide elastic, not tight ribbon, so it moves when you sit, bend or climb stairs.
- Round every corner and edge. Sharp foam points catch on doorframes and on other people in a crowd.
Face Paint That Stays Off the Collar
Aang's and Tenzin's arrows, the Kyoshi Warrior faces and Zuko's scar all rely on face or body paint. Use products sold as skin-safe face paint, and test a small patch on the inner wrist a day ahead. Water-activated paint sets matte and transfers less than cream, and a light press of translucent powder over either helps it stay put. Put the costume on before the paint where you can, and take everything off at the end with an oil cleanser or a makeup remover before washing your face.
Four Nations, Four Colors, One Good Wig
Every one of these builds rests on the same idea: get the nation's color and the character's outline right, then add one detail fans look for. Orange and yellow for Air Nomads, blue for Water Tribes, green for the Earth Kingdom, red with black and gold for the Fire Nation. Fans, scrolls, tea sets, ribbons and plush companions do the job of weapons without the risk. Use breathable fabric, flexible foam, sturdy shoes and patch-tested makeup. If time is short, a thrifted base with removable felt trim gets you to any of these characters, and a wig is usually the best money you'll spend.
Related posts:
