Miya Cech's Toph will have some character changes when she debuts in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender.
After bending its way into fans' hearts in early 2024, the live-action Airbender is coming back to TV screens with an adaptation of the animated original's beloved second season (aka "Book Two: Earth").
As a part of this new adventure, Aang, Katara, and Sokka will cross paths with a spunky young Earthbender named Toph who is set to help the Avatar learn her ground-shaping abilities.
Character Changes Coming for Avatar's Toph
Avatar: The Last Airbender actor Miya Cech revealed some major character changes coming for her live-action take on the franchise's Toph in Season 2.
Cech, who is set to debut in Netflix's second season of the live-action Airbender series, told Pacific Rim Video Press (via Collider), that her Toph will be a bit older than the version seen in the original series.
"She's a little bit older so she’s not a little kid anymore," Cech remarked, before reassuring audiences that "she is still that same spitfire" fans know and love:
"She’s a little bit older so she’s not a little kid anymore. She is still that same spitfire, spunky character who gets to call a certain character 'Twinkle Toes.' I think there are going to be a lot of things that the fans are going to remember from the animated series and a lot of things that are brand new."
In the original series, Toph was 12 years old, around the same age as Aang and a little bit younger than Katara (14) and Sokka (15).
Cech is 17 years old in real life. Her "older" take on the character will likely, instead of being a direct peer of Aang, serve a little more of a slightly more mentor-like role for the young Avatar.
Fans worried about this change should not be too nervous. As Cech said, this will not change the emotional core of the character, and she will be the same spunky firecracker that fans fell in love with.
This echoed a sentiment shared by series producer Jabbar Raisani in a conversation with The Direct in May 2024.
At that time, Raisani posited, "I think you're gonna see a lot of the dynamics that were true in the animated series come through in live action," when talking about Cech's Earthbender (read more about Jabbar Raisani's Season 2 plans here):
"We really rely on the animated series. So I think you're gonna see a lot of the dynamics that were true in the animated series come through in live action. It won't be a one-to-one. You can never do a one-to-one, but, you know, expect that feeling all over again."
What To Expect From Avatar Season 2?
With Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 in the rear-view, fans of the live-action series have their eye firmly locked on the incoming second batch of episodes, and Miya Cech's Toph will be a bit part of that (but not the only part).
According to executive producer Jabbar Raisani, Season 2 will be "a lot like Season 1," but will do some "condensing" along the way:
"I think it's a lot like season 1. There's a lot of content in the animated series. And we will be looking at all that content. But we don't have the number of episodes that we have in the animated series. So, certainly, there will be some condensing that has to take place."
This will see Team Avatar taking the lessons learned from their adventure to the North Pole, and venturing out to learn the way of Earthbending. That puts them into contact with the young Earthbending master Toph, who joins the team on a quest to pull the curtain back on a devastating government conspiracy.
Another key element will be the further fleshing out of the vicious Azula (the sister to Season 1 big bad Prince Zuko). Originally introduced in Season 2 of the animated series, Azula was first teased in Season 1 of Netflix's adaptation but will have a bigger role in the sophomore effort.
Azula actress Elizabeth Yu shared her excitement for Season 2 in a conversation with The Direct, saying she "can’t wait to see what the exchanges are like with Team Avatar" and her Firebender:
"I didn't get any scenes with any of the kids in the first season. I got scenes with Daniel [Dae Kim] and Momona [Tamada] and Thalia [Tran], which was so much fun, but I don't know. I can't wait to see what the exchanges are like with Team Avatar and the sibling rivalry. I'm excited to elaborate on that."
Now, all fans can do is wait to see when Avatar Season 2 will be released. As of February 2024, writing on the series was assumed to be near completion, with filming having started in September 2024.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
