Meegwun Fairbrother as…Avatar Kuruk
Kuruk is the last Water Tribe Avatar prior to Aang, and he has a misunderstood legacy. Many believe that Kuruk was bad at being the Avatar, but he secretly prevented the entire world from enduring the wrath of dark spirits. After he came across one of these dark spirits, he was exposed to a corruption that festered in him for the rest of his life. In an effort to save anyone else from having to deal with this illness, he repeatedly faced the dark spirits on his own.
This dedication resulted in him neglecting the everyday affairs of the four nations, which is what led many to believe Kuruk was a bad Avatar. Kuruk’s final years were spent trying to save his fiance, who had her face stolen by Koh. The spiritual illness ended Kuruk’s life at the young age of 33.
Kuruk will be played by Meegwun Fairbrother, an indigenous Canadian native who grew up in norther Ontarian communities. He made appearances in 31 episodes of Mohawk Girls and had a starring role in Burden of Truth.
Ken Leung as…Commander Zhao
One of the main villains alongside Zuko in season 1 is Commander Zhao, a determined and ruthless Fire Nation leader who stops at nothing to capture Aang. His mission climaxes with an invasion of the Northern Water Tribe, where he is successful in killing the physical form of the moon spirit but arrogantly underestimates Aang’s abilities. We see him again briefly in The Legend of Korra, but that’s probably beyond the scope of Netflix’s remake.
Zhao will be played by Ken Leung, who is known for playing Miles in Lost and Eric Tao in Industry. His rough-around-the-edges screen presence should be a good fit for Zhao’s hateful attitude.
Ruy Iskandar as…Lt. Jee
Lt. Jee is one of Zuo’s crew members, and is at odds with the young Prince at times. After Iroh tells him how Zuko was banished, Jee cuts the young Prince more slack and they begin to work together.
Jee will be played by Ruy Iskandar, a young actor known for his roles in Yes Day and Gotham.