Zuko/Sokka

Zuko/Sokka or Zukka is a popular slash pairing in the Avatar: The Last Airbender fandom. During the run of the series, Zuko/Sokka was a minor ship. However, after the series arrived on US Netflix in summer 2020 and experienced a resurgence, Zukka became one of the most popular ships in the fandom, particularly on Tumblr.
Zuko/Sokka had already gained some popularity before this from the airing of Netflix's 2016 Voltron: Legendary Defender because it had some of the same writers as Avatar: The Last Airbender and the same animation staff as The Legend of Korra. The juggernaut ship of the Voltron: Legendary Defender fandom was Keith/Lance which was seen by some viewers as similar to Zuko/Sokka, with Zuko being like Keith and Sokka being like Lance. This means that comparisons between Zuko/Sokka and Keith/Lance were pervasive in both fandoms.
From the shows original run and continuing through the 2010s, the top ships of the ATLA fandom were Aang/Katara and Zuko/Katara. Ship wars between the two were common (see Kataang vs Zutara). After the fandom revival in 2020, the upsurge in Zukka shipping led some fans to create the term "The Zukka Renaissance". Others have criticised this terminology and have argued that the fandom has actually become more virulent as a whole. As of February 10, 2021, there are 3943 works in Zuko/Sokka on Archive of Our Own, as compared to 4414 in Zuko/Katara, a margin that has changed drastically in the past few years. A comparison of works posted to Archive of Our Own in the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" tag before and after the ATLA Renaissance: Archive.org snapshot 03 July 2014: showing 484 works tagged Katara/Zuko and 96 works tagged Sokka/Zuko. (Out of 2988 works total) Archive.org snapshot 26 January 2021: showing 4321 works tagged Katara/Zuko and 3852 works tagged Sokka/Zuko. (Out of 23854 works total)
== Fandom ==
In 2023, the relationship won 5th place in the second MLM Ship Bracket Tournament out of 32 entrants.
===Controversy===
Zukka shippers have been the subject of many fandom controversies, largely stemming from disagreements with Zutara (Zuko/Katara) shippers. Major controversies include:
* Headcanoning Katara as homophobic
* Accusing Zutara fans of perpetuating racism and colonialism
* Sending anonymous hate to non-Zukka fans, accusing them of being racist or homophobic. Targets included minors, queer people, and people of color, which added to the anger.ok, like??? yall, Jan 2021
Zukka shippers have also created headcanons and fanon that are disliked by some other fans. Examples of this include:
* Portraying Jet as Zuko’s abusive ex-boyfriend
* Reading Katara’s relationship with Zuko as familial/sibling-like
* Sokka being forced to be a parent figure to Katara
* Suki dying early
====Homophobic Katara====
Homophobic Katara is a headcanon popularized on Tumblr by lesbians4sokka (comradekatara). Although they have written that the headcanon is a “little inside joke”,Why Is Katara Homophobic they have also written meta on the subject: 
This headcanon has been criticized by many as being out of character, as well as racist and misogynistic. Many believe that it became popular specifically in Zukka circles as a reason to dislike Katara, and enable the ship between Zuko and Sokka.
In response to an anonymous ask about the origins of the homophobic Katara: 
====Racism and Ships====
Some Zukka fans have accused Zutara fans of perpetuating racist and colonialist ideals with their ship, because Zuko’s nation waged war against Katara’s. However, this argument also applies to the Zukka ship, and is therefore seen as in bad faith, an argument against the Zutara ship rather than a genuine critique of racism in fandom.zukka is less problematic than zutara because... It is also ironic when those who ship Zuko with Jin utilize this argument against Zutara, because the Fire Nation never actually colonized the Southern Water Tribe but it did colonize the Earth Kingdom.
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanart===
* by nostril-nugget, 2015
* by yelenaboiko, 2022
* by lofty-immeasurable-sky, 2021-- Lilo and Stitch AU featuring Zuko as Nani, Sokka as David, Izumi as Lilo, Druk as Stitch
* by dally-217, 2021 -- Sokka and Zuko sparring with their signature swords
* by chitsangenthusiast, 2022
* by paintedpatroclus, 2021
* by bleekay, 2021 -- Legend of Korra-era Zuko missing Sokka
===Fanfiction===
* Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought. After that fateful Agni Kai, Ozai makes a different call. Branded as a traitor and banished to a prison camp, Zuko learns how cruel the Fire Nation can be to its citizens. Three years, a water tribe raid, and an unexpected meeting with a gang of over-enthusiastic idealistic children puts Zuko back in the spotlight. The revolution is coming and it wants another poster boy, but Zuko is not willing to lend his face to the cause.
* I'll tabletop you any day by Yuu_chi. Sokka's the high school drop-out and closet nerd working at his sister's coffee shop - Zuko is the gorgeous rich guy who comes in three times a week and orders cinnamon tea. Sokka may or may not have his entire schedule memorized. Thank god for Star Wars.
* The Good Vanilla by Haicrescendo. Sokka’s beautiful friendship with Zuko doesn’t start with breaking Dad out of jail. That’s just what he tells people. Sokka’s beautiful friendship with Zuko started the day he realizes that he knows how to cook. Feat. breakup cake, an attempted assassination, and eating out of the pan like dirty heathens.
* Will We Last the Night by CSHfic, VSfic. [An enemies-to-lovers season 2 rewrite, where Sokka is separated from the gaang during the Siege of the North, and travels the Earth Kingdom with Zuko instead].
===Events===
* Zukka Week: (active 2015), (active 2017-2020), (active 2021-present)
===Zines===
* Zukka Novels, (2021, 2022)
==Archives & Fannish Links ==
* Sokka, Zuko pairing filter on fanfiction.net
* Sokka/Zuko (Avatar) on Archive of Our Own
==References==
Category:Avatar: The Last Airbender Relationships
Category:Slash Pairings