Avatar: The Last Airbender fully launches this weekend, which means one thing for Commander players: it’s time to hunt down your chase cards and decide which bender you’re building around first. One of the coolest things about this set is how faithfully it captures character development straight from the show. Many fan-favorite characters have multiple versions, each representing a major step in their arc.
Aang is the best example of this progression.
Aang, the Last Airbender (Mono-White) represents the start of his journey.
Aang, Swift Savior (Azorius) reflects his growth as a waterbender.
Aang, At the Crossroads (Bant) showcases his earthbending mastery.
And finally Avatar Aang (WUBRG) completes the cycle, fully embodying all four elements.
This kind of flavorful design makes the set a dream for Commander players—you get lore, mechanics, and a ton of deck-building options all in one place.
Below are the best commanders in MTG: Avatar The Last Airbender across all color identities, along with how I’d personally build each one.
5 color commander for Avatar: The Last Airbender
If you want the most “Avatar-accurate” Commander deck possible, Avatar Aang is the top pick. This WUBRG legend gives you access to every card in the set and every bending mechanic. Even before he flips, Avatar Aang is an absurd value engine—drawing cards off bending and pushing you to play with all four elements.
If you manage to bend all four elements in the same turn, you transform him into Aang, Master of Elements, a flying 6/6 that makes your spells essentially free. This is exactly the kind of bombastic payoff you want from a five-color Avatar deck.
How I’d build it:
Focus on cards that trigger bending repeatedly so you can flip Aang quickly. Lean heavily into elemental synergies and include as many Avatar-specific cards from the set as possible.
3 color commanders for Avatar: The Last Airbender
The best three-color commanders in MTG: Avatar The Last Airbender offer some of the strongest synergies in the entire product. From Azula’s explosive spell-copying to Iroh’s lesson loops and Toph’s earthbending engine, these tri-color leaders deliver powerful, flavorful strategies.
Fire Lord Azula (Grixis)
Azula has several fantastic cards, but Fire Lord Azula is easily her best Commander. Her ability triggers when she’s attacking, so this deck wants to lean hard into Firebending, instant spells, and temporary mana.
Game plan:
Generate temporary mana from Firebending.
Load up on mana dorks and cheap artifacts.
Attack with Azula to copy instants mid-combat and overwhelm the table.
This is a flashy, explosive spell-slinger deck with a ruthless edge—very on-brand for Azula.
Iroh, Grand Lotus (Temur)
Uncle Iroh finally gets his moment, and Iroh, Grand Lotus is one of the best spell-casting commanders in the entire set. He gives every instant and sorcery in your graveyard flashback—and if it’s a Lesson, it only costs one mana.
Combine Lessons from this set with Lesson cards from Strixhaven, and you’ll be casting (and recasting) spells multiple times per turn. Add Firebending, and you can even double-cast spells by flashing it back.
How I’d build it: Aggro-leaning spell-slinger with big mana makers like Battle Hymn to fuel explosive turns.
Toph, the First Metalbender (Naya)
This is my personal chase card. Toph’s abilities aren’t explicitly “landfall,” but Earthbending every turn fits that theme perfectly. With Toph in charge, you can turn your lands into vigilant, unblockable attackers—and even bend The Walls of Ba Sing Se, which becomes a land creature with absurd stats.
Build notes:
Play every Earthbending card in green.
Add red for landfall and “go wide” strategies.
Include white for protection and removal.
Use Earthbending offensively by flinging land creatures into blocks for repeated landfall triggers.
This deck snowballs extremely fast once you get your engine running.
2 color commanders for Avatar: The Last Airbender
If you want focused bending strategies, the two-color commanders in the Avatar set are where things get spicy. Bumi, Katara, Ozai, and Toph bring aggressive, thematic playstyles that are perfect for players who want streamlined game plans with big payoffs.
Bumi, Unleashed (Gruul)
Bumi is pure, chaotic aggro—exactly how he fights in the show. His entire game plan revolves around aggressive Earthbending and forcing combat.
Whenever Bumi deals combat damage to a player, you get an extra combat phase, but only your lands can attack during that one. That alone makes him one of the scariest aggro commanders in the set.
Deck identity:
Earthbend every turn to grow your land creatures.
Give Bumi evasion or buff him for trample so he reliably triggers extra combats.
Pressure the entire table early.
This commander turns you into an immediate threat—so be ready to defend yourself.
Katara, Water Tribe’s Hope (Azorius)
Waterbending is thematic but slower compared to Firebending or Earthbending, but Katara, Water Tribe’s Hope makes up for it with a terrifying scaling mechanic. Every time you Waterbend, all Ally creatures you control take on that base power and toughness.
Pair that with counters or equipment and you’re suddenly swinging with an army of massive, uniform threats.
How I’d build it: Go wide. Add artifacts and creatures that you can tap easily for Waterbending to pump your entire board every turn.
Ozai, the Phoenix King (Rakdos)
Yes, the mana cost is hefty—but Ozai is the Firebending commander. Once he hits the battlefield, you don’t lose unspent mana anymore, and all unused mana becomes red. That means huge spells. That means explosive combat. That means fear.
Add something like Electro, Assaulting Battery (or Bayo on Arena) and you’re sitting on a literal time bomb of mana.
This is THE Firebending deck. Period.
Toph, Greatest Earthbender (Gruul)
While she’s excellent in the 99, Toph is also an intentionally clever commander. Because her deck wants her to die so she becomes more expensive, she leverages commander tax as a buff. It’s a fun twist that shows how modern design embraces Commander mechanics.
Earthbenders get spoiled in this set—and Toph is a great example.
Mono color commanders for Avatar: The Last Airbender
Mono-color commanders in the Avatar set may look simple on the surface, but several of them are absolute bombs. Wan Shi Tong, Koh, Yue, and more offer strong, synergy-driven decks for players who prefer consistency and explosive single-color strategies.
Wan Shi Tong, Librarian (Mono-Blue)
This might be one of the strongest cards in the entire set.
Wan Shi Tong enters with X counters, draws you a ton of cards, and then grows every time an opponent searches their library. And… people search their libraries constantly. Fetchlands? Tutors? Ramp?
This card becomes a problem fast.
Koh, the Face Stealer (Mono-Black)
A shapeshifter commander that plays exactly how you’d expect—stealing abilities, sacrificing creatures, and copying your opponents’ best tools. Its mana cost is high, but in the 99 of a dedicated shapeshifter deck, it’s fantastic.
Ran and Shaw (Mono-Red)
I wish they were Izzet, but mono-red still works. They’re a decent Lesson/dragon hybrid commander who fits better inside a storm deck, but they’re still a fun option for players who want to experiment with Lesson synergies.
Yue, the Moon Spirit (Mono-Blue)
With Waterbend 5, Yue lets you cheat huge spells onto the field for free. This deck shines when you can repeatedly untap the creatures and artifacts you use for Waterbending, letting you cast multiple free cards a turn.
Jank Deck Honorable Mention
If you love offbeat strategies and fun table politics, the jank and honorable mention commanders in the Avatar set are perfect picks. Iroh, Tea Master and The Walls of Ba Sing Se deliver hilarious, unexpected deck-building challenges that still pack serious power.
Iroh, Tea Master
This is a deceptive group-hug style commander that gives your opponents your own permanents each turn—usually Food or Clue tokens—and rewards you with a 1/1 Ally that gets counters for every token they have.
It lulls the table into comfort… until you suddenly hit them with massive, unexpected damage. Perfect chaos.
The Walls of Ba Sing Se (Artifact Tribal)
Yes, it says 0/30. Yes, it’s hilarious.
As a commander, The Walls of Ba Sing Se give all your artifact creatures indestructible, which makes artifact tribal an absolute menace.
Your opponents won’t know how to deal with a 30-toughness wall backed by an army of immortal machines.
Final Thoughts
MTG: Avatar The Last Airbender is one of the most flavorful Universes Beyond sets we’ve seen, and the Commander options reflect that perfectly. Whether you want the raw chaos of Bumi, the high-skill spell-slinging of Azula and Iroh, or the iconic full-element mastery of Avatar Aang, every color identity offers a deck that feels true to its character. Even the jank picks—like Iroh, Tea Master or the legendary Walls of Ba Sing Se—bring something fun, thematic, and genuinely unique to the table.
The best part is that nearly every commander in this set opens a distinct playstyle, letting you build aggressively, go wide, combo out, or grind value depending on who leads your deck. No matter which bender you choose, you’re going to get a flavorful experience packed with iconic mechanics and references for fans of the show.
If you’re diving into this set for Commander, you really can’t go wrong—just pick your favorite character and bend the table to your will.
If you’re planning to attend a Draft Night or Sealed event check out our Limited guide!
