#piandao is surprised but 100% down

[fanwright]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I think Sokka is one of those guys who are unintentionally scary. Like, hear me out, he can go one second being his goofy self only to switch in the next and crash 2 airships and all its crew inside without flinching. It's kind of terrifying, to see what he's willing to do if he thought it was the right thing 0.0

It might just be an unpopular opinion, but I believe it has basis. Keep in mind though, I don’t think Sokka is the next Grim-Dark Edgelord and that only by making him this way can he be taken seriously or be made scary. That’s just going way out of character for him.

I totally see what you mean though. With the right motivation and the right circumstances he can come off as being unintentionally scary. This may stem from a measure of unpredictability, an quick understanding of a surprising number of skills useful for combat and other means, and a strong desire to not only stick up for his friends, but also prove himself a capable member within a team consisting primarily of benders. 

Why? Well I believe @thingsareswinging  and @courierhawk have put it much more eloquently and in fewer words than I can do. In a fantasy world where benders wield immense power and are generally accepted to be the top dogs in many regards, a non-bender is basically the equivalent to fodder. 

But some like Piandao? A non-bender defeating 100 soldiers by himself, so thoroughly that the Fire Lord never bothered him again after deserting the army?  Unheard of. 

Ty Lee chi-blocking the Terra Team - all of them earth-benders? That’s terrifying, and she’s not even a terrifying person. Katara even shows a measure of fear when she remembers how she was chi-blocked by Ty Lee - its in the way she talked about how her ability to bend was taken away. You can see how it put a shiver down her spine. She never showed this particular kind of fear when she fought against, say, Azula or other benders.

So where does Sokka fit into this idea that he’s unintentionally scary? Goes back to what was mentioned before. While there are precious few moments where he can show off his stuff, its mostly shown in both the little moments and the moments that count - 

Charging straight into a komodo-rhino, leaping onto its head, and perfectly splitting a spear in half along the length of the shaft.

Going toe-to-toe with Piandao under the full assumption that the man was going to kill him after he revealed his identity and his intentions - and still insisting he fight alone.

While mostly for comical effect - knocking out a giant fucking spirit owl. With a fucking heavy ass book. And then taunting it.

Protecting Katara after she was accidentally burned by Aang - he tackled him.

Going from bumbling and stuttering while trying to explain the invasion plan before the battle - and then throwing fear and caution to the wind as he directs the invasion force under fire without batting an eye.

Defeating a walking, hulking death beam with metal prosthetics with one incredibly well placed blow to the head - and then cheering about it the next second later. Quite honestly a David vs. Goliath moment.

Figuring out how to destroy the Giant Drill with the rat of his friends on the fly where everyone else was content to throw rocks at it.

Confronting Jet, literally getting up in his face, about the ethics of war and going out of his way to warn the people of the target village about his plan (keep in mind Sokka knows a thing or two about villages being destroyed for unethical reasons) - and then slamming Jet on it when he pulled it off.

This face:

 And of course the events that took place when he made that face.

Yes, I do believe and agree with you that Sokka is unintentionally scary. Its because of who he is and what we may usually associate him as primarily - comic relief. It lulls us into a sense that he can’t be taken seriously and as a non-bender may not be able to contribute much due to everyone else treating him like a verbal and physical punching bag. So when he gets serious when the time calls for it - its kind of surprising and bit unsettling to see him this way. Because now, in those moments, we know what he’s truly capable of.