Okay everyone who has seen both series has made one or two comparisons between them. I mean they both take place in a mostly Asian influenced world divided in several nations themed around the elements with characters of elemental powers. They both have simmilar themes centered around how war affects people, how the characters try to gain strenght by improving their martial skills through different training methods and how this affects people spiritually.
I don't think of this as a matter of anyone copying anyone but as a matter of archetypes. I mean, avatar draws influence from anime and had to base its characters from traditional shonen anime archetypes so its bound to happen that those archetypes end up creating characters with a fair share of simmilarities and roles in the story. Its also interesting that Naruto also has a degree of western influence, being an asian show with a caucasian protagonist and several characters that seem based on non asian races, in contrast with avatar which is western but has character ethnically based on asian races
Following this archetypes this is a list of simmilar characters in both series:
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Aang to Naruto
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Yin and Yang Kurama to Vaatu and Raava
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Messianic archetypes that shine sky blue and orange respectively when angry
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both have taken this abilities to their limits by using a giant avatar that shine the same as their own aura's color (Koi scylla for Aang and Naruto's giant tailed beast transformation)
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Both dress in orange
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Both specialyze but aren't limited to wind
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Part of their story arc involve forgiving a mass murderer
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They both learn to meditate with a hermit to unlock a new power ups that involves connecting into the energy of nature
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Both have a knack for taming weird animals, though in Naruto's case it involves arguing with them
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Fighting styles envolving acrobatics
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Zuko to Sasuke
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Fire controlling temperamental bad boys with a traumatic past, that struggle to surpass both a sibling and the aforementioned messianic archetype with whom they're related via reincarnation
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Both swordsmen capable of using their blades alongside their elemental techniques
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Both got estranged from their homeland, one by desserting it while the other one by exile
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Part of their story arcs consist on outgrowing a sense of entitleness to genuinely work hard to perfect their skills
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Alternatively Azula to Sasuke
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blue themed lightning and fire controlling gifted individuals who constantly beat persistant types
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Both Katara and Toph to Sakura
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Both Sakura and Katara are Battlefield doctors who have a familiar bond with the more immature protagonist who has a crush on her
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Sakura used water for healing at least once, though in her case it was in order to extract poison
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As adults they both dedicate full time to medicine
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Both Sakura and Toph are tsundere girls that smash into the earth with techniques that simulate impossible levels of super strenght.
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Varying degrees of attraction to the aforementioned fire controlling bad boy
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Sokka to Shikamaru
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Strategists with tanned skin and a ponytail
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quite possibly the snarkiest characters in either verse
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Specialize in throwing sharp stuff, though they aren't really the best at it
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Innitially missogynous views that they outgrow
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They both become strong supporters to strong women in positions of authority; SHikamaru to Tsunade and Sokka to Toph
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Eventually become figures of political authority
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Suki to Temari
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Metal fan wielding women romantically involved with the aformentioned strategist, who is far weaker than them
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Best represented by this image
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Funnily enough Temari's brother also uses a weird make up mask and outfit
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Iroh to Jiraiya
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Fire throwing old men with a thing for younger women that hide a great deal of physical strenght and who in turn guide a young man into realizing his destiny
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Both are former millitary with experience fighting unjust wars that their nation started
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I'm guessing Iroh would love Jiraiya's novels
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Both of them were candidates for a position of authority; one of them got usurped while the other one rejected it
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They both like to travel around the world and explore their spirituality, though irohnically, Iroh is much more succesful in achieving enlightment depite never making a particular effort for it like Jiraya did
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Azula to both Itachi and Orochimaru
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Like Orochimaru, she uses a seductive tone of voice to tempt a young man into following her
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They both have a snake motif, which is particularly shown in Zuko's dream with the blue dragon that had her voice
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Ambiguous sexuality and gender identity respectively
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Like Itachi, she is the more talented sibling with knack for psychological manipulating their more determined brother who ultimately beats them by having better endurance
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Ty Lee to Rock Lee
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Overly enthusiastic martial artists with a chinese theme
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They both like to walk on their hands
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Among the best fighters in either series despite being relatively nonpowered
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Tendency to worship those they admire
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Her Chi blocking is closer to Gentle fist, though
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Mai to Tenten
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Sharp shooting girls that get exasperated at the aforementioned hyperactive best friend
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Hama to Lady Chiyo
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Old ladies with the ability to control the bodies of others
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Both like to keep puppets
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Pseudo mentor to the main healer girl
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Alternatively, Hama to Sasori, both being depraved puppeteers
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one turns people into his puppets while the other one is implied to make puppets that ressemble her victims
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Amon to Sasori
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Masked men with parental issues with simmilarly power sets to the aforementioned puppet masters, whom they surpassed at a young age
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Korra to Boruto
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Next generation characters that struggle with trying to understand the way the world works in their new more modern era
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Both have a knack for making mistakes over naively missunderstanding a situation that puts everyone in trouble, through they gradually outgrow this tendency
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Bonus point since Boruto's english voice actress kinda looks like Korra (sometimes) and to a lesser degree kinda sounds like her
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When going hand to hand both have a fighting style centered on spinning around their opponent inorder to grab them to inmovilze or land blows on them
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Hers is based on Jiu jutsu while his on Hapkido
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Mako to Sarada
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Fire and lightining shooting tsunderes, who start developing sexual tension with the more lively protagonist
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Striking based fighting style simmilar to boxing
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Both wear a scarf
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Honestly, she kinda looks like she is Mako's little sister
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Alternatively to Jinora
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precocious young girls with a knack for reading who have an argumentative relationship with their respective dads
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Both are noted to have simmilarities to the original protagonist, Sarada having the same dreams as he did while Jinora having simmilar sense of spirituality
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Asami to Sumire
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Nice girls with a talent for science
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Second love interest to the main character
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Both had a chance to betray the protagonist but decided not to
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Both had parents who grew distant to them over wanting vengeance
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alternatively Asami to Mitsuki, considering the homoerotic (though in his case likely not romantic) nature of the latter's relationship with Boruto
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Ikki to Himawari
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Inhumanly cute younger sibling to a main character
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Both enjoy painting and develop a bond with an older pretty boy (Huan and Inojin respectively) with more refined tastes in art
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Huan to Inojin
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more experienced artist with a bond to the aformentioned younger girl due to their admiration for her enthusiastic, if innelegant painting
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Funnily enough their relationships are inverted, as Huan's encouragement of Ikki's art causes her develops a (onesided) crush on him, while Himawari's teaching Inojin to enjoy painting caused him to develop a (possibly onesided) crush on her
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Bolin to Chocho
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Stout kids known for their physical strenght and silly personalities that could potentially become among the strongest characters in their respective groups
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Both obsessed over finding love, which makes them act like idiots at times
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Buddying relationship with the main or one of the main girls
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Fighting styles based on wretling
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Sumo in her case, grappling in his
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Kuvira to Kawaki
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Anti hero foil to the main hero
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Both were thrown away by their parents to be taken in by the leader of a group thats known for their advanced technology, the metal clan for Kuvira and Kara for Kawaki
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Interestingly, in Kawaki's case his abusive biological father sold him to his abusive adoptive one, while with Kuvira her bad behavior caused her parents to reject her and give her away to more sensitive parent against whom she eventually rebelled anyway
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Kuvira's relationship to Suying seems closer to Kawaki's relationship to Naruto, his second adoptive parent, both being former teen rebels themselves who were therefore capable of better understanding the child
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Both broke something that belonged to their adoptive sister soon afterbeing taken in
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Both eventually betray their new positive parental figure and destroy the protagonist's home city
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Both have powers related to metal and technology
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Beifong women to the Sarutobi men
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Old Toph to Hiruzen
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an incredbly powerful and talented elderly person whose kids were never able to surpass him or her
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Once one of the most powerful individuals in the world, now crippled by their old age
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Lin and Su Yin to Asuma and his older brother
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Children to the aforementioned elders who once had a bad relationship with them
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The younger siblings rebelled and decided to be their own person by looking for a purpose outside their home city, Asuma by working with the feudal lord and Su Ying by starting the metal clan
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The older sbling decided to stay home and continue working with their parent as a law enforcement officer, Asuma's brother by joining the ANBU and eventually becoming its head while Lin by becoming a police officer and eventually becoming chief
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Lin and Mako to Asuma and Shikamaru
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A tough as nails older badass that fights with knives who becomes a mentor to a young man whom he or she taughts how to fullfill his true potential
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Red Lotus to Akatsuki
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Secret organization full of insane badasses with unusual abilities
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Both Unalaq and Obito want to extract an ancient spirit out of the protagonist to have it devoured by another ancient being so that he can combine with said ancient being and become a god
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alternatively, Unalaq to Nagato since they're both millitary leaders with fanatical religious views that see themselves as messianic archetypes
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Both P'li and Konan are women with explosive powers that are absolutely devoted to their group's leader, to whom they serve as top enforcer
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Both Zaheer and Nagato are philosophical fighters known ofr their speed and power who have fighting styles based on repelling opponents
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Both Ming-hua and Hidan are psychotic fighters known for their speedy, acrobatic and confusing fighting style
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White Lotus to the Kage
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(Mostly) Older badasses who serve as role models to the protagonists
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Mifune to Piandao
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Elderly swordsmen that keep up with more powered teammates
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Shin "Uchiha" to Tokuga
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Physically misshappened bad guy who establishes an evil plot after the story ends
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President Raiko to Danzo, Koharu and Homura
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Obstructive older bureaucrats that dislike the more liberal minded views of a woman in a position of authority
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Killer Bee and Gyuki to the lion Turtle
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amphibious spirits or owners of an amphibious spirit with facial hair that serve as a mentor to the protagonist before the final battle, teaching them the skills they're gonna need for them
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Tenzin to Ebizu
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Uptight masters
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the little air nomads to team Konohamaru Edit:
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Varrick to Katasuke
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Genius inventors with a corporate agenda who manipulate a main character for the sake of it
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Both have a sexy assistant with glasses
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Zhu Li to Akita, whom I’m now guessing will become Hokage much like Li became president
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Both work beside the aforementioned nice inteligent girl
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Kai to Iwabe
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Punkish, dark skinned kid (Iwabe is implied to have land of earth descent so he is likely native australian) who usually defends those weaker than him
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talent for their respective elements (air and earth)
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one specializes on speed and constant movement while the other one in power and defense
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Honorary mentions
The following aren't all that simmilar but in my mind they kinda click together.
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Jet to Kiba
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arrogant fighters who specialyze in fighting in the forest
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Toph "Rock Loli" Beifong to Rock Lee
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Toph to Neji
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Go to guys for sensing incomming enemies
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natural talent
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Unalaq gives me some Orochimaru vibes
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Ming-Hua to Suigetsu
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water controlling sociopaths
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Alternatively to Haku, being ice and water characters known for their speed despite their relative frailness
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Opal to Sumire
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Shikamaru and Kuvira
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the green clothes, ponytails and skin color make them look kinda simmilar
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Korra to Tsunade
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Zhu li to Sarada
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Ghazan to Kisame
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known for their rawpower and affable personalities
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