Poi Character Analysis

[Visual role] Poi represents a very different Waterbending culture (based on Polynesians, who never had any representation in the original series), showing that not all Waterbenders moved to the poles.
Design wise, she is more pastel-colored and lightly-clothed than most perceptions of Waterbenders. Her fighting style is a more aggressive take on push and pull; drawing on the power of waves and tsunamis, she overwhelms any opponents who are foolish enough to think that water is soft.

[Group role] Poi is the "emotional heart" of Team Avatar. She cools the tempers of Kimiko and Bayar, and tries to get Shen to be enthusiastic about life. She is selfless to the nth degree, always putting the needs of others before herself, even if it hurts her.
She has some of Katara's emotional and empathetic traits, but she's more of a "team little sister" than a "team mom."
After gaining more self-confidence and assertiveness in book 3, Poi becomes Shen's waterbending teacher.
Poi is easygoing and willing to try almost anything, in contrast to Kimiko's high standards and Bayar's (and Shen's) traditional, shame-based culture.

In combat, Poi is actually Team Avatar's tank and dishes out the most direct damage. This heavy-hitting fighting style contrasts sharply with her cheerful and complacent demeanor.

[Story role] Poi's character arc involves her finding and establishing her own identity, both in regards to her cultural identity as well as being a more assertive person who knows what she wants.
In the beginning, Poi is almost completely defined by her relationship to others, especially Kimiko. Poi will sacrifice her own happiness for Kimiko's, even for the most minor things. This is because deep down Poi is afraid that any mistake she makes might make her lose her only friend.
Over the course of her adventures with the Avatar, Poi discovers what really matters to her. She learns that it isn't her job to keep everyone happy, and that taking time for herself doesn't make her (or anyone else) selfish.

Due to her lower-class status and perception as an "exotic novelty" by Kimiko's family and friends, Poi has internalized noble Fire Nation prejudices about her people, and as a result feels like she "doesn't deserve" to have her own thoughts, opinions, and goals. She's a bit of a doormat, allowing people to walk all over her for fear of upsetting anyone.

[Relationships between Team Avatar]

Shen- Shen and Poi naturally take a liking to each other, and quickly grow to be good friends. Shen empathizes with Poi's feelings of being marginalized, and Poi understands Shen's feelings of being pressured by an older sibling. They can hang around casually without tension, and usually conflict does not rise between them.

Bayar- Poi is pleased to meet Bayar, despite being annoyed with his regressive, stick-in-the-mud attitude. Bayar doesn't want to like Poi (finding her clothing style extremely haram), but her natural enthusiasm and kindness wins him over. The two grow close throughout their adventures together, with Poi's cheeriness balancing out Bayar's grumpiness.

Kimiko- Kimiko and Poi grew up together from a young age, and are basically sisters. They trust each other with almost everything, and are incredibly close. As close as they are however, the power dynamic between them is still unequal. Poi is eager to please Kimiko, but Kimiko unknowingly abuses Poi's kindness and takes it for granted.

[Character Growth]

Book 1- Poi is extremely nice to everyone she meets, and very eager to please. She is a very curious person, eager to learn about the other nations. At first she is hesitant to fight, because she had been told by people in the FN that her bending style is "too clunky" for a waterbender, but learns that her team can't function in battle without her hard-hitting style.
She always tries to find ways for her and the group to have fun and keep happy; but as Team Avatar gets into more and more conflict, the cracks in her mask begin to show.

Book 2- Conflicts and division in both Team Avatar and the world at large cause a fire to rise within Poi. She discovers that she can't rely on Kimiko for everything, and seeing the horrors of the war the Fire Nation is perpetuating causes Poi to question her blind loyalty to the nation that subjugated her tribe.
At the end of Book 2, Poi decides that she needs to put the hurt and pain of her past behind by re-visting the Western Water Tribe. She reassures Kimiko that she won't be gone forever, but Kim is still shocked because Poi has never wanted to leave her side until now.

Book 3- Poi has gained enough self-confidence to forge her own path, and learns to put her foot down when she's had enough. After one last day together for Team Avatar on the WWT beaches, Poi finally returns to the island of her birth. There, she reconnects with her people and decides that she will make her tribe known to the rest of the world by having the Avatar himself trained in their bending style.