Well, sure. There is that. But that seems to be more of a theme. Cute little blind girl is secretly an awesome earthbender. It makes for a great reveal, but it doesn't really carry well in the arena. That's where the story really matters! Take the Fire Nation guy. He's Fire Nation. But an Earthbender! Nobody likes him, but he tries his hardest anyway. Even if you hate the Fire Nation, you're still kind of rooting for him to at least get a few hits in. Just so he doesn't completely embarrass himself.