While the final game only uses seven different species for the Avatar, several were considered during development, such as raccoons, dogs, squirrels, rats, pigs, lizards and more. The last species to be added was narrowed down to three options: a monkey, a dragon, and a bear. The bear ultimately won out, due to being usable as a power-type character.

Eastern and Western preferences were also taken into account when deciding certain details for the Avatar. For example, eye shapes that were deemed too cute/juvenile were altered to appeal more to a Western audience. This is part of the reason why the dragon was ultimately rejected, as the devs felt it was too Eastern-centric, and wanted to prioritize more neutral animal choices.