Avatar: The Last Airbender

With a new movie out and a sequel series set to come out next year, I wanted to take a look at the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The series is an incredible one, particularly for a children's show. while many shows today focus on 11 minute shorts, and even if they go out to the full 20+ minutes, there is rarely a continuous storyline.

TLA transcends this and creates a fully developed world, populated with realistic characters and a perpetual storyline that is both engrossing and well-rounded.

 We follow the young Airbender, Aang, as he emerges from a supernatural 100 year sleep. Just before running away and getting trapped in an iceberg, he learns that he is the Avatar. The Avatar has the ability to master all four elements (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) whereas normal benders can only master their nation's element. As such a powerful person, the Avatar maintains balance within the world, and can communicate with the Spirit World as well.

Aang was revealed as the Avatar four years early (typically it's revealed at age 16, Aang found out at 12) due to the aggressions of the Fire Nation. So this is all pretty overwhelming, and it's understandable that he fled for what he thought was a few days.

Once he is released from the iceberg he got trapped in, Aang discovers that his absence lead to 100 years of war and strife, as well as the massacre of his people.This drives him, with the help of the Water Tribe siblings Sokka and Katara who found and released him, to travel the world to find masters to teach him the remaining 3 elements so he can set things right.

Meanwhile, he is hunted by Prince Zuko, exiled prince of the Fire Nation. His father banished him, and gave him the impossible-seeming task of finding the Avatar and capturing him before his exile can be lifted.

The series grows and develops with it's characters in a unique way that is not often seen in children's TV. We are introduced to a world with four distinct nations, each with it's own style of dress, mannerisms, local scenery and customs. The animals are all fantasy-like, often created by combining two "real world" animals (such as a platypus-bear or a rabbit-kangaroo). It seems rare to run across such depth of the story world in television. Those that don't simply use our own world tend to only develop what's absolutely necessary.

The characters are both believeable and likeable and go through a number of changes throughout the series to create characters who are very complex. We watch as Aang, who is carefree by nature, struggles to come to terms with all that he must be, and he learns to be less jesterly and more serious about the task at hand, while at the same time balancing his peaceful monk upbringing with the violent war we must fight.

Sokka begins the show as mostly lazy and sarcastic, and yet with a deep drive to prove himself as a warrior to make his father (who he hasn't seen in years due to his father fighting in the war) proud. As the series progresses, we see him realize his potential as a leader and warrior.

Katara is the last waterbender of her tribe. She grapples with discovering how to use her powers on her own, while suffering a great deal of guilt over the death of hers and Sokka's mother, who was killed by Fire Nation soldiers while she was protecting young Katara. She grows in her waterbending prowess, as well as providing a level head for "Team Avatar", as Sokka calls their little group, and making sure that everyone is cared for.

Prince Zuko is perhaps the most complex of all the characters, and certainly goes through the greatest transformation. At first, he is the banished prince, and defines himself by his desire to regain his honor in the eyes of his father, and fulfill his destiny, which he believes is to capture young Aang. As he clashes with his own people, culminating in a betrayal by his sister, the evil Azula, we watch him as he struggles to redefine his destiny and make his own choices in life. Guided by his mentor, his uncle Iroh, he begins a change that leads him down a difficult road to self discovery.

And those are just the four primary characters. We also get a host of other memorable, interesting characters, including many strong female charracters. One of the areas this show excels is in portraying various aspects of female personality while keeping them strong and capable. We see the nurterer, the tomboy, the truly evil, the cheerfully perky, the overly emotionally oppressed. Yet all of these are strong, capable and enthralling characters.

The bending movements of each nation are art in and of themselves. Each is based off a different style of Kung Fu, adding beauty and purpose to the bending movements. Each style was also carefully chosen to match the element it represents. Fire uses a ferocious and powerful style, Earth a more steady and controlled style, Water a slower more rhythmic style, and Air more spinning of the hands and body to simulate tornado like movements.

Visually, it is also beautiful. While each nation draws on heavily from Asian influence, each is unique and diverse. From the almost delicate construction of the Northern Water Tribe's ice city, to the floating citadels of the Air Nomads, to the strong walled fortresses of the Earth Kingdom, and the more traditionally styled Fire Nation, it is an incredible style that is so often lost today.

Emotionally, it showcases the power love, the dangers of obsession, the pain of loss, and struggle to do what you know is right against overwhelming odds. It is a rich, complex and diverse storyline keeps both children and adults interested.

If you have never watched the series, go give it a go. I think you'll enjoy, regardless of your age.



Jaded Scribe's Personal Favorite Episodes:


Book 1: Water
Southern Air Temple
Avatar Roku
The Storm
Siege of the North (2 parts)

Book 2: Earth
The Blind Bandit
Tales of Ba Sing Se
The Guru/Crossroads of Destiny (2 parts)


Book 2: Fire (Jaded's Favorite Season)
Sokka's Master
The Beach
The Avatar and the Firelord
The Western Air Temple
The Firebending Masters
The Boiling Rock (2 parts)
Sozin's Comet (4 parts)