Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender will forever be my favourite show. A true masterpiece. Somehow, this kid’s show managed to create one of the most compelling stories, with amazing characters and one of the best worlds in fiction.
And what I think edges Avatar above some of these other cartoon shows that are all incredible, is that it has one streamlined story throughout. The fact that we learn about the genocide of the Airbenders by the Fire Nation so early allows for the show to set the tone incredibly to set up the struggle and resistance against the Fire Nation, which is an incredible tool to tell the story of these characters. Having these different seasons in the forms of the books of Water, Earth and Fire allows us to see the stages our heroes take as they slowly defeat the Fire Nation. From Zhao, who is only a commander and later an Admiral in Book 1, to Azula, the fire nation princess in Book 2, and of course, the finale in book three with the Fire Lord himself Ozai.
But this plot isn’t what makes Avatar so great. It’s the world and the characters. Starting with the world, I think we are all fascinated by all the bendings and the sub-bendings within it, and we all imagine ourselves doing it. Bending allows for some of the best fights and choreography ever, from the Zuko and Azula Agni Kai to the Aang and Ozai fight, Toph makes earthbending look cool every time she does it! But it’s not just the bending that’s amazing about the world. All the places and animals are incredible. Having Ba Sing Se, the Northern Water Tribe, and the Western Air Temple, some of the most unique places ever thought up in TV history. But you also have the spirits and the spirit world, a completely fascinating part of the Avatar universe every time it shows up. There is of course, all the animals, with Momo, a flying lemur, Appa, a flying Bison, and all the other unique animal hybrids.
But moving on to the best part of Avatar, the characters. Zuko has the best story arc in the history of television, maybe across the entire media. His perfectly paced arc of turning from an annoying teenager at the start, who wants to regain his honour, to learning from Iroh, who is also amazing in his own right, by the way. To having one of the best episodes in television in Zuko alone, where he tries to help, but the people don’t trust a firebender. And when we finally think that he has fully realised that his father Ozai is wrong, and he doesn’t need to regain his honour, he takes back the chance anyway, before finally realising that his true destiny isn’t to serve alongside his father, it’s to help teach the Avatar to help defeat him, simply incredible.
But you also have Aang, who also has an amazing arc, from not wanting to be the Avatar, and being afraid, so that he runs away. Before, when he finds his family in team avatar, he fully accepts his responsibility while still keeping his morals and values as an airbender, beating Ozai without killing him. And of course, there is also Katara, who goes from childish and jealous to becoming motherly and caring to the team, as well as accepting Zuko even though he betrayed her, and refraining from killing her mother’s killer. You also have the other members of the team in Toph and Sokka, who are both amazing and have some great individual stories in their own right, while adding some amazing comedic moments too. And I have to mention some of the other great characters too, in Ty Lee, Mai, Jet, Bumi, and of course, the Cabbage Man.
But the villains are just incredible. Zhao is so calm and calculated until he gets too hungry and arrogant, while Azula has a brilliant arc from being a calm but cocky villain who seems to be unbeatable, to going mad and too cocky for her own good, leading her to lose to Zuko and Katara. While Ozai is a perfect and just pure evil villain with incredible voice acting by Mark Hamill, who is the G.O.A.T. Continuing on from that, the voice acting is amazing across the board from Dante Basco as Zuka, Jack De Sena as Sokka, and so much more.
Overall, I know I have talked a lot about this series, so if you haven’t watched it, you need to watch it right now, and if you have watched it, watch it again. We give Avatar: The Last Airbender a 97%.
