Avatar: The Last Airbender Review

Post date: May 16, 2023

By Graeme Schnarre

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a Nickelodeon show that has recently been brought to Netflix where it was ranked a top ten show for weeks on end. It is an American animated television series with Asian inspiration that swept the country with its popularity. The show is based on a world made up of four nations that each have their own distinct abilities: the fire, water, earth, and air nations; each nation has benders that can control that specific element. The avatar, who the show is based off of and follows, is a bender that can control all four elements and uses his power to keep peace among all four nations. When one avatar dies a new one is born, the Avatar in this series is Ang, a twelve year old boy from the air nation, who had been missing for 100 years when he ran away from his home during a storm and was trapped in an iceberg. In the 100 years he was imprisoned in ice the fire nation was attempting to take over all of the other nations and become a supreme ruler. The show follows Ang and his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph as they travel working to teach Ang all four elements so he can end the fire nation's attempt on conquering the world. 

In general the show is extremely well written and the plot is sublime, although like every show it has its drawbacks. All the episodes had a very similar layout where the group of kids would travel somewhere to help Ang reach his end goal of learning all four elements and in each episode they would be presented with a conflict whether it be being chased by the fire nation or helping a suffering town. At points the layout became quite repetitive for example the episode “The Great Divide” in which the Avatar crew needs to lead two feuding towns through a valley to evade the fire nation; this episode has the same repetitive plot of helping struggling people but unlike other episodes it did nothing for the overall plot of the show.  

An aspect I really enjoy from the show is the character development. The character with the most drastic and impactful character development is Zuko; he begins as a banished prince who is given the task of capturing the Avatar to regain his honor and be accepted back into the fire nation. Accompanied by his Uncle Iroh, he chases the avatar all across the world. He comes close to capturing him many times but constantly fails, he sinks into despair and internal conflict of the reasoning behind capturing the avatar and living a life of anger. Ultimately with the guidance of his Uncle he sides with the Avatar turning his want for his fathers approval into hate. Zuko even goes as far to join the Avatar team in the final episodes teaching Ang fire bending. Many of the main characters have their own developments like Zuko’s that makes the show truly inspirational to watch. 

Morals and lessons is another aspect of the show that is well appreciated with characters like Uncle Iroh always providing words of wisdom to his struggling nephew Zuko. One of my favorite lines of his is “Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source”, which he tells to Zuko who is conflicted on his reasoning to prove himself to his father. From each character the viewer can learn a life lesson that they can take on in their later life. Another great example of a lesson taught in the show is when Katara goes on a hunt for the man who killed her mother; accompanied by Zuko, she hunts for the killer days on end and ultimately when she faces him she shows him mercy. These lessons along with many others make the show much more meaningful and memorable to watch. 

Overall Avatar: The Last Airbender stands as a timeless and meaningful animated series that resonates with viewers of all ages. Its combination of compelling storytelling, well-crafted character arcs, and insightful lessons make it a truly exceptional show. Whether it's the awe-inspiring bending battles, the heartfelt moments of friendship, or the exploration of themes such as mercy and identity, this show continues to inspire and leave a lasting impact on its audience.