By Hanoch Lau (Y11)
Avatar the Last Airbender is an American animated TV show that aired from 2005 to 2008, making it now more than 20 years old, but it still remains hugely popular with audiences worldwide. It is critically acclaimed and frequently ranks as one of the top TV shows ever on many different lists. For me, it remains one of my favourite series since I first watched it around 3 years ago. While its animated nature may make it seem aimed at children at first glance, its profound emotional depth and at times mature themes, as well as its masterful worldbuilding and art, make it a gripping masterpiece only able to be understood by older audiences (that’s us!)
Its first sequel, The Legend of Korra, another amazing series, ran from 2012-2014. A movie titled Avatar: Aang was also recently released in July 2026. Now, another sequel series is about to be released. The first season is set to premiere on October 9th on Paramount+. Though the franchise has suffered a bit from some corporate greed lately (don’t you just love capitalism…), such as the Avatar: Aang movie only being released on Paramount+, to which I have yet to meet a person who is actually subscribed. This, however, does not detract from the beauty and simply amazing artistry of the original series.
While I only sat down to watch the full show just 3 years ago, I was first introduced to it as a 5- or 6-year-old lying down on a bed in a hotel on a hot afternoon in some faraway country on a distant holiday I have all but forgotten about. When a bored me switched on the TV, I was confronted with an episode of Avatar which remains one of my favourites, ‘The Firebending Masters’. Somehow, this single episode has been able to stay in my mind all these years, even long after I have forgotten the holiday, and even more so than almost everything I watched as a little kid. It isn’t very hard to make a show that will glue a bunch of 5-year-olds to the TV, but it is hard to make a show so impressionable that a single episode is able to be remembered over almost anything else. (The only other shows I can think of which I remember from that early on are Caillou and Teletubbies) Perhaps it speaks to my excellent taste as a 5-year-old (which must have since faded), but it really does show just how good this show is for people of any age.
(That’s enough about me; let’s talk about the show now)
- The Plot
The series essentially focuses on a group of 12- to 15-year-olds (and their two animal companions) trying to save the world. The show is set in a world where some people are able to bend(control telekinetically) the 4 elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, with 4 corresponding nations to the elements. Only 1 person is able to control all four elements: the protagonist, Avatar Aang, who is 12. However, when the Fire Nation invades the other nations and initiates a genocide (seems familiar…) on the Air Nation, of which Aang is a part, he runs away and is then frozen in ice for 100 years. When he is unfrozen 100 years later, the War is still ongoing, and the series focuses on Aang on his journey to master all 4 elements in order to stop the leader of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai.
It’s a great premise for a show, and the plot itself is well-structured but nothing wild. It allows the series to really focus on:
- The Characters
The characters are really one of the things that make this show great. It is so satisfying watching the development of each character, and the show expertly builds each of their motivations and backstories before weaving all of them together with excellent character dynamics. One of the best examples of this is probably Prince Zuko, the son of the main antagonist of the series. His character arc is messy and non-linear, allowing it to reflect real-world journeys, and the slow change under the mentorship of his Uncle Iroh (the GOAT) is so satisfying and at times heartfelt. His arc is expertly built around his childhood trauma, lauded by critics as well-researched and realistic, and to top it all off, his journey is contrasted with his sister Azula’s, who, rather than redeeming herself like Zuko, basically jumps off the deep end and goes insane. (And to hold up my point, I’ve attached the Google search result for the greatest character arc of all time.)
Outside of just the character development, there are just so many characters in the series who are so brilliantly designed. Many characters build on or comment on so many profound themes, while many other characters so accurately represent real-world situations and conditions such as PTSD. Simply put, the characters are multi-dimensionally deep, with realistic flaws, which makes them likeable and true to life. (They’re also quite funny, which can’t hurt. Also making this a brilliant segue to the next point:)
There are also many strongly written side characters, such as Toph, a blind girl who challenges stereotypes about disability, as well as Iroh and Katara, who I have seen described as depicting the epitome of true masculinity and femininity, respectively. Iroh is a character who offers lots of emotional wisdom, and it is truly beautiful when we slowly learn more about him throughout the show, building up from his initial role as a comic-relief character. This journey culminates in the episode Tales of Ba Sing Se, which I won’t spoil, but I will say it was the only episode that made me shed a tear or two.
- The Humour
It has lots of dry humour moments, and also many quite standard comedic moments.
Not much else to say really; it’s pretty hard to explain how funny the show is. I guess the only way to find out is to watch it.
- The Deep and Mature Themes
Despite supposedly being a kids’ show, Avatar handles lots of profound and mature themes without watering them down. Ranging from the ethics of war, death and loss, generational abuse and trauma, genocide, imperialism, cultural erasure, propaganda and brainwashing, to psychological damage and vengeance. The show really handles and depicts lots of these themes really well.
- The Worldbuilding
Avatar exhibits a masterclass in fictional worldbuilding, drawing from real-world cultures and geography. The 4 nations each draw heavily from a historic era or culture. The Air Nomads are modeled after Tibetan monastic life, the Water Tribes on Inuit and Indigenous Arctic cultures, and the Fire Nation is modeled after imperial Japan and Southeast Asian aesthetics. The Earth Kingdom is based largely on Imperial and Ancient China, showcasing a multi-faceted continent with distinct individual regions and geography. These influences help make the world of Avatar look visually stunning (which I’m sure you can find with a simple search). The world is also so multi-layered (even literally), and it has so many intriguing designs and systems, like the city above, Ba Sing Se, which features strong themes about classism and the ethics of monarchy.
Conclusion
To be honest, I really don’t think this article does any justice to the show at all, and if you’ve managed to read through all the slop I’ve written… then well done. But I honestly couldn’t recommend anything else more, and I have never met a person who has watched the show and disliked it. And if you’re someone who always wants more after you’re finished, there are two more sequel shows, as I mentioned, as well as many, many comics and books.
As a note, some people might find Season 1 a bit slow-paced and a bit childish, but it really picks up after that. It’s also had some more-than-questionable adaptations, such as the 2010 movie (definitely not recommended) and the live-action show on Netflix (also don’t recommend, but it’s not as bad).
(Also, Avatar definitely has one of the best intros out there. Maybe you should watch it just for the intro…)
Thank you