This is the story of a boy who feared becoming a god, in a world that needed one.

Growing up, the term “Avatar” always cropped up in conversations back in school but I never really gave a second thought about it. Like most other people, the only Avatar that I was aware of was the James Cameron space epic. And the disastrous M. Night Shyamalan movie that I actually gave a shot at. Needless to say, even to a newcomer like me, the movie was pathetic and it was the sole reason for me putting off the show when recommended by a number of friends. A few months ago I ended up watching Trollhunters, an animated series from Del Toro which to my great surprise turned out to be a great watch. Since my head was filled to the brim by various aspects of the show, I started scouring the internet reading more about it. What did I find on the Internet? A number of people recommending Avatar: The Last Airbender, stating that if you enjoyed Trollhunters, you are definitely going to be blown away by Avatar.

So, I gave it a chance. And boy did it manage to reign me in.

A Gist: The world consists of four nations that have people who can bend one of four elements: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. The Avatar is the only person who can control all 4 elements and bring balance to the world.

The initial episodes seemed to be designed for a younger audience, but they teased how the show would mature over time. In the very first episode we get to see:

how Aang can become ruthless and instil fear when he enters the Avatar state

seemingly impossible burdens imposed on youth

misguided ideals driving a person

Y’know, that’s pretty deep already for a kids show. And it only gets bigger from here on out.

The cast of a show can make or break the show. In the case of animation. voice acting plays an extremely important role. All of the major supporting characters: Katara, Sokka, Iroh and Zuko are written and voiced well. The voice actors brought them to life with a wide spectrum of emotions.

Katara and Sokka play an important role in nursing Aang into his role as the Avatar. But this is never at the expense of their own characters, as they both have strong storylines suited for them (Alliteration game on point.). Both characters are plagued by horrors carried out by the Fire Nation and want to help restore order in the world. Katara is caring and motherly, always looking out for the best interests of the gang, while Sokka is more of a strategist and brightens the story with his humour. He plays a key role in developing new technologies that shift the tides of war. Sokka slowly becomes the heart and soul of the group that holds everyone together.

The banished prince of the fire lord, Zuko is tasked with capturing the Avatar who is the last threat to the Fire Nation. In order to regain his honour and please his father, he sets his sight on catching Aang at any cost. Considering the arc Zuko is given, some people consider him to be the main character. It’s extremely satisfying to watch his father-son relationship with Iroh (who spits wisdom while bumbling around with a cup of tea), especially once we learn what Iroh has suffered. It’s best to watch his story unfold on your own… so jumping to the next one.

Toph Beifong epitomizes the saying size is no indication of power. She is a beacon of hope to all those who cry about life being unfair. She might seem to be frail, but we soon get to know she is amongst the most powerful Earthbenders in the world. Blind from birth and treated like a delicate instrument by her parents, nothing stopped her from growing into one of the most standout and creative characters in the show.

In my opinion, Azula could be the most tragic character in the show. She’s Zuko’s sister and outshone him in terms of Firebending skills. In addition to being a prodigious bender, she was always cunning and mischievous. From a young age, she had learnt the art of manipulating people for her own gains. She is a tactician who successfully outsmarts her opponents with ease. But her apparent lack of humanity and signs of cruelty prompted her own mother to think of her as a monster. Her father was narrow-minded and his tunnel vision prompted the growth of her bending abilities while neglecting fatherly affection. Devoid of love and jealous of how her mother treated Zuko with care, Azula, in turn, became heartless. It shows how love can go a long way in shaping a person.

Aang. The boy who feared to become a god. The titular character, Aang is the last Airbender. The Fire nation launched a preemptive strike against the Airbenders, amongst whom the next Avatar would rise. When Aang was told of his status as the Avatar, he got cold feet. How was he -a mere kid- supposed to end the war? With growing pressures due to his intensive training as an Airbender and his role as the Avatar weighing on him, Aang flees. The air nation got wiped out in his absence, and Aang was powerless to help. We journey along with Aang as he begins to understand the role that the Avatar plays, and the challenges he must overcome in order to master all the elements. He always strives to fight injustice using non-violent means. At the end of the day, Aang is a 12-year-old tasked with an impossible mission. In the race to achieve this, would power ultimately misguide him and betray his ideals? What would he have to give up in order to save the world? His cheerful disposition to the world around him and his playful nature helps to bring out the light in a bleak war-torn world.

The world of Avatar has been sketched out with great detail. As we traverse the globe with Aang and his friends, we see how even through the darkest of times people have brought a semblance of normality to their lives by attempting to be cheerful whenever they can. When news spreads about the Avatars return, people begin to hope again for a brighter future. The war might have torn families apart, but it never broke their spirits. Towns go about celebrating festivals, and holding parades whenever possible. Some cities hold bending tournaments as entertainment for people. We also get a peek into the fire nation: a superpower that took control by launching a first strike akin to a nuclear attack. People have been displaced, violated and their villages have crumbled down due to factories and refineries where citizens are forced into labour. Benders of other elements are captured as prisoners of war and placed in horrific conditions. Some of them are put into ice boxes or chained up inhumanely in order to control their bending abilities. When we do get to see fire nation citizens, they seem like ordinary people who go about their own businesses. There are some people who were forced into committing horrific crimes, yet they do their best to atone for the sins of their nation. The fire nation has committed numerous crimes, and hence there are people who fight back, strike teams of water and earth benders doing all they can to stop the war. There even exists non-bending rebels who use excessive violence at the cost of innocent people just to avenge the losses they have suffered.

With the advent of technology, it has become much easier to spread wrong information to the masses. Particularly information that seems credible at first sight. This makes it easier for a government to retain control over its populace. In the show, we witness a disinformation campaign where a city suppresses all news about the war in order to maintain peace and order in the city. Ba Sing Se, the capital of the earth kingdom opts out of the war, affecting everyone else in their nation negatively. Puppet rulers and misguided commanders, false allusions of victory and a spark of hope that the world may turn for the better. The world of Avatar feels like a living breathing place.

All of the characters, both main and supporting are given their own time to shine. This helps us to connect with them and find out what drives each person. As a result, by the end of the show, we have a different perspective of all the characters introduced.

There are many antagonists that come and go in the show, but unfortunately Ozai the Fire lord turns out to be the weakest one. His -I am pure evil and will end the world- motif seems backward for a show with the calibre of characters such as Zuko and Azula, both of whom are extremely engaging and well sketched out.

The show has impressive animation, with creative combat scenes and some astoundingly well-animated sequences which are taken a step further considering the stakes and conflicts between the players involved. The flow of the various bending elements and the amount of research done to various martial arts helps differentiate between various bending forms. Large set pieces live up to the expectations and they are bolstered by clever soundtracks. The power of music is incredible, especially when the designers decide where to use it, and when not to.

This is a “kids” show. A show that starts off with the genocide of a country and a glimpse at a character torn between doing what is right, and what is easy. We have a military general whose greatest failure was a stepping stone to restoring his morality, a city that is oppressive of its people, a superpower with no qualms of the damage they inflict, yet help advance civilization with tools built for war. With the scope of the story, death is a natural part of the show but isn’t too on the nose. People chase after their enemies for revenge, but do they cross the line? Are damning their own souls worth it? Can peaceful resolution be more effective than outright violence? This gives a chance for the show to humanize its antagonists.

This is not just a show. It’s an experience, and I urge you to give it a shot. Go out and buy the Blu-ray or stream the show. Do yourself a favour and watch the legend of Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

10/10