Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American
animatedA cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
television series that aired for
three seasons on
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by
Michael Dante DiMartinoMichael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
and
Bryan KonietzkoBryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
, who served as
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s along with Aaron Ehasz. Avatar is set in an
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n-influenced world wherein some are able to manipulate the
classical elementMany philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
s by use of
Chinese martial artsChinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
. The show combined the styles of
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and American cartoons, and relied for imagery upon various East-Asian,
InuitThe Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, and South-American societies, with a brief reference to the Indic.
The series follows the adventures of protagonist
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
and his friends, who must save the world by defeating the evil Fire Lord and ending his destructive war against the three other nations.
The pilot episode first aired on February 21, 2005 and the series concluded with a widely praised
two-hour episode"Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle" is the series finale for the Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was directed by Ethan Spaulding, Giancarlo Volpe, and Joaquim Dos Santos, and written by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Aaron Ehasz. Though intended to be split...
on July 19, 2008.
The show is obtainable from various sources, including on
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, the Zune Marketplace, the
Xbox Live MarketplaceThe Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, the
PlayStation StoreThe PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
,
NetflixNetflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
Instant Play, and on the
Nicktoons NetworkNicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was popular with both audiences and critics, garnering 5.6 million viewers on its best-rated showing and receiving high ratings in the
NicktoonsNicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
lineup, even outside its 6–11-year-old demographic.
Avatar: The Last Airbender has been nominated for and won awards from the Annual Annie Awards, the
Genesis AwardsThe Genesis Awards are awarded annually to individuals in the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works which raise public awareness of animal issues. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States, the awards show takes place every March in California...
, the primetime Emmy awards and a
Peabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
among others. The first season's success prompted Nickelodeon to order second and third seasons. In other media, the series has spawned a live-action film, titled
The Last AirbenderThe Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a live-action film adaptation of the first season to the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender....
, directed by
M. Night ShyamalanManoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
, scaled
action figureAn action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s, a
trading card gameThe Avatar: The Last Airbender Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Upper Deck Entertainment launched this title in the first quarter of 2006.- Game overview :...
, three video games based on the
firstAvatar: The Last Airbender is a video game based on the animated television series of the same name for Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox...
, second, and third seasons,
stuffed animalA stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
s distributed by
Paramount ParksParamount Parks was an operator of theme parks and attractions, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. Viacom had assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994....
, and two
LEGOLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
setsLego Avatar: The Last Airbender was a Lego theme based on the Nickelodeon television show Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was a short-lived theme, as only two sets came out in 2006, with set designs based on the first season only...
. An art book was also released in mid-2010. Furthermore, the president of Nickelodeon announced on July 21, 2010 that a Spin-off called
The Last Airbender: Legend of KorraThe Last Airbender: Legend of Korra is an upcoming American animated television series that is expected to air on Nickelodeon in mid-2012. The series is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired on the same network from 2005 to 2008, and may run for 26 episodes...
will premiere in 2012.
Series overview
Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a world home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society, wherein people known as Benders have the ability to manipulate the eponymous
elementMany philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
of their nation using the physical motions of
martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. The show's creators based each Bending style on an existing martial art, leading to visual differences in the techniques used by Waterbenders (T'ai chi ch'uan), Earthbenders (Hung Ga kung fu, for the most part), Firebenders (
Northern ShaolinIn its broadest sense, Northern Shaolin refers to the external martial arts of Northern China referring to those styles from the Northern Shaolin Monastery in Henan...
kung fu) and Airbenders (
BaguazhangBāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
).
At any given time, there is only one person alive in the story's world capable of 'bending' all four elements: the show's eponymous Avatar, the spirit of the
planetA planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
in human form. When an Avatar dies, this spirit is
reincarnatedReincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle, in the order of the seasons, and must master each bending art in seasonal order, starting with the native element. Additionally, the Avatar possesses a unique ability called the Avatar State, which briefly endows it with the knowledge and abilities of all past Avatars as a self-triggering defense mechanism, which can be made subject to the will of the user by extensive trial and training. If an Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, the reincarnation cycle is broken, and the Avatar status will cease to exist. Through the ages, the succeeding Avatars have served to keep the four nations in harmony, and maintain world order. The Avatar serves as the bridge between the physical world and the Spirit World, allowing each to solve problems that normal benders cannot.
Backstory
The events one hundred years before the beginning of the show are revealed gradually and out of order throughout the series.
One hundred years before the start of the series, a twelve-year-old Airbender named
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
learns he is the new Avatar. Fearful of the heavy responsibilities of the position, and being separated from his beloved mentor Monk Gyatso, Aang flees from home on his animal guide, a giant six-legged flying
bisonMembers of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
named
AppaAppa is a fictional character on the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and in the film The Last Airbender. In the series, Appa is the only known living sky bison, a species of animals that can fly naturally, and is the animal guide of the protagonist, Aang...
. During their flight, they become caught in a fierce storm and crash into the ocean, whereupon Aang's protective Avatar State encases the pair in an
icebergAn iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
, in
suspended animationSuspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
. Fire Lord Sozin, who killed the previous Avatar to stop the latter's aversion of his
war plansA world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
, begins a
genocideGenocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
of the Air Nomads to whom Aang belongs; but fails to kill Aang.
Season One (Book One: Water)
One hundred years after Sozin's time, Katara, a fourteen-year-old Waterbender girl, and her brother the fifteen-year-old
SokkaSokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena...
, free Aang and Appa from the iceberg. After Aang is revealed to be the Avatar, the three travel to the Northern Water Tribe from whom Aang and Katara can learn Waterbending. En route Aang and friends visit the Southern Air Temple where Aang discovers that the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads, and encounters his predecessor Avatar Roku. Throughout their journey, the trio are pursued by Prince Zuko, the exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai, who seeks to reclaim his honor and throne by capturing the Avatar. Zuko travels with his uncle Iroh, a legendary Fire Nation general and the older brother of Ozai. Competing with Zuko for the Avatar is Admiral Zhao, who leads an attack on the Northern Water Tribe. The attack is repelled by Aang and his friends; but the Fire Lord orders his daughter Azula to capture Zuko and Iroh, who are now considered traitors to the Fire Nation.
Season Two (Book Two: Earth)
After leaving the Northern Water Tribe, Aang masters Waterbending under Katara's tutelage. Searching for an Earthbending teacher, the group meets
TophToph Bei Fong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character was voiced by Jessie Flower.Toph Bei Fong is a blind Earthbending master...
, a blind Earthbending prodigy, and recruit her as such. Zuko and Iroh, now fugitives from the Fire Nation, attempt to lead new lives in the Earth Kingdom, where Zuko, with the help of his uncle, tries to come to terms with his troubled past and his obsession with capturing the Avatar. Aang and his friends discover that an upcoming
solar eclipseAs seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
will deprive Firebenders of their eponymous ability, leaving them open to invasion and giving Aang his chance to defeat the Fire Lord; but in learning this Aang's Sky Bison is lost to a group of Sandbenders. Azula and her two friends Mai and Ty Lee pursue the protagonists, who struggle to reach Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom's capital, and tell the Earth King of the eclipse. Disguised as the Kyoshi Island Warriors (disciples of a previous Avatar), Azula persuades an elite group of Earthbenders called the Dai Li to instigate a
coup d'étatA coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, allowing the Fire Nation to capture Ba Sing Se. In a final confrontation, Zuko sides with his sister, who promises to restore his honor. Iroh helps Aang and Katara to escape after Zuko betrays him, and is imprisoned by the Dai Li. Aang attempts to activate the Avatar State; but is hit by Azula's lightning and dies. He is later brought back to life by Katara.
Season Three (Book Three: Fire)
Aang recovers from his injuries to find his allies disguised as Fire Nation soldiers heading West on a Fire Nation ship, while Zuko has been restored to his position of crown prince and Iroh is imprisoned as a traitor. Sokka has planned a small-scale invasion of the Fire Nation to capture the Fire Lord's palace and defeat Fire Lord Ozai, taking advantage of the solar eclipse, staged by various allies encountered in previous episodes. After initial success, the invasion ultimately fails, and only Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph escape. Zuko, in a change of heart, defies his father and offers to teach Aang Firebending; later to be accepted as a teammate.
In the four-part series finale, Aang and his friends confront Fire Lord Ozai, who plans to use the power of Sozin's Comet to destroy the other nations and rule the world as the Phoenix King. Iroh, after breaking himself out of prison, leads the Order of the White Lotus (an international society of martial-arts masters, including himself and Aang's allies King Bumi, Master Pakku, Master Piando, and Jeong Jeong) to liberate Ba Sing Se. Sokka, Toph, and Kyoshi Warrior Suki disable the Fire Nation's airships, preventing them from burning down the Earth Kingdom, while Zuko challenges Azula. Zuko seems to have the upper hand due to Azula's deteriorating mental state; but when Azula fires a lightning bolt at Katara, who is watching the duel, Zuko intercepts the bolt to save her, injuring himself in the process. Katara then restrains Azula and heals Zuko. Aang, contending with Ozai, is reluctant to kill him; but eventually overcomes him by depriving him of the ability to manipulate fire. Zuko is crowned the new Fire Lord and, with the help of the Avatar and his friends, begins rebuilding the four nations. After Zuko is crowned he goes to confront his father in prison and demands the location of his banished mother, while the other protagonists enjoy their victory at Ba Sing Se.
Characters
- Aang
Aang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
(Zach Tyler EisenZachary Tyler "Zach" Eisen is an American actor and voice actor. His roles include Aang in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lucas Nickle in The Ant Bully , Andrew in Nick Jr.'s Little Bill, and Pablo the Penguin in Nick Jr.'s The Backyardigans...
) is the 12-year-old, fun-loving, airbending protagonist of the series. Although averse to fighting, Aang is fiercely protective of the people he cares about, particularly Katara and Appa. He is the current incarnation of the planet's psycheThe word psyche has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and has been one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view. The English word soul is sometimes used synonymously, especially in older...
, and is therefore required to act as arbiter among the various peoples. According to the show's creators, the arrowlike tattoos on his brow and arms mark Aang as an airbending master, whereas he is the youngest airbender in history to earn them.
- Katara (Mae Whitman
Mae Margaret Whitman is an American television, movie and voice actress. She is known for her role as Ann Veal in the TV series Arrested Development, her role as Amber on the TV series Parenthood, her role as Roxy Richter in Scott Pilgrim vs...
) is a 14-year-old Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. With her brother Sokka, she accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord and, eventually, becomes his Waterbending master. Katara is the only surviving waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe and one of only two Waterbenders able to control human bodies by bending the water therein; but she only uses this ability twice in the series. Katara is usually kind-hearted and generous, but is deeply hurt and often angered by treacheryTreachery is a statutory offence in Australia. There was also an unrelated statutory offence bearing that name in the United Kingdom, but it has been abolished. Both of these offences were derived from or inspired by the related offence of treason. The name treachery was chosen because it is a...
. In an earlier version of the pilot episode, Katara's name was Kya; this later is stated to be her mother's name.
- Sokka
Sokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena...
(Jack DeSenaJack DeSena is an American screen and voice actor. He is best known for his work on the sketch comedy series All That, having joined the show's cast at the start of its 7th season in 2001 Jack DeSena (born John Patrick DeSena; December 6, 1987, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American screen and...
) is a 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. With his sister, Katara, he accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord. Sokka describes himself as "meat-loving" and "sarcastic", and is often a source of comic reliefComic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
. At the end of Season 1, Sokka was in love with Yue, the princess of the Northern Water Tribe; and later shifted his affections to Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Island Warriors. Unlike his companions, Sokka does not have any bending ability; his skill lies largely in mechanics, and his chief weapons are a metallic boomerangA boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
and a black jianThe jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BCE during the Spring and Autumn Period; one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian.Historical one-handed versions have blades...
created from the metals of a meteoriteA meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
.
- Toph Bei Fong (Jessie Flower
Jessie Flower is an American voice actress. She is most well known as the voice of Toph Bei Fong in the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She also voiced the character Meng in the season one episode "The Fortuneteller". She voices Peggy in Random! Cartoons episode Tiffany...
) is a blind female Earthbender who first appears in the second season of the show, in which she is Aang's Earthbending instructor. Though blind, Toph "sees" by feeling vibrations in the ground through her feet, and can use this ability to discern the emotions of those around her. She is later shown developing a method of 'Metal-bending' by detecting impurities in the metal.
- Momo (Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in both the animated series and the live-action film) is an intelligent and curious winged lemurLemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
, discovered by Aang at the Southern Air Temple . He often picks fights with other winged and smaller creatures and with Appa over food. He is capable of understanding Aang's speech; but less so of understanding others. In "Tales of Ba Sing Se", Momo’s name was written as 模模 (mó mó).
- Appa (Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in both the animated series and the live-action film) is Aang's flying bisonMembers of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
, who serves as the protagonists' mode of transportMode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...
around the world. He remains in suspended animation with Aang for 100 years, and shares a very strong bond with him. He possesses the ability to fly and can use his tail to create powerful gusts of air. According to Aang, flying bison were the first Airbenders.
- Zuko (Dante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
) is the 16-year-old exiled prince of the Fire Nation and original antagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the series. He is determined, strong-willed, and rarely shows compassion until the third season. Over time, Zuko struggles to deal with his anger, self-pity, and complex familial relationships, as well as the choice between good and evil. He takes on the vigilante identity of "the Blue Spirit" at the end of season one and beginning of season two. In season three, he defects from the Fire Nation to join the Avatar. At the end of the series, he is crowned ruler of the Fire Nation, in which position he ends the war and promises to aid in rebuilding the other nations.
- Azula (Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
) is the 14-year-old princess of the Fire Nation. She is Zuko's younger sister and one of the major antagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s of the series. Azula is a Firebending prodigyA child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
and is one of the few living Firebenders capable of casting lightningLightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
. She uses fear to control her relatives and friends Mai and Ty Lee, reserving her family loyalty for her father alone. At the end of season three, she loses her sanity altogether and is defeated by Zuko and Katara.
- Suki (Jennie Kwan
Jennie Kwan is a Filipino-American actress and singer from Los Angeles, California. She is best known for her roles as Samantha "Sam" Woo on California Dreams and as Suki on Avatar: The Last Airbender.-Career:Jennie began acting at age 11, when she started performing with the touring company,...
) is the leader of the young (and exclusively female) Kyoshi Island Warriors, a sect established by Aang's predecessor-once-removed. She is an exceptionally skilled fighter and staunch ally of the protagonists. She was imprisoned by the Fire Nation after the Kyoshi Warriors were defeated by Azula, but was ultimately released by Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda, and Chit-Sang. She remained with the protagonists thereafter and fought with Toph and Sokka to disable the Fire Nation's air force. She was Sokka's love interest during the time immediately following the end of the War.
- Iroh (Mako Iwamatsu in season one and two; Greg Baldwin
Greg Baldwin is an American actor. Raised in Spring, Texas, he currently resides in the San Fernando Valley with Melissa Baldwin, his wife of twenty-six years and their two children, Sydney and Cooper...
in season three) is a retired Fire Nation general, known as the Dragon of the West, and Prince Zuko's paternal uncle and mentorIn Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
. Iroh was the original heir to the Fire Nation throne until his brother usurped the throne after Fire Lord Azulon's death. On the surface, Iroh is a cheerful, kind, optimistic, eccentric old man; but remains a powerful warrior and a devoted surrogate parent to Zuko. Iroh is a Grand Master of the Order of the White Lotus, a secret society of men from all nations. Unlike most Firebenders, Iroh does not use angerAnger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
as the source of his strength, relying instead on Firebending secrets learned from the DragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s.
- Mai (Cricket Leigh
Cricket Leigh is an American actress. Cricket was born in Michigan, raised in Chicago and graduated from New York University before moving to Los Angeles. She played all eight characters in, and wrote Constantly Distracted in 2005. She also played Alma on Pop Tarts in 1999. In 2002, Cricket Leigh...
) is Zuko's love interest and the friend of Ty Lee. Mai herself lacks bending, but is agile, swift, and skilled in dart-throwing and knife-throwing. She assists Azula throughout most of her role; but later abandons Azula and re-appears only later as Zuko's bride.
- Ty Lee (Olivia Hack
Olivia Hack is an American actress and voice actress, best known for providing the voice of Rhonda Wellington Lloyd in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!, and for playing Cindy Brady in the 90's theatrical Brady Bunch films. She has also done voices for Fillmore!, Bratz as Cloe, Family Guy, Blood+ and...
) is an acrobat hired by Azula against the protagonists, notable for her appearance of vivacity, innocence, and youth and for her ability to disable element-benders by obstructing the chi from their limbs. Having abandoned Azula, she joins the Kyoshi Island Warriors, whom she had earlier impersonated.
- Ozai (Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
) is the father of Zuko and Azula, younger brother of Iroh, and ruler of the Fire Nation. Although he is the primary antagonist for the series, he does not appear until its third season, in which he is defeated by Aang.
Production
Avatar: The Last Airbender was co-created and produced by
Michael Dante DiMartinoMichael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
and
Bryan KonietzkoBryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in
Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Animation work was mostly done by three animation studios in South Korea: JM Animation,
DR MovieDr. Movie is very well versed in the theory behind motion picture production and frequently works with Japanese companies on anime titles. Since 1991, he has been in an exclusive partnership with the Japanese animation studio Madhouse, and in 2001, Madhouse became a partial owner/investor. In 2006,...
, and Moi Animation. According to Bryan Konietzko, the program was conceived in the spring of 2001 when he took an old sketch of a balding, middle-aged man and re-imagined the character as a child. Konietzko drew the character herding bison in the sky, and showed the sketch to Mike DiMartino. At the time, DiMartino was studying a documentary about explorers trapped in the
South PoleThe South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. Konietzko described their early development of the concept: The co-creators successfully pitched the idea to Nickelodeon
vice presidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Eric Coleman just two weeks later.
The series was first revealed to the public in a teaser reel at Comic-Con 2004, and aired February 21, 2005. In the United States, first two episodes of the series were shown together in a one-hour premiere event. A second twenty-episode season ran from March 17, 2006 through December 1. A third and final season, beginning September 21, 2007, featured twenty-one episodes rather than the usual twenty. The final four episodes were packaged as a two-hour movie.
Avatar is notable for borrowing extensively from
Asian artArts of the Far East include:*Buddhist art*Chinese art*Japanese art*Korean art*Tibetan art*Thai art*Laotian art*Vietnamese art...
and mythology to create its
universeThe Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. The series' character designs are heavily influenced by
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
as well as
Chinese artChinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
and
historyChinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
,
HinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
,
TaoismTaoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
,
BuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, and
YogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. Traditional
East Asian calligraphyEast Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
styles represent nearly all the writing in the series. For each instance of calligraphy, an appropriate style is used, ranging from
seal scriptSeal script is an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy. It evolved organically out of the Zhōu dynasty script , arising in the Warring State of Qin...
(more archaic) to
clerical scriptThe clerical script , also formerly chancery script, is an archaic style of Chinese calligraphy which evolved in the Warring States period to the Qin dynasty, was dominant in the Han dynasty, and remained in use through the Wèi-Jìn periods...
. The show employed a cultural consultant, Edwin Zane, and calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee as consultants for the series' cultural influences. The choreographed martial art bending moves were profoundly affected by Asian cinema. In an interview, Bryan revealed that, "Mike and I were really interested in other epic 'Legends & Lore' properties, like
Harry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
and Lord of the Rings, but we knew that we wanted to take a different approach to that type of genre. Our love for Japanese anime, Hong Kong action and kung fu cinema, yoga, and Eastern philosophies led us to the initial inspiration for Avatar."
The show's character designs are heavily influenced by
animeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
; the show, however, is not considered an example of such.
All music and sound used in the series was done by
Jeremy ZuckermanJeremy Zuckerman is an American composer and musician mostly known for composing the score of the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He studied at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and California Institute of the Arts and has collaborated with musicians such as David Lee Roth.Jeremy is one half...
and Benjamin Wynn, who formed The Track Team. They experimented with use of a wide range of different instruments, such as the
guzhengThe guzheng or "gu zheng", also called zheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18-23 or more strings and movable bridges....
,
pipaThe pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...
, and
dudukThe duduk , traditionally known since antiquity as a Ծիրանափող is a traditional woodwind instrument indigenous to Armenia. Variations of it are popular in the Middle East and Central Asia...
, to compose background music.
The term "
AvatarIn Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
" comes from
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, wherein means "descent"; its roots are ava, "down," and tri, "to pass". In the Hindu scriptures, avatar signifies the mortal incarnation of a
godGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(usually
VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
). The
Chinese characterChinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
s apparent at the top of the show's title card mean "the divine medium who has descended upon the mortal world". According to the plot,
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
unknowingly revealed he was the Avatar when by choosing four toys out of thousands, each of which were the childhood toys of previous Avatars. In
Tibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, there is a similar test for reincarnations of a
TulkuIn Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
LamaLama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
. In Magic and Mystery in Tibet,
Alexandra David-NeelAlexandra David-Néel born Louise Eugénie Alexandrine Marie David was a Belgian-French explorer, spiritualist, Buddhist and writer, most known for her visit to Lhasa, Tibet, in 1924, when it was forbidden to foreigners...
writes that "a number of objects such as
rosariesThe rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
, ritualistic implements, books, tea-cups, etc., are placed together, and the child must pick out those which belonged to the late tulku, thus showing that he recognizes the things which were theirs in their previous life". Each successor is expected to show signs of continuity with the previous Avatar, such as being born within a week of the death.
Avatar: The Last Airbender draws on the four
classical elementMany philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
s for its bending arts:
WaterWater is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
,
EarthEarth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
,
FireFire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
, and
AirAir is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
. Although each has its own variation, most ancient philosophies incorporate these four elements: examples include the classical
HinduTattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva is an element or aspect of reality conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they...
,
BuddhistMahābhūta is Sanskrit and Pāli for "great element." In Buddhism, the "four great elements" are earth, water, fire and air...
, and Greek elemental traditions. In the show’s opening, each element is accompanied by two Chinese characters: an ancient Chinese
seal scriptSeal script is an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy. It evolved organically out of the Zhōu dynasty script , arising in the Warring State of Qin...
character on the left representing the element being shown and a modern Chinese character on the right describing some feature of the element.
The character 水 (
pinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: shuǐ), which stands for
waterWater is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
, is shown with 善 (pinyin: shàn), which means benevolence and adaptivity. The character 土 (
pinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: tǔ), which stands for
earthEarth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
, is shown with 強 (pinyin: qiáng), which means strength and stability. The character 火 (
pinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: huǒ), which stands for
fireFire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
, is shown with 烈 (pinyin: liè), which means intensity and passion. Finally, the character 气 (
pinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: qì), which stands for
airAir is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
, is shown with 和 (pinyin: hé), which means peace and harmony.
In addition to the use of four classical elements in the series, the fighting styles associated with each element are derived from different styles of
Chinese martial artsChinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
. The series employed Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association as a martial arts consultant. Each fighting style was chosen to represent the element it projected. T'ai chi was used for "Waterbending" in the series, which focuses on alignment, body structure, breath, and visualization.
Hung GarHung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga....
was used for "Earthbending" in the series, and was chosen for its firmly rooted stances and powerful strikes to present the solid nature of earth. Northern Shaolin, which uses strong arm and leg movements was used to represent "Firebending". Ba Gua, which uses dynamic circular movements and quick directional changes, was used for "Airbending". The only exception to these styles is
TophToph Bei Fong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character was voiced by Jessie Flower.Toph Bei Fong is a blind Earthbending master...
, who can be seen practicing a Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis style.
Duality
DualityDualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
, especially between good and evil, plays a large role in the series. For instance, half of Zuko’s face is scarred, which is more prominent when Zuko is angry or tempted to commit misdeed, whereas the undamaged half of his face is more prominent when he shows compassion. This is further developed when it is revealed that his two great-grandfathers are Fire Lord Sozin (responsible for starting the war) and Avatar Roku (who tried to stop the war), representing the conflict between good and evil in Zuko. This theme is often symbolized by the colors blue and orange (or occasionally blue and red).
Destiny and Free Will
Many of the characters in the show have a “
destinyDestiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
” to which they are born, or which they themselves believe incorrectly.
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
, as the Avatar, must end the war by defeating the Fire Lord; Zuko believes it his destiny to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar and bringing him to his father; Iroh believed it to be his destiny to conquer Ba Sing Se.
Throughout the show, it is revealed that Aang initially rejected his Avatar status; but learns to embrace his destiny, whereas Zuko is eventually able to disregard the search for Aang and act in accordance to his own need. As a young man, Iroh led a
siegeA siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
on Ba Sing Se for 600 days, breaking through the outer wall but abandoning the field when his son was killed in battle; whereas later Iroh lives cheerfully in Ba Sing Se among the people of the Earth Kingdom, and conquers it only against the side he had formerly led.
Other Themes
Many of the characters depicted as morally ambiguous, such as Jet and Long Feng, in that while their actions are often immoral, their intentions are understandable. In the third season, it is shown that the Fire Nation encourages intense
nationalismNationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, by way of explaining its characters.
Throughout the series, many survivors and refugees whose lives have been upset by the Fire Nation are found trying to rebuild their lives.
Reception
When the series debuted, it was rated the best animated television series in its
demographicDemographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
; new episodes averaged 3.1 million viewers each. A one-hour special showing of "The Secret of the Fire Nation" which aired on September 15, 2006, consisting of "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill", gathered an audience of 5.1 million viewers. According to the
Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the special was the best performing cable television show airing in that week. In 2007, Avatar was syndicated to more than 105 countries worldwide, and was one of Nickelodeon's top rated programs. The series was ranked first on Nickelodeon in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
,
IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
,
Malaysia,
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
The series finale,
Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle"Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle" is the series finale for the Nickelodeon television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was directed by Ethan Spaulding, Giancarlo Volpe, and Joaquim Dos Santos, and written by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Aaron Ehasz. Though intended to be split...
, received the highest ratings of the series. Its premiere averaged 5.6 million viewers, 95% more viewers than Nickelodeon had received in mid-July 2007. During the week of July 14, it ranked as the most-viewed program for the under-14 demographic. Sozin's Comet also appeared on
iTunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
' top ten list of best-selling television episodes during that same week. Sozin's Comets popularity affected online media as well; "Rise of the Phoenix King", a
Nick.comNick.com is a website owned and developed by Nickelodeon, launched in October 1995. The website serves mainly as an online portal for Nickelodeon content, and offers online games, message boards, and individual websites for each show it has broadcast....
online game based on Sozin's Comet, generated almost 815,000 game plays within three days.
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed the complete series as 35th in its list of Top 100 Animated TV Shows.
Awards and nominations
| Awards |
Outcome |
| 2005 Pulcinella Awards: |
| Best Action/Adventure TV Series |
|
| Best TV Series |
|
| 33rd Annie Awards The 33rd Annual Annie Awards were held on February 4, 2006 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. They were hosted by Tom Kenny.-Best Animated Feature:*Chicken Little*Corpse Bride*Howl's Moving Castle*Madagascar ...
: |
| Best Animated Television Production |
|
| Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production (The Deserter) |
|
| Writing for an Animated Television Production (The Fortuneteller) |
|
| 34th Annie Awards The ceremony for the 34th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation in 2006, was held on February 11, 2007 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.The nominations were announced on December 4, 2006.Winners are marked in bold text....
: |
| Character Animation in a Television Production (The Blind Bandit) |
|
| Directing in an Animated Television Production (The Drill) |
|
| 36th Annie Awards The 36th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation for 2008, were held on January 30, 2009 at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. Below is a list of announced nominees...
: |
| Best Animated Television Production for Children |
|
| Directing in an Animated Television Production (Joaquim Dos Santos Joaquim Dos Santos is an American television director of animated cartoons, best known for his directing work on Justice League Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender. He was a storyboard artist for Justice League before being promoted in the show's renamed third season...
for Into the Inferno) |
|
| 2007 Genesis Awards The Genesis Awards are awarded annually to individuals in the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works which raise public awareness of animal issues. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States, the awards show takes place every March in California...
: |
| Outstanding Children's Programming (Appa's Lost Days) |
|
| Primetime Emmy Awards: |
| Outstanding Animated Program (City of Walls and Secrets) |
|
| Individual Achievement Award (Sang-Jin Kim Kim Sang-Jin is a South Korean film director, writer and producer.-Filmography as director:*Millions In My Account *Gangster Lessons *Two Cops 3 *Attack the Gas Station...
for Lake Laogai) |
|
| Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards 2008: |
| Favorite Cartoon |
|
| Annecy The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998...
2008: |
| TV series (Joaquim Dos Santos Joaquim Dos Santos is an American television director of animated cartoons, best known for his directing work on Justice League Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender. He was a storyboard artist for Justice League before being promoted in the show's renamed third season...
for The Day of Black Sun Part 2: The Eclipse) |
|
| 56th Golden Reel Awards: |
| Best Sound Editing in a Television Animation (Avatar Aang) |
|
| 2008 Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
s: |
| "Unusually complex characters and healthy respect for the consequences of warfare" |
|
Literature
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
released an art book titled Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Art of the Animated Series, on June 2, 2010 which contains 184 pages of the original art and creation behind the Avatar animated series. Several comic book short stories were published in Nickelodeon Magazine, and on June 15, 2011 Dark Horse Comics released a collection of these and new comics in a single volume called Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Lost Adventures. Dark Horse Comics has an "ongoing partnership" with Nickelodeon to publish books related to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Promotion and merchandising
Avatars success has led to some promotional advertising with third-party companies, such as
Burger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and
Upper Deck EntertainmentThe Upper Deck Company, LLC , founded in 1988, is a private company primarily known for producing trading cards...
. Avatar-themed
roller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s at Nickelodeon Universe in the
Mall of AmericaThe Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
and one formerly at
Kings IslandKings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
also appeared. During the show's runtime, Nickelodeon published two special issues of Nick Mag Presents dedicated entirely to the show. Various members of the Avatar staff and cast appeared at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con International convention, while Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko appeared with Martial Arts Consultant Sifu Kisu at the Pacific Media Expo on October 28, 2006. Avatar also has its own line of t-shirts,
LEGOLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
playsetsLego Avatar: The Last Airbender was a Lego theme based on the Nickelodeon television show Avatar: The Last Airbender. It was a short-lived theme, as only two sets came out in 2006, with set designs based on the first season only...
, toys, a trading card game, a cine-manga, and three video games, as well as an
MMOA massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
.
The
Fisher-PriceFisher-Price is a company that produces toys for infants and children, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.-History:...
-produced action figure toy line generated some controversy with its exclusion of any female characters. Mattel came to release information stating that they have taken account of Katara's increased role within the program, and that she would be included in the figure assortment for a mid 2007 release. The figure ultimately went unreleased, however, as the entire line was canceled before she could be produced.
Nickelodeon executives have since released optimistic plans for upcoming marketing strategies in regards to Avatar. Nickelodeon President
Cyma ZarghamiCyma Zarghami is an Iranian-American cable television executive currently serving as the president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks' Kids & Family Group.-Early life and career:...
openly stated her belief that the franchise "could become their
Harry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
". They expect consumers to spend about $121 million in 2007, rising to $254 million by 2009. The marketing plans are to be coincided with the release of the first live-action film based on the series in 2010, which will be the first film in a trilogy.
Video games
A video game trilogy about Avatar: The Last Airbender has been created.
Avatar: The Last AirbenderAvatar: The Last Airbender is a video game based on the animated television series of the same name for Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox...
, the video game, was released on October 10, 2006. Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth was released on October 16, 2007. Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno was released on October 13, 2008. The three games were loosely based on seasons one, two and three, respectively. Players can select characters and complete quests to gain experience and advance the storyline. Despite lackluster critical reviews, the games did extremely well commercially; for example, Avatar: The Last Airbender was
THQTHQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
's top selling Nickelodeon game in 2006 and even reached
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
CEA's "Greatest Hits" status.
Avatar: Legends of the Arena, a massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) for
Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, was launched on September 25, 2008 by
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. Each user is able to create their own character, choose a nation, and to interact with others across the globe.
Film adaptation
The first season of the show became the basis for the 2010 live-action film The Last Airbender, written and directed by
M. Night ShyamalanManoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
. It is claimed to be the first movie of a planned trilogy from each of the television 3 seasons. Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative from both critics and fans alike, earning the film a 6% rating on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and five Razzies in 2010. The film originally shared the title of the television series, but it was changed to The Last Airbender because the producers were worried it would be confused with the
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
film Avatar. The film version stars
Noah RingerNoah Andrew Ringer is an American teen actor of American Indian heritage and a martial arts practitioner. He starred as Aang in the 2010 film The Last Airbender and played Emmett in Cowboys & Aliens.-Life and career:...
as
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
,
Dev PatelDev Patel is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...
as Zuko,
Jackson RathboneMonroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....
as
SokkaSokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena...
, and
Nicola PeltzNicola Peltz is an American actress. Her most notable role to date is Katara in the 2010 film The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.-Career:...
as Katara. Iroh is played by
Shaun ToubShaun Toub is an Iranian-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Farhad in the 2004 movie Crash, as Rahim Khan in the movie The Kite Runner, and as Yinsen in the movie Iron Man.-Personal life:...
and Fire Lord Ozai by
Cliff CurtisClifford Vivian Devon "Cliff" Curtis is a New Zealand actor who has had major roles in film, including The Piano, Whale Rider, and Blow, and most recently has appeared in NBC's television series Trauma. He is also co-owner of independent film production company Whenua Films...
.
Sequel
It was announced at the annual Comic-Con in San Diego on July 22, 2010 that a series based on Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently in development at Nickelodeon and due for release sometime in 2012. It will involve
Michael Dante DiMartinoMichael Dante DiMartino is an American animation director, best known as the co-creator, executive producer and story editor of the hit TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon...
and
Bryan KonietzkoBryan Konietzko is the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has also worked as a character designer at Film Roman for Family Guy and as Assistant Director for Mission Hill and King of the Hill. He was a Storyboard Artist and Art Director for the...
, the creators and producers of the original series. Tentatively titled The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra (originally titled Avatar: Legend of Korra), it will be a twenty-six episodes mini series that takes place in the same
fictional universeA fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
as the original show, except seventy years later. It has also been confirmed that the first twelve episodes will be in the first season and the other fourteen in the second season.
The series will focus on Korra, a teenage female protagonist from the Southern Water Tribe and the current reincarnation of the Avatar. The character was partly inspired by Avatar Kyoshi of the original series, whom the creators say was very popular among fans. In order to avoid repetition of Aang's adventures, the creators wanted to root the show in one place, called Republic City. A concept drawing of the city, released with the announcement of the series, shows the city's design as inspired by
ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in the 1920s and 1930s,
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
,
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In the show, Korra will have to learn Airbending from master Tenzin, son of
AangAang is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is depicted as the show's main protagonist, and as such has appeared in all but one...
and Katara, and contend with an anti-bender revolution taking place in the city.
External links