The premiere of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is fast approaching. I consider myself to be something between an ATLA expert and a hyper-obsessed fan, which has led to frequent and fervent evangelization on my part. “Watch the animated series!” I beg my friends. (“No,” at least one of them responds… lookin’ at you, Colin.)
For those of you who haven’t given the original show or any ATLA-related stories a try, I’m here to walk you through the basics of the universe. Which content should you seek out, and what is safe to skip? I’ll cover it all, after a brief note on the Netflix series.
Netflix’s New Avatar Remake
This new streaming live-action remake of Nickelodeon’s original animated series has been long awaited. Not necessarily by me, but I am told other fans have long awaited its arrival; I will take their word for it. Early in the project’s development, ATLA co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko left their roles as executive producers and showrunners, citing creative differences.
This development left many fans of the original (it’s me!) pessimistic about the new show’s quality and questioning whether it needed to be made in the first place. This isn’t the time or place for a larger discussion about the content machine churning out live-action series remaking already-perfect animated series, but you can probably guess how I feel about that particular aspect of our current media culture.
Then the trailer came out, and I experienced… mixed feelings. The look and feel felt dead-on, insofar as real people can look like their animated counterparts. But the trailer felt utterly devoid of humor or spirit, which the original show deftly balanced with heavy themes.
All of this is to say I await February 22 with no shortage of trepidation. Instead of harping on my worries for the remainder of this piece, though, I’d prefer to walk the Avatar-curious through the wealth of great storytelling that already exists. Use this guide as you will, whether it’s to prepare for the Netflix adaptation, catch up on what you may have missed, or find more ATLA goodies after it airs.
The Must-Watch: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Say you have the time and energy to consume exactly one piece of Avatar content. Make it the original, and never look back.
The show follows Avatar Aang, a young Air Nomad who became overwhelmed by the burdens of being the Avatar and ran away from his duties—encountering a storm, he was frozen in ice for 100 years. During that time, the Fire Nation ignited a war. They destroyed the Air Nomads, invaded the Earth Kingdom, and plotted to take over the rest of the world. When he’s discovered by two Southern Water Tribe siblings (Katara and Sokka), Aang must reassume his duties and once again bring balance to the world he left behind.
This animated series broke new ground for the medium. It told a complex, affecting story with cogent themes, appealing equally to adults and younger viewers. It interlaced its heavy messages and difficult conflicts with warmth, spirit, humor, and heart. It introduced us to a positively amazing magic system and a fleshed-out world full of memorable cultures and enduring characters.
In my many, many years of recommending Avatar: The Last Airbender to people, the biggest obstacle is the first half of season one. As the series works to find its footing at the very start, it has a distinctly youthful feel, leading some viewers to balk and write it off as “just a kids’ show.” My advice to anyone worried about this: stick it out. I promise it’ll pay off.
What else can I say about Avatar: The Last Airbender? In my view, it’s a near-perfect show, and every viewer will find something to love about it.
Extra Credit: The Legend of Korra
ATLA creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko followed the original series with The Legend of Korra. This series focuses on Aang’s successor, Korra, as she navigates a newly industrialized world.
Opinions on Korra among the fandom are mixed. I vigorously defended the follow-up series in this article: The Case For Korra: Why Avatar’s Follow-Up Is A Worthy Successor.
I am not claiming Korra is the perfect show ATLA was. However, I think there’s a good chance anyone who likes ATLA will enjoy Korra. It’s not absolutely necessary viewing, but it’s a fun expansion of the universe that features some great storytelling in its own right.
Stay Far Away: M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender
You know how fans of a thing love it when a new creator reinterprets that thing with absolutely zero understanding of what made the original thing worth watching?
Enter M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender, an abomination of a movie that is best handled by being packed away in a crate and hurled into a volcano. If you intend to watch any ATLA content with the aim of experiencing joy, avoid this movie at all costs.
I suppose if you’re a completist, and you’ve fully enveloped yourself in all the other Avatar goodness discussed in this guide, feel free to hate-watch this movie if you wish. Just know what you’re getting into before you press play.
Further reading: Comics and Novels
Long after the original series ended, the Avatar universe continues in the form of comics and novels.
The comics run the gamut. Some are three-part series directly following the show. For example, the graphic novel The Search (written by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by Studio Gurihiru) follows Zuko as he seeks his long-lost mother. Others are one-offs or quick-fire anthologies. The quality can be a bit of a crapshoot, though most fans will appreciate any expansion of the lore. One of my favorites is Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy (by Faith Erin Hicks with art by Peter Wartman), in which everyone’s favorite earthbender battles her fiercest foe yet: ennui. I won’t dive into every Avatar comic here, but I encourage fans to see what’s available check out any that interests them.
More recently, the Avatar universe has expanded into familiar territory for Reactor readers: novels!
Author F.C. Yee has penned four Avatar novels. Two focus on Avatar Kyoshi, while the others feature Avatar Yangchen. I’ve pleaded for both Kyoshi and Yangchen’s arcs to be adapted for screens, though time will tell whether those hopes come to fruition (more on that later).
For more on F.C. Yee’s novels (which are well worth your time if you love Avatar: The Last Airbender), you can read my reviews here:
For the Avatar-Obsessed
Ready to leap beyond the canon? Here are some of my favorite ATLA-related things to watch, play, or listen to.
Braving The Elements is a podcast hosted by Korra voice actor Janet Varney and Zuko voice actor Dante Basco. The pair recaps episodes of ATLA and dives deeper into the series’ production. Cast members, the creators, and others make guest appearances.
Overanalyzing Avatar is one of my favorite YouTubers. He covers every single episode of the original series, commenting on cool story beats, minor animation flubs, and all sorts of other stuff. It’s the ultimate YouTube channel for Avatar fans. He has also covered many of the comics and the first season of Korra, and might continue on to the others.
Magpie Games released an Avatar RPG for tabletop fans. Various bundles are available, including a starter set and additional adventure guides.
And more to come…
Following their departure from the Netflix series, Avatar creators DiMartino and Konietzko formed Avatar Studios with Paramount and Nickelodeon. The studio is currently working on animated films expanding the wide universe of Avatar. No matter how the Netflix series turns out, it’s nice to know the original creators are working on something that will appeal to diehard fans (and new fans, as well)!
Are you excited about the Netflix series? Do you have questions, or other recs or specific highlights not covered above? Sound off in the comments and let me know!
