The “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series, released on Netflix Feb. 22, 2024, is a live action recreation of a three season animated show released in 2005. Season 1 has been released and has already been renewed for seasons two and three.
The show is based on a world where there are four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. People in this world can control these elements using and adapting them for things like healing, fighting, and more. The Avatar, who reincarnates after death, is the one person in this universe who can use all four elements, and is expected to bring balance to the world, not only theirs but in the spiritual sense as well.
In this reincarnation of the Avatar, it is an airbender named Aang. Once he finds out he is destined to be the avatar, he runs away, gets caught in a storm, and to save his life, freezes himself and his pet companion, a flying bison named Appa. After he left, firebenders killed all other airbenders searching for the avatar.
100 years later, Aang unfroze with help from a waterbender named Katara and her non bending brother Sokka.
Later in the story, a character named Zuko is introduced. His father, the firelord or ruler of the firebenders, banished him on a quest to find and capture the avatar before being allowed to return.
The story follows the adventures of Aang, Katara, and Sokka, and shows the journey of Aang learning and mastering every element.
While there are a few specific details added, much of the show is inaccurate to the original and can be frustrating for those who were hoping for a close to identical remake of the original. Many of the changed storylines are confusing to the development of the story and many vital parts of season one of the animated show don’t occur in the live action.
On the other hand, for someone who is just experiencing the 2024 show without the 2005 version, it’s a new, original, and possibly confusing experience.
Junior Madeline Malooly, who has never seen the original show, said that “the show is interesting but had a really confusing fast-paced plot.”
Original and new fans alike are looking forward to the next seasons of the live action “Avatar: The last Airbender” and are eager to find out how Netflix continues to play out this story.
