On February 21, 2005, Nickelodeon premiered a series that would forever change the course of Gen Z and Millennial childhoods. It might be easy to convince adoring fans that “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a contender for the greatest show of all time, but others who don’t know it might just dismiss it as a silly kids’ show. And the latter assumption is not necessarily wrong either. The show’s brilliance lies in the fact that it can be easily enjoyed by both children and grown adults who, over time, will become aware of the depth of the show. Perhaps at the time we were overwhelmed by the stark, real-world parallels to the effects of war and imperialism, but we still enjoyed the characters’ witty dialogue and adorable otter penguins and turtle ducks. No doubt the new things you notice with each subsequent repeat will keep it coming home every time.
A lot of people debate whether “Avatar” is anime or not. Technically, this is not the case as anime refers to an animation style that originated in Japan. While “Avatar” is an American show, it draws heavily on East and South Asian influences, particularly Chinese culture, Indian culture, and various indigenous cultures around the world. In the ATLA universe, children and adults can manipulate the four elements of the earth through an exercise called “bending,” performed through movements reminiscent of Chinese martial arts.
The story follows the journey of Aang, an airbender who is also the next “Avatar” in a centuries-long line of beings who possessed the power to rule all four elements, to keep the world in harmony and to act as a bridge between people act spirit world. The boy embarks with his group of friends, flying bison and monkey lemurs on a mission to save the world from being taken over by a tyrannical Fire Nation overlord.
The show features flawless world building, character development, and universal themes that position it on the same playing field as a show like Game of Thrones. It’s also home to arguably one of the most profound and well-known redemption arcs in television history (and no, it’s not the cabbage dealer coming to terms with the loss of his precious vegetable). Every viewer can find a little bit of themselves in every character, from the never-ending playfulness of Aang, to the pragmatic nature of Katara, the gradual maturity of Sokka, or the tenacity to win despite the disadvantages that Toph possesses. By the end of the series, we feel like we’ve lived a lifetime through the eyes of every character, and it would be a feat to get through it all without shedding a tear.
Not only does the saga end with Avatar, the series expanded into the 2012 sequel The Legend of Korra and is also set to release a live-action show in 2023. Fingers crossed it’s not the dumpster fire was M. Night Shyamalan’s film rendition… hopefully lessons were learned. As we wait in anticipation, let’s check out some of these gorgeous “Avatar” tattoos that blew our minds even more than Aang’s impenetrable blasts of air.