Nickelodeon has put out multiple bangers of shows in the years they have been around. They even put out one of my favorite shows. The show is my favorite not because of the funny characters but the spirituality of the show. The show has a good plot, relatable characters, and good animation. Avatar: The Last Airbender, is the show that changed my life.
For those who never watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, I want to start by saying you should. This show was the start of my spiritual journey. Avatar is about a boy named Aang who is told he is the avatar at the age of 12 by the monks. Aang was treated differently by his friends and was put under too much pressure by the monks. Aang left the air temple in the middle of the night with Appa, his flying bison, but was caught in a storm. Aang used his avatar abilities and saved him and Appa. To clarify, the avatar is someone who can control the four elements:
- Water
- Earth
- Fire
- Air
A different reason other than the plot is that the characters in the show are relatable. Throughout the three seasons, you get to know and understand the characters. Each character has their problems. These problems also include mental health problems. It is seen through Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of Korra, that characters have mental health problems. Many people can relate to this because we all know life can be hard. Mai is a fire bender princess who is ignored by her family. Sokka and Ty Lee feel as if they do not belong.
The character development of everyone in the series is amazing. It’s one of my favorites when it comes to the Avatar series. Every character changes when you compare them to the beginning of the series and the end. Even the characters who came in season 2, like Toph an earthbender like no other, had astounding growth.
When talking about character development it also goes hand and hand with spirituality. As I said earlier, the show had a spiritual impact on me. Even though it is a kid’s show, it talks about mental health and finding who you are. Uncle Iroh is a character in the show that is based mostly on spirituality. He advises the different characters on situations they are going through. His main focus is on his grandson, Zuko, who was going through the different stages of an essential crisis in the show. Zuko is the prince of the fire nation. He was banished from the fire nation and was sent out to find the avatar who disappeared. Zuko spends three years trying to find the avatar and then spends months trying to capture him. After a while, Zuko starts to realize who’s the real villain. Uncle Iroh has been at war multiple times and has never gotten the chance of having peace. Over the years he has found peace within himself.
The show also talks about how everything and everyone is connected. Even talks about how dividing the four nations against one another is foolish. This means a lot to me. In the real world, we know everything is connected, it’s just a matter of actually processing it and not letting it be a daily thought like your to-do list. What I mean by this is, humans will understand something spiritually but won’t take the time to learn and comprehend what their thoughts are.
My last motivation for why you should watch Avatar is because the show also has amazing animations. Way ahead of its time since it was only made in 2005. Viewers debated whether Avatar is an example of a Japanese animation style called anime. There is no doubt about it that if it’s a debate about animation, it has to be good. The creators of the series Micheal Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koietzko took inspiration from anime to help with the development of the show. The fighting scenes of Avatar can be described as delightful animation. It is delightful because each fighting scene is unique. Also, nothing is blurry and the animation is mainly realistic. Each nation has its unique way of fighting. Also, non-benders, people who can’t bend one of the four elements, can be interesting watching them fight. Not to mention each nation’s fighting is based on different martial arts.
I hope you watch Avatar: The Last Airbender because it’s not like any other show. In today’s society, most shows are similar to each other. With the same basic trope and nothing standing out for each other. Nothing is different from the next Netflix show, it’s all the same. Avatar opens up the world for something new. Even with it being made in 2005 it’s still impactful and relevant to problems we have today. Thank you for reading my essay, I hope you go watch Avatar: the last airbender for the reasons I stated. I’m sure you will love it!
Trinity Baldwin – DeLaSalle Institute – DMSF Class of 2027