“Water. Earth. Fire. Air” On Feb. 21, 2005, Nickelodeon’s animated television series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” graced children’s screens across America. Now 20 years later, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko’s critically acclaimed series has remained a staple in animation and in the hearts of its viewers.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender’s” three-season run follows Aang, a 12-year-old boy living in a world split into four nations, where people have the ability to control the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. Upon learning that he is the Avatar, the one person in the whole world who can bend all four elements, Aang runs away, soon becoming trapped in an ice sphere for 100 years. After being released by a water bender named Katara and her brother Sokka, Aang learns that the Fire Nation attacked soon after his disappearance, plunging the four nations into chaos. The journey begins as Aang must learn all four elements and free the world from the clutches of the Fire Nation, all the while being relentlessly pursued by the misguided Fire Prince Zuko who wishes to capture Aang and regain his honor.
The success of the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has influenced everything from spinoff shows to live-action remakes in the 20 years since its release. Some of the more successful additions to the franchise include “The Legend of Korra,” which follows the Avatar that succeeds Aang, a line of comics that delve deeper into unexplored themes and unanswered questions from the show and Netflix’s live-action remake, “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Collaborations have even been made with video and board game companies, with the most notable being the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” collaboration with the gaming platform, Fortnite.
New projects are even in the works at Nickelodeon’s recently launched Avatar Studios. Fans are most excited for a new movie that is set to release in the next few years. The movie is said to be following the original main cast of the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series. This time, however, the characters will be aged up to adults, which is a change that could make-or-break the story for some viewers. Only time will tell, as much is still unknown regarding production.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” has gained a cult following among viewers for nearly 20 years. On the social media site TikTok, the series’ hashtag has amassed a total of 1.3 million posts. The posts under this hashtag consist of many different outlets of expression. These include things such as fan art, character edits and even makeup looks.
Throughout the nearly two decades since the television show’s release, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has cemented its legacy among viewers and within the animation industry. It seems safe to say that Aang and his friends will continue to entertain and inspire viewers for many decades to come.
