As an Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, I recommend you check out these 6 things after watching the animated and live-action series
You know what? I envy you. And I only say that because I assume you just watched Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time, and I wish I could go back the first time when I ever seen it (the cartoon version) because it blew me away.
But you know what? I’m getting ahead of myself. Because maybe you started with the live-action version (Netflix has already renewed it for season 2) and liked it so much that you then decided to watch the animated series. in all its magnificent splendor.
Anyway, you might be thinking, “Where do I go next?” Well, guess what? I have got you covered! Because I have experienced pretty much everything there is to know about the world of Avatar (Including the Rides in Nickelodeon Universe!), and I want to share them with you. Now I’ll start with the most obvious next goal and then work my way into niche areas. So hold on to your glider, freshly minted Avatar Fan. It will be an interesting ride!
The Legend of Korra
Obviously, the first place you should visit next (if you haven’t already) is The Legend of Korra. It follows directly the events of Avatar: The Last Airbenderand, like its predecessor, is one of the best animated series of all timeIn fact, some brave souls (like me) might even consider it better than The Lord of the Elementsbut these souls are few and far between.
The great thing about the series is that it gets better with every rewatch. Korra is a very different kind of Avatar than Aang. One person, I don’t remember who, even said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that ATLA is the story of a man who becomes a god while TLOK is the story of a God who becomes man.
They say that Aang is very reluctant at first and then learns to embrace his power, while Korra is like a fully born Avatar at first and then learns to be humble.
This counter-storytelling to ATLA is what makes TLOK shines for me, and I think you have to approach it that way. If you don’t, you might be disappointed as it’s not as quirky as the original.
In fact, it’s a more mature approach to the subject, and for that reason I really like it. And if you approach it with an open mind, you probably will too.
The comics
Next I want to talk about the comics, because there are so many of them now that it is difficult to keep up. Originally we Long format comicslike for example The search, The crack, The promise, Imbalance, North and SouthAnd Smoke and shadows.
These stories were told in three parts and took place after the events of The Lord of the ElementsThis also included Avatar: The Lost AdventuresAnd Team Avatar Storieswhich canonically took place between the events of the animated series.
But now it seems as if we are only unique storieslike for example Katara and the Pirate Silver, Toph Beifong’s Metal Bending Academy, Azula in the Spirit Temple, the excellent Suki, Aloneand the next book, The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewerin which the bounty hunter June and Iroh (Remember her from the live-action show?).
And these are just stories about ATLAIf you also Korra, there are comics for that too! So if you want more from this world, the comics are your next stop. It’s the only logical progression.
The novels
Okay, let’s say you loved the comics and now want to delve deeper into the story. Then your next stop is the Chronicles of the Avatar Novels, of which there are now five books. The first four Discover the lives of the avatars Kyoshi and Yangchenand the latest book, The reckoning with Roku is about, you guessed it, Avatar Roku.
The novels are another big step, as they cover characters from the series who are only seen in flashbacks or in the spirit world. Additionally, the books add a lot to the universe and show things that were only hinted at in the series.
I also like that the novels are the most mature the series has ever been. Characters die (quite a lot, actually), and the stories here have an overall seriousness that you don’t find in the comics, the live-action show, or the animated series.
So if you’ve read through the comics and are longing for slower stories for (young) adults, then you’ve come to the right place. Chronicles of the Avatar Series.
The video games
Have you ever wanted to be an air/fire/water/earthbender in real life? Yes, me too, but unfortunately that will never happen. Or is it…
No, it is not, but there are always video games to fill the gap. There are actually several The Lord of the Elements Games, mostly on older hardware (although there is the relatively new Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Journey to Balance game, but it’s not very good).
However, like the side story comics, most of the earlier games take place during the events of the television series, such as 2006. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Video Game. In this title, you control Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Top… no, no. No Toph. Instead, you control the earthbender Haru (remember him?), as this first game is based on Book 1 in the series.
The game itself is quite rudimentary, and its sequels, The burning earthAnd Into the Infernocovering the events of Books 2 and 3, have similar gameplay (the handheld versions differed considerably in both visual style and gameplay, but played more like an RPG).
There were also games like Avatar Wobble Battlewhich was almost like a tower defense strategy game, as well as the more puzzle-oriented Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zuko’s Path. If you want to go crazy, you can even play as Avatar Characters in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prixwhere you play as Aang and Katara (against other characters like Spongebob and Lincoln Loud from Welcome to the Louds Fame).
If you like fighting games, you can also play as Aang, Toph and Korra in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Speaking of Korra, there is also a Korra title from PlatinumGames that takes place between books 2 and 3 of the series, but it is Really now hard to find (the Nintendo DS game is different but can be easily found).
I also did not address the many many Online games like Battle of the Benderor Barge barrage. All this means that there are many The Lord of the Elements Video games. Unfortunately, none of them are that great, so they’re more for hardcore fans.
The fanfiction
As you might expect, there are a lot Avatar Fanfiction. There are lots of stuff on Wattpad of everyday fans that you might want to check out.
But I want to focus primarily on the fan-made passion project, The Legend of Prince Genjiwhich is in no way connected to the original series, but is, in my humble opinion, almost as good as something you could find in any of the authorized projects.
The story is about the next Avatar after Korra, and he is a sandbender. There are five partsbut I am pretty sure that The series was canceledso keep that in mind. Regardless, it’s really cool that fans were so hungry for more content that they came up with something completely unique themselves.
The M. Night Shyamalan film
Finally, I would like to talk about the much maligned film by M. Night Shyamalan, The Lord of the Elementsour Alexandra Ramos (who has a great ATLA Fan) considers the M. Night Shyamalan’s worst film of all timeand she is not alone.
Most fans detest this film and for a number of reasons. I don’t blame them, but I still think the film is an important moment in the franchise’s history. It follows the first book in the series admirably, but it also doesn’t feel quite right.
There is also the issue of whitewashing, which was controversial at the timebut that only made it imperative that Netflix get it right when it came to Casting Asian roles for the live-action show.
So what I’m saying is that the movie isn’t very good, but it’s an interesting curiosity, and I think all superfans should see it at least once.
I hope you enjoyed the recommendations! Stay flexible, folks.
