- This article is about the Netflix series. For other similar uses, see The Last Airbender (disambiguation).
"Master your element." |
— Tagline for Avatar: The Last Airbender. |
Avatar: The Last Airbender[6] is a series produced by Netflix in partnership with Nickelodeon, aiming to retell the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender in a live-action format. Avatar creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were originally set to return to helm the adaptation, but announced their departure from the series in 2020 citing creative differences with Netflix.[7] On March 15, 2021, Albert Kim, who had worked with Mike and Bryan on the show prior to their departure, was announced as the series' sole showrunner.[8][9]
The first episode debuted on February 15, 2024 in Los Angeles as part of the red carpet premiere of the series,[10] with the full streaming release on Netflix a week later on February 22. The first season consists of eight episodes.
On March 6, 2024, it was announced that the live-action series had been renewed for two more seasons, covering Books Two and Three.[11] On April 4, 2024, it was announced that Albert Kim would step down as showrunner for seasons two and three, though will continue as an executive producer. He will be replaced as showrunner by Christine Boylan, who had previously worked as a writer on the first season, together with director and VFX supervisor Jabbar Raisani.[12] Filming for the second season is set to begin on October 7, 2024,[13] in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with production scheduled to officially wrap up on March 21, 2025.[14]
Overview[]
The four nations of the world once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world.
Avatar: The Last Airbender, follows a young Air Nomad named Aang, as he reawakens to a world ravaged by war. Together with his newfound friends Sokka and Katara, he embarks on an action-packed quest to take his rightful place as the next Avatar.[15]
Cast[]
Main[]
- Gordon Cormier as Aang,[3] a fearless and fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and the keeper of balance and peace in the world. An airbending prodigy, Aang is a reluctant hero, struggling to deal with the burden of his duties while still holding on to his adventurous and playful nature.[16]
- Kiawentiio as Katara,[3] a determined and hopeful waterbender, the last in her small village. Though only fourteen, she's already endured great personal tragedy, which has held her back from rising to her true potential, though it's never dimmed her warm and caring spirit.[16]
- Ian Ousley as Sokka,[3] Katara's sardonic and resourceful 16-year-old brother. Outwardly confident, even brash, he takes his responsibility as the leader of his tribe seriously, despite his inner doubts over his warrior skills... doubts that he masks with his wit and deadpan sense of humor.[16]
- Dallas Liu as Zuko,[3] a skilled firebender and the intense and guarded Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Currently roaming the world in exile, he's on an obsessive quest to capture the Avatar because he believes that is the only way to reclaim his life and live up to the demands of his cruel and controlling father, the Fire Lord.[16]
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh,[17] a retired Fire Nation general and the wise and nurturing mentor to his hot-headed nephew, Prince Zuko.[18]
- Ken Leung as Commander Zhao,[17] a scheming and ambitious Fire Nation military officer who's eager to leverage an unexpected encounter with a desperate Prince Zuko to advance his personal goals.[18]
- Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai,[2][19] the ruthlessly-driven leader of the Fire Nation who demands everyone live up to his impossible standards, especially his teen son, Prince Zuko. Ozai's drive to conquer and unite the world under firebender rule is a family burden — he believes that it's his destiny to finish a war started by his ancestors.[18]
- Miya Cech as Toph,[20] a blind teen whose strength and skills have been suppressed for most of her life, and eventually becomes Aang's earthbending master, turning into the fierce warrior she believes she is inside.[21]
Fire Nation[]
- Elizabeth Yu as Azula,[22] the intensely driven princess of the Fire Nation. A firebending prodigy and relentless perfectionist, she'll stop at nothing to secure her position as the heir to the throne.[18]
- Momona Tamada as Ty Lee,[23] an energetic and upbeat teen and one of Princess Azula's best friends.
- Thalia Tran as Mai,[23] an unflappable and deadpan teen who, along with Ty Lee, is one of Princess Azula's closest allies.
- Ruy Iskandar as Lt. Jee,[23] the first officer of Prince Zuko's ship.
- Hiro Kanagawa as Fire Lord Sozin,[23] the ruthless and ambitious previous ruler of the Fire Nation and grandfather of Fire Lord Ozai
- C. S. Lee as Avatar Roku,[23] a wise and benevolent past Avatar from the Fire Nation.
- François Chau as The Great Sage,[23] the venerated spiritual leader of the Fire Nation and guardian of Avatar Roku's shrine.
- Ryan Mah as Lt. Dang,[23] Commander Zhao's second-in-command.
- Tom Lim as Yon Rha[24]
Water Tribe[]
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Gran-Gran,[22] Katara and Sokka's grandmother and the compassionate and wise matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe.[18]
- A Martinez as Pakku,[23] the veteran waterbending master of the Northern Water Tribe and a fierce defender of their traditions.
- Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue,[23] the compassionate spiritual leader of the Northern Water Tribe.
- Irene Bedard as Yagoda,[23] an empathetic healer who serves as a role model for her tribe's female waterbenders.
- Joel Oulette as Hahn,[23] a strong and skilled warrior with an unwavering loyalty to his tribe.
- Nathaniel Arcand as Chief Arnook,[23] father to Princess Yue and the respected leader of their tribe.
- Meegwun Fairbrother as Avatar Kuruk,[23] a previous Avatar with a haunted past.
- Joel Montgrand as Hakoda.[25]
- Trevor Carroll as Bato[24]
- Olivia Kate Iatridis as Ummi[24]
- Meadow Kingfisher as Young Katara[24]
Earth Kingdom[]
- Maria Zhang as Suki,[22] the intimidating leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, an elite female fighting force dedicated to protecting their community and upholding the ideals of their namesake, Avatar Kyoshi.[18]
- Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari,[22] Suki's mother and the fiercely protective mayor of her small village on Kyoshi Island.[18][22]
- Yvonne Chapman as Avatar Kyoshi,[22] a legendary warrior revered for her bravery, fearsome fighting skills, and uncompromising dedication to the cause of justice.[18]
- Arden Cho as June,[23] a tough and persistent bounty hunter known for her ruthless efficiency.
- Utkarsh Ambudkar as King Bumi,[23] the ancient and mercurial ruler of the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu.
- Danny Pudi as Sai,[23] an eccentric inventor and engineer who's doing his best to raise his son in a war-torn world.
- Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo,[23] the idealistic and high-flying son of the Mechanist.
- James Sie as the Cabbage Merchant,[23] a long-suffering vegetable vendor in Omashu.
- Sebastian Amoruso as Jet,[26] a young warrior from the Earth Kingdom.[27]
- Pradnesh Prakash as Young Bumi[24]
- Taylor Lam Wright as The Duke[24]
- Vincent Huang as Pipsqueak[24]
- Wes Valarao as Smellerbee[24]
- Nathaniel Kong as Longshot[24]
- Chin Han as Long Feng[28]
- Justin Chien and King Kuei[28]
- Amanda Zhou as Joo Dee[28]
- Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong[28]
- Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder[28]
- Hoa Xuande as Professor Zei[28]
- Lourdes Faberes as General Sung[28]
- Rekha Sharma as Amita[28]
Air Nomads[]
- Lim Kay Siu as Gyatso,[17] a kind and caring Air Nomad monk who is the guardian, father figure, and best friend to Aang.[18]
- Silver Kim as Pasang[24]
- Simon Leung as Tashi[24]
- Linda Minard as Lio[24]
- Leo Chiang as Monk Thet
- Jeff Yung as Monk Tsutop
Other[]
- George Takei as the voice of Koh,[23] an ancient, predatory spirit.
- Randall Duk Kim as the voice of Wan Shi Tong,[23] who appears in the form of a giant owl and is also known as the Spirit of Knowledge.
Trailers[]
Crew[]
- Albert Kim, showrunner, executive producer, writer[3][16]
- Dan Lin, executive producer[3][16]
- Lindsey Liberatore, executive producer[3][16]
- Michael Goi, executive producer and director[3][16]
- Jabbar Raisani, director[3]
- Jet Wilkinson, director[2]
- Roseanne Liang, director[3]
- Takeshi Furukawa, composer[29]
- Michael Wylie, production designer[30]
Episodes[]
The first season consists of eight episodes, each of which are between 47 and 63 minutes long.
Chapter | Episode | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Aang" | Michael Goi | Teleplay by: Albert Kim and Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko | February 15, 2024 (premiere)[10] February 22, 2024 (streaming release) |
2 | 2 | "Warriors" | Joshua Hale Fialkov | February 22, 2024 | |
3 | 3 | "Omashu" | Jabbar Raisani | Christine Boylan | February 22, 2024 |
4 | 4 | "Into the Dark" | Keely MacDonald | February 22, 2024 | |
5 | 5 | "Spirited Away" | Roseanne Liang | Gabriel Llanas | February 22, 2024 |
6 | 6 | "Masks" | Teleplay by: Emily Kim & Hunter Ries and Bryan Konietzko Story by: Ubah Mohamed and Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino |
February 22, 2024 | |
7 | 7 | "The North" | Jet Wilkinson | Audrey Wong Kennedy | February 22, 2024 |
8 | 8 | "Legends" | Albert Kim | February 22, 2024 |
Production[]
On September 18, 2018, both DiMartino and Konietzko announced their new live-action series coming to Netflix, with production originally scheduled to begin in 2019,[31] with the show formerly slated to air in 2020;[6] however, production officially began on November 16, 2021.[32][33]
Before casting choices were made, it was stated by Daniel Richtman in a post that they were "looking for a mostly Asian cast and a 12-14 [year old] Asian kid to play Aang".[34] DiMartino and Konietzko corroborated this in a post of their own, saying that they wanted to make a show that featured a "culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast".[35]
On August 12, 2020, DiMartino and Konietzko announced they left the production in June, citing creative differences with Netflix.[7]
On March 15, 2021, it was confirmed that Albert Kim would be the showrunner for the live-adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, with the production to begin August 16, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada.[9] On July 18, 2021, it was reported that the date of production is delayed, once again, to November 16, 2021, under the working title "Trade Winds", and would wrap by May, 2022.[36]
On August 12, 2021, Albert Kim penned an essay detailing why he chose to join the live-action adaptation project. He discussed how VFX technology is now mature enough, and how he sees this as an opportunity to tell a representative story. Alongside this essay, cast and crew for the project were announced.[3] On November 16, 2021, production officially commenced.[32][33]
On March 22, 2022, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee announced that the series has used a budget of at least US $100 million.[37]
On June 17, 2023, a first teaser trailer and first look at Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko were shown during Netflix's TUDUM at São Paulo, where it was first announced that the show would air in 2024.[38] A full trailer dropped on November 9 as part of Netflix's Geeked Week, revealing the show would begin airing February 22, 2024.[5][15] A second trailer was released on January 23, 2024.[39]
The first episode debuted on February 15, 2024 at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles as part of the red carpet premiere of the series, attended by the cast and crew alongside some guest stars, fans, and critics.[10] The full streaming release of the series on Netflix occurred a week later on February 22, and though reception to the series was mixed,[40][41] it opened at number one in the world, topping Netflix's charts in 84 different countries.[42] Across the first four days, it reached 153.4 million hours viewed, equating to 21.2 million total views,[43] and remained at number one for the subsequent week, seeing an additional 19.9 million total views for a decrease of 6% from its opening.[44]
On April 6, 2024, it was announced that Helen Shang, whose previous credits include 13 Reasons Why and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, had joined the writing staff for Season Two of the live-action series.[45] On June 11, 2024, an open casting call for an actor to play the role of Toph was released, with actors that are blind or low-vision specifically encouraged to submit. The role was given to Miya Cech, which was announced during Geeked Week 2024 on September 19.[20]
Reception[]
The series was nominated for "Favorite Family TV Show" and "Favorite Male TV Star (Family)" for Gordon Cormier at the 2024 Kids' Choice Awards.[46]
In July 2024, the show was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards: "Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)" for the episode "Legends" and "Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie".[47]