“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a Netflix series set in an Asiatic, war-torn world where certain people can “bend” one of the four classical elements: water, earth, fire, or air.
The story revolves around Aang, an adolescent child who awakens from a deep slumber after 100 years. Aang is the “Avatar”, the only one capable of bending all the elements, and is destined to bring peace to the world from the Fire Nation¹.
With his new companions Katara and Sokka, Aang sets out to master the elements while being pursued by the exiled Fire Nation prince Zuko, who seeks to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar.
The series compresses the 20-episode first season of the animated series into eight episodes, with the omitted episodes woven through in other ways. The series begins by laying out the origin story of Aang, the last of the Airbenders in a world where four nations are made distinct by their elements and the benders who control them.
Not only have the Four Nations been at war, but without the avatar, everything is out of balance in the physical and spirit worlds. Aang feels alone as his tribe, the Air Nomads, have been exterminated.
Throughout the series, Aang must journey across the globe in an effort to master all four elements before it’s too late. The series is filled with stunning details that recreate what people admired so much about the animated series, like the Omashu market, the costumes, and Kyoshi Island, among plenty of Easter eggs, hidden references, and subtle throwbacks.
Here is the summary of the episodes:
Episode 1: “Aang”:
The episode begins with the Fire Nation’s campaign to rule the world and their attack on the Air Nomads during a festival. Aang, a young airbending prodigy, is the only survivor.
Fire Lord Sozin, leader of the Fire Nation, plans to eradicate the Air Nomads to ensure the Avatar cannot stand in their way. Aang, who is yet to learn that he is the latest reincarnation of the Avatar, flies off with his sky bison, Appa, to clear his head.
During the Fire Nation’s brutal assault on the temple, Aang’s Avatar powers kick in, and a sudden, violent storm waylays him and Appa. They’re both lost in the ocean and end up frozen in a giant block of ice.
Many years later, siblings Katara and Sokka from the Water Tribe community of Wolf Cove discover Aang and Appa trapped in the ice. This marks the beginning of Aang’s journey to master all four bending arts – Fire, Water, Earth, and Air – in order to put a stop to the Fire Nation’s war against the other peoples of the world.
Episode 2: “Warriors”:
The episode begins with Aang and his friends traveling to Kyoshi Island, where Aang hopes to learn more about his heritage and find a way to control his powers. The island is home to the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of female warriors who honor the teachings of a former Avatar, Kyoshi.
Upon their arrival, they are ambushed by the Kyoshi Warriors. The island community is deeply isolationist and not as welcoming as the group had hoped. Sokka, initially dismissive of the female warriors, develops a crush on Suki, one of the warriors, and begins to learn from her.
Meanwhile, Aang struggles with the grief of losing his mentor, Gyatso, and the responsibility of being the Avatar. He inadvertently enters the Avatar State several times, causing him to worry that his attempts to help might cause more harm than good.
Katara discovers a scroll that contains the basic lessons of Waterbending, allowing her to begin her training more formally. A winged lemur, whom Aang names Momo, joins the group, providing some light relief.
Episode 3: “Warriors of Kyoshi”:
The episode begins with Aang and his friends traveling to Kyoshi Island, where Aang hopes to learn more about his heritage and find a way to control his powers. The island is home to the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of female warriors who honor the teachings of a former Avatar, Kyoshi.
Upon their arrival, they are ambushed by the Kyoshi Warriors. The island community is deeply isolationist and not as welcoming as the group had hoped. Sokka, initially dismissive of the female warriors, develops a crush on Suki, one of the warriors, and begins to learn from her.
Meanwhile, Aang struggles with the grief of losing his mentor, Gyatso, and the responsibility of being the Avatar. He inadvertently enters the Avatar State several times, causing him to worry that his attempts to help might cause more harm than good.
Katara discovers a scroll that contains the basic lessons of Waterbending, allowing her to begin her training more formally. A winged lemur, whom Aang names Momo, joins the group, providing some light relief.
Episode 4: “Into the Dark”:
The episode starts with both Aang and Iroh in prison, each facing different fates¹. Iroh, known as the “Dragon of the West”, is to be taken to “The Pit”, an Earth Kingdom labor camp for prisoners of war.
Aang, on the other hand, is taken to the King, who turns out to be Bumi, his childhood friend. Bumi, who has spent the last 100 years fighting a constant war and making endless impossible decisions, is wildly unpredictable with Aang. He reminds Aang of their past together and challenges him to various trials to prove his worth as Avatar.
Meanwhile, Sokka and Katara try to figure out how to rescue Aang and are told about some tunnels under the palace. However, these tunnels are unstable and apparently haunted.
This episode is more introspective and character-driven. It explores the cruel impact of war and the tragic loss suffered by Uncle Iroh, whose son Lu Ten died in battle. It also delves into the relationships and motivations of the characters. For instance, we see how Iroh’s relationship with Zuko has developed since the loss of his son, Lu Ten. Iroh sees Zuko not as a nephew but as a son, almost a replacement for the one he lost.
The episode ends with a musical callback to the original animated series with a song called “Leaves from the Vine. This song is sung by Iroh as he marks his son’s birthday by erecting a temporary memorial on a hill above the city where he died.
Episode 5: “Spirited Away”:
The episode begins with Aang, Katara, and Sokka making their way further north in search of the water tribe they need to save. On their journey, they come across a forest that has been razed to the ground by the Fire Nation. They meet a man whose son, Shi-yong, has vanished along with other villagers since the forest was destroyed.
Feeling compelled to help, Aang ventures into the ruined forest where the Spirit World is beginning to seep through. In an unexpected turn of events, Aang manages to separate the spirits of Katara and Sokka, and all three of them venture into the forest together.
In this episode, the characters are confronted with their darkest memories and fears. The forest presents them with unnerving creature designs and horrifying scenarios that further the show’s underlying mythology.
Meanwhile, Zuko’s situation worsens as Azula continues to undermine him by supporting Zhao. Even Zuko’s men, especially Lieutenant Jee, are rapidly losing their patience with him.
Episode 6: “Masks”:
In this episode, Aang tries to figure out how to defeat Koh the Face Stealer, a malevolent spirit that wears the faces of others. He’s rescued from captivity by a masked swordsman. The episode explores the symbolic theme of the versions of ourselves we present to the world, or that the world expects us to wear for their benefit, being at odds with who we really are.
Meanwhile, Zuko’s problem is Commander Zhao, who has been promoted to admiral and put in charge of the entire search for Aang. Zuko’s crew, especially Lieutenant Jee, are rapidly losing their patience with him.
In the meantime, Aang has infiltrated the Fire Nation and made it to Avatar Roku’s shrine, where he’s finally accosted by some monks. Luckily, he’s helped out by one of the sages, Shyu, who buys him time to commune with Roku. Roku gives Aang a totem that represents Koh’s mother, also the mother of identity itself.
Unfortunately for Aang, he’s captured by June before he can get back to the forest. The bounty hunter takes him to Iroh and Zuko, but Zhao arrives and claims Aang for himself. Zhao takes Aang to a Fire Nation base while he works on bigging himself up for Ozai, but he’s in captivity for all of five minutes before a mysterious masked swordsman breaks him out.
Episode 7: “Equal Rights, Equal Lefts”:
The episode starts with Zuko’s apparent death. Lieutenant Jee arrives after overhearing that the Imperial Guard is on their way to arrest him, with Zhao having presumably found a way to convince Ozai that he’s a traitor. In a panic, Iroh sends Zuko away on a small rowboat. However, we quickly learn that this is a scheme cooked up by Zhao and Dang. The boat Zuko is on is full of blasting jelly, the stuff we saw being used in Episode 3. Just like that, the boat explodes, presumably killing Zuko. Of course, this deception was already foreseen by Iroh, and we see later that Zuko is aboard the ship, disguised as one of the crew.
Meanwhile, Aang, Katara, and Sokka arrive at Agna Qel’a, the capital of the Northern Water Tribe¹. There they meet Arnook, the tribe’s chief, his daughter Yue, the tribe’s spiritual leader, and Master Pakku, the senior Waterbending master¹. While we’re here, we get a subplot for each of the three main characters.
Aang consults Avatar Kuruk for help and finds him less than forthcoming. Kuruk has a reputation as a bit of a coward for largely keeping away from his people and leaving them to their own devices. However, he reveals to Aang that this is because he became aware of encroaching evil spirits shortly after becoming the Avatar, and had to fight them in the Spirit World. The ordeal left him seriously compromised and unable to control the Avatar State. This is why Aang can’t channel him the way he did Kyoshi. Kuruk also reveals that he lost his beloved, Ummi, to a vengeful spirit. This is one of the faces worn by Koh the Face Stealer and is what Roku referenced in Episode 6. Kuruk convinces Aang that his friends will be burdensome to his responsibilities, and he resolves to fight the Fire Nation alone.
In the meantime, Sokka tries to build up the courage to approach Yue, whom he recognizes from somewhere. After chatting with her and finding her surprisingly “ordinary” – in a good way! – he recognizes some of her headwear.
Episode 8: “Legends”:
The episode begins with Aang, Sokka, and Katara leading a reconnaissance mission to the Fire Nation fleet. They retreat when they see the enormous fleet approaching Agna Qel’a. The Fire Nation’s plan consists of a frontal attack on the Agna Qel’a Ice Wall and a covert air balloon flying past it and landing at the Northern Water Tribe Sacred Oasis.
Zhao has gained access to a giant hot air balloon, a design courtesy of “spies in Omashu”, which will allow them to float straight over the capital’s defenses. This design is one of Sai’s designs which Sokka helped him with.
While the Northern Water Tribe prepares themselves for a traditional fight, with Katara convincing Pakku to allow all of the tribe’s women to join the battle, Zhao outlines to Iroh that he has another plot¹. The siege is taking place on the night of the Ice Moon when the Ocean and Moon Spirits take mortal form for one night to better understand humanity. Zhao plans to kill the Moon Spirit, from which all of the Waterbenders derive their power.
Kuruk appears to Aang and warns him of this plan since he can sense his dagger – which Zhao plans to use to kill the moon – nearby. Despite Iroh’s intervention, Zhao is able to skewer the fish, blotting out the moon and stripping the Waterbenders of their powers. The tide of the battle immediately turns, and the Fire Nation makes their move, crushing the resistance along the way.
The second season of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” on Netflix is expected to be released in January 2026. Please note that release dates can sometimes change, so it’s a good idea to check Netflix or official announcements for the most accurate information.
