Netflix's 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' covers a heap of episodes. Here's a guide to them all.
Team Avatar goes through *a lot* in eight episodes. Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" compresses 20 episodes, but which ones?
Most fans would agree that Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action adaptation is an ambitious undertaking. In addition to the graphic novels, the animated series has been revered by viewers and critics since it first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005. Now, after years of anticipation (and speculation), the Netflix remake is here – with some surprises in store.
The new series compresses the 20-episode first season (or "Book One") of the animated series into eight episodes — with the omitted episodes woven through in other ways. Both versions begin by laying out the origin story of our beloved Aang, the last of the Airbenders in a world where four nations are made distinct by their elements and the benders who control them. Aang, played by Gordon Cormier in the live-action series, also happens to be the Avatar: the only person who can restore peace amid a war waged by the Fire Nation.
Longtime viewers will be able to recognise the threads of the original story throughout the latest series, in addition to beloved characters like Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), and Prince Zuko (Dallas James Liu). There are also stunning details that recreate what people admired so much about the animated series, like the Omashu market, the costumes, and Kyoshi Island, among other things.
Showrunner, executive producer, and writer Albert Kim said the eight-episode structure "meant reimagining storylines, filling in gaps, and creating connected narrative threads. It was like making a remix, and that’s how we approached it in the writers' room." There are some distinctive changes throughout the series, many of which are sure to get reactions from fans.
For Avatar loyalists and new viewers alike, there's a lot to look out for. It's likely that the Netflix show will have many looking back to the animated original, both for reference and for the joy of rewatching the series. We've put together a guide to the episodes and storylines that have been blended into the Netflix show – with some of the key differences that eagle-eyed fans have surely spotted, too. — M.N.
Episode 1: "Aang"
Episodes covered:
"The Boy in the Iceberg" (Book 1, Episode 1)
"The Avatar Returns" (Book 1, Episode 2)
"The Southern Air Temple" (Book 1, Episode 3)
"The Storm" (Book 1, Episode 12)
"The Avatar and the Fire Lord" (Book 3, episode 46)
The opening episode of the live-action series is, of course, all about Aang. But it begins in the past, combining events from animated series eps "The Avatar and the Fire Lord" and "The Southern Air Temple." The former is a flashback episode in Season 3 that covers the start of the war with Fire Lord Azulon and the genocide of the Air Nomads, and the latter is a Season 1 ep that sees Katara, Aang, and Sokka visiting the Southern Air Temple a hundred years later. This includes flashbacks to Aang's friendship with Monk Gyatso (Lim Kay Siu), and his big moment entering the Avatar state in his grief over his friend's fate.
"The Storm" covers more Gyatso flashbacks, as well as Aang and Appa's flight from the Southern Air Temple and getting caught in the storm at sea. The live-action series picks up where the animation begins, with "The Boy in the Iceberg" and the discovery of Aang and Appa in the ice by Katara and Sokka. It also includes bits from the second episode, "The Avatar Returns," which sees Aang's introduction to the Southern Water Tribe and Zuko's arrival to seize the Avatar. Sure, in the animated series, Aang enters the duel with Zuko sliding in on an otter-penguin, but it's all pretty much the same deal — except Aang's banishment from Wolf Cove by Sokka for accidentally exposing their location to the Fire Nation. Rude. — S.C.
Episode 2: "Warriors"
Episodes covered:
"The Southern Air Temple" (Book 1, Episode 3)
"The Warriors of Kyoshi" (Book 1, Episode 4)
"The Waterbending Scroll" (Book 1, Episode 9)
In the second episode, we get to meet the kick-ass Kyoshi Warriors, which are introduced in episode 4 of the animated series. In both, the gang find their way to Kyoshi Island, where the residents honor the Avatar Kyoshi, where Sokka gets a big ol' crush on warrior Suki (Maria Zhang), and where the Fire Nation tracks the gang down. In the animated episode, there's a couple of differences. It's Zuko who storms into the village on the Avatar's trail, not Commander Zhao (Ken Leung) though he's introduced in this ep. Aang fights the Fire Nation in his own form, not as the formidable Avatar Kyoshi (though Aang does dress up as Kyoshi in Season 2's "Avatar Day").
Oh, there's also giant unagi in the animated series. Yep, a big ol' eel that Aang rides and battles and uses to quench the Fire Nation's flames. The Netflix series is sadly unagi-free.
In the live-action series, the writers changed it so that the leader of the all-female warrior village is also a woman — in this case, Suki's mother Yukari (Tamlyn Tomita). They also leave out the screaming girl fandom that Aang receives in the village on arrival, which deeply pisses off Katara in the original.
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There are lasting elements of the "The Southern Air Temple" episode too, as "Warriors" gifts us flying lemur Momo, who stows away in Katara's bag, as well as the introduction of Zhao, when Zuko and Uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) stop at a Fire Nation naval base. Netflix skips a major scene of combat here — in the animation, Zhao insults Zuko, who challenges the commander to an Agni Kai duel at sunset. The prince wins, showing mercy upon his opponent afterwards.
"Warriors" also focuses on Katara's waterbending journey, as she finds a scroll in her bag giving tutelage in the art. In the live-action series, Katara's grandmother Kanna has hidden it there; in the animated episode "The Waterbending Scroll," Katara finds the scroll in a pirate's junk shop.
There's also a cute nod to the animated series' opening credits in "Warriors," when Aang is showing off his airball skills to the village kids and rolls right into a stone statue with an "ooft." — S.C.
Episode 3: "Omashu"
Episodes covered:
"The King of Omashu" (Book 1, Episode 5)
"Jet" (Book 1, Episode 10)
"The Northern Air Temple" (Book 1, Episode 17)
"The Waterbending Scroll" (Book 1, Episode 9)
No surprises here: The third episode covers a lot of "The King of Omashu," the fifth episode of Season 1 introducing the Earth Kingdom city and its chaotic, pun-making king, Bumi. It also combines some of the best episodes of the animated series, including "Jet" and "The Northern Air Temple."
Episode 10 of the animated series, "Jet," brings the roguish teen and his band of freedom fighters into the Omashu storyline. In the Netflix series, Jet (Sebastian Amoruso) helps Aang, Katara, and Sokka get past the gates of Omashu; in the animated series, they meet in the forest and accidentally stumble into a Fire Nation camp. However, it's only Katara that gets to meet the rest of the gang in their hideout in the live-action series.
The episode also covers "The Northern Air Temple," which introduces the characters Teo (Lucian-River Chauhan) and his father Sai (Danny Pudi), a machinist who didn't actually have a name in the animated series beyond his vocation. In the live-action series, Sai is liaising with the Fire Nation to stop them from attacking the city of Omashu; in the animated series, he's supplying the Fire Nation with weapons to protect Earth Kingdom villagers living in the Northern Air Temple.
Plus, Katara learns the water whip in "Omashu" thanks to Jet, pulled from the episode "The Waterbending Scroll." But the best little gem of this episode? "MY CAAAABBAAAAGEEEES!!!!" — S.C.
Episode 4: "Into the Dark"
Episodes covered:
"Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World" (Book 1, Episode 7)
"The King of Omashu" (Book 1, Episode 5)
"The Cave of Two Lovers" (Book 2, Episode 2)
The fourth episode begins with Aang and Uncle Iroh captured in the Earth Kingdom. It draws some of its story from "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World," when Iroh is prisoner to surly Earthbender guards. Elsewhere, more is taken from "The King of Omashu," continuing on from the previous episode. Aang is reunited with the eccentric King Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar), his old friend and currently the ruler of the Earth Kingdom. But in the live-action version, the King is not so pleased to see Aang; instead, he questions Aang for abandoning his friends when the war began. Bumi's storyline appears completely rewritten, though some of his quirks remain. Plus, we still get to witness Bumi and Aang get up to their old tricks by the end.
"Into the Dark" also features the premise of "The Cave of Two Lovers," an episode in Season 2 of the original. This time around, Katara and Sokka must get through treacherous tunnels in order to find Aang. They encounter singing nomads (the ballad of "Secret Tunnel" is still catchy), earthbending badgermoles, and a centuries-old legend of two lovers who built said tunnels to meet privately. In the original, of course, this was the episode Aang and Katara first kissed. Netflix may be saving that for later. — M.N.
Episode 5: "Spirited Away"
Episodes covered:
"Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World" (Book 1, Episode 7)
"Bato of the Water Tribe" (Book 1, Episode 15)
"The Siege of the North, Part 2" (Book 1, Episode 20)
"The Swamp" (Book 2, Episode 4)
"The Library" (Book 2, Episode 10)
As the title suggests, this episode is all about spirits, which also play a significant role in the narrative of the original. Episode 5 is a whopper, amalgamating several key moments in which various spirits — ranging from sinister to benevolent — make an appearance. Aang, Sokka, and Katara find themselves in a small village ravaged by fire, disappearances, and shortages. The trio try to help the villagers find their missing loved ones, as in "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World." This has Aang traveling to the Spirit World, but he inadvertently brings Sokka and Katara along with him.
This episode borrows from Season 2's "The Swamp," specifically the storyline where the team finds themselves in an otherworldly swampland. They meet several spirits along the way. Wan Shi Tong is a giant owl known as the spirit of knowledge who also appears in "The Library." Koh is an ancient spirit who steals the faces of others, first shown in "The Siege of the North, Part 2." In this episode, Netflix has the characters facing the truths of their past through flashbacks; this is a diversion from Nickelodeon's rendition, where they instead have visions of people they have lost — or, in Aang's case, someone he has to find.
Other memorable figures pop up in this episode, like June (Arden Cho), the determined Earth Kingdom bounty hunter who Zuko hires to help on his never-ending quest to find Aang. In the original, this new antagonist appears in the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe." — M.N.
Episode 6: "Masks"
Episodes covered:
"Winter Solstice, Part 2: Avatar Roku" (Book 1, Episode 8)
"The Storm" (Book 1, Episode 12)
"The Blue Spirit" (Book 1, Episode 13)
No one can forget the Blue Spirit, an alter ego Zuko adopted in the original to assist in masking himself from the Fire Nation. The Netflix writers thankfully incorporated this storyline, seamlessly adapting it into an episode all about hiding one's identity. In the episode, Aang ventures to the shrine of Avatar Roku, where he is attacked by the monks at the temple. However, he manages to make contact with the previous Avatar, thanks to a little help from the sage Shyu (just like in "Winter Solstice, Part 2: Avatar Roku"). In the live-action series, Admiral Zhao manages to capture Aang — an event that doesn't takes place in the animated series until "The Blue Spirit." Enter Zuko, who uses his famed mask to capture Aang himself. Other threads are woven in from "The Storm," including Zuko's vital origin story, how he was banished, and why he is so intent on obtaining the Avatar for his father.
This episode uses a fair bit of reimagining, including a redemptive and surprisingly transparent conversation between Aang and Zuko. That may have been inspired by a segment of "The Siege of the North, Part 1" (Book 1, Episode 19). The creators also show us how Zuko's father sent him away, in an interaction that the original did not have. — M.N.
Episode 7: "The North"
Episodes covered:
"The Waterbending Master" (Book 1, Episode 18)
The penultimate episode in the Netflix series is action-packed: Zuko is being pursued by a vengeful Zhao, Team Avatar finally reaches the magnificent kingdom of the North Pole, and Aang and Katara are finally about to learn waterbending from a master. The group meets Pakku (A Martinez), the senior waterbending master, along with Princess Yue (Amber Midthunder), the object of Sokka's affections.
Meanwhile, Azula (Elizabeth Yu) is training to be her best warrior self, agonizing along the way. The Fire Princess's storyline is vastly different from the original — after all, her character in the animated version doesn't become prominent until Book 2. But the Netflix show carves out Azula's intentions to gain power.
The episode focuses, however, on the crux of "The Waterbending Master," with Katara proving herself to Pakku and Sokka crushing on Yue. In the live-action series, Yue has already broken off her engagement to a fellow Water Tribe member. Aang, on the other hand, is grappling with his fear of losing Katara and Sokka, due to a conversation with Kuruk (Meegwun Fairbrother). This previous waterbending Avatar tells Aang he'll have to go through the journey alone. This wasn't exactly in the animated series, but this conversation seems like a way to cement the bond between the trio, with Katara and Sokka telling Aang they'll remain by his side as the Fire Nation prepares to attack. — M.N.
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