Top 5 ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Episodes

TV & Film

Apr 26

One of the foundation stones of modern western animation, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a series that has withstood the test of time with two live-action adaptations (quality will vary), many graphic novels, a sequel series, and an animated film on the horizon. With the original series now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, let’s take a look at five of the best episodes The Last Airbender has to offer.

It cannot be denied that there are many, many episodes deserving of a shoutout, so I must give an honorable mention to Ember Island Players, Tales of Ba Sing Se, The Boiling Rock Parts 1 & 2, The Beach and The Siege of the North.

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Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2: The Boy in the Iceberg & The Avatar Returns

The two-parter that started it all, these episodes do a stellar job of establishing the backdrop of this new world, before introducing us to Aang, Katara, Sokka, Prince Zuko, and General Iroh, masterfully setting up all of their respective character arcs and immediately making us fall in love with, or love to hate these characters. From Aang’s childlike wonder to Zuko’s scrappy drive to complete his mission, all the characters introduced have their goals and true potential established very early on, instantly hooking audiences along for the ride.

The premiere balances well-choreographed action with jovial and vibrant humor, and animation that stands the test of time and serves as a baseline for animated shows to this day.

Season 2, Episode 7: Zuko Alone

One of the most introspective episodes of the series, Zuko Alone puts one of the show’s main antagonists in the forefront, as we see him on the run from the Fire Nation and his sister Azula, exploring his past before becoming the banished prince we know, all while taking it upon himself to defend an Earth Kingdom village from bandits.

This episode stands out for gradually breaking down the shell of Zuko’s exterior, giving us our first look at the sort of person he could become outside of the Fire Nation’s influence, showing his first steps in what would be known as one of the greatest redemption arcs in media as a whole.

Season 2, Episode 6: The Blind Bandit

The introduction to fan favorite, the one and only Toph Beifong, this Season Two episode would finally give Aang the Earthbending teacher he least expected. Toph’s introduction would add a bold, if not crass energy to the Gaang, while also giving us a peek into her background while giving her multiple opportunities to showcase why she’s one of the most powerful benders in the show, not to mention a stellar example of disability representation, proving that her blindness is not a weakness.

Overall, this episode delivered on some inventive and comedic action sequences, and gave us one of the best characters this series has to offer.

Season 3, Episode 16: The Southern Raiders

One of the final episodes of the original series, The Southern Raiders gave fans an unexpected and emotionally resonant episode that puts Katara front and center as she and Zuko go on a quest to find her mother’s killer. This episode masterfully flips the established dynamic of the characters on its head, with Katara, who is usually a voice of reason, slowly succumbing to long-bottled-up anger and rage, and recently-reformed villain Zuko having to fill the void, being forced to act as a moral compass despite only recently having started listening to his own.

The Southern Raiders is an episode that sticks with me all these years later for its willingness to experiment with character dynamics with unpredictable, poignant, and all-around entertaining results. There really aren’t enough words to describe the thematic weight and beauty of this episode.

Season 3, Episodes 18-21: Sozin’s Comet

We opened this list with the episodes that started this series off, and so its only fitting that we close it out with the episodes that brought it to a close. The four-part finale, Sozin’s Comet, is a glorious culmination of the series on all fronts. Every character in the core cast gets their moment to shine and fulfill their respective destinies in their darkest hour. The battles here are the most intense and emotionally charged in the series. As far as series finales go, The Last Airbender is truly unrivaled and leaves us emotionally satisfied, and simultaneously excited for whatever may happen next in this new era.

It’s for these reasons that fans couldn’t be more excited for Aang and his friends to return to screens next year in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

All three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender are available to watch on Netflix and Paramount Plus.

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