Ask a part-time Avatarologist

[schlaufuchs]

Over the last couple years I have seen and obsessed over the show Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon on Nickelodeon. I feel like I have come to be an expert of sorts on the show and now I want to share that information with you!

This thread is for asking questions specifically about Avatar: The Last Airbender, i.e. random factoids, questions about theme and meaning, decisions the creators have made, and the new series set to premiere in 2011.

Hopefully this thread will get some of you cfcers interested in the show that have never seen it before. Those who wish to see the show, it concluded in 2008, but every episode is available via netflix watch instantly or various places online. For this thread I am going to go ahead and authorize several of my fellow avatarology colleagues to assist me in answering your doubtless plethora of questions.

Certified Avatarologists
OwenGlyndwr - Specialty: Fire Bender Studies (with emphasis on Zhao and Azula)
Luckymoose - Specialty: Irohology (with a minor in Water Tribe Hair Loopies)
Dachs - Leading Expert on The Avatar (Emphasis on Korra), Minor in Dai Li research

 

[Communisto]

Is it hard being an Avatarologist?

 

[Luckymoose]

Is it hard being an Avatarologist?

OMG YES IT IS! all the time

 

[CivCube]

How much did M. Night Shyamalan hurt your head?

 

[schlaufuchs]

How much did M. Night Shyamalan hurt your head?

We don't speak of that travesty.

 

[CivCube]

Oh fine.

BS question: Beyond the obvious symbology of earth-air-fire-water, what sort of underlying symbolism do you see in the series that makes it so rich?

Real question: Why should I watch this?

 

[Earthling]

We don't speak of that travesty.

Well, do you likewise hate the other movie co-opting the title Avatar? (with the space night elves, to be precise) I also note there are justifiable independent reasons for disliking that movie, but did it specifically anger you do the title/advertising and whatever on top of that?

 

[Perfection]

Do you have an avatar avatar?

 

[schlaufuchs]

Well, do you likewise hate the other movie co-opting the title Avatar? (with the space night elves, to be precise) I also note there are justifiable independent reasons for disliking that movie, but did it specifically anger you do the title/advertising and whatever on top of that?

Ummm...yes and no. As an Avatarologist I feel obliged to call James Cameron a biting jerk off for stealing our name! But as a fan I'm glad, because it forced Shamalamadingdong to change the name of his craptacular movie, and therefore hopefully make it easier for prospective fans to disassociate the awesome show from the travesty of a movie.

Do you have an avatar avatar?

YOU KNOW IT! 10/10 avatarologists agree that having an avatar avatar will improve both your perceived and actual awesomeness by at least 135%!

 

[Luckymoose]

Oh fine.

BS question: Beyond the obvious symbology of earth-air-fire-water, what sort of underlying symbolism do you see in the series that makes it so rich?

Real question: Why should I watch this?

There's alot going on in Avatar. You have the capitalist, industrial state of the Fire Nation and their main opponent the Earth Kingdom. Which is a much more agrarian and backwards society. Clearly symbolizing the old world and the new, and how rapidly we can forget ourselves to a popular ideology, among other things. The idea of an Avatar saving the world, is a clear sign to viewers that one person can make a difference, no matter how small or how difficult the task. Avatar is slap full of this kind of stuff. Watch it!

Well, do you likewise hate the other movie co-opting the title Avatar? (with the space night elves, to be precise) I also note there are justifiable independent reasons for disliking that movie, but did it specifically anger you do the title/advertising and whatever on top of that?

I personally don't hate Space Pocahontas.

Do you have an avatar avatar?

I do. Iroh.

 

[Karalysia]

Does anyone really ever die in the Avatar world? I refer to the faceless minions. None of them seem to die no matter how much they get tossed off cliffs, crushed with waves, thrown off boats, or so forth. It is most unfortunate.

Even worse, none of the main characthers aside from Azula which is what makes her awesome actively seeks to kill people.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Does anyone really ever die in the Avatar world? I refer to the faceless minions. None of them seem to die no matter how much they get tossed off cliffs, crushed with waves, thrown off boats, or so forth. It is most unfortunate.

Even worse, none of the main characthers aside from Azula which is what makes her awesome actively seeks to kill people.

Spoiler Plot Spoilers, read at your own risk :

Roku dies, as does Gyatso. Both of these are explicit. There are others that are implicit such as Jet

As for actively seeking to kill people, it actually does happen. An episode that springs to mind is Katara in B3E16 The Southern Raiders. You could even argue that Katara was being more sadistic than Azula in this episode as she tortures the head of the Southern Raiders, seeking to torture and then kill him, rather than just killing him. Fire Lord Ozai seeks to kill Zuko in B3E11 The Day of Black Sun. Then there's the matter of Fire Lord Sozin refusing to help Roku, in essence knowingly and willingly causing his death in B3E6. In the Agni Kai in B1E3 between Zhao and Zuko, Zhao's reaction to Zuko's sparing of his life suggests to me that Zhao was fighting Zuko with the intent of killing, or at the very least maiming the kid.

 

[Perfection]

What's so great about Avatar?

 

[LightSpectra]

Is the Fire Lord supposed to be the strongest firebender in the land? If that's the case, does that imply that bending ability is genetic to some degree, since everyone from the same dynasty would have to successively be the strongest firebender in the land?

 

[GoodGame]

What makes Avatar better than say any other anime series like InuYasha?

 

[schlaufuchs]

Is the Fire Lord supposed to be the strongest firebender in the land? If that's the case, does that imply that bending ability is genetic to some degree, since everyone from the same dynasty would have to successively be the strongest firebender in the land?

The Fire Lord is confirmed to be the strongest firebender, this has been confirmed as canon thanks to Avatar Extras. Bending in general has also been confirmed as not being in any way genetic, instead being related to spirituality or chi, which is why every child born of the airbenders can bend.

Here's my speculation as to how bending works. The ability to bend comes as a result of the spirituality or chi, I suppose of the parents and those around them. When the bender is born this is just an "ability" to bend. At this point they could feasibly become any sort of bender they wish to be, however tradition and seeing parents/friends, and just being in a certain environment causes the child to choose the element of their nation. Once they have focused on this element that is the only one they will be able to bend.

On that note, I believe the reason why the Fire Lord and his family are such powerful benders is related to the force and spirituality of the family as a whole. However that doesn't necessarily mean every son/daughter born of a powerful bender will be a bender. Remember, Zuko's mother was the granddaughter of Avatar Roku, and yet does not possess the ability to bend.

I also think it might be some sort of thing related to destiny or general balance in the world. The airbenders have a 100% bender birth rate because of their low population, and to not do so would cause the world to be balanced. This would suggest that there would naturally start appearing more airbenders in the time between the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai and the beginning of the events of The Legend of Korra to restore balance to the world. However this is more speculation on my part and there has been nothing to substantiate this.

 

[SG-17]

What makes Avatar better than say any other anime series like InuYasha?

Well first off, Avatar isn't anime. That said it is still better than other shows because it found a perfect balance between the seriousness of the global war and the sometimes intense comedy that you would expect among a group of young teenagers.

 

[Karalysia]

Azula can shoot blue flames and is shown as the only one capable of doing this, so isn't she stronger than Ozi and Iroh and even Roku? So why doen't she just kill Ozi and become Fire Lord much earlier? I mean she was more than willing to kill everyone else including family members like Zhuko and Iroh.

 

[SG-17]

Azula can shoot blue flames and is shown as the only one capable of doing this, so isn't she stronger than Ozi and Iroh and even Roku? So why doen't she just kill Ozi and become Fire Lord much earlier? I mean she was more than willing to kill everyone else including family members like Zuko and Iroh.

The blue fire is thought to be a result of her sociopathic tendencies. The anger and pain she constantly feels and suppresses (and based upon her actions in the series and apparent admonition to her mother and strong attachment to her father suggest sexual abuse by her father) manifest themselves as blue fire.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Aside from the Guru and the Swamp, can you find any hints of spirit bending before that came...you know, out of left field?