My Favourite Stories: Part 3 - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Let me begin by fully acknowledging that nostalgia will be speaking on my behalf for most of this post. However, for a show as good as this, I believe it is entirely warranted.

I will firmly hold the position that Avatar: The Last Airbender is the greatest show ever intended for kids. It earns this status for countless reasons, such as the rich worldbuilding, dynamic fight scenes, and compelling characters, but what really makes it stand out is the fact that it doesn’t pander to its audience, despite being a kid’s show.

Avatar is perfectly willing to have mature, challenging themes which could arguably be uncomfortable for a young viewer base. It tackles dense concepts like destiny, spirituality, genocide, and many others with way more tactfulness and grace than most shows intended for adults. As a result, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Another facet of this show which makes it unique as a kid’s show is the level of development each character gets throughout the series. The level of growth accomplished throughout the three seasons for the main cast is beyond impressive, especially Zuko’s tumultuous redemption arc.

It also manages to avoid one of the most menacing pitfalls that occurs with ongoing longform narratives in television: mediocre filler episodes. Each episode that doesn’t directly contribute to the plot still finds a way to build on each character’s arc and their relationships

For anyone who’s had the fortune of watching this show, I’m sure it’s no surprise why Avatar: The Last Airbender easily earns a spot in my top twelve stories of all time.