For any story, the ending is always the hardest. It’s easy to create a set of characters but crafting a world in which audiences fall in love with them and want them to succeed is challenging. And the ending is the final tipping point, the moment a story has been building up to. Suffice to say, for great stories like Avatar the Last Airbender, expectations are high.
The road to season three was a long, hard journey. Fans were forced to wait three years between season two and three, episodes were being pirated left and right, and, to top it off, the last stretch of episodes were released in the same week. With all that being said, it was no wonder fans were initially left unsatisfied with the conclusion. But in hindsight, Avatar has one of the best endings of a television series to date. We’re looking at you, Game of Thrones.
First, let’s address some of the issues with this season. While not a major flaw, most of the beginning episodes focused primarily on character development. This is all fine but considering most of the character development was done so well throughout the series thus far, some points feel redundant. Not to mention, while the stories are fun and lighthearted, the plots can at times reek of classic eighties movies such as Footloose and The Breakfast Club. Point being, this is the final season where the story is meant to continuously build. These episodes would have done much better being in an earlier season.
But, of course, the main problem most fans noticed during this season was the loose ends that weren’t tied up. For most shows, this wouldn’t be much of an issue but considering Avatar managed to make even the most minute details important later on in the season, these loose ends were glaring. What happened to Zuko’s mom? Who was Combustion Man? Why can Aang suddenly take bending away? Not to mention, Katara using her bloodbending on the wrong person was a lackluster moment. Again, considering fans had to wait three long years for these episodes to air, people couldn’t help but to complain.
So yes, Avatar the Last Airbender has some problems. But it also has some of the best moments from the show. After waiting two and a half seasons, we finally see Zuko redeem himself. The Boiling Rock episodes bring back familiar characters in a fun, prison break storyline. Katara finally gets the closure she needs in The Southern Raiders. We learn more about Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin, two characters that we’ve had little insight about up to this point. And, the Halloween episode The Puppetmaster is absolutely creepy.
Really, there are so many great moments to this season but the highlight is Azula. Never have we seen a villain go through such an intense arc in the final season. It’s so heartbreaking to see her slowly crumble as she loses her friends and her sanity. Her agonising scream in the final episode will still give viewers chills. And the Agni Kai between Azula and Zuko is absolutely beautiful. The score is absolutely breathtaking combined with the flowing animation. It’s a somber moment between these two siblings that reaches out to its audience.
The two highlights in terms of action, pacing, and emotional depth are The Day of Black Sun Part 1 and Part 2 and the final four episodes. These are, by far, the best moments of the season. And it’s at these moments that it becomes clear just how special of a show Avatar the Last Airbender truly is. Countless of television programs have ended since Avatar but few can compare in being as satisfying both in terms of plot and characters. Far too often shows will milk all they can out of a franchise to the point where it becomes a shell of the show it once was. But Avatar chose to end on its own terms and, while it’s not perfect, the love and care put into this show shines through. Suffice to say, it will be a long time before we get another show like Avatar the Last Airbender.
And with that, it’s time to move on to the graphic novels that continue Aang’s story.
What did you think of Avatar the Last Airbender? Are you looking forward to our reviews of the graphic novels? Let us know in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!