7 Reasons Why Avatar: The Last Airbender Is The Most Complete TV Show Ever
The Legend of Aang will remain alive in our hearts. But why is it the quintesentially good TV show?
Ever since the birth of this thing known as television, very few shows - animated, live-action or anything in between - have been as universally celebrated and adored as the Last Airbender. Even as the decades passed and many former favorites aged as well as an unrefrigerated carton of milk, the Last Airbender only gained more love and popularity with age - if not for its stellar plot and character work, then for its social messages that were well ahead of its time and shattered stereotypes.
The story - or legend, rather - of Aang continues to occupy a place unto its own in the higher echelons of TV shows. And there are multiple good reasons for that. If one were to get a list of all the requirements that make a good show, they would find the Last Airbender ticking every single one of those boxes.
There wasn't a beat missed by creators Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, as they took viewers on a ride they will never forget.
Replete with action, adventure, heart and plenty more, The Last Airbender was a perfect show - and one worth celebrating whenever the opportunity arrives.
7. A Magical Struggle Driven by Basic Human Elements
The premise for the Last Airbender is based on magical forces colliding and vying to become the most powerful. The Fire Benders, or their monarch at least, see their magic as supreme and want to expand its influence across all other nations. However if one were to look beyond the chromatic death battles between armies each wielding their own brand of supernatural might, they would find some familiar things at the heart of the struggle.
Fire Lord Sozen and those who came after him were all motivated by the same temptation that creates most dictators and conquerors in the real world. Even aside from the main narrative, all the other sub-threads, no matter how important or magic infused, are determined by normal human emotions. For example, Aang running away from his duties as the Avatar highlights the same feelings any of us encounter when faced with a tough challenge.
In many ways, the various stories throughout the show made perfect use of magic to depict the struggles of the everyday human. A balance that makes a show truly special.