The Last Binge Bender

It is quite difficult to find quality shows that I really enjoy, so anytime I find one, I kind of get a little too obsessed. I am very critical about what I watch, and these days I do not like to consume my limited spare time with mediocre or typical content. Regardless of the series, because of my educational background in film, I tend to lean toward more witty, unpredictable, and satirical filled content. I also love work that contains several relative messages that shift my thinking or perspective in a positive way. The acting also has to be dynamic and convincing to intrigue me. With that being said, let's take a look at one of the animated series I am a little too obsessed with.

Avatar the Last Air Bender

I actually am a little late to the Avatar fan club. I began watching "Legend of Korra" back in the summer of last year. I was intrigued by all of the female characters and how they were unapologetically badass. I was originally highly obsessed with the series that I quickly turned to "Avatar the Last Airbender" as soon as I finished all four seasons of "Legend of Korra." I never really was an anime fan, but these two series have definitely opened me up to it. Just give it some Japanese audio with English subs and long dramatic intros with never-ending seasons, and it would be on its way.

Both Avatars (Korra and Aang) have deep storylines that really help us see them from every angle. Although they are these powerful beings, Aang is only in his preteens (well physically, spiritually he was 112 years old), making major decisions and fighting corruption worldwide. Korra, on the other hand, is only a teenager who is a hardcore fighter that is passionate about what she believes in.

The overall theme of the show is for the "Avatar" to be the "bridge" between the spirit world and the physical world. Their primary objective is to restore balance amongst the nations. What it shows is that life is an endless struggle of trying to maintain peace on Earth no matter what strides you make during your era or reign.

Aang is more wise and spiritual, while Korra is more spontaneous and rebellious. They are both dynamic characters who have multiple layers attached to them. Watching them grow into these amazing beings was definitely an emotional roller coaster. Aside from the voice actors, the producers and writers do a great job of representing the entire Asian diaspora in their own way.

Watching these cartoons for the first time as an adult has really sparked my imagination all over again. Each show fills me with comfort with all of its humor, life lessons, and animated action. I am still not over at the lack of animated content and find myself lost in Avatar Fandom on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. However, there are several comics that I have not read, and will find myself lost in them to satisfy my everlasting thirst for the Avatar.

Apparently, I am not the only grown ass person obsessed with Avatar. Since both series were put on Netflix, it sparked an entire wave of new and old fans appreciating the shows on TikToks, Insta Reals, tweeting about it, creating memes, I mean it felt as if the shows were released for the first time in 2020. I was so upset with myself that I never paid any attention to this show and overlooked it as a teen (obviously overlooking anything wholesome).

However, I do not regret this fully as I don't mind reconnecting with my inner child and nerding out about cartoons at 25. These cartoons are badass, and I have honestly learned a lot from each series. Any show or movie that can move me in every way is the type of content I want to entertain myself with. I love substance, I love action, and I love comedy, so put all those together, and you got yourself a kick-ass storyline.

Although I loved both series (Legend of Korra and Avatar the Last Air Bender), I will only discuss ATLA as I can discuss both forever! So, let's take a look at some of my favorite scenes, episodes, and the best faces of the Avatar series.

My Top Episode: "The Guru"

Disclaimer: These episodes are ranked by my preference, not in order from season 1-2

This episode was truly remarkable. It was titled "The Guru" and is the 19th episode of Season 2, "Earth." He receives a message in earlier episodes saying that he is to go to this life guru who lives in one of the ancient Air Temples. His overall aim is to align his "Chakras" to activate the "Avatar State" willingly without the action just stemming from rage or anger.

This episode had a wonderful message as it simply breaks down how to balance our chakras. Each Chakra symbolized what he should let go of and what e needed to accept to renew and restore each level of his inner consciousness. If you are starting to embark upon your spiritual journey, this is a great episode to watch to learn about spiritually balancing oneself in simple terms.

Understanding Bending and The Avatar State

The "Avatar State" is a god-like state that the avatar goes in when in combat. If you notice above, once this state is triggered, their eyes will glow, and if they speak, it's as if a thousand voices are speaking at once. This consciousness helps to connect to their past lives and become unstoppable against any adverse forces. Each time an Avatar dies, the souls go on to find another human shell to dwell in. Each cycle, the Avatar ends up being born in either a Fire nation, one of the Water tribes, one of the Earth nations, and (before and after Aang) in one of the Air nations.

These beings are equipped to bend all four elements amongst being blessed with other bending abilities. Aside from the Avatar, the many other human beings in this reality (including the Avatar team) would either be able to bend one or two elements while others were highly trained in the martial arts like Tai Chi, Taekwondo, and other wonderful fighting techniques.

"Bending" is a form of power that stems from manipulating any of the four elements, water, fire, air, or earth, including others. Besides the basics, Aang also knew how to spirit bend, as well as Korra, who also knew how to metal bend. However, each Avatar is born with a sole bending capability. For instance, Aang was from one of the Air nations; therefore, he was born with air bending. Korra, on the other hand, was born in the Southern Water Tribe; therefore, her sole bending capability was water.

My Second Top Episode: "The Fire Bending Masters"

This was another powerful episode! It showcases two individuals who were once rivals now coming together to learn the true meaning of Fire Bending. This episode was another deep approach to the series. It captured the true legacy of the Fire Nation. As stated before, the Avatar has the capability of bending all four elements. Aang was naturally a master himself in air bending and was great at water bending as well. However, by then in the series, he had become a pretty good earth bender but still needed to learn Fire bending.

With each element, he trained with a master. Now it was time for Zuko to teach him the final element. However, since the prince no longer had such rage and a drive to find the Avatar, he could no longer Fire Bend the way he once could. Therefore, he had to learn the true way himself. To gain clarity on the true art of Fire Bending, they ended up in the ruins of an ancient temple where the forgotten Sun Warriors lived. Thinking they were intruders, the warriors almost ended up holding them captive. Quickly explaining their reason for coming, they asked them if they could meet "the masters" of Fire Bending.

"These masters" ended up being the last dragons in Fire Bending history to exist, and Zuko and Aang had the privilege to meet both and be shown the sacred art of Fire Bending. The Fire Nation thrived so much off fear that they had lost sight of their true purpose. That is why the Sun Warriors were hidden, practicing the original way of Fire Bending and ensuring that the two last dragons had a safe place to dwell in.

Understanding Zuko's Character

Zuko is probably one of the most dynamic characters in both series. He transitions from being a pretentious spoiled brat to a young man who understands that his purpose is to restore his nation. He goes from wanting to capture the Avatar so that he can reclaim his honor to helping the Avatar defeat his father in "Sozin's Comet." Although he is not the best Fire Bender, he is highly skilled in sword fighting and also shows his ability to be extremely stealthy. Since he was born, he had many family challenges. His father and mother never saw eye to eye, which put a rift between the children and each parent had a favor. Zuko was favored by his mother, while his sister Azula (one of the best villains of both series) was favored by his father.

He was banished at the age of 14 by his father because he did not want to dual with him promptly after he interrupted a royal meeting. The only way to be welcomed back into the Fire nation was to capture the Avatar (Aang), who was the Last Airbender. In both seasons 1 and 2, Zuko spent most of his time on a quest with his uncle Iroh (who is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters from both series), traveling worldwide to capture the Avatar and present him to his father. Fire Lord Ozai (Zuko's Father) was the Royal Heir of the Fire nation and instilled nothing but fear and violence into his nation, servants, and his family.

This is the primary reason why throughout almost the entire series, the prince spends most of his time angrily longing to please his father. What he didn't realize is that Iroh was a true father figure who always provided him with the best wisdom, never turning his back on his nephew regardless of the decisions he continued to make carelessly. This brings me to another all-time favorite "Alone," which was also a part of Season 2, "Earth."

This episode captures Zuko in an entirely different light. Since he lost his soldiers and ship, he and his uncle were forced to live amongst the Earth Kingdom with new identities. He went by Lee while his uncle went by Mushi, both tried their best to keep their Fire Bending concealed; Zuko used sword fighting as self-defense instead. In this particular episode, he decides to part ways with his uncle and reclaim his honor alone. He wants to explore his independence without guidance.

This particular episode shows the constant struggle the boy has between attempting to be a decent human but still falling victim to his ego and "scarred side." It shows the innocence of the boy and why he was so broken and emotional. He reminisces about his childhood, thinking of his mother before she was banished by his father. Also, thinking of how narcissistic his sister was.

While he is traveling alone, he runs into these Earth Kingdom soldiers that are supposed to protect this small village from the Fire Nation but does the opposite and terrorize the civilians instead. He finds himself attempting to protect a young boy who lives there and ends up fighting all four of the tyrants. This episode also points out the constant struggle he endured in trying to be good but still falling victim to his ego. If you watch this season, you will notice that even though he is coming into a new identity, there still is a lot of inner conflicts. This is obvious because he is still so obsessed with capturing the Avatar and, for the 700th effing time, "reClaIminG hIs HoNoR."

However, this is actually one of my favorite fighting scenes with him (as he always gets his ass kicked by other benders). I find that he has great expertise in ancient fighting styles such as sword fighting and kung fu. His non-bending fighting style was far more impressive than his bending. This is why he was able to hold his own against four other grown-ass men. Because Iroh was a highly ranked fighter, bender, commander, and also one of the leaders of the White Lotus, everything he knew, he taught Zuko. With so much complexity and rich history, ATLA makes Zuko one of the deepest characters in the entire Avatar universe!

The Best Female Benders, Fighters, and Benders

What would Avatar be without the women? Don't worry; I'll wait. Trash, complete and utter trash, that is what it would be. Of course, there are amazing male benders and fighters; but the women in the Avatar universe really are elite in every way. They are all original, they all have a mind of their own, and they all slay in their own way! The writers for both series do a great job of representing women. Instead of the shallow content you typically see with animated female cartoons, they actually capture the essence of women. The women are wonderfully balanced in wisdom, nurturing, combat while still being domestic. Let's take a look at some of the best women of Avatar.

Toph: She is by far my favorite female character on both series because she is literally, unless proven otherwise, the best Earth Bender in her reality! The writers introduce her in "The Blind Bandit," which is episode 6 of Book 2, "Earth." During this episode, she goes by the name "The Blind Bandit," who fights at different matches secretly as she is royalty and not allowed to do anything but be micromanaged by her parents, who were known as the Beifongs for their wealth and nobility. Each match, she proves why she is the most powerful bender in her reality by continuously beating these powerful Earth Bending Men who are three times her size. Mind you, she is only 10 and is actually blind. That is why her parents are super protective of her and don't allow her to Earth Bend.

Toph learned the true art of Earth Bending from the Badger Moles, who are the original Earth Benders. Also, while she was being captured in one of the later episodes, she discovered metal bending. With the same techniques she uses to Earth Bend, she uses the waves and vibrations within the metal and manipulates the element with her bare hands. Toph can also sand bend and goes on to be Aang's Earth Bending master, traveling with him around the world in his pursuit to take down the Fire Lord.

Katara: Another master of Aang's, Katara is also one of the most multi-faceted and multi-skilled women in the ATLA universe. She and her brother Sokka are from the Southern Water Tribe and are actually the ones who discovered Aang close to their village. At the time, she was the last water bender of her tribe and basically taught herself how to water bend from an early age. She also trained with one of the great masters of the Northern Water Tribe, Pakku, who she found out asked for her grandmother's hand in marriage when they were just teens. The reason that never happened was that the outlook the Northern Water Tribe had on women was quite skewed. If women had bending capabilities, all they could do is practice healing they were forbidden to Water Bend. In this episode, she challenges the master water bender to a dual since he refuses to train her. It is definitely a must-see! (Book 2, "Water," Episode 18 "The Waterbending Master")

With all of the knowledge that she acquired from her childhood into her teens, she was able to master the element way before she became an adult. In the last book, she also discovered that she was a "Blood Bender," which is a very dark side of bending in the Avatar Universe. She was actually forced to use it on Hanna, who was actually a refugee from the Southern Water Tribe who used her abilities to take out her years of rage on innocent Fire Nation civilians. Katara never liked to use this form of bending as she thought it was evil. In reality, the Master Water Bender could bend anything that carried the element in it, such as ink, water, swamp water, and so on. This makes her almost undefeatable if she were to really go toe to toe with most characters from both series of Avatar. She also had wonderful healing capabilities and was quite precise in her practice.

Sidenote: Hanna also knew her grandmother as a young woman before she was captured as a prisoner of the Fire Nation. I love how the writers always seemingly connect the characters together no matter what series they are in, showing that life is a constant cycle, and our paths are full circles forever interconnecting.

Others Badass Female Fighters: Because I can really go on for hours about each of these characters. I am going to name several other female benders and non-benders that had my heart from the ATLA series. Some of my favorite non-benders were Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee. Each had their own fighting styles and could definitely hold their own against any benders. Ty Lee was highly skilled in the art of Tai Chi, disabling her opponent's pressure points making them completely helpless in combat. Suki, on the other hand, was the leader of the Kyoshi warriors and was swift, quick, and stealthy. The character showed off various fighting styles similar to Taekwondo and similar to Ty Lee's Chi Blocking. Mai was also quite swift and agile with knife-throwing skills out of this world!

Last Thoughts

Because there are just so many characters to stan, I must conclude this before my brain explodes. There are a plethora of characters that make this series so legendary, but I don't want to ramble. However, I am so glad that I could find a cartoon that brings comfort while igniting my imagination all over again. Never would I have thought then that this cartoon would be so good. The writers did a wonderful job at character development, race representation, and female representation. If you have never watched "Avatar the Last Airbender" or "The Legend of Korra," these are two series you definitely do not want to miss out on.

There are many life lessons throughout each series, and it really showcases the struggles of life no matter what background you come from. Many bridges were burned, many families were lost, many friendships ended, many began, and many customs changed or were forgotten.

The Avatar universe does a great job of showing us spirituality, reincarnation, martial arts, peace, wisdom, and comedy in a light but heartfelt way that many cartoons and anime series can't even compare to. So, there you caught me, I am obsessed with Avatar, and I am not afraid to admit it!