The cast of the animatedAvatar: The Last Airbenderuniverse discussed how the show’s resurgence on Netflix during the COVID-19 pandemic affected their understanding of the cartoon’s legacy.Avatar: The Last Airbenderis widely regarded as one of the greatest animated showsever made; it’s acclaimed for its accessible storytelling, handling of complex subject matter, worldbuilding, and charming, relatable, and well-developed characters.
Having first aired on Nickelodeon between 2005 and 2008, long before streaming became ubiquitous,an entire generation of kids grew up with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko, learning from their grief, pain, hope, and friendship. When the series was re-platformed by Netflix over 10 years later, it became a global sensation, especially during the lockdown days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview withScreenRant’s Ash Crossan forAvatar: The Last Airbenderat San Diego Comic-Con,ATLAstars Dante Basco (Prince Zuko), Dee Bradley Baker (Appa, Momo), andAvatarsequelThe Legend of Korrastar Janet Varney (Korra) spoke about their experience ofATLA’s second surge on Netflix and how it affected their perception of the show’s story and meaning.
Dante Basco: I think it was a Netflix hit, because I think it had the original fanfare of what happened, in the beauty of the show. But then, when COVID hit, and then it became No. 1 on Netflix, it did something that never happened before, because we never had streaming before, never Netflix for it, never had a show that had been done 10-15 years ago becoming the No. 1 show in the world during this new era. And then, as soon as we went to the first Comic-Con after Netflix opened up, me and, like, Hayden Christensen were the longest lines in New York Comic Con. It was like, “You’re on the No. 1 show in the world. How did that happen?” So, when that happened, it was one of those things that had never happened before where, because of Netflix, it just became a phenomenon again.
Dee Bradley Baker: But it was at a moment that the world really felt like it was falling apart, and the world of Avatar is a world that makes sense, and there’s humanity and there’s morality. There’s overcoming adversity, redemption, finding your power. There are all these things that the world needs that seem to be dissolving around us right there when COVID hit. Happily, the platform of Netflix made that available, suddenly, with the celestial jukebox of entertainment that we have now, so that everybody could suddenly dive in, and it really gives this sustenance that people need, I think, to aspire to a world that they want to live in.
It wasn’t just that people fell in love with Aang’s world, however. They also responded to the show’s messaging.Avataris all about the dangers of oppression, colonialism, and the importance of standing up for what’s right, even when it feels like the world is against you. As an example of the show’s impact, Basco shared a moving experience he had while at New York Comic Con:
Dante Basco: To your point, what’s crazy, that New York Comic Con, we were there, and it didn’t really appear to me what was going on. There was so much happening, and this guy, this kid, comes up at a signing, and he’s like, “I grew up with you on Nick, man, we all grew up,” and I was like, “That’s great.” He goes, “No, you don’t understand. You programmed our generation.” I said, “What?” He goes, “You programmed our generation.” I go, “What does that mean?” He goes, “Why do you think we’re the generation that brought back protests, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter? We’re trying to get the world back in balance.” And the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I was like, “I understand why Avatar is the No. 1 show in the world.”
Janet Varney: Oh my gosh. It even goes back to, I felt like you were about to say the word “hope”, and I was thinking about the whole “Appa’s Lost Days” scenario. We just read from “Serpent’s Pass”, and in that moment, Appa is gone, and in the end of that episode, you see this baby get born, and Aang has become so cynical, and is so worried that he’s not going to find Appa. And then, this new baby is born, and they name the baby Hope, and it’s like that’s what we all need in the pandemic. “It’s going to be okay. It can still be okay, you guys.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender Changed What A Kid’s Cartoon Could Be
Serious Storytelling Can Still Be Accessible
As proven by the show’s enduring popularity and ever-relevant messaging,Avatar: The Last Airbenderelevated the concept of the children’s cartoon.While it was still just as colorful, funny, and sometimes even silly as you’d expect a kids' show to be,Avatarnever shied away from tackling difficult political topics and complex, even toxic, familial relationships.
Aang carried the fate of an entire world on his shoulders. Nevertheless, he and his friends, including the once-villainous Prince Zuko, persevered, bringing that all-important “balance” to the world and restoring peace, prosperity, and kindness. Hate isn’t sustainable. That’s an important lesson for everyone to learn, not just kids and teens.Avatardid all that in a concise, three-part story, and it was an incredible achievement.
Our Take On Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Legacy
The Show Will Remain Culturally Relevant For Years To Come
A few weeks ago, at anAvatar: The Last Airbenderpanel at Denver’s Fan Expo, Uncle Iroh voice actorGreg Baldwin proclaimed thatAvatarwouldn’t have been made if it were now being pitched for the first time. Baldwin implied the show was too overtly political to be greenlit today, and in this age of book bans and increasing societal division, he probably had a point.
The Last Airbender’s core morality and storytelling will always be relevant, and it’s encouraging that the show has remained so popular for so long.
That simply reinforces the strength and importance ofAvatar’s legacy, however.The Last Airbender’s core morality and storytelling will always be relevant, and it’s encouraging that the show has remained so popular for so long. WithNetflix’s live-action remakeand multiple new animatedATLAproductions in development, it looks likeAvatar: The Last Airbenderwill remain culturally significant for years to come, and deservedly so.
