The new live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series recently started streaming on Netflix, and people have a lot of thoughts. While the casting is pretty spot on, there were certain storylines and elements that were changed in the adaptation that might have fans of the original animated series wondering what went on here.
So, here are just 23 differences and changes between the new live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series and the animated show:
🚨 There are obviously MASSIVE spoilers ahead! 🚨
1. First, the live-action series opens with viewers seeing the assault on the Southern Air Temple by the Fire Nation, thus leading to the extinction of the Air Nomads, besides Aang.
2. In the live-action series, the Air Nomads are at the Southern Air Temple because of a festival that brings them all together in celebration, and Sozin realizes it's the perfect time to strike. In the animated series, Fire Lord Sozin took advantage of a comet, which would later be called Sozin's Comet, to launch his attack on the Southern Air Temple.
3. Speaking of Sozin's Comet, which is extremely important in the animated series, the live-action series does not use this celestial event to put a ticking clock on Aang's need to master all four elements. While the comet does exist, it's not mentioned that it will come back around and Aang will need to be ready before then.
4. While a big part of the first season of the animated series is Aang learning to master waterbending by working with Katara, and later making it to the Northern Water Tribe, in the live-action show, we never see Aang waterbend, and he doesn't master the element in the first season.
5. One of the biggest changes between the live-action series and the animated series is Jet and the Freedom Fighters, the Mechanist and Teo, King Bumi, AND the "Secret Tunnel" singers all happen in Omashu during a two-part episode.
6. Due to this change, Jet and the Freedom Fighters use their blasting jelly inside Omashu, and the whole storyline is connected to the Mechanist and his work with the Fire Nation, too. In the animated series, Jet's plan is to destroy the village of Gaipan in order to rid it of Fire Nation soldiers.
7. Also, in the live-action series, Katara and Sokka are the only ones who journey into the Cave of Two Lovers, because it takes place, again, at the same time that Aang is with King Bumi. In the animated series, all of them journey into the cave, with Sokka getting separated from Aang and Katara.
8. The live-action series made the decision to have the story of Oma and Shu, the two lovers of Omashu who created the underground so they could be together, be a queer love story between two women.
9. In the live-action series, Zuko and Uncle Iroh also end up in Omashu, which doesn't happen in the animated series. In this version, Zuko fights Aang in the city, and Iroh helps his nephew escape by getting captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers.
10. Azula appears in Season 1 of the live-action series, whereas she doesn't appear until Season 2 in the animated series. This allows us to explore more of what Azula was up to before her introduction in the OG series, namely the live-action series shows her as a spy for the Fire Lord.
11. Also with Azula's introduction in Season 1, the live-action series has her conquer Omashu in the season finale. While in the animated series the Fire Nation does overtake Omashu, it's never stated that Azula is the one who did it.
12. While in the Spirit World in the live-action series, Aang gets to reunite with Gyatso, which doesn't happen in the animated series. This adds to the heavy emphasis the live-action show puts on Aang and Gyatso's relationship and how crucial Gyatso is to Aang's journey.
13. In the live-action series, when Aang is first taken by Zuko and later escapes his ship, he steals Zuko's journal — which has a ton of information about past Avatars. In the animated series, a lot of this info Aang learns from visiting the Spirit World.
14. In the Netflix series, the first past Avatar whom Aang connects with is Avatar Kyoshi, which is different than the OG series. In the animated series, the first past Avatar that Aang meets is Avatar Roku. In the live-action show, Kyoshi also tells Aang that he can communicate with the past Avatars whenever he's physically at their shrines.
15. While training with Suki and learning about the Kyoshi warriors in the live-action series, Sokka doesn't ultimately wear the full Kyoshi warrior makeup as he does in the animated series.
16. In the animated series, one of the big steps in Katara's waterbending journey is when she finds a waterbending scroll while encountering some pirates. In the Netflix series, Gran Gran gives Katara the scroll.
17. The live-action series includes a flashback to Zuko comforting Uncle Iroh at his son's funeral, which is not shown in the animated series. This moment also features an instrumental version of "Leaves From the Vine," which is, of course, a wildly important song from the animated series.
18. The Netflix series shows us what happened during Zuko and Fire Lord Ozai's Agni Kai and what led to Zuko's banishment. While in the animated series, we get bits and pieces, the live-action series depicts everything that happened.
19. In the live-action series, both Katara and Sokka are trapped in the Spirit World as they are forced to confront trauma from their past. In the animated series, only Sokka is trapped by Hei Bai, whereas in this version, they are both trapped by Koh.
20. In the live-action series, Aang is captured by June — while trying to find a way to save Sokka and Katara from Koh — on orders from Zuko and Uncle Iroh, before Commander Zhao ultimately takes Aang from them. This leads to the Blue Spirit, aka Zuko, rescuing Aang. In the animated series, Aang is captured by the Yuyan Archers at the request of Zhao while he's trying to get medicine for Katara and Sokka.
21. While Pakku is still a waterbending master in the Northern Water Tribe and originally refuses to teach Katara, the new show doesn't include Pakku recognizing Katara's necklace and everyone learning that Pakku and Gran Gran know each other and how he had carved the necklace for "the love of [his] life."
22. In the live-action series, Momo getting injured during the battle at the Northern Water Tribe is what leads Princess Yue to bring Sokka to the Spirit Oasis due to the water's healing abilities. In the animated series, Yue brings Aang, Sokka, and Katara there so Aang can connect with the Spirit World.
23. And finally, in the Netflix series, Commander Zhao uses his final words to tell Zuko that his father never thought he would return from banishment and he wants Azula to be the heir. Zhao ultimately dies after Iroh uses his firebending on him. In the animated series, Zhao is grabbed by the ocean spirit as Zuko tries to save him.
