‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Turns 15 Years Old Today
Nickelodeon’s critically-acclaimed animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender first premiered 15 years ago today. Running for three seasons from 2005 to 2008, Avatar was as sophisticated as cartoons geared towards kids come. The first season earned five Annie Awards, a Genesis Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award, and the show has an immaculate 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Combining gorgeous anime-style graphics with dynamic characters, incredibly deep quotes, and humor, Avatar will forever be remembered as one of Nickelodeon’s finest.
The series takes place in a world where humans are divided into four nations according to the four natural elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Each tribe contains members with special powers (known as “benders”) who can command their nation’s element using martial arts. The nations are kept at peace with the presence of the Avatar, a chosen being who must master all four elements, starting with his own. In this case, the new Avatar is 12 year-old Aang, who is discovered by teenagers Katara and Sokka in a brick of ice. The new friends must team up to restore harmony to the nations, who are currently at war.
Two years after its third and final season ended, Avatar was adapted into a live-action movie directed by M. Night Shyalaman. 2010’s The Last Airbender is considered to be one of the worst movies of all time, sweeping the Razzie Awards for a total of five wins. But let’s not think about that, shall we? Today is Avatar: The Last Airbender’s special day.
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