Avatar The Last Airbender (2024 TV series)
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | |
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| Based on | Avatar: The Last Airbender by
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| Developed by | Albert Kim |
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| Music by | Takeshi Furukawa |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
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| Producers |
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| Production location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
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| Running time | 47–63 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | February 22, 2024 |
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American action adventure fantasy television series. It is a live-action adaptation of the animated series (2005–2008) on Nickelodeon. First announced in September 2018, Albert Kim is the showrunner, with a cast that includes Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Ken Leung, and Daniel Dae Kim.
Consisting of eight episodes, the series was released on February 22, 2024, on Netflix.[2][3] The series received mixed reception from critics and fans.
Premise[edit]
The series is set in a war-torn world inspired by various Asian and Indigenous cultures where certain people can "bend" one of the four classical elements—water, earth, fire or air. Aang, the "Avatar" and the last living Airbender, is the bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, and the only one capable of bending all four of the elements instead of just one. The Avatar maintains the balance of the world and nature to bring peace, and Aang is now faced with the responsibility of ending the ambitions of the militaristic Fire Nation to conquer the world. With his new companions Katara and Sokka, Aang sets out to master the four elements while pursued by Zuko, the exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, who seeks to regain his honor by capturing him.[4]
Cast and characters[edit]
Main[edit]
- Gordon Cormier as Avatar Aang: A free-spirited and peaceful twelve-year-old airbender who was frozen in ice for a hundred years. When he wakes up, all the other airbenders have been wiped out by the Fire Nation and he embarks on a quest to end the war and become the figurehead of balance and harmony for the world as the Avatar.[5]
- Kiawentiio as Katara: A fourteen-year-old who is the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe after her mother was killed by the Fire Nation. Despite her personal tragedy, she joins Aang on his journey while growing to her true potential.[5]
- Meadow Kingfisher portrays young Katara in flashbacks.[6]
- Ian Ousley as Sokka: Katara's sixteen-year-old brother who has tried to become the quasi-leader of their tribe after their father left to fight in the war. He joins Aang on his mission along with Katara, and makes up for his lack of bending abilities with his intelligence, resourcefulness and trusty boomerang.[5]
- Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko: The scarred, exiled and short-tempered seventeen-year-old crown prince of the Fire Nation, bent on capturing the Avatar to end his banishment and regain his honor.[5]
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh: A retired Fire Nation general and the wise and nurturing uncle and mentor to Zuko.[7]
- Ken Leung as Commander Zhao: An ambitious, yet arrogant, ruthless and dishonorable Fire Nation naval officer and Zuko's bitter main rival in his pursuit of the Avatar.[7]
- Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai: The tyrannical and sadistic ruler of the Fire Nation, Iroh's younger brother, and Zuko and Azula's father.[8] Kim had lent his voice to the Avatar franchise multiple times—the first time in Book 2 of The Last Airbender, where he voiced General Fong,[9][unreliable source?] and in The Legend of Korra, where he voiced Hiroshi Sato.[10][unreliable source?] Kim felt attracted at the prospect of playing a "deliciously villain he could sink his teeth into" as Ozai, being one of the things he was looking forward to do and reminding him to Darth Vader of Star Wars.[11]
Recurring[edit]
- Lim Kay Siu as Gyatso: A mischievous, chipper, kind, and caring Air Nomad monk who is Aang's mentor and father figure.[7]
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Gran Gran: The matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe and Sokka and Katara's paternal grandmother.[12]
- Ruy Iskandar as Lieutenant Jee: A Fire Nation officer on Zuko's ship.[13]
- Matthew Yang King as the vocalizations of Appa, a sky bison who is Aang's companion and Momo, a winged lemur who befriends Aang and joins him on his journey.[14]
- Ryan Mah as Lieutenant Dang: An officer in the Fire Nation Navy loyal to Zhao.[15]
- Utkarsh Ambudkar as King Bumi: The elderly king of Omashu who is Aang's oldest friend.[16]
- Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula: The cunning and prodigiously gifted princess of the Fire Nation and Zuko's younger sister.[12] Showrunner Albert Kim stated ahead of the show's premiere that Azula is featured a lot more in the new show's first season than she is in the original cartoon's first season, crediting the knowledge of what Azula does later in the original show's second and third seasons for the writers having the advantage of where to take her.[17]
- Thalia Tran as Mai: Azula's stoic friend who is skilled in knife throwing.[18]
- Momona Tamada as Ty Lee: Azula's acrobatic friend who is skilled in chi-blocking.
- Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue: The princess of the Northern Water Tribe.[21]
