What Exactly Is an Avatar in ‘The Last Airbender’?

The Big Picture

• The Avatar is the only being who can master all four elements, but it takes time and practice to achieve this.
• With the responsibility of preserving balance between the four elemental nations, the Avatar must intervene when the balance is threatened.
• The Avatar acts as a bridge between the spiritual and physical worlds, possesing a strong connection to the Spirit World.

After years of waiting, it’s finally time to return to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Netflix live-action series is just around the corner, so now is a good time for fans to brush up their knowledge of the franchise and get up to speed with what is what – especially the person who gives it its name, the Avatar. This cosmic entity serves as the linchpin in preserving the delicate balance between the four elemental nations in the world and acting as an intermediary between the mortal and spiritual realms. It’s a huge responsibility that, in The Last Airbender, falls upon Aang’s (Gordon Cormier) shoulders, a cheery young monk with arrow-shaped blue tattoos all over his body. Thankfully, though, he won’t be bearing it alone.

Only the Avatar Can Master All Four Elements

In the world of The Last Airbender, everyone is born to one of the elemental nations – the Water Tribe, the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom, or the Fire Nation – and some people can bend those elements to their will. A regular bender can only manipulate one element, usually the one connected to the nation they were born into, but there’s one being who can learn to bend all four of them, the Avatar. But that’s not without its challenges.

Bending an element is never simple. Some benders are more powerful than others, and some are naturally gifted. It’s no different from any other learning process. The Avatar is the same. They only have more elements to master, which can take more time. Aang, for example, was born into the Air Nomads and is a powerful Airbender, but he had to study and practice a lot to become good at this craft while still a child. Being the Avatar and mastering the other elements isn’t just something that’s available to him, but it’s his duty as the only person who can do it. With great powers come great responsibilities, right?

Achieving mastery over all elements is not without its challenges, either. The Avatar can only learn about the other elements by getting in contact with their natures and their nations, meaning they have to navigate political complexities, cultural differences, and personal struggles to fulfill their destiny. The journey serves as a metaphorical and literal balancing act, with the Avatar acting as a conduit for the world’s equilibrium. Thus, mastery over each element isn’t a mere display of power but a harmonious dance that mirrors the interconnectedness of the elemental forces. The Avatar becomes a living embodiment of unity, wielding the strength of the four nations within themselves.

Avatar Has a Responsibility To Preserve Balance Between the Four Nations

When The Last Airbender starts, the world is in a profound imbalance. The Fire Nation has grown too powerful and started an expansionist war against the other nations, the Hundred-Year War. The fact that the conflict has lasted a century isn’t a coincidence and corresponds to the period when Aang was frozen in an iceberg. The Avatar’s absence is also partially the cause of such a long conflict, and one of their most important roles is keeping the balance between the nations and elements.

At the heart of this duty is the recognition that an imbalance in the elemental forces invariably leads to chaos – as it did when the Fire Nation attacked. Whether it be the Fire Nation’s militaristic expansion, the Earth Kingdom’s territorial disputes, or the Water Tribe’s struggles, the Avatar has the responsibility to act as a sort of cosmic referee, intervening to rectify the scales whenever it pends to one of the sides. Their mission is both proactive and reactive – fostering understanding among nations to prevent conflicts and intervening decisively when the balance is threatened.

On a personal level, this means the Avatar has to confront moral dilemmas, navigate political landscapes, and grapple with unique challenges. The burden of balance is heavy, but the Avatar’s shoulders must be strong enough to carry it, and their choices resonate across the spiritual and human realms. Having friends and allies alleviates the burden like Aang having Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), and others he meets along his journey. But it also demands constant self-improvement and a good degree of detachment on a spiritual level.

The Avatar Is a Bridge Between the Spiritual and Physical Worlds

Acting as a referee between nations when born into one of them can’t be easy. It’s almost involuntary for most people to try and favor their side, even if it’s not completely right. This is why the Avatar has to rise above human nature and achieve a level of spiritual enlightenment that allows him to see things from a detached perspective. Being the Avatar means having a strong spiritual side and a deep connection with the Spirit World, which is very real in the world of The Last Airbender. Whenever there’s an imbalance in one of those realms, the other is bound to be affected, and it falls to the Avatar to restore balance, sometimes having to venture into the Spirit World himself to do so.

From a cosmic perspective, the Avatar is granted tools to help maintain balance in both the spiritual and physical realms. The most important one is the Avatar State, a condition achieved by the Avatar that considerably elevates their powers. It’s marked by the glowing eyes (and, in Aang’s case, the tattoos) and unnatural abilities, like levitating. To control it, the Avatar has to learn a lot about themselves and be in perfect balance. Only then can they enter and exit the Avatar State willingly without posing a risk to others.

Another important spiritual trait of the Avatar is reincarnation. Every Avatar that’s ever lived shares the same spirit and reincarnates after dying as someone from another nation, following the so-called Avatar Cycle – air, water, earth, and fire. Before Aang, the Avatar was the Fire-Nation-born Roku (C.S. Lee). Before Roku, it was Kyoshi (Yvonne Chapman) from the Earth Kingdom. After Aang, it will be someone from the Water Tribe – Avatar Korra, who has her own Nickelodeon animated series, The Legend of Korra. All this doesn’t mean the Avatar is invulnerable, though. The Avatar Cycle can end if the Avatar is killed in the Avatar State or their spirit is compromised from spiritual infections.

The Avatar Is the Ultimate Symbol of Hope for the World

The Avatar’s long self-discovery journey, their power over all the elements, and their connection to the Spirit World compose a great story that can inspire everyone open to it. It’s a story about the potential for positive change and the promise of a harmonious future. This symbolic role transcends their bending abilities, resonating deeply with individuals across diverse nations, turning the Avatar into the ultimate symbol of hope.

Through their commitment to preserving balance, the Avatar inspires hope for a harmonious future in a world marked by conflicts. Their unique ability to master all four elements becomes a testament to the interconnectedness of the elements and their nations, fostering unity and understanding among them. The Avatar’s resilience in the face of adversity also becomes a rallying point, showcasing the transformative power of individual actions and bringing hope to individuals and communities. During times of crisis, the Avatar’s presence signals a potential turning point, illustrating that even in the darkest moments, a single individual can make a profound difference.

Avatar: The Last Airbender arrives on Netflix on February 22.

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