Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is adequately faithful to the original animated show of the same name, though one major change to Aang and Katara’s relationship can be found. Concerning similarities to the original show, Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s live-action cast and how they perform their characters is an element that Netflix translated almost perfectly. Especially in comparison to the 2010 M. Night Shyamalan movie adaptation of The Last Airbender which was rife with mischaracterization, Netflix’s show brings the animated characters to life with fidelity.
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By the time of The Last Airbender season 1’s ending, two characters positively stood out compared to their characterization in the 2010 movie: Aang and Katara. From the exploration of the former’s Avatar journey to elements of the latter’s story such as what happened to Katara and Sokka’s parents in The Last Airbender, Aang and Katara are suitably two of the standout individual characters in Netflix’s The Last Airbender. However, one major element of their characters, specifically concerning their relationship with each other, was removed from the original show for Netflix’s live-action adaptation.
The Last Airbender Season 1 Removes Aang & Katara’s Early Relationship Hints
In the original Avatar: The Last Airbender, the series ends with Aang and Katara forming a relationship after the defeat of the Fire Lord and the end of the war. The Legend of Korra then established that Aang and Katara got married, having children of their own. This relationship only came to fruition in the series finale, yet hints were sprinkled throughout the earlier seasons of the show that Aang had a crush on Katara since emerging from the iceberg.
In The Last Airbender‘s Book One, these hints were almost instantaneous. The filmmakers of the original cartoon certainly did not shy away from Aang’s crush, with even entire episodes such as season 1, episode 14, “The Fortuneteller” surrounding this subplot. Despite the prevalence of the early hints of Aang and Katara’s relationship in the animated show, Netflix’s The Last Airbender season 1 completely removes any hints of Aang’s feelings for Katara.
For instance, the subplot of “The Fortuneteller” was omitted from Netflix’s The Last Airbender. One other hint at Aang and Katara’s future relationship in the original show came in season 2, episode 2, “The Cave of Two Lovers.” This subplot was included in Netflix’s The Last Airbender season 1, yet the original show’s inclusion that Aang and Katara’s love helped them escape the titular cave was applied to Sokka and Katara’s familial, sibling love. These entire subplots being changed, as well as the lack of smaller hints of Aang’s crush on Katara, removed teases of their future relationship.
Aang & Katara’s Relationship Being Left Out Of Netflix’s Season 1 Is A Good Thing
While the omission of this storyline may upset some viewers familiar with the original show, it may prove to be a good thing for Netflix’s The Last Airbender season 1. The age difference between Aang and Katara is much more noticeable in live-action, meaning hints at a relationship with actors so young would be incredibly difficult to portray correctly. As such, removing this subplot from The Last Airbender season 1 makes sense.
Interestingly, Netflix’s The Last Airbender is extending the show’s timeline to account for the aging of its young cast. Therefore, future seasons will likely have Aang be older than he is in season 1, meaning these continuations could delve more into his crush on Katara as the Avatar grows up. This would remove the admittedly problematic elements of having a younger relationship while adding back an iconic element of Avatar: The Last Airbender in live-action.
All episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 are now streaming on Netflix.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Live-Action)
Based on the acclaimed animated Nickelodeon television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender is an action-adventure fantasy series developed by Albert Kim. The series follows Aang, a young man training to harness the four elements to live up to the title of Avatar – the one who will restore balance to the world.
- Cast
- Gordon Cormier , Dallas Liu , Kiawentiio , Ian Ousley , Daniel Dae Kim , Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
- Release Date
- February 22, 2024
- Where To Watch
- Netflix
