With all eight episodes of season one now available on Netflix, Avatar: The Last Airbender has already received mixed reviews.
From fans and critics who were there complete contradiction to the changes made to the narrative, even those who believed they were a good interpretation of the source material.
It’s not difficult for experienced fans to see the significant differences between both versions. However, if you need a reminder, haven’t seen the original animation, or want to be safer, we’re here for you 10 Important Differences Between Anime and Live Action.
Photo: Netflix
10 Differences Between Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and the Animated Series
Sokka isn’t sexist in the Netflix version of Avatar
One of the biggest (and perhaps most controversial) changes was the decision to remove Sokka’s sexism early in the series.
The boy from the Southern Water Tribe was someone with pretty macho ideas and clearly believed in traditional gender roles. Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, along with her companions, teaches Sokka a lesson he doesn’t forget: that both women and men can share the same responsibilities and abilities, regardless of their gender.
This becomes very important as it represents a major change to the character’s development and presents an important opportunity to those who see it.
Your upbringing and faith do not prevent you from being open-minded and changing the way you see the world to become more tolerant. This lesson from Sokka is completely omitted from the live action in order to completely eliminate his prejudices.
Photo: Netflix
Bumi was annoyed with Aang.
In the animation, King Bumi has Aang complete three challenges to save his friends from a gem prison. These are not malicious and cause the avatar to think differently than expected. Even when both masters fight, neither does so with the intention of actually hurting the other.
On the contrary, in the remake the mad monarch seems to feel some resentment towards the last Air Nomad; He assured him at the end of their fight that Aang must destroy him or they would both die because of his doubts and weakness.
Likewise, the revelation that King Bumi was an old friend of Aang is reserved for the latter part of the episode, providing excitement and a pleasant surprise.
Furthermore, his goal was to teach Aang to plan and exploit the craziest and most unexpected things. In the Netflix version, the Earthbender King’s identity is revealed almost immediately. Furthermore, the elderly monarch felt betrayed by his former colleague Aire, who claimed that he had left the world and him alone for 100 years.
Photo: Nickelodeon
Aang and Katara are not trapped in the two lovers’ cave
In this new production, it is the siblings Katara and Sokka who are trapped in the mystical cave of the two lovers; instead of Katara and Aang.
In the anime, it is the first time that the romantic attraction that these final two characters have, the potential to feel for each other, is clearly expressed.
This is significant to the world of the “Avatar” franchise, as their union creates future important characters. Even the blushing waterbender suggests kissing to escape from there. At the climax, they finally manage to escape by following the bioluminescence that shows them the way out.
On the contrary, in this recreation of 2024, Sokka and Katara (for some reason) encounter giant mole badgers, the first animals to bow to Earth in search of a way out.
The cave lights don’t show them the escape route, but these creatures do. Also, of course, there is no kiss and they only hold hands to show their love.
Photo: Nickelodeon
Wan Shi Tong appears much earlier
The Spirit of Wisdom made its first appearance in the episode “The Library”, which was set in the middle of the desert and in the great owl’s personal sanctuary. This doesn’t happen until the second season of Book 2. Here they place the character in a new timeline as he comes out much earlier than his corresponding chapter, says a few lines and that’s it.
Azula wasn’t the perfect daughter
Azula, similar to Wan Shi Tong, is revealed before her original time. When we meet her, she’s not exactly the calculating, controlled and deadly villain we know from the animated series.
Here she is much more passionate, prone to temper tantrums and sometimes showing her insecurities before they should. Her father Ozai, contrary to the anime, considers her imperfect and she openly defies him to prove herself to him. Additionally, the Fire Nation princess doesn’t have her signature blue fire and beambending looks different.
Ozai had some compassion for Zuko
Another more surprising change was that the Fire Lord seemed to have been slightly less cruel towards his son. In his original version, once Zuko refuses to lift a finger against him in an Agni Kai to death, it immediately portrays him as a coward and a disgrace to his nation; Burning him and banishing him with a mission I never expected him to return from.
In live action, this character’s evil is reduced (if only slightly). The prince may be fighting his own father, but the difference is that he refuses to hurt him to end the fight.
Everything continues as in the original series until Ozai burns Zuko, who is holding his hand and seemingly about to cry. A few episodes earlier, the Fire Lord expresses his admiration and perhaps even expresses missing his son or wishing he were home. Something that doesn’t happen in the original series.
Photo: Netflix
Koh “The Thief of Faces” didn’t have the same approach
One of the most memorable villains was the ghost Koh, whose modus operandi was to steal the face of any living creature that showed emotion in front of him. In the original Avatar, Aang is warned and successfully maintains a false mask of indifference to avoid being the creature’s next victim. You get the information you were looking for and only find it later.
On the contrary, in the Netflix remake, Koh only makes a brief cameo, Aang had no idea who he was, nothing relevant to the story is revealed, nor is it explained how he attacked his prey. Additionally, Aang displays a wide range of emotions in front of him without any consequences.
Zuko’s crew wasn’t random
A nice detail that changes some of Prince Zuko’s origin story is what happens to the battalion he defends when he questions a general in front of his father. He saves the soldiers from certain death, even if it costs him his honor, his home and his father’s esteem. The Fire Lord assigns him the same group as his crew as Zuko sets out to capture the Avatar, who is touched and gains new respect for the firebender once he learns of his actions without even knowing them . .
Thus, it marks the change in the way Zuko proves himself to his team and the relationship between them.
Photo: Nickelodeon
Roku doesn’t tell Aang about the proximity of Sozin’s comet
The penultimate point takes place when Aang is talking to Roku. In the anime, the two had a close relationship, with the former Avatar mentoring the protagonist regarding his status as a master of the four elements. Soon, Roku informs Aang of the proximity of Sozin’s Comet and sets a deadline for the airbender to learn to control fire, air, and earth and defeat Ozai. before he and his military become too powerful to be defeated.
In the new version, interactions between the two avatars are rare and brief. Strangely, at no point does he tell Aang about the imminent threat that this natural phenomenon poses. This minimizes the sense of urgency and despair that the main character feels as a result.
Aang doesn’t try to learn waterbending
The final and strangest difference between the two creations sets the pace of the story. Aang makes no effort to learn waterbending, the second element he masters after air. This is a crucial change since Team Avatar’s entire initial goal was to help him find teachers for his training. In live action, however, that simply doesn’t happen; which represents a major departure from the original material.
These are some of the most notable and fundamental changes to the character narrative and world of “Avatar.” We may or may not agree with it, but we’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open for news about the future of this remake. What other differences did you see in the series? Are you OK with that? Tell us.
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