With the live-action series on the horizon, it seemed like an ideal time to take a look at the original animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Throughout three seasons, the story follows Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the Avatar, as he learns the skills he’ll need to stop the war with the aggressive Fire Nation and return peace to the world.

The season opener was written by the series creators, Micheal Dante Di Martino and Bryan Konietzko, and it shook things up on Nickelodeon on 21 February, 2005.

Katara (Mae Whitman) and her brother Sokka (Jack De Sena) are part of the water tribe, and on a fishing expedition come across a boy in an iceberg, when he’s released, we, and they are introduced to Aang an Airbender and the new Avatar. He is really young, has a lot to learn, and has a giant flying bison, App (Dee Bradley Baker), both of them marked with an arrow.

When he’s freed of the iceberg (where he’s been for over a century and consequently has no memory of the war) it releases a burst of light that lets the Fire Nation know the Avatar is out there. Specifically, Prince Zuko (Dante Basco) and his Uncle (Mako), know he’s out there, ready to be found, fought, and subjugated like the rest of the world under Fire Nation rule.

There’s a lot of set-up going on in this episode, a lot of world-building, and also letting the kids, because they are all young, be kids. Aang knows he has a lot to learn, and while he’s good at airbending, he has to learn water, earth and fire if he’s going to assume his role as Avatar.

Lots going on, and while fun, and occasionally cartoonish (it is animated), there’s a lot of heart and character development going on. We have heroes and villains, and Aang is already crushing on Katara. And while initially, the character may seem straightforward, there will be layering to come because we are just beginning the first step in a serialized story that runs for sixty-one episodes.

Oh, and the season opener was directed by Dave Filoni who delivers a cliffhanger that sees Zuko discovering Aang and Katara as they escape from a decayed Fire Nation ship, and the home of the waterbenders that have taken him in.

The Avatar Returns was also broadcast on the 21st of February, 2005 and was also written by the creators and directed by Filoni. After escaping the ship, and the booby trap they set off, Aang and Katara must figure out what to do (and convince Sokka to help them) when the Fire Nation shows up.

Despite best intentions, Sokka isn’t a strong enough warrior, but Aang shows and confronts the scarred Zuko. He is willing to go freely with Zuko if it means the water tribe and his friends are safe.

Katara and Sokka set out after Aang on Appa, and they are taking their first steps away from their tribe and out into the bigger world. Both of them are unprepared for what they will find, and what they’ll learn about themselves on the way.

On the Fire Nation ship, Aang makes a break for it but finds himself fighting Zuko (again), Katara and the rest arrive just in time to facilitate an escape for Aang, but only after he delivers a powerful demonstration of waterbending – I think Katara just found her teacher, she’s gifted in waterbending but nothing like Aang mystically performs.

Escaping Zuko and his Uncle, the trio agrees to head to the north pole to perfect his waterbending skills before seeking out other benders to teach him what he needs to save the world.

The characters, beats and humour are smart, on point, and make for a really entertaining story.

The Southern Air Temple sees Aang leading the group to a temple he was trained in, even as Zuko and Uncle continue their pursuit of them. Written by DiMartino, the episode debuted on 25 February, 2005.

While Zuko attempts to keep the Avatar’s existence a secret, he wants to capture him, he has to deal with Zhao (Jason Isaacs) who may pose a threat not only to the Avatar but to Zuko. Zhao figures out what is going on, and prepares to take up the hunt himself, something Zuko fights against. Zhao seems to be more dangerous than Zukko, and they prepare to square off against one another.

When our trio arrive at the Southern Air Temple, it was not what Aang remembers, or expected. Katara and Sokka learn that the people in the temple were killed by the Fire Nation. Aang shares memories of his past, some of the fun times he spent there, and what his thoughts were about becoming the Avatar.

It also gives us a look at what the temple looked like in its heyday. We also learn that one of Aang’s teachers predicted that he would meet the right guide at the temple when he was ready. We learn about the reincarnation method of the Avatars, and Aang learns what happened on the mountain, and the invasion of the Fire Nation.

Katara has to talk him down as he has a powers tantrum, and as Aang mourns those he lost, they are joined on their journey by a lemur, flying onward…

I love this watch already, and you too can enjoy Avatar: The Last Airbender -The Complete Series on Blu-ray, available now from Paramount Canada. So much fun.