20 Shows Like Avatar: The Last Airbender Fans Need To See Next

There has never been a show quite like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and that's a testament to its enduring greatness. It's a masterfully crafted series that plays to every demographic, has a perfectly paced and beautifully written three-act story, is gorgeously animated, and features a truly exceptional voice cast. There are numerous reasons why the series has remained so popular for so long, and its legacy will likely only grow stronger with so many upcoming sequel and spinoff projects on the horizon, from both Netflix and Nickelodeon.

But just because nothing quite matches "Avatar" in every way doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of similar shows out there that its fans may also enjoy. Since "Avatar" has so many layers to it, it has a lot of different points of entry for viewers. Is it the gorgeous animation that draws you to the world of "Avatar"? The fantasy worldbuilding and elemental powers? The comedy? The spiritualism? The exciting fight scenes? Whatever it is for you, there are other shows out there that can scratch that same itch.

Below are some exceptional series like "Avatar: The Last Airbender" that fans should check out. Get ready — perhaps your next favorite series is simply a "play" button away. 

Now that the most obvious recommendation is out of the way, let's transition to something a bit different: Disney's acclaimed witch and demon saga, "The Owl House." First debuted on Disney Channel in January of 2020, "The Owl House" follows the animated adventures of Luz, a regular human girl who gets transported into the demon realm by mistake and ends up training to become a witch. The series is led by "Gravity Falls" alum Dana Terrace, and there are a lot of clear similarities between the two shows — and of course, there's also a lot to like about "The Owl House" if you're a fan of "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

The core story of the two shows is very similar: A young protagonist in a magical realm trains in the mystic arts, goes on adventures with her friends, and learns meaningful lessons about the world. The visual style of "The Owl House" may look like it's meant for a younger audience at first glance, but make no mistake, this is an expertly-written show that deals with serious themes and treats all of its characters with respect. People grow, change, learn, fail, and rise again, and their relationships with one another are deeply compelling. "The Owl House" is also aesthetically stunning, with gorgeous, fluid animation, lots of fun worldbuilding, and a great soundtrack to tie it all together. This is a show that embraces characters of all identities and backgrounds, and it's stronger for it.

When talking about the most influential animated series of the 21st century, "Avatar" and "Adventure Time" are both right near the top. Pendleton Ward's trippy fantasy show gives the initial impression that it's just a silly cartoon with some fun visuals, but there's a lot more to "Adventure Time."

Yes, it can be pretty silly, and that's kind of the point. The intention is right here in the name — adventure. Jake the Dog and Finn the Human go on absurd journeys where they deal with sentient candy, aliens, demons, monsters, wizards, vampires, and time travel, just to name some of the show's storylines. But amidst all that silliness — which, it should be noted, is all written sharply and hilariously with all ages in mind — there are also moments of genuine heart. Ward has cited Miyazaki as a major influence on the show, especially in how it handles the more poignant moments of the story. And that influence shows, just as it does in "Avatar."

Because of its success and impact, there are now a lot of great shows like "Adventure Time." At the same time, there's still nothing quite like "Adventure Time" itself. The worldbuilding and larger arcs aren't conducted in a traditional way, but one that results in a unique sense of discovery for the viewer. If you haven't yet, grab your friends, and take "Adventure Time" for a spin.

A lot of amazingly talented creatives left their marks on "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and in the decade and a half since the show ended, many of those writers, directors, and artists have moved on to other animated projects. Netflix's "Voltron: Legendary Defender" is one such show.

Helmed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery (two acclaimed directors and storyboard artists who worked heavily on "Avatar" and "The Legend of Korra"), "Voltron" reboots a classic franchise for modern viewers. The animation from Studio Mir is stunning, and the story, characters, and action are all top notch, earning the show an impressive 95% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes across all seasons. However, "Voltron" also hasn't gone without some warranted criticism, specifically in relation to its handling of LGBTQ+ characters.

All told, though, "Voltron" is still worth the watch, especially for "Avatar" fans with a strong affinity for science fiction and fantasy.

When you think of animated series powered by beautifully animated martial arts action, "Avatar" immediately comes to mind, but so should "Samurai Jack." Originally aired from 2001 to 2004 and finally concluded in 2017, Genndy Tartakovsky's show about a time-traveling samurai battling evil in a dystopian future is an easy recommendation for anyone who has enjoyed Aang's adventures.

Over the course of its initial four seasons, "Samurai Jack" won numerous accolades, including multiple Annie Awards and Primetime Emmys. The 2017 revival season was also highly acclaimed upon release, and it takes the series in a darker direction both narratively and thematically. This is a show that rewards viewers for seeing it through by providing real emotional buildup and payoff. And beyond that, the show is just a ton of fun to watch. Tartakovsky is widely viewed as one of the best creators in modern animation, and it's easy to see why when watching "Samurai Jack."

While we're on the subject of violent and bloody animated series, we should probably talk about Amazon's "Invincible," based on "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman's comic books of the same name.

"Invincible" isn't fantasy, and it's far darker than "Avatar," but the two shows still share a lot in common. They're both coming-of-age stories featuring young protagonists who genuinely want to do good in the world. They're both at the top of the game in terms of animation, action, characters, and voice acting. It would take a whole paragraph to name every star in the "Invincible" voice cast, but suffice it to say that the ensemble as a whole is terrific, and that Steven Yeun, J. K. Simmons, and Sandra Oh lead the show spectacularly as the voices behind the Grayson family.

Like "Castlevania," "Invincible" is gratuitously violent, so know that going in. But if you can stomach the bloodier bits, it's a great watch. "Invincible" balances the darker superhero narrative of something like "The Boys" with the more traditional optimism of light comic book stories, and the result is one of the best animated series in recent years.

To date, there have been four different "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoons, starting with the original 1987 classic and continued most recently with Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2012-2017) and "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018-2020)". Each iteration has its supporters, and for good reason, but today we're focusing specifically on the second "TMNT" cartoon, produced by 4Kids Entertainment from 2003 to 2009.

Why this series in particular? There are a few reasons. To start, the 4Kids "TMNT" show ran at the same time as "Avatar," and as a result it has many similarities in terms of writing, tone, and animation style. They're far from the same, and "Avatar" is obviously one of a kind, but there's an undeniable style to cartoons of the early 2000s that fans of the era will immediately recognize in both shows. Secondly, the 2003 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series is the most serious. There are still plenty of comedy episodes, dumb jokes, pizza parties, and inexplicable extreme sports references, but there are also a lot of big-picture storylines and character arcs. Actions have real consequences, power balances shift, and by the time the last few seasons roll around, the stakes are pushed to wildly entertaining heights.

The animation and larger themes of "TMNT" also deserve praise, but the real appeal is that it takes itself just seriously enough, while still holding onto the silly fun implicit in the franchise. That balance makes it a must-watch for fans of this cartoon era.

This is not a list for "Star Wars" fans. This is a list for "Avatar" fans. As such, we're not going to talk about "The Clone Wars" as a part of the greater "Star Wars" lore, but rather as a singular animated series that viewers might come to with or without knowledge of the movies surrounding it.

And as an isolated animated series, "The Clone Wars" is still spectacular.

Yes, most people who'd ever watch the show at this point have probably seen at least one "Star Wars" movie, but you don't need that familiarity to enjoy the spectacular animation, character work, action, and storytelling that define "The Clone Wars." Most of the best and most important characters in the series are either entirely new to the franchise (Ahsoka Tano, Asajj Ventress, Cad Bane, Captain Rex, Savage Opress, Satine Kryze), barely appear in the films (Darth Maul, Plo Koon, numerous other Jedi), or are very different than they're portrayed elsewhere (Anakin). The only central character who remains unchanged is Obi-Wan.

In fact, "Clone Wars" might be one of the best ways for modern audiences to get into "Star Wars" for the first time. There are tons of different story arcs that differ wildly in tone and focus, meaning that everyone can find something here to love. Like "Avatar," "The Clone Wars" treats its characters and circumstances with respect and allows them to grow in organic ways. By the time you get to the last few seasons, the emotional stakes are high, and the whole series is just visually stunning to watch.

While you're at it, the Genndy Tartakovsky "Clone Wars" series is worth checking out too.

There can be a big difference in tone and feel between an animated series and a live-action series, even if they both cover similar subject matter. For that reason, most of the shows included on this list are animated — but "Shadow and Bone" is the one exception. For anyone who loves the worldbuilding of "Avatar" but isn't attached to animation as their form of choice, this Netflix series is for you.

Based on Leigh Bardugo's bestselling Grishaverse novels, "Shadow and Bone" is set in a fantasy world inspired by 19th century Russia. Certain humans in the world, called Grisha, are able to manipulate the different elements in magical ways. These Grisha are categorized by the element they work with — air, water, fire, darkness, light, etc. — and the way in which they can manipulate that element. While not a play-for-play mirror of bending, the way the Small Science (as it's called in the series) is used and the role it plays in the world at large is rather similar.

Of course, the real reason to watch "Shadow and Bone" is just that it's exceptionally well made. Jessie Mei Li, Freddy Carter, Kit Young, Amita Suman, Ben Barnes, and the rest of the cast have great chemistry, and the production design of Netflix's adaptation is striking and unique. Plotlines are expertly interwoven, creating a world that's easy to get lost in for all the right reasons.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "Teen Titans" are often mentioned in tandem, especially by those who grew up on early 2000s cartoons. Though they aired on two different networks, they did overlap in 2005 and 2006, and there are definitely a lot of similarities between the two shows. Most importantly, they share a high quality of story and character writing that put them head and shoulders above most of the competition at the time.

In the modern era of superhero media dominance, most people are probably already familiar with the general setup for "Teen Titans." The show centers on the eponymous team of teen heroes, composed of Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. Each season tells a largely self-contained story with one of the main heroes at the center, gradually fleshing out the whole team over the course of a few years.

"Teen Titans" may not be quite as impressive now as it was back in 2003, but it's still a great example of how to do action adventure cartoons right. The characters are nuanced and developed, but the narrative focus never gets too big-picture. Especially if you have nostalgia for this era of animation, "Teen Titans" is well worth revisiting.

Finishing off our list is one of the main shows that inspired "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the acclaimed sci-fi anime series "Cowboy Bebop." The show is just as fantastic almost 25 years after its original run, and while much has been made of the recent live-action remake on Netflix, nothing compares to the original.

At face value, "Cowboy Bebop" is a show about bounty hunters in space. They travel around, get into trouble, and try to capture bad guys to keep food on the table and fuel in their ship, the Bebop. But that's not really why you watch the series. The medium is definitely the message here, from the gritty, industrial look of the various planets and space stations to the incredible jazz soundtrack from composer Yoko Kanno. "Cowboy Bebop" is a melancholy show about loss and regret, but it also has a great sense of humor and some really stylish action scenes. It's neo-noir, space opera, and western all rolled into one, resulting in a show that's truly one of a kind.

There's plenty of character backstory to uncover and long-term plot arcs to get invested in, but that's not really the point. "Cowboy Bebop" is a show that's more about the atmosphere than the plot — more about the journey than the destination. It's short, bittersweet, and beautifully executed, and if you haven't watched it yet, now is the time.