Fans All Agree This Is The Best Season Of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Despite the continued success of such classics as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "The Fairly OddParents" in the early 2000s, Nickelodeon didn't simply rest on its laurels and let the old guard do the work. New titles consistently popped up on its small screen schedule, though some of them failed to catch on and become truly beloved by audiences. On the other hand, there was "Avatar: The Last Airbender" from creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, which debuted in February of 2005 and almost immediately took the Nick animation landscape by storm.
Compared to Nick's episodic cartoon offerings, "The Last Airbender" took a more serialized approach. It told the tale of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), who embarks on a quest to master all four elements (earth, water, fire, and air), become the Avatar of legend, and bring peace to a world plagued by conflict. Along the way, he meets a crew of allies who help him during his journey, as well as numerous villains who seek to stop him from reaching his fullest potential. The series concluded in July of 2008, yet all these years later, it remains as popular as ever, thanks to the advent of streaming.
Even though it left a positive impression on most viewers, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" only stuck around for three seasons. According to fans of the show, this one is easily the best of them all.
Book 3: Fire is a runaway favorite
Reddit user u/Lord_Orion_Star ran a poll that asked the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" community to vote for their favorite season or "book," as the show referred to them. Book One: Water wound up in last with a meager four votes, and Book Two: Earth scored the runner-up spot with 128 votes. Therefore, Book Three: Fire took first place by a landslide with the remaining 218 votes. "Something about book 3 just speaks to me, everyone is together and working to defeat the fire lord. love all books though," commented a deleted Redditor, and based on other replies, many had similar feelings about the final batch of episodes.
Book Three: Fire clearly has a special place among fans, which is surprising considering how hard it can be to pull together a strong finale in television. Some shows stay long past their prime while others end prematurely, and in both cases, it's possible to upset viewers with a frustrating conclusion. This is where "The Last Airbender" was different, according to Mike DiMartino, who recalled that he and his team got to tell the entire story they wanted to. "It's quite remarkable looking back that we set out to tell a 3-season story arc and were able to do exactly that," he told Hypable, adding that executing it just right wasn't always easy, but they learned to make it happen.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" will go down as a landmark piece of American animation (some would even argue it's the best animated show ever), and for good reason. It had engaging characters, a streamlined story, and a satisfying final season, as evidenced by the fanbase's enduring love for it.