I’m about 15 years late, but better late than never!

I just finished watching the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated TV series after a co-worker convinced me it was an amazing show. He was right – the plot, themes and characters were so well developed, I often forgot that I was watching a show intended for kids.

In these ways, the series reminded me of Harry Potter. While both series are filled with adventure, drama and a quest, the main characters also face struggles as they fight for what they believe is right.

The story of Avatar takes place in an Asiatic world where individuals can master the elements of nature in a power referred to as “bending.” The people of the world are organized into four nations based on their predominant ability to bend the elements of air, water, earth and fire. The Avatar is the only person who can bend all four elements, who lives to maintain balance among the four nations. The Avatar also serves as a mediator between humans and spirits.

The series tells the story of a young airbender named Aang, who discovers that not only is he the last airbender, but he is also the next Avatar in the cycle. He must master bending all four elements to ensure that balance among the nations is restored. Ultimately, Aang must use his power to defeat the tyrannical Fire Lord, who seeks to conquer the world and create one super nation over which he is the supreme ruler.

The thing I loved most about this series was the attention to detail that went into developing each character and telling their stories. Through each character’s journey, the show illustrates universal themes including bravery, trust and the use and abuse of power.

In many moments, the main characters would be entering a scary situation, but the writers would cut the tension with a moment of humor. This choice to include moments of levity reminds the audience to look at their circumstances from a different perspective, to see if they can gain some clarity.

Interestingly, there were many episodes that included fear as a main theme in various manifestations. As he grasps the weight of his responsibilities as the Avatar, Aang experiences fear of failure and debilitating anxiety. The son of the Fire Lord, Prince Zuko, fears rejection from his family and living in isolation, stripped of his honor. Sokka, Aang’s friend, fears losing the memory of his mother. In these ways, the series shows that fear is a common experience and one that must be embraced in order for us to grow.

One of the most refreshing aspects of this series was that the writers allowed the characters to fail. There were times I was surprised by the outcome of a particular battle or tense encounter. We expect heroes to win every time, especially when operating under the premise that children are the intended audience.

While the series as a whole draws a satisfying conclusion, some individual episodes had anticlimactic or dissatisfying resolutions. When faced with failure, the main characters were forced to reevaluate – both themselves and their approach – before moving forward in a second attempt or moving on to a new task.

While the characters in this series experienced both fear and failure, I believe they were able to endure because they had great faith. They trusted one another, believing that all would be made right in the end. They had hope in Aang as their savior, that he would succeed in his mission to master the elements and restore balance to the world. Through their faith, the main characters were able to extend mercy and grace to those who had hurt them, even though the experience was incredibly painful.

When taken together, the themes of faith, hope, mercy and grace are united in love. Throughout the series, family love and friendship love motivate the characters to action. Romantic love is also illustrated and explored, bringing together three main forms of love. These three forms are connected by a fourth, which is the selfless love of sacrifice. As they continue on their journeys, all the main characters are called to make great sacrifices out of their love for their family and friends.

True sacrificial love involves setting aside the desires of the self in the interest of protecting and serving another. In this way, there is redemption for characters who have failed and are seeking forgiveness. For fallen characters, they find hope in the invitation into a new, transformed way of life. By accepting this free invitation, they are called into a new adventure, one that is greater than anything they could have asked for or imagined.

“Many great and wise air nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment. But the Avatar can never do it, because your sole duty is to the world. Here is my wisdom for you: selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world.” – Avatar Yang Shen