With the arise of controversy and strong opinons regarding the new season of the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender, many folks (like me!) are going back to rewatch the original cartoon in all its beauty. Avatar: The Last Airbender’s impact has lasted my lifetime and will continue to inspire and support tons of people in the future. Despite being a kids’ animated show that many people typically look down on, it teaches a lot of great lessons while still having a captivating and entertaining story. This show is both revolutionary and super impactful for many reasons!

The show constantly tackles hard topics and conversations.

The entire plot of the show centers around the Hundred-Year War occurring around the world and how the war shapes the characters as individuals. After the genocide of the Air Nomads, Aang must deal with the repercussions of thinking it was his fault, as well as groups of people attempting to rehabilitate one of the Air Temples and erasing parts of his culture and past from existence. Katara tackles constant sexism throughout the show as she is one of the last female waterbenders to exist, and many other main characters deal with insecurities, abuse, the harsh reality of war and genocide, death, and so much more.

The main cast is made up of children who, of course, don’t really know what they’re doing in life. They make immature and insensitive mistakes while travelling the world, and then have to deal with the consequences. Throughout the show, they have to learn to cope with the reality of their situation, of having to stop an international war and helping others along the way. The show takes time to show us how there’s always good and bad in the world. Even the good characters seek revenge and make terrible decisions, while the antagonists go out of their way to help friends and family. As a whole, their decisions shape who they are as individuals and teach us how to deal with our own morality and choices.

The focus on Eastern cultures and mythology

Unlike many shows during its time, Avatar: The Last Airbender is heavily inspired by Eastern religions and cultures. The three main Eastern philosophies the show brings are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The main concept of the show is drawn straight from Hindu mythology. “Avatar” comes from a Sanskrit word, Avatāra, which means “descent.” In Hindu mythology, deities manifest themselves into Avatars to restore balance on Earth, usually during a period of great evil… which is basically the entire idea of the show. The four elements the show is revolved around are the same as the elements used in Hinduism. The fifth element, space–or the Aether–can be compared to the Avatar State, where Aang connects to his chakras to reach a higher level of energy. The imagery of the show is cosmic, and as the show progresses, Aang realizes how it all connects to himself and the past Avatars. The existence of the spirit world, the concept of yin and yang; these all come from Eastern mythologies and beliefs.

The cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender is insanely diverse

Despite releasing in 2005 and originally on Nickelodeon, Avatar does a really beautiful job with diversity. Each nation is composed of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The Water Tribe is primarily inspired by real-world Inuit and Yupik indigenous tribes. The Fire Nation comes from a variety of Eastern cultures. The Air Nomads are based on Tibetan monks. The Earth Kingdom is based mainly on China, but since characters from all four nations move there, it is very mixed.

Apart from the nations, the diversity extends even further to the cast. Since Katara and Sokka are from the Southern Water Tribe, they are people of color. Toph is blind, but she learned to use her other senses to enhance her earth bending skills and is seen as one of the most powerful fighters in the show. In the first season, Teo is introduced, and he is a wheelchair user. He uses his engineering and inventor skills to fight and navigate.

To show the diversity within the show even more, it laid down groundwork for queer themes through fluid gender expression and non-traditional families. In the comics, same-sex marriage is legal in the United republic, the Earth Kingdom, and smaller islands and villages. This all just shows that the diversity in ATLA was one of its biggest strengths.

Despite all its silliness and very child-friendly moments, Avatar: The Last Airbender’s impact has hit many peoples’ hearts. Have all these points convinced you to watch the show if you are not already a huge fan?

Do you agree with Avatar The Last Airbender’s Impact? Let us know in the comments!