Here’s every spinoff Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender has spawned so far. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a wildly popular animated Nickelodeon show that’s set in an Asiatic war-torn world divided into four nations each named after their mastery of one of the four elements – the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe and Air Nomads. The series follows the adventures of 12-year-old protagonist Aang – an Avatar who has mastered control of all four elements and is fated to restore harmony between the warring nations.
The series was a massive hit during its original three-season run between 2005 and 2008 and earned several awards including a Primetime Emmy, a Peabody and no less than five Annie Awards. More than a decade after its run, Avatar: The Last Airbender is still hailed as one of the greatest animated series of all time and has attracted a loyal fanbase that’s very protective of the show – which is why some of the spinoffs it’s birthed are regarded more highly than others.
To date, Avatar: The Last Airbender has spawned three spinoffs: a live-action feature film, a TV series and a web series. The franchise is about to get bigger too since Nickelodeon launched Avatar Studios – a division dedicated to making original Avatar content that is currently producing an animated theatrical movie. There’s also a live-action remake of the TV show in the works at Netflix which has already generated a fair bit of controversy after original creators DiMartino and Konietzko left the project. Before the Netflix adaptation and Avatar Studios film arrives, here’s every Avatar: The Last Airbender spinoff made so far.
The Last Airbender
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Last Airbender is a live-action, big-screen take on the first season of the Nickelodeon series. The 2010 movie was controversial from the get-go thanks to the casting of several white actors as characters that were originally Asian in the Nickelodeon series. It also had issues with pacing, editing and direction and is commonly considered M. Night Shyamalan’s worst movie. Shyamalan originally intended The Last Airbender to be the first installment in a trilogy of films, but those plans were soon scrapped after the movie was so poorly received.
The Legend Of Korra
Sequel series The Legend Of Korra is the brainchild of The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and aired for four seasons on Nickelodeon between 2012 and 2014. It’s set 70 years after the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender and follows teenage female protagonist Korra – an Avatar and a reincarnation of Aang. Like the original series, The Legend Of Korra was a critical hit and won several awards including a Daytime Emmy, two Annie Awards and a Gracie Award.
Republic City Hustle
Republic City Hustle is the most recent Avatar: The Last Airbender spinoff – at least until Netflix or Avatar Studios release their projects. It’s a three-part prequel web series that Nickelodeon released shortly before the premiere of The Legend Of Korra season 2. Set three years before the events of The Legend Of Korra, the animation explores the backstory of brothers Mako and Bolin during their street hustling days prior to befriending Korra.