There are few animated shows that have such a huge fan following as Avatar: The Last Airbender does. The story about Avatar Aang and his friends’ journey across the world to fight the Fire Nation remains popular and new fans join in day by day.
Long-time viewers also keep revisiting the series for binge-watches, so audiences need to be aware of the episodes that are a cut above the rest. The ones that are standouts bring some level of characterization for the protagonists, along with plotlines that truly capture the interest. With an Avatar live-action show to arrive sometime in the future, it’s best to know which episodes of the original deliver the biggest impact.
The Puppetmaster
Episodes such as this is why the live-action Avatar movie has aged badly, because the film forewent characterization over effects. In “The Puppetmaster,” the heroes arrive at a village where an elderly innkeeper reveals herself to be a waterbender and becomes Katara’s mentor.
The twist comes around when the innkeeper turns out to be violent in her hopes to get revenge on the Fire Nation, going so far as to bend blood. Katara’s character is very well carved out as she has to face her master to save others, with the resulting impact hitting her hard.
The Tales Of Ba Sing Se
This is an episode that Avatar fans love to watch over and over because of its heartwarming nature. It features a series of vignettes with the characters in Ba Sing Se, where everyone has their own little thing going that uncovers major attributes of their personalities.
The most well-received aspect is of Iroh celebrating the birthday of his deceased son, which went a long way in humanizing his character. The rest of the protagonists getting a little breather from fighting serves to make this an episode that’s a nice diversion from the norm.
The Firebending Masters
By this point, Zuko has become a full-on ally who agrees to teach Aang firebending, yet finds his own power has diminished. The pair went to see the last surviving dragons in the world to learn the art of firebending, ultimately making Aang embrace this part of his powers.
The episode is notable for presenting a big piece of Avatar’s lore, as fans got to see the firebending masters. It also went a long way in establishing Aang and Zuko’s alliance, which would have been impossible to consider when the series first began with Zuko as an antagonist.
The Boiling Rock
This two-parter was the lead-up to the series finale, where Sokka led an attempt to free his father, Hakoda, from imprisonment in the Fire Nation jail known as the Boiling Rock. It was more about Sokka than most episodes, which fans were in favor of.
The story also carried several twists and turns that saw Sokka also get captured at one point, before he and his friends were able to free Hakoda. The episode is credited with keeping the action fast right before the series finale, getting fans hyped for more to follow.
The Avatar And The Fire Lord
The backstory of the Avatars was detailed here, with Aang’s predecessor, Roku, getting an episode dedicated to him. The story depicted Roku’s friendship with Fire Lord Sozin, which gradually turned into a rift until Sozin betrayed Roku to lead to the latter’s demise.
It also brought in further conflict for Zuko to challenge himself with, as he learns the true story of the two men's relationship. All in all, it’s a mature episode with thematic qualities seldom seen in a show aimed towards a younger audience.
The Day Of The Black Sun
A two-part episode, it overlooks the invasion of the Fire Nation capital by the heroes, only for them to realize that they’re not as well prepared as they thought. It’s named after the eclipse that takes place at the same time, with the Fire Nation left helpless by the removal of their firebending abilities.
The episode is notable for showcasing the heroes on the backfoot when the invasion starts to slip through their grasp and the advantage goes to the Fire Nation. With Ozai making an appearance, the two-parter was by no means playing around and the conflict came across as a big-time event.
Zuko Alone
The only episode where the main protagonists don’t appear, it’s dedicated toward Zuko as his turn toward becoming a good guy was in its first steps. The story sees Zuko journey into the Earth Kingdom and befriending a family, but he ends up rejected when they learn who he is.
It’s a heartbreaking tale of an anti-hero who's still a likable character in Avatar, as Zuko’s issues continue to pile up. Fans rate the episode highly for showing Zuko in a vulnerable position and actually embracing it, which was one of the first times they got to see this side of him.
The Crossroads of Destiny
The season finale saw a big clash between the heroes and the baddies, with Zuko proving he still had some way to go before he could be redeemed. Iroh, on the other hand, cemented that he wasn’t a bad guy even with his history with the Fire Nation.
It upped the stakes by having Aang outright perish as a way of establishing that no one was safe. Even though Katara revived Aang, the shock value was worth following the episode for, with Avatar proving that it could surprise fans every step of the way.
The Siege of the North
The Fire Nation sought to invade the Water Tribe in this two-parter, which had everyone in the team of protagonists step up. Prior to this, the heroes weren’t proven as fighters in huge conflicts but went ahead with defying the Fire Nation and then some.
The series was still in its early stages around this time, which is why die-hard Avatar fans love the episode since it brought them a large-scale battle. Aang established that he was a surefire threat by taking on the forces on his end by the end of the story.
Sozin's Comet
The series finale remains the best-rated episode by a distance for giving fans everything they wanted. It’s an extended four-part story that has Aang fight Ozai in an all-out battle that seals the fate of everyone involved. Moreover, the final part leaves out enough time to establish a happy ending.
The fight between the hero and the villain delivered on all fronts, leaving no question about Aang’s skills as the Avatar and Ozai’s threat. It’s rare for a finale to please so many people, but the episode confirms that fans both new and old consider this to be the best in the entire series.