Releasing in 2006, Avatar: The Last Airbender was the first video game based on the popular animated TV series. The THQ game released on pretty much every available platform at the time, including PC, PS2, and Wii. It received mixed reviews but sold well, spawning several sequels. However, despite being the Avatar, the series protagonist Aang could only bend a single element in the game.
The plot of the first Avatar: The Last Airbender video game concerns Aang and his friends as they tackle various challenges and missions. Players visit half a dozen worlds and can play as Aang, Haru, Katara, and Sokka. The game featured RPG elements and gameplay mechanics, and is loosely based on the same timeline as the Avatar television series.
Like the animated TV series by the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender (known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions) follows Aang, the last surviving Airbender and a reincarnation of the Avatar. The Avatar is a spirit of peace and goodwill, and is also able to bend all four elements (air, earth, fire, and water). In the series's first video game, Aang could surprisingly only bend one element initially. However, there's a good reason for this.
Aang Can Only Bend Air In The First Avatar Video Game
In the first video game, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang could only bend the air element. That may seem strange to people who haven't played the game, since the Avatar is able to bend all four elements, but that's because of the game's setting. The first video game mostly focused on events between season one and season two of the show. These first two seasons, sometimes referred to as Book One: Water and Book Two: Earth, focused on Aang trying to master the elements beyond air.
Because of this, Aang could only bend air at the time of the first video game. The game actually ties into Aang and Katara's attempts to master water with the Northern Water Tribe; however, bending the other elements was saved for later video game entries. This all makes sense within the confines of the game's story, but it definitely made for an odd gameplay choice at the time.
Over the years, various Avatar: The Last Airbender games have released. Some have certainly been better than others. Even though it had its flaws, the first entry was a solid game — even if Aang could only bend one element.