Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender is already showing it will fix a major mistake from M. Night Shyamalan's first live-action adaptation by including Aang's past Avatars. In 2010, Shyamalan released his adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon TV show to diminishing returns and poor reception from fans and critics alike. While there were plenty of issues with the film, one of the biggest shortcomings from fans of the original show was the film's lack of fidelity to the animated series, with the film completely omitting large chunks of the mythology and lore created.

With the announcement of the full extended cast list Netflix's The Last Airbender season 1, comes the reassurance that the newest live-action adaptation will fix this mistake, more specifically by including the past Avatars before its titular character Aang. In the original series, the Avatar can bend all four elements and has existed throughout time through a reincarnation cycle, allowing each one to converse with and be guided by their past lives. 2010's The Last Airbender omitted this, instead creating a composite character named only The Dragon Spirit that guided Aang throughout the film. Given how Aang's past Avatars are such a vital part of the overall lore of the world and Aang's personal journey, this omission was a mistake and proves Netflix is already rectifying it by casting each past Avatar to serve as Aang's many teachers.

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Which Past Avatars Appear In Season 1 Of The Original Show?

aang with his past lives in the avatar state in avatar the last airbender

In the original Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, two different Avatars appear with one other being hinted at. The main past Avatar who has the biggest role throughout the series is Avatar Roku, the Avatar directly preceding Aang. Roku first interacts with Aang in the eighth episode when he warns his successor about the Fire Lord's true intentions. Roku is Aang's main spiritual guide and appears many times throughout the three seasons of the original show, becoming a fan favorite in the process. The other Avatar who appears in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 is Avatar Kyoshi. Kyoshi preceded Roku and is first shown in statue form on the island of Kyoshi, an island in the Earth Kingdom named after her. The Last Airbender's Suki and her mother Yukari - the latter an original creation for Netflix - are part of the warrior group the Warriors of Kyoshi, proving she is an integral part of the show's lore. Finally, Avatar Kuruk, Kyoshi's predecessor, is hinted at during the season's last episode through a monster named Koh who killed Kuruk's wife.

Each of these Avatars is confirmed to appear in Netflix's The Last Airbender season 1, which proves that they will have even bigger parts in the upcoming adaptation than the original show, at least in terms of Kyoshi and Kuruk. In Netflix's version, Avatar Roku will be played by C. S. Lee who is most known for playing Vince Masuka in Dexter. Avatar Kyoshi and Kuruk will be played by Yvonne Chapman and Meegwun Fairbrother respectively. Chapman is best known for her role as Zhilan Zhang in the CW's Kung Fu reboot, while Fairbrother's only other major role comes as Owen Beckbie in Burden of Truth.

Why Netflix Made The Right Choice Including Past Avatars

Avatar Roku firebending in Avatar The Last Airbender

The fact that Netflix has already cast these actors as past Avatars shows that they are making the right choice in terms of faithfully adapting the original series' lore. Firstly, Roku, despite only appearing in a handful of episodes in each season of the original show, is one of the more memorable characters and helps Aang through a great many issues. While Kyoshi and Kuruk do not feature too much until seasons 2 and 3, setting them up early will give their later appearances a greater payoff. Also, the world of Avatar naturally means each character can be expanded upon in many ways, all while better servicing Aang's story with the former Avatars. The longer episodes of Netflix's show will allow for a greater exploration of each while being faithful to the original Avatar: The Last Airbender and fixing a major movie mistake.

Next: Netflix's Avatar Can Show Both Sides Of Bending (That The Movie Didn't)