One of the most celebrated animated shows of the 21st Century, Avatar: The Last Airbender has made a huge impression on a whole generation of television viewers. Those who grew up watching the show and those who’ve only come to be fans after it ended can agree that the show is among one of the most impressive they’ve ever seen. The strength of its characters and the maturity of its writing (considering it aired on Nickelodeon) make it one of those shows that really impresses upon you. Even still, there might be people who haven’t seen the show and wonder what the big deal even is about this show.
Well, there are quite a few reasons Avatar: The Last Airbender has been so enduring. Beside the fact that there has been a sequel series, movies, and several upcoming adaptations of the original series, it’s stuck around in the public consciousness for a long time. Those who’ve seen the show can name multiple episodes that will never leave their brains, which is one of the reasons. These episodes are often referenced as some of the best television fans have ever seen. Therefore, here is a list of the 15 quintessential episodes (ranked, of course) of Avatar: The Last Airbender that you can watch to understand what makes the show so special.
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15 The Blue Spirit
Nickelodeon
The first entry on this list, “The Blue Spirit” is included for a multitude of reasons: it’s one of the first episodes where we see what Aang is capable of on his own, as Sokka and Katara are sick and in need of assistance. It’s also the episode wherein the future friendship and amicable partnership between Aang and Prince Zuko has its groundwork laid, as the elusive Blue Spirit persona that Zuko adorns helps Aang in his time of need. After having been captured by a group of archers, sent by General Zhao, Aang manages to escape and save his friends thanks to the help from the Blue Spirit. It’s a simple premise, but for what it signifies and sets up later on in the show, it is definitely worth highlighting.
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14 The Southern Air Temple
Nickelodeon
The third episode in the entire series is included here because of how it sets up the darker edges of the shows thematic content. While on a trip to the North Pole, Aang, Sokka, and Katara make a detour to the Southern Air Temple to appease some of the nostalgia Aang feels about his old life. When they reach the temple, however, the gang finds out that the whole of the Southern Air Nomads has been killed: genocided by the Fire Nation years before. This information sends Aang spiraling into the Avatar state, which unintentionally alerts the world that the Avatar has returned. “The Southern Air Temple” earns its place here because it sets the ball in motion in relation to the whole series and also puts forth the idea that the tone could get dark at times from here on out.
13 The Desert
On the polar opposite end of the spectrum from the last episode, “The Desert” is here for almost entirely the opposite reasons. This episode is well-known for containing one of the fan-favorite gags in the entire show, wherein Sokka drinks cactus water and starts hallucinating the entire time that the gang is stranded in the desert. We also see the setup of the Order of the White Lotus, as they help to save Uncle Iroh and Prince Zuko from the grips of bounty hunters and the Fire Nation. While this episode doesn’t set up a ton or move the plot forward, it’s always been a fan favorite filler episode.
12 The Avatar and the Fire Lord
“The Avatar and the Fire Lord” is another episode that sets up the relationship between Zuko and Aang even further, as they both see the old relationship between Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin. The two were childhood best friends who eventually fell out, eventually leading to Sozin betraying Roku in an act that led to his death. The information learned in this episode sets up a lot of the intrigue in Zuko and Aang’s future partnership, as the potential parallels between their relationship and that of Roku and Sozin are brought to the forefront.
11 The Puppetmaster
Fans of the show will clearly remember this episode because of its unexpected slant into practically body horror. When the Avatar Team visits a creepy, dilapidated village that has seen a lot of recent disappearances, they find a lot more than they bargained for. Essentially, the matriarch of the village has figured out how to bend blood, allowing her to torture and control human beings at her will. Where this episode kick into high gear and earns its place on this list is in the fact that the old woman, Hama, has become a mentor to Katara by the point this revelation is made, so Katara must use bloodbending against Hama in order to defeat her. “The Puppetmaster” is memorable for the body horror imagery it evokes, but also because it sets up a dark path for Katara to potentially go down: one that builds Katara’s arc even more in season 3.
10 The Cave of Two Lovers
This episode may be known to many fans as the “secret tunnel” episode, but it is also known as the moment where Aang and Katara (in some respects) become a full-blown item. It’s an incredibly fun bottle episode that keeps our characters trapped in a tunnel/mountain pass, allowing Aang and Katara’s relationship to build in a more dynamic way that had been allowed up to that point. These scenes between the two lend an otherwise sort of light episode a lot of tenderness and emotional weight, especially as the final reveal of the episode sets up a lot of the later plot difficulties through the besieging of Omashu by the Fire Nation. “The Cave of Two Lovers” is an early season 2 episode that serves as more of a character building episode, but what it builds toward is well worth the time spent in the secret tunnel.
9 The Firebending Masters
The culmination of almost 40 episodes of build-up, “The Firebending Masters” is the episode wherein Aang finally starts to learn firebending as a student of his former adversary Prince Zuko. There are obvious hurdles that must be overcome over the course of the episode for the two to get along and learn what they must, but the biggest hurdle is Aang’s inherent fear of firebending. The journey of The Firebending Masters eventually leads Zuko and Aang to find the last two firebending masters: the dragons Ran and Shaw. Meeting with these mythical beings leads Zuko to become stronger than ever before, restoring his powers and confidence, and helps Aang overcome his fears. It’s a great bit of character work and world-building that perfectly splits the two halves of season 3 into the lighter and darker ends.
8 The King of Omashu
Who could ever forget about old King Bumi? “The King of Omashu” is an early season 1 episode that earns its placement here because of just how darn fun it is. The interactions between Aang and his old friend Bumi are some of the most fun and timeless in the whole of the show, while the puzzles that Bumi concocts in order to distract and mess with Aang provide some good conflict and goofiness to boot. The character of Bumi is a fan favorite, and he more than earns a special shout out for how he is introduced in “The King of Omashu.”
7 The Painted Lady
Early on in Season 3, when The Last Airbender is just getting the audience settled with the newly-formed Avatar Team, they make a trip to a Fire Nation village that is populated with a deluge of sick and starving inhabitants. What transpires over the course of “The Painted Lady” is one of the more fascinating and alluring depictions of the Avatar universe’s spirituality in the whole show. In order to help the sickly village and provide them with food, Katara takes it upon herself to appear to the people as the Painted Lady: a river spirit that the village pays fealty to. Ultimately, the rest of the group finds out and makes Katara reveal herself to the village, but not before the real Painted Lady comes in to thank Katara for helping her people in such a way. “The Painted Lady” is a great piece of character work and builds out the pantheon of spirituality in the show’s universe in an interesting manner, earning its spot here.
6 The Winter Solstice (Pts. 1 & 2)
Early on in the show, it is revealed to Aang that he must master all four elements of bending by the end of the following summer in order to stand a chance against Fire Lord Ozai. Essentially, the entire conceit of the show is revealed in the two-part episode (that is kept as one on this list for these purposes), “The Winter Solstice.” What this episode contributes to the whole of the show is greater than the sum of its parts, as two episodes (or one double length one) sets the entire plot into motion in one fell swoop. What we as the audience learn here in “The Winter Solstice” alters everything that we’d learn up to that point, so not putting it on this list would be a disservice to the plotting of the show.
5 The Blind Bandit
Similar to the previous inclusion of “The King of Omashu,” “The Blind Bandit” makes it way onto the list for introducing the audience to one of the best characters in the show in the form of Toph: the wise-cracking, blind Earthbender who will join up with the gang. She even has a mini-arc throughout the episode, as she is held back by her parents from truly experiencing life since they believe her to be unable to live a normal due to her disability. Little do they know, Toph regularly competes in gladiatorial matches and even rescued Aang from capture at one point in the episode. Eventually, the truth comes out and Toph joins the gang as Aang’s Earthbending tutor, giving us one of the most enjoyable and complex characters in the entire show: thanks to “The Blind Bandit.”
4 Zuko Alone
Following one of the more heart-breaking character exchanges in the show, Zuko leaves Uncle Iroh and goes off on his own. “Zuko Alone” is the first episode where Zuko is…well, alone, and it shows how he responds to not having the constant guidance of his uncle at his side. He finds himself at an Earth Kingdom village, where he bonds with a young boy and stays with the boy’s family for dinner. Zuko even helps the family to defend themselves from a band of Earth Kingdom soldiers who are terrorizing the village, but his act of bravery accidentally reveals his true identity. Scorned and cast out for what he represents and his lineage, Zuko is once again alone. “Zuko Alone” is one of those episodes that seems inconsequential on the face, but really sets into motion an entire arc before your eyes. It’s one of the best episodes of the show for that very reason.
3 The City of Walls and Secrets
After hearing about the walled city of Ba Sing Se for so long, getting a few episodes dedicated to exploring the city and the inner-dynamics of the Earth Kingdom is a welcome addition. “The City of Walls and Secrets” sees our team, as well as Zuko and Iroh, in Ba Sing Se both attempting to evade the Fire Nation. The Avatar Team tries to tell the Earth Kingdom about the eclipse and how it can help in defeating Fire Lord Ozai, although they are stopped by a mysterious force known as the Dai Li (Ba Sing Se’s secret police). Iroh and Zuko, on the other hand, are dodging Jet (another fan favorite character) as he attempts to tip off the Fire Nation of the fugitive’s presence. It’s not a particularly deep episode, but it’s the one that sets into motion the final act of Season 2 and gives us a tour of a city we’d only heard so much about.
2 Sozin’s Comet (Pts. 1-4)
The series finale of the entire show (originally split into four parts, but listed as one here), “Sozin’s Comet” is the end of it all. Not including what IGN referred to as “the perfect series finale” would be a crime in many more ways than one. Everything that was built up before, in both this list and in the show, culminated in this massive finale episode(s) and it all worked perfectly. The final battle between Fire Lord Ozai and Aang is one for the record books, as is the way in which each character contributes to the final battle. Where everyone ends up at the end of it all couldn’t be more perfectly laid out. It’s rare a series so beloved ends in the best way possible, so it’s necessarily to celebrate it when it does happen.
1 The Tales of Ba Sing Se
Fans of The Last Airbender will know full well why this is placed at the very top of the list. “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” is a legendary episode of the show, well known and well-regarded for its anthology set-up and, in particular, the focus it puts on the character of Uncle Iroh. The whole conceit of the episode is that individual characters are shown, in vignettes, going through a day in Ba Sing Se and Iroh’s day consists of stopping a mugger while he’s shopping and then using the goods he bought in the market to celebrate the birthday of his son, Lu Ten. Iroh lost his only son in the Siege of Ba Sing Se and so this day always holds special weight for him. “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” is special not only because of this particularly touching segment, but because of how it shows off the strengths (and weaknesses) of each character highlighted. It’s the best character development in the whole show and earns its space at the very top of this list because of that.
