The
Group of Television Series Centered Around the World of Avatar, known to fans as the
Avatarverse, is a 6 series media franchise focused around the adventures of a reincarnating figure known as the
Avatar who can control or "bend" the four elements of earth, fire, air, and water. Only the Avatar can bend all four elements, while a select few in the world can bend individual elements. The style of the franchise is deeply inspired by
anime though it is categorized as
western animation due to its production in the United States. The franchise has drawn critical acclaim, won numerous awards, and has been instrumental in building
Netflix's rise to prominence.
The first series,
Avatar: The Last Airbender, followed the airbending Avatar Aang and his friends Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph Beifong, and Zuko as they travelled across the world to stop Zuko's father, Fire Lord and Phoenix King Ozai, and sister, Azula, from conquering the world with the power granted to them by Sozin's Comet. Aang is the titular last airbender after he escaped the Air Nomad Genocide perpetrated by Fire Lord Sozin at the start of the Hundred Year's War, which was done using the power of Sozin's Comet. The series gained rave reviews for its tackling of major issues like genocide and war within a show ostensibly made for children. The series was split into three seasons called books, titled after an element that Aang needed to master in order to defeat Ozai.
The second series,
Avatar: The Legend of Korra, followed the next Avatar, waterbender Korra, along with her friends Asami Sato, Bolin, Mako, and Iroh II as they dealt with the repercussions of Aang's life in a rapidly industrializing and modernizing society. The first season saw Korra master airbending after having previously mastered the other three elements, while in the process dealing with the terrorist Amon and his followers the Equalists. The second season saw Korra master metalbending under the tutelage of Toph Beifong and her daughters, while protecting her home of Republic City from the machinations of the industrialist Varrick as well as remnant Equalists. The third season saw Korra fight her uncle Unalaq who sought to destabilize the world by unleashing the dark spirit Vaatu, and explored the origin of the First Avatar Wan. The show gained more acclaim for taking on more adult themes than the previous show, particularly LGBTQ+ themes, PTSD, and the problems of industrialization and capitalism.
The third series,
Avatar: The Legend of Kyoshi, was the first series to premier on Netflix following
Nickelodeon's abandonment of the franchise due to the progressive adult themes of the previous series. It followed the fan favorite earthbending Avatar Kyoshi and served as a prequel to The Last Airbender, identifying the processes that lead to the setting of that show. The first season saw Kyoshi deal with an imposter Avatar following the untimely death of her predecessor, Avatar Kuruk. The second season saw Kyoshi become more comfortable with her role as Avatar, and saw her defeat the rogue spirit General Old Iron, previously imprisoned by Avatar Yangchen, Kyoshi's spiritual guide. The third season dealt with the rise of the warlord Chin the Conqueror, and featured an extended version of their final showdown as seen previously in The Last Airbender. Strong acclaim was once again given to the series, mainly concerning Kyoshi's relationship with firebender Rangi and the rehabilitation of Yun from villain to close companion, as well as further explorations of the mysterious Spirit World.
The fourth series,
Avatar: The Legend of Roan, served as a sequel to The Legend of Korra by following the next Avatar, sandbender Roan, who spent the entire series fighting against one main villain, the dictator Kuvira. The first season fleshed out the region of the Si Wong Desert, only briefly seen in The Last Airbender, and showed Kuvira's rise to power from a lower ranking military officer to leader of a coup against the Earth Queen. The second season began with Kuvira's proclamation of the Earth Empire, helmed by her puppet Prince Wu, and, with parallels to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, explored her efforts to force her rule over the majority of the world. The third season ended with the reestablishment of the prior balance and the emergence of democratic traditions across the world as well as Roan's final acceptance of his role as the Avatar. Again, praise was heaped upon the series, especially with the circumstances of the resurgence of populism and fascism across our own world.
The fifth series,
Avatar: The Legend of Soren, took a step back from the setting of the prior series and delved into the deeper past of the world of Avatar by following the actions of Avatar Soren, several incarnations before Kyoshi. In contrast to the semi-industrial look of The Last Airbender, the steampunk and dieselpunk look of The Legend of Korra, the medieval look of The Legend of Kyoshi, and the modern look of The Legend of Roan, this series took on a completely classical flavor inspired by Warring States China, and depicted the consolidation and creation of the Fire Nation under the First Fire Lord Kanto. Soren served as an inversion to Aang, primarily through his penchant to form storms through both his native airbending and recently developed lightning bending, as well as his need to emerge from the shadows of his illustrious predecessors Tihano and Salai while dealing with the firebending serial killer Toz and the rogue extremist airbender Vakoh. The series explored in depth the ancient civilizations of the world, from the Sun Warriors, Moon Chiefs, and Crystal Monarchs, and though criticism emerged for the setting being too close in time to the later series, subsequent comic books have fleshed out what happened in succeeding generations. The series garnered less acclaim than prior ones, particularly due to the similar ideologies of Vakoh and Kuvira and the overall melancholic nature of Soren, and though Netflix seriously contemplated ending the franchise, the creators successfully lobbied for one final series to conclude the franchise on a better note.
The sixth and final series,
Avatar: The Legend of Zira, followed the story of the avatar after Roan, and brought the world deep into the cyberpunk genre while tackling pressing questions on how bending would operate in a world permeated with technology. Zira's unique form of firebending, lightbending, proved crucial throughout the series as she was able to develop acclaimed illusions to fight against, in the first season, the anarchist airbender Zaheer, an inversion of Vakoh, and his allies of the Red Lotus, which finally quashed the speculation for a live action adaptation of the series. In the second season Zira faced off against other Red Lotus members reeling from the defeat of Zaheer as well as the new enemy the mechanist Xon, the second nonbender villain of the franchise after Varrick. The third season saw Zira explore the Foggy Swamp, the last barely showcased place in the world, in order to gain an edge against Xon, and featured the most highly praised fight sequence of the entire franchise when Zira formed illusions of the other prior Avatars to help her in the fight, thus bringing back many fan favorites in one scene. The final episode was one of the most watched episodes of television history, and virtually all agreed afterwards that it brought the franchise to a satisfying conclusion.
Speculation has raged about more possible series, though the creators have said that there will certainly be no more to follow after Zira's incarnation. That then leaves the various incarnations that did not receive ample screentime as well as the ones that existed between Wan and Salai. As of the current moment, no more television series have been planned or confirmed by Netflix, who have since regretted their decision to end the franchise with The Legend of Zira. The impact that Avatar has had on the world is similar in scope to the impact the
Marvel Cinematic Universe has had, and it is well known across the world as one of the greatest animated shows of all time.