Bryan Konietzko's and Michael Dante DiMartino's Avatar franchise is an American multimedia franchise consisting of two animated television series, a live-action film, comics, books, video games, home media, and soundtracks. The franchise began with the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender (The Legend of Aang), which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series is set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world in which some people can telekinetically manipulate (or "bend") one of the four classical elements: air, water, earth or fire. Only the titular "Avatar" can bend all four elements and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world.
Since its original release, Avatar has developed into a franchise spanning works in various media. A sequel animated television series, The Legend of Korra, aired on Nickelodeon from 2012 to 2014 and has since expanded into its own sub-franchise. The storylines of both animated series have been continued in comic book form. Other franchise tie-ins include novelizations, art books, companion books, video games, and home media releases. In 2010, the original animated series was adapted into a live-action film titled The Last Airbender. The film itself spawned a novelization series, two graphic novels, two video games, a soundtrack album, and DVD and blu-ray releases.
In February 2021, Nickelodeon announced the creation of Avatar Studios, "a division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the franchise’s world." The original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will run the studio as co-chief creative officers, with an animated theatrical film set to start production in 2021 as its first release. A live-action remake of the original series, developed by Netflix without DiMartino's or Konietzko's involvement, also began development in 2019.
Series overview[]
Premise[]
The franchise is set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world that is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads and the Earth Kingdom. Within each realm lives people capable of telekinetically manipulating (referred to as "bending" in the franchise) one of the four elements: water, earth, fire or air.
The titular "Avatar" is the only person who can bend all four elements, and they are responsible for maintaining balance in the world. After an Avatar's death, they are reincarnated into a new person who takes on the Avatar mantle.
Pilot[]
- Main article: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Pilot)
A pilot episode for the series was made in 2003. It was animated by Tin House, Inc., written by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and directed by Dave Filoni. Mitchel Musso voiced Aang in this pilot but was later replaced by Zach Tyler Eisen when the show began production. In the episode, Sokka and his sister Kya (renamed to Katara by the time the series aired) must travel the world to find masters for Aang, who is the Avatar; however, they must evade a critical foe, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, who wants to capture Aang.
This episode was first publicly released as one of the extras in the NTSC season 1 DVD box set, which were not available with the previously-released individual volumes. As the PAL box set lacks extras, the episode was not made available on DVD in PAL regions. The episode was released with audio commentary from the creators, which unlike commentary on other episodes in the season is not possible to disable on the DVD set. On June 14, 2010, the unaired pilot was made available with and without commentary for the first time via the iTunes Store.
In 2020, the pilot was shown on Twitch.
Television series[]
Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
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First released | Last released | Network | ||||
Avatar: The Last Airbender | 1 | 20 | February 21, 2005 | December 2, 2005 | Nickelodeon | |
2 | 20 | March 17, 2006 | December 1, 2006 | |||
3 | 21 | September 21, 2007 | July 19, 2008 | |||
The Legend of Korra | 1 | 12 | April 14, 2012 | June 23, 2013 | Nickelodeon | |
2 | 14 | September 13, 2013 | November 22, 2013 | |||
3 | 13 | June 27, 2014 | August 22, 2014 | |||
4 | 13 | October 3, 2014 | December 19, 2014 | |||
Republic City Hustle | 1 | 3 | August 9, 2013 | August 23, 2013 | YouTube | |
live-action series | 1 | 10 | TBA | TBA | Netflix |
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)[]
- Main article: Avatar: The Last Airbender
The first series in the franchise, Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the aftermath of the Fire Nation beginning to attack the other three nations. The show features a teenaged waterbender, Katara, and her non-bending brother, Sokka, who discover the new Avatar, a young boy named Aang who, due to genocide, is the last airbender alive. The two join Aang on his journey to master the other three elements before he can take on the Fire Nation's leader, the Fire Lord, and restore peace.
The Legend of Korra (2012–2014)[]
- Main article: The Legend of Korra
Set 70 years after the original series, The Legend of Korra follows the new Avatar, a waterbender named Korra, who moves to the fictional Republic City to learn under the deceased Aang's son, Tenzin. Alongside a firebending and earthbending brother duo (Mako and Bolin), she takes on an uprising of an anti-bending movement. Later on, Korra begins to explore the spirit world and faces repercussions of uniting it with the material world.
Republic City Hustle (2013)[]
- Main article: Republic City Hustle
Republic City was a series of three animated online shorts that followed Mako and Bolin before the events of The Legend of Korra.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (live-action)[]
- Main article: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Live-action series)
In September 2018, Netflix announced a live-action series remake of The Last Airbender. Although originally set to be showrunners, the original show creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, later departed due to creative differences and were replaced by Albert Kim in 2021.
The show began casting calls in the summer of 2021 for the roles of Sokka, Aang, Katara and Zuko. Filming is expected to begin in November 2021 and last until May 2022 in Vancouver, Canada
Films[]
Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Last Airbender | June 30, 2010 | M. Night Shyamalan | Sam Mercer & Frank Marshall | Released | |
Untitled animated Avatar Studios film | colspan="4" | In development |
The Last Airbender (2010)[]
The Last Airbender is a 2010 live-action adaptation of the first season of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender by M. Night Shyamalan. The film was widely panned by critics, as it has been considered one of the worst films ever made and took in $319 million at the worldwide box office. In February 2021, It was announced that a theatrical animated film will be released by Paramount Pictures, with production set to begin later in 2021. It will serve as the first project from Avatar Studios.
Comics[]
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2006–present)[]
Title | Release date(s) | Media type | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Avatar: The Last Airbender | January 25, 2006 – August 6, 2008 | Film comic series | |
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Free Comic Book Day issues | May 7, 2011 – May 2, 2015 | Mini-comic | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Lost Adventures | June 15, 2011 | Anthology | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise | January 25 – September 26, 2012 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search | March 20 – October 30, 2013 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift | March 5 – November 18, 2014 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Smoke and Shadow | October 6, 2015 – March 16, 2016 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – North and South | September 14, 2016 – April 26, 2017 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Imbalance | December 18, 2018 – October 01, 2019 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Team Avatar Tales | October 15, 2019 | Anthology | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Katara and the Pirate's Silver | October 14, 2020 | Graphic novel | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy | February 17, 2021 | Graphic novel | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – Suki, Alone | July 28, 2021 | Graphic novel | |
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The Last Airbender (2010)[]
Title | Release date(s) | Media type | |
---|---|---|---|
The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story | May 18, 2010 | Graphic novel | |
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The Last Airbender | June 22, 2010 | Graphic novel | |
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The Legend of Korra (2016–present)[]
Title | Release date(s) | Media type | |
---|---|---|---|
Free Comic Book Day issues | May 7, 2016 – May 5, 2018 | Mini-comic | |
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The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars | July 26, 2017 – August 22, 2018 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire | May 21, 2019 – February 26, 2020 | Graphic novel trilogy | |
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Books[]
Novels[]
Title | Release date | Age category | Media type | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Earth Kingdom Chronicles | May 8, 2007 – April 8, 2008 | Children | Novelization series | |
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Ready-to-Read | July 1 – December 16, 2008 | Children | Novelization series | |
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Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle | May 20, 2008 | Children | Novelization | |
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The Last Airbender Movie Novelization | May 25, 2010 | Children | Novelization | |
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The Last Airbender Movie | May 25, 2010 | Children | Novelization series | |
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Nickelodeon: Legend of Korra | January 8 – July 9, 2013 | Young adult | Novelization series | |
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The Kyoshi Novels | July 16, 2019 - TBA | Young adult | Novel series | |
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Art books[]
Title | Release date | ISBN | Media type | |
---|---|---|---|---|
How to Draw Avatar: The Last Airbender | March 28, 2007 | Drawing book | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender Drawing Book and Kit | September 28, 2007 | Drawing book | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Art of the Animated Series | May 19, 2010 | Concept art | ||
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The Legend of Korra Book One: Air – The Art of the Animated Series | July 17, 2013 | Concept art | ||
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How to Draw The Legend of Korra | August 15, 2014 | Drawing book | ||
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The Legend of Korra Book Two: Spirits – The Art of the Animated Series | September 3, 2014 | Concept art | ||
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The Legend of Korra Book Three: Change – The Art of the Animated Series | January 21, 2015 | Concept art | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Poster Collection | August 12, 2015 | Posters | ||
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The Legend of Korra Book Four: Balance – The Art of the Animated Series | September 2, 2015 | Concept art | ||
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The Legend of Korra – The Poster Collection | September 28, 2016 | Posters | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender Coloring Book | October 5, 2016 | Adult coloring book | ||
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The Legend of Korra Coloring Book | July 12, 2017 | Adult coloring book | ||
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Others[]
Title | Release date | ISBN | Media type | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Lost Scrolls | December 26, 2006 – January 23, 2007 | Various | Companion book series | |
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The Ultimate Pocket Guide | July 24, 2007 | Companion book | ||
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Battle of the Benders | January 8, 2008 | 3D book | ||
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Brainbenders from the Four Nations | January 8, 2008 | Quiz book | ||
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Mindbenders and Brainbusters: The Ultimate Avatar Challenge | September 9, 2008 | Quiz book | ||
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The Legend of Korra: Enhanced Experience | July 2, 2013 | E-book | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy | October 13, 2015 | Illustrated fiction | ||
The Legend of Korra: An Avatar's Chronicle | August 6, 2019 | Illustrated fiction | ||
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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of The Fire Nation | February 4, 2020 | Illustrated fiction | ||
Video games[]
:Main article: List of videogames
Avatar: The Last Airbender[]
Video game title | Original release dates | Release years by system | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Avatar: The Last Airbender |
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2006 – Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth |
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2007 – Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 | *Released in Europe under the title Avatar: The Legend of Aang – The Burning Earth |
Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno |
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2008 – Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 |
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Avatar: Legends of the Arena | WW: September 19, 2008 | 2008 – Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X |
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The Last Airbender |
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2010 – Wii, Nintendo DS | *Developed by THQ Studio Australia and Halfbrick Studios (Nintendo DS), published by THQ |
Avatar: The Legend of Korra[]
Video game title | Original release dates | Release years by system | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
The Legend of Korra | *NA: October 21, 2014 | 2014 – Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | *Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Activision |
The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins | NA: October 28, 2014 | 2014 – Nintendo 3DS |
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Cast and crew[]
- Main article: List of Avatar characters
Cast[]
Character | Avatar: The Last Airbender (The Legend of Aang) | The Legend of Korra | Film | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water | Earth | Fire | Air | Spirits | Change | Balance | The Last Airbender | ||
2005 | 2006 | 2007–08 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2010 | |||
Avatar Aang | Zach Tyler Eisen | D. B. Sweeney | Silent | Noah Ringer | |||||
Appa | Dee Bradley Baker | Dee Bradley Baker | |||||||
Momo | |||||||||
Katara | Mae Whitman | Eva Marie Saint | Eva Marie Saint | Nicola Peltz | |||||
Sokka | Jack DeSena | Chris Hardwick | Jackson Rathbone | ||||||
Zuko | Dante Basco | Bruce Davison | Silent | Dev Patel | |||||
Iroh | Mako | Greg Baldwin | Greg Baldwin | Shaun Toub | |||||
Fire Lord Ozai | Mark Hamill | Cliff Curtis | |||||||
Princess Yue | Johanna Braddy | Silent | Johanna Braddy | Seychelle Gabriel | |||||
Admiral Zhao | Jason Isaacs | Jason Isaacs | Aasif Mandvi | ||||||
Toph Beifong | Jessie Flower | Kate Higgins | Kate Higgins | Philece Sampler | |||||
Azula | Grey DeLisle | Summer Bishil | |||||||
Avatar Korra | Janet Varney | ||||||||
Cora Baker | |||||||||
Naga | Dee Bradley Baker | ||||||||
Pabu | |||||||||
Mako | David Faustino | ||||||||
Bolin | P. J. Byrne | ||||||||
Tenzin | J. K. Simmons | ||||||||
Asami Sato | Seychelle Gabriel | ||||||||
Lin Beifong | Mindy Sterling | ||||||||
Grey DeLisle | |||||||||
Jinora | Kiernan Shipka |
- Note: A gray cell indicates the character did not appear in that medium.
Home media[]
Avatar: The Last Airbender[]
Season | Volume | DVD release dates | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
1 | 1 | January 24, 2006 | February 19, 2007 | March 15, 2007 | |
2 | March 28, 2006 | June 4, 2007 | July 5, 2007 | ||
3 | May 30, 2006 | September 3, 2007 | March 13, 2008 | ||
4 | July 18, 2006 | February 18, 2008 | June 19, 2008 | ||
5 | September 19, 2006 | May 26, 2008 | March 5, 2009 | ||
2 | 1 | January 23, 2007 | Not released | June 4, 2009 | |
2 | April 10, 2007 | August 4, 2009 | |||
3 | May 22, 2007 | October 29, 2009 | |||
4 | August 14, 2007 | March 31, 2010 | |||
3 | 1 | October 30, 2007 | June 1, 2010 | ||
2 | January 22, 2008 | September 21, 2010 | |||
3 | May 6, 2008 | October 7, 2010 | |||
4 | July 29, 2008 | November 4, 2010 |
Season | DVD release dates | Blu-ray release dates | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Region free | |||
1 | September 12, 2006 | January 26, 2009 | June 4, 2009 | Not released | ||
2 | September 11, 2007 | July 20, 2009 | September 9, 2010 | |||
3 | September 16, 2008 | February 1, 2010 | December 2, 2010 | |||
Complete series | October 6, 2015 | August 6, 2012 | Not released | May 1, 2018 |
The Last Airbender[]
- Main article: The Last Airbender#Home media
Film | DVD release dates | Blu-ray release dates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Region free | |
The Last Airbender | November 16, 2010 | December 13, 2010 | January 13, 2011 | November 16, 2010 |
External Links[]
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