History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSouthernAirTemple

** The Fire Nation temple that's affected by Aang entering the Avatar State will play a large role [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderS1E8TheWinterSolsticePart2 in several episodes]].

** The Fire Nation temple that's affected by Aang entering the Avatar State will play a large role [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderS1E8TheWinterSosticeAvatarRoku in several episodes]].

* {{Mentor|s}}: Monk Gyatso's role (too bad he succumbed to the MentorOccupationalHazard). The statues also hint that this is the role of the past Avatars.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanation for Zuko's scar is hinted at. After Zuko challenges Zhao to an Agni Kai, Iroh worriedly asks Zuko if he remembers what happened last time he dueled a master, to which Zuko replies that he'll never forget, while the camera slowly pans from his good eye to his bad one.

* BackstabBackfire: Zhao to Zuko after the Agni Kai.
* BadLiar: Zuko and Iroh struggle to come up with a convincing story to give to Zhao as to why their ship was so damaged.

* SwirlingDust: {{Justified|Trope}}. Aang, as the Avatar, can control the four [[ElementalRockPaperScissors elements]], so when the [[SuperMode Avatar State]] kicks in, wind, water, and/or earth swirl around him.

Aang decides to visit his old home, [[TitleDrop the Southern Air Temple]], to see how things have changed in one hundred years. Sokka and Katara, however, are incredibly apprehensive, knowing that the Fire Nation completely wiped out the Air Nomads in the first year of the war; afraid of hurting Aang, Katara actively tries to hide this information from him. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh dock at a Fire Nation harbor to repair their boat, and the damages draws the interest of Commander Zhao, who's curious about what the banished prince seems to be doing, ''exactly''.

%%* BigShadowLittleCreature: Momo's first appearance.

%%* CoolOldGuy: Monk Gyatso.

* BigShadowLittleCreature: Momo's first appearance.

* CoolOldGuy: Monk Gyatso.

* EasilyForgiven: Momo is initially scared off by Sokka declaring that he wants to eat him, but after Aang has cooled down from entering the Avatar State he returns to the group and gives Sokka some fruit to satisfy his hunger.

* FollowTheWhiteRabbit: Aang discovers Gyatso's body chasing after Momo who disappeared into a cave. Provides the trope image.

* SwordOverHead: Zuko to Zhao after winning the Agni Kai.

''[[caption-width-right:333:Aang shows Katara and Sokka a statue of Monk Gyatso.]]''

-->--'''Katara'''

* LastOfHisKind: Aang learns that his fellow Nomads were all wiped out during his one hundred year hibernation. He becomes this trope, as the series title suggested.

* MatchCut: One of many in the series. The face of Monk Gyatso's statue changes to a live version of him as a transition to a flashback and again back to present time.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Aang recognises Roku's statue on seeing it, despite there being no writing to identify him. He even admits that he doesn't know why.

* FollowTheWhiteRabbit: Aang discovers Gyatso's body chasing after Momo who disappeared into a cave.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The explanation for Zuko's scar is hinted at, with Iroh telling him that it was the result of an Agni Kai.
** To offer more detail: after Zuko challenges Zhao to an Agni Kai, Iroh worriedly asks Zuko if he remembers what happened last time he dueled a master, to which Zuko replies that he'll never forget, while the camera slowly pans from his good eye to his bad one.