Line #22 Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/avatar_franchise.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''"We are bonded forever."'' [[note]][[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Aang]] (left) and [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra Korra]]. Original artwork posted '''[[http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/123654294515/sdcc-2015-lets-do-this-above-is-the-signing here]]''' on Bryan Konietzko's Tumblr.]][[/note]]
3
4	->''Only the Avatar can master all four elements and bring balance to the world''.
5
6	The ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (sometimes officially referred to as ''Avatar Legends'' or simply ''Avatar'') universe is a canon created by Creator/BryanKonietzko and Creator/MichaelDanteDiMartino for Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}.
7
8	It takes place in an East Asian-influenced ConstructedWorld divided into [[ElementalNation nations]] based around the elements of [[MakingASplash water]], [[DishingOutDirt earth]], [[PlayingWithFire fire]], and [[BlowYouAway air]]. Some people from each nation, called "benders", have the ability to [[ElementalPowers control]] the element on which their nation is based.
9
10	One person, the [[TheChosenOne Avatar]], has the ability to bend all four elements, and is [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnated]] into each of the nations upon his or her death in an endless cycle. The main character of each work is this Avatar, and he or she must undergo the trials, tribulations and responsibility of holding that power.
11
12	Not to be confused with Creator/JamesCameron's ''Franchise/{{Avatar}}''.
13	----
14	!!Works in the original canon
15	[[index]]
16
17	[[AC:Western Animation]]
18	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (2005–2008) -- The first entry in the franchise, which centers on an Avatar named Aang as he attempts to prevent the Fire Nation from conquering the world.
19	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' (2012–2014) -- A SequelSeries that takes place seventy years after ''Avatar'' and focuses on the next Avatar, a hotheaded waterbender named Korra, who has to live up to her responsibilities as the Avatar in a world that is vastly different than it was in Aang's time.
20	* ''Avatar Studios'' animated films:
21	** ''Aang: The Last Airbender'': an animated film about Aang's Team Avatar as young adults (2026)
22
23	[[AC:Books]]
24	* ''The Lost Scrolls'' (2006–2007)
25	* ''The Earth Kingdom Chronicles'' (2007–2008)
26	* ''Sozin's Comet: The Final Battle'' (2008) -- Novelization of the four-part series finale
27	* ''Ready-to-Read Series'' (2008) -- Two of the books are based on TV episodes; the third (''Love Potion #8'') is a non-canon original story
28	* ''Legacy'' (2015) -- Aang's testimonial to his son, Tenzin
29	** ''Legacy of the Fire Nation'' (2020) -- Uncle Iroh's memoir, left to Zuko
30	* ''Chronicles of the Avatar'':
31	** ''Literature/TheRiseOfKyoshi'' (2019)
32	** ''Literature/TheShadowOfKyoshi'' (2020)
33	** ''Literature/TheDawnOfYangchen'' (2022)
34	** ''Literature/TheLegacyOfYangchen'' (2023)
35	** ''The Reckoning of Roku'' (2024)
36	* ''Revolution'' (2013) -- Novelization of the first half of ''The Legend of Korra'' Book One.
37	* ''Endgame'' (2013) -- Novelization of the second half of ''The Legend of Korra'' Book One.
38	* ''An Avatar's Chronicle'' (2019) -- A scrapbook covering Korra's experiences throughout her early time as the Avatar, to serve as a guide for her successor.
39	* ''Literature/LittleGoldenBooks''
40	** ''I Am Aang'' (2023)
41	** ''I Am Zuko'' (2024)
42	** ''I Am Katara'' (2024)
43	* ''Aang's Epic Adventures!'' (2024)
44	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender: Heart of a Hero''(2024)
45	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender: My Cabbages!'' (2024)
46
47
48	[[AC:Comic Books]]
49	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' comics:
50	** ''The Lost Adventures'' (2011) -- [[/index]]A digest graphic novel which includes the out of print ExpandedUniverse strips first published in Nick Magazine and [=DVDs=] of ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''. All but two ("New Recruits" and "Gym Time") are considered canon by WordOfGod[[index]].[[invoked]]
51	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderThePromise The Promise]]'' (2012) -- A trilogy that picks up immediately after the end of the series, and deals with Zuko's struggles after the war.
52	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderRebound Rebound]]'' (2013)
53	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSearch The Search]]'' (2013) -- The fate of Princess Ursa is revealed, tying up one of the biggest loose threads of the original series.
54	** ''Shells'' (2014)
55	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheRift The Rift]]'' (2014) -- Aang receives visions of Avatar Yangchen (the previous Air Nomad avatar), and deals with the celebration of an Air Nomad holiday held in her honour.
56	** ''Sisters'' (2015)
57	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSmokeAndShadow Smoke and Shadow]]'' (2015–2016) -- Zuko deals with a rebel faction of Fire Nation citizens calling themselves the "New Ozai Society."
58	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderNorthAndSouth North and South]]'' (2016–2017) -- Katara and Sokka return home for the first time after the war, and find out that some things have changed.
59	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderImbalance Imbalance]]'' (2018–2019) -- The characters deal with technological progress in a small town, and its effect on benders and non-benders alike.
60	** ''Team Avatar Tales'' (2019) -- An anthology that collects ''Rebound'', ''Shells'', and ''Sisters'', in addition to new, original stories.
61	** ''Katara and the Pirate's Silver'' (2020) -- A standalone story set during ''Book 2: Earth'' focusing on Katara having a misadventure with some pirates.
62	** ''Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy'' (2021) -- A standalone sequel to ''The Rift'' focusing on Toph expanding her Metalbending school.
63	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSukiAlone Suki, Alone]]'' (2021) -- A standalone story set during ''Book 3: Fire'', showing Suki's time in the Boiling Rock from her point of view.
64	** ''Matcha Makers'' (2021) -- A short story focused on Iroh.
65	** ''[[ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderAzulaInTheSpiritTemple Azula in The Spirit Temple]]'' (2023) -- A standalone story that shows what happened to Azula after ''Smoke and Shadow'' as she is made to confront her past.
66	** ''The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer'' (2024) -- A standalone graphic novel centered on June and Iroh.
67	* ''The Legend of Korra'' comics:
68	** ''Friends for Life'' (2016)
69	** ''[[ComicBook/TheLegendOfKorraTurfWars Turf Wars]]'' (2017–2018) -- A trilogy that focuses on Korra and Asami's relationship and the repercussions of the series finale.
70	** ''Lost Pets'' (2018)
71	** ''[[ComicBook/TheLegendOfKorraRuinsOfTheEmpire Ruins of the Empire]]'' (2019–2020) -- A trilogy that focuses on rebuilding the Earth Kingdom in the wake of the events of Book Four.
72	** ''Clearing the Air'' (2021)
73	** ''Beach Wars'' (2022)
74	** ''Patterns in Time'' (2022) -- Anthology.
75	** ''Mystery of Penquan Island'' (2024) -- A standalone graphic novel that focuses on Mako.
76
77	[[AC:Tabletop Games]]
78	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender Trading Card Game'' (2006)
79	* ''The Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena'' (2018) -- [[/index]]A strategic BoardGame based on the FictionalSport of Pro-Bending.[[index]]
80	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender: Fire Nation Rising'' (2022) -- A competitive card-and-dice game where players gather heroes and take on villains leading up to the final battle with Ozai himself.
81	* ''TabletopGame/AvatarLegendsTheRoleplayingGame'' (2022) -- TheRolePlayingGame with settings based across multiple eras of the Avatar world.
82	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender: Crossroads of Destiny'' (2023) -- A cooperative BoardGame where you take on different roles to defeat the Fire Nation.
83
84	[[AC:Video Games]]
85	* ''VideoGame/EscapeFromTheSpiritWorld'' (2007) -- A online game set between seasons two and three of ''Avatar''.
86	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKorra'' (2014) -- An action game based on the series, made by Creator/PlatinumGames.
87	* ''The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins'' (2014) -- [[/index]]A turn-based strategy for the Platform/Nintendo3DS[[index]] based on the story of the above.
88	* ''Avatar: Generations'' (2023) -- A mobile game featuring gacha and turn-based RPG elements. Was shut down on December 2, 2023.
89	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance'' (2023) -- A retelling of Aang's adventures, released on all systems.
90	* ''Avatar: Realms Collide'' (2024) -- A mobile strategy game.
91
92	[[AC:Web Animation]]
93	* ''Republic City Hustle'' (2013) -- A three-episode web animation about the lives of Mako and Bolin three years prior to ''The Legend of Korra''.
94
95	[[/index]]
96	----
97	!!Non-canon works and alternate continuities
98	[[index]]
99
100	* ''[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSuperDeformedShorts Super Deformed Shorts]]''
101	* ''Film/TheLastAirbender'' (2010) -- A live-action film directed by Creator/MNightShyamalan. The film adapts the first season, with the hope that a pair of sequels based on the other two seasons would follow, but its critical failure [[StillbornFranchise put a stop to any further plans for any follow-up]].
102	** ''The Last Airbender Movie Novelization'' (2010)
103	** ''Aang's Destiny'' (2010)
104	** ''Battle of the North'' (2010)
105	** ''Trial by Fire'' (2010)
106	** ''The Avatar's Return'' (2010)
107	** ''The Last Airbender'' (manga) (2010)
108	** ''Manga/ZukosStory'' (2010) -- An OELManga {{Prequel}} to the movie.
109
110	[[AC:Comic Books]]
111	* ''Avatar: The Last Airbender -- Chibi Vol. 1: Aang's Unfreezing Day'' (2021)
112
113	[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
114	* ''[[Series/AvatarTheLastAirbender2024 Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' (2024) -- On September 18, 2018, [[/index]]Creator/{{Netflix}} and Nickelodeon announced a live action television adaptation of the show, though without [=DiMartino=] and Konietzko returning as showrunners or executive producers. They were initially on-board, but left due to creative differences.[[index]]
115
116	[[AC:Video Games]]
117	* ''VideoGame/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (2006)
118	* ''[[VideoGame/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBurningEarth The Burning Earth]]'' (2007)
119	* ''[[VideoGame/AvatarTheLastAirbenderIntoTheInferno Into the Inferno]]'' (2008)
120	* ''VideoGame/TheLastAirbender'' (2010)
121	* ''[[https://masteryourelement.com/cabbagesmash/ Cabbage Smash]]'' (2024) -- A tie-in web game to the 2024 live-action series featured on the show's official "Master Your Element" website, featuring the Cabbage Merchant, whose role from the animated series is reprised by Creator/JamesSie.
122
123	[[AC:Video Game Other Appearences]]
124	* ''Nicktoons Nitro'' (2005) -- Arcade kart racing title featuring Aang as a playable character.
125	* ''VideoGame/NickelodeonSuperBrawl'' series (2008-2020) -- MediaNotes/AdobeFlash series of 2D Nicktoons crossover {{Fighting Game}}s. The ''Last Airbender'' version of Aang was playable in the first two games, with ''Super Brawl 3'' featuring Korra, Adult Aang, Amon and Tahno. ''Super Brawl 4'' only featured Korra, and ''Super Brawl Universe'' featured both Aang and Korra as well as their Avatar State forms.
126	* ''VideoGame/NicktoonsMLB'' (2010) -- [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer An actual, real video game that was made and sold to people]] where Franchise/{{Nicktoons}} characters played baseball alongside real-world athletes. Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Toph were all playable in-game.
127	* ''VideoGame/{{SMITE}}'' (2014) -- On June 22, 2020, character skins that portray Aang, Zuko and Korra were made available in the "Avatar Battle Pass". Azula was later added as an additional skin in 2021, followed by Iroh and later Momo in 2022, and Toph and Roku in 2023.
128	* ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' (2017): Korra was added as an unlockable skin and the ability to use waterbending were added in the Chapter 5, Season 2 Battle Pass in March 2024 followed by the ''Avatar: Elements'' event that added Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko and the ability to use all four types of bending.
129	* ''VideoGame/NickelodeonKartRacers 2: Grand Prix'' (2020) -- Aang and Korra appear as playable racers, along with a variety of ''Avatar''-related tracks and support units. The sequel, ''Slime Speedway'', keeps the two and adds Toph and Zuko, the latter as a DLC character.
130	* ''VideoGame/NickelodeonAllStarBrawl'' (2021) -- A Nicktoons crossover PlatformFighter. Aang, Toph, and Korra are playable characters, with stages based on the Western Air Temple, Omashu, and Harmonic Convergence.
131	* ''Avatar Legends'' (2022) -- A downloadable resource/texture/skin pack for ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' that allows the player to become the Avatar and master the elements in rebuilt locations from across the franchise.
132
133	[[/index]]
134
135	Not to be confused with [[{{Avatar}} other meanings of the term "avatar"]].
136	----
137	!!Tropes common to the franchise:
138	* {{Animesque}}: The art style of the franchise is based on anime, as admitted by the creators themselves, especially the work of Creator/HayaoMiyazaki. It also helps that the show is animated by many companies known for working on genuine anime.
139	* ArcVillain: While ''The Last Airbender'' featured a single BigBad for the duration of the series in Ozai, different villains served as TheHeavy in the first two seasons. ''The Legend of Korra'' features several major antagonists throughout each season, and introduces the GreaterScopeVillain of the franchise.
140	** ''The Last Airbender'': Zuko and Zhao for Book One, Azula in Book Two, and Fire Lord Ozai with Azula as TheDragon in Book Three.
141	** ''The Legend of Korra'': Amon for Book One, Vaatu and Unalaq for Book Two, Zaheer for Book Three and Kuvira for Book Four.
142	* BilingualBonus: All the text within the franchise is written in authentic Chinese.
143	%%* ConstructedWorld
144	* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Bloodbending has been revealed to be downright illegal in ''Korra'', with the punishment being a life sentence.
145	* DragonsAreDivine: Dragons were the original firebenders. Naturally, they were respected and revered by the Sun Warriors and their later incarnation, the Fire Nation. However, Fire Lord Sozin proclaimed dragon hunting the ultimate display of power and prestige, and the species was driven to extinction. [[spoiler:Thankfully, the Sun Warriors managed to safeguard two of them, and Iroh kept their existence a secret after meeting them himself. These two help Aang and Zuko learn the true way of firebending]].
146	* ElementalNation: Integral to the setting -- four nations, each themed around one of the four classical elements. By the time of ''The Legend Korra'', more intermingling has happened between the four, and the Fire Nation's former colonies in the northwest Earth Kingdom have been merged into a new country, the United Republic of Nations.
147	* ElementalPowers: The franchise has the four [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Bending_Arts Bending Arts]], namely Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Indeed, all four nations are themed around their respective elements -- the Water Tribes, the [[TheFederation Earth Kingdom]], the [[TheEmpire Fire Nation]], and the Air Nomads, with a certain percentage of people born within those countries manifesting their respective signature elemental power. Normally, a bender can only use the element they're born with, but there is one exception in the titular [[MessianicArchetype Avatar]], a reincarnated figure who can (with training and time) [[TheRedMage harness the powers of all four elements]], and serves more or less as the resident {{Superhero}}. Note that the cycle of Avatar reincarnation corresponds with the ancient Greek order: Air (warm and wet) to Water (cold and wet) to Earth (cold and dry) to Fire (hot and dry) and back to Air, and so on.
148	** There is also PureEnergy in the form of [[KiManipulation chi]], which tends to be related to the SpiritWorld, granting abilities like locating things far away, seeing the future, and reading auras. It is also the metaphysical basis of Bending (done by manipulating chi within one's body via muscle or breath control) and the ability to invoke the Avatar State at will (via opening one's chakras). [[spoiler:In the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', another discipline of Bending, called Energybending, is revealed. It is an ancient style said to predate the Bending of the elements (and the first incarnation of the Avatar) and was used by beings to manipulate the [[LifeEnergy energy within themselves]]. Bending the energy of another is shown to be capable of both bestowing knowledge and removing the ability to Bend, at the risk of having one's own spirit overwhelmed by the target.]]
149	** Each of the Bending styles also has specialized substyles, some which require a great amount of skill and special training, or are stronger in certain bloodlines. Some Firebenders can fire explosive beams from their forehead (referred to as "Combustionbending") or generate lightning, some Waterbenders can heal, calm spirits, or bend the blood of others, select Earthbenders can bend metal or even lava, and a few Airbenders can perform AstralProjection or outright fly. There are also a few odd groups with their own takes on bending, like swampbenders and sandbenders; these are ''not'' separate elements, but specific disciplines of Waterbending and Earthbending developed by some tribes to better suit the areas they live in (swamps and deserts, respectively). Similarly, Waterbending is shown to include ice and snow by default since both Water Tribes are located near the poles.
150	** The benders' temperaments often follow the traditional associations with those elements, but there are exceptions. [[FourStarBadass Uncle Iroh]] is one of the most skilled firebenders in the world, and is fat, philosophical and laid back (many would say "lazy", and many do). Of course, push him too far, and you will learn why he is known as the [[BewareTheNiceOnes Dragon of]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the West]]. Meanwhile, [[TheJuggernaut King Bumi]], one of the most skilled Earthbenders, is ''probably'' entirely insane, in contrast to the calm ImplacableMan association you'd expect.
151	** Bending is so integral that it's even incorporated into major technologies; in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Ba Sing Se's transit system is powered by earthbending, while in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Republic City's power plants are staffed by lightningbenders.
152	* ElementalRockPaperScissors: A notable [[AvertedTrope aversion]]. Each of the bending arts has their own strengths and weaknesses, but none of them are inherently superior to the other. It's the skill of the individual bender that determines victory.
153	* TheEpic: Both series qualify, and together they form a GenerationalSaga.
154	* EthnicMagician: Zigzagged. ''Everyone'' in the world comes from a FantasyCounterpartCulture for either China, Japan, Tibet, the Inuit, or the [[{{Mayincatec}} Aztecs]], meaning there are no "Europeans" to compare them to (although the Northern Water Tribe's culture combines the Inuit culture with a vaguely Russian and/or Scandinavian aesthetic). At the same time, however, each nation and corresponding ethnicity is still firmly linked to one particular element and its associated bending style, so in that sense they're still all this trope to ''each other''.
155	* ExpandedUniverse: The comic books as well as canonical comic strips.
156	* ExtraordinaryWorldOrdinaryProblems: The conflicts in most of the story arcs are often mundane issues which just so happen to take place in a fantasy setting. For example, [[TheEmpire the Fire Nation]]'s imperialism in the first series is shown more akin to [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan Imperial Japan]] at the height of Japanese colonialism or the Roman Empire, rather than hordes of AlwaysChaoticEvil {{Mooks}} marching out of {{Mordor}}. Many stories acknowledge the mundane political realities of the war against the Fire Nation, including its political aftermath in the comics and ''The Legend of Korra'' -- people don't just instantly trust the Fire Nation government again.
157	* FantasticCasteSystem:
158	** The city of Ba Sing Se divides its classes into three concentric zones, which also serve as UrbanSegregation, with war refugees and the poor crammed into the Lower Ring, merchants and the middle class in the Middle Ring, the nobility in the Upper Ring, and the Earth King's palace at the very center of it all. (By ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the situation has only grown worse, with an ever greater divide between the classes).
159	** The Fire Nation's system is partly tied to its colonial empire. In descending order from highest to lowest on the pecking order, you have: the Fire Lord, the royal family, the nobility and Fire Sages, the managerial middle class, peasants, and then colonials at the bottom. In turn, the colonies divide into Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom non-citizens, although in the colonies even earthbenders (otherwise disparaged by their Fire-supremacist occupiers) can become Fire Nation citizens if one of their parents was a citizen.
160	** The Northern Water Tribe has three castes: The Royal Family, the warrior class, and finally, peasants. By ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the warrior class appears to have been abolished in favor of a professional standing army.
161	* FantasyGunControl: Played with in that explosives made from blasting jelly and "spark powder" are prevalent, but handheld firearms of any kind are never seen, even in the 1920's style setting of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra.''
162	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The four nations borrow features from real-life historical nations.
163	** The Air Nomads draw most of their influence from Tibet, specifically from the monks of Tibetan Buddhism.
164	** The Fire Nation's political situation at the beginning of the story (technologically advanced archipelago with imperialist intentions) mirrors that of UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, though its aesthetics draw more from Cambodia and Tibet.
165	** The Earth Kingdom's aesthetics and politics are taken from countries in mainland East Asia, chiefly China and Korea.
166	** The Water Tribes are chiefly based on the Inuit peoples, with the Northern Tribes having some Russian and Scandinavian elements.
167	* FantasyWorldMap: Shown in the beginning of each episode of TLA.
168	* GreaterScopeParagon:
169	** The great lion turtles. In ancient days they were the protectors of humanity, and granted them the power of bending. After the mortal Wan joined with the spirit of light Raava to become the first Avatar, the lion turtles withdrew from the world at large. At the end of the Hundred Years War, Aang met the last lion turtle, who gave him the final key to defeating Fire Lord Ozai.
170	** Avatar Wan himself counts as this, as the very first Avatar who separated the human and Spirit Worlds and sealed the spirit of darkness Vaatu inside the Tree of Time for 10,000 years. By the time of ''The Legend of Korra'', so much time has passed that very few apart from the Red Lotus and later on Korra herself even know of his existence.
171	** Avatar Aang attains this status in ''The Legend of Korra'', having been the one who originally founded the United Republic alongside Fire Lord Zuko and being Korra's direct predecessor. However, because of Korra's issues with the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, his role as SpiritAdvisor is limited to giving her dreams of his battle with Yakone 42 years prior, and restoring her bending at the end of Book 1. In Books 3 and 4 he's unable to help Korra because he and all her other past lives had their connection to her severed by Unalaq managing to kill Raava.
172	* GreaterScopeVillain:
173	** Vaatu, the spirit of chaos and darkness, though he wasn't revealed until the OriginsEpisode during the second book of ''Korra''.
174	** For smaller examples of this, there's Fire Lord Sozin, who committed the genocide of the Air Nomads, and Yakone, a crime boss whose legacy proves disastrous for Republic City. The Red Lotus, a terrorist organization out to enforce a new world order, make their debut in the third book of ''Korra''.
175	* GodOfGood: The Avatar is the human incarnation of the spirit of light and peace, Raava. She bonded herself with a human host in order to defeat her evil opposite [[GodOfEvil Vaatu]] and later bring peace to both physical and spirit worlds.
176	* HealItWithWater: Of the four classical elements, Waterbenders have the unique power of HealingHands, which women in the Northern Water Tribe are only allowed to learn. Katara spontaneously manifests the ability when she dips her burned hands in a stream and later trains up to become such a CombatMedic that she can use water from a sacred spring to basically bring someone BackFromTheDead.
177	* InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike: In the real world, the whole franchise suffers from this in Britain. Unfortunately, in [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage British English]], the word "bender" is a childishly insulting slang term for a gay man. Compound words like "airbender" aren't too problematic, but lines referring to a person being a "bender" generically sound unintentionally "naughty" to a British audience. This led to the first show being promoted in the UK as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'', which then inspired the worldwide title of the second show.
178	* LegacyCharacter: The Avatar, via reincarnation.
179	* MixAndMatchCritters: Most of the animals in the setting are hybrids of various real-world animals to the point that the characters find the idea of a regular bear to be confusing.
180	* MutuallyExclusiveMagic: The ability to bend one of the four elements (water, fire, earth, and air) is mutually exclusive. Mixed-heritage people take after [[EitherOrOffSpring one side or the other]] (or possibly [[MuggleBornOfMages neither]]). That is not to say that ''studying'' other disciplines is pointless, as you can gain tremendous insight into how Bending works and come up with new techniques. Iroh, a firebender, developed lightning redirection by observing waterbenders. The one exception to this rule is the Avatar, who is able (and required) to master all four elements. Even then, there's a spiritual or philosophical divide between the techniques used for each element -- Aang was raised an airbender, which is all about flowing with the surroundings, and had trouble with the stubborn assertiveness that earthbending required. In contrast, Korra is so brash and hotheaded that she is wholly unable to grasp airbending due to its go-with-the-flow philosophy. And even after she unlocks it, it's still her least-preferred element.
181	** The mutual exclusiveness is elaborated on in ''Korra'' when we find out about the origins of Bending. It was originally a power bestowed by Lion Turtles, but a human physically could not contain more than one power at the same time. The first Avatar got around the limitation by gaining the help of an extremely powerful (if weakened) spirit, eventually merging with it.
182	* NeglectfulPrecursors: A reoccurring theme throughout the franchise is that the Avatar, for all his or her power, is still human and liable to make mistakes. More often than not, their successors are forced to confront the consequences of those choices and figure out a way to correct them as best they can in the current circumstances.
183	** Avatar Yangchen, one of the most beloved Avatars in recorded history, [[spoiler:failed in her duty of being a bridge between humanity and the spirits due to constantly siding with the former. This led to her successor Kuruk dying an early death because he constantly had to fight off the dark spirits angered by Yangchen's actions, which sapped a bit of his life force with every confrontation]].
184	** Avatar Kuruk cultivated a reputation of being a self-indulgent and lazy Avatar to preserve Yangchen's reputation [[spoiler:and cope with the stress of fighting off all those dark spirits]]. That would lead to not only having his fiancee's face stolen by Koh, but also caused his friends to involve themselves in the search and tutelage for the next Avatar, which would lead to a lot of undue personal tragedy for his successor, Kyoshi.
185	** Avatar Kyoshi created the Dai Li, which later became a corrupt entity abused by numerous authoritarians, caused [[spoiler:the downfall of the Earth Kingdom during the Hundred Year War when they sided with Azula over Long Feng, and eventually the collapse of the Earth Kingdom altogether when they enforced the tyranny of Queen Hou-Ting, leading to her assassination by the Red Lotus and paving the way for Kuvira and her Earth Empire]]. While they weren't an issue for her immediate successor Roku, they were massive thorns in the sides of Roku's successor Aang and Aang's successor Korra.
186	** Avatar Roku's is, of course, failing to kill his best friend Sozin and prevent the Hundred Year War, leading to the genocide of the Air Nomads and putting an undue burden on Aang, forcing Aang to adopt his duties as the Avatar at a younger age than he should have. That's actually ''why'' the war lasted as long as it did; Aang couldn't handle having the weight of that responsibility on his shoulders at such a young age, so he ran off to clear his head and got caught up in a storm, almost drowning as a result and freezing Appa and himself with the Avatar State in order to survive. While this did allow Aang to avoid the Air Nomad Genocide and survive long enough to finally end the war, it nonetheless prolonged the suffering of the rest of world to last over a century.
187	** Subverted with Aang. Compared to everyone else on the list, he left comparatively less problems for his successor Korra to deal with. The worst he is responsible for is indirectly inspiring the Anti-Bending Movement, and after seeing the events that led to the movement's rise, even Korra recognizes he made the best choices he could have in that situation.
188	* PlayingWithFire:
189	** Firebenders, obviously. A select few also have secondary abilities like lightningbending (ShockAndAwe) and combustionbending (explosive lasers, basically). The interesting part is that not all of them fit the hot-tempered mold that usually goes along with fire powers, given that they are an entire ''culture''. Zuko is plenty hot-headed, but his sister, Azula, is more cold and cunning, which her blue fire [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience reflects]]. Their father, Ozai, is somewhere in between, while Iroh has the personality of a warm campfire.
190	** Aang, on the other hand, once he accepts that Firebending does not equal BadPowersBadPeople, comes fairly close to Iroh's version of this, though he does become considerably more focused; it's implied that Firebenders have a tendency to become overly intense and {{Determinator}}s.
191	** In the [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender original show]], the Fire Nation's philosophy of firebending via rage plays a part in their hot-headed tempers; the Sun Warriors, the descendants of the original Firebending civilization, passed onto Iroh, Zuko, and Aang the original, life-affirming form of firebending that averts the need for firebenders to be HotBlooded to [[PsychoactivePowers use their powers]]. It is indicated that this style of firebending allows for far more control than rage-bending does.
192	** Then there's Mako from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', who's TheStoic ("cool under fire," as a sports announcer puts it). Avatar Korra herself fits the HotBlooded stereotype and it's interesting to note that she will default to fire even though she's a Waterbender by birth.
193	* PsychoElectro: Lightningbending is the secondary ability of firebenders; according the ''Kyoshi'' novels, the technique was lost for several centuries before being rediscovered around Kyoshi's time. However, it's a complete subversion as it requires a kind of emotional clarity and detachment (which can be calmness, such as with Iroh, or cold-heartedness, as with Azula and Ozai) which allows one to separate and focus the necessary energies. [[spoiler:Azula's ability to continue shooting lightning even after her VillainousBreakdown is probably due to a combination of familiarity, the significant power boost provided by Sozin's Comet, and having great clarity in terms of really wanting to kill Zuko and Katara.]] Also subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', where bending lightning has become commonplace, presumably because of a new, faster method having been developed. There are even factories where lightningbenders can work to provide electricity for utilities.
194	* ThePowerOfPotential: The Avatar themself generally grows up not knowing their status and only bending one element, since that is the norm of their birth nation. It is only when they turn 16 (or 12, in Aang's case) that they are told of their potential to learn the other three elements, as well as connect to the Spirit World, due to their past lives.
195	** DoubleSubverted with Korra. Her EstablishingCharacterMoment shows her knowing she's the Avatar at a young age, able to bend fire and earth along with water by the time the White Lotus find her. However, by the time she is 16, she still has yet to unlock airbending or spiritual powers, and spends the first two seasons trying to improve in this department.
196	* ReincarnatedAsTheOppositeSex: The Avatar can be male or female depending on the incarnation.
197	* {{Reincarnation}}: The Avatar's spirit never truly dies as it continuously reincarnates into a new body at death. However, if the Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, the Avatar would truly die.
198	* SingleSubstanceManipulation: Benders are only able to manipulate one specific element. Waterbenders can only control forms of water, earthbenders can only control forms of earth, and so on. However, particularly creative benders are able to manipulate more unusual forms of their element. For instance, earthbenders are able to sense the impurities within metal to bend it. The only person able to bend multiple elements is the Avatar, which grants a fully trained Avatar unparalleled power compared to a normal bender.
199	%%* TheVerse
200	* {{Whatevermancy}}: Or whateverbending in this case.

Context Franchise / AvatarTheLastAirbender