http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Avatar_Eclipse.jpg

->'''Katara''': Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?\\
'''Aang''': Because... I never wanted to be.

''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' or ''Avatar: The Legend Of Aang'' and ''Avatar: The Master of the Elements''.

Michael Dante [=DiMartino=] and Bryan Konietzko's genius [[{{Animesque}} combination of Eastern style and Western execution]].

''Avatar'' takes place in a world divided into four nations: the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads. Each have created a fighting style to control or "bend" the element that is their namesake. Only the Avatar, one person born every generation, is capable of mastering all the elements and serving as peacekeeper and protector.

This is the story of a 12-year-old Avatar (chronologically 112), the Airbender Aang, and his quest to master the four bending arts so that he can save the world from [[EvilOverlord Firelord Ozai]] and end [[EarthIsABattlefield the century-long war]] that he spent [[HumanPopsicle trapped in an iceberg]]. Oh, and just to make things more interesting, he only has until the end of summer to do it!

Luckily, he has found himself in good company with the Waterbender Katara and her brother Sokka. As they embark on this journey, they gain more allies. Take a look at the [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbender character sheet]] to get to know more about the characters.

The show is known for its references to Eastern religion and mythology, earning an A+ on the BechdelTest, aggressive fantastic battles, and well written characters, which is likely why the series nabs strong {{Ratings}} across many different [[PeripheryDemographic demographics]] (comedy for the kids, deeper stuff for the adults, furiously thrilling action for both).

The Season 1 finale is considered an exceptional work of art for its incredibly epic story and execution. As for Season 2, a list of all the tropes and traditions the writers broke or [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in the finale could be a page all on its own. And the third, and final, season finale? Let's just say the {{HSQ}} was through the roof.

The first season is currently being made into a live-action film ''[[WritingAroundTrademarks The Last Airbender]]'', which will be the second [[TheSixthSense Shyamalan film]] to be inspired by [[AreYouAfraidOfTheDark a Nickelodeon show]] (and should not be confused with JamesCameron's ''Film/{{Avatar}}''). While the original creators are still involved with the storyline, it seems that almost every announcement is either [[CueCullen warmly received]] or [[RuinedFOREVER violently hated]]. This has ''already'' led to some FanDisillusionment. The teaser trailer is out and can be viewed [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ZjjMBXMpk&feature=channel_page here]] It's up to you whether it looks too DarkerAndEdgier or just right. The consensus is [[LoveItOrHateIt pretty split]].

In another take-off of [[{{Yu-Gi-OhTheAbridgedSeries}} LittleKuriboh]]'s parody style, ''FanFic/AvatarTheAbridgedSeries'' by [[http://www.youtube.com/user/GanXingba GanXingba]] has become fairly popular.
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!!''[[{{Ptitlemxi508a6}} Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' provides examples of:
* TheAbridgedSeries: by [[FanFic/AvatarTheAbridgedSeries GanXingba]]. The Ember Island Players is a ShowWithinAShow example [[CrowningMomentOfFunny in the best way possible]].
** And the AnimatedActors serve up some damn good HamAndCheese.
* AbusiveParents: Zuko's father, Ozai.
* ActionGirl: More often than not, any A and B character who has two X chromosomes is an action girl.
* ActorAllusion: The 'four elements' wizard in the first episode of Book II: Earth is based directly on Akiro, Mako's early role in the movie ConanTheBarbarian.
** When Piandao tells Sokka to think of the sword as "a part of your own body", it may come to the mind of certain viewers that his voice actor, Robert Patrick, has also played a character in {{Terminator}} who actually has swords as a part of his body.
* AdrenalineMakeover: Katara
* AffectionateParody: The Boulder, a paper-thin parody of [[ProfessionalWrestling pro wrestlers]] Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Hulk Hogan, and Randy Savage. And he's voiced by another wrestler (and friend of The Rock) Mick Foley, who you can tell was [[LargeHam having a grand olde time]] providing the voice.
** "The Ember Island Players," has the gang attend a play based on their adventures, with CharacterExaggeration of the traits of all characters.
* TheAlcatraz: The Boiling Rock
* AllThereInTheManual: The main purpose of the Nickelodeon site is to provide supplementary information while not using up valuable air time.
** As of 11/01/09, the manual appears to be gone.
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The rest of the world's general opinion of Firebenders, along with BadPowersBadPeople.
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Aang decides saving Katara is more important than [[spoiler:finishing opening the chakras for the Avatar state]]
** Which was something that Iroh fully agreed with.
* AmazonBrigade: The Kyoshi Warriors
* AndThenWhat: Uncle Iroh's confrontation with Zuko over trying to kidnap Appa in season 2.
* AndZoidberg: Sokka once in a while.
* AngelsPose: [[FanNickname Ozai's Angels]] during the play in Ember Island Players, playing on their nickname.
* AncientKeeper: Wan Shi Tong.
* AncientTradition: The Order of the White Lotus
* AnimationBump: The GrandFinale has a few shots of a much higher quality, though the series itself is already unusually high quality.
* {{Animesque}}: Asian setting, multi-national cast, art-style similar to {{Cowboy Bebop}}, face faults,...wait, this is an AMERICAN cartoon!? I thought this is from Singapore!
** Don't worry, [[MemeticMutation a lot of people]] [[FanWank want to think the same thing]].
* AntiVillain: Zuko
* TheAragorn: Uncle Iroh, when he leads the forces of the [[spoiler:Order of the White Lotus to retake Ba Sing Se]].
* ArcWords: "I must regain my honor." There are story sequences built around this phrase for Zuko, Aang, Sokka ("the Boiling Rock"), ''and'' Katara ("The Southern Raiders") in that order.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Prince Zuko, especially in the first season; Zhao; Xin Fu, the tournament runner tracking Toph with Master Yu; and to a certain extent Toph herself.
* ArrangedMarriage: Hahn and Yue, and according to WordOfGod, Ozai and Ursa.
** Also, chronologically first, Kanna (Gran-Gran) and Pakku.
* ArtShift: The flashbacks in seasone one, episode 11, "The Great Divide."
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:Princess Yue]] becomes the [[spoiler:Moon Spirit.]]
** Previous Avatars also become {{spirit advisor}}s to the current one.
* AssPull: [[spoiler:Energybending.]]
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The end of the series [[spoiler:gives one to Zuko]]
** [[spoiler:Subverted to Hell and back for Azula.]]
* BadassFamily: The Firelord's family, and Hakoda's family.
* {{Badass Grandpa}}/{{Cool Old Guy}}:Iroh. Just Goddamn [[BreathWeapon Dragon]] [[OldMaster of]] [[BadassGrandpa the]] [[ShockAndAwe West]] [[ZenSurvivor Uncle]] Iroh. [[spoiler:See him break out of jail and you'll know what I mean.]][[http://darkkenjie.deviantart.com/art/Iroh-Dragon-of-the-West-116834344 Fanart example]].
** Practically required to be in the Order of the White Lotus.
* BadassNormal: Sokka, Hakoda, Suki, Ty Lee, Mai, Jet and his freedom fighters, Piando.
** It's worth at least a brief mention that numerous benders retain an impressive measure of badass even when their access to their bending is denied, Azula and Zuko being possibly the best examples.
* BadPowersBadPeople: The overall public opinion of Firebenders.
* BareYourMidriff: Quite a few ladies in the show.
** Pretty much every non-main character female soldier in the show is an example of this trope.
* BeachEpisode: Fittingly named "The Beach", although in a variant, the Beach Episode is given for the villains.
* BerserkButton: Aang is very attached to Appa, and putting Katara in danger is a very good way to have him go Avatar on your ass.
** Sokka loses it when Azula taunts him with descriptions of his captured girlfriend. For context, he knew she was taunting everyone to get them to run out the clock and he still lost control. Granted, Azula's just that good at manipulation.
* BetaCouple: [[spoiler:Sokka & Suki, Zuko & Mai]]
*BetterThanItSounds - Go ahead, try and justify to your friends why you're watching a kids Tv show. One which might be mistaken for anime. See what that does for your social status.
* BeyondTheImpossible: Done in-universe [[spoiler:when Toph invents metal-bending]].
* BigBad: Firelord Ozai
** The first and second seasons had Zuko, Zhao and Azula as their main antagonists.
* BigBrotherIsWatching: "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."
* {{Big Damn Heroes}}: This is Appa's main role, seriously.
** Not to mention [[spoiler:Suki and Mai.]]
* BigNo: [[spoiler:Zuko]] pulls off one in [[spoiler:the finale, when Azula]] attempts to strike [[spoiler:Katara with lightning]]. Also, the actor playing Aang in "The Ember Island Players".
* BilingualBonus: The background text contains a number of [[EasterEgg Easter Eggs]] for viewers who know Chinese.
* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: The Western Air Temples
* BladeBrake - ''twice''
* TheBlank: The victims of Koh the Face Stealer
* BlushSticker
* BrainBleach: Zuko, after seeing uncle Iroh hit on a large woman in "The Drill": "I'm gonna forget I saw that." Complete with FacePalm!
** Very much the same reaction from Zuko when Uncle Iroh stands up from the hotspring in his birthday suit.
** When Li and Lo try to do the same pose they did when they were young women. Zuko practically throws up.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Jet. Which also falls into the ManchurianAgent and MindControlEyes tropes (see their entries for more information).
* BreakTheHaughty: Zuko, Azula
* BreatherEpisode:
** "Nightmares and Daydreams", which comes between Katara [[spoiler:using Bloodbending]], and "The Invasion."
*** With the exception of [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Aang's last nightmare]], of course.
** "The Ember Island Players", the [[LampshadeHanging well-lit]] last episode before the four-episode finale arc.
* BrokenBase: the debate over the movie casting.
* BulletTime: In "The Beach."
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Bumi, and how!
* CainAndAbel: Ozai and Iroh; Zuko and Azula
* TheCaligula: [[spoiler:Azula as Firelord]]
** Arguably, Ozai also turns into this. At least [[spoiler:after declaring himself the Phoenix King]].
*** You could call Sozin and everyone after him, [[spoiler:at least before Zuko]] this. None of them appear to be particularly sane.
* CallASmeerpARabbit: "Penguins".
** Played for laughs and subverted with the Earth King's pet bear; the crew goes on to name various animals that could be combined, but are left perplexed as it just says 'bear'. This trope is pulled throughout the entire universe of Avatar, which lends more humor to the situation.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Katara to Hakoda, and more significantly, [[spoiler:Zuko to Ozai]].
* CannotTellAJoke: Zuko
* TheCaretaker: Iroh
* CastCalculus: depends on the season
** Season 1: PowerTrio
*** TheKirk: Aang
*** TheSpock: Sokka
*** TheMcCoy: Katara
** Season 2: FourTemperamentEnsemble
*** Sanguine: Aang
*** Choleric: Katara
*** Melancholic: Sokka
*** Phlegmatic: Toph
** Season 3: FiveManBand
*** TheHero: Aang
*** TheLancer: Katara
*** TheSmartGuy: Sokka
*** TheBigGuy: Toph, via {{Tomboy}}ism and pure {{badass}}, despite being the [[NonIndicativeName shortest and youngest of the cast]].
*** TheChick: Katara (pulling double duty)
*** SixthRanger: [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready Zuko]]
*** [[spoiler: GuestStarPartyMember: Suki]]
* CatapultNightmare: Both Aang and Zuko
* CatSmile: Jin, who owns a lot of her popularity thanks to this.
* CharacterWitness: The old Fire Nation man in the episode "Jet"
* ChaseScene: "The Waterbending Scroll"
* ChekhovsGun: Schematics for a drilling machine, a prototype war balloon, Katara's amulet of water from the North Pole oasis, [[spoiler: the Lotus tile, ''Iroh's sandal'']], the scroll with the [[spoiler:Lion Turtles at the Library]]...
** [[spoiler:Redirecting lightning]], as well. Doubles as ChekhovsSkill.
* TheChick: Katara qualifies.
* ChickMagnet: Sokka and Zuko, enough said
* ChirpingCrickets: Except with a cough.
* TheChamberlain: Several different takes on this trope, including Long Feng.
* TheChosenOne: Aang, although the reincarnation system makes it a bit muddled whether he's chosen or just following all his lives.
* {{Cincinnatus}}: [[spoiler:Iroh turns down the offer of Firelord if his brother was defeated, since he knew Zuko would have to do it.]]
* CityOfCanals: The northern water tribe's city
* ClearMyName: "Avatar Day"
* CliffHanger: [[spoiler:Zuko confronts his father]] and demands to know [[spoiler:where his mother]] is, but the answer is never displayed on screen for the viewer...[[SequelHook hmm]]...
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The clothing styles of Four Nations: Red for the Fire Nation, blue for the Water Tribes, yellow of the Air Nomads and green for the Earth Kingdom.
* ColorCodedPatrician: Princess Yue wears purple, when everyone else in the water tribes wear blue, including her father.
* CompanionCube: Sokka's Boomerang and later, Space Earth Sword. [[spoiler:Complete with "death". This troper would like to think that someone found 'em years later and returned them to Sokka.]]
** To be honest, practically anything significantly shiny has a potential to become a companion cube for Sokka.
* CompleteMonster: Firelord Ozai qualifies big time.
* ConsummateLiar: Azula
* ContinuityNod: Many, many examples. The umbrella from "The Fortuneteller" is found in Appa's luggage by Sandbenders in "Appa's Lost Days". The eye-patch wearing Fire Nation commander from "Jet" shows up again in "The Cave of Two Lovers". The tsungi horn and ruby encrusted monkey statue Iroh buys in "The Waterbending Scroll" appear several times. War Minister Qin turns up at least once a season, usually prior to or during the unveiling of a new Fire Nation war machine. And so on. There's also a tiny mistake: Sokka writes with his left hand in season two and with his right in three. Ambidexterity?
** Sokka switches between hands frequently (watch his swordfighting as well), so ambidexterity is a decent guess. It's worth noting that he can't draw no matter which hand he's using, though.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: Inconsistently played straight and averted.
* CreepyChild: {{Flashback}}-Azula
* CreepyTwins: Li and Lo. That is until "The Beach", when they only creep Zuko out.
* CrossDressingVoices: Not used in the show itself (12 year old Aang is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen), but {{Lampshaded}} in the play in ''The Ember Island Players'', where Aang is played by a (visibly adult) woman (voiced by [[SaturdayNightLive Rachel Dratch]]).
* CruelMercy: One of the most memorable aspects of the GrandFinale.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Azula
* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: The Avatars are ''supposed'' to be told about their identity on their 16th. Aang didn't get that luxury.
** 16 is also the age in which Northern Water Tribe girls become eligible for marriage, much to [[spoiler: poor Yue's]] dismay. It is unclear whether the same custom carries on to Katara's tribe.
*** Considering that the Southern Water Tribe is depopulated to the point that Sokka and Katara are apparently the ''only'' teenagers there, probably not.
*** It's implied it wasn't to begin with
* DawsonCasting: In a fairly rare instance, Aang and Toph are voiced by actors who are about the appropriate age. Katara and Sokka are only marginally older.
* DaydreamSurprise: "Nightmares and Daydreams"
* DayInTheLife: "Tales of Ba Sing Se"
* ADayInTheLimelight: "Zuko Alone," "Appa's Lost Days," "Sokka's Master," "The Boiling Rock"
* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler:Iroh claimed to have killed the last dragon, but he instead found them and didn't tell anyone, so they could live in peace.]]
* DeepSouth: All the swamp benders have hill-billy accents and seem adamantly opposed to wearing pants/shirts/shoes.
* DefangedHorrors: Koh
* DevelopmentGag
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: The one in ''The Cave of Two Lovers'' is a classic.
* DisabilitySuperpower: Toph's enhanced senses and Earthbending prowess as a result of her blindness.
** Often lampshaded and parodied with lines such as 'Your feet need their eyes checked' and 'I'll tell your feet what's going on'.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Toph, because she 'sees' through her feet.
** Drawn to the forefront when they steal Fire Nation clothes, she punches her feet through the shoes to remove the soles.
* DoingItForTheArt: The creators didn't have to go through the insane lengths that they did to ensure the series' quality, especially all of those little details many viewers wouldn't even notice unless they were specifically looking for them. But they did, which is why the series is so great.
* DoIReallySoundLikeThat: Comes with the territory in "The Ember Island Players". Katara is particularly defensive.
* DoomedHometown: The Southern Air Temple for Aang. The Northern, Western, and Eastern ones did not fare too well either.
* DoubleConsciousness: Being both the son of the Firelord and the [[spoiler: destined ally of the Avatar]] has got to be tough.
* DownerEnding: Several episodes of season two, most significantly with [[spoiler:the season finale]].
* DracoInLeatherPants: Zuko (before his HeelFaceTurn), Zhao, Azula, Jet and Ozai.
* TheDragon: Princess Azula; she was even portrayed as a blue dragon within a hallucination her brother was experiencing.
**...while their uncle was portrayed as a red dragon.
*** And later Aang and Zuko discover two dragons...one red and one blue...
* DramaticThunder: Second type in "The Storm" and "The Southern Raiders"
* DressingAsTheEnemy: Done in all three seasons.
* DualWielding: Both Zuko and Jet prefer dual wielding style (and of course, they end up in a [[IncrediblyLamePun dual-wielding duel]] in one episode)
* EarlyBirdCameo: Guru Pathik makes a short appearance in 'Appa's Lost Days' well before meeting Aang.
** Also, Azula is seen in the Storm flashback of how Zuko got his scar.
* EarnYourHappyEnding
* {{Egopolis}}: [[spoiler: Omashu, renamed as]] New Ozai, to be fair it was [[spoiler:his daughter's idea]]
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: One situated beneath Lake Laogai, plus a war bunker under the Fire Nation capital.
* ElementalBaggage: Primarily the Firebenders because they can create their own fire, the other bending styles require the appropriate amount of their element to use.
** Airbenders could be considered as well, since their element is so abundant.
* ElementalPowers
* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler:Energy Bending.]] Superfluous but useful.
* EliteMooks: The Dai Li and Yu Yan archers.
* EnemyMine: "The Blue Spirit", although it's not obvious that the Blue Spirit is an enemy
* EnsembleDarkHorse: Quite a few, but most notably Suki, [[spoiler: who becomes the {{sixth ranger}} of the group]], Jet, Mai, and June.
* ErmineCapeEffect: Bumi wears his robes all the time, unless he's[[FetishFuel showing off how great]] [[YourMileageMayVary an Earthbender he is]].
** For the fire nation, the fancy robes are often war armor, so it often makes sense to wear them a lot.
* EstrogenBrigadeBait: Zuko. Just...Zuko.
** Extremely {{lampshaded}} in "The Beach." He takes off his shirt, and [[DisturbedDoves a flock of doves flies past from out of nowhere]].
** Arguably also Sokka, Jet and Haru, to a lesser degree.
** Don't forget Aang. *Squee!* Look at how many dvd covers he appears on shirtless.
*** [[ShotaCon Um, Aang is TWELVE.]]
*** Technically Aang is 112.
*** This troper's wondering which one is less creepy.
*** Neither is creepy for the female members of the target age group and a bit older, anyway. (It's not {{Shotacon}} if you're young enough to qualify for {{Loli}}.) The rest of us...well...just picture him all grown up.
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:Azula]] starts to lose it after [[spoiler:Mai and Ty Lee do their HeelFaceTurn]].
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Incidentally, they're [[MixAndMatchCritters also otters]].
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Not really Azula, but definitely Yue.
* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: If it counts, cats make up the SMALL group of "normal" animals on Avatar.
* EverythingsWorseWithBears: Averted with Bosco, who is pretty nice. ''[[EverythingsBetterWithPlatypi Platypus]]''-bears on the other hand are not so nice.
* EvilForeigner: Parodied expertly as part of a pro-wrestling send-up.
* EvilIsSexy: Azula.
** And [[ShirtlessScene Ozai]].
*** And June.
**** And Zhao (mainly during the Agni Kai with Zuko)
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Zuko's hair changed from an exotic, {{samurai}}-inspired shaved-with-a-topknot look in season one to a [[RealLife standard]] EmoTeen mop by the end of Season 2 while his character becomes less and less the villain and more and more three-dimensional (and [[{{Angst}} angsty]]).
* TheFaceless: Firelord Ozai in books 1 and 2
* {{Fanart}}: Gotten to the point where some of the directors have set up their own active [[http://www.deviantart.com/ DeviantArt]] accounts. The staff has managed to compose an impressive [[http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/moxie13/DSC02388Fanartwall2.jpg fan art wall]]. One particular [[http://rufftoon.deviantart.com fanartist]] [[PromotedFanboy came to be hired as a storyboarder for the show]].
* FacePalm: "Hey, Sokka, how'd you get that mark on your forehead?"
* FalseStart: ''The Earth King'' See MomentKiller.
* FanCommunityNicknames: Due primarily to one certain [[http://isaia.deviantart.com/ "megafan"'s]] infamous, longrunning satire [[http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/39867827/?qo=10&q=by%3Aisaia&qh=boost%3Apopular+-in%3Ascraps comic]] of the Avatar fandom, fans have come to almost unanimously accept the term, "Avatards".
* FandomRivalry: "A couple more years, and you might be ready to fight a [[SpongeBob sea sponge]]." (For the record, [[http://www.avatarspiritmedia.net/news.php?year=2008&month=3#n525 we were]]. "[[MemeticMutation Yes! We have defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!]]")
* {{Fangirl}}: Zuko got a whole collection of them in the 3rd season, probably a ShoutOut to the EstrogenBrigade.
* {{Fan Nickname}}s
* FanService: in full force by Season 3
* FantasyCounterpartCulture - Although each nation has other elements mixed in, the main parts of the cultures are derived from:
** Air Nomads: Tibet, some elements of the Shaolin Temples of China
** Water Tribes: Inuit, with a little Pacific North West Indian.(Northern Tribe)
** Earth Kingdom: Qing (Manchu-dominated) Dynasty China with a little bit of Korea (Song's family from The Cave of Two Lovers) and Japan (Kyoshi Islands) in the mix
*** Peasant Clothing in the rural parts of Earth Kingdom is predominately Korean hanboks.
** Fire Nation: Tang Dynasty China/Taisho (Imperial) Japan/Mongolia
*** An offshoot of the Fire Nation, the Sun Warriors, borrow from Native American cultures, specifically Aztecs and Mayans.
* FantasyWorldMap: The official Avatar site at nick.com has a nice world map documenting the Gang's travels during the series.
* FetishFuel: Good lord! [[FetishFuel/{{Ptitlemxi508a6}} There's so much of it]], the [[IncrediblyLamePun fuel caught fire]]!
** Sounds [[IncrediblyLamePun ''hot'']].
* FetishFuelStationAttendant: Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and Zuko can run an entire FF station.
** EACH.
* {{Fiction 500}}: Toph's family.
* FindTheCure: "The Blue Spirit"
* FingerPokeOfDoom: The stronger a bender is, the more they can do with a little physical action. Toph in particular ''loves'' this.
** Bumi can earth bend with just his face (and his face looks as though he learned that the hard way).
* FirstGirlWins: Three times over.
* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Aang's entire culture is extinct, he's unaware of the war that's been going on for the past century, and his attempts to blend in in the Fire Nation are a mix of YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe and TotallyRadical.
* FiveManBand: See the [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbender Character Sheet]] for more info on them
** Aang: TheHero
** Katara: TheLancer and TheChick.
** Sokka: TheSmartGuy "The Idea Guy." and Baddass Normal.
** Toph: TheBigGuy
** [[spoiler:Zuko]]: SixthRanger
** [[spoiler:Suki]]: GuestStarPartyMember just before the series finale.
** The {{Team Pet}}s: Appa, the flying bison who doubles as the chief mode of transportation; and Momo, the flying lemur.
* FootFocus: Toph, very uncomfortably so of her dirtied feet.
* ForgotICouldFly: (Sokka when he's high on cactus juice)
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: In the episode "''The Swamp''", Aang was able to track Appa's location via their spiritual link. That sure would have come in handy when the Sandbenders kidnapped Appa, eh?
** Actually, Aang managed to find Appa in that episode [[spoiler: thanks to the trees in the swamp being all part of one tree]], so it can be argued that this cannot be replicated in the desert.
*** Or because Aang isn't trained well enough in it. [[spoiler:Guru Pathik pulls this trick to help Appa find Aang in 'Appa's Lost Days' by tapping into ''the surface of the planet''.]]
* FreudianExcuse: Defintely Zuko [[spoiler:and it seems Azula as well]].
* FreudianSlip: Zuko asking Iroh for help in defeating the Fatherlord.
* FridgeLogic: Throughout the series, Benders are rendered helpless by constricting their limbs, although Firebenders can use their nostrils and Airbenders their mouths. Aang doesn't move his limbs or use his mouth when he's using his glider, which is supposed to achieve true flight through Airbending. Er, how does that work...?
** Aang has shown on numerous occasions that he can manipulate wind without the fancy flips and what have you, additionally he should be more than able to guide the thing into air currents. If a kid in a wheelchair can do it, why can't a master Airbender like Aang?
* FruitCart: The Cabbage Merchant, who manages to be the Fruit Cart regardless of where the main gang go.
** LampShaded in a couple of episodes where he mentions that the new city is worse than the last place the gang encountered him.
* FullContactMagic: Bending is something between this and SupernaturalMartialArts.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Sokka does this to an Earthbender commander in "The Drill." Spoken word for word.
* GetALoadOfThatSquare: Aang's use of outdated Fire Nation slang to fit into a school doesn't impress anybody.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Has [[Radar/AvatarTheLastAirbender its own page]].
* TheGift: Azula and Toph
* GilliganCut
* GirlOfTheWeek: Jin and Song for Zuko. On Ji for Aang.
** Subverted with [[spoiler: Meng]], to whom he doesn't give the time of day.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Aang whenever he is in the Avatar State.
* AGodAmI: While Sozin was more or less an EvilOverlord and nobody saw enough of Azulon to know what went on with him, Ozai fits this during the finale, just by crowning himself Phoenix King before he's even won.
* GoodIsDumb: Lampshaded when, Right after getting into Aang's group, Zuko finds his Firebending suddenly lacking and guesses, "I bet it's because I changed sides." He had been using anger to fuel his bending up to that point and had learned to let go of it, temporarily leaving him without a proper conduit.
* GondorCallsForAid: "The Invasion"
* GoryDiscretionShot: Zuko's backstory in "The Storm"
** They also used one for the splitting in two of the water melon "head" of a target dummy, to put the emphasis on Aang's [[ThouShaltNotKill horror at the idea of execution]].
* GoodAngelBadAngel: Zuko's uncle and sister in the Season 2 finale; foreshadowed an episode earlier in a dream.
* GoodEyesEvilEyes: Zuko's scar shows that the writers and character artists are well aware of this trope
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Zuko's facial burn actually covers 2 variations of this trope. When he is evil, it makes him look that much more menacing, but in the episodes where he is good([[AntiHero ish]]), it makes him look more noble -- it is actually taken as a cue by Song and Jet that he is a fighter against the Fire Nation.
** One of the things that makes it look much more menacing is it's jagged edge and his shriveled ear. When he starts his journey towards being good, he grows his hair out, covering the jagged edge and drawing attention away from the ear.
* GovernmentConspiracy: "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."
** AKA [[NineteenEightyFour Eurasia]].
* GrandFinale
* GreatEscape: "The Boiling Rock"
* GreenAesop: The fire nation's industrialism seems like this, but it was most clear in "The Painted Lady".
* HalloweenEpisode: "The Puppetmaster" was meant to be one and was supposed to be shown on Halloween.
* HappyEnding: Basically the [[spoiler:entire finale]].
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: To Katara's initial frustration, Aang picks up the basics of Waterbending ''instantly'', whereas it took her two months to figure out how to draw and recede a maybe three-foot stretch of water.
** Partially averted in that Katara's determination means she quickly outstrips Aang when she gets an actual teacher, to the point where she's eventually made his teacher.
* HeartSymbol: In "The Boiling Rock". Sokka exhibits it when he realizes [[spoiler:Suki]] is a prisoner there, so his mission [[spoiler:with Zuko]] is not in vain, ''and'' he gets [[spoiler:his LoveInterest back]].
* TheHeavy: Azula in Book 2
* HeelFaceTurn: If you watch the first season you will not be too surprised by the [[spoiler:Zuko turning]]. But it is played with and at least initially subverted in several instances because FamiliarityBreedsContemplation.
** [[spoiler:[[{{Quirky Miniboss Squad}} Mai and Ty Lee]]]] also turn later in the third season.
* HeroKiller: Azula.
* HesJustHiding: [[spoiler:Jet]] and [[spoiler:Zhao]]
** Most fans still believe this of a number of Air Nomads.
** Heck, [[spoiler:Jet's]] was lampshaded with Sokka's line in "The Ember Island Players." WordOfGod is that ExecutiveMeddling forced them to make the fact that he was KilledOffForReal more ambiguous.
* [=~ Hey, It's That Voice! ~=]: So [[KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Jolee Bindo]] is an Earthbender, huh?
** And Carth Onasi is a scholar, too.
** And one of the Earth Kingdom Generals has the same voice as Jin from {{Lost}}.
** I didn't know [[AmericanDragonJakeLong Jake Long]] and [[FairlyOddParents Vicky]] are siblings...
*** Azula seems more like [[BillyAndMandy Mandy]] than Vicky. Vicky is just overt, in-your-face evil, while Mandy is a more cold, calculating, and unpredictable kind of evil.
** And Katara is [[AmericanDragonJakeLong The Huntsgirl]].
*** [[ArrestedDevelopment Her?]]
** Ozai is a slightly more sane and rational version of [[BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The Joker]] played by [[StarWars Mark Hamill.]]
*** Hell, he even ''sounds'' like the Joker in Aang's dreams from "Nightmares and Daydreams".
** Sokka's Master is the [[TheTerminator T-1000]] as well as [[TheUnit Colonel Ryan.]]
** Toph's father is [[TalesOfSymphonia Kratos]] as well as Sky from {{JadeEmpire}}, not to mention [[MetalGearSolid Liquid Snake]].
** Tennis champ [[OneOfUs Serena Williams]] is Ming, the kind prison guard.
** The late Mako was Uncle Iroh.
**[[ThirdPersonPerson The Boulder]] [[LampshadeHanging realises]] [[BoisterousBruiser that]] [[{{LargeHam}} he]] [[{{NobodyCallsMeChicken}} sounds]] [[{{AffectionateParody}} like]] [[{{WWE}} Mick Foley!]]
** [[HarryPotter Lucius Malfoy]] is Admiral Zhao and [[SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Lex Luthor]] is Long Feng. [[EvilIsSexy ROAWWW....]]
** One of Jet's pals is [[MyGymPartnersAMonkey Adam Lyon]].
** An early episode features a Fire Nation prison ship run by [[StarTrek Mr. Sulu]], while The Mechanist is [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Odo]].
** Actor Toph is [[JohnDiMaggio Bender]], and Actor Aang is [[SaturdayNightLive Rachel Dratch]].
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Koh the face stealer for starters.
** Azula. Especially when she has her breakdown at the end of the series.
** Bloodbending. And Hama as well.
** Wan Shi Tong, the spirit of the library, was pretty damn scary as well. Especially when angered.
* HitchhikerHeroes: They started out with three. They ended with a lot more.
* HoYay: Mostly Aang/Zuko, Jet/Zuko, Ty Lee/Azula, Roku/Sozin, Katara/Toph.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Zhao
* HonorBeforeReason: A least a thousand times.
* HookHand: Jet in "The Ember Island Players".
* {{HSQ}}: The ''entirety'' of the last two episodes.
* HumanPopsicle: Aang, in the iceberg.
* HumiliationConga: [[spoiler: Ozai]]
* IAmLegion: Avatars speak with all the voices of their previous incarnations when in the Avatar state. Gets rather creepy with a pissed-off Aang demanding to know where his Bison is with a voice usually reserved for Demons.
* IAmSpartacus: "The Headband"
* ICallItVera: Boomerang, and Space Sword
* IceCreamKoan: Zuko ends up doing one of these when he asks himself, "What would Uncle do?"
--> '''Zuko''': "Zuko, you must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself."
** Also from Hue:
--->"Pants are an illusion, and so is death."
** Zuko does it again in "The Boiling Rock".
---> '''Zuko''': "Clouds have a light side and a dark side, and a silver lining in the middle. So it's kind of like a silver sandwich. So when life gets you down, just take a bite out of the silver sandwich!"
* IconicItem: Sokka's Boomerang, Katara's "hair loopies"
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Aang... at least comparatively.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Sokka sometimes, especially in "Sokka's Master".
* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: Aang to Jet in "Lake Laogai"
* ImpairmentShot: The Xerxhu in "Bato of the Water Tribe" after Sokka has the sisters and Katara overwhelm its scent-sight with perfume.
* ImportantHaircut:
** The usually shaven-headed Aang grows some hair between Seasons 2 and 3, and later gives himself an ImportantHaircut when he's about to face off with the BigBad.
** Also Zuko and Iroh cut off their topknots when they are marked as traitors.
** Happens again in the Season 3 Finale, only it isn't a turn for the better for the character, who's suffering from a bad case of SanitySlippage.
** Though not literally a ''haircut'', some of the characters' hair grows out throughout the series (such as Katara's, Sokka's, and Zuko's). While this is a way of showing time passing, it also signals character development and gives the character a more mature air (notably Katara).
* IncrediblyLamePun - King of Omashu, lots of them
--> '''Katara:''' Let us leave!
--> '''King:''' [Picking up bit of his salad] "Lettuce leaf ... ?"
** The Gaang.
** Actor Sokka, at the real Sokka's insistence.
* IndyPloy: Prince Zuko's efforts to capture the Avatar.
* InstantArmor: Frequently used by Earthbenders, and once by a Metalbending Toph.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: Guess who the first firebenders were?
* InstantExpert: Katara masters waterbending in a few weeks, an act that normally takes a lifetime. Aang pulls this with water ''and'' earth (which he becomes an expert in mere episodes after he's shown unable to earthbend at all)and to a lesser extent air, which he manages to master by the age of twelve, before he gets frozen, with the caveat that he's learned it all before in past lives. Sokka becomes pretty good with a sword in a single episode. For bonus points, it's implied that this episode was actually only ''two days''. One in which he ''learned how to use a sword well enough to give a decent fight to a grandmaster'', and one in which he ''forged his own sword out of a meteor''. So he became an instant expert in swordsmanship ''and'' blacksmithing.
** Sokka swordsmanship ''almost'' makes sense; his master doesn't teach him very much about how to swing a sword and even says out-loud that Sokka has very little in the way of literal skill; his seemingly bizarre exercises like painting the landscape teach Sokka about ''state of mind,'' exemplified when they fight at the end and his comments are exclusively geared towards how Sokka has learned to adapt to the unpredictable nature of combat with improvisation instead of relying on a fixed set of moves that can't possibly account for every, or even ''many'' specific situations. It's still pretty crazy because students under teachers who teach this philosophy often take quite a long time to understand it and think of their movesets as a starting point instead of rules set in stone.
* InternetBackdraft: Cases of ShipToShipCombat being a large offender, but mention this as an Anime and you'll set a forum ablaze for days.
* InTheBlood: Zuko, revealed by Iroh in Season 3, has inherited his paternal great-grandfather Sozin's "evil" and his maternal great-grandfather [[spoiler:Roku's]] "good". "Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy."
* ISurrenderSuckers: Azula
* ItGotWorse: The second half of the second season.
* IWasQuiteALooker: Lo and Li. Zuko is... [[BrainBleach less]] [[{{Squick}} than]] [[INeedAFreakingDrink thrilled]] when they tell him this.
* KangarooCourt: "Avatar Day"
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Firelord Sozin]]
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Admiral Zhao]], to avoid an EmbarrassingRescue. Given a rather contemplative ethical LampshadeHanging in Kyoshi's flashback in the finale.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:The Moon Spirit and Princess Yue had to take its place, Admiral Zhao, Jet and Combustion Man]].
* KingOfAllCosmos: [[spoiler:The lion-turtle from the finale, while probably not God, is the oldest, largest, and wisest living thing in the world.]]
* KnifeOutline: Katara pulls this trope off with ice.
* {{Koan}}: Half the things that Iroh says to Zuko, to Zuko's annoyance.
** Also Hue: "Time is an illusion, and so is death."
* LadyForADay: Katara and Toph in "City of Walls and Secrets" (though arguably this does not apply to Toph as she is already a member of the upper class, she just doesn't ordinarily dress like one).
* LampshadeHanging: It's hard to see what's going on in The Ember Island Players for all the lampshades.
* LastOfHisKind - Aang. He happens to be [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Last Airbender.]]
* LemonWackyHello: Sokka in the desert episode
* LimitedWardrobe: Subverted and played straight: The kids have a verity of outfits depending on where there are, what they're doing, and what season it is, but if they can get away with it they'll just wear the same thing for as long as possible before being forced to change.
* LimpAndLivid: Used as a sign of [[spoiler:Azula's]] progressing insanity.
* LiveActionAdaptation: A movie has been announced; the scriptwriter and planned director is M. Night Shyamalan. With the decision not to use animation and the lackluster level of Shyamalan's most recent movies, the news did not intially set well for a majority of the fans. The creators, however, recently [[http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3=40610 have voiced their enthusiastic approval]]. Though still in its early stages, this comes as an enormous relief to many fans, who feared that the movie would diverge significantly from the storyline and that the co-creators would be left completely out of the creative process.
** [[http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/ There may be a few]] [[RaceLift issues with casting, however...]]
** Of course, [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/6/24/ others see it differently...]]
* LockedInARoom: Subverted: Katara and Zuko get trapped in a cave, but no moral is learned and no loyalties change.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Aang towards Katara; Sokka and Yue
* LoveDodecahedron - Mostly due to the massive shipping opportunities the fans exploit. In the show itself it doesn't get in the way except for the occasional ShipTease. This was actually parodied at Comic-Con with a list of every possible pairing and the associated PortmanteauCoupleName. (Lo-Iroh-Li?)
* LukeIAmYourFather: Roku, Aang's spiritual predecessor, was [[spoiler:Zuko's great grandfather on his mother's side, which might explain why his mother felt something was wrong with Azula]].
* MachiavelliWasWrong: [[spoiler:"I love Zuko more than I fear you."]]
* MacGuffin: The frozen frogs in ''The Blue Spirit'' were mostly a method to separate Aang from the group and give the episode a race against time.
* MaddenIntoMisanthropy: Toph.
* MadeOfIron: Pretty much everyone, to some degree or another; especially when Earthbending gets involved, or after falling 50 feet.
* MagicalGirlfriend: Arguably, Princess Yue.
* {{Magitek}}: The use of bending as industry and as a proxy for modern technology.
* MakingASplash: Waterbenders
* MalfunctionMalady: Aang's sneezes launch him 10 feet into the air, though this is arguable; Aang is known for being playful.
* MamaBear: Ursa. Katara has moments of this (her threats to Zuko in season 3).
* ManchurianAgent: The brainwashing done by Dai Li is activated by saying "(name), the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." to which they respond by gaining MindControlEyes and saying "I am honored to accept his invitation."
* MarketBasedTitle: ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in the UK, where "bender" is derogatory slang for a male homosexual.
* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: Katara. Good lord. Katara.
* MeleeATrois: the end of "The Chase"
* MemeticBadass: Iroh, Toph, "Wang Fire", Melon Lord.
* MentorShip: Aang get shipped with all 3 of his bending teachers -- Katara, Toph, and, yes, Zuko.
* {{Metaphorgotten}}:
-->'''Suki:''' The king of... guys... who... don't win?\\
'''Toph:''' ...leave the nicknames to us, honey.
* MexicanStandOff: The end of "The Chase"
* MilkyWhiteEyes: Toph
* MindControlEyes: The {{Manchurian Agent}}s
* MinionShipping: Zuko and Mai
* MissedMomentOfAwesome: Iroh's escape from the Fire Nation prison in Season 3 was never seen (although there was plenty of action in the invasion arc already). We're just told he was a OneManArmy. And this might have even happened during the eclipse, when he couldn't firebend. This is largely why the fans consider him so awesome.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Started off for fun by Bryan Konietzko, but it wasn't long before the writers caught on. Now he and the character designers are mostly trying to keep up with their crazy ideas. {{Lampshaded}} when it was mentioned a certain character wanted to exhibit his bear. The characters who weren't reading the announcement immediately assumed Katara meant some hybrid animal.
* MomentKiller: Quite a few. Then again, this is a series with an unusual amount of ShipTease.
* MoodSwinger: Katara, to the point of a meme about how "it must be her time of the month."
** Doubly interesting due to waterbenders' close connection to the moon.
** If anything, Zuko is worse about this (See The Warriors of Kyoshi for a great example.)
* MultipleDemographicAppeal
* MusclesAreMeaningless: For example, when Jun defeats some huge guy at arm wrestling.
* MushroomSamba: "Cactus Juice; it'll quench ya."
* {{Narm}}: Seriously, you cannot watch Zuko shouting at the sky without picturing {{Bruce Almighty}} in your head.
** And Zuko's idea of a romantic line: "I love it when you hate the world." (This one was probably intentional.)
*** "You stole my BISON! WHERE IS HE?!"
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: The Fire Nation
* NeverSayDie: Averted with everyone that died before the series started, as well as death threats. On the other hand the fate of the [[strike:four]] [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence three]] named characters that died ''during'' the show was systematically pussyfooted around (though all three were confirmed by WordOfGod). They even managed to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] the ambiguity without actually saying that the characters died.
** In the GrandFinale, Ozai even said "PrepareToDie" in the usual dramatic fashion, but with none of the {{Narm}} involved.
* NeverTrustATrailer
* NewAgeRetroHippie: the "nomads" the Gaang run into during "The Cave of Two Lovers"
* NewOldFlame: Mai
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Sozin's extermination of the Air Nomads in order to prevent the Avatar from being reborn.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain
* NightmareFuel: The spirit Koh from Book 1, Episode 20. [[spoiler: "You've come to me...''with a new face''."]] *shiver*
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: several Professional Wrestlers in "The Blind Bandit", most obvious "The Boulder"
* NoConservationOfEnergy: Bending itself. Noether is spinning in her grave.
* NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: Happens to Azula in "The Beach"
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: After [[spoiler: Aang's apparent death by lightning in the second season finale]], Zuko claims, "There's no way he could have survived"... but he's lying, and the DangerouslyGenreSavvy Azula knows this. [[spoiler: He actually did die, but Katara revives him with the spirit water]].
** Also {{Lampshaded}} in "The Southern Raiders"
---> ''Azula falls off the blimp.''\\
'''Zuko:''' She's not gonna make it.\\
''Azula saves herself from falling to her death.''\\
'''Zuko:''' ...of course she did.
* NoRestForTheWicked: Aang in "Nightmares and Daydreams"
* NonLethalWarfare: Somewhat averted by the fact, that lots of violent death is explicitly mentioned, though never shown on screen.
* NothingCanStopUsNow: Horribly invoked by Sokka in "The Earth King". And just a minute short of the credits too.
* NotSoDifferent: Aang and Zuko
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Iroh in "Sokka's Master"; King Bumi pretty much all the time.
* OfficialCouple: Aang and Katara, [[spoiler: Zuko and Mai, Sokka and Suki]].
* OldMaster: Bumi, Iroh, Pakku, Gyatso, Roku and others.
* TheOjou: Mai, and Toph might fit. She at least acted like one before she revealed her skills to her family.
* OminousApproach: Azula engages in this on top of the Drill in season one after pummeling Aang into near unconsciousness.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: In the first season, Zuko needs to capture Aang to regain his honor, and will go as far as invading a prison and breaking Aang out when somebody else from his nation catches him.
* OpenTheIris: Sokka's MushroomSamba a la Cactus Juice in "The Desert"; people who have been to [[ManchurianAgent Lake Laogai]].
* OpeningNarration
-->'''Katara:''' "Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar -- an airbender named Aang. Although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world."
* OrificeInvasion: "Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka." ItMakesSenseInContext.
* OrphanedPunchline: At one point Zuko tells Iroh's favourite joke. Trouble is, Zuko can only remember the punchline.
--> "Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!"
* TheOtherDarrin: Iroh's voice actor, Mako, died, and was replaced by Greg Baldwin.
* {{Oubliette}}
* OverprotectiveDad: Toph left the Bai Fong family's BigFancyHouse for a reason.
* PaleSkinnedBrunette: Mai, Azula, Zuko, Toph, June
* [=~Panda-ing To The Audience~=]: A [[NightmareFuel terrifying]] black-and-white spirit-monster early in the series turns out to be a very large, very angry dead panda. After being placated it goes back to looking like an actual panda and helps out Aang when he returns to the spirit world later on. Pandas are also one of the few animals that are ''not'' MixAndMatchCritters.
** [[WildMassGuessing They're half black bear, half polar bear]]
* PaperThinDisguise: Also done in all three seasons.
* ParentalAbandonment: A good number of heroes and bad guys, but especially Zuko, who's father practically disowned him.
** DisappearedDad: All the adult males in Katara and Sokka's ''entire village'', Aang's father-figure, Gyatso.
** MissingMom: Katara and Sokka. Zuko and Azula. Yue. Just for starters.
* ParentalSubstitute: Iroh ends up being a better father figure for Zuko than Ozai.
* PeripheryDemographic: Despite being initially targeted at elementary school-age kids, the show become quite popular ([[strike:possibly]] likely even ''more'' popular) among preteens and teenagers.
** And young adults in their 20's.
*** And adults in their 40's. And seniors in their 70. And... well, you get the point.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Some benders, more often than not Earth Benders, can be quite destructive. And a fully realized Avatar is like this with all the elements... and that's before they go into the Godlike Avatar State.
* PlayingWithFire: Firebenders, obviously.
** And Aang, who thought it was cool at first, until he learned better.
* PosthumousCharacter: Monk Gyatso, Avatar Roku, Fire Lord Sozin, Fire Lord Azulon, Lu Ten, and Kya.
* PowerFloats: Again, Aang when in the Avatar State.
* PowerGlows: Aang when in the Avatar State.
* ThePowerOfLove: The MachiavelliWasWrong example on this page.
* PowerTattoo: Aang
* PowerTrio: Azula, Mai and Ty Lee.
* PraetorianGuard: Azula has one when she's introduced, but they're not too useful.
** She later gets a better one.
* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: Sokka's boomerang always comes back. Lampshaded frequently:
--> Sokka: Boomerang! You really ''do'' always come back!
** [[spoiler:Subverted in the GrandFinale, when it doesn't. And subsequently lampshaded]]
--> Sokka: [[spoiler: I don't think boomerang's coming back.]]
* PrettyInMink: The Water Tribes. [[JustifiedTrope Justified, considering where they live]], but their coats seem to be made for style as much as warmth.
** Mai has a fur trimmed robe.
** Toph's Earth nation outfit has two white furry puff balls on her head.
* PrisonsAreGymnasiums
* ProfessionalWrestling: Brilliantly skewered in "The Blind Bandit," complete with {{Kayfabe}} and a guy who talks like Macho Man Randy Savage.
* PsychoElectro: Azula and Ozai.
* PsychoticSmirk: Azula does this a lot, as does her father Ozai and [[EvilChancellor Long Feng.]] Joo Dee, as well, to some extent, but her creepy smile doesn't fit into a trope as "Brainwashed Cheshire Cat" doesn't exist, as far as this troper knows.
* PutOnABus: Zuko's ship crew and The Earth King and his Bear
* PyroManiac: Azula, especially post-[[VillainousBreakdown VBD]]
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.
* RaceLift: The show has an East Asian feel but TheMovie has so far casted people of either caucasian or Indian ethnicity.
* RageAgainstTheReflection: Azula.
* RagnarokProofing: Subverted. A city looks like it's in perfect shape despite being abandoned for centuries, but it turns out people are still living there.
* TheRashomon: "The Great Divide". The real story [[spoiler:is actually just made up by Aang, in order to get the people to make peace.]]
* ReadyForLovemaking: Sokka. Yes, they got away with this.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Aang is literally 112 years old, but spend one hundred of those years as a HumanPopsicle.
* RebelLeader: Jet ... and a rather [[WellIntentionedExtremist extremist one]] at that.
* RebelRelaxation: Jet is fond of this, complete with a piece of straw in his mouth [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything much like]] [[SmokingIsCool a cigarette]], effectively wooing Katara (in the episode 'Jet') because AllGirlsWantBadBoys.
* RecapEpisode: "The Legend So Far" mini-episode, shown right before the penultimate episode of the first season, and [[{{Narrator}} narrated]] by the voice of SpiritAdvisor Avatar Roku.
** And "The Boy in the Iceberg".
** And then subverted by the second-to-last episodes of Seasons 2 and 3, "The Guru" and "The Ember Island Players".
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Jet]]
* RedemptionQuest: Zuko, trying to earn his father's approval. Inverted, however, in that he's trying to prove himself evil.
* RedundantResearcher: Professor Zei (from "TheLibrary")
* RefugeInAudacity: While most kids on TV CantGetAwayWithNuthin, in the episode "The Runaway", the crew pull a series of schemes that includes Toph pulling a {{Flopsy}} on a nobleman. Seriously.
* RefugeInCool: Even after accepting the bending powers, it's still loads of using RuleOfCool.
* RegentForLife: Long Feng
* RelationshipWritingFumble: Azula permanently sounding like she's trying to [[TheVamp seduce]] her [[BrotherSisterIncest brother]].
* RequisiteRoyalRegalia: The Fire Nation's crowns are extremely low key, but still elegant.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: The Fire Nation nobility.
* RunawayFiance: Part of Kanna's backstory.
* RunningGag: Several.
** Zuko's ship suffering major damage every few episodes -- losing the miniboat over a waterfall, a Shirshu ripping a hole in the deck, being buried under an avalanche, being set on fire by a catapult, being struck by lightning, and finally being blown up entirely in a failed assassination attempt by Admiral Zhao.
** Frequent sightings of an [[YuppieCouple unfortunate cabbage merchant]] in the Earth Kingdom, whose [[FruitCart cart and produce]] are inevitably destroyed during every appearance. "My CABBAGES!!!"
** People forgetting that Toph is blind, and thus can't read or recognize people's faces. This reached the point where someone asked her what was on a piece of paper ''twice in one episode.''
--->'''Toph''': I don't know! I mean, seriously, what's with you people?! I'm ''blind''!
*** Not to mention the episode where the Gaang is looking for Appa. At one point they're putting up posters, and ask suggest Toph tag along with Sokka.
---->'''Toph''': You think I can't hang poster up on my ''own''?! *takes a poster, slathers ''the front of it'' in glue, and slams it on the wall* ...it's upside down, isn't it? ...I'll just go with Sokka.
** Sokka's fake beard and his "skill" with art.
* SandIsWater: The sandbenders sail around on it.
* ScaryImpracticalArmor: Spoofed, with the creators admitting they just thought stuff like that was stupid.
* SceneryPorn: Seriously, the background art is gorgeous.
* SealedWithAKiss
* SendInTheClones: "Joo Dee" is not so much a person as it is a job title and the Dai Li have dozens of similar-looking brainwashed women ready to step in and take over should the current Joo Dee ever [[GlamourFailure slip up]].
* SeriousBusiness: Azula's reaction to winning a game of, essentially, beach volleyball in "The Beach":
--->'''Azula''': Yes, we defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation! [[{{Beat}} (pause)]] Well that was fun.
** Seriously? She embodied this one in that episode, especially given her speech to the Admiral's son about how they could conquer the world together... which came after a "I think I like you" exchange.
* SexyBack: The Painted Lady, according to the little statue Shu brings out. Katara noticeably averts this by wearing her Fire Nation dress under the robe. [[spoiler:The REAL Painted Lady, who appears at the end of the episode, does not.]]
* ShadowArchetype: Katara and Azula.
* ShadowDiscretionShot: Spoofed, with the first appearance of Momo.
* {{Shipping}}: Egads, the shipping rivals ''HarryPotter''...
* ShipSinking: They sink ships with ''nukes'' on this show.
* ShipTease: The writers of this show are absolute masters of this craft; in addition to the nigh-constant ship teasing actually in the show, the creators... oh, just read the {{Troll}} entry.
* ShipperOnDeck: Jun, the [[FanNickname Patron Saint of Zutara]].
* ShirtlessScene: Every major male character eventually; one of Zuko's came complete with DisturbedDoves, with a following shot of a gaggle of instant {{Fangirl}}s.
* ShockAndAwe: Experienced Firebenders are able to bend lightning.
* ShootTheDog: Avatar Yangchen was a proponent of this, and advised Aang to kill Ozai, claiming that his own spiritual needs would have to be sacrificed for the greater good, because she believes his role as the Avatar supercedes his teachings as an Airbender.
** Kyoshi has shades of this as well, though not to the same extent as Yangchen. When Aang consults her about what to do about Ozai, she takes responsibility for the accidental death of Chen the Conqueror, claiming that although she didn't kill him, she was prepared to if necessary.
* ShoutOut
** Iroh calls Zuko out by asking him, [[BabylonFive "Who are you, and what do you want?"]]
** Aang disrupts a band lesson by [[TheSimpsons getting carried away]].
** Sokka is annoyed to tears by a drugged-out hippie named [[CheechAndChong Chong]].
** Toph morphs meteor rock into the trademark {{Nickelodeon}} splash.
** One extremely circuitous example occurs in Ba Sing Se. [[spoiler:Zuko]] disguises himself with a mask that's actually Pazuzu, as seen in ''TheExorcist''. However, that film actually used a Japanese ''hannya'' Noh mask, which is in fact Asian. Thus, it's the FantasyCounterpartCulture's equivalent foreign face.
** The episode ''Zuko Alone''. Shades of ''{{Shane}}'' can be detected. Zuko is a [[TheWildWest cowboy]]!
***Also the three-sided MexicanStandoff between Aang, Zuko and Azula in a ghost town in the next episode. This troper couldn't help but squeal: ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''!
*** This troper's friend, upon watching it, said "They probably would have played the music if they could have gotten away with it."
** Both of June's appearances feature a guy that looks like [[StreetFighter Ryu]].
* ShownTheirWork: The creators went to [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Influences_on_Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender notoriously painstaking]] detail to shape the entire series.
* ShutUpAndSaveMe: A restrained-by-pirates Sokka, to Aang and Katara, in "The Waterbending Scroll."
* ShutUpKiss: Sokka and Suki in "The Serpent's Pass"; Aang and Katara in "The Invasion"
* SilentBob: Longshot
* SinglePaletteTown: In fact, single palette continents: Nearly all Earth Kingdom residents wear a green & brown motif, Fire Nationers wear red, Water Tribers wear blue. Presumably, air nomads wore yellow, but we don't see too many, what with Aang being the last and all.
* SlasherSmile: Azula's PsychoticSmirk becomes this after her VillainousBreakdown.
* SlobsVersusSnobs: "The Great Divide."
* SmiteMeOhMightySmiter: Zuko's rant at the storm in "Bitter Work". Unusually, played for drama.
* SmugSnake: Admiral Zhao. Seriously, when your EstablishingCharacterMoment is getting your ass handed to you by both a teenager and an [[OldMaster old man]] in the same ten minute interval, you should start considering the possibility that maybe you're not as awesome as you think you are.
* SnipeHunt: The terms of Zuko's banishment. Track down someone not seen for 100 years and [[YouCantGoHomeAgain you can come home again]]? Riiiight.
* SoftWater: In the finale, when [[spoiler:the crew members on the airship are dumped into the water.]]
** To be fair, [[spoiler: the airship was fairly low when they were dropped. And it happens again in the finale battle with Ozai, though Aang was waterbending.]]
* SorryILeftTheBGMOn: "The Blue Spirit" and "The Painted Lady".
* SphereOfPower
* SpiritAdvisor: Avatar Roku
* SplitPersonality: [=Dock/Shu/Bushi=] in "The Painted Lady." [[RefugeInAudacity He doen't try to hide it either.]]
* [[SpoilerOpening Spoiler Recap]]: Episodes will often open with a recap of ''anything from an earlier episode that is related to the current one in any way''; if Jet shows up in the recap, don't be surprised about Jet suddenly showing up. The Order of the White Lotus was given obvious importance extremely early because of this, for one example.
* StayInTheKitchen: The Northern Water Tribe only trains men in combative Waterbending; women can only learning healing techniques.
* StepfordSmiler: "Welcome to Ba Sing Se!"
* StuffBlowingUp: A mountain full of methane pockets. And one of them is right underneath the fire nation invading force. Guess what happens.
** Azula seems to think a volley ball-like game called Kuai Ball requires ''explosions''.
* StylisticSuck: In "The Ember Island Players"
* SubvertedTrope - Several of 'em.
* SuperMode: The Avatar State
* SurrogateSoliloquy: Aang and Momo
* SwordFight: The ''much'' looked forward to dual dao sabers vs. twin tiger-head hook sword face-off; overlaps with EvasiveFightThreadEpisode.
** And several times in season 3, when Sokka receives [[TookALevelInBadass sword training]].
* SwordOverHead: After Zuko defeats his arch rival, Commander Zhao, in an Agni Kai (one-on-one Firebender duel), Zhao expects Zuko to kill him with a FinishingMove, but to his surprise, Zuko spares him, blasting the ground near his head.
* SurvivalMantra: "Azula always lies, Azula always lies..."
* SurvivorGuilt: Aang
* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:Aang chi-bends Ozai]] to no longer be capable of [[spoiler:firebending rather than kill]] him or lose to him.
** Also: Ozai could either kill Zuko, or give up his claim to the throne. Instead [[spoiler:Ursa]] took a third option for him, assassinating Azulon and setting Ozai up as heir.
** In an early episode, Aang is presented with two armed men to duel against. He, instead, chooses King Bumi, the doddering old guy who's been running the TestOfCharacter. [[SubvertedTrope Much to the audience's delight]], Bumi reveals himself to be a BadassGrandpa...
* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Zuko to Katara]], from [[spoiler:Azula]].
* TastyGold: TropeNamer
* TearJerker: "The Tale of Iroh." (Made even more poignant for being dedicated to the character's voice actor, who had just passed away.)
** [[spoiler:"How could you forgive me so easily!?"]]
** "Appa's Lost Days". YourMileageMayVary, depending on your feelings towards animal cruelty.
* TemptingFate: Sokka is to blame for 70% of instances relating to this trope.
** {{Lampshaded}} in 'The Awakening'.
---> '''Sokka''': The Universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?\\
'''Toph''': You make it too easy!
* TiredOfRunning: Zuko chooses to fight Azula rather than run in the Season 2 Finale.
* ThatsNoMoon: [[spoiler:The Lion-Turtle Island.]]
* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself - The [[FinalBattle Final Battle]]
* ThisIsSparta: Sokka: [[spoiler:"WHERE?! IS?! SUKI?!?!"]] Zuko: [[spoiler:"Where. Is. My mother?"]]
* ThouShaltNotKill: Aang
* ThrowItIn: Sokka's humor and mannerisms were derived from the improvisations of his comedian voice actor.
** Additionally, in the episode ''The Ember Island Players'' the entire show was parodied hilariously by a play. The actor parodying Sokka was rather Unfunny and so Sokka tried to fix it by substituting his own jokes with even more hilarious results.
* ThunderboltIron: Sokka's sword.
** Also the left-over meteor metal he gives to Toph, which she wears as an armlet.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: TheLadette-in-progress Toph and the TeamMom Katara.
* TongueOnTheFlagpole: Only with Aang's glider.
* TookALevelInBadass: Sokka in the third season. Katara at the end of season 1.
* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: Used by the group to attack the Fire Nation.
* TotallyRadical: Book 3, Episode 2, with ''in-universe'' slang.
-->Sokka: ''[='Flame-eo?'=]''
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Iroh loves his tea.
* TrainingMontage: In "Sokka's Master", which is, in essence, one episode-long Training Montage
* TrainingFromHell: For Aang, Earthbending tutelage under Toph.
* TransformationIsAFreeAction (Azula is DangerouslyGenreSavvy in this regard.)
* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot
* {{Troll}}: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG82P1lYD90 The]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPJHl-vgajQ#movie_player creators]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX6zWBQRXvA themselves]].
* TVTeen: Both played straight (everyone's skin is perfect, and some of the [=VAs=] are well past 30) and wildly subverted (see GettingCrapPastTheRadar for an ''exhaustive'' list of implied offscreen teen sex...)
** UNDERAGE implied offscreen teen sex.
* TwistEnding: Prominent throughout Season 2, in contrast to the usual "ride off happily into the sunset" endings of most episodes in season 1. One episode in which it was [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] contained several plot twists at the end. The episode later received an [[http://www.emmys.org/awards/2007pt/59thnominations.php Emmy Nom]].
* TheUnfavorite: Zuko
* TheUnreveal: "''Where is my mother?''" Not in the finale.
* UnpronounceableAlias: The page quote for this trope comes from the episode "The King of Omashu".
* UnstoppableRage: The Avatar State
* [[UsefulNotes/{{China}} Useful Notes on China]]: "Laogai" is actually a phrase referring to reformative training, [[UnfortunateImplications usually associated with Communist China.]]
** Pay attention to the dinner scene in 'The Blind Bandit'. That's an actual traditional Chinese tune playing in the background. It's called 'Mo Li Hua' or Jasmine Flower, and crosses into SuspiciouslyAproposMusic when you consider that Toph's parents see her that way.
* VaporWear
* VictoryGloating: Azula turns it into an art.
* VictoryIsBoring: Although not a usual case, Mai's declaration after beating Katara and Sokka is the TropeNamer.
* VillainEpisode: "Zuko Alone"
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Azula]] practically ''embodies'' this trope.
* VoiceOfTheLegion
* WalkingTheEarth: Season 1; overlaps with SternChase
* {{Wangst}}: Zuko [[{{Understatement}} occasionally]]; Aang more intermittently.
* WatchingTheSunset
* WellDoneSonGuy: Guess who.
* WeWillMeetAgain: Said by Koh to Aang. They still haven't, but hey, it's been less than a year.
* WhamEpisode: "The Crossroads of Destiny"
* WhatAnIdiot: Delectable tea or deadly poison, anyone?
** A group try to force Aang into the Avatar State. It works, but Aang almost destroys the complex and everyone inside.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: See also CliffHanger above. The production staff even planned a storyboard for it and everything...
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome: Shows up a few times, usually played for comedy.
** "It's called Sokka-style, LEARN IT!"
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to Smellerbee and Longshot after the season two finale?
** Chances are they died.
*** Screw chances!
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Lampshaded, when Sokka calls out the elemental powers of the Gaang, in the style of CaptainPlanet, and ends with "fan and sword" (Suki's and his respective skills).
* WhatTheHellHero: Sokka (and later, Aang and Katara) call Jet out when [[spoiler:he tries to destroy an Earth kingdom town in order rid the valley of the few Fire Nations soldiers posted there.]]
* WhatTheFuAreYouDoing: Sokka just before he went badass.
* WhatWouldXDo: "What would Uncle do?" is a question Zuko frequently asks himself when trying to do the right thing in season 3.
* WhipItGood: A frequently used waterbending technique.
** Firebending, as well: Zuko in the second finale against Katara's water ones, along with A stage magician and a Circus animal trainer. Plus, don't forget [[FetishFuelStationAttendant June]].
* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl : Princess Yue. This one actually have a reason for the unusual color. In contrast to Aunt Wu's assisstant.
** Perhaps he's just old, or he went white early?
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "The Storm", "Appa's Lost Days", "Zuko Alone", "The Avatar and the Firelord"
* WhoWouldWantToWatchUs: "The Ember Island Players"
* WhyDontYaJustShootHim: As Ozai points out, [[spoiler:Zuko has just cornered him during a solar eclipse (''i.e.'' no Firebending) and has a pair of swords pointed at him. Zuko states that that's the Avatar's destiny.]]
** Also, Zhao actually captured Aang in the first season, but didn't kill him because then he'd reincarnate. Into one of two possible locations (practically all the Southern Water Tribe's men of reproductive age are off fighting), one of which he had planned to take over by the end of winter and likely would have actually succeeded at if he had killed Aang, and the other, while unknown to him, full of rednecks. Not to mention that the new Avatar would be, at absolute best, learning to ''sit upright'' by the time Sozin's Comet arrived.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Azula and Ozai at the end.
* WithMyHandsTied: In the first episode, Aang tells some guards that he could take them with his hands behind his back (which, he proceeds to actually do). King Bumi also manages to show his skill while trapped in a solid metal box.
** Aang explicitly asks how Bumi is able to Earthbend while in said box, with his body locked in place. Bumi's response: "They didn't cover up ''my face!''
* WomanScorned: [[spoiler:Mai, in The Boiling Rock]]
* WorldOfBadass: Take your time trying to name the characters that ''aren't'' benders.
* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Zuko's [[spoiler:CallingTheOldManOut]]
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Zuko for the first two seasons. Aang... well, check the U.S. title.
* YouDontWantToCatchThis: Pentapox.
** I think I've heard of that!
*** Didn't your cousin Chang die of it?
**** I'm going to go wash my hands!
***** I'll go burn our clothes!
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Twice. Aang tries to get his group free passage on the ferry to Ba Sing Se, and the woman taking tickets doesn't find his Avatar costume any more believable than those in the nearby group of [[strike: Aang cosplayers]] impersonators. Later, "The Ember Island Players," a kid tells Zuko his "Zuko costume" is great, but his scar's on the wrong side of his face.
* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: The Avatar state
* YuppieCouple: The Cabbage Merchant
* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld
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