Avatar: The Star Wars knockoff

Abigail Johnson

She/Her

Staff writer

12/14/22

While most college-aged adults would change the channel when a television show geared for children ranging in the 7-year-old category comes on, I encourage you to rethink hastily grabbing the remote when Avatar: The Last Airbender comes on. I can assure you this show is well worth the 23 minutes spent watching it. The T.V. series is 3 seasons long and stars a 12-year-old boy named Aang. Aang lives in a universe where certain people can bend different elements such as earth, water, air, and fire. Unlike everyone else, Aang can bend all elements, while others can bend only one specific element. Having this ability is what makes one an Avatar. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a unique show, though I can’t help but correlate this T.V. series to the Star Wars original trilogy. 

The element benders are comparable to Jedi, and the nations can be related to the “light” and “dark” sides. In the episode, The Fire Nation (where the fire benders live) they behave like the “Imperial Army” in Star Wars and begin to take over the rest of the nations. I might also add that the soldiers in the fire nation wear masks that closely resemble stormtroopers. In this episode, there is a royal family that is in charge of the fire nation, and their son Zuko is a significant character in the series. Zuko’s father, Ozai, exiles Zuko and will not let him return home until he has captured the Avatar, Aang. In my opinion, Ozai is an off-brand Emperor Palpatine and Zuko more closely resembles Anakin/Darth Vadar.

While those characters would be considered “bad guys,” Aang mirrors the Star Wars character, Luke Skywalker, one of the “good guys.” Aang’s job is to fight off the fire nation with his ragtag group of adolescents and save the world. Aang’s original group consists of Katara (a water bender), Katara’s brother Sokka (who is not a bender), and Aang’s bison Appa. In other words, you have a female Jedi (Leia), a male who specializes in weapons (Han Solo), and an animal (Chewbacca). 

Throughout the series, Aang’s team goes around the world trying to defeat the fire nation. This journey is filled with childish humor and jokes, though if you look deeper into some of the episodes, there are significant life messages. The show ends very heart-warming and fulfilling, with most of the series’ questions answered. If you are looking for an easy-going, light-hearted, heavily Star Wars-influenced T.V. series, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the show for you