Avatar: The Last Airbender (season 1)

Book One: Water is the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko,[3] the first season premiered on Nickelodeon on February 21, 2005.[1] It consisted of 20 episodes and concluded on December 2, 2005.[2] The series starred Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Mako Iwamatsu, and Jason Isaacs as the main character voices.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Season 1
Book One: Water
Cover for the first season DVD
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNickelodeon
Original releaseFebruary 21 (2005-02-21)[1] –
December 2, 2005 (2005-12-02)[2]
Season chronology

The season revolves around the protagonist Aang and his friends Katara and Sokka going on a journey to the North Pole to find a Waterbending master to teach Aang and Katara. The Fire Nation is waging a seemingly endless imperialist war against the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes, following the genocide of the Air Nomads one hundred years ago. Aang, the current Avatar, must master the four elements (Air, Water, Earth, and Fire) to end the war. Along the way, Aang and his friends are chased by various pursuers: the banished Fire Nation Prince Zuko, along with his uncle and former general Iroh, and Admiral Zhao of the Fire Navy.

Each episode of the season attracted more than a million viewers on its first airing. Between January 31, 2006, and September 19, 2006, five DVD sets were released in the United States, each containing four episodes from the season. On September 12, 2006, Nickelodeon also released the "Complete Book 1 Collection Box Set", which contained all of the episodes in the season as well as a special features disc.[4] The original releases were encoded in Region 1, a DVD type that plays only in North American DVD players. From 2007 to 2009, Nickelodeon released Region 2 DVDs, which can play in Europe.[5]

Book One: Water was adapted into a live-action film, titled The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in July 2010, becoming universally panned by critics, audiences, and the series' fans for numerous reasons.[6][7]

Episodes
See also: List of Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
11"The Boy in the Iceberg"Dave FiloniMichael Dante DiMartino &
Bryan Konietzko
Additional writing by
Aaron Ehasz
Peter Goldfinger &
Josh Stolberg		February 21, 2005 (2005-02-21)101
Katara and Sokka, two siblings from the Southern Water Tribe, discover a boy trapped inside an iceberg floating on the sea after Katara accidentally waterbends in a fit of rage while reprimanding Sokka. They free him and he introduces himself as Aang, an Airbender of the Air Nomads—a culture believed to be extinct for 100 years. Aang and his flying six-legged sky bison, Appa, accompany Katara and Sokka to their village. Meanwhile, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, accompanied by his Uncle Iroh, is patrolling the surrounding waters in search of the Avatar, a fabled immensely powerful bender who can bend all four elements and bring balance to the world. Katara confides in Aang that she is a waterbender, but there are no other waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe to teach her. Aang offers to take her to the Northern Water Tribe to find a teacher. A chance encounter with an abandoned Fire Nation ship reveals that Aang is unaware of the war that the Fire Nation has waged against the other nations of the world for 100 years; Katara deduces that Aang must have been frozen for at least that long. The pair accidentally set off a signal flare on the ship, alerting Zuko, who already suspects the Avatar is nearby.
22"The Avatar Returns"Dave FiloniMichael Dante DiMartino &
Bryan Konietzko
Additional writing by
Aaron Ehasz
Peter Goldfinger &
Josh Stolberg		February 21, 2005 (2005-02-21)102
After bringing Fire Nation attention to the village, Aang is banished, despite Katara's objections. Zuko soon descends on the village and demands the Avatar be surrendered to him. Aang returns to the village to defend it, where he reveals that he is the Avatar. He surrenders himself to Zuko on the condition that the villagers are left alone, to which Zuko agrees. Katara and Sokka decide to pursue Aang on Appa. Aboard Zuko's ship, Aang eventually manages to break free from the guards and battles with Zuko in the process. Aang is nearly defeated, getting knocked into the water and almost drowning, but he saves himself in his "Avatar State", in which his eyes and tattoos glow and he channels an incredible display of waterbending to overpower Zuko and his crew. As the three fly away on Appa, they set a course for the North Pole so that Aang and Katara can learn waterbending.
33"The Southern Air Temple"Lauren MacMullanMichael Dante DiMartinoFebruary 25, 2005 (2005-02-25)103
Aang is eager to return to his home, the Southern Air Temple, though Katara worries that evidence of the Fire Nation's assault on it may upset him. He shows Katara and Sokka around the now-deserted temple, reminiscing about his mentor, Monk Gyatso. The group find a room filled with the statues of all previous Avatars (Aang's past lives) in order of the reincarnation. While playfully chasing a flying lemur, Aang discovers Gyatso's skeleton, surrounded by Fire Nation helmets. He enters the Avatar State in his grief. Once Katara and Sokka calm him down, he realizes that he is the last surviving Airbender. As they leave the temple, they adopt the lemur as a pet, naming him Momo. Meanwhile, Zuko stops to make repairs to his ship and is greeted by Zhao, a commander in the Fire Nation navy. Zuko tries to hide that he has seen the Avatar, but Zhao discovers the truth and takes on the task of capturing the Avatar himself, deeming Zuko a failure. Zuko refuses to accept this, as capturing the Avatar is the only way he can return from his banishment from the Fire Nation. Tensions rise between the two, with Zuko challenging Zhao to a firebending duel (known as an Agni Kai). Zuko wins the duel, but spares Zhao. Zhao then tries to attack Zuko while his back is turned but is stopped by Iroh, who intervenes and chastises Zhao for his dishonorable conduct and poor sportsmanship. The Agni Kai sparks a bitter rivalry between Zuko and Zhao.
44"The Warriors of Kyoshi"Giancarlo VolpeNick MalisMarch 4, 2005 (2005-03-04)104
Looking for a short break from their travels, Aang brings the group to the Earth Kingdom's Kyoshi Island, where he seeks to ride Elephant Koi, enormous fish who inhabit the surrounding waters. However, the group are captured by the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of warriors (consisting entirely of girls) who protect the island. But they are freed when Aang proves he is the Avatar, a reincarnation of Avatar Kyoshi, and he quickly gains reverence among the island's inhabitants. But his popularity, especially among the girls, soon goes to his head, creating a rift between him and Katara. Meanwhile, Sokka is embarrassed after being bested by girls in combat training, and strives to prove himself stronger than the Kyoshi Warriors. When he suffers further embarrassment, he swallows his pride and respectfully asks to be trained by their leader Suki, who agrees. Aang's desire for popularity soon puts himself and Katara at risk when he tries to ride an Unagi sea serpent, as well as the whole island when Zuko gets word of his location. Zuko attacks, but Aang, Katara, and Sokka all manage to escape before the entire island is decimated. Aang uses the Unagi to extinguish the fires caused by the Fire Nation attack.
55"The King of Omashu"Anthony LioiJohn O'BryanMarch 18, 2005 (2005-03-18)105
The next stop on the group's trip is the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. There, Aang shows Katara and Sokka the Omashu mail delivery system, a massive network of stone causeways which he and his friend Bumi (note: a Sanskrit word meaning 'Earth') had once ridden for fun a hundred years previous. The trio gives the chutes a try but runs into trouble after they destroy a cabbage merchant's cart. Brought before the king of the city, an elderly and erratic man, the three are unexpectedly given a feast, during which the king outs Aang as being the Avatar. He imprisons the three and puts Aang through three deadly challenges the next day to test his skills and earn Katara and Sokka's freedom, culminating in a duel with the king himself. After Aang passes all of the challenges, the king forces Aang to guess his name. Aang ponders the question, finally deducing the king is his old friend Bumi. Bumi and Aang finally reunite, Katara and Sokka are set free, and Bumi divulges that he put Aang through the challenges as a means of preparing him for his eventual confrontation with Fire Lord Ozai.
66"Imprisoned"Dave FiloniMatthew HubbardMarch 25, 2005 (2005-03-25)106
Aang, Katara, and Sokka camp near a small Earth Kingdom town where they meet a young earthbender named Haru. However, the town is occupied by the Fire Nation, and earthbending is forbidden. Katara convinces Haru to save an old man using earthbending, only for the same old man to turn Haru in. Katara then devises a plan to save Haru by getting herself arrested for earthbending, which she fakes with some help from Aang and Sokka. When she arrives at the Fire Nation prison, a metal sea fortress that is impervious to earthbending, she finds Haru and his long-imprisoned father. However, she also discovers that all of the prisoners have lost hope due to their inability to bend. Katara successfully leads a rebellion with Aang and Sokka's help by delivering the earthbenders coal from the fortress, which Katara uses to inspire them into action. The earthbenders all escape after battling the Fire Nation guards, and return to their occupied towns with plans to rebel against Fire Nation occupation. Haru thanks Katara for reuniting him with his father, as Katara is dismayed when realizes her mother's necklace is missing, only to be found by Zuko back on the fortress.
77"Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World"Lauren MacMullanAaron EhaszApril 8, 2005 (2005-04-08)107
The trio find themselves in a small Earth Kingdom village that is being attacked by Hei Bai, a monster from the Spirit World. The villagers believe that Aang can make peace with the spirit, since the Avatar is the bridge between the Physical and Spirit World. Aang unsuccessfully tries to calm the monster, which kidnaps Sokka in the process of attacking the village. Aang pursues Sokka, but fails to rescue him and ends up in the Spirit World, from which he cannot be seen or heard, nor does he have the ability to airbend. While there, he is told that the previous Avatar, Roku, has a message for him on the Winter Solstice, delivered by the spirit of Roku's dragon. After returning, Aang proceeds to calm the attacking spirit, who was upset that the nearby forest he watches over was destroyed by the Fire Nation, restoring peace to the village. Elsewhere, Iroh is captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers while bathing in a hot spring. The soldiers plan to take him to the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se, to face justice, but Iroh proves to be an immensely formidable firebender, even when restrained. Zuko eventually catches up with the soldiers to help free him, forgoing his chase for the Avatar for a time.
88"Winter Solstice, Part 2: Avatar Roku"Giancarlo VolpeMichael Dante DiMartinoApril 15, 2005 (2005-04-15)108
Aang, Katara, and Sokka travel to a temple on an island in the Fire Nation, so that Aang may receive Roku's message. The three bypass a blockade led by Zhao; Zuko pursues them through the blockade, despite being banished from the Fire Nation. At the temple, they discover that the Fire Sages who guard the temple, are no longer loyal to the Avatar, but to the Fire Lord. The sages attack, but one proves to still be loyal to the Avatar and leads them to the temple sanctuary. Aang manages to enter the sanctuary after narrowly escaping capture. Zhao arrives, intending to apprehend both Zuko and Aang. Avatar Roku appears to Aang and informs him about a comet that Fire Lord Sozin used to begin the war by harnessing its power to enhance their bending. The comet will return by the end of the coming summer, and give the Fire Nation the power to finish the war with a brutal assault; Aang must master all four elements and defeat the Fire Lord before the return of the comet. Roku's spirit manifests inside Aang's body, repelling Zhao's forces with a staggering display of bending that destroys the temple as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko escape.
99"The Waterbending Scroll"Anthony LioiJohn O'BryanApril 29, 2005 (2005-04-29)109
Aang grows frantic over the fact that he must master all elements to defeat the Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet arrives, so Katara begins teaching Aang waterbending, despite her limited training. Waterbending comes naturally for Aang, much to Katara's frustration. Later, while in town to buy supplies, Katara finds a waterbending scroll on a ship run by pirates, which she promptly steals. Katara struggles to learn the techniques in the scroll, while Aang picks them up quickly, further frustrating Katara. Meanwhile, Zuko runs into the pirates and agrees to help them find the scroll, and subsequently Aang. They soon find and capture Aang, Katara, and Sokka, but Sokka turns the pirates against Zuko, and the three escape in the ensuing fight, with Aang and Katara using their newly developed waterbending skills to navigate the pirates' ship.
1010"Jet"Dave FiloniJames EaganMay 6, 2005 (2005-05-06)110
After stumbling into an encampment of Fire Nation troops, Aang, Katara and Sokka are rescued by a rogue teen named Jet and his group of Freedom Fighters. Jet invites the team back to their vast treehouse hideout, where the group plots out its attacks. Jet and Katara form an instant bond, but Sokka has suspicions about him, which leads the young rebel to tempt Sokka with missions. His plan fails, however, with Sokka becoming increasingly concerned about Jet's motives and true objectives after he attacks a harmless old man simply due to him being from the Fire Nation. Sokka is unable to convince Aang and Katara to believe his concerns, while Jet enlists them to help him "save" a nearby Earth Kingdom town by filling up the reservoir. That night Sokka follows Jet and discovers his real intent is to drown the village, sacrificing the lives of innocent civilians to destroy the Fire Nation garrison stationed there, only to be captured by Jet. The next day, after filling the reservoir faster than expected, Aang and Katara learn of Jet's true plan. They try to stop it but Jet interferes. Katara manages to freeze Jet to a tree but are unable to prevent the reservoir from being destroyed, washing away the town. However, Sokka arrives, revealing he managed to evacuate the town, Earth and Fire citizens alike, with the help of the old man in time to thwart Jet's plot.
1111"The Great Divide"Giancarlo VolpeJohn O'BryanMay 20, 2005 (2005-05-20)111
The group ventures into the Great Divide, the world's largest canyon. Katara and Sokka start bickering, so Aang decides to put his diplomatic skills to the test, as the Avatar is supposed to be a conciliator and promoter of peace. He successfully solves their minor disputes, but Aang's skills are soon put to a more substantial test when two Earth Kingdom tribes, the Zhang and the Gan-Jin, who have been in a feud for over a hundred years, are forced to cross the canyon together en route to Ba Sing Se. The Gan-Jin believe that their ancient leader was robbed by the ancient Zhang leader, while the Zhang believe their leader was only trying to help and was falsely imprisoned. Aang sends Appa across with the most needy people of the two tribes, are guided by an earthbender, across the vast, dry landscape. Along the way, they are hunted down by large and dangerous native predators called canyon crawlers — resembling a cross between a spider and a crocodile. In the end, Aang is able to end the feud by lying that their stories are based on a children's ball game and that their leaders were twin brothers, and the two tribes travel together to the famous capital city of the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se.
1212"The Storm"Lauren MacMullanAaron EhaszJune 3, 2005 (2005-06-03)112
Sokka is hired to assist a fisherman with the group needing money. The fisherman berates Aang and angrily tells Aang that he "turned his back on the world". Guilt-ridden, Aang flies away and later reveals to Katara that he ran away from home because the monks at the Southern Air Temple wanted to separate him from Gyatso to begin his Avatar training; after getting caught in a terrible storm, he sealed himself and Appa in the iceberg after crashing into the ocean. Meanwhile, after resolving a feud on Zuko's ship, Iroh tells the crew that the scar on Zuko's face was the result of a duel with his own father Ozai, who had taken offense when Zuko spoke out in a meeting opposing a plan to sacrifice Fire Nation soldiers. Zuko was subsequently banished for showing weakness by refusing to fight Ozai, and sent to capture the Avatar. When another storm hits, Sokka and the fisherman are rescued by Aang and Katara. Aang is forced to enter the Avatar State, mirroring the events that led to him being trapped in the iceberg, but this time he is able to escape with the fisherman, Katara and Sokka. Zuko also acts heroically when his ship is struck by lightning, rescuing a member of his crew who becomes trapped on the bridge; Iroh uses firebending to redirect lightning away from the ship. Zuko sees Aang flying away on Appa, but elects not to pursue them in order to bring his crew to safety.
1313"The Blue Spirit"Dave FiloniMichael Dante DiMartino &
Bryan Konietzko		June 17, 2005 (2005-06-17)113
Sokka suffers from an illness due to his exposure to the elements during the storm. When Katara contracts the illness as well, Aang goes to a nearby herbalist institute in hopes of finding a cure. On his way to collect the remedy the herbalist recommends, Aang is kidnapped by the Yu Yan archers, commanded by the newly-promoted Admiral Zhao. However, a sword-wielding masked marauder, the "Blue Spirit", rescues Aang from Zhao's compound. The Blue Spirit is knocked unconscious during the escape, and Aang discovers that he is Zuko. Aang saves him and offers him friendship, but flees when he is violently rebuffed. Zuko goes back to his ship to catch up on sleep while Aang cures Katara and Sokka.
1414"The Fortuneteller"Dave FiloniAaron Ehasz &
John O'Bryan		September 23, 2005 (2005-09-23)114
Katara, Aang, and Sokka come across a village that relies solely on the predictions of its fortuneteller, Aunt Wu. Sokka is skeptical and refuses to believe anything she says, and tries to disprove all of her predictions. Katara, on the other hand, is obsessed and keeps returning to Aunt Wu for more predictions on her love life. Aang, who has developed feelings for Katara, attempts to win her attention throughout, with limited success. Eventually he attempts to fetch a rare Panda Lily flower from the lip of a nearby volcano, which is revealed to be on the verge of erupting — a direct contradiction to Aunt Wu's predictions. Katara and Aang use waterbending to manipulate the clouds as a warning to Aunt Wu and the villagers, and the group manages to evacuate the village before the volcano erupts. As the lava comes toward the town, Aang pushes it back with strong airbending, causing Sokka to comment that Aang is a "powerful bender". This catches Katara by surprise, as Aunt Wu had earlier predicted that she would marry a "powerful bender". The trio depart the village, with Aunt Wu reminding Aang that just as he reshaped the clouds, he has the power to shape his own destiny.
1515"Bato of the Water Tribe"Giancarlo VolpeIan WilcoxOctober 7, 2005 (2005-10-07)115
Sokka, Aang, and Katara find a seemingly-abandoned Water Tribe ship that belongs to their father's fleet. Camping out by the boat, Sokka and Katara are overjoyed when they are joined by Bato, an old friend of Katara and Sokka's father, and a fellow member of the Southern Water Tribe. Bato had been injured in battle and temporarily left behind by the rest of the Water Tribe soldiers while he heals. While they reminisce about the old days, Aang feels left out. A messenger arrives with a message from Sokka and Katara's father for Bato, with instructions to find him. Aang intercepts it and keeps it to himself, fearing Katara and Sokka will abandon him. Later he comes clean about the message, but Sokka, furious at Aang for keeping it from them, is insistent on leaving to find his father, with Katara joining him. Meanwhile, Zuko hires a bounty hunter, June, to help him track down the Avatar, utilizing a large mammalian mount (shirshu) with a powerful sense of smell, using Katara's necklace as the scent. After Bato's comments on his loneliness after being left behind reminds Sokka of the day his father left makes him realize Aang's reason for hiding the message, he and Katara decide to go back Aang. However they're ambushed by Zuko and June who then uses the message to track down Aang. This leads to a skirmish, with Katara and Sokka helping rescue Aang and resume their collective journey to the North Pole. Aang returns Katara's necklace to her after recovering it from Zuko during the fight.
1616"The Deserter"Lauren MacMullanTim HedrickOctober 21, 2005 (2005-10-21)116
Team Avatar travel into a Fire Nation town, which is hosting a festival of Fire Nation culture. Unfortunately, Aang's identity is discovered but a strange man, Chey, helps the gang escape. Chey tells the trio about "the deserter", a man named Jeong Jeong who is the first man to desert the Fire Nation army and live. More importantly, he is a powerful firebending master who is not allied with the Fire Nation. Jeong Jeong initially refuses to teach Aang because he is not ready to handle the destruction fire can bring. It is only when Avatar Roku's spirit intervenes that Jeong Jeong consents to teach Aang. Aang, unfortunately, struggles with the hard discipline required for safe firebending, and accidentally burns Katara, infuriating Sokka and Jeong Jeong. This leads Katara to the realization that she can use her waterbending to heal, but Aang nevertheless comes to regard firebending as dangerous and vows never to do it again. Meanwhile, Aang is tracked down by Zhao, discovered to be Jeong Jeong's former student. He fights Aang, but Aang uses Zhao's lack of self-control, pointed out earlier by Jeong Jeong, against him and causes Zhao to burn his own ships. Aang is burned during the fight but is healed by Katara, as Jeong Jeong disappears without a trace.
1717"The Northern Air Temple"Dave FiloniElizabeth WelchNovember 4, 2005 (2005-11-04)117
The gang hears a rumor that people who travel in the air reside at the Northern Air Temple. They are disappointed to learn that the "flying" people are not airbenders, but just people who have learned how to use gliders on the strong air currents around the temple. Aang is saddened that the current residents have remodeled the temple extensively, often knocking through walls and ornate Air Nomad architecture to accommodate pipes which propel their rudimentary experiments with steam pressure. Teo, a young paraplegic, inspires Aang to open the one remaining area of the temple left untouched, the Air Temple sanctuary. Aang is shocked to see the "pristine" room is in fact stocked with dozens of inventions with Fire Nation insignias on them. Teo's father, a skilled mechanist, confesses to aiding the Fire Nation by building weapons in exchange for the guaranteed safety of his son and his people. When the Fire Nation comes to collect their latest invention, Aang tells them to leave. The Fire Nation launches an attack against the temple, but Aang and the villagers manage to successfully defend their ground. The Fire Nation, however, does manage to recover the mechanist's newest invention, a war balloon.
1818"The Waterbending Master"Giancarlo VolpeMichael Dante DiMartinoNovember 18, 2005 (2005-11-18)118
The group finally reaches the Northern Water Tribe, where they receive a hero's welcome. Sokka meets Princess Yue, the daughter of the chief of the tribe Arnook, and is immediately attracted to her. Aang and Katara seek to learn waterbending from a master named Pakku, but he refuses to teach Katara, as women in the Northern Water Tribe are only trained to use their waterbending for healing, with combat training reserved for men. Sokka tries to spend more time with Princess Yue, who agrees to meet him later on that night. However, when the time comes Yue changes her mind and runs away. Meanwhile, Zhao commandeers Zuko's crew for a mission to attack the North Pole, and in the process discovers that Zuko is the Blue Spirit who freed the Avatar after recognizing Zuko's broadswords as the Blue Spirit's broadswords. Katara, inspired by a comment from Sokka, suggests that Aang teach her what he learns from Master Pakku every night. Pakku discovers them, and refuses to teach Aang any further. In front of the tribe council, Katara refuses to apologize to Pakku and challenges him to a duel, demonstrating her considerable skill and potential. Zhao hires the pirates from "The Waterbending Scroll" to kill Zuko, which they attempt by blowing up his docked ship while Iroh was out for a walk. Back at the Fire Nation port, Zhao feigns remorse to Uncle and offers the former general a place beside him for the mission. Iroh accepts, but is revealed to be deceiving Zhao by helping Zuko fake his own death and stow away as a soldier aboard the command ship. Back at the North Pole, Pakku takes notice of Katara's pendant, given to her by her mother and her grandmother before her, and realizes that Katara's Gran-Gran is his ex-fiancée Kanna, who also could not tolerate the Northern Water Tribe's customs and had left to start a new life with the Southern Tribe. Sokka proceeds to tell Yue how he feels about her, which culminates in Yue kissing him. She sadly tells Sokka that she also has feelings for him, but they can't be together since Yue is engaged to be married. As a new day dawns, Pakku has agreed to train both Aang and Katara while Zhao's massive armada departs for the North Pole.
1919"The Siege of the North, Part 1"Lauren MacMullanJohn O'BryanDecember 2, 2005 (2005-12-02)119
Some time later Katara has developed into Master Pakku's star pupil, earning her his highest praises. Sokka and Yue spend more time together including a ride on Appa, during which Sokka notices a storm of "soot", a tell-tale sign of an impending Fire Navy raid. As the tribe prepares for battle, the chief Arnook asks for volunteers for a dangerous mission, to which Sokka immediately agrees. As Zhao's armada closes in, Iroh meets with Zuko in disguise as a Fire Nation guard, as he tells Iroh that he's working on a plan of his own. As the Northern tribe takes up battle station, the raid begins. Aang and Appa work to help disable the lead ship, but are overwhelmed at the size of the fleet that follows. In preparation for the chief's secret mission of infiltrating the Fire Navy, Sokka clashes with a Northern soldier named Hahn before realizing he is Yue's fiancé. Arnook takes Sokka off the mission and assigns him to protect Yue. As nightfall nears, Iroh warns Zhao to halt the attack as the waterbenders will draw power from the nearly-full moon. Zhao cryptically notes he is working on a solution, but agrees with Iroh for the interim. Hahn appears and tries to attack Zhao, who nonchalantly throws Hahn overboard. Iroh then meets up with Zuko, who plans to kayak from Zhao's ship and infiltrate the North Pole to capture Aang. He nearly drowns after choosing to free swim under the glacier to find a way in, but is able to infiltrate the city. Meanwhile, Aang and Katara are brought to a spiritual oasis at the top of the city by Yue, with Aang hoping to find the Moon and Ocean spirits for help. Aang begins to meditate in front of a koi pond with two fish circling each other, and when he realizes they resemble Yin and Yang he crosses into the spirit world. Zuko arrives shortly after and battles with Katara until sunrise, when he overpowers her and escapes with Aang's body as the Fire Nation resumes the attack.
2020"The Siege of the North, Part 2"Dave FiloniAaron EhaszDecember 2, 2005 (2005-12-02)120
Zuko struggles to find shelter for himself and Aang in the frozen tundra, while Sokka, Katara and Yue search for them, as the Fire Nation forces assault the city. In the spirit world, Roku contacts Aang and tells him that the ocean and moon spirits crossed over to the mortal world long ago, and that only one spirit is old enough to remember: Koh the Face-Stealer. Aang must show no emotion or expression at all when meeting with him, or else his face will be stolen off of his head. Back in the physical world, Zhao informs Iroh of his overall plan: While serving in the Earth Kingdom as a young lieutenant, Zhao discovered a secret underground library that gave him the identity of the moon spirit's mortal form, with Zhao now intending to kill it. Aang learns from Koh that the spirits' names are Tui and La, "Push and pull", and that they are in great danger. Aang figures out the Koi fish are the spirits, and quickly heads back to the physical world, coincidentally leading Katara, Sokka, and Yue right to his body. Zuko is quickly defeated, but Aang chooses to save him. As they fly back, Zhao captures Tui, the moon spirit, causing a lunar eclipse and the waterbenders to lose their bending. Aang and Iroh both warn Zhao, explaining that the entire world depends on the balance of the moon and ocean, including the Fire Nation. Zhao initially relents, but then attacks in a fit of rage, killing the spirit and darkening the moon completely. Iroh furiously attacks Zhao and his guards, as Zhao quickly flees. Aang goes into the Avatar State and, merging with the ocean spirit, decimates the Fire Nation armada by forming a massive spiritual projection. Zuko fights Zhao in retaliation for the assassination attempt, while Iroh remains with Team Avatar to try to revive the moon spirit. Iroh recognizes that Yue was touched by the moon spirit as a baby, by her snow-white hair. Yue confirms this as the moon spirit saved her life when she was born ill. Yue gives back that spark of life, sacrificing herself to save the Moon Spirit. She assumes the form of the moon spirit and gives Sokka a final kiss goodbye. Zhao is dragged underwater to his demise[lower-alpha 1] by the ocean spirit in retaliation for slaying the moon spirit, arrogantly refusing to accept Zuko's help. Pakku anoints Katara as Aang's new waterbending master as the group contemplates their next adventure, while Ozai assigns Zuko's sister to hunt down her uncle and brother for their actions at the North Pole.

Production

The show was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and aired on Nickelodeon, both of which are owned by Viacom.[3] The show's executive producers were co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who worked alongside head writer and co-producer Aaron Ehasz.[3][8] Eight episodes were directed by Dave Filoni.[8] Animation directors Lauren MacMullan and Giancarlo Volpe directed five episodes each, and Anthony Lioi directed two.[3]

Episodes were written or co-written by a team of writers, which included Nick Malis, John O'Bryan, Matthew Hubbard, James Eagan, Ian Wilcox, Tim Hedrick and Elizabeth Welch.[9] All of the show's music was composed by "The Track Team", which consists of Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn,[3] who were known to the producers because Zuckerman was Konietzko's roommate.[10] Two alternating Korean studios[8] were enlisted to provide animation production support for the series, DR Movie and JM Animation Co.[11]

Cast

Most of the show's main characters made their debut within most, if not all, of the first episodes: Zach Tyler Eisen provided Aang's voice, Mae Whitman as Katara's voice, Jack DeSena as Sokka's voice,[3] Dante Basco as Zuko's voice, Mako as Iroh's voice,[3][12] and Dee Bradley Baker as the voices of both Appa and Momo.[9] Additional supporting characters include Admiral Zhao, voiced by Jason Isaacs.[9][13]

Reception

Film critics appreciated the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender because it attracted the attention of "an audience beyond the children's market with crisp animation and layered storytelling."[14] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus for the first season reads, "A brilliant blend of magic, humor, and adventure, Avatar is an instant classic."[15] As for the video and picture quality, Gord Lacey from TVShowsOnDVD.com claims "the colors are bright, and the picture is nearly flawless." He says later in the review that "the audio is very nice, with lots of directional effects and nice musical cues."[16] Barnes & Noble reviewer Christina Urban praised the season's masterful combination of "elements from Chinese kung fu, Tibetan philosophy, Japanese martial arts forms, and even Hindu spiritual beliefs".[17] According to Aaron Bynum from AnimationInsider.net, "the series posted double digit year-to-year gains in May". He also said that the show has been number one in the boys 9- to 14-year-old demographic, and has attracted many age and gender groups in its pool of 1.1 million viewers who watch each new episode.[18]

In addition, the season has won many awards throughout its runtime. During the 33rd Annual Annie Awards, the show was nominated for the "Best Animated Television Production" award. Because of the episode "The Fortuneteller", the show was nominated for the "Writing for an Animated Television Production" award. For the episode "The Deserter", the season was nominated for and won the "Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production" award.[19] During the 2005 Pulcinella Awards, the season won the "Best Action/Adventure TV Series" award as well and the general "Best TV Series" award.[20]

DVD releases

Region 1

Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment started releasing Season One DVDs in North America on January 31, 2006, with a series of single-disc sets containing four episodes per disc. Later the Complete Book 1 Collection was released on September 12, 2006, containing all twenty episodes plus extras on six discs.

Region 2

PAL versions of the single-disc volume sets started being released on February 19, 2007;.[5] As with the original Region 1 NTSC DVDs, each set contains four episodes per disc.[5][21][22][23][24] The Complete Book One Collection was released on January 26, 2009, containing all twenty episodes on five discs.[25] These Region 2 releases lack the commentary tracks and other DVD extras found on the Region 1 releases.

Volume Discs Episodes Release date
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 1 4 January 31, 2006[26] February 19, 2007[5] March 15, 2007[27][28]
2 1 4 March 28, 2006[26] June 4, 2007[21] July 5, 2007[29]
3 1 4 May 30, 2006[26] September 3, 2007[22] March 13, 2008[30]
4 1 4 July 18, 2006[26] February 18, 2008[23] June 19, 2008[31]
5 1 4 September 19, 2006[26] May 26, 2008[24] March 5, 2009[32][33]
Box set 6[34] 20[34] September 12, 2006[26] January 26, 2009[35] June 4, 2009[36][37]

Film adaptation
Main article: The Last Airbender (2010 film)

The Last Airbender is a live-action film based on the first season of the animated television series and had a theatrical release on July 1, 2010. The film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan.[6][7]

Footnotes
1.^ Production code format taken from the commentary for "Sozin's Comet: The Phoenix King"
  1. Zhao was revealed to be alive but trapped in the Spirit World in The Legend of Korra.

References
  1. "Avatar Sneak Peak". Nickelodeon. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  2. Mell, Tory Ireland (May 27, 2008). "The Siege of the North — Part 2 Review". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
  3. Fries, Laura (February 21, 2005). "Avatar: The Last Airbender Review". Variety TV. Reed-Elsevier Inc. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  4. "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Complete Book 1 DVD Information". TVShowsOnDvd.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  5. "Avatar — The Legend of Aang — Book 1 - Water Vol.1". Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  6. McClintock, Pamela; Gabriel Snyder (January 8, 2007). "Shyamalan's 'Avatar' also to bigscreen". Variety.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  7. Fernandez, Jay A. (March 15, 2009). "Four more land 'Airbender' roles". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  8. DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan (August 29, 2005). "Interview with "Avatar" Program Creators — Page 3". Animation Insider (Interview: Transcript). Interviewed by Aaron H. Bynum. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  9. "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Hollywood.com. Hollywood Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  10. DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan (August 29, 2005). "Interview with "Avatar" Program Creators — Page 4". Animation Insider (Interview: Transcript). Interviewed by Aaron H. Bynum. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  11. "Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008) Company Credits". IMDb. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016.
  12. Director: Dave Filoni; Writer: Aaron Ehasz (December 2, 2005). "The Siege of the North, Part II". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 20. Nickelodeon.
  13. Director: Lauren MacMullan; Writer: Michael Dante DiMartino (February 25, 2005). "The Southern Air Temple". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 3. Nickelodeon.
  14. Rich, Jamie S. (September 27, 2006). "Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Complete Book 1 Collection". DVDTalk.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  15. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 1, retrieved January 8, 2021
  16. Lacey, Gord (March 25, 2006). "Avatar: The Last Airbender — Book 1: Water, Volume 2 Review". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  17. Urban, Christina. "Avatar The Last Airbender — The Complete Book 1 Collection; Editorial Reviews". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  18. Aaron H. Bynum (June 30, 2006). "Avatar: Season 3". Animation Insider. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
  19. "Annie Awards: Legacy - 33rd Annual Annie Awards". International Animated Film Society. February 9, 2005. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  20. Ryan Ball (May 3, 2005). "Cartoons on the Bay Picks Winners". Animation Magazine. Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
  21. "Avatar — The Legend of Aang — Book 1 - Water Vol.2". Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  22. "Avatar — The Legend of Aang — Book 1 - Water Vol.3". Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  23. "Avatar — The Legend of Aang — Book 1 - Water Vol.4". Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  24. "Avatar — The Legend of Aang — Book 1 - Water Vol.5". Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
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  31. "Avatar: Book 1 - Water Vol - 4". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
  32. "Avatar: Book 1 - Water Vol - 5". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
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  35. "DVD: Avatar: Book 1 Water: Volume 1/2/3/4/5: 5dvd (2009)". hmv.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
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