Many things will be said about Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but nobody could claim it’s easy for newcomers to parse. With so much exposition and lore, Season 1, which adapts many episodes of the original series into just eight here, is in a big hurry to get where it’s going and isn’t afraid to leave people behind. Luckily, we’re here to help with a full recap of Season 1 to help you get the gist of things in a no-nonsense way. Enjoy.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 Recap
Episode 1, “Aang”
The premiere episode introduces us to Aang and the concept of the Avatar, who has the power to control all four elements – earth, air, fire, and water – and thus keep the world in a state of peace. Before Aang inherits the mantle, Fire Lord Sozin, leader of the Fire Nation, sets out to conquer the world, destroying all of the Airbenders in a surprise attack since he knows the next Avatar will be taken from their ranks.
Aang manages to escape this initial attack with his sky bison, Appa, but he ends up frozen in a glacier for 100 years, in which time the Fire Nation takes over most of the world.
Aang is discovered by Sokka and Waterbender Katara just outside a remote settlement called Wolf Cove. His awakening attracts the attention of Prince Zuko, who is looking for the Avatar to buy his way back into the Fire Nation after being banished by his father, Lord Ozai.
Aang surrenders himself to Zuko when he attacks Wolf Cove, but Sokka and Katara rescue him. They briefly visit the now-ruined Sky Temple, where Aang resolves to learn the other bending arts and make sure the deaths of his friends weren’t in vain.
Episode 2, “Warriors”
In Episode 2, Aang, Katara, and Sokka head to Kyoshi Island so that Aang can learn to control the Avatar State. The island is remote, and the inhabitants have preserved Kyoshi’s warrior teachings while remaining disconnected from the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, Iroh and Zuko visit a port to try and extract information from the local Fire Nation Commander, Zhao. However, they tip their hand and he figures out what they’re looking for, leading to him racing to Kyoshi Island to try and apprehend the Avatar first.
Aang is able to channel Kyoshi in a battle against Zhao’s forces, protecting the village. He also learns some more about his responsibilities, and where they need to go next – to the Northern Water Tribes, where something is about to go down.
At the end of the episode, Zhao forces his way into a partnership with Zuko, and informs the Supreme Eminence, Fire Lord Ozai – against Zuko’s wishes – that the Avatar has returned.
Episode 3, “Omashu”
Episode 3 introduces us to Fire Lord Ozai’s daughter Azula, who clearly hates her brother Zuko and schemes against him throughout, sending a letter to Zhao asking for updates on his mission.
We also visit Omashu, a fortified Earth Kingdom city built into a mountain. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are snuck in by a handsome guy named Jet who turns out to be the leader of a freedom fighter group based in the forest. Katara immediately takes a shine to him.
Omashu is being periodically bombed by what is presumed to be the Fire Nation, so Aang decides to remain there to help mechanist Sai and his son Teo get to the bottom of the plot. Quickly, both Sai and Jet are implicated as the potential bombers, causing friction within the group.
Jet is revealed to be the bomber, and he’s attempting to assassinate Sai and the King. Sokka and Katara try to stop him while Aang fights off Zuko, who has infiltrated Omashu with Iroh after Zhao heard a rumour of an Airbender being spotted there.
The episode ends with Aang being arrested by the Earth Kingdom’s military after Zuko drew attention to their fight with his Firebending.
Episode 4, “Into the Dark”
Episode 4 is more character-driven and introspective. It opens with Aang and Iroh in prison; the latter is taken to an Earth Kingdom labour camp for prisoners of war, and since his reputation as the “Dragon of the West” precedes him, he’s treated very harshly by his captors until he’s rescued by Zuko.
Aang, meanwhile, is taken to see Omashu’s King, who turns out to be his childhood friend Bumi. However, 100 years of war has sent Bumi a little mad, and he challenges Aang to a fight to the death to prove his worth as the Avatar.
In the meantime, Sokka and Katara navigate secret tunnels beneath the palace which are said to be haunted, but in reality contain a giant badgermole that leads them to the palace. They’re able to intervene in the fight between Aang and Bumi, and Aang’s faith in his friends inspires Bumi to rejoin the war against the Fire Nation. Sai also decides to rat out the Fire Nation spy network.
Episode 5, “Spirited Away”
Things take a distinct turn towards horror in Episode 5, as Aang, Sokka, and Katara venture into a forest razed by the Fire Nation which functions as a thin barrier between reality and the Spirit World.
Aang astrally projects his spirit, and those of Katara and Sokka, so that they can explore the forest, which is possessed of many creatures including a giant talking owl that only Aang can hear, a three-tailed fox, a monster that is the spirit of the forest driven mad by its pain, and a malevolent entity known as Koh the Face Stealer.
Sokka and Katara are forced to confront their most traumatic memories. The former sees his father’s disappointment in him, while the latter has to relive the moment her mother sacrificed herself to save Katara’s life.
Aang, being the Avatar, is immune to Koh’s manipulations, and makes it through the fog to encounter Gyatso, who remained in the Spirit World to help him. Gyatso absolves Aang of the responsibility he feels for the Sky Temple’s destruction, and tells him that previous Avatars have fought Koh before. Ruko was able to defeat him, so Aang reasons that he needs to channel Ruko, however his shrine is in the Fire Nation.
At the end of the episode, Aang journeys to the Fire Nation alone.
Episode 6, “Masks”
Episode 6 has a strong and welcome focus on Zuko’s backstory. Ozai has made Zhao an admiral, giving him control of the search for Aang, so when Aang is apprehended while communing with Avatar Roku, a disguised Zuko breaks him out of captivity.
Zuko was challenged to a duel by his father after criticizing a general’s plan to sacrifice an entire military unit. He fought back in the duel but showed compassion, so Ozai disfigured him to teach him a lesson. As if that wasn’t enough, he subsequently banished him to strengthen his spirit, and gave him the unit that was due to be sacrificed as his crew.
Avatar Roku gives Aang the item he needs to trade with Koh the Face Stealer – a totem of his mother that Roku stole from him years prior. After being freed from the Fire Nation and parting ways with Zuko, Aang returns to the totem to Koh, and he frees all of his captives, including Sokka and Katara.
Episode 7, “The North”
The penultimate episode begins with a fake-out, suggesting that Prince Zuko has been killed after a manipulation by Zhao. However, we later learn that Iroh anticipated this and Zuko is alive and well disguised as one of the crew.
Meanwhile, Aang, Katara, and Sokka arrive at Agna Qel’a, the capital of the Northern Water Tribe, where they meet Arnook, the chief, Master Pakku, the senior Waterbending master, and Princess Yue, Arnook’s daughter and the tribe’s spiritual leader.
Sokka immediately takes a liking to Yue, whom he recognises as the fox he communed with in the Spirit World. She reveals she is part spirit and kisses Sokka.
Meanwhile, Katara begins her training under Yagoda, but quickly discovers that women in the Northern Water Tribe are not allowed to fight. She is disgusted by this and challenges Master Pakku to a duel. She ultimately loses, but wins the crowd because of how well she fared.
Finally, Aang communes with the former Avatar, Kuruk, who fought back an invasion of evil entities in the Spirit World but lost much of himself and his beloved, Ummi, in the process. Aang can’t channel him for help during the battle for this reason. He also attempts to convince Aang that the Avatar must fight alone, but Sokka and Katara insist on fighting alongside him.
At the end of the episode, soot rains down from the air. The Fire Nation have arrived.
Episode 8, “Legends”
The finale revolves around the Fire Nation’s attack on Agna Qel’a, using their entire fleet and an airship Zhao has commissioned thanks to “spies in Omashu”. It’s one of Sai’s designs that Sokka helped him with.
Katara convince Pakku to let all of the tribe’s women fight, but the Fire Nation aren’t just planning a direct attack. Zhao reveals to Iroh that tonight is the night of the Ice Moon, when the Ocean and Moon Spirits take mortal form. He plans to kill the Moon Spirit, stripping the Waterbenders of their powers.
Zhao is able to accomplish this, blotting out the moon. The tide of the battle turns in favour of the Fire Nation. Aang gives himself to the Ocean Spirit so that it can be channelled through him and use the Avatar’s power. He turns into a giant water Godzilla and lays waste to the Fire Nation’s fleet, but he remains trapped as a vengeful spirit doomed to wander the globe looking for a partner he’ll never find.
Yue saves the day by becoming the new Moon Spirit, though this means sacrificing her mortal form. The battle is won, but a tremendous amount of damage and destruction was caused. Zhao is dead, at least, killed by Iroh after Zuko bested him in single combat.
Aang resolves to continue his quest with Sokka and Katara. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that the attack on Agna Qel’a was just misdirection so that Azula could conquer Omashu. With Sozin’s Comet imminent, the Fire Nation’s conquest is far from over.
That was my recap of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1. What did you think of the season overall? I’d love to hear from you.
