Netflix’s Avatar the Last Airbender live-action series aired in February 2024 and is the highest-watched premier show in 84 countries on the streaming giant, beating Wednesday and Stranger Things Season 4, which topped the TV series charts in 83 countries. And with good reason. While the live-action differs from the animated Nickelodeon cartoon, it stays true to the original show’s heart and is entertaining. The series consists of 8-hour-long episodes with Avatar Aang traveling to various locations before he goes to the Northern water tribe to learn water bending from the Masters.
The Season finale was epic, with several battles as Aang and the water tribe tried their best to fight off Commander Zhao and his fleet of Fire Nation ships that had come to wipe them out of existence. Aside from the sizzling battles, the ending had tons of cliffhangers that left viewers wanting more, and hopefully, it won’t be too long before the series is renewed for a second season. Here is what happened in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action finale!
Omashu Has Been Captured
For most of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1, it seemed like the Fire Nation under Fire Lord Ozai was planning on invading the northern water tribe. This plan was confirmed when Commander Zhao took Fire Nation ships to their capital, Agna Qel’a, to kill them and capture the Avatar. However, Fire Lord Ozai had his sights set on somewhere else. Behind the scenes, Fire Lord Ozai was working on taking Omashu, and he needed the right warrior for the job. In an earlier episode, Aang and his gang find themselves in Omashu, where they meet King Bumi, who is visibly burdened with keeping Omashu away from the fire nation’s grasp. And it’s difficult with the several spies and bombings around the city. While the gang can stop Jet’s attempt to kill King Bumi, the danger isn’t over yet.
After Princess Azula proves herself, Fire Lord Ozai sends her to conquer Omashu, explaining the scene in the final episode where King Bumi is chained and kneeling. Now, the only remainder of resistance to the Fire Nation’s war is Ba Sing Se. A lot of the storylines that took place in Omashu in the live-action didn’t happen in the animated series.
Aang Saves the Northern Water Tribe
The highlight of Avatar: The Last Airbender finale was Aang turning into Whalezilla through the Avatar state and destroying the fleet of fire nation ships led by commander Zhao. Zucko and Iroh are in Agna Qel’a for different reasons. Uncle Iroh is there to save the moon and ocean spirits from Zhao, who intends to wipe out an entire nation by killing one of the spirits now that they are in the physical form of koi fish, and Zuko is still bent on capturing Aang. While both are unsuccessful, it makes for some great fight scenes. When Zhao kills the moon spirit, the ocean spirit is enraged, and Avatar has to merge with the Ocean spirit to become Whalezilla and avenge her death.
While the Fire Nation soldiers were afraid, the water tribe was in awe of their spirit in this terrifying form, even bowing down as a sign of respect for the creature. He could have remained in that state, roaming the earth as a vengeful spirit, but the power of his friendship with Katara and Sokka brought him back. This played out better in the animation because they had more time to build this gang’s friendship than in the live-action that summarized Book One’s story into eight episodes.
Commander Zhao’s fate in Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 is unclear after going head-to-head with Prince Zuko. However, before Prince Zuko defeats him, Zhao lets him know that his father only banished him to motivate Princess Azula, who has been working with Zhao all this time, to undermine Prince Zuko. This revelation shows how Zhao finds out that the Blue Spirit is Prince Zuko and tries to kill him while he escapes on the boat. As for Zhao’s fate, he is not dead, but his storyline in the series could be over now that Azula is the big bad that fans should be afraid of.
Avatar the Last Airbender Live-Action Series’ Ends With The Return of Sozin’s Comet
In the first episode of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, Firelord Sozin uses the comet (which increases firebender powers) to eliminate the airbenders from the earth. In the finale, Firelord Ozai speaks to his spiritual advisor about the comet’s return, signifying a plan to take over Ba Sing Se when they are most powerful. However, the advisor doesn’t put a timeline on it like in the cartoon when viewers even had a countdown to the comet’s return. The comet’s return sets up the events in the animated series where Aang had a showdown with Fire Lord Ozai. Fans must wait and see whether the live-action series will play out similarly. Read the review of Avatar the Last Airbender live-action here!
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