Avatar: The Last Airbender is held in high regard by animation lovers as one of the most compelling stories ever created. The detailed world-building, character exploration, and animation have created one of the largest fan bases to come out of Nickelodeon. Even though Avatar was released in 2005 and concluded in 2008, fan interest never died down. With its subsequent comics, novels, and the sequel series The Legend of Korra, it’s easy to believe that Avatar‘s writing is flawless.
While the show’s writing is phenomenal, there are undoubtedly moments that fall short of the writers’ reputation. In a series involving epic battles and world-changing decisions, it’s inevitable that some arcs bite off more than they can chew. Aang and his friends may go through hardship, but this is a show where the heroes always win. When all hope seems lost and the characters are written into a corner, Team Avatar has something more powerful than bending up their sleeves: plot armor.
10 Aang Is Alive After 100 Years In An Iceberg
There is something far-fetched about a kid surviving for 100 years in a block of ice. Naturally, Aang’s ability to not only live but effortlessly bounce back is attributed to his Avatar status.
Perhaps if a character can control elements and get glowy powers during fights, criticizing his physical durability is nitpicky. However, the fact that Aang is in the right place at the right time at the series’ start is already a bit convenient for the heroes.
9 The Great Divide’s Conclusion Remains Infamous
“The Great Divide” is well-known as the least impressive episode in the series, with the writers even poking fun at its lower rating themselves. That being said, the episode isn’t terrible. Team Avatar has to help two rival Earth Kingdom tribes cross a canyon, with Sokka and Katara’s own sibling dynamic rearing its uglier side.
The concept itself is interesting, but the show attempts to resolve an age-old feud in a twenty-minute episode and does so by having the bright-eyed protagonist make up a tale. No one is ever in true danger, but Aang’s lie holds him back from actually making peace between the tribes. The episode builds the issue up only to write it off in a few seconds, allowing the heroes to avoid further conflict.
8 Zuko Survives Zhao’s Attack
In season one, Admiral Zhao cements himself as a villain and demonstrates how far he will go to cement his place in the Fire Nation’s unjust regime. Zuko stands between Zhao and capturing the Avatar, so no one is surprised when the admiral orchestrates an explosion on Zuko’s ship that supposedly kills the banished prince.
While Zuko doesn’t make it out of the ordeal unscarred, he’s still in good enough shape to infiltrate the Northern Water Tribe and defeat Katara in battle. It’s not impossible that Zuko survives due to his firebending, but it is a bit convenient how he’s able to escape undetected.
7 Mai & Ty Lee Are Left Unharmed After Their Betrayal
Sure, Avatar is marketed as a more lighthearted show, but many characters face consequences for their actions. Mai and Ty Lee, however, are barely punished by the Fire Nation or the rest of the world. While it makes sense for Team Avatar to forgive the former antagonists given their moral alignment, Azula’s response to her lifelong best friends betraying her is less realistic.
Azula, especially in the final season, is willing to take down anyone standing in her way. When Mai betrays Azula to save Zuko, and Ty Lee subsequently betrays Azula to save Mai, the princess is more furious than viewers have ever seen her. While it makes sense to keep the two supporting characters unharmed for a happy ending, the Fire Nation hasn’t demonstrated any mercy toward traitors before.
6 The Rough Rhinos’ Arrival Stops Aang From Being Boiled In Oil
In “Avatar Day,” Aang and his friends stumble upon a village that hates the Avatar, specifically Kyoshi, for murdering their leader Chin the Great. Kyoshi overtakes Aang’s body and explains that she did kill the conqueror, which leads the public to demand that Aang face punishment for his past life.
On a wheel of punishment, Aang’s fate is marked as “boiled in oil,” and it doesn’t look like anyone in the group has an escape plan. The protagonist can’t become soup, however, so when the Rough Rhinos enter the scene and threaten to kill the village leader, Aang’s punishment gets changed to defeating the Fire Nation military unit. It isn’t completely unrealistic, but this scene does prevent Aang from having to stand his ground.
5 Sokka’s Brains & Pure Luck Lead To The Invasion Plan
Sokka’s idea for Team Avatar to attack the Firelord before he has a chance to move first is genius, but the team’s course of action relies heavily on plot convenience. Wan Shi Tong’s library is even the final stop on a list of random vacations that the heroes travel on.
Once there, they happen to find the information they’re looking for and escape the sinking building just in time. During this arc, the team is met with just as much misfortune as luck, but this episode sets up the plans for season three almost too flawlessly.
4 Aang Comes Back To Life
In the season two finale, Azula shoots Aang down with a direct bolt of lightning while he’s in the Avatar State. While Aang is assumed dead, fans can’t even pretend to worry because this show isn’t the type to bury its protagonist. Katara uses the spirit water from the Northern Water Tribe to heal Aang, but some fans are displeased with this transition into the third season.
To consider Aang’s revival plot armor is by no means undermining Katara’s abilities. However, it’s hard to heal death. At least Avatar shows Aang’s recovery period and doesn’t ignore the very real emotional toll that his “death” has taken on him.
3 The Avatar State Isn’t Gone
Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender know that if an Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, then the cycle ceases to exist (or so they’re told). It’s up for debate whether or not Aang actually “dies” in the season two finale, but when the young Airbender has difficulty entering this state, fans are led to believe the Avatar cycle is broken.
In his battle with the Firelord, Aang hits his back wound, which reawakens the Avatar State and turns the tides of the battle. Aang being able to access the Avatar State isn’t the issue in this scene, but the problem most fans have is that Aang reawakens the Avatar State just in the nick of time. Of course, this scene is awesome, and Aang using all four elements at once to kick Ozai’s butt is pretty rad, but it does feel like a trump card.
2 The Ocean Spirit Is A Deus Ex Machina
The season one finale is one of the most action-packed arcs in the show, but it also occurs when Team Avatar is still newly formed and learning to master their elements. With a villain as ruthless as Zhao, it seems impossible for the young heroes to save the day and restore the moon.
While Iroh’s theory that Yue can give her life back to the Moon Spirit works immediately, nothing screams plot convenience like Aang merging with the Ocean Spirit and saving the day without controlling his actions. Viewers notice how many ships are destroyed, but it’s not technically Aang steering the spirit, so the Avatar gets to keep his violence count at zero.
1 Aang Has The Ability To Take Away Ozai’s Bending
The series finale brings together action, drama, and a purposeful message, but that doesn’t mean the four-part conclusion to the series exists without fault. Many fans have pointed out that the decision to include the lion turtle is a bit out of nowhere. Such creatures haven’t been directly mentioned in the series, and some argue it conflicts with the Avatar origin concept in The Legend of Korra.
While Aang learning to energy bend isn’t an impossible feat for an Avatar of his caliber, it does undermine the efforts put into the last season, especially the final episodes. A large part of Aang’s identity involves his refusal to kill his enemies, so this scene feels more like a hidden option C than a planned-out conclusion.
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