Avatar: The Last Airbender was created by Michael Dante DiMartino in February of 2005. It was produced and aired by Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a family animation with action, adventure, and mystery. The stars of the show were Mae Whitman (Katara), Zach Tyler (Aang), and Jack De Sena (Sokka). In 2008, it won a Peabody award for its intriguing storyline.

The world is divided into four geographic regions. The Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The Avatar holds the peace between all the four nations to keep in harmony. The fire nation tried seeking power over all nations and attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop the fire nation. But when the world needs him the most, he vanishes. After he disappeared, two of the main characters, Katara and Sokka find the new Avatar, Aang. Together they must help Aang master the elements and save the world running into many problems and obstacles along the way.

Avatar: The Last Airbender comes across as a family show with many different life lessons throughout the show but can be very dark in multiple episodes. The show can be described as benevolent and dark, touching on the caring, well-hearted characters and still giving the viewers the trouble and death of characters.

Aang and Katara portray benevolence in the best ways throughout the show, being generous to the people they run in to on their journey. They also are very caring and sympathetic, helping a small Fire Nation village populated by sick and starving people. “No, I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me! I’m going down to that village, and I am gonna do whatever I can”(DiMartino). Katara did everything she could to help these people that were in need of saving them all and running the Fire Nation’s soldiers out of the village. “Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights” (DiMartino). Iroh says this during a stressful episode where Aang and his friends are running from the Fire Nation. Iroh is a kind-hearted, funny elder that throughout the show is always enjoying the little things in life.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has many dark episodes that remind the viewer that not everything is perfect. “She seems like a normal old woman, but she controls people, like some dark puppetmaster” (DiMartino). Katara meets an old lady that teaches her about a sacred water bending style called blood bending, where you control the water in people’s bodies. This episode turns dark as the characters find out the truth behind the old lady and all the citizens she has been abducting. “It’s been a long time since I’ve added a child’s face to my collection” (DiMartino). Aang visits Koh, an ancient and knowledgeable spirit for wisdom. Koh is known as by the face stealer because of his ability to steal people’s faces if you show any emotion.