“Skipping ‘The Library’ Episode in The Last Airbender Could Be a Mistake”

Netflix recently announced that its live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender will return for two more seasons. This announcement came with a teaser image that showed the symbols of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, implying that these seasons will cover the events of Book 2: Earth and Book 3: Fire from the original series. This was an exciting announcement both for the cast of the live-action Avatar and for the fans, as the latter two-thirds of the cartoon contained some of its most popular episodes, including “The Library.”

Unfortunately, Netflix’s Avatar might skip over the events of “The Library.” The first season omitted several episodes from the original Avatar series, including “Imprisoned,” “The Waterbending Scroll,” “The Great Divide” and “The Fortuneteller.” Unlike “The Library,” none of these episodes were crucial to the overarching narrative of the show, as they focused primarily on developing the characters rather than advancing the plot. However, moments from the first season of the live-action adaptation indicated that “The Library” might be on the chopping block. This would spell trouble for the future of Netflix’s Avatar, as “The Library” was key to the emotional weight of the series and Aang’s character arc.

“The Library” Kicked Off the Missing Appa Plotline

Related

Avatar: The Last Airbender Actor Explains Katara and Zuko’s Rivalry

Actor Dallas Liu reveals the hard work he put into his portrayal of Zuko and his rivalry with Katara in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In “The Library,” the Gaang and Professor Zei flew through the Si Wong Desert in search of Wan Shi Tong’s ancient library. They hoped to find some information about the Fire Nation that would allow them to put an end to the Hundred Year War. They eventually found the library and discovered that most of it had become buried under the desert’s shifting sands. Aang’s beloved pet Sky Bison Appa remained outside because he had a fear of going underground, and Toph stayed with him. The rest entered the library and met Wan Shi Tong, an enormous owl spirit. He was hesitant to allow humans into his library since he correctly guessed that they only wanted to use his knowledge for war, but Aang and Sokka convinced him otherwise. They discovered a planetarium that taught them about an upcoming solar eclipse that would cause the firebenders to lose their powers. When Wan Shi Tong learned their true motives, he tried to trap them by sinking the rest of the library.

Using her earth-bending skills, Toph kept the library above ground long enough for the Gaang to escape. But in the meantime, sand-benders had kidnapped Appa, as Toph had been unable to fight them and hold up the library at the same time. Aang was heartbroken about the loss of Appa, and his mood only became worse as the Gaang trekked back through the desert on foot. He became violent and aggressive, nearly killing the sand benders when he next met them. He managed to overcome his rage, but despondent apathy soon replaced the anger. Without Appa, Aang had lost hope, which he needed to slowly regain throughout the next several episodes. After a long series of tribulations, Appa ended up in the Dai Li’s secret base under Lake Laogai. Zuko, who was originally planning to capture Appa, decided to set him free instead. This was a large step towards Zuko’s eventual redemption. Aang and Appa had a heartfelt reunion, and they remained at each other’s side for the rest of the series.

Elements of “The Library” Already Appeared in Netflix’s Avatar

Related

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Best Change Sets up a Fan-Favorite Character’s Entire Arc

While fans disagree with some of the changes in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, most like this addition to a beloved character’s story.

• According to Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s defunct official website, Wan Shi Tong’s name meant “He who knows 10,000 things” in Mandarin Chinese.
• Wan Shi Tong had markings on the back of his head that mirrored his eyes.
• The leader of the group of sandbenders who kidnapped Appa was named Ghashiun.

Netflix’s Avatar has already used up some important characters and moments from “The Library.” In the episode “Spirited Away,” Wan Shi Tong appears in the Spirit World, where he warns Aang about the dangers that he, Katara, and Sokka face and points him toward Monk Gyatso’s abode. His appearance may have been an Easter egg to compensate for the removal of his more important role later in the series. Likewise, in the post-credits scene for the episode “Legends,” Fire Lord Ozai and a Fire Sage used a planetarium reminiscent of the one that appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s library, albeit on a smaller scale. This would provide an alternate method by which the Gaang could learn about the solar eclipse. Netflix’s Avatar also removed some foreshadowing for “The Library,” as Zhao did not learn about the spirits Tui and La from Wan Shi Tong’s library as he did in the cartoon.

Another reason to believe that Netflix’s Avatar will skip “The Library” is that the first season did not establish Appa as an important character. Likely because of the expense of a fully CGI character, he barely appeared in the first season. The few times he did appear, he was little more than a vehicle for the Gaang, which was something that the creators of the cartoon had worked hard to avoid. Netflix’s Avatar did not establish his fear of going underground, his dynamic with Momo, or most importantly, his bond with Aang. Unless the early episodes of the next season were to dedicate a large amount of time to Appa, his disappearance would not be as emotionally devastating as it was in the original series.

Skipping “The Library” Would Continue a Trend From Netflix’s Avatar

Related

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Teased an Important Character From the Comics

“Masks,” the sixth episode of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation referenced a key character from the Avatar comic The Search.

• Wan Shi Tong returned in The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra, as did the skeleton of Professor Zei.
• In Netflix’s Avatar, only Aang could understand Wan Shi Tong, which was not the case in the cartoon.
• “Spirited Away” also featured a fox spirit, which may have been a reference to the Knowledge Seekers, Wan Shi Tong’s helpers from the cartoon.

There is a reason beyond budget or time constraints that Netflix’s Avatar may want to skip “The Library.” The first season removed most of the main characters’ flaws from the original series, likely in an attempt to make them more likable to new viewers. Katara lacked her quick temper, Sokka held no misogynistic beliefs and Aang did not run away from his responsibilities. In the first season of the cartoon, episodes like “Bato of the Water Tribe” and “The Deserter” showcased Aang’s unfavorable qualities, namely his dishonesty towards Katara and Sokka and his overconfidence about fire bending. It was no coincidence that the events of these episodes were mostly if not entirely absent from the live-action adaptation.

The aftermath of “The Library” brought out the worst in the Gaang, especially Aang. Frustrated and exhausted, he lashed out at everyone, including his friends. Aang nearly even abandoned his pacifism, which was the single most important virtue that he learned from the Air Nomads. If the second and third seasons of Netflix’s Avatar continue the trend of the first, it will not show its hero in such a negative light. This would be to the series’ detriment, as it would flatten the character arcs of both Aang and Zuko. Without flaws and internal conflicts to overcome, the characters of Netflix’s Avatar will not be able to grow and become emotionally stronger.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Live-Action)

A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save the world, and fight against an enemy bent on stopping him.

Release Date

February 22, 2024

Cast

Daniel Dae Kim , Paul Sun-Hyung Lee , Dallas Liu , Tamlyn Tomita , Gordon Cormier

Main Genre

Adventure

Seasons

1

Franchise

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Creator

Albert Kim

Number of Episodes

8