The live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender which premiered on Netflix in February 2024, is the remake of the 2005 Nickelodeon animated series. The show received mixed reviews from audiences and critics in certain areas where it did not match up to the original. Nevertheless, it has been renewed for a second season.
Apart from the titular protagonist Aang, a key character in the show is Katara. played by Kiawentiio in the live-action adaptation. While she is seen as a compassionate and empathetic person, she possesses inimitable powers. In the animated series, she shows her formidable side to Fire Nation’s Prince Zuko. With season 2 of the Netflix remake in the works, the creators would do well to ensure that this scene is recreated to show Katara’s worth.
Why This Katara Scene Needs To Be Seen In Live-Action
One of the main protagonists in Avatar: The Last Airbender is Katara. In the recent adaptation of the hit animated series, actor Kiawentiio portrays this role. The character is a 14-year-old waterbender who has the ability to control water and ice. In addition, she is also adept at Bloodbending, which is the power to bend the fluid inside the bodies of humans and other living creatures.
This power if used, can also kill and paralyze people while rendering them completely devoid of their own bending ability. Katara though, is a pragmatic voice of reason who believes that this deadly technique should not be used at any cost as she considers it to be wrong. But in one instance, she decides to show Prince Zuko what would happen if she broke this rule.
Zuko, who is originally an antagonist, becomes an ally of the airbender Aang, Katara, and her brother Sokka in their fight for justice. To ensure that the Fire Nation prince does not betray them or harm Aang in any way, Katara gives him an ominous warning about how she would not hesitate to use her Bloodbending powers if needed.
A Reddit video uploaded by a fan shows clips of the character performing this technique and also confronting Zuko with her threat, which proved that she was no pushover. Her exact words to him are,
You take one step backwards, one slip up, or give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, you won’t have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I’ll make sure your destiny ends. Right then and there, permanently.
Redditors who commented on this video were completely in awe of her swashbuckling attitude that left no doubts about her intention to destroy Zuko if he took a wrong step.
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Judging by the reactions to Katara’s powers, it goes without saying that season 2 of the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender will do well to incorporate these aspects of the character into the show. More importantly, it proves that she cannot be underestimated in any way, just because she chooses to take the non-violent path, not using her Bloodbending powers.
In addition, the assumptions that the character is docile and soft because of these decisions, were completely shut down with this scene, which needs to be reinforced in the Netflix series as well.
The Original Avatar: The Last Airbender Missed Out One Potent Strength Of Aang
Following the release of the live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans of the franchise have been analyzing it with a fine-toothed comb while comparing it to the original series on Nickelodeon. Despite certain criticism for the 2024 show that has risen out of this analysis, the 2005 animated series also seems to have missed a step by omitting a key component from the illustrated comics.
In the books, Aang, played by Gordon Cormier in the series, is seen to possess the unique ability to bend the four elements namely fire, water, earth, and air. Arising out of each of these elements are different subtypes of bending like Bloodbending, Energybending, Plantbending, and the like.
Among these forms, an analysis in CBR states that Energybending is regarded as one of the most potent bending techniques. In this, a practitioner can manipulate the core energy of a person along with their breath and life force in order to alter their inner spirituality. In the legacy of the Airbenders, this skill is said to be taught by Lion Turtles.
In the book, this power is used by Aang to defeat Phoenix King Ozai. In doing so, he becomes the first person to achieve this feat after being tutored by the Lion Turtle. Energybending is also seen as one of the riskiest and oldest forms of bending. This form is even seen to be stronger than its darker, more twisted variant Bloodbending.
Unfortunately, ardent fans would have noted that the original and the live-action series only touched upon this aspect and did not properly flesh out this significant power in the narrative. With Netflix confirming that season 2 and 3 of the live-action show have received a green signal, it remains to be seen if the series will attempt to highlight this bending power.
The animated and live-action versions of Avatar: The Last Airbender can be streamed on Netflix.
