Avatar: The Last Airbender has always been a journey of finding how to handle responsibility. It follows the hopes and dreams of people, their daily lives, and through it; a world filled with power and great opportunities. In a show that deals with many emotions, it takes a good amount of endurance to not make it through without feeling your heart squeeze within your chest.
Throughout the story, Aang finds himself battling with the idea of understanding what it really means to be the Avatar. It is not something he comes to terms with immediately, nor is he too fond of the idea. The very thought of holding such a title frightened him.
In all of this, there is one scene in particular that becomes a turning point in his life.
Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Birth of Hope
The original Avatar: The Last Airbender series features a lot of scenes that could touch the fans’ hearts without a second thought. Scenes depicting love, hate, pain, and many such emotions managed to reciprocate similar feelings within the show’s audience as well. However, one sequence finds itself to be an even bigger impact than most. The Serpent’s Pass, from Book Two of the series.
The scene in question sees Than and Ying discussing amongst themselves while holding onto their newborn daughter. At the same time, Aang seems to be observing the pair at a near distance. Up until then, he has constantly endured one challenge after another, making life and the path ahead of him seem rather grim.
As opposed to his inner feelings, Aang finds some sort of light in watching a newborn child be welcomed into the world. When the parents begin to wonder what to name their daughter, Aang starts to cry, explaining that the two made him hopeful after such a difficult time. In response to that, Than and Ying named their daughter Hope.
Aang’s Growth Makes Even the Fans Tear Up
Despite his actual age, Aang is just a child out of time. So responsibility, when brought upon him, takes time to settle as well. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, it is beautifully shown how everything in the world can change in a moment. However, in Aang’s perspective, that one scene not only gives him hope, but it makes him understand what it means to be the Avatar. Moreover, it paints the picture that he impacts people more than he can ever realize.
Aang cries after seeing a family with their newborn baby. The moment he understood what it means to be the Avatar pic.twitter.com/3aBGxdXIxo
— daily aang (@aangdaily) April 1, 2024
This scene was a sad one, almost had me in tears too considering the fact that he really didn’t have his own family.
— 🇳🇬🇵🇸 (@AkhiNextDoor_) April 1, 2024
Aang's tears, a tender lesson in love & responsibility, as he grasps what it means to be the Avatar. 💧❤️ #AvatarTheLastAirbender #FamilyLove
— Danielle (@Daniell36740959) April 2, 2024
Such a sad scene, even I felt sad.
— AH (@Abdulhal3m) April 1, 2024
It was so touching how he always felt sobber and wanted to save the world without using violence
— Trofy (@Real_Trofy) April 1, 2024
Fans too seem to find the scene difficult to watch. Not because it is horribly executed, but because of the emotional impact it has on both the characters and the audience.
The empathetic nature of audiences brought upon feelings of great pain and pride to see their favorite character grow and develop into his rightful role as the Avatar.
