Avatar: The Last AirbenderThe current showrunner clarified how fans were wrong about one of Aang’s powers.
Despite being an airbender, Aang does not have the power to fly in the original animated series. He always glides, so he has a glider and rides on Appa’s back.
However, in the first episode of the Netflix live-action show, many fans thought they saw Aang gracefully fly instead of falling in style.
( Avatar Netflix Season 2: Dallas Liu Reveals His Big Hopes for Future Episodes (Exclusive))
Can Aang fly in Avatar: The Last Airbender?
While on the red carpet at Paleyfest 2024, Avatar: The Last Airbender Seasons 2 and 3 showrunner Jabbar Raisani admitted to The Direct’s Russ Milheim that one key fan misconception surprised him: Aang can’t fly.
The producer confirmed how some fans were wrong, and that “Aang Can’t Fly” and is instead “falls into style:”
“Yeah, one thing surprised me. There was this common thread that Aang could fly. And I was like, ‘No, Aang can’t fly. Aang goes down with style.” I want to make a diagram to show exactly that he always goes down mainly.
He joked about how he was going to do it “YouTube Video” to clarify:
“I was like, ‘No, it was very clearly planned,’ obviously not clearly enough. But to make sure he always falls, I was like, ‘No!’
Why is Aang carrying a glider
It’s hard to blame the audience for thinking Aang was flying, especially when it was shown in a flashback of the first episode. It seems certain that Jabbar Raisani is doing his best to avoid fueling this misconception.
However, in season two, Aang might be in a rush to learn both waterbending and earthbending, so his time to cheat with airbending might be limited.
Fans should rest assured that Raisani pays attention to such details, especially in places where the show could have done better. Not every showrunner has the ability to recognize such hiccups and learn from them.
While seasons 2 and 3 will no doubt be challenging to adapt faithfully, fingers crossed that the showrunner’s focus on such details will only benefit the final product.
Avatar: The Last Airbender now streaming on Netflix.
Read more about Avatar in The Direct:
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Avatar Star Dallas Liu Explains Zuko and Katara’s Rivalry in Live Movie (Exclusive)
Who is Sebastian Amoruso? 5 Things You Need to Know About Avatar’s Jet Actor From Netflix’s Live-Action Series