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Avatar: The Last Airbender (or ATLA, as fans commonly abbreviate it) made its debut back in 2005 and has made nothing short of a positive impact on fandom culture. Since the series ended with a bang back in 2008, it has spawned sequel comics, a new animated series, and (unfortunately) one huge flop of a feature film. M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender (2010) is something that most fans wouldn’t consider an ATLA remake per se, but more of a failed adaptation. It isn’t something that most fans would willingly talk about; that’s how terrible it is.
There were many things wrong with the film — from whitewashing actors to major shifts in the plotline and even the absence of certain lovable characters that rubbed fans the wrong way. One would think that after that particular adaptation that Hollywood would think twice about trying to do another ATLA remake or adaptation, at least not without the original creators being involved. But alas, a little over ten years later, fans are preparing for another ATLA remake and are once again preparing for the worst. Fans had high hopes for the planned Netflix adaptation when original creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino were revealed to be heading the project.
But things slowly began to go south as Netflix began to force too many unnecessary changes to the ATLA remake. This included changes to certain characters’ ages, backstories, and love interests. (( aj.pennington, “AVATAR Netflix: The Last Airbender Plot and Character Descriptions,” The GWW, June 16, 2021. )). These continuous changes are what many fans believe led the original creators to leave the show’s production (( Julia Alexander, “Avatar: The Last Airbender Creators Quit Live-Action Adaptation Over Creative Differences,” The Verge, August 12, 2020. )) both with seemingly heavy hearts. Unfortunately, Netflix continued to move forward with its plans without the original creators, which made fans even more skeptical of the series and whether it would be good or just another terrible flop like its live-action predecessor.
ATLA Remake’s Changing Of Ages
One of the biggest complaints made by fans over the ATLA remake are rumors that there will be a couple of characters with age changes; the ATLA remake was rumored that power siblings Katara and Sokka would essentially have their roles reversed. Katara at age sixteen and Sokka being fourteen to fifteen years old. This leaves Katara the oldest sibling instead of Sokka, while Aang stays his original age, twelve years old. It is uncertain whether Aang will actually be 112 or not. Zuko would also be aged up by one year, making him seventeen years old.
Now, these age differences may not seem like a big deal at first, but they actually negatively impact the original story in a major way.
Sokka’s Role And Age In ATLA
The characters’ ages reflect their attitudes about certain situations and the world around them, which play a huge role in their character development. For example, changing Sokka’s age would negatively impact the series in more ways than one. Sokka’s role as Team Avatar’s big brother figure was vital to the original series, despite Sokka being the group’s main source of comedic relief. Sokka aspired to be like his father, a brave warrior who was highly regarded among his peers and fellow warriors. However, when Sokka was left to protect his family and tribe after his father left to fight, he was forced to grow up a little too quickly. Left without any real training or skills, Sokka had to find his own way, but not without sacrificing his first and foremost title of big brother.
Known as the main comic relief of the series, Sokka was much more than that. Oftentimes he was the voice of reason, looking out for not only his younger sister Katara but the rest of Team Avatar as well. In addition, he had a certain level of insight that only an older sibling would have, which contributed to his own growth and the growth of others. Though slightly immature, Sokka was far from childish, and he has proven that time and time again by stepping up as the eldest during the most crucial moments in the show.
Changing Sokka’s age and making him the younger sibling changes all of those things and forces Katara’s character to be tweaked as well, especially in terms of personality. Would she be perceived as the wiser and more mature sibling? Would she be more level-headed and less impulsive? If this is so, then it looks like Katara’s personality and experiences as a younger sibling would differ drastically, leaving fans to consider if it’s truly worth changing a character’s entire persona for the sake of something as trivial as a love interest, which we’ll get into next.
ATLA Remake’s Change Of Love Interests
Another rumor that could heavily impact the story told in the ATLA remake is the change in love interests. The age change could very much impact the relationship between Aang and Katara, the main couple of the series. They were just tweens in the original series, and there wasn’t much of an age gap between the two, making their relationship cute and still possible.
However, after bumping Katara’s age up to sixteen, the sudden age gap seems wrong and borderline creepy, but there may have been a reason behind that. Rumors had been circulating that certain love interests of the series would possibly be changing as well, leaving the Katara and Aang pairing in the past.
Katara, Zuko’s, And Aang’s Relationship In The ATLA Remake
Since Katara is aged up, seemingly to look a bit more “mature,” it was rumored that she and Zuko would be love interests in the new ATLA remake. The popular pairing involves Zuko and Katara (which fans have lovingly dubbed as Zutara) and has been a popular ship in the fandom since its early days. There is no doubt that Zuko and Katara drew fans in with their chemistry, giving an enemies-to-lovers type of vibe that they instantly ate up. Unfortunately, however, it was not endgame, as Katara ended up with Aang, and Zuko with his longtime girlfriend, Mai. Many fans have voiced their disappointed opinions in the endgame results, but the love for the Zutara ship stayed alive for many years. So when it was rumored that Katara and Zuko might become love interests, some fans were ecstatic, and others…not so much.
Would doing this negatively impact the series? Though the Zutara ship is surely something special, changing the love interests now would basically erase everything else that came after the original ATLA series. The events of the comics would be changed and the events of the series sequel, The Legend of Korra. Had Aang and Katara not gotten together, they wouldn’t have had their children (Tenzin, Bumi, or Kya), which would definitely impact what happens in the future. This indefinitely alters the entire timeline of The Legend of Korra and makes us wonder how different the story would have been had Katara gotten with Zuko instead of Aang. Would Korra have even been the next Avatar, or would there have been a completely different timeline altogether? And why Katara was aged up for this is unknown.
Perhaps to avoid a love triangle situation in the story? Another theory is that it is an attempt to get more fans on board with the Zuko and Katara pairing, but who is to say? It’s even been questioned whether or not Aang will have a love interest at all, which, again, could seriously impact the events of The Legend of Korra. Now, there is no denying the pronounced chemistry between Zuko and Katara, as well as the allure of the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. However, it seems a bit much to change an entire classic story to ensure a certain pairing becomes endgame. This not only goes for Zuko and Katara but Aang’s possible lack of a love interest as well as Sokka’s love interests, Suki and Yue. Also going back to Sokka’s age change, would his relationships from the series even exist in the ATLA remake? That isn’t certain either.
ATLA Remake’s Change Of Origin Stories
Another ATLA remake rumor that fans were highly outspoken about was the possible change in some of the characters’ backstories. Now, there are no official statements on whether these rumors are true or not, but here is what some sources have claimed about this change in backstory. One major change involves Aang and his backstory. In the original series, Aang was born to two air nomads but was still very young when he was taken to the Southern Air Temple to be raised by monks. He had chosen the Avatar relics among many toys that were offered to him, leading the monks to know for sure that Aang was destined to be the next Avatar. Aang was raised by the monks of the Southern Air Temple as an Airbender in training, along with many other children.
He was particularly close to Monk Gyatso, who was essentially like a father to him. After Aang hit twelve years old, his destiny was revealed to him, though it wasn’t something he was too thrilled about. After having the pressure of the world’s fate on his shoulders, along with his life-changing so quickly and drastically, Aang panicked and ran away from his life at the Southern Air Temple. During his escape, he hit a bad storm that struck him and his sky bison Appa, and out of defense, Aang went into the Avatar state and sealed himself and Appa away in a giant ice sphere. He wouldn’t wake up until 100 years later, right before meeting Katara and Sokka.
Aang’s Backstory
In the ATLA remake, it is rumored that Aang’s backstory will consist of him being raised by two loving parents. He apparently possesses a “mystical gift” that he is trying to understand. He eventually finds out that he must use this power to help the world, but he isn’t too keen on accepting that role, as he just wants to live a normal life. Now, this is somewhat similar to the original in the sense that Aang doesn’t want to become the Avatar, but that is the only similarity.
Does the ATLA remake completely omit his past at the Southern Air Temple and his bond with Monk Gyatso? If so, this is a terrible move for the story, as Aang’s original origin was immensely vital to the series. It seems to downplay Aang’s role as the world’s future savior and even makes fans wonder if this isn’t the only thing that will change about Aang’s story. Not only does Aang’s backstory apparently change in the ATLA remake, but there will be notable changes to other characters as well. Sokka and Katara’s mother’s death no longer involves a Fire Nation raid, but a “supernatural event.”
Katara starts to develop “supernatural powers” and Sokka grows concerned over it. The same thing is said for Zuko, that he was also developing powers he was trying to understand. If this is the case for our main bending characters, does that mean that they were not born with the gift to bend the elements like in the original series?
Zuko’s Backstory
Zuko’s backstory was another thing that changed dramatically in the ATLA remake. Zuko’s father was described as an “overbearing father” and a “career military man,” but doesn’t exactly say that he is the Fire Lord himself. Zuko is also not addressed as a prince at all and nothing is explicitly mentioned about Zuko’s banishment. There is something similar in the fact that his father tells him not to bother coming home until he defeats Aang, but it is unclear what this means, as Aang is described more as a rival rather than an enemy in this particular story.
This also leads fans to wonder what else will be changed in the story. Will Zuko’s sister Azula make an appearance? Will Zuko’s Uncle Iroh be involved? Iroh played a very significant role in Zuko’s redemption and growth, so seeing an absence of the iconic character would be disappointing, to say the least. Zuko’s original backstory is also very vital to the plotline, including his redemption, his relationships with other characters, as well as important events involving his mother in the Avatar comics. Changing Zuko’s story so drastically is a big mistake, as his redemption arc is a very iconic one that was executed perfectly. Changing that would only sour the story, as well as many fans’ feelings toward the change.
Should Netflix Continue With The ATLA Remake?
It seems that the ATLA remake has already made significant changes that clearly affect the original plotline. From the age changes to the altering of certain characters’ origin stories, fans can’t help but wonder if these changes are truly necessary. This also includes the possible changes in love interests. And though the producers have made better calls in regard to casting choices (lest we forget the awful whitewashing and miscasting of the live-action 2010 film), it’s hard to get excited with the rumors of these possible changes floating around.
These changes are making the ATLA remake look like a completely different series, which would have made a lot more sense at this point. Avatar: The Last Airbender made its mark on animation, as well as on fandom culture, with very memorable characters, scenes, and story arcs that will always be fondly remembered. Is it truly worth tampering with an entire story that truly doesn’t need to be changed? It has been said that these changes were not the vision of the original creators, and fans can’t help but be a little nervous. Again, nobody wants a repeat of the disaster that was The Last Airbender, so it would be in Netflix’s best interest to listen to the fans a little more. Only time will tell if the ATLA remake will live up to the original Avatar series, so producers better buckle up, as they have some very big shoes to fill.