On Netflix's Geeked Week 2023, the live-action series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, was revealed to be premiering on February 22, 2024, and what better way to start the new year than with the newest adaptation? That said, do you need to watch Avatar's animated series before the live-action comes out? Here's everything you need to know.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Is the Animated Series Connected to Netflix's Live-Action?
Many would argue that the original 2005 animated series of Avatar: The Last Airbender was way ahead of its time upon its release.
Considering that the show tackled mature themes beyond friendship and adventure, the series takes a toll on the main character, Aang, for having the fate of world peace on his shoulders.
Despite having a kid for a body when he was sealed for an entire century, he holds a bigger responsibility in preserving his clan by becoming the last living Airbender who is destined to save the world.
Now that Netflix's live adaptation of the series is premiering in early 2024, the question remains, do you need to watch the animated show before the new adaptation releases? The short answer is no. Here's why.
Adaptations are just that - mere translations of the same media into a different platform. Take Netflix's One Piece, for example.
Although many believed that the anima's adaptation would flop, the show proved fans wrong by depicting the same storyline with accurate actors portraying the titular characters.
The streamer will likely be doing the same thing with the live-action of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
If ever, the live adaptation could take a new spin to make the series different from its original. But for now, here's how the live-action is different from its source material.
How is Netflix's Live-Action Avatar Series Different From the Original?
So far, Netflix's live-action series merely revealed its official teaser and our first looks at the actors depicting the original characters in the new adaptation. That being said, we know little information on how this could be different from the original show.
However, according to Netflix's Tudum, the streamer's live-action version of the series doesn't differ much from the source material. You can read the full official synopsis of the live adaptation below:
The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope.
But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang, a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka and Katara, siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai.
But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.
While the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender is not connected to the live-action series, you can watch all episodes of the complete show on Netflix while waiting for the live-action series to come this 2024.
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