Avatar The Last Airbender Finale: Great or Disappointing?

[@Akigirl2004]

The Library would’ve been a great place to include more information about the Lion Turtle or Spirit Bending

[@tauhidershadKUFNAFLORAN]

there was a picture of lion turtle.

[@SneakyTogedemaru]

@@tauhidershadKUFNAFLORAN There was, and there could've bin a bit more. Maybe a book with a legend or something like that and another mention of it before turtle appeared and maybe some talking in the group about energy bending mentioned in the book as a mysterious and weird thing no one ever heard of. Would've been cool, but with constrains and problems of integrating it into the plot understandable if they just weren't able to manage it in time. So it's kinda my head cannon that Aang found more then that single drawing and parts of it stuck somewhere in his mind.

[@damarcusgames]

​@@tauhidershadKUFNAFLORAN well tbh lion turtles where said to be extinct

[@tauhidershadKUFNAFLORAN]

@@damarcusgames I'm sure that falls in a trope.

[@ashleycox8480]

​@@damarcusgames so were dragons

[@themilkman5004]

I saw the series finale when it first came out and I always liked the ending. When I got older and rewatched it a couple times I kinda got bothered by it but I eventually came to see it as there’s always an outside of the box third option. Because for those final few episodes everyone in the Gaang made it seem like there’s two options for Aang to do, either kill Ozai or let him destroy the world. Everyone pressuring him to do the former. But despite all that Aang found another way to stop Ozai.

[@BerdFly]

Same. There was nothing wrong with it. I just wish toph. More toph

[@diehard7517]

Well, Aang didn't really find a solution. Lion Turtle gave it to him for, basically, being a good boy.

[@mecahhannah]

Couldn't agree more

[@richardmenz3257]

The lion turtle giving him the option is the only issue with the ending. If the turtle just gave him a hint instead of literally giving the power it been perfect ending.

[@themilkman5004]

@@richardmenz3257 I’m not gonna disagree on that

[@wernstberger]

When Aang and Zuko hugged at the end, it felt like everything had come full circle. I love this series.

[@Punkandcannonballer]

I think you really landed on why I think this deus ex isn't typical and genuinely worked very well. Aang didn't need the help to win. He ALREADY won. But he WOULD NOT kill someone. I think it's amazing to see him hold true to his beliefs to the very end. I think it adds to the story that the Lion Turtle and energy bending were things that no one knew about in specific, because if they had, if other Avatars knew about it, it would put their violence into question. That they could have found the lion turtle and learned the ability so no one else had to be killed for peace, which would also make it more contrived that somehow the lion turtle didn't help them out but did come to Aang for some reason. I love the idea that the Lion Turtle came to Aang because he wouldn't bend. He wouldn't break, and it wasn't to bring harm to the world, it was to bring peace. One flaw I do think the finale has is Iroh saying "nah I can't kill Ozai, it would just be seen as brother against brother to seize power. Anyway, go kill your sister and seize power."

[@ulyssesglemao6783]

"One flaw I do think the finale has is Iroh saying "nah I can't kill Ozai, it would just be seen as brother against brother to seize power. Anyway, go kill your sister and seize power."" The flaw on your comment is that azula is not a firelord yet she literally interrupt her crowning just to fight zuko in agni kai and he did not kill azula he put her in prison.

[@mecahhannah]

Agreed

[@Punkandcannonballer]

@@ulyssesglemao6783 did you miss the part where Zuko showed up and immediately said "you're not becoming the fire lord today. I am." Kind of like "brother fighting against brother for the power of the throne," no?

[@lotrlotr2357]

Yea Aang is the best,most underrated character from series

[@FioEl54]

For me it is the effort to get to this point if it had been a sticking point since the first invasion and use the 3ed book to look for ways to solve that conflict it would have been better. The conflict point being only a few episodes out is a huge problem because we have been here before and no issue brought up so the issue and resolution feel very rushed rather than given time to breath like Aangs coming to terms with his leaving and his issues with fire bending. If I had to rewrite it during the day of black sun we bring the issue up but force Aang to go less confident at this time he just accepts but is relieved when the Fire Lord is not found at the same time he feels guilt over feeling relived. Another episode comes up where he must kill again but this time finds the courage to say no this situation is less extreme and the not kill is more easily achieved. The training happens as we see it and Aang does the meditation that night to talk to the former avatars as we see in the normal story just not lost. He then goes to the spirit realm for an episode on a journey to find an answer there after an episode of failures he eventually finds the lion turtle spirit and gets energy bending. Its not perfect but it gives much more weight and time to let it feel like an issue.

[@TheTsugnawmi2010]

I’m most upset that Sokka lost his meteor sword. I know it fits the theme of him discarding his naive idea that a man must be a fighter and warrior who destroys all obstacles… but it was a really cool sword!

[@gamingweb1090]

Yea

[@RaffyDGoat]

He found it again 😁

[@kenm.a.d.7196]

I believe the comics revealed he found it again

[@shay_3859]

@Kaza Kaza Women get the luxury of being weak?🤨

[@shay_3859]

@Kaza Kaza Protected? Valued??? Have you seen the statistics of abuse and violence done to women? They are far from protected. You sound like you are the one being protected and valued with the privilege of not having to know or experience any of this. Women are the ones who are strong for having to roam a world full of abusers.

[@thejustinwestra]

Aang is very spiritually connected, so it made sense to me that he was subconsciously drawn to the Lion Turtle in a time of great need. It’s definitely a plot convenience and I wish it was foreshadowed more, but at the end of the day I liked the scenes of Aang essentially arguing with his past lives and the way the Lion Turtle expanded the lore.

[@kevinb5417]

I wouldn't call it a convenience. I'd call it a contrivance. I love the ending, and it ties everything up beautifully. But the Lion Turtle, energy bending, and Aang's regaining the Avatar State by taking a hit to the back are all *major* contrivances that I can't ignore.

[@thejustinwestra]

@@kevinb5417 I get what you mean. I think it’s a little bit of both - the lack of foreshadowing made the Lion Turtle and energy bending feel a bit shoehorned and contrived. It’s also convenient because it’s exactly what Aang needed in that moment and for it to happen right before Sozin’s Comet and his final face-off with Ozai, it felt very timely to say the least. While it’s hard to ignore, it’s not hard to forgive. I love the finale so much that I’m willing to overlook certain contrivances and conveniences because they opened the door for a really good ending.

[@kevinb5417]

@@thejustinwestra Well said.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dh7mm]

Completely agree. It's the perfect ending for the show if they were able to justify it beforehand. No need to change the finale at all. Set up the legend of the lion turtles granting bending. The professor could have done that at the Library as an "um, actually" at the library. Set up Azula's trust issues breaking down earlier when she attacks the Western Air Temple. Set up Ozai as the most powerful fire bender of his day (which he was) and tie bending more clearly to respect for the throne. That could've been achieved at the royal fire academy. Otherwise... why does taking his bending away even matter? Set up energy bending as a completion of what the guru was teaching Aang, because that kinda went nowhere. This show is awesome at setup and payoff. I definitely couldn't have done it better or even close to as good as they did. I just feel like it could've been a bit tighter.

[@GASA1997]

I think the best and easiest way to fix the energy bending issue would have been a small change in the season 2 episode the library. When aang showed everyone the lion-turtle page if he just read something about energy bending or that the lion-turtles had an ancient power. That would have been awesome.

[@ajl2346]

My problem with the end of the story and Aang's arc is that Aang didn't actually solve his problems. He didn't seek out the lion turtle it found him. When he was fighting Ozai he didn't gain control of the Avatar state till the fight was about to end, it just conveniently came back right when he needed it. I mostly forgive this because all other aspects of the ending where amazing and Avatar is a chosen one story at the end of the day. It does make Aang's character arc my personal least favorite out of the main characters though

[@RiseeRee]

This! I always wished that something jogged his memory that he reviewed a book about lionturtles at Wan Shi Tong’s library. Then he could have sought one out.

[@ajl2346]

@@RiseeRee yeah totally! Maybe if Aang had sought out the consual of the past avatars earlier in the season the writers could have established the motivation to look for a new solution. Leading Aang to look for the lionturtle after a bit of memory jogging

[@waterturtle2919]

Aang was a diplomat avatar born in an era when a warrior avatar was needed and Korra was a warrior avatar born in an era where a diplomat avatar was needed. While Korra actually got some character progression and overcame her shortcommings, Aang was just gifted the perfect power by a magical turtle right before he needed it instead of overcoming his weaknesses. Ozai was right. Aang stayed weak and arrogant, never willing to make the sacrifices needed, always clinging stubbornly to the child that he was at the start. The writers just made him succeed anyway.

[@davidfaith7477]

During Aang and Ozai’s fight, Ozai tells Aang “you’re weak, just like the rest of your people. They didn’t deserve to exist in this world, in my world,” and if Aang had killed him, he would’ve proved Ozai right. Because if Aang had forsaken everything that the monks taught him and killed Ozai, then he either would’ve been saying that the air nomads were weak and needed to kill, or that Ozai is right and there’s no place for pacifists in the world anymore. So by doubling down and finding a way to defeat Ozai without killing him, Aang shows that the air nomads and their teaching were valuable, and not just values that should be pushed aside when things are difficult.

[@Wingedmagician]

Only problem ofcourse is all the people probably killed along the way 😅

[@themeerofkats8908]

I don't know. Remember when Aang found Gyatso's skeleton next to so many remains of Fire Nation soldiers? He did not go down without a fight.

[@GhostDumbDumb]

Until you remember that Aang asked an Air Avatar, Avatar Yang-Chen, what he should do about his dillemma and she says verbatim "the avatar can never do it, because your duty is to the world." He's more than just an air nomad.

[@Seven-vu3md]

He was only able to defeat him with energy bending tho. And that bending ability was just given him on a silver plate by the lion turtle. Aang didn't do anything by himself to solve this problem which could be a "lesson" that basically tells people to wait for others to save them. Also energy bending just appeared outta nowhere and kind of comes off just as a plot device. The only use energy bending has, was to defeat Ozai without killing him. Energy bending was never mentioned before and after (Not counting the legend of Korra since that's it's own series) which just makes it come off as weird and unpredictable but not in the good way.

[@johjoh9270]

​@@Seven-vu3mdAnd even with energy bending, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Ozai without killing him, since he could not use Avatar state, in fact, chances of defeating him at all were very low, only chance came when he redirected Ozai's lightning, and he refused to do it, the only reason he didn't die, dooming the whole campaign, letting his friends die or be captured, losing his own life and letting everyone in the Earth Kingdom die was because of a 2nd deus ex machina (1st was turtle that gave him energy bending) in the form of a very convenient rock

[@scruffalumps]

I feel like all we needed was a cryptic painting on a wall of one of the air temple ruins that just shows a lion turtle touching a figure in the same way. that the Gaang jussst miss. like they leave a room and the camera stays behind and rests on it just out of their sight. this would have been a great way to get people thinking about it a lot earlier.

[@NonAnonD]

I can’t believe Aang didn’t straight up kill Ozai, felt like a betrayal to what I’d come to expect from childrens’ cartoons. Jokes aside, i absolutely think spirit bending/the lion turtles needed more build up ideally - maybe they should have been explored when Aang was trying to open up his chakras and unlock the avatar state. Im fine with what we got but there was room for improvement for sure.

[@zuriyel5368]

I think some of those issues were impacted by the writer's strike that year.

[@katieb9428]

I’ve seen this show at least 20 times. The last episode always gets me. The fight with Ozai is ok, but the Final Agni Kai never fails to make me emotional

[@xuvial1391]

The Agni Kai was the actual climax for me. Aang vs Ozai had nowhere near the same impact.

[@arturoflores488]

I remember watching the 2 hour series finale when it aired. I though it was really well and nicely done.. over the years I have rewatched this show so many times and obviously the finale stands out. I can actually understand and appreciate more of what the writers were doing. Having said that I still believe this is one if not the best ending of a series finale.

[@paladinrose]

I love the small detail that Bumi - ostensibly our 'mad man with visions' - tells Aang that his earth bending teacher will be someone who "waits and listens". That he'll need this skill to defeat the fire lord. In the end, it's none of the skills learned over ten thousand years that gives Aang his opening to energy bend Ozai - it's Toph's blindsight techniques. Just like Bumi said.

[@arx5638]

I mean technically Iroh Lightning redirection technique was the first he could've use to take down Ozai. Funnily enough in order to use it you have to wait and listen to your opponent to use it...

[@andrewferrer3118]

The best examples of energy bending's foreshadowing would be the swamp and bitter work. The swamp emphasized the interconnection of all things through the "spirit" (energy) and how that energy can be manipulated individually. Bitter work teaches us that the bending of others can be internalize and altered in Iroh teaching us how lightning is produced and channeled. I'm not saying the creators definitely had energy bending in mind but they did lay the ground work far better than people ever given them credit.

[@nicolev990]

I really liked the ending of atla. My favorite part was the Zuko vs Azula. Not only does it show the trust Katara has developed in Zuko to let him take his sister on alone, but it also serves to wrap up the character arcs of both Zuko and Azula, both having come from the same place but having chosen completely opposite paths in the end. There’s so much to dissect from that one ending on its own. As for Aangs ending, I completely agree that it was a bit of a deus ex machina. The lion turtle is explored a bit more in korra, but if some of that was talked about in atla it would’ve felt a lot less like a pull from the hat. I wonder what made the show runners approach it like this, were they not sure how they wanted to end aangs arc until the very end? Everything else that happens felt built up during the show. That being said, I don’t think the minor deus ex machina destroys the ending for me, a lot of shows have done a lot worse.

[@xuvial1391]

The lion turtle was just one contrivance. The other big one was how Aang got thrown into a protruding rock at the perfect location...and getting stabbed by a rock in his spiral wound somehow UNLOCKED HIS COSMIC CHAKRA (instead of paralyzing him) and instantly reconnected him to the Avatar state + full control of it. So to unlock the chakra, all someone needed to do was physically shove a rock into his spinal wound?

[@cooltiger07]

I love the final Agni Kai more than Aang vs Ozai. I wasn't dissatisfied with the lion turtle, but I really wish he wouldn't have touched aang to bestow energy bending. It would have been more satisfying to me if he told aang it was a possibility but you had to be pure and aang figured out how to do it himself. Also, Ozai is not that great of a villain. His plan was to destroy the earth kingdom, but he started in the most deserted place filled with rocks and rivers. So like, the most unflamable place ever. Dude is just dumb.

[@carsrfun699]

Hi, I really enjoyed your video (This is a long comment) From a real world perspective, one reason I enjoyed the implicit foreshadowing of energy bending was because it provided delayed gratification. I think if it were more explicit it would’ve erased the element (no pun intended) of surprise on my first watch. Of course some people will say that they expected it, but that’s only because it’s been out for many years now and they’ve already seen it or been spoiled. The first time the lion turtle shows his face and speaks with Aang, it still isn’t revealed that Aang can take away the ability to bend. It isn’t until Aang actually does it, that we are informed more about the conversation the two had. I’m by no means a writer; however, as a musician and visual artist, my art disciplines usually deal with communicating a message without words, and it can take extensive time and effort to decipher a message that may have little context clues. I think this conditioning is what makes me personally enjoy when I’m not fed what’s going to happen next, too far ahead of time by media, as it satisfies my long dopamine pathway. In regards to the lore, I believe if there were any obvious information left about the lion turtles and energy bending, the fire nation burned it down, just as they killed the airbenders, the waterbenders in the south, and especially like how Zhao burned a hall in Wan Shi Tong’s library. People just use what little info they have on the turtles to create similes; such as, “they’re as large as a lion turtle”. To my knowledge the lion turtles were hunted, which corresponds with why the foreshadowing was subtle and why this one was hiding. I agree completely agree with your sentiment that this isn’t the common modern day deus ex machina. For starters he still has to bring Ozai to a vulnerable position to take away his bending, which he didn’t do until he regained the Avatar state, and had to use all of his bending disciplines to survive on his way to regaining it. (A side note, I want to clarify that I’m aware Aang could’ve beaten Ozai without the Avatar state, especially because he could redirect lightning). Next, energy bending doesn’t appear to be easy even after learning it, Aang had to explore the heart and mind without being corrupted (hence the hand over the chest and forehead). The lion turtle does not fight Ozai for Aang or make him an unstoppable God like figure, he only serves as what the name of the episode suggests he is which is one of “The Old Masters”. In retrospect he had a similar job to Ran and Shawn, or even Toph and Zuko in a shorter timeframe. In each book Aang is having a coming of age experience, where he learns how to be something that he hasn’t been before. For instance, learning earthbending didn’t just require him to learn combative techniques, but the personality traits; like, how to hold your ground and be like a rock. With energy bending, Aang encapsulates its traits from the start, so he doesn’t have to spend an entire book learning how to be this way because he already is this way. Lastly, I love your book shelf in the background. I’d like to say thank you because, it gave me inspiration for setting up my own study.

[@bilalkhares9337]

Tbh the no killing thing felt a little out of nowhere as it's not clear he never kills before that and it's not really mentioned before that

[@MasteringJohn]

For me, the thing that bothered me most about that fight wasn't the Lion Turtle and energy bending ex machina (although like you said, that clearly needed better foreshadowing), it was how he got his Avatar State back. If I remember correctly, contrary to what you said, Aang *doesn't* hold his own for most of the fight. It's only after his access to the Avatar State is restored that he manages to turn the tables (discounting the moment where he could have killed Ozai with his own lightning, of course). And that doesn't happen as a result of any effort or development on Aang's part, but through the sheer luck of a jagged rock striking his wound in just the right way. I love that fight, but it was such a strange way to bring the Avatar State back into play.

[@mybittersweetme]

Yes yes yes yes! To me, that was the real deus ex machina. Imagine a rock at the exact location where it's needed that hits him just in the right spot with the exact amount of pressure and that that exact action is the only thing that separated him from the avatar state... it's just too much. Like what would've hace happened if he didn't hit his back on the rock? Would he have died?

[@danielalaiz419]

there's something I want to add, when you hit your back on something your head redirects itself more violently because of the neck because it's the area that supports the head and moves it along with it, so much so that you feel the pain in the head first than in the back due to the system redirecting the pain from the impact so i wonder how did aang not have head trauma? i should ask bryke?

[@arrowheadstudio]

The avatar state was foreshadowed in the awakening as katara did say she felt a lot of energy locked in Aang’s back and when she tried to move it Aang immediately got flashbacks of entering it.

[@alexinator-hh5fe]

With most endings I've seen, the story is usually great but the author might have a misstep or stumble a bit when trying to wrap things up. So you could imagine my surprise when Avatar somehow managed to get better with each season and completely knock their ending out of the park in such a satisfying way.

[@kingdoom5022]

For me its have a lot of controversial and bad moments for me , the biggest one is that aang didn't kill ozai and got a massive power up from out of nowhere that makes him steal bending , also i don't like that katara is the one that beated azula not zuko and how the fire soldiers literally didn't do anything and all airships got destroyed conviently by on ship destroying and crashing on others ?! Lol but still a decent ending but not anything amazing like some people say it is

[@catsfan6984]

@@kingdoom5022 Zuko was going to defeat Azula. The whole point was that he was in perfect balance at that point in time while Azula was completely the opposite. So it was perfectly in Character for her to blatantly try to kill Katara out of nowhere and for Zuko to jump in front of it. And if any non-avatar bender can take down Azula, it's Katara. She is the best water bender and that provides an advantage over Azula. Aang's ending I think made perfect sense for his character. Everyone, including his friends and own past lives, were insisting he HAD to kill Ozai and there was no other way. But Aang was so fierce in his values that he was able to overcome the avatar state and take control. Which was something he had been trying to master since the pilot episode. The Lion Turtle was just a means to an end to Aang's story in my opinion, and it was still done well.

[@Ledpooplin55]

Katara ending up with Aang was pretty out of nowhere and held the finale back. The groundwork was not laid for that, and it was not necessary for the ending to be satisfying. Felt like she ignored Aangs crushing, which is fine, they didn't have romantic chemistry, it is what it is, but then he saves the world and she's into him. Just felt really forced and accidentally made Katara feel shallow. Does she even like him? Or just that he saved the world? Because he was firmly in the friendzone before he saved the world.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

@@Ledpooplin55 Actually, he was firmly in the friend zone ... right up until that one time when he was trying to move on after she turned him down and he was briefly entertaining that other random village girl's interest in him. When it seemed like maybe she could have him anymore, that was when she started paying attention to him. So..it was set up well in advance, but I still hated it, because they made their motivation for being together his crush on her and her just getting jealous/insecure about her standing with him if he really did end up with someone else instead; That is a TERRIBLE reason for two people to be together, in my opinion. (But, other than that, I actually completely agree with you!^^ 😅😁😁😶😅)

[@easterslice]

@@Ledpooplin55 What bugged me was that he's only about 12, and she seems more like his babysitter than his partner -- at that point in their relationship. So, when they go into a romantic kiss, I get squicked out. I would have preferred it to be more like a hug -- but a hug that shows they are emotionally partnered, and that allows me to assume they will, in time, become lovers. Just not quite yet.

[@AznE1337]

Agree with you on most of it, but I'll be honest, everything BUT Aang's solution was perfect in the ending. I feel a lot more critical of it. The Gaang's journey to find Aang was well written and thought out. The meeting with the White Lotus and their final conflicts were wonderfully done. But... it was poorly foreshadowed that the Lion Turtle's existed, or that Energy bending could even be a thing. It could have been seen or mentioned at several points. A scroll found in the Great Library of Wan Shi Tong, a mention by scholars in Ba Sing Se, a lecture by Iroh to Zuko, even just an off handed mention/joke of Sokka saying the Legendary Lion Turtles that used to roam the world, or late night ponderings of how people developed elemental bending etc. Also... I think it would have been better and made more sense, if after Aang removes Ozai's bending or if he just defeated him but refused to take his life still, that Forest spirits of the land that Ozai had just burned, came out and abducted him into the Spirit World as punishment. Cuz... we know that Forest Spirits exist and are enraged when their lands are destroyed, and can abduct people. ex. Heibai.

[@beepboop4833]

Great point about the Forest Spirits.

[@Ace24Crush]

There was an image of the lion-turtles in the library episode

[@ThyFloorestFloor]

@@Ace24Crush But that wasn’t enough to foreshadow what they could bring to the story.

[@laniniak]

I think that would've been a great solution. Specially because the fact that he can't bend anymore doesn't mean Ozai can't be a menace to thw world still. That would be contrary to a lot of non benders who can hold their own that we've seen, i.e Zoka

[@litlbucky]

can not wait for your review/vlogs of Kyoshi novels

[@username-ql8ox]

Ah yes the final Agni Kai!! What I loved the most about it is Zuko's firebending! Here he's using the firebending form he learned with Aang where he was taught that fire and therefore firebending is life itself. That was such a nice contrast with Azula's use of the very bombastic style of firebending taught in the fire nation with is mostly fueled by anger and hate

[@chickensky1121]

I agree with you pretty much completely. I think Aang choosing not to kill Ozai made sense narratively in a lot of ways, I just feel like neither he nor the show earned it. The Lion Turtle's existence being foreshadowed doesn't really mean much because we have no idea beforehand that it would be the solution to Aang's conflict. I wish they displayed Aang's reluctance earlier, and maybe showed Aang searching for a nonlethal way to stop the Fire Lord throughout the series.

[@fuge314]

Wait why isn't anyone talking about the deus ex machina of getting the avatar state back because Ozai threw him into a rock! And without that they made it clear that Aang was losing to Ozai. I feel like I must be missing something. It feels so unearned to me.

[@Jindomess]

When you said it would be a very cool thing to explore the personal desires and principles being tested and ultimately having to go back on them because he was the avatar is the exact reason I dislike Aangs ending. The whole 3rd season is about that, changing your morals and doing what's right not what you think is right. Then they backtracked because main character too good to kill like every story ever.

[@vocalstan2954]

Killing Ozai wasn't an objectively 'right' thing to do though. Aang should've had to make a decision by himself but taking away Ozai's bending, which facilitates his ability to hurt people is also a right thing to do. He didn't need to kill Ozai.

[@Jindomess]

I completely agree. But in the context of the show, everything in that last season was leading us through many different characters changing their morals, to do something unexpected that changes their characters drastically. Having the main stay stagnant in this beliefs, after finally letting go of Katara at the end of 2nd season, makes it look like he is "too perfect to change." Therefo4e defeating the purpose of having this whole season be about changing your moral standing to benefit, not just your own self and beliefs but all of humanity. You could argue he changed the way of the avatar not killing him, but that isn't personally affecting him in the way other characters past affect them. Making the impact of him not killing Ozai but killing hundreds of fire nation throughout the show means nothing in the end.

[@KCMMFB]

Loved the ending. Was the lion turtle a little ex-machina-y? Definitely. I guess the question we should really be asking is "are all deus ex machina endings bad?"

[@kingdoom5022]

Yes they are all bad , not a single ex-machina is a good , not a single one in the slightest come close to good , they are not even decent , they are cheap way to end a story well at least everyone that i saw

[@KCMMFB]

@@kingdoom5022 not for this series I suppose. The Lion Turtle showed us that the world of Avatar has a far deeper history than we ever knew. It opened the door for that kick ass episode about Avatar Wan. And in the end, Aang didn't really use the ability gained from the turtle to beat Ozai but instead to remove any further harm that may be caused.

[@thorthewolf8801]

Yes, they are all bad, there is a reason in literature we decided to do away with them.

[@TheRealMirCat]

This is a complaint about a lot of "heroes": Kills a million conscripts but refuses to kill the murderous leader, because "it would make us no better than them". That's ego. That's pride. It's even worse and I'd say makes the hero just as responsible when that evil leader continues to kill. (I'm talking to you Dr. Who!)

[@frosthammer917]

But the Doctor who does kill, a lot. When necessary he will commit genocide. I feel like, while a deeply flawed series, that is the one aspect that Doctor Who doesn't really screw up. The Doctor is old and weary. He has killed and fought for millennia. He doesn't want to do it anymore and will try to avoid it, sometimes a bit too much. He is also a sentimental and kind person, who has an isssue killing those he once considered friends. But at the end of the day, he will do what is necessary.

[@johjoh9270]

Agree, even if we did assume none of the Fire Nation soldiers he demolished died (quite hard to believe), without knowledge of the brought-from-absolutely-nowhere turtle, he had no way of stopping Ozai without killing him, and yet he wouldn't kill him, for someone who considers every life sacred he sure doesn't care about his own life when Ozai eventually kills him, Gaang's lives when they fall to the fire nation forces or any of the lives in Earth Kingdom who will all get scorched just like Airbenders, he is again running from his duty, but hey, no prob, here's a giant turtle to solve all problems

[@571danu]

The problem was that Aang never found a solution, the solution just magically landed in his lap and he solved all his problems.

[@queerlyvictorian]

As a child, the ending of Avatar taught me the power of restraint. Just because you can, doesn’t mean it is the right choice. I learned the value of non-violent conflict resolution, something that to this day I am looking for in fantasy, as it is my favorite genre, but is so often heavily biased in a “might makes right" direction. The goal is becoming more powerful than the villain or maybe outsmarting them, but all with the end objective of ending their life. And although this can be a complex moral quandary, I do personally believe that heroes committing murder still perpetuates the cycle of violence. It represents a flawed ethical framework that believes that the only answer to violence is violence. And I just don’t believe that is true.

[@easterslice]

I agree with you about wanting to see stories where the hero prevails through creativity or virtue, instead of what it usually presented: a hero who acts in a restrained way until the villain is such an asshole that violence becomes justified. It can be satisfying in the moment, but ultimately it means that the stronger fist wins. And that's just "might makes right." I dislike those endings for many reasons. Chiefly, because it does perpetuate a cycle of violence. And, secondly, because it seems tired and lazy as a device. I want heroes who are ultimately more thoughtful than powerful, and more creative than I am.

[@jollyd.joestar3937]

I recommend you All-Star Superman

[@rolay7730]

I think everyone is missing the real question. Why take away his bending at all? Aang just restrained the fire lord's arms and legs. If he made a rock gag to stop the fire breath than Ozai would have been powerless. Look at how they beat Azula, they locked her up too and they never took her bending. They could have just locked him up the same way. Aang stealing his bending was just something extra he did. So why add an ancient being older than time when what he taught Aang was completely unnecessary?

[@queerlyvictorian]

@@rolay7730 I respect your interpretation, but I do not believe that the Fire Lord could have been contained with his powers. Like Merphy says, this is a fate worse than death. Aang humiliates Ozai, and makes it so that he can never hurt anyone like he hurt Zuko and countless others ever again. I agree that the set-up for the ending could have been better executed, but I believe it was not only the most effective alternative to Ozai's death, but (in my opinion) necessary, if only to head off resistance to Zuko's reign. Ozai has supporters, so leaving him with his bending but in a prison is just going to mean those supporters will do whatever they can to free him. Unable to firebend, Ozai has lost the ability to intimidate or threaten anyone. I don't think, given how powerful of benders the royal family is, anyone has ever followed a Fire Lord who can't bend.

[@voltaicdrake5968]

I think, for me personally, that this choice for how Aang defeats the Fire Lord is the thematically best option. As you and others have said, Aang demonstrates his absolute resolve by rejecting and opposing the narrative that his friends, the world, and even his own past lives continually feed that his only option is to kill the Fire Lord or allow the world to suffer further. His principles and his value for life have been paramount throughout the show, even culminating in him failing to complete his chakra training in order to save the ones he loves, despite his duties. Making the ultimate decision to forgo killing the Fire Lord and choosing the objectively far more dangerous and deadly option of linking his soul, his energy, with the most willful man alive in a battle of wills and resolve all in service of his Air Nomad beliefs and principles... I think that's beautiful and a powerful message. It would've been so much easier for Aang to follow in Kyoshi's footsteps, take a hard stand, and overpower and kill Ozai. He had two opportunities during the fight and one of them was without the Avatar state. Choosing instead to risk his life in a battle to subdue and then impose his will and resolve over this man who's massacred and destroyed so much purely for the sake of his own personal ambition speaks volumes of Aang's character and exemplifies one of his, and the Air Nomad's greatest strengths - the ability to find another way. That unique perspective that we see in Aang every time, where no matter the situation, he manages to see things differently and in many cases, come up with solutions that break the established norms. Even his main fighting style has typically involved minimizing damage and allowing the aggressor to ultimately defeat themselves. I really wish they had done more to set up the Lion Turtle and energy bending prior because I genuinely think that if they had, this ending would've reached much greater heights.

[@leonpv983]

It is thematically the best, yes, but I personal think it needed to be set up earlier cuz it feels out of nowhere

[@MrMoleHole]

Aang kills plenty before the finale, and Gyatso killed firebenders.

[@merphywatcharcane7103]

TBH I really enjoyed the ending but I get some of the points against it

[@jonasquinn7977]

I generally love th ending but the Lion Turtle just feels like a huge deus ex machina to me and Aang’s sudden last minute crisis could have been done better in my opinion since he abandons his friends to die as a result of it even though literally everyone tells him he doesn’t have a choice

[@xyreniaofcthrayn1195]

Ok so with energy bending foreshadowing, you remember iroh talking to zuko about the relationship between the elements explaining how lightning bending works well energy bending is essentially all aspects of the elements all at once returning to the essence of what allows for bending in the first place.

[@SupermanCoop]

I thought it was a good ending. But.. watch the episode where the Fire Nation is attacking the air temple and Sokka invents the hot air balloon and tell me Aang never killed anyone. He's blows up tanks with soldiers inside them left and right and he didn't seem to have any qualms. And he wasn't in avatar state either.

[@michaellewis1545]

Quick question for the hive mind is there a name for when a hero will kill rank and file troopers but leave the main villain alive? For example Aang killing everyone on the airship but not killing the Fire Lord.

[@zacharyclark3693]

I love Murphy's thoughts on this, and on Aang honoring his culture (the culture this war destroyed). Yes, I admit the Dex Lion Turtle doesn not have enough set up, but I still like it. It was different than other action tv shows that went with having the main bad guy get killed non-violently or dying offscreen. I'm not sure which explanation works best, but here are some of my thoughts. Maybe some of you can validate me or correct me if it doesn't make sense. Roku tried to intimidate Sozin with force, which worked for a time, until Sozin found an opportunity where Ruko was weakened. He started a tradition of hunting the Avatar among the Fire Nation. If Aang had killed Ozai, it might have still ended the war, but it would be seen as Ozai not being strong enough to kill the Avatar. Someone who is stronger might try to kill Aang. By taking away Ozai's bending, it was not about who was the strongest bender, but that the Avatar could take away your power and thus your ability to challenge him. Another thought goes back to what Iroh said to Zuko. If Iroh claimed the throne from Ozai/Azula, it would look like a jealous brother trying to steal the crown. There have been so many battles in this war, with one side winning sometimes and other times losing. If Aang had killed Ozai, it would just be another battle in the war. Something that someone later could avenge. But here, Aang disarmed Ozai and spared his life. This was not a continuation of the war, it was the end of it. Not by killing or defeating the other in the traditional sense, but by deescalating the conflict. Killing Ozai made sense to everyone that had grown up amidst the harshness of war. Even the past Avatars thought it made sense. I think that Aang's choice showed why he was the chosen one, or why he was chosen to be avatar at this time. It was because he could end the war in a way that no one else could or wanted to. He was not supposed to give up part of himself to save the world, it was that unique part of himself that only could save the world and end the cycles of conflict that had devastated the world. It was ending the war with a choice not to use violence that broke the cycle (if not realistically, then just poetically).

[@SkimoStories]

I think as a society, we should all kinda band together and uphold ATLA as one of the greatest stories ever told by the human mind. It would be really really awesome to see it introduced into the education system. It's pretty ubiquitous, and even if you have not seen it, it's super easy to get into.

[@SM-hl6hh]

I’ve always loved the ending. One thing I would also like to note about the difference of Aang is that we never saw him kill anyone, and neither did he. The few times he got super mad and angry in the avatar state and hurt people no one was ever directly killed. Only time people were (most likely) killed was indirectly. Those moves were almost always defensive and not offensive, he would cause an avalanche or sink something as a way to protect his friends on himself, and there was still a chance of survival for most of those people, even if it was slim. Killing Ozai was different because that meant that Aang had to get him into a position where he wasn’t in an immediate harm to anyone, completely disarmed, and then take the extra step of ending him. While yes as adults we can argue murder is still murder, death is still death, he is a 12 yo boy. When he’s doing things that are offensive he is doing them in the moment and because they are all he can think to do as a response to something that is happening. And taking that extra step for him, would have been out of character. So I always thought Aangs internal conflict was very in character. Yes there are some flaws in his thinking that he didn’t realize but it’s about the way would have to kill someone, not as reactive or instinctive, but as something methodical and planned destruction of another person. Also this post was too long so I don’t care enough to check for spelling errors, sorry not sorry:)

[@CH-tv1cy]

Avatar had a 10/10 ending

[@Mechjeb661]

l take objectively wrong

[@randomguy9471]

7/10 at best

[@delfinangel96]

9/10 , I think they should have done an additional episode to show us the fate of each main character

[@JasonJrake]

I loved this series, but it just occurred to me that there had been Air-nation Avatars before, so it can’t be a cultural thing, just an Ang thing. But maybe I’m forgetting something.

[@TheZebbga]

I never loved it or hated it. Like I am fine with it but it could have been better. But sometimes when a series is so perfect I am willing to let go of tiny nitpicks I have because the rest was so good.

[@BigMackWitSauce]

I thought the problem with the ending (which is overall a great ending) was the random rock that unblocked his chi or something, like unblocking himself should have been some sort of character moment, not a random rock lol

[@easterslice]

I agree that this is one of the best TV series finales ever made. I was more bothered by the cliffhanger about Zuko's mother than by the Lion Turtle ex machina -- it would have been better to have built up that element in the story more. But, because the "Avatar" had been shown to be both extremely powerful as mysterious force, it wasn't a big step for me to believe that he could tap into the.foundation of all bending. I didn't think of it so much as the turtle choosing to help Aang because of his unbending spirit (although that makes more sense -- thanks for that), as that the turtles are always there, but unnoticed. And that it was Aang's natural creativity/curiousity that helped him recognize and thus explore the mystery of this island that appears to him. One thing about magic is that it's usually presented as something even the wisest wizard doesn't fully understand, so when a magician taps into a new power -- or suddenly becomes more powerful, my disbelief doesn't kick in. I tend to go, "Oh, well, that's just magic for you." As for other concerns, I always feel a twinge of WTF about Sokka's space sword. It was so built up with an entire origin story episode, only to fly away at the last moment. I keep feeling like it ought to show up again. Maybe that's something that would happen in Avatar IV: (set in a sci-fi future....)

[@AllyEmReads]

I love your analysis of the finale. I've never really looked at the show with a critical eye, simply because it was a show I watched as a child, I would wait up every week for the next episode to premiere, and all the times I've watched it since then I've only watched it for entertainment value/nostalgia factor/comfort. But your analysis really mirrors my own feelings for the show

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

It's a ho-hum ending. Not bad, not great. Why didn't Aang feel this way during the eclipse? I don't like Netflix changing things but they can change the ending or bringing up some kind of 5th element energy bending subplot sooner.

[@ziggystardust1973]

Aang could have just killed Ozai with Ozais own lightning if he really wanted to

[@TheTsugnawmi2010]

To add to your point about Aang, if he killed Ozai, the show would also have to face his friends afterwards - especially Zuko and Katara. What does he say to them? “Sorry I killed your dad, Zuko”? How would Katara respond to knowing that she overcame killing the man who murdered her mother (and Zuko was there), but Aang couldn’t or chose not to? Would she lose faith in him? Be disillusioned? Be understanding?

[@pedanticperson1149]

The Katara issue isn't that big, there's a difference between revenge & killing someone to prevent genocide and Zuko recognised his father was a monster so while it might have been awkward it's not a deal breaker.

[@rainbowskin3379]

but what's wrong with him having to face adversity for his choices? That's what good character writing is.

[@manicmcgee1]

Not really any conflict from his friends. Pretty sure all of them assumed Aang would kill Ozai, hell i'm pretty sure Zuko even said you're gonna have to kill him cuz talking to him isn't gonna work. Katara's situation was different since she was going after Yon Ra for purely revenge purposes.

[@thorthewolf8801]

Pretty sure Zuko wanted to kill Ozai too, but left it to Aang to do it. And we cant compare a random general who is retired now living with his wife to the man who is the leader of the fire nation that is actively waging war with every other nation.

[@thisguyducky]

The problem with ending for me, is it kinda just threw out the moral dilemma with a last minute option 3 that had no real build up. Aang didn't have to make a difficult choice and I kinda feel robbed by it. The question of duty to your personal morals vs to duty to the others, is a super good dilemma with no clear cut answer and aang rejecting or accepting that would have been fulfilling. Instead we got no answer and no dilemma.

[@jennychasteen]

Yes, that was my problem with it, too. I thought all the other characters had great endings, though.

[@vanessac8193]

I wonder how often in the real world we are presented with false binaries. That if we took more time to struggle with them, seek outside perspective, that would benefit our own lives and the lives of those around us.

[@maxhocks2006]

This wasn’t dropped in Ang’s lap. Ang did everything he could to find a peaceful way. Ang put in the work and the worlds spiritual side(which we know air benders are closely connected to) felt that. Plus from the swamp episode we know the world of avatar will sometimes point you where you need to be.

[@MrMoleHole]

@@maxhocks2006 Aang was given a way out by a lion turtle that randomly showed up at the end, Aang did not struggle for a solution it was given to him on a silver platter.

[@moviefiendz]

There's a great quote from the live action The Lost World tv show. Taking a life in war isn't the same as one on one. You have to look them in the eye as you take their life. I'm sure drone operators and pilots think about kills but its way different when its on the ground and you see them when you end them.

[@randomsketchings]

Foreshadowing for Lion Turtle energy bending: concept of lighting which is bending energy. Chakras and the connection and balance of one's self (since Aang did for himself he was able to navigate through another's chakra). The Hama episode using bending to manipulate another physically is probably the last hint leading up to the Lion Turtle. In the library the picture shown is of the Lion Turtles being called or calling a man.

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

Obviously great. All season 3 is goated. The finale is beyond amazing.

[@Havoc-kun]

I enjoyed it. I really did love the struggle for Aang and how everyone even his friends and past lives are telling him to do something that isn't true to himself. But still finds a way to stay true to himself.

[@HurricaneDDragon]

I don’t know, I think growing up on shonen anime gave me a massive tolerance for deus ex machina-esque writing. I never had any problems whatsoever with the conclusion of Avatar. In fact, that final battle between Aang and Ozai is one of my favorite climaxes that I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve watched it countless times over the years. Also, I just feel like if the energy bending thing was foreshadowed more than it was, then people would’ve just predicted where the ending was going, thus the tension of Aang and Ozai’s final confrontation would’ve been sucked out.

[@kirtandesai6510]

It's a cop-out for Aang but it's also a thematic ending, for a war of 100 years full of violence and bloodshed, the way to end the violence is with peace and non-aggression. The Last Airbender sparing the life of the most evil man who continued his forefather's legacy of war sets an example to the world that being violent and turning away from your own ways wouldn't bring balance to the world. We see this with Katara, Hama, and so many more who become violent due to the atrocities by the Fire Nation, they drift away from their kindness and compassion while Aang manages to stay pure and not cross his moral boundaries. This is what the Avatar is, someone who isn't solely affected by the world but instead affects world by their own actions.

[@slashermaster28]

If there is one argument about the final battle that always gets to me, it's when people say Aang took the easy way out. No, killing Ozai would have been the easy way out. By letting him live, he risks the chance of the guy possibly escaping prison and forming a new army. It didn't happen, but it was possible.

[@epicfights7898]

Finally someone thinks about this instead of the whole "easy way out" argument. I really hated that argument because of how egotistical and subjective it is. They believe killing Ozai was "easy" and that not killing him would be "harder" implying that ppl who stand by not killing him are more wise because they "think more deeply" and that would be "harder" for most ppl. The reality was that killing Ozai was the "hard" way because it asks Aang to be beyond his ego, while all the ppl supporting Aang's side make it the "easy" way cause they'll think of anything to support it instead of understanding that not everything revolves around their values.

[@user-zj9rr6yc4u]

About the spirit bending, there is a non kid show appropriate way to stop him from being an effective bender so it is not like there wasn't a non killing way anyway. (By which I mean cripple his arms. Though granted some high level benders could use minimal movements.) Though it was rather convenient.

[@armaldosmigolton7439]

Interesting take and great video! I'm kinda surprised that if you mention the rock that hits Aang's back at all, I missed it. To me, if anything is a deus ex it's that as it seems to circumvent the whole having to let go of his attachment to Katara issue. But even that I don't really mind.

[@lexanneklimes5411]

Watched it for the first time as an adult and was so engrossed in the story that I stopped breathing correctly and almost passed out during the finale. Luckily, I was watching with friends so someone sat next to me and told me to breath whenever I forgot. The finale, for me, has so few faults that I consider it absolutely fantastic.

[@jamesclawk852]

While I understand a lot of the points made, the way I see it, this was a poor decision as far as Aang's character growth. There was once a time when Aang was faced with a great and difficult responsibility and he chose to run away, causing dire consequences on the world. Once again faced with a difficult responsibility, Aang flees again, only this time, the Lion Turtle shows up to bail him out, allowing him to escape from a difficult decision without suffering the same consequences as the first time. That's just how I see things anyway.

[@SilverInkblot]

Hard agree - Aang has lost much, thats undeniable, but he's never had to sacrifice anything the way the rest of the characters have. He gets to be with Katara; he gets to be bailed out by a previously unknown power; he gets to avoid hard moral choices with no clear answer. It's also logically inconsistent with what we've seen in the show - episode three had Gyatso surrounded by bodies for crying out loud. Does anyone actually think he betrayed his morals for defending himself and his people? Of course not; Energybending only exists so Aang can keep his hands clean.

[@avish878]

Oh wow i never saw it that way.

[@shay_3859]

I think the message was that being true to yourself is the most important thing. Remember that Ozai is still a person from the fire nation. The Avatar's role is to keep peace/balance. Not to eliminate threats. Being true to himself and trying to solve the problem rather than simply ending it with his overwhelming power is the choice he made. His compassion was what allowed a power like energy bending to be revealed to him as he had to be unbendable. Which is what he chose to be. He didn't run. I think the beauty in this is that he ended up fulfilling the role of the Avatar properly, without having to go against who he was. Because of him being who he was.

[@jayjs4267]

@@shay_3859 the problem is that he was GIVEN the solution instead of FINDING it himself The solution to his problem was not something he even knew existed and was just GIVEN to him by this all powerful creature

[@shay_3859]

@@jayjs4267 He wasn't given the solution. He found it. He was gifted the knowledge after showing he was capable of using it without it backfiring on him. He was true to his moral code, and it payed off big time.

[@evergame8639]

I think a good time to include the foreshadowing would be the episode in the library in the sand. You could have Aang reading some ancient texts that introduces energy bending or the turtle only to get whisked away from it abruptly when the owl creature attacks.

[@centennialpeaksadventures]

Some thoughts- Aang works on unlocking that final chakra -> Able to spirituality reconnect with someone like Monk Gyatso (after his meeting with the avatars) -> This meeting leads him to seek the Lion Turtle -> energy bending

[@cassieclicks5026]

One of the tidbits I always like to point out is that Monk Gyatso's corpse is clearly surrounded by a bunch of firebender corpses showing that, despite their peaceful nature, the air nomads did fight to the death. They defended themselves to the point of even killing their attackers. This is not pointed out to Aang when he is struggling with killing Ozai which I think was a missed opportunity.

[@caitlyn.m.t9618]

About Aang killing people in the past, and even though I understand people's issues with that part of the story, it is still different from this case in particular. Sure, people are still getting hurt and dying, but with Ozai he would have set out to that fight with the intention of killing one particular person. That is different, because it is more of choice and he would have to choose murder. In the other cases, it was more him simply being in a fight. The fact that there is the goal and the intention of killing Ozai, that to me, is a new thing that he hasn't had to have to do before. And that is what makes that storyline makes more sense to me.

[@thisguyducky]

I understand this is a kids show but I think the ending gives a semi bad moral, some times you have to make tough decisions with no clear cut right or wrong answer, I think it is actually a good message because well that happens irl. There isn't always a magic third option and you have accept that. But side stepping it entirely I guess is just disappointing to me. However I guess it has a good moral of looking for not obivious solutions to problems. So conflicted.

[@D3ad3y3s]

I have the same complaints and positive feelings about the ending too. But the part that ticked me off was the cliffhanger for zuko's sub plot, it was such a middle finger to the audience.

[@MMiel-mv2pt]

Agreed! The ending has room for criticism, as all things do, but overall it is extremely satisfying and full of payoff. Especially considering the fact, like you said, that it comes down to so much more than Aang and the Firelord, and we are experiencing so many battles at once. Love it! 💖

[@thiadesg]

I watched the first two seasons as they aired in French and bought Season 3 as soon as it was available (my first Amazon purchase, if you can believe it). That finale is the best thing ever. I remember there was some interesting bonus content about the previous Avatars, but I'm not clear on the details. Need to rewatch the whole thing again :)

[@HyDrOpYrO777]

I kind of had a little bit of a problem with the finale when I watched it premiere back when it was live July 19, 2008. Was how the Lion Turtle was a convince for Aang. But since they added to the lore in Korra. I kind of don't have much of a problem anymore. Bryke had a planned origins of the Avatar episode planned but Nickelodeon didn't give them the greenlight for it.

[@eversonverissimo28]

That video brought me some memories! The first time I watched the finale, I didn't like it for the points you mentioned. Out of nowhere Aang learns a convenient new bending and restores the Avatar state that he had lost. And also, the convenience Azula gets rid of all the soldiers in the palace and gets crazy to lose for Zuko/Katara. But over time, every time I watch it, I love it more and more. Especially after Legend of Korra explored more deeply the lion turtles and the energy bending.

[@peyttoncass8239]

When I comes to the point where he energy bends ozai i think that the part where Aang is almost about to lose is his own spirit failing and not being able to withstand ozais spirit similar to the beginning of the fight where Aang was losing and running. But just before he loses during the energy bending all the previous avatars spirits burst out and help Aang win. Again similar to how the fight was going when he unlocked the avatar state again

[@hollyriver22171]

Azula crying after losing scarred me as a child and still wrecks me now

[@Philistine47]

It's not so much that the end of Aang's arc is "a little unsatisfactory" as that it's "a series ruiner; a move that killed the interest I would otherwise have had in rewatching the show, and left me emotionally checked out before LoK ever started." It never worked for me. Speaking of LoK, we know from that series that at least one of Aang's previos incarnations knew about the Lion Turtle and energy bending. I guess Wan's ghost just thought it wasn't important enough to mention, or something. (BTW, _that_ would have been a _great_ time to introduce the idea that there was a higher power Aang might try appealing to.) I also have two much bigger problems with Aang's overly-specific "principle of non-violence." The idea that he could kill hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers, but not the leader who ordered them into battle, is not just "inconsistent" but shockingly immoral. Would any of those troops have been there without Ozai's orders? Certainly not! (In fact, from what we see of Fire Nation society it seems likely they're conscripts. So congratulations on murdering a boatload of people who never wanted to be there, Mister Pacifist.) Never mind all the _other_ Fire Nation soldiers aboard the _other_ airships - the ones that Sokka, Suki, and Toph send crashing down, with nary a word of protest from "pacifist" Aang. But also, it's not _bending_ that makes Firelord Ozai so dangerous. And there's no reason why just taking Ozai's bending away - or even imprisoning him - would prevent him using his political and organizational skills to unseat Zuko and pick right back up where he left off. Aang hasn't _ended Ozai's threat_ at the end, he's just forced Ozai to act more subtly. More dangerously. And then there's the clumsy _deus ex machina_ of the Lion Turtle. And then there's the dubious morality of the message, "If you need to do something you don't want to do, just _whine_ about it until the universe miracles up a way for you to magically get out of it." Because no child ever didn't want to bathe, or eat, or do homework, or... Yeah, no part of the show's resolution of Aang's arc worked for me. At all. On any level. Ever.

[@thorthewolf8801]

I wanted to write a similar comment, but you perfectly summed up everything. Well done

[@FirelightMia]

I love the ending to ATLA! But the only thing I wish was different was that Zuko, not Katara, should have been the one to end the fight with Azula. Sure, Katara and Azula have fought before, and Katara only got into the fight because Azula cheated, but Azula was always Zuko's personal antagonist. I think it would have been WAY more satisfying if he was the one who definitively defeated her, to prove that he had finally surpassed her through all the personal development he had gone through.

[@kevandmal]

I watched every episode of Avatar as it aired and as a kid I loved the finale. I've watched the entire series through multiple times and as an adult I noticed a lot of the things you point out here. The ending didn't have the setup or buildup it deserved because all the pieces werent quite in place yet. And Aang's refusal to take Ozai's life contradicts some of his actions throughout the series in which he surely inflicted pain and death on people and that didn't seem to bother him so we question his beliefs. But the solution of energy bending fits and works within this world. Just wish it had been mentioned earlier in the series. Also, what music are you using in the background of this video? I liked it 😂

[@brendanhart517]

They did also intend to have the juan episodes from legend of korra in the original show but it just couldn’t fit somehow I do love how it all works together in the end

[@TheologyMan74]

I don't think I will ever really like the end. For two main reasons. 1. Aang is flat-out a hypocrite when it comes to killing. On at least two occasions that I can think of, he kills multitudes at the Norther water tribe ( The argument that "It was the koi" does not really hold up as Aang was the one supplying the juice). 2. Taking away Ozai's bending is much worse than death. Aang took a vital part of Ozai's identity and violated it. It was not merciful, it was cruel. Does Ozai deserve mercy? No, but you can't do something far worse than killing him and frame it like you kept your hands clean. Ozai suffers more at Aangs hand without his bending than he would have if Aang just killed him. I love the rest of the ending and how everything else resolves, but the climax with Ozai and Aang really disappointed me.

[@easwaransubbaraman7262]

I am one of those that adores the show and found the ending satisfying, though me and my twin both dislike the deus ex machina of the lion turtle. I like your take on the lion turtle only showing up because Aang is unrelenting/steadfast in his desire not to kill. I actually went through the exercise of tweaking the ending with a friend of mine -- in our version Aang asks Iroh to kill the firelord because he knows he cant (and as an echo of his propensity to run away from things) but Iroh refuses, saying he can't slay family, and instead asks Aang if he has truly done everything he can to find a solution that balances the worlds needs and his own spiritual ones --> this leads to a journey into the spirit world where Aang has to find the lion turtle through an arduous journey, and ultimately the power that is granted comes with a cost, every time he uses it, he shortens his life a little a bit. This would work with the later canon story of him dying somewhat young, and would offer an answer to the other component of energybending that seemed a little op - the fact that outside of potentially being taken over by the other person's energy, it doesnt really come with any cost. Also this journey, perhaps, gives Aang a bit more agency/contribution in the ultimate solution of taking away Ozai's firebending...

[@milesclayborne]

for anyone who's interested, a channel called Big Joel did a similar video on this topic and I think he did a good job of exploring the character of aang and his relationship to power. The video is entitled "That Time Aang Talked to a Big Turtle and Saved the Day: a Video Essay"

[@nikgokuhil]

I never knew people had issues with its ending, I always found it amazing. Still, without doubt it was the final Agni kai that stole the show

[@closeben]

Have you watched Legend of Korra? I believe the perfect way to build up the Lion Turtle would to be have a “Beginnings” episode in AtLa before the finale, which introduces Aang to the first ever Avatar and the concept of the Lion Turtles (I’d remove the Rava/Vatu stuff). Then and finale plays out basically the exact same, but Aang can reach back to Wan in the Avatar state which would be a cool moment, and use the gift from the Lion Turtle in the same way.

[@alinaw.2071]

About the sudden appearence of the energy bending I have an Idea how this could have been handeled with a little bit more of foresight: Basically the writers wanted Aang to have an ability to take bending away. Who is also able to do that? Tai Lee! But it had to be permanent. Maybe Aang could have learned that technique from her and could have took that a step further with the phylosophy of Guru Pathik and his chakras. So Aang would be able to block Ozais chakras permanently and so his ability to bend. In that way the writers would have used preexisting material.

[@JAKEBB]

Awesome, I love when you cover avatar merphy, hope all is well 😀

[@Kaijugan]

I suggest you watch Overly Sarcastically Productions' Red's video on the Pure of Heart Trope, it makes a really good thesis about WHY Aang taking Ozai’s Bending away was an actually GOOD ending choice.

[@tavern.keeper]

The ending was a major cop-out. It doesn't matter that Aang was capable of killing Ozai, that the lion turtle deemed him worthy to learn energy bending, or how foreshadowed it was. The whole point was that Aang was faced with a choice that defines his character arc and then found a way to not have to choose. All the time, drama, and tension invested in Aang's internal conflict add up to nothing. The show didn't have the courage to follow through on it. Why bother having it at all?

[@milic5749]

I see a different problem in the part about how Aang causes the deaths of other random people that he doesn't acknowledge at all. And that's the fact that I don't think he actually does cause any of those people to die. It's the trope in kids' shows where people survive situations that would kill anyone realistically, and this is shown onscreen in early seasons where we can see people swimming to safety after the ship they were on got blown up and sank. So I just assumed as a viewer watching a kids' show that there were no random offscreen deaths, they were all random offscreen survivals, and I assumed that most of the target audience assumed the same. The trope itself can be seen as lazy writing, although I get that in some cases it's pushed by network guidelines.

[@aragorniielessar1894]

The thing is with fictional characters they can only do what the writers tells them to do.

[@heathersmith4042]

Yeah, that's an issue with the writing of the fight scenes rather than Aang. Excluding the koi fish thing at the North Pole, because that wasn't Aang, that was the ocean spirit, there are multiple fights where he DEFINITELY kills people.If Jet gets done in by a lil stomach poke, so do all those soldiers you blasted twenty feet down a ladder in the blue spirit, Aang. But we're clearly meant to believe that nobody dies unless he's not there

[@breadeater1194]

There's people who just died cuz they had to (combustion man, the soldiers on the airship), people who died unnecessarily (Zhao, Xin Fu), and people who were spared without much thought (Azula like 3 times). So when the Finale makes Ozai's fate a point of contention, then as Big Joel put it, it's an issue the series could have avoided and chose to tackle. It is an everyday question for these characters, but when it's the biggest life, the life that decides the fate of the world, the person they've been planning to face all year, they can't be flippant about what happens to him.

[@tintedpalette653]

One of my favorite moments in ATLA of murder in plain sight that isn’t acknowledged is when they storm the king’s castle in Ba Sing Se. Katara freezes a stream of water with soldiers very visibly under the water surface, seemingly drowning them if they don’t break the ice in time. She even goes “I’m sorry!” like HUH

[@amorios1092]

I think a great point where they couldve given us crumbs of energy bending to justify it more is when aang and zuko went to the sun tribe and saw the dragons After they did the dragon dance with the statues (couldve had drawings that illustrate energy bending or smth) And mention it after the dragon dance with the dragons as an ancient forgotten art (it sort of relates cuz they needed to control their inner energies to control their fire) Another tid bit wouldve been with the moon spirits at the northern water tribe Or at the caves with the first earth benders(think it was called the lovers cave) Or the times when we went to the spirit world specifically when we went to see the 1000 face spirit cuz he has knowledge of the long past Or the library couldve worked

[@SoulKnightKing]

@Merphy Napier Part of the reason why it ended up being totally inconsistent to the rest of its brilliant ending was because Aaron Ehasz didn't write the final episode. That guy and his ex-wife Elizabeth are the real heroes of the story. Also I wouldn't have had a problem with the lion turtle coming from the heavens and blessing Aang and destiny, etc. However, Aang got lucky. That's what made it unsatisfying. If Aang after being rejected from everyone even the Air nomad Avatar had gone out and initiated some form of agency to defy the easy answer of killing Ozai and went about to look for an acceptable alternative and then found the Lion turtle on his own ambitious tenacity then the ending wouldn't have seen out if left field. Aang got lucky. What if the lion turtle didn't come at all? Would he have won? Would he had died? Would he had killed? That's where I believe most of us feel like it's a cop out. Finally Aang only defeated Ozai because he ironically had the best teachers. If Zuko wasn't his teacher, he wouldn't have learned light ing redirection and would died. If Toph wasn't his teacher he wouldn't have had the seismic sense to effectively counter Ozai's sneak attack from behind. If Katara hadn't been his teacher, he wouldn't have been healed from the back. (Also Aang final battle avatar state been activated by his back hitting the rock at the perfect place, was also extremely convenient. Thats also one of the biggest criticismof the final battle from the Avatar fandom). Aang wouldn't have won without his top tier masters of teachers. Even Pakku, Bumi and Jeong Jeong wouldn't have been properly equipped to raise Aang to have ended the war.

[@sovereigntindall1442]

Your description of the show makes me want to watch it again!

[@sparrow2068]

love that they made killing such a big point in the show. my religion is similar to aang's philosophy (Jainism) and the fact that he tries to avoid doing harm whenever and wherever he can meant a lot to me! but also def agree with your point that if he did kill.. they would've needed a 4th season to explore the ramifications (which would be cool too!)

[@tkim2320]

For myself personally, there are two routes they could have gone. One, what I use to explain it in my head, is that energy bending is the 5th element that is unlocked by avatars in the avatar state. Whenever they go into avatar state, they are energy benders. They just don’t know all they can do because they don’t have scrolls or anything to learn from. The Lion Turtle was basically Aang’s Badger Moles. The original bender teaching one who they thought was worthy. I just like to think this because it lines up with everything that has been said in the show even though you need to reach a little. Plus the avatar state looks a lot like energy bending. Number two would be an addition to the story. Where when Aang finds out the air nomads were wiped out, it could bring up how there used to be 5 bending elements the avatar cycled through but some people deemed the 5th too dangerous and wiped them all out due to fear. Or it can be discovered in the library. I think just knowing that could help people connect it better and explain the lion turtle was returning a forgotten element to Aang. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@androwindo]

I feel exactly the same. However one thing we need to have in mind is that Aang is very fond of his culture. He feels that he was responsible for the complete destruction of the air nomads. So he does everything he can to preserve what's left of their culture. That's why he was angry when air temples were repurposed for settlement. Preserving life is also a part of the air nomad culture. Avatar yang Chen had the luxury to do her duties because there were other air nomads to preserve the culture. If aang decides to kill ozai, he essentially kills the values of air nomad culture as he is the last airbender

[@theactofrealnonsense4192]

Here’s something worth noting about AtLA. There are multiple art-of books and multiple dvd box-sets with a lot of behind-the-scenes material and commentary. If you’re a big fan of AtLA, they’re probably worth checking out. There, they give a lot of shout-outs to Studio Ghibli. Among them, and I’m about to paraphrase this a LOT, they specify that something they wanted to tell was a story where a character is "So true to themselves that they change the world around them by being who they are." The ending makes sense with that alone. This is the foundation of the Nausicaa manga, which built the foundation to Ghibli moves (the scraps that weren’t use in Nausicaa made most of their big fantasy movies), and Ghibli is the primary story-avenue that is ever referenced in terms of influence for AtLA. Totoro stuffies on desks are quite cute so maybe that was part of their reasoning too. LOL I read a few comments here, and a lot of them talk about how Aang didn’t have an arc. Where everybody else had to sacrifice something, he didn’t. It’s a character starting from a good place ALREADY, and not falling back on that. This can seem unchanging to people, but it’s changing in a subtler way that a person legitimately can’t perceive if they’re still living in a paradigm where they think the option was sacrifice/not. The arc instead, was whether Aang would fall back into that do/don’t paradigm, or be free of it and change EXACTLY that paradigm into something else entirely. To get the world OUT OF that paradigm. Just as the creators intended. Just as they wanted from what Miyazaki did with many of his stories that inspired them to make a story with that same shift in paradigm. So in a way, the point is exactly what these video comments say. The point isn’t about ‘sacrifice self vs sacrifice world’ but rather to NOT sacrifice, to NOT compromise to NOT perpetuate what never goes anywhere. To do so would mean the whole WORLD loses. To do so would lend itself to exactly more of the same. To do so would not change anything, about Aang OR the world, for the better. There are many reasons why some stories are highly considered ‘some of the best’ and this is one of them. They’re operating on a level of nuance and subtlety that the audience can’t quite put their finger on, because the viewer/reader is still operating in a paradigm (meaning carry a mindset, perspective of the world, etc) where they have to ‘do wrong to do right’ or even consider either in their actions. This is why these stories, whether AtLA or other, are so long-lasting and influential and actually 'do' change for people at large. With characters like Nausicaa, Aang, and so on, there are no options between doing 'one half-wrong or another half-wrong' and especially not on speculation. They don't even operate with those concepts in mind. Aang’s arc was about him learning to get there. From hurting people (lots along the way as people mention), to a catalyst where he is expected to continue that cycle (killing/not the firelord), and ultimately changing so he would no longer be a part of that/do that anymore. And that's the only way anything ever changes, hence he couldn't do either thing every other character (and most viewers) considered 'his options' at the end. The after-stories show that quite decently, though there’s a funny thing with him/Zuko in the Promise and some other battling stuff where he could easily have hurt people. (Aang’s a kid and still 'getting there' but he’s on the way haha) The only way the world (our world) has ever changed, is through those people operating on a level of clarity where they no longer see an alternative to doing good. Doing harm isn’t even a question. Whether it’s Buddha/Jesus/Ghandi/Dalai Lama/etc. We still hear their words today. What they stood for and what they showed others. Nobody and nothing else lasts. Obviously. Rough times come and go, big civilizations rise and fall, and all we have are records of past iterations when the next big thing comes/goes. But none of them affect the world, they just perpetuate themselves into the next cycle. From then to this day, that has always been the case. In all of recorded humanity, only the actions and understandings of “the people so true to themselves that they changed the world around them by being who they are” have ever changed the world. This is the only thing that has ever lasted. Obviously. This show is good for many reasons. The end is one of them. It's cool to see that there's so much talk about it and it's fun to watch paradigms shift with people as everyone learns and grows through stories. Yay stories!

[@Emma-Albertoni]

Merphy! Have you read the Kyoshi/Yangchen novels? If not you definitely should! I would love to see a review on them!

[@mentacose]

I definitely get where the criticism comes from, but personally I can forgive the deus ex machina of the lion turtle by how much Aang's ending means to me. As a kid the scene didn't speak to me much, but as I grew up his conversation with the lion turtle hit home in a way I didn't expect it to. The way I understood it, the lion turtle told him that he doesn't need to harden his heart in order to survive in this world. He didn't need to stomach the willingness to take a life in order to win. And that just meant a lot to me

[@freitas1527]

I think that you will really like Kingdom. It's a war story manga. It's just like every war that have existed, but like no war story that have ever been told

[@AscendantStoic]

First time I heard the ending is "controversial", so far I have seen nothing but universal praise for it and little to no criticisms, definitely not enough criticism to consider it "controversial". It warps up the stories of Ang and his party in very imapctful and thematically resonant ways, it's near flawless.

[@perseuss_]

Sammee, I've been a fan for years and never thought it was controversial. The ending was great and made little to no criticism at all which is why it's not talked all the time in the community compared to the character development of the Gaang and many more topics.

[@Merchantic]

the twist: the controversial ending is all of Legend of Korra

[@kenm.a.d.7196]

Same, this is universally praised. Only less than a handful of people don’t like Aang’s solution

[@kingdoom5022]

Nah its have a lot of controversial and bad moments for me , the biggest one is that aang didn't kill ozai and got a massive power up from out of nowhere that makes him steal bending , also i don't like that katara is the one that beated azula not zuko and how the fire soldiers literally did anything

[@islasullivan3463]

It’s not really that people don’t like Aangs solution, it’s that the Lion Turtles come out of nowhere except for one mention in the library. And that Aang didn’t need to let go of his attachment to Katara to access the avatar state, as previously established by the guru, instead all he needed was to be hit in the back with a rock.

[@jeremynicksouth]

I liked the finale as a kid, but watching it again as an adult seeing aang murder an airship full of people then turning around and refusing to kill magic fire Hitler in order to stop a genocide... it's not great

[@aleciad7218]

Even worse, it's never acknowledged that Aang will be condemning the entire world if he dies in the attempt to spare the Fire Lord's life. Oof.