In Book 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang and his friends visit the Kingdom of Earth in an arc similar to The Empire Strikes Back.
Avatar: The Last Airbender an animated series consisting of three seasons with a distinct beginning, middle and end. The series featured an extensive story that appeared in three separate seasons. For that reason, Avatar can be seen as a trifle of sorts, as each season tells its own story which is part of a larger whole. In fact, almost every fan of the series has their own opinion about which season is the best in the series. However, it’s fair to argue that Season 2 is the best, and it’s all because Star Wars.
When comparing the Avatar: The Last Airbender series to original Star Wars trilogy, Season 2 has plenty of similarities The Empire strikes back – a film that, according to most Star Wars fans, the franchise is the best.
Click on the button below to quickly start this article.
The first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender saw Aang, Sokka and Katara begin to travel across the Four Nations. The “Book” focused on Aang learning to master the Water element as he introduced viewers to this fashionable world, its folklore, humor and heart. This first season, while bad at times, was also fun and light-hearted. It ended with a big set piece that saw the three main characters team up with the Northern Water Tribe to take on the Fire Nation’s massive attacking forces. The battle was excellent, and ended with Aang and his friends winning.
However, that all changed in Season 2. Yes, the series kept its humor humorous, but “Book Two: Earth” was a much darker offering than before. As Aang discovered an Earthbending teacher in Toph Beifong, much of the story revolved around the group arriving at the town of Ba Sing Se, where they hoped to find an alliance in the King of Earth. Season 2 was filled with dark and emotional beats, from Appa getting the kidnapped to the complex, uplifting conspiracy in which the Dai Li was involved.
“Book Two: Earth” also fell to the villain factor by placing Azula as the main enemy of the series, and she proved to be a far more frightening and dangerous enemy than her brother, Zuko. The season was not only darker and more dangerous, but it was also more spiritual. He delved deeper into the legend of the Avatar, and the mythical and even cosmic nature of the character, all of which are traits found in him. The Empire strikes back.
In the sequence to New hope, Luke, Han and Leia find themselves fleeing a more menacing Empire in a film that was much darker and more spiritual than before. The Rebels fled from the Empire at every turn, and Luke learned more about the Force – just as Aang learned about the Avatar. In fact, Luke learned about the Force and trained with Yoda on Dagobah, while Aang learned to harness the powers of the Avatar from Guru Pathik at East Air Temple. And just as Luke stopped his training after seeing his friends in trouble, Aang left his spiritual question unfinished after his experience of Katara in danger. But most importantly, while Season 1 of Avatar and New hope the two finish with the winning heroes, Quarter 2 and The Empire strikes back end with a terrible loss.
All of Avatar: The Last Airbenderthe seasons are good, but “Book Two: Earth” may stand out as the best because it did everything about the first one better, darker and more uplifting. It expanded the world of the animated series and made it deeper and more interesting, while also introducing new characters and setting the stage for an epic final battle. Season 2 left fans heartbroken, shocked and, more importantly, eager for the decision that would open in “Book Three.”
About the Author
