Avatar: The Last Airbender

What’s it about?

In a world filled with elemental-based magic, war divides the four nations of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. A 12-year-old boy, Aang, is the only one who can “bend” all four elements and can stop the Fire Nation. Along with his friends, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, Ang sets out to fulfil his destiny and restore balance and peace to the world.

The facts

• Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (The Legend of Kora)
• English language
• Runtime: 20-21 episodes per season, approximately 24 minutes each
• The series is a universally highly regarded animated fantasy action series produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Why did it get this rating?

This series was self-rated by Neon. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence

The four different nations are at war and there is a lot of fighting. Inspired by martial arts, ‘bending powers’, swords and boomerangs are used in combat, no injuries are shown.

A character has a scar on his face where his father burnt him for being disrespectful. This is not shown on screen but is an important part of the characters development and challenges he must overcome.

Scary scenes

Ang communicates with avatars from the past and meets with spirits. Sometimes the spirits appear as monsters. However, usually the monsters are misjudged, or their anger is contextualised by injustices brought on by the war and human interference. These scenes might be tricky for younger tamariki who find monsters scary.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?