Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered one of the greatest animated shows of all time. It broke the record for most time spent on Netflix’s Top 10 List. It was one of the most binged shows over quarantine, but is it really as good as everybody says? Short answer, yes.

Avatar revolves around a 12-year-old Airbender named Aang. As the Avatar, Aang is able to control all four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. It is up to Aang and his friends to stop the Fire Nation from winning a 100-year long war and taking over the world. To do this Aang has to master all four elements and defeat the Fire Lord, the leader of the Fire Nation in just six months. Meanwhile, Prince Zuko, the son of the Fire Lord chases after Aang to capture him and save his honor.

One of the most interesting aspects about this show is how each season is presented as a book, with each episode being a further chapter. Similarly interesting are the mature themes that are present throughout. Despite airing on Nickelodeon and having a TV-PG rating, the show never talks down to its audience and can become outright dark, tackling themes of family, loss, and revenge. The show and the characters grow and mature with its audience throughout the show’s run.

The main characters of the show are Aang and Prince Zuko. Throughout the show, their character arcs mirror each other. Aang ran away from his responsibility as Avatar; Zuko was banished from his home. Both are on adventures away from home and both come to find family along the way. Both characters grow and mature naturally throughout the series, and by the end, Zuko has experienced one of the greatest character arcs in television history.

The side characters are equally as excellent. Katara, a waterbender, and her brother Sokka, discover Aang frozen in water in the first episode. Throughout the show, they travel with Aang and form a deep bond with him, Katara serving as Aang’s waterbending teacher and Sokka serving as the group’s comic relief. Midway through Book Two, the group meets a blind earthbender named Toph, and she also joins the group, becoming Aang’s earthbending master as well as a secondary comic relief character. Finally, Zuko’s uncle Iroh is the brother of the Fire Lord as well as Zuko’s moral compass. He travels with Zuko and is objectively the best character in the show.

The animation in the show, though rather choppy in Book One, improves drastically between each season and looks incredible by the time Book Three rolls around. Although CGI is sometimes utilized, it is never distracting like in the show’s sequel series The Legend of Korra. The music throughout the show, composed by Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, is also really good. Similarly, the voice acting throughout the series is excellent, with Jack De Sena’s Sokka being a real standout.

In conclusion, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a great – if not perfect – animated show. It is enjoyable for viewers of all ages, and it is worth every second of watch time.