Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Finally Told The Original Show's One Missing Story
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender continued the beloved franchise by telling the one story that was missing from the original show. By the end of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, the titular character solidified himself as the true continuation of the Air Nomads by confronting the past of his nation. Not only did this lead to several Last Airbender Easter eggs that call back to the original story, but it also bridged the gap between that and its sequel, The Legend of Korra.
The central story focused on Tagah, an Airbender who was frozen in time, much like Aang himself, after being radicalized by the conflicts between the Four Nations. Using the power of the spirits, granted by one of Aang's predecessors in the Avatar Cycle named Sonam, Tagah looked to restore Airbending to the world and usher in an Air Empire. In its own right, this story is certainly a compelling one to focus on after Aang's mission to stop the Hundred-Year War, but it also concludes his arc from decades prior by telling the one missing tale of the original show.
The original three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender followed a set path, with Aang mastering the three elements he never had. Book One was called Water, with Book Two following as Earth, and Book Three concluding the story as Fire. Naturally, Aang was already a master Airbender, explaining the decision to omit Air as a specific Book from the original show. That said, thanks to the central story and themes of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, the movie gave Aang his fourth Book.
While it remains true that Aang did not need to master Airbending in the traditional sense, as he did with Water, Earth, and Fire, he did need to come to terms with the future of his nation. In learning about its past, its mistakes, its origins as a nomadic tribe, his place in that, and how it can continue beyond him, Aang rounded out his four-Book arc. Finally, in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, Aang received the story that enabled him to become a true Avatar in every sense, providing the missing tale no one realized was missing from the animated original.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender & The Legend Of Korra Season 1 Are Perfect Companion Pieces
With Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender essentially being Book Four: Air, one could make the argument that this discredits the first season of The Legend of Korra, which was subtitled exactly that. However, it is a better argument that Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra season 1 are companion pieces, each telling one half of the Air Book. In the former story, Aang came to terms with the genocide of the Air Nomads by figuring out how the nation could continue in his time, despite his status as, well, the last Airbender.
From the discovery of new air bison to the formation of the Air Acolytes and the construction of Air Temple Island in Republic City, Aang began the reconstruction of the Air Nomads spiritually, if not physically. In The Legend of Korra, Book One: Air, Korra succeeded Aang by mastering Airbending from his son, Tenzin. This, as well as the focus on Aang's Airbending grandchildren as the literal next generation of Air Nomads, completed the second half of the Air journey that began in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender.
Avatar Studios Made The Right Choice With Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
What all of this proves is that Avatar Studios made the right choice with what film to make. Originally, several other stories were reportedly planned, be it a Fire Lord Zuko movie or a standalone tale that featured Avatar Kyoshi. Eventually, though, it was decided that Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender would be the studio's first movie. As it turned out, this was undoubtedly the right choice. For one, focusing the story on Aang was a good way to pull audiences back into the franchise after over a decade away.
Beyond that, though, for the aforementioned reasons, the movie felt like a spiritual successor to the original show by completing Aang's last major story. This is not to say that any of the other planned Avatar projects would have been bad; they simply would work better now, after Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender concluded the missing story of the original show, brought the franchise into 2026 and beyond, and left off with the possibility of more Avatar stories being told in the future.