It’s probably not hyperbole to call Avatar: The Last Airbender one of the greatest animated series ever made. Debuting on Nickelodeon in 2005, the show enjoys repeated rewatches from the fan base in the modern age of streaming. While most fans agree there are no bad episodes of the show (even including the recap episode “The Ember Island Players”), some episodes stand out as the greatest across Avatar‘s three-season run.
Some of the episodes below made the list because of their impact on the overall story. Others earned their spot because of individual moments of brilliance. But, most importantly, every episode below is insanely memorable for one reason or another. Here are the 10 best episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender:
10. The Crossroads of Destiny (Season 2, Episode 20)
The Season 2 finale, “The Crossroads of Destiny,” marked a major turning point in the show. While Aang had some solid victories against the Fire Nation leading up to this episode, this episode showcased the true force of the Fire Nation. After taking control of Ba Sing Se and the Dai Li, Azula faces off against Aang and nearly puts an abrupt end to his mission to reunite the world.
The episode is filled with the gorgeous fight scenes that Avatar: The Last Airbender is renowned for. But most fans will remember this as the episode where Zuko betrayed Uncle Iroh in a desperate attempt to regain his standing with his father as the Prince of the Fire Nation.
9. Appa’s Lost Days (Season 2, Episode 16)
Seeing the human characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender go through emotional and physical pain is sad, but watching it happen to an animal is purely heartbreaking. “Appa’s Lost Days” is often cited as one of the show’s saddest episodes, and for good reason.
The episode focuses entirely on Appa’s journey to Ba Sing Se after he was kidnapped by the Sandbenders earlier in the season. Fans were severely missing the lovable creature throughout Season 2. But his return to the screen was far more heartbreaking than we were expecting. The genius of the episode is how Appa’s emotional state and his feeling that he may never see Aang again is animated without uttering a line of dialogue.
8. The Firebending Masters (Season 3, Episode 13)
Almost every Avatar: The Last Airbender fan has had a screenshot from this episode as their wallpaper at one point in time. “The Firebending Masters” is easily one of the most visually striking episodes in the entire series (if not the entire franchise, including The Legend of Korra). Additionally, it was a vital point in Zuko’s redemption arc, as Aang slowly began to see his true heroic nature.
As the Gaang is still learning to trust Zuko, the reformed Fire Nation Prince takes Aang to an ancient tribe of Firebenders. In order to survive, the pair must learn the Dancing Dragon and come face to face with the original Firebenders. The dance is iconic, the dragons dropped the collective fan base’s jaws, and the animation in the episode climax was stunning.
7. The Blue Spirit (Season 1, Episode 13)
Zuko’s redemption arc began before fans even realized it. “The Blue Spirit” is an action-packed episode that oozes influence from martial arts cinema legends like Jackie Chan. After being imprisoned by Zhao and the Yuyan Archers, Aang is rescued by a mysterious hero in a blue mask.
As well as being the inspiration for thousands of Avatar tattoos, Zuko’s Blue Mask was the first hint that there was more to the Fire Nation Prince than meets the eye. “The Blue Spirit” was the foundation behind one of the greatest redemption arcs in fiction.
6. The Puppetmaster (Season 3, Episode 8)
For a show aimed at a younger audience, Avatar: The Last Airbender would occasionally get incredibly dark. You could argue that opening a show with the genocide of an entire nation is the darkest moment in Avatar, but we’d argue that “The Puppetmaster” episode is somehow worse.
The episode introduced Team Avatar to an old Waterbender who developed her own incredibly powerful technique: Bloodbending. The episode played out like a horror short film, with an uncharacteristically dark color palette and creepy character design. Hama, the original Bloodbender, gave kids across the world nightmares when this episode first aired.
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5. Zuko Alone (Season 2, Episode 7)
“The Blue Spirit” may have hinted at Zuko’s journey of redemption, but “Zuko Alone” solidified his path going forward. To some, this is the best episode of the series, although we’d argue those found below are just slightly more significant, as Zuko’s redemption arc is one of the most iconic parts of Avatar.
“Zuko Alone” isolated the titular character from his Uncle and the influence of the Fire Nation. As a result, audiences got a glimpse into his true, heroic nature, as he protected an Earth Kingdom family from rogue soldiers.
4. The Tales of Ba Sing Se (Season 2, Episode 15)
You could argue that “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” is filler. But this otherwise disconnected, slice-of-life-esque episode contained more character development and insight than some other shows have in entire seasons. The episode follows each of the main characters on a single day in their lives in Ba Sing Se.
Some of the whimsical moments, like Toph’s day out with Katara, helped to humanize and ground the otherwise over-powered Earthbender. Meanwhile, Uncle Iroh’s story has stayed with fans for over a decade, as has the iconic song, “Leaves From the Vine.”
3. The Southern Raiders (Season 3, Episode 16)
Katara is the butt of a lot of jokes within the Avatar community, as she is often preachy, dives head-first into emotional monologues, and always mentions her mother. But when Katara is given the spotlight, just know that the episode will be a banger.
“The Southern Raiders” tested Katara’s morality as Zuko took her to the Fire Nation captain who killed her mother. Would Katara break and get revenge, or would she take the moral high road and forgive him, despite the years of pain and grief he caused? “The Southern Raiders” was one of the episodes that proved Avatar: The Last Airbender was much more than just a kids’ show.
2. The Seige of the North: Part II (Season 1, Episode 20)
Most fans will agree that Season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender is the weakest of the three. It lacked a lot of the complexity that was found in Seasons 2 and 3, where the show had found its feet. Not to mention, there was no Toph in Season 1. But it was still a great season and ended with one of the biggest and best battles in the show.
“The Siege of the North: Part II” showed the true power of the Avatar State as Aang decimated the Fire Nation’s forces. It also included one of the saddest deaths in the show (more proof that Avatar was more than your standard kids’ show), as Yue sacrificed herself to save the world. That’s rough, buddy!
Honorable Mention: The Cave of Two Lovers (Season 2, Episode 2)
“Two lovers. Forbidden from one another. A war divides their people…” “The Cave of Two Lovers” is far from the best episode in the show. But we had to give it an honorable mention because of the titular song sung by the traveling bards. Prepare to have it stuck in your head all day. “SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL! Through the mountains! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!”
1. Sozin’s Comet – Part 4: Avatar Aang (Season 3, Episode 20)
As Game of Thrones found out the hard way, you can have the greatest show in the world, but if you mess up the ending, then the entire journey goes to waste. Thankfully, Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s grand finale stuck the landing and then some.
“Sozin’s Comet – Part 4” brought the phenomenal series to a close after three seasons. The episode finally gave fans the long-awaited fight between Fire Lord Ozai and Avatar Aang, while Zuko and Katara faced off against Azula. As well as being beautifully animated, the episode forced Aang to confront his crisis of morality regarding how he would deal with Fire Lord Ozai.
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