Ranking Avatar Episodes (Season 3)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- Avatar Playlist • Avatar The Last Airbender
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I also just love the scene in the Avatar play where Azula goes, "Look Zuko, is that your honor?" or something like that, and everyone's genuinely like "Where?" and she just escapes... it's the most hilarious thing ever
Azula: "Wait! What's that?!
I think it's your _h o n o r !_ "
Zuko: "wHERE?!"
Azula: *escapes*'
@@efoxkitsune9493 "how did she get away?!"
Also: “Choose tyranny. It’s more fun!”
She escaped..... but HOW?
@@camillechandler4431 *treachery
iroh reuniting with zuko at the end of the series in the tent. that scene will FOREVER break me into a million pieces.
YES!! I cry every time I watch that scene... the fact that Iroh wasn't even mad at Zuko...
that made me sob my heart out and i get teary just thinking about it
i came down here to comment HOW DID SHE NOT MENTION THAT
I SOB EVERY TIME. THEIR JOURNEY UP TO THAT POINT WAS SO STRONG AND THE CAPACITY IROH HAS IN HIS HEART TO FORGIVE AND JUST WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR ZUKO IS INCREDIBLE
We all really do need an Iroh in our lives. Someone that helps us change for the better rather than forcing us to, and is there for us when we need someone.
Yes! It's the most beautiful scene ever
I really don’t get people who say they had a problem with Aang not killing the fire lord or that it’s a cop out. Aang is not just the Avatar; he’s the last air bender. In many ways, he is the embodiment of everything the air benders are, were, and should be. Their entire culture lives on in him. And the death of the fire lord at Aang’s hand would destroy part of himself; the part that is an embodiment of the air benders. So killing the fire lord would not be justice for the air bender genocide; it would be its completion. But, because that part of Aang’s spirit is so powerful...because he is an air bender at the core of his personality to the point where he is incorruptible, he gains the power to bend the energy of others. Nobody else in Team Avatar could have done that or achieved that power. Not many people in the world could have done that. It’s what makes him the avatar that the world needed to bring on a true peace. It’s what truly makes him Avatar Aang.
I agree the ending makes perfect sense for Aang's character (and its visually stunning too). I think the only minor issue I have with it is that the Lion Turtle talks to Aang and teaches him energy bending right before the finale. It feels a little too convenient but it's really just a minor nitpick because everything else is so good.
@@noahs5636 For sure. It's a little deus ex machina, but I tie that into the fact that the Avatar and lion turtles are both beings which are tied to spirituality. The destruction caused by the fire nation had destroyed the balance of the world, which was offensive to spiritual beings beyond just the Avatar. So when Aang was in a spiritual crisis of how to resolve the conflict without it taking an even greater toll on the himself and the world, another spiritual being intervened with a power that few aside from Aang would have been able to use. So I'm generally more forgiving of the deus ex machina because it makes sense for the world and was earned by the work and integrity of the character.
Totally agree with you both. I really love that Aang doesn't kill Ozai, but I don't love the exact way in which it happens. However, I have yet to come up with a way they could have handled the whole Aang learning energy bending thing better (more foreshadowing I guess but that might be hard to fit in earlier episodes), so I'm happy they were willing to add a not so great thing in order to make the ending that much better.
honestly, i felt like almost every episode in season 3 was my fav at one point hahah 😂 superior.
Lol yes! Season 3 is superior
including the one with aang's nightmares? because that was the worst episode in the entire series (yes, worse than the great divide).
@@ransherman1611 nahh i disliked that episode too, it was so ridiculously annoying.
And season two same for me.
Especially after and including "The Beach".
Southern Raiders. Katara has to chose between Aang's mindset (forgiving terrible people) or Zuko's life-changing mindset (revenge), and she just chooses to do neither. She chooses to let it go, not take revenge - because that would change her as a person - but not forgive a murderer - because that's ridiculous.
What a character ladies and gentlemen.
Mhm nice analysis
I think it’s best episode the show ever produced in terms of character development and depth. There are definitely more exciting, genre-bending, and action-packed episodes-but in terms of a character dealing with past trauma (like many characters do throughout the series), I think it’s the best one.
I feel like forgiveness isn’t so much ridiculous as it is impossible. I really loved how Katara couldn’t forgive him, because in real life there’s some people you just can’t forgive. Doesn’t make you a bad person, just human. Most of these revenge-is-bad stories end up tying it up ina nice little ‘I forgave him’ and it’s just not realistic
@@DarkAttackYT To me forgiveness is about making peace with yourself, not making peace with other people. That’s where I think people misunderstand what you mean when you’re speaking of forgiveness. A person doesn’t need to deserve forgiveness to get it because forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, it doesn’t mean saying that what they did was okay, it just means telling yourself to move on. You can never move on if you hold onto the anger of the past. One could argue that you don’t need forgiveness to move on but I don’t personally believe that
@pretend. Well put! And there’s so much more in this episode: the brilliant fight between Zuko and Azula; the brilliant juxtaposition of comic relief and seriousness in Sokka’s tent when he waits for Suki and then tells Zuko about the day his mother was killed; the brilliant closeups of Katara’s face; the pathetic killer who can only be strong when he wears a uniform; Katara forgving Zuko. I could go on forever
Nightmares and Daydreams>The Great Divide
Appa and Momo talking and in a sword duel is so hilarious 😂
Both>>>Bato of the Water Tribe
@@jaceygaither2581 But that episode had June in it, and it's the first time we see Appa fight.
Standing Appa
“You’re my forever girl, baby!” One of the most hilarious lines of the show in my personal opinion.
Appa and Momo fight is the best fight in the series and no one can tell me otherwise.
The warden is such a underrated character. He clearly cares a lot for Mai, keeping her boyfriend for her when he could have just turned him in, and even after Mai betrays his country and ruins his perfect record he still makes sure she’s safe and gets her out of prison as soon as he’s able
On the Southern Raiders episode: You kinda glossed over this detail a little bit, but I think it's really significant that Katara uses blood-bending here. It's very well established that she thinks blood-bending is absolutely wrong, and then she comes into the bridge of the ship and immediately blood-bends the guy there, without even thinking about it. That kinda just shows to me how deep that desire for revenge has taken her, and even more how serious it is when that moment of almost-killing is.
On the big finale episode: The one complaint (a very minor one) I have about this episode is that the reveal from the lion turtle about being able to take another's bending away was super cryptic and difficult for a lot of people to understand (it certainly went over my head when I watched the episode as a kid), and it's also a bit of a deus ex machina (i.e. it's quite convenient that the tool the protagonist needs is revealed right before it's needed). I think that does add some merit to the dissatisfaction some people have with Aang not killing Ozai, although I still appreciate the alternative Aang found. Again, it's a very minor complaint for me, and I otherwise agree with your ranking of the episode.
All in all, it was a great video!
Also she stopped the rain! She's amazing!
The lion turtle was my biggest (and one of my only) problems with ATLA. It didn’t feel earned or set up, and there were several alternatives they could’ve gone with instead (both lethal and non-lethal). They could’ve just had Aang kill him (which many people would’ve preferred), or they could’ve just had Aang bind him with Earthbending and lock him in a freezing prison with water/earthbending guards (similar to the prison P’Li was locked up in in LOK. Or they could’ve done something like Zhao’s death (well, not exactly death but you know what I mean) and had Aang try to save him but Ozai is too stubborn and ends up dying because of it. Then Ozai would be out of the picture permanently and Aang wouldn’t have to compromise his morals.
@@coreyklaustermeier7329 Don't you realize that the worst person in the universe should NEVER be killed by the strongest person in the world. To give the strongest person in the world the power to decide over life and death is very VERY dangerous. That's why I think that this solution was perfect. Aang gave Ozai more than one chance to give up. The speech at the beginning of the fight, when he spared Ozais life and didn't redirect the lighting and when he overcame the avatar state and didn't let it kill Ozai. Yes the way Aang got the ability was a little bit rushed, but it was definitely better than him killing Ozai.
@@Sandkasten36 I would say it’s about context. Having Aang kill him execution style when Ozai couldn’t defend himself is much different than Aang killing him in self defense. Also, you have to weigh the stakes. If Ozai wins he is going to commit another genocide, so you’re weighing the life of one murderous dictator vs the lives of thousands of innocent people. I don’t think anyone (aside from Aang) would judge Aang for making that call. I would see something wrong with making the most powerful person your executioner, but not with having them kill in self defense in the thick of battle.
But even if you disagree with everything I said above, I also suggested a non-lethal outcome that didn’t involve random turtles and spirit magic.
@@coreyklaustermeier7329 Another issue with Aang killing him is that killing Ozai may have made him into a martyr. So much of the fire nation was loyal to Ozai and they may have seen the avatar as an evil murderer who killed their beloved ruler. They probably would've seen Zuko as a plant by the avatar and Zuko would be dealing with a lot more assassination attempts and maybe even factions forming in the fire nation.
Me: So which episode is it
Merphy: so Zuko is angst
Me: do you know how little that narrows it down?
XD TRUE
gonna have to be more specific xD
The power escalation of Katara in the Puppet master doesn't bother me at all cause we are shown from the very beginning that Katara is extremely gifted! She has no control but she did break an iceberg in episode 1 because she was angry at Sokka. For some reason I hear more critique of this than Toph inventing metalbending when she was trapped. I think both moments make sense because both girls are extremely gifted! and also awesome :D
Also, I loooove the Headband and I think it's perfect. Great for Aang just being the peacemaking joy giving youth
XD Yas agreed on all of that. I occasionally go back to watch the Headband literally just for the dance party at the end. Also, Appa and Momo fight scene, pure genius.
For "Nightmares and Daydreams" I understand not enjoying Aang's dream sequences and all that, but you may have forgotten Zuko's half of that episode as well where he is enjoying the pampering of royalty along with Mai but ultimately figures out he doesn't feel like himself when he is "the perfect prince." Should at least bump it up to Good - at least that's where I think it belongs :P
Yes, I recently rewatched it. It gave me a good laugh that I needed so badly. I mean the Appa and Momo fight and then talking. Makes my stomach hurt. And I forgot the second half with Zuko and Mai that made this a fun episode for me. Really showed how much Mai cares to make Zuko happy when she tries to lift his spirits when he’s disappointed with the meeting issue
The first time watching this episode for me was when I was having an extremely stressful day and i was super anxious, i don’t like watching people in stressful situations so I really hated that episode. 😂 since then I rewatched that episode a couple of times but I still get a bit anxious while watching it. 😂😂
aaaand it's a kids' show. when I watched it the first time I nearly pissed myself in tje "No firelord Osai, you are not wearing pants" scene 😅
Agreed. That's why I think the Great Divide is the worst episode; it doesn't have a side-plot to fall back on if the main plot doesn't grab your attention. This is how Bato of the Water Tribe, Avatar Day, the Headband, and Nightmares and Daydreams all still have value despite the Gaang side being a little bit weaker for their episodes.
Bruh Aang was a 12 year old battling anxiety and insomnia in that episode but they had to put it in a kid friendly way since Avatar is a kids show
I love that Merphy did these tier lists, this felt like a mini-review about each episode! I don't want to argue with the rankings, just share my opinion about a couple of them:
- I think The Painted Lady is my least favourite in the series. Still a good episode, but I think that is the only one where the conflict is unjustified for me. Not what Katara does, and not the village's problem - that is amazing storytelling. But there are so many sidequests, especially in the first half of the season. It just doesn't make sense to me that Team Avatar doesn't want to waste time helping a suffering village. This is the only episode, where Sokka pushes them so hard to move, he doesn't have a problem with stopping here and there in the next episodes. So this conflict felt strange to me.
- The first episode is one that I would put in incredible. After that shocking season 2 finale and Aang's inner conflict, dealing with responsibility... I just love it, sets the tone for the whole season. I think this is a really heavy one, that storm-and-glider-moment always gets me.
- And this is just a little info: the Ember Island Players is a summary episode before the big battle (that was kind of obligatory), but they managed to find a clever way how to make it interesting. The creators even made fun of there own show (Great Divide? Let's just keep flying) - and it ended up being one of the best episodes for me.
I pretty much agree with everything you said. The Painted Lady is my least favorite of the entire series as well (although Karara’s Painted Lady look is ICONIC.) Also, The Awakening was Incredible. This is the first time Zuko talks to his father after all those years and the first time where we get to see his face!
I personally quite liked the painted lady. I can see where your coming from about the sokka conflict being kind of forced, but idk, I just like explosions I guess XD And the fight scene at the end was epic. Whole heartedly agree on the Ember Island Players though, that is 100% one of my favorite episodes, just so freaking hilarious, and what a beautiful representation of the movie that doesn't exist.
Um, EXcuse me, it's Sparky Sparky Boom MAN. The audacity.
I've noticed a few people complain about the blood-bending episode, but I didn't think Katara's gained the skill too quickly. Maybe I need to rewatch, but it always seemed to me that Hana's only goal was to get Katara to bloodbend at least a little. She stopped fighting not because Katara was a better blood bender but because she was finally A blood bender. Thus Katara's sobs. Katara lost the moral battle, not the physical one, and that's what Hama cared about. The way Katara disables Hama is very awkward and seems to match the idea of someone who'd never done it before but understood the technique well because she understood other types of water vending so well and could sense the water, or blood, in Hama's body.
About blood bending, I saw a theory a couple of days ago about why she was able to learn it so fast. The person mentioned that katara's healing ability might be a form of blood bending. Since the healing process is tied to blood flow or something like that.
I heard that too! I also heard of theoryes that Yue gave Katara like a moon spirit power boost which sounds nice
@@babsybrrrnz I haven’t heard about that, but it sounds cool
It may also just be another instance of Katara being the most talented waterbender of all time, and I'd be okay with that
I saw that theory as well and have accepted it as head cannon
I always thought that Sokka picked up swordfighting so quickly because he already has so much experience handling a variety of weapons and has experienced several different fighting styles.
I like to imagine that after the end of the series Aang and friends would be able to go and see the places and people they had to left in a hurry. Like Aang visiting the fire nation school to mess with the principle and the bully and Zuko going to Ba Sing Se and having a little chat with that girl who asked him out.
i love this
Zuko did end up going back to Ba Sing Se and saw his date again but Mai was with him so it was awkward...
@@grenelake9622 Wait what? Which comics was this in, I need to know
@@wolfishpotato6978 It’s actually set at the end of Season Two, and it’s called Going Home Again (Mai said she was a knife thrower from the circus).
I’d like to see Aang meet up with that principal again, actually- not only because they know he’s the Avatar, but because he’s literally best friends with the Fire Lord.
Just a thought : Imagine if in the life action adaptation, team Avatar watches a scene to scene recreation of the Shyamalan movie in theater.
That would be pretty funny, it wouldn’t have the same effect as the ember island players cause it wouldn’t be pointing out the flaws in the actual characters but rather in the movie. But would still potentially be funny and definitely have that desired effect at the end of the episode when they say that play was bad
What movie? There is no avatar movie
I remember when the final episodes of ATLA aired, Nickelodeon essentially marketed it as a movie. They played all four episodes in a row. It’s crazy because I was 11 when it aired and I didn’t revisit the series until this year (23 now).
Roses are red
Violets are blue
As long as she posts
She’ll get my view!!!
True. I’m not even a huge reader, but she is such a likable person
Roses are red, violets are blue, avatar is the best, and so are you
While Azula's lines in The Beach are hilarious and iconic, my favorite line from her this season is actually when she attacks the Gaang at the Western Air Temple and Zuko asks her what she's doing there. "Isn't it obvious?? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" Like - damn girl!
The Boiling Rock parts one and two (especially two) are my favorite episodes of the series. It has so many iconic moments and I just love Sokka, Suki, and Zuko working together. Also, the conflict between Zuko and Mai was really interesting and Azula and Ty Lee were awesome as always. By far my favorite scene/scenes of the entire episode and possibly the entire show is when Mai and Ty Lee betray Azula. This episode singlehandedly made Mai one of my favorite characters of the show. She betrays Azula saying that she’s “saving the jerk who dumped her” (great line) and is determined and unflinching when she stands up to her saying that “she loves Zuko more than she fears her.” What a badass. And then Ty Lee punches the crap out of Azula betraying her too which was equally amazing and badass.
My least favorite episode of this season and the entire show is The Painted Lady. As iconic as Katara’s Painted Lady look is, I find this episode mostly boring and dull. Although, the scene that Merph mentioned with Sokka and Katara was fantastic.
I can't rewatch it except for the ending scene haha
I feel that "The Avatar and the Firelord" also sets the premise for the Legend of Korra, where we see some characters from this series and their relationship with Korra as the Avatar. Some friendships really are strong enough to transcend lifetimes.
"The Ember Island Players" isn't just good for comedic relief, a break before the end, but I think it's also good for the characters to have that moment to see how others might see them. The have a moment to reflect on how much they've grown and what they've learned along the way. We also get some one-on-one between characters and some foreshadowing for the final episodes to come.
Avatar really is the best. I love this show SO MUCH!!!
The battle between Azula and Zuko gets me everytime. The music mixed with their raw power and anger, Azula’s deteriorating mind, AAAAAAAAHHHHHH
Daydreams and Nightmares is an episode about a 12 year old battling anxiety and insomnia but they had to put it in a kid friendly way since it is a show for kids. It’s also hilarious and gave us one of the best moments ever, “Baby, you’re my forever girl” and the fight between Appa and Momo.
The Avatar and The Firelord will forever be the best episode, like ever. All the parallels that were being drawn between Aang and Zuko since The Storm... finally come full circle. It's such a beautiful episode.
idk if anyone's mentioned this but my favorite part of zuko and azula's fight is how the music told a story. I loved how in a lot of shows they would have had some sort of epic song playing, some sort of exciting and intense music to show just how cool and powerful each of their bending was but it wasnt. It was dramatic yes, but it was also very sad. It was mournful and serious and showed just how wrong the situation was. Two siblings, both damaged deeply by their abusive upbringing in very different ways. Two siblings that now have to fight to the death. Its a sad moment as much as it is intense and incredible.
I think the resolution would have seemed less like a cop-out if Aang's conflict and his journey to find the solution to that conflict had been introduced earlier. For example, where were all these feelings during the Day of Black Sun? Maybe we could have gotten a brief mention of energybending in passing during the library episode, or maybe Aang could have heard about it from the sun people, causing him to realize "hmmm maybe there's another way", and sparking his journey to go figure out what this new type of bending is. The show had always been great with its foreshadowing and subtle hints up to this point, whereas energybending seemed to come out of nowhere just to solve a problem at the very end. I didn't hate the idea in and of itself, but I think it could have been executed better. (Still an incredible series though; nothing will ever change that.)
To hear your voice get more and more intense and passionate while describing each episode was beautiful to see :)
When Ty Lee betrayed Azula on the boiling rock I screamed and my Spanish friend over Discord was like *It gets worse!* and then into the inferno happened and I died inside. Azula is my favorite character and I literally jumped up and down during the last Agni Kai. It's such a beautiful duel.
you didn't even mention the zuko and iroh reuniting scene. whaaaaaaaat?! lol
I can't believe NOTHING was said about Iroh and Zuko's reunion in the finale
I think the puppet master is one of the best episodes of the whole series!!! 🩸
Yup my 2st favorite of all time my is when they meet thopn
The Southern Raiders is my favorite episode. It’s one of the saddest and most emotional charged episodes I have ever seen.
I only wish Mako could have seen the final season before he past
Yeah, brave soldier boy, he was
Dangit, I was just laughing at comments about sparky sparky boom man and then you gotta pull that and make me cry? Why you do this?
@wolfishpotato6978 that wasn't his name they name him something else
Me before seeing the video: How can anyone rank episodes of season 3??
Me after seeing the video: Yeah, that pretty much makes sense.
Some people DON'T like the beach, and they ARE wrong. Thank you!
Southern Raiders is perfection. 👌🏼
Momo and Appa sword fighting is such a great scene though!
Off topic, but is there a chance you'll watch Over the Garden Wall? It's perfect for Halloween. It's a mini series of 10 episodes of 10 minutes each.
I'm glad to see someone else struggle to verbalize just how much this show means to them. I feel the arm waving and noises of pure emotion on a spiritual level.
One thing I don't like about Sokka's sword training is that it basically leads to nothing. For the rest of the show he barely uses the sword or at least he fights in a way that, at least for me, it didn't show much improvement. Also, he loses the sword so shortly after!
It's a kids show, so he couldn't use it in a way that would make people bleed...
My space sword!
There’s that part in the boiling rock when he and Zuko are fighting Azula on the gondola and he has Azula right at the point of the sword and he just backs up. Like maybe he didn’t want to kill Azula and just keep her on guard until the gondola reached the other side, but she was trying to kill them. He could had demanded her surrender or something(even though she definitely wouldn’t)
@@michaelanderson7274 That one scene seriously punched me in the gut, why they do that, and why couldn't they have recovered it? It just make me sad ;-;
The sword master said Sokka had creativity, versatility, intelligence and a heart as strong as a lion turtle and twice as big. If he kept training he would be a great master. It was heartwarming to hear Sokka be validated like that. So it was fine with me.
I love how ATLA takes really common anime episodes like beach episode (the beach), short story episode (tales of ba sing se), recap episode (players of ember Island) etc. that people usually find bad and makes them some of the best episodes ever.
While season 2 is my favorite season, season 3 has some of my favorite episodes! My faves are Boiling Rock, Southern Raiders, and Sozins Comet part 3 and 4
My top few for season 3:
Southern Raiders - Just amazing and emotional throughout and kind of caps off making Katara's growth towards a badass character that started in season 2 finale for me.
The Beach - Again, great insight to the characters
Avatar and the Firelod - I love the flashbacks and I was giddy watching the history as well as that great reveal in the end.
Finale - I mean, just Ozai vs Aang was spectacular but addin Zuko & Katara vs Azula along with the masters showing up. Loved it.
Invasion - Nothing particular, just a fun watch throughout.
The best part of the Dream episode was Sokka's line "You're ready." I watched this episode when I was in a dark place, and that level of confidence inspired me to keep going.
I think this season is fantastic and a lot of that comes from the layout and how character driven it is. The first half gives each character a chance to shine in one episode and show off their defining characteristics:
Aang: The Headband
Katara: The Painted Lady
Sokka: Sokka's Master
Zuko: The Beach
Toph: The Runaway
Then we have the mid season finale with the invasion where we get to see everyone working together. After that the second half wraps up unresolved longstanding conflicts for most of the characters
Zuko: The Western Air Temple
Aang: The Firebending Masters
Sokka: The Boiling Rock
Katara: The Southern Raiders
Last we have a well done recap episode and one of the most epic finales ever.
My only problem is that I really really don't like Nightmares and Daydreams. I think the Avatar and the Firelord should have been the episode before the invasion because it fit perfectly there for 2 reasons. First the season starts with some great Aang and Zuko parallels, which is once again captured in this episode by finding out they are both in a way related to Roku. It also ends with the perfect shot of team Avatar holding hands and talking about the strength of their friendship. Which, would have been the perfect moment before the invasion. It also makes a lot more sense narratively for that scene to come after, rather than before The Runaway. The War Zone B plot for Zuko in Nightmares and Daydreams could have easily been split in 2 and divided between The Painted Lady and The Runaway. Last that would have opened up an episode for a Toph Zuko field trip in the second half, which I have been working on my own idea of how that could go.
I mean, I like nightmares and daydreams because Appa and Momo fight scene and the awesome quotes it gives us but... yeah fair enough, I can't really fight epic plot stuff with meme potential. Some people probably can, but nope, fair enough.
Maybe you would also enjoy Fullmetal alchemist: Brotherhood. Its also one of the show which explores various deep issues in simple way, kinda like Avatar
She's reading the manga
Where can I find that show?
Hell yea I agree! It starts out kinda ok and just gets better every season until it gets amazing!
Giovanni NY It’s on Netflix, and I believe you can watch it for free with adds on crunchyroll, but I’m not positive.
JoSometimesReads
Appreciate you! I’m on it 👍
Best trilogy I have seen is Fieldtrips with Zuko.
A little late to the game, but my most favorite episode of the entire series will forever be The Western Air Temple. Zuko trying so hard and still failing so miserably is absolutely hilarious.
"Why am I so bad at being good?!"
Iconic.
I love Ember Island Players! It serves as a "buffer" but also advances the plot in some pretty significant ways. Like, the very premise of going to a show to relax and unwind only to be reminded of unresolved tension and the gravity of the situation they're in is brilliant. It's also self-aware in the best way and genuinely funny. Sorry! Just felt the need to gush on Ember Island Players lol
It's funny to me how many episode descriptions began with "X was angsty"
also the beach is tied with me for sokka's master- it's PERFECT.
i just have to say, i always thought you were really cute, but you hit new levels of adorable when you were stressing about where to put some of those episodes. i'm so glad you enjoyed the ember island players episode. some people really rip on that episode and call it stupid, but i'm like "NOOOOO it's the greatest recap episode in the history of EVER!!!"
Well basically every episode when zuko joined team avatar is perfect, yes even the ember island players😂
My personal favourite however was “the avatar and the firelord”
Drinking game: Take a shot every time she says "_______ is conflicted." or "______ is angsty." Make sure to call the ambulance in advance.
Make it a sip when the line is related to Zuko. If not, the ambulance might not cut it
I don’t think you’ve ever been this conflicted about Avatar 😂
The puppet master would be incredible for me, I remember watching it when it first came out. It was during Halloween season and it genuinely spooked me.
The only reason it wouldn’t be perfect for me is because I don’t understand how Katara was able to get out of the blood bending due to her water bending powers, but Hama (who is much more familiar with it) was not able to get out of Katara’s blood bending.
Episodes like "The soutern air temple" , "The storm", "The desert" and "The puppetmaster" always had a special place in my head, reason is that they are responsible for setting a really serious tone to the cartoon, because you know its often masked in kids shows, and that is the organized genocide which the air nomads and the southern water tribe went through. Sure at the time the story begins, it is happening to the earth kingdom, but i always had in my head how strong Aang and Katara had to be to deal with the loss of their whole cultural identity and people, what also makes me feel so much empathy for Hama, she much like Aang is the last water bender who was trained in the ways of the south, and she passes that burden to Katara. All of these episodes for me, carry the most pain that carry the drama in the show. Its also one of the reasons in dont like how air benders made their return in Legends of Korra, it would have been so much better if some airbenders had managed to hide in society and survive rather than being a weird magical process.
I totally get what you mean about the airbenders coming back in Korra, but there is a theory that the people who gained airbending may have been descendants of air benders either way in the past, or from airbenders who did escape the fire nation but whose kids couldn't airbend because they had lost their spirituality/culture (although there really isn't any evidence for this). I like this idea as headcannon and it does kind of address your problem
I love how she got the “Zuko here” line but didn’t quote his most iconic line “That’s rough buddy” from the next episode the Boiling Rock pt 1
I think they combined the final four episodes, but I could be wrong.
Yeah. They did.
You´re correct. The Final Episodes are "The Phoenix King" where Aang struggles with having to kill Ozai and the rest of the gaang trying to convince him with Ozai in the end declaring himself Phoenix King,
then we have "The Old Masters" where Aang is on the Lion Turtle Island and everybody is looking for him, but they eventually run into the order of the white lotus,
then it's "Into The Inferno", each major battle starts, Aang vs Ozai, Zuko vs Azula and Sokka, Toph and Suki vs the fleet.
Last episode is "Avatar Aang" with Aang being able to finally master the Avatar State, Sokka, Suki and Toph being badass and Katara and Azula facing off.
Damn there is so much happening in just 4 episodes :D
I love how passionately you talk about this show!! I teared up while you were talking about the southern raiders episode💛💛
Here, or here? Here? Here? Here or here?!
You had me cracking up there.
22:10 OMG! I know what you're going through! From the Day of Black Sun, they are all só perfect (including all of the Zuko-quests; aka side-quests with Zuko), with the cherry on the cake with The Final Agni-kai.
Sorry, I wanted to use another analogy for how perfect the episodes of season 3 are, but, eh, well, eh... We have to keep the content of comments acceptable for all ages and people, no?
Let's just say that for the entire series of Avatar The Last Airbender:
- Season 1 is a couple of dates, good ones, bad ones, but let's keep things rolling, shall we. It's not undisputably brilliant, but there's great potential in this series,
- Season 2 compares to a series of extended nights out together. It's getting better, but I wouldn't recommend éveryone to watch the series yet. A bit like 'not just yet introducing him or her to your parents.'
- The first couple of episodes of Season 3 is like getting to a good home-date and doing things together like cooking and settling in for a movie on the couch under a blanket, while having (mentally!) a great time together.
- From The Day of Black Sun on I would compare as things getting really perfectly aligned,
- From The Boiling Rock on, yeah, eh, things get boiling.
- And The Final Agni-Kai is, eh, I mean: comet-enhanced firebending... It's already boiling, since The Boiling Rock, so, eh, let's just say the lid blows off the pressure cooker here... There is no doubt anymore; This is brilliant! And the second time I watch the series, it will hold up and I am going to religiously recommend éveryone I know to watch it.
(On Aang's and Ozai's fight; it feels a bit like the safety-glove in the analogy: It's expected and needs to be there, and won't take away the fun. But it's distracting and not having it then and there would have put the entire thing at risk of 'dire consequences')
Nightmares and daydreams as eh?
But..but...what about standing Appa?? That’s peak comedy right there
Merphyy!! I swear you were going to talk about uncle Iroh reuniting with suko in the final episode :(
Alsooo, the final episode it's amazing... I though you'd like it better 0:... Anyhow, love your channel. Greetings from Mexico :)
It just goes to show you how interesting Zuko’s dynamic with the gaang is that most of the beat episodes this season were his fields trips with them. Makes me wish he had joined just a bit sooner in the series.
I have LOVED your Avatar videos!! It makes me so happy to see you gushing about one of my favorite shows of all time!!! I have a suggestion for another one... it would be really cool to see you rate your favorite MOMENTS of the show. Episodes are great, but sometimes the best moments aren't a full ep, but only a piece. I think it would be awesome to see you rank/rate your favorite funny moments and also your favorite deep/dramatic/emotional/'gave you chills' moments! 😄❤
I can't WAIT for your reviews of the Kyoshi novels - they're so great and you're going to love them!!
When it comes to the way the battle ended, here's what people don't realize, Aang took a much bigger risk by letting Ozai live. Killing him would have been the easy way out. By keeping him alive, there's that risk of him possibly escaping and building a new army.
The one with the spirit lady is one of the ones i always remembered from being a child. Something about the town just stood out to me
if not every episode is number 1 I will cry
Aang not killing Ozai was perfect. He is the LAST of his people, and he managed to uphold the values of his people by not killing. Truly nobody understood his position.
In to say I love you and your content, you’re an amazing person ❤️
I’m sure someone has already said this but certain episodes are combined because that is the way they were released originally. For example, when Sozin’s Comet originally came out on Nickelodeon all the parts aired in one night. Great video!
Azula is an awesome antagonist. She may seem alien and not relatable since she is pretty sociopathic, but this season really developed her beyond just the evil trope. It really showcases the effects of environment on a persons mentality. She is extreme, but much of it stems from her father, her insecurities, and her lack of understanding of the world in its entirety... it’s also hard to fathom that these circumstances resulted in so much damage to her and everyone else, despite being a young 14 year old (I think) child.
Also, as someone who watches way too much TV, the Ember Island Players is the best recap episode of any television show that's ever been done in the history of electricity.
I'm just glad you put The Beach in perfect :)
Firebending masters is my favorite episode throughout the series. Beautiful asf
watching this ranking, and knowing that there was originally supposed to be 4 seasons, not just 3, made me realize that the day of the black sun likely would have been the season 3 finale, (which also might have also allowed for more time for sokka's sword training), and meant that season 4 would have been Air, where they first travel to the 4th and final Air temple, before becoming nomadic again, and going on their own "individual, arc-closing" (/enlightenment achieving?) adventures, mostly Without Aang (Air is the element of Absence/Void, after all), but all while using all the wisdom they've gained over their year of traveling/training with him.
and then of course the series ending with Absent Aang learning energy bending, and ending the war, all without forsaking his cultural Air Nomad beliefs.
just perfect. imagine what even greater perfection this show could have been, if Nick had given them all 4 seasons.
(also, regarding sokka picking up the sword so quickly: you're not wrong that 1 day is too rushed, but i think we should also remember that he has been training as a warrior, basically since birth! he's very skilled with a few very traditional/niche weapons, but he does still have skill! hes the best warrior in his village, and has only gotten better since leaving!! so i dont think its a crazy stretch to think that his training transfers at least in part to wielding a sword well enough. and tbh he only does really well against piandao's butler! against the Master himself, there's no way he could have won, without resorting to outside the box, and occasionally underhanded methods. all of which, piandao admires and respects his ability to do! the episode isn't about sokka becoming a Sword Master, it's about him realizing that he is already a skilled and accomplished Warrior, whose Weapon is his Wits. whatever weapon he actually wields in hand is simply a tool to get what he needs done.)
The Beach has the greatest line in the history of all media imo:
“That’s a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful, you could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battle ship, leaving thousands to drown at sea… Because… it’s so sharp”
Merphy getting to Zuko's part in every episode recap ever: so zuko is very angsty-
first
to bring honor to the avatar fandom ;)
The Western Air Temple and The Firebending Masters are my all time favourite episodes.
This reminded me how amazing season 3 was. Man I love this show !
It's funny how almost every episode on the second half of season 3 is on Merphy's Perfect Tier
Merphy: They had one shot.
Me, nodding: "One opportunity."
Merphy: They had one chance
Me: oh i guess we're not doing lyrics
Glad to hear you enjoy the beach episode I feel like its underrated.
One of my favorite parts of avatar and the firelord is katara asking a question about the spirit world and sokka answers reminding us he has been there before
Too bad we didn't get to see it. In fact, the Spirit World episode from Season 1 didn't actually feature the Spirit World. Odd.
Lol,
"Sparky Sparky Boom Man", Boom Boom sounds too much like a bad toilet joke!
Ok this is like SUPER random but where did you find your wheel of time set? It’s just so pretty 😍
Also love your avatar content ... or just your content in general lol 😊
this show is the best ever, she's right
Southern Raiders is Avatar at its best. And EVEYONE is angsty and conflicted. 😂😂😂. Great way to sum up that episode.
Tales of ba sing se is avatar at its best
Doesn’t matter what tier you ended up putting them in, anyone can easily tell how much you love the show (as anyone should) and your enthusiasm is wonderful!!
I find it's more useful to rely on the ATLA wiki instead of Netflix or Nickelodeon when it comes to listing the episodes. This was definitely the toughest season to rank as there are really no Eh episodes and half of them arguably could have been included in the Perfect category. Turns out that I valued the ones where Team Avatar was gradually learning to trust Zuko more even than ones that had the most epic fight scenes ever and that character growth of the main cast was more enjoyable to me than plot development.
Katara didn't just happen to overhear Toph and Sokka talking in episode 7. Sokka set it up that way, which is first time I actually bought into him being smart. I enjoyed The Beach but it was also the very definition of a filler episode. Samurai Momo is disappointed in you but Sparky Sparky Boom Boom Man might be the best name of all time.
Avatar Season Three Episode Rankings:
Perfect: Chapter Eight: The Puppetmaster, Chapter Twelve: The Western Air Temple, Chapter Thirteen: The Firebending Masters, Chapter Fifteen: The Boiling Rock, Part 2, Chapter Sixteen: The Southern Raiders, Chapter Nineteen: Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters
Incredible: Chapter Seven: The Runaway, Chapter Ten: The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion, Chapter Fourteen: The Boiling Rock, Part 1, Chapter Twenty: Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno, Chapter Twenty-One: Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang
Great: Chapter Two: The Headband, Chapter Three: The Painted Lady, Chapter Four: Sokka's Master, Chapter Six: The Avatar and the Fire Lord, Chapter Nine: Nightmares and Daydreams,
Good: Chapter One: The Awakening, Chapter Five: The Beach, Chapter Eleven: The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse, Chapter Seventeen: The Ember Island Players, Chapter Eighteen: Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King
Eh:
Yeah, treating multi-parters as singular episodes does feel a bit like cheating. :P
Toph not getting her side quest with zuko is after the ember island players. It's when they are searching for Aang.
I think the main reason why people don't like the ending is because it seems to come out of nowhere. It's only really foreshadowed in the lionturtle's speech, which is ridiculously convoluted, so I don't really blame people for thinking it came out of nowhere.
In a comic book I read long ago the hero said to a confident "When I have had to kill my enemy it just shows a lack of imagination, it is a failure on my part." I use this metric when I rate shows or books and it is amazing how many fall short. Thank you.
I understand why some people see the whole energybending thing from the lion turtle as a bit of a deus ex machina, but there are a few reasons this never bothered me as much as it did others. For one, we already knew people could lose their bending from Ty Lee and her chi blocking. It's a little bit different from permanently removing Ozai's firebending because the chi blocking is only temporary, but it's an example of a way the show foreshadowed the concept of benders losing their ability to bend. They also foreshadow the existence of the lion turtles in episodes like the library, which shows a picture of the lion turtle and they talk about it briefly. It could have been foreshadowed a little bit more so that it wasn't so subtle, but they did do it some here and there. Also, even though I didn't see it coming the first time I watched it, once I thought about it I felt like the concept of energybending still makes sense within the confines of the rules of the world the writers created so it didn't bother me much that I didn't predict it as a possibility beforehand.
OK idk what everyone is talking about with Sokka’s Master taking place over weeks. But I’m ok with it being one day bc he’s not actually that much better of a swordsman. He was mostly taught to use his unorthodox fighting and creativity. He was taught like two actual skills but the rest was already part of him. Sokka just had to realize it.
If you look at the Eclipse and the final fights episodes, Sokka isn’t using advanced sword skills. He’s just more confident in his role as a tactician. He knows how to acquire a map on the blimp (which was partly his idea) , he come up with the submarines (which was also his idea).
Also, Katara doesn’t blood bend the guy that actually killed her mom. She just scared him to falling down.
25:52 I have seen post where it says if this doesn't warm your heart then you are watching the show wrong. That is 100 percent true
Started watching you to hear te WoT series reviews. Now, I'm listening to you talk about how silly it was for Sokka to become a blademaster in a day (I watched this over a decade ago and felt the same thing). Hearing your inner fangirl come out and hearing you were in tears at some points... yah, you're awesome and I'm a fan.
Personally, the beach episode was pretty good to me, but not amazing like a lot of people say. I also would have put Sokka's Master higher. I personally loved that episode because it had a lot of growth for Sokka and for most of the series, I felt like Sokka was mostly comic relief. I didn't see a ton of growth from him, but this episode focused on him and it was amazing. The Emperor Island Players was alright. It was funny and gave a comical overview of the whole series, but it was strange having it there for me. I wanted the tension to keep escalating and it just didn't fit for me. It isn't a bad episode, but I'd probably put it at good, possibly great. Other than that, I think I agree with most of your placements of the episodes.