Fans ofAvatar: The Last Airbendermight want to experience the same joy in another series, and there are 10 that could be up to the challenge.The Last Airbenderis often considered one of thebest animated shows of all time, and for good reason. It’s endlessly funny, engaging, emotional, and endearing, and there’s something for everyone. Many have tried to recapture the magic ofThe Last Airbenderover the years, and Netflix even created a live-action adaptation of the original show to do just that. There are, however, other shows that can fill the same spotThe Last Airbendermanaged to.
Living up to a show as universally praised asThe Last Airbenderis a gargantuan task, but there are at least 10 shows that manage it. These shows have many of the trappingsThe Last Airbenderis known for, from its well-developed characters, intricate world, fascinating power system, and more. It also seems that following inThe Last Airbender’s footsteps is a recipe for success, as many of the shows that seem similar to it also happen to be among the best in their genres.
10The Legend of Korra
Ran From: 2012 to 2014
For fans ofAvatar: The Last Airbender, the best way to recapture that magic is throughThe Legend of Korra.As a sequel toThe Last Airbender,The Legend of Korrais already a continuation of the animated show, albeit with a different cast of characters. It follows the next step in the Avatar lineage: Korra, a girl from the Water Tribe.The Legend of Korraalso has so many of the things that made the original show beloved in the first place, from bending to a colorful group of characters that make up Team Avatar and more.
The Legend of Korra is great for viewers who love the world of The Last Airbender and are ready to hear more mature and complex stories about that world.
While it is set in the same world asThe Last Airbender, there are also plenty of differences and changes that makeKorraunique.The Last Airbenderhas its fair share of mature moments and themes, butKorrais geared towards an even older audience. As such, it deals with issues like political violence, the Spirit World, and dilemmas that don’t have a satisfying answer for all parties. In short,The Legend of Korrais great for viewers who love the world ofThe Last Airbenderand are ready to hear more mature and complex stories about that world.
The Legend of Korra
Cast
The Legend of Korra is an animated series set in the Avatar universe, following Avatar Korra’s journey as she strives to master the elements and fulfill her role as a fully realized Avatar. Released in 2012, the series explores her challenges against traditional norms and her internal quest for balance.
9Naruto
Ran From: 2002 to 2017
There are quite a few similarities betweenThe Last Airbenderand another famous animated show from the same era:Naruto.Like Aang, the titular Naruto Uzumaki is a young boy who tries to master the power he received from the mythical Nine-Tails and learn to master a form of martial arts known as jutsus that bear some similarities to bending. Naruto also has a host of friends, enemies, and allies, most of whom are very well-developed and complex characters.Narutoalso has a compelling series-long overarching story, beautiful animation, and some incredibly intense fights.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
WhereNarutoandThe Last Airbenderdiverge, however, is in their length. WhileThe Last Airbenderhas three books,Narutoand its sequel series,Naruto Shippuden, have well over 700 episodes. Admittedly, hundreds of those episodes are considered “filler” and not important to the overall story, but there’s still several more hours ofNarutothan there was ofAvatar.For anyone who simply wants more of the things that madeThe Last Airbenderso unique,Narutois a great choice.
8One Piece
Ran From: 1999 to Present
For fans who want more ofAvatarbut don’t thinkNarutois long enough,One Pieceis the perfect replacement.With over 1,000 episodes,One Piececan fill up literally weeks worth of time, and its similarities toThe Last Airbendermake it very fun to watch. Luffy, the main character ofOne Piece, is similar to Aang in quite a few ways: they both have extraordinary powers, they both lead a team of unusual characters, and they both began their journeys as immature children only to learn wisdom, patience, and more.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
One PieceandThe Last Airbenderalso have some significant differences, though.Luffy’s pirate crew consists of more unusual and older members than Team Avatar, and the show’s fights are often more violent and intense. Additionally, for potential viewers who may be daunted byOne Piece’s episode count, there are other options. Netflix has a few other viewing methods: there’s a live-action adaptation, and a new, more streamlined anime,The One Piece,is also in development. There’s never been a better time to jump into the world ofOne Piece.
7Stranger Things
Ran From: 2016 to Present
One of the most compelling parts ofThe Last Airbenderis seeing how a group of children grow into powerful and responsible warriors fighting for a good cause, andStranger Thingsperfectly matches that.The cast ofStranger Thingsincludes several mismatched kids and teenagers who have to fight against their town’s evil scientists and the portal they opened to another dimension.Like inThe Last Airbender, it seems like only a handful of adults understand the threat inStranger Things, and the kids' mission to do what no one else will or can also serves as a coming of age story.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
Stranger Thingsalso takes a slightly different approach to its overarching story thanThe Last Airbenderdid, and to great effect.Stranger Thingscan get very dark, violent, and heartbreaking, and it has since become one of thebest shows on Netflix.It also focuses on some real-world topics, like Dungeons and Dragons, the Cold War, and other facets of life in America in the 1980s.Stranger Thingsmay not look likeThe Last Airbender, but it serves up an equally enthralling story.
6Gravity Falls
Ran From: 2012 to 2016
Viewers who appreciated the dynamic between the characters ofThe Last Airbenderand the show’s humor more than its action sequences will also enjoyGravity Falls.Dipper and Mabel Pines serve as the core duo ofGravity Falls, along with their eclectic “Grunkle” Stan and the oddball employees of the Mystery Shack. Most ofGravity Fallsfocuses on Dipper and Mabel investigating the supernatural occurrences of their town, usually in a lighthearted and humorous fashion. The characters also interact in a way that’s very reminiscent of how Team Avatar’s strong personalities tend to clash with one another.
Gravity Falls
When Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off to spend the summer with their uncle in Gravity Falls, they discover that all is not as it seems in this small town. When Dipper discovers a strange journal in the forest, the twins team up to solve the town’s mysteries.
Though action isn’t a focus ofGravity Falls, that isn’t to say that the series doesn’t offer some intense scenes.LikeAvatar,Gravity Fallsfeatures a similarly complicated and important overarching narrative that sees Dipper and Mabel fight supernatural forces for the fate of the world. Because of that overarching narrative,Gravity Fallsis dripping with subtleties, hints, and other hidden details that will entertain adults and children alike, just asThe Last Airbenderwas.
5Teen Titans
Ran From: 2003 to 2006
ForAvatarfans who value its action only a bit more than its humor,Teen Titansis a great replacement.Teen Titansfollows a group of young superheroes from the DC universe who live and work together as a team. As a superhero show,Teen Titansis packed with action and adventure as the eponymous Titans fight everything from professional mercenaries to literal demons. The show also features a similar style of animation toThe Last Airbender, complete with its exaggerated facial expressions, soTeen Titans' fights will certainly evoke the same feelings asAvatar’s bending.
Teen Titans: Each Main Character’s Funniest Quote
Teen Titans is filled with wacky main characters with their own quirks, which leads to some hilarious quotes from each of them.
Teen Titansalso features arguably the second best character dynamics of any animated kids show, behind onlyThe Last Airbender. Each season ofTeen Titansfocuses on a different member of the group and their greatest adversary, and there are plenty of great moments in those seasons where the heroes get to develop both mentally and emotionally.The Titans also have some engaging group dynamics that feel very similar to Team Avatar, and it may just be the most direct replacement forThe Last Airbender.
4Adventure Time
Ran From: 2010 to 2018
Though it’s certainly more unusual,Adventure Timestill offers a lot of the same things that makeThe Last Airbenderso compelling.Adventure Timefollows Finn, a human boy who is both stubborn and courageous, and Jake, a magical dog who can stretch his body into any shape or size, as they adventure through Ooo.Like Aang inThe Last Avatar, Finn and Jake meet several colorful allies on their journeys and spend quite a bit of time helping out anyone who needs assistance.Adventure Timealso has its own version of Fire Lord Ozai: the Lich, a cosmic being intent on destroying everything.
Adventure Time
Adventure Time is a science fiction/fantasy animation from Cartoon Network. Adventure Time follows Finn (Jeremy Shada) and his dog Jake (John DiMaggio) as they go on adventures in the near future. The series was created by Pendleton Ward and ran for a total of 10 seasons on the network. Adventure Time was critically acclaimed while it was on the air and managed to pull in younger audiences, as well as adults.
The main thing that setsAdventure Timeapart fromThe Last Airbenderis its brand of humor.WhereThe Last Airbenderis often sarcastic and witty,Adventure Timeis far more absurdist, straight-faced, and whacky. Though it does have a different approach to comedy,Adventure Timealso has more than enough room for heavy topics like overcoming fear, acceptance, existentialism, and even reincarnation. For all of its gags and oddball adventures,Adventure Timehas a heart that’s just as big asThe Last Airbender’s.
3Power Rangers
Ran From: 1993 to 2023
For a much lighter but equally engaging viewing experience,Power Rangersis a great adventure show likeThe Last Airbender. The series follows the eponymous Power Rangers, a group of teenagers who are able to transform into a superhero team to fight threats like massive lizards to shape-shifting aliens. The main attraction ofPower Rangersis one power in particular: the Rangers can join together to form a giant mech-suit called the Megazord.Power Rangershas the same focus on teamwork and individual personalities coming together thatThe Last Airbenderdoes, and the same emphasis on action.
Power Rangers
Power Rangersis a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the JapaneseSuper Sentaiseries,Power Rangersbecame a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage fromSuper Sentaiwith new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children’s franchises in the world.
WherePower Rangersreally shines, however, is in its variety. There are22Power Rangersseriesthat all feature different casts, stories, and powers that see the characters range from harnessing the energy of dinosaurs to serving as an intergalactic police force.There’s aPower Rangersshow for everyone, regardless of interest, taste, or even era, since the franchise ran for 30 years.
2Fullmetal Alchemist
Ran From: 2003 to 2010
On its surface,Fullmetal Alchemistdoesn’t seem very similar toThe Last Airbender, but the shows are actually nearly the same.Almost everything inThe Last Airbenderhas a counterpart inFullmetal Alchemist: bending is just as intricate and powerful as alchemy, Aang is just as endearing and complex as Edward and Alphonse, and their worlds are painted in just as many shades of gray. BothAvatarandFullmetal Alchemistalso dive into very mature themes like the price of war, the decision to use power for good or evil, and the fairness of sacrifice.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who, after a failed alchemical experiment, embark on a journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone in an effort to restore their bodies. Set in a world where alchemy is a widely practiced science, the series explores themes of sacrifice, brotherhood, and the consequences of seeking power.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who use alchemy in a quest to restore their bodies after a failed transmutation. The series explores themes of sacrifice, the consequences of ambition, and the quest for truth in a richly developed world.
Fullmetal AlchemistandThe Last Airbenderalso share one extremely important characteristic: their quality. LikeAvatar,Fullmetal Alchemistis often considered to be one of the best examples of its medium, and it’s regularly placed near the top of lists of thebest anime series ever.Fullmetal Alchemistis every bit as heartbreaking, action-packed, intriguing, and endearing asThe Last Airbenderis, and it’s well worth a watch.
1The Dragon Prince
Ran From: 2018 to 2024
Though many of the shows that are similar toThe Last Airbenderare from the golden age of animated shows, more recent years have still been capable of producing great series, andThe Dragon Princeis proof of that.The Dragon Princewas actually made by the creators ofThe Last Airbender, and it shows in a few ways. The primary protagonist, Callum, has to master six primal sources, as opposed to the four elements, to stop a war between the elves, humans, and dragons, instead of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, and his group of friends helps him on that journey.
The Dragon Prince
The Dragon Prince is a Netflix-created animated fantasy series created by the original minds behind Avatar: The Last Airbender. It follows two human princes, an infant dragon prince, and an elven assassin, as they embark on an epic quest to stop the endless war between their worlds and bring peace to the magical continent of Xadia.
Though they’re extremely similar,The Dragon Princealso sets itself apart in a few engaging ways. It fits much more cleanly into the genre of fantasy thanAvatardoes, given its focus on magic, elves, and dragons. The series also has a much more overt romance subplot between Callum and Rayla than Aang and Katara had for most of the show. For those reasons,The Dragon Princejust might be one of the best new shows to watch afterAvatar: The Last Airbender.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
