Nickelodeon has churned out several excellent original animated series that have stood the test of time to become an immemorial part of our childhoods. Most of these are comedic shows that we all know too well, but there's one particular show that took a somewhat serious tone — along with the trademark sense of comedy that Nickelodeon is famous for. Any person whose childhood was steeped in watching these original shows already knows that the show we're talking about is Avatar: The Last Airbender, which has etched its name in the annals of animation history with an incredibly well-realized world, a detailed bending system that is still talked about to this day, and a story that somehow manages to be grounded and epic at the same time. The show was so immensely popular that it actually received a sequel in the form of The Legend Of Korra after constant demand from fans.
Of course, one simply can't talk about the Avatar series and not mention one of the most integral aspects of the series that has turned the show into an enigma in the first place — the characters! The entire cast of the Avatar is memorable for a whole host of reasons, and the protagonist — Aang — undergoes a level of character development seldom seen in a show geared towards kids. This character's body is the subject of this article due to the various odd things that might not be apparent at first glance. Thus, to remove the curtain and reveal these facts, here are 25 of the weirdest things about Aang's body in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
25 Aang Was Supposed To Be A 10-Year-Old, But This Idea Was Changed Later On
Keep in mind that, at the end of the day, Avatar: The Last Airbender was geared towards children from the get-go. This mandated the need for this series to have relatable protagonists.
Thus, Aang was proposed to kickstart his journey at the tender age of 10.
However, even the creators thought that this number would be too less, and wisely decided to age up Aang by two more years so that he would hit the perfect spot and appeal to both children, teens, and young adults.
24 At The Age Of Six, He Was A Better Airbender Than Children Twice His Age
Is it any surprise that the Avatar just happened to also be an airbending prodigy? Well, this turned out to be the case for Aang, who was able to quickly learn the ropes when it came to this particular art.
He was already way ahead of children twice his age at the age of six when it came to airbending.
It's a small thing that goes to show just how talented and peerless the Avatar is when compared to other people his age.
23 By The Age Of Ten, Aang Had Proven Himself To Be Better Than His Own Teachers
Of course, Aang definitely had the potential to become the very best airbender of his generation. But, what about his teachers? After all, no matter how naturally talented one might be, surpassing people who've spent decades learning this art should be impossible... right?
Well, that's exactly what Aang ended up accomplishing.
The fact that he managed to surpass his peers — that too at just ten years old — goes to show that the Avatar is in a class of his own.
22 He Was The Youngest Airbending Master In Air Nomad History
Aang was well-versed with the teachings of airbending, earning his tattoos at just twelve years old. That's absolutely astounding and goes to cement the point we've made above about the Avatar being in a completely different class altogether.
The sheer number of ways in which Aang could manipulate the wind was nothing short of amazing. From making a ball on which he could move to using his staff to add more force to his airbending offense — Aang was an expert in every sense of the word when it came to airbending.
21 The Burden Of Knowing He Was The Avatar At 12 Was Immense
Being selected as the Avatar might seem like a major honor — after all, you're basically the most talented person of your generation in the entire world — but one needs to think from a practical perspective. Frankly put, the pressure would be immense, in every sense of the word.
The children around Aang avoided him after they found out that he was the Avatar. This, coupled with the fact that he would be taken away from Monk Gyatso, was too much for Aang to bear, and he ran away from his responsibilities as the Avatar.
20 His Body Was Permanently Damaged After Being Encased In Ice For A Century
During this escape, Aang lost control of Appa during a thunderstorm above the South Pole. As he fell, the Avatar State kicked in and encased him in a block of ice. While this might've been good to ensure his survival in the short run, it did a ton of long-term damage to Aang's body that sealed his fate.
This is the major reason why Aang didn't live for a particularly long time after being freed from his ice prison. To be more specific, he technically lived till the age of 66 — not exactly a great number of someone like the Avatar.
19 He Became A Fully-Realized Avatar More Quickly Than Any Other Known Avatar
Learning how to master all four elements requires a lot of effort from the Avatar's side. They need to devote a substantial amount of time individually to these bending techniques so that they can skillfully use the arts with little to no problems.
The argument can be made that Aang wasn't really an expert in any art — aside from airbending, he still had a long way to go before he could use all arts properly. However, by the end, he was competent enough to tackle the Fire Lord and emerge victorious, which is more than what most people can say.
18 The Names Of The First And Last Episode Showed Aang's Growth And Maturity Throughout The Series
The first episode of the original Avatar series was called "The Boy In The Iceberg." It portrayed the image of a naive young kid who still had a long way to go before he could deal with the responsibility of being the Avatar.
Throughout his journey, Aang grows in a number of ways — both physically and mentally. Finally, this growth is complete, and the last episode's title (Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang) shows just how much Aang matured over time.
17 Aang, Kyoshi, And Roku Were All Known For Defying The Leader Of Their Respective Nations
It seems that a running theme of being the Avatar is standing up to the current authority. Whether it be a ruler, emperor, or Lord, it seems that the Avatars always had a problem with bowing to the unreasonable demands of the authority.
Kyoshi, Roku, and Aang — all three subsequent Avatars have raised concerns regarding the ruling practices which the world's authority had been following. It seems that being the rebel is the trend going around in Avatars as of now.
16 Aang Severed His Connection With The Past Avatars
Speaking of the past Avatars, it's time to talk about one scene from an additional entry in the Avatar series that has serious ramifications. This scene happened in "The Promise," a comic book trilogy that expanded on the story of the Avatar universe after the end of the series.
Basically, Aang made a promise to Zuko that he would end the new Fire Lord's life if he showed any signs of becoming his father. When Zuko exhibited these traits, Aang took counsel from Roku but didn't like his advice that he should nip the problem in the bud. Finding Roku's advice to be against his ideals, Aang decided to take a major step and destroyed his connection with the past Avatars.
15 Aang, Zuko, Azula, And Kiyi Were All Spiritually Related
Speaking of Zuko, did you know that Zuko and Aang are related? Well, to be honest, this is more of a spiritual relation — a term that might understandably be quite confusing. So, let us explain in detail as to why we've made this statement.
Basically, Avatar Roku was the maternal great-grandfather of Zuko, Azula, and Kiyi. And — of course — Roku and Aang were also spiritually linked as Avatars. So, Aang, Zuko, Azula, and Kiyi were all spiritually related.
14 Aang Was Also Spiritually Related To Ursa
We've already mentioned the connection Aang had with Zuko, Azula, and Kiyi. Well, the fact of the matter is that this connection would obviously stretch over to the mother of these three individuals as well — namely, Ursa.
After all, Avatar Roku was Ursa's grandfather after all. This, coupled with the spiritual relations between Avatars that we've already mentioned before, means that Aang is also spiritually related to Ursa as well.
13 Aang Has Two Scars On His Body
One of the major moments in the series is when Aang is struck by Azula's lightning at the end of Book 2. It was a devastating blow that had everyone fearing for Aang's life, and was a cliffhanger in every sense of the word.
Thankfully, Aang was able to recover from this blow and regain his strength. However, this attack had left a permanent mark on Aang's body — the lightning left one scar on Aang's back where it entered, and another on the sole of his left foot where it left his body.
12 Aang And Kuruk Were The Only Known Avatars To Remain True To Their Native Upbringing
When it comes to staying true to their native upbringing, it seems that the Avatars had a problem in doing so. Yangchen broke boundaries to maintain peace (no matter the cost), Roku threatened the leader of the Fire Nation and his best friend, Kyoshi defied the Earth King's orders, and Korra had a falling out with the chief of the Northern Water Tribe — her dad.
In this context, it seems that the only two Avatars who have stayed loyal to their roots — well, for the most part — are Aang and Kuruk.
11 Aang Was Left-Handed In One Of His Past Lives, As Mentioned By Katara
The concept of reincarnation is held quite strongly in the Avatar universe. While the body fades away, the spirit moves on to different bodies. This is the concept held true for the most part — even for the person born as the Avatar.
In Aang's case, he's also led a number of past lives. One such detail from his past incarnations was revealed by Katara, who stated that Aang used to be left-handed in a previous life.
10 Aang Is One Of The Only Four Characters Shown As A Newborn In The Series
Speaking of new and past lives, it's time we talk about a topic that everyone will either love or hate — babies. Surprisingly enough, Aang is part of an esteemed group of people in the Avatar universe who's actually been shown as a kid.
The other three people who are shown as babies are Rohan, Hope, and Yue. Funnily enough, the last of the lot was shown as a baby in a flashback, which makes Aang's "achievement" all the more noteworthy.
9 Aang Wore A Necklace Similar To Gyatso’s – His Mentor – At Zuko's Coronation
One of the most important people in Aang's life, Monk Gyatso was the one person he could rely on, even after finding out the responsibilities of being the Avatar. Gyatso understood the child's pain, and served as a pillar to support him in times of need.
It's understandable that Aang felt crushed after finding the skeleton of Gyatso — a person who was alive just a day back, according to him. He continued to pay respect to Gyatso years after his untimely demise, such as when he wore his mentor's necklace during Zuko's coronation.
8 Aang Had Met The Originators Of Every Bending Art
The story of how bending came to be in the modern world is honestly quite an impressive tale. Through the Lion Turtles, the art of airbending, firebending, waterbending, and earthbending were taught to human by air bison, dragons, the Moon, and badger-moles respectively.
Aang is one of the few Avatars who had the privilege to meet and interact with each originator of the modern art of bending. It's an honor that he would remember for the days to come.
7 Aang Was Voiced Twice In The Legend Of Korra
As The Legend Of Korra slowly came to be, Nickelodeon was searching for a person who could aptly play an old Aang. This responsibility fell upon the shoulders of Rob Paulsen, who voiced the lines for Aang. However, we'll never know how this voice sounded, since it was cut out later on.
Apparently, during post-production, the creators didn't find the voice to be apt for Aang. So, they decided to scrap Paulsen's performance entirely and chose to go for D. B. Sweeney instead.
What a waste.
6 Aang Was The First Known Avatar To Be Bloodbent
The art of bloodbending is forbidden in the Avatar world for a reason. The idea of having your entire body be controlled by someone else is icky in every sense of the word. So, any practitioners of bloodbending were subject to harsh penalties in the Avatar universe.
Keeping this in mind, it's time to talk about another achievement of Aang — if one can even call it that. In the pursuit of Yakone, the criminal tried to thwart the Avatar by bloodbending him. This was the first (documented) time that an Avatar was bloodbent.
Neato.