Long long ago, there are four nations live together in peace: the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Each nation can bend their own element means that they can control over it. Then, there is the avatar who can control all four elements. The avatar has to maintain the balance in the world. The Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko is an American animated television series. It first aired on Nickelodeon back in 2005 and consisted of 61 episodes (each about 22 minutes).
In the show, Aang, the avatar is definitely a hero because he is pretty much follow all the stages of a heroic journey in Joseph Campbell’s article, “The Monomyth”. In the article, there are 17 stages which divide into three sections: departure, initiation, and return. First section of a hero’s journey is a departure: call to adventure (p. 45-54), refusal of call (p. 54-63), supernatural aid (p. 63-71), belly of the whale (p. 81-88), and crossing first threshold (p. 71-82).
Next section of a hero’s journey is initiation: road of trials (p. 89-100), meeting with the goddess (p. 00-110), temptation (p. 110-116), atonement with the father (p. 116-136), apostasia (p. 136-158), and the ultimate boon (p. 158-178). Final section of a hero’s journey is return: refusal to return (p. 179-182), magic flight (p. 182-192), reassure from without (p. 192-201), crossing the return threshold (p. 201-212), master of two worlds (p. 212-220), and freedom to live (p. 220-226). Let’s look at the 17 stages of the hero’s journey in the Avatar: The Last Airbender. First section: departure, at the age of 10 Aang is told that he is the avatar.
He doesn’t want to be the avatar so he runs away. Aang is an airbender, able to goes into the avatar state and communicate with spirits. He learns that the Fire Nation killed all the airbenders, he decides to become the avatar. But first he has to learn how to bend all four elements: air, water, earth and fire. Second section: initiation, Aang facing many challenges internally and externally throughout the journey to mastering the elements. He also falls in love when he shouldn’t and get distracted easily. He like to have fun and not sure how to face his fear.
Roko gives Aang advise. Aang almost get killed trying to unlock chakras and enter the avatar state. He becomes master of all elements. Last section: return, Aang have to face firelord. He ready to the battle, but he needs to know something. Aang goes to the Lion Turtle and it takes him to see firelord. He takes away firelord bending. sdfsdf Aang and Katara. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, call to adventure happen about a hundred year ago. when Aang is around 10 years old. He is raised by monks at Nomads’ Southern Air Temple, so he is against violence.
This is ironic because the monk mistakenly reveal Aang true identity as an avatar before he turns 16 years old. This means that Aang, the avatar has to fight the bad guys (Fire Nation) to protect the innocent. Refusal of call might be the fact that Aang is just a little kid and he doesn’t think he is ready for this type of responsibility. As a result, he runs away. He left the temple with Appa, a flying bison (avatar’s creature). Appa travels with Aang everywhere he goes. Unfortunately, there is a severe storm when they leave. The storm cases both Aang and Appa to fall into ice water.
Luckily he has supernatural aid that help him. While Aang is in the ice water, he goes into what is called the avatar state where he is much more powerful, but can’t control himself (basically he cannot move). So, when Aang was in the state, there is an air bubble that trapped him and Appa in an iceberg. This is what has kept them alive. Aang will also get help from spirits (Roku, the avatar before him told that the Sozin’s comet is coming). Fast forward a hundred years later, Katara and Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe found Aang and Appa and got them out.
The belly of the whale moment happened when Aang learned about the Fire Nation invasion other nations, including Southern Air Temple. They killed all the monks (they were airbenders). So, Aang is the last airbender. He realized that he need to become the avatar, master of all four elements, to be able to save everyone and also control himself when he goes into the avatar stage. But first Aang had to learn how to waterbend. But sadly the Fire Nation has already wiped out all of the waterbenders in South Pole where Katara and Sokka from.
Then, Aang along with Katara, Sokka, Appa and Momo (Aang’s pet) went to North Pole (the Northern Water Tribe). On the way there, they stumble across an Earth Kingdom village. It is being attacked at night by Hei Bai a monstrous spirit (forest spirit, it is huge and look like panda and bear combined). This is when crossing first threshold happened. The monstrous keep showing up and destroy buildings and people’s houses in the village. Aang bring peace by accepts his role as avatar and the monstrous stop bothering the villager. Aang and his team continue their journey.
They found a waterbender master named Pakku. Also, Katara herself is an incredible waterbender. With Pakku and Katara, they trained Aang for the first element. Road of trials can be seen throughout Aang’s journey to become master of all four elements. There are so many obstacles and challenges that he has to face. But the most important ones are learning the element and control the avatar state beating the firelord Ozai. At the same time he doesn’t want to kill him. Atonement with the father can be seen when the show unfolds the story of how Roku die trying to save people’s lives from an erupting volcano.
Even though, In this scene avatar Roku told Aang that if he is killed in the avatar state, the avatar will cease to exist. 11 However, Aang eventually becomes the Avatar. He meets Toph, a blind earthbender who can see with her feet by feeling the vibration in the earth. She is pretty much the best earthbender and unstoppable. She become Aang master. One of the most developed characters, Zuko, is the prince of the Fire Nation. He is constantly confuse on what to do and figuring out what is right and what is wrong. Zuko was dethroned by his father. In order to get the thrown back he must capture and kill the Avatar.
Later, he realized that he was wrong and end up training Aang to fire bend. Meeting with the goddess can be seen as Aang develop a feelings for Katara. It is also can be seen as temptation because Aang is struggle with mastering the avatar state. Because to master it you have to let go of the love one. The ultimate boon is happen when Aang master all four elements. He is already an airbender. Then, Aang learn waterbending from Master Pakku and Katara helps train him. Aang also meets Toph, a blind earthbender who can see with her feet by feeling the vibration in the earth.
She is pretty much the best earthbender and unstoppable. She become Aang master. Moreover, one of the most developed characters, Zuko, is the prince of the Fire Nation. He is constantly confuse on what to do and figuring out what is right and what is wrong. Zuko was dethroned by his father. In order to get the thrown back he must capture and kill the Avatar. Later, he realized that he was wrong and end up training Aang to fire bend. Apotheosis can be seen when Aang want to gain control of avatar state. He has to go through what called 7 chakras (energy flow in our body).
If he start he has to finish it because there’s no second chances. The 7 chakras are: “let your fear flow down the creek”, “forgive yourself”, “accept and love all aspects of who you are, even your mistakes”, “release all your sadness and loss”, “release your denial and the lies you tell yourself”, “release all illusions within yourself”, “complete control of your thoughts and actions” and “release all your earthly attachments, let go of all you’ve grown to love”. Aang only finish 6 chakras because the last one he has a vision Katara in danger. So he goes to help her instead of finish the chakras.