Everything is about to change on February 22 when the Fire Nation attacks in live-action. Netflix‘s adaptation of the wildly popular Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender is less than a month away, and a new set of character posters is preparing for its arrival by showcasing the threat posed to the entire world. Each of the four posters features one of the warmongering nation’s strongest firebenders, many of whom will stand directly in the path of Avatar Aang (Gordon Cormier) and his pals on their journey for peace.
At the head of the Fire Nation is the all-powerful Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), whose ruthless ambition as the Fire Lord plunged the world into war. Intent on conquering every nation and declaring himself the Phoenix King, he has built his kingdom into a technological powerhouse to squash the other elements beneath him. His poster depicts both his might and callousness as he bides his time for the arrival of Sozin’s Comet, which he will harness to burn his enemies to ash. His general in the field, Zhao (Ken Leung) is shown leading the armies of the Fire Nation forward on their mission of conquest. Alongside the cruel Princess Azula (Elizabeth Yu), who shows off her perfect technique in her poster, Zhao is a powerful threat to Team Avatar capable of throwing the entire world off-balance.
Not every firebender is out to capture or kill Aang and further the nation’s goals, however. The final poster showcases the wise and good-natured Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) standing on a ship with his back to the setting sun. Iroh is a fan-favorite who begins the series traveling with his nephew Zuko (Dallas Liu) as the prince hunts for the Avatar to regain his father’s approval. Ever the voice of reason, however, he acts more like a father to Zuko and guides him toward forging his own destiny. In their own ways, each bender will get to showcase what makes them powerful and change the course of Aang’s journey throughout Season 1.
The Threat of the Fire Nation Will Only Grow in Future Seasons of ‘Avatar’
Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. pic.twitter.com/JZW9JqSRN0
— Avatar: The Last Airbender (@AvatarNetflix) January 26, 2024
With its expansive cast and longer runtimes per episode than the Nickelodeon series, it’s clear that Netflix‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender will cover a lot of ground in Season 1. One thing that won’t be featured, however, is the aforementioned Sozin’s Comet. The looming threat served as a timer on Team Avatar’s original journey to stop Ozai, but showrunner Albert Kim recently told Entertainment Weekly that it’ll show up in the future to leave room for time skips and actors aging. That means the Fire Nation won’t even be at the height of its powers in Season 1, yet the presence of Zuko, Zhao, and Azula in the field will be plenty to handle for Aang and his friends.
Season 1 should largely focus on Aang’s efforts with Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) to master the other elements. The first leg of their adventure will begin as Aang re-emerges after years frozen in ice only to discover the world at war with a need for an Avatar to step in and restore balance. Along the way, the GAang will meet many of the colorful side characters of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko‘s universe and fight back against the Fire Nation forces threatening the Water and Earth kingdoms while evading the pursuing Zuko.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 arrives on Netflix on February 22. In the meantime, check out the new character posters in the gallery above and visit our full guide here for everything you need to know going into the live-action adaptation.
via Collider