Contents
- 1 10 Sokka vs. Master Piandao
- 2 9 The White Lotus vs. The Fire Nation
- 3 8 Katara vs. Zuko
- 4 7 Katara vs. Master Pakku
- 5 6 Toph vs. Xin Fu & The Earthbending Wrestlers
- 6 5 Katara & Aang vs. Azula & Zuko
- 7 4 Katara vs. Hama
- 8 3 Team Avatar vs. The Earth King’s Guards
- 9 2 Aang vs. Fire Lord Ozai
- 10 1 Zuko & Katara vs. Azula
Summary
- The bending fights in Avatar: The Last Airbender are top-notch, showcasing outstanding animation and martial arts skills.
- Fight scenes like Sokka vs. Piandao, The White Lotus liberating Ba Sing Se, and Katara vs. Zuko in S1 stand out, though not quite as much as others.
- The best fight scenes in Avatar: The Last Airbender include Zuko & Katara vs. Azula and Aang vs. Fire Lord Ozai.
Avatar: The Last Airbender has a handful of fantastic fight scenes across its three seasons. By the time of The Last Airbender‘s series finale, it was clear that the bending fight sequences were outstandingly crafted. From the animation of the martial arts to the extraordinary powers of the world and the performances of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s voice cast, the action sequences of the original Nickelodeon show are just as good as its story, characters, and emotional core.
The bending fights of the live-action Last Airbender naturally attempted to emulate the iconic sequences of the source material. In some ways, the Netflix version managed this, though many would agree that it failed to match up with its predecessor overall. Admittedly, this was an incredibly high bar and an unlikely prospect, given how much of a fan-favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender has become. As alluded to, one of the big reasons for this is the show’s action sequences, with 10 standing out as the best in the show’s three-season run.
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This list is ranked worst to best, though even the “worst” entry is still a fantastic fight scene in its own right.
10 Sokka vs. Master Piandao
Season 3, Episode 4, “Sokka’s Master”
The fight scene between Sokka and his sword master, Piandao, is undoubtedly the best non-bending fight in the show…
Among the 10 best fight scenes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, it is difficult to pick the so-called worst. That said, Sokka vs. Master Piandao simply ranks lower than its peers due to the lack of bending. Regardless of the exciting, original, visually fantastic nature of bending, the fight scene between Sokka and his sword master, Piandao, is undoubtedly the best non-bending fight in the show. Throughout The Last Airbender’s first two seasons, many were waiting for Sokka to come into his own as a formidable warrior.
While always a good fighter, Book Three: Fire showcased Sokka’s transition into a true soldier. This began with his training under Piandao, which culminated in a brilliant sword fight between the two. Not only did the fight have emotional weight, as it proved Sokka was a capable warrior despite his lack of bending, but it was fantastically animated to emulate a real-life hand-to-hand fight. From the clashing of swords to Sokka utilizing his training by using his surroundings to his advantage, the duel between Sokka and Piandao ended the already-great episode on a high note.
9 The White Lotus vs. The Fire Nation
Season 3, Episodes 20 & 21, “Sozin’s Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno” & “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
The series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender is split into four battles, one being The White Lotus vs. The Fire Nation. This battle focuses on the organization liberating the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se and is one of the show’s best fight sequences due to the scale of the conflict. Beginning with the most powerful Firebending move in the show when Iroh takes down the wall of Ba Sing Se, the Old Masters quickly establish how powerful the White Lotus is.
If the fight had been uninterrupted and shown more, it could have been further up on the list of
Avatar: The Last Airbender
‘s best fight scenes.
Pakku and Piandao quickly defeat a Fire Nation regiment using their combined skills, while Bumi and Jeong Jeong take down the Fire Nation’s artillery. Unlike the other battles of The Last Airbender‘s finale, The White Lotus’ conflict is relatively easy. This is a testament to the characters’ power, based on how quickly they retake Ba Sing Se. If the fight had been uninterrupted and shown more, it could have been further up on the list of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s best fight scenes.
8 Katara vs. Zuko
Season 1, Episode 19, “The Siege of the North, Part 1”
The first fight of Katara’s in which she is a Waterbending Master deserves a spot as one of the greatest battles in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Tasked with protecting Aang’s body as he enters the Spirit World, Katara faces off against Zuko under the power of the full moon, showing her true capabilities for the first time in the show. Not only does the fight show Katara standing up against one of the more formidable foes in Book One: Water, but it also has a great sense of dramatic weight.
If Katara does not manage to defeat Zuko, Aang will fail and the Northern Water Tribe will be destroyed. After a series of blows between Zuko and Katara, the former harnesses the power of dawn and utters one of the show’s best lines, “You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun.” Zuko gains the upper hand after Katara’s previous mastery, complimenting both benders’ power. Aang is taken, and the drama continues in Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s season 1 finale, marking Katara vs. Zuko as one of the show’s most memorable fight scenes.
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7 Katara vs. Master Pakku
Season 1, Episode 18, “The Waterbending Master”
Another of Katara’s battles is also fought in the Northern Water Tribe, one that features some of the most inventive bending moves in the show while furthering the thematic and character storytelling of Book One: Water. After being rightfully outraged to learn that women cannot learn combat-based Waterbending at the North Pole, Katara challenges Master Pakku to a duel. What ensues marks a fantastic statement of the power of Waterbending, as it is the first time in the show a true Master is shown.
From bending snow to keep her footing to slicing discs of ice toward her enemy, this battle provides the first hints at how powerful Katara could become.
Pakku’s fluidity in his moves – and the quality of animation that allows such choreography – is a sight to behold, as are Katara’s attacks. From bending snow to keep her footing to slicing discs of ice toward her enemy, this battle provides the first hints at how powerful Katara could become. Despite Katara losing the fight, the resolution worked resoundingly for the show’s characters and themes. Katara’s ability to stand up to Pakku was immensely satisfying, as it proved the Northern Water Tribe’s outdated customs were simply a result of stubbornness.
Furthermore, Pakku’s willingness to let his beliefs go was versed in emotional depth. The reveal that Pakku was betrothed to Katara’s grandmother and that she left due to the North’s sexist ways served as a believable way to resolve the issue. This, accompanied by one of the best fights in Avatar: The Last Airbender, makes the North Pole showdown a worthy entry on this list.
Pakku’s connections to Katara’s grandmother were removed from Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
6 Toph vs. Xin Fu & The Earthbending Wrestlers
Season 2, Episode 6, “The Blind Bandit”
Toph’s first true showcase of Earthbending in Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the show’s best fight scenes. As soon as Toph makes a cloud of smoke to make her enemies as blind as she is, it becomes clear that the battle will be one of the most inventive Earthbending fights in the franchise. Facing off against seven pro-wrestling Earthbenders, Toph is quickly established as an incredibly powerful fighter. From dispatching the wrestlers one-by-one with minimal, concise Earthbending to showing her carefree, frankly badass personality, the fight works as an exciting sequence and an establishment of Toph’s character.
The Boulder |
Tied 4th |
The Big Bad Hippo |
Tied 4th |
Fire Nation Man |
1st |
The Gopher |
3rd |
The Gecko |
2nd |
Headhunter |
Tied 4th |
This culminates in a one-on-one between Toph and Xin Fu. The choreography and animation quality on display, as the latter pops up multiple rocks and throws them toward Toph, are some of the most fluid in the show’s entire run. Toph then defeats Xin Fu with similarly minimal effort, combined with her inventive seismic sense, to make this battle one of the best in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
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5 Katara & Aang vs. Azula & Zuko
Season 2, Episode 20, “The Crossroads of Destiny”
As far as imaginative bending moments go, the four-way battle between Katara, Aang, Zuko, and Azula includes some of the best in the show; Azula’s evaporation of water, Aang sending out an air construct of his body, and Zuko’s fire whips all occur within the opening minutes of the fight. This is not to mention Katara’s water tentacles and armor, nor Aang’s ability to encase his body in crystal while charging at Azula. Through these creative bending moves, the fight showcases all four combatants at their most powerful.
Katara’s power is especially exhibited in this fight, as she holds off Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li single-handedly while Aang is incapacitated.
These fighting moves alone would rank the fight as one of the show’s best, but they are only bolstered by its emotional depth. Fueled by Zuko’s betrayal, the audience can easily get invested in the ensuing fight. This, combined with Aang’s decision to let Katara go and enter the Avatar State, gives the duel a heightened sense of dramatic weight. Culminating in the near-death of Aang and Iroh’s shunning of Zuko, the fight ends on a fittingly tragic note that perfectly sets up Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3.
4 Katara vs. Hama
Season 3, Episode 8, “The Puppetmaster”
Above any other fight in the entire show, Katara and Hama’s confrontation is benefited by its genuinely sinister tone. Centered around the dark concept of Bloodbending, Katara vs. Hama remains Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s creepiest fight sequence. The gloomy location of the forest, Hama’s relatably tragic albeit condemning story, and the Bloodbending power of both fighters make the duel possess a distinctly dreadful atmosphere.
Hama is perhaps the show’s most threatening villain, capped off by her manipulating Sokka and Aang into battling Katara. Hama almost succeeds in making Sokka kill Aang before Katara “wins” the fight by Bloodbending the old woman. Despite Hama being locked away from her crimes, Katara does not revel in her victory due to learning the horrific power of Bloodbending, ending the episode on a suitably harrowing note. This contributes to the episode’s atmosphere, which helps Katara vs. Hama to be one of the most memorable fight scenes in The Last Airbender‘s history.
Hama |
Avatar: The Last Airbender |
Katara |
Avatar: The Last Airbender |
Amon |
The Legend of Korra |
Tarrlok |
The Legend of Korra |
Yakone |
The Legend of Korra |
3 Team Avatar vs. The Earth King’s Guards
Season 2, Episode 18, “The Earth King”
What helps Team Avatar vs. The Earth King’s Guards stand apart as one of The Last Airbender‘s best fight scenes is what makes it different. Rarely does the series showcase a battle in which multiple people are working as a team. Most fights in the show are one-on-one, or at least more contained such as the aforementioned “Crossroads of Destiny” fight. In “The Earth King” though, Team Avatar is shown working as a well-oiled machine as they infiltrate Ba Sing Se’s royal palace.
Unlike the aforementioned White Lotus battle, Team Avatar’s Earth Kingdom assault gets an uninterrupted focus to allow the latter to outshine the former.
Beginning with Aang blocking a surface-to-air rock without looking, the fight moves to the grounds of the palace. A standout moment of amazing animation and choreography sees Team Avatar funneled between two rows of Earth Kingdom guards. As rocks are thrown at them, Toph and Aang work in tandem to block the rocks in inventive ways, as Katara and Sokka stand behind their friends’ defenses picking off the guards. Capped off with Toph turning a staircase into a slide, the fight proves just how powerful Team Avatar is when it performs exactly as such: a team.
2 Aang vs. Fire Lord Ozai
Season 3, Episodes 20 & 21, “Sozin’s Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno” & “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
The climactic fight scene of all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender is the second-best in the entire show. Taking place across two episodes, the fight scene somehow managed to eclipse expectations and deliver a satisfying final confrontation between Aang and Ozai. While not filled with the most creative moments in the show, Aang vs. Ozai came together on every other possible level to deliver a rousing culmination. From animation quality and voice acting to music and character moments, the fight lived up to the hype.
Seeing Ozai unleash for the first time was amazing, bolstered by the power of Sozin’s Comet. Similarly, Aang unlocking the Avatar State and surrounding himself with all four elements was a sight to behold. While the fight was naturally a highlight – second only to one other in the show’s run – it was the final moments that elevated it. Rather than kill Ozai and forsake his soul, Aang used Energybending to take Ozai’s powers. This saw Aang separate himself from all other Avatars, delivering a satisfying conclusion to his character arc alongside an exciting, series-best fight scene.
1 Zuko & Katara vs. Azula
Season 3, Episode 20, “Sozin’s Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno”
Undoubtedly the crown jewel of Avatar: The Last Airbender fight scenes is Zuko and Azula’s final Agni Kai. In a series first, the Agni Kai mutes all sound besides the roaring of Zuko and Azula’s Comet-infused fire and Jeremy Zuckerman’s fantastic musical score. The clashing of the blue and orange flames makes the Agni Kai the single most hauntingly beautiful scene in The Last Airbender‘s entire run, only bolstered by the music which conveys the tragedy of two siblings fighting as a result of their father’s evil ways.
Zuko is The Last Airbender‘s most compelling character, meaning his facing off against Azula while knowing his destiny is as equally fantastic a character culmination as Aang’s fight against Ozai. The gorgeous animation of the fight makes way for emotional depth, as Zuko jumps in front of Azula’s lightning to save Katara’s life. The fight falls on Katara’s shoulders, as she outsmarts a maniacal Azula before rushing to Zuko’s aid. The dramatic weight of these moments only adds to the amazing Agni Kai sequence to make Zuko & Katara vs. Azula the best fight scene in Avatar: The Last Airbender history.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an Animated Fantasy and Adventure series that appeared on Nickelodeon and was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series featured voices from Zach Tyler Eisen, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco, and Mae Whitman. The premise follows a young boy named Aang, an Air Bender who is set to be the next Avatar, master of all elements, in a bit to unite the nations together and bring peace.
Cast Mako , Dee Bradley Baker , Jack De Sena , Michaela Jill Murphy , Zach Tyler , Dante Basco , Mae Whitman
Writers michael dante dimartino
Directors Dave Filoni
Showrunner michael dante dimartino