A Response to ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’, Itself a Response to ‘Avatar: The Legend of Korra’

It is almost impossible not to watch the first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens (now streaming on Paramount+, at least for now before all of the fall out of the Warner Bros/Skydance merger comes to pass) without thinking about The Legend of Korra discourse from almost a decade and a half ago. The original Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of the most beloved stories of modern animation. Its sequel series was not as universally beloved, at least in the corners of the internet I inhabited and the ones that I occasionally glimpse at today. Whenever Avatar news drops on my feed, the algorithm resurfaces constant comparisons between the two Avatars and the discourse is mired with criticism. Some valid. Some not so much. Cards on the table, I am of the belief that Avatar: The Last Airbender is a near perfect narrative, but that The Legend of Korra took so many risks and chances, that the lows were significantly lower, but the highs were also significantly higher. I liked the idea of pro-bending developing in a world that had less of a need for military might. I loved meeting Avatar Wan and learning the origins of the Avatar cycle. I thought the Red Lotus were some of the coolest villains to ever grace my screens. And I am a sucker for giant mechs as well as the slow-burn romance between Asami and Korra (even though it took until comics to make it unabashedly canon). I liked both series, and I enjoyed the Legend of Aang movie and even find myself rooting for the Netflix Live …