Plot: Aang, Katara, and Sokka as they journey deep into the Earth Kingdom. Their mission: convince the sheltered Earth King to help fight Fire Lord Ozai and find Aang an earthbending master, all while evading Prince Zuko and his ruthless sister, Azula.
Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender was Good
Pros: This time around, I know what I’m in for from last season. Zuko’s character arc was compelling, seeing to pick which part he takes. I like Toph as my new favourite. How this season made the Fire Nation more of a threat. Their humour was still serviceable but worked. Azula was cold & ambitious. The 1-hour runtime helped this season give time for this season to breathe. & I was surprised how the finale ended.
Cons: I didn’t like the runtimes being full 1 hour each. Katara did behave quite weirdly much throughout the season. I felt Aang mastering all 4 elements was rushed in my book. There are a lot more green screen effects that didn’t work for me.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Developed by Albert Kim
Showrunners: Albert Kim, Christine Boylan
Based on Avatar: The Last Airbender by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino
Directed by Jabbar Raisani, Anu Meron, Amit Gupta, Hiromi Kamata
Written by Christine Boylan, Phinneas Kiyomura, Helen Shang, Teresa Huang, Gabriel Llanas, Keely MacDonald
Produced by Christine Boylan, Jabbar Raisani
Based on Avatar: The Last Airbender by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino
Starring: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Daniel Dae Kim, Elizabeth Yu, Momona Tamada & Miyako.
Music by Takeshi Furukawa
Executive producers:
Producers: Bonnie Benwick, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Craig Forrest, Ubah Mohamed
Production location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Cinematographers: Michael Goi, Michael Balfry, Stewart Whelan
Editors: Ian S. Tan, Wendy Tzeng, David Lebowitz, Joe Talbot Hall, Chris Visser
Production companies: Nickelodeon Productions, Rideback, Albert Kim Pictures
Network: Netflix
Casts & Characters:
Main
- Gordon Cormier as Aang: A free-spirited and peaceful twelve-year-old airbender who was frozen in ice for one hundred years. When he wakes up, all the other airbenders have been wiped out by the Fire Nation, and he embarks on a quest to end the war and become the figurehead of balance and harmony for the world as the Avatar.
- Gian Carlo portrays young Aang in flashbacks.
- Kiawentiio as Katara: A fourteen-year-old who is the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe after her mother was killed by the Fire Nation. Despite her personal tragedy, she joins Aang on his journey while growing into her true potential.
- Meadow Kingfisher portrays young Katara in flashbacks.
- Ian Ousley as Sokka: Katara’s sixteen-year-old brother who has tried to become the quasi-leader of their tribe after their father left to fight in the war. He joins Aang on his mission along with Katara, and makes up for his lack of bending abilities with his intelligence, resourcefulness, and trusty boomerang.
- Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko: The seventeen-year-old scarred, exiled, and short-tempered crown prince of the Fire Nation, bent on capturing the Avatar to end his banishment and regain his honour.
- Jordan Roberto Chien portrays young Zuko in flashbacks.
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh: A retired Fire Nation general and the wise and nurturing uncle and mentor to Zuko.
- Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai: The tyrannical and sadistic ruler of the Fire Nation, Iroh’s younger brother, and Zuko and Azula’s father. Kim had previously lent his voice to the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise: as General Fong in Book Two of The Last Airbender and as Hiroshi Sato in The Legend of Korra.
- Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula (season 2; recurring season 1): The cunning and prodigiously gifted princess of the Fire Nation and Zuko’s younger sister.
- Cordelia Chao portrays young Azula in flashbacks.
- Momona Tamada as Ty Lee (season 2; recurring season 1): Azula’s acrobatic and cheerful friend who is skilled in chi-blocking.
- Miyako as Toph Beifong (season 2): An abrasive and unfiltered earthbending prodigy who was born blind and uses her abilities to sense around her by feeling seismic vibrations.
Recurring
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Gran Gran (season 1): The matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe and Sokka and Katara’s paternal grandmother.
- Matthew Yang King (seasons 1–2) and Dee Bradley Baker (season 2) as the vocalizations of:
- Appa, a sky bison who is Aang’s companion.
- Momo, a winged lemur who befriends Aang and joins him on his journey.
- Maria Zhang as Suki: The leader of Kyoshi Island’s elite all-female soldiers, the Kyoshi Warriors.
- Utkarsh Ambudkar as King Bumi: The elderly king of Omashu who is Aang’s oldest friend. Pradnesh Prakask portrays a young Bumi in flashbacks.
- Danny Pudi as Sai, the Mechanist: A single father and inventor from the Earth Kingdom.
- Thalia Tran as Mai: Azula’s stoic friend who is skilled in knife throwing.
- Sebastian Amoruso as Jet: The leader of the Freedom Fighters, a group of revolutionaries who fight back against the Fire Nation.
- Rekha Sharma as Amita (season 2): A herbalist from Omashu who bonds with Sai.
- Jeremiah Oh as General Vinh Tran (season 2): A Fire Nation general who leads the campaign to invade Ba Sing Se.
- Crystal Yu as Poppy Beifong (season 2): Toph’s overprotective mother.
- Hoa Xuande as Professor Zei (season 2): A scholar and professor at Ba Sing Se University.
- Justin Chien as Earth King Kuei (season 2): The ruler of Ba Sing Se.
- Chin Han as Long Feng (season 2): The cultural minister of Ba Sing Se and leader of the Dai Li.
- Amanda Zhou as Joo Dee (season 2): A guide for new arrivals in Ba Sing Se.
- Lourdes Faberes as General Sung (season 2): The commander of forces protecting the outer walls of Ba Sing Se.
- Gabriel Takahashi as Lieutenant Khettry (season 2): An Earth Kingdom officer in Ba Sing Se.
- Kelsey Lopes as Jin (season 2): A waitress at a tea shop in Ba Sing Se who is interested in Zuko.
Guest
Introduced in season 2
- Yvonne Chapman as Avatar Kyoshi (seasons 1–2): The legendary earthbender Avatar preceding Aang’s previous incarnation, Roku.
- Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo (seasons 1–2): Sai’s wheelchair-using son.
- James Sie as the Cabbage Merchant (seasons 1–2): An unfortunate merchant whose produce is continually destroyed. Sie reprises his role from the animated series.
- Albert Nicholas as Captain Dixit (seasons 1–2): An Earth Kingdom captain in Omashu who seeks revenge for Iroh’s role during the siege of Ba Sing Se.
- Wes Valarao as Smellerbee (seasons 1–2): A female member of the Freedom Fighters who is often mistaken for a boy because of her looks.[31]
- Nathaniel Kong as Longshot (seasons 1–2): A silent archer and member of the Freedom Fighters.[32]
- Justin Wong as Chong (seasons 1–2): The leader of a group of nomadic minstrels in Omashu.[33]
- Lawrence Kao (season 2) as Avatar Roku: The firebender Avatar preceding Aang, who mentors him in communing with the spirit world.[42]Dolly de Leon as Lo and Li: Azula’s twin advisors.
- Madison Hu as Fei: A farmer whose parents were killed by Fire Nation soldiers.
- Rickie Wang as Peng: Fei’s younger brother who encounters Zuko.
- Randall Duk Kim as the voice of Wan Shi Tong (seasons 1–2): An owl-like spirit and collector of knowledge who is very distrustful towards humans.
- Meegwun Fairbrother as Avatar Kuruk (seasons 1–2): The waterbender Avatar preceding Kyoshi.
- Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder: An overconfident earthbending wrestler.
- Lily Gao as Ursa: Zuko and Azula’s mother.
- Shintaro Kanaoya as Lao Beifong: Toph’s father and a wealthy businessman.
- Andy Yu as Ji Shen: The Beifong family secretary, who is loosely based on the character Master Yu from the animated series.
- Mapuana Makia as Lady Ouyang: A socialite in Ba Sing Se.
- Michael Cha as Lord Ouyang: A socialite in Ba Sing Se.
- Terry Chen as Jeong Jeong: A former Fire Nation officer who deserted the army and took refuge in Ba Sing Se.
- Vincent Tong as Lau Wong: A shady opportunist who blackmails Toph. Tong has previously voiced Zuko in several video games.
- Benny Wang as Tycho: A struggling refugee who attempts to rob Iroh.
- Dichen Lachman as Avatar Yangchen: The airbender Avatar preceding Kuruk.
I recommend this season on Netflix to those who saw the previous one.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe