@@codyhughes1147 just because you disagree with his opinion doesn't mean he's insane. You should learn how to respect someone's opinion on a tv show even if they disagree with you.
“Aang’s feelings for Katara are never a major part of the story”. The entire reason he delayed in learning to master the avatar state is because of his feelings for Katara. It was a huge plot point
I'm so glad u pointed out the flaws in bumi's intro.. the challenges were entertaining but pointless.. everyone hated on the Netflix approach but they made it believable and have a point
@@thegoldman25 if you're curious I highly recommend checking out the various nostalgia critic episodes on atla. They're all really funny and very insightful.
I love how Zuko actively went out of his way not to firebend as the Blue Spirit to not get suspected. The only reason Zhao found out is because he has no respect for privacy lol
Putting siege of the north Pt 2 that far down is crazy to me. Zhao literally murdered the moon, he upset nature in such an enormous way that the ocean itself turned against the fire nation, I think it's thematically rich and the ending is truly awesome (awesome in the old sense, inspiring awe)
@@thegoldman25why wouldn't the ocean spirit give aang the power to take revenge on the people that killed its other half? If anything we learn the spirits don't take kindly to losing the things they cherish. We see it alot in Kora and we see it in the episode with heybye (spellcheck)
@@datname1939 I dont think the ocean spirit actually "gave power" to Aang. Aang is capable of that in the avatar state regardless if he merged with the ocean or not. In the final episode Aang literally raises the entire ocean which is an even greater feat than making a giant water monster. I think it was more allowing the ocean spirit to avenge its moon counterpart. Basically allowing it to serve justice. Thats just my take. But I dont think merging with the Ocean spirit made him inherently more powerful. I think he was just the conduit fir the ocean spirit.
My ranking would be completely different & you have some takes that I'm sure much of the fandom would strongly disagree with. With that being said, very enjoyable video & I always appreciate the effort creators put in to produce such lengthy videos. Keep it up!
The boiling rock has the best dialog of the whole show: - My girlfriend became the moon - That's rough, body. Just because of that it should be way higher 😂😂
The Puppet Master is a top 10 worthy episode in my opinion, the themes and symbolic undertones surrounding Katara were executed so well. Not to mention the fight scenes and the context behind blood bending and the water tribe as a whole make it really stand out from other season 3 episodes
Aang trying to blend in with his "Hotman, Hotman, Hotman" stuff was so funny and it led into one of my favorite little one-off jokes when he refers to Zuko as Sifu Hotman.
I really disagree with some of his opinions. I understand his view on the siege of the north but ranking it beneath episodes like bato, the painted lady, the waterbending scroll and avatar day is criminal. The season 1 finale might be the worst compared to the other 2 but it still had far greater story and worldbuilding than any of the ones i put above especially bato. That ones only saving grace was the end fight. The rest was just character assassinations all around.
@@thegoldman25 Sure thing, i appreciate the video regardless. It is a personal opinion ranking so despite disagreement on certain spots so far most episodes you've placed are well regioned into bottom mid and top tiers.
I agree with you. My lowest episodes (bottom 5) would be The Great Divide, Avatar Day, Bato of the Water Tribe, The Painted Lady, The Waterbending Scroll.
I will rebut that in the King of Omashu episode Bumi’s trials did serve a purpose, if Aang had known the other elements he could have solved those trials easier so in a way Bumi was seeing if Aang was trained in that hundred year gap of course that’s just a theory but with how much insight Bumi usually has it could totally fit
I also think it was to teach Aang how to solve tasks by looking at things at a different angle. Cuz Aang is an airbender he has a very airbender way of solving them which fails, so he needs to learn to take them without knowing the other elements
@dilemmawhatson when ozai shoots lightning a aang and hang redirects it, aims it at ozai and then last second turns and shoots the mountain side. Ozai has a shocked look on his face
Personally I would put The Boiling Rock episodes a lot higher on my list, but I love prison escape arcs. This is a very good list. I’m glad you took the time to do this.
I’m probably higher on that episode than most (it’s top 5 in the show for me) but like damn having one of the most aesthetically beautiful episodes in the show that low is certainly ballsy
Feel like the placement of The Painted Lady was way too generous considering some of the episodes lower on the list I'd personally put far above The Painted Lady
The whiplash between watching a video describing The Fortuneteller as a top 3 episode, and immediately following it with a video describing it as a top 3 worst episode, was crazy. My favorite episodes are The Blue Mask and The Southern Raiders!
I remember watching this show with my dad when it first came out. Of course, we both enjoyed it and we're into it, but my father wasn't completely hooked until 'The Storm'. Up until that point, he watched it with me because I wanted to watch it, but after that point, he also wanted to watch it because he was actually invested in the story. As for my favorite episode, of course, Sozin's Comet is an excellent finale, the Day of Black Sun is perhaps my favorite. I like the parallels it has with Crossroads of Destiny, being the last real beat down our heroes get. Unlike Crossroads, however, you get a greater sliver of hope as Zuko stands against his father and decides to join the avatar. Even as a kid, I remember my dad and I popping off when Zuko sent the lightning back at him. Of course though, so many episodes of this show are fantastic, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone made a full video essay just to talk about why 'x episode' is the best.
It’s weird, at first I watched it because my girlfriend wanted to show it to me. I wasn’t hooked with the first few episodes, but around the time they meet boomy is when I finally got hooked. We just finished the finale today! I’ve been saving this video for this moment.
No joke, "The Ember Island Players" did a BETTER job recapping 2.5 seasons in 22 minutes than the live action "Last Air Bender" Movie did telling one season in 90 minutes
2:39 I'd argue it's foreshadowing for the finale. As Bumi observed, Aang couldn't just use his airbending habits as a crutch, he had to learn to think outside the box. 38:11 The fight was slower than most of the others, but that's because it was a formal duel. I thought it was appropriate for the circumstances, and a good showcase of firebendering technique. And regarding Aang's talk with his past lives, they did NOT explicitly tell him he had to kill the Firelord. That was how he chose to interpret their words until he found a better way. But he still followed all of their advice (except Yan-chen's).
Yue wasn't just "conveniently" able to replace the moon spirit, she had explained earlier that she already was part of the moon spirit because her father begged and pleaded with the spirits, and the moon saved her life These takes are hotter than flaming fire flakes, for the love of the spirit world take a class on media analysis
I respect the opinion of any Avatar fan , but these rankings are just so questionable. Way too low on the Siege of the North and way too many bangers relegated to the 30’s/20’s.
@@thegoldman25 Put aside the Iroh segment, this is easily the best segment in the whole episode, and arguably the most important moment in Katara and Toph's sisterly relationship together. A truly overlooked volume that needs more appreciation in general.
I absolutely hated that part of the episode. It's completely out of character for toph who has not cared before or after about her appearance. It comes completely out of nowhere and then is never even remotely hinted at again.
*_The Southern Raiders_* is my favorite episode. I feel like it's underrated. Zuko's redemption arc takes a turn at the end when Katara finally forgives him, and we get to see a darker side of Katara, who gets some sort of closure with what happened to her mother. It was interesting to see one of the most compassionate characters of the show (Katara) act with so much hatred towards another character (Yon Rha, her mother's killer). Also, after what happened at the end of Book 2, it made so much sense for Katara to not forgive Zuko right away. His betrayal almost cost Aang's life, which would have made Katara live the same nightmare than with her mother's death, so this episode also brings closure to what happened at the end of Book 2. I think I remember you basically classed that episode as "filler/inefficient" in your previous video, but I feel like this episode is actually really important to the story.
@@thegoldman25 My bad, then! I thought I remembered you classing it as such in your previous video, along with episodes like _Sokka's Master_ , but it was some time ago, so I guess my memory is a bit foggy. Interesting ranking in any case!
@@slyrxccoon The same reason I'd put The desert in the top 5 episodes. Seeing Aang - a calm peaceful character - frustrated and angry always gets me. It's maybe my no 1 Katara moment. Can't help it. When Katara calms down Aang - I cry.
@@Sandkasten36 Yeah, and just like Katara in The Southern Raiders, Aang being angry and frustrated in The Desert makes so much sense! I cry too everytime Katara calms him at the end.
the way i yelled YES when seeing the fortune teller at 2nd worst episode. However, I completely disagree with most of the list. The finale to S1 being so low. When i watched the show as a kid the last 3 or 4 episodes kept me watching. Maybe the logic wasnt all there but aang combining with the ocean spirit to create the giant monster that wiped out the entire fire nation fleet had me HOOKED. The Blind Bandit not being top 10 is disgusting. Also, "Jet" episode is easily the most overrated episode of the show. I'm not saying it's a bad episode but definitely skippable on rewatch. Any episode that is skippable CAN NOT be a top 10 episode. There are a lot of other episode rankings i could mention but those were the most notable.
Wait, how is “Jet” skippable? He literally comes back in season 2 and is the main reason why appa comes back. It’s also one of Sokka’s best episodes where it shows him as a capable leader.
@@nextgennolanI also think jet is overrated. The story never gets called out for just being a generic “sacrificing some for the benefit of the whole” storyline with the added effect of us, the audience, knowing jet is a bad guy and that sokka is right. Just makes Katara look bad on rewatches
The Last Agni Kai is still the best moment on the series in my opinion. Not only is the best of all three Agni Kais, but everything is elevated to 100. The visuals, the music, the feels, the culmination of Zuko's arc, the fact that Azula breaks down due to all the accumulation of abuse she received, and her own choices coming to haunt her is incredible, and her crying in defeat is heartbrealing because she is a child, Zuko's little sister. I love it.
Look. I'm just saying. 'Siege of the North Pt. 2' should be about 20 slots higher on the list ENTIRELY for how incredibly bad-ass it is when Iroh calls out Zhao and threatens him with the greatest 'I will mess you up' boast of all time. That shit Rules.
The fact that you put the swamp as low as you did before Bato of the Water tribe is just wrong to me. You say that aside from showing us swamp bending it doesn't add anything else to the series is not accurate. It foreshadows the arrival of Toph, and it deepens and reinforces the trauma that these kids went through. Katara with her mom and Sokka with Yue
I find your dislike of prison escape episodes baffling. Sure imprisoned isn’t a great episode but the boiling rock I really like, even though it’s a bit slow
Putting Siege of the North that low has to be the worst ATLA take I've seen from a RUclipsr since that guy who got mad at Katara for stopping Aang from mass murdering the Sandbenders because "sometimes you just gotta rage." I find that the action takes up way more importance to you than it does to me. Also, criticising a kids show for being juvenile is... a choice. Oh well. Overall enjoyable video though.
Absolutely agree. The reason being the deus ex-machina it's kinda stupid. You're telling me you find cheap the Spirit of the Ocean, who's been in love with the spirit of the moon since FOREVER, has had it's life, rythm of existence, purpose of being and everything meaningful to him tied to it's lover/spiritmate won't RAGE and absolutely trash at the people who killed his other half? Lmao what. Lmao lmao lmao. Worst take ever.
This list is very far from how I’d rank them. There are multiple examples I’d give but I guess that’s the beauty of the show in how different people can have very different rankings
Another great point you didn't mention from Zuko Alone is some Azula build up. Not only showing Zukos mothers influence on him but also a slight insight into how she was with Azula and how later on it impacts Azulas mindset
I wholeheartedly disagree with putting The Fortuneteller so low. "'Can your science explain why it rains?' 'YES! YES IT CAN!'" lives rent free in my brain lmao
@@thegoldman25 from my experience both episodes are considered the great divide of their respective seasons. As someone who just rewatched last week to build hype for the Netflix show I tend to agree. Both add little to the story we don’t get elsewhere.
I'm only 7 minutes into the video so far. "ranking" lists have an inherent issue in that all the negative reviews become front-loaded and give the erroneous impression that the creator is overly critical. Thus I will bite my tongue (for the most part.) However, I don't understand why so many people don't like "The Swamp." My favorite part is not even the wonderfully unsettling vibe nor the interesting character development for both Sokka and Katara. But it includes the most concise recontextualization and explanation of Enlightenment I have ever seen. It is mentioned almost casually so I think many people miss it, but what they are actually talking about when talking about all living things "breathing" together is an apt description of actual, true Buddhist capital E *Enlightenment*. And it even has a point in the context of the Avatar lore/story, as the concept of unity in nature leads to a tangable skill for Aang. I suppose it is fair that it is not brought up too much later on, but it is used in episodes like "The Guru."
my favorite episode of all time without the criticism of actual plot lines is always going to be 'the beach'. I just love love love seeing all the fire nation teens together SO much. And seeing Zuko struggle with his betrayal of Iroh, and the just dialogue between the teens during the fire scene is just so powerful to me. I am bias because Mai and Zuko are my favorite characters and they get a lot of screen-time but I digress
If you hadn't put Zuko Alone and The Storm in the Top 10, that would be enough to use a few angry emojis. Though for me, they're both in the Top 5. That's how good they are.
I appreciate you not taking every second to shit on Katara, that's very refreshing to hear from a guy's voice in the fandom. You're so on btw! We need to see the flaws in order to grow to love that character 😊
The Awekening would be way way higher on my personal list. Is it the best story episode? Mostliky no, but it has so many beatiful moments, like the parellel cut between aang who wants his honor back and zuko. The best part of the episode is katara and her vather tho. The voice acting is just so insanely good and the strugle of her and her dad is really relateble imo.
personally I'm a fan of the fortune teller. I am admittedly biased because I love aang and katara's whole arc and this episode is sort of the beginning of that. that being said I also just enjoy a lot of the bits and pieces form this episode, especially the cloud bending part and aang cooling the lava. I think its a decent episode, definitely not one of the best in the show, but tbh I think it's better than a lot of the low tier ones from season 1.
All of the episodes people have decided are the "worst" are great. They are some of the best standalone art pieces. If you get it you know. These are great and often deep episodes. But if you're focused on surface level stuff you can miss it all
huh. I did not expect anyone to put the ember island players that high. Easily bottom 5 for me Also, nightmares and daydreams. Really don't like that one. I also really dislike Jet. But that's a me problem, I think. Jet, as a person, just rubbed me in every wrong way. I guess that does make him a good character if I think about it, but it's still painful to watch. Though I can't say that this is objective. Everything not subjective I can say about this episode is good.
i disagree with the siege of the north, i think the ocean spirit was full of rage after losing the moon spirit, and used aang as a conduit to avenge it
I’m 39 years old. Married for 15 years with 2 children. I saw the crossroads of destiny after watching an avatar marathon randomly channel surfing back in 2007-2008. That single episode made me a die hard fan for life. It was fucking the greatest piece of television I ever seen.
The tale of momo is actually important since I think for the first time since appa was taken there is any sign when momo lays down in the print of appa his paw right at the end of the tale
25:15 Speaking of reflection, the reactions from the actual characters to the EIP's depictions of them and some of their journey's (like Katara and Zuko in the Crystal Catacombs, Zuko saving Aang from Zhao disguised as The Blue Spirit, among others) are funny partly because you know those reactions stem from them knowing what really happened, like how Zuko WAS the Blue Spirit, rather than the spirit being it's own character as the EIP's depicted, hence the exchange of side eyes between Aang and Zuko.
@@thegoldman25There’s no way avatar day, the painted lady, the headband, etc are all better than both parts of the book 1 finale. Makes absolutely no sense to me lmao
According to this video, what makes an episode "good": - Advances The Plot - Good action sequences What makes an episode "bad": - Not enough "realism" - Too much focus on developing the characters - Not enough "relevance" Not even that far into the video yet but you listing the character focused nature of The Runaway as a negative for the episode made my brain cells die a little.
I can't believe how so many episodes are above painted lady. Especially imprisoned, when both show Katara's kind heart, the only difference is that in the painted lady Katara is kinda the only one "in character". Sokka's obsession with his timetable never once mattered in the next episodes. Also the jokes with the guy that pretended to have 2 brothers was just off compared to normal avatar humour. Aang and toph were mainly passive, the battle was underwhelming and it doesn't even continue the main storyline. 16:31 it's not "character building" when you are in the end of the show AND you already did show that part of the character in imprisoned. I appreciate your logic and i love your work and dedication but i would also swap these 2 episodes in the ranking:))))
After watching this guys list, I am now questioning my belief that Crossroads of Destiny is the best episode in the show, just because that would mean I agree with this guy in any capacity. It’s like he got the right answer overall, but the steps along the way were completely wrong 😂
2:03 i genuinely love this episode because it’s a good filler as in yeah it’s filler even for ATLA (atla’s worst episode is miles ahead better then some best episodes in other shows) Anyway it was lighthearted and had some fun times and cool shots with Aang fighting the volcano and Sokka was just so funny
Okay I didn’t like the comment about katara not being a powerful bender in the group cuz she a super powerful bender 😩 like top 3 in the verse for sure
recently watched through the series again because I wanted to rate episodes and what you said about the great divide being the only true filler resonated with me. Something I noticed was that the cuts between POV in many episodes means that even if storyline in an episode is kinda filler, the other storyline will likely involve something important so it's all mixed together. Despite this it never felt jumbled with the cuts it flowed very well.
Another thing to say about the conclusion to book 1 is how out of character hiro becomes. I think this is a great way to hint at his connection to and knowledge of the spirit World. Obviously not enough to carry the episode, but it gets me excited seeing hiro go off at zhao
I loved that they made katara get annoyed that aang was more gifted. Problem with writers writing females lately is making them super confident and better than everyone else. I feel if if katara was written today she would ahve been better than aang right away, which would take away from her character. I love that she gets annoyed, I can definitely relate to her frustration. And I love that even though she gets annoyed she doesn't give up and goes to train more and more.
You said nothing happened during the western air temple, then literally mentioned zukko joining team avatar, a huge turning point for his character? What
Holy shit! I loved your retrospective video on this series and I’ve been looking for more episode rankings too! This is an awesome surprise I didn’t know I needed or wanted but holy hell this’ll be awesome!
“Katara isn’t the most powerful bender in the group”, I actually argue she is tbh, or at least she’s equal to Toph (except for Aang, but he’s the avatar, so he doesn’t count)
Tales of BA Sing Se was definitely up there for me cause of uncle Iroh, was sad when I saw it as 6th but every episode that ranked higher reasonably earned that spot.
The thing I love about this show is that it has something for everyone. The fact that some could rate episodes like Avatar Day higher than ones like Boiling Rock to me is a strong indication of that. For some the Boiling Rock epispdes are some of the best the series has to offer (myself included) but for some it's still an enjoyable watch that doesn't necessarily mesh with their tastes as well as other episodes.
Hello my good sir, just wanted to mention that Katara’s fortune did kinda come true. In Legend of Korra, Tenzin (Aang and Korra’s son) fathered three children by the start of the series, and a fourth popped up later on
The Great Divide is definitely one of the episodes of all time. Even the "worst" episodes do a decent job of world building though. Id rather watch the bottom 10 episodes of ATLA rather than any Teen Titans GO.
Ok 2 things I have on my mind 1 momo part of tales of ba sing se is the 2nd best or even the best of them when you see after that appa's lost days, while it was goofy it also showed how strong of a connection momo and appa had and when he found appa's fur momo starts searching more deeply it also showed that he is a much smarter animal than most others 2 after several rewatches of the show I have to say its so weird and not logical that the earth king won't know about the war, seeing as he is older than zuko he should have been alive when iroh attacked and breached the wall, the only way for him to not know is if long feng had his memory of that erased and it seems really weird that no one of the general and other governal officials wouldn't notice something as big as that unless they are corrupt as well
It's not about age, but exposure. Zuko was raised believing The Fire Nation is superior and that the war was a good thing, while the Dai Li (or however you spell it) took charge over the military, the earth king even specifically says 'I've never been outside the palace'. He's sheltered to the point of ignorance, though he does recognise that he should have known better. 'This is a city of fools, and that makes me the king fool'.
I agree with most of the list but I would put the finale episodes a bit lower. Aang’s batman like “no kill” policy came out of nowhere (as u mentioned), and even if it hadn’t he doesn’t even come to a resolution. He just happens to stroll on to an island that grants him the power to remove bending which essentially solves his internal conflict for free and by accident. Also in the big fight Aang doesn’t win by using the abilities we have seen him train over the 3 seasons, instead he gets mad enough to enter the avatar state which wins him the fight automatically.
Boy In the iceberg isn’t the pilot. There’s an unaired pilot somewhere on RUclips though. Not sure if this is common knowledge but i thought I’d mention it
Great video and explanations on your reasons and thoughts. I personally love "The Avatar and the Firelord". Although all world building, the reveal that Zuko's great-grandfather was Roku was brilliantly disguised. And when Iroh is telling Zuko the bars are reversed to show Zuko behind, just showing how stuck he is and the internal struggle with good and bad. One of the best reveals for me, catches nearly everyone off guard and just highlights Zukos struggle even more!
I remember swamp episode because Nickelodeon made me watch this flashback with Toph over and over again for months as a promotion to the new season!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok hot take imprisoned is not that bad, not only did it give us the amazing meme of momo being an earth bender but the story is actually decent. the fact this guy put the painted lady above imprisoned is a crime.
having the awakening, the deserter, AND siege p2 below avatar day is absolutely insane
ikr like excuse me 😭
Yeah well this guys knowledge of the show is questionable at best anyways.
Umm if you can't laugh at the idiocy of the Mayor and Kyoshi being badass, especially after reading the books you have no sense of humor or nostalgia
I thought the same. This guy is insane haha.
@@codyhughes1147 just because you disagree with his opinion doesn't mean he's insane. You should learn how to respect someone's opinion on a tv show even if they disagree with you.
“Aang’s feelings for Katara are never a major part of the story”. The entire reason he delayed in learning to master the avatar state is because of his feelings for Katara. It was a huge plot point
And it was fixed by a freaking rock to the back.
😂@@valentinkambushev4968
Yeah what? 😭 I don’t think this guy knows what he’s talking about 90% of the time but he’s still an Atla poster who’s last vid wasn’t from 3yrs ago so
I'm so glad u pointed out the flaws in bumi's intro.. the challenges were entertaining but pointless.. everyone hated on the Netflix approach but they made it believable and have a point
@@m.johnson6997they werent pointless. The entire point of bumi's character is the method to madness. He has gone beyond insane.
The fact that he didnt say that the worst episodes were outright bad just shows how good of a show atla is
It's too good of a show!
Weakest episode is Great Divide, as all that history with the feud turns out to be a white lie.
@@thegoldman25 if you're curious I highly recommend checking out the various nostalgia critic episodes on atla. They're all really funny and very insightful.
masterpiece at that!@@thegoldman25
2:00 "But I wouldn't say it was bad like the great divide"
Bro put the water bending scroll over the boiling rock 😭 ur taste is horrendous but I respect it
Dont disrespect the water bending scroll!
@@thegoldman25 The boiling rock literally gave us the greatest line of all time: Thats rough buddy
That is crazy
I love how Zuko actively went out of his way not to firebend as the Blue Spirit to not get suspected. The only reason Zhao found out is because he has no respect for privacy lol
true
Putting siege of the north Pt 2 that far down is crazy to me. Zhao literally murdered the moon, he upset nature in such an enormous way that the ocean itself turned against the fire nation, I think it's thematically rich and the ending is truly awesome (awesome in the old sense, inspiring awe)
Yeah it's a hot take!
@@thegoldman25a very hot take...
@@thegoldman25why wouldn't the ocean spirit give aang the power to take revenge on the people that killed its other half? If anything we learn the spirits don't take kindly to losing the things they cherish. We see it alot in Kora and we see it in the episode with heybye (spellcheck)
@@datname1939 exactly! You hit that right on the head. Wild to me he put this episode below the painted lady lol
@@datname1939 I dont think the ocean spirit actually "gave power" to Aang. Aang is capable of that in the avatar state regardless if he merged with the ocean or not. In the final episode Aang literally raises the entire ocean which is an even greater feat than making a giant water monster. I think it was more allowing the ocean spirit to avenge its moon counterpart. Basically allowing it to serve justice. Thats just my take. But I dont think merging with the Ocean spirit made him inherently more powerful. I think he was just the conduit fir the ocean spirit.
My ranking would be completely different & you have some takes that I'm sure much of the fandom would strongly disagree with. With that being said, very enjoyable video & I always appreciate the effort creators put in to produce such lengthy videos. Keep it up!
Thank you!
I agree, I disagree with a lottt of the rankings on this video but still a good video
The boiling rock has the best dialog of the whole show:
- My girlfriend became the moon
- That's rough, body.
Just because of that it should be way higher 😂😂
There is also this one with Suki:
- You kinda burned down my village.
- Oh... Sorry about that.
@@LeFizolofor how about:
[random prisoner with nose ring gets off the gondola]
Zuko: Is that him?
Sokka: My dad doesn’t have a nose ring!
The Puppet Master is a top 10 worthy episode in my opinion, the themes and symbolic undertones surrounding Katara were executed so well. Not to mention the fight scenes and the context behind blood bending and the water tribe as a whole make it really stand out from other season 3 episodes
I was thinking the same thing. I was so surprised at his ranking and he barely spoke about it.
Fr its an amazing ep
Respect for having the headband so high. A lot of other list have it in the bottom 5 episodes. Nothing but love to fellow headband enjoyers.
Aang trying to blend in with his "Hotman, Hotman, Hotman" stuff was so funny and it led into one of my favorite little one-off jokes when he refers to Zuko as Sifu Hotman.
I really disagree with some of his opinions. I understand his view on the siege of the north but ranking it beneath episodes like bato, the painted lady, the waterbending scroll and avatar day is criminal. The season 1 finale might be the worst compared to the other 2 but it still had far greater story and worldbuilding than any of the ones i put above especially bato. That ones only saving grace was the end fight. The rest was just character assassinations all around.
Agree to disagree, thank you for watching though!
@@thegoldman25 Sure thing, i appreciate the video regardless. It is a personal opinion ranking so despite disagreement on certain spots so far most episodes you've placed are well regioned into bottom mid and top tiers.
I agree with you. My lowest episodes (bottom 5) would be The Great Divide, Avatar Day, Bato of the Water Tribe, The Painted Lady, The Waterbending Scroll.
@ShizuruNakatsu I would put imprisoned in my bottom 5 instead of the waterbending scroll but the rest of your list I agree with. Especially the top 2.
i agree with u. he cray
I will rebut that in the King of Omashu episode Bumi’s trials did serve a purpose, if Aang had known the other elements he could have solved those trials easier so in a way Bumi was seeing if Aang was trained in that hundred year gap of course that’s just a theory but with how much insight Bumi usually has it could totally fit
Wait… that’s actually a really good point
I've always viewed it as Bumi just wanting to prank Aang and trying to have fun from watching him do dumb challanges
@@sefeo0 Bumi is part of the White Lotus, it’s totally believable he’d be doing both, funny challenges as a prank that also test Aang’s progress
I also think it was to teach Aang how to solve tasks by looking at things at a different angle. Cuz Aang is an airbender he has a very airbender way of solving them which fails, so he needs to learn to take them without knowing the other elements
The look on ozais face when aang redirected the lightning strike has to be my favorite shot in the entire series.
I feel like you surely mean zuko
@dilemmawhatson when ozai shoots lightning a aang and hang redirects it, aims it at ozai and then last second turns and shoots the mountain side. Ozai has a shocked look on his face
Personally I would put The Boiling Rock episodes a lot higher on my list, but I love prison escape arcs. This is a very good list. I’m glad you took the time to do this.
Those are any favorite episodes I love Sokka and Suki
Siege of the north part 2 is numbered 53. Oh this is gonna be alot of hot takes
yeah thats probably my hottest take
I’m probably higher on that episode than most (it’s top 5 in the show for me) but like damn having one of the most aesthetically beautiful episodes in the show that low is certainly ballsy
I thought I was the only one thinking this 😭 Siege of the North is one of my fav episodes
Feel like the placement of The Painted Lady was way too generous considering some of the episodes lower on the list I'd personally put far above The Painted Lady
Oh, and Nightmares and Daydreams was placed way way way too generously as well.
The whiplash between watching a video describing The Fortuneteller as a top 3 episode, and immediately following it with a video describing it as a top 3 worst episode, was crazy.
My favorite episodes are The Blue Mask and The Southern Raiders!
I legit just watched the one about it being a top 3 episode lmaooo
What video?
King of Omashu at 59 is crazyy
I remember watching this show with my dad when it first came out. Of course, we both enjoyed it and we're into it, but my father wasn't completely hooked until 'The Storm'. Up until that point, he watched it with me because I wanted to watch it, but after that point, he also wanted to watch it because he was actually invested in the story.
As for my favorite episode, of course, Sozin's Comet is an excellent finale, the Day of Black Sun is perhaps my favorite. I like the parallels it has with Crossroads of Destiny, being the last real beat down our heroes get. Unlike Crossroads, however, you get a greater sliver of hope as Zuko stands against his father and decides to join the avatar. Even as a kid, I remember my dad and I popping off when Zuko sent the lightning back at him.
Of course though, so many episodes of this show are fantastic, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone made a full video essay just to talk about why 'x episode' is the best.
So many great episodes so choose from!
It’s weird, at first I watched it because my girlfriend wanted to show it to me. I wasn’t hooked with the first few episodes, but around the time they meet boomy is when I finally got hooked. We just finished the finale today! I’ve been saving this video for this moment.
No joke, "The Ember Island Players" did a BETTER job recapping 2.5 seasons in 22 minutes than the live action "Last Air Bender" Movie did telling one season in 90 minutes
2:39 I'd argue it's foreshadowing for the finale. As Bumi observed, Aang couldn't just use his airbending habits as a crutch, he had to learn to think outside the box.
38:11 The fight was slower than most of the others, but that's because it was a formal duel. I thought it was appropriate for the circumstances, and a good showcase of firebendering technique.
And regarding Aang's talk with his past lives, they did NOT explicitly tell him he had to kill the Firelord. That was how he chose to interpret their words until he found a better way. But he still followed all of their advice (except Yan-chen's).
Yue wasn't just "conveniently" able to replace the moon spirit, she had explained earlier that she already was part of the moon spirit because her father begged and pleaded with the spirits, and the moon saved her life
These takes are hotter than flaming fire flakes, for the love of the spirit world take a class on media analysis
I respect the opinion of any Avatar fan , but these rankings are just so questionable. Way too low on the Siege of the North and way too many bangers relegated to the 30’s/20’s.
Am I the only one who finds the ToBSS segment with Katara and Toph adorable and heartwarming?
no
@@thegoldman25 Put aside the Iroh segment, this is easily the best segment in the whole episode, and arguably the most important moment in Katara and Toph's sisterly relationship together. A truly overlooked volume that needs more appreciation in general.
I absolutely hated that part of the episode. It's completely out of character for toph who has not cared before or after about her appearance. It comes completely out of nowhere and then is never even remotely hinted at again.
The Boiling Rock is only your 45-44th favorite? *That's rough buddy!*
My only problem with the finale is the fact that the Avatar State is triggered by accident. I find that such a strange narrative choice
yeah that's actually a really good point, I never thought about that
"Today destiny is our friend... I know it.."
*_The Southern Raiders_* is my favorite episode. I feel like it's underrated. Zuko's redemption arc takes a turn at the end when Katara finally forgives him, and we get to see a darker side of Katara, who gets some sort of closure with what happened to her mother.
It was interesting to see one of the most compassionate characters of the show (Katara) act with so much hatred towards another character (Yon Rha, her mother's killer).
Also, after what happened at the end of Book 2, it made so much sense for Katara to not forgive Zuko right away. His betrayal almost cost Aang's life, which would have made Katara live the same nightmare than with her mother's death, so this episode also brings closure to what happened at the end of Book 2.
I think I remember you basically classed that episode as "filler/inefficient" in your previous video, but I feel like this episode is actually really important to the story.
There’s no way I would call the southern raiders filler, it’s a great episode
@@thegoldman25 My bad, then! I thought I remembered you classing it as such in your previous video, along with episodes like _Sokka's Master_ , but it was some time ago, so I guess my memory is a bit foggy. Interesting ranking in any case!
@@slyrxccoon The same reason I'd put The desert in the top 5 episodes. Seeing Aang - a calm peaceful character - frustrated and angry always gets me. It's maybe my no 1 Katara moment. Can't help it. When Katara calms down Aang - I cry.
@@Sandkasten36 Yeah, and just like Katara in The Southern Raiders, Aang being angry and frustrated in The Desert makes so much sense! I cry too everytime Katara calms him at the end.
The fact that aang completely made that story up at the end saves the great divide for me😭
the way i yelled YES when seeing the fortune teller at 2nd worst episode. However, I completely disagree with most of the list. The finale to S1 being so low. When i watched the show as a kid the last 3 or 4 episodes kept me watching. Maybe the logic wasnt all there but aang combining with the ocean spirit to create the giant monster that wiped out the entire fire nation fleet had me HOOKED. The Blind Bandit not being top 10 is disgusting. Also, "Jet" episode is easily the most overrated episode of the show. I'm not saying it's a bad episode but definitely skippable on rewatch. Any episode that is skippable CAN NOT be a top 10 episode. There are a lot of other episode rankings i could mention but those were the most notable.
Wait, how is “Jet” skippable? He literally comes back in season 2 and is the main reason why appa comes back. It’s also one of Sokka’s best episodes where it shows him as a capable leader.
@@nextgennolanI also think jet is overrated. The story never gets called out for just being a generic “sacrificing some for the benefit of the whole” storyline with the added effect of us, the audience, knowing jet is a bad guy and that sokka is right. Just makes Katara look bad on rewatches
Ngl the boiling rock placement made my jaw drop
Same💀😭
Sokka inventing the hot air balloon to give the fire nation an air fleet…..
The Last Agni Kai is still the best moment on the series in my opinion. Not only is the best of all three Agni Kais, but everything is elevated to 100. The visuals, the music, the feels, the culmination of Zuko's arc, the fact that Azula breaks down due to all the accumulation of abuse she received, and her own choices coming to haunt her is incredible, and her crying in defeat is heartbrealing because she is a child, Zuko's little sister. I love it.
ember island player is the best. it's funny and sums up the whole story. you dont even need to waste time watching the whole show.
Look. I'm just saying. 'Siege of the North Pt. 2' should be about 20 slots higher on the list ENTIRELY for how incredibly bad-ass it is when Iroh calls out Zhao and threatens him with the greatest 'I will mess you up' boast of all time. That shit Rules.
The fact that you put the swamp as low as you did before Bato of the Water tribe is just wrong to me.
You say that aside from showing us swamp bending it doesn't add anything else to the series is not accurate. It foreshadows the arrival of Toph, and it deepens and reinforces the trauma that these kids went through. Katara with her mom and Sokka with Yue
I find your dislike of prison escape episodes baffling. Sure imprisoned isn’t a great episode but the boiling rock I really like, even though it’s a bit slow
Putting Siege of the North that low has to be the worst ATLA take I've seen from a RUclipsr since that guy who got mad at Katara for stopping Aang from mass murdering the Sandbenders because "sometimes you just gotta rage." I find that the action takes up way more importance to you than it does to me. Also, criticising a kids show for being juvenile is... a choice. Oh well. Overall enjoyable video though.
Absolutely agree. The reason being the deus ex-machina it's kinda stupid. You're telling me you find cheap the Spirit of the Ocean, who's been in love with the spirit of the moon since FOREVER, has had it's life, rythm of existence, purpose of being and everything meaningful to him tied to it's lover/spiritmate won't RAGE and absolutely trash at the people who killed his other half? Lmao what. Lmao lmao lmao. Worst take ever.
This list is very far from how I’d rank them. There are multiple examples I’d give but I guess that’s the beauty of the show in how different people can have very different rankings
Bruh putting THE PAINTED LADY above both parts of THE SIEGE OF THD BORTH IS INSANE!!!!
Another great point you didn't mention from Zuko Alone is some Azula build up.
Not only showing Zukos mothers influence on him but also a slight insight into how she was with Azula and how later on it impacts Azulas mindset
I wholeheartedly disagree with putting The Fortuneteller so low. "'Can your science explain why it rains?' 'YES! YES IT CAN!'" lives rent free in my brain lmao
Ember island players is in my top 10 at least, way to funny
You ranked Avatar day and The painted lady way too high...
where do you put them?
@@thegoldman25 from my experience both episodes are considered the great divide of their respective seasons. As someone who just rewatched last week to build hype for the Netflix show I tend to agree. Both add little to the story we don’t get elsewhere.
@@thegoldman25 among the bottom 5
Agreed literally my bottom 3 would be those 2 and great divide
I'm only 7 minutes into the video so far. "ranking" lists have an inherent issue in that all the negative reviews become front-loaded and give the erroneous impression that the creator is overly critical. Thus I will bite my tongue (for the most part.)
However, I don't understand why so many people don't like "The Swamp." My favorite part is not even the wonderfully unsettling vibe nor the interesting character development for both Sokka and Katara. But it includes the most concise recontextualization and explanation of Enlightenment I have ever seen. It is mentioned almost casually so I think many people miss it, but what they are actually talking about when talking about all living things "breathing" together is an apt description of actual, true Buddhist capital E *Enlightenment*. And it even has a point in the context of the Avatar lore/story, as the concept of unity in nature leads to a tangable skill for Aang. I suppose it is fair that it is not brought up too much later on, but it is used in episodes like "The Guru."
For those who practice southern kongfu style like myself, "king of umashu" was a thriller, beacuse the hong gar animation was SPOT ON.
i cant say im familiar
Putting the painted lady this high up is a crime. Especially over both parts of the drive of the north
my favorite episode of all time without the criticism of actual plot lines is always going to be 'the beach'. I just love love love seeing all the fire nation teens together SO much. And seeing Zuko struggle with his betrayal of Iroh, and the just dialogue between the teens during the fire scene is just so powerful to me. I am bias because Mai and Zuko are my favorite characters and they get a lot of screen-time but I digress
Imagine putting siege of north 2 below painted lady your taste is bad but i respect it
"Don't flatter yourself, you were never even a player" is crazy.
Cross road of destiny at number 1.
Oh mo god you earn my respect ❤❤❤.
Your top 10 and my top 10 list is almost identical .
Great work buddy keep it up
Glad you enjoyed!
If you hadn't put Zuko Alone and The Storm in the Top 10, that would be enough to use a few angry emojis. Though for me, they're both in the Top 5. That's how good they are.
I appreciate you not taking every second to shit on Katara, that's very refreshing to hear from a guy's voice in the fandom. You're so on btw! We need to see the flaws in order to grow to love that character 😊
The Awekening would be way way higher on my personal list. Is it the best story episode? Mostliky no, but it has so many beatiful moments, like the parellel cut between aang who wants his honor back and zuko. The best part of the episode is katara and her vather tho. The voice acting is just so insanely good and the strugle of her and her dad is really relateble imo.
it does have some neat moments
personally I'm a fan of the fortune teller. I am admittedly biased because I love aang and katara's whole arc and this episode is sort of the beginning of that. that being said I also just enjoy a lot of the bits and pieces form this episode, especially the cloud bending part and aang cooling the lava. I think its a decent episode, definitely not one of the best in the show, but tbh I think it's better than a lot of the low tier ones from season 1.
All of the episodes people have decided are the "worst" are great. They are some of the best standalone art pieces. If you get it you know. These are great and often deep episodes. But if you're focused on surface level stuff you can miss it all
The boulder believes that the boulders episode is the best
huh. I did not expect anyone to put the ember island players that high.
Easily bottom 5 for me
Also, nightmares and daydreams. Really don't like that one.
I also really dislike Jet. But that's a me problem, I think. Jet, as a person, just rubbed me in every wrong way. I guess that does make him a good character if I think about it, but it's still painful to watch. Though I can't say that this is objective. Everything not subjective I can say about this episode is good.
i disagree with the siege of the north, i think the ocean spirit was full of rage after losing the moon spirit, and used aang as a conduit to avenge it
I’m 39 years old. Married for 15 years with 2 children.
I saw the crossroads of destiny after watching an avatar marathon randomly channel surfing back in 2007-2008.
That single episode made me a die hard fan for life. It was fucking the greatest piece of television I ever seen.
The tale of momo is actually important since I think for the first time since appa was taken there is any sign when momo lays down in the print of appa his paw right at the end of the tale
16:42 omg there’s no way he put the boiling rock that low 💀
They need to bring back the mini iPhone
25:15
Speaking of reflection, the reactions from the actual characters to the EIP's depictions of them and some of their journey's (like Katara and Zuko in the Crystal Catacombs, Zuko saving Aang from Zhao disguised as The Blue Spirit, among others) are funny partly because you know those reactions stem from them knowing what really happened, like how Zuko WAS the Blue Spirit, rather than the spirit being it's own character as the EIP's depicted, hence the exchange of side eyes between Aang and Zuko.
The fortune episode is about learning that you can change fate. Dont always rely on someone who isnt bettering the community just making good guesses.
Ok so the season one finale is 54th... What the hell
There's so many good episodes one of them has to be 54
@@thegoldman25There’s no way avatar day, the painted lady, the headband, etc are all better than both parts of the book 1 finale. Makes absolutely no sense to me lmao
According to this video, what makes an episode "good":
- Advances The Plot
- Good action sequences
What makes an episode "bad":
- Not enough "realism"
- Too much focus on developing the characters
- Not enough "relevance"
Not even that far into the video yet but you listing the character focused nature of The Runaway as a negative for the episode made my brain cells die a little.
I can't believe how so many episodes are above painted lady. Especially imprisoned, when both show Katara's kind heart, the only difference is that in the painted lady Katara is kinda the only one "in character". Sokka's obsession with his timetable never once mattered in the next episodes. Also the jokes with the guy that pretended to have 2 brothers was just off compared to normal avatar humour. Aang and toph were mainly passive, the battle was underwhelming and it doesn't even continue the main storyline.
16:31 it's not "character building" when you are in the end of the show AND you already did show that part of the character in imprisoned.
I appreciate your logic and i love your work and dedication but i would also swap these 2 episodes in the ranking:))))
“No great” means good, I’m assuming
The way Bonzu Pippenpaddleopselopigous III was borderline disrespected in this video 😢
After watching this guys list, I am now questioning my belief that Crossroads of Destiny is the best episode in the show, just because that would mean I agree with this guy in any capacity. It’s like he got the right answer overall, but the steps along the way were completely wrong 😂
2:03 i genuinely love this episode because it’s a good filler as in yeah it’s filler even for ATLA (atla’s worst episode is miles ahead better then some best episodes in other shows)
Anyway it was lighthearted and had some fun times and cool shots with Aang fighting the volcano and Sokka was just so funny
Okay I didn’t like the comment about katara not being a powerful bender in the group cuz she a super powerful bender 😩 like top 3 in the verse for sure
Also Swampbending isn’t a thing, it’s just bending water, unless you’re talking about plantbending
recently watched through the series again because I wanted to rate episodes and what you said about the great divide being the only true filler resonated with me. Something I noticed was that the cuts between POV in many episodes means that even if storyline in an episode is kinda filler, the other storyline will likely involve something important so it's all mixed together. Despite this it never felt jumbled with the cuts it flowed very well.
Another thing to say about the conclusion to book 1 is how out of character hiro becomes. I think this is a great way to hint at his connection to and knowledge of the spirit World. Obviously not enough to carry the episode, but it gets me excited seeing hiro go off at zhao
I loved that they made katara get annoyed that aang was more gifted. Problem with writers writing females lately is making them super confident and better than everyone else. I feel if if katara was written today she would ahve been better than aang right away, which would take away from her character. I love that she gets annoyed, I can definitely relate to her frustration. And I love that even though she gets annoyed she doesn't give up and goes to train more and more.
You said nothing happened during the western air temple, then literally mentioned zukko joining team avatar, a huge turning point for his character? What
this video made me realize I enjoyed literally every episode of this show, even if it was just filler - except the great divide lol
Holy shit! I loved your retrospective video on this series and I’ve been looking for more episode rankings too! This is an awesome surprise I didn’t know I needed or wanted but holy hell this’ll be awesome!
Thank you so much!
Atla is one of the best tv shows ever made!! I'm really curious to see how the Netflix series handles the source material!!
The fortune teller is so fun tho, the point of the episode was also Sokka being right for once
If it wasn’t for the swamp Aang wouldn’t have had the vision of Toph
“Katara isn’t the most powerful bender in the group”, I actually argue she is tbh, or at least she’s equal to Toph (except for Aang, but he’s the avatar, so he doesn’t count)
Whole list is a hot take but still a fun list, although the beach at 12 is just too low that episode is peak fiction
Tales of BA Sing Se was definitely up there for me cause of uncle Iroh, was sad when I saw it as 6th but every episode that ranked higher reasonably earned that spot.
It's a great episode!
The thing I love about this show is that it has something for everyone. The fact that some could rate episodes like Avatar Day higher than ones like Boiling Rock to me is a strong indication of that. For some the Boiling Rock epispdes are some of the best the series has to offer (myself included) but for some it's still an enjoyable watch that doesn't necessarily mesh with their tastes as well as other episodes.
22:55 this is why I love Katara
This is one of the first times or the first time I ever felt seen by an character
Hello my good sir, just wanted to mention that Katara’s fortune did kinda come true. In Legend of Korra, Tenzin (Aang and Korra’s son) fathered three children by the start of the series, and a fourth popped up later on
The Great Divide is definitely one of the episodes of all time.
Even the "worst" episodes do a decent job of world building though. Id rather watch the bottom 10 episodes of ATLA rather than any Teen Titans GO.
I would put the Avatar and the Firelord in the top 5. But good list
Hey great video! I can tell a lot of effort was put into this and I appreciate your thoughtful analysis of each episode.
Awesome, thank you!
as a matter of fact, katara did end up having 3 great grand children before she died
Ok 2 things I have on my mind
1 momo part of tales of ba sing se is the 2nd best or even the best of them when you see after that appa's lost days, while it was goofy it also showed how strong of a connection momo and appa had and when he found appa's fur momo starts searching more deeply it also showed that he is a much smarter animal than most others
2 after several rewatches of the show I have to say its so weird and not logical that the earth king won't know about the war, seeing as he is older than zuko he should have been alive when iroh attacked and breached the wall, the only way for him to not know is if long feng had his memory of that erased and it seems really weird that no one of the general and other governal officials wouldn't notice something as big as that unless they are corrupt as well
interesting thoughts
It's not about age, but exposure. Zuko was raised believing The Fire Nation is superior and that the war was a good thing, while the Dai Li (or however you spell it) took charge over the military, the earth king even specifically says 'I've never been outside the palace'. He's sheltered to the point of ignorance, though he does recognise that he should have known better. 'This is a city of fools, and that makes me the king fool'.
“Sokka the only non bender in team Avatar” suki:😢
Clown, King of Omashu episode and all the challenges was the purpose to think outside of the box
I agree with most of the list but I would put the finale episodes a bit lower. Aang’s batman like “no kill” policy came out of nowhere (as u mentioned), and even if it hadn’t he doesn’t even come to a resolution. He just happens to stroll on to an island that grants him the power to remove bending which essentially solves his internal conflict for free and by accident. Also in the big fight Aang doesn’t win by using the abilities we have seen him train over the 3 seasons, instead he gets mad enough to enter the avatar state which wins him the fight automatically.
I get that it’s a culmination of the entire show but that was achieved in the other episodes not the finale.
this list is straight crazy bro 💀
Fr💀
Boy In the iceberg isn’t the pilot. There’s an unaired pilot somewhere on RUclips though. Not sure if this is common knowledge but i thought I’d mention it
The iceberg is the pilot, it's just the final version of it. Usually the pilot is the first finished version of the first episode
Great video and explanations on your reasons and thoughts. I personally love "The Avatar and the Firelord". Although all world building, the reveal that Zuko's great-grandfather was Roku was brilliantly disguised. And when Iroh is telling Zuko the bars are reversed to show Zuko behind, just showing how stuck he is and the internal struggle with good and bad. One of the best reveals for me, catches nearly everyone off guard and just highlights Zukos struggle even more!
great-grandfather
I remember swamp episode because Nickelodeon made me watch this flashback with Toph over and over again for months as a promotion to the new season!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok hot take imprisoned is not that bad, not only did it give us the amazing meme of momo being an earth bender but the story is actually decent.
the fact this guy put the painted lady above imprisoned is a crime.