Best Shows To Watch If You Miss Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender has continued to build its impressive legacy as the years go by, as the Nickelodeon original has only gained traction and further popularity despite being seventeen years on from the animated show coming to a close. Along with help from spinoffs and its live-action adaptation on Netflix, the story of Aang, Katara, Soka, Appa, Toph, and Momo has captured the hearts of millions through its delicately told story, infectious interactions, and worthwhile payoff.

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Standing at the peak of the adventure animation genre, ATLA has since been compared to many shows that feature similarities in themes, characters, and tone, with ATLA fans having a high chance of indulging and enjoying many alternatives to the legendary series.

1

Arcane

League Of Legends Adaptation That Pushed The Envelope In Terms Of Animation

Netflix’s Arcane, a big-budget video game adaptation of the world’s biggest MOBA, League of Legends, gained worldwide acclaim throughout its two seasons, thanks to its fleshed-out worldbuilding and luxurious standard of animation that had yet to be seen in an animated show. At its core, Arcane sees the long-lost sisters of Vi and Jinx come to blows as the glorious city of Piltover and its crime-infested underbelly Zaun enact warfare that sees many of League of Legends‘ most famed champions, such as Jayce, Caitlyn, and Ekko, play essential roles.

Besides the show’s slick and stimulating visuals, Arcane‘s heartwrenching, interweaving plots that focuses on friendship, love, betrayal, and vengeance set the show apart from a lot of its contemporaries, with it sitting alongside ATLA at the mountaintop of the animation genre.

2

Teen Titans

Adolescent Group Of DC Superheroes Full Of Comradery And Heroism

Released in the same era as ATLA was the influential Teen Titans, a DC story following a group of teenage superheroes that take on menacing antagonists who intend to rule the planet. Headlined by a fledgling Robin, the Teen Titans, comprised of Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire, all possess distinct personalities and abilities, making their chemistry and teamwork all the more entertaining.

Like ATLA, the young group of heroes dabble in tackling villains, romance, emotional immaturity, and special powers as the ever-developing squad pushes to become Earth’s saviors.

Pair Of Magic-Wielding Brothers Fight A Corrupt System To Get Their Bodies Back

While often debated and lauded, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood always comes out on top in the greatest-ever anime of all-time lists, and for good reason, as the much-heralded shonen delivers a masterful story filled with emotion, interlinked plotlines, and jaw-dropping battles that make FMAB undeniable. At the forefront of the anime are Edward and Alphonse Elrick, two teenage brothers who fight a corrupted system controlled by mysterious evils led by the seven deadly sins to retrieve their bodies after losing them in a failed ritual to save their mother.

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Along with a spectacular ensemble that each contributes significantly to the proceedings, FMAB‘s use of alchemy that produces epic fire and earth-shattering powers is comparable to ATLA and its bending premise, with both shows having a near-identical number of episodes to showcase their fantastic narrative and fight sequences.

4

Hunter x Hunter

Emotional Journey Centering On A Group Of Skillful Young Protagonists Who Power Up On An Adventure Of A Lifetime

Despite being an anime, Hunter x Hunter provides an epic journey teeming with young protagonists at the heart of the story, touching character growth, and some of anime’s greatest battles, much akin to facets of ATLA. Much of HxH is carried by Gon Freecss, a young boy with otherworldly abilities who yearns to meet his long-lost father, Ging Freecss, who left Gon to become a pro hunter.

Along Gon’s journey to become a hunter and find Ging, Gon makes friends with Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika, and Leorio. These three teenagers help Gon develop in strength and many other aspects, with Gon and Killua’s friendship, in particular, being the hub of HxH as their adventure becomes more troubling. The highs and lows HxH throws at audiences are unlike many other shows, as its tremendously rich universe full of depth and its expansive power system have made it a must-watch, particularly for those seeking an adventure in an immersive world.

5

The Dragon Prince

Fantasy Land Jampacked With Dragons And Magic That Sees The Importance Of Found Families

From the mind of one of ATLA’s head writers, Netflix’s own The Dragon Prince wrapped up at the end of 2024, bringing closure to an animated fantasy series that touches upon themes of power, family, royalty, and war that ravages the land of Xadia. Amid a thousand-year war involving humans, elves, and dragons, two princes, Callum and Ezran, and an elf assassin, Raylan, form an unlikely alliance as they aim to bring peace to all kingdoms despite the presence of evil interfering in their plans.

Among the impressive worldbuilding season by season, The Dragon Princes‘ found family featuring human princes, elves, and dragons is essential to the heart of the narrative, with Team Zym forming a special bond that sees its ups and downs, comparable to Aang and his companions in ATLA.

6

Gravity Falls

Cartoon Classic That Dips Between Mystery And Comedy

Among Disney’s rich catalog, Gravity Falls rose to prominence throughout its runtime, bringing in a variety of audiences due to its high appeal and critical acclaim, with its meshing of humor and mystery propelling the show to stardom. Following the adventures of twins Dipper and Mabel Pines, the close siblings head to Gravity Falls, a small town haunted by paranormal and strange events, where the pair go gallivanting while staying at their great-uncle’s residence.

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Amid the constant turbulence the twins encounter, Gravity Falls follows the path set by ATLA, with both shows changing the perception of so-called children’s television, offering nuance and compelling storytelling that elevates the genre.

7

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Exploration Into The Star Wars Prequels And Its Backdrop

Fresh off his involvement with ATLA as one of the show’s directors, Dave Filoni went on to create one of his lasting legacies, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series that further explores the events of the prequel movies, with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s journeys being much in focus.

At its heart, The Clone Wars follows the Jedi Order and their fight against the droid army using clone troopers. However, despite Anakin and Obi-Wan’s involvement and their relationship being expanded upon, Anakin’s padawan, Ahsoka Tano, emerges as the show’s life force, with her development and Jedi training under Anakin proving pivotal to its success. With full creative license, Filoni built on the success he encountered with ATLA, creating a show that single-handedly restored hope for the Star Wars franchise.

8

The Legend Of Korra

Aang’s Successor Gets Up To Wild Antics In His Newly Forged World

Following on from ATLA came its sequel show, The Legend of Korra, which follows the life of Aang’s successor, Korra, and her journey in a newfound world engineered by Aang and his allies. Set in a land that sees the starring Republic City, a steampunk-inspired metropolis, take center stage, Korra’s development as the Avatar comes under threat with the rise of enemies that threaten peace in Aang’s vision of the world.

Along the way, in her quest to learn to harness her Avatar powers, Korra’s strong bonds with Asami, Mako, and Bolin prove vital and a core aspect of the show, akin to ATLA‘s use of Suko, Katara, and Toph to provide another dimension to Aang on his journey. Despite not reaching the heights of its predecessor, TLOK is a show that still shines in the shadow of a giant, with Korra’s adventure bringing much of ATLA‘s essence back to fans.