The Best Episode From Every Avatar & Korra Season, Ranked

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The complete series, including The Legend of Korra, offers seven amazing seasons filled with fantasy, action, and adventure, featuring two different Avatars. Soon, fans will have even more to enjoy with Avatar: Seven Havens, which promises additional seasons and potentially some of the very best episodes in the entire franchise. In the meantime, viewers can revisit the best moments from the existing seven seasons, from Aang’s first awakening in the South Pole to Korra’s epic battle against Kuvira’s giant metal mech in Republic City.

Avatar: The Last Airbender boasts seven seasons filled with amazing episodes, making it tough for fans to choose their favorites. The standout episodes in each season consistently deliver a powerful combination of things: high-stakes personal drama, exciting bending battles, heartfelt moments, significant character development, and often, the potential end of the world. Taken together, these top episodes showcase everything that makes this animated series so captivating.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Taught Aang His Hardest Lessons in Book One: Water

While “The Northern Air Temple” might not be the very best episode of the whole series, it’s definitely the strongest that Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 has to offer. Avatar: The Last Airbender Episode 17 is considered one of the greatest episodes ever, and in some ways, it’s even better than the battle at the Northern Water Tribe. The Northern Water Tribe battle was grander in scope, but a great episode needs more than just size. In Avatar: The Last Airbender Episode 17, “The Northern Air Temple” stands out from the Northern Water Tribe siege because of its powerfully moving writing.

“The Northern Air Temple” builds upon the themes introduced in “The Southern Air Temple,” further examining the legacy of Aang’s people and how the past intersects with the present, creating a deeply emotional experience for the Avatar. Importantly, Aang is initially disturbed by how the Mechanist’s group has occupied the Northern Temple, but he ultimately learns to accept the present and value the lives currently within its walls, rather than dwelling on the memory of the original Air Nomads. Furthermore, “The Northern Air Temple” continues to be a standout episode for its clever and inventive battles, particularly with Sokka exceeding expectations with his use of bomb-dropping hot air balloons.

The Air Nation Rises From the Ashes in The Legend of Korra Book Three: Change

As a huge fan, I always get chills when The Legend of Korra really focuses on the airbenders, and Season 3, Episode 7, “Original Airbenders,” is a perfect example of why this franchise is so amazing! It’s incredible how they connect the past and present, especially through Aang and the Air Nomads. We all know the original Air Nomads are gone, but seeing Tenzin try to rebuild the Air Nation – essentially creating Air Nation 2.0 with these new, untrained airbenders – is so inspiring. “Original Airbenders” really gave The Legend of Korra fans hope that the Air Nation could truly thrive again, and it made the world feel so much more complete and balanced than ever before. It’s just a really powerful episode, and a testament to how well the creators handle the lore of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

“Original Airbenders” is packed with memorable character interactions, like Bumi relearning how to be a soldier, Tenzin stepping into a strict teacher role, and the sweet childhood connection between Kai and Jinora. This episode truly brings the Airbenders together as a unified group, and it’s a turning point for Tenzin’s own personal growth. It was surprisingly impactful to hear him reflect on understanding how Korra feels when she’s being scolded, and even the beloved Pema has a chance to stand out in this wonderful episode of The Legend of Korra.

The Legend of Korra Book One: Air Quickly Unveils The Equalists as the Real Villains

I think “And the Winner is…” is the strongest episode of The Legend of Korra Book One: Air. While finale episodes, like “Endgame”, often pack a punch, this one just offers something extra. What really stands out to me is that Episode 6 of Book One: Air happens right in the middle of the season, and it genuinely feels like a turning point. The pro-bending competition shown in the episode begins with the Wolf Bats cheating, and ultimately leads to a genuine fight.

In “And the Winner is…,” Korra, Bolin, and Mako really come together as a close team, both when competing and in their everyday lives, after dealing with their individual problems. It’s enjoyable to watch the Fire Ferrets compete fairly against their rivals who were cheating – a clever way of showing that competitive sports wouldn’t be so simple anymore. This episode of The Legend of Korra is a real emotional ride, beginning with a mix of anticipation and worry before facing Tahno’s team, and concluding with surprise and fear as the Equalists attack the city.

Fans Finally Learn About the First Avatar in The Legend of Korra Book Two: Spirits

“Beginnings, Part 2” was the most memorable episode of The Legend of Korra Book Two: Spirits, though many Avatar: The Last Airbender fans consider this season the weakest of the seven TV seasons released so far. While viewers weren’t always thrilled with Korra’s fights against Unalaq, everyone agrees that the flashback showing Avatar Wan’s journey 10,000 years in the past was exciting, informative, and a welcome change of pace. The episode revealed how the Avatar Cycle began, as Wan fundamentally altered the world and became the very first Avatar.

Wan needed to fix his huge error of releasing Vaatu, which led to a massive battle, considered one of the most important in history. His fight with Vaatu during the Harmonic Convergence in Book Two: Spirits Episode 8 was incredibly impressive and showed how the Avatar Cycle began, guaranteeing that humanity wouldn’t face 100 years of darkness and turmoil. It was also quite sad to see the old Wan die feeling defeated, but Raava remained hopeful and moved on to inhabit the next Avatar. This event was crucial for the balance of the world.

Aang’s Battle With Azula on The Drill Is Book Two: Earth’s Unforgettable Highlight

While “The Crossroads of Destiny” greatly affected the overall storyline, “The Drill” is widely considered the best episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender Book Two: Earth. Both episodes served as amazing conclusions to their respective arcs, but “The Drill” stands out due to its sharper focus on a central struggle. It perfectly showcased the Fire Nation’s relentless efforts to dominate the world and their constant search for new strategies to finally win the war.

As a huge fan, I always thought “The Drill” was when Team Avatar *really* clicked! It was amazing to see everyone using what they were best at, and you could tell they were learning from all their past experiences. Thanks to everything Toph taught Aang, he finally figured out how to take down that seemingly unstoppable drill – and it led to his best fight *ever* with Princess Azula. Seriously, watching him use air, water, and earth to counter Azula’s fire and destroy the drill *right in front of her* was just so satisfying! It was a total reversal of fortune, because last time, Aang was barely able to escape Azula, but this time, he completely outsmarted her. It was such a relief to finally see her get her comeuppance!

The Legend of Korra’s Finale Ends Book Four: Balance on a Hopeful High Note

“The Last Stand” is one of the two series finales in the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender story. Before this episode, Kuvira was Korra’s biggest challenge – a powerful military leader with a giant, seemingly unbeatable metal machine, and it looked like Korra wasn’t succeeding as the Avatar. However, “The Last Stand” completely changed things, featuring Korra’s ultimate battle against Kuvira to protect Republic City. The victory wasn’t simply about winning the fight; Kuvira’s out-of-control spirit cannon also opened a new portal and gave her a valuable lesson in humility.

“The Last Stand” effectively demonstrated the immense power of the spirit world and the dangers of misusing it, a crucial realization that ultimately defeated Kuvira by challenging her beliefs. This is how balance was returned to the world, as Kuvira came to terms with relinquishing her corrupting influence. Beyond that, “The Last Stand” offered satisfying conclusions for various characters, including the blossoming romance between Korra and Asami, Wu’s choice to abdicate, and the wedding of Varrick and Zhu Li. All of this culminates in Season 4, Episode 13 ending with the most impactful and resonant conclusion possible in The Legend of Korra.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Peaked With Avatar Aang vs. Fire Lord Ozai

“Avatar Aang” is widely considered the best episode not only of the four-part “Sozin’s Comet” arc from Book Three: Fire, but of the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender series. This episode delivered the intense battle fans had been anticipating, with each character playing a crucial role. Sokka and his team successfully destroyed the Fire Nation fleet, Katara managed to subdue the unstable Azula, and most importantly, Avatar Aang triumphed over Fire Lord Ozai, defeating him fairly. Watching Aang accomplish this feat using energybending was both surprising, captivating, and motivating. While the method might have felt a little forced, it was ultimately the only logical solution.

“Avatar Aang” didn’t stop being great even after the war ended. Zuko accepted his role as Fire Lord with humility, showing he had truly changed, and generously acknowledged that Aang was the true hero. The episode also included some surprising twists to get viewers excited for what came next, like Zuko searching for information about his mother and Ty Lee becoming a member of the Kyoshi Warriors. These storylines would later be expanded upon in the Dark Horse comics.

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2025-10-04 19:43