History of Avatar: The Last Airbender in Timeline
Avatar: The Last Airbender follows Aang, the last of the Air Nomads and the current Avatar, tasked with mastering all four elements (air, water, earth, fire) to restore balance to the world. The Fire Nation wages a century-long war to conquer the other nations. Aang, along with his friends Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, journeys across the world, learning to control the elements while evading the Fire Nation's Prince Zuko. They gather allies and face numerous challenges, culminating in a final showdown against Fire Lord Ozai to end the war and restore peace. The series explores themes of hope, duty, friendship, and the importance of balance.
1995: DiMartino and Konietzko Meet
In 1995, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators and producers of Avatar: The Last Airbender, first met at a Halloween party while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design.
1996: DiMartino moves to Los Angeles
In 1996, Michael Dante DiMartino moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the animation industry.
1998: Konietzko moves to Los Angeles
In 1998, Bryan Konietzko moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the animation industry.
January 2002: Invader Zim Cancelation
In January 2002, after Invader Zim was abruptly canceled, Bryan Konietzko resolved to bring his and DiMartino's idea for a coming-of-age series to life.
2003: Pilot Episode Created
In 2003, a pilot episode for Avatar: The Last Airbender was created, animated by Tin House, Inc., written by DiMartino and Konietzko, and directed by Dave Filoni.
July 2004: Series Introduced at Comic-Con
In July 2004, Avatar: The Last Airbender was introduced to the public in a teaser reel at Comic-Con.
February 2005: Avatar: The Last Airbender Premieres
In February 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, originally aired on Nickelodeon.
February 21, 2005: Series Premiere on Nickelodeon
On February 21, 2005, the first episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an hour-long premiere, aired on Nickelodeon.
September 15, 2006: The Secret of the Fire Nation Airs
On September 15, 2006, a one-hour Avatar special, "The Secret of the Fire Nation," aired, attracting 4.1 million viewers and becoming the fifth highest-rated cable television program that week.
October 10, 2006: Release of Avatar: The Last Airbender video game
On October 10, 2006, the Avatar: The Last Airbender video game was released.
July 2007: Finale Ratings Surge
In July 2007, Avatar: The Last Airbender's four-part series finale, "Sozin's Comet", had the highest ratings of the series and was the most-viewed program by the under-14 demographic during the week of July 14.
October 16, 2007: Release of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth
On October 16, 2007, Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth was released.
2007: Syndication in Over 105 Countries
In 2007, Avatar: The Last Airbender was syndicated in more than 105 countries and was one of Nickelodeon's top-rated programs, ranking first on Nickelodeon in several countries.
July 2008: Avatar: The Last Airbender Concludes
In July 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender concluded its original run on Nickelodeon after three seasons.
July 19, 2008: Series Concludes with Television Movie
On July 19, 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender concluded with a two-hour television movie broadcast.
September 15, 2008: Release of Avatar: Legends of the Arena
On September 15, 2008, Nickelodeon released Avatar: Legends of the Arena, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows.
October 13, 2008: Release of Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno
On October 13, 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender – Into the Inferno was released.
June 2, 2010: Release of Art Book
On June 2, 2010, Dark Horse Comics published Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Art of the Animated Series, an art book containing 184 pages of original art from the animated series.
June 14, 2010: Pilot Released on iTunes
On June 14, 2010, the unaired pilot episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender was made available with and without commentary for the first time via the iTunes Store.
2010: The Last Airbender Film Release
In 2010, The Last Airbender, a live-action film based on the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, was released. The film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and received universally negative reviews.
June 15, 2011: Publication of The Lost Adventures
On June 15, 2011, Dark Horse published Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Lost Adventures, a collection of comic-book short stories previously published in Nickelodeon Magazine, along with new comics.
April 14, 2012: The Legend of Korra Premieres
On April 14, 2012, The Legend of Korra, a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, premiered on Nickelodeon.
2012: Publication of The Promise
In 2012, Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise, a graphic novel series by Gene Yang, was published in three volumes. The series explores the fate of the Fire Nation colonies after the Hundred Years' War.
2013: TV Guide's Greatest Cartoons List
In 2013, Avatar: The Last Airbender was included in TV Guide's 60 greatest cartoons of all-time list, recognizing its impact and quality.
December 19, 2014: The Legend of Korra Concludes
On December 19, 2014, The Legend of Korra concluded after 4 seasons and 52 episodes.
2016: Translation of The Promise into Hebrew
In 2016, Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise series was translated into Hebrew.
2017: Translation of The Promise series into Hebrew continued
In 2017, the translation of the Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise series into Hebrew continued.
June 2018: Complete Series Released on Blu-ray
In June 2018, the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender series was released on Blu-ray to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the show's finale.
September 2018: Live-Action Remake Announced
In September 2018, Netflix announced that a reimagined live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender was to start production in 2019.
October 2018: Release of Imbalance Graphic Novel
In October 2018, the graphic novel Imbalance was released, exploring the conflict between benders and non-benders. Unlike previous books, it was written by Faith Erin Hicks.
2018: Vanity Fair's Best Animated TV Show Ranking
In 2018, Vanity Fair ranked Avatar: The Last Airbender as the 11th-best animated TV show, highlighting its position among top animated series.
July 2019: Publication of The Rise of Kyoshi
In July 2019, Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rise of Kyoshi, the first book in the Chronicles of the Avatar series written by F. C. Yee, was published by Abrams Children's Books.
2019: Production Starts
In 2019, production was to start on a live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
2019: Translation of The Search series into Hebrew continued
In 2019, the translation of the Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search series into Hebrew continued.
February 2020: Netflix's Top Series List Debut
In February 2020, before the resurgence, Netflix debuted its list of top series, and Avatar would later maintain a spot within Netflix's top ten series for a record-setting 60 days.
May 15, 2020: Resurgence on Netflix
On May 15, 2020, Avatar: The Last Airbender experienced a resurgence in popularity after being added to Netflix, reaching the number-one position on the platform's top series in the U.S. four days after release.
May 2020: Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix
In May 2020, the complete series of Avatar: The Last Airbender became available on Netflix in the United States and quickly became the most popular show on the platform.
June 2020: Avatar: The Last Airbender on Paramount+
In June 2020, the complete series of Avatar: The Last Airbender became available on Paramount+ (at the time CBS All Access).
July 2020: Record-Breaking Netflix Run
By July 2020, Avatar: The Last Airbender broke the record for longest consecutive appearance on Netflix's daily top ten list, with 60 straight days, as one of the few non-Netflix original series to do so.
July 2020: Critical Acclaim
As of July 2020, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a critics score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been called a "must-watch" and "one of the greatest animated series of all time".
July 21, 2020: Release of The Shadow of Kyoshi
On July 21, 2020, The Shadow of Kyoshi, the second novel in the Chronicles of the Avatar series by F. C. Yee, was released. This book focuses on Avatar Kyoshi.
August 12, 2020: Original Creators Depart Remake
On August 12, 2020, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko revealed they had departed the live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender due to creative differences.
October 13, 2020: Release of Katara and the Pirate's Silver
On October 13, 2020, Dark Horse released the standalone comic Katara and the Pirate's Silver, written by Faith Erin Hicks and Tim Hedrick, which follows Katara as she aligns with pirates.
November 25, 2020: Second Edition of Art Book Released
On November 25, 2020, a second edition of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Art of the Animated Series was released, featuring a new cover and eight new pages.
2020: Pilot Streamed on Twitch
In 2020, the pilot episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender was streamed on Twitch.
January 2021: Avatar: The Last Airbender on Amazon Prime Video
In January 2021, the complete series of Avatar: The Last Airbender became available on Amazon Prime Video.
February 2021: Albert Kim Named Showrunner
In February 2021, Albert Kim was reported to have been brought on as showrunner for the live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
February 2021: Avatar Studios Formed
In February 2021, along with the announcement of the formation of Avatar Studios, it was reported that the studio's first project would be an animated theatrical film that would begin production later in 2021.
February 17, 2021: Release of Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy
On February 17, 2021, Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy was released, which follows Toph in between the events of The Rift and Smoke and Shadow.
June 27, 2021: Release of Suki, Alone
On June 27, 2021, Suki, Alone was released, following Suki's imprisonment after the events of the episode "Appa's Lost Days".
November 2021: Release of Team Avatar Treasury
In November 2021, the three standalone comics (Katara and the Pirate's Silver, Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy, and Suki, Alone) were released in a boxed set called Team Avatar Treasury.
June 2022: Director Named for Animated Film
In June 2022, it was announced that Lauren Montgomery, a former storyboard artist on Avatar and a supervising producer for Korra, would serve as director for the animated theatrical film.
July 19, 2022: Release of The Dawn of Yangchen
On July 19, 2022, The Dawn of Yangchen, the third novel in the Chronicles of the Avatar series written by F. C. Yee, was released.
July 18, 2023: Release of The Legacy of Yangchen
On July 18, 2023, the fourth novel in the Chronicles of the Avatar series, titled The Legacy of Yangchen, written by F. C. Yee, was released.
September 2023: Release of Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance
In September 2023, GameMill Entertainment released Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance, a game that loosely adapts the events of the entire show.
October 2023: Announcement of Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert Tour
In October 2023, Nickelodeon and GEA Live announced Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert, an ongoing concert tour featuring Zuckerman's score for the series, initially planned for four dates in the UK, US, and France.
2023: Release of Azula in the Spirit Temple
In 2023, the comic Azula in the Spirit Temple was released.
January 21, 2024: Premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert
On January 21, 2024, Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert premiered in London, England. The concert features Zuckerman's score performed by an orchestral ensemble with series moments displayed on a large screen.
February 22, 2024: Live-Action Series Released on Netflix
On February 22, 2024, the live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender was released on Netflix to mixed reviews.
March 6, 2024: Live-Action Series Renewed
On March 6, 2024, Netflix renewed the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender show for a second and third season.
April 2024: Film Title and Casting Announced
In April 2024, Paramount revealed the animated film's tentative title, Aang: The Last Airbender, along with casting Eric Nam as Aang, Dionne Quan as Toph, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, and Dave Bautista as an antagonist.
July 23, 2024: Release of The Reckoning of Roku
On July 23, 2024, The Reckoning of Roku, the fifth book in the Chronicles of the Avatar series written by Randy Ribay focusing on Avatar Roku, was released.
2024: Release of The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer
In 2024, the comic The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer, which focuses on Iroh and June the Bounty Hunter, was released.
February 20, 2025: Avatar: Seven Havens Greenlit
On February 20, 2025, 20 years after the original show debuted, it was announced that a new sequel titled Avatar: Seven Havens was green-lit. The series will consist of 26 episodes, spread across two seasons, and will be produced by DiMartino and Konietzko.
December 30, 2025: Release of The Awakening of Roku
On December 30, 2025, The Awakening of Roku, the sixth novel in the Chronicles of the Avatar series written by Randy Ribay, was released.
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