Avatar is a beloved show by many artists. Check out the media review I wrote about colonialism in ATLA.
Colonialism in Avatar: The Last Airbender
During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, many turned to entertainment while isolated in their homes. According to the Motion Picture Association video streaming services around the world reached 1.1 billion in 2020 (Watson). A childhood favorite surged as it rejoined Netflix during the pandemic bringing back feelings of nostalgia as well as enjoyment to many new viewers. Though appearing as just a kid’s show at first glance, Avatar: The Last Airbender holds deeper themes and meanings that adults learn from making it timeless. The major themes consist of colonialism: “the social assertion by a dominant power over an indigenous people based on the colonizer’s belief in its own unique superiority that gives it the right to dominate indigenous people politically and culturally and to take control of their raw materials and land” (Barrett), and navigating a world of imperial war through the lens of a group of kids, making it digestible for children; a clever way to promote education of history and how it affects lives to this day. As Black Lives Matter and other racial movements came to life during the pandemic, people majorly advocated for education of America’s history of racial oppression. These movements majorly follow the Critical Race Theory: that we must understand the mistakes made in the past before we can grow from them in the future (Melville). Solving the issue begins with proper education. Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) succeeds as an abstract way to educate children about colonialism and the rooted effects it has as it showcases a group of kids with a variety of backgrounds based on different cultures navigating a world that is facing imperial war. It parallels the struggles of racial division faced today due to colonialism by demonstrating many traumas faced through the lens of children in a variety of ways including genocide, silencing through censorship, and decolonization.
There are many loved characters in ATLA who wield different bending powers. The main protagonist is Aang (12 years old), who was born in the Air kingdom as an airbender and is known to be the Avatar who learns all of the elements. The Air kingdom is representative of Tibetan cultures. Aang’s friends, Katara (14), water bender, and Sokka (15), her brother, are from the water tribes which represent Inuit cultures. Another friend who appears in season two is Toph (12), a blind girl who is an Earth Bender. The Earth Kingdom represents Chinese culture. Aang’s “enemy” is Zuko (16), who is a fire bender a part of the Fire Nation, representing Japanese culture. These are the four tribes based on the elements (Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) that play a vital role in the plot of the show (Wood). The show begins with Aang awakening into a new world of war from an Iceberg that he had been trapped in for 100 years. The show follows Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph as they travel the world on Appa, Aang’s flying bison, running from Zuko who is determined to catch the Avatar to regain his honor from his father (Firelord Ozai). They venture into all four tribes and see the destruction from the Fire Nation’s oppression, who have fought to imperialize each kingdom. As they travel, they face oppressive and traumatic effects of war every place they go (Vera). The themes of colonialism shown as Aang and his friends go on fun adventures make war digestible for the audience of kids watching, introducing these topics and bringing awareness that such things are possible in our world. It exposes the idea of imperial war and educates the watchers by creating a sensitivity to the topic so that as they grow and mature they can understand and have a care for how such tragic events have been repeated in history in real life. Education about colonialism leads to postcolonialism and Avatar’s surge in popularity caused many adults to rewatch the show, seeing it from a new perspective and helping to advocate for racial oppression brought on by colonialism.
One of the effects of colonialism that ATLA showcases is trauma that lives on for decades. The Hundred Year War began with a genocide of the Air kingdom by the hand of the Fire Nation, eradicating them entirely (Vera). In the third episode, Aang discovers this because he traveled to the Air Temple to find other air nomads, finding a helmet of a fire nation soldier and the bones of an air bender. Everyone has already moved on because the tragic event happened 100 years ago, but Aang faces grief as his entire colony has been murdered. The way in which the writers of the show went about this is from a personal perspective rather than a global perspective, allowing the tragedy to be put in a way that can be viewed for children. Aang wasn’t there when the genocide happened, however he still is majorly affected by it as he has lost everything. Aang, however, being written as such a positive character who always looks for the good in everything, doesn’t dwell much on the subject. He copes in the only way he knows to: look at the future and his new friends and enjoy the life he does have by being fun and silly. The way the air nomad genocide was handled successfully filters yet showcases the way in which the roots of colonialism can turn someone’s current world upside down, giving a sentiment to children who don’t fully understand the vastness of the tragedy at hand.
Aang no longer has a culture to belong to, as all of the Air Nomad’s customs left with the people. This is a realistic issue faced by many tribes in the world today who are still bearing the roots of America’s colonialism, yet such issues are not talked about enough causing oppression to continue to run deep. Children learn in schools about Christopher Columbus “sailing the ocean blue,” but it is never discussed about the land and culture that was stolen. Instead, the Education system covers such things, believing children should be fed things with a strict, inaccurate, filter that tiptoes extremism on censorship and is never addressed again. We must understand the past accurately in order to understand racial inequity today (Shuster), even if that is through a tiered style of education. ATLA also shines a light on attempts to cover up knowledge of the past and how they only cover up the issue rather than solving it. The biggest example of this is in season 2 episode 15, when they travel to a place called Ba Sing Se (meaning Impenetrable city), which has so extremely censored its people within the inner walls to the point of brainwashing. A phrase repeated when they are being given a tour is “there is no war in Ba Sing Se,” completely denying that there is war going on globally. There is a code of silence where no one in the city is to talk about the war in order to keep the Earth King from knowing about it. They do so to keep a “peaceful, orderly utopia” (Viswanath). It is a system of complete indoctrination (There is no War in Ba Sing Se). Aang and his friends attempt to tell the Earth King of the war so that they could be one step closer to resolving the war at hand, but are shut down with such censorship. Though this example is of major extremism, it does portray the dangers of censorship and how a society can easily twist facts for the sake of preserving their power, covering up true history. Though children do not need to yet understand the violence that America was built on in its fullness, to completely censor and never educate later on about such topics is not a solution. Instead of completely covering the truth of the past, other methods such as shows like ATLA with deeper meanings should be introduced to children so that they too can learn about the effects of colonialism in an appropriate way.
Another example of censorship of knowledge is in episode 10 of season 2: The Library. This Library holds vast knowledge, and Aang, who has been to the library in the past, and his friends go to find it in an attempt to learn more about the Fire Nation in order to take down Lord Ozai. The library, however, was now hidden and the keeper did not want others to take its knowledge. It is revealed that Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation had visited previously and burned away an entire section about Fire Nation’s secrets in an attempt to keep their power and continue to imperialize the other nations. This portrays the power and oppressive nature of the Fire Nation, paralleling how many who hold high power in the world today can manipulate and hide history to their liking in order to maintain said power. This all leads to further oppression of the other nations in Avatar as the war continues.
A major part of colonialism is the aspect of decolonization. The genocide of the Air Nomads is an example of this, as the entire culture was wiped out with the Air benders. There are, however, plenty of examples of active decolonization taking place in the series as a result of the imperial war. In Episode 6, it is shown that “coal mines are being used to create capital for the fire nation, and their citizens are heavily taxed by the colonial forces with the threat of being killed” (Ibrahim). The Fire Nation has threatened anyone who uses Earth bending, claiming it to be useless and capturing anyone they find using it. Aang and his friends see this, and instantly take action. They trick the Fire Nation guards and Katara is taken to prison, where she attempts to encourage the Earth benders there to fight the authority of the Fire Nation. The prisoners show zero interest at first, having accepted the oppression put on them seeing no hope of a way out. As the Fire Nation takes over different cities, they also remove the rights of the inhabitants to use the powers in which they were created to use, ridding them of their culture and attempting to replace it with their own. Eventually, however, an Earth Bender revolt does take place, freeing the prisoners and reclaiming what was taken from them: their Earth bending.
In episode 17, Aang visits the Eastern Air Temple, to find the land has been taken by the fire nation and now is inhabited by war refugees who are bound to create weapons of mass destruction (Ibrahim). Not only are these refugees being forced to create weapons that kill many, but the land that was once peacefully ruled by Air nomads has been stolen for the creation of this machinery. This episode portrays the advanced technology that the Fire Nation holds against the other nations which they use to convince themselves that their ruling is needed in order to “advance” other nations and that they are the superior race. This majorly parallels the beliefs of imperial Japan, which led to genocide without remorse and mass war.
These examples of decolonization in ATLA parallel the results and effects of decolonization in our world today, as many cultures have been lost due to colonialism. Avatar, once again, has shown these effects in an educational way for children through the perspective of Aang and his friends. As the characters continue to process the wrongs of the Fire Nation’s destruction, they work towards the goal of uncovering the history of oppression to the other nations, educating and giving hope that the war can be won by the side of the oppressed.
A major solution in the show is when Zuko has a redemption arc. Zuko is an example of how deeply rooted the Fire Nation’s oppression is, as he is raised in a way that is encouraged to show little respect to anyone who isn’t a part of the fire nation. Throughout the show, Zuko’s main drive isn’t, however, to colonize for the sake of power, it is to seek the approval of his father who is. In season 1, it is revealed that Zuko had been banished from the fire nation because he refused to fight his own father to gain his honor. To regain this honor and make his way back into the Fire Nation, he follows in his father’s footsteps and chases after the avatar, becoming the oppressor and sending many obstacles towards Aang and his friends. Zuko’s uncle Iroh, however, faithfully sticks by his side and points Zuko into the right direction throughout the series and in season 2, they cut off their top-knots, which was a mark of their noble status. This symbolized rejection of their homeland and the beginning of a new era in their lives. Iroh aids Zuko on his redemption, reminding him of the wrongdoings of the fire nation and helping him to navigate decolonization of himself. Zuko faces a self identity journey where he slowly learns how to turn from his roots and befriend Aang in order to aid with ending the war. In order to do this, he has to recognize the wrongs of his own father, whom he was once finding his identity in the approval of, and turn away from everything he was raised to believe. He must reveal the truth of the past to himself and the oppression the Fire Nation has inflicted in order to grow as an individual and set things right. Zuko turned from being the oppressor and recognized the truth of imperialism by learning that the Avatar is someone who is good and restores peace to the four nations, not someone who challenges the power of the Fire Nation. This is a prime example of the importance of uncovering historical truth in order to move towards healing of deeply rooted oppressions caused by colonialism. Avatar shows that humbling oneself and admitting to the wrongs of the past is not weak, but is powerful. Though he is shown with much distrust at first (for good reason), he strives to prove that he truly wants to help bring restoration and is ultimately given forgiveness after doing so. At the end of the series he becomes the new Fire Lord, helping alongside Aang to end the war and bring peace back to the four nations. Zuko’s character change and growth is a vital part of the solution to the story. It needed the colonizer to recognize his wrongs and turn from them wholeheartedly. This teaches the children watching that anyone has the ability to change, grow, and learn while it teaches the adults that if a society works to uncover and educate themselves of the wrongs of the past, it can finally begin to heal from them (Critical Race Theory).
Avatar: the Last Airbender in many ways demonstrates an accurate portrayal of colonialism and its effects and how it is something that is deeply rooted into the lives of many. Through portrayals of genocide, decolonization, and extreme censorship, the viewer sees the severe scars colonialism leaves. It is, however, portrayed from the perspective of a group of kids, making it more abstract as it takes place in a fantasy world and digestible for children watching to promote education in tiers of such history, allowing them to develop a sentiment to these topics while also not yet understanding them fully. Overall ATLA promotes the uncovering of history with proper education of such matters and supports Critical Race Theory as it demonstrates through Zuko’s redemption, how recognizing the wrongs of the past is a vital step in order to move forward from it, not because the past can be undone, but rather because understanding the past is crucial to supply the context needed in order to build a society of empathy and healing; one cannot turn from their wrongs if they do not fully understand what they did wrong in the first place. This show is also an example that it is more than possible to educate children in a way that doesn’t completely cover up the hard history. Avatar: the Last Airbender, remains timeless and loved by many because of these deeper meanings and the feelings of inspiration it leaves with each viewer.
Works Cited
Barrett, Terry. Why is that Art? Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Barret creates a solid definition of colonialism and postcolonialism in a way that is applicable and digestible. I will be referencing pages 180-182, that focus on the theories and examples of colonialism.
Ibrahim, Rami. The Politics of Life and Death in ATLA. 2020. Ethnicstudies.ucsd.edu.
This source is compiled research discussing examples of different topics such as colonialism, postmodernism, decolonization, etc. that are shown in different episodes of the show. This resource is helpful to see different events in specific episodes and how they relate to a greater philosophical meaning. I will be referencing such episodes in order to break down the show that exposes the hidden meanings in the depths.
Melville, Bob. “Critical Race Theory, Fact Versus Fiction.” Civic Way, 2020, https://www.civicway.org/saving-democracy/critical-race-theory-fact-versus-fiction/.
This source is relative to the topic of racial issues that still linger today due to colonialism in our past. Critical Race Theory is a significant topic for my paper and its call to action about why it is important to tell of colonialism in the past to seek answers in the future to solve these problems.
Shuster, Kate. “Teaching Hard History.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 31 January 2018, https://www.splcenter.org/20180131/teaching-hard-history.
This source explores the teachings of schools and lack of proper racial education in materials as well as teachers.This will help further my argument that ATLA is a great representation of exposing and educating children about colonialism in a way that is digestible and how we should promote this type of education through the use of media and in school education systems.
“There is no War in Ba Sing Se | Indoctrination in Avatar The Last Airbender.” YouTube, 28 August 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO-ZiAvJNzQ.
Vera, Paolo. “'Avatar: The Last Airbender': A critique of colonialism.” The Stanford Daily, 16 June 2020, https://stanforddaily.com/2020/06/16/avatar-the-last-airbender-a-critique-of-colonialism/.
This article created by a student at Stanford is a good resource on the breakdown of colonialism in ATLA. It touches on trauma, genocide, and Japanese influence through imperialism. I will be using this source to look at how these components are used in the show.
Viswanath, Gayatri. “Power and Resistance: Silence and Secrecy in Avatar – The Last Airbender – Subversions.” School of Media and Cultural Studies, http://subversions.tiss.edu/vol2-issue1/gayatri/.
This source dives into the topics of how Power and resistance and silence and secrecy are shown in avatar. I will be using this source to explore the different forms of oppression and decolonization in the plot through silencing of the Fire Nation.
Watson, RT. “World-Wide Streaming Subscriptions Pass One Billion During Pandemic.” Wall
Street Journal, 18 March 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/worldwide-streaming-subscriptions-pass-one-billion-during-pandemic-11616079600.
Wood, Peter. “Reframing Sympathy for Indigenous Captives in Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University, https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1451&context=undergrad_rev.