Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
...Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.
And so begins Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), an animated show that originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. Created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, ATLA tells the story of a planet with four nations centered around their citizens' ability to control water, earth, fire, or air. As Katara explains in the show's opening sequence, at the start of the show, the Fire Nation has been waging war across the world for 100 years. It's up to Aang, the current Avatar, to master all four elements so he and his friends can bring peace to the world. The show remains a massive success, praised for its complex stories and creative worldbuilding and spawning a franchise across various media.
Read on to for more about the franchise's main characters, locations, other media, and most meme-able moments. But beware: spoilers abound.