After years of morsels and rumors, delays on the upcoming animated “Aang: The Final Airbender” function movie, and well-kept secrets and techniques on behalf of Avatar Studios, we lastly know, in official phrases, what the following animated collection within the franchise might be about. The present is now known as “Avatar: Seven Havens,” and it appears to be like to mark a significant departure from its predecessors, “Avatar: The Final Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra,” in a number of methods.
The official synopsis relayed by Nickelodeon describes the present as being “set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm. A younger Earthbender discovers she’s the brand new Avatar after Korra — however on this harmful period, that title marks her as humanity’s destroyer, not its savior. Hunted by each human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin should uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens earlier than civilization’s final strongholds collapse.”
There’s lots to unpack there, each when it comes to the massive mysteries, the adjustments to the “Avatar” universe, and what all of it means for the franchise’s overarching timeline. Many theories have flown round within the fandom about what the following present set after “The Legend of Korra” could possibly be about, with some even holding out hope (or concern, relying in your tastes) for a cyberpunk-inspired collection that evolves the tech seen in that prior present. Naturally, a collection alongside these traces would have additionally paid direct homage to a sure period of retro anime that is lengthy impressed co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino’s method to the Avatarverse. Nonetheless, this new, confirmed synopsis alerts that “Seven Havens” will take issues in a distinctly totally different route.
Avatar: Seven Havens might be precisely two seasons lengthy
The primary fascinating side of “Avatar: Seven Havens” is that it has a selected size confirmed from the beginning. The present will span 26 episodes cut up into two seasons or “books,” as they’re identified within the “Avatar” universe. Every season will include 13 episodes — the identical quantity averaged throughout the 4 seasons of “The Legend of Korra.”
It is nice to see Nickelodeon giving “Seven Havens” a multi-season dedication proper out the gate, particularly contemplating how “The Legend of Korra” was hampered via its manufacturing by season-to-season renewals. (Notably, when Season 3 and Season 4 had been commissioned collectively, this allowed for way more interconnected storytelling between them.) It is also fascinating to notice that “Seven Havens” is sticking with the shorter seasons of “Korra” quite than the longer seasons of “The Final Airbender,” which had been 20 or 21 episodes every.
May “Seven Havens” find yourself working longer than its introduced 26 episodes? Something is feasible. It is value recalling that “The Legend of Korra” was basically a miniseries in its first season; it was solely after extra episodes had been ordered that it started to essentially increase its scope. From the sound of issues, Konietzko, DiMartino, and the remainder of the “Seven Havens” artistic group (which incorporates prolific “The Final Airbender” director Ethan Spaulding) have a reasonably tight imaginative and prescient for this new present, so 26 episodes could also be all we get.
Both means, “Seven Havens” will presumably air on Nickelodeon correct, although a synchronous Paramount+ launch schedule appears probably given the franchise’s important younger grownup fandom. “The Legend of Korra” threaded the needle between a children cartoon and an grownup anime, regularly hewing nearer to the latter camp. In consequence, it was continuously moved round by Nick, with many episodes of “The Legend of Korra” airing on-line as an alternative of on tv, a lot to the confusion of audiences. That hopefully will not be an issue this time round, what with streaming having made issues a bit simpler on exhibits with gray-area goal age ranges.
Avatar: Seven Havens appears like an apocalypse present
Sufficient in regards to the kind issue of “Avatar: Seven Havens” — let’s discuss extra about that synopsis. Whereas we do not but know what the “devastating cataclysm” is, it sounds dangerous. Actual dangerous, if there are solely seven human havens remaining on the earth, and it appears like even these are in critical hazard. The synopsis additionally claims that the principle character’s standing because the Avatar “marks her as humanity’s destroyer, not its savior.” That means that regardless of the cataclysm is, it is tied to the Avatar, which implies it is tied to the Spirit World. So, let’s get to theorizing.
By the top of “The Legend of Korra,” the “Avatar” universe is in the midst of a significant technological revolution. There are robots, high-speed rail programs, and quite a few different developments that straddle the road between trendy and futuristic. Nonetheless, most of the most fantastical gadgets seen on the present are powered by religious power and use power sources just like the vines of the Spirit Wilds for gas.
The “Avatar” franchise has at all times been within the battle between industrialization and pure spirituality. You may hint that focus again to “Princess Mononoke,” which was one of many greatest particular person inspirations for “The Final Airbender.” To that finish, it appears possible that there was some type of religious apocalypse within the lead-up to “Seven Havens” — a collapse of all spiritual-powered know-how, perhaps, or, if that sort of tech finally ends up being banned after the occasions of “The Legend of Korra” (which might make sense), one other sort of darkish religious corruption?
On condition that “Seven Havens” will happen within the wake of this cataclysm, it is also potential that the Avatar’s reincarnation might have been the initiating drive. That might clarify why the Avatar is now seen as a destroyer. In any case, we have by no means had Avatar twins earlier than. And talking of which…
How does the thought of dual Avatars even work?
The official synopsis for “Avatar: Seven Havens” does not verify that each twins are the Avatar. It says that one in every of them discovers she is the Avatar after which reconnects along with her long-lost twin, looking for solutions about their “mysterious origins.” That would imply two characters present on the similar time with Avatar powers. It might additionally imply these powers have in some way been cut up between the 2 of them. Or maybe it means another unusual circumstance I am unable to consider. Regardless of the case, the distinctive scenario begs questions. The Avatar is reincarnated upon the demise of the final vessel and the beginning of the following. So, what occurs when it is twins?
There’s additionally the time hole between “Seven Havens” and “The Legend of Korra” to contemplate. The final Avatar we met was solely about 21 on the finish of her present, so she might have lived for a lot of many years earlier than passing on. That would imply “Seven Havens” Guide 1 will happen as a lot as 100 years after “The Legend of Korra” Guide 4. In that point, extra know-how would have certainly been developed within the “Avatar” universe, all whereas the portals Korra beforehand opened between the bodily and religious realms could have drastically modified the ecology and societal construction of the world.
In different phrases, even when “Seven Havens” is a post-apocalypse present, the world that was destroyed might nonetheless be a wildly totally different one than the one which had come to exist by the top of “The Legend of Korra.” Regardless, it sounds grim and pregnant with potential. Whereas Netflix’s live-action “Avatar: The Final Airbender” TV present adaptation is okay, it lacks the thematic chew of the earlier animated “Avatar” collection. Konietzko and DiMartino appear decided to make one thing totally different this time round, and “Avatar: Seven Havens” could possibly be all the higher for it.
“Avatar: Seven Havens” has but to set a premiere date. In the meantime, “Aang: The Final Airbender” will attain theaters on January 30, 2026.
