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Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has the ability to fix another movie error by including a specific group from the original show.
Netflix’s next Avatar: The Last Airbender may include a group that the film adaptation skipped. The live-action version of the show coming to Netflix has a chance to fix many of the mistakes from 2010’s The Last Airbender. One of those fixes could come by including a vital piece of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender that was sadly omitted from M. Night Shyamalan’s movie.
A Secret Group ties directly into the story of the original show and has a big impact on both the overall plot and the central characters. From adding development to fan-favorite characters like Uncle Iroh to playing a big role in The Last Airbender’s explosive four-episode finale, the faction can’t be ignored. This would not only correct a mistake from past adaptations, but also calm concerns that Netflix’s version of the series will lose fidelity to the original series after the departure of Brian Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.
The Order of the White Lotus is essential to Avatar’s story
The group in question is none other than the Order of the White Lotus. In the original show, the White Lotus is an ancient secret society that transcends the borders of the Four Nations. The group was formed to seek wisdom, philosophy and truth, while sharing knowledge among members across political and national borders. In The Last Airbender, the inclusion of the White Lotus is not revealed to be an intrinsic part of Aang’s journey to the show’s finale. However, the foreshadowing of the White Lotus began in Season 2 and pays off in a crucial way for the story.
In the four-part finale of The Last Airbender, the White Lotus launches an attack on Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom capital, to free the city from Fire Nation rule. Ba Sing Se, before falling to the Fire Nation, was vital to the Hundred Year War as it was relatively untouched by the Fire Nation, meaning the latter could not achieve complete dominance. The liberation of the city by the White Lotus not only helps end the war, but provides crucial story roles for many of the characters seen throughout the series.
Why Installing White Lotus Early Is Better
Although the foreshadowing of the White Lotus didn’t begin until The Last Airbender Season 2, Netflix could benefit from setting up the White Lotus earlier in Season 1. One of the reasons for this is the development enhanced by Uncle Iroh. Throughout the first season of the original The Last Airbender, Iroh was largely a humorous sidekick to Zuko, with only small hints of a deeper story. Thanks to the establishment of the White Lotus throughout Season 1 of the Netflix show, Iroh’s deep spiritual journey could be heralded to bear fruit in subsequent seasons.
Additionally, many of the characters encountered in Season 1 of the original show are later revealed to be members of White Lotus. Foreshadowing this reveal when they first appeared would be a great way to provide connectivity to the later seasons of the show. Not only would this intrigue viewers unfamiliar with the original show, but it would make a great Easter egg for anyone who has seen Avatar: The Last Airbender and knows the significance of the White Lotus.
Netflix’s The Last Airbender Can’t Ignore 1 Band The Movie Made | Pretty Reel