RJ Writing Ink

A Fan’s Thoughts on Avatar: Seven Havens

Do you know those stories where someone leaves the house to get something, but when they get back, they find their home destroyed? That feeling sums up what the Avatar fandom is feeling right now. The one consolation is that the house is not a metaphor for the state of the fandom itself but for the world Avatar takes place.

Earlier this month, Avatar: The Last Airbender reached an important milestone as it celebrated its 20th anniversary. The franchise has continued to thrive, growing even more popular since being added to streaming platforms. A new animated film is due to come out in theaters in 2026, and rumors spoke of even more projects in the pipeline. Then, less than a day before its 20th birthday, the creators of the show announced the next chapter in the world of Avatar, Avatar: Seven Havens.

Then, people started reading the synopsis…and started to worry.

What Happened to the World of Avatar?

The details remain scarce, but it seems that (hopefully) decades after the events of Legend of Korra, the world of Avatar experienced a disaster of potentially apocalyptic proportions. The nations as we knew them are likely gone or only survive in small pockets. That alone is a bittersweet pill to swallow, as it could mean many places we came to know throughout the franchise no longer exist. Or, if they do, they may no longer be recognizable. However, the worst part about the synopsis for Seven Havens is it says that Korra’s successor as the Avatar is no longer considered humanity’s savior, but a destroyer. That line alone has left many fans asking the same question:

“What the heck happened to make things get so bad?!?!”

Korra Still Can’t Catch a Break.

From what I’ve seen based on the comments, the general consensus seems to be that something horrible happened to Korra. Something that marred the Avatar’s reputation so badly that all of humanity turned on them. However, as to what happened and where Korra fits into all this, fans remain divided. Some people believe that Korra could have been directly responsible for whatever catastrophe rocked the world. Others believe that she might have been set up and made out to be the bad guy. And some think it’s both: she might have caused a disaster, but only because the alternative would have been far too horrific to be allowed to happen. What is certain, though, is that we are missing a great deal of context that Seven Havens will hopefully provide.

As for what I think, I’m in the camp that she is getting unfairly blamed for whatever happened to leave the world in the state it’s in during Seven Havens. I also think that this is a deliberate ploy by DiMartino and Konietzko to discuss the hate that Korra got.

Korra Wasn’t a Bad Avatar, you Know!

As a show and as a character, Korra has become infamous for being a divisive character. Many OG fans consider her an inferior successor to Aang, and her detractors cite her shortcomings throughout the show. The most egregious, though, is the fact that she got Raava ripped out of her and their connection to her past lives severed, resetting the Avatar Cycle altogether. In other words, fans may never get to see Aang, Roku, Kiyoshi, and the other past Avatars again!

They’re not wrong to be upset. I loved Aang, and the idea that we may never see him again as a guide to future Avatars is heartbreaking. However, I do not consider what happened to be entirely Korra’s fault.

like how can you look at this and say yeah this is korra’s fault pic.twitter.com/yroson2O5m

— c (@racerkuvira) February 22, 2025

Keep in mind that Korra was fighting an uphill battle when she went into that fight with Unalaq. She knew this, and so she tried to get help from the President of the United Republic. And he refused to do anything, thinking it better to defend Republic City. To this day, I believe that if Raiko had sent support, Korra wouldn’t have had to fight so many enemies at once, and Unalaq and Vaatu wouldn’t have been able to rip Raava out of her. What makes it even worse is that, afterward, Raiko still blamed her for the destruction UnaVaatu caused!

Korra Had a Tough Act to Follow, and She Knew it

A big theme in The Legend of Korra is how people would not stop comparing her to how great Aang was, which is understandable. Like many, I grew up watching Aang and wasn’t entirely comfortable with seeing someone succeed him. But does that mean Korra was an inferior successor? No! People held her to these impossible standards and wanted her to be as good a character as Aang was. And while Aang was an amazing character, he wasn’t perfect and made mistakes—many Avatar’s made mistakes during their lifetimes. The whole reason the Avatar Cycle started was because Avatar Wan made a mistake. But the entire point of the Avatar is that they’re not this perfect being that can solve everything.

The point of the Avatar being human is for them to be flawed and mess up like everyone else. That’s part of being human; regardless of their godlike power, the Avatar is still human. And through their collective experiences, Raava also learned what it meant to be human. That’s something that plenty of Korra haters seem to forget, and it’s something that people during the time of Seven Havens will have to remember.

But with that rant out of the way, what do you guys think? Does this sound like something you’re going to watch? Do you think the premise of Seven Havens is a mistake? Let’s get some fan discussion going!

And be on the lookout for a second part talking about the other big thing regarding Seven Havens.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. 

A Fan’s Look back on Avatar: the Last Airbender on its 20th Anniversary

It was November, 2004, and ten-year-old me was going to the movies with my family. We were going to see The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie together, and I was beyond excited. SpongeBob was my all-time favorite cartoon and my hero, and I was getting to see his movie! We got our snacks, sat, and waited for the previews to finish so the film could start. That was when a preview for a show that wasn’t out yet flashed across our screens. It’s name was Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I didn’t think too much of it at the time. After all, I was too excited to see SpongeBob on the big screen. Little did I realize it, but that one preview of Avatar would be my introduction to what would be the best cartoon of my childhood.

Slowly Gaining an Interest in Avatar

Over the next three months, Nickelodeon would slowly ramp up its promotion for this new show called Avatar. Their entire channel became inundated with commercials explaining what Avatar would be about. How it took place in this fantastical world filled with strange animals and people who could wield the elements. That there was an entire nation bent on conquering everyone. And that the only person who could hope to stop them was a kid who spent the last hundred years frozen in ice.

Emphasis on the kid part, as several ads repeatedly mentioned his age.

One of the Best Nights of My Life

I don’t know when it started to pique my interest, but sometime during those three months, I had gone from shrugging my shoulders at this funny-looking show (how was I supposed to know it was based on anime? I didn’t even know what that was yet) to wanting to see what it was like. So, fast forward to Monday, February 21st, 2005, the premiere day. I just got out of school for the day (probably did my homework), turned on the TV, and went to Nickelodeon to watch their programming block U-Pick Live. My sister eventually joined me, and together, we waited as U-Pick Live counted down to the premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I remain thankful that my curiosity compelled me to watch the premiere, because it became one of the best nights of my life.

An Incredible Three Years Ahead

Saying that the first two episodes of Avatar blew me away would be an understatement. I was utterly floored by what I saw! There was the whole premise of this fantasy world ravaged by a century of war. The way it balanced the profound moments with a goofy sense of humor. And above all, there were the characters, most of whom were only a few years older than me. The fact that Aang was only two years older than me, had this enormous responsibility he never asked for, but was also this goofy kid who just wanted to have fun really resonated with me. He was like the cool friend I always wanted, and I quickly became attached to him! Though, honestly, I grew attached to all of the characters.

I spent the next three years devotedly watching Avatar and saw almost every episode. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined a cartoon on Nickelodeon could tell such a compelling story. The best part is that as I grew older, I began to understand the complex themes behind the story. While it wasn’t unheard of for kids’ shows to focus on important themes and morals to impart them to viewers, Avatar was different. It was willing to dive into topics its peers rarely ever did. From the cost of war to the effects of discrimination and abusive parenting, this kid’s cartoon was pretty mature! And like a fine wine, it’s only seemed to get better with age!

Avatar is as Good as I Remember

To this day, the night the series finale came out is among the best nights of my life. That’s how significant an impact this show had on me! And while the creators could have decided to call it a day after that, they didn’t. Instead of being a one-hit wonder, Avatar would spawn a franchise consisting of novels, comics, a sequel series, and another sequel series coming in the near future! And thanks to the pandemic keeping everyone stuck at home for a year, Avatar experienced a renaissance in popularity at the start of the decade.

And now, it’s more than twenty years old. Man, how time flies! But no matter how old it may get, Avatar was, is, and always will be one of the greatest shows ever created. And I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without it during those pivotal years of my childhood.