Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Art of Tearbending 

Hey all! I hope you enjoy this one. Been wanting to make it since the first Avatar video I put out, so I am glad to finally be here. I am working on a piece that will be out in a few weeks where I compare a cartoon that very few people seem to be talking about to a video game that everyone is talking about right now. I also am planning to do a charity livestream in the near future raising money for Color of Change. I am still not sure on the details for it yet (I am moving this next month, so my ability to plan additional stuff right now is low), but it will happen, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for watching and see you soon.

i am so glad that this show is experiencing a resurgence due to its introduction to netflix. This show has truly passed the test of time.

“A lot of stories seem to mistake shocking moments for impactful ones.” *SHOTS FIRED*

“Wore her pride like armour” *shows her making armour* 10/10 editing 4:17

People bring up Tales of Ba sing se a lot, but "I don't think boomerang is coming back" hits like a god damn freight train. I cried like a bitch.

I feel like a major part of why Zuko’s Redemption is so loved and remembered is because - while it is amazingly well done - He ACTUALLY redeemed himself. So often in television and movies someone is an asshole and then slowly changes even if just a little to show they are redeeming themself and then they sacrifice themself - Usually absolving them of all sin and hatred from others. No matter if they’ve actually changed all that much and actually tried to be a better person the second they sacrifice themself all is forgiven, whereas Zuko went through the whole process, he had to EARN the forgiveness of those he hurt and not everyone will forgive him and he has to LIVE with that instead of magically being forgiven for giving his life to save someone and taking the easy way out.

You misspelled Teabending.

To add a bit to your list of small moments where characters act differently -Aang striking down the wasp in anger in the desert despite being a devout pacifist and vegetarian -Azula (really genuinely) asking on the beach at the campfire if she's the reason Zuko is angry -Sokka (who is usually confident and not thinking before speaking) flubbing up trying to explain the eclipse plan Feel free to add more. I'm curious what other people noticed

The scene in the desert where Aang goes into the avatar state makes me cry, because it reminds me that Aang is just 12 and I think about the time Katara tells Aang that it hurts her to see him like that. Also Irohs son's birthday hurts me everytime

I still tear up every time I think about the tale of Iroh. This has to be the best show I've ever watched.

Just when I thought this show had been talked to death, my mans comes and rocks my mind with how great storytelling isn't just from plot twists, but from how the characters we care about - care about each other.

I don’t cry at works of fiction, but I’ll be damned if “Leaves from the Vine” doesn’t bring me close

I haven't watched this show in years and this popped into my recommendations I thought "hey I loved this why not watch some fun theory" then I get hit with this guy actually tearbending me wtf is this what a scam god I'm drowning in tears someone help me I'm gonna go watch the entire show now

Some of the moments that impacted me was when: 1, Sokka said that Katara is his mother figure, and Toph said that Katara cares for her more than her actual mom. 2, when Toph said that she doesn't really care about her physical appearance (since I also have a disability) [Tales of Ba Sing Se]. Esp the first one that I mentioned, I feel like crying when I watched that. For someone who lost her mother at a young age, I barely remember my own mother anymore or have any emotional connection with her. I had a stepmom, and now, my aunt as my mother figure. It's just... :"

"Leaves from the Vine" consistently breaks my heart, but that Sokka/Toph scene gets me EVERY TIME. Toph's the greatest earthbender of all time, but when she does need help in the series (once she realizes it's ok for people to help you), she gravitates toward Sokka. And Sokka, who has been in protector mode since the beginning of the series and has learned the hard way what happens when he can't protect someone, takes that seriously in a way that still respects her capabilities while acknowledging her needs (like how she holds his arm when they and Aang are flying back to Ba Sing Se in the Crossroads of Destiny episode). She in turn has his back when he's in danger. The set up of him literally being broken and defenseless but still trying to keep her from falling, her only being able to see with her hands and feet so the only thing that she "sees" as she's dangling in mid air is Sokka, and that moment where they both realize and accept that this could be the end....it kills me.

Bruh when Toph was hanging in the air and her and Sokka's hands slipped leaving only their *fingers* to desperately hold on to is a detail that really hit he hard as a child. The creators could have had them just hold hands like any normal show but that hand slip was an action I'd only seen in Avatar and really upped the tension in what could have been their last moments

I just recently rewatched Avatar while my wife was out of town. When I first started my rewatch, I was apprehensive. I didn't want to get into it only to realize that my fond childhood nostalgia of it was only that: nostalgia. I was so pleasantly surprised when after the first episode, I could tell that my nostalgia wasn't just from fond memories. I then proceeded to binge the entire thing in three days; one day for each book.

Avatar Month for all!!

I cried like 8 times while watching _this_ , so yeah, AtLA is good at being emotional.

“I’m not crying, just water bending through my eyes 😭”

Its amazing how a children's cartoon can make you feel a kaleidoscope of emotions.

Avatar is a show that has and probably will never get old for me and the more videos I watch about it the more I realize why.

The depth of character is one of the reasons this show is actually something of a reference to me when writing my own stories. I don't copy, I couldn't copy what they did in the show, but I do take notes on why scenes worked so well and puzzle together a way to reach the same level of impact with my own characters. One of the best moments I wrote in recent memory was of the patient character losing their temper about something. I spent literal years weaving this man into someone who could wait out the end of the world if he needed to. He's a tricky character to write for, often preferring to not act in situations and let what's happening happen, but in the rare moments that he breaks and chooses to take action first or loses his temper, it means something. And that's something I learned to do from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Who said cartoons couldn't teach you anything of value?

I was watching the ember island players episode literally seconds before this came up in my notifications!

I'm so happy you shouted out Sages Rain, he's honestly such an underrated RU-vidr whos somber voice just makes wanna keep on watching. He makes a ton of different videos from Naruto, Avatar, Batman, and so much more. If you like intellectual videos like this, I can not stress enough that you should check him out.

Avatar: The Last Tearbender

I'm a cold hearted soulless robot (most of the time) but god dang did avatar know how to make me cry at times.

Just that cut at 7:41 had me welling up, even though I knew it was coming because how on earth can you talk about Avatar and crying without bringing up *that?*

"look it happens to Zuko a lot" I never switched from crying to laughing so quickly lol

Currently rewatching too, and when Tales of Ba Sing Se began, my wife was straight up looking away. Such a tearjerker with Iroh and the double punch about Mako...

Amazing video! Thank you so much for the shout-out my guy, I really appreciate it

The song that Iroh sings in Tales Of Ba Sing Se episode, Leaves From the Vine, was composed by Mako Iwamatsu, the original voice actor of Iroh. Mako wrote that song when he found out he was going to die of cancer. Hence why at the end of the episode the screen read "IN HONOR OF MAKO". That song was the last recording that Mako made for the series before passing away.

The Desert has a special place in my heart for getting me interested in the show. At that point, I think I had watched one, maybe two episodes in season 1 and at the time, wasn't hooked. I thought it was too goofy and too kiddish(from the ones I had seen) and wasn't drawn in. But I think one day I catch halfway through on The Library, and also that day had a bunch showing in a row and I catch that episode of all places around the time Toph does her infamous, "when one of you spots it!" blind jokes. And at that point, I didn't even KNOW Toph AT ALL. And I'm like, "wait... is she blind? and wait... DID NICK JUST APPROVE A FRICKIN BLIND JOKES?!" and I was hooked. The ending emotion with Appa leading into the tense Desert episode truly hooked me and made me want to continue on. Eventually I caught all the episodes I missed of course :) I think I was ESPECIALLY drawn to continue on with the Desert as well when Aang turns from that childish boy to, "YOU MUZZLED APPA?!" And the ensuing tension with everyone running away, and Katara just sad for him as she KNOWS she can reach him and just pulls him down and hugs him as he sobs. I was definitely not ready for that and it definitely contributed to my interest. Definitely nothing like this show! But I didn't even know the characters that well, but the emotion and the weight, compounded by the cool moves(but the emotion and story first no doubt) REALLY drew me in

I'm still tryna figure out how Sokka kept his haircut fresh

ANOTHER BANGER KING LET'S GOOOOOOO

Just to add to your "it can be seen when" montage, it can be seen when the lovable and benign Uncle Iroh threatens Zhao and avenges the Water Spirit in the season 1 finale. That was a definite "oh shit" moment for most people. Edit: Nvm you mentioned it later :'D Also, in a time where Avatar videos are coming out by the dozen I congratulate you on having a genuinely insightful and new take on it.

Uncle Iroh was one of the most memorable characters to me. His style really made me feel good about him and myself watching. It reminded me of turkey, my origin and the warmth. I felt the same thing with Jiraiya from the Naruto series. These characters had such great depth I really enjoyed it. Cheers

Iroh: sings leaves from the vine Me: I’m not crying just tear bending

Call me a monster, but I’ve only ever cried at the end of Momo’s tale in Tales of Ba Sing Se. Not during any other moment in the series

You know, when you put it that way, it kinda seems like Avatar is an extremely well written show that can be enjoyed be children as well as adults.

I love how you mention that this show is amazing not in spite of it being for children but because of it. Many people seem to think calling a show “for children” somehow takes away some of its merit, as if child audiences didn’t deserve good tv.

Avatar kills me every time. The combination of nostalgia and genuine great writing brings me to tears for almost every episode

I can't believe I know people that haven't watched this masterpiece.

9:06 "A lot going on beneath the surface" with that shot xD nice editing.

"And look, I haven't even mentioned Iroh yet." Look out boys, a floods coming..

On a related note to the desert episode, a key point I noticed in the recent rewatch of it this weekend; Sokka is typically silly but level-headed and driven. He is usually the one pushing the group forward or reminding them of the larger quest at hand. Their reason for being in the desert comes about as his arm is twisted over a 'mini-vacation' (he initially sees the venture as a waste of time) which he ultimately uses his vote on as a chance to garner knowledge, specifically to further the grand objective of defeating the Fire Nation. The shift into using him as a comedic relief to soften the blows of the hard hitting notes of the desert also simultaneously gives Katara a chance to take the leader spotlight - when the going got tough, Sokka lets his guard down due to his thirst, and level-headed Katara advises Toph not to drink any of the cacti as she is wary of it's effects (rightly so). Overall, it was just such a well written episode and I wholeheartedly agree that the show as a whole makes these characters feel not only alive but more than just a one note character; there is genuine depth to them that the viewer can comprehend no matter their age (relatively speaking). It is something that makes me think about why I didn't enjoy Korra as much - outside of Korra herself, the main band don't have the same depth of feeling, and emotions in comparison. I liked the sequel series regardless, but the heart of ATLA wasn't Aang but the gang as a whole, and Korra took a different approach that didn't quite resonate with me.

7:44 just watched this again yesterday for the god knows how manieth time and I still tear up. EVERY, SINGLE, TIME

The moment that Zuko admits that he’s angry not at the world, but at himself and the choices he made is such an underrated moment. That one makes me choke up every time man

"You wouldn't expect XY why to act like that" That sentence made so much sense, but also so little. I mean he is right, I probably would not expect that in a show, because most of them create characters which are meant to act in ONE certain way, but Avatar is different. The show handled it so much better. It showed that a persons personality is more complex and that being strong and being emotional is not meant to be mutually exclusive and that's simply wonderful. Thank you for this video.

Playing leaves from the vine was a cheap shot to the feels, damn.

"leaves from the vine starts playing" Don't cry, don't cry, you can do it. Deep breath.

You got me tearbending in the club right now.

Wow. As soon as Iroh's music started playing I welled up immediately. I didn't think I remembered the music... But there it was, knew what it was about before it showed him at the tree mourning his son. Arghhh the feels!!!

“Strike me! You never held back before!” Hits me every time

"In this episode Sokka provides comic relief to break up the tension of the terrible situation the team has found themselves in" Yep sums up pretty much the majority of what I remember of the show, the team getting in trouble and Sokka just, well, being Sokka

That episode where Appa is lost is one of the saddest.

There is no other scene in TV history that can make me cry no matter how many times I've seen it other than "leaves from the vine"

I find it amazing how when watching the show as a kid I saw myself in Aang and wanted to be like him. I mean, that makes sense, we were the same age as the show finished and from the beginning he is the hero destined to save the world. But then recently, as I rewatched the series with my partner who had never seen it before, I can't count the number of times I teared up watching Zuko's pain and transformation. Surviving trauma and changing as a person are not light things, but they are just as heroic. What a beautiful show that has truly only gotten better with age. Thanks for your heartfelt analysis--it's the reason I first subscribed :)

I shall have to return to this - I'm watching Avatar for the first time, and I'm at the beginning of season 2. So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

The Song Iroh sings to his son playing in the background was enough to bring me to tears

when the opening notes for Leave From a Vine started playing I mastered tearbending-

I legit have tears in my eyes just watching this because all these moments are so powerful. I cry every single time I see the ending of the Desert. The empathy in Katara and the rage in Aang are just so palpable, it's impossible for me not to feel something. This show is just soooo amazing. (obviously Iroh in the Tales of Ba Sing Se also makes me cry every time, but I just wanted to focus on what I feel like is an underrated scene for emotion)

I don't get brought to tears very often, but for some reason seeing Azula completely sobbing after her fight with Zuko... hits really hard.

Nothing hits me the hardest than the scene when Aang is first looking for Appa in the desert and stops and yells just “NO” as he hits the ground with his staff.

Coming back to this, 14 years later it still has a special place in my heart. Waking up from afternoon naps watching this, over and over again.

Zuko's growth is always amazing, but I get the most chills from the moments Aang gets angry or emotional because they're genuinely the scariest moments. You expect Zuko to be dramatic and emotional, but not necessarily admit it. You never expect Aang to be angry.

Aang losing his cool towards the sandbenders, with the angels singing in the background, always has and always will hit me hard.

You know what makes me tear bend? Leaves from the vine Falling so slow. Little soldier boy Come marching home.

Every character had someone to be there for them in their hardest moments. Iroh never had it. 9:15

The fact that I was almost brought to tears even tho I've never seen avatar means that it's great at emotional stuff.

This is maybe my favourite World and Story in the fantasy genre. It's just fantastic

The scene, where Zuko is on his knees, crying and asking for Iroh's forgiveness and Iroh hugging him, saying that he never was angry with him but feared he lost his way, is the greatest scene. Always brings me to tears (even thinking about it).

avatar the last airbender is proof that children tv shows can be amazing

It's kind of the same thing that Pixar does with its most memorable scenes. They use happy music when the scene is supposed to be quite sad. This creates a contrast where you are hearing music in high notes that tries to uplift your spirits and make you happy but on the other hand, you are witnessing something opposite, something sad, on the screen. There is a very good video on RU-vid about this.

Dave filoni, showrunner of the clone wars, worked on avatar

I literally took days off School in grade 12 to watch this show, it taught me more about emotional intelligence and good writing than I learnt at school

I didn’t think we’d get another Avatar video from you! You’re spoiling us at this point.

"One whose eyes are always shut opens them, even if only for a second" - TV Tropes

You have really good storytelling skills. Like that shit is hard to do, yet you seem to do it so easily. Your voice is soothing but not boring and the structure if the video and the way you explain and describe things really keep you interested. Good job!

I just started watching the last airbender again a long time since I was a kid, and I must say, this show only gets better over time!

I'd love to see this idea of comic relief balanced with darkness fleshed out more with more examples. Like hunchback of Notre Dame. Why does the balance work in Avatar but come off wonky in the Disney movie

"Iroh is a character that seems like he has a lot going on beneath the surface" Shows clip of Iroh soaking in the hot springs, probably bare ass. I see that you did there.

I teared up 5 different times in this video. This is a damn good show and you pointed out things I noticed unconsciously so well. Thank you for this amazing video,.

Oh my when you should the clip of iroh in tales of basingsay I instantly started crying lightly it's the most emotional moment in television history . What an amazing show .

Perfect timing for this video as I just finished rewatching avatar this week. As a 20yo I can say that Zuko redemption scene with Iroh makes me tear up harder than I ever did watching this show as a kid.

Damn, there must be tearbending ninjas in my room what the hell?

When Katara admits to her dad how upset she was that he left, despite her being responsible and strong. it kills me.

Iroh: sings Leaves From the Vine Me: "Alright, welp... time to tearbend"

"Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Art of Tearbending" So basically water bending but with tears.

I love that this show came to Netflix, it’s been a joy to relive, razbuten you make amazing content and you’ve inspired me to create my own channel, you’re frickin awesome, and so is this show

Also on the sokka-Toph scene you discuss, it’s also important to remember that well.. both sokka and Toph are the comic relief of the show, sokka with his dry humor and Toph with her blind jokes. But in that scene they aren’t joking, and they’ve given up, something neither of them have truly done before, usually a Toph-sokka scene is funny (exception in the runaway) but here, they are sad

7:41 “oh look, I haven’t even mentioned..” as it cut to it and the tune started i teared up, even though previously today i was looking at videos of that moment, avatar made me happy and sad, angry and calm, and lowkey helped me better myself as a person.. i fucken love avatar

I’m literally just rewatching Avatar for the hundredth time and it has me on the verge of tears so damn much. Loved hearing your thoughts about this!

I just started rewatching the show a few days ago and its one of the rare shows that even after growing out of the typical age most people expect to watch these shows, is still just as great or even better than it was the first time i watched it. The mixture of humour and seriousness, and everything is just soo good that i havent found something similar in all the years since Avatars release. Also great video! Really enjoyed it!

Thank you for the shout out buddy. You keep the show going with all your Avatar videos. The show truly is a masterpiece. It's a shame most folks see it as a kiddies show. But they completely miss how deep this show can be. And your videos do an excellent job of displaying that.

I can't describe the feelings I went through in the last moments of the final episode 🥺 I've never struggled so bad with accepting that it was the end

Terrible editing you played Iroh's song and my tears couldnt let me see the screen or pay attention. What say you😭

Thank you. One can't be reminded of this shows values too often!

I have watched Avatar: The Last Airbender (TLA) twice through now, once when I was quite young and once before digging into The Legend of Korra as it was being aired, which come to think of it I never kept up with (I also watched the TLA movie- significantly less worth a rewatch). I have been wanting to rewatch TLA for a while now, but keep telling myself I should wait so that I forget more of it so that I can enjoy it more, but seeing this... it's unforgettable. So many clips brought tears to my eyes without the full context of the show (granted, you did pick them specifically to talk about tearbending). I still have the Secret Tunnel song loop in my head on occasion with no prompt (or the prompt of a literal tunnel just existing in conversation or my field of view, of course). It's such a beautiful show, and if I want to enjoy it all over again despite it not having been 20 years since my last viewing by god I WILL ENJOY IT (it's literally been almost a decade and it still feels so fresh).

6:32 One thing that gets me besides just Zuko’s dialogue that gets me in that scene, is that Azula shields herself from the fire