It’s been over ten years since the finale of The Legend of Korra aired and the world within the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe witnessed the cataclysmic conclusion. Now that same world braces itself as the newest Avatar incarnation, or in this case, possibly multiple incarnations, emerge. It’s an exciting undertaking that’s enticing countless Avatar fans around the globe, but burning questions will soon emerge, namely, about what to expect from Avatar: Seven Havens.
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As Nickelodeon celebrates the 20th anniversary of Avatar: The Last Airbender with a line of new orchestral tours, merchandise, and printed publications, a new animated series has also been announced. Avatar: Seven Havens is the next iteration of the franchise, set in the same universe and following a new hero in the footsteps of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. It’s certainly the most exciting news to come out of the universe, even with other Avatar updates and spinoffs recently.
The Buzz at Avatar Studios and Seven Havens’ Episode Count
Since the launch of Avatar Studios in 2021 as a division of Nickelodeon, Avatar: The Last Airbender original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have been working as the studio’s co-chief creative officers. In creating original content such as comic books, graphic novels, and, of course, tv shows, the third installment in the animated franchise has been greenlit. The press release sent out for February 20th also confirms that Avatar: Seven Havens will produce at least an initial 26 episodes. The first season of the new series will comprise Books 1 and 2, sets of 13 half-hour episodes.
“When we created the original series, we never imagined we’d still be expanding the world decades later,” said DiMartino and Konietzko. “This new incarnation of the Avatarverse is full of fantasy, mystery, and a whole new cast of amazing characters. Get ready to take another epic and emotional adventure!”
“For two decades, the richly crafted world of Avatar: The Last Airbender has introduced audiences to a world of compelling characters and groundbreaking storylines, captivating fans globally,” said Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait to embark on the next chapter of this epic saga, with a new story set within the Avatarverse, envisioned by the original creators, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.”
A Shattered New World After The Legend of Korra
When the finale of The Legend of Korra plunged the world into calamity, the spirit and physical worlds began merging into one. Now the earth is left a desolate wasteland. Instead of a dystopia riddled with dilapidated machinery that turned The Legend of Korra into a steampunk rendition of the series, this chapter introduces a post-apocalyptic earth crawling with supernatural monsters. So, instead of an outcome like Borderlands, perhaps the theme is more along the lines of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind where the natural, or in this case supernatural, world will become an obstacle in itself to the main plot.
With the four, once-powerful nations now gone, seven havens have replaced them as the last few cities where humans can survive. The backdrop is speculated to be initially set in the city of Elora, one of these seven havens.
A New Avatar
With the world within the Avatar universe evolving into a drastically different landscape from its predecessors, so too is the existence of the legend of the Avatar. After the catastrophe that ended with the last Avatar, Korra, throwing the world out of balance, the notion of a new Avatar is now no longer identified as a savior figure, but rather a bringer of destruction.
The new series introduces a first in the lineage of Avatar incarnations: a set of estranged nine-year-old earthbending twin sisters. With a slight Prince and the Pauper twist, one of the twins is to be raised by the secret society of the White Lotus with a privileged life, rumored to be named Nisha, and the other living on the streets as an amputee, named Pavi according to leaks obtained by Knight Edge Media. Each will be accompanied by their own monkey-cat companions, Ruhi and Geet, respectively.
There is some speculation of a light and dark metaphor surrounding the twins and their pets. Pavi, meaning “pure” or “compassionate”, is paired with a light-colored pet with dark markings while Nisha, meaning “night” or “darkness”, is paired with a pet of inverse colors. Perhaps these depictions can be reminiscent of the similar yin and yang representation portrayed by the koi fish originally in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Or perhaps they’re incarnations of the combative spirits of light and chaos within that universe, Raava and Vaatu.
[RELATED: New Avatar: The Last Airbender Animated Series Will Introduce the Next Avatar After Korra]
A New Story in the Avatar Universe
It’s easy to get excited with this much buildup, and fans are already eagerly digging into any secrets they can unearth about the new Avatar series. The press release from Avatar Studios states: “Hunted by both human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin must uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens before civilization’s last strongholds collapse.”
In a world where supernatural monsters run rampant, the earth is laid to waste, and society has collapsed, the new Avatar, or Avatars, will face new challenges no other incarnation could have ever imagined. With a story focusing on a shift of the Avatar role beyond the days of Korra, and this news breaking to an eager fandom, it’s been a great week to be an Avatar fan.
H/T: Knight Edge Media
Excited about the new world of Avatar? Hesitant about the changes happening in the series? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!
