Netflix’s Live-Action Avatar Will Be Even Darker in Season 2 (& Fans Will Love It)

On the scale of Netflix’s live-action anime/animation adaptations, Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t as good as One Piece, but it is a far cry from the universally panned Cowboy Bebop. The series, which was released in 2024, is adapted from the beloved Nickelodeon animated series of the same name, following the adventures of Aang, the master of all four elements, as he and his friends try to stop the Fire Nation from conquering the world. The biggest criticism Netflix’s adaptation received was its unnecessarily dark tone in comparison to the beloved light-hearted (but still emotionally weighted) original. Season 2 will apparently be much darker, but it’s not the bad thing fans think it is.

The new additions to Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2’s cast were just announced, and it includes a fan-favorite character from the most horrific episode in the original series. The animated The Last Airbender included some dark scenes, like Katara wanting to avenge her parents, and the genocide of the Air Nomads. But, every fan agrees that the darkest episode came in Season 3. ‘The Puppetmaster’ introduced Bloodbending to the world of Avatar, through the Waterbender, Hama. Netflix’s adaptation is moving that episode forward to Season 2, with Tantoo Cardinal playing the wicked Waterbender, and we can’t wait to see it in live-action.

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Bloodbending Could Look Great in Live-Action

For all the issues that fans have with Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, most fans agree that the action is the show’s most impressive quality. Unlike M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 movie adaptation (which doesn’t exist in Ba Sing Se), Netflix nailed the look of element bending in live-action, with the fights from the original series translating well into live-action.

If done right, Bloodbending could be a great extension of this. The episode from the original animated show was clearly inspired by body horror classics, as Fire Nation bodies were distorted and contorted into gruesome shapes by Hama. Season 1 of Netflix’s version tried delving into the horror genre through its introduction of the forest spirit and Koh the face stealer, but neither of these moments felt scary. Bloodbending is Netflix’s chance to get horror right, and fans are equal parts nervous and excited to see Hama brought to life on the big screen.

Hama’s introduction in Season 2 also confirms another controversial change to the show. Season 1 drastically altered the chronology of the original show to morph the story into eight, hour-long episodes. Season 2 will make similar changes, pushing elements from Book 2 into Season 3 and vice-versa.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 recently wrapped production. No official release date has been revealed yet.