7 Shows That Tried to Be the Next ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

After the most recent season of the live-action adaptation on Netflix, fans are reminded of just how incredible and influential Avatar: The Last Airbender is. Renowned for its worldbuilding, lore, endearing characters, plot structure, character development, and mature storytelling for a kids’ show, it remains one of the best cartoons of all time. There have been sequels and live-action adaptations, but nothing has held up to the flawlessness of the original. But maybe when the new sequel, Avatar: Seven Havens, comes out, fans can experience the same flavor again.

Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s importance cannot be understated, influencing countless other cartoons, which is why this list will highlight seven animated series that tried to be the next Avatar: The Last Airbender. This isn’t a list of similar shows or recommendations; it is about series that tried to replicate the success of this cartoon. An anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the perfect recommendation for those who liked Avatar: The Last Airbender, but these seven shows attempted to follow suit in terms of storytelling, vibe, and other elements.

‘Steven Universe’ (2013–2020)

Image via Cartoon Network

Some of the animated series on this list are well-known, others are rather obscure, but one of the former is Steven Universe, arguably the most popular show on this list. The titular character is half-human and half-alien, being raised by the Crystal Gems, three magical beings who were exiled from their home world after rebelling against them to protect Earth. Steven (Zach Callison) learns to control his innate magical abilities after the Diamond Authority attempts to conquer Earth again, centuries after their first try.

On the surface, Steven Universe and Avatar: The Last Airbender show nothing in common, and while they start differently, they do share some similarities. While it started as a typical episodic structure, this cartoon slowly evolved into a dramatic plot on a massive scale similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender. The millennia-spanning conflict that reveals itself turns into a plot similar to Avatar, and while the vibe and aesthetic may be different, there is still an emotional connection. The power system also presents personal storytelling themes, making it one of the best modern-day cartoons.

‘Wakfu’ (2008–Present)

Three characters in a scene from the French animated series 'Wakfu' — Three characters in a scene from the French animated series ‘Wakfu’

Western cartoons aren’t the only ones who tried to replicate the success of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some foreign studios tried this as well. Wakfu is a French-animated series which is set in a world recovering from a cataclysmic flood. Yugo (Fanny Bloc) is a young boy who discovers he can create portals, which he uses on his quest alongside his group of adventurers. The aim of their journey is to uncover his mysterious origins and also to stop a time-manipulating villain known as Nox (Benjamin Pascal).

Structurally, Wakfu is incredibly similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender, clearly trying to follow the same outline. A young boy must travel with a group of adventurers while honing his powers in a fantastical world to save the planet. Based on a tactical MMORPG, it uses the magic system for fantastic results, creating a fascinating power system that rivals bending in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Wakfu does stand on its own, though, having a distinct animation style and villains motivated by grief rather than world domination.

‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ (2018–2020)

She-Ra, Bow and Glimmer prepare for a big event.

Masters of the Universe is a nostalgic and classic animated series, but it also had a spin-off, which received a reboot in 2018: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora (Aimee Carrero) is a soldier raised by the imperialistic Horde, but when she discovers a sword that turns her into She-Ra, she realizes that the Horde is evil. Defecting to the rebellion, she travels to the planet Etheria to fight back.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has aged well, becoming an unexpected cult classic because of its representation and compelling narrative. It hits the same demographic as Avatar: The Last Airbender, being both a silly comedy for teenagers and an emotionally mature masterpiece. Adora and her former friend also have a similar dynamic to many characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

‘Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts’ (2018)

Kipo Oak (Karen Fukuhara) in 'Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts' — Kipo Oak (Karen Fukuhara) in ‘Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts’

Maybe it is more like Steven Universe than Avatar: The Last Airbender, but Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts still tried to replicate its success. Hundreds of years after hyper-intelligent animals called “mutes” forced humanity to burrow underground, a young girl is washed up to the surface. She now teams up with survivors on the surface to find her father while also battling against these mutated animals.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts shares similarities with Avatar: The Last Airbender through its sense of adventure and exploration of different cultures as they progress through their quest. From hilarious misadventures to profound and mature storytelling, this animated series wanted to scratch that same itch. Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts also tells its entire story in 30 episodes, not needing to prolong it.

‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’ (2016–2018)

Lance (Jeremy Shada) uses his blaster in cannon in Voltron: Legendary Defender

Almost all the cartoons on this list are fantasy shows in some shape or form, but other animated series try to be like Avatar: The Last Airbender through the sci-fi genre, such as Voltron: Legendary Defender. When five human teenagers discover the Blue Lion, a robotic ship that transports them to a distant alien realm, they are thrust into an intergalactic war. As each of them tries to pilot five mechanical lions to form Voltron, they are the galaxy’s last hope.

Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery are the showrunners for Voltron: Legendary Defender, and they were also main directors for Avatar: The Last Airbender. They applied the Avatar structural blueprint to a ’80s mecha show, using their knowledge and blueprint to create a dramatic overarching sci-fi war with a blend of goofy humor. Voltron: Legendary Defender has a similar vibe to Avatar, proving it is an underrated animated series more people need to watch.

‘The Dragon Prince’ (2018–2024)

Almost every cartoon on this list is completed, and while The Dragon Prince did recently end, they also announced a sequel series titled The Dragon King to pick up where things left off. After the human king is assassinated, the continent of Xadia breaks into an all-out war. However, the two princes and their elf assassins learn that the thought-to-be destroyed egg of the Dragon Prince is intact. Abandoning their warring factions, they set out to return the egg to its mother, which would prevent the ensuing war and its bloodbath.

The Dragon Prince was co-created by Aaron Ehasz, the head writer and executive producer of Avatar: The Last Airbender. He was in charge of a lot of the main narrative, character development, and memorable moments, and he brought a lot of this style and expertise to The Dragon Prince. This cartoon is the closest thing to a spiritual successor, even utilizing the book format per season, easily trying to replicate the success of Avatar: The Last Airbender. While The Dragon Prince was an incredible cartoon, fans need to hope The Dragon King doesn’t follow suit in the same way that the Avatar sequels did.

‘The Legend of Korra’ (2012–2014)

Korra (Janet Varney) in The Legend of Korra

All of these animated shows tried to be Avatar: The Last Airbender in some way, but there is only one that directly attempted to follow it, and that is its sequel, The Legend of Korra. Set 70 years after the original, the titular character is now the Avatar, succeeding Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen). Korra (Janet Varney) may have mastered the elements, but she struggles with her spiritual duties, which is why she moves to Republic City to master airbending. Each season brings a new villain to the forefront, aiming to defeat the Avatar or planning some sort of grand takeover based on their ideals.

As opposed to Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra introduces a new villain each season, each representing a different extremist ideology. This takes away the grand adventure from the original, but it adds more unique storytelling opportunities with political intrigue. As the literal successor and created by the original showrunners, it tries to be the next Avatar in almost every way. The Legend of Korra does do a lot differently, including a modernized setting and working that into the story. However, fans didn’t connect as much with this one, proving Avatar is still the best cartoon of all time.