10 MOST RIDICULOUS THINGS TO HAPPEN IN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

One of the best parts of Avatar: The Last Airbenderis its delightful sense of humor. After all, Avatar is geared for younger audiences, meaning it has youthful heroes who say and do all kinds of wacky things during their epic fantasy adventure to save the world in the Hundred-Year War. Nearly every episode has at least one or two over-the-top gags, and some of those ridiculous events are fan-favorites.

The most ridiculous things to happen in Avatar were rarely important plot points, but viewers still enjoyed them as a great way to relieve the tension and make the characters more likable. That includes pratfalls, clever dialogue to make audiences laugh, and even a few cases where a character thought they were being totally serious but ended up looking ridiculous.

Aang Hallucinated Appa and Momo Fighting as Samurai

Book Three, Episode 9: "Nightmares and Daydreams"

In the days leading up to the Fire Nation invasion, Aang found himself wracked with serious fear and anxiety, giving him twisted nightmares. He lost sleep, and at some point, an exhausted and frazzled Aang started seeing things, including his animal friends Appa and Momo fighting as two sword-slinging samurai against a bamboo forest background.

That whole sequence was a remarkable blend of unsettling horror and goofy comedy, because while the visuals were a riot, the music was eerie and the scene kept getting weirder as Aang felt himself unraveling. Also, the scene gave viewers a hint of what Momo and Appa would sound like if they could actually talk, and the results were spot-on.

Sokka Had a Rap Battle with a Haiku Enthusiast Club

Book Two, Episode 15: "The Tales of Ba Sing Se"

While Uncle Iroh's own tale was heartbreaking as he mourned his son Lu-Ten, Sokka's own tale in Ba Sing Se was much more amusing. Most importantly, Sokka's mini-story helped fans see Sokka's artistic side, giving him a new way to exercise his creativity outside inventing things or throwing his boomerang in battle.

Sokka traded verbal blows with the members of a haiku enthusiast club, with him and a well-dressed lady quipping back and forth on whether Sokka was a literary genius or just a monkey in a tree. It was a classic example of a fun scene happening just because it could, though no fan will deny how much depth it added to Sokka's character and rounded him out as a person.

Aang Chomped Down on Snacks in His New Glider

Book Three, Episode 10: "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion"

On the day of the Fire Nation invasion, Aang was gifted a new glider from the Mechanist, and purely for humor's sake, there was a tiny subplot where the Mechanist added a snack dispenser to the glider. As Aang soared toward the royal palace to take on the mighty Fire Lord Ozai, Aang tried the snack dispenser for himself.

The scene was hilarious since it used such a wacky sound effect for Aang's grumbling stomach, with his hunger gurgles sounding like an annoyed dinosaur. Also, Aang's impulsive snacking actually made him feel more like his lemur friend Momo, complete with his casual gliding in the air with two outstretched wings. That was almost a subtle nod to how much affinity Aang had for the animals in his life.

Chit Sang Started a Riot Just by Saying So

Book Three, Episode 15: "The Boiling Rock, Part 2"

In the Boiling Rock prison complex, Sokka and Zuko needed all their wits to find and rescue prisoners like Suki and Hakoda, and they needed inside help from inmates like Chit Sang, too. At first, Chit Sang was a liability thanks to his loudly botched escape attempt, but when Sokka needed a diversion for the second escape attempt, Chit Sang finally did some good.

Sokka and Hakoda tried and failed to incite a riot on their own, but fortunately for them, Chit Sang knew what to do. Amusingly, Chit Sang tossed another prisoner over his head while simply commanding everyone to riot, and it immediately worked. Fans might interpret that as Chit Sang having experience and influence in the Boiling Rock to the point other prisoners will do whatever he says if it sounds like fun.

The Ember Island Play Poked Fun at the Entire Story

Book Three, Episode 17: "The Ember Island Players"

The episode dedicated to the Ember Island Players was one giant sequence of ridiculous silliness, feeling like a borderline filler episode with a dash of serious emotional weight thrown in. Zuko's guilt-ridden comments about Iroh meant a lot, but that was the exception, with goofy fun being the rule in this episode. It was also a chance to see the characters through a fresh lens as they were parodied in the play.

Examples were countless, from Katara's weepy sentimentality, to Zuko's high-strung, melodramatic ways and certainly Aang's carefree personality as the young Airbender hero. Aside from Toph, the real Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Sokka weren't too happy with the parody. When it became clear that the play was just propaganda, even Toph had to admit it was lousy. Toph's sense of humor couldn't disguise her disgust at the Fire Nation's arrogant disinformation about Ozai's supposedly inevitable final victory over Aang.

Sokka Fell Into a Hole as a Moose Lion Cub Teased Him

Book Two, Episode 9: "Bitter Work"

While Aang learned Earthbending with Toph and Zuko learned how to redirect lightning from Iroh, Sokka got himself into trouble during an ill-fated hunt. As usual, Sokka, feeling overconfident about his skills and wits, landed him in a bind. While he ultimately ended up needing the help of his friends, Sokka almost learned an important lesson about who he is and his purpose within the team.

Sokka spent the bulk of that episode stuck up to his shoulders in a hole while a saber-toothed moose lion cub wandered around, and that was when Sokka toyed with some self-reflection. If it meant escaping and surviving, Sokka would sacrifice meat and sarcasm, meaning he was open to defining himself in other ways. That promised to be a big moment of growth for him, but of course, Sokka reverted to his usual ways the moment he was freed.

The Kyoshi Islanders Wildly Greeted Aang's Arrival

Book One, Episode 4: "The Warriors of Kyoshi"

When the Gaang arrived at Kyoshi Island, that was the first time they got "the hero treatment," as Toph later put it. Over time, Aang and his friends gained countless supporters and grew in fame as they kept saving different communities from Fire Nation forces. Seeing the effects and positive impact they were having on people helped keep the Gaang's spirits up in the face of such extreme danger.

For comedy's sake, the first example was rather extreme, with the girls of Kyoshi Island greeting the Gaang like young women greeting the Beatles at an airport. One girl went wild, swinging her arms around as she foamed in the mouth, eventually collapsing. Embarrassed, she covered her head and wandered off, no doubt fearing Aang's displeasure. Fortunately, Aang enjoyed the attention and would never think badly of his admirers.

Azula Burned Down the Net While Playing Volleyball

Book Three, Episode 5: "The Beach"

Even Avatar: The Last Airbender indulged in the "anime beach episode" trope, which helped the series explore the deeper psychology of Zuko's squad of antiheroes. Azula, for example, was established as an awkward and unapproachable person in daily life, channeling her competitive and domineering feelings into absolutely everything.

Azula and her three friends didn't just play to win against another volleyball team — Azula saw fit to burn down the net and gloat about her victory, which didn't go over well with anyone. It was outrageous and silly on the face, but it also reflected more serious problems with Azula's personality and lifestyle. It highlighted her inability to connect with people meaningfully. Most of all, it actually hurt Azula deep down, as she longed to be "normal," even for one day.

A Fire Nation Guard Thought Momo Was Earth-bending

Book One, Episode 6: "Imprisoned"

Book One, in particular, had some truly off-the-wall comedy just for the sake of it and to make young viewers laugh. One example was when Katara posed as an Earth-bender with the aid of Aang's sneaky air-bending, and for whatever reason, the Fire Nation troops thought Momo the lemur was the one levitating a boulder.

If Fire Nation guards need a teenager like Sokka to correct them on something so obvious, then those troops aren't exactly up to the job. The guards were eventually tricked into thinking Katara was an Earth-bender. The trick didn't last for long, however, as Katara was caught in the act, and that led to the offshore prison platform sequence where Haru's rescue was assured.

Iroh Fell on June While Pretending to be Paralyzed

Book One, Episode 15: "Bato of the Water Tribe"

Zuko sometimes recruited third parties to help him capture Aang, and one of the best agents for the job was June, a bounty hunter whose shirshu's nose could sniff out a rat from a continent away. Then, during the battle, Sokka used his wits to overwhelm the shirshu's nose, and the beast went wild with its paralyzing tongue. Zuko and June both got hit, but Iroh did not.

Iroh merely pretended to have an excuse for June to fall on him, lying on his chest until the paralysis wore off. That was one of Iroh's dirtiest moments, making sure an attractive lady like June was snuggled up next to him, and June was less than thrilled. That was no doubt why June referred to Iroh as "your creepy grandpa" when Zuko met her again right before Sozin's Comet arrived.

2025-02-13T07:03:59Z