Complete Avatar the Last Airbender Read Order Guide

An American animated television series for three seasons, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” follows the adventures of Aang and his friends. They must save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation. 

Avatar is a series that embraces the good and bad aspects of being human. It shows unbalanced and diverse characters trying to balance war and peace, life and death, love and hate, regret and redemption, Yin and Yang.

Despite Avatar being a kid’s show technically, it has a broad audience and has received appreciation from all age groups, and rightly so.

1. Release Order

• Book One: Water (2005)
• Episodes: 20
• Book Two: Earth (2006)
• Episodes: 20
• Book Three: Fire (2007-08)
• Episodes: 21

Note: Each Season is referred to as a Book, and each Episode as a Chapter in the Avatar Franchise.

2. Alternate Watch Order

If you feel too old for Book 1, try watching the series in the following order. 

• Book Two: Episodes 7 and 8
• Book One: Water
• Book Two: Earth
• Book Three: Fire

Episodes 7 and 8 of Book 2 will give you a powerful introduction to the Avatar world and help you appreciate Aang’s journey a little better. And hopefully, ignite your interest!

3. Conclusion 

The Avatar series is a fantastic watch. Even though the show is full of unique fights, there are episodes where the protagonists peacefully exist and explore their childlike innocence. Be sure to watch all episodes for the best viewing experience. 

4. Avatar Read Order

I. What to read before the comics Avatar: The Last Airbender?

More than reading, it is better to go for a rewatch of the TV series, before or in parallel with the first comics, as you prefer. But it’s also the perfect place to acknowledge Chronicles of the Avatar, a series of novels chronicling the lives of previous Avatars.

• The Dawn of Yangchen
• The Rise of Kyoshi (takes place 396 years before the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• The Shadow of Kyoshi (Two years after the events of The Rise of Kyoshi)
• The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko’sStory

Finally, you can revisit the animated TV series with a Screen Comix retelling of the original, published by Random House.

• Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 1 (Screen Comix)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 2 (Screen Comix)
• Zuko Finds His Way (Screen Comix)
• The Power of Toph (Screen Comix)

II. Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics Reading Order

After the TV Series, the makers of Avatar decided to create a continuation of Aang’s story and more character development for the other characters. But instead of releasing it on TV like before, they made a comic book series. 

The comic book series show more adventures of Aang, the deepening insanity of Azula, and many more. Here is the chronological order to read the books: 

III. The Lost Adventures (anthology)

Stories of Adventures that took place during the original TV series in the middle of random television show episodes. 

To avoid any spoilers, you should read them after each season.

• Book One: Water- Between Season 1 and Season 2
• Book Two: Earth- Between Season 2 and Season 3 
• Book Three: Fire- After Season 3 
• Katara and the Pirate’s Silver 

Follows Katara as she gets separated from the rest of Team Avatar during the events of Book Two: Earth.

IV. Suki, Alone 

Follows Suki as a prisoner in the Boiling Rock prison during the events of Book Three: Fire 

V. Team Avatar Tales (anthology) 

Includes the previously published Free Comic Book Day issues and brand new mini-comics set during and after the series’ run. It’s better to read together. 

VI. The Promise (graphic novel trilogy)

The Promise details the events that occur immediately and one year after the television series end. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Promise Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Promise Part 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Promise Part 3 
• The Search (graphic novel trilogy)

Zuko’s quest to find his mother, Ursa, with the help of his sister and a few old friends.

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search Part 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search Part 3
• The Rift (graphic novel trilogy)

Continues the storyline established in The Search

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Rift Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Rift Part 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Rift Part 3
• Toph Beifong’s metal bending Academy

Toph discovers something that just might put the sparkle back in her eye.

VII. Smoke and Shadow (graphic novel trilogy) 

Aang and Zuko attempt to resolve conflicts, both physical and spiritual.

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Smoke and Shadow Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Smoke and Shadow Part 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Smoke and Shadow Part 3 
• North and South (graphic novel trilogy) 

It focuses on Katara and Sokka, who discover that their village has become a bustling city with Hakoda in charge. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- North and South Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- North and South Part 2
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- North and South Part 3
• Imbalance (graphic novel trilogy) 

 Aang and Team Avatar race to resolve tensions between benders and non-benders before a town is torn apart. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Imbalance Part 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Imbalance Part 2 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Imbalance Part 3
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Chibi Vol.1: Aang’s Unfreezing Day. (Coming Soon)

Aang doesn’t know his birthday date. Luckily his friends Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Zuko have the plan to surprise him with a new special day to celebrate. But they’ll have to be careful while they prepare–it’s a surprise!

VIII. Other Collected Editions

Every comic trilogy is first released in three paperback and digital parts. After a time, Dark Horse republishes those trilogies in other editions, offering another way to collect those stories. 

IX. The Library Edition

Library Editions are a format comic book collection from Dark Horse Comics and collect three parts of a story into one book. There are hardcover editions. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Lost Adventures and Team Avatar Tales Library Edition 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Promise Library Edition
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search Library Edition 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Rift Library Edition 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Smoke and Shadow Library Edition
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- North and South Library Edition 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Imbalance Library Edition 

X. Paperback Omnibus Edition 

The Omnibus edition also collects the three parts of a story in one book, but with a soft cover (a cover that can bend) and for a lower price. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Promise Omnibus 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search Omnibus 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Rift Omnibus 
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Smoke and Shadow Omnibus
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- North and South Omnibus
• Avatar: The Last Airbender- Imbalance Omnibus (Coming Soon)

5. What to read after The Last Airbender?

What to watch would be more precise as it is the moment to binge Legend of Korra before reading The Legend of Korra comics. A sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, “The Legend of Korra” is an animated American television series with four seasons. 

The story picks up seventy years after the end of the Avatar: The Last Airbender. The story follows Korra as she faces the difficult challenges, duties, and responsibilities that come with being the Avatar.

I. The Legend of Korra in Release Order

• Book 1: Air
• Episodes: 12
• Book 2: Spirits
• Episodes: 14
• Book 3: Change
• Episodes: 13
• Book 4: Balance
• Episodes: 13

     Prime Video: The Legend Of Korra Season 1 

II. The Legend of Korra Read Order

• Friends for Life

A Free Comic Book Day minicomic. As a child living in the Southern Water Tribe, Korra finds a polar bear dog cub that has become separated from its pack in a storm.

• Turf Wars

Picking up right where the animated series left off, Turf Wars delves into Korra and Asami’s romantic vacation in the Spirit World, coming out to Korra’s parents, and returning to Republic City:

• The Legend of Korra- Turf Wars Part One
• The Legend of Korra- Turf Wars Part Two
• The Legend of Korra- Turf Wars Part Three
• Lost Pets

A Free Comic Book Day minicomic. When Meelo shirks his duties at the refugee camp, Korra recruits him for a top-secret, super-important mission: tracking down a pack of lost pets!

• Clearing The Air

A Free Comic Book Day minicomic. Tenzin relates the tale of a fight he had as a youngster, and what the confrontation helped him discover about his Air Nomad heritage. The flashback is set around a few years after the Yakone Trial.

• Ruins of the Empire

Directly following the events of the Turf Wars trilogy, Korra must decide who to trust as the fate of the Earth Kingdom hangs in the balance.

• The Legend of Korra-Ruins of the Empire Part One
• The Legend of Korra- Ruins of the Empire Part Two
• The Legend of Korra- Ruins of the Empire Part Three

III. Other Collected Editions

• The Library Edition

The Library Editions are Hardcover editions that recollect three parts of a story in one book.

• The Legend of Korra- Turf Wars Library Edition
• The Legend of Korra- Ruins of the Empire Library Edition
• Paperback Omnibus Edition

The Omnibus editions collect the three parts of a story in one book, with a softcover and a cheaper price.

• The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Omnibus 

6. About Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, for three seasons.

The series follows a young boy named Aang, the last surviving member from his nation and the current Avatar. He sets on a journey with his friends to save the world from the grips of the autocratic Fire Nation.