The BEST episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1

Every episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1!

With the Fire Nation on the brink of global domination, a young boy reawakens after a hundred-year absence. To save his war-torn world he must accept his destiny as the Avatar before it's too late.

Last Updated: 11/29/2024Network: NickelodeonStatus: Ended
The Siege of the North (2)
star
8.64
1773 votes

#1 - The Siege of the North (2)

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 12/2/2005

Aang returns from the spirit world to a big surprise. Meanwhile, Zhao and his forces continue to press deeper into the Northern Water Tribe. What could possibly stop the fire nation from destroying this tranquil region? If Zhao has his way, nothing. Also, Iroh makes a powerful stand and Zuko struggles to keep his plan intact.

Writer: Aaron Ehasz
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Siege of the North (1)
star
8.26
1843 votes

#2 - The Siege of the North (1)

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/2/2005

Zhao begins to launch his attack against the Northern Water Tribe. As the walls of the prestiged city begin to fall, the Avatar taps into the spirit world and seeks the help of one of the oldest spirits, in hopes of saving one of the most prominent areas of the world.

Writer: John O'Bryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Blue Spirit
star
8.16
2020 votes

#3 - The Blue Spirit

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/17/2005

While Aang, Katara and Sokka are traveling, Sokka gets a fever. Katara and Aang try to help Sokka, when only Katara catches the fever. It's up to Aang to go up on his own to save his two friends.But before he can get the medicine he is captured by the newly promoted Admiral Zhao and put in Zhao's fortress.Will Aang save Sokka and Katara in time?And who is this strange figure wearing a blue demonic looking mask?

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Avatar Roku: Winter Solstice (2)
star
8.07
2187 votes

#4 - Avatar Roku: Winter Solstice (2)

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/15/2005

To contact the spirit of the previous Avatar, Aang must reach a temple in the Fire Nation before the sun sets on the following day. There he will learn what he must do to restore balance to the world. Zuko must defy his banishment to follow Aang.

Directors: Giancarlo Volpe
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Storm
star
8.06
2164 votes

#5 - The Storm

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/3/2005

Aang, Katara and Sokka have run out of money. Katara suggests Sokka get a job, and coincidentally, they meet a fisherman who is looking for someone to help him out with his fishing. But when the fisherman recognizes Aang as the Avatar, he blames Aang's absence for all of the troubles of the last 100 years, and Aang runs away on his glider. Katara follows on Appa, and when she finds him, Aang begins to reveal life before he was frozen in the iceberg.Meanwhile, Prince Zuko and Lieutenant Jee get into a fight, but Iroh breaks it up. Soon thereafter, the Lieutenant and the rest of the crew gain a newfound respect for their leader after learning of his past.

Directors: Lauren MacMullan
Writer: Aaron Ehasz
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Deserter
star
7.92
1937 votes

#6 - The Deserter

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 10/21/2005

When Aang and his friends go to a Fire Nation town so that Aang can witness some firebending, their plan soon goes awry when it’s discovered that he is the Avatar. Fortunately, he’s rescued by an individual who serves a firebending master named Jeong Jeong who has abandoned the Fire Nation, so Aang attempts to use this time to attempt to learn how to firebend. However, when the firebending master refuses to even see Aang, will Aang be able to prove he’s ready to learn how to firebend despite the fact that he lacks discipline?

Writer: Tim Hedrick
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Northern Air Temple
star
7.90
1910 votes

#7 - The Northern Air Temple

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/4/2005

When Aang and his friends hear rumors about surviving airbenders, they decide to stop by the Northern Air Temple on their way to the North Pole to see for themselves. What they find is a bunch of people who are not airbenders, but have mastered the art of gliding; though this upsets Aang because they have been defacing the temple. However, there was one part of the temple where nobody has been able to enter, and what Aang and his friends discover inside spells oncoming conflict.

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Waterbending Master
star
7.88
1942 votes

#8 - The Waterbending Master

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 11/18/2005

When Aang tries to find the north pole, he is found by the north pole instead. When they are taken there Aang and Katara are eager to find a water bending master only to find that girls are not allowed to learn waterbending.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Avatar Returns
star
7.81
2502 votes

#9 - The Avatar Returns

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/21/2005

Katara and Sokka discover that Aang is the long-lost Avatar and must rescue him when a Firebending prince named Zuko kidnaps him.

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Southern Air Temple
star
7.79
2506 votes

#10 - The Southern Air Temple

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/25/2005

Aang is excited about going home (the Southern Airtemple) for the first time in one hundred years, but he is shocked to find out that the temple is deserted. Aang tells Sokka and Katara about his childhood as they explore the temple, but they soon discover something that Aang never expected. Meanwhile, Prince Zuko must make repairs to his ship and the only way he can do it is to dock his ship at his rival's naval base.

Directors: Lauren MacMullan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Boy in the Iceberg
star
7.76
3396 votes

#11 - The Boy in the Iceberg

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/21/2005

Two teenage siblings (Sokka and Katara) living in the South Pole discover a very strange boy (Aang), along with his pet flying bison Appa, in an iceberg. But can they trust him when he accidentally draws the war to their village's doorstep?

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bato of the Water Tribe
star
7.75
1951 votes

#12 - Bato of the Water Tribe

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 10/7/2005

Aang feels neglected as Katara and Sokka reunite with Bato, an old friend of their father’s from the South Pole. They begin to reminisce on their times in the past while they wait for a message to arrive from their father; in which Aang believes Katara and Sokka will abandon him and go out to find their father should the message arrive. However, when the messenger gives Aang the message to give to Bato, Aang betrays his friends in a way Katara or Sokka could never imagine. However, when Zuko recruits a bounty hunter named Jun to track Aang down, his friendship is put to the test as he must deal with the fact that he betrayed his friends while defending himself from yet another fight.

Directors: Giancarlo Volpe
Writer: Ian Wilcox
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The King of Omashu
star
7.72
2372 votes

#13 - The King of Omashu

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/18/2005

Aang's abilities as an airbender are challenged by a king.

Directors: Anthony Lioi
Writer: John O'Bryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Waterbending Scroll
star
7.68
2134 votes

#14 - The Waterbending Scroll

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/29/2005

After Katara attempts to teach Aang waterbending, but realizes that he is learning it much faster than she is, she is desperate to improve her abilities. When Katara inadvertently stumbles across a waterbending scroll that can help improve her ability while Aang is looking at a pirate’s store, she decides to steal it after she realizes that she couldn’t hope to afford it; but will she be capable of stealing from the pirates without causing herself and her friends trouble?

Directors: Anthony Lioi
Writer: John O'Bryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Warriors of Kyoshi
star
7.67
2387 votes

#15 - The Warriors of Kyoshi

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/4/2005

The gang arrives at Kyoshi Island and are captured by some Kyoshi warriors. When Aang reveals that he is the avatar, news quickly spreads out and suddenly reaches to Prince Zuko who then goes to Kyoshi Island to capture him.

Directors: Giancarlo Volpe
Writer: Nick Malis
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Spirit World: Winter Solstice (1)
star
7.65
2225 votes

#16 - The Spirit World: Winter Solstice (1)

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/8/2005

Aang and friends visit a village being terrorized by an angry spirit. Iroh is captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Directors: Lauren MacMullan
Writer: Aaron Ehasz
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Fortuneteller
star
7.64
2015 votes

#17 - The Fortuneteller

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 9/23/2005

When the group tries to help a man who is being attacked by a platypus-bear, they discover that the local town has a fortuneteller named Aunt Wu in it, who has been forecasting the town's fate for years. But when Sokka and Aang discover one of the fortuneteller's most vital predictions is dead wrong, they have to develop a plan to convince the stubborn townspeople that their beloved Aunt Wu was wrong.

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Jet
star
7.59
2146 votes

#18 - Jet

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/6/2005

It's all about instincts...While traveling towards the North Pole, the group almost gets captured by the Fire Nation. However, when a charismatic young man and his band of rebels attack the Fire Nation camp and rescue them, they learn that they are trying to resist the Fire Nation’s motives to expand their territory. Katara and Aang really enjoy their time with the band of rebels, but Sokka soon discovers that they aren’t as noble as meets the eye.

Directors: Dave Filoni
Writer: James Eagan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Imprisoned
star
7.58
2345 votes

#19 - Imprisoned

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/25/2005

In a nearby Earth Village, the gang meets a teenage earthbender named Haru. This village lives in fear of the Fire Nation, for soldiers there capture any earthbenders they can find.

Directors: Dave Filoni
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Great Divide
star
7.37
2082 votes

#20 - The Great Divide

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/20/2005

While on their way to the North Pole, Aang and his friends arrive at a giant canyon where two groups of refugees are bickering over who should get to go across. Aang decides to walk across with the two groups to ensure they don’t fight one another. However, he soon learns that the two tribes have been feuding for one hundred years and they both believe their actions are justified. But when the predators inside the canyon start to come out, Aang is stuck trying to defend both tribes from each other and the vicious wildlife.

Directors: Giancarlo Volpe
Writer: John O'Bryan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV