Top 10 Best Fights in Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender

“Legends”

Before this tense duel began, Admiral Zhao tried to have the prince killed. So when Zuko spotted his foe out in the open, he didn’t hesitate to throw some heat. Despite being literally and figuratively fired up, the prince never loses control of the battle. Zuko smiled as he shrugged off Zhao’s attacks and hit back twice as hard. Although their unofficial Agni Kai leaned heavily on bending techniques, there are great flashes of hand-to-hand combat as well. Zuko even cemented his dominant victory with a strong kick. After everything Zhao had done, he deserved this absolute beating. We’ll never get tired of watching the prince outclass the Admiral.

“Masks”

After Aang got captured by Zhao’s forces, Zuko went undercover as the Blue Spirit to break the avatar out. Although the prince couldn’t use bending, he proved that he didn’t need to use flames to stay in the fight. Zuko blew us away by using slick swordplay to get the best of Zhao’s soldiers. At the same time, Aang relied on forceful airbending techniques to push enemies back. It was amazing to see how well the duo functioned as a fighting team. They were able to compensate for each other’s strengths and weaknesses on the fly throughout the entire conflict. Unfortunately, Aang and Zuko failed to leave the battlefield as friends. But they succeeded at giving us a fantastic team up sequence.

“Aang”

The pulse-pounding first moments of the show follow a lone runner trying to escape from enemy forces in the tight alleys of a city. Just when it seemed like he’d fall, it was revealed that the rebel was an earthbender. This rocky warrior proceeded to use a variety of slick techniques to ensure his enemies couldn’t stop him from sending a crucial message. It’s ridiculously cool to see how the strong earthbender found ways to fight in narrow arenas. He seamlessly switched between launching rocks and throwing hands quickly and efficiently. Since the soldiers had the numbers advantage, the rebel was unfortunately destined to lose. But we’ll never forget how he set the bar high for the show’s fight scenes in the first few minutes.

“Masks”

Although the prince never wanted to fight his father, the Fire Lord didn't give his son a choice. At first, Zuko put all his energy into dodging and blocking. But the young prince was forced to go on the offensive just to survive. Ozai felt untouchable as he dodged moves with his hands behind his back. And after Zuko hesitated to strike when his father was actually open, the firelord harshly retaliated and claimed victory. Despite being mostly one-sided, the tragic nature of this Agni Kai makes it a must-see. Zuko had the potential to win and preserve his honor. However, he couldn’t commit to harming his father. Zuko’s choice to hold back caused him to lose nearly everything he held dear after one fight.

“Legends”

When Zuko tried to stop Aang from saving the moon spirit, Katara stepped in and volunteered to take on the firebender herself. She demonstrated her immense skill by using her waterbending to switch between offense and defense at a moment’s notice. Although Zuko was relentless, Katara kept the powerful prince on his toes with creative techniques. What made this fight satisfying was the fact that the waterbender was completely outmatched by Zuko the last time they fought. While their duel was tragically cut short before a winner could be determined, their bout still served as an excellent demonstration of how far Katara had come as a warrior.

“Omashu”

What started as a straightforward duel between Aang and Zuko in Omashu became a shining example of the show’s creative fight choreography. While the prince would’ve preferred to use his elemental abilities, he had to hold his fire so he didn’t alert local authorities. This restriction gave Zuko a golden opportunity to show off his martial arts prowess. The fight also took advantage of its city setting by having the two duke it out in a marketplace. Not only do Aang and Zuko utilize their surroundings, but the locals also got time to shine. This fight cleverly balanced humorous moments with stunning hand-to-airbending-hand combat. Their duel proved that the show didn’t always need to rely on huge action setpieces to give us entertaining bouts.

“The North”

Katara’s journey to find a waterbending master in the North was halted when she was told that women in that society weren’t allowed to fight. She decided the best way to challenge the rule was to face Master Pakku in battle. During their clash, we were treated to incredibly fluid waterbending and impactful visuals. Their duel also got a lot of credit for bringing iconic parts of the original animated battle to life with 100 percent accuracy. But the best part of the battle was Katara’s resolve. No matter how impossible the odds seemed, she refused to stop fighting for the women of the north. Even though Katara lost to Pakku in the end, this tremendously accurate and inspiring fight definitely won us over.

“Into the Dark"

King Bumi didn’t hold back when he pulled the avatar into a one-on-one deathmatch. The royal earthbender used a combination of subtle techniques and powerful moves to keep Aang on his toes. As Bumi charged forward, the avatar used his immense airbending skills to deflect and avoid deadly blows. Underneath the great choreography and visual effects, we also got a complex battle of competing philosophies. While Bumi wanted his friend to solve problems violently and alone, Aang desired to avoid conflict and find peaceful resolutions with friends. The duo’s internal and external clashes came to a head in an excellent conclusion where Team Avatar showED there’s more than one way to win a battle.

“Aang”

Knowing that his firebenders would have additional power due to a passing comet, the sinister Sozin launched a devastating attack against the Southern Air Nomads. Although the odds were stacked, the monks did not go down without a fight. The high level airbending techniques shown during the battle took our breath away. We see the monks use everything from blasts of wind to full tornados to oppose the firebenders. At certain points, it even felt like the monks could survive the battle. Sadly, the comet powered army was so overwhelming that they were able to reduce their airbending enemies to ashes with great yet terrible moves. The impressive visuals and fantastic techniques on display made it impossible to look away from this grim conflict.

Before we highlight our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Brief Yet Brilliant Boat Battle Where Team Avatar Worked In Perfect Sync

The Earth Kingdom Rebels & Waterbender Easily Took Their Fiery Enemies Down

It Was Incredible To See These Firebending Family Members Fight Side-by-Side

“Warriors”

Zhao thought he wouldn’t encounter resistance when he went to Kyoshi Island to capture the Avatar. But he was dead wrong. After the island leader casually tossed a soldier, her people rushed into battle. During this thrilling conflict, non-benders like Suki and Sokka demonstrated why they shouldn’t be underestimated. Even Momo got in on the action! And just when it looked like the island would lose, Kyoshi borrowed Aang’s body and showed how powerful the Avatar could be. Her appearance led to the show stopping moment where she used all four elements at once to repel soldiers. The battle of Kyoshi Island ultimately stood out for its choreography, special effects, and the way it honored everyone who chose to fight injustice.