How Many Avatars Are There & 9 Other Things You Didn't Know ...

Young people have always enjoyed animated movies and television shows, and Disney, DC Comics, and Japanese anime are perfect examples of this, but animated series that are aimed towards older audiences like Rick and Morty and American Dad also do well. Nickelodeon may have given us Spongebob Squarepants but on February 21, 2005 the network gave us Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is beloved by both children and adults.

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The series tells the story of a young boy named Aang whose entire culture was wiped out because he was the new Avatar-a being who is connected to the spirit world and who can manipulate air, fire, water, and earth. The show inspired comics, a terrible live-action movie that shouldn't exist, and a sequel series called The Legend of Korra, and a live-action TV adaptation will soon arrive on Netflix. There are certain things about the show that new and longtime fans may not know, and this list will delve into some of those things.

10 There Are Almost 200 Previous Avatars Before Aang

As revealed late into The Last Airbender, Roku was the Avatar before Aang and before that it was Kyoshi, Kuruk of the water tribe and Yangchen from the Western Air Temple. Additionally, it's revealed that Wan was the very first to master all four elements.

In the show's third episode that's set in the Southern Air Temple, the statues of every past Avatar are seen, of which there are roughly 181. This means that there are at least 175 Avatars before Aang that even the most dedicated fans know virtually nothing about.

9 There's A Family Guy Connection

Fans have Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino to thank for The Last Air Bender and The Legend of Korra, both of which are kid friendly shows despite dealing with some mature topics and themes. DiMartino's career did not start with the Avatar series, though, as he worked at Film Roman, an independent animation company, for over a decade. This studio is also better known as the one responsible for Family Guy.

While there, DiMartino directed several episodes of King of the Hill which was a very timid show, but he also wrote and directed several episodes of Family Guy, which is the exact opposite of anything kid-friendly and everything that The Last Airbender stood for.

8 Zuko Was A Late Addition To The Story

Zuko arguably has the best arc in The Last Airbender, as he becomes one of Aang's teacher's and closest friends after starting the series off as an angry yet conflicted prince who desperately wants his father's approval.  

The creators originally wanted the Fire Lord to be the main antagonist of all three seasons, but they couldn't come up with enough material for him since he was going to spend most of his time in the Fire Nation, so in the late stages of development they wrote Zuko into the story, where he was originally supposed to serve as a simple extension of the Fire Lord's persona.

7 Azula Had A Scrapped Arranged Marriage

Given Azula's sadistic nature, no one would want her as their sister. Still, her personality makes her the perfect daughter for the Fire Lord, who originally had a completely different future planned out for her in the final season.

Apparently, one of the season's subplots was supposed to revolve around Azula being placed in an arranged marriage, but the writers decided to axe the idea because the story didn't seem to fit properly. They still toyed with the idea of giving Azula a love interest in "The Beach" episode, though.

6 The Show Was Originally Set In The Future

Image via Nickelodeon

The Last Airbender possesses an Asian aesthetic, and it's clear that it takes a lot from Chinese culture specifically. When the creators first came up with the idea for the series, it wasn't always set in a feudal world that was slowly coming into the industrial age. The creators originally thought about setting the series thousands of years in the future, but they opted to go for the feudal look instead.

This was for the best because a world filled with technology would have taken away much of the series' natural and mystical feel. The industrialized ideas would end up being the main setting for The Legend of Korra, where a major theme is the clash of a mechanized world and one that still holds onto ancient magical traditions.

5 Lake Laogai Has A Real World Connection

"Lake Laogai" is regarded as one of the best episodes of the show's second season, and it has the heroes looking for Appa in an underground prison camp that brainwashes individuals in the Earth Kingdom's capitol. This fictional place actually holds a lot more real world significance than you might think.

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In Chinese, the word "Laogai" ultimately means “reform through labor," and it happens to also be the name of a prison camp that was used to brainwash real political prisoners in the '50s and '60s.

4 The Cabbage Merchant Was Originally A One-Off Joke

In season one, a poor cabbage merchant looks on as his cart of cabbages is destroyed by a couple of earth benders, which is where he utters the famous words, "My cabbages!" This same merchant appears in several more episodes throughout the series, and his cart and merchandise end up being destroyed every time.

The merchant was supposed to be a one-time joke but when the writers saw how popular the character became, they decided to keep him around as a running joke, and in Legend of Korra it's revealed that he founded Cabbage Corp, which manufactures vehicles that are probably immune to Bender damage.

3 Zuko & Katara Were Almost The Romantic Endgame

In the series finale, Aang and Katara finally confess their feelings for each other and it made for a perfect ending. However, the creators weren't originally sold on the idea of the pair becoming romantically involved.

At the end of the second season, it appeared as though Katara and Zuko were having a "romantic" moment, and that might be because the show's creators originally considered having them end up together. They decided to scrap the idea after they realized that fans would probably only be happy if she and Aang became a couple.

2 Toph Wasn't Always A Girl

Toph is beloved because she showed that being blind doesn't make one useless, and she became a standout member of Team Avatar because of her sarcasm, stubbornness, and independence. But in the conceptual stages, Toph was practically a different character. Not only was she not blind, but her look and personality were foreign to the Toph fans know and love.

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Toph was always going to be Aang's earth bending teacher, but she started off as a very buff male knucklehead who was supposed to be a love interest for Katara. The creators definitely deserve a lot of credit for throwing this serviceable but less compelling concept in the trash.

1 Uncle Iroh Was Going To Be A Bad Guy

Uncle Iroh is one of the most likable characters in both the series and in animation as a whole. If it weren't for his kindhearted, wise, comforting, and open-minded personality, Zuko would have spent the entire series consumed by anger. That, and so many viewers wouldn't have been inspired by his kind words.

But believe it or not, the creators originally had other plans for Iroh and these plans would have made fans hate him. Apparently, Iroh was originally supposed to be a double agent who was going to betray Zuko in the final season. This would've obviously broken Zuko but more importantly, it would've left many fans emotionally wrecked.

NEXT: Avatar: The Last Airbender - Trivia You Didn't Know About The Show