Book 1, Chapter 4: The Warriors of Kyoshi
The Warriors of Kyoshi is a fairly silly episode. It contains whacky animation, is chock-full of goofy humor, and explores themes more catered to children. However, it's important to realize that this is no mistake or "low point" in the show. This episode isn't lacking in moral lessons or great characterization or humor; all the things I've come to love about Avatar are still present. Yes, it would be easy to dismiss the animation as lazy or to write off the setting and tone as childish. But that's simply not the case, because I know the creators to be absolutely meticulous in their craft. They knew exactly what they wanted from this episode because they began with the end in mind.
Here's just the simple fact: our main characters ARE childish. Because he isn't accepting his role as the Avatar, Aang is avoiding his responsibility by traveling the world having fun. Katara, probably the most level-headed of the group, isn't without her flaws. Sokka is... Sokka (haha). He thankfully does some growing up this episode! And Zuko, while older and more experienced than Aang, has trouble with self-control. Without his Uncle, he would truly be lost. All of them are struggling to fit in the gigantic shoes of the situations they were thrust upon. I guess what I'm trying to say is that childlike ignorance and coming-of-age emotions are central themes.
As we follow Aang on his journey, ahem, fun "road trip" of sorts, we receive a welcome relief from the darker themes of The Southern Air Temple.
We begin with a deep, calming mediation scene. Zuko is applying his uncle's teachings from episode 1: "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body." By controlling the flame's power through breathing, Zuko is training to be a more powerful and nuanced firebender. Meditation is the perfect training tool.
Many Avatar episodes open with scenes that present character traits or flaws, then expound upon them throughout the episode. The characters are then tested in uncomfortable and trying situations until the trait or flaw is exposed, then the episode concludes with the character learning a life lesson. It's obviously not always this simple, but that's the basic format for good (and self-contained) storytelling and growth. The Warriors of Kyoshi provides two great examples of this.
While riding on Appa towards Kyoshi Island, Sokka makes sexist comments about Katara and her sewing. Thus, we are presented with one of Sokka's greatest flaws, his ego and masculinity issues, which take the form of sexism. Humility is not a word in Sokka's current vocabulary.
After landing on Kyoshi beach, Aang's real reason for trying to ride the elephant koi becomes clear--impressing Katara! Thus, one of Aang's flaws starts to take shape: being too much of a ladies' man?? All jokes aside, he is letting his ego, probably enhanced by his Avatar status, get in the way. He just met Katara a few days ago... Does he really love her, or are his feelings just a manifestation of a greater issue? Whatever it is, he becomes blinded by it...
These following screenshots illustrate what I meant by the whacky animation. Indeed, the entire episode is filled with these moments. Are they poorly drawn? Or exactly as intended? Well, obviously this is the work of a genius!
This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like:
An island populated with women warriors and... Big Daddy? My imagination can't help but run away with what this village actually is and how it's run... Seriously like 5 men in the entire village. This guy cracks me up:
"Avatar Kyoshi was born 400 years ago." We know that the avatar cycle goes air, water, earth, and fire. From her green dress, we can gather that Kyoshi was an earth bender and that she was the avatar before Roku. This means she was only one generation removed from Aang, so it's not a spoiler that Kyoshi lived to be 230 years old. In fact, she was the oldest Avatar to have ever lived (I don't think the show ever explains this).
Memes. Memes everywhere:
Just thought this was a funny scene. Little girls keep swarming around Aang until the painter eventually gives up:
"Sorry ladies, didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson. I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout." Damn, Sokka. SAVAGE.
Aaaaaaaand, here's where the testing comes in. Here's Sokka literally and figuratively getting back down to earth:
After being bested by the girls, Sokka swallows his pride and apologizes for his sexist and degrading words. He then asks if they would train him to become a warrior. This episode, in my opinion, is very much Sokka's episode, as he develops the most.
"It's a warrior's uniform; you should be proud. The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart."
It's really clever that Aang told him in the beginning of the episode, "Relax, Sokka! Where we're going, you won't need any pants!" At first, I thought it was referring to swimming in the bay, but now I realize it's an obvious foreshadowing of Sokka's Kyoshi Warrior dress.
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While Aang was waiting for the Unagi, his so-called friends (the little girls) left because things got boring. Right afterwards, Katara walks all the way from the village to make sure Aang was safe. I believe Aang learned a valuable lesson in who his real friends and family were.
"I did let all that attention go to my head. I was being a jerk."
Unfortunately for Aang, he's not going to escape that easily... a giant sea monster is still lurking... Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel. It would have been more accurate to call her Unago, the word for saltwater eel. But Unagi definitely sounds cooler! Here she is in all her majesty:
All Unagi'd out:
Katara uses her waterbending to clear his lungs of water. If she had not shown up at the bay, Aang would have died. That simple.
Here, Zuko uses an almost identical technique to the one in his Agni Kai with Zhao. The difference is that he firebends while spinning.
I JUST NOTICED this really cool easter egg. If you look closely at Kyoshi's left eye, it is scarred just like Zuko's. Stuff like this fascinates me.
I'll let you ponder what this could mean or represent.
I'd just like to finish by saying that Aang really stepped up into his Avatar role at the end. Yes, he was the reason the town was attacked in the first place, but he also saved the town from burning more.
Conclusion: Both Aang and Sokka learned valuable lessons in this episode. But it was the way in which these lessons were learned that grabbed my attention. Both of their flaws were introduced in the opening scenes, they were tested throughout the episode until failure, and finally they apologized and gained some humility. It seemed like almost every scene was constructed to further this narrative, making it not-so-subtle subtle. I can respect that. It is a children's show, after all.
Let's be honest, the main appeal of this episode is the silliness and humor.
- Aang achieving peak performance (and animation quality) by becoming Jesus? Check!
- Aang inventing the original fidget spinner? Check!
- Foaming at the mouth guy? Check!
- All of Sokka's wonderful expressions? Check!
This episode is a comedy gold mine for the Avatar fan.
Thank you so much for reading! Since you've made it to the end, I've got a special challenge for you: In honor of the brave Kyoshi Warriors, do not wear pants this evening!! 😂😂😂
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