Avatar: The Last Airbender in LEGO
/Greetings esteemed readers! It’s me, Caleb Huet, more commonly known as LEGOHobbitFan. Now, typically, I’m known as BrickNerd’s resident Middle Earth expert, but today I wanted to switch things up and talk about another fictional universe that is near and dear to my heart: namely, that of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Believe it or not, LEGO and Avatar: The Last Airbender have a rich history, from a couple of sets released in the 2000s to numerous fan-made tributes to the show, and in today’s article, we’re going to cover all of it!
Long Ago, The Four Nations Lived Together In Harmony…
First, though, I realize that there may be a few of you reading this who are unfamiliar with the masterpiece that is Avatar: The Last Airbender. For those poor souls, Avatar: The Last Airbender (commonly abbreviated as ATLA) is a 3-season animated fantasy show produced by Nickelodeon from 2005-2008. The show takes place in an Asian-inspired world that consists of four nations, each centered around one of the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Special individuals are able to harness and “bend” these elements. However, the mythical Avatar is the only person capable of bending all four elements.
a map of the four nations as seen in the show
The show follows the Avatar Aang, a young boy and the last surviving member of the air nation, and his friends as they set out to stop the fire nation, which has systematically been taking over the other nations. The show has received acclaim for its rich worldbuilding, vibrant animation, well-developed and quirky characters, and deep themes and messages.
A spinoff show, The Legend of Korra, aired from 2012-2014, and ATLA has also received the live-action treatment on two separate occasions, demonstrating the lasting impression that ATLA has left on pop culture.
A Time of Peace When the Avatar Kept Balance…
As with most stories, the history of LEGO and Avatar: The Last Airbender starts with a golden age set deep in the past — a time when LEGO produced official Avatar: The Last Airbender sets. In 2006, The LEGO Group and Nickelodeon collaborated on two themes: SpongeBob SquarePants and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Between the two, SpongeBob SquarePants got a much better deal with over a dozen sets produced, while Avatar: The Last Airbender only got two sets. Still, a set is a set.
The smaller of the two sets is a depiction of the air temple as seen in season 1 episode 3. In addition to the temple structure, the set also came with Aang, Sokka, Momo, and two Fire Nation soldiers, in addition to a glider for Aang and a small tank for the Fire Nation soldiers. For only $30, the set came with everything you needed to stage some epic Avatar action.
The other set released was a model of Zuko’s Fire Nation warship, complete with Aang, Katara, Zuko, and two more Fire Nation soldiers. While the shaping is a bit blocky, the set was a steal, retailing at only $50/£40.
Unfortunately (and despite the show’s success), LEGO stopped producing sets based on Avatar: The Last Airbender after this first wave, leaving a number of iconic characters and locations without a LEGO counterpart. Both of the sets that were made have since skyrocketed in price, now going for at least a few hundred dollars used and well over a thousand dollars for a sealed copy. While they may not hold up to modern set standards, they are charming models that provide everything a kid would need to recreate the “Gaang’s” adventures from the first season of the show, and the minifigures in particular are still highly sought-after by AFOLs.
Image via Alex THELEGOFAN on Flickr
When the World Needed Him Most, He Vanished…
While it’s been a while since we’ve seen any official sets, it’s clear that there’s a strong demand. Within the last few years, there have been numerous submissions to LEGO Ideas, including a number that have reached 10,000 supporters. Below are a couple of examples that have reached the necessary 10,000 votes but were unfortunately not selected to be made into sets by The LEGO Group.
Even now, there’s a successful project based on Avatar: The Last Airbender in review on the platform by Firecracker_lego. Will it get made into a set? Only time will tell, but it’s clear that the demand is there.
Avatar: The Last Airbender by Firecracker_lego
In addition, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender, started Avatar Studios several years ago “to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.” They have several movies and shows slated for release within the next few years, including a movie that will center around adult versions of many of the characters from the show scheduled to come out in October of this year.
Finally, the recent announcement of LEGO One Piece sets also offers some hope. The two shows share a lot of similarities. One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender are both popular anime shows that have recently been adapted into live-action by Netflix, so it’s not unreasonable that LEGO could acquire the license for Avatar: The Last Airbender as well. Granted, that would probably mean that the sets would be based on Netflix’s adaptation, not the original cartoon, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
Between the success of the theme on LEGO Ideas and all of the Avatar: The Last Airbender content coming out in the next couple of years, it’s clear that the demand and the opportunities are both there. Whether LEGO will take advantage of this, though, remains to be seen.
The Legacy Lives On
Thankfully, in the absence of official sets, the LEGO community is full of incredible MOCs inspired by the show.
To kick things off, we have this wonderful build by Brickleas. Built for the annual Rogue Olympics contest, the model uses only 101 pieces but remains instantly recognizable with the symbol for all four nations represented next to a variant of the titular avatar. The patterns in the symbols are cleverly achieved using everything from teeth to croissants and bucket handles!
BrickNerd’s own Simon Liu also built an Avatar-themed build for the Rogue Olympics, this time centered around the elemental powers displayed throughout the show. The way that Simon was able to capture the different elements is a masterclass in parts usage.
Kicking things up a notch, Tim S. shows what these elemental powers look like on a larger scale by recreating the climactic Last Agni Kai scene. Tim keeps things simple by making sure the focus is on the figures and the action, and you can almost feel the power of the blasts interacting with each other!
While the elemental fights are definitely a highlight of the show, Avatar: The Last Airbender is also praised for its nuanced characters. Bricko made this stunning vignette that demonstrates Zuko’s character development over the course of the series, from his quest to hunt down the Avatar to his acceptance as a member of the Gaang. I’m a huge fan of scenes like this that have a heavy emphasis on the vertical layout, and the texture across the model is superb!
Going back to Tim S. with another powerful character-based scene, Tim recreates one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire show when Iroh celebrates his dead son’s birthday in Ba Sing Se. The atmosphere and forced perspective are masterfully achieved, and I dare you not to shed a tear or two looking at this build.
Speaking of Ba Sing Se, I recreated the house that the Gaang stays at in the city a number of years ago. It was fun trying to capture the colors and aesthetic of the show in LEGO form, and the elemental powers on the front of the base were a fun detail to include.
While there are a lot of iconic locations in the show, the show’s animals are arguably even more iconic, and none more so than Appa the sky bison! While a number of builders have tried their hand at Appa, I’m particularly fond of Tyler Clites’s version, which still holds up over ten years later.
Moving on from Avatar: The Last Airbender and taking a look at its follow-up The Legend of Korra, Tyler also recreated Korra’s trusty polar bear dog, Naga. He captured the figure’s shaping perfectly, and the detail on the head is particularly commendable!
While there’s a lot to admire and learn from these incredible creations, there’s only so much to uncover from the outside, so I decided to dig a little deeper and talk to some of the talented AFOLs who have helped shape the LEGO ATLA fan scene. Here are three quick interviews with some of the best builders.
An Interview with Axidroid
Our first interviewee is Axidroid, a meticulous builder best known for his sci-fi works, who has built what is arguably the definitive version of Appa, as well as a stellar recreation of Nagga.
Caleb: Hey Ian! Before we get started, would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself?
Axi: Hey! My name is Ian, also known as “Axi” short for Axidroid. I’m a 24-year-old Belgian Lego builder who started making MOCs in 2019, but I’ve been into LEGO since ever I can remember.
Caleb: You’ve built several incredible MOCs inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender and have set the modern standard for the community; what inspired these creations?
Axi: After an amazing rewatch of ATLA as an adult, I had to make something of it. Appa was the challenge I wanted to give myself as I’ve never made a creature before.
Caleb: It’s clear that the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender means a lot to you. What makes you love the show so much?
Axi: I saw the show while growing up on TV and loved it back then, but seeing it as an adult, I realized how good the writing is. Just an amazing war story with excellent character development.
Caleb: One of the most challenging parts of Avatar: The Last Airbender MOCs is the minifigures, and you employed an interesting combination of official and custom minifigure pieces to create your figures. What was the process behind coming up with those figures?
Axi: I mainly used the custom minifigures from the site minifigs.me since they are pretty much the only widely available ATLA customs. I then upgraded them with parts like dual molded arms and legs. For Aang, I only used official parts because the original head is just the perfect expression for him.
Caleb: You made instructions for your Appa model. What was that process like, and how can our readers get their hands on a copy?
Axi: It was a very lengthy process since it was only my second time ever making instructions, but the time I invested in making them was most definitely worth it. They are available on the website BrickVault.
Caleb: Do you have any plans for more Avatar: The Last Airbender content in the future?
Axi: I don’t have anything specific planned right now. But I’m definitely still open to new MOCs, especially since there’s new ATLA content coming out in the next few years.
An Interview with Micah Beideman
Next on the agenda is Micah Beideman, a respected leader and frequent innovator in the LEGO community. Over the years, he’s recreated all four of the air temples shown in Avatar: The Last Airbender in LEGO form.
Caleb: Hey Micah! Before we get started, would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself?
Micah: Sure! I’ve been an active member of the LEGO community since 2014. I’m a member of RebelLUG and SteelCityLUG. My favorite restaurant is Taco Bell. And my favorite Bible verse is 1 Peter 1:13.
The northern air temple
Caleb: You’ve built all four air temples seen in the show in LEGO form. What inspired this series?
Micah: I’m of course a huge fan of the TV show, and so I wanted to build something from it. Back in 2015 when I built the first one, I think I was also in a phase where I was into building rockwork. So the Northern temple just seemed like something really iconic from the show that I could build, while also meeting my weird desire for building rocks at the time.
I think, especially considering my skill level at the time, the Northern Temple came together really well. So, because I was quite happy with it, I decided to just make a goal of building the other three as well (unfortunately, by the time I got around to building the Western Temple, I was no longer so infatuated with building rocks, and that one because kind of grueling).
The western air temple
Caleb: Speaking of The Western Temple, I’m under the impression that your final build in the series was built almost entirely on-site at Brickworld Chicago 2019. Can you tell us about that experience?
Micah: Yes, as the series went on, the temples became more and more incomplete leading up to conventions. I actually finished the first temple in the backseat of our van on the way to the convention. Then the three following temples were all finished on site at the con, with the Western temple being the most incomplete of all. I probably had about a quarter of it built before getting to Brickworld Chicago on Wednesday afternoon. And the build was finished by Friday evening.
This was probably primarily due to the Western Temple involving a very large percentage of rockwork, which I was growing quite weary of. And if you look at the build, you can definitely see that the rocks become much simpler and their design as they go up. I initially was planning on reworking those sections after the con. But when I got home I was just sick of building rocks, so I didn’t.
A wip of the western air temple
The actual process of building on site is generally enjoyable though. I basically packed up about half my LEGO collection and just brought it with me. I was able to recruit the help of my good friend Eli Willsea in the Temple design. For the most part, I was able to talk and hang out with friends while building simultaneously, though there were a couple of early mornings where I wished I could have slept in, but felt like I needed to get up and grind on the build.
The eastern air temple
Caleb: It’s clear that you have a strong love for Avatar: The Last Airbender. Where does your passion for the show come from?
Micah: I think the Avatar TV show does so many things well: telling a powerful overarching story, having incredible character development, and really fantastic world-building. It was the first TV show I ever really fell in love with, and is still one of my all time favorites.
Additionally, within the LEGO community, I think it fits a nice medium, where it is a well-known and popular show, but there's not an oversaturation of builds from it. As opposed to some of my other favorite franchises like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, where it feels like every iconic scene has already been built numerous times at a high level.
The southern air temple
Caleb: Do you have plans for any further builds inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Micah: Yeah, I'd like to think so, though I don’t know if or when they might come to fruition. I think there are still plenty of iconic scenes and locations from the show that have never been built (at least at a high level) out of LEGO. For example, Koh the Face Stealer is one that's been on my list for quite a while.
I also have builds I want to do from some of my other favorite TV shows as well though, and right now I think those might be taking priority.
An Interview with Fabian B.
Finally, we’re talking to Fabian B., a longtime builder best known for his stunning Star Wars scenes. He’s built a number of builds inspired by the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and in particular based on its spinoff show, The Legend of Korra.
Caleb: Hey Fabian! Before we get started, would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself?
Fabian: I’m Fabian, aka Ordo, from Germany. I am a passionate LEGO builder and have been sharing my creations online for almost 15 years now. My main building theme is Star Wars and sci-fi in general, though I dabble in other themes like Harry Potter or other anime franchises from time to time. Style-wise, I strive for a clean, mostly stud-less look in my builds as well as a cinematic aesthetic.
Caleb: It’s clear that you have a strong love for the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. What draws you to this world and these characters?
Fabian: I think there are many things I love about the world and the characters, but let me pick out three of them for now: First off, I think the world-building and design choices are just marvelous. The unique blend of East Asian and Western elements is something that hasn’t been seen before and still stands out among today’s series. As someone who lives in Germany but harbors a strong love for Japanese culture, I appreciate that mix very much. Secondly, the characters are super relatable and all have a purpose in the story. They teach valuable life lessons and there is at least one character for every viewer to identify with.
Lastly, the series, and especially the wonderful art books describing the production process, have accompanied and inspired me throughout my creative journey (and also my degree in media design) for years. They definitely shaped my work in more than one way and continue to do so.
Caleb: I’ve seen a lot more build based on Avatar: The Last Airbender than I have on the sequel show The Legend of Korra. Why do you think that is, and what draws you to that particular show?
Fabian: I think there is a twofold answer to this. First off, I think we are currently at a point in time where the original series Avatar: The Last Airbender is rapidly gaining popularity again with the ongoing Netflix live-action adaptation and the recently announced sequel movie by Avatar Studios. This goes hand in hand with the childhood nostalgia many builders feel for the series. This surge in popularity certainly expresses itself in the builds, I think.
Second, I think Avatar: The Last Airbender offers a greater variety of locations and design routes, depicting the four nations with very individual characteristics. It gives you a very clear design direction for your builds, which makes them instantly recognizable to many.
Personally, I am very fond of The Legend of Korra, even more so than Avatar: The Last Airbender. When I first watched it, the slightly older characters resonated much more with me than those of the original show, and the darker tone of the narrative really drew me in. Design-wise, I absolutely love the 1920s-inspired vibe. Republic City just feels so alive and realistic! From the Satomobils to the airships, the Pro-Bending Arena to Air Temple Island, everything just fits perfectly together and is a very thought-through and logical extrapolation from the original ideas. Especially the fusion between bending and technology paves the way for a lot of cool designs.
Furthermore, the design process was so well documented in the art books for the series (there is one for each season), that it was just very easy to find references for the builds and really craft them to be as accurate as possible. Lastly, I love building vehicles and plainly, there aren’t too many of those in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but there is a vast variety in The Legend of Korra.
Caleb: There are so many iconic locations and scenes in this world. How did you determine which ones to build?
Fabian: Of course, with a series and world so vast with interesting locations, it can be hard to determine what to put into bricks. Even within my favorite season, Book 1 of The Legend of Korra, there are many locations to choose from, be it Air Temple Island, the Pro-Bending arena, city hall, the Equalist factory, or just the city streets. I always try to find a balance between my personal preference and practicality.
For example, originally I wanted to build the Pro Bending arena, but could not figure out how to do it at a practical size and was unsure about how to go about certain aspects even (though I tried on a small scale later, which can be seen earlier in the article). Yet, I wanted to build something Pro Bending related, thus the choice fell on the Pro Bending gym, which has a lot of scenes in the show and is, I dare say, one of my most accurate builds still. Other builds, like Asami’s Satomobil or the Equalist biplane, however, were just my heart’s desire, because I love their designs and respective scenes. So I put probably even more time and effort into those.
Caleb: Do you have plans for any further builds inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra?
Fabian: Absolutely! A long-time dream of mine is building an airship from one of the series. Either one of the Fire Nation from Book 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender or the Metal Bending Police airship from the Legend of Korra. When it comes to locations, I would love to try my hands at either the metal-bending city of Zaofu, because I love the art deco style of it, or something classic like Omashu from the first series. Both have their unique challenge when it comes to building and will hopefully be instantly recognizable.
Ultimately, of course, a challenge almost every Avatar fan might have thought about is the upside-down towers of the Western Air Temple. However, that might be a very big project to tackle. In any case, I look forward to building more Avatar models in the future!
I Still Believe That Somehow, the Avatar Will Return To Save the World…
It’s clear that LEGO and Avatar: The Last Airbender have a rich history, even if it’s been almost two decades since the last official sets. That said, there’s still a large portion of this rich world that has yet to be explored in LEGO.
image vie okay yaramanoglu on flickr
Avatar: The Last Airbender may have had a dry streak lately, but there’s still hope. From a multitude of LEGO Ideas submissions to the recent announcement of One Piece sets, I still believe that, somehow, LEGO Avatar will return to save the world.
What is your favorite moment from Avatar: The Last Airbender? Are you a LEGO bender? Let us know in the comments below.
Do you want to help BrickNerd continue publishing articles like this one? Become a top patron like Marc & Liz Puleo, Paige Mueller, Rob Klingberg from Brickstuff, John & Joshua Hanlon from Beyond the Brick, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Lukas Kurth from StoneWars, Wayne Tyler, Dan Church, and Roxanne Baxter to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more.
