Random Insane Fan Theories About 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (14 items)

(#9) The Series Takes Places After The Apocalypse

According to this theory, the events of The Last Airbender take place after some horrific apocalyptic event destroyed everything. Those who believe this theory point to the time gap between Avatar Wan and Avatar Aang as proof.

Wan was said to be the first Avatar and he lived 10,000 years before Aang, but not much has changed in civilization in that time. Humankind should have made significant improvements in technology during the time period, but this theory states that something bad happened that prevented humans from evolving properly. Whatever happened horribly disfigured all of the animals in the process.

The theory cites the huge difference between Aang and Korra as further proof that something apocalyptic happened. Korra lives in an advanced technological age only set 70 years after Aang, so why did nothing change in almost 10,000 years between Wan and Aang?
(#12) Varrick is a Reincarnation of Sokka

In the Legend of Korra, we didn't get to see much of everyone's favorite boomerang wielder Sokka. Katara, Toph, and Zuko were still alive, but it was made clear that Sokka had passed earlier in the timeline. Proving it's incredibly hard to let go, this theory suggests that Sokka didn't actually perish but was reincarnated into the character Varrick.

The theorist points to the fact that both Sokka and Varrick are bright young men from the Southern Water Tribe with over-the-top personalities, wacky senses of humor, great talent for strategy and leadership, and humongous egos. It's hard to believe this theory for sure. If only Varrick had accidently stumbled upon Sokka's lost space sword.
(#8) The Royal Fire Family Practiced Incest

For those of you wondering why the Royal Fire Family seemed to be all-powerful with their bending, the true answer might be a little more Lannister-y to admit on a children's cartoon.

This theory suggests that the reason the Royal Fire Family kept producing powerful Firebenders was because they practiced incest with one another. It's certainly not hard to believe that Emperor Azul and Emperor Ozai would be so obsessed with keeping their bloodline pure and powerful that they decided to "keep it in the family," so to speak.

They would have done it to protect their firebending genes and preserve their legacy.
(#1) Avatar Actually Takes Place on a Different, Smaller Planet

It isn't hard to realize that the geography of Avatar is vastly different than our own, but what if that was intentional? This theory suggests that the entirety of Avatar: The Last Airbender actually takes place on another, smaller planet. It would explain how everything is so close together and it would mean significantly less gravity.

Presumably, less gravity would explain how the characters can jump so high and maneuver in the air so gracefully. A smaller planet might also somehow explain how there are huge animals, like lion turtles, roaming around.
(#6) The Horrible Live Action Movie is Actually an Adaptation of the Ember Island Players Play

Almost any fan of the cartoon will call The Last Airbender live-action movie a complete abomination. It completely bungled every important aspect of the show and it's a point of contention amongst fans to this day. Hopefully, this theory can at least make the whole ordeal manageable.

What if the horrible M. Night Shyamalan movie wasn't an adaption of the cartoon but rather an adaptation of the satirical Ember Island Players play the characters watched near the end of the series? It would explain how the movie got so many details wrong and solidify Shyamalan not as the guy who ruined any chance to see the cartoon adapted faithfully but as the master of twists who trolled us all.
(#10) Zaheer Was Actually Aang's Son

For those of you who were upset that Zaheer escaped from prison and was immediately a fantastic airbender, this might be the theory for you. Instead of the show just randomly making Zaheer uber-powerful, this theorist suggests that Zaheer was actually Aang's son.

This theorist was convinced that Zaheer did something to upset Aang, and Aang responded by taking his bending away. It would explain why Aang and Tenzin's relationship was so strained and it would also explain how Zaheer knew so much about Air Temple Island and its culture.