Avatar: The Last Airbender may be over, but that hasn’t stopped fans from coming up with theories left and right. Thankfully, with all of the extra materials coming out (the graphic novels as well as The Legend of Korra), fans have gotten a chance to learn the accuracy of some of their theories. Understandably, some of these fan theories ended up being nothing but wishful thinking. But other fan theories? They were spot on. And you know how satisfying that feeling is – being able to guess events for your favorite series. There’s no feeling better in the world. So with that feeling in mind, we bring you ten fan theories focused on the young Aang that actually turned out to be true.
A Love Story
The most obvious fan theory that ended up being true revolved around Aang and the woman he would one day wed, Katara. Most fans (but by no means all of them) were on board with this ship from the first season, with the evidence piling up as the series went on.
The series concluded with definitive proof that the two, in the short term, were going to end up together. Then The Legend of Korra came out, and that gave the fans all of the proof they needed: Aang and Katara spent their lives together.
Appa
This fan theory technically focuses on Appa, but we’re going to include it here for a very specific reason. Appa and Aang had a special connection. Not only were they the best of friends – despite their different species – but they also had gone through so much together.
Many fans theorized that Appa and Aang would perish at the same time (much like Roku and Fang – his dragon companion). And this fact has sadly been confirmed. It’s a bittersweet victory to the fans, but at least this one makes total sense. And we can know that these two never had to go a day without the other.
The Cycle Moves On
Fans knew that in order for a new series to ever have a chance, Aang would have to join the Avatar cycle in the truest form. Many fans had theorized that Aang had messed up the cycle a little bit by freezing himself for a hundred years, and they’re not wrong. Yet the cycle did continue.
Fans believed that any future series would follow a water bender – and thus happen after the passing of Aang. It’s sad that this had to happen, but there’s no way around it. And yes, there are fan theories out there saying that Aang somehow survived. But these have all been confirmed as false. Aang is well and truly part of the cycle now.
Aang Would Have Airbending Children
Fans knew that one of the only ways to ensure that the Airbenders would bounce back relied on Aang having children. Spend five minutes on google looking through Avatar fan drawings, and the odds are pretty good that you’ll come across some fan art showing Aang and his children. And Legend of Korra proved that he did exactly that. In fact, he insisted on having three children – essentially he wanted to keep having children until one of them was proven to be an Airbender. And we can’t exactly fault him for this.
Long Lost Son
One of the crazier fan theories out there is one that actually ended up being confirmed. Do you remember Zaheer, from The Legend of Korra? Fans believe that he was one of Aang’s sons. And they were once again, completely spot on. Fans believed that the reason Zaheer was targeting Korra was that he was one of Aang’s children (one of the non-bending ones) and that he was feeling…put out about the whole situation. And it made a disturbing amount of sense. And apparently the developers agreed because they confirmed this theory.
Rebuilding
From the moment the Airbending temples were shown as destroyed, fans started theorizing about how Aang would rebuild the Airbenders. There was never any doubt about this happening – the question was simply how. Admittedly some of the rebuilding happened without Aang’s involvement. But Aang played his part as well – including providing a new generation of Airbenders through one of his sons. So yes, the Airbenders will once again become something more, but it’ll take time. Just like fans predicted.
A Separation
Some fans had a rather out-there theory; they believed that Aang couldn’t stay connected to the past versions of the Avatar – not while living a life of his choosing. And you know what? They were right. In the comics, Aang ended up separating himself from the Avatar line after a dispute with Roku (one of the previous incarnations). Admittedly Aang was seeking to cut himself off from Roku, but the end result was a split from the entire line. It’s odd to think that the fans were able to predict something like this. But it also makes sense – can you imagine having a whole line of people constantly second-guessing all of your decisions?
Everything Has A Cost
Everything has a cost. It’s not a strong theme in the world of Avatar, but it is a present one. Eagle-eyed fans picked up on this trend and posited several theories along this line. And some of the theories even ended up being confirmed as accurate.
Aang was able to save his life when he froze himself in ice for a hundred years. But that action had a cost – Aang died at the age of 66, and it’s likely due to the time he spent in an iceberg. Another moment of cost is easier to miss: remember when Aang learned to energy bend? It was an ancient turtle who taught him how. What isn’t as widely known about this moment is that the turtle passed upon giving Aang this knowledge.
Making His Own Path
The idea of having to take down the Fire Lord was something that had been bugging Aang from the earliest part of the series. He knew he had to do it…but it was something he didn’t think about. Fans were concerned that Aang’s gentle demeanor would keep him from being able to do what was needed. So they began to theorize how he could find a way around it. Because they had no doubt that Aang would find a way to end the war without directly taking a life – it just isn’t how Aang functions. After all, this is a young man who won’t even eat meat; how could we ever expect him to take a human life? And once again, fans were right.
Energy Bending
Nearly every main character in Avatar: The Last Airbender had a theory about their special form of bending. Fans predicted Katara’s bloodbending, and Toph’s metalbending. Fans likewise guessed Aang’s eventual Energy Bending. His ability to bend energy actually makes a lot of sense, especially given his connection to past Avatars. It was also the perfect solution – the solution Aang had been looking for this whole time. So it fits perfectly. It’s no wonder fans were able to see the pieces before they were fully placed.
