Top 10 Best Avatar Episodes

Doug Walker makes me grateful for the internet. I’ve spent hours watching and rewatching his many movie reviews. Last September, he produced two of his best reviews–aided by my beloved Dante Basco–examining the top 11 best and top 11 worst Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes. I say this with utmost respect:

You’re crazy, Doug Walker.

Some of my favorite episodes made it into his top 11 worst list, while others didn’t even get a mention. Worst of all, there was nowhere near enough Zuko.

After buying and watching the complete series, I made a list of my top 10 favorite episodes (one thing we can agree on, Doug: it’s really hard to pick the “worst” episodes from such a great series). Because Doug and I have different preferences and criteria, our lists have few similarities. If you’re looking for a list with plenty of Zuko, you’ve come to the right place.

10. The Waterbending Scroll

There’s only one reason this episode is in my top 10.

Even though he’s the bad guy and he’s being sarcastic and I know Zutara isn’t canon, my heart flutters every time. It’s such a good line. It made me consider that Zuko might not be so bad.

Other than that one line, this episode has some good action and pirates! Who doesn’t love pirates? Any TV episode with pirates is automatically my favorite.

Unless it’s from “Once Upon a Time.”

9. The Headband

Several episodes I chose because they had memorable lines. My favorite from this episode?

This episode has a bunch of little moments that make me giggle.

• Aang greeting everyone with “hotman”
• Aang’s parent-teacher conference with Sokka and Katara
• All the kids banding together to give the Gaang time to escape
• Sokka’s slow clap at the end
• Aang tweaking out while playing tsungihorn
• The Gaang throwing a DANCE PARTY for Fire Nation kids. What’s not to love?

Doug Walker criticized this episode for being too lighthearted compared to the previous one. He thought “Avatar-does-‘Footloose'” was a little goofy for the second episode of the final season.

The series’ goofiness is one of the reasons I like “Avatar” better than “Korra.” In “Avatar,” the more serious elements are balanced out by humor and a lighter tone. I loved Season 2’s darker storyline and the first episode of Season 3, but after all that, it was nice to watch something silly reminiscent of the first season.

This episode makes me laugh every time I watch it. Flameo, hotman!