Sokka trains with Suki.
In order to learn more about the Avatar State, Aang, Katara and Sokka (and a lemur called Momo) travel to Kyoshi Island, while Zuko attempts to keep knowledge of the Avatar's return a secret.Episodes adapted from the original series:
Tropes:
- Absolute Xenophobe: Where the original show's Kyoshi Island was just a little twitchy about outsiders, here it's made clear they absolutely don't want anyone setting foot on their island because it'll bring the war there. The fact Aang is the Avatar brings him a whole forty-eight hours stay at first, and no more.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: The fans of the Kyoshi Warriors are sharp enough to slice through melons like they're paper.
- Adaptation Deviation: The episode mentions Kyoshi's backstory, drawing upon The Rise of Kyoshi by saying that she was an orphan who grew up on the streets, but also saying that she was hired as a house girl for 'the richest family on the island', because the actual circumstances of the household who hired her would take far too long to explain. note
- Adaptation Distillation: The events of "The Southern Air Temple" (In particular Zhao's introduction) and "The Warriors of Kyoshi" are merged together in this episode's events.
- Adaptational Early Appearance:
- In the original show "The Winter Solstice" takes place in the middle of the season and has Aang meet his predecessor Roku in a Fire Nation Avatar Temple, where Roku warns Aang of the danger of Sozin's Comet and is able to save the group by channeling himself through Aang. The broad concept is translated to much earlier and given to Kyoshi, who warns Aang that the Northern Water Tribe has become a target, and she was also not depicted in person until season two.
- Katara discovers her grandma passed on a waterbending scroll to help her train, something she kept hidden to prevent her from attracting Fire Nation attention. The scroll was originally introduced later in the first season and as a random item from a peddler.
- Ozai is seen on screen for the first time, as the original show kept him The Faceless until season three.
- Adaptational Wimp: Zhao's a lot lower down the totem pole than the original, being a total no-name in the rear end of nowhere. Accordingly, Zuko doesn't have to tread as lightly around him.
- Adapted Out:
- Foamy Mouth Guy and the Unagi are not present.
- Zuko does not engage in an agni kai duel against Zhao.
- Afraid of Their Own Strength: Aang admits to Katara that he's scared of his powers and is afraid someone would get hurt if he doesn't learn control.
- Almost Kiss: Sokka and Suki come very close to kissing once Suki confesses her innermost feelings, only to be interrupted by the town's alarm bell. Thankfully though, the two do get a proper kiss once Zuko and Zhao's threat is over with.
- Big Damn Heroes: Kyoshi does this twice in rapid succession. First, she shows up to save Katara from Zuko, then she intervenes in the fight in the village and sends Zhao and his men packing.
- Blatant Lies: After everything's over, Zhao insists he had no idea the Avatar was on Kyoshi Island, and was simply responding to news of an incident. Y'know, on the island that has been staunchly isolationist for decades. It's so blatant Zuko looks about ready to attack him then and there.
- Call-Back: In the previous episode, Zuko spoke of Avatar Kyoshi's fighting prowess and how she was considered the greatest warrior in the world during her time. Here, he gets to witness said combat prowess firsthand, as Kyoshi defeats him with one move before moving on to the rest of the Fire Nation forces.
- Combat Hand Fan: Wouldn't be Kyoshi or her Warriors without them, and they are especially sharp, as Suki demonstrates on some innocent fruit. They also work well as both a shield and a bludgeoning weapon.
- Covert Pervert: Suki gets a sneak at a shirtless Sokka while he's getting dressed. Sokka gets very self-conscious about it.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Once Kyoshi (channelled by Aang) shows up to the fight, it's pretty much over.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: With some training Katara learned how to throw a wave of water. When confronted by Zuko and a few of his crew she throws a wave of water that works to annoy them, but the instant Zuko responds with firebending she's forced to run.
- Delicious Distraction: Iroh, trying to impart wisdom to Zuko, gets distracted by some nearby sticky rice.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Suki takes a good, long look at Sokka's naked torso when she walks in on him washing up.
- Flying Firepower: Kyoshi flies about saving the day on her old home island like Iron Man on a jet of flame from her feet, powered intrinsically by the Avatar State instead of extrinsically by the Firebending amplification of Sozin's Comet like during the Air Nomad Genocide in the first episode.
- Gender Flip: The leader of Kyoshi Island was male in the original series.
- The Gift: Aang was such an airbending prodigy that he was dangerous to be around, thus he spent most of his time training with Master Gyatso personally.
- Good Is Not Nice: Kyoshi feels that being the Avatar means being a fighter and general, especially over being a bringer of peace, or at the very least bringing peace by beating everyone up. She’s also very blunt with Aang about his duties as the Avatar, trying to get him to understand how important it is for him to fight the Fire Nation.
- Held Gaze: During their training session, Sokka and Suki momentarily wind up holding one another, and just staring very intently...
- Interplay of Sex and Violence: The entire training regimen between Suki and Sokka has things getting tense with them.
- It Only Works Once: Kyoshi is temporarily able to take over Aang's body in order to drive the Fire Nation forces out of Kyoshi Island. When Sokka asks if they'll see more of her later, Aang says that he can only channel the past Avatars when near their shrines, thus they can't rely on his past lives to come to their rescue every time.
- Mythology Gag:
- Demonstrating his Avatar-ness to the people of Kyoshi Island, Aang airballs right into a lion statue, just as he did in the opening of the original show.
- Looking around the shrine of Kyoshi, Sokka and Katara note she started out as a servant and became the Avatar, the broad detail of her origin in the Rise of Kyoshi novels.
- Kyoshi's belief is that "justice brings balance", which was her advice to him in the four-part finale of the cartoon. Additionally, the painting that showcases this statement is a depiction of Kyoshi battling Chin the Conqueror.
- Never Mess with Granny: When Zhao demands that his men be allowed to search the village for any strangers, the village leader, a middle-aged woman and Suki's mother, seemingly allows him to do so. When a Fire Nation solider starts to pass her by, she grabs him and with one hand sends him flying back with a mighty throw. She fights with Blade Fans like a Kyoshi Warrior; combined with the fact that her daughter is the leader of that group, it's a safe bet she was a Kyoshi Warrior leader in her past.
- No Social Skills: Suki is a well-trained Kyoshi Warrior but has remained on their island her whole life. Sokka was the first outsider she really had a chance to interact with, and with Puppy Love emerging she proved to be quite awkward and confused on how to properly interact with him.
- One-Man Army: At the climax, Kyoshi takes over for Aang and demonstrates what a fully realized Avatar can do when they're not holding back. She wrecks Zhao's forces and drives them off her island.
- Related in the Adaptation: In the source material, there was no indication that the village leader was related to Suki. In this show, they are mother and daughter.
- Retired Badass: Implied with the village leader, who uses the Kyoshi Warriors' fan well enough to suggest that she most likely was one in her youth.
- Running Gag: Suki getting the drop on Sokka, and Sokka insisting she wear a bell so she'd stop getting the drop on him.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: When Avatar Kyoshi stares him down with Avatar State eyes after trouncing his troops, Zhao wisely decides to get out while he still can.
- Shockwave Stomp: Avatar Kyoshi enters the fray down in the village with one of these as a show of force.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Yukikari's attitude when Suki tries suggesting she relent on letting Aang stay.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: As mentioned above, the Kyoshi Warriors are talented at this, with Suki startling Sokka so often he declares she should wear a bell.
- A Taste of Power: Kyoshi channels through Aang to save her home island from Fire Nation marauders, and also to give Aang a sample of the power that a fully realized Avatar can harness.
- Tempting Fate: When the Kyoshi Warriors get the jump on the Gaang, Katara tries to defend their trespassing by saying that Aang is the Avatar. Suki fires back that there would be a sign if he was. Cue the statue of Avatar Kyoshi lighting up a spotlight on Aang. One of her subordinates couldn't keep herself from pointing that one out.
- This Cannot Be!: Zuko's reaction to seeing Avatar Kyoshi, a woman who died centuries before he was even born.Zuko: Impossible.
- Trauma Button: When Zuko corners Katara after their fight, she starts having memories of the night the Southern Water Tribe was attacked and her mother was murdered, causing her to curl into herself. Fortunately, Kyoshi arrives before Zuko can potentially finish her off.
- What Does She See in Him?: Katara teases Sokka about his relationship with Suki after they kiss.
