Two teenage siblings (Sokka and Katara) living in the South Pole discover a very strange boy (Aang), along with his pet flying bison Appa, in an iceberg. But can they trust him when he accidentally draws the war to their village's doorstep?

Katara and Sokka discover that Aang is the long-lost Avatar and must rescue him when a Firebending prince named Zuko kidnaps him.

Aang is excited about going home for the first time in one hundred years, but he is shocked to find out that the temple is deserted. Aang tells Sokka and Katara about his childhood as they explore the temple, but they soon discover something that Aang never expected. Meanwhile, Zuko must make repairs to his ship and the only way he can do it is to dock his ship at his rival's naval base.

The gang arrives at Kyoshi Island and are captured by some Kyoshi warriors. When Aang reveals that he is the avatar, news quickly spreads out, eventually reaching Zuko, who then goes to Kyoshi Island to capture him.

Aang's abilities as an airbender are challenged by a king.

In a nearby Earth Village, the gang meets a teenage earthbender named Haru. This village lives in fear of the Fire Nation, for soldiers there capture any earthbenders they can find.

Aang and friends visit a village being terrorized by an angry spirit. Iroh is captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers.

To contact the spirit of the previous Avatar, Aang must reach a temple in the Fire Nation before the sun sets on the following day. There he will learn what he must do to restore balance to the world. Zuko must defy his banishment to follow Aang.

After Katara attempts to teach Aang waterbending, but realizes that he is learning it much faster than she is, she is desperate to improve her abilities. When Katara inadvertently stumbles across a waterbending scroll that can help improve her abilities at a pirate’s store, she decides to steal it, realizing that she couldn’t hope to afford it.

While traveling towards the North Pole, the group almost gets captured by the Fire Nation. However, when a charismatic young man and his band of rebels attack the Fire Nation camp and rescue them, they learn that they are trying to resist the Fire Nation’s motives to expand their territory. Katara and Aang really enjoy their time with the band of rebels, but Sokka soon discovers that they aren’t as noble as meets the eye.

While on their way to the North Pole, Aang and his friends arrive at a giant canyon where two groups of refugees are bickering over who should get to go across. Aang decides to walk across with the two groups to ensure they don’t fight one another. However, he soon learns that the two tribes have been feuding for one hundred years and they both believe their actions are justified. But when the predators inside the canyon start to come out, Aang is stuck trying to defend both tribes from each other and the vicious wildlife.

Aang, Katara and Sokka have run out of money. Katara suggests Sokka get a job, and coincidentally, they meet a fisherman who is looking for someone to help him out with his fishing. But when the fisherman recognizes Aang as the Avatar, he blames Aang's absence for all of the troubles of the last 100 years, and Aang runs away on his glider. Katara follows on Appa, and when she finds him, Aang begins to reveal his life before he was frozen in the iceberg. Meanwhile, Zuko and Lieutenant Jee get into a fight, but Iroh breaks it up. Soon thereafter, the Lieutenant and the rest of the crew gain a newfound respect for their leader after learning of his past.

While Aang, Katara and Sokka are traveling, Sokka gets a fever. Katara and Aang try to help Sokka, when Katara also catches the fever. It's up to Aang to go up on his own to save his two friends. But before he can get the medicine he is captured by the newly promoted Admiral Zhao and put in Zhao's fortress.

When the group tries to help a man who is being attacked by a platypus-bear, they discover that the local town has a fortuneteller named Aunt Wu in it, who has been forecasting the town's fate for years. But when Sokka and Aang discover one of the fortuneteller's most vital predictions is dead wrong, they have to develop a plan to convince the stubborn townspeople that their beloved Aunt Wu was wrong.

Aang feels neglected as Katara and Sokka reunite with Bato, an old friend of their father’s from the South Pole. They begin to reminisce on their times in the past while they wait for a message to arrive from their father. Aang believes Katara and Sokka will abandon him and go out to find their father should the message arrive. However, when the messenger gives Aang the message to give to Bato, Aang betrays his friends in a way Katara or Sokka could never imagine. However, when Zuko recruits a bounty hunter named June to track Aang down, his friendship is put to the test as he must deal with the fact that he betrayed his friends while defending himself from yet another fight.

Aang and his friends go to a Fire Nation town so that Aang can witness some firebending, but their plan soon goes awry when it’s discovered that he is the Avatar. Fortunately, he's rescued by an individual who serves a firebending master named Jeong Jeong who has abandoned the Fire Nation, so Aang decides to use this time to attempt to learn firebending. The firebending master, however, seems reluctant to teach Aang.

When Aang and his friends hear rumors about surviving airbenders, they decide to stop by the Northern Air Temple on their way to the North Pole to see for themselves. What they find is a bunch of people who are not airbenders, but have mastered the art of gliding; though this upsets Aang because they have been defacing the temple. However, there was one part of the temple where nobody has been able to enter, and what Aang and his friends discover inside spells oncoming conflict.

When Aang tries to find the north pole, he is found by the north pole instead. As they are taken there, Aang and Katara are eager to find a waterbending master, only to discover that girls are not allowed to learn waterbending.

Zhao begins to launch his attack against the Northern Water Tribe. As the walls of the prestiged city begin to fall, the Avatar taps into the spirit world and seeks the help of one of the oldest spirits, in hopes of saving one of the most prominent areas of the world.

Aang returns from the spirit world to a big surprise. Meanwhile, Zhao and his forces continue to press deeper into the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh makes a powerful stand and Zuko struggles to keep his plan intact.

Plagued with nightmares featuring the devastating power of his Avatar State, Aang and the gang meet an Earth Kingdom general who has big plans for defeating the Fire Nation. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh, having survived the failed attack on the North Water Tribe, have a surprise visit from Zuko's sister with seemingly good news.

On their way to Omashu, Aang, Katara, and Sokka meet a group of nomads who show them a shortcut through the "Cave of Two Lovers". But when the group becomes trapped in the cave, it's up to Aang and Katara to save the group by trusting in love, possibly questioning their relationship. Meanwhile, Iroh gets a lethal rash so Zuko and Iroh head to a small Earth Kingdom town for help, hoping their real identities will not be discovered.

Despite the shocking news the gang have just discovered, Aang insists on trying to find King Bumi within Omashu's borders, even with the dangers that will await him and his friends if his real identity is discovered. Meanwhile Azula goes in search of old friends to help her with her mission.

A mysterious tornado pulls the kids into a supernatural swamp where Katara, Sokka and Aang have mysterious visions. Meanwhile, Momo and Appa are chased by rogue swamp dwellers and only Aang and the gang can save them.

Aang and the gang discover an Earth town that celebrates something called "Avatar Day." But when they get there and learn the festival is of "anti-Avatar" sentiment and Aang is put on trial for a crime a past incarnation allegedly committed. Looking to clear the Avatar's good name, Katara and Sokka venture back to a familiar place to gather evidence and discover the truth.

In search for an Earthbending teacher for Aang, the kids go to an underground Earthbending tournament called Earth Rumble 6, where they encounter Toph, a blind but powerful Earthbending girl. After seeing her unique style of Earthbending, Aang wants Toph to become his teacher, but there are complications with Toph's family.

Zuko travels by himself to an Earth Kingdom town were he meets a local boy. The two almost become friends, while Zuko suffers from flashbacks of his past.

Tired from trying to escape a machine that shows up every time they try to sleep, Aang and the gang have to escape Azula and her team, but their exhaustion leads to a tight situation. Meanwhile, Zuko must deal with something personal, and Iroh bonds with an unlikely individual.

Toph's instructing abilities come into question when Aang cannot seem to overcome a block that keeps him from earthbending. Sokka gets himself in a jam, while befriending what was, moments before, his next meal, and Iroh and Zuko begin training utilizing new philosophies and methods that originate from the other elements.

When Aang and his friends find a professor who knows of a library that contains information about the world, Sokka decides to go there to hopefully find some information to use against the Fire Nation. The library is guarded by the knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong, who doesn't welcome humans into his library, because he believes they only seek information for evil purposes. When Wan Shi Tong discovers Sokka wasn't being truthful with him, he begins to sink the library, bringing the kids down with it.

Aang searches for Appa while Katara struggles to keep everyone together to survive in the vast desert. Meanwhile, Iroh and Zuko seek help from an ancient secret society.

When Aang and the gang meet up with a group of refugees, they tell the gang where they can get on a ferry to Ba Sing Se. But after a series of events they have to take a deadly route called the serpent's pass with the help of an old friend, Suki. Meanwhile Zuko and Iroh meet up with a boy named Jet and his freedom fighters.

Having made it to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, the kids confront a Fire Nation army that is driving a massive Fire Nation drill, which poses an imminent threat to the last Earth Kingdom stronghold. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh make crucial mistakes which begin to attract Jet's suspicions.

Having finally made it into Ba Sing Se, the kids are given a house in the upper ring. The kids are anxious to tell the Earth King their plan but there are complications. Meanwhile, still convinced that Iroh and Zuko may be Fire Nation, Jet decides to take matters into his own hands and do whatever it takes to get the refugees to reveal their true nature.

A series of short stories, highlighting different characters and their individual adventures in the city. Tales of Katara and Toph, Iroh, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Momo.

Appa's journey from being abducted in the desert to the present is explored.

Aang and his friends continue to search for Appa and, unbeknownst to them, they aren't the only ones looking for him. During their search, the kids meet up with Jet, whom they are understandably reluctant to trust. The kids soon realize that the Dai Li are doing their best to thwart the kids' efforts to find Appa. Meanwhile, Iroh is offered his own tea shop in the upper ring, and Zuko discovers the avatar is in the city.

The kids battle Long Feng and the Dai Li when they attempt to show the Earth King the vast conspiracy taking place in his city. Zuko becomes seriously ill and has feverish dreams as he faces a spiritual crisis.

Aang travels to the Eastern Air temple to receive guidance from Guru Pathik while Sokka is reunited with his long-lost father. Meanwhile, Azula has something diabolical in store for her enemies in the Earth Kingdom, including Zuko and Iroh.

Everyone races against time to stop Azula's sinister plan. Zuko finds companionship in an unlikely source. Aang's destiny hangs in the balance—and so does Zuko's, as Iroh tells him it's time to make a choice.