Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 Ending Explained: Directed by Jabbar Raisani, Amit Gupta, Anu Menon, and Hiromi Kamata, the Netflix’s live-action fantasy adventure series stars Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Miyako as Toph, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai, Dallas Liu as Zuko, Elizabeth Yu as Azula, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh, Justin Chien as King Kuei, Chin Han as Long Feng and others. This season has 7 episodes, each with a runtime of 60 minutes approx.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 Ending Explained
Who Is Toph and Does Aang Successfully Learn Earthbending?
Introduction of Toph as a member of one of the most powerful families of the Earth Kingdom seems quite promising; however, the girl’s actual life is quite opposite to that which is associated with such a background. Despite the fact that she is blind, Toph possesses a unique relationship with the earth that enables her to feel its vibrations and movement through it. Competing secretly in the underground Earthbending tournament as the undefeated “Blind Bandit,” she knows how to fight using waiting and observing. This combination of abilities is exactly what Aang needs after Bumi recommends him to master the neutral jing philosophy.
Once part of Team Avatar, Toph becomes Aang’s master for Earthbending techniques. But this time, the training is much more difficult for Aang than what he used to get accustomed to. While Airbending involves dodging, Earthbending calls for being sturdy and dealing with everything directly. Every time, Aang finds himself in a hard position, since his natural tendency tells him to run away from threats instead of facing them. All through their journey to Ba Sing Se, Toph forces him to let go of all other kinds of bending skills.
Even though Aang does not become an Earthbending master straight away, he makes good progress right from the beginning. He is able to stand his ground when practising, senses the vibrations that surround him, and finally gets into the right frame of mind needed for controlling the earth. By the Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 episode 7, his increased affinity to the earth enables him to sense where Appa was kept imprisoned underground by feeling the vibrations under the city.
How Did Professor Zei and Jet Die?
The end of Professor Zei is determined during the expedition to the enigmatic Spirit Library. Zei is a scholar preoccupied with acquiring knowledge who finds the never-ending sources of information in the library fascinating and becomes preoccupied with his studies there. Meanwhile, while looking for information on the Great Comet and its possible flaw in the Fire Nation, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph do not seem to notice Zei’s growing infatuation with the library itself.
Knowing that he will gain access to the library forever, Zei tells Wan Shi Tong, the spirit librarian, that the others are looking for information which could be used for war. Zei hopes to win the favour of the spirit but ends up doing the opposite. With his intention of putting his fellow beings at risk, Zei violates the sanctity of the rules of the library. Immediately, Wan Shi Tong turns against him and attacks him as he is no longer honouring the agreement. In the end, Zei is eaten by the spirit.
This happens just soon after, during their desperate flight from the falling building. After Wan Shi Tong starts attacking the intruders and blocking their way back home, the situation turns out to be impossible. Jet realises that there is a possibility that everybody is trapped inside, and decides to sacrifice his life to give them more time. Instead of thinking about himself, Jet makes a self-sacrificing choice that gives Aang and others a chance to get to the gate of the physical world.
Whereas the others manage to find their way out, Jet is never seen again. He dies within the walls of the Spirit Library, which clearly demonstrates that he gave up his life in order for others to live. In this way, the series shows an end to a character who spent most of the season trying to make amends for past mistakes.
Why Doesn’t Zuko Kill Aang During His Spirit Projection?
One of the pivotal moments in Zuko’s development happens when he encounters Aang and company projecting their spirits inside the Spirit Library. It is an extremely tempting proposition. Aang’s physical form is defenceless, and getting rid of the Avatar will immediately solve a lot of troubles for Zuko. At the earlier stage of the story, Zuko would not hesitate to take advantage of such a situation because he wanted to restore his honour and go back home.
But by now, Zuko has started his transformation process because during his time amongst commoners in the Earth Kingdom, he has seen firsthand how the Fire Nation causes pain to everyone, whereas his encounters with Fei and Peng made him realise that there is good in others despite the fact that they have every reason to despise him. But more than anything else, it is the memory of his mother, along with the tales of the Blue Spirit, that keep haunting him.
In seeing the vulnerable position of Aang, Zuko knows that taking his life will neither help him nor be the way for him to become who he really wants to be. Zuko, for the first time, listens to his conscience and not to his anger. He walks away and never completes his act, and later tells Iroh that he simply could not do it. The scene proves that even though there is internal struggle within him, Zuko is starting to leave the way of Ozai behind.
How Does Azula Take Control of the Earth Kingdom?
The conquest of Ba Sing Se by Azula, however, does not just come by brute force, but rather through manipulation and politics. At a time when the Earth Kingdom leaders are preoccupied with their own fights, Azula manages to enter the city incognito as a Kyoshi Warrior together with Mai and Ty Lee. Having entered the city, she takes a closer look at the emerging conflict between Long Feng and the Dai Li against military officials like General Sung.
However, after her capture, Azula manages to turn the tables on Long Feng by offering him some important information about herself. She tells him that the generals who are opposing him are working behind his back and informs him that a huge fire nation army is waiting for him outside the city gates. However, despite believing that he is still in control, Azula slowly starts to corner him.
The plan culminates in an attack when Azula is at a meeting of the council. Taking advantage of having all the kingdom’s top military personnel in one place, Azula makes her move by surprising them and using her powers to disable the city’s leaders and make Long Feng helpless against her. The command structure of the military is broken down, and chaos breaks out in the city. This way, Azula takes control of Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation. At the end of Episode 7, the city that was the last fortress of the Earth Kingdom fell into the hands of Azula.
Was Aang Able to Save His Friends and Escape Ba Sing Se?
Indeed, Aang does manage to rescue his friends, but at the cost of completing one of the toughest missions of the season. After some betrayals and arrests, Team Avatar is separated within Ba Sing Se. Katara and Zuko have been imprisoned together, while Sokka is incarcerated along with Sai. Furthermore, Toph is fooled by her mother into leaving the city. It comes to light for Aang via his newly discovered ability of Earthbending that Appa has been captured under the city. With all his friends and his loyal companion at stake, Aang vows not to leave any of them behind.
Help comes in the form of Iroh, who helps Aang break into the prison located underground. The two manage to find the secret room and start releasing the prisoners from their confinement. Aang finds Sokka and Sai first, and then meets up with Katara and Zuko. On the other hand, Toph is able to free herself after finding another use for her powers. She senses the metal and frees herself from captivity.
Despite the success of the rescue mission, the cost of it is extremely high. Aang manages to find Appa and set most of the people held hostage under the city free, but soon, the whole rescue mission turns into a full-scale battle with Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li. Although Aang manages to escape from the city together with his companions using Appa, the group is left with no other choice but to leave Ba Sing Se, as the city has fallen into the hands of the Fire Nation.
Why does Zuko Ultimately Side With Azula at the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2?
It seems that one of the most shocking moments of the season is when Zuko chooses to stand by his sister Azula, because this happens at the end of several months of growth. The character helps regular people on their way, finds himself connected again with his mother’s teachings, and wins Katara’s trust even when both of them are held captive. It looks like Zuko manages to get rid of the influence of his father for a little while.
But Azula knows her brother well enough; when she comes face-to-face with him in the underground jail, she starts off by offering him an apology rather than a threat or an insult. She reminds him of how glorious and famous he could be yet and tries to encourage him with those things. Azula does not come out as an antagonist but as someone who wants him to stand by his family again. It becomes really hard for him to refuse such a tempting offer.
Ultimately, the choice made by Zuko is guided more by his emotional vulnerability than by rationality. Although he has begun improving himself, he still seeks acceptance. Azula knows how to use his feelings at the right time, telling him that he does not have to be an outcast any longer. Therefore, Zuko decides to join her during the battle with Aang and Katara. This demonstrates that Zuko has not resolved his inner conflict, which implies that personal development is never easy and is always accompanied by struggle.
Does Azula Kill Aang, and What Does It Mean for Season 3?
The ending of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is one of the most surprising events in the live-action adaptation. In the course of the fighting under Ba Sing Se, Aang becomes the Avatar in order to save his companions and calm down the situation. Using his mastery of the four elements, he is able to overpower the Dai Li and put both Azula and Zuko on the back foot. For the first time, it looks like he will win the battle.
But here comes Aang’s reluctance. No matter how powerful Aang may be, he still does not want to accept the cold-hearted choices that have to be made by other people. It is this reluctance that gives Azula the chance she needs. Using her trademarked lightning skill, Azula delivers a fatal blow to Aang right away. And when Aang gets hit while being in the Avatar State, he falls down to the ground. He looks dead, and Katara has no choice but to run away with him.
It is intended to be left ambiguous whether Aang is indeed dead. It seems that the end leaves us to conclude that he is dying, but not dead, since there is still some water left in Katara, which is from the Spirit Oasis, and it is known to have amazing healing powers. The last scenes show Team Avatar making their escape with Aang while Fire Nation soldiers march through the occupied streets of Ba Sing Se. It is evident that all of these scenes lead into Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3, where Aang’s recuperation, dominance of the Fire Nation, complex alliance of Zuko and Azula, and desperate struggle to maintain balance will be the key themes.
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