Twenty years in, the Avatar animated universe is still expanding — and it’s never been a better time to start from the beginning.The Avatar: The Last Airbender is where the journey starts. From there, the recommended watch order is The Legend of Korra, the upcoming animated movie Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and, finally, the upcoming new series Avatar: Seven Havens.
That order is almost identical to chronological storyline order, with one exception: The animated film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender was produced after The Legend of Korra, but takes place between the first two series. More on that below.
All of it streams on Paramount+. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are on the service now. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is set to premiere Saturday, July 25, and Avatar: Seven Havens will follow at a yet-to-be-announced date.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead!
Key facts
Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise
- Created by: Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
- Original series premiere: 2005
- Animation studio: Nickelodeon Animation Studio
- Number of episodes:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: 61 episodes
- The Legend of Korra: 52 episodes
- Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender: Animated feature film
- Avatar: Seven Havens: 13 episodes announced
Chronological viewing order, in-world timeline
The franchise’s in-world timeline spans roughly 90 years, moving from the era of Avatar Aang through the era of Avatar Korra and beyond. Watching in this order gives you the fullest sense of how the world changes over time.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Set in a world divided into four nations — Water, Earth, Fire, and Air — the series follows Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the young Avatar who must master all four elements and stop the Fire Nation’s hundred-year war. His friends Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena) join him on the journey, while the exiled Prince Zuko (Dante Basco) hunts him across every nation.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is the entry point for the entire animated canon. The mythology, the rules of bending, and the Four Nations all begin here, in this 2005–2008 Nickelodeon favorite.
WATCH NOW: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
This animated feature film, produced by Avatar Studios, picks up with Aang and his friends as adults. Aang, now the world’s last living Air Nomad, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction, and sets off with his friends to find it before it falls into the wrong hands. (For more, read our complete guide on everything you need to know about Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender.)
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is set after the events of the original series and bridges the story toward The Legend of Korra. It premieres Saturday, July 25, on Paramount+.
The Legend of Korra
Set roughly 70 years after Avatar: The Last Airbender, this 2012–2014 Nickelodeon series follows Korra, the next Avatar in the cycle and a natural Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. The world she is a part of is closer to a modern city with electric streetcars, pro-bending arenas, and political factions. The Spirit World is also woven much more deeply into the story here than in the original series.
The Legend of Korra runs 52 episodes across four books.
WATCH NOW: The Legend of Korra
Avatar: Seven Havens
In a world reshaped by catastrophe, a young Earthbender discovers she is the next Avatar, but in this era, that title is less a gift than a target. Hunted by human and spirit enemies alike, she and her long-lost twin must piece together their origins and protect civilization’s last strongholds before they fall.
Avatar: Seven Havens, developed by the original series co-creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, picks up after the events of The Legend of Korra. The series consists of Book 1 and Book 2, each running 13 half-hour episodes. The series will premiere exclusively on Paramount+.
Release order
Release order and chronological order are almost interchangeable for this franchise. The key point is that Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender was released after The Legend of Korra, but is set before it. Watching in release order is a natural way to follow the world’s expansion with each new title.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
- The Legend of Korra (2012)
- Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (premiering in 2026)
- Avatar: Seven Havens (premiere date TBA)
Either way, you end up in the same place. The only real difference is whether you visit adult Aang before or after meeting Korra.
Where to watch
Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are both streaming now on Paramount+ with a subscription (any plan). Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender premieres on Paramount+ on Saturday, July 25, and Avatar: Seven Havens will follow at an unspecified date.
Visit the Paramount+ Help Center for more info on Paramount+ plans and pricing.
About the Avatar universe
Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered on Nickelodeon on Feb. 21, 2005, and ran through 2008. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the series introduced the concept of the Avatar: a single individual, reborn each generation, capable of bending all four elements and tasked with keeping the world in balance. The world itself is divided into four nations — Water, Earth, Fire, and Air — with the Avatar born into a different nation each cycle.
The franchise marked its 20th anniversary in 2025, and with a new film and a new series both on the way, Avatar Studios is just getting started.
FAQ
Do I need to watch The Legend of Korra before Seven Havens?
It helps. Avatar: Seven Havens takes place after The Legend of Korra and picks up in a world changed by Korra’s story. Viewers who’ve seen Korra will have a clearer sense of what’s at stake and how much has shifted. That said, Seven Havens introduces a new Avatar, and a new premise so that newcomers won’t be completely in the dark.
Is Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender a sequel to the original series?
Yes. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. The animated film follows an adult Aang and his friends after the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender, set in the years following the Hundred Year War.
Is the 2010 live-action movie part of the animated canon?
This viewing guide covers only the animated franchise. The 2010 live-action film, titled The Last Airbender, and starring Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion), is a separate retelling of the first book of the original series, It is not considered part of the animated canon.
But good news: Paramount Pictures’ The Last Airbender, like the other shows covered here, is also streaming now on Paramount+.
WATCH NOW: The Last Airbender
