Netflix Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 ending: What's next for Team Avatar?

The first season of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series is now streaming on Netflix, and there's already so much talk about this new show. But this doesn't really come as a surprise because it's based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series of the same name. People want to see if the live-action adaptation has done any justice to the original series, and I don't blame them!

After watching all eight episodes in the first season, I'd say Netflix and the show's creative team did an amazing job at sticking close to the source material. But this is just my opinion. There were plenty of action-packed scenes, emotional moments, as well as moments of laughter throughout the first season. And after that explosive finale, I'm more than ready to see where Aang and the rest of Team Avatar are headed next in a potential Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2.

There's a lot that goes down in the season 1 finale, so you might've missed some things. No worries! We gave a rundown of what happened in the Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 finale right below.

Spoilers ahead from Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1

Do Aang and Team Avatar defeat the Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1?

Yes and no. The season 1 finale opens with Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the Northern Water Tribe trying their best to defend Agna Qel'a from the militaristic Fire Nation. Meanwhile, Prince Zuko searches for a pathway to enter Agna Qel'a so that he can capture Aang. Elsewhere, Admiral Zhao shows General Iroh one of the Fire Nation's new inventions which is basically a hot air balloon with a Fire Nation ship attached. This invention makes it easier for the Fire Nation to bypass the Northern Water Tribe defenses. Its job is to carry a small group of Firebenders into Agna Qel'a so that they can attack the Waterbenders.

Back in Agna Qel'a, Katara manages to convince Waterbending master Pakku to let her and the other female Waterbenders join the fight. Meanwhile, Chief Arnook entrusts Sokka with the task of taking care of Princess Yue.

As Admiral Zhao and General Iroh travel in the war balloon to Agna Qel'a, Iroh informs Zhao that the Waterbenders draw their strength from the moon. He also tells him that the Waterbenders' powers are at their peak at the moment, meaning that they're very powerful. He tries to get Zhao to pause their attack until the morning, but Zhao tells him no. Zhao then explains his plan to Iroh.

On this night, there's an Ice Moon, which is a rare cosmic event where the barriers between the physical and spirit worlds grow thin. Zhao previously learned from the Great Sage that the Waterbenders' lives come from the spirit of the ocean while their powers come from the spirit of the moon. The Ocean and Moon spirits give up their immortality for one night every year to be among the Waterbenders. They take a physical form and become part of the mortal world.

Zhao reveals that his plan is to kill the Moon spirit so that the Waterbenders won't have their waterbending abilities to fight back. That way, the Fire Nation can take over the Northern Water Tribe with ease. Meanwhile, Aang is warned of Zhao's plan by Avatar Kuruk's spirit. Elsewhere in Agna Qel'a, Princess Yue takes Sokka to the most sacred spot in the North Pole (the Spirit Oasis) to heal Momo, who has been injured. Prince Zuko also finally finds a way into Agna Qel'a. He finds Aang and Katara and engages in a battle with Katara while Aang goes to stop Zhao.

Zhao and Iroh finally make their way into Agna Qel'a and find the Spirit Oasis. As Zhao looks at two coy fish in the water, he realizes that one is the Moon Spirit and the other is the Ocean Spirit in their physical forms. Iroh tries to warn Zhao by telling him that killing the Moon Spirit will throw the world out of balance, but Zhao ignores him. He captures the Moon Spirit in a bag, and the Ice Moon in the sky instantly turns red. He then stabs the bag with Kuruk's knife, killing the Moon Spirit.

Now, the Ice Moon has completely disappeared in the sky, and the Waterbenders have become weak since they don't have their waterbending powers anymore. The Firebenders begin to overpower the Waterbenders, but Aang has a plan. He activates the Avatar State and sinks himself into the Spirit Oasis to merge with the Ocean Spirit, forming a huge fish-like figure. In this form, Aang starts killing every Fire Nation member on land and in the water.

Zhao tries to escape, but Prince Zuko spots him and engages in a battle. The battle ends with Prince Zuko using his fire abilities to throw Zhao into the water. He and Iroh watch as Zhao's burning body floats in the ocean. Now that Aang has completely wiped out all the Fire Nation members at Agna Qel'a, Katara tries to get Aang to wake up out of the Avatar State. But Princess Yue tells her that Aang is lost and that the Ocean Spirit has taken over because it's angry that it's lost its partner (Moon Spirit).

However, she knows how to revive the Moon Spirit, and sadly, it means sacrificing her life. After Princess Yue sacrifices herself to give back the life that the Moon Spirit had given her, the Ocean Spirit separates from Aang, and Aang falls into the ocean. Still in the Avatar State, Aang shoots out of the ocean in a ball of water into the sky. He's alive! The Waterbenders also regain their waterbending powers.

So, while Team Avatar didn't defeat the entire Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, they did defeat one of its leaders (Admiral Zhao) and many of its members. There are still many more to defeat, including Fire Lord Ozai.

Do Sokka and Princess Yue end up together?

Sadly, they do not end up together. When Team Avatar arrived in Agna Qel'a, Sokka was instantly taken by Princess Yue and her beauty. They bond over their similar responsibility of having to serve their respective communities. Princess Yue even becomes close enough with Sokka to tell him a secret of hers. She shares with him that she's part human, part spirit and can travel between both the physical world and the spirit world. Sokka tells her about a past memory of his that he's still affected by. Princess Yue eventually confesses her feelings to Sokka, and they share a sweet kiss.

While things are going well between them, everything comes crashing down when the Moon Spirit in its physical form is murdered by Zhao. Without the Moon Spirit, the entire world would be out of balance. So to save the day, Princess Yue sacrifices herself by giving back her life to save the Moon Spirit.

How does Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 end?

After defeating the Fire Nation members who attacked Agna Qel'a, Aang still can't get over the fact that so many innocent lives were lost in the battle. He feels like he didn't do a good job as the Avatar. Katara and Sokka explain to him that there will be losses and pain in war, but that doesn't mean it's all his fault. Katara continues by saying that the Fire Nation isn't going to give up, so they must prepare for whatever they throw at them next.

Aang snaps out of his funk, and Katara tells him their next plans. She tells him that he'll learn waterbending first, followed by earthbending at Omashu. So, it looks like Team Avatar will be headed back to the Earth Kingdom city soon. But they're not going to like what they find...

Meanwhile, a low-spirited Prince Zuko and Iroh sail away from Agna Qel'a in a canoe. Zuko is still reeling from the information he learned from Zhao about the Fire Lord not actually planning on reversing his banishment. He also learns that his younger sister, Princess Azula, is involved. It looks like Zuko might shift his focus a bit going forward.

Elsewhere at the Capital City, the Great Sage explains to Fire Lord Ozai what happened at Agna Qel'a including the multiple Fire Nation casualties. He tells him that the Avatar is still alive, which shocks the Fire Lord. However, the Fire Lord doesn't seem angry that the Fire Nation couldn't conquer the North.

He reveals to the Great Sage that the attack on the North was used as a distraction so that the Fire Nation could conquer Omashu without any trouble. The next scene shows Fire Nation guards dropping a handcuffed King Bumi onto the ground at Omashu. A Fire Nation guard then walks up to Bumi and takes off their helmet. It's Princess Azula! She's captured Bumi and seized Omashu. In a voice-over, Fire Lord Ozai reveals the Fire Nation's next plan, which is to conquer the other Earth Kingdom city, Ba Sing Se. Once this happens, the Fire Nation will have completely conquered the Earth Kingdom.

The Great Sage praises the Fire Lord for coming up with such a clever strategy, but then informs him that Prince Zuko was one of the Firebenders who was at Agna Qel'a during the attack. While the Fire Lord initially appears to be shocked by this news, he ends up showing a callous disregard for Zuko's fate.

Is there a mid-credits scene?

Yes! There's a short scene featuring the Great Mage and Fire Lord Ozai just before the credits roll. The Great Mage spins a wheel that's attached to a big globe. The spinning of the wheel moves a fake comet on the globe. The Great Mage then tells Fire Lord Ozai that "something" has taken 100 years, but it's going to happen soon. He tells the Fire Lord that the Fire Nation shall soon see the return of Sozin's Comet. So, the "something" was Sozin's Comet.

If you watched the animated series, you'd know that Sozin's Comet is a celestial object that passes near the Earth every 100 years. When it passes near the Earth, it provides Firebenders with an increase in power, making them practically impossible to defeat. If Sozin's Comet is set to return soon, this won't be good for Aang and the rest of Team Avatar. Let's hope Aang can master all four elements before this day comes.