4 things the new Avatar: Seven Havens spinoff needs to be a success

A brand new Avatar series, Seven Havens, has officially been announced. Here is everything Nickelodeon must include for the new show to succeed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a beloved animated series that has spawned multiple comics, two live-action adaptations and a follow-up animated series in Legend of Korra.

Since The Legend of Korra wrapped in 2014, fans have eagerly awaited a new chapter in the Avatar universe. Thankfully, their prayers have been answered. In addition to brand-new animated films for Aang, Zuko, Kyoshi, and Korra, the franchise will enter a new era.

As confirmed by Nickelodeon, the next Avatar will be set in a world “shattered by a devastating cataclysm. ” The new hero will be a “young Earthbender [who] discovers she’s the new Avatar after Korra.”

While the new live-action Netflix series reintroduced fans to the beloved IP and was received relatively well by fans and critics, the franchise has not ventured into real uncharted territory in over a decade.

As a lifelong fan, I’m excited by the prospect of a brand new saga and Avatar to fall in love with, but there are plenty of essentials that this new series needs to do and not do to succeed. 

In saying that, here are the most essential things Avatar: Seven Havens must include to set the franchise for a big return.

A fresh story that still pays homage to the past

Nickelodeon

Seven Havens needs to find a balance between new and old audiences.

The world of Avatar changed dramatically between Aang and Korra, and as such, there was plenty to catch up on when The Legend of Korra was first released. For Seven Havens, the show must establish itself as a fresh new universe while mentioning those who came before it.

It’s always a tricky balancing act, but given how much time has passed since Korra’s last appearance on screens, there can be no cutting corners when setting the stage for the new Avatar.

In what is described as a “dangerous era” and a world that Korra has destroyed, not saved, the quest for peace hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped. The idea of an even more divided world is a fantastic jumping-off point for introducing a new Avatar, but it must be handled carefully.

In particular, the development of the Spirit World, which holds a strong connection to the origins of the Avatar, needs to be further developed. Season 2 of The Legend of Korra attempted to do so, and while I’m not someone who disliked Korra, this season was undoubtedly the weakest of the bunch.

Moreover, Korra’s decision to sever her connection to past Avatars is central to this new season. Will she only guide this new earthbender, or is there a new way to rebuild this connection?

If this question is not answered early on, then Seven Havens will struggle to connect with old fans, which is a worrying sign.

Don’t split the role of the Avatar between the twins

Paramount Global

The Avatar has always been one person and should stay that way.

When it was first rumored that a new Avatar series was in the works and that the role would be split between a pair of twins, fans were immediately against this concept. While something that would bring a new flavor to the franchise, I agree that Seven Havens should not split the role into two people.

There are multiple reasons why I just don’t think this would work. The first is that if Seven Havens had two Avatars, would each only be able to bend two elements, or would two people use all four?

If the former, it’ll feel like each twin is only half developed, but if the latter, then the whole point of the Avatar and its legacy would be cast aside. Either way, it doesn’t work, but in saying that, something that would excite me is if one twin was the Avatar while the other was a non-bender, and the two must work together to restore peace.

The relationship and segregation between benders and non-benders have always been central to Avatar’s mythology. So, if this were the new show’s direction, I’d be eager to see how this would play out. 

After all, some of the best side characters, such as Sokka and Asam, were non-benders, so to place an even greater importance on their status in the world seems like a natural progression. If both twins could master air, water, fire, and earth, it would pigeonhole the story and world into a corner that would be hard to unravel in later seasons.

A new and loveable supporting cast

Nickelodeon

The new Gaang better be just as memorable as the first.

While Avatar has always been the main focus of the franchise, the supporting cast of characters has also been a pivotal part of its success. The Avatar is nothing without their allies, from the original Gaang of Zuko, Katara, and Sokka to Lin, Tenzin, and more.

While Seven Havens is already doing something fresh by making the Avatar a twin, mentors, adversaries, and other supporting characters need to be just as finely crafted. 

I’m not asking for another Uncle Iroh, but at the very least, Seven Havens needs to introduce fresh faces who have been just as invested in their character development, if not more, than the new Avatar.

After all, the goal of the Avatar is to bring harmony to the world, and if the people aren’t easy to connect with, then the whole essence of the show will fall flat on its face.

Bending must be more versatile and better than ever

Nickelodeon

The Legend of Korra brought fresh new bending to Avatar.

It’s not an Avatar show if there aren’t some cool magic elemental moves on display and for Seven Havens, bending needs to make an exciting and genuinely unique comeback. The art of shooting flame and water projectiles around is so common in current media, and for this new animated series, not reinvigorating the combat would be a huge disservice.

In Korra, bending was physically innovated, and the conventional smoothness and art-like craft evolved into a much more punchy and fast-paced movement style. On top of that, sub-types of bending, such as metal and lava bending, held much more importance.

For Seven Havens, I’d love to see more sub-types introduced. In particular, air bending needs a big overhaul because, as it stands, it’s the least effective and stagnant bending style despite having the most capacity for creativity.

Nickelodeon

Seven Havens should make flying the norm for airbenders.

In Season 3 of Korra, the villainous Zaheer learns how to fly using his airbending, a concept that has not been revisited since. Extrapolating this concept, making flying more commonplace amongst air benders, and even having some gravity benders would be a genius move.

Of course, we can’t forget Korra’s epic final showdown with Kuvira and her control over the spirits, wherein she managed to control their energy and redirect it.

With spirits and a clear focus for this new series, spirit bending as a new style, one that is used for good and for evil, is another great way to reinvigorate bending once more.

If Seven Havens managed to hit all these beats, then I have no doubt it’ll be an epic new direction for Avatar. However, if it fails to bring anything fresh to the table or steers too far away from lore, it’s hard to imagine fans falling in love with this new Avatar as they did with Aang and Korra.