So. At last the day has arrived. Today Sozin's comet finally airs on TV. After three long years, Avatar is finally coming to an end. Or is it? The way a lot of people are going on about it, you'd think that the series was about to vanish off the face of the earth forever. But the fact is that legends don't just "end". Here are some examples: (if you have no patience left for another of my long posts, simply skip to the Avatar paragraph at the end).
The Epic of Gilgamesh:
The tale of King Gilgamesh, the king who was one third man and two thirds god, is the oldest fantasy story still in wide circulation. It originally began in almost five thousand years ago, in Ancient Sumeria. The tale seems like a simple enough one, about a King whose best friend Enkidu dies, thus causing the king to set out in search of the secret of eternal life, in order that he might bring his friend back. Ultimately, he discovers just why humans are meant to be mortal, and returns to his city to share his new-found wisdom. So why is it that this simple adventure story has survived to the present day, fascinating readers for 5000 years? The answer is because it answers questions about issues that have been foremost in the minds of men ever since time began; the issues of life and death. The epic of Gilgamesh is a perfect example of how people will always be able to find interest in a story that makes a serious attempt to answer the issues that continue to confound humanity.
Iliad and The Odyssey:
Originating 3000 years ago, in Ancient Greece, the story of the poet Homer's two most famous works are today best known as the story of the Siege of Troy. The two stories detail the various adventures of the two main characters; Odysseus and Achilles. Why is it that people continue to read this story? The answer lies not in the fact that it is the first true example of Western Literature, nor in the fact that that literature is widely considered among the most bloody in all time. No, what really continues to draw people to this tale is the growth of the heroes. At the start of the story they are little better off than spoiled brats with super-powers: arrogant, reckless, violent; people that nobody would ever think of as heroes. But by the end of the story they have grown. They learn to see their enemies as human, themselves as fallible, and their men not as expendable puppets but as comrades whom they are proud to fight alongside. They grow up. That is why, as long as people continue to go through their own cycles of growing up, their own transformations in real life, they will continue to emphasize with this story. That is why it has survived.
The Legend of King Arthur:
If ever there was a legend that influenced the world, it was the story of King Arthur. There have been so many different re-tellings of this story, in so many different settings, and so many people in history have allowed it to shape their lives, that it is almost impossible to know what the original story was and when it began. But the one thing that never changes about this story is the concept that originally beautiful, the ideal of one lone, brave man, along with his loyal band of knights determined to fight with honor in their quest to save their people, their civilization from destruction at the hands of others. With that concept in mind, it is easy to see why so many people in history have been drawn to it, and continue to be drawn to it.
These three tales have each survived across the centuries, in one form or another, to continue to be retold today. But what about some more recent works of fantasy?
The Lord of the Rings:
The tales of the land of Middle Earth have come a long way since J.R.R Tolkien originally wrote The Hobbit solely as a bedtime story for his children. As a work of literature, The Lord of the Rings is unmatched, but for many years it seemed that few recognized this. Despite selling well, the series received highly mixed reviews from critics, and the series seemed doomed to die a somewhat ignominious death. But it's fans did not let it die. Instead, as the years rolled by the story was kept alive by its astonishingly loyal fanbase, who were determined to keep the legend alive until the world at large finally recognized the magic of the world that Tolkien had fashioned. They got their wish when Peter Jackson picked up the series and decided that someone ought to make a movie out of it. The rest is history. LOTR stands out as a story that even after finishing stuck around as a story that stayed alive in the hearts of its fans to live again another day.
Star Wars:
Unlike the Lord of the Rings, Star wars was a runaway success right from the beginning. Fans across the world fell in love with the sheer joy that emanates from George Lucas's masterpiece. So strong was that love, that when the original trilogy ended Star Wars joined LOTR as a series people refused to let die. As well as numerous re-showings of it in theaters, loyal fans of the series soon gained permission to continue the story in a series of tie-in novels. The prequel trilogy (eps 1, 2, and 3) when it came out wasn't nearly as good as the originals, suffering from bad dialogue and plot. But the return of the series unexpectedly coincided with an explosion of fresh tie-in novels. To date, more than 100 full-blown novels have been written and published concerning the Star Wars universe, mostly be fans of the movies. Although a good half of these books are horrendous (believe me, I know), the other half are actually very good reads. Star Wars is a story that when "finished" was continued on by its fans. Their dedication paid off in the form of a 7th Star Wars movie due to be released soon.
Harry Potter:
Harry Potter finished fairly recently, and we can't really say what will become of this series. But it is highly doubtful that this series will simply disappear simply because all the books have been published.
The question is; why didn't these series end when they were finished?
There are two answers. The first is that the original fans did not simply forget about what had inspired them for years. Even if it no longer occupied their thoughts on a day to day basis, something that manages to truly inspire people will leave them affected forever, pricking up their ears at the slightest mention of what they once loved.
The second answer is simple. New fans keep finding their way to the story. As long as the story continues to exist, there is the chance that someday somebody who never knew it existed before will pick it up and be the begining of a whole new fandom.
And that brings us back to the original subject; Avatar.
Avatar the last Airbender:
There is no doubt in my mind that ATLA eclipses all of the stories described above. In its own way, Avatar manages to encompass all of the reasons why people enjoyed those stories as well as so many more, and it is for this reason why so many have fallen in love with it. I will not speel on about all the positive things that Avatar has done for us; many people have already done so far better than I ever could have. But I would like to ask you to do somthing: When all this is finally over, remember it. Remember what inspired you, and why it inspired you. When the last DVD comes out on July 29th, buy it as a final way of remembering Aang, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Appa, Momo, Iroh, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, Ozai, Hakkoda, Ursa, Bumi, Zhao, and everyone I haven't mentioned. Buy it to remember the world of the four nations of four elements, and the avatar who was comprised of all the elements, and all the nations. And as time goes on, if someone you know ever comes to you asking if you know of a good story, tell them you know one. That is how we will keep Avatar alive.
But Avatar has not ended yet. In a few years, the movies will come out, and I would be amazed if they were not accompanied by bringing back, even if only temporarily, the original series that kick-started it all.
Tonight, once the comet has finally arrived and we have all been blasted out of our seats by the sheer awsomeness that Bryke, the geniuses who easily rival names like Tolkien, Lucas, and Rowling, cannot have failed to instill in it, let there always be a place in your hearts for Avatar, for it is in our hearts that Avatar will always live on.
Edited 7 total times.
