We're moving Forums to the Community pages. Click here for more information and updates.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Forums

Nickelodeon (ended 2008)

Why do people think having a new villain would be a bad idea?

  • Avatar of BlackSparrow720

    BlackSparrow720

    [1]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 11/03/06
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 11
    Sure Aang is the avatar and everything but since when does that make him invincible to not be able to lose? He almost dies in the Avatar State back in Ba Sing Se and that showed how he can't just go to the as and win everytime. Also he has not become a fully realized avatar yet and I would say he still needs a bit more time to master the other elements. Zuko and Toph both said that his firebending and earthbending still needed work. Im all for having a new villain and I don't think it would be cliche like so many people around here think.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of LondonParisNYC

    LondonParisNYC

    [2]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 07/21/08
    • level: 7
    • rank: Talk Show Host
    • posts: 1,343

    Sure why not?

    you can't have show with a central conflict. Villans are an easy plot device.

    Edited on 07/24/2008 9:56am
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of kratosgod69

    kratosgod69

    [3]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 05/17/07
    • level: 11
    • rank: Red Shirted Lt.
    • posts: 1,265
    ITs not that it would be cliche, it would just make everything seem anticlimactic... Now, if, say, a general who was very devoted to the war leads a rebellion, I would be all for it, but if it's a new villain who wants power...
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of LondonParisNYC

    LondonParisNYC

    [4]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 07/21/08
    • level: 7
    • rank: Talk Show Host
    • posts: 1,343

    kratosgod69 wrote:
    ITs not that it would be cliche, it would just make everything seem anticlimactic... Now, if, say, a general who was very devoted to the war leads a rebellion, I would be all for it, but if it's a new villain who wants power...

    yeah definatly not a NEW character, but maybe an old character gone bad. I don't think i would want to see something against the firenation again though. It was get kind of tired.

    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of sullentoe

    sullentoe

    [5]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 07/19/08
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 53

    I donno but that sounds like the old boring anime new arch cliche to me.

    We beat freeza ohh thank god,... BUT!! now theres someone more powerful, faster stronger, ect... and his name is cell!!!.

    I dont think thats avatars style. I dont think theyll cop out like that but rather do something challenging like a story line about rebuilding the world after the aftermath or finding the air nomads whatever...

    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of BlackSparrow720

    BlackSparrow720

    [6]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 11/03/06
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 11
    Where would the action be then if they didn't have a villain? It doesn't have to be the take over the world type just an antagonist that does something against what the gang approves of. Name one action series that doesn't have an antagonist character. There isn't one that I can think of and im sure you can't either.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of suss2it

    suss2it

    [7]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 02/02/08
    • level: 14
    • rank: Autobot
    • posts: 3,383
    BlackSparrow720 wrote:
    Where would the action be then if they didn't have a villain? It doesn't have to be the take over the world type just an antagonist that does something against what the gang approves of. Name one action series that doesn't have an antagonist character. There isn't one that I can think of and im sure you can't either.
    That's why it's better to just end the series.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of ItachiHatakeZ

    ItachiHatakeZ

    [8]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 04/26/08
    • level: 1
    • rank: Weatherman
    • posts: 13

    Agreed with the "Old Villian"

    Return of Hama? Nah...

    But yeah, a new villain would undermine all the hype Ozai had.

    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of sullentoe

    sullentoe

    [9]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 07/19/08
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 53
    Perhaps its because there is lots of imitation and cliches and no original thinking. I mean if its up to the cartoonist or film maker to do whatever they want, in a moneyless socialist society or whatever, perhaps ideas would be diverse and flourish, the the reality is that people make movies and films to make money. At least the people that fund it. The more generic it is, the better. And the producers will push generic. Just looks at disney pixar films, or hollywood film.

    I think you can see a difference in anime, because a lot of anime films will sacrifice the animation and quality for a story they get to tell. Opposed to a 100 million dollar movie by pixar will try to oppose anything outside generic, like having a gay or Muslim character. Instead you would see a innocent christan or secular caucasion boy, using the same character design formula and stock expressions invented by disney animators 90 years ago.

    You dont need a villan to make a story awsome.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of nw030

    nw030

    [10]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 05/27/06
    • level: 1
    • rank: Weatherman
    • posts: 3
    It can't be a more powerful villain or another leader of an army, which would mean that we need a new kind of villain. May be a villain that blends in like ang and his group did and now ang is the one who is chasing them. kinding like going from fighting brute force to now guerrilla warfare.
    Edited on 07/24/2008 12:30pm
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of MaddoKos

    MaddoKos

    [11]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 05/19/08
    • level: 10
    • rank: Holy Level 10!
    • posts: 2,459
    I've got it...

    Ben Linus invades the Avatar world.

    XD
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of dantedones

    dantedones

    [12]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 10/15/06
    • level: 24
    • rank: Golden Girl
    • posts: 1,655
    It would be cool if there was a new villain, but I think he would need a new motive, not just taking over the world
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of skye3001

    skye3001

    [13]Jul 24, 2008
    • member since: 06/18/08
    • level: 3
    • rank: Soup Nazi
    • posts: 108
    I think it'd be anticlimactic to have something human try to take over the world. If there would be a new villain, I'd want it to be something from the spirit world.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of Undead_Prince

    Undead_Prince

    [14]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 07/21/08
    • level: 3
    • rank: Soup Nazi
    • posts: 64
    I've always said there was plenty of plot hooks and character possibilities for Book 4. An idea I had was to make Spirit-bending its central theme, and a powerful Spirit-bender as the main villain.

    As a Spirit-bender, he could mentally control people (like bloodbending, but more powerful) and make innocents do his evil bidding, which would make it hard for the gAang to fight them. He could also return bending power to Ozai, making him, Azula and maybe Hama his lieutenants.

    Also, it would be cool if the villain was from the Spirit world, so that he too would be capable of travelling to the Spirit world and using Spirit form (astral projection anyone?) for transportation and reconnaisance. As a Spirit incarnated on Earth, it would also be hard to kill him, since if his earth body is destroyed, he'll just be returned to the Spirit realm and can reincarnate again.

    Furthermore, it would be very good if the villain coud use shapeshifting abilities to hide in the croud, avoid detection and capture. Aang in Avatar state can destroy virtually anything, but what's he to do if the enemy is unknown/faceless?

    Finally, to make the villain even more unusual, he could hav the ability to consume other benders' spirit energy (through Spirit-bending) and assimilate their bending powers into himself.

    So I thought it would be a good plot for Book 4 to have Koh incarnate on earth, armed with Spirit-bending, and start on a quest to consume powerful benders in an attempt to set himself up as new God/Avatar.

    I believe he'd have made a superb villain, something the gAang would have had a VERY hard time defeating, and also would allow the show to go on a completely new level of epicness.

    For more details, here's the thread with the discussion
    (don't know how to make links work here, so you can just copy the link into your browser:

    http://www.tv.com/avatar-the-last-airbender/show/28841/hypothetical-what-would-you-do-for-book-4-if-there-was-a-book-4/topic/13281-1118088/msgs.html?page=1&tag=board_topics;page_2;1

    It's the last several posts of the thread)
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of jp003d9141

    jp003d9141

    [15]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 09/21/07
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 41
    I would love it if Koh was reborn into a human life, that would be cool.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of Sychtriatric

    Sychtriatric

    [16]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 02/25/06
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 103
    Undead_Prince wrote:
    I've always said there was plenty of plot hooks and character possibilities for Book 4. An idea I had was to make Spirit-bending its central theme, and a powerful Spirit-bender as the main villain.

    As a Spirit-bender, he could mentally control people (like bloodbending, but more powerful) and make innocents do his evil bidding, which would make it hard for the gAang to fight them. He could also return bending power to Ozai, making him, Azula and maybe Hama his lieutenants.

    Also, it would be cool if the villain was from the Spirit world, so that he too would be capable of travelling to the Spirit world and using Spirit form (astral projection anyone?) for transportation and reconnaisance. As a Spirit incarnated on Earth, it would also be hard to kill him, since if his earth body is destroyed, he'll just be returned to the Spirit realm and can reincarnate again.

    Furthermore, it would be very good if the villain coud use shapeshifting abilities to hide in the croud, avoid detection and capture. Aang in Avatar state can destroy virtually anything, but what's he to do if the enemy is unknown/faceless?

    Finally, to make the villain even more unusual, he could hav the ability to consume other benders' spirit energy (through Spirit-bending) and assimilate their bending powers into himself.

    So I thought it would be a good plot for Book 4 to have Koh incarnate on earth, armed with Spirit-bending, and start on a quest to consume powerful benders in an attempt to set himself up as new God/Avatar.

    I believe he'd have made a superb villain, something the gAang would have had a VERY hard time defeating, and also would allow the show to go on a completely new level of epicness.

    For more details, here's the thread with the discussion
    (don't know how to make links work here, so you can just copy the link into your browser:

    http://www.tv.com/avatar-the-last-airbender/show/28841/hypothetical-what-would-you-do-for-book-4-if-there-was-a-book-4/topic/13281-1118088/msgs.html?page=1&tag=board_topics;page_2;1

    It's the last several posts of the thread)


    It's said on Nick's website that only the Avatar can spiritbend, so no.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of Sychtriatric

    Sychtriatric

    [17]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 02/25/06
    • level: 2
    • rank: Sweat Hog
    • posts: 103
    jp003d9141 wrote:
    I would love it if Koh was reborn into a human life, that would be cool.


    I want to see Koh again but not as a human just doesn't fit his persona I don't think, his insect-like body makes him much more sinister and discrete.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of Undead_Prince

    Undead_Prince

    [18]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 07/21/08
    • level: 3
    • rank: Soup Nazi
    • posts: 64

    Sychtriatric wrote:
    It's said on Nick's website that only the Avatar can spiritbend, so no.

    Well, the Lion-Turtle can obviously spirit-bend too. Also, they could have meant that no one in the material world can spirit-bend. That's what the Lion-Turtle said - spirit-bending had not been used ever since the Avatar appeared. But Koh is a very ancient spirit - so says Roku - thus, he coud have been around before the Avatar appeared, and could have known about spirit-bending. Sure, he can't use it in Spirit world - cause no bending works there, - but if he could somehow be reincarnated...

    Going into fanfic territory now... but here's how I'd see it: Koh is a facestealer, he actually takes faces and incorporates them into his own body. If he were offered a sufficient amount of helpless humans in the material world, he could consume them and make himself a material body out of their flesh, like he makes himself faces by consuming others' faces. Good if they were also benders, so that he could feast on their spirit energy and maybe appropriate their skills. This process of reincarnation likely isn't an easy task, and probably requires investment of a great amount of energy; it could be provided by some powerful benders participating in the ritual and using their energy to fuel Koh's transformation. Thus, Koh would need some allies "on the ground" who would gather the human sacrifice and perform the ritual. Prime candidates seem to be Hama and Azula, both are very powerful benders, completely deranged and evil, and would desperately grasp for any hope of escape. And Koh, being a spirit, could greatly facilitate their escapes... whew, better stop befor this gets out of hand. But opportunities for some great bloodbending/firebending/spirit-bending here...

    Sychtriatric wrote:
    I want to see Koh again but not as a human just doesn't fit his persona I don't think, his insect-like body makes him much more sinister and discrete.

    Seeing he's a facestealer I'd assume he's also a shapeshifter - he probably could take the form of a human if necessary (to be undetectable), but he'd turn into the insectile monstrosity if he wanted to scare people so that he could steal their faces, and also if it was necessary for battle (his body seems quite powerful). In general, think the Bug from Men in Black.

    In general, it would work much better if his true appearance were saved for important moments, otherwise viewers would get too accustomed to it and the effect would be lessened. Also, shapeshifting is extremely handy plot-wise: imagine how hard it would be to track, or defend against, something that can take the form of any man, or even beast, including someone close to you... that would sure be a hurdle to the almighty Avatar!

    Edited on 07/26/2008 3:41pm
    Edited 2 total times.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of MaddoKos

    MaddoKos

    [19]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 05/19/08
    • level: 10
    • rank: Holy Level 10!
    • posts: 2,459
    Undead_Prince wrote:
    Sychtriatric wrote:
    I want to see Koh again but not as a human just doesn't fit his persona I don't think, his insect-like body makes him much more sinister and discrete.

    Seeing he's a facestealer I'd assume he's also a shapeshifter - he probably could take the form of a human if necessary (to be undetectable), but he'd turn into the insectile monstrosity if he wanted to scare people so that he could steal their faces, and also if it was necessary for battle (his body seems quite powerful). In general, think the Bug from Men in Black.

    In general, it would work much better if his true appearance were saved for important moments, otherwise viewers would get too accustomed to it and the effect would be lessened. Also, shapeshifting is extremely handy plot-wise: imagine how hard it would be to track, or defend against, something that can take the form of any man, or even beast, including someone close to you... that would sure be a hurdle to the almighty Avatar!

    That. Would be. Awesome.

    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.
  • Avatar of Undead_Prince

    Undead_Prince

    [20]Jul 26, 2008
    • member since: 07/21/08
    • level: 3
    • rank: Soup Nazi
    • posts: 64
    Thanks... Too bad Bryke & Co. decided to flush the Avatar down the drain. There is TOTALLY so much potential for a fourth book.
    You must be registered and logged in to post a message.