One brilliant 100% Rotten Tomatoes fantasy TV show has an iconic opening sequence, thanks to a surprising but legendary line spoken by a character. The show in question is often touted as one of the greatest ever made and has an incredible timelessness to its storytelling, themes, and cultural impact.
A show’s opening can greatly influence how viewers end up engaging with it. Weak and dull opening sequences can often prompt viewers to give up on a show even before it dives into its meatier story bits. Strong and compelling early arcs, in contrast, can encourage audiences to stay invested till the narrative ball starts gaining more momentum.
While many fantasy TV shows make the mistake of starting too slowly and not giving viewers enough reasons to stick around, a widely acclaimed series of the genre does the opposite. It does not begin with any slam-bang action scenes or major story revelations, but merely uses one line as a device to give viewers a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Has One Of The Most Memorable Fantasy Show Openings
Avatar: The Last Airbender does a brilliant job of giving viewers some exposition about the world it is unfolding in before diving into its main story beats. After walking through a brief history of the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads, the show introduces Katara and Sokka.
At this point, a viewer does not know what to expect from the series before things take a surprising turn, and the siblings unleash Aang from an iceberg. With this, the epic animated TV show establishes that it is not just any other animated series but a lore-rich epic with immense depth and vast mythology.
However, just when a viewer is about to take it too seriously, Aang awakens and asks Katara if she will go penguin sledding with him. The ease and seamlessness with which Avatar: The Last Airbender goes back and forth between serious and lighthearted story beats in the opening sequences establishes how incredible it will be in future arcs.
Aang’s “Penguin Sledding?” Quote Cements The Show’s Opening As One Of The Greatest
Before Aang awakens in the opening scene, Avatar: The Last Airbender gives a glimpse of its more serious story elements by showing how desperately Zuko wants to capture the Avatar. His anger and inner conflict in the scene are almost contagious, as they hint to the viewer that a larger and more serious narrative is at play.
Did You Know: “Avatar” is a Sanskrit language word that means “one who descends.”
Fortunately, the show does not take too long to return to a lighter story beat when Aang asks Katara if she wants to go penguin sledding. The sudden change in the show’s tone perfectly highlights how, even though it will dabble with many serious themes surrounding war, imperialism, and genocide, it will always find a way to leave viewers with feelings of warmth and hope.
How Avatar: The Last Airbender’s First Episode Perfectly Sets Up The Rest Of The Series
A closer look at Aang’s “penguin sledding” line also reveals a tragic truth about his past. It highlights how long before Katara freed him from the iceberg, he lived in a world where he was constantly pressurized to shoulder immense responsibility as the Avatar. Beneath his playful request lies the painful story of a childhood cut short.
Moments later, when Katara and Aang actually end up penguin sledding, the two young characters seemingly experience the innocent joys of childlike wonder after ages because the world they live in has been scarred by war and divides. With such a layered and subtle portrayal of its main characters in the opening itself, Avatar: The Last Airbender perfectly sells itself as one of the best fantasy shows ever.
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