Can You Bend Your Memory & Recall These 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Quotes?

Avatar: The Last Airbender came onto the cartoon scene at a time when everyone was watching animated series, from kids to grown-ups. And yet, it stood out. It was a show that transcended age, finding lasting fans across various age ranges. The Last Airbender gave grown-ups a chance to watch gut-wrenching growth and for kids to see how life will change you and what you must do to adapt. And it happened all within the premise of a bunch of cartoon kids using martial arts to beat bad guys! Although, yes, the show ended in 2008, there are plenty of Avatar: The Last Airbender quotes you can read to revisit the adventures of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Prince Zuko, and Appa.

The core arc of the show? Seeing our heroes save the planet and stop a generations-old cycle of violence and war. Deep stuff; we know. But the show’s creators did it in ways that made The Last Airbender hysterical and still capable of teaching lessons. The humor was often slapstick or downright silly, but it sometimes planted deeper punchlines that seemed meant for adult viewers. But the protagonists were, in fact, kids, and throughout three seasons, we watched them change, mature, and grow into young adults. Even the bullies and villains had complex backgrounds and were capable of change. Let’s face it: That’s not something you’ll find in many animated television shows, even in anime. Seriously. (Raise your hand if you’re still watching The Simpsons. It features characters that haven’t aged, matured, or grown in about three decades.)

These are some of our favorite quotes from some of the best moments of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s three glorious seasons.

Best Avatar: The Last Airbender Quotes

1. “I’ve seen enough of Ba Sing Sei. And I can’t even see!” — Toph
2. “Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it tastes like sand. I never thought I would miss the taste of mud so much.” — Toph
3. “There’s no different angle, no clever solution, no trickety trick that’s gonna move that rock. You gotta face it head-on.” — Toph
4. “The stars sure are beautiful tonight. Too bad you can’t see them, Toph!” — Katara
5. “Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven’t lost hope.” — Katara
6. “Get over here, Zuko. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs.” — Katara
7. “Love is brightest in the dark.” — Katara
8. “I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him. But… I couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m too weak to do it, or if it’s because I’m strong enough not to.” — Katara
9. “But now you’re not letting yourself feel anything. I know sometimes it hurts more to hope and it hurts more to care. But you have to promise me that you won’t stop caring.” — Katara
10. “You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won’t have to worry about your destiny anymore; because I’ll make sure your destiny ends, right then and there, permanently.” — Katara
11. “Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving… you will come to a better place.” — Uncle Iroh
12. “It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.” — Uncle Iroh
13. “The coin is appreciated… but not as much as your smile.” — Uncle Iroh
14. “You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of destiny. It’s time for you to choose.” — Uncle Iroh
15. “Failure is only the opportunity to try again, only more wisely this time.” — Uncle Iroh
16. “Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not.” — Uncle Iroh
17. “I know you’re not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but it’s just so sad!” — Uncle Iroh
18. “Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source.” — Uncle Iroh
19. “You must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself.” — Uncle Iroh
20. “You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone’s support. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you.” — Uncle Iroh
21. “There are reasons each of us are born. We have to find those reasons.” — Uncle Iroh
22. “Only once every hundred years can a Firebender experience this kind of power.” — Uncle Iroh
23. “Sometimes life is like this tunnel. You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place.” — Uncle Iroh
24. “Protection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love.” — Uncle Iroh
25. “You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road, and you surrender to your lowest instincts.” — Uncle Iroh
26. “In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” — Uncle Iroh
27. “It’s always best to believe in one’s self but a little help from others can be a great blessing!” — Uncle Iroh
28. “Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.” — Uncle Iroh
29. “We’ve created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.” — Zuko
30. “Look, Sokka, you’re going to fail a lot before things work out. Even though you fail over and over again, you have to try every time. You can’t quit because you’re afraid you’ll fail.” — Zuko
31. “It’s easy to do nothing… but it’s hard to forgive.” — Aang
32. “The past can be a great teacher.” — Aang
33. “This isn’t about finding a teacher. This is about finding my friend.” — Aang
34. “I was in the avatar state, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary. I was scary.” — Aang
35. “When we hit our lowest point we are open to change.” — Aang
36. “If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear.” — Aang
37. “You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking.” — King Bumi
38. “I didn’t know what or when, but I knew I’d know it when I knew it!” — King Bumi
39. “The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.” — The Ancient Lion Turtle
40. “You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you.” — Mai
41. “My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right of course, but it still hurt.” — Azula
42. “In my country, we exchange a pleasant ‘hello’ before asking questions.” — Azula
43. “Alright hair, it’s time to face your doom!” — Azula
44. “Don’t you know that fans only make flames stronger?” — Azula
45. “My first girlfriend turned into the moon.” — Sokka
46. “You’re awfully cute, but unfortunately for you, you’re made of meat.” — Sokka
47. “I’m too young to die!” — Sokka
48. “Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara’s busy, I guess it’s up to me.” — Sokka
49. “Stop! Stop it right now! What’s wrong with you? We don’t have time for fun and games with the war going on.” — Sokka
50. “The way of the sword doesn’t belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all.” — Piandao
51. “The avatar state is a defense mechanism — designed to empower you with all the skills and knowledge of the past avatars. The glow is the combination of all your past lives. Focusing their energy to your body.” — Roku
52. “If I had been more decisive, and acted sooner, I could have stopped Sozin, and stopped the war before it started. I offer you this wisdom, Aang, you must be decisive.” — Roku
53. “I know I am not the person you expected… and I did not expect to be licked by a giant tongue just now.” — Pathik
54. “The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. We are all one people, but we live as if divided.” — Pathik
55. “Nice speech, Azula! It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way!” — Ty Lee
56. “You stand alone. That has always been your greatest weakness.” — Uncle Iroh
57. “There is earth right beneath your feet! The ground is an extension of who you are!” — Aang
58. “Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.” — Aang
59. “You know, Zuko, I don’t care what anyone else says about you. You’re pretty smart.” — Aang
60. “Be careful what you wish for, Admiral. History is not always kind to its subjects.” — Uncle Iroh
61. “Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?” — Uncle Iroh
62. “You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it. You will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be.” — Uncle Iroh
63. “Drink cactus juice! It’ll quench ya! Nothing’s quencher; it’s the quenchiest!” — Sokka
64. “You know what the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we’d get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?” — Aang