Phew. Is it hot in here? Or is it just these first-look photos of key members of the Fire Nation from Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender? Well, that’s an easy one. It’s definitely these first-look photos of Fire Lord Ozai, General/Uncle Iroh, Commander Zhao, and Princess Azula. We also get another look at Prince Zuko. If you’re a fan of animated fare, you know that old adage, adapting an animated series into live-action is never easy, and it often goes wrong. But, we have to give it to these images from Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. They are show-stopping. And sizzling. You might say, everything changed when the Fire Nation first-looks attacked. Let’s take a look at what has been revealed.
Netflix Reveals Its Fire-Nation From the Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender
Jump to First-Look Photos of: Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai // Paul Sun-Hyung as General/Uncle Iroh // Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula // Ken Leung as Commander Zhao // Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko
First-Look Photo of Daniel Dae Kim of the Villainous Fire Lord Ozai
Fire Lord Ozai is the true villain of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Prince Zuko’s father not only torments and manipulates his son, he’s trying to colonize every other nation in Avatar‘s world. It’s hard to get the look of such a menacing figure right, but Netflix and Daniel Dae Kim nail it. Our live-action Fire Lord Ozai is point perfect to the version that existed in the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender series. We can’t wait to see him in action.
First-Look Photo of Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s General/Uncle Iroh
Could there be a more anticipated live-action character than General Iroh? In many ways, Iroh is the heart and soul of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, and he is definitely our in to understanding the complexities at the heart of the Fire Nation. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee perfectly brings Iroh to life in our first look image of him in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix series. The gentle kindness that is necessary for General/Uncle Iroh to have already leaps off the screen. We know that when we finally get to see and hear Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s Iroh on our screen, this Netflix live-action version of the beloved character will be just as wise and good as the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated character we already know and love.
First-Look Photo of Elizabeth Yu as Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Princess Azula
In the animated series, Princess Azula doesn’t truly appear until Book Two: Earth, but it looks like Zuko’s bloodthirsty sister will enter the game right from the start in Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. Azula is not to be trifled with; she’s sharp, literally and figuratively. We can’t wait to see this member of Fire Nation royalty bring everyone around her down to size. And we have to wonder if the arc live-action Azula embarks on in the Netflix series will differ at all from her story in Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s animated form.
First-Look Photo of Ken Leung as Zuko’s Nemesis Commander Zhao
While Fire Lord Ozai is the major villain of Avatar: The Last Airbender, he mostly lurks in the shadows in the early days of the story. And it is Commander Zhao who acts as the villain of the first book or season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Interestingly, Zhao dislikes both Zuko and Team Avatar in equal measures and is a real thorn in the side of all our heroes. Zhao needs to bring a certain irritating factor from animation to live-action, along with a deep well of cruelty and ruthlessness, and a touch of cowardice. We bet Ken Leung has what it takes. We can’t wait to see the live-action version of Zhao go toe to toe with Zuko, falter in the face of Iroh, and generally annoy us to no end.
Our Latest Look at Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko
We already got our first-look at Prince Zuko in Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series, but one look is never enough. In this new image of Zuko, the Fire Nation prince looks a little lost and vulnerable, which is the Zuko way. His banishment hair-do is out in force, but we can wait to see him evolve into the hero we know he is.
For more on Prince Zuko and how he brings to life the best anti-hero journey around, make sure to check out the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode on Nerdist‘s podcast, Laser Focus.
More About Netflix’s Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Series
We don’t yet have a release date for Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series, but we know it will arrive in 2024. The series will run for eight episodes. It will be “a live-action reimagining of the beloved animated series following Aang, the young Avatar, as he learns to master the four elements (Water, Earth, Fire and Air) to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation.”
