Get to know Avatar: The Last Airbender – Aang

Aang is one of the most explored characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender series, but there’s still plenty to curious about the young Air Nomad. Of the many behind the scenes facts, a few certainly stick out, and these are the ones that die-hard fans likely know best.

His Arrow

In the series, it’s explained that tattoos are a signifier of status and skill, as just an airbending ace was permitted to be set apart with the blue arrow. However, the reason the nomads decided to imitate these animals is more of a lesser-known fact. According to the creators, the arrow was initially imagined as a way for the Air Nomads to show the buffalo that they could trust them. It was a method for meaning their position in the crowd, as well as make to a greater degree a connection between the the benders and the powerful Avatar hybrids with the shared arrow.

Glowing Eyes

The Avatar’s glowing eyes are one of the most epic and iconic looks of the series. They signified Aang’s transition into the Avatar State and helped visually demonstrate the vast amount of power he held while in the magical realm. However, the creators didn’t think of this amazing design choice on their own. They were inspired by the anime FLCL, and more specifically, by a character named Atomsk whose eyes lit up in a very similar way. It was a way for them to pay homage to one of their favorite animated series, and it’s a great example of how a small detail of one creation can vastly influence another.

Aang’s Name

Names in this series were all carefully thought out and unique to all the characters especially for Aang. The spelling for Aang was revealed in “Tales of Ba Sing Se,” meaning “peaceful soaring” in Mandarin. It’s very fitting for the young Air Nomad, and it’s a very interesting and subtle behind-the-scenes fact about his name.

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