Published Jun 28, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
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Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 skips several episodes from the original show, either completely or by making big changes. Netflix’s changes to Avatar: The Last Airbender are inevitable, especially with season 2 only having seven episodes to adapt the original show’s 20. As it turned out, though, only nine of the original Book Two: Earth episodes are included in Netflix’s live-action version of the show, with the other 11 either being left absent entirely or folded into other storylines.
Some episodes and their adaptation occupy a strange middle ground. One of these is “The Chase,” which is technically one of the nine included, but with some differences. Rather than have Azula chase Team Avatar in a metal vehicle, the chase is much more subtle. Still, the broad strokes of the episode, such as the hunt for the Gaang and the final confrontation between all the main Avatar: The Last Airbender characters, are included. Therefore, despite some big changes, “The Chase” can still be classed as one of the original episodes adapted for Netflix’s show.
Some other episodes from the original show, however, are skipped over entirely, with only some subtle Avatar: The Last Airbender Easter eggs referencing them. With that in mind, here is every one of those 11 original Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes that are omitted from Netflix’s live-action version.
The premiere episode of the original show’s second season, “The Avatar State,” is one of the episodes skipped in Netflix’s* Avatar: The Last Airbender*. In this episode, Aang, Katara, and Sokka stop off at an Earth Kingdom base, where a general named Fong is set to escort them to Omashu. However, Fong believes Aang can defeat the Fire Lord immediately using the Avatar State, after the stories he heard of Aang’s defense of the Northern Water Tribe in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1’s ending.
Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Fire Lord Ozai in Netflix’s* Avatar: The Last Airbender*, voiced General Fong in “The Avatar State.”
The episode focuses on Fong’s attempts to spur Aang into the Avatar State, which he eventually does by threatening Katara’s life. Aang then destroys the base before Roku appears to warn him that if he dies in the Avatar State, the Avatar cycle will cease to exist. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh are almost imprisoned by Azula before escaping and becoming Earth Kingdom refugees. In Netflix’s show, neither of these storylines is included, though Aang is still warned about the Avatar State by Yangchen when in Wan Shi Tong’s library.
The second episode of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is “The Cave of Two Lovers.” Interestingly, elements of this episode were included in Netflix’s version of the show, but in the first season. Aspects like the famous “Secret Tunnel” song, the tunnels themselves, and the origins of Omashu were part of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, episode 4, meaning none of them were included in season 2 and, thus, technically skipped by Netflix.
The main element of the original episode that was skipped in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is the budding romance between Katara and Aang. “The Cave of Two Lovers” had Aang and Katara wandering the titular tunnels, eventually kissing to find the exit as *“love is brightest in the dark.” *Given that Aang never enters the caves in season 1, this wasn’t explored. Instead, in season 2 of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang’s feelings for Katara are explored in other ways.
Only one scene from the original show’s “Return to Omashu” is part of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2. Rather than include the story of Azula’s friends, Mai’s family, and the ruse to get Omashu’s citizens out of the city, Aang simply flies into Omashu in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. He finds Bumi, who tells him to find an Earthbending teacher who waits and listens before striking. Aang then leaves, ending the Omashu storyline abruptly in Netflix’s adaptation.
One of the more mysterious episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender is “The Swamp,” which is left completely absent in Netflix’s adaptation. In “The Swamp,” Team Avatar undergoes spiritual journeys in the titular location. Given that the main story purpose of “The Swamp” is to set up Toph by showing Aang a vision of her, Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender decides to remove it and simply introduce Toph without this small bit of setup.
“Avatar Day” is about the closest thing Avatar: The Last Airbender gets to “filler,” explaining why it was left out of Netflix’s version. In “Avatar Day,” Aang, Katara, and Sokka visit a town that hates, rather than reveres, the Avatar due to the actions of Kyoshi centuries earlier. The group then set out to clear Kyoshi’s name, leading to a reveal about her backstory. Kyoshi’s history is explored in other ways in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, with this story even being referenced via a painting on Kyoshi Island in season 1, resulting in this side story not being adapted in live-action.
“Bitter Work” is another of the interesting cases concerning whether it is skipped by Netflix’s *Avatar: The Last Airbender; *Elements of the original episode are scattered throughout season 2, from Toph’s Earthbending training with Aang to Iroh teaching Zuko how to redirect lightning. Still, that means only two scenes from the episode are part of Netflix’s show, meaning it can be classed as one that was skipped.
A surprising omission in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is “The Desert,” given how vital it is to Aang’s character development. In the original episode, Aang tries to find Appa while Katara attempts to keep Sokka, Toph, and Momo alive by leading them out of the desert. This episode culminates in a huge scene in which Aang loses his cool with the Sandbenders who stole Appa, ultimately leading the group to set Ba Sing Se as their next location.
In our exclusive cover story, Avatar: The Last Airbender’s cast and crew dive into recreating animated aspects and the Gaang’s new season 2 dynamic.
In Netflix’s *Avatar: The Last Airbender *season 2, Appa’s kidnapping is much different, as is the location of Wan Shi Tong’s library. The Library isn’t in the desert, but in Ba Sing Se itself. This means there are no Sandbenders to kidnap Appa, with the bison instead being taken by Long Feng. Therefore, the trek through the desert isn’t part of Netflix’s show, though it is referenced through a series of Easter eggs, notably Sokka’s cactus juice intoxication.
With “The Desert” being skipped and the details of Appa’s abduction being different in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, “Appa’s Lost Days” is another episode that is left out of the live-action show. This episode showcased Appa’s time on his own, including his abuse at a circus, his return to the desert, his journey to the Eastern Air Temple, and encounters with Azula and the Kyoshi Warriors. At the end, it is revealed that Appa has been taken by Long Feng. As alluded to, none of this is necessary in the Netflix version, given that Appa is taken by Long Feng in the first place.
“Lake Laogai” is similar to “Bitter Work” in that it isn’t part of Netflix’s show, despite elements from it being used. Lake Laogai is name-dropped by the Dai Li agents in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, as are the crystal caverns and prisons used by the elite Earthbending spies. Joo Dee being brainwashed is also shown, a reference to the original show’s “Lake Laogai.” However, these scenes do not take place beneath the titular lake.
Moreover, Aang and his friends do not face off with Long Feng in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2. Changes to Jet’s story also mean he is never brainwashed by Long Feng and doesn’t die fighting him. There is also no confrontation between Long Feng and Appa, like in the original show, or Zuko’s decision to free Appa rather than using him to capture Aang, meaning most of the huge moments from “Lake Laogai” are left out of Netflix’s adaptation.
After the events of “Lake Laogai,” season 2, episode 18 of the original show, “The Earth King,” takes place. Team Avatar breaks into the Earth King’s palace to unveil Long Feng’s crimes, leading to an entire episode where they try to convince the monarch that they are telling the truth. In Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, the characters sneak into the palace by hiding in jars rather than outright invading the compound, and Long Feng manages to keep his hold over the Earth King.