r/ATLA • u/Taka_Mikoto • 23h ago
Discussion What if the 100 years war was actually only 15 years and the world was at peace when Aang was defrosted from the ice 100 years later?
Rewatching ATLA and I was pondering what if Aang was defrosted by Katara and Sokka like usual, BUT, what if...->
Aang was under pressure and ran away, caught in a storm and froze in the ocean for 100 years. During his disappearance, The Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the airbenders during Sozan's comet. The other nations responded and did their best to weather the conflict. After 15-20 long years, all the airbenders were caught and killed. The Southern water tribe did their best but are a shell of what once was. The Earth Kingdom lost some land to the Fire Nation and new colonies were established and the Northern Water Tribe was largely untouched.
The world then comes to an agreement, The Fire Nation have proven their might and what they accomplished and conquered was theirs to keep. Peace ensues (perhaps other unrelated minor conflicts here and there) and 80-85 years later, Aang, the last airbender is discovered and slowly comes to terms with the new world.
What does he do now? He has no land to call his own, no family or monks to return to? What story would ATLA tv show be about?
I figured two possibilities, 1. Roku reaches out during the solstice and warns the fire nation is up to its old tricks again, then resume the tv series but as the world is currently experiencing peace, we are never certain conflict is on the horizon until the grand finale.
- the next comet comes and goes, the world still has peace, and aang grows up an orphan and eventually tries to start a family (kinda like what unfolded ahead of ALOK). He passes on his teaching to airbender kids and hopes they continue to try and rebuild the Air Nation and there is no ultimate conflict that drives his growth, ambition and connection to the new world.