Doctor Who vs Avatar: The Last Airbender
Guest contributor Sam White thinks the two shows are more similar than you might expect.
For the fans here well acquainted with the world of Avatar (the animated series), a comparison between Doctor Who and Avatar might seem like an oddball of an idea and something completely out of the blue. The fact is that “Nu Who” isn’t the only show which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. On the fine day of February 21, 2005 the world was introduced to Avatar, a show which not only went on to be a massive success but also garnered a cult following not unlike Doctor Who. Being a big fan of both the shows myself, I decided to pit them against one another. But before we begin, I would like give a brief introduction to the world of Avatar for those who are busy scratching their heads and have no idea what I’ll be talking about here. Allons-y!
The Setting
“Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Only the Avatar can master all four elements and bring balance to the world.”
Avatar is set in an alternate fantasy world divided by four basic elements: Air (the element of freedom), Water (the element of change), Earth (the element of substance) and Fire (the element of power). In this strange and fantastical world reside not only ordinary people just like us but also special people known as benders. Benders have the psychokinetic ability to manipulate and control one of these four basic elements. So for example, a firebender has the ability to control and use fire at will – similarly we have airbenders, waterbenders and earthbenders.
Bending can’t be learned, it is something you are born with and it is generally hereditary and is passed down from one generation to another but this is not a hard and fast rule. A child of a bender may be a non-bender and vice-versa. Consequently the entire world is divided into four nations: Air Nomads, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and the Water Tribe, each area prone to benders of its respective element. Aside from this mortal physical world there also exists a parallel dimension known as the Spirit World, inhabited by immortal mystical entities known as the Spirits.
The Avatar is the only physical being who can master all four elements and personifies a bridge between the physical and the spirit world, acting as a symbol of balance and harmony for the inhabitants of both these worlds.
On the surface both the shows appear to be extremely different and to a large extent they are. One is live action show about an alien and his adventures across all of space and time, while the other is an animated show about the lives and times of spiritually linked protagonists as they try to maintain peace and order in the world, but a more thorough examination indeed helps in drawing certain parallels between both these shows.
Regeneration vs. Reincarnation
Just like the Doctor, the Avatar also has more than one face but unlike regeneration where the Doctor simply renews himself and his identity, the Avatar spirit continues on through reincarnation, i.e. a constant cycle of birth and death. Another big difference here comes from the fact that in the process of regeneration the Doctor is able to retain his memories and experiences whilst gaining a new outlook and persona.
The Avatar on the other hand always has to go through a fresh start. Bending as an art requires practice and proper training and is therefore subject to skill, stamina and strength. Every time a new avatar is born, he/she must go through training one again and learn to master every element from the top. However the Avatar can connect with previous Avatars through the Avatar spirit and ask them for guidance and help when in need.
Another thing to note is that there is no limit to the number of reincarnations which is why there are over a hundred Avatars while a regeneration cycle offers only twelve regenerations. Frankly it is quite difficult to assess and compare both these processes as each provides and adds to the mythos of its respective show. Making the Doctor’s regeneration infinite would take away any tension and make him God-like while making the Avatar’s reincarnations finite would defeat the very concept of spiritual immortality as portrayed in the show. All in all both these processes of renewal though technically different work to achieve the same thing, that is to renew the body and mind but to sustain the spirit which is why just like the Avatar, the Doctor is always recognizable behind all his different faces.
The Doctor vs. The Avatar
The thing that makes both the Avatar and the Doctor symbolic and distinguishable is what they stand for.
“Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in.”
This is what the Doctor stands for. Someone who loves the world, someone who wants to explore and understand and someone who is always ready to help if he can. Similarly being the Avatar comes with a lot of responsibility. The First Avatar – Wan – made it his life’s mission to help maintain order and guide the physical and spirit worlds towards peace. Something which he was not able to accomplish in his finite lifetime and so in every subsequent reincarnation the Avatar tries to follow in Wan’s footsteps and help realize that goal. This is not to say that the Avatars are without flaws, far from it. Just like each Doctor, each Avatar is an individual with his own views and perspective which change and develop as their respective story progresses.
While there have been many Avatars, the show has told the story of only three Avatars: Avatar Wan (The Legend of Korra), Avatar Aang (The Last Airbender) and his immediate successor Avatar Korra (The Legend of Korra). This is where Doctor Who outclasses Avatar. The Doctor’s thirteen faces provide a layer of sophistication and rich history to his already complex character and make his journey all the more rewarding to watch. Between the Doctor and the Avatar, the Doctor wins hands down.
However I would like to commend and give the makers of Avatar a few extra credits for keeping gender strictly out of the equation when it comes to the Avatar, something that I wish could also be said for the Doctor.
The Dynamics of Doctor Who vs. the Dynamics of Avatar
Owing to the diverse worlds featured in both the shows, we are subjected to a wide range of characters. From exceptionally stereotypical to extremely complex, all are present in some form or the other. However this is an area where Doctor Who struggles to hold its ground. The problem here arises from the fact that Doctor Who is more monster of the week while Avatar is more arc-based, so apart from the Doctor and the companions (and certain recurring characters), most other characters feel contrived and lack any real substance. Avatar on the other hand excels in this department. Each episode tries to focus on most of the relevant characters and helps in developing both the characters and their own story making the whole experience even more engaging.
The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra provide the audience with a wide array of interesting dynamics, be it the relationship of Zuko and Iroh, the subtle but sweet character progression of Toph, the wild and hilarious antics of Bolin or the downright crazy and bonkers romance between Varrick and Zhu Li. Every character and story feels independent and yet fits perfectly into the bigger picture. Again this is not to say that Doctor Who doesn’t know how to make memorable and engaging characters. What I am saying is that after creating memorable and engaging characters Doctor Who struggles with giving these characters any real purpose and development as the show progresses.
In terms of stories and arcs Doctor Who simply blows the competition away. While both the shows have the luxury of drawing on an extensively established and interesting mythology, Doctor Who has the upper hand when it comes to telling standalone stories. This upper hand also comes from the fact that there aren’t many standalone episodes in Avatar and every episode contributes in giving momentum to the overall arc. Most stories in Doctor Who revolve around the Doctor as he tries to unravel a mystery or defeat monsters and villains. This provides Doctor Who with an edge over Avatar through its arsenal of ingenious and imaginative adversaries.
What Avatar lacks in originality and variety, it makes up for in scale and presentation. Avatar is heavily influenced by anime and Asian mythology and thus portrays bending akin to Eastern Asian martial arts. This portrayal gives way to some of the most visually breathtaking, fluid and engaging fight sequences I’ve ever watched. The animated nature of the show also allows for extravagant imagery and better visualization of supernatural elements. The stories in Doctor Who though imaginative and ambitious sometimes lack in depiction due to the live action format of the show and the budgetary constraints.
What I particularly love about both the shows is that even though their primary target audience comprises of children, teens and recent young adults they aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and break the paradigms. Doctor Who is a fairly old show but it continues to grow with contemporary times. It tries to adapt and incorporate new ideas into the show like the recent revelation of gender fluidity in Time Lords or the mildly controversial relationship between Vastra and Jenny. Avatar pulled a similar stunt by pairing Avatar Korra with Asami making them the show’s first same-sex couple and portraying them as bisexuals, resulting in an extremely positive reception from both the fans and the critics. With The Legend of Korra, Avatar also broke away from the tradition of the simple good-vs-evil storytelling and delved into a more dramatic study of socially, politically and spiritually mature issues present in modern age.
Conclusion
I believe both these shows have their own strengths and weaknesses but what is important here is to notice the fact that both these shows try to play to their strengths and generally succeed in doing so. From a critical and comparative point of view Avatar builds up to be a tighter show because it is consistent and engaging. But for me Doctor Who is still the stronger of the two because while things do get sloppy sometimes and inconsistencies occur, in totality it almost always makes for a great viewing experience. The variety, the history, the creativity and central idea of a time traveller going about in all of space and time gives Doctor Who the definitive edge here.
For those of you here who are not familiar with Avatar, I urge you to give this marvellous show a try. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.
