We're back for another round of lore for Avatar: the Last Airbender! It's been a few weeks now and, in that time, we've seen the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed.

That said, this week boasts eight mighty episodes, meaning there's a ton of action left for us to cover in the final season. So, let's pick up right where we left off and see what happens next!

Before we get going, here is a look back at anything you may have missed:

• The Lore of Avatar: Book 1, Water - Part 1
• The Lore of Avatar: Book 1, Water - Part 2
• The Lore of Avatar: Book 2, Earth - Part 1
• The Lore of Avatar: Book 2, Earth - Part 2
• The Lore of Avatar: Book 2, Earth - Part 3
• The Lore of Avatar: Book 3, Fire - Part 1

Now, let's get into the episodes, starting off with a creepy one...

Episode 48: The Puppetmaster

The group huddles around a campfire at night, swapping scary stories. As Katara finishes telling a story from the Southern Water Tribe, Toph hears screams coming from under the mountain, before they abruptly stop. They're then frightened as an old woman named Hama greets them, having found them in the woods. She brings them to her inn for shelter, explaining that people have been disappearing in the woods lately.

Hama bonds with them, though Sokka doesn't trust her. Suspicious, he pokes around her home, finding things like a creepy set of puppets and a locked door in the attic. They break in to find a small hidden chest. As the group gathers around to open it with Toph's metalbent meteorite, Hama catches them. She opens it, revealing a comb, explaining that she is from the Southern Water Tribe.

Hama then reveals she knew they were Southern Water Tribe from their talks around the campfire. She treats them to a traditional Water Tribe dinner. She tells the group how she fought against the Fire Nation during the Water Tribe raids and was eventually stolen. She offers to show Katara authentic Southern Water Tribe waterbending, teaching her tricks like taking water from the air, or the moisture from plants.

On the night of the full moon, Hama takes Katara to learn her ultimate technique: bloodbending. When a waterbender's power is at its peak, they can bend the blood within a person's body. Katara rejects this technique, realizing it was Hama disappearing people in retribution for her being held captive. Hama bloodbends Aang and Sokka to contend with Katara.

Katara fights back, but in an act of desperation, is forced to bloodbend Hama to save her friends. As Hama is detained and taken away, she laughs telling Katara she's now a bloodbender.

Episode 49: Nightmares and Daydreams

The invasion of the Fire Nation during the solar eclipse draws near. Aang, knowing he'll need to face the Fire Lord, struggles to get any rest. He is haunted by nightmares which progressively get worse. This includes things like him facing the Fire Lord (and losing for silly reasons), kissing Katara, Momo and Appa having a samurai battle, and a six-armed Guru Pathik singing about chakras.

The group tries various means from acupuncture to psychoanalysis to help Aang calm down and sleep. Aang continually states that he's not ready but eventually the group manages to convince him otherwise. They make a fluffy bed from Appa's fur and Aang finally manages to fall deeply asleep, defeating the Fire Lord in his dreams.

As Aang battles with his own internal demons, Zuko is summoned to the war chamber to plan for the invasion. He is surprised to find that his father waited to start the meeting until his arrival. Following the meeting - the contents of which are not revealed - Zuko feels conflicted.

While he got what he wanted and was treated like the prince he felt he was, he felt like he wasn't himself, leaving him unsure of what to do.

Episode 50: The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion

The group finally gathers with Hakoda and the Water Tribe fleet, meeting a swath of friendly faces from throughout the series. This includes the earthbending wrestlers, Jet's freedom fighters, the Foggy Swamp waterbenders, The Mechanist from the Northern Air Temple, and more. They make final preparations, explain the battle plan, as Hakoda inspires the invasion forces to battle.

Aang makes his final preparations, handed a new glider by The Mechanist. He shaves his hair, dons some new Air Nomad clothes, and readies himself for the attack. He confides in the group as he prepares himself. As the invasion readies its preliminary assault, Aang kisses Katara, then soars off to face Fire Lord Ozai.

As this occurs, Zuko prepares a farewell note to Mai, as reminisces about his mother. He notes his intention to leave and make things right, so he can atone for his past mistakes. At the same time, Iroh tells his kind jailer to take the night off. She laughs at him, but he gives her a stern look, which she knowingly heeds.

The invasion finally begins, with the forces landing at the docks of the Fire Nation capital to launch their assault. The Fire Nation is initially caught by surprise, and as they find their footing, the fight becomes intense.

As they make their way up towards the capital, Aang flies in, only go find the city is deserted. He makes his way to the Fire Nation Palace only to find it is also empty, with Ozai nowhere to be found.

Episode 51: The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse

As most of the invasion force continues to battle their way to the capital, Aang shocks everyone with his return. When Aang notes that the capital is empty, he pulls Sokka, Katara, and Toph together to try finding where everyone is hidden. Toph helps them find their way to a secret bunker and after coercing a noble that they find within, are directed to what they expect to be the Fire Lord's chamber.

Unfortunately, they're met with a surprising discovery: Azula is waiting for them. Not only is Azula ready for them, but she also has Dai Li agents with her. A battle ensues, and the Dai Li agents are eventually taken out, and the group gives chase to Azula.

Eventually, they realize Azula is simply playing them for fools, wasting as much time as possible until the eclipse ends. As it gets darker, the forces start to overtake the city.

In the Fire Lord's true chambers, Zuko approaches Ozai. During the eclipse, Zuko confronts his father with his twin blades and declares that he will speak, and the Fire Lord will listen. He tells Ozai of how what the Fire Nation is doing is wrong, what he did to Zuko when he was little was wrong, and that he is going to aid the Avatar in defeating him.

Ozai, in turn, goads Zuko with knowledge of what happened to his mother. He claims that Fire Lord Azulon intended for Ozai to kill Zuko so he could understand the pain Iroh was enduring. Ozai had planned to do so, but his wife stepped in with a plot to kill Azulon so that Ozai might inherit the throne. For this, she was banished.

With the time bought by this discussion, the Fire Lord realizes the firebending has returned and shoots lightning at Zuko. Zuko uses his uncle's teachings and deflect the attack back to his father. The resulting explosion allows him to escape, with Ozai left enraged. Zuko attempts to go free Iroh, as promised, but finds that Iroh had already escaped, with the guards saying he was like a one-man army.

As the eclipse ends, Azula begins to fight back. Realizing they can't win, they retreat and regroup with the invasion force. As they make their way back, though, they find several airships rising above, ready to rain destruction upon the invading forces. Hakoda sends them away, with the forces noting they'll be fine despite the impending imprisonment.

As they flee, Zuko follows them in a hot air balloon of his own.

Episode 52: The Western Air Temple

Following the disastrous invasion of the Fire Nation, the group and some of the others involved regroup at the Western Air Temple. This wondrous temple is unlike any other, hanging upside down beneath a cliff. The group makes their way down to it where they commiserate their losses and try to come up with a new plan, especially since Aang still needs to learn firebending to contend with Ozai.

Zuko, remembering his time with Iroh at the temple, descends soon. However, he struggles with how to confront the group and offer to teach Aang firebending. He eventually reveals himself but is chastised and rejected - especially when they learn he set Combustion Man upon them.

Toph, trying to make amends, goes to him but this startles Zuko, causing him to accidentally burn her feet, making them even more wary.

Soon after, Combustion Man discovers and attacks them. Zuko attempts to stop him and call off the hit, but he's struck away as the assassin continues his assault. The group manages to defeat him. Sokka uses his boomerang to hit his "third eye" tattoo, causing Combustion Man's next attack to backfire on him instead. Zuko's actions cause Aang to reconsider and allow him to join their group.

Zuko reaffirms his desires to end the war and help Aang restore peace. He tells them how he thought he could regain his honor by capturing the Avatar, but his soul-searching has led him to believe that the only way to fix things is to bring the conflict to a close at last.

The group reluctantly brings him in, though Katara asserts that she still does not trust him and will kill Zuko should he betray them again.

Episode 53: The Firebending Masters

Zuko and Aang start training together, but there's one problem: Zuko is unable to firebend! This baffles him given how much he has mastered the art over the years. However, he comes to the realization that it's likely because he relied on his anger to fuel his firebending. As such, he needs to seek a new source, or a new understanding of his power.

The group contemplates this, leading to Zuko remembering that the dragons were the original firebenders. They are now extinct, however, as they were killed in the dragon hunts started by Fire Lord Sozin. Zuko recalls the legendary Sun Warriors - the precursors to the Fire Nation - whose ruins may provide them answers they need for him to regain firebending.

Aang and Zuko travel to the ruins, where they scour for useful resources. They find themselves in an altar room where there's a set of instructions showing them how to perform something called the Dancing Dragon. They recognize this as a firebending technique, and when performed, it reveals an egg-like stone. When Zuko picks it up, slime envelops the room and traps them.

Soon, they're discovered by a group of people - the Sun Warrior tribe still existing in the modern day! They are tasked with firebending to hold flames from the first fire to present to the masters, Ran and Shaw. As Aang and Zuko climb a long flight of steps to an altar as part of the trial, they're soon confronted by two large dragons - living in secrecy within these ruins.

The two men recognize the dragons' movements as the Dancing Dragon technique and perform it alongside them, before the dragons breathe fire and bend it around Aang and Zuko in a burst of vibrant colors. Both gain a new sense of clarity from this, as they're deemed worthy of learning from the Warriors.

The Sun Warriors reveal that Iroh was the last person to do so, having lied about killing a dragon. After this, the pair make their way back to camp to show off their new firebending skills.

Episode 54: The Boiling Rock, Part 1

With Aang and Zuko back at the Western Air Temple, Sokka pulls Zuko aside to ask where the Fire Nation would keep high profile prisoners. Zuko tells him that it would likely be at the Boiling Rock - a prison of boiling water inside a volcano in the middle of the ocean. Zuko, concerned about what Sokka might be getting up to, follows him, only to catch him attempting to steal Appa to go find his father.

Zuko offers to take his hot air balloon instead, so they could sneak off without drawing suspicion under the guide of going to get some supplies. The two bond along the way, with Sokka telling Zuko how his girlfriend - Princess Yue - turned into the moon. Zuko sympathetically tells him, "That's rough, buddy."

As the two make their way into the prison, they're shocked to find that they can't get into the air, as the hot steam matches the air in the balloon.

After landing, the two sneak in and steal some guard uniforms. Dressed in their disguises, they search for Hakoda. He's nowhere to be found, but they do spot Suki among the crowd of prisoners. They split when Sokka is asked to help take a rowdy prisoner, Chit Sang, to "the cooler," an icy solitary confinement room.

Zuko eventually finds himself getting arrested and thrown into the prison as Sokka meets with Suki. The prison warden mocks him, noting how Zuko broke his niece, Mai's, heart by leaving.

Soon, the group tries to come up with a plan to get out using "the cooler" to cross the boiling waters. Chit Sang overhears them and wants in. That night, they go through with the plan, but Zuko, Sokka, and Suki end up opting to stay as a group of new prisoners are set to arrive.

Chit Sang follows along with two other prisoners, but is injured by the boiling waters, causing him to scream and for the prisoners to be captured.

The next day, the group watches the new prisoners. Sokka begins to doubt if they made the right decision as people pour in, until the last person aboard walks out: Hakoda.

Episode 55: The Boiling Rock, Part 2

Hakoda is taken inside the prison, and it's not long before Sokka sneaks in to meet with him. Initially, Hakoda almost attacks him, but Sokka reveals himself and they embrace. He seeks to come up with a new escape plan using the gondola, with the group planning to reconvene to figure out their plans later.

At the same time, the warden interrogates Chit Sang to give up whoever aided him with the escape attempt, knowing he and his friends are incapable of devising such a plan.

Zuko is confronted by Mai for leaving her behind and informing her only through a letter rather than telling her in person. Chit Sang gives up a random guard, allowing Sokka to go free, but they're soon interrupted by Azula and Ty Lee who came with Mai. Azula recognizes that this guard is not the traitor and allows him to go free.

The group attempts to start a riot to no avail. Chit Sang, offering to show them how it's done, simply shouts, "Hey! Riot!" The prisoners all begin to riot, creating a diversion that allows them to escape. Zuko, still talking with Mai, sees his opportunity and firebends to escape. Each of them meet at the gondola and tries to escape, taking the warden hostage in the process.

They attempt to force their way over, breaking the gondola lever on the way. Azula and Ty Lee walk along the gondola wires to reach them, causing a battle to ensue. Eventually, though, the warden gets free and shouts for the line to be cut. They start to do so, causing Azula and Ty Lee to turn back.

However, Mai stands up to Azula and stops her once she returns, with Ty Lee following her lead. This allows the group to escape, taking Azula's hot air balloon to leave the island. Azula, enraged, has Mai and Ty Lee sent to be imprisoned for good.

The group reconvenes at the Western Air Temple, with Katara thrilled to see her father once again. Chit Sang bids them farewell and heads off on his own.

Paige Smith

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