11 major callbacks in Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ season 2 that fans will love

While the scene comes way earlier and the cast of characters present differs a bit from the animated series (Team Avatar has yet to meet Toph at this point in the live-action adaptation), the Serpent’s Pass sequence remains just as memorable. The battle with the formidable Water Serpent is particularly impressive, with Aang and Katara teaming up to protect the refugees.

Much like in the animated series, the two work together, using waterbending to create a whirlpool that takes the Water Serpent down. The live-action version also adds a nice touch: this is where Aang first learns to heal using waterbending, as he and Katara tend to the injured Water Serpent rather than simply leaving it behind. It’s a subtle but meaningful moment that reinforces one of the franchise’s central themes—that compassion can be just as powerful as strength.

Eagle-eyed fans will also recognise Chong, the nomadic troubadour famous for his “Secret Tunnel” song, as one of the background characters. Sokka’s (Ian Ousley) “Serpent Pass” jokes also survive the leap from animation to live-action.

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It’s a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene, but one that longtime fans instantly recognise. After Katara delivers her “I’m keeping my eye on you!” gesture, Sokka punctuates the exchange with his “Water tribe!” mic-drop of a quote, recreating one of the animated series’ most memorable sibling moments.

It may only last a few seconds, but it’s a sweet callback showing how Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series preserves the humour and chemistry that made the original so beloved. For fans, hearing Sokka’s signature line again is a small but satisfying dose of nostalgia.

Easily the most anticipated addition to Team Avatar, Toph Beifong (Miyako) makes her live-action debut in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender in much the same way she does in the animated series: as the mysterious Blind Bandit competing in Earth Rumble, the underground earthbending tournament. Facing off against The Boulder, Toph employs many of the same moves and techniques that made her animated counterpart such a fan favourite.

Longtime viewers are also treated to a faithful visualisation of Toph’s seismic sense, showing how she “sees” the world through vibrations travelling across the ground. The Netflix adaptation recreates the effect beautifully, offering one of the series’ most satisfying callbacks while showcasing just how formidable the young earthbending prodigy is.

While Team Avatar crashes the Beifong family dinner in the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, they earn an invitation in the live-action. Despite the different setup, the scene retains many of the same comedic beats that fans love.

In both, Sokka stuffs his face with food while Toph discreetly uses earthbending to stop Aang from revealing the extent of her secret bending abilities. The highlight is a faithful recreation of one of the episode’s funniest moments, with Toph sending Aang face-first into his bowl of soup before he can say too much. It’s a small but delightful callback that captures the Beifong family’s tense dynamics and Toph's mischievous sense of humour.

When Aang is caught between Zuko (Dallas Liu) and Princess Azula’s fiery showdown, an epic battle unfolds. Just as it seems like Azula has gained the upper hand, Team Avatar arrives to aid Aang. The iconic scene is a clear homage to “The Chase”, a fan-favourite episode from the original Nickelodeon series.

Several beats echo moments from the animated version, from Aang’s amusement at hearing Zuko called “Zuzu” and Toph’s clutch entrance to Azula’s subversion of Zuko’s iconic line, “I will capture the Avatar and restore my honor”—delivered with mocking perfection—and her feigned surrender before launching a surprise attack on Uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-hyung Lee). The live-action adaptation also includes a few fresh twists, like Suki’s (Maria Zhang) participation during the battle and where it all takes place.

In both the Netflix and Nickelodeon versions, the battle marks a turning point, laying the groundwork for the unlikely alliance that the Gaang will eventually forge with Zuko and Uncle Iroh.

“There is no war in Ba Sing Se” is one of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s most iconic lines—and one of its most commonly misattributed. While many fans credit the chilling quote to cultural ambassador Joo Dee, it is actually spoken by a Dai Li agent in the original animated series.

Netflix’s live-action adaptation embraces the mix-up by having Joo Dee deliver the line herself. It’s a subtle but clever change that still captures the unsettling nature of Ba Sing Se’s state-sponsored propaganda, while giving one of the city’s most recognisable characters the quote that fans have long associated with her.

Aside from her tough exterior and blunt honesty, one trait that both the animated and live-action versions of Toph share is her habit of giving everyone irreverent and unflattering nicknames. In Netflix’s adaptation, fans will recognise her signature nicknames—“Twinkle Toes” for Aang and “Sugar Queen” for Katara.

Other nicknames she gives Aang include “Baldy”, “Bald Wonder”, “Melon Head”, “Boomeraang” and even “Bald Sing Se”—all of which Aang takes in stride. It’s a small but faithful character detail that captures Toph’s sense of humour and instantly makes her feel like the same beloved earthbender.

Just as she does in the original Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, Katara dons the guise of the Painted Lady to bring hope to those in need. While the animated episode sees her helping the residents of a polluted fishing village, the Netflix adaptation reimagines the story by having the Painted Lady become a symbol of hope for the people living in Ba Sing Se’s impoverished Lower Ring.

The live-action series also pairs the Painted Lady with Zuko's masked alter ego, the Blue Spirit—a dynamic that never appears in the animation. Both hiding behind secret identities and grappling with questions of who they are and what they stand for, Katara and Zuko find themselves working side by side to protect the city’s most vulnerable. It’s a clever reworking of two fan-favourite storylines that stays true to the spirit of both characters while offering something new for longtime viewers.

One of the biggest changes in Netflix’s adaptation is the relocation of the Spirit Library. Rather than being hidden in the Si Wong Desert—also known as the “Desert of the Dead”—the ancient repository is moved to Ba Sing Se, where much of the action season 2 unfolds. The live-action series also shakes things up by having Jet accompany Team Avatar on their quest to the library.

Despite these changes, Wan Shi Tong, the all-knowing owl spirit who guards the library, remains every bit as imposing as his animated counterpart. The adaptation also preserves one of the story’s most emotional moments: Toph desperately holding up the sinking library with her earthbending so her friends can escape. Just as in the animated series, her heroic effort leaves her unable to stop Appa’s kidnapping, setting in motion one of the most heartbreaking storylines in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Toph’s discovery of metalbending remains one of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s defining moments. Trapped inside a metal box and being forcibly transported back to the Beifong estate, she senses the traces of earth within the metal and realises she can bend it. Her triumphant “I am the greatest earthbender in the world!”—as she frees herself—is faithfully preserved, making the scene just as exhilarating as it was in the animation.

The live-action series does make a few notable changes. Rather than being captured by Xin Fu and Master Yu, Toph is betrayed by her own mother, who drugs her and imprisons her in the metal cage. The change places greater emotional weight on Toph’s breakthrough. It’s a symbolic rejection of the expectations her family has imposed on her. In breaking free of her prison, Toph finally breaks free of the beliefs that have held her back, embracing her own strength and proving that no one—not even her parents—gets to define what she’s capable of.

While Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 isn’t a scene-for-scene remake, it is packed with callbacks that celebrate the original animated series. By recreating iconic moments while introducing fresh twists, the live-action adaptation offers longtime fans plenty of nostalgic moments to enjoy, even as it charts its own course.

And if you’re wondering—yes, the Cabbage Merchant also makes his inevitable return.

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