Avatar is a popular animated series that aired in the early 2000s. However, is Avatar an anime or more accurately understood as a cartoon?
The universe surrounding Avatar: The Last Airbender is expanding, with the first theatrical film set to debut in October 2025. Notably, the original creators, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, are on board as producers. The storyline appears to focus once again on Aang and his friends.
Fans speculate that we might finally get answers regarding what happens to the heroes after the series finale. Unanswered, however, is a question that has divided the community for ages: Is Avatar an anime or not?
Is Avatar an Anime?
Avatar: The Last Airbender, not to be confused with the film Avatar, has become a true classic in animation. The series was produced in the United States from 2005 to 2008, spanning three seasons and telling the story of Aang, the young “Avatar” tasked with bringing peace and balance to the world.
The artistic style of the series unmistakably exhibits influences from typical anime. Additionally, the content is visibly inspired by East Asian cultures. Nevertheless, Avatar: The Last Airbender strictly cannot be labeled as anime. The reason being that the series was not produced in Japan but rather in the United States.
How is “Anime” Defined?
According to the common definition of the term, “anime” exclusively refers to animated series or films produced in Japan. Avatar was created at Nickelodeon in the USA, without collaboration with Japanese anime studios. So, while the series may look like anime, officially it is considered a cartoon.
However, there is an exception: In Japan itself, all animated productions, even those from abroad, are referred to as anime. The question “Is Avatar considered anime in Japan?” could be answered with a clear “Yes” by the Japanese.
The fact that the series was produced in the USA is not even apparent to many devoted fans. After all, the characters and landscapes within the story bear few connections to Western culture. By the way, if you want to revisit Avatar: The Last Airbender, you can do so on Amazon Prime Video, where the series is available for free as part of the subscription.