From Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai to Phoenix King Ozai and Aang's final battle, here are the best fight scenes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, ranked.

There are few shows geared towards children that can connect with people of all ages the way Avatar: The Last Airbender has. The series brings memorable characters and a story grounded in a breathtaking and unique world where elemental power is the law of the land. But within this land, the person who maintains balance is the Avatar. This show was arguably never meant to be as iconic as it’s become and has now inspired multiple generations.

The focus of this list will be on the breathtaking fight scenes over the Nickelodeon cartoon series' three-season run. These aren’t just scuffles to pad out the run time. These fights pushed the story forward in multiple ways. We see the emotions and intentions of the characters on display through these matches. Even if you were to see them without context, what each character is going through can be distinguished through their actions. Here are the 11 best fight scenes from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Despite the depth that Sokka brought to the show, many would've argued that he was mostly a background player, given that he had no bending ability. He was beginning to feel the same way by this point in the series until he trained with Master Piandao of the Fire Nation. Sokka implemented his unorthodox thinking to Piandao's more refined style but nonetheless became a star pupil with his skill and intellect. When he learned that Sokka had faked his identity to acquire his training, the master went on the attack. Sokka defended himself using his teacher's wisdom, demonstrating that the training had paid off. Bending or no bending, Sokka showed that he's as much the warrior he believed he was.

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After two seasons of evading capture and training for battle, the time came for Team Avatar to finally strike back, and did so on the day the Fire Nation would be weakest. The Day of the Black Sun was the day an eclipse nullified firebending, giving the small invasion force led by Sokka and his father the chance they needed to attack in full force. The eclipse was also Aang's chance to fight the Firelord when he was most vulnerable. The two-episode battle was a long time coming and delivered as much action as fans could want, which may be why it ranks number four on CBR's 10-best battles from the series. It allowed Sokka a chance to shine and showed the culmination of Zuko's journey when he finally turned against his father. The invasion would ultimately fail, but it by no means was Team Avatar down for the count.

Avatar gave fans plenty of fights they never thought they would see, one of which was from Book 3, with the confrontation between two friends turned enemies. While Aang and Zuko were learning about their heritage, they discovered the connection they share through Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin. They had once been as close as brothers, but that changed when Roku departed to do his Avatar training. Roku had spent his life training to unite while Sozin had been preparing to conquer. Roku learned of his former friend's intentions to rule the four Nations, and when he defied the Firelord, the two clashed in a stunning show of power. It was a fully-realized Avatar against the world's most powerful fire bender. The crushing defeat to Sozin showed him and the audience why the Avatar is someone most villains fear. Sozin never stood a chance, but Roku's reluctance to kill his former friend would result in the 100-year war.

While not much of a fight, this was a tense confrontation and a pivotal turning point for Azula. Despite having been dumped by Zuko via letter, Mei's love for her friend's brother was still strong. Zuko and Sokka were at death's door above a boiling lake, seconds from being dropped into the scalding waters before Mei turned on her country to save him. Her reasoning for Azula being, "I love him more than I fear you." Azula had always been a fearsome foe, possibly the most fear indicting in the entire series, but Mei was more than willing to throw down with her former friend. Ty Lee immobilizing Azula was probably more to keep her friends from killing each other than her choosing one over the other, but it would ultimately cost both of them their freedom. It was a tense situation and one that would have a lasting effect on the fire princess. So used to getting her way, her mental state would gradually unravel when she realized she couldn't control those closest to her anymore.

Another fight fans never thought they would see came in Book 2 when a paranoid Jet confronted Zuko and Iroh over their being fire benders. Because they were living under the radar by posing as Earth Kingdom citizens, Zuko was unable to use his bending to defend himself and showed that his combat prowess goes beyond just bending. The two fought in the streets, Jet with his hook swords against Zuko and his broadswords. Jet tried repeatedly to force Zuko to use his fire bending, but the prince of the Fire Nation more than held his own against the self-stylized freedom fighter. There would be no clear winner in this fight as Jet would be apprehended and imprisoned. This impressive fight showed that there's more to the world of Avatar than simple bending. Perhaps if there is ever another sequel series, it should focus on characters other than the Avatar, or benders, for that matter.

By this point in Book 2, Zuko had left Iroh for some soul-searching, while his sister Azula was hot on Team Avatar's trail. The siblings would find themselves in an abandoned town with the Avatar, but the two weren't about to bury the hatchet and capture Aang together. What resulted was a frantic three-way fight that saw the town set ablaze as the two fought each other while trying to capture Aang. Azula had the upper hand, but Aang's friends would soon arrive with Iroh in tow to turn the tide on Azula, marking the first time Zuko and Team Avatar would come together to face a common enemy. Being as viciously crafty as ever, the Princess would escape by injuring Iroh as destruction. It was a fun fight, which ended with Zuko reuniting with his uncle, just not under ideal circumstances.

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By the end of Book 2, the gang had been through a lot. They stopped an invasion, faced off against the corrupt Dai-Li, lost a friend, regained Appa, and after all that, they still hadn't seen the Earth King, which was their whole reason for being in Ba Sing Se. However, rather than throwing in the towel, the group takes the gloves off and charges the King's palace. It was an entertaining sequence that saw the army of four weaving through cascades of boulders and fighting waves of guards before making their way into the throne room. What followed was a tense stand-off, but at long last, they were finally able to meet the Earth King and warn him of the impending eclipse and begin planning their invasion. If only there wasn't Azula.

Just because Zhao and Zuko were of the Fire Nation and shared a similar goal doesn't mean they were about to be friends. Zhao was Zuko's competition in capturing the Avatar for Book One, and the older officer didn't make much effort to hide his disdain for the fallen Prince. The two butted heads early in the series, leading to the first Agni Kai. It's the first glimpse into Fire Nation culture as the sanctioned match sees the two duke it out with fists and flames. Fans hadn't yet been given reason to like Zuko, but Zhao proved himself in need to be taken down a peg. Zuko was able to win against his superior, thanks to his uncle's advice, but rather than killing Zhao, Zuko chose to spare his life. Zhao then attempted a cheap shot, only to be blocked by Iroh. With this only being the third episode, fans didn't have much reason to like Zuko, but with this fight, he had definitely earned their respect.

Just when Team Avatar thought things were working in their favor, Azula comes and pulls the rug out from under them. With the gang separated, the Fire Lords' daughter leapt into action and quietly overthrew the government of Ba Sing Se. Zuko found himself at his biggest crossroads yet, do the right thing and help the Avatar, or reclaim his honor and help his sister take the city. Unfortunately, he chose to seize his long-time goal and fight the Avatar with his sister. It was an intense two-on-two melee, but Azula's forces arrived and surrounded the heroes. Aang entered the Avatar state when all seemed lost, but as always, Azula was one step ahead and became the only person to kill the Avatar (temporarily). If not for Iroh, the show would have ended in Book Two, but the group was able to escape as they watched the world's most impenetrable city finally fall to the Fire Nation. It was their darkest hour as the group suffered their first loss. It was also a pivotal moment for Zuko who finally regained his honor, only to wonder afterward if he had made the right choice.

This duel was contested alongside the number one fight on this list as part of the series' epic four-part finale. Ready to seize his destiny as Fire Lord, Zuko only needed to get past one last hurdle, his sister. We see two fire benders at their strongest under Sozin's Comet. We also see the culmination of Ozai's influence over his children. Azula, having been named the new Fire Lord by her father, had begun slipping from sanity as her coronation approached and was a raging mess the entire time as her brother once was. Zuko, who had fully overcome his father's sway, was able to fight with a level head. It's the shows most stunning display of fire bending as the two fought on even footing. It was also set to a fantastic score that made this final encounter feel bitter-sweet. Azula would win through dirty tactics, but it showed how far Zuko had come as he jumped in the line of fire to save Katara, someone who was once his enemy. Screen Rant had this clash listed as their number one in the 15 best Avatar fights, and it's not hard to understand why.

The number one spot goes to the long-awaited showdown between Aang and Ozai. Three seasons in the making, this fight delivered on all fronts. Aang managed to hold his own for the most part. He found a clear chance to kill his opponent but chose not to as it would've gone against his philosophies. Ozai came close to killing Aang but inadvertently reawakened his Avatar state, allowing Aang to turn the tide of battle and drive fear into the Pheonix King's heart. Once again, Aang found a chance to kill Ozai, but again, refused. However, before the villain could escape justice, Aang used a little-known ability that he didn't know he had. He stripped Ozai of his bending, keeping to his way of life and ending the 100-year war. It's the moment Avatar fans had been waiting years for. There was a lot of pressure on this battle, but it didn't disappoint. It was a visual masterpiece that saw Aang get his Avatar State back after losing it for the entire season and finding a peaceful resolution when everyone told him to go against his morals. There aren't many perfect series out there, but this fight was the icing on this seamless three-season ride.