Avatar Day

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"Avatar Day" *Avatar: The Last Airbender episode*
Avatar sculptures set ablaze in celebration
Book	Two: Earth
Chapter	Five
Episode #	Twenty-five
Prod. code	205
Airdate	April 28, 2006
Writer(s)	John O'Bryan
Director	Lauren MacMullan
Guest star(s)	Jillian Henry (Koko) James Hong (Mayor Tong) Jennifer Hale (Avatar Kyoshi) James Sie (Oyajii) Byron McKittrick (Crazy Foaming Guy) Malachi Throne (Colonel Mongke)

Previous episode "The Swamp"
Next episode "The Blind Bandit"

"Avatar Day" is an episode from the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which airs on Nickelodeon. It is the fifth episode of the second season of the series.

Aang and the gang discover an Earth Kingdom town that celebrates "Avatar Day." However the holiday involves ceremonies of anti-Avatar sentiment.

[edit] Episode synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Momo spots a spider that has made a web in Sokka's mouth, due to the fact that he was sleeping with his mouth open. The lemur grabs the spider and ends up waking up Sokka, who yells at Momo in response and who in turn ends up waking Katara and Aang. His outburst attracts the attention of a mounted Fire Nation military unit known as the Rough Rhinos, who surround them.

In their attempt to leave quickly, the trio instantly realize that they each left a precious possession behind at the camp: Katara's Waterbending scroll, Aang's staff, and Sokka's boomerang. Katara and Aang take advantage of their bending powers and retrieve their desired possessions while Sokka is the only who is unable to retrieve his. He feels angry that the two spent the time to get their possessions back despite the danger and did not spare time for his. Katara simply confirms the fact.

Once in an Earth Kingdom village, the three kids learn of "Avatar Day." They watch a parade with giant floats that are made to look like Kyoshi, Roku, and Aang. The trio at first believed that the festival is honoring the Avatar, but then a man torches the three floats to the loud approval of the village, who chant, "Down with the Avatar!"

Aang reveals himself as the Avatar, only to be arrested. While in his jail cell, the village's mayor explains to him that "Avatar Day" was formed after Avatar Kyoshi killed the village's leader, Chin the Great. To prove Aang's (or rather, Kyoshi's) innocence, Sokka and Katara search the village and return to Kyoshi Island to find evidence that says otherwise. They find out that according to islanders of Kyoshi, she was there founding the island at the very time she supposedly murdered Chin the Great.

Unfortunately, the evidence is useless because in these trials, the opposing sides only tell what they believe happened. Using only the two stories, the jury decides who is innocent and who is guilty; for this case, the village mayor serves as both prosecution and jury. Meanwhile, Aang, still in his jail cell, has become somewhat friendly with the other prisoners. One of them offers him advice about girls (that is, Katara).

During Aang's trial, after hearing the village major's story and Aang's vague version, he is found guilty. Refusing to give up, Sokka and Katara have Aang dress up in Kyoshi's old uniform.

Surprisingly, Kyoshi manifests herself through Aang's body (like how Avatar Roku did). She announces to the village that she did indeed kill Chin the Great (or "Conqueror," as she calls him), but it was for a good cause. Chin was conquering neighboring lands and was planning on conquering Kyoshi's village, so to protect her people she went to confront Chin's army alone, coming face to face with the (surprisingly short) warlord. But instead of fighting, Kyoshi broke the entire peninsula off from the mainland, pushing it away to form Kyoshi Island. In the process, Kyoshi's airbending scattered Chin's army. Chin cried out in frustration, but because he was now standing on a weak overhang at the edge of a cliff, the ground broke off from under his feet and he fell to his death.

Once Kyoshi's spirit disappears, the village brings out a wheel for Aang to spin to determine his punishment. It lands on "boiled in oil," but before the sentence can be carried out, the Fire Nation bandits from earlier arrive to take over the village. Fearing for his safety, the mayor quickly changes the punishment to community service, and pleads with Aang to defeat the warriors and save the village. The trio engages the warriors in battle and is successful in driving them away, Sokka regaining his boomerang during the battle. In an act of thanks, the mayor decides that in the future, Avatars will be honored on "Avatar Day." Since Aang was not boiled in oil on this day, the celebration will involve eating effigies of the Avatar made from uncooked dough.

Meanwhile, ashamed of the position that he is now in, Zuko disguises himself as the Blue Spirit to steal from local villagers. Worried about how Zuko is taking to the situation, Iroh tells Zuko, "In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." After thinking about what his uncle said, Zuko decides to travel alone.

[edit] Notes

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Avatar Day

The Community Service slot on the Wheel of Punishment mysteriously changes spots when the mayor turns it during the attack.
Avatar Kyoshi speaks for the first time.
This is the first appearance of the Rough Rhinos, whose name bears a resemblance to Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders.
When Kyoshi explains why she killed Chin, the map of the Avatar world is shown, a large portion of the Earth Kingdom being colored green, to symbolize Chin taking control of the world. Chin was never able to take Ba Sing Se.