In the opening scene of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the audience is shown what happened to the world after the disappearance of the Avatar, the one person in the world who might have been able to stop the Fire Nation from starting the 100 Year War, as well as Katara's hopes that the Avatar will one day return to set things right. It's easy to forget that all this might have been avoided had Aang not run away in the first place.

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After learning that he is the most recent incarnation of the Avatar, Aang finds the pressure too much to handle when the Air Nomad elders decide to have him trained in the other elements much sooner than is usually the custom, planning to send him away from both his friends and father figure, Monk Gyatso, and runs away with Appa instead. Had he not been frozen for 100 years, things might have turned out very differently for a lot of characters.

10 He Likely Would Have Died During The Air Nomad Massacre

Had Aang been present at the Southern Air Temple during the Fire Nation's assault on the Air Nomads, things may have gone a little differently for the airbenders. As shown during The Avatar Returns, Aang was already beginning to manifest the Avatar State at a young age, which may have been instrumental in fighting off the Fire Nation soldiers even during Sozin's Comet's flight through the sky.

Realistically, however, it is more likely that Aang would have died from the sheer number of soldiers that assaulted his home and resulted in the next Avatar cycle beginning before Aang could become a fully realized Avatar.

9 He Might Have Been Captured By The Fire Nation

Zhao stares Aang down

Alternatively, the Fire Nation soldiers might have known better than to simply kill the Avatar, not unlike Admiral Zhao's train of thought, where killing the Avatar now would just mean more problems down the line.

It is likely that they may have had orders to capture the Avatar rather than kill him, though considering the fact that the Fire Nation navy constantly accosted the Southern Water Tribe following their initial assault on the Air Nomads, it appears that they thought he had died in the massacre anyway.

8 Monk Gyatso's Fight May Have Resulted In Many More Deaths

Gyatso old man from Avatar the Last Airbender

Before The Legend of Korra showed just how powerful a small group of airbenders could be, with Opal and Jinora being able to hold back the entirety of Kuvira's army by themselves, Monk Gyatso was also a shining example of the fact that you shouldn't mess with a monk, as his body was surrounded by dozens of dead Fire Nation soldiers when Aang found him.

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If Aang was by his side, the body count may have been much higher as, although Aang is vehemently against killing, Gyatso may have been able to change his perspective if he was present for the Air Nomad massacre, as Gyatso was one of the few people able to influence Aang as a child.

7 The Potential Waterbender Reincarnation Could Lead To Korra Being Skipped

Dark Korra Avatar

There is speculation among fans of the series that, had Aang died during the Air Nomad massacre, Katara would have become the Avatar following Aang. Aside from the fact that she wouldn't have been born until nearly 90 years after the Fire Nation's assault, it is more he would have been reincarnated into someone like Hama, the bloodbending master, who would have been a small child at the time.

This also means that Korra wouldn't have become the Avatar after Aang and the cycle would have been passed to an earthbender instead.

6 Appa Might Have Died

Avatar Aang Meets Appa Avatar The Last Airbender

Until The Legend of Korra, it was believed that Appa was the only surviving sky bison in the world, as they all died alongside their airbending partners in the Air Nomad massacre. Thankfully, Aang and Zuko managed to find a herd of sky bison and rebuild the population, but had Aang not been frozen in ice, Appa might have been among the dead.

This could also mean that the herd of sky bison found by Aang and Zuko might have never been found, and they would have been able to live in solitude like the last of the dragons.

5 Zuko's Journey of Redemption Wouldn't Have Happened

ATLA Zuko Hoodie

Without Aang around to motivate Zuko in his quest to reclaim his honor, things may have turned out very different for the prince. If Aang was imprisoned by the Fire Nation, he would have no potential quest to go on and likely would have remained an exiled prince with no redemption arc.

Had Aang been killed and reincarnated instead, his journey may have forced him to battle a fully realized Avatar instead, something he was definitely not ready for at the beginning of the series.

4 Katara Might Not Have Left The Southern Water Tribe

Katara healing Korra

Although Katara wanted to learn how to waterbend properly before Aang showed up, she never really had the motivation to travel to the Northern Water Tribe until she was tasked with helping Aang reach her sister tribe herself. If Aang wasn't around, she may have never become a waterbending master or even left the Southern Water Tribe at all.

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This would have far-reaching consequences for many characters, but most significantly for the next Avatar, as Katara was part of the reason why Korra was such a good waterbender in The Legend of Korra, even if it wasn't her go-to bending style.

3 Toph Might Have Remained With Her Parents

Like Katara, Toph's adventures around the world wouldn't have happened if Aang hadn't shown up on her doorstep with promises of adventure and fisticuffs galore. She may have grown into a bitter old woman resentful of her life as a Beifong rather than the strong leader and earthbending master she became.

That being said, she was also growing tired of her overbearing father even before Aang showed up, so she may have also left the Beifong estate alone instead.

2 Many Villages Would Have Been Destroyed

Jet angry from Avatar

Without Team Avatar around to stop the Fire Nation soldiers from burning down several towns, the Earth Kingdom might have looked very different even before Sozin's Comet came around again, as Aang was largely responsible for saving those towns.

Aunt Wu's town would have also been destroyed by a volcanic eruption, and the villagers that Jet flooded would have all been wiped out and killed had Sokka not been around to forewarn the people.

1 Iroh Might Have Fought For The Throne

Uncle Iroh in Avatar

One of the biggest changes in the story might have come with Uncle Iroh and his claim to the throne. Having been the next in line before the death of Lu Ten pushed him over the edge, he would be the next one with a legitimate claim to the throne if Zuko hadn't been reformed.

Without Aang to fight Ozai or Zuko to become the next Fire Lord, Iroh may have resorted to taking matters into his own hands and fighting his brother himself to reclaim his birthright, though this fight would have resulted in one of the pair dying as a result.

Next: How Did Aang Die? & The Fate Of Every Other Member Of Team Avatar