Oftentimes, the heroes (and villains) of the Avatar universes are captured by their enemies rather than slain outright. This is both to match the lighthearted nature of the show and to ensure that they may be useful to the plot later on.
When it comes their time to be relevant to the story once again, they invariably mount escape attempts, some of which have legendary implications for the story at large. By ranking the 10 greatest escapes, we can appreciate the guile many of the series' most intelligent characters have displayed when evading their captors.
10 Katara & Toph's Escape From The Wooden Prison
When Katara and Toph had hoped to earn more money through dishonest means, the Fire Nation sprung a trap for them. They captured the girls and held them in a wooden prison, one that the earthbender could not free them from.
Though Katara's water supply was confiscated (and she could not use the moisture in the air since she hadn't met Hama yet), she worked up a sweat and used it as a sword to cleave through her cell. From there, she was able to rejoin Aang and flee the murderous Combustion Man.
9 Korra's Escape From Amon
Though Tarrlok had initially captured Korra, it was Amon who had sought to do harm against her. His Equalists invaded the councilman's residence and found the Avatar, in an effort to help their master confiscate her bending.
However, she was able to escape their clutches by carefully positioning herself above the cell before assailing her would-be attackers. Next, she retreated into the snow and warned Tenzin of the treacherous plot that was still currently unfolding. Should she have failed in running away, Korra would not have had the power to confront Amon again later on.
8 Amon's Escape From Korra
After Amon had been exposed to all of Republic City as bender, he stole into the ocean, pursued through a relentless flurry of Mako's attacks. These were ultimately unsuccessful, and the Equalist absconded into the sunset.
Though this escape may have been brief, what makes it genuinely remarkable is that he was the only villain to have successfully evaded Korra's justice. While he would meet his end to his brother, none were aware of the fate which befell him - and unusually enough, he was almost never brought up again.
7 Hama's Escape From The Fire Nation Prison
Hama was the first known bloodbender and one of the most powerful villains in the series. Having officially invented the art, she came up with it in order to escape a prison specifically designed to hold waterbenders.
Though she had no moisture in the air by which to procure her escape, Hama quickly realized that it was impossible to avoid water altogether. It existed within the blood of her guards - a fact that she would soon exploit as she manipulated them to obey her will.
6 Toph Saves Suyin From Kuvira
When Suyin's home fell before Kuvira's conquests, she unfortunately went down with it. Despite their differences in the past, Lin Beifong vowed to free her alongside a number of other devoted allies.
While their initial efforts may found some success, the situation reversed when the Unifier's forces rallied against them. It culminated with Toph's dramatic return, and she decimated the enemy ranks while proclaiming that her adversary gave metalbenders a bad name. Though she may have not had many action scenes in Legend Of Korra, her power had clearly only improved with age.
5 Toph's Escape From Xin Fu
Xin Fu was a professional earthbender commissioned by Toph's parents to return her. When she was separated from the group, he and her former mentor successfully captured the young girl and wrangled her into a metal prison.
Though Toph's escape from her cell may not have been particularly glamorous, it was the first canon usage of metalbending. Moreover, her own liberation redefined the entire series, as what she had invented would gain her renown across the entire world and be passed down to her daughters.
4 P'Li's Escape From Zuko
P'Li's escape from her prison was perhaps the most impressive out of all her Red Lotus colleagues. She met the most profound resistance, with Zaheer's forces clashing with the likes of Fire Lord Zuko, Katara's father, and Unalaq's children (who in turn were strong enough to defeat Mako and Bolin).
Despite these overwhelming odds, the combusting woman made a clean escape regardless of the preparations taken to keep her there. It demonstrated the might of Zaheer's forces and provided a warning to the Avatar herself.
3 Zuko Saving Aang From Zhao
Aang was once captured by the Yuyan archers under the command of Admiral Zhao. This infuriated Zuko allegedly because it meant that he could never return to the Fire Nation (since his rival would claim credit for the Avatar's defeat).
As a result, he mounted an unlikely rescue mission, donning the guise of the "Blue Spirit." Not only would this likely save Aang's life, it would also be the strongest evidence for Zuko's upcoming redemption later in the story. Though he may have initially been driven by selfish goals, he excelled where the Avatar's allies could not.
2 The Earthbender Boat Escape
When many earthbenders were being held by Fire Nation forces, the prison they had designed made it virtually impossible to escape. Suspended by water and carried by a metal galleon, it appeared they had no earth to use for their own liberation.
After Katara and Aang had breached the boat, they realized that it was running on coal and released it to the prisoners. Though there may have been reluctance at first, they would eventually turn on their captors, using what the Avatar's group had supplied them in order to set themselves free.
1 Escape From The Boiling Rock
The Boiling Rock was where the Firelord's worst prisoners were being kept. Within it, Sokka found Suki, his father, and dozens of other people who were interested in joining their fight against the Ozai.
However, it was notoriously difficult to escape from since it was surrounded by blistering water (hence its name). Nonetheless, Sokka and Zuko were able to escape successfully by using the same ramp by which new guards and prisoners were being delivered. It was a particularly monumental getaway since it required the betrayal of both Azula's companions in order to be pulled off.