Avatar: The Last Airbender is many things. It's part martial arts action fest, part high adventure fantasy, part character-driven drama, and even part love story. The show is good all-around, reeling in adults and kids alike no matter the age. It also has many timely things to say about life, failure, struggle, fear, and human nature, delving deep into thematic ideas far beyond many shows today.

Because of this, Avatar is home to many inspiring and thoughtful quotes dropped by some of the best-developed characters in television. What are some of these great lines and who speaks them? Here are the 15 most inspiring quotes spoken in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Updated on March 30, 2024 by Jennifer Roy: Avatar: The Last Airbender remains a beloved classic series that still resonates with viewers today. Many of the series' inspiring quotes still guide the fanbase as the series continues to be expanded and adapted into new formats. This article has been updated to reflect CBR's current formatting guidelines.

15 "We Need To Replace It With A World Of Peace & Kindness"

Zuko

One of the most important scenes in the three seasons of the show is Prince Zuko's confrontation with his abusive father Fire Lord Ozai. This moment is when Zuko finally becomes his own man and decides that he's no longer a tool of the Fire Nation.

While the entire speech he gives to Ozai is amazing, the most important part is this full quote:

We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.

Zuko still had a long road ahead of him in order to gain Aang's trust and help defeat his father once and for all. Luckily for the world, in the aftermath, Zuko became Fire Lord and helped create that peaceful world... for a period of time.

14 "I Love Zuko More Than I Fear You"

Mai

Prince Zuko's girlfriend Mai is not one to show her emotions very much. In fact, she might just be the most stoic character on the show. However, even this ice queen eventually melts and delivers this emotional firebomb to her former ally Princess Azula.

While Azula was able to keep Mai and Ty Lee under her control for the early part of their lives, they eventually rebelled against her. Mai realizes that it's more for her (and we as an audience) to love in spite of what may scare us rather than to run away from it.

13 "There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickety trick that's gonna move that rock. You gotta face it head-on"

Toph

It is human nature to try and find a shortcut to a problem that is hindering them. Nobody wants to spend more on something than is necessary but sometimes we have to suck it up and push through our issues, just as Aang did when learning Earthbending.

Unlike Airbending which is all about finding the path of least resistance and to be creative, earthbending is much more direct and focused. While a lesson of the show is to teach viewers how to be a balanced person, this advice from Toph definitely inspires everyone to push through when the going gets tough.

12 “There Is Nothing Wrong With Letting The People Who Love You Help You.”

Uncle Iroh

From Vegeta to Seto Kaiba to Prince Zuko, children's animation is filled with characters whose character flaws include pride. It is easy for people to think of themselves as an island and not seek out the help of others, but that is a grave mistake.

Uncle Iroh tells this to Toph during their meeting in the Earth Kingdom. Of course, he is right. When people love you, there is no shame in accepting help from them.

11 "Failure Is Only The Opportunity To Try Again, Only More Wisely This Time"

Uncle Iroh

Failure is one of the worst things a person can endure, especially when it's something you've poured your heart and soul into. A true measure of a person however is how they view and cope with it. Uncle Iroh knows this as his wisdom comes from the failures he's had to endure in his life.

If you let it, failure can devour you and hang above your head for the rest of your life. Instead, we can all learn from Iroh that we should take the knowledge from our mistakes and be better.

10 "Pride Is Not The Opposite Of Shame But Its Source"

Uncle Iroh

Kicking off the list is one of many amazing quotes from the wizened military genius of the Fire Nation himself, General Iroh. For the uninitiated, General Iroh aka Uncle Iroh is the commanding general of Fire Nation's army and a surrogate father figure for Prince Zuko -- often chiming in with timely lessons, proverbs, and advice when the exiled monarch-to-be is in need of instruction.

In this particular quote, Iroh teaches the petulant heir to the kingdom about the importance of humility, and how humbling one's self is the only cure to the lethal pride that destroys not only kings but their kingdoms as well.

9 "Sometimes Life Is Like A Dark Tunnel"

Uncle Iroh

Speaking of General Iroh, another one of his most impressive quotes deals with perseverance and steadfastness no matter how dark the world may seem around us. "You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel," Iroh says. "But if you just keep moving you will come to a better place.”

This is the nature of progress, refusing to quit while continually putting one foot in front of the other. The idea here is that if you keep moving forward that eventually, in the end, you will persevere against the storm and arrive at greener pastures.

8 "Let It Go"

Aang

Right from the mouth of the last air bender himself, Aang's quote speaks to the importance of releasing negative emotions while still embracing the ability to express them. "You need to face this man," the avatar says, "but when you do you need to let your anger out... then let it go."

And how true this is! Negative emotions like rage, unforgiveness, and shame eat away at the human soul and devour lives in bitterness. Only when human beings can express these emotions and purge them from our hearts will we truly be free to flourish.

7 "Hope Is Something You Give Yourself"

Zuko and Uncle Iroh

While it's true this quote started off as something spoken by General Iroh, Zuko echoed this proverb in later seasons, punctuating a truth the fire bender deeply needed to learn. As the full quote goes:

In the darkest of times, hope is something you give yourself.

This is a direct echo of "No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair! Hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of strength." In this moment, Iroh advises that in the darkest of times, one has to look within, finding new ways to persevere. Hope, as the quote describes, is a mindset rather than an external force.

6 "Open To Change"

Aang

As the last air bender and Avatar of the nomadic Air Nation, Aang has faced much grief and loss throughout the series, but he still finds his way through. Biting and universally true, Aang's words still resonate:

When we hit our lowest point we are open to change.

Often times, it's when one hits rock bottom that all pride and ego is shattered, opening one up to the truth they needed to hear all along. Unfortunately for human nature, though, hitting rock bottom is often needed to provoke such change. If only humanity was less stubborn.

5 "The True Mind"

Lion Turtle

This proverb comes right from the mouth of the Ancient One aka Lion Turtle -- the last surviving behemoth whose species once carried nomadic air cities on their great backs. Lion Turtle is the largest living creature in Avatar lore, and is as wise as it is huge.

The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. From beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.

Lion Turtle's wisdom declares that purity, love, and all things good will ultimately defeat the fear and hatred of darkness. In the midst of the Fire Lord's regime, these words are even more inspiring and help guide Aang through his ultimate decision on how to defeat Ozai.

4 "The Illusion Of Separation"

Guru Pathik

Guru Pathik, the nomadic supercentenarian and spiritual mentor of Aang, dropped this wisdom during Aang's quest to unlock the seven chakras within. Pathik is wise and holds allegiance to no kingdom, embodying the spirit of the Avatar itself.

Pathik is also the author of a very insightful point on separation -- how humans often create false dichotomies in our own minds.

The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. We are all one people, but we live as if divided.

Guru Pathik urges Aang to seek connection with others rather than viewing everyone as separate. In doing so, Pathik also encourages the audience to look outside of themselves and see their own connections with the people and the world around them.

3 "Helping Others"

Uncle Iroh

Uncle Iroh was one of the series' most inspirational characters. His philosophy on life can be summed up by the following maxim:

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to help others.

As Iroh proclaims, helping others is almost always the best way to solve one's own issues. Iroh encourages both the characters and the audience to become the change other people need first in order to help find their own path. Whether or not karma exists, the adage is still true.

2 "Strong Enough Not To"

Katara

Katara is one of the series most important heroes, having believed the Avatar would return when the rest of the world had given up hope. Katara is also a well of wisdom, spouting some pretty timely truisms throughout the show. One such saying is her comments on true strength:

I wanted to take out all of my anger on [Yon Rha], but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak... or if because I'm strong enough not to.

Sometimes, true strength is demonstrated in restraint. For Katara, this was the ultimate test, with Yon Rha being the man who murdered her mother. By avoiding revenge, Katara was able to show her own inner strength and provide an example of that strength to the audience as well.

1 "Failure And Fear Of Failure"

Zuko

Once Zuko joins Team Avatar, he uses Iroh's wisdom and the wisdom he has gained along the way to help his allies as well. In a touching moment with Sokka, Zuko goes deep, dropping a bomb that hits close to everyone's home: fear of failure.

Look Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out. Even though you fail over and over again, you have to try every time. You can't quit because you're afraid you'll fail.

As Zuko explains, the only way to overcome failure and the fear of it is to fail through it. For it's through failure humans learn and grow. Through this wisdom and his own failures, Zuko is also able to grow and finally become the leader that his nation needs.