The Blind Bandit (Book 2, Chapter 6)
Original Airdate: May 5, 2006
Writer: Michael Dante DiMartino
Director: Ethan Spaulding
Introducing a new major character (and especially integrating it to the principal cast) can be a tricky thing, with it either turning out badly (for example Scrappy Doo) or quite surprisingly well, and in this instance it is done marvelously. This episode is where the season definitely takes an upward turn for the better, not just in terms of plotlines and the directuon, but also with the characters. This one not only does some solid worldbuilding of the Earth Kingdom (with Team Avatar visiting a new town and setting out to find Aang that earthbending master he's looking for) but introduces the interesting and entertaining titular character.
I think it hits things off well, with some enjoyable bits with the gang in this new town, like some good humor with Sokka buying a fancy satchel he's tempted by & Aang trying out a free trial at Master Yu's earthbending academy (and Yu, despitesuch a minor character, is quite memorable, not being a particularily great master who, instead of starting out with some basics and understanding the element of earth, has the students throw boulders at one another at once, which definitely reveals this is not the master who "listens to the ground" that Aang is looking for). The underground earthbending tournament ('Earth Rumble VI') comes up as two mean boys and Katara forcing the answer out of them offscreen (with some of her waterbending tactics) was a funny little silly moment.
The tournament itself has a great setting (an underground arena cave with an arena, very visually interesting) and is an obvious WWE wrestling spoof with colorful characters such as Xin Fu (the host), The Boulder (an humorous 'The Rock' parody), the Big Bad Hippo, Fire Nation Man (obviously the "bad guy loser"), all with distinct designs (and Sokka being an over the top fanatic is really funny IMO). The earthbending itself is great and has some cool choreography (and the animation work is splendid; I also love the stylized slideshow) & then the champion, the Blind Bandi,t is introduced, being a blind preteen girl who kick some real ass & well, she's quite the character, arrogant and boastful but also charming & cunning, listening to the ground before making her moves (and how).
Aang "fighting" her as a volunteer contestant (trying to talk with her, having recognized her from his swamp vision) and accidentally winning due to very low key airbending (which looks like earthbending) was a neat scene of the first meeting (and the Bandit proving to be a loner with a temper). We quickly find out (after another run in with the boys from before, who are easily scared by Katara, lol) that the Bandit is from the wealthy Bei Fong family (their symbol being a flying boar, which also ties into Aang's swamp vision). The first real meeting of Team Avatar and the Blind Bandit is a nice one, with them sneaking into the Bei Fong grounds (and of course she's stubborn and antagonistic, giving Aang the nickname "twinkle toes") so they try as "regular" visitors headed by the Avatar.
There's lots of great bits here: her name is Toph, her earthbending teacher is Yu & her parents are extremely overprotective and blind about how "fragile and helpless" she is (even having kept her training basic) and her having to play her part. Funny scene with Aang (after telling about his goal and needing an earthbending teacher) trying to make her admit she'd be a great teacher candidate and her being antagonistic, butting heads with him to the confusion of the others. Of course, Toph isn't heartless but later comes to apologize& there's a nice down to earth chat between the two, with her explaining how she "sees" with her feet & wishes her life was carefree like Aang's but stay due to her parents (I like that they quickly humanized her & made us understand why she's defensive).
Then we have Xin Fu and the earthbending wrestlers capturing the two in metal coffin boxes (as Xin believes Aang & the Bandit cheated themselves to the money), making for an entertaining hostage drama, with the bad guys getting their money back and releases Toph but keeps Aang as the Fire Nation has a reward for him, showing how even the Earth Nation has a lot of bad, selfish people (making the show's world feel so much more real) & Toph taking on all the wrestlers in a great action finale, loaded with neat and slick fight animation (and I always liked how they visualized her sensing movements on the ground right before she attacks) and humor too, all displayin how excellent Toph really is (and it should go without saying she's successful and makes them look like amateurs).
The ending was bittersweet, as the father still doubles down on the oveprotection & bans Team Avatar (what a sack of crap), but it is eased by how Toph rushes to the gang in the dark and comes with them as "her father changes his mind" (yeah, right). I also liked her "tough love" humot by getting back at Aang for besting her & being hit by the master belt Sokka throws to her from atop Appa's saddle (showing some of her weakness). Good stinger with Toph's father , hiring Yu and Xin Fu (really, the guy who kidnapped and ransomed your daughter?) to bring her back (as he's deluded in thinking the Avatar kidnapped her. Are we sure that Firelord Ozai is the big bad guy of the show, lol?). Anyhow, a great story & intro for the newest member of Team Avatar. Now the fun begins.
5/5, no complaint here, really. Pretty much everything worked out as intended here (if not even better at times). One of the best episodes thus far in the series, but also one of the most important and one that did change the series as a whole with the introduction of a character whom had made her disability into a strength & whom really changed up the status quo and much of the overall story. I'd even go so far as to say it is one of the most iconic episodes of the series.
Original Airdate: May 5, 2006
Writer: Michael Dante DiMartino
Director: Ethan Spaulding
Introducing a new major character (and especially integrating it to the principal cast) can be a tricky thing, with it either turning out badly (for example Scrappy Doo) or quite surprisingly well, and in this instance it is done marvelously. This episode is where the season definitely takes an upward turn for the better, not just in terms of plotlines and the directuon, but also with the characters. This one not only does some solid worldbuilding of the Earth Kingdom (with Team Avatar visiting a new town and setting out to find Aang that earthbending master he's looking for) but introduces the interesting and entertaining titular character.
I think it hits things off well, with some enjoyable bits with the gang in this new town, like some good humor with Sokka buying a fancy satchel he's tempted by & Aang trying out a free trial at Master Yu's earthbending academy (and Yu, despitesuch a minor character, is quite memorable, not being a particularily great master who, instead of starting out with some basics and understanding the element of earth, has the students throw boulders at one another at once, which definitely reveals this is not the master who "listens to the ground" that Aang is looking for). The underground earthbending tournament ('Earth Rumble VI') comes up as two mean boys and Katara forcing the answer out of them offscreen (with some of her waterbending tactics) was a funny little silly moment.
The tournament itself has a great setting (an underground arena cave with an arena, very visually interesting) and is an obvious WWE wrestling spoof with colorful characters such as Xin Fu (the host), The Boulder (an humorous 'The Rock' parody), the Big Bad Hippo, Fire Nation Man (obviously the "bad guy loser"), all with distinct designs (and Sokka being an over the top fanatic is really funny IMO). The earthbending itself is great and has some cool choreography (and the animation work is splendid; I also love the stylized slideshow) & then the champion, the Blind Bandi,t is introduced, being a blind preteen girl who kick some real ass & well, she's quite the character, arrogant and boastful but also charming & cunning, listening to the ground before making her moves (and how).
Aang "fighting" her as a volunteer contestant (trying to talk with her, having recognized her from his swamp vision) and accidentally winning due to very low key airbending (which looks like earthbending) was a neat scene of the first meeting (and the Bandit proving to be a loner with a temper). We quickly find out (after another run in with the boys from before, who are easily scared by Katara, lol) that the Bandit is from the wealthy Bei Fong family (their symbol being a flying boar, which also ties into Aang's swamp vision). The first real meeting of Team Avatar and the Blind Bandit is a nice one, with them sneaking into the Bei Fong grounds (and of course she's stubborn and antagonistic, giving Aang the nickname "twinkle toes") so they try as "regular" visitors headed by the Avatar.
There's lots of great bits here: her name is Toph, her earthbending teacher is Yu & her parents are extremely overprotective and blind about how "fragile and helpless" she is (even having kept her training basic) and her having to play her part. Funny scene with Aang (after telling about his goal and needing an earthbending teacher) trying to make her admit she'd be a great teacher candidate and her being antagonistic, butting heads with him to the confusion of the others. Of course, Toph isn't heartless but later comes to apologize& there's a nice down to earth chat between the two, with her explaining how she "sees" with her feet & wishes her life was carefree like Aang's but stay due to her parents (I like that they quickly humanized her & made us understand why she's defensive).
Then we have Xin Fu and the earthbending wrestlers capturing the two in metal coffin boxes (as Xin believes Aang & the Bandit cheated themselves to the money), making for an entertaining hostage drama, with the bad guys getting their money back and releases Toph but keeps Aang as the Fire Nation has a reward for him, showing how even the Earth Nation has a lot of bad, selfish people (making the show's world feel so much more real) & Toph taking on all the wrestlers in a great action finale, loaded with neat and slick fight animation (and I always liked how they visualized her sensing movements on the ground right before she attacks) and humor too, all displayin how excellent Toph really is (and it should go without saying she's successful and makes them look like amateurs).
The ending was bittersweet, as the father still doubles down on the oveprotection & bans Team Avatar (what a sack of crap), but it is eased by how Toph rushes to the gang in the dark and comes with them as "her father changes his mind" (yeah, right). I also liked her "tough love" humot by getting back at Aang for besting her & being hit by the master belt Sokka throws to her from atop Appa's saddle (showing some of her weakness). Good stinger with Toph's father , hiring Yu and Xin Fu (really, the guy who kidnapped and ransomed your daughter?) to bring her back (as he's deluded in thinking the Avatar kidnapped her. Are we sure that Firelord Ozai is the big bad guy of the show, lol?). Anyhow, a great story & intro for the newest member of Team Avatar. Now the fun begins.
5/5, no complaint here, really. Pretty much everything worked out as intended here (if not even better at times). One of the best episodes thus far in the series, but also one of the most important and one that did change the series as a whole with the introduction of a character whom had made her disability into a strength & whom really changed up the status quo and much of the overall story. I'd even go so far as to say it is one of the most iconic episodes of the series.
Last edited: