The live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender features Monk Gyatso’s character. Gyatso is an Air Nomad related to Aang’s history, with two important Easter eggs associated with his name.
Netflix’s live-action version focuses more on Gyatso and Aang’s relationship than the original series. For instance, it focuses on Gyatso finding out how Aang got the Airbending Master marks and the genocide of the Air Nomads. These incidents did not receive enough attention in the Nickelodeon animated version.
Gyatso is a Master Airbender belonging to the Southern Air Temple of the Air Nomads, one of the Four Nations in The Last Airbender. Gyatso dies by the end of season 1, but the eight episodes of season 1 give us a lot of information about his character. However, the show does not explicitly mention two connections to Gyatso’s name that are interesting Easter eggs.
The first reference is that of the Tibetan Dalai Lama. In reality, the present Dalai Lama’s real name is Tenzin Gyatso. The series’ culture, society, and portrayal of the Nomads are also based on real-life Tibetan monks.
In addition to the Air Nomads, The Last Airbender paid homage to various aspects of Asian culture through the other three nations. The Water Tribes reflected the Indigenous Arctic peoples. The Earth Kingdom incorporated elements from different periods of Chinese history.
The Fire Nation resembled Imperial Japan in its militaristic expansion, technological innovation, and cultural expression. The show portrayed a deep respect and appreciation for the diversity and richness of Asian cultures.
The second reference in Gyatso’s name is that of another character. The sequel to the original series, The Legend of Korra, is set 70 years after the events of The Last Airbender. Therefore, Aang’s children play an important role in guiding Korra to greatness.
Aang’s third child is an Airbender and teaches Korra the various techniques of the Air Nomads. His name is Tenzin, once again named after the real-life Dalai Lama. Tenzin and Gyatso are therefore connected through Aang as well.
About Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar is an animated series created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
The plot is set in a universe consisting of 4 different nations corresponding to the respective element: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Their peace gets disrupted when the Fire becomes violent and dominates over the others.
Avatar follows the story of Aang, Sokka, and Katara in their quest to beat the corrupt Fire Kingdom, as Aang tries to master the elements.
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