Avatar: The Last Airbender's Soundtrack Is Finally Being Released - Here's Why That's A Big Deal
It's been almost 20 years, but a vital part of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is finally getting an official release. That's right, the soundtrack for the beloved series, composed by Emmy Award-winning musician Jeremy Zuckerman is getting an actual release on digital and vinyl. The score for each season will be released separately, starting with "Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 1: Water (Music from the Animated Series)" this November.
The album will feature a re-recorded score, with Zuckerman announcing he is expanding on his original compositions, this time employing a full orchestra to record the music. This last bit is a big deal since the only time we got a full orchestra in the original run of the show was for the finale, and that sounded incredible. Fans may also recognize the artwork for the album as being the work of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" co-creator Bryan Konietzko himself.
The album for the first season goes on sale on November 17, 2023, and is available for pre-order now. For those who don't want to wait, the first single of the album, titled "Aang Becomes Ocean" is available to stream. That track, of course, belongs to the fateful moment when Aang communes with the ocean spirit and becomes a water kaiju that destroys the Fire Nation fleet invading the Northern Water Tribe at the end of season 1.
And before you start complaining about the other two seasons not being released yet, are you that desperate to cry your eyes out at "Leaves From The Vine (Little Soldier Boy)" again?
The Boy in the Iceberg
Despite the huge popularity of "The Last Airbender," the only official release for an "Avatar" soundtrack was the first season of the sequel series "The Legend of Korra." For years, creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have talked about trying to get the soundtrack released after the public outcry for one, but to no avail. The only ways fans could listen to the songs were via ripped versions of the TV broadcast of the episodes fans would upload online, as well as a single release of scattered tracks — but never before was there a proper release of every single track.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" is one of the most celebrated cartoons of the 2000s, a show Mark Hamill called "too smart" to be successful, and yet it was, winning five Annie Awards and an Emmy. It featured incredible world-building and vast mythology, combining humor that kids could enjoy and relate to while still tackling complex subjects like war, imperialism, and genocide.
The finale, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, remains a highlight in TV animated shows. Despite some controversy, it is an epic climax to the story that features some of Zuckerman's best work, which we'll hopefully hear in an official release soon enough.