‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ Review: Pavi Leads an Exciting New Chapter

There is something special about returning to the world of Avatar. Now, before anybody starts, no, this is not coming from the “Aang is the only Avatar who matters” corner of the fandom. The Legend of Korra deserves more respect than it gets, and Avatar has always been at its best when it allows this universe to change instead of simply trying to recreate what worked before.

That does not mean the bar is low. Quite the opposite. Returning to a world as beloved as Avatar: The Last Airbender comes with expectations, and Avatar: Seven Havens has a lot to prove. After screening the first six episodes of the new Paramount+ series, thankfully, this feels like a return made by people who understand exactly why viewers fell in love with this universe in the first place.

That probably should not be surprising considering original Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are back as co-creators and executive producers. Their fingerprints are all over Seven Havens, which manages to feel unmistakably like Avatar without simply becoming The Last Airbender 2.0.

The story takes place long after Korra's era in a world that has changed dramatically. A devastating cataclysm has reshaped civilization, humanity has been pushed into its remaining Seven Havens, and the Avatar is no longer automatically viewed as a symbol of balance and hope. This time around, being the Avatar can make you a target.

Enter Pavi, a young Earthbender who begins displaying abilities that challenge everything this society believes it knows about the Avatar.

Without getting into spoiler territory and trust, there is plenty that needs to remain unspoiled, Seven Havens immediately establishes that this is a very different era. What makes it fascinating is how the series pushes the franchise forward while visually and culturally allowing parts of the world to feel as though they have moved backward. Things longtime viewers will recognize can now be treated like relics from another age, giving the series this wonderful sense that we are exploring the ruins and echoes of stories we already know.

That is one of the show's greatest strengths. The world of Avatar suddenly feels enormous again. There are new ideas surrounding bending, changes in which traditions have survived, and plenty of little details that should have fans pausing episodes and debating exactly what happened between Korra's time and Pavi's. Seven Havens does not appear interested in simply handing viewers every answer immediately, either. There is a mystery running through these first six episodes that continually makes you want to know more.

And yes, the animals remain one of the best parts of this universe. Give me every ridiculous hybrid creature this franchise can think of. Pavi's cat monkey Geet fits right in, and the colorful creature designs help prevent this darker version of the Avatar world from becoming visually dreary.

The animation itself continues to capture that familiar Avatar identity, though the bending battles feel somewhat toned down compared with some of the franchise's most memorable fight sequences. There are still entertaining confrontations throughout these episodes, but anyone going in expecting constant large-scale bending showcases may notice the difference.

Where Seven Havens really shines is in its world-building and characters. Pavi gives the franchise another compelling Avatar without feeling like an Aang or Korra retread, and Saheli Khan anchors the character nicely. The ensemble voice cast is strong across the board, including Aishu Devan, Akshay Khanna, Major Curda, Sakina Jaffrey, Darren Barnet, Dianne Doan, and, because apparently an Avatar series would feel incomplete without him somewhere, Dee Bradley Baker.

The series also makes some creative choices that will almost certainly generate discourse online. You already know how this goes. Some corners of the internet will probably attach their favorite buzzwords to them and start yelling. Let them yell. Those choices fit naturally within the world Seven Havens is building, and seeing this universe continue to broaden who gets represented within it only makes the series richer.

Most importantly, Seven Havens left me wanting more. Paramount+ initially provided press with the first six episodes, and reaching the end of Episode 6 without being able to immediately hit play on Episode 7 was easily the most frustrating part of the experience. Not because the episodes felt incomplete, but because by that point the characters, mysteries, and expanding mythology had done exactly what a new Avatar series needed to do: hook me.

Avatar: Seven Havens understands that honoring a beloved franchise does not mean trapping it in the past. It takes the foundations built by The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, moves the world forward, tears portions of it apart, and asks viewers to rediscover what being the Avatar means in an era that may not even want one.

For longtime fans wondering whether it is worth returning to this world one more time, press play.

Rating: 4/5

Avatar: Seven Havens premieres Friday, October 9 on Paramount+ with Episodes 1–3. Episodes 4–6 arrive October 16, followed by Episodes 7–9 on October 23 and Episodes 10–13 on October 30.