‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Newest Series Is Officially Switching Main Characters

Published Oct 18, 2026, 7:27 PM EDT Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics. The Avatar franchise has only continued to grow in recent years, between the release of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender and Avatar: Seven Havens, and it's not done yet. Avatar Studios recently announced its next project, and it's exactly what the franchise needs. Avatar: The Last Airbender previously showed many incarnations of the Avatar spirit, with each character having their own stories. These Avatars provide new opportunities for the franchise as it expands, with several already earning the spotlight through their own books or series. Still, it's taken more than 20 years for one Avatar to get the recognition he deserves. Kuruk Is an Underrated Part of the 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Universe This past week at New York Comic Con saw the official announcement of the franchise's first animated prequel, Avatar Kuruk: Wave of Chaos, which is significant because Kuruk has only been illustrated through the eyes of the Avatars who succeeded him. Aang encounters one of his bitterest enemies, Koh the Face Stealer (Erik Todd Dellums), and when he speaks to Kuruk, the former Avatar encourages him to take an active role in shaping the world. As his immediate successor who held the title of Avatar for over 200 years, Kyoshi discovers the truth about Kuruk's life throughout her novels, which reveal that, despite his own regrets, Kuruk actually accomplished a lot in his brief time as an Avatar. As the most recent Water Tribe Avatar before Aang, Kuruk is grossly overlooked because his time as an Avatar was so short. Before him, Yangchen was a well-revered Air Nomad who successfully brought a lasting peace to the Four Nations. From her, Kuruk inherited a world that wasn't on the brink of war or destruction, supposedly making his job easy. While Yangchen's laws kept the world in check, her novels, the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels, and Kyoshi's books emphasize that she neglected the spirits, putting Kuruk in a difficult position. Throughout his life, Kuruk kept his struggles a secret, sacrificing his reputation to maintain Yangchen's goodwill and the order she established. Avatar Kuruk: Wave of Chaos can shed a new light on Kuruk's quiet contributions, proving just how underrated he is. 'Avatar Kuruk: Wave of Chaos' Is an Important Shift for the Franchise Currently, little is known about the upcoming series, except that it will follow a young Kuruk as he learns to control the elements while rebelling against years of tradition by traveling the world, much to his teacher's irritation. This premise can reveal many familiar parts of the world before the Fire Nation's attack caused so much destruction in Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is an interesting prospect. Avatar Kuruk: Wave of Chaos has a lot to offer, but most notably, it will be the first series to go back in time to an Avatar before Aang. As exciting as it is that the story is moving forward with projects like Avatar: Seven Havens, exploring previous incarnations holds just as much potential, and Kuruk is the perfect place to start. While the series won't premiere for a while, Avatar Kuruk: Wave of Chaos can finally depict one of the most deeply underestimated Avatars and give him the credit he deserves. Release Date 2005 - 2008-00-00 Network Nickelodeon Showrunner Michael Dante DiMartino Cast Zach Tyler Eisen Aang (voice) Directors Giancarlo Volpe, Ethan Spaulding, Lauren MacMullan, Dave Filoni, Joaquim Dos Santos, Anthony Lioi Writers Tim Hedrick, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Joshua Hamilton, James Eagan, Joann Estoesta, Nick Malis, May Chan, Katie Mattila Franchise(s) Avatar Creator(s) Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko