Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift
Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift, Part 1 cover
Date	March 5, 2014 (Part 1) July 29, 2014 (Part 2) November 18, 2014 (Part 3)
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Creative team
Writers	Gene Yang
Artists	Studio Gurihiru
Pencillers	Chifuyu Sasaki
Inkers	Chifuyu Sasaki
Letterers	Michael Heisler
Colourists	Naoko Kawano
Creators	Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko
Editors	Dave Marshall
Original publication
Published in	Avatar: The Last Airbender
ISBN	9781616552954 (Part One) 9781616552961 (Part Two) 9781616552978 (Part Three) 9781616555504 (Library edition)
Chronology
Preceded by	The Search (comic)
Followed by	Smoke and Shadow (comic)

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift is an exciting graphic novel series. It continues the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It also sets the stage for The Legend of Korra. Both are popular animated TV shows.

This comic was written by Gene Yang and drawn by Studio Gurihiru. Part 1 came out on March 5, 2014. Part 2 followed on July 29, 2014. Part 3 was released on November 18, 2014. The story happens after the events of the comic Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search. It is followed by the Smoke and Shadow series.

What is The Rift About?

The Rift focuses on 14-year-old Avatar Aang. He starts working on building Republic City. This city is important in The Legend of Korra. The story also gives a bigger role to Toph. She was not in the previous comic, The Search.

As Aang and his friends get ready for Yangchen's Festival, Aang sees visions. These are from the spirit of Avatar Yangchen. The visions lead Aang to a factory built on sacred Air Nomad land. The factory is polluting a nearby river.

The team investigates and finds a dangerous spirit. This spirit wants to harm the human world. Aang and his friends must work together to stop it.

Part One: A New Festival and Old Problems

At a big dinner, Aang has a vision of Avatar Yangchen. She was an Air Nomad Avatar before him. This inspires Aang to bring back Yangchen's Festival. This holiday honors Yangchen.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and the Air Acolytes join the festival. But Aang and Toph start to disagree. Aang wants to follow old traditions. Toph feels this is too much like her controlling father.

The group finds a town and a large factory on sacred Air Nomad land. This land was meant for the festival. The factory's engineer, Satoru, shows them around. Toph starts to like Satoru.

The factory uses new technology and different bending styles. It's the first joint business between nations. Aang worries the factory is polluting a river. He keeps seeing visions of Yangchen. She warns him of danger from the factory.

Aang tries to share his worries. But he and Toph argue. Aang is upset about the sacred land. Toph is impressed by the factory's new ideas. She doesn't think Aang's visions are clear enough.

Aang points out the river pollution. Toph says the factory is not to blame. Aang thinks Toph is protecting Satoru. Suddenly, earthquakes shake the area. Aang and Toph work together to save workers. They also try to protect the factory.

After the danger, Toph says Aang holds onto the past too much. Aang says Toph tries to run from her past. Then, the factory owners arrive. They are Satoru's uncle, Loban, and Toph's father, Lao Bei Fong. Toph and her father recognize each other.

Part Two: Secrets and Earthquakes

Lao Bei Fong pretends Toph is not his daughter. He tries to make her and her friends leave. After a fight with the Rough Rhinos, the factory's guards, the group splits up. Aang continues the festival with the Air Acolytes. Toph decides to confront her father.

Katara and Sokka explore a hidden cave. It opened during the fight. They find an underground iron mine. This mine is causing the earthquakes and pollution.

During a special meal, Aang talks to Yangchen's spirit. She tells him about General Old Iron. This powerful spirit wanted to destroy a city long ago. Old Iron thought humans would harm spirits. His friend, Lady Tienhai, convinced him not to.

After Tienhai's death, Old Iron wanted revenge. He thought humans caused her death. Yangchen made a deal with him. She stopped him from destroying the city. But another earthquake ends Aang's vision. Yangchen cannot explain the deal's terms.

Meanwhile, Toph talks to her father. She tells him how she helped Aang. She wants him to see her as she is. But he doesn't respond. Toph decides to give up on him.

Katara and Sokka arrive. They try to convince Lao to evacuate the mine. It is very unsafe. Lao didn't know about the iron mine. Loban was running it secretly. Lao thought extracting iron was too risky.

As they try to evacuate workers, a Rough Rhino attacks. This causes a cave-in. Many people get trapped in the mine. Toph uses her earthbending and metalbending to save them. But she can't move all the earth. Aang can't help either. The earth has too much iron ore.

Part Three: The Return of Old Iron

Aang and Toph's metalbending students arrive. They help save the trapped people. During the rescue, they learn something important. The iron ore is General Old Iron's old armor. He left it behind after his deal with Yangchen.

Loban finds all the iron dug up. He tries to escape to the Fire Nation with it. A big storm begins to form.

Aang tries to contact Yangchen again. But a special vase for the ceremony is broken. Aang remembers Yangchen's words. He connects with Avatar Roku. Roku helps him talk to Yangchen.

Yangchen explains her deal with Old Iron. She promised to create a memorial for Tienhai. She would also restore the land to nature. It would stay free from human cities. This would show humans could protect nature. Yangchen created the festival to keep this promise. Now the deal is broken. Old Iron will return to destroy humanity.

Aang prepares to destroy the factory and town. He thinks this will fix the deal. But Toph and her students stop him. They think Aang is stuck in the past. Aang and Toph fight.

General Old Iron arrives. Toph and Aang team up to fight him. Toph and her students use metalbending to remove Old Iron's armor. Aang strikes Old Iron to save Toph. As Old Iron fades, he says spirits have no place in the world. He believes the Avatar will always side with humans. He says humans only want to control. But he admits Aang defeated him.

Toph thanks Aang for saving her. Loban, who was almost killed, makes up with Satoru. Lao convinces the workers to stay and rebuild.

Aang is worried by Old Iron's words. But Katara tells him that spirits have a place too. Aang visits Tienhai's memorial. He meets the reincarnated Tienhai. She loved watching humans create the old city. She was impressed by their ideas.

Tienhai fell in love with the city's prince. She became human to be with him. Her "death" was just old age. She was then reborn. She says humans create, they don't just control. She believes spirits will always have a place. Humans just need to make it. She also believes humans can grow and protect nature.

Aang finally understands balance. He changes Yangchen's Festival. It becomes the Spirit's Friendship Festival. Three months later, Team Avatar, the Acolytes, and the townspeople celebrate. Loban even joins them.

See also

In Spanish: Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rift para niños