Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise
Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise, Part 1 cover
Date	January 25, 2012 (Part 1) May 30, 2012 (Part 2) October 9, 2012 (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	9781595828118 (Part One) 9781595828750 (Part Two) 9781595829412 (Part Three) 9781616550745 (Library edition) 9781506717845 (Omnibus)
Chronology
Preceded by	Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV series)
Followed by	The Search (comic)

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise is a graphic novel series. It has three parts. Gene Yang wrote the story, and Studio Gurihiru drew the pictures. This series continues the adventures from the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV show. It also sets the stage for the The Legend of Korra TV show.

Part 1 came out on January 25, 2012. Part 2 was released on May 30, 2012. Part 3 followed on September 26, 2012. The story starts right after the last episode of the original TV series. Then, it jumps forward one whole year. The next comic series after this one is Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search.

What Happens in The Promise?
How the Comic Was Made
See also

What Happens in The Promise?

The Hundred Year War is finally over. But new problems quickly appear. Avatar Aang and Zuko, the new Fire Lord, face a big challenge. They visit a Fire Nation colony called Yu Dao. Here, they find people from different nations living together. This creates new tensions that could break the world's peace.

Zuko also tries to find his long-lost mother, Ursa. He asks his father, the old Fire Lord Ozai, about her. But her fate remains a mystery. Zuko makes Aang promise something serious. He asks Aang to kill him if Zuko ever becomes like his cruel father.

A new plan called the Harmony Restoration Movement begins. It aims to move Fire Nation people from colonies back to the Fire Nation. But many older colonies have mixed families. People from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom have married and built lives there. They see this plan as taking away their homes.

Fire Lord Zuko is stuck between his people's wishes and the demands for peace. When the Earth Kingdom army arrives, Zuko sends his own forces. This leads to a big conflict. It threatens to start another war. Aang must decide if he should keep his promise to Zuko. He also has to figure out what to do about the colonies.

Meanwhile, Toph's new metalbending school faces difficulties. Aang also meets a group of young people. They call themselves the "Avatar Fan Movement." They try to live like the Air Nomads. But Aang feels they are making fun of his people's memory.

Part One

After the Hundred Year War ends, the Harmony Restoration Movement starts. Its goal is to move Fire Nation colonists out of the Earth Kingdom. They are to return to the Fire Nation. Zuko, now the Fire Lord, makes Aang promise to kill him if he turns evil like his father.

One year later, someone tries to attack Zuko. It's Kori Morishita, protesting the Harmony Restoration Movement. Kori is the daughter of Yu Dao's mayor. Yu Dao was the first Fire Nation colony. Zuko goes to Yu Dao to talk to the Morishita family.

He learns that over the past century, Fire Nation people and Earth Kingdom citizens have mixed. They have mixed-race families and businesses. Even some Earthbenders now feel they are part of the Fire Nation. Kori is one of them. Zuko realizes the Harmony Restoration Movement would destroy this. So, he stops supporting it.

Zuko's decision makes Earth Kingdom citizens angry. The Freedom Fighters believe Zuko is refusing to give up the colonies. Aang, Katara, and Sokka travel to Yu Dao to confront Zuko. Avatar Roku, Aang's past life, tells Aang to keep his promise to Zuko. Roku reminds Aang that his own failure to stop Fire Lord Sozin caused the war.

Aang and Katara fight Zuko and his soldiers in Yu Dao. Aang almost goes into the powerful Avatar State. But Katara calms him down. Aang sees how well Yu Dao is doing. Yet, he believes the Fire Nation cannot keep Earth Kingdom land for true harmony. Katara suggests Yu Dao could be an exception. Zuko says all colonies should be. Aang agrees to try to get Earth King Kuei to talk with Zuko.

Earth Kingdom protesters are unhappy. They have lived with colonies for a century. They give Aang three days to fix things. If not, they will try to take the city back. Zuko returns to the Fire Nation. He visits his father, Ozai, for advice.

Part Two

Aang and Katara go to Ba Sing Se to meet Earth King Kuei. In the city, Aang finds an Avatar Aang fan club. Aang enjoys being with his fans. They remind him of his old life as an Air Nomad. Aang and Katara try to convince Kuei to meet Zuko. But Kuei wants to show he is strong. He orders his army to Yu Dao to enforce the Harmony Restoration Movement. Aang and Katara rush back to Yu Dao. They try to get the colonists to leave before the army arrives.

In the Fire Nation, Ozai talks to Zuko about his past. Ozai suggests Zuko should always side with the stronger group. But then Ozai tells Zuko that as Fire Lord, any decision he makes is right. Ozai predicts Kuei's actions. He tells Zuko to protect his citizens. Zuko worries this means he would be just like his father.

In a side story, Sokka learns about Toph's Metalbending Academy in Yu Dao. A rival Firebending Dojo has taken it over. This happened because Zuko opposed the Harmony Restoration Movement. Sokka and the Firebending master agree to a match in three days. But Toph's students don't know how to metalbend yet.

Toph tries to teach them, but it's hard. She feels like she's forcing them to be something they're not. This is how her parents treated her. Toph's students overhear her. They realize Toph believes in them. This inspires them to figure out metalbending. They then win the match.

Zuko's girlfriend, Mai, learns he's been meeting Ozai. She gets upset that Zuko kept secrets. Mai breaks up with him. Soon after, Zuko learns Kuei's army is marching. Zuko sadly admits his father was right. He sends his own army to defend the colonists.

Part Three

Aang and Katara return to Yu Dao. They find the city's people have formed the Yu Dao Resistance. They are fighting against the Earth Kingdom protesters. Aang also sees the Yu Dao Avatar Aang Fan Club. They are wearing airbending master tattoos. Aang feels this disrespects his culture.

Aang decides to support the Harmony Restoration Movement again. He believes nations must be separate for true harmony. He thinks stronger nations will always hurt weaker ones. Katara disagrees. She tries to explain that she sees a future where different nations can mix. But protesters try to break into the city.

Aang and Katara try to stop the protesters. Sokka, Toph, and Suki try to delay the Fire Nation forces. They fear a new war will start. Zuko's army meets the Earth Kingdom army led by General Hao. Aang arrives in the Avatar State. He scolds Zuko for giving up on the Harmony Restoration Movement.

Katara calms Aang down again. She explains that the mixed families in Yu Dao remind her of her and Aang's future. She asks what separating nations would mean for them. Aang leaves to decide what to do. His friends and the fan club try to stop the fighting. As Aang meditates, Roku tells him to think of the world first. Roku reveals he is Zuko's great-grandfather. Aang is shocked that Roku would suggest killing his own great-grandson.

During the battle, Katara reaches Kuei's blimp. She realizes Kuei doesn't understand Yu Dao. He has never been there. She convinces him to come down and see the people. As Zuko and General Hao prepare to fight, Aang arrives in the Avatar State. Zuko thinks Aang is there to kill him. He sadly admits he is acting like his father.

Instead, Aang uses Earthbending to create a huge gap around Yu Dao. This separates the armies from the city. He saves Zuko from falling into it. Aang introduces Kuei to the Yu Dao resistance. He explains that Kuei is fighting a new kind of world. Kuei starts to understand. Zuko realizes he was right all along and collapses.

Four days later, Aang breaks his connection with Roku. He says the world is different now. He cannot think of the world without thinking of his friends, including Zuko. Zuko wakes up from his long sleep. Aang, Kuei, and Zuko agree to meet. They will discuss Yu Dao's future. They believe it should be something new, not just a colony or an Earth Kingdom city.

Zuko apologizes for making Aang promise to kill him. He sees it as a way to avoid making hard choices. Aang tells Zuko to have faith in himself. Uncle Iroh makes them bubble tea, which they both dislike. Iroh jokes he is ahead of his time. Aang decides to teach the Avatar Aang Fan Club the ways of the Air Nomads. He calls them the Air Acolytes. The story ends with Zuko talking to his sister Azula. She is in a mental hospital. They plan to search for their mother.

How the Comic Was Made

Fans wanted more stories after the original Avatar: The Last Airbender TV show ended in 2008. In late 2010, an editor from Dark Horse Comics asked Gene Yang to write new comics. Yang was known for his American Born Chinese series. After talking with the show's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Yang agreed. He wrote three comic books to continue the story. Yang worked closely with DiMartino and Konietzko to make sure the comics fit the original show.