Showrunner Albert Kim reveals which storyline he’s concerned about adapting in future seasons of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender took many creative liberties different from the original series, but showrunner Albert Kim says he might adapt at least one story arc completely intact.

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender captured the spirit of the animated series at the expense of many fan-favorite storylines. Showrunner Albert Kim acknowledged as much but asserted that these were necessary for a cohesive reimagining of the original. Kim shared the reason for these in an interview with Collider, hoping the built-in Avatarfan base would appreciate or at least understand. He explains the many sacrifices they had to make in character and plot development, including potential changes to Katara and Aang’s budding romance.

Kim teased plans to explore more of the characters’ journeys against the four nations’ overarching conflict. The original series succeeded in fleshing all of these out but it had the advantage of drawn-out season runs. Kim said they didn’t have this privilege with the Netflix show, which compromised with major storyline changes. He said they’re considering Katara and Aang’s romantic pairing, though, but they’re treading lightly because of the divided fan base. “I will say, hopefully, I’m smart enough not to get involved in that debate, because I know how passionate both sets of fans are,” he said. Fans of the animated show have clamored that Katara would either choose Aang or Zuko before the series ended.

Katara’s Romantic Arc Not Yet Confirmed

“I was fortunate in that it wasn’t a big issue in the first season for us,” Kim continued. “Because, you know, practically speaking, there are certain things you can do with animated characters that you can’t with live-action ones when it comes to something like that.” Katara’s romantic interest was developed and established when the Nickelodeon series ended, but Kim said they won’t even explore that angle, not yet. “It’s not something that we hit very much head on in the first season there,” he asserted. “We are obviously aware of where it goes in the original series, but it’s more of a future issue and a future storyline to be dealt with.”

Keen-eyed viewers might have spotted clues to Katara’s future romance in the Netflix show’s season finale, though. “If you look carefully, there are little hints, especially in the final episode of what Katara is saying about Aang,” Kim teased, but didn\t confirm if this would play out in upcoming seasons (if confirmed). Earlier in the Collider interview, he prefaced how the changes needed time to percolate in the story: “We added new material, we’re going off in new directions narratively, and we needed to give those room to breathe as well.” Considering how the Netflix adaptation still has plenty of source material to cover, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kataras’s romantic arc indefinitely remains on the back burner.