When it comes to stretching the limits of children’s television, few shows have been as successful as Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar advanced narrative, animation, and most importantly, subject matter at every stage.
Even now, the majority of children’s television programs still deal with the theme of mortality and how to incorporate it into the narrative in a meaningful way without changing the tone. The writers of Avatar succeeded in murdering off the character Jet in the second season, but the outcome was so unclear that some fans were left perplexed.
The first and second seasons build to the awful moment of death. Upon meeting Jet and his group of Freedom Fighters, Aang and his comrades were immediately won over by the renegade’s charisma, competence, and self-assurance.
However, beneath the surface lay the sinister heart of a lad orphaned by the Fire Nation who was obsessed with vengeance. After rescuing a helpless town from Jet’s fury, the Gaang broke off their relationship.
Is Jet Dead in Avatar: The Last Airbender?
In the second season of the show, Jet has a much bigger appearance as he moves to Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, in an attempt to start over. When Jet suspects Zuko and Iroh of being Firebenders in secret, his old obsessions swiftly resurface.
His resolve to reveal their true identities, however, only results in his capture by the city’s secret police, the Dai Li, and their leader, Long Feng, the evil force behind the Earth Kingdom’s crown.
After brainwashing Jet and putting him in jail, Long Feng uses him as a weapon against Team Avatar because he has his own plans against them. In the end, Jet’s death was caused by Long Feng’s plots.
Jet overcomes his brainwashing as Aang breaks through to him during a standoff with the former Freedom Fighter. He assaults Long Feng out of wrath, but she quickly uses Earthbending in retaliation.
The scene’s editing leaves it unclear exactly what transpired, but the Freedom Fighter stumbles back, barely alive, after Long Feng hits Jet with a rock. Jet interrupts Katara’s attempt to heal him, telling the Gaang to move on since he would be fine.
However, Toph, who can use her Earthbending abilities to judge whether someone is telling the truth, informs the others that Jet was lying as they leave.
Jet never appeared again and was hardly mentioned after it throughout the actual show. As the Gaang observes the theater group reenacting the scene, the Season 3 episode “The Ember Island Players” references his passing.
It was “very unclear” whether Jet died, Sokka says, offering astute meta-comment on the character’s uncertain destiny. It wasn’t until the creators’ commentary on “The Ember Island Players” episode and the backstory were made public that Jet’s death was officially confirmed.
Due to Nickelodeon’s discomfort with depicting a child’s death on screen in a children’s program, the moment was a compromise. The creators came as close as they could to portraying the death by omitting the real death of Jet, skirting the fatal blow, and trying to wrap things up with Toph’s closing remarks.
To clear up any confusion, a pop-up factoid that popped up during a rerun of “The Ember Island Players” during Nickelodeon’s Avatar Extras event said, “For the record: Jet is dead.”
Looking back on the scenario, it’s clear how much more creative license the Avatar creators had as the show and its follow-up series went on. The Legend of Korra’s creators might conclude a season with the murder of Ming Hua, the suicide of Ghazan, or the murder-suicide of Amon and Tarrlok. Season 3 would depict Combustion Man blown up by his own powers.
Despite the limitations on its presentation, the tragedy of Jet’s death is what really sticks out. From beginning to end, the scene revolves around the emotion of the moment, which is the crucial element. Although it wasn’t the most obvious death throughout the series’ run, it was certainly one of the most poignant.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender’s intricate storylines and profound emotional depth challenged the conventions of children’s television. Visit Investrecords for in-depth conversations and analyses on your favorite personalities and occurrences from this legendary series to learn more about Jet’s impactful journey and the show’s legacy.
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