The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens, the latest animated entry in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, premiered last night on Paramount+, and critics have responded positively. As of writing, critic reviews are so favorable that the series has earned a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. User reviews sit slightly lower, with Avatar: Seven Havens’ Popcornmeter at 81 percent positive.
The praise is fairly uniform for the show’s new characters, writing and soundtrack, though a handful of reviewers were less impressed by the fluidity of its animation. This may not surprise viewers who recall as some fans labelled the art style as looking “cheap” and “fanmade” when the second trailer dropped in July.
The story appears to be up to scratch, however — a relief for some, especially considering that Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’s plot had been a point of contention among fans.
Avatar: Seven Havens streams on Paramount+, though Netflix may be indirectly blamed for the quality of the new series. Both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra’s original showrunners, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, returned to work on Seven Havens after their professional relationship with Netflix broke down following the release of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
If viewers were worried about getting too invested in Avatar: Seven Havens due to the Paramount/Warner Bros Discovery merger, there is some good news. Hard to say whether this was influenced by the positive reviews, but Paramount announced that it’s already greenlit seasons 3 and 4 of Avatar: Seven Havens during a panel last night at New York Comic-Con.
The series captures the original magic of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, from powerful bending action to adorable animal companions… it also fashions an incredible new take on the world we’ve come to know and love, one that’s part-Mad Max, part-Jean “Mœbius” Giraud. It’s an incredible sandbox for Seven Havens’ tale of finding connection in a dire time.
Belen Edwards
After the “Avatar Aang” movie and the poorly-received live-action adaptations, it feels like “Seven Havens” is getting back to the basics… These are six engrossing, rich and entertaining episodes — a great sign of what’s to come for the future of “Avatar, and a veritable treat for the fans who have been waiting so patiently.
Michel Ghanem
The first three episodes of the new Avatar are thrillingly emotional, beautifully animated, and stunningly scored. It’s great to have this world back, even if it is a broken post-apocalyptic version that’s perhaps not too far from our own.
Alex Zalben
Seven Havens reminds us why the Avatar universe remains so beloved across all age ranges… it’s also a pleasure to watch as an adult, particularly in the literal sense of Seven Havens being better looking than 99% of genre programming elsewhere.
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
“Seven Havens” maintains the visual style that DiMartino and Konietzko established with the previous “Avatar” series: anime-inspired 2-D animation, with softly luminescent colors… But what has always drawn fans to this franchise is the storytelling, which is simultaneously simple and ambitious.
Noel Murray
In the six episodes provided to critics, this crew hasn’t quite coalesced into a unified team, but “Seven Havens” successfully cultivates enough curiosity about how its world works to buy some time… it’s new and different kind of Avatar series, while maintaining the transportive world-building that’s helped the franchise endure.
Alison Herman
The classic Avatar theme rising up behind Nisha and Pavi embracing their destiny is wildly effective when it happens, but it can’t make sequences that follow look any better.
Rollin Bishop
Seven Havens never feels like it’s spinning its wheels as a safe, derivative work coasting on brand recognition… the series has a strong foundation and the potential to become the most radically different rendition of the Avatar universe yet.
Isaiah Colbert
Where it’ll take Pavi now remains to be seen. But should Seven Havens borrow a page from its predecessors, I think it’s safe to say she’ll do her Avatar ancestors proud.
Angie Han
Unlike a lot of legacy sequels, though, Seven Havens never leans too heavily on what came before… The series still needs to figure out what story it wants to tell, but it’s no great burden to spend a little extra time in its colorful, charming world while it does so.
Ross McIndoe
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