“I was inspired by his chilling performance”: How a Legendary Harry Potter Actor Inspired Avatar: The Last Airbender That’s Still Hard to Top Today
Avatar: The Last Airbender added a new dimension to the world of stories where legends and lore reign supreme. With masters of bending and Avatars who are tasked with protecting the realm, the show presented a unique take on how nations can fight for the ultimate power while safeguarding their culture and heritage.
While writing the storyline for the show, creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino took inspiration from various prominent works to perfect their world. With incredible world-building and character journeys, the creators were able to chart unique paths for every arc and see it to fruition by the end of the show.
Harry Potter Actor Inspired Admiral Zhao in Avatar: The Last Airbender
Apart from writing intensely compelling characters that underwent critical transformations and developments, the show creators did a tremendous job of casting the characters as well. Many eminent actors lent their voices to the animated world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. While writing Aang, they wanted to make the hero both intelligent and capable on the battlefield. A blend of both brain and body, Aang must be able to handle any challenge that comes his way.
Likewise, when Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino were crafting the character of Admiral Zhao, they wanted someone commanding and powerful enough to charge an army of soldiers. That’s when they came across Jason Isaacs’ character in The Patriot. The winds shifted in their favor when they were able to get Isaacs on board to voice the character too. In an interview with IGN, DiMartino said,
“We’ve been honored to work with such a great group of actors. From the main cast on down, all the actors have infused their characters with a lot of emotional depth. When I was first writing dialogue for the character of Zhao, I was inspired by Jason Isaacs’ chilling performance as the villain in The Patriot. So when the time came to cast the character, I asked our casting director, Maryanne Dacey, if she could find someone like Jason Isaacs. A few days later, she got the real deal instead.”
Isaacs is also famous for his role in the massively popular Harry Potter franchise where he played the role of menacing Lucius Malfoy. With his silver hair and a legendary death stare, Isaacs aced both villainous roles. He became a great addition to the Avatar: The Last Airbender voice cast that also featured the likes of Luke Skywalker fame Mark Hamill.
Also Read: 5 Famous Actors Who Played Bad But Are Very Good As A Person
Why does Aang have an arrow on his head?
The interviewer at IGN asked a question many fans often wonder about. As a young child who has mastered airbending and goes on to become an Avatar, Aang has an arrow pointing toward his face on his head. The creators of the show Avatar: The Last Airbender shared what the arrow signified,
“All Airbenders get tattoos on their head, arms, and legs once they master Airbending. The arrows run along the chi paths in the body. Aang was the youngest Airbender to ever master Airbending so he received his tattoos at a very early age. The Airbenders were inspired by the arrows on the heads of the air bison, the original Airbenders.”
Since the focus of the entire show is the power of bending elements and mastering the art of centering oneself without external influence, it made sense for the airbenders to be in touch with the chi parts of their body. Moreover, the tattoos glow when the airbenders reach mastery in all aspects and become Avatars.
