Dealing with mature themes of war, abuse and the power of spirituality, Avatar: The Last Airbender was far from the prototypical animated Nickelodeon shows of the time. Targeting audiences of both younger and older generations, the show's nontraditional world and far-reaching scope made for a compelling and vast fantasy series, but according to co-creator Bryan Konietzko, the immense popularity of the action-adventure show came from its sincerity and heartfelt narrative.

As the brainchild of Konietzko and his collaborator Michael Dante DiMartino, the character of Aang was first conceived after Konietzko observed a balding, middle-aged man and sketched him re-imagined as a child herding bison. DiMartino, who had recently watched a documentary on explorers in the South Pole, combined his ideas with Konietzko's drawings and within two weeks the idea was born.

Drawing heavily from Japanese animation and Eastern philosophies, Aang's endearing journey as the last known Avatar coming of age during the height of the imperialistic Fire Nation quickly attracted an audience. Following the conclusion of Avatar, Konietzko and DiMartino have seen continued success through their follow-up series set to stream on Netflix.

More than a decade removed from the show's end, the beloved series continues to have a following, though many questions still continue to irk fans. Although every mystery can't be resolved, there are still more lingering plot points than some of us would like to it.

So us as we take a look at the 25 Things Wrong with Avatar: The Last Airbender We All Choose to Ignore.

Everyone's Fine With Four Kids Traveling On A Sky Bison

Between the four primary protagonists of Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, it isn't particularly comforting that perhaps the most immature of the four also happens to be the eldest. With Aang and Toph estimated to be around twelve and Katara and Sokka reported to be around thirteen and fifteen, respectively, the question arises as to how the team traveled around on a sky bison without drawing more concern.

In a universe strife with wartime conflicts, perhaps it wasn't particularly unsettling to witness children walking about freely, but with the amount of younger characters acting courageously throughout the series, it seems unlikely that they wouldn't draw attention from some of the older people of the communities.

The Traits Of Bending Are Confusing

Evidence throughout ATLA shows not every human is guaranteed to become a bender like their ancestors before them, but given the countless benders seen throughout the series, the exact specifics on bending traits still remains a bit murky.

It's understood that benders' spiritual sensitivities play an integral part in determining their bending abilities, but is it simply one's spirit which links a bender to their element or do genetics play a large role as well? Then there's the issue of which element a bender can bend. Is it simply region or genetics which determines a bender's element or may a certain type of bender be born into any nation?

Despite Its Complex Themes, It's Still A Kid's Show

With a plethora of children's programs marketed towards younger demographics, it's a rarity that a series' show-runners are able address mature themes while remaining steadfastly a show for kids; however, ATLA was somehow able to finesse its way into both younger and older age groups. Still, with all the show's complexities, there were still limitations.

Although creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have itted that they tried to keep the show away from gratuitous acts of violence, there were still moments where Nickelodeon gave them notes on keeping certain scenes more tame. Had the show been given free rein, it's possible the Avatar universe would've been even closer to the creators' true vision.

Sokka's Missing Sword And Boomerang

As the only lead protagonist without bending abilities, Sokka relied upon his ever-so-faithful boomerang and affectionately named space sword, which he forged from the remnants of a fallen meteorite. Although he'd never learn to refine his weaponry skills on an expert level, his final heroic efforts during the ing of Sozin's Comet helped save his life, while losing his trusted weapons in the process.

After commandeering and crashing a Fire Nation airship, Sokka sacrificed his sword and boomerang, sending them plummeting to the Wulong Forest beneath him. Although it's uncertain if he ever recovered his weapons, it seems unlikely he'd just forget them after all the good fortune they've brought.

Aang Isn't The Last Airbender

For a seemingly innocuous children's series, ATLA had a tough road with its name. Apart from Avatar franchise, which prevented further use of the Avatar name in feature film adaptations, there's also some confusion surrounding the legitimacy of Aang's last airbender title.

Although the Hundred Year War led to the destruction of every known airbender, the legend of the Avatar demands that all future Avatars master all four elements, including air. This means many airbenders would succeed Aang. Not to mention, Aang's son, Tenzin, would later appear in The Legend of Korra, marking the first airbender born in over a century.

The Absence Of Firearms

In the Avatar world a great technological disparity exists between the Fire Nation and the other three nations. Although the Fire Nation's mastery of fire allowed them to forge modern-era weapons of war, the other nations lived predominantly off the land with the Earth kingdom making homes from rock and the Water tribes living in igloos.

With all the Fire Nation's impeccable feats in modern weaponry, it's no great wonder how their totalitarian mindset led to complete dominance throughout the Hundred Year War, however, there is still some mystery over the absence of firearms throughout the series. With all their advancements, wouldn't someone have developed a gun to ease the nation's path to victory?

Who Is The Father Of Toph's Children?

Following the events of ATLA, Toph was championed for her discovery of metalbending. Immediately after the culmination of the Hundred Year War, she founded the Beifong Metalbending Academy where other potential metalbenders could learn the skill. Later, she was appointed Chief of Police for Republic City and became a mother to two children: Lin and Su.

Although the details behind Toph's romantic life have remained secretive, it's known that she became intimate with two men, neither of whom have been identified. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have said little to shed light on the mystery men, though some fans have speculated that Sokka may have been a love interest at some point.

The Mysterious Cabbage Merchant

Making a legacy of his own, the unlucky cabbage merchant first appear in season one where his wagon of produce was sadly destroyed by a group of earthbenders. Originally intended as a brief joke, his unfortunate fate began a repeated occurrence throughout the series as his cabbages were ruined time and again at his expense.

Although he quickly became a fan favorite among viewers, questions arose from his repeat appearances. Exactly who was the sad cabbage merchant? Where did his seemingly unlimited supply of cabbages come from? And how did he always manage to travel across the world so quickly, always in time to find himself in yet another regrettable situation?

The Show's Pacing Is Problematic

Spread across three seasons, ATLA condensed many subplots into its 61-episode story arc. With all of the group's various excursions, the writers were able to delve deeper into the universe's specific cultures, but at times the show's overarching story was forced to take a backseat.

The pacing of the series is no more evident than in the beginning of season three. After the Earth Nation capital falls into Fire Nation hands, Aang is brutally injured, leaving all hope of an invasion up in the air. At the peak of the show's most chaotic moment, season three opts to begin at a deliberately slower pace, making for a frustratingly slow start.

Azula Is The Only One Who Bends Blue Flames

As a child prodigy under Fire Lord Ozai, Azula's ruthless pursuit for perfection was reflected in her fighting style. As denoted by her signature blue flames, ATLA creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino wanted Azula to stand out, giving her the power to emit the hottest fire of any firebender.

Although the flames of a bender reach varying colors depending on the temperature, the blue flame can only be reached with extremely hot temperatures. Seeing as how many expert level firebenders have preceded Azula, including her father and her uncle Iroh, it's unlikely that she would be the first of her kind to achieve such a feat over hundreds of years of firebending.