Avatar: Braving the Elements

Author of the Avatar Kyoshi & Avatar Yangchen novels, F.C. Yee, and the novels’ audiobook actor/narrator, Nancy Wu, join Janet and Dante to geek out! Together, they discuss team Avatar throughout history, what it's like to expand the Avatarverse with a master like Michael DiMartino, and why ‘The Great Divide’ is such an important episode. Nancy talks about the cultural relevance and authentici...

Janet and Dante are joined by Avatar graphic novel and comic book author, Faith Erin Hicks, as we follow our favorite Gaang to a peculiar little fishing village in, ‘The Painted Lady’. Plagued by the toxic run-off from the Fire Nation weapons factory up the river, the villagers suffer greatly from the surrounding polluted waters - that is, until a mysterious female figure comes to their aid… Janet...

Janet and Dante welcome 3 superfans to tell us what kind of bending THEY would love to see in the Four Nations. Along the way, important questions are answered like, who is the best ship? Do animal hybrids exist IRL? And is any type of bending innately good or evil?   Together, Janet, Dante, and our fiery fans stretch the fabric of the Avatarverse to its limits with their dream bending possibiliti...

Janet and Dante are delighted to welcome back John O’Bryan, the writer who gave us the most iconic (and unlucky) cabbage merchant ever! John shares more behind-the-scenes intel as we catch up with Aang, the gang, and their sticky fingers, doing their best to assimilate to the Fire Nation; including ‘picking up’ some fresh new fits and taking a *brief* break from restoring world balance, to host th...

Janet and Dante are joined once more by dynamo director, Giancarlo Volpe, as we welcome Aang back to the land of the living in, ‘The Awakening’! After the fall of the Earth Kingdom, Aang wakes up in some alarming new digs with a hair-raising new look (iykyk) as the Gaang makes their way towards unfamiliar Fire Nation territory. Meanwhile, Zuko finds himself feeling uneasy about his long-awaited re...

We’re back and fired up for a new season! Janet and Dante have a ‘family’ reunion with their two dads, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as everyone catches up on some of the major moments from Team Avatar’s time in the Earth Kingdom. To get ready for Book Three: Fire, we’ll talk about the epic cliffhanger of season two, fiery characters we’ll meet in season 3, and some of our favorite episodes...

Coming in HOT - Nickelodeon’s official companion podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements is back for it’s third season! Join hosts Janet Varney and Dante Basco every Tuesday as they rewatch and discuss every episode of Book 3: Fire with special guests for more behind-the-scenes info you can’t get anywhere else.

The long-awaited Avatar The Last Airbender Soundtrack, Book 1: Water, coming soon!

Join us for a special milestone as we celebrate the 100th episode of Braving the Elements! In this rebroadcast from Season 1, Janet and Dante are joined by former Nickelodeon executive (now CEO of Avatar Studios) Eric Coleman, aka "The Godfather of Zuko," for a candid discussion about the development of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Learn about Mike and Bryan's early ideas, their creative process, a...

Let's celebrate the funniest moments of Book 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, with comedian and Avatar fan Ron Funches. This episode rebroadcast highlights not only some of Janet, Dante and Ron's favorite scenes but also the moments our fans have shared with us over social media. 

Let's celebrate one of the most cherished episodes in Book 2 - "The Tales of Ba Sing Se"! Joined by our dear friend and fellow Avatar stan Danielle Radford, Janet and Dante dive into an epic recap of this special collection of sentimental and emotional Avatar vignettes. We're not crying, you are... 

We're joined by Lauren Tom, the multi-talented actor and voice artist who brought to life Joo Dee, the smiling guide of Ba Sing Se and so many other memorable characters. Listen as Janet and Dante chat with Lauren about her prolific career in voiceover and on-screen acting, her success as a writer, mother, and being such a prominent figure in the Asian artistic community. In this captivating rebro...

Join Janet and Dante as they continue to celebrate the remarkable Toph Beifong by sitting down with Michaela Jill Murphy (aka Jessie Flower), the original voice of Toph. In this rebroadcast, Michaela shares insights into her life before and after joining the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and how much she relates to Toph's bold personality. This episode promises to be a compelling and insight...

Get ready to hear the story of one of the most iconic characters in the world of animation! Join Janet & Dante as they bring back Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on a nostalgic trip down memory lane to reminisce about the creation of the legendary Toph. With exclusive insights into the creative process, we'll unpack early character concept designs and their evolution to the Toph we all know...

It’s the finale episode of Braving The Elements season two, and we’re going out big with two returning guests: Mike DiMartino and the voice of Aang, Zach Tyler Eisen! Hear from two adored members of the ATLA world as we face the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book Two. The action-packed finale of the television season may not have as happy a conclusion as the one we have closing out...

In our penultimate Season Two episode, Janet and Dante welcome back Ijeoma Njaka to the pod! Who better to explore some of Book Two’s most formative and critical turning point moments than Ijeoma, an academic professor who created a class syllabus highlighting some of the great “big picture” themes of Avatar: The Last Airbender? The trio explores Zuko’s journey, the power of knowledge -- and its r...

This week Janet and Dante welcome the actor who stepped in as Uncle Iroh: the delightful Greg Baldwin! Meet the warm, kind, and humble voice of the man who truly honored his predecessor by joining the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" cast after the passing of the great Mako. Always committed to respecting and continuing the work that Mako began, Greg shares some of his own background in the arts, his...

The journey to spiritual enlightenment and emotional transformation is on full display in “The Guru,” one of ATLA’s most pivotal episodes. Janet and Dante are joined by friend and writer Migizi Pensoneau to unpack Aang’s chakra training, Sokka’s reunion with his father, and Azula’s cunning political maneuvering in Ba Sing Se. With Iroh and Zuko sharing a moment of joy over tea and Toph breaking fr...

Join us in remembering Mako, the legendary actor whose iconic voice brought Uncle Iroh to life. Janet and Dante are joined by Mike, Bryan, and ATLA Voice Director Andrea Romano for a wonderful conversation honoring the great Mako Iwamatsu. In addition to sharing memories of Mako’s work as Iroh in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the group looks back on Mako’s extraordinary life and career, including...

The Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom are about to collide in this high-stakes episode of ATLA, and Azula is never far from the action! Voice actress Grey DeLisle returns to Braving the Elements to join Janet and Dante in recapping Book Two, Episode 18: “The Earth King.” As Zuko battles illness and Team Avatar finally gains access to the palace, political intrigue unfolds. With the voices of Zuko and...

Janet and Dante welcome two amazing advocates in the disability community who also happen to be big fans of the Avatarverse: Jimmy Clare and Ru Jones! Jimmy Clare is a Motivational Speaker, Autism Advocate, Author, and Founder of CrazyFitnessGuy, and Ru Jones is a Disability advocate + content creator! Both bring their love of Avatar: The Last Airbender to BTE, and sharing their perspectives on th...

Dive deep into one of the most suspenseful episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender—“Lake Laogai”—with comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster! Janet and Dante explore the mystery surrounding Jet, the brainwashing truth behind Ba Sing Se’s political cover-ups, and Team Avatar’s daring rescue of Appa. Joel shares his love for the Avatarverse, bending preferences, and favorite creatures—including a certai...

Celebrate the gorgeous design of Ba Sing Se and more with three key artists of the Avatarverse! This week Janet and Dante welcome the brilliantly talented Elsa Garagarza, Angela Song Mueller, and podcast regular and “dad,” Bryan Konietzko! Find out incredible behind-the-scenes details as Elsa (Supervising Background Designer) and Angela (Character Designer) talk about their artistic development an...

Janet and Dante recover from “Appa’s Lost Days” with the brilliant and hilarious Ron Funches! What better way to transition from the emotionally poignant Appa-centric episode of Book Two to the rest of the season? By taking a break with one of the funniest comedians around to focus on some of the joyful, silly, and especially funny moments of ATLA, with particular focus on the second season. You’l...

Grab the tissues—this one's an emotional ride. Janet and Dante are joined by longtime ATLA fan Evanna Lynch (aka Luna Lovegood in “Harry Potter”) to explore the heartbreaking story told in “Appa’s Lost Days.” Revisit one of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s most gut-wrenching episodes as the trio discusses Appa’s journey, the importance of compassion in the Avatarverse, and the power of silent storytel...