Avatar: Braving the Elements

Director, character designer, and Avatar legend Joaquim Dos Santos joins Janet and Dante to talk all things Korra - from the very first sketch of the Avatar herself to crafting the episode's darker, noir-inspired tone. In this episode, Team Avatar revisits The Voice in the Night, where Korra faces off with mounting fear, political pressure, and a growing Equalist threat. Joaquim shares how he help...

Award-winning composer and Avatarverse legend Jeremy Zuckerman returns to the pod to break down his sonic approach to The Legend of Korra, especially the eerie tension of Book One’s Equalist uprising. Jeremy joins Janet and Dante to discuss Episode 3, “The Revelation,” where Korra uncovers the terrifying rise of Amon, chi-blockers, and steampunk-inspired resistance fighters. The team explores how...

Korra takes her first (reluctant) steps into airbending in Episode 102 of The Legend of Korra, and joining Janet and Dante is voice actor Darcy Rose Byrnes, who brought the energetic Ikki to life! Darcy shares what it was like voicing the granddaughter of Avatar Aang at just 10 years old, and how Ikki’s joy and goofiness connect the spirit of ATLA to TLOK. The crew dives into Korra’s frustration w...

Voice legend Steve Blum joins Janet and Dante to unpack his iconic role as Amon, The Legend of Korra’s masked adversary! From early audition notes to the eerie voice restraint that made Amon so chilling, Steve shares how he brought this complex villain to life. The crew explores Korra’s explosive arrival in Republic City, her fiery declaration as the Avatar, and how Book One tackles weighty themes...

Janet and Dante are back, but this time with a new Avatar! Season 4 of Braving the Elements launches us into The Legend of Korra: Book One with series creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. From Korra’s earliest sketches to the design of Republic City, the invention of pro-bending, and the show's steampunk-inspired elements, this episode explores how TLOK came to life. The Two Dads dive deep...

The official trailer for Braving the Elements Season 4 has arrived! Join hosts Janet Varney (Korra) and Dante Basco (Zuko) as they return to explore The Legend of Korra. This season, it’s all about the rise of a new Avatar, the evolution of Republic City, and the bold legacy Korra forges in Book One. Featuring cast interviews, behind-the-scenes lore, and plenty of surprises from the Avatarverse. A...

It’s the end of an era—Aang’s era, at least—as Janet and Dante look back at some fan favorite guests and various “visiting professors” that have joined their journey to their degrees in Avatar. Featuring never-before-seen video from past seasons, our favorite co-hosts reminisce as they bid a fond farewell to the world of ATLA and get ready to meet the new Avatar seventy years into the future... Ko...

You want the inside scoop, we’ve got the inside scoop - directly from “Dad of the Podcast” and SVP of Games and Emerging Media at Paramount, Doug Rosen, as he shares a first look with Janet and Dante into some of the exciting projects set to expand the Avatar gaming world.

The end already? Say it isn’t so! Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko join Janet and Dante once more, for the EPIC finale to this beloved animated series. The comet has arrived and with the rest of Team Avatar spread out fighting their own battles, the time has finally come for Aang to go toe-to-toe with the Fire Lord and face his destiny.

We couldn't wrap up the ATLA series without one last ultimate test of Avatar knowledge. Janet and Dante welcome more phenomenal superfans to go head to head with some of the series' insiders, like Avatar Studios' Isabella Boettcher & Pramodh Manian!

Answers to fan questions, (potential) future cosplay plans from Bryan and Dante, and insider stories about how this epic, multi-part finale came to be. There’s lots of Avatar goodness to unveil as Janet and Dante welcome back their two dads, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for the brilliant climax to this series finale!

It’s a water tribe family reunion! Meet the voice actor who originated the courageous, compassionate and inspiring Katara - Mae Whitman! And what would a water tribe family reunion be without the voice of everyone’s favorite boomerang guy, Jack De Sena. This fantastic duo joins Janet and Dante to talk about Mae’s early acting days and what it was like to voice an iconic character like Katara. Alon...

With Sozin’s Comet only a few days away, Zuko shares the Fire Lord’s plans with Team Avatar. They must stop him before the comet arrives, but when the time comes, will Aang have the heart to do what he must to save his friends and restore balance to the world? It’s a heavy burden to carry (good thing it's him and not us!). Janet and Dante are joined once again by Evanna Lynch for the first half of...

Forget about main character ENERGY, let’s talk about some character DEVELOPMENT. Janet and Dante welcome back award-winning artist, and the writer of the first 5 ATLA graphic novels, Gene Luen Yang, for a thoughtful discussion about redemption - which characters deserve it, the importance of redemption in a storyline, and who had the best redemption arc of the ATLA animated series (and possibly AL...

Janet and Dante take a closer look at the marvel that is ‘The Ember Island Players’, getting the inside scoop from the writers of the episode: Tim Hedrick, Josh Hamilton, and John O'Bryan. Then, Janet shares some fan-favorite moments and we find out if the writers ever really believed ‘Zutara’ could exist.  Were they just humoring us??? Tune in to find out!

From the icy South Pole, to the heart of Ba Sing Se - featuring singing nomads, pirates, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage, it’s ‘The Ember Island Players’. Janet and Dante are joined by legendary Voice Director, Andrea Romano, to talk about this LEGENDARY episode where team Avatar stumbles upon a play about themselves and their adventures. The trio recalls their own experiences...

Janet and Dante are joined once again by expert of all things Avatarverse, Hector Navarro, to give some love to the sterling non-bender characters who show us time and again their ability to defeat the toughest adversaries, come up with perfect plans, or make or break someone else's! From total powerhouses like Sokka and Suki to Mai, Ty Lee, and more - these characters prove that you don’t have to...

It's the welcome return of the original voice of Suki, Jennie Kwan, who joins Janet and Dante for a deeper dive into the fate of Katara and Sokka's mother. Strap in for this emotional rollercoaster as Zuko and Katara team up for the ultimate side quest filled with heartbreak and healing in, ‘The Southern Raiders’.

Janet and Dante continue their journey to become officially unofficial professors of the Avatarverse as they are joined by Author, YouTuber, and Avatar expert, Antoine Bandele, to talk about the fiercest benders throughout the series. From the most iconic bending moments to the most underrated, the group nerds out about some of our favorite bending prodigies.

You know it, we know it, and if you don’t know yet, Dante will surely remind you - there are a lot of good people in the Fire Nation! Join special guests Amytess Girgis and Lexie Henning, along with our favorite co-hosts Janet and Dante, to celebrate just that. From cool towns to spicy foods to festivals and culture, there's a lot to love in this complicated nation with a deep and layered history....

Dive into part two of the most epic escape! Janet and Dante are once again joined by episode writers May Chan and Josh Hamilton for the twists and turns of ‘The Boiling Rock: Part 2’.  We see just how much ‘Uncle Warden’ gets into everyone’s business, talk about the least ideal place to run into an ex, and catch yet another surprise appearance of everyone’s favorite “people person”.

From Admiral Zhao to the Fire Lord himself, Team Avatar has had their fair share of fiery foes - but how do we really feel about their greatest enemies?  Ethan Schulteis joins Janet and Dante for a lively discussion drilling down into some of the adversaries we've met in Books One, Two, and Three. Who’s the most fun? Who deserves redemption? And how do badgers fit into all of this?? Tune in to fin...

Things really start to heat up (literally) as Zuko and Sokka venture out on an impromptu, secret rescue mission to save Sokka’s father in, “The Boiling Rock: Part 1”.  Uncover more behind-the-scenes info as Janet and Dante are joined by episode writers May Chan and Josh Hamilton, who reminisce about the inception of this tense, thrilling adventure. May shares the real-life influences that made it...

Janet & Dante are joined by Avatar insider, Angela Song-Mueller, and fashion student Valerie Bortolutti, for an in depth discussion about the fashion of the Avatarverse. From Angela's work designing character wardrobe for the beloved animated series, to Valerie's real-life fashion line inspired by her love of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra!

Master of all four elements, in the house! Voice of Aang, Zach Tyler Eisen, returns for another huge fan-favorite episode. We know Twinkle Toes has got some moves, but what other members of Team Avatar can keep up with his fancy footwork? And more importantly, can Janet convince Dante and Zach to attempt the Dragon Dance themselves? Find out, as the trio dives into, ‘The Firebending Masters’.