“Avatar: The Last Airbender” was recreated using Unreal Engine 5. This is a popular animated series that aired from 2005 to 2008 and received critical acclaim. Since the series was completed, creators Brian Konicko and Michael Dante DiMartino have continued to explore the Avatar universe with its sequel, The Legend of Korra, comics and novels. Last year was full of ATLA news: the newly created Avatar Studios promises several new animation projects, and Netflix is separately working on a live-action adaptation.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is influenced by many Asian cultures (especially Chinese, Japanese and Indian) and various indigenous cultures from around the world. This is reflected not only in the characters, but also in the anime-inspired art style and design choices that were used throughout the series. One of the most impressive examples of this is the Western Temple of Air, where Aang and his friends take refuge in the 3rd episode of the 12th season. The design of the temple was influenced by the roofs of Bhutanese monasteries, such as Paro Taktsang (the sacred Himalayan Buddhist temple of Vajrayana). a place located on a rock in the upper part of the Paro Valley in Bhutan) and Tibetan architecture.
Now Leo Torres has reinterpreted “Avatar: The Western Temple of Air” from “The Last Elemental Magician” on YouTube. Using Unreal Engine 5, the artist created a hyper-realistic version of the western temple of air from the cartoon, flooded with sunlight and magnificent greenery.
Unreal Engine 5 is the most modern version of the popular game creation engine from Epic Games, released in 1998. After an initial introduction in 2020, Unreal Engine 5 became available to everyone in April of this year. Since then, the game engine has been used by many to create new projects, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the remastering of God of War. Its release was carried out using a license fee payment model, in which creators can create and design, and they are required to pay royalties to Epic Games only if their project makes a profit.
Although fans of Avatar: The Legend of Aang seem to enjoy seeing new content, as evidenced by the positive reaction to fan creations such as the one above, this is not always the case. After M. Night Shyamalan’s famous unsuccessful attempt to create a live action movie “Avatar: The Magician of the Elements” in 2010, fans, for obvious reasons, were afraid of a new Netflix adaptation. Despite the talented, diverse cast and dedicated crew, some fans are still worried that their favorite characters will be killed off again. However, hyper-realistic creations like the one above may give fans an idea of how incredible the real world of Avatar: The Last Airbender can look ahead of the Netflix show’s release.
