Paramount+ launches Avatar: Seven Havens, a post-apocalyptic sequel set two centuries after Korra

Paramount+ has debuted the first three episodes of "Avatar: Seven Havens," the inaugural series from Avatar Studios, the imprint overseen by original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Set more than 200 years after the events of "Avatar: The Legend of Korra," the show places the franchise in a post-apocalyptic landscape where a cataclysm, implied to be linked to Korra, has turned the world into a wasteland of sandstorms and bandit threats.

The series follows Pavi, an orphan from the city-state of Ellora, who hides her rare multi-element bending abilities while surviving by scavenging for food. Pavi’s character introduces South Asian cultural elements to the Avatar universe, including references to foods such as kachoris, mochi, kimchi jjigae and bitter melon. The creative team, which includes long-time animation hand Ethan Spaulding and co-executive producer Sehaj Sethi, has also altered the visual style, opting for a warmer palette of oranges and pinks and a more electronic score by Jeremy Zuckerman.

"Seven Havens" reimagines the series' cosmology: the traditional four nations are replaced by city-states that serve as havens amid the surrounding "Harshlands," a desert-like region populated by unusual creatures such as cats with monkey tails and rolling camels. The Avatar, once a quasi-messianic figure, is now portrayed as a stigmatized legend who has not appeared for generations.

Pavi is mentored by Jae, a member of Ellora’s municipal Bending Brigade, and his captain Karthik, who believes the Avatar could help revive a declining art of bending. Critics note that the ensemble has yet to coalesce fully, but the series succeeds in generating curiosity about its new world and its place within the broader franchise.

New episodes will continue to roll out weekly on Fridays, with three episodes released at a time.