Avatar: Seven Havens reviews: critics love the new world, not all of the animation

Twelve years after The Legend of Korra, the Avatar world is back as an animated series, and most critics are glad. Of the eight reviews we read, six recommend Seven Havens without reservations. TheWrap calls the first episodes a marvel, TV Guide a triumphant return for creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and CGMagazine a return to form. The one real complaint comes from several directions: the animation.

A world after the Cataclysm

The setup is the boldest change the franchise has made. About two centuries after Korra, a disaster called the Cataclysm has wrecked the world, and the survivors live behind the walls of seven isolated cities. People blame Korra for it. In the haven of Ellora, a shy orphan named Pavi learns she is the Avatar, and then that she has a twin sister, Nisha, who is one too. TV Guide likes that the show refuses to lean on nostalgia, and Collider says it is separate enough to stand on its own while still connected to what came before. CBR reads the season finale as setting up much bigger things for Korra’s legacy.

Characters and tone

Reviewers warm to the cast quickly. TellTale TV highlights the contrast between the twins, with Nisha focused on fighting and Pavi on the spiritual side, and singles out the airbender Jae as a standout. Collider adds that the twins’ animal companions are as charming as Appa and Naga were. The tone is younger than Korra: TV Guide calls it very much a children’s show that still works for adults, and TheWrap found it more childish than expected at first, but says that hardly matters once the story gets going.

Where critics disagree

How it looks is the dividing line. TV Guide thinks the show looks better than almost anything else in the genre, with striking architecture and creature design. GamesRadar+ sees bright, well-lit backgrounds but flat character designs and fight scenes that are hard to follow, a real problem in a franchise known for its bending battles. TellTale TV goes further and calls the character movement choppy, saying the voice cast has to work hard to make up for it. Jeremy Zuckerman’s music, on the other hand, gets praise everywhere: TheWrap calls it his best work yet.

Who it is for

If you grew up with The Last Airbender or Korra, critics say this is the continuation worth waiting for, with a new setting rather than a replay of old hits. Newcomers can start here too: TV Guide notes the basics are easy to pick up. If you care most about fluid fight choreography, the reviews suggest lowering expectations. All 13 episodes of the first season are now on Paramount+, and FandomWire and CGMagazine both say the wait was worth it.

Where to watch

Paramount+

Creators

Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

Studio

Nickelodeon Animation, Avatar Studios

Season 1

13 episodes, from 9 October 2026

Reported by TheWrap, TV Guide, GamesRadar+, CGMagazine and 4 more reviews, and Paramount+. Compiled with AI tools.