The recent release of the fighting game Avatar: Legends has sparked a unique proposition: a crossover with James Cameron's live-action Avatar franchise. While the two "Avatar" properties have often caused confusion due to their shared name, the mechanics of Avatar: Legends suggest a potential for a dynamic fighting game sequel.
The concept hinges on Avatar: Legends already incorporating systems reminiscent of Marvel vs. Capcom. The game features light, medium, heavy, and Flow inputs, alongside Chi and Chakra meters. These meters govern combat resources, movement, defensive maneuvers, special attacks, and supers, echoing the assist-driven chaos seen in crossover fighting titles. While "Chi" and "Chakra" might be framed within a spiritual context, their mechanical function aligns with the demands of complex fighting game systems.
A significant challenge for such a crossover would be the disparity in character heights. The Na'vi, standing at nearly nine feet tall for characters like Jake Sully, contrast sharply with the much smaller characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, such as the 12-year-old Toph Beifong who stands around 3'8". However, fighting games have a history of accommodating vastly different character scales. Titles like Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate feature characters with extreme size differences, demonstrating that physical scale is not an insurmountable barrier in the genre. Even Marvel vs. Capcom includes characters like the Sentinel and Nemesis, who dwarf many of their counterparts.
Within a hypothetical Avatar x Avatar game, the Na'vi characters could compensate for their lack of bending abilities with their natural reach and strength. Jake Sully could serve as a balanced character with ranged bow attacks and close-quarters knife combat. Neytiri might function as a highly mobile fighter focused on archery. Kiri, with her connection to Eywa, could possess abilities that manipulate nature to attack opponents from a distance. For a more imposing presence, Colonel Miles Quaritch could be included piloting an AMP suit, fulfilling the role of a heavy grappler. The possibility of Quaritch's Recombinant form appearing after his human body's defeat adds a layer of narrative and canonical consistency, even if balance is questionable.
Characters like Varang from Avatar: Fire and Ash, who utilizes flames and poison, could be pitted against antagonists such as Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender. While the elemental abilities of the original series and The Legend of Korra are distinct, the variations within the Na'vi characters could also provide enough unique move sets for a compelling roster.
This potential crossover, playfully dubbed "Avatar x Avatar" or "Avatarvatar," could sustain content for years. DLC characters could be tied to upcoming Avatar sequels, new seasons of Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender, and future installments in the Avatar: Seven Havens series. The long-standing confusion between the two "Avatar" franchises could, in this scenario, be channeled into a unique and entertaining fighting game experience.