Similarities between Dune and Avatar

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Usually when Avatards (fans of the show) think of similar plots, they'd think about Star Wars. However, I have compared various elements of Avatar: The Last Airbender with the Dune series of novels and there are a lot of similarities.

1. The Water Tribes and House Atreides are both similar in that they are noble and good intentioned.
2. The Fire Nation and House Harkonnen are both similar in that they are power hungry, ruthless and domineering. They are both led by ruthless people.
3. The Earth Kingdom and House Corrino are similar in that they are led by corrupt officials and plagued by internal strife.
4. The Air Nomads and the Fremen are similar in that they are tormented and hunted by the Fire Nation/Harkonnen.
5. The original fauna made by the creators (Dune: sandworms, Avatar: flying bison)
6. Character similarities, one example is Harkonnen Mentat Piter De Vries with Fire Nation princess Azula. They are both very cunning, ruthless and insane.
7. Titles for divine humans...the title of avatar, and the Fremen Maud'dib.
8. Both plots involve war over supremacy.
9. The Dai Li and the Imperial Saudakar play roles as "elite guards."
10. A lot of family issues and strife...Paul Atreides vs the Atreides house and Zuko vs his father and sister.

I know Dune or even Avatar may not be popular among the people here, but I am probably one of the very few people that notices the similarities between the two series.

I liked the Dune series, and haven't heard of the Avatar series, seems like the writer borrowed some of the themes, to get a certain audience to read his books.

Wait a minute, sandworms came from Dune? I always thought they came from Beetlejuice...

dune spoilers

Did anyone read Dune Messiah? I found the book really bizzare how they all talked in Zen riddles. It was really sad when Chani died. Books 3 and 4 were a bit easier to follow. Book 4 was really sad too. I liked the way the Baron returned in 3.

oh dear, it did not occor to me that anyone into Dune would not have read the whole series. I have bad theory of mind! I will edit.

doesn't ring a bell for me. the part i found similar is tha basic story between right and wrong, invader and a victim. dune becomes more complicated later and has more politics than avatar (i didn't read the book avatar. does it exist?). though avatar resembles some book of ursula leguin that i read a while ago.

Forgiven, Tom.

Isn't Avatar based on a game?

I am a bit worried that some people might skip over and mistake "Avatar: The Last Airbender", a cartoon tv series and soon to get a movie under the name "The Last Airbender" (trailer), to the new movie by James Cameron "Avatar". I have not read Dune, but it is a good chance that Avatar took influence from it, Avatar was aimed at kids, though there is sucess with older, so it makes sense to get influence to send a story to a different audience.

Well, the creator of Avatar came up with the idea in the mid-70s. Dune (I seem to remember) came out about 71. Also, from an interview I read, he was always comparing his idea to Star Wars, which came out shortly afterwards.

"Sandworms...hate 'em, right?" - Beetlejuice...

I've heard from some reviews that they've found the story 'derivative'...haven't seen it yet, except for this


[youtube]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=101404181[/youtube]

Yeah, it's a video, but not too bad with the sound off...

Again, the avatar the the person who opend the thread is talking about is this:

Thanks...I swear any other forum I can drop links to my hearts' content, but there's something about this place...