From Middle-earth to Hyrule, here are the 14 most imaginative fantasy worlds

8. The Four Nations, from Avatar: The Last Airbender

The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a mix of eastern and western fantasy with heavy martial arts influences and a fresh take on elemental magic. The Nickelodeon show has been all the rage lately since its reappearance on Netflix, which is now making a live-action version of the series. The people behind The Last Airbender continued to build upon the world in The Legend of Korra, which fleshed out the mythical history of the Avatar, the Spirit World, and how the four nations came to be.

At the time our story begins, the world is divided into four nations: the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Each nation is culturally unique and associated with a different bending technique: waterbending, earthbending, firebending and airbending. For a long time, the four nations lived in harmony, with the powerful Avatar around as a check should any one nation become too powerful. When The Last Airbender begins, the Avatar has been out of commission for far too long, and the world is off its axis.

The worldbuilding in The Last Airbender isn’t as detailed as it is in The Lord of the Rings, or as vast in scope as The Wheel of Time, but it still feels very real and believable, and it draws from unique influences. Rather than going to the European history well, The Last Airbender looks to ancient China, Japan and India, as well as at the history of Inuit peoples, for inspiration. It’s a refreshing change from the standard fantasy setting popularized by Tolkien and followed by too many of his successors.

And as a story, Avatar: The Last Airbender ranks all the way up there with some of the best young adult series of all time. The character development is through the roof, and the show doesn’t shy away from morally complex situations. With a splash of darker undertones here and there, the show appeals to audiences of all ages.