Serena Williams is asking the tough questions about the mythology of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Never let it be said that Serena Williams is just one of the top contenders for the title of best tennis player on the planet; she’s also, delightfully, kind of a huge fucking dork. In case you needed proof, look no further than a recent Twitter thread the multiple Grand Slam winner posted this week, asking the really tough questions about the metaphysical underpinnings of Nickelodeon’s Avatar franchise of cartoons.
Specifically, Williams’ question attempts to pin down a chicken-or-the-egg problem related to the origins of the setting’s mystical element-bending arts: Did they come from the mystical lion turtles—as shown in the more recent The Legend Of Korra—or did people learn how to throw fireballs or big chunks of dirt by watching animals—as is frequently suggested in the original The Last Airbender? The answer—according to Twitter, anyway—is “both, kind of,” with a side helping of “How cool is Serena Williams, huh?”
This isn’t the first time Williams has expressed her fascination with the series, either; she actually appeared on both The Last Airbender, and Korra, in minor roles, and a cursory Twitter search shows that she’s spent the last seven years advocating for the series any time anyone asks her about her favorite ’toons.
It is all extremely cute.