// On :Sunday, June 9, 2013
We had the idea for the lion-turtle early in the series and always knew he would play an important role in helping Aang unlock his skill that would help him defeat the Fire Lord. The lion-turtle is the oldest creature in the Avatar world, from a time that predates the Avatar and bending. We planted the mythic creature's image in a few places throughout the series. It first appeared in the pilot episode's main title, then later Aang saw a picture of one in "The Library," and there were also lion turtle statues around the grounds of Piandao's castle.
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