@foreveracharmedone / foreveracharmedone.tumblr.com
At least once a month I remember that Ozai ruled for ~3 years. That's shorter than one presidential term. That's nothing. In comparison Zuko - who suffered so much cruelty and was made to feel worthless under Ozai - ruled for ALMOST 70 YEARS. That's more than 22 times the length of Ozai's rule - and he will go down in history as one of the most influential and well loved Fire Lords of all time
the times Zuko begged for forgiveness
Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (2024-) "Masks" (1.06)
A major theme of Zuko’s narrative is learning to speak up after being told by his abusive father that he should be silent.
Iroh: Zuko was right, you see, but it was not his place to speak.
Zuko: I am your loyal son…Please, Father. I only had the Fire Nation’s best interest at heart. I’m sorry I spoke out of turn!
He is punished for speaking out for the good of the Fire Nation, and told that the only way to be loyal is to not speak or question. But then Iroh encourages him to speak up, to ask questions.
Iroh: It’s time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?
This is in conflict with what Zuko is taught to believe and his own internal turmoil after being hurt so deeply by someone he should have been able to trust. Azula reaffirms that the only way to be loyal is to maintain the status quo.
Azula: I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you’re a lot of things, but you’re not a traitor, are you?
So Zuko chooses to go back with Azula, back to the Fire Nation, to accept the role he is taught is his place.
Mai: I didn’t ask for your whole life story.
And be silent.
Mai: Why would you even want to go? Just think about how things went at the last war meeting you went to.
Zuko: I wanted to speak up against this horrifying plan.
Until he finally realizes who he is.
Zuko: I am going to speak my mind and you are going to listen.
Then you have Mai, who tells him not to speak up, literally throwing his words back at him because he decided that what he believed was right was more important than his relationship with her. It was necessary for Zuko to stand his ground there.
Zuko: [Stands up.] Mai, I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to do this to save my country.
Mai: Save it? You’re betraying your country!
Zuko: That’s not how I see it.
Zuko was right, you see.
I can’t help but feel that Zuko’s newfound resolution to stand his ground was also part of his determination to make amends with Katara.
Katara was very much rightfully angry at him and he knew it, (that she was angry and that she was right to be.) She was very clear she didn’t want to have Zuko around, she either didn’t let him talk at all or mocked him when he did, but everything that was happening with her was a consequence of his previous passiveness. During their argument on TSR, Katara reminds him of the specific moment when he was the one who chose to go back to be silent in order to be accepted. If TSR!Zuko had been anything like COD!Zuko or the Zuko that went back to the Fire Nation, he would have either given up and be quiet like she wanted him to, or explode in anger. He didn’t, he wasn’t that person anymore. He had confronted all the people that ever told him to remain silent so they could use him for their own selfish goals, this time he was facing someone who had approached him with selfless intentions and whom he wronged at the end. He continued pushing forward, asking what he could do to fix his mistake. He continued their talk and offered to make his words into actions.
Katara was the one time Zuko repaired his relationship with someone by being his assertive self instead of cutting ties with it.
Absolutely, and this is why even though Katara’s anger at him is justified, I strongly push back against people who say he was being a jerk when he confronted her about it or that he should have just remained silent and tolerated it.
I’d also say that there’s a difference between his reaction to Mai throwing accusations at him and Katara throwing accusations at him because in the situation with Mai, he knew he was right and doing the right thing was more important than his relationship with her. In the scene with Katara, the only way he can repair his relationship with her is by doing the right thing. Mai asks Zuko to go against his morals while Katara holds him to a high moral standard.
About the people calling him a jerk for confronting Katara, it is worth noticing that throughout their conversation Zuko keeps a respectful distance from her. He followed her to talk in private, but when she tried to go away again, he stood in his spot without overstepping the boundaries she settled or suffocatingly chasing after her. Even when Katara comes closer in a confrontational manner, he steps back, and at the end he does let her be when he realizes the lengths of her anger:
And since we are mentioning Mai, too, there’s also a clear difference in what both girls demand from Zuko in their respective conversations with him and what are they reproaching him.
Mai was angry at Zuko over his sudden change of heart and mindset, the one which she disapproved, and the more Zuko kept displaying this new side of himself, the more she closed off:
Because she knew she didn’t like this assertive Zuko. The whole concept of their relationship was not caring about the world together. That’s what Mai represents in Zuko’s life.
Katara was angry at Zuko because he didn’t display that assertive side of himself sooner. Despite everything they went through as enemies, she got to believe he indeed cared about other people, but then she was led to believe maybe he only cared for the wrong people and the wrong causes, the ones which Katara disapproved.
His relationship with Katara — as many people has already said before me — represents his character progress, and one of the ways it shows is him caring about what Katara feels and thinks enough to actually try and work towards solving the issues in they had with each other.
That’s who you are Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it’s hard. You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.
After I leave here today, I’m going to free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I’m going to beg for his forgiveness. He is the one who has been a real father to me.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER - 3.18 | SOZIN’S COMET PT 1. THE PHOENIX KING
1.12 “The Storm” // 3.19 “Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters”
You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher.
Zuko’s three Agni Kais against opponents who had no honor
Come on, strike me! You’ve never held back before!
For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor that I wanted, but really I was just trying to please you.
― We have created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.
Favorite Zuko moments (4/?)
My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born. (insp.)
