I was thinking a lot about this moment. Somehow it feels like the agni kai was a watershed moment not only for Zuko, but also for Iroh.
I think this is something that Iroh is intensely ashamed about – and it is the source of all the patience he has with Zuko and his determination to make things right for him.
Because Zuko’s scar is not just a testament of Ozai’s cruelty as a father, but is a scar on the soul of the entire Fire Nation.
Their supreme ruler publicly mutilates his own son, a 13-year old child, who merely spoke the truth about a nation that in a quest for power has lost perspective on the worth of human life – and everyone cheers.
The scarring and humiliation of the young prince (who should be really the symbol of the future to his people) is a grotesque public spectacle.
And Iroh, who was once next in line to leading these people, former great war hero, one of the most powerful benders, and still one of the nation’s leaders – all he can do is to look away.
The boy who spoke the truth, who stood up for kindness, who tries to do the right thing, who refuses to fight his own father, who begs for forgiveness – he faces completely alone his horrible punishment, and nobody speaks up for him.
And I think this is Iroh’s moment of truth – that disagreeing privately is not enough, he cannot look away anymore. He realizes that healing this boy could be the chance to heal the Fire Nation, that he is maybe destined to be their leader, but not from the throne of the Fire Lord. He has to get Zuko through this trauma and show him kindness, love and acceptance in a way he has never experienced it. He has to teach him that speaking up and saying sorry should not and will not lead to harsh punishment, that kindness is not weakness and cruelty is not strength; that honor is not violence, but doing the right thing.
there’s some lava bending going on there…. so she separated the ground down to the mantle layer (magma chamber)? then floated that chunk on lava then air bended it over?
This is often cited as the single most powerful feat in bending in the entire franchise, and I’m inclined to agree. Kyoshi Island also manages to wind up quite a distance from the mainland–let’s assume it’s still on the continental shelf, otherwise MY GOD–and is large enough to sustain a reasonably-sized village with agriculture. Unless there’s an earthbending equivalent of the great comet going on, this is nuts.
Avatar Kyoshi also lived to 230 years old.
All of this begs the question to me–what the hell was up with her? Did she get a spirit-world power boost or something? These things are all very much outside the norm, even in a world of such extraordinary people.
What’s everybody’s theory on this?
She was just that strong
My thought has always been that Kyoshi was one of the few Avatars that was completely at peace with who and what she was. Every other Avatar we’ve seen – even the best of them like Aang and Korra – are conflicted over what they have to do and how they do it. Guilt and self-loathing over their responsibilities and actions, regret over what they could have done better.
Kyoshi, however, never doubted herself. Even without being arrogant, she always saw that what she did had to be done. She took what were the only options. You see this even in the advice she gives to subsequent Avatars: Be decisive. Be final. Commit.
Because of that, she was one of the few (Maybe only) Avatars who was able to completely encompass the powers available to them. No part of her subconsciously didn’t want to use them. There was no hesitancy buried so deep that she even didn’t realize it, Unlike Aang, or Roku, or Koruk, or Korra, or Yangchen, or even Wan, she was able to give herself over totally to whatever she was doing and hold nothing back.
That’s why she was able to accomplish feats of bending and skill that no other Avatar could equal: Because she, alone of all the Avatars, had she SHEER CHUTZPHA to do it.
other avatars ask “can i do it?”
kyoshi says “of course i can.”
Believe in yourself like Avatar Kyoshi believed in herself. Encompass the spirit of Avatar Kyoshi. I am a bad-ass and I WILL JUST DO IT
Superheroes that are like “if we kill them we’re just as bad as they are uwu” ? Micro dick energy
The only exception is Aang, whose whole “I’m not gonna kill him if i can find another way” thing is less false moral equivalency and more “I’m twelve and I have been through way too much bullshit this year to add ‘commit my first murder’ to the list.”
LISTEN TO ME katara and aang were in LOVE!! she loved him for the PERSON HE WAS!! NOT for anything superficial!!!! and besides that, she spent the better part of the series hating zuko for terrorizing them and hunting aang, and by the time she had forgiven him, she had already formed a strong bond with aang that had turned into love!! DO NOT FUCKING @ ME!!
& like a 5th degree burn irl isn’t a cute anime scar
Yeah, when she said “cool scar” that was really disgusting. It’s proof that the only thing she cares about him is his appearance and him being edgy.
Katara went for the cool, edgy older boy once when she met Jet. And Jet not only betrayed her but taught her a valuable lesson. Katara learned early on that the people most worthy of her were people who valued the same things she did. For most of the series, and most demonstrably at the end of book two when he betrayed her, that was NOT Zuko. Katara had too much depth and emotional maturity to even crush on Zuko after that.
Seriously, “why didn’t this girl like the boy who betrayed her and nearly killed and attacked her friends and family several times???” is pretty insulting to Katara’s character.
yknow what? mr. firelord i am inviting you to meet me in the fucking agne kai pit and i do not care that i am not an expert firebender and will be facing you with nothing but my wrath and my 2 fists i am going to die historic + i WILL go down calling you a bitch and a chode. thank you in advance.
This scene still breaks my heart each and every single time I watch it.
Azula was a terrible, horrible person. She would have set the world aflame and laughed over the broken carcass of her brother.
But she was fourteen.
She was so ruined and twisted by her childhood and by her nation, driven to insanity by the expectations placed upon her.
Azula was bad and yet I can’t help but feel so terribly sorry for her.
“I don’t have sob stories like all of you.”
SHE WAS FUCKING FOURTEEN WHAT
“My own mother….thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt.”
actually, i think one of the shows strengths is that they didn’t shy away from what a horrible tragedy this was. even though she was clearly a villain and did unspeakably awful things, this scene was still framed as sad. there was no celebrating- they just look at her sadly.
the music for the battle that leads up to this moment is sad too- it’s an epic battle, visually probably one of the biggest things done in the entire series, and they could have played it with thumping, energetic, dangerous music. but instead it’s quiet and somber. because the whole scenario is heartbreaking, and they know it.
i think the fact that a kid’s show had so much respect for it’s viewers and their ability to understand the complexity of this situation is what makes avatar great.
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