#AND ripping open how Ursa was also abusive to Azula and how Zuko's banishment allowed him to see more than his abuse

[crumblingsugarcookie]

The wild thing is that Azula is most similar to Sozin! Both of them were constantly compared to their sibling, with them being the stronger bender but not good enough to be a decent firelord (although Azula's weakness was her belief that domination was the only way to rule).

At the same time, because they were the stronger bender, they were favored by their father and pushed to be "perfect". Being perfect meant being ruthless.

That ruthlessness extended to their loved ones. We have them both caring about their friend(s), yet being willing to abandon them for their vision of the future. Especially once they realize that their friends were capable of stopping them. The love and care did not disappear. But there was no room for disappointment The only difference is that Azula didn't leave Mai and Ty Lee to die (or try to kill them).

I think is where Ursa's side kicks in, which means Roku. Azula is strong in her beliefs and her ideas of what the world needs, which pushes her to be firm and force people to submit to her. Roku could've killed Sozin, but instead let him go with a warning because of their relationship. Azula could've killed Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee for their betrayal. But chose not to.

Azula would run around saying she was going to become an only child, but now it sounds more like when Arthur told D. W. that she would "be a lonely child" once he sold her. She would never kill him. But she would capture and take him in if it meant sticking to her beliefs and dreams for the world.

Even when she hit Zuko with lightning, she knew he wouldn't die. Although she was definitely going to maim Katara. PLUS, how she treats the gang is something to be considered. Like, my girl definitely could've killed them.

She was definitely focused more on capturing them. If Azula was like Azulon or Ozai, then Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and the gang would've been dead 10x over. It's so interesting. Because everyone kept seeing Roku in Zuko and kept pushing the idea of getting to choose your bloodline.

But Azula was written off because she showed the more ruthless and firm sides of both Sozin and Roku. It's clear that Roku's traits shine through. No one cared enough to look because she was Ozai's favorite. Like, fuck Iroh lowkey. Imagine being a war criminal, who was favored by his bloodthirsty and callous father because of Iroh's bloodthirsty nature. And then looking at young girl, who is essentially just like you, and writing her off as evil.

All in all, I don't think Azula is like Ozai or Ursa at all. She's not bloodthirsty or ruthless enough, has principles, and cares about others and how they view her (why she was struggling on Ember Island). Unlike Ozai, she doesn't believe herself to deserve the best because it's her right. She believes she deserves the best because she works to be the best.

She's not soft or sly enough, selfish, or jaded. Unlike Ursa, she's rough and approaches dislikes and confrontation head on. Azula speaks and takes action, rather than being resigned to her "fate". Unlike Ursa, Azula can live with tough decisions and the terrible things she does. Azula doesn't hide behind her hard life. She knows she's doing fucked up shit and stands 10 toes down because those are her PRINCIPLES.

Ruthless. Caring. Overly conscious of her position and who she is as a person. In many ways, Azula is the perfect combination of Sozin and Roku. Although Sozin and Roku ended as enemies, they were friends because they were similar. Their visions for the world were the only thing that drove them apart.

Imagine what Azula could have been if she was given a fraction of the empathy Zuko received (from other characters). I could see her being a great addition to Zuko's administration.

people keeping arguing about if azula is more similar to ozai or ursa but I don’t think we’re considering the potential of azula being most similar to azulon