#Katara and the Pirate's Silver

[thena0315]

ATLA Stand Alone Comics

[astraechoes]

Katara in her comic: be gay, do crimes

[vilmublue]

I dunno, anon, this didn't seem particularly straight to me.

I love sapphic katara as much as the next person but I do not hold it against people who headcanon her as painfully straight solely because of that pirate solo comic. We get introduced to a character who is quite literally the perfect combination of aang and jet down to the very name! Yet Katara pays her no mind even with all her charm and even subtle flirting. Also the comic was written by Hicks of all people! Do you know what kind of super straight you have to be to be unimpressed by fem!Jet/Aang--I mean Jiang-- with sapphic connoisseur Hicks at the helm? I mean do you??

X

[valyrie630]

they are soulmates

[mesapies]

Katara taking down a fire nation army ship and crew without breaking a sweat

[longing-for-rain]

Jiang, my beloved, my favorite under appreciated ATLA comics character 🏴‍☠️

A modern take on her kind of based on the fic I’m writing. I promise she’ll make a non flashback appearance soon

[valariecomet]

Right. Because that's how story's work. When a plotline happens off screen that is amazinggggg writing. Absolutely great. I love it when characters randomly start acting entirely different to how they usually do! It's sooooo much fun!

Seriously? I haven't read much of the comics and I don't plan to since from what I have seen they're shit, I read the promise years ago and I tried to read imbalance before giving up on it (the only comic I enjoyed was Katara and the pirates silver), so I'm not even sure if this criticism is justified. However, that doesn't mean this defense is right. If a character grows or changes, show it on screen or give an explanation, if not it's bad writing. Simple.

This isn't the real world, it's fiction so while in real life they should change over that time, in a fictional setting they shouldn't grow off screen because you have to suspend your disbelief and be able to easily follow along. If a character randomly changes it disrupts this flow of the story and messes with the audience. If this happens on the comics (which again, I'm not saying it does) it's bad writing. Plain and simple.

If this seems salty it's because I am. I am genuinely so tired of this fandom, it can't handle any fucking criticism against this show or any of the related bloody comics. Please just accept that nothing is perfect (except Katara) and no piece of media is entirely great. I'm not saying you have to engage with the criticism, just acknowledge there is stuff to critique.

[lovedaisy02]

I think the ATLA fandom and the ATLA comics forget a lot about Katara's character. She's not a 'good girl' type or even a rule follower. I think this concept really comes to life in Book 3 and after Toph joins in Book 2. It's understandable considering Toph is pure chaotic neutral (neutral up for debate but chaotic is an absolute). Compared to Toph even Sokka looks responsible. Aang is also chaotic and often just wants to have fun (just not at the expense of other people), so juxtaposed to those two she does look like a rule follower but it's not true, she's a true rebel.

Katara 1. Stole from pirates, 2. Slaps Pakku with a water whip in the back of the head and starts a physical fight with him. 3. Incites a rebellion on a fire nation prison boat. 4. Yells at Sokka all the time because he's being a jerk 5. Absolutely burns Toph with (what I think is the most savage) insult among so many other instances.

These are not 'follow the rules good girl's characteristics. In the comic Katara and the Pirate Silver, the Gaang refuses to believe that Katara joined a pirate crew as an honorary member. I found this to be really incongruent with all of their characters considering she forced them into a con with pirates and a con in getting arrested and put in a fire nation prison.

I would've believed it more if Aang and Katara were telling their children the story and they didn't believe it since Katara does have a motherly side and I think her children would see her in a more 'good' and 'virtuous' light.

Just because she doesn't want to participate in swindling people of their money by gambling on the street side while in disguise in fire nation territory

Doesn't make her boring or a goody two shoes. It makes her the only voice of reason in their chaotic group.

In fact, I'd posit that Sokka is more of a rule follower than his sister.

[burst-of-iridescent]

I'm writing this as a big Katara stan. I just found out that a new film about an adult Gaang is planned to be released, and Katara, like Aang, will be given a leading role there. I am so excited and glad that finally Katara will be given due respect as a character!

But for some reason, after searching on Tumblr, I saw joy about a new film in the entire Atla fandom except for our zutara community. on the contrary, there is a lot of discontent and bitterness. But why is that? Is it because zutara won't be in the movie? Well, yes, zutara is a fanon ship, it will never be anywhere but our fanfics and fanart. But after all, Zutara is not in the original ATLA show, and we still love it! This is no reason not to rejoice at the opportunity to see our favorite characters on the screen again, to see Katara again (God, I'm screaming with delight😍😍😍😍). Yes, there is a chance that the writing will be bad, but there is always such a chance before the release of any film. I'm just so happy to see Katara again, and the whole gaang too, and her new design for this movie seems so great to mе!

i mean this genuinely, anon: i love that you love katara so much, and i am really happy for you that you're looking forward to the new movie. i truly hope you enjoy it.

i don't want to speak for the rest of zutara fandom, but i can't share your feelings because - to put it point-blank - i don't trust the creators with katara's character. ever since they lost their writing team, nothing they've created post-atla has proven to me that they understand katara's character, or how to create a good arc for her. it's telling that the only post-canon comic featuring a decent story for katara (katara and the pirate's silver) came out in 2020, twelve years after the original show ended (and which was also, notably, the first comic that bryan and mike were not involved with).

i'm sure some people are salty that they won't see canon zutara, but personally i'm relieved that i won't have to see bry.ke ruin romantic zutara like they did with their friendship post-atla. i'm sure they'll do their damnedest to fuck up what remains of zuko and katara's platonic relationship in the new movie, which is why canon ended for me with the final agni kai. no magic pointy rock or canon ships in this household, thank you.

i wish i could share your excitement for the movie anon, but i just don't have faith in bryan and mike to do justice to the characters (especially zuko and katara) after everything they've said and created over the last decade. like really, calling zuko a bad boy in the year of our lord 2023? please watch your own show.

besides, nothing they can do for katara in this movie will retcon what they did to her in LOK. i already know she ends up as a sad, lonely housewife without any real power, impact or legacy; that can't be changed, no matter how they try to "fix" it. it looks like the movie has been delayed so my hope is that it just gets cancelled in production. atla has been milked to filth anyway; leave the og characters alone and do something new with the universe, or just let it rest in peace and find another story to tell.

[thiirsdaygirl]

people who hate when other people ship katara with any woman are ANNOYING AS FUCK!!!! like okay so u dont experience joy…

but seriously i havent read katara and the pirates silver or whatever yet and just looking up jiang and seeing a few of her and kataras interactions??? bro……… jiang lowkey acts like jet a little in the way she acts towards katara (presumably without the manipulation) I KNOWWWWWW if she were a man there would be people lining up to ship them!!!

and also i love azutara like theres absolutely no “proof” (if any of this is even is proof) for them but like theyre so silly i love them

[thena0315]

Avatar: The Last Airbender comics

Graphic Novel Trilogies

Standalone Novels

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Is Jiang the final boss of Katara love interests?? Aye

I’m serious, can we talk about how Jiang (from “Katara and the Pirate’s Silver”) literally has:

Zuko’s facial scar

Haru’s eyes

Aang’s (lack of) hair

Jet’s skin tone

Jiang is the final boss. No I will not be taking questions at this time

[atla-confessions]

I'm genuinely so sad that Jiang is a comic exclusive character. She's so cool and I 100% believe she would have been a fan favourite if she existed when the show was running. Also Jiangtara would probably have more shippers if she was in the show.

X

[shortprince-cos]

Of Pirated Princes

Summary: After he was kidnapped by pirates, Prince Zuko is freed by two Water Tribesmen who don't believe he's the actual Fire Prince.

AO3 Link

(Word Count: 2068)

Chapter One: Of Closets and Chains

~~~~~

Hakoda didn’t like pirates, but he had to admit that they were rather helpful when it came to finding unique specimens.

The boutique was filled with hundreds of antiques, collectables, and knick-knacks, spanning from the entrance to the counter at the back of the boat. An array of weapons to books to clothing lined the shelves and cases. All of it stolen, but some of it at a decent price.

It wasn’t right, buying from pirates, but sometimes the crew of the Ilatka was low on funds, and they needed an affordable place to buy authentic pieces.

“Chief,” Bato called, only to be holding a stone statue of a monkey with jewels for eyes in front of his face, startling the man slightly.

Hakoda sighed at his companion’s shenanigans. “Must you?”

Bato chuckled and put the statue down. “I must.”

He let out a huff, but didn’t bother to hide the smirk on his lips, knowing it would be fruitless. He and Bato had been joking around like this since they were children, mostly playing pranks on the residents of Wolf Cove, but occasionally pulling a stunt or two on each other. Sure, they had grown since then, but they hadn’t really grown up.

“Please be careful with that,” A voice said. “If you break it, you buy it.”

The owner of the voice was a large man with an unsettling grin on his face. An iguana-parrot was perched on his shoulder, and a hat sat atop his silver-haired head. It was the captain, Hakoda realized.

He nodded at the man. “Understood.”

They went back to browsing without another word, Bato getting lost in the clothing section and Hakoda carefully sifting through the weapons. Some were Water Tribe, though it was hard to tell if it was north or south. Still, the thought of these men ‘acquiring’ them left a bitter taste in his mouth. So much of their culture had been taken by the Fire Nation, and they didn’t need some low-life criminals to steal some too.

“Chief,” Bato called again, and Hakoda just shook his head.

“I don’t care what it is, Bato. I’m not buying it just so you can look pretty.”

“Hakoda,” He said, and the name was stressed this time, like something was wrong.

The chief turned then, making his way over to where Bato was shopping at a slow-but-urgent pace. There was a jewelry case that he was pointing to, and it took Hakoda a second to spot what it was he was referencing.

A small necklace with blue ribbon and a turquoise stone attached to it.

Kya’s necklace

Katara’s necklace.

A million thoughts flooded his mind at once, but only one of them stood out.

How?

He had to figure out how.

Hakoda marched to the counter at the back of the boat, careful not to stomp and make a scene. “Excuse me,” He said, voice cold. “Can I ask where you got that Water Tribe necklace?”

The captain smiled - smirked, even. “Nicked it off of a suspicious character. Why? You interested? I do hear that they make great engagement necklaces up north.”

Hakoda smiled back, eyes hard. “You could say that. What did this suspicious character look like?” There was an answer he didn’t want to hear.

This time, he was positive it was a smirk. “I have a feeling you’re much more interested in him, aren’t you?”

Him.

There was a plethora of things to be taken from that one word, but only one mattered.

It wasn’t Katara.

He nodded, fear starting to seep into his pool of rage.

The iguana-parrot squawked, and the captain gestured behind him. “How about I introduce you?”

<><><>

Zuko was having a very bad week.

Not only had the Avatar kept escaping his clutches, but Uncle had insisted on rerouting them into the nearest port so he could buy a new lotus tile. And for what? A stupid Pai Sho game? Ridiculous.

So of course, while Uncle was off doing that, Zuko had decided to explore the port a bit. What a great decision that was.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that there were eyes on him. Like no matter where he turned, someone was always watching him.

He only realized what was happening two seconds after he was cornered.

Zuko fought, really he did, but there were just so many of them all at once, and they all had different weapons and angles and he just wasn’t fast enough.

It was a group of pirates, he noticed as he started to run out of breath. What did they want with him? He didn’t have time to find out, and he was running out of strength and time and-

He was knocked out eventually, a quick blow to the head made that easy. And when he woke up, he was in a small wooden room, empty except for the chains clamped around his hands and feet.

Was he in a closet?

The question was answered when the captain of the pirates came to check in on him a little while later, and he explained that yes, Zuko was now chained up in a closet on a pirate ship so they could sell him on the black market.

So, yeah. Not the greatest time.

A few days had gone by like that, Zuko caged up while the captain kept coming back to feed him and brag about how much money he was going to make. It felt like eternity. Zuko knew it was only a matter of time before he got out of here - he just didn’t know if it was going to be via escape attempt or because the pirates actually sold him. He didn’t like to think about the latter, so he stuck to the former option.

The door opened again, momentarily blinding him as the light shone in. Three figures walked in, the first being the captain, the other two Zuko didn't recognize, but they were larger than most of the pirates, which wasn't exactly a good sign.

Buyers, Zuko horridly realized. The pirates had found buyers.

The man in back looked at him with horror on his face, but the one in front just stared, emotionless. A pang of fear hit him then, though he tried to fight it off. There was no time to be afraid right now.

“Meet Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.” The captain said, a smirk splitting his face, and dread pooled in the boy’s stomach.

This was really happening. Zuko was kidnapped by pirates and was about to be sold to Agni-knows-who, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Zuko wasn’t usually superstitious, but he sent out a prayer to the spirits, just in case.

<><><>

Fire Nation. That was the only thought that occupied Hakoda’s mind. This boy was obviously Fire Nation, and he somehow had Katara’s necklace.

Terror pierced him like a blade cutting through skin. A raid was the only explanation. How else would a Fire Nation boy get his hands on something so distant, so out of reach? How else would a piece of his home, of his family, end up in Fire Nation clutches?

Hakoda couldn’t breathe. The last raid that took place was the one where they lost Kya. If another happened in the time the tribe was gone-

Sokka was the only one protecting the village, Katara was the last waterbender, and her necklace was here.

What happened to his children?

He felt the wound of fear bleeding out, but he knew he couldn’t do anything to stop it except keep on his calculated face. This pirate couldn’t know the heartbreak that Hakoda had just gone through, not if he wanted answers. He just had to play his cards right, no matter how much he wanted to shuffle his deck.

“Meet Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.” The captain said, and Hakoda tried not to reel.

Prince Zuko? That couldn’t be right. This boy in front of them was just a kid.

His thoughts stopped there. A kid. This boy was just a kid, not a soldier. There’s no way that this- this teenager would’ve been assigned a southern raid.

The pirate had to be bullshitting him. There’s no way this child was Prince Zuko, and there’s no reason he should have this necklace.

“You can’t honestly expect us to believe that you have the Prince Zuko tied up in your lowly pirate boutique, can you?” Hakoda asked, eyebrow raised.

The captain’s smile fell. “You callin’ me a liar?”

A hand on his shoulder. “Tread carefully.” Bato whispered.

He was right. Hakoda couldn't afford to mess this up. Not with so much on the line.

He stood up straighter. “No, I’m just pointing out that it's a bit far-fetched. Is there any way you can prove it?”

The captain huffed, but turned to the boy on the floor, reaching to the cloth tied around his mouth.

The second his lips were free, the boy spat fire. It happened so quickly, the way the room brightened and the way Hakoda could feel the heat of the flame on his arms and face. He’d heard of firebenders breathing fire before, but he’d never gotten the chance to see it in action until now. It seemed like it would be a party trick until he actually saw the way the wood of the ship singed.

The slap happened just as quickly, effectively shutting the boy’s mouth.

The captain gripped the boy’s chin in his hand, drawing Hakoda’s attention to the bruises that littered it; bruises he didn’t notice before because he was so focused on the fact that he was Fire Nation. “You fucking brat!”

The boy flinched, and suddenly Hakoda stopped worrying about if he had hurt his kids and started worrying about this kid being hurt.

The captain was yelling at the kid now, too distracted to notice Hakoda grabbing the club off of his belt. Bato noticed, and backed up to secure the door, knowing there were other pirates aboard this ship. The boy noticed, his good eye widening, and his mouth shut.

One hit was enough to knock the man out.

Hakoda rushed to start unchaining the boy, not missing the way he looked at him in terror and held his breath.

After a minute, the boy was free, and he was eyeing the two men warily, obviously unsure of what was going on.

“Someone’s coming,” Bato warned in a hushed tone.

“Listen to me,” Hakoda started, whispering at the boy. “I know you’re scared, but please just trust us to get you out of here, all right? We’re only trying to help you.”

The boy sucked in a breath. “I’m not scared.”

The door swung open, and a man in a green shirt looked at them with confusion in his eyes.

“Uh-”

The boy shot fire at the man’s feet.

The pirate scrambled out of the way with a shout, leaving just enough room for Hakoda, Bato, and the boy to run past. They quickly made their way back to the store-section of the boat, Hakoda only stopping to break the glass case and grab Kya’s necklace, before bolting out.

Suddenly, about a half dozen men were on their tail, and Hakoda was just starting to realize how much of a bad idea this was.

<><><>

Zuko didn’t know where these men were going, but he did know that he couldn’t fight off all of these pirates by himself, so he just kept following them. Sure, he wasn’t thinking things through, but when did he ever?

Besides, he had bigger, more immediate things to worry about.

By the time they came to a stop, Zuko was on the verge of passing out; hunger, dehydration, and blood loss getting to him more than it should have. He didn’t even know where he was, all he knew was that the world was swaying and the sun was too hot and the voices were just too loud.

His hand went to the cut on his side, one that he’d barely registered he’d gotten as they were running past that pirate in the hall. Of course he was armed, why wouldn’t he be? Zuko was always so, so stupid.

“Well,” One of the men said. “That’s one way to get out of the closet.”

The other laughed, but Zuko didn’t hear since he was already halfway to the ground.

~~~~~

not gonna put much here cause im tired but reblogs are definitely appreciated!!

[zuko-always-lies]

Please put why you voted like you did in the tags and please reblog for more votes.

[atuats-sidechick]

You don't know Jiang? From 'Katara and pirate's silver' comic! I think it was a shorter one

I haven't read the comics, but I guess that I must now 😳👀