#Line Beifong

[hoshinaxcx]

All of huan beifongs voicelines 🥹🫶🏾

Poor boy didn't even get a whole minute to speak

[stars4krios]

The idea of when the GAang is grown up and they all have little mini-me's running around, they still hang out a lot so their kids are all friends.

Like imagine all of them running around the Fire Nation royal palace giggling as they play tag and none of them are scared of getting in trouble for hiding in closets or behind tapestries or running circles around their parents as they try to get away from whoever's it, or them having snow ball fights that always end with them under a giant pipe of furs while in the South Pole.

I saw this tiktok of a little boy hiding under his mothers dress to get away from his dad or something, and I can't stop thinking of Izumi running to Fire Lord Zuko and hiding under his robes just before Kya (who just got tagged) runs into the room and asks Zuko if he's seen Izumi and he just shrugs and says "I think she went that way" as his daughter holds back giggles.

Also, Tenzin is the kid that cried when he got out first in a game.

[beedok]

Thinking about how people are always outraged that Toph became a cop, and I think it's clear Toph was too. What she set out to be was a super hero. Then got talked into training a whole team.

And then realised she had been tricked into being a cop, tried to make it work somehow for a while. And then gave up in the end and stormed off.

[dartalias]

Toph would join the Flying Opera Company

I'll not be hearing arguments otherwise

[roseeycreates-blog]

was thinking about the smog in the city vs the country side where lin is from and her on the phone with tenzin… “The stars sure are beautiful tonight, too bad you can’t see them Ten”

Hi, anon~

Sorry for the late replyyyy~ I've been thinking about this :3

Ring, ring, ring.

“Tenzin, it’s Lin,” Kya called out.

“Alright, thanks!” Tenzin replied, taking the call. He quickly told Lin to hold the line while he transferred the call to the phone in his room—he didn’t want to ask Kya to do it for him, classic Tenzin.

He dashed to his room, grabbed the phone, and settled in. They exchanged stories about their day. Tenzin talked about meditating, training with Aang, and spending time in the library, while Lin shared her day on the farm and how she watched a baby turtle duck hatch. Then she mentioned the view she was enjoying.

“The stars sure are beautiful tonight. Too bad you can’t see them, Ten.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Tenzin replied with a smile. “But the only star I want to see tonight is you.”

On the other end, Lin snorted and burst into laughter. But before Tenzin could savor the moment, he heard more laughter… coming from downstairs.

He peeked down and saw his siblings, along with their mom, eavesdropping through the phone! His face turned as red as a tomato. Embarrassed, Tenzin stormed off to cool his head, but then thought, “Heck, I should go see my beautiful star in person.”

[beifong-brainrot]

This line in The Terror Within:

Bolin: Mako, metalbending is extremely difficult. No one gets it right away, if they can get it at all! It's not normal! 

I could go on and on about this line. Whether it be in relation to Bolin, metalbending itself, Toph and more broadly the Beifongs or Weilin. The silly little ideas my deranged gay little brain can cook up...

[blackflash9]

Many more need to recognize in fictional works that just because something refuses to give you the answer, that doesn't mean that there isn't an answer.

[advocateforinterestingoddities]

Many things are not always as related to each other as they first appear. For instance, for many years whales were considered fish. Other times things are considered seperate that are actually incredibly similar, such as whales and mammals. It is for this reason that analysis based on appearances should be largely discounted in the world of science (ie. man is not simply a featherless biped). In the world of Avatar the Last Air Bender, benders can manipulate one of the world's four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Only the Avatar can master all four elements. Though there is magic in this world as well as spirits, bending is specifically stated to 'not be magic'. There are specialized forms of bending under each element such as fire benders bending lightning, water benders bending blood, earth benders bending metal, lava, and metorites (implying that 'earth' does not neccisarily need to be terrestrial in origin), or air benders bending breath.

Scientifically ice is a mineral (which makes water lava, of sorts). This implies that Toph, the best earth bender in the world, should be able to both 'see' on and manipulate ice. (Water benders also should be able to manipulate minerals, but Toph is shown to be the only character determined enough to invent new methods of bending and do impossible things effectively on a dare.) This creates confusion as to where the lines between water and earth actually lie. Why would one molecule be the exception from earth or be the limits of water? In this essay I will-

[atlaculture]

Cultural Cuisine: Dinner with the Beifongs

I've been wanting to analyze the dishes the Beifong were offering for years now, but procrastinated because I knew it would be time-consuming. After much research, I'm pretty satisfied with the headcanon I've created!

My theory? The Beifongs did not want Aang to feel welcome in their home, even before he started bickering with Toph. Allow me to provide the evidence.

Red Braised Spare Ribs

Red-Braised Spare Ribs or Hong Shao Pai Gu (红烧排骨) is a popular Chinese pork dish characterized by its sweet and savory flavor profile. This is achieved through the red-braising method: Cooking the ribs in a mixture of light & dark soy sauce, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, and other aromatics like ginger & star anise.

While I've had this style of ribs before, this has to be the most decadent plating of the dish I have ever seen. Not only is there a giant pile of the spare ribs, but they literally lined the bowl with extra slices of marrow-filled bone. As delicious as that looks to a meat-eater, don't you think it's a bit tasteless to display all of that in front of a monk?

Sweet and Sour Fish

Sweet and Sour Fish or Tang​ Cu ​Yu (糖醋鱼) is a beloved Chinese dish composed of a battered & fried fish covered in pineapple, red bell pepper, and the ever-iconic sweet & sour sauce.

However, it seems like the chef skimped a little on the sauce and toppings, calling even more attention to the dead fish on a plate...

Pan Fried Pork Buns

Pan-Fried Pork Buns, also known as Sheng Jian Bao (生煎包) or Sheng Jian Mantou (生煎馒头), are a popular Chinese specialty. They're beloved for their contrast in textures and flavors: They combine a soft, fluffy top with a crispy, golden-brown bottom and juicy pork filling.

Not much to say, other than the Beifongs are pretty much serving up the entire pig at this point.

Steamed Lobster Tail

I'm guessing the Steamed Lobster Tails (蒸龍蝦尾) were served to ensure they had equal-parts seafood and pork dishes on the table. When I think of Chinese lobster dishes, I always think of the Cantonese-style lobster tails served at the fancy sit-down restaurants in California.

Soy Sauce Braised Chicken Wings

This one might be a bit of a stretch, but that bowl of light brown ovals looks like braised chicken wings to me. Soy sauce braised chicken wings or hóngshāo jī yì (紅燒雞翼) are a popular dish known for their sweet and savory flavor, as well as their glossy, sticky glaze. They're a staple of Chinese-American restaurants.

Compared to the previous ATLA meals I've covered, the meat-content of this dinner is kind of ridiculous.

Fried Rice

A staple of every Chinese restaurant, from mom-n-pop takeout joints to the most bourgeois of banquet halls. Fried rice can be vegetarian, but I'm pretty certain that the Beifongs' version had meat in it, since there wasn't any on Aang's plate.

So what exactly did Aang get to eat during this decadent feast?

Aang's Meal

Tea. Soup. Scallion Fried Rice. Giant Pile of Plain Rice.

And that's it.

They had one of the most important people in the world as their honored guest and the Beifongs served him the kind of meal that a broke college student might think to make. Admittedly, the scallion fried rice looks tasty but it's still just rice and green onion.

You expect me to believe that the richest family in the Earth Kingdom could only provide the Avatar with rice and soup? When there's plenty of vegetarian options within Earth Kingdom cuisine?

No, this was a very passive-aggressive way of telling Aang that he can go eff right off. Why did they not want him there? Probably because they knew his presence in their house meant he needed their help with the war effort, and they are just too wealthy to bother caring about anything outside their rich person bubble.

[hotpinkrathian]

It is times like these I wish I could draw because this is not a want bit a NEED

Is there any video on TikTok of "Good Luck, Babe!" about Kyalin? And if it's not, can someone make one?

Imagine Kya singing this to Lin because she was with Tenzin.

I need it please.

[supreme-leader-stoat]

Somewhere out there in the cloud of probabilities, there's a set of ATLA AUs where the Fire Nation decides to concentrate their efforts on the poles, and so the Earth Kingdom front of the war ends a few years early, complete the the various political marriages to help cement the ceasefire and smooth over the division of contested zones in the colonies.

Within this set of AUs, there is a smaller subset of probabilities where the Beifongs are in an advantageous enough political position to secure the promise of a high-ranking marriage for their young daughter to a Fire Nation nobleman of approximately her same age. Of this subset, there exists at least one AU where Toph gets betrothed to Fire Lord Azulon's grandson, Zuko. I can think of a few possible justifications for this. You could have a prophecy thing going on to parallel Ursa and Ozai. Zuko could still wind up running afoul of Ozai's honor and getting burned, but now he's shuffled off into an advantageous marriage with an Earth Kingdom noble family to get him out of the way. It's even possible that all this goes down before Lu Ten dies so Zuko isn't directly in line for the throne.

I say this less out of any particular desire to ship Zuko/Toph (though it's not the worst combo I can think of), and more because I want to see the absolute hijinks that would ensue from tying Toph "Blind Bandit" Beifong to the Fire Nation imperial family in general and Zuko specifically.

[rightwheretheyleftme]

TLOK and the design of older women

Scrolling through the TLOK tag, I see so many posts saying “Thanks to The Legend of Korra, now I’m attracted to older women” and then they attach pictures of Lin, Suyin and Kya. Those posts always get a good chuckle out of me, but I’ve decided to be a party popper and analyze, why are the elderly women of TLOK so attractive?

And the answer is because they aren’t drawn like actual women in their 50s. They are drawn like 30 year old women and then they add the grey hair to convey that they are old. Let’s see the evidence:

Here is Tenzin, he is 51 years old in the 1st season. This is how he looks:

He has bags under his eyes, wrinkles, messy facial hair, and crow’s feet. These are all realistic signs of aging that we normally see in men above 50.

Now let’s see Lin Beifong. She is 50 years old.

Her face is completely smooth. There are no wrinkles, smile lines, or any signs of aging besides her gray hair.

And those are just the examples that I used to prove my point. This disparity applies to all of the middle aged men and women in this show. Let’s keep going:

Kya and Bumi are both in their mid-late 50s. Bumi has wrinkles, under eye bags, and forehead creases. Kya has 0 physical signs of aging besides her hair.

Here are some more examples:

Again, I’m sorry to be a complete party popper, but the reason why everyone is so attracted to the elderly women of Korra is because these are not elderly women- they are 30 year olds with grey hair. Only men are allowed to age naturally in this show.

[gail-v-gail]

Kya lifted the cigarette to her lips, softly pulling the fire into her lungs. She strolled through the streets, finding her way back home, taking the time to take in all the sights and sounds of the city she had been away from for the past four years. So much had changed since the day she left air temple island. Her eyes drifted across the landscape, watching people enjoy food from the various vendors, and noting all the different storefront signs. She lifted the cig to her lips again, lost in thought, when she heard a voice call out from behind her, “Kya?”

She turned her head around to find a familiar face staring back at her in disbelief. It was Lin, she was standing in a queue at one of the food stalls, a shy smile replaced the shocked expression on her face as she stepped out of line towards her old friend, “What are you doing here?”

“Lin!” Kya exclaimed, her heart fluttered at the sight of those bright green eyes. Kya rushed forward and closed the space between them, throwing her arms around the smaller woman. Lin chuckled and returned a small squeeze before Kya pulled back, holding Lin by her shoulders, “I just moved back! I’m so fuckin excited to see you, what the hell have you been up to?” Kya was brimming with excitement.

“Oh, you know,” Lin shrugged, “working hard to clean up the city.” She gestured to the RCPD duffle bag in her hand. Kyas hands dropped back to her sides, her fingertips grazing along Lin’s toned arms as she glanced down at the bag she hadn’t noticed a moment ago. 

“Detective Beifong, working as hard as ever.” Kya replied, taking a beat to look Lin over and make note of other things she hadn’t noticed a moment ago; the way her tight white tank top had ridden up ever so slightly revealing her soft pale belly, her toned shoulders that glistened with a light sheen of sweat, her dark hair curling in around her strong jaw, and two new pink scars that her mother had written her about.

“Sergeant, actually.” Lin stated, pulling Kyas attention back to those mischievous green eyes, “I was promoted about a month ago.” Lin’s eyes were still fiercely locked onto Kya, a shiver ran up her spine. 

“Well, look at you.” Kya playfully replied, once again raising the cigarette to her lips to take a drag. Kya kept her eyes fixed on Lin as she turned her face slightly to blow the smoke out of the side of her mouth. Lin broke her gaze to nervously glance around at the street vendors, beginning to squirm under the intent observation.

“Are you doing anything? I just got off work and was about to grab something to eat. I would love it if you joined me.” Despite Lin’s casual tone, Kya noticed her now slightly flushed cheeks. Kya fought the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“That sounds great.” She replied, stepping forward and pivoting to stand next to her friend, casually draping her arm over Lin’s shoulders, “So, what’s good around here?” Kya asked as she scanned the landscape. 

“I’ll tell you, but it’s going to cost ya.” Lin teased.

“Ha!” Kya huffed, and she lifted the hand that was draped over Lin so that she could take a hit of the cigarette that rested between her fingers. A warm sensation washed over Kya as she watched Lin lean in and focus on taking a drag. She thought fondly of the last time they had shared a cigarette, sitting close, out on the dock of air temple island. Their feet grazed the cool water as they looked at the moon through the haze of smoke in the air, the evening before she had left four years ago.

“Let’s see,” Lin exhaled the smoke through her nose, staring out into the street, “Your favorite noodle place closed a while back, but I think I know someplace you’ll like better.” Lin looked at Kya and grinned at her.

So much had changed in the past four years, Kya thought to herself, but at least this was still the same. 

--

yall liked this one so much, so i thought id give color a go. tried to mimic the style of the show. i had fun dreaming up a lil scene for this pose, hope you enjoyed it :3

[nerdycanible1]

Heyo

It has been quite a long time since I've posted on here, mostly because I've been lazy and I deleted Tumblr 💀

But I did post like once or twice on my insta but that don't mean nothing. I forgot to share this darn photo I drew a couple months back!

So here is our esteemed "Chief Crankypants"! I hope you like her as much as I do!

This is sadly one of the last things I've actually "finished" because I was extremely lazy! 😂 Anyways, read below the line for cute little hcs that I came up with for this particular drawing UwU

So my hc is that when the newbies graduate from the Academy, Toph and all the veterans take a picture of them with their name on the board, and take a photo of them.

"This will be the one and only time I want a photo of you! You are police officers, not some thug on the streets! And if I dare hear that any single one of you is arrested, I will be pinning your face everywhere in these halls, offices and entrances. Am I understood!" Toph would yell at the brief and everyone immediately says, "Yes ma'am!"

The rookies all shaking in fear while Lin just smirks and crosses her arms. Thinking that she wouldn't have to do it. "And you Beifong, you're the first up!" Toph would point at her.

"But-" Lin would stutter out.

"No buts missy! Get moving!"

"But chief-" Lin would growl through clenched teeth. "I don't plan to get arrested-"

"Cool it hot stuff, if Kya and Bumi get arrested, it's only a matter of time before you do."

Lin just sighing, walking up to her while they hand her the board with her last name on it.

Toph bragging to everyone that Lin got arrested and starts showing off her photo to everyone and it makes Lin embarrassed but she at least feels loved. Bumi and Kya would cat whistle and compliment her only making her cheeks redder.

But after Tenzin breaks up with her, Lin gets "arrested" and true to their words, Lin's mug shot was all over the place and Lin has never wanted to collapse a building faster 😂

•°•°•

Also smol update, I currently do not have a working iPad so drawings aren't going to happen until repairs! But feel free to send me asks about Lin Beifong and send me ideas for hcs! I want to get back into the game! >w<

All art is mine, of reposted please credit! UwU

[ilovelin]

Thank you for adding to the Linkuo lore

14 & 29 for lin x zekou maybe 🥺👉🏾👈🏾

i miss my babies 👶

Aw, I miss them too! I have incorporated both the prompts.

Thank you for thinking about Zekou!

This occurs somewhere between book 2 and book 3.

Lin threw a couple of ice cubes on, and wrangled the piece cloth together before rushing out of the kitchen.

This was the last time, she swore- just as she had sworn the previous countless times.

She entered the living room to see those two hooligans laughing their stupid United Forces coats away. She rolled her eyes and walked up to them.

"Here," she whispered, handing the makeshift ice pack to the touch more sensible of the two clowns.

"Thanks, Lin," he replied, taking it from her.

Despite being in her own house, Lin felt ill at ease. The two of them, on the other hand, were right at home. At least her and Bumi had known each other their whole life. Zekou, injured and vulnerable feeling comfortable, in her- a stranger's home was wild. But to think, this was Bumi's first time in Lin's home. And, thankfully, he wasn't making a fuss about it. They had known each other their whole lives after all, and Bumi being Bumi would be comfortable in a dragon's nostril on the south pole. Zekou was probably just trying to fit in- that Bumi being comfortable meant that he too could be comfortable too. Zekou wasn't cocky- she knew him enough to draw that conclusion.

"Lin, have a seat. Consider it your own home."

But Bumi sure was cocky.

Lin scoffed and took a seat on the chaise beside Bumi.

"Ow!" Zek winced.

Instantaneously, Bumi placed his palms on her knees. "Should we call a healer?" he asked, those bloodshot eyes piercing into hers.

"I'm fine, Bumi. I just bumped it. It's just a swelling," Zekou interjected.

She looked over Bumi at her injured guest and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. It doesn't hurt all that much."

"That's because you're drunk. It's going to hurt a lot more tomorrow," Lin offered.

"Then I'll see a healer tomorrow," he replied with a smile.

She had done her part, but she still worried. Head injuries had a way of appearing benign only to turn out serious. She decided she would follow up with him the next day. The swelling on his temple seemed to be easing up with the ice.

Nevertheless, this was the last time she went out drinking with the two of them. Their shenanigans were but a foot step away from landing them in jail- and to think she would probably arrested as an accessory by one of her rookies.

At that point, she'd rather listen to Pema talk about her kids.

"Anyway, I got to take a fat piss now. Lin, bathroom?"

Lin shook herself back to the present and replied, "Yeah, down the hall."

Within seconds Bumi had vanished, leaving an empty seat between Lin and Zek; alone for the second time in all their friendship. Bumi had this way of being omnipresent so when he wasn't physically around, there was a lull- although, in their case, it was still comfortable.

"Is the pain any better?" she asked, moving to the cushion next to his.

"Who knows," he replied with a chuckle. "My head is cold, my hands are cold- everything is numb... And cold."

"Do I have to remind you that you're a firebender?"

Zek snorted. "Won't that melt the ice and make a mess on your expensive couch?"

Lin rolled her eyes. She reached for the ice pack and Zek allowed her to relieve his chilled hands. He winced when the cloth pressed against his forehead and Lin promptly adjusted her grip to rest the ice pack lightly against him.

"No need to be gentle."

"I'm not being gentle," she retorted.

"You are gentle. You like to come across all rough and tumble but you're really just soft, gentle and caring."

Lin scoffed, pressing the ice against him with just enough pressure to make him wince again. "You clearly don't know me."

"I don't," he confessed. "We've been drinking together for weeks on end and I still only know of you what Bumi told has me."

"That's good enough."

"Oh, come on, Lin," he said, clasping her wrists and bringing the her arm down to the couch. Lin placed the ice pack on the coffee table and folded her arms in front of her chest. He continued, "Tell me something about you that I don't know."

"I don't know what you don't know."

"Okay, fair."

He stroked his beard in thought as he studied her sitting in front of him. "Have you and Bumi ever—"

"Nope. Never happened, never will."

Zekou laughed. "I was going to ask if you and Bumi ever had a heart-to-heart. But, it's funny how your mind went there."

"You obviously meant to ask me that."

"You think if you two had ever kissed- let alone had sex, Bumi wouldn't have told me? Or brought it up every time we hung out?"

Knowing Bumi, that would probably be part of the introductory package.

"Fine. Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, we've had one heart-to-heart conversation. But something tells me you already knew this."

"I did. I asked Bumi if you'd ever opened up to him and he told me you did once."

"And you wanted to waste your question on something you already knew," she deadpanned.

"You know, you tell me that Bumi and I are basically the same person. I think, you and Bumi are extremely alike- different sides to the same coin."

"You don't actually believe that!" she said rather defensively.

"He's just as avoidant as you when it comes to sharing personal things or talking about your feelings and dreams, trauma—"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you've been psychoanalyzing—"

Ignoring that, Zek continued. "So, my question to you is: what was that conversation about?"

"Mmmm," she hummed in thought. "I guess I'm just liquored up enough to answer that."

"Enlighten me." He crossed his legs and turned towards her, smile flashing across his face.

"Well, I'm sure you know I was involved with Bumi's brother."

"Yes, the last airbender."

"Right," she swallowed. "It was the night of his wedding. I had a moment of weakness, and Bumi was there. I realized I was going to be all alone- that his wedding meant there was no going back- and I began spiraling. My mother was gone, my sister was pretty much exiled and I had nobody and nothing but my badge left. That's when Bumi arrived with a bottle of champagne. He tried making me feel better by telling me how miserable Tenzin was," Lin let out a grim laugh, "but I knew he was just saying that to make me feel better. We ended up talking all night. About our lives, our jobs, parents and found that we really had a lot more in common than we thought,"

"I was right!" Zek interrupted.

She gave him a slight nod.

"And we realized we weren't actually alone. That him and I will always have our broken legacies tying us together and that's something that would never change. And then acceptance came around. Bumi is never going to be an airbender and the person I once truly loved is never going to be by my side. It was okay to be ourselves and bring enrichment to our lives the way we liked. We didn't need to fit into some mold of expectations. Whatever we're looking for will come find us when the time's right."

"Wow," Zekou said, touched. He placed one hand on hers, knowing she would likely reject the gesture. But her hand stayed under his, especially once he brought some heat to it since it was also cold from the ice pack. "That's- that is sweet. Profound."

"Didn't think I'd spill that much, did you?" she smirked.

"Well, you did outdrink me tonight," he quipped back.

"Do you know me enough now?"

His hand continued to loiter over hers. She was easing up in a way he had never seen before. So when she asked him that, he felt something warm in his chest. So much so that his thumb slowly meandered into her palm and he squeezed her hand softly.

"No," he said with a laugh. "There's still so much I want to learn about you."

Lin rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, Bumi appeared in front of them. Zekou noticed how quickly she pulled her hand away from his- he was certain Bumi couldn't have seen it.

"I actually passed out in there! How long has it been?"

Lin stood up, hands on her hips. "Long enough. I think it's time to call it a night."

"Aw, really?" Bumi said. "What'd I miss here?"

"Nothing—"

"-seeing if Lin was interested in meeting a swarthy man the next time we go out drinking," Zekou spoke over Lin while giving her a mischievous look.

"No—"

"I think that's a great idea!" Bumi exclaimed. "Lin, pick out your best panties, we're going to get you laid next week!"

"Nope, not happening," the Earthbender called. She grabbed Zekou by the ear and led him over to Bumi, whom she yanked by the collar, and then dragged them both to her main door.

"I'm done with both you of now. Leave," she said.

Both the men laughed. After Bumi's failed attempt at giving her a hug of sorts, she opened the door for him, and Zek followed him out wordlessly.

"Good night, Chief!" they both said together.

"Good night, Commander and a good night to you too, Captain."

Zek decided to leave her with a little wink in return.

Five word prompts from here

[beifong-brainrot]

Thoughts on TSR episode?

Oh wow this is just a hornet's nest waiting for me to hit it with a baseball bat type of question. But ok anon I'm gonna try to speak on this in a way that will get as little people mad at me as possible lol.

I enjoy it, but then, I think I enjoy it mostly because is centers around Katara and I can't say there has been a Katara centered episode that had floped in my eyes. And an episode of Katara and Zuko reconciling after what he put her through was a long time coming and it is very fun to watch them kick ass. I adore the themes of this episode, misinterpreted as they may be by the wider public. I do have some major critiques of the episode, and I will get to them, but I'll try to unload them as we go.

I think Katara's portrayal in the episode is great. The storyline straddles the fine line of portraying her anger as equally valid and self destructive, and I like that she isn't villanised for it. Yes, Aang and Sokka try to talk her out of it, but it is out of concern for her, rather than a vehement contempt of her actions. Her grief is well presented, and even when she snaps the memorable and objectively awful "You didn't love her like I did" to Sokka, it feels more like a child trying to explain the intensity of her grief, but not knowing how to express it with the right words.

Let's remember that Katara not only was the sibling to see her mother's dead body, directly interact with her mother's murderer, but she also probably felt a lot of guilt for not only indirectly being the cause of the raid, but also not being fast enough in getting Hakoda, who may have helped. She's dealing not only with grief, but with a nasty case of survivor's guilt that Sokka thankfully doesn't seem to have. And it's very natural that, being a child, Katara would misinterpret Sokka having healed from the grief better as him not loving their mom as much as she did.

I've talked about the obvious parallel between Katara using bloodbending in the Southern Raiders and Hama forcing the art upon her. Bloodbending, in the case of Katara and Hama, symbolises righteous anger and hurt that has festered into something much more vindictive.

I think the bloodbending scene in TSR doesn't get discussed enough other than "it was cool to see Katara bloodbend again" or "haha this is how Zuko discovered bloodbending exists". Which, valid points, but I think the weight of this scene is often set aside. Even though it's the only instance of bloodbending in atla aside from "the Puppetmaster". And it directly parallels Hama, as Katara directs her rightful anger at a man who was innocent in this situation.

Like, yes this man was a Fire Nation officer, but he is not Yon Rha, and may, for all we know, not have even paricipated in the raids. Yet he was still subjected to the agonising and terrifying ordeal of being bloodbent, over a case of mistaken identity and misplaced vengance.

But Katara still has reason to hurt him. He's a fire nation soldier, a member of the organisation that hurt her and her people. Yet once she realises he is not Yon Rha, she immediately releases him, and is seemingly startled and exhaused by what she has done.

And of course, the situation takes a toll on Katara. I may be mistaken, but the ship scene seems to be the only instance of Katara tearing up in TSR, which feels like a deliberate choice. She has tears in her eyes when boarding the ship, probably as she knows she is planning on bloodbending, and again right after bloodbending the commander. It draws back to how devastated she was after bloodbending for the first time.

[Bloodbending has aggresive generational trauma symbolism, in both atla and tlok]

Bloodbending, for Katara, makes her go to a very dark place, and draw on a legacy of pain and anger that Hama had forced upon her. No wonder it is daunting to her. I find it hard to imagine Katara isn't aware of how much she is leaning into Hama's legacy in TSR, which may be why she is tearing up after bloodbending the commander.

She knows she's losing herself, and going down a path she previously could never see herself following. But I think she feels the need to do this, not only for herself, but for her mother.

Katara: Now that I know he's out there ... now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no choice. Aang: Katara, you do have a choice: forgiveness. Zuko: That's the same as doing nothing! Aang: No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive. Katara : It's not just hard, it's impossible.

She feels like she has no choice, and the only way to do right by her mother is to get vengance on Yon Rha. We know that Kya's death has been a core wound for Katara. We see how she's tried to keep her mother's legacy alive, to the point of her trying to replace her in many ways, despite her being vocally uncomfortable with being percieved as motherly.

This probably ties in to Katara's survivor guilt, as she strongly tries to honour her mother, who died for/because of her. And killing Yon Rha feels like it's something that has to be done to avenge Kya, in Katara's eyes. But it is also taking a clear toll on Katara's own mental wellbeing.

I don't like the idea that TSR's Katara is "the true Katara" because it feels like taking a character who is going through some intense shit and isolating that as their "true self". Zuko during his banishment was not his true self, nor was Aang during the Desert. Rather than be defined by our lowest moments, we are a sum of our parts, and while how we act under duress is a factor of who we are, it is not a defining feature.

In the end, I think this is up to personal philosophy, but I find it so shallow and harsh to believe that someone reveals their true self when they're clearly in pain and distress. It feels very callous. Katara is acting out of pain and grief, and I don't think it's fair to define a 14 year old over these actions. Her friend and brother being concerned for her was warranted, because they see that Katara is doing something that she may regret. They know that Katara values life, that she isn't a killer, that she doesn't believe people are defined by their grief and pain.

I think Katara's own words in "the Avatar State" episode fit here rather poignantly.

Katara : Do you remember when we were at the air temple and you found Monk Gyatso's skeleton? It must have been so horrible and traumatic for you. I saw you get so upset that you weren't even you anymore. I'm not saying the Avatar State doesn't have incredible and helpful power ... but you have to understand ... for the people who love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary.

And, of course, on a smaller scale, this rings true for Katara in TSR as well. Anger and grief are important for a healthy human to experience, but it is easy to lose oneself to them. And I think this is the thesis of TSR, which often gets misinterpreted.

The episode doesn't condemn Katara for wanting to track down Yon Rha, but it does clearly set up the warnings of what murdering him entails for Katara. Now, as much as Jet and Hama are complex in how they are presented as sympathetic antagonists, and there is a discussion to be had about villanising victims, they are both set up as parallels to Katara.

Katara empathises with them, and that is what allows them to manipulate her. We see both Jet and Hama late into their respective "moral declines", but it's not that hard to see how they got there. Jet was a freedom fighter, surely he's killed soldiers. And perhaps military couriers, perhaps medics, people affiliated with the FN army but not participating in the fight directly. And then there are citizens who may have cooperated with the army and supported it with rations, perhaps. All in the name of his righteous cause, up until he tried to blow up a town.

I have no doubt Hama began imprisoning people who "deserved it". Perhaps a FN army veteran who was proud of his first service, then perhaps a man who declared his disdain for the other nations, then, maybe a wife of a soldier who supported her husband's military career, maybe a teen who talked about joining the army once he was the right age.

Revenge is dangerous, because it doesn't always bring the closure we seek, and we are left to project those who harmed us onto people who have nothing to do with it.

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet. Katara: It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster.

But note that Jet was also fighting the "monsters" who harmed his village.

Jet: Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again. Katara : This isn't the answer!

Let's be honest, Yon Rha is literal scum and I don't think anyone would be sad for him if Katara turned him into an icicle pincushion. The episode never tries to humanise him, and portrays him as pathetic and vile, as he deserves. But it's not about him. Aang and Sokka's worries lay with Katara and how killing a man out of rage and pain would affect her personally.

I think Aang specifically gets misinterpreted in this episode. I understand why he rubs people the wrong way, because of course we believe Katara deserves to face Yon Rha, that she deserves the closure this encounter would offer her.

Zuko: She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice. Aang: I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge. Katara: [Angrily.] Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!

I actually adored this episode for Aang and Katara's relationship, because I adore how Aang straddles the line of supportive and rightfully concerned. What I think a lot of people forget is that Aang wasn't against Katara finding Yon Rha, but rather trying to gauge Katara's reasons for doing so and concerned about her motives.

Because "what do you think this will accomplish?" is a valid question to ask here. Aang knows firsthand that releasing one's anger is seldom the healing balm for the soul. Katara has helped him process the unbelievable pain and rage he went through as the last airbender, and he is returning the favour, while also trying to keep her needs in mind. He acknowledges that Katara needs to face Yon Rha, but he worries for her if she chooses vengance.

Katara: Don't try to stop us. Aang: I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. [Katara situates herself on Appa's head.] But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.

I've seen the argument that this is just Aang "saving face" because Katara was going to go anyway, but I find that argument hollow. Like, yeah, I guess if you want to believe that. But Aang hasn't had problems disagreeing with Katara before, and I feel like Appa would take Aang's side if push came to shove.

I find it silly that some people can't comprehend the idea of Aang supporting Katara's need to confront Yon Rha, while not supporting the murderous urges. Because just because Katara didn't kill Yon Rha, doesn't mean the encounter didn't have value.

I think the biggest one is Katara demystifying Yon Rha, and, to an extent Fire Nation soldiers to herself.

Over the course of the episode, Katara frequently refers to Yon Rha as "the monster" rather than as a man. She's, unsurprisingly, built him up in her head as a manifestation of her helplessness to protect those she loves, the power and evil the Fire Nation army has over her.

Katara: That was him. That was the monster.

This has the side effect that when Zuko attacks her village, in the very first few episodes, she's probably going right back to that scared little girl. There are even some incredibly strong parallels between these two raids. Both looking for the last member of a demographic. Kya or Aang bargain themselves in exchange for the village's safety, while also comforting Katara. Hell, there's even some strong visual similarities between Zuko's scar and the unique helmets the Southern Raiders wear, further allowing Katara to tie Zuko to the monster of her childhood.

Confronting Yon Rha allowed her to truly look at "the monster" and realise that he is just a pathetic man.

Katara : [Sorrowfully.] I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty.

She is no longer helpless against him, and those like him.

Katara : Oh, don't you worry about my strength. I have plenty. I'm not the helpless little girl I was when they came.

This also allows her to untangle Zuko from Yon Rha, and see that Zuko is trying and has grown as a person.

Zuko in TSR is interesting to me. I think people tend to brush of his own internal goings on in the episode. Zuko is acting very much like Zuko here, which is equally annoying and endearing. I have no doubt he was genuine in his attempts to smooth things over with Katara, and that he truly thought he was helping by egging her on to kill Yon Rha. On the surface, it is a vaguely questionable move to try and dig up a girl's trauma behind her back. But I do believe Zuko was genuinely not aware of how manipulative these actions could come off.

Zuko still has a lot of toxic and dangerous mindsets from his Fire Nation upbringing to unlearn. And it manifests in percieving violence and vengance as the only correct way, as well as mocking Aang's more pacifistic advice. Like genuinely it's not surprising he has a little bit of lingering disdain for air nomad values but it is also incredibly jarring to hear these words from him lol.

If I can present one of my silliest pet peeves of the episode, its when Zuko rescues Katara from those falling rocks and then lays on top of her for just a bit too long. Like thanks for the assist sir now stop laying on top of the lass. And then he goes "ok I'll take that as a thank you ☝️🤓" when she tells him to get off. Also waiting in front of her tent all night like sir please

There are some similarities between Katara's confrontation with Yon Rha and Zuko's confrontation with Ozai, and I believe they were intentional. As both these characters confront men who have cast a shadow over their childhoods, and have, directly or indirectly caused them to lose their mothers. And they both no longer fear them now it's Ozai and Yon Rha's turn to listen to them.

Zuko: That's another thing. I'm not taking orders from you anymore. Ozai : [Angrily.] You will obey me, or this defiant breath will be your last! Zuko: [Pulls out his swords.] Think again. I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen.

Of course, there are some even more direct parallels in Katara and Yon Rha compared to the Aang and Ozai fight but Im focusing on Katara and Zuko here.

I think it would also be foolish to set aside the idea that Zuko is very much affected by Ozai taunting him about his own mother's dissapearance during the Day of Black Sun. Zuko was unable to get closure for his mother's dissapearance, so he is extra invested in Katara's mother's death, and finding her killer.

It is very fun to see Zuko and Katara working together. They're a deadly duo and they bounce off each other really well. It always warms my heart to see them reconcile at the end, as it was a long time coming. I treat it as a landmark on both their budding friendship, and their respective personal healing journeys.

I think my biggest criticism of the episode is how much Sokka had been sidelined in it. On one hand, I understand it. He isn't suffering from the survivors guilt Katara is dealing with and therefore has no need to confront Yon Rha.

On the other hand having Zuko use him as essentially an exposition dump and then for the narrative to cut him out right after he relived his trauma hurts my soul. At the very least, I think it would've been nice to see his concern for Katara more focused on.

I am, however, impressed that seemingly moments after he told Zuko about one of the worst days of his life, he was hooking up with his gf like I don't think I'd even be able to preform after that and yet Sokka did apparently. Which tbh is very 16 year old boy of him.

TSR is one of those episodes that has been slightly soured in my mind by the way the fandom tends to treat it. It has become the centre of some very nasty shipping discourse, when that was never the focus of the episode. But I do love the focus on Katara and the way she handles her grief and trauma.

I know it's easy to say TSR simply regurgitates the tried and true killing=bad a lot of kid shows have, but I think it does so with some very interesting nuance. Instead of using objective morality, it focuses more on how killing someone, even with a good reason, could affect you personally. And I commend it for that, even if it isn't always graceful abouf it.

I don't think I've touched on every subject of TSR, because i originally meant this reply to be a quick overview which spiraled vastly out of control. This post is already getting way too long, so I'll end it now, because I think I touched on at least most of what I wanted to.

That post was pretty heavy, so here's a picture of my fat son Zorro under a blanket that kinda makes him look like Goku when he turns blond or smth idk I've never watched DB