#aang is an ally

[hypnoticsphere]

aang giving sokka and zuko a pride cake “cause you guys are gay and stuff :D”

[thatonedudeinthecorner]

His ass does not pay attention enough to know all of their genders. Toph wears baggy clothes, he squinted at her and went “yeah that’s a boy. Or boy adjacent. Probably.” and moved on. Ally???

[zukosdualdao]

i'm a worst case kid / in a plague pit town

zutara month, day 1: reluctant allies

summary: ever-slight canon-divergence in which zuko accepts katara's offer to heal iroh after feeling his too-weak, dying pulse, as his injury is bad enough zuko is unsure he will survive otherwise. not much else changes. it was never going to.

warnings: canon-typical depictions of injury, violence, and trauma responses.

other notes: title is a lyric taken from tommy lefroy's "worst case kid". starting pov is zuko's, ending pov is katara's. two pieces of dialogue are directly taken from the show.

*

The wind is whistling in this dry, abandoned, dead town, dead like—

Zuko does not shiver, and he does not cry.

He used to be able to tell himself things like that and mean it. When did that stop being true?

Uncle’s pulse is so faint, for a moment, he thinks it isn’t there at all. Even when he feels it, he knows it might as well not be. He might not have long at all.

Zuko hears the other footsteps approaching, their silence loud and almost mournful, but he bristles on instinct. They can’t see him like this, can’t see Uncle like this—how could he be so stupid as to turn his back on the enemy? 

“Get away from us!” he shouts as he looks back. They’re all staring at his uncle’s prone form, and Zuko turns back to him, too, heaving heavy breaths. He needs to do something, but he is weak, useless, outnumbered—

“Zuko, I can help,” the waterbender insists, and Zuko wants to snarl, yell, reach for his fire, and he raises his hand to do so—and frowns. 

What does she mean?

He looks back to where Uncle lies prone.

A heartbeat shouldn’t feel like that. The Dragon of The West shouldn’t go down so easily.

Uncle shouldn’t be able to seem so small and worn and fragile.

Slowly, Zuko lowers his hand and looks to her striking blue eyes. There’s no pity or malice there, he doesn’t think, she just looks… still cautious and unyielding, but sad and sincere, too.

He’s fallen for tricks like this before, though—Azula has always loved how easily she could fool him—and it feels a little like he’s standing on the edge of a steep precipice.

It would be naive to just… trust the word of an enemy. She has no reason to want to help him. He knows this.

The rest of them still watch his uncle’s maybe-dying form, but the waterbending girl stares at Zuko unflinchingly, almost as though in challenge.

Uncle groans brokenly, the noise like that of a wounded animal. 

“How?”

*

The world is dead silent.

The prince of the Fire Nation is staring at her with tears threatening to fall from his right eye, though not the left, which is twitching lightly. She’s never before noticed how he can’t seem to open it fully due to the scar tissue set against it. She’s never had much reason to take in his features as anything more than the face of their enemy. 

His gaze is still steely and untrusting. In this light, his scar looks violently red and painful. He asks after her offer with a voice that cracks, though he doesn’t seem to pay that any heed. His hair is short but growing in, and he’s traded out his Fire Nation attire for earthly green and brown robes. He looks so different from when they last saw him. 

He looks so… young.

It’s all a little bizarre.

“Be careful, Katara,” Sokka insists from behind her, though when she glances back, his focus is on Iroh, a complicated expression playing on his features. Aang is staring at him, too, eyes wide and verging on teary. She doesn’t yet know Toph very well, but Katara can tell her body is rigid, her feet tense as her toes curl into the dusty ground beneath them. Toph doesn’t know that Iroh has been their enemy. But Iroh also helped them at the North Pole, and again just now against that princess, Zuko’s sister, she supposes, with her calculating eyes and strange blue fire.

Katara nods but says nothing further. If Zuko was going to make a move against them, he could have done it when his sister vanished.

They had turned away from their futile attack against her, and he’d already been kneeling at his uncle’s side.

She approaches slowly, circling to the side opposite him. When she kneels and reaches for her waterskin, Zuko nearly growls and takes hold of the edge of Iroh’s sleeve tightly, like he might try to drag him away.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” Katara says, flush with indignation. The dirt beneath her chafes her knees even through her clothing. “I need space to heal.”

“I’m not moving, so forget it.”

Katara tilts her head and looks into his eyes as he glares back. He now looks every bit the angry, hateful prince that had tracked them around the world for months, but she can see something else filtering through his expression, too, something like fear.

She almost wants to laugh at the absurdity of it. Why should he be afraid of them?

“Fine,” she allows after a moment. “Just don’t get in the way.”

He nods tightly, and at the agreement, Katara opens her waterskin. She calls the water to her and sets it against Iroh’s the right side of his chest, his robes black and charred. Closing her eyes, she calls out to his chi and focuses her energy on it. She doesn’t know if she can do it, doesn’t know if Iroh is truly too far gone…

After a few long moments, his breathing evens, and Katara sighs. Across from her, Zuko’s features soften just a fraction, but when she meets his eyes, somehow, she knows exactly what they both are thinking, united in nothing but this.

It doesn’t change anything, Katara's thoughts insist as her friends draw closer. Zuko tenses again. It can’t.

[allgremlinyaps]

"ooooh Zuko using rainbow fire in the comics doesn't make sense from a lore standpoint oooh wouldn't Iroh have rainbow fire then ??" Uhm no... because Iroh isn't gay... duh...

[sarafangirlart]

I need to get Kataang shippers into Perseus and Andromeda somehow.

[mugentakeda]

how i look pondering the fact that the writers were originally gonna have iroh betray zuko

[wingstobetorn]

Unless it gets proven otherwise every character is insanely bisexual to me. You will show me a character and i will go OH i can't NOT make them bisexual.

[ineffablejaymee]

zuko's swords being a metaphor for him and aang>>>

edit NOT a ship post

when zuko was hanging out with that earth kingdom kid he explained that he was using the swords all wrong. they were both part of one weapon, and using them as separate objects created imbalance. unless used as one, they werent much

and this is exactly what zuko and aang were like. for the first two season they were on opposite sides, their stories very different though teaching them the same lessons.

and for the first two seasons, the war was still going on, on a large scale nothing changed. however the small changes and their impact on the world made them both grow as people so they could finally face eachother and be mature enough to work together

only after teaming up were they able to reach their full potential, and fulfill their destiny; end the war and bring balance to the world

[demaparbat-hp]

Read HERE!

"Akai Kotou," Jian Li says, "means Solitary Red Island. It's the name Rangi gave to her lover's home. It's the name given to Kyoshi Island by the children of Fire."

.

When Aang, Sokka, and Katara arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're only looking for a place to rest for the night. They don't expect to find new allies, soul-deep connections, and a myriad of secrets.

(Sometimes, Zuko forgets that Jian Li isn't his real name. But now it's time to start remembering.)

[theaawalker]

Steps to Writing a ‘Chosen One’ Character

1. Establish the Foundation

Define Their Origin: Decide what makes them the Chosen One—prophecy, destiny, lineage, or sheer coincidence. Clarify why they, specifically, are given this role.

Determine Their Initial Attitude: Are they reluctant, eager, indifferent? Show how they react to the burden of being chosen.

Set Their Core Struggles: Define the internal and external conflicts they will face. Do they wrestle with imposter syndrome, moral dilemmas, or fear of failure?

2. Shape Their Role in the Story

Decide Their Purpose: Are they meant to destroy an evil force, restore balance, protect a sacred artifact, or lead a rebellion? Ensure their journey aligns with the story’s central themes.

Avoid Overpowered Tropes: They shouldn’t be flawless. Give them limitations, weaknesses, or struggles that make their growth compelling.

Show Their Impact on Others: How do allies, mentors, or even enemies perceive them? Their role should ripple beyond just their own development.

3. Build Their Character Development

Challenge Their Destiny: Let them question, doubt, or even reject their role at some point. Growth comes from resistance, not blind acceptance.

Forge Meaningful Relationships: Give them friends, mentors, and rivals who help shape their journey. Avoid making them the sole focus of the story’s world.

Balance Personal Desires and Duty: Show moments where their personal wants clash with their responsibilities as the Chosen One.

4. Define Their Abilities and Training

Determine Their Power Source: Magic, divine intervention, inherited skill, or sheer perseverance—whatever it is, make it unique and consistent.

Avoid Instant Mastery: They should struggle, fail, and improve through effort, mentorship, and experience.

Give Them a Signature Strength and Weakness: Maybe they’re brilliant strategists but poor close-combat fighters, or they can harness powerful magic but suffer from physical fragility.

5. Create Meaningful Obstacles

Test Their Morals and Limits: Put them in situations where they must make difficult choices. Let their decisions shape their character.

Introduce Personal Stakes: The battle shouldn’t just be about saving the world—it should also mean something deeply personal to them.

Make Victory Costly: Triumph shouldn’t come without sacrifice—whether it’s losing loved ones, suffering personal injuries, or making difficult trade-offs.

6. Develop a Satisfying Arc

Decide Their Ultimate Fate: Will they survive and thrive? Sacrifice themselves for the greater good? Retire into obscurity? Make sure their journey reaches a meaningful conclusion.

Showcase Their Legacy: Whether they win or lose, let their choices leave a lasting impact on the world around them.

Avoid Predictability: Subvert clichés where possible—maybe the Chosen One isn’t the true hero, or perhaps their destiny isn’t as set in stone as they believed.

Examples of ‘Chosen One’ Characters

Film/TV Examples:

Luke Skywalker (Star Wars): A reluctant hero who grows into his role while battling his own darkness.

Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender): A lighthearted but deeply burdened Chosen One struggling with war and responsibility.

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): A Chosen One who balances personal life with monster-hunting, questioning fate and sacrifice.

2. Literature Examples:

Harry Potter (Harry Potter series): A prophesied hero whose strengths lie in his friendships and moral choices.

Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson & the Olympians): A reluctant demigod whose humor and flaws make him a relatable Chosen One.

Duke the Guarder (The Guardians of Camoria series): A noble-hearted Chosen One defined by mercy, internal conflict, and a fear of death.

Follow || Like || Comment || Repost || My Novel ⇚⇚⇚

thank you, i am farkle :)

[dalekofchaos]

AU Asami is Amon by nikoniko_808

Give me the forbidden enemies to lovers Korrasami

Okay I wrote up my own au of Asami as Amon

Hiroshi and Asami witnessed the death of Asami’s mother at the hands of the Red Lotus society. Asami swore revenge on all benders. The corruption of Benders has gone too far and Asami and her father cannot let it continue. So they create a movement. The Equalists. Near the end of season 1. Asami would be nowhere to be seen. The Krew believes the Equalists have kidnapped Asami and when Korra confronts Amon, they don’t see her.

Tarrlok is still captured by Amon, when Korra sees him and they chat, he tells the whole story of Amon as it happened in the show to her and everything. Like it goes in the show. Korra and friends go to confront Amon at the arena where Tenzin and his family are about to lose their bending. But they don’t because she gets there in time. She accuses Amon of being a bender, as per Tarrlok’s story. Amon doesn’t unmask. And he isn’t a bender. Tarrlok lied to get Korra to confront Amon so that he could capture her and he could hopefully save his own skin for the service at least. They fight. Amon takes Korra’s bending in a big demonstrative way. So all the crowd can see what comes to any benders, especially The Avatar who stand against him. Then the reveal happens. Asami is Amon.

In order to get her bending back and learn how to give others their bending back (yeah, Korra wouldn’t get it back at the end of Book 1 because consequences? What’re those?), Korra has to go on a quest to learn her bending(her masters would be Toph, Katara, Izumi and Tenzin) in the Spirit World to understand everything. Korra does not cry about loosing her bending because she realized she’s still The Avatar and has to go to The Spirit World to get her bending back, to help everyone get their bending back and stop Asami

Throughout the series, we would meet Kya, Bumi, Izumi, Eska, Desna(Eska and Desna would be Korra’s siblings in this universe, because fuck Unaloq) Opal and Kai. We have the same romance between Bolin and Opal and Jinora and Kai. We would also meet Varrick and Zhu Li, because they are comedy gold. They would all help in the fight against Amon and the Equalists.

In Korra’s venture to the Spirit World,

she would still see Wan’s story(because that’s the only thing I liked about Book 2) and I think in her journey in the spirit world she would see Asami’s story, in which her family were victims of the Red Lotus society and Asami learned to take bending away in the spirit world. Not only that, we would find out that Asami would be bonded with Vaatu. Asami is the darker Avatar.

Before she leaves The Spirit World she connects with all her past lives to ask what she should do about Asami. Korra has her Aang moment where she has too has to decide what to do like he did with the fire lord, only this time there’s more to it than just stopping the bad guy. It’s about the person she loved. She can restore everyone’s bending by reversing Amon’s convergence, but she can’t do that so long as the avatar spirit is split. And as long as Asami is part avatar, she can go into the avatar state. That’s still pretty damn dangerous even with only water and blood bending. Korra realizes the only thing she can do to stop Asami? Love her.

After her journey to relearn her bending and journey in the spirit world, Korra travels the world to gain allies. From the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes and Air Nomads. Korra unites the world against Amon and the Equalists.

In the final fight, Korra defeats Amon. She exorcises Vaatu from Asami, thus ending the dark Avatar and stopping Amon’s convergence. She reverses what Asami has done and uses it to restore everyone’s bending. So she has to come to the hard part. Amon makes it clear, no matter what, even without the ability to energy bend or without Vaatu, Amon will never stop, Benders will never be safe. Korra shows Asami what she was denied. Korra loves her and forgives her. Asami gives up and accepts whatever punishment.

During Book 3, Asami would work with Korra in stopping and killing the Red Lotus society. However, when Zaheer is stopped. He is left at the mercy of Asami and for everything he’s done and turned her into. Asami kills him.

Book 4 happens. Asami’s redemption is rebuilding Republic City and using Future Industries to repair the damage she’s done as Amon. Blah blah blah Korra stops Kuvira blah blah. Asami earns her redemption and the love of Republic City, the krew and more importantly Korra. Ends with Korra and Asami venturing in the Spirit World and ends with a kiss.

[burst-of-iridescent]

i keep seeing the argument that katara saving zuko in the final agni kai means nothing because her character arc was completed in the crossroads of destiny, which makes no sense because it's incredibly clear that the ending of CoD is not framed as a triumphant moment by the narrative.

aang's death is the show's darkest moment, and the scene where katara catches and escapes with him only reinforces this hopelessness and despair. she is outnumbered, outclassed and outmaneouvred, saved only by iroh's intervention, and most crucially, the moment where katara revives aang hinges entirely on her spirit water and has little to do with katara herself or her own abilities. even the slight hope that surfaces with aang's survival is immediately undercut by the bleak reminder that ba sing se has fallen to emphasise that this is a retreat, not a victory. all they can salvage from the brink of catastrophe is the chance to live and fight another day, cold comfort in the face of losing the last, greatest stronghold against the fire nation.

take by contrast the final agni kai. the fight with azula highlights every one of katara's strengths as well as her growth and talent as a waterbender: her ability to evade and trick azula displays her intelligence; her use of the materials at hand (the chain and drain) reveals her resourcefulness; her final combat move demonstrates her ingenuity and proves that she has taken to heart the show's most important lesson of learning and drawing wisdom from even the unlikeliest of places.

the emotional crux of both fights is anchored in katara's apparent helplessness and fear (hence the near-identical shots of her horrified face as she watches aang and zuko get struck by lightning), but the difference is that the resolution of the final agni kai is contingent on katara and katara alone. this time, there is no magic water, no allies, no one to turn to for help, only a merciless, prodigious enemy at the apex of her power... and yet, it's katara who proves victorious.

where aang's death and resurrection are an actualization of katara's deepest fears - that by herself she is not strong or brave or skilled enough to protect those she loves, no matter how hard she tries - defeating azula and healing zuko serve as a repudiation of those very same fears, bringing her full circle from the scared little girl who could do nothing to save her mother.

the crossroads of destiny and the final agni kai are intentionally mirrored narratives, most obviously exemplified in the katara-zuko-azula triangulation and the polarity of their respective arcs; thus, where katara could once save aang only with a miracle, she now saves zuko with nothing but her own skill - and in so doing, brings her arc of empowerment to its triumphant completion.

[taakitz]

ATLA (zukka….) au where everything is mostly the same except that the phrase “friend of the Avatar” is a euphemism for being gay, a la the phrase friend of Dorothy

(the phrase started towards the start of the 100 year war because in this universe Avatar Roku was some flavor of gay, then Sozin canonically banned gay marriage after their situationship went downhill. so people had to be more subtle about communicating their identities, something something something, the phrase became semi-commonplace throughout the fire nation and later the earth kingdom. maybe it started even earlier because of bi queen kyoshi. who knows!)

miscommunication and self-discovery ensues throughout the events of ATLA:

early on into his banishment and search for the avatar, Zuko runs into someone who casually mentions that they’re a “friend of the Avatar” and he’s immediately like “THE AVATAR IS ALIVE? WHERE ARE THEY. TELL ME”

…he learns a new phrase that day! perhaps he didn’t even know gay people existed until that awkward encounter (bc sheltered fire nation royal.) maybe he does some self reflection at this point, or perhaps he puts off his sexuality crisis in favor of his avatar hunting mission. who’s to say?

(the next time he hears someone say they’re “a friend of the avatar” he asks if they’re gay or if they actually know the avatar. you know, just in case they actually do.

….and the next time after that, too.

but after that he catches on pretty quickly that, no, it’s REALLY just a turn of phrase, and he does not repeat the mistake again.)

+ early into the series events sokka runs into some confusion when he mentions to a stranger that he’s a friend of the avatar while aang isn’t around—

sokka: hey so uhh i’m actually a friend of the avatar… think i can get a discount for that??

kindly ally shopkeeper: oh! i love that for you!! you know, i have a cousin who’s gay, real swell guy. anyways about the discount—

book one sokka, canonically sexist and with perhaps a fragile masculinity: what wait a sec, IM NOT GAY??????

shopkeeper: oh that’s okay, you don’t have to explain yourself or put a label on it to me (:

(sokka does in fact get a discount.)

he walks back to katara who was waiting for him and overheard the whole conversation, and she says “you know, sokka, it’s fine if you like boys.” sokka responds as you’d expect he would at this time.

(some amount of time later, sokka comes up to katara and aang very nervously and says “hey guys. i think i might. um. be a friend of the Avatar.”

and aang, confused but enthusiastic, goes “aww buddy, we’re already friends!!!!”)

at some point they’re fighting Zuko and during a back-and-forth exchange, Sokka proclaims “i won’t let you hurt him, the Avatar is my friend!” or something to that effect

Zuko, who has learned from his past mistakes in misconstruing this phrase, says “love is love. but your sexuality will not stop me from capturing the Avatar”

[dyleeart]

zutaraang phantom of the opera-inspired au but aang is christine

To elaborate:

In the au the four nations exist but no Avatar. Aang wasn't frozen and the political environment would be similar to the start of the 100-year war, except Zuko, Katara, and the others exist in the timeline. The Fire Nation has started killing air nomads beginning with the air temples and has been hunting down the remaining ones that are scattered around the world since.

Aang fled from the temples with Gyatso upon hearing about the fire nation hunting down air nomads. The first place they went was the southern water tribe, where he became close friends with Katara. However, they had to leave when the village was being threatened. After Gyatso's death, Aang disguises himself to live in the earth kingdom (hence the hair). He joins the ensemble in a theatre group and makes a masked friend...who doesn't reveal himself for years until he does one day.

Zuko spends time hiding behind the theatre, always watching since plays are one of the few things he enjoys. He talks to a newcomer and recognizes talent, but more than anything he grows attached to him because he was the first to show him kindness after his banishment. (this zuko was separated from Iroh earlier on :( ) But attachment turns to obsession...

Katara quickly became friends with the runaway airbender when she was young, but they soon had to part. Years after, she leaves her tribe with her brother to find allies against the fire nation's threats, and notices a familiar face but with a very different identity. She is doubtful of Aang's 'secret friend' and wants him to join her.

idk if I will make more for this au but if this does well I might 🧐

[nylpad]

DANCE OF STEAM

Warnings: enemies to lovers, war

In the heart of the Water Tribe, there lived three siblings: Katara, Sokka, and you, Y/N. You were the youngest, born with a unique gift of waterbending unlike any seen before. Your abilities complemented your siblings', and together, you were a formidable team.

When Aang, the long-lost Avatar, was discovered, your life changed forever. You joined him, along with Katara and Sokka, on a journey to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. But among your adversaries was Prince Zuko, a firebender with a fierce determination to capture the Avatar.

At first, your encounters with Zuko were fraught with conflict. His fire clashed with your water, his anger with your calm. Yet, as the moons passed, you began to see the pain behind his eyes, the burden of a destiny he didn't choose.

During a skirmish, you found yourself face-to-face with Zuko. Instead of attacking, you reached out with your waterbending, not to harm, but to heal a wound on his arm. Surprised by your act of kindness, Zuko hesitated, and in that moment, something shifted.

As the Gaang continued their quest, Zuko's path intersected with yours in unexpected ways. He saved you from a dire situation, and you, in turn, offered him understanding. Slowly, the enemy became an ally, and the ally became a friend.

When Zuko finally joined your group, the balance shifted. You found in him a kindred spirit, someone who understood the weight of expectations. Together, you trained, your water tempering his fire, creating a harmony that resonated within the group.

The war ended, peace was restored, and through it all, your bond with Zuko deepened. You balanced each other out, the yin to his yang. And as the world began to heal, so did your hearts, entwining like the merging rivers of your homeland.

In Zuko, you found not just love, but a partner who stood by your side as you helped rebuild a world where balance reigned supreme. And in you, Zuko found not just a lover, but a beacon of hope that guided him towards a brighter future.

[azula-hates-men]

anyone who simplifies the popularity of zuko to people liking "dark bad boys" is showing a sign of low media literacy. even before i watched atla, my friends recommended that i watched it solely bc of zuko. and after i watched it, i understood why. in the first episodes, most of the audience perceives him as this hot-headed jerk who's obsessed with capturing a 12 year old boy. but then we get to the episode "the storm" and we learn that the reason zuko wants to capture aang is because he was banished by his father; it doesn't excuse his actions but it is a reason. and then in the 2-parter of "the siege of the north, we learn that he has a sister and that their father often pitted them against each other, making him more sympathetic to the audience. from book 1, it is established that zuko will be more than just a villain. we don't see much of a change in zuko's character until book 2 after him and uncle iroh are branded as fugitives by the fire nation. throughout the season, we see him have an identity crisis and grappling with who he is. by the end of book 2, zuko seems to be content with his life in the earth kingdom and figuring out who he is by himself. that's why in tcod, the audience expects him to join the avatar especially after bonding with katara and confronting his uncle about teaming up with aang. but the show defies our expectations by having zuko join azula in her takeover of ba sing se. some people have a problem with this since he showed a lot of growth in book 2 and thought his betrayal was made to not make zutara a possibility but i think it make sense because zuko was more content being a neutral bystander and joining the avatar would be more risky especially he still wasn't on friendly terms with aang. when we see him return to the fire nation, we see that he's gotten everything that he ever wanted, he has father's approval and is hailed a hero by his country, but he isn't happy. this is why his confrontation with ozai is so satisfying, he realizes that not only the way his father treated him was inhumane and his approval is meaningless, but that his nation's century-long war was never a noble pursuit. when he joins the gaang, he tries his best to atone his past mistakes and demonstrate his sincerity of wanting to end the war and ends his arc by becoming the new fire lord ushered in an era of peace and kindness with the help of his ally and friend, aang. i think this why zuko is more popular compared to aang, the protagonist of the show. while aang and zuko are constantly portrayed as narrative foils to each other, aang doesn't have this constant inner turmoil that zuko does. this is why a lot of fans and casual viewers have an issue with gaang's confrontation with ozai. aang talks about how he struggles with killing ozai since it goes against the principles of his culture, a culture that is basically extinct, but this is never brought up until the series finale! it's not like there aren't any episodes where aang struggles with fulfilling his duties as the avatar, there are plenty and it does make him a sympathetic character. it's even more frustrating when you learn that aang not killing ozai was the plan since the production of book 1. there were countless opportunities where aang's struggle between wanting to maintain his identity and be a full-fledged avatar could've been addressed! i think this what aang stans who are resentful of zuko's popularity don't understand, aang's character arc is a lot more disoriented compared to zuko's.