#archer!azula

[waterfire1848]

A little twist on the nonbender!Sokkla -AU with a Azula being a prodigy in archery instead of a swordfighting-prodigy. Hit us with your headcanons, please :)

Hello, @subterraneanwatcher !!!!

(Side note but I'm loving the nonbender!azula asks) (Also, changing this up just a bit so that it doesn’t seem like a copy and paste of the sword AU)

1. When Azula was born a nonbender, Ozai wanted her dead or thrown in an orphanage. Ursa and the Fire sages intervened on her behalf though, arguing that she had some promise. So, Ozai allowed her to live but she was forever treated as the unwanted child. Ozai wasn’t fond of either of his children so Ursa did her best to split up time between the two but Azula still felt left out most of the time. She would often wander the palace alone, as the child servants and nobles would look at with disgust or pity, and try to find something to fill her time. One day, she saw the Yuyan archers practicing in the court yard and asked if she could try. The archers decided to humor her and helped her use the arrow (because again she’s a child) and Azula fell in love with the craft.

2. She begged her mother and father to let her enroll in archery classes and while Ursa was worried about her (because Ozai’s words about her being weak were getting to her) Ozai decided to let her so that he could have an excuse to not have his nonbending daughter around. When Azula started her lessons, she excelled. She was a natural and very fast learner. When she turned 11, the archers asked Ozai if they could take her with them. He gladly agreed.

3. Azula officially became a member of the Yuyan archers when she was twelve, the youngest member, and grew to love her little family. Most of them treated her like a younger sister or daughter. They joked around with her, brought her into the circle when they ate, gave her tips and praised her (all things she was missing from her bio family). Azula started going on missions at the age of twelve as well and became known as one of the Yuyan archers most accurate hitters at 14.

4. Azula was annoyed when they were hired by Zhao (who didn’t recognize her thanks to her makeup) but didn’t complain because the task of capturing the Avatar seemed like an interesting on. Azula remained with her brothers and sisters until the Avatar escaped and she attempted to stop him. Aang accidentally hit her head and she slammed it against the stone and was knocked out. Feeling guilty, he takes her with him and runs off, leaving the Yuyan archers devastated and believing her to be dead (don’t ya just love Fire nation propaganda??)

5. Aang brings her back to the cave where Sokka and Katara are still sick and lets her rest because she’s still knocked out. When Sokka and Katara wake up, they debate about taking her with them or not: Aang wants to because he doesn’t feel right about leaving her here alone so they decide to do that. After getting her onto Appa and getting in the air, Azula wakes up and demands to know what’s going on, yelling about her arrows and bows and the other archers. Aang explains what’s going on and that they can’t take her back but are more than happy to set her down and let her walk back (which isn’t an option because they’re in deep EK territory and Azula would very quickly be captured). Azula agrees to come with them until she can find a way back to her own people.

+1 (because there was no room for Sokkla) - Azula takes a notice in Sokka’s weapon and asks him to show her them. He gladly does which leads to a conversation about Azula’s archery skills. (Sokka: Wow! Your family must be really proud! Azula:…Not exactly. Sokka: What do you mean? Azula: My father only wanted benders as children. I’m a nonbender so he pretty much threw me away before I could even crawl. I don’t care. I stopped trying to impress him years ago.) Slowly but surely, the two grow closer and closer until the North Pole happens. Azula refuses to return with Zhao and (with a bow and arrow given to her by Yue) stops him from killing Tui (Azula: I’m not called the sharpest Yuyan shot for nothing. Sokka:…Do people really call you that? Azula: No, but I want them too, and I just saved the fish. I think I’m entitled to a cool nickname). Yue remains alive and in the North Pole but agrees to get them to start participating in the war. Azula, having killed Zhao, officially sides with the Gaang and her relationship with Sokka grows. All of them unaware that Zuko, who was trained under Ozai, is now after them.

[sleepyzukka]

I was thinking about an AU where Lu Ten lives and I was wondering if he’d be a bender or not and if so, if he would use weapons. Combustion bow. What if he carried little vials of blasting jelly and just different types of poison, like poison that could kill and paralyze. Coating blasting jelly on the arrows and setting them on fire when they reach their target and BOOM they fucking explode. I just thought it was a good idea especially if he was as good an archer as the yuyan. But yeah, I thought hey, since Zuko has a weapon, maybe other firebenders do too? I don’t know if Lu Ten would be a firebender but it makes sense, no? Sozin was, Azulon was, Ozai and Iroh are, Azula and Zuko are, Iroh ll is a firebender too soo. Chances are Lu Ten would be a bender. But I digress.

[ap-kinda-lit]

Sokka: What would you say if I told you your sister made a phony bomb threat just to get a free ride on a blimp?

Zuko: I’d say that’s fairly classic her.

[crybabycinna]

Sooo Azula is an archer! And I love it! I’ve always headcannon that she is a good archer and like sword fighter just cause she had to be good at everything like it doesn’t matter what she just has to be good at everything 🤣 I love it! And I JUST KNOW SHE DONT MISS WITH HER ARROWS ON HER CHERLY BLOSSOM SHE DONT MISS! OMG I CAN PICTURE THE APPLE SCENE BUT DIFFERENT WITH TY LEE AND OBVIOUSLY SHE TERRIFIED BECAUSE ITS IN HER MOUTH INSTEAD OF BEING IN TOP OF HER HEAD AND OBVIOUSLY ITS NOT MAI AND AZULA IS JUST SMIRKING! SHE FINNA TORMENT THESE GIRLS WITH HER ARROWS 🤣😭

[abagofmagictrix]

Easily my Top 10 favorite animated villains

[hotpoopymilk]

princess azula is a The Archer girlie and in this essay i- *gunshots*

This whole thread about Azula's fake confidence and terrifying vulnerability really opened my third eye

[theotherpacman]

some positives about the atla live action series bc as much as i am a hater it's not good for the soul or the critical thinking skills to only hate things forever

the costumes are phenomenal. I really love all the live action character designs, they look fantastic

a lot of these young characters LOOK really really young, which is important. aang is a kid and they cast a kid and he looks like a kid. azula looks very young - in the cartoon (esp when you're a kid) you don't really think about it but she is a child. it's important that they're kids

the actors are doing a great job and I don't want to hear SHIT against them

suki's mom!!!!! I LOVE suki's mom as the tough-as-nails leader of kyoshi village. a shining example of a GOOD deviation from the original. changes can be good suki's mom is wonderful 10/10 no notes

some of the cgi looks really good!!! the wide shots of omashu look cool as hell and I know some people hate how the bending looks but I think it looks great. it was always gonna be hard to translate to live action but I think the cgi bending looks about as perfect as it could

lesbian oma and shu... so good so important... lesbian oma and shu

the cabbage man. love him

I thought it was cool how kyoshi like possessed him while he was in the avatar state. an interesting take on what the avatar state entails, lots of potential, and kyoshi herself showing up to save her village was a great use of it

jet oh my god jet they did jet really well

LOVE the secret tunnel musicians

azula being a prodigy archer is fantastic. she should

looks like there are actually a lot of things I enjoy about the reboot :)

(update: I don't know what's up with ian ousley's heritage so I'm just removing the thing I said. it's a positivity post anyway)

[sulkybender]

Azula as an archer is such a fundamental misunderstanding of her character it is baffling

[waterfire1848]

What about Sokkla as olympic athletes AU? Not necessarily competing in the same sport.

Hello, anon!!

Azula is the best archer in her nation. She's been training since she was a child under her father's teachings. When she was five, she was taken to her first archery lesson and fell in love with the sport. Since then, she's gotten an archery range, new bow and arrows for her to practice with. As time went on, Azula grew stronger and stronger in the sport until, when she was twenty two, her father tells her that she will compete for a spot in the olympics. Azula always did fantasize about possibly competing but learning that she actually had a shot was insane to her. (Ozai: The email is here from the board saying if you got in or not. Azula: And? Ozai:.... Ursa: Ozai, tell the poor girl. Azula is going to have a heart attack from waiting so long. Ozai: She got in. Azula: I'M GOING TO BE IN THE OLYMPICS!)

Sokka grew up with his sister as a higher skilled swimmer. Wherever she went, Katara was the best swimmer on the team and it won her plenty of awards and praise. While she was beating swimming scores left and right, Sokka decided to go sailing for time away from his awesome sister. Now, that isn't to say Sokka dislikes his sister or is incredibly jealous, he just can't always stand everyone praising her and sometimes calling him the little brother, especially when Katara laughs at their mistake. He just needs time out on their family's little sailboat and he gets incredibly good at it. He doesn't compete himself but his father does start to notice how skilled he is and encourages him to compete. (Sokka: But dad...I...I don't even know if I want to be in the olympics. That's for the best athletes in the world. I just sail for fun. Hakoda: Don't sell yourself short. You put in the practice, time, and you have skills. I've never seen someone so confident in their skills. You should at least try. If you don't get in then at least you'll know. Sokka: Okay. I'll try.) A couple months later, Sokka gets a letter saying he's been accepted to join the USA sailing team for the summer olympics.

Azula and Sokka arrive Beijing a couple months later for the summer olympics. While they don't interact much in the first few days, only seeing one another because they're both part of the USA team, they do find one another before Sokka does not know where sailing is supposed to meet up. Basically, one day, before their events take place, Sokka accidentally wanders into the archery range and almost gets shot but Azula screams and stops the other archers. (Azula: Watch it! These arrows aren't for show! Sokka: Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm looking for the sailing crew. Azula: Look around. Does this look like sailing? Sokka: You don't have to be a jerk about it. Azula: I do when you're being an idiot and almost got yourself shot and me put in front of a judge for involuntary manslaughter. Sokka: Point taken. Sorry about that. I'm Sokka. Azula: Azula. Sokka: You're here for archery? Azula, holding up her arrows: What do you think? Sokka: Fair..... Azula: Are you going to move away from the target at any point or....? Sokka: Oh! Yeah! Yeah! *He moves behind her so she can practice* But umm...if you're not too busy would you maybe want you...get some dinner. It'll be an apology from me for almost getting shot. Azula: A dinner? Sokka: Yeah. Azula:....Sounds like fun. Come by my room later. I'm in A6 in the USA section. Sokka: You got it).

Azula and Sokka meet up that night and quickly discover that they do have a lot in common. Both of them are incredibly competitive, they have similar families, they both love anime and they both desperately want to win. They aren’t competing on the same team so they don’t get to spend too much time together. Plus, they are in the Olympics. (It’s not like there’s a lot of downtime). The most they get to do is text each other between practices but it’s enough. (Azula: I’m going to kill my partner if she doesn’t learn how to shoot straight soon. Sokka: Come on. It can’t be that bad. Azula: She flips her hair around like she’s Merida from Brave. It’s ridiculous. Sokka: Is she hitting the target? Also was that a Pixar reference? Azula: She’s hitting but she’s not hitting center which is what she needs to start doing. Sokka: She wouldn’t have made it this far without some skill. Azula: I suppose that’s fair. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if she bought her way into the games. Sokka: Good luck to you. Azula: Thank you. Sokka: Why didn’t you respond to my Pixar question? Azula: *Read*) Sokka does take the time to go to her event though and watch her win gold for the USA team. Her partner definitely isn’t as good as her, but she’s decent enough to get them a win. Sokka goes to find her after the event and they kiss. It would have been nice though if someone told them a reporter saw them.

Azula is asleep in Sokka’s room (they celebrated her win the night before and got pretty drunk) when she gets a FaceTime from her father. Disoriented, she doesn’t even try to hide Sokka’s body when she answers the call. Ozai is beyond pissed about the article when she’s supposed to be there to win. Azula tries to argue that she did win (she won freaking gold) but Ozai isn’t hearing it and tries to order her to return but Azula says she can’t and has to remain for the closing ceremonies. Ozai’s solution? He’s coming there. Whenever Sokka isn’t practicing, he’s comforting a very freaked out Azula (she can’t even enjoy the Olympic village chocolate muffins) (and Sokka does find it kind funny that Azula was less freaked out when she was performing in the literal Olympics vs hearing that her father is coming to the games. Azula doesn’t find the comparison as funny). When Ozai arrives, he argues with Azula not only about her not taking the event seriously but also being involved with someone so far below her status level. Somehow, Sokka also gets involved in the argument and it all comes to a head when Ozai says that he will leave and never say a word about Azula and Sokka’s relationship if Sokka can win gold in his competition. (Sokka: This is the weirdest thing even but I accept.) Azula, same as Sokka, is in the crowd when he performs. Since he’s out on the water he can’t see her as well but he still knows she’s there. It’s incredibly close, had Sokka been only a couple moments slower he could have come in second, but he does win. He goes back to shore where Azula is waiting for him and the two kiss again. This time not caring or checking for press.

[phoenix-king-ozai]

@nwnm7 I think it is possible that Azula has ambitions to become a Yuyan Archer. They are basically the Fire Nation’s own Kyoshi Warriors. Imagine if Avatar Szeto or Roku invented the Yuyan Archers. Also, the precision, concentration, and accuracy needed for archery is perfect training for learning lightning bending. I imagine all Fire Nation Nobles and Royals especially can receive their training in the current militaristic and warmongering Fire Nation society.

[quotidianish]

Some tf2 shenanigans . Some sillays

Original scene (it’s from the captain underpants Netflix show and it’s a funny series I promise): friendship separation anxiety

ATLA au ideas under cut

Pauling scout and medic are kind of the og team avatar. Found him on the far far outskirts of the northern water tribe. Heavy (an earth bender constantly utilising seismic sense) and Engineer (who comes from a long line of secret metalbenders) would basically serve as Toph and the replacement for both team Azula and Zuko would be soldier demo and sniper (soldier having refined expertise in fire jet propulsion trying to get back after exiled from the fire nation army, demo cursed by spirits to be a combustion bender trying to please his ma, sniper a former yuyan archer trying to earn back the fire lord’s good graces). Pyro is very obviously a fire bender who likes the spirits a bit too much. Spy’s scout’s father who spent the past 100 years in the spirit realm trying to find his wife. yeah I think that’s everyone

[blorboazula]

where's the Azutara fic where Azula is going undercover in a rebellion and the reason Azula changes sides is because she's so gay she needs to date this cute water tribe girl? because that has been stuck in one of my mental boxes since I watched NATLA. (right because the Yuyan Archer!Azula/non-bender!Azula AU)

[crybabycinna]

ATLA style pt 11 this is correct and no I will not take criticism

Zuko: *running away screaming*

Azula: COME BACK HERE! *chasing him with her bow and arrow*

Mai: aren’t you gonna stop them? *looking at Ursa*

Ursa: hm? What’s going on?

Mai: *pointing to Azula chasing Zuko around the turtle duck pond*

Ursa: they’re just playing

Mai: *looking at her with wide eyes* she’s chasing him with her bow and arrow

Azula: *shoots Zuko in his leg*

Zuko: AHHHHH!

Ursa: oh! *gets up and quickly rushed over to him* AZULA NO!

[blorboazula]

Azula absolutely is still a menace without her bending. AU where she doesn't lose her bending, but she avoids it when fighting and such because blue fire is way too visible.

(or she was born a nonbender, that's also awesome.)

Au where Azula gets her bending taken away but isn't any less of a menace with her bow and throwing knives (bc let's be real, she DEFFINETLY asked Mai to teach her)

I don't know, I don't like the Aus where they take control of Azula, I find it horrible and even traumatic.

I mean, even in the legend of Korra they tried to kill themselves because of it.

But I guess so, Azula would use a bow and knives, she probably also invented the gun and started hunting the Gaang as revenge.

[sokkastyles]

People wondering why Azula has a bow when my mind immediately went "because fire arrows."

That kind of looks like what we see in both trailers when the voice over talks about the fire nation destroying the world.

But then I thought...maybe Azula is the one who shoots Zuko down in "The Blue Spirit" instead of the Yuyan Archers. It would make sense for the show to consolidate characters and they did say they were giving Azula an expanded role to pave the way for her becoming a greater antagonist later. This could be a way for the show to introduce her as an antagonist to both Zuko and the gaang while we see another side of Zuko.

It also adds some interesting dimension to her antagonism with Zuko. Like, if she was there at Pohaui stronghold then maybe she recognizes that the person in the blue spirit mask is her brother?

I'm calling this right now, actually.

It would also explain why Azula later thinks Zuko knows about Aang not really being dead if she suspected him of being a traitor early on. Also the emotional impact of Zuko wearing that mask that represents their mother and Azula just like, mercilessly shooting him down because she's trying to banish any vestige of that connection to her own weakness.

[breyito]

@zukaangweek

Day 2: Stay close to me

AU where...everything is lost. Lu Ten never died, so Iroh took Ba Sing Se and became the Fire Lord two years later. The Northen Water Tribe has been under siege for 10 months and Omashu is the last refuge in the Earth Kingdom.

Even waking up four-five years earlier and getting some training, the Avatar is no match against the Yuyan Archers and the Dai Li. Lu Ten manages to capture him and drag him to the Palace, along with the two Watertribe savages that protected him so much.

Azula, having aided their cousin in the capture, gives the task of taking care of the Avatar's needs to Zuko, to humiliate him. Zuko accepts with his head high, expecting to find the Avatar frightening and furious.

Instead, he falls in love with Aang.

Ooooff, I have a TON of headcanons for this thing, but not a single thing written *winces*. Feel free to ask!

(and in case you were wondering....yes, Zuko, in the eventual escape, is left behind.)

This took me so damn long because I couldn't decide on few enough pictures for a single moodboard...so you get all of them! And possibly more tomorrow, for Zuko's fate!