#atla ozai

[camcat1320]

Ozai was supposed to be Amon

My meta theory about TLOK is that the entire show is just ATLA Book 4 chopped up, diluted, and repackaged. I wholeheartedly believe Amon was supposed to be Ozai in disguise.

Remember that scene in TLOK when Amon's mask flew off and he revealed that he was a bender?

With the tension rising, the animation and music, you would think it would've revealed a previous big bad that the characters have dealt with before that had returned to power. But no. As I watched it years ago, I felt like I hit a brick wall, wondering "who the fuck is that?" It didn't stick the landing for me.

I believe this scene was supposed to be the finale of ATLA Book 4 and the reveal was supposed to be Ozai. From a writing perspective, that would make more sense for a masked villain reveal.

I did not care for the use of bloodbending to lock or take away someone's bending. It doesn't make sense in the magic system of the Avatar universe. But having Ozai learn to energy bend, reverse engineering what Aang did to him, that makes sense.

But wait, isn't the Avatar the only one that can energy bend? Not necessarily.

As the lion turtle said, "Before the age of the Avatar, we bent not the elements but the energy within ourselves. To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed."

If ancient people did this before the Avatar even existed, it stands to reason that energy bending is not an exclusive power only the Avatar can do. An important thing about energy is that it is all around us and within us. Also, energy cannot be destroyed nor created, it can only transform.

Aaron Ehasz had stated in an interview that his ideas for Book 4 was supposed to include the negative consequences of taking Ozai's firebending. Since energy cannot be destroyed, Ozai's firebending had to go somewhere. Aang took in Ozai's firebending into himself and he would have to deal with the personal consequences of that.

On a wider scope, bringing back the ancient art of energy bending to the collective consciousness should have negative consequences as well. The whole show is about yin and yang ideas, light and dark, 2 sides of the same coin. What if something that was used for good was also used for evil?

Now I think Aang was naively incorrect about Ozai. Aang states that he took away his firebending so he could not hurt anyone else ever again. But for someone such as Ozai, his firebending wasn't the only source of power he wielded. Ozai was the leader of a fascist imperialist regime, he would have skills in manipulation of the masses and bending people to his will. He doesn't necessarily require firebending to do so.

So what does one do after they've been dethroned and crave revenge? Start a cult.

Amon has hints of being a cult leader, especially when he says that the spirits had given him the power to take people's bending away. Cult leader 101, make it seem like you have an exclusive, God-given superpower.

The TLOK writers tried to go for an oppression narrative where the nonbenders were suppressed by bender gangs. I think this was grasping at straws to replace the narrative that was meant for ATLA.

Imagine, Ozai wanting to start a cult so that people would willingly give up their firebending so that he may take it for himself, growing in power the more he takes. He would take advantage of the down and lost people of the Fire Nation. The people are disappointed in the loss of the Hundred Year War and the economic downturn that resulted shortly after and are disgruntled by Zuko's leadership thus far. Ozai would tell the people what they want to hear, feeding into their anxieties and fears, spinning webs of lies. He would propose to tear down the government then replace it with something new, a new world order, something with him at the center of it. And Ozai would do this with the assistance of the Fire Sages and high ranking government officials who have all sworn their loyalty to him.

Now THAT sounds like better villain motivation!

[demaparbat-hp]

Arsonist's Lullaby

[stormbornnn]

[umossu]

... confession.

[sailorluna15]

idk if this is considered an unpopular opinion but I hate when I see fics on Azula redemption or Zuko's reign and it's written in a way that makes it seem like the Fire Nation hates Azula. Azula was the pride of the Fire Nation and royalty, the Fire Nation wouldn't have hated her. If anything, they would've felt like it was some sort of injustice that Azula was removed from the throne. Y'all have to remember that Zuko was seen as a traitor of the Fire Nation. If anything, people would've hated HIM in the beginning and even towards the middle of his reign.

Deconstructing colonialism takes a long time. Truth be told is would take DECADES for the Fire Nation to dislike Azula and even after decades, she probably would still be socially acknowledged for her prowess and dedication to the Fire Nation by many.

It would go something like this:

"Yeah, Azula capturing Ba Sing Se was bad, but you can't lie, she did in 3 days what General Iroh tried to do in 600. That's fucking amazing."

That's how people talk about some conquerors now, why wouldn't they talk about them like that in ATLA?

FYI: I deleted the last paragraph of this bc I didn't like what i wrote. I stand on everything else tho.😭

[beifong-brainrot]

Ok but it was lowkey so cunty of Ozai to do this swirly lil move when going to kill Zuko lol

[m-r-moth]

not in front of the kids..

fire hazard sibling parents..

[slug04]

Excuse to draw prisoner!ozai

[madamephantom]

My father is the worst man alive,and I am his favorite daughter.

[dyingroses]

Avatar: The Last Airbender + text posts and stuff

[dragologist]

Nobody:

Men from the Fire Nation:

More like the Fire Baddies 💅🏻❤️‍🔥✨️

[blink182times]

NEW STILL OF THE ATLA LIVE ACTION SERIES

[demaparbat-hp]

I had a vision in shades of sacrifice.

[occasionallyprosie-mc]

Consider...

Power hungry tyrant, forces a beautiful woman to marry him, has two kids with her, abuses her and their kids:

Beautiful and kind woman from a small village, forced to become the queen and wife to a man she hates, and tries but fails to protect her children from him:

Oldest child of the above parents, does everything he can to make them proud, but when push comes to shove he realizes he won't be able to do that and escapes the family to fight against the tyrannical father:

Second child of the above parents, as a child treated lesser than the older sibling so finds a way to be above, and becomes the father's favorite from a willingness to be just as vicious/evil as the father:

also...

Affair child of the mother and her original lover from the small village

Please tell me I'm not insane to be seeing this

[aceoffangirls]

Been thinking how Soren is just a less angsty and emo, golden retriever version of Zuko.

Like we know Avatar the Last Airbender and The Dragon Prince have the same creators but their parallels are very similar

They both had their mother leave when they where younger

They both have a gifted younger sibling (Azula and Claudia) who is favoured by their father (Ozai and Viren)

Both their Dads are a type of lord

They both were manipulated by their fathers into doing some thing wrong in the hopes of earning their fathers love

Both deal with internal conflict about what is right and wrong

Both of them go through a redemption arc that leads them to join the hero’s in the third season

I think the difference lies in the fact that Soren’s Dad cared for him in someway and Soren once had a good relationship with his sister while Zukos Dad never cared and was a horrible abusive human being and Zuko and his sister don’t get along.

Like they are very very different characters that just so happen to share very similar Daddy Issues that have a favoured gifted golden child younger sibling, trying to earn your fathers affection type of trauma

[sailorluna15]

Anytime people talk about Zuko and Azula working together, they always make her an advisor. Advisor Azula this, advisor Azula that. HOW ABOUT MERCENARY AZULA AND SPY AZULA.

There would be an assassination plot that Zuko wouldn't know about, but by the time he finds out Azula has nipped everything in the bud, gathered information, and disposed of everyone.

She doesn't work for Zuko personally and always demands payment after, but Zuko appreciates her efforts.

He's always put off by her quickness, thoroughness, and connections. He always ask where she gets her info but she never tells. She just tells him to be grateful that she helps him at all and then vanishes like Batman.