#ikeme prince spoilers

[sebfreak]

So why I thought or decided that Gilbert is an antihero and not a villain?

Well first of alle the fact that he behaves around kids differently and kids seem to like him very well was the first reason to me. Yes, he doesn´t say to them who he is because he already knows their reaction but because he knows their reaction he isn´t saying his name because he wants to play around with them and look into their faces where he doesn´t see anxiety.

Then there was the fact that Belle and Gilbert are the same person according to Akatsuki. Gilbert was really like her but because something terrible happened (the death of his mother and one of his brothers) traumatized him. But instead of trying to kill his dad/the emperor directly he chose the path of a "villain" and killed everyone around him to get his trust. It´s not like he liked it, it´s not like he decided it in a moment of silence, he was kinda forced into it, I believe. So he climbed up and got the attention of the emperor who saw the future in him.

Another reason why he is an antihero. When "Hope" was attacked and he saw what Obsidian made there he killed the emperor because it was the only solution for Gilbert to save his country. Because he had to get the full power in this country to make it better which he did. But he never stated the death of the emperor to the citizens because he always wanted to work in the shadows.

He built up Obsidian he did defeat hunger and gave his folk new hope to live in a better country. But all of this had a price because to get to this point he HAD to kill many people and he had to give other countries the picture of a brutal Obsidian. Because 1. he didn´t explain himself (the death of the old emperor and that he was the new ruler), because he had everything planned out, even his death 2. because it was so isolated nobody could have visited it easily so their picture of Obsidian didn´t change after the war.

So yeah he is an antihero for me. Forced into a role but choosing to go down this path because he saw a solution at the end of this way and he always had his people in his mind.

But yeah I can understand when people say he is a villain, i won´t get angry or something. But I think behind Gilberts mask is so much more and he always thinks for others.

[erinoma9]

Problems with "The Search" Comic

Retconning Ursa's backstory

Some old lore about Ursa, before the comic came out.

Admittedly, this page conflates "royalty" with "nobility," which extends to Mai and Onji's page.

Contrast these excerpts to the Search. (SPOILERS AHEAD! And Long!)

"Born to Fire Nation royalty [nobility] and - raised as such."

Search! Ursa: Her family went into hiding after Roku's death. She grew up as a commoner in Hira'a - a small, remote 'backwater village' located on the far edge of the Fire Nation. Her father, Jinzuk worked as the town's magistrate, and her mother, Rina was a master herbalist. Her mother is the daughter of Avatar Roku and has his headpiece in her possession.

"She was the perfect match for Prince Ozai and soon became his wife"

Search! Ursa: Azulon and Ozai track down Avatar Roku's (supposedly remaining) descendants and possibly monitor them for months. They (forcibly) propose a union between Ursa and Ozai for eugenics purposes.

In a nutshell, her relation to Avatar Roku is enough to qualify her as the perfect match.

"There was a time when it probably wasn't such a bad marriage. I think they probably started okay. Certainly better than it ended up."

Search! Ursa: She didn't want to marry Ozai, she wanted to marry her one true love, Ikem but she didn't get much of a say. And come the wedding, Ozai drops a massive bombshell on her.

In short, it starts out as a bad marriage, to put it mildly.

Someone on TV tropes (Fridge Horror section. Be Warned!) posited that "started out okay" can mean anything. And that "okay" doesn't mean happy or willing.

To that I say, it's a massive stretch to claim this scene is equivalent to "started out okay." Okay is not another word for utterly miserable! Words similar to okay can range from alright, pleasant, acceptable or tolerable. So, "started out okay" and the conveniently ignored "better than it ended up" doesn't apply to the Search.

"She is a very sweet woman and a wonderful mother, but she is also very protective -- especially of her favorite child Zuko" ... "Ursa spent most of her time raising her children to be good Fire Nation citizens and the ideal royal family."

Search! Ursa: The comics intentionally or unintentionally avoid portraying Ursa as an imperialist but don't contradict that she taught Zuko and Azula Fire Nation Propaganda offscreen.

She didn't seem to care about being the "ideal royal" herself, privately at least.

For instance, she writes that infamous letter falsely citing Ikem as Zuko's father to spite Ozai among other reasons. Most damningly, she sees her life in the palace as "a life that [she] did not choose for herself," leading to the infamous memory wipe. Both examples have attracted critics, hence the "infamous" connotation, and arguably butcher her 'protective mother' characterisation.

Zuko Alone Ursa: Zuko. That's what moms are like. If you mess with their babies, humph, they're gonna bite you back! [Later on] Ursa: Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are. DoBS pt 2Ozai: My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost. She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared. [Later] Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished. "She (Ursa) kind of saved Zuko's life by doing something not very nice to Fire Lord Azulon" ~ Mike "Ursa mysteriously disappeared on the same night as Fire Lord Azulon's death. Some say that she was somehow involved in Fire Lord Azulon's death -- and that she did it to protect Zuko. But the truth is not known."

Search! Ursa: Despite these quotes stressing her role in Azulon's death and clearly implying that she murdered him, that role is given to Ozai. Instead, Search! Ursa merely makes the plan and a deadly poison, all because the writers didn't want her hands dirty.

Is it just me or is this scene so rushed? What happened to the "swore she would protect you at any cost" line?

Why does she assume she'll get to take her children, even though they are his heirs?

And then there's Ozai's response: he calls them, his collateral and has no problem referring to them as your children. He even threatens their lives, along with Ursa's, if she doesn’t keep her word.

Aside from how stupid it is for him to say that, it begs the question of why he didn't kill Ursa afterwards? He just lets her walk free when she's a loose end to him. Plot hole much!

So, Ursa's mum taught her how to make that poison - okay, in the vein of "what kind of mother forgets her children", what kind of mother teaches her daughter how to make an extremely deadly poison? Literally, no one talks about that!

[stardust948]

To keep on theme with the recent Urzai week:

Do you have any headcanons for them? Either canon atla of your own au

I have some for both!

Canon:

It was always an arranged marriage whether Ursa was a noble's daughter or if we're following the comics and she grew up as a peasant. She and Ozai had a bit of an awkward start, but they learned to get along mainly out of survival. (The Fire Nation Courts are brutal especially when you're the Firelord's least favorite).

Ozai is lowkey a simp. Ursa said one genuine nice thing to him, and he nearly went into an angst coma.

Ursa reigned Ozai in a lot which is why things immediately went down the drain after she left.

PDA is frown upon for Fire Nation royalty, so Ozai would make up for it by buying a lot of gifts for Ursa.

Ozai always planned for Ursa to return and rule by his side which is why he never remarried. She eventually fell of radar and presumed dead.

Once Ursa returned after the war and sided with Zuko's anti-imperialism, Ozai saw it as a betrayal and personal rejection much like how Azula viewed Mai and Ty Lee after the Boiling Rock. (Yes, Ursa was previously an imperialist like the rest of the Fire Nation Royal family).

Brave is the heart that loves / Dragon AU:

Ozai and Ursa did shortly break up after they ran away together. Both were very stressed from trying to survive on the streets and got into a huge fight.

They spent a couple of days apart before tracking down each other. They both apologized and promised to support one another from then on.

Zuko was conceived that night.

Frenemies / High School AU:

They got together freshman year when Ozai filled as the Dragon King when the original actor Ikem got sick. It was Ozai's first real play in the Performing Arts high school he fought his father tooth and nail to enroll in, so of course he was nervous. But Ursa helped him through it.

They had an impromptu kiss on stage during opening night. The director liked it so much he added it to the script permanently. Ikem was highly pissed because he was going to use the play to confess to Ursa, but Ozai beat him to it.

They had an on again off again relationship throughout high school. It was either a lot of PDA or screaming matches. Sometimes both at the same time.

The relationship became toxic senior year, so Ursa broke up with Ozai for good. But by graduation, they were on friendly terms after some personal growth.

A few years later, they reunited at Hakoda and Kya's wedding and decided to give their relationship another chance. Since they're more mature this go round, it worked out and they get married sometime later.

Their friends, the rest of the Gaang's parents, NEVER let them live down their cringy high school years.

Apothecary AU:

Ozai set out to make Ursa his pawn, but he ended up becoming hers'.

He becomes legit depressed after Ursa was fired from her apothecary job to the point Iroh convinced Azulon to let her return.

Ursa loves it when Ozai drops his stern prince act and goofs around with her.

The whole palace knows they're courting before they do.

Ursa's a little unhinged in this AU and often experiments on herself to test the medicines. Ozai had learned the hard way not to eat her food or tea.

That said, Ursa was way too eager to help Ozai assassin Azulon. She had the poisons already picked out and ready to go. Ozai should be concern, but he's too far gone at this point.

Very match my freak energy.

Rivers in the desert AU:

Ozai and Ursa's relationship was really more of a partnership with benefits before they were forced to flee. After being separated, romantic feelings began to develop.

There is an inversion appearance wise. Ursa's darker skin tones, which made her stand out like a sore thumb in the royal courts, allowed her to pass for Earth Kingdom with the right clothes. Ozai is the exact opposite.

~Going into spoiler territory~

Ursa cannot, for the life of her, believe Ozai knows how to use a stove now. (Ursa: "Who are you and what have you've done with my husband???") Ozai took Ursa's airbending pretty well. (It was a long day and he's tired.)

Both had changed a lot once they reunite but Ozai a bit more self-conscious. He did not have access to his expensive beauty products for years and body type had changed. He's still fit but HIS abs are gone. (Nearly starving to death will do that). Ursa assures him it's alright and she likes that his body is softer now.

They both have gray hair strands (The Gaang is great, but we all know what they're like.)

Once the Fire Nation is defeated, they swear to not have any more kids. Kiyi was a pure accident.

@urzaiweekblog