#katara will be watching her people struggle and ultimately die out by the time she is grey

[johnskleats]

I would also like to note that Katara is living in her people's genocide. There aren't enough of them to recover. Those kids are mostly siblings, there's no one Katara's age to marry unless it's someone older like Hakoda's friends, there's no one besides her direct family there she even likes enough to say goodbye to when she leaves. No future. No prospects. To remain at the South Pole is to accept the death of not only SWT style water bending, but her culture as a whole.

Katara is experiencing the active effects of genocide right now, as far as the life of the series is concerned. She's looking it in the face and she knows it. And even though bringing back SWT water bending won't save her tribe, even though saving the Avatar won't save her tribe, even though the damage is done and nothing will revive the lost culture and lost elders and lost infrastructure and art and government and society, it's GONE...still. She is willing to try. She has to try and preserve what is left of the real southern water tribe within herself. Because she is all that's left. She has to stop the Fire Nation because otherwise, she will have to watch them wipe out culture after culture, experience genocide again and again, and she cannot accept that. She cannot watch, dying, at the South Pole, also dying, as that same death looms over the whole world and do nothing.

Because Katara never turns her back on the people who need her.

I just watched Avatar for the first time all the way through, and yeah, it’s great, but the one thing that surprised me was how different Katara was compared to the fandom interpretation I’d seen and internalized before watching.

Like, before you watch Avatar, you’ve seen all these memes about Katara and her mom, and based on those memes, you assume it’s one of those lines you have to get used to hearing at least once every episode. But then you watch the show and realize that she only talks about her mom maybe five or six times per season and you also realize she only brings her up when she’s trying to comfort someone or empathize with them because that’s how she processes her grief and that’s one way she connects with people.

Or you hear the infamous line, “then you didn’t love [our mother] the way I did” and you prepare yourself for one of the worst character assassinations ever only to see the scene after nearly three seasons worth of context and realize she was kinda right. She’s been the mother, the nurturer, the comforter. She’s been patient, gentle, and accommodating where everyone else has gotten to be insensible and reckless and childish, and the one moment where she allows herself to feel her grief, suddenly she’s this evil bitch and not, y’know, a 14 year old girl whose been thrusted into adulthood in a way no other character has. A 14 year old girl who should be allowed immaturity and raw emotion and anger instead of the patience and grace she’s been forced to extend to every character without even the smallest amount of gratitude or even consideration in return.

Or you see all of the clips where Katara puts Aang in the “friendzone” and you expect to have this wishy washy back and forth where Aang is putting his feelings out there only to have Katara neither commit nor express any clear reciprocation or rejection. Then you watch and realize that, as cute as the ship is initially, that there’s never a point where Aang returns any comfort or grace to Katara despite her always doing this for him to the point of coddling. That for as much as Aang says he loves her, he never seems to outgrow his perception of her so he can recognize her as someone who feels grief, anger, and pain as much as she expresses love, kindness, and maturity. And instead of having moments where he learns to see her beyond her strength or compassion, you’re instead given moments where Aang forces his feelings onto her, both romantic and non-romantic, and Katara is expected to just…shoulder those feelings the way she shoulders everyone else’s.

Katara is the most misunderstood character in the show. As much as people recognize the complexities of Zuko, Sokka, and Azula, they struggle to do the same for Katara because they see her struggles as somehow lesser, and therefore, less deserving of sympathy. They can handle her so long as she’s being endlessly patient and loving and kind, but the moment her endless love, patience, and kindness runs out, she’s suddenly this annoying bitch who can’t shut up about her mother or reciprocate Aang’s feelings. But Katara’s trauma does matter as much as anyone else’s. No, she wasn’t banished from her kingdom. No, she didn’t lose her entire community, and no, she isn’t the only one who lost her mother. But the difference between her and everyone else whose experienced loss because of the Fire Nation is that she’s never given time to process her trauma. Aang gets to lean on Katara constantly. Toph gets to express her feelings to Katara, and yeah, Sokka also lost their mother, but unlike Katara, he isn’t put in the position of being a substitute for everyone’s parent. He even admits that he sees his sister as a mother. The only characters who ever comfort Katara or allow her to vent is Zuko and her father and that’s, like, three scenes in a show where the other characters are consistently given opportunities to seek out Katara for unconditional support.

The fandom interpretation of Katara has been so bastardized that even those who haven’t watched the show know her for this fanon version and not for who she is. She’s such an interesting character beyond her fandom limitations, though. She’s brave, hot-headed, and hopeful as well as gentle and caring. She wishes to learn waterbending, not only because she wants to fight in the war, but because she wants to continue her culture’s practices because, and people often forget this, she also lost an entire subculture within her already fractured tribe. And she wants to defeat the Fire Nation both because of her deep love and empathy for other people, but also because she wants to avenge her mother. But because some of the fans have reduced Katara to a bitch who constantly whines about her mother and friendzones Aang, you wouldn’t know any of this, and it sucks because she’s the only character whose been dumbed down to such an extent.

[softluci]

atla hcs

i’ve been thinking about this for a minute, and i wanna do a set of headcanons for how i think the brothers (and eventually the undateables) would feel about certain avatar: the last airbender characters, or something along those lines. i actually just wanted to talk about lucifer and azula, so everything else here is a bonus. this doesn’t matter, but for what it’s worth: wherever the mc pops up, they will be gn, enjoy!

also: this kinda goes without saying, but there are most definitely spoilers in here. for which seasons? i don’t remember, i watched this show when i was nine, but proceed with caution if you have yet to watch it.

lucifer

if it’s one thing you are not gonna play with him about, it is princess azula. this man is an azula supremacist, and while he might not say those words exactly, anyone would be able to tell that’s the case if they talked to him about the show for longer than two minutes. he actually wasn’t even interested in the show until azula showed up, and he will readily admit this to anyone who inquires about it. what makes it funny is the fact that her first appearance is literally, like, ten seconds, so that means he saw her and immediately knew she was the best, which, like—real recognize real. is he projecting? am i projecting? yes, no. in that order. shut up.

he actually almost couldn’t hide how proud he was when azula almost killed aang, this man is deranged. the same way he takes her wins personally, he takes every loss of hers personally as well, so when she lost that agni kai? 🚶‍♂️ 

the average azula enjoyer believes azula should get a redemption arc, lucifer believes azula should simply get whatever she wants, and the difference between those two things is striking.

average azula enjoyer: i believe azula deserves to heal and redeem herself. it isn’t fair that she was left with her tyrannical, abusive father during formative years of her childhood, with no one to help her or show her what it means to be good. she cannot be blamed for the way she turned out. it especially isn’t fair that she gets no redemption for evil things she did at age fourteen, for a year, while the entire show is iroh’s redemption arc, and he was doing evil for decades—he is literally called “the dragon of the west” because of it. additionally—

lucifer morningstar, resident azula supremacist: everything azula did, she was right to do, because i would’ve done the same. there was never a point at which she was wrong, it’s just unfortunate that nobody could keep up with her, her father included. the only reason why she ended up losing, ultimately, is because this is a children’s show, and good is supposed to win out. it was plot armor. if this were realistic, she would’ve beaten everyone—at the very least, she would’ve beaten zuko in the final agni kai, it’s just that he broke the rules and brought backup. at the time of the agni kai, she was literally the strongest firebender in the show. that’s actually the only part of this lucifer is right about, but you can’t tell him that.

if you ask him what his favorite quote in the show is, he’ll immediately say, “i can see your whole history in your eyes. you were born with nothing, so you’ve had to struggle, and connive, and claw your way to power. but true power? the divine right to rule? is something you’re born with.” and he will do it so well that it’ll give you the chills. 

in actuality, his favorite quote is, “i’d really rather our family physician look after little zuzu, if you don’t mind.” it’s just that it doesn’t have the same chilling effect as the first one. 

does he like any other characters? does he even care about any other characters? he has a deep fondness for sokka because he reminds him of mammon.  yes, and they are katara and suki, with honorable mention to avatar kyoshi. 

does he hate any characters? no, but if you mention avatar kuruk or uncle iroh to him, he might get annoyed. is mildly frustrated by aang, but has the sense to cut him some slack for being twelve and the last of his kind. never speak of ozai.

mammon 

toph supremacist. frequent user of the phrase, “toph is just fucking class.” knows for a fact that toph is the best and strongest bender in the entire show, and no one has ever managed to convince him otherwise. mainly because nobody really disagrees. like, have you ever even seen toph slander?

just like lucifer with azula, he wasn’t invested in the show until toph showed up, which, once again, is funny, because technically her very first appearance is only a few seconds long, so that means he saw her for a literal second and just knew. you can’t even be mad at that, real recognize real. 

no one will ever see him more proud than when he’s talking about one toph beifong. he can’t get over her raw, unbridled talent, and he really never should. if you let him (so, if you’re levi), he will spend so much time analyzing her character and every single one of her strengths, from the fact that she’s the only one who knows when azula is lying, all the way down to the fact that even though she projects a tough persona, she can still be vulnerable, AND—

not only is she strong, but her personality is simply untouchable. this girl grows on literally everyone; like, even lucifer likes her, even though he’ll die before saying it out loud. 

he gets so smug whenever someone asks him who his favorite is and it’s because he knows his taste is top tier, and what makes it worse is that no one can even disagree because toph is just that good. 

will never admit it, but he was shaking and crying during the scene where it looked like toph and sokka were literally gonna die. was also gonna cry when toph almost drowned. basically: he is eternally grateful to suki. 

his favorite line in the entire show is, “i am the greatest earthbender in the world! don’t you two dunderheads ever forget it.” it’s just fucking class.

does he like any other characters? he sees himself in sokka, he’ll tell you that much. he also knows that satan and lucifer like sokka because of him, and he found out because he heard them talking about it. to their joint dismay, they turned to see him standing behind them, grinning like an idiot, and they couldn’t even scare him into leaving them alone when he hugged both of them at the same time because, one, they didn’t really want to, and two, they couldn’t turn off their fondness for him fast enough ^_^. did they reciprocate his hug? did they stay like that for a little bit? did lucifer kiss the tops of their heads? maybe so🤨

does he hate any characters? not really, but he doesn’t particularly like azula because she scares him and makes him sad, like lucifer and doesn’t see her appeal. once tried to make a case for why she shouldn’t have a redemption arc and felt painfully human from the way he almost died. do not mention toph’s parents to him. the name ozai should also never be on your tongue.

levi 

resident sokka enjoyer and suki appreciator. do not ever call sokka dumb in front of this man unless you want a proper lecture. unlike a few of his brothers, he doesn’t like sokka just because of his similarities to mammon. he also likes sokka because he relates to him on a personal level. 

levi absolutely knows what it’s like to feel inadequate and outshined by people younger than you. he absolutely knows what it’s like to feel like your competence is overlooked. while he might be unfamiliar with how it feels to strategize for a war and lose a battle, but it is one of his biggest fears and it absolutely crushed him to see sokka go through that. 

on a lighter note, levi has a deep appreciation for sokka’s comedic value, despite the fact that it can overshadow his intelligence. levi would actually venture to say that he likes sokka’s funnier side because it overshadows his intelligence to the point that it throws the opposition for a loop. this is the aspect of sokka that reminds him of mammon. 

it also seriously warmed his heart to see how everyone missed sokka while he was away for sword training; he especially liked that episode because it was just an affirmation of the fact that sokka is an integral part of team avatar, which he really needed to see. 

you know who else is an integral part of team avatar who needs to be recognized as such more often? suki. do you know how much pain levi is in every time he thinks about the lack of suki screentime . it’s a lot . suki is just too good for the amount of screentime she has, he’s sorry, but it’s true. this is evidenced by the scene of her literally running across prisoners’ heads to apprehend the warden of boiling rock. that scene speaks for itself—she and the other kyoshi warriors end up as zuko’s body guards for a reason. 

he will never let anyone forget that if it weren’t for suki, sokka would still be a misogynist. she was an essential element to sokka’s growth as a character and everyone had better remember it or so help him. also , he is a firm believer in the fact that suki was the best love interest for sokka, with zuko as a close second. don’t ask questions. rip yue but argue with the wall.

his favorite line in the series? 

“zuko’s gone crazy! i made a sand sculpture of suki, and he destroyed it! oh, and he’s attacking aang.” 

it’s not profound or cool or anything like that, but it makes him smile and giggle every time he thinks of it ^_^. 

does he like any other characters? he has a lot of love for toph and azula for the sole fact that the series improved exponentially after both of their introductions; he thinks both of them are in leagues of their own and seeing them in action just puts a smile on his face. he’s also inexplicably fond of king bumi. 

does he hate any characters? not particularly, actually! he pretty much respects and appreciates everyone, except the guy who mutilated his thirteen year old son for speaking out of turn.

satan 

just pick a girl. any girl. and from the way he talks about them, you’ll think they’re his favorite. he can and will go on about the girls of atla for the rest of eternity.

but since we’re being specific:

katara appreciator. azula enjoyer. basically, between him and lucifer, no tongue raised against azula shall prosper. he has a deep respect for each of their wraths. he also really must have a thing for angst because both of these characters just break his heart. 

if you let him (in other words, if you’re levi), he will go on about how it’s not fair that people call katara annoying when, in reality, she just hasn’t healed from the trauma of seeing her mother’s corpse at age eight, followed by having to take care of her village, meaning she got literally no time to grieve properly, and—

call katara annoying in front of him and you might actually have to meet god for your shallow views of such a deep, complex character. 

he will also go on and on about how katara would be the best bender in the show, if it weren’t for toph, who is untouchable. instead, he’ll talk about how katara almost killed pakku for being misogynistic and how she single handedly beat azula during sozin’s comet. you will frequently hear this man say, “katara aang’s master for a reason,” and he’s right. 

similar to if you call katara annoying, if you call azula scary in front of satan, he’s bullying you. he’s sorry, but it has to happen. no way you’re scared of a traumatized fourteen year old, what are you, eight? or do you have no understanding of azula’s depth? both are unacceptable. 

satan is the average azula enjoyer, times about seven. you simply won’t get away with speaking poorly of azula in front of this man, so if you’re like mammon and don’t like her, you better tread very carefully. 

one time mammon tried to be like, “azula is too far gone to deserve redemption anyways,” and satan literally reverted to his demon form as he said: “if i were abandoned with my terrible father as a child, with literally no one to help me, and then my friends betrayed me, and then, as i was about to be crowned ruler of my country, my dumb fucking idiot brother showed up with his dumb peasant friend for backup, which isn’t even allowed, i might be mad forever too, actually—” and then he threw the nearest chair at mammon for his criminally bad take.

another reason why satan loves azula so much is because he’s convinced she’s a lesbian and satan is the most “let’s go lesbians!!!” person you will ever meet. you actually can’t convince him that she isn’t a lesbian. forget chan. nobody gives a fuck about chan.

what’s his favorite line in the entire series? 

“trust me, zuko—it’s not going to be much of a match.” 

like, come on. katara is just too good. 

does he like any other characters (other than the girls of atla)? he’ll never admit it, but he has a lot of respect for sokka and a soft spot for him because he reminds him of mammon. he also has a lot of respect for aang because he reminds him of beel of how well he handled literally everything despite being twelve. 

does he hate any—yes. never speak of avatar roku. or iroh. or ozai. for good measure, don’t mention general zhao either. 

asmo 

what lucifer is to azula, asmo is to ty lee. like do i even have to say anything else. but for what it’s worth, he also love, love, loves azula because she reminds him of lucifer, from her strength and class, all the way down to her descent into madness. and even though she breaks his heart just as much as she does satan’s. he may or may not have cried over azula in satan’s room while they were talking about her. unlike lucifer and satan, he can respect it if you don’t like her, but it’ll make him so sad. 

but enough about azula. ty lee is where it’s at for him. her subtle strength and unwavering love is something to die for, and he will defend it against anyone, up to and including lucifer, and he’ll win too. asmo is not to be trifled with and neither is ty lee; he can make a strong argument as to why ty lee is the strongest character in the show, and you will have a very hard time trying to refute his points. (the main point being: it’ll be really hard to win a fight against someone who can paralyze you in a few seconds, bender or not.)

the fact that ty lee ran away from home because she was tired of the fact that nobody ever saw her as her own person is just something that tugs at asmo’s heartstrings. he thinks ty lee’s bravery is just something that can be so personal. 

also—he has a massive appreciation for the fact that, even though there’s a war going on and ty lee is in near-constant danger, she still has the sense to maintain her appearance and worry about the skincare of not just herself, but also people she’s close to. that is a detail he will never let anyone forget. 

never mentions it in front of lucifer but one of his favorite scenes is when she paralyzes azula to save mai. once again: ty lee’s bravery is just something that can be so personal. 

he doesn’t have a favorite line in the series, but his favorite exchange of dialogue is between ty lee and azula, wherein ty lee is trying to teach azula how to flirt. he thinks it’s the cutest thing in the world.

does he like any other characters? of course! he likes everyone ^_^ . you’d actually be hard pressed to find someone he hates. ozai. it’s ozai. he has a real soft spot for mai because she reminds him of belphie. something about their shared aversion to affection is just so cute to him!

beel

aang supremacist, will hold steadfast to the fact that aang is the best character in the show and you will struggle to figure out how to convince him otherwise. 

if you ask him why aang is his favorite, the first thing he will do is gesture to a picture of him and say, “look at the material,” like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, before diving into a ten minute in depth character analysis for this boy. 

come on. he shouldn’t even have to explain himself. not only is aang one of the strongest, most competent avatars to exist, ever, he also mastered all four elements in a year, when he was twelve—he’s literally a different breed. and he managed to beat ozai in his own way, without killing him, as a means of staying true to a culture that could have literally died with him at any point in the show. aang is just fucking class.

he also admires aang for his near unwavering kindness and lighthearted nature. and for never going berserk and killing everyone he sees, especially after finding out his people were killed while he was in ice.

you have no idea how much pain beel was in when he found out that the air nomads were just gone. seeing a child find out that not only their family is gone, but also the entirety of their people and culture, just absolutely broke his heart. and that guilt aang was feeling? hit way too close to home for him. 

he also thinks it’s really nice that aang was so quick to forgive zuko after everything, and the two of them ended up being really good friends. it just puts a smile on his face. 

after some reflection with levi, he would’ve liked to see the full scope of an airbender’s power in the series; as in, he would’ve liked to see someone suffocated, but it’s okay, because aang wasn’t like that.  and he heard it happens in the next series over.

anyway, beel’s favorite quote in the show...well, it isn’t really a quote, as much as it’s a dialogue between two characters. it’s the scene where toph asks, “do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?” and aang says, “i don’t see why not.” it could bring a tears to his eyes just thinking about it; and in the next series over when it’s proven to be true, he absolutely cried. 

does he like any other characters? he’s actually really fond of zuko and mai because they both remind him of belphie. he also likes sokka for the same reason lucifer and satan like sokka. he has a deep appreciation for katara because aang would literally be dead without if it weren’t for her.

does he hate any characters? well, he doesn’t really like azula. he feels bad for her, but he doesn’t like her. but as for who he hates? take a wild guess. 

belphie 

zuko makes him sob is his number one. yes zuko is his favorite because of his redemption arc, yes he sees himself in zuko, no he will not explain any further than that, what’s your point🤨

in actuality, he will never be able to properly articulate how important it is for him to see that redemption is, indeed, attainable, if you put the work in. in a similar vein, he will also never be able to give words to how important it is for him to see that forgiveness is also attainable.  it means the world to him. that is why it makes him cry. the feeling is overwhelming. i’m gonna cry if i think about it for too long.

he will cling to the fact that zuko is the best character in the show, and he will cling to it even when zuko embarrasses him by saying stupid shit like, “no lightning today?” and even when zuko is so awkward it causes him physical pain. that’s his number one and he’s not changing on it!

firm zukka supporter. will not argue. that’s all.

what’s his favorite line in the entire series? it’s one of the two you’re thinking of. make that decision for yourself.

does he like any other characters? he positively adores aang and will readily admit that it’s because he reminds him of beel. bonus points for aang because he also loves the dynamic between him and zuko. toph is a distant third, mainly because he just really likes her attitude. he looks at her and thinks, now this is someone who would not hesitate to kick lucifer’s ass. 

does he hate any characters? you better believe it. he hates iroh because he reminds him of dia. he can’t really bring himself to like azula because she makes him a different kind of sad. and if you know what’s good for you, you will never mention ozai. 

[shinidamachu]

Do you have thoughts on the Aang/Ozai showdown at the end?

Zuko: please. The real hero is a random rock the Avatar.

The final battle was amazing, from an animation poin of view. The colors, the fighting sequence, the symbolism, Aang finally mastering all elements. Just very exciting and satisfying to watch, because it was something that the audience was hoping for since episode one. And they delivered it.

From a writing point of view, though? It was less of a showdown and more of a cop-out. See, I'm not saying, by any means, that Aang should have killed Ozai. Quite the opposite. Not only because it was a children's show. Not only because Aang was a traumatized, non violent, 12 years old. But also because it made sense for the character and for the core themes of the show.

Don't get me wrong, Ozai one hundred per cent deserved to die. Aang himself stated that the world would be a better place without Ozai in it. I just don't think he should be the one to do it. At the same time, is on his hands that Ozai's fate lays and no one else can make that decision for him.

So if killing Ozai off could turn him into a Fire Nation martyr anyway and Aang refuses to do so because of his pacifist principles, what's the other option to defeat the guy and end the war? The authors went with energy bending and, honestly, I thought it was brilliant for a series of reasons.

First, ending Ozai's life seems like the obvious choice, an easy way out. I love the concept of Aang refusing to do what's expected of him and choosing instead to finish the war on his own terms, without compromising who he is, because in theory, that would mean he would have to go out of his way to find a different solution, in a perfect shout out to Bumi's words in The King Of Omashu: "you must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius."

Second, in a show where bending is intimately related to one's very being, the questions begs to be raised: how much taking someone's bending away is better, more ethical or less cruel than actively killing them? Because it's a fundamental part of who they are, of their soul. Ty Lee had the abiliity to block chis, temporarily making people unable to bend. And it was a terrifying thing for the people she used the technique on.

Lastly, it ends the "killing Ozai would turn him into a Fire Nation martyr" for good, because (ATLA COMICS SPOILER ALERT) Aang let him leave without his bending and a significant amount of people still worshipped the guy to the point of planning coups on the down low and sending Zuko death threats left and right, so we basically got the same result, but Ozai remained an ever present threat to the peace Aang fought to achieve.

The problem, as people smarter and more eloquent than I have pointed out countless times, wasn't the energy bending solution, it was the way it was introduced and then executed.

Aang: hey! Look at these weird Lion Turtle things.

Looking back now, this scene from The Library was obviously foreshadowing the finale, so the Lion Turtle reveal wasn't pulled out of thin air. It had a purpose. Considering that this episode, from Book Two, mentioned the Lion Turtle, who would later teach Aang how to energy bend and that The Guru, also from Book Two, introduced the arc of Aang having to let go of his attachment to Katara in order to master the Avatar State, I can only assume that the original intentions of the writers were very clear:

Aang doesn't want to kill Ozai but he also doesn't want to let go of Katara. That's the catch! To "energy bend" his way out of murder, he has to master the Avatar State. His conflict here, is much greater than before because now Katara is a factor in the equation as well. He either kills Ozai, keeps his attachment and gives up the Avatar State or he masters it, defeats Ozai by removing his bending but has to let go of Katara in the process. It's awesome because it's the hardest possible choice a character like Aang could be forced to make. And we knew he would ultimately do the right thing, but regardless of what he decides, he still loses something important to him, he still has to make a huge sacrifice.

Of course, none of that happens. This was the first and only time the Lion Turtle was brought up. The “letting Katara go” arc was unceremoniously killed alongside Aang the second Azula shot that lightning in Ba Sing Se, but differently from the Avatar, whom Katara ressurrected, it was never brought back. And it’s a shame. Because The Library was the perfect episode to expand on the Lion Turtle and energy bending mystery. 

And the finale? It was the perfect episode for Aang to do what he failed to do in Ba Sing Se: to let Katara go and achieve the Avatar State by his own merits, sacrificing something he wanted for the greater good. The way he hid into a cocoon of rocks? It would have been a great call out to the little crystal tent he made in his fight with Azula when he decided to give the Guru’s advices a try. And it would also symbolize rebirth in the same way Katara breaking him out of the iceberg did. Because now he had finally reached the other side of the river and he is no longer the same person he once was.

But the narrative decided, instead, to rob Aang from any growth, from any substancial change, from any interesting arc. They went with the “love is the most important thing” approach to justify him honlding on to Katara. And I could have bought it if they hadn’t been so dishonest about it.

First: if you love someone, you let them go. Attachment and love are two very different things. No one ever told Aang to stop loving Katara. He was told to let her go. And it makes sense because he was attached to her in a way that wasn’t healthy for either of them, and was keeping him from achieving his full spiritual potential, something he should care a little more about, given his upbring.

Second, in the person of Iroh, arguably the wisest character in the show, Aang is told that he is right for choosing love over power. But this is a false equivalence because it’s not what Aang is doing. The scene makes it look like he is seeking power for the sake of power. That’s not the case. The Avatar State is an inherent power, meaning Aang already has it. It’s part of who he is. He just needs to unblock it and learn how to control it. And he has to do that not for personal gain, but to put an end in the war.

A war that took almost everything from Katara, the person he loves. Aside from Aang himself, she is the person who would benefit the most from him learning to control the Avatar State, since she is the one who has to calm him down every time he accidentaly triggers it and winning the war is a very personal goal of her. Now, this is just conjecture but I firmly believe that even if Katara was secretly in love with Aang (which I don’t buy), she would be the first to tell his it’s okay to let her go. But alas, she wasn’t even aware of this conflict. A conflict she played a key part in.

That being said, I do think that the Ozai dillema was introduced too late. It should have been explored before the Day of Black Sun, giving Aang plenty of time to search for a different solution. It also never made sense to me why killing Ozai wasn’t a problem then. Apparently the explanation that I was supposed to stick with is that Aang was naive. He didn’t know people expected him to kill the Fire Lord until Zuko asked him what he would do when he faced Ozai, since violence wasn’t the answer. But I honestly struggle to accept this because, yes, Aang was naive. 

But not that naive. Not at that point. After episodes like The Siege of the North and The Avatar State, I just don’t buy he didn’t know what people wanted him to do. Plus, Aang has an evasive fighting style, based on always being one step ahead of his opponent. To do that, he has to plan beforehand. What was his plan to confront Ozai in the Day of Black Sun, after everything he went through? Talk to him? Arrest the guy? If that’s the case, shouldn’t it at least be discussed with the gang? It’s never addressed.

Then comes the finale. Aang’s moment of truth. The event we’ve all been hoping for. The one that will turn him into a legend. And Aang is losing. He can’t win without killing Ozai or controling the Avatar State to take his bending away. What will he sacrifice to become a hero? His morals or his attachment? Answer: neither! Because the writers decided he should have everything without give up nothing. So they miraculously make a convenently sharped rock hit the exact right spot in the perfect time unblock his chakra, allowing him to enter the Avatar State.

I’m not even gonna talk about how this is most definitely not how chakras work, because it’s not really my place. But I am gonna talk about the tragic (not to say hilarious) fact that, by trying to make Aang have his cake and eat it too, the writers ultimately made a fucking rock the responsible for Aang’s success. Not his cleverness, not his hard work, not his altruism: a rock. If that rock wasn’t there, in the right place, at the right time, then what? Would Aang finally have done what he had to do, or would he be killed, allowing the war to continue?

That’s my issue with it. That, and the fact that they had no trouble addressing delicate topics, but didn’t have enough courage to let the 12 years old protagonist end up alone. Because, of course, children can’t understand the hero not getting the girl. Right?

RIGHT?

Aang managed to defeat Ozai and get the girl even though there was a whole season dedicated to build up an arc in which he would have to let her go to succed. Even though their last one on one interaction before their last kiss was Aang screaming at her and storming off, while Katara reprimended him for walking away from the issue. Even if he had been acting more and more possessive and entitled when it came to her affection. Even if Katara had shown no real interest in him that way before she suddenly does. But what do I know? Maybe she was hit by a magic rock too.

Aang and Katara happened at the cost of Aang’s character development. Fandom might think the rival ship was harmed the most by it, but that’s not true. Aang was. And it’s really sad. He is an amazing character and he deserved to be the hero of his own story, to have his beliefs tested and to come out of his journey irrevocably changed, not locked inside a plot armor.

[jaceyneedsabetterusername]

Brave Little Soldier Boy

Pairings: Zuko x Reader

Summary: When an attack on a Fire Nation troop goes awry, not everyone makes it out. 

Warnings: DEATH. Sad stuff y’all, Descriptions of blood and wounds

Word Count: 1880

A/N: General Eiri is an OC. That’s about it. Also I’m really sorry for this because I love Zuko with my whole heart and don’t want anything bad to happen to him but this has been in my heads for days. 

______________________________

The plan was simple. Just a quick guerilla style attack on a Fire Nation battalion that was headed towards one of the last Earth Kingdom cities that was not under the Fire Nation control. With a small militia of local soldiers and volunteers, most of which were benders, on top of having the avatar on your side, there was no reason it should have spiraled so out of control. 

But it did. 

It was obvious to you and Zuko that the battle would be much harder to win than initially expected the second you saw that General Eiri was leading the battalion. He was one of Ozai’s most trusted associates and one of the most revered generals in the army, known for getting results, regardless of the cost. His men were some of the best trained in the army. When you and Zuko saw him, both of you had a gnawing feeling of dread in the pits of your stomachs. By the time you knew it was his battalion, it was too late to tell the militia to change tactics. 

The cost of the mistake had been the most brutal battle you’d ever been in. 

Trees along the path were charred or still on fire. Bodies of Fire Nation soldiers and Earth Kingdom militia alike littered the ground. Everyone was soaking wet and had their fair share of bruises, cuts, and burns from the battle. The only reason you had won was because Aang’s avatar state was triggered when Katara was cornered by a group of fire benders who had her cornered, using their fire to suck the moisture from the air. Aang had sent nearly the entire river that flowed beside the path to sweep away the Fire Nation soldiers, leaving behind only the people part of your side. 

You were on your hands and knees, coughing and sputtering the last drops of water from your lungs as you pushed yourself up and surveyed the damage. You’d seen battles before, even fought in some. Being Zuko’s lifelong best friend turned girlfriend, you chose to travel the world with him while he was in exile. As much as you regretted it, you were there for the attack on Kyoshi Island and several others along with Zuko on his quest to capture Aang. You had seen and done things you regretted. The remnants of this battle felt exactly like it did when you looked back on those regretful times. 

When you looked around and saw the death and destruction, you couldn’t help but feel partially responsible. It wasn’t like you and Zuko knew beforehand that this was General Eiri’s army and even if you did, it wasn’t like you were going to just let them take the city. You knew deep down that there wasn’t another other way you would have handled the situation but you couldn’t help but feel irrationally guilty. 

“Y/N! Are you okay?” Katara jogged over to you. She was totally dry, having bent the water around her when Aang swept it across you. 

You nodded, “I’m fine. Where is everyone?” Apart from the cuts and bruises that everyone had acquired from being thrown around, you were alright. 

Almost on cue, Toph stood from the ground a few dozen feet behind Katara and wrung out her clothes, “Aang, I don’t know what you did, but that was awesome!” Aang was standing about fifty feet from your left, taking a second to see the damage that had been caused by the damage. 

“Did we win?” Sokka asked wearily, pressing his body out of the now muddy road and looking down in disappointment to see how dirty his clothes were. 

There was still one person missing. “Where’s Zuko?” You asked, anxiety creeping up as more and more members of the militia stood up and none of them were Zuko. 

“I haven’t seen him since the beginning of the attack.” Katara sounded apologetic as she answered, “We’ll find him.” Her eyes were reassuring but that that didn’t stop the panic from welling up in your chest. 

You had started walking off before Katara had even finished talking, almost in a trance as you searched the battlefield. People had begun to get up, regaining their composure after the wave swept over them but none of them were Zuko as far as you could see. 

“Zuko?” You called out, “Zuko?” 

A distant cough and quiet, “Y/N…” 

It came out as almost a struggling plea that shook you to your very core. “Zuko!” You looked around frantically, knowing you were close, until you found him, lying slumped over some gnarled tree roots that were partially above ground. “Oh my God, Zuko! What happened?” 

You ran over to him, practically sliding on your knees to him and doing a once over of his body. There was blood staining multiple spots on his clothing, bleeding together so much so that you couldn’t even figure out what needed to be fixed. 

“General Eiri-” He coughed and grimaced at his own words, his voice hoarse and strained, “Called me the Fire Nation’s greatest disgrace and-” Yet again, he broke down into a fit of coughs. He didn’t need to finish his sentence to piece together what happened next. 

You stroked his hair out of his face, “Shh, it’s okay.  Don’t hurt yourself.” You were trying with all your might to stay strong but this didn’t look good. What you couldn’t fathom was how in the world this could have happened. Zuko was the strongest person you knew- literally. You’d seen the man break doors with a single kick. He had been trained in fire bending, sword  fighting, and hand to hand combat since he could walk. There was no reason you could think of that he should have lost a fight but here he was. 

“Katara! Help!” You yelled out, tears brimming in your eyes. You swallowed hard, trying with all your might to keep them back. 

Katara came running to help, “Y/N! What’s wrong?” She noticed the large pool of blood immediately and gasped, “Zuko!” 

“You have to heal him!” It was more of a demand than a request and Katara’s wide eyes told you that you took her off guard with your words. 

“Let me try.” With a wave of her hand, Katara lifted water from the river and swirled it around Zuko’s various wounds. He hissed and gripped your arm weakly. 

“You’re okay. She’s gonna fix you up.” You cooed, shifting so that his head rested in your lap and you stroked his hair. 

Katara put all her focus into trying to heal the wounds but even if she could heal them up, she couldn’t replace the blood. “It’s not working.” She too was nearly crying, feeling like this was the ultimate failure, allowing a friend to die. 

Your eyes were nearly flaming when you looked at her, “What the hell do you mean!? Didn’t you bring Aang back from the dead?” Anger and fear were pronounced in your voice and Katara almost shrank back. She’d never seen you like this but she couldn’t say she blamed you. 

“I had special water from the Northern Water Tribe then! This water isn’t working. He’s already lost so much blood… I-I don’t know what to do.” Katara was nearly shaking. She’d never lost someone she was trying to save before. 

“Then I’ll cauterize the wounds.” A flame lit ablaze in your hand and you moved to untie his shirt and reveal the wounds. 

Katara just shook her head and matched your watery gaze, “I could close the wounds too without the pain of burning him but it won’t replace the blood.” 

“THEN WHAT WILL, MISS HEALER?!” You lashed out angrily, voice reverberating through the woods.  

Katara flinched back, eyes wide, but her eyes were watering as she looked down at Zuko, “I am so sorry. I wish I could heal you.” Her voice cracked as tears began to pour down her face. 

The world spun around you and the air felt crushing. The tears fell down your cheeks freely now as Toph, Sokka, and Aang all joined the group of you. 

“It’s okay, Y/N.” Zuko weakly squeezed your arm but you shook your head. 

“No! It’s not okay! You can’t leave me! Not after all we’ve been through.” It was as if your entire lives flashed in a slideshow. Your father was a Fire Nation official so you and Zuko had been friends from a young age, growing up together as best friends. Upon his exile, you’d gone against your father’s wishes and joined Zuko on his quest across the world. Somewhere along the line, you’d both figured out that your love for each other went deeper than just that of friends. You’d seen this boy live life with such determination and resolve that seeing him just give into death left you dumbfounded. 

“J-just don’t leave me,” Zuko pleaded weakly, his eyes focusing and unfocusing as he looked up at you, “I don’t want to go alone.” 

You stroked his hair aside and bent down, kissing him on the lips, “When have I ever left you alone, Zu? I’ve got you.” His skin that had always burned so warm was now unnervingly cool and clammy. 

“I’m sorry I let you down.” 

“Don’t you dare say that. You didn’t let anyone down. I’m sorry I let you down. I should have been there to help. If only I-” You sobbed, hot tears falling down your face as you gripped his tunic top, trying to keep him close to you.

“Please,” A few more coughs disrupted his speech, “Don’t do that to yourself.” You couldn’t say anything back. You didn’t know what to say. There was so much you wanted to say, so much you wanted to do. You wanted to win this war with him, to help resolve the unrest across the world, to eventually get married and have some little ones of your own, to grow old together. How could you possibly say anything that could suffice for a lifetime of never seeing him again? 

Zuko shifted in your arms, grimacing as he did, “It’s cold.” 

A small flame appeared in your hand once more, holding it just close enough for the warmth to radiate onto him without burning him. “I’ve got you, love.” 

“I love you.” He whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek, “And tell my uncle I’m sorry. For everything...” 

“He knows, Zuko. And I love you so much.” 

Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Katara watched as you fell apart, your body wracking in muffled sobs as you held Zuko close. Sokka and Toph stood quietly while Aang and Katara both cried silently. Following Aang, all four knelt down beside the two of you and hung their heads low, some choosing to hold his arm just to let him know he wasn’t alone. 

“Leaves from the vine, falling so slow,” You began the traditional Fire Nation lullaby low and shaky, rocking Zuko gently while you sang.

“Like tiny fragile shells drifting in the foam.” His eyes slowly fluttered shut, your voice almost morphing into his mother’s while he struggled to stay awake.

“Little soldier boy, come marching home,” Zuko focused on the feel of your touch one last time, feeling himself being drawn from this world and into the next. 

“Brave little soldier boy, come marching home.”

[blueseakelp]

So I was watching Avatar the Last Airbender for the first time (the Ember Island Players episode), and it kind of slapped me in the face with emotions.

Because at first in the play, it’s funny and comedic, and the details aren’t quite right. We see most of the Gaang upset at how bad they’re being portrayed, in one way or another. And we get to see moments like Sokka tearing up at the part where Yue turns into the moon. But at this point, the play’s mostly just humorous, a bit annoying/insulting at worst.

In the next part though, we start to see some of the deeper implications of the play for the characters, namely Aang and Zuko.

For Zuko, we get to see how his feelings of having betrayed Uncle Iroh, as well as his guilt for many of the acts he committed while chasing the Avatar, still weigh on him. This leads to a nice heart to heart moment with Toph, and we get to see their friendship and more of Zuko’s steps on this new path.

For Aang, we see how he wanted to be with Katara, hoping the kiss between then before would propel the relationship further. We can see his hurt and disappointment when it doesn’t happen. This could also be where some of his insecurities come into play. Sure, he’s a super powerful bender, and shares a close bond with Katara but when it comes down to it, he’s twelve and she’s fourteen. He feels down and probably feels a sense of rejection from her, as well as being insecure about his shot with her. And to Aang, this is a super huge deal, so it affects him a lot. Trying to kiss her doesn’t help, and Aang goes back into the play likely feeling worse than before.

Then there’s the last part of the play. The Gaang has to fight and defeat Ozai to save the world. This already weighs heavy on them (after all, they’re young teenagers trying to defeat a powerful and ruthless leader), and to see it play out in the worst outcome is probably a blow to their confidence. While the play was supposed to be fun, it’s more stressful now.

Now we come to the deaths. At first, I though the whole Gaang died, but after rewatching it, I realized only Aang and Zuko die onstage.

Let’s start with Zuko. Here we have a crown prince who was banished from his entire nation for a seemingly small offense, a boy who relentlessly chased the Avatar in an attempt to regain honor and acceptance (and basically his self-worth), and now a teenager who is trying to be better, and is trying to help save the world. Zuko feels that he’s failed in many ways, especially that he’s failed his uncle, the closest person in his life. At his core, I think he wants to be an honorable person, a kind ruler and friend, a worthy leader to his people. And at this point in his life, he hasn’t exactly been the posterboy for these ideals, especially in his own view of himself. Anyway, back to his death on stage. He sees himself taken down by his sister, an event that could very well happen in real life, and he dies, yelling “honor”. That in and of itself is hard to deal with, knowing that his family is actually apt to kill him, and it is a real possibility. Also, I personally think the character onstage yelling “honor” still reminds him of himself when he was still trying to chase after everything that he thought would redeem himself (and ultimately failed to do what he thought it would). I think he fears being that same person at death, not having changed, and the idea is hard to deal with. And then, on top of him dying, the whole room watching the play explodes with clapping and cheers. These are Fire Nation people, his people, who he ultimately even got burned and banished for trying to protect. Zuko cares about their wellbeing, and these are people who were going to be his citizens, and still might be someday. And to see the way they think of him, as a traitor and someone worthy of death, that has to hurt deeply. Based on his character, he probably partly internalizes it as one of his faults, although some part of him has to recognize that some people will always think he’s a traitor. Either way, watching an entire theater of people cheer as you die onstage is a terrible feeling.

Now to move on to Aang. He’s already having a bad time, realizing he might not have a chance with someone he thought liked him back, and seeing the reality of fighting Ozai. And then, he’s killed by him. Even though he knows that he may loose to Ozai and loose his life during Sozin’s Comet, to see play out it further drills it into his head. To take it further, it’s not only his life he looses if he can’t defeat Ozai, but the world falls apart as well. I’d imagine that walking away from he play, Aang is probably even more stressed about his training and about fighting on the day of Sozin’s Comet, having seen a reality where he looses right in front of his face. To top it off, same as with Zuko, the crowd yet again claps and cheers. Aang’s onstage death obviously doesn’t have the same implications as Zuko’s, but it’s terrible in its own way. Throughout the series Aang can be impulsive and has his own struggles, but at the end of the day he tries his best and genuinely wants to keep people from being harmed. He’s a twelve year old boy that carries the burden and duty of an adult Avatar, and ultimately he decides not to run away, but to step up and save the world. Having people cheer for his death when he’s just trying to keep people from being hurt is most likely terrible for him. He’s seeing a world where he not only FAILS, but where people don’t seem to realize that he really just wants everyone to be safe and happy.

TL;DR: The Ember Island Players episode has lots of hurt and emotion behind it that doesn’t really get addressed in the show. Even though the Gaang has had people hate them and try to harm/kill them, watching yourself die onstage, especially with a roomful of people cheering, has to be extremely painful, especially for teenagers with huge expectations put on them and varying levels of self-esteem. This episode, while funny upfront, also shows another side of fear and pain that is very real for the members of the Gaang, especially Aang and Zuko.

Anyway, that’s my take on the Ember Island Players episode, it hit me when I first watched it, and again a second time as I watched it again. These are kids going through traumatic experiences that aren’t just war and dealing with terrible people.

Sorry that this was super long and convoluted, but thank you if you read it. I hope you’re safe and doing well <3

By the way, @nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice thanks! :)

[hermitknut]

A:TLA watch, part 12

All of my posts on this are here.

Not sure how many episodes I’m gonna do today, but I need to watch something while I have my soup :)

I am less on edge since having the filler episodes – not that any of these episodes are really filler as they’re always relevant at least in character ways, but you know what I mean. Still can’t wait to see what comes next though!

The Avatar and the Firelord

Just by the title I’d say we’re back to the main plot…

Oooo backstory time!!

Did Zuko get functionally the same message??

I love how when aang dreams the version of himself is back to bald and in the yellow-and-orange, it’s a nice reminder that how he looks right now isn’t how he sees himself

Ooo secret heat writing

The question is, who sent the message? Because if it was azula, zuko’s in shit. Maybe the white lotus?

Awww they were friends originally

Oh man I’d forgotten that the other avatars didn’t find out until they were sixteen. Hell of a shock.

I love seeing the four elements in use together.

This wedding conversation is ominous

Oh boy, it’s a bit more than ominous

I’m not sure I trust him to help him with the volcano…

…oh look, I was right

“should be renamed the history most people already know” lolll zuko XD

“your mother’s grandfather was avatar roku” WHAT (does this mean aang is technically sort of zuko’s great grandfather because that’s funny)

Damn I like the speech from Iroh, it’s great. I don’t think zuko liked it much though.

“Sokka just hold hands” XD

  The Runaway

Ooo are we finally gonna get a proper end to the Toph storyline??

Oooo what an opener!! I’m assuming Toph and Katara are play-acting here, but I’m not 100% sure

Yesss three days earlier, I love this kind of set up – like at the end of B99 s1.

Katara and Toph still struggling to get on. Hm.

I’m enjoying Toph vs the find-the-lady game XD

LOL AND THE SCAMS CONTINUE. This is such a great montage.

Omg the dead-toph one XD jesus kids

Katara you’re probably right but maybe don’t analyse AT toph I don’t think she appreciates it

Yowch, that’s a heck of a fight

Sokka that’s a terrible idea XD

Ahhhh the overhearing actually goes right for once, that’s lovely

“the ultimate scam” lollll sokka and aang in the background XD

Oh no, wooden cell! IT’S A TRAAAAAAAP

OH NO IT’S LASER HEAD

“appa’s in charge” hahaha

“if nothing else you’re at least fun to argue with” bless

“a sweaty stinky genius!” yesss

Oo did they manage to damage laserhead’s forehead eye?

  The Puppetmaster

Ooo this previously on is VERY previously…

Lol ghost stories XD

Ooo katara’s one is actually pretty creepy

“hello children” I proper jumped at that lol

People have been disappearing??

Well this has all the makings of a horror story doesn’t it

The little old lady is definitely in on it, whatever it is

I’m with Sokka, even though he’s being rude lol

She’s from the southern water tribe!!!

Ooo backstory

This is a great backstory but I’m still suspicious of her, honestly

“there’s water in places you never think about” OH I’M THINKING ABOUT THEM and also I have like. A faint memory about what this might be. But I’m not 100% sure so we’ll see.

LOL sokka’s rant about the moon lady

“and like all plants and all living things, they’re filled with water” YOU MEAN PEOPLE DON’T YOU I SEE THIS I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING

“I thought people had been disappearing around here during the full moon” YOU’RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT

Bloodbending YIKES

The fight sequence is really creeeeepy

I think that’s one of the most genuinely terrifying villains we’ve had, honestly

Brrrr. Yes, I actually remember reading some meta about blood-bending. I wasn’t totally sure if it was this or Korra, so I was still kind of surprised!

  Nightmares and Daydreams

Jesus we’re at the invasion already??? If we’re hitting it half way through the season I can only assume I was right in thinking it’s not going to go well :/

Aang’s hair is getting adorably fluffy

LOL look at how long and dramatic his hair is in the dream XD aang you’re so cute

“not even wearing pants” oh boy XD

Damn, very pampered zuko lol

Omg he’s got a fanbase now

Aw aang. Katara’s right, you should… probably get some actual rest.

Ooo he’s fancier in this dream!!

Math test oh dear

“stupid avatar, stupid cliff, stupid dream” lol sokka

“BECAUSE OF YOUR TINY BLADDER” AANG

Awwww I love this. Yoga. Now therapy. They’re trying so hard!

Hm zuko and the war meeting :/

Jesus that nightmare was horrible

“I’m going to stay awake straight through to the invasion” that is…not your best plan, aang.

Omgggg I got so taken in by the daydream of him and katara XD XD

Zuko was invited. Hmmm.

HE STILL HAS THE PICTURE OF THE FIRELORD MADE OF NOODLES

Sokka’s making armour for appa XD

Talking momo oh my god

APPA TALKING jesus I pulled away from the computer XD XD

God this is hilarious but also someone please knock aang safely unconscious

“but I wasn’t me” yesssss zuko. I stand by what I said at some point, which is that zuko breaking with his father is more meaningful if HE instigates it…

They made him a bedddd!!

Uh oh another nightmare

PANTSLESS FIRE LORD aang you’re adorable XD

So I’m stopping there because I can see that the next episode is a two-parter (OH GOD HERE WE GO).

For now, farewell – catch you next time, when I probably die of sheer excitement because IT’S INVASION DAY

H

[euphorichords]

Ultimate Top Twelve Avatar: The Last Airbender Episodes

WARNING: SPOILERS

12.                 The Waterbending Scroll S1E9

I have always loved this one, but mostly because I ship Zuko and Katara. Either way, this episode intrigues me because Katara does something that she deplores: stealing. She steals a water bending scroll and ends up putting the gang in a dangerous situation with some pirates, who then team up with Prince Zuko to terrorize the gang. Overall it’s a very entertaining episode.

11.                 The Warriors of Kyoshi S1E4

This episode tackles a lot of issues all in one. Specifically, it’s a pivotal moment in the entire series as it establishes a point of reference for the rest of the series. Sokka meets Suki and learns an important lesson in humility, Aang encounters fangirls for the first (and not the last) time, Katara deals with jealousy (and establishes an overarching personality), and Aang rides a giant eel-dragon monster. It’s a pretty great girl-power episode.

10.                 The Swamp S2E4

In this episode, the group experiences the divine intervention of the spirits. They are pulled down into the swamp by force and later separated. I’ve always loved the scene where they’re all hallucinating and chasing after specters because it speaks to each character’s inner feelings. Katara sees her mother, whom she misses very much. Sokka sees Yue, his first love who became the moon spirit. Aang sees a person he’s never met. They meet a man who lives with a tribe of water benders in the swamp, and this man gives the avatar some advice which Aang will later use again, that everything is connected in life.

9.   The Library S2E4

This scene makes the list because of the vastness of the design. This world has endless possibilities, making every episode more and more incredible. The gang discovers a lost library of immense knowledge buried in the desert. The library is guarded by a dangerous spirit of knowledge, who appears as a large owl. He allows the gang to peruse his library as they wish, but they nearly don’t escape, as this spirit has some very negative opinions about humans.

8.   The Guru/Crossroads of Destiny S2E18

Aang is a spiritual prodigy, that much can be seen from any other episode. This episode specifically, though, is focused on Aang’s formal teaching regarding chakras. The guru that Aang meets is very knowledgeable (and has a repoire with Appa, too) and encourages Aang to unlock each of his chakras in order to better control his transitions between his normal state and the Avatar state. Unfortunately, Aang has difficulty unlocking the final chakra, as he must let go of his love for Katara. He leaves without unlocking it and is blocked from the avatar state altogether. Further, this episode is pivotal in the relationship between Iroh and Zuko. The end of this episode marks a very powerful decision made by Zuko to betray his uncle, something he will later regret.

7.   Tales of Ba Sing Se S2E14

Although this episode does function as a filler episode, it is anything but useless. Each storyline adds to the dynamism of the characters. My personal favorite is that of Iroh. Iroh is by far one of my favorite characters, and his “tale” is also the saddest, as Iroh is celebrating his late son’s birthday. On this day he vows to help every person he meets, and it ends with him singing a mournful song in front of a picture of his son. I cry every time.

6.   Sokka’s Master S3E4

Sokka is a non-bender and that follows him through his life all the time. Often, non-benders can feel left out from the bending world, and for good reason. Sokka is encouraged by the rest of the gang to go get professional sword training, and boy is that rewarding. Not only does Sokka make a lifelong friend, he also gets the coolest sword ever forged. He becomes an impressive and formidable warrior.

5.   The Puppet Master S3E8

Some people love this episode, some people hate it. It is very creepy, that much we all can agree on. The gang meets a woman while traveling in the Fire Nation who is from the Southern Water Tribe. She bonds with Katara and eventually wishes to pass down her knowledge to Katara. It is soon revealed that this old woman is the monster behind many recent kidnappings. Katara is forced to either bloodbend or die.

4.   The Boiling Rock S3E13

Just amazing. This is the episode where Sokka and Katara are finally able to free their father from prison in the Fire Nation. In it, they must devise a plan to get him off the island in the middle of a boiling hot lake on the top of a volcano. Much like our Alcatraz, no prisoner has ever escaped boiling rock. Azula and her lady killers show up, but Mei betrays Azula in order to save Zuko, Sokka, and Hakoda. Lots of action.

3.   The Southern Raiders S3E13

Katara has struggled with her mother’s murder throughout the whole series, this is her opportunity to get revenge with the help of Zuko. It’s her chance to forgive him and allow him into the group. The most powerful moment comes when, confronting the man who killed her mother, he asks who she was protecting all those years ago. Katara looks up at him and shouts, “Me!” while also bending all the raindrops coming down around them. This moment gives me shivers every time I watch. As a side note, Suki and Sokka were totally going to bone when Zuko walked into Sokka’s tent. As a kid, the first time watching this episode, we rewound and rewatched Sokka’s reaction to his unexpected visitor over and over again.

2.   The Old Masters S3E16 – Part 2

Because my favorite relationship in the whole series is the one between Iroh and Zuko, this episode ranks extremely high for me. Zuko, a child of abuse, returns finally to apologize for his betrayal to his uncle. He expects Iroh to be firm and unforgiving, but is met with only love and joy. He cannot believe the incredible love this man has for him and it brings me to tears just thinking about it. Iroh is so proud and accepting of Zuko’s mistakes, it’s an unforgettable moment.

1.   The Painted Lady S3E3

My favorite episode. Katara is an amazing, kind hearted, powerful woman. She impersonates a water spirit in order to save a river town from the pollution of a Fire Nation refinery. She then continues this reuse in order to save the town from the soldiers that come to burn the village down. Not only is she an amazing woman and water bender, but we get to see a really badass side of Katara in this episode.