#this is actually how Lu ten died in canon btw

[kibutsulove]

bringing back some art from my old acc w/ some modifications,,

[jaxsteamblog]

This is where I pick apart the plot and say baseless things

I don’t like figuring out things out, which is why my series is so clunky and takes forever to update, and also why I LOVE crackpot and unsubstantiated theories.

(Not conspiracy theories)

This is specifically about crackpot theories that I applied to one of my fics, so PLEASE feel free to disregard.

I was 21 when I finally saw AtLA and had zero interest in shipping. I just really, REALLY liked the show and talking about it. It was because I started hanging out with another fan and we complained about the plot holes (and the fact that she’s a Zutara shipper from her youth) that I ended up following a very, shall we say, intentional pathway. 

One of the things I didn’t understand about the story, is how we had a character like Iroh. He arguably went through an off screen redemption arc that obliterates Zuko’s. People mock him repeatedly for his in show status compared to how he was as the “Dragon of the West.” The man pushed his soldiers into a 600 DAY SIEGE. He was the crown prince, and we (now) have canon proof of him looking exactly as he should. 

There are a few exceptions to his character, and we can feasibly understand that these points were what the White Lotus used to get him to jump sides.

One is his fondness for his family:

Two is his respect for the spirits.

I want to take a quick detour on something I call: Zuko Is Iroh On Speed Run

IDK if the writers ever had this in mind, but Zuko repeatedly repeats (heh) aspects of Iroh’s off screen life.

First: The Case of the Missing Mom

Azulon looks p cute in Legacy of the Fire Nation right?

I bet he had the ladies at the Academy *ahem*

I don’t think he had any problem getting married, and I bet it was a FANTASTIC match. And by that I mean, he probably got a lot out of it and his wife found out quick that there was nothing good looking INSIDE the man.

She kicks the bucket at some point, and I think this affects Iroh as it pertains to how he views his family.

(I have a separate theory that Azulon had two wives, and that he actually loved Iroh’s mother while Ozai’s mother was a necessity.)

Zuko’s mom disappears and Zuko is profoundly affected by how her absence alters his life. He can no longer trust ANYONE at that moment. (Iroh is not there, his grandfather was okay with him being killed and is now dead, his sister straight up taunted him about his impending execution, and his father was going to go through with it.) It causes him to build walls OH MY GOD IF THE CANON TIMELINE TAKES ~600 DAYS THEN IROH HAD TO DO ANOTHER SIEGE AND SUCCEEDED.

ANYWAY.

Let’s look at the new canon Lu Ten btw:

For a franchise that really likes to whitewash its characters, Lu Ten is looking a little........

....colonial?

I think Iroh fell in love with someone NOT from the main islands of the Fire Nation and Azulon did NOT like that. I think from Lu Ten’s letter, there was some tension at the palace that ramped up the expectations. 

Ursa was forcibly married to Ozai, and we see that Azulon wants to use whatever leverage he can in order to win the war. 

And we get to another Iroh/Zuko dichotomy.

I believe that Iroh buried himself in Spirit lore as a way to ensure a Fire Nation victory. Did his wife introduce him to it? Who knows. But I do think there was some sort of Earth Kingdom connection because I have a strong suspicion that Zhao learned about Wan Shi Tong’s library because Iroh wanted General Shu to find it. 

Similarly, Zuko has disgraced himself in the eyes of HIS father, so he goes off in search of the Avatar to redeem himself. 

They both lose everything and make their choice to change because of these things.

There was a crackpot theory that Koh took Lu Ten’s face (which obviously can’t be now that we have the Legacy book) and that it was Iroh’s meddling that brought Koh over.

So maybe it wasn’t Koh, but what if it was another spirit?

In the show, we have Tui and La, Hei Bai, the Painted Lady, Wan Shi Tong, Fang, and I’m throwing in Yue just because. People calling Zuko “the Blue Spirit” implies that people still expect to see spirits from time to time. 

I think that a spirit DID kill Lu Ten, and that Iroh WAS the one to bring it over. 

We watched what happened with Zuko and Aang.

Now, I think the White Lotus was trying to get to Iroh before Lu Ten’s death. Iroh had seen the Sun Warriors and left them alone. I think Iroh was the one to convince Piandao to take Zuko as a student. I bet Iroh and Jeong Jeong had plenty of talks about the meaning of everything before Jeong Jeong deserted. Between the two of them, I think they convinced the White Lotus to go after the Fire Nation Crown Prince.

Iroh wouldn’t be swayed, though, until after Lu Ten died. He questioned everything; the war, his life, what he was actually fighting for.

On his way home, I think that’s when he heard Azulon had died and Ozai had taken over the throne. 

He had a massive army, clearly loyal for staying that long, why didn’t he take them all they way to the palace doors?

Because Iroh had made the choice to humble himself, seek forgiveness, and joined the White Lotus.

Very similar to what Zuko did. 

Canon Zuko closes the circle on Iroh’s life, ultimately appearing as a wise, beloved figure in LoK that is also missing a wife. 

How does this bring me back to Zutara?

I think the canon ending completely topples the comparison of Iroh and Zuko. Lu Ten was clearly the product of Iroh falling in love with a colonial woman, if not a full blown Earth Kingdom woman. Iroh was meant to be the Fire Lord. Iroh was supposed to be happy.

Zuko is meant to be happily married to his non Fire Nation wife and being Fire Lord, establishing a harmony that recognizes the equal parts of every element. 

Zuko is meant to realize all of Iroh’s hopes and dreams. 

Not clear? They are mirrored, so not a 1:1 and more of like a palindrome.

Iroh earns his fathers ire by falling in love with a colonial/Earth Kingdom woman

Zuko earns his fathers ire by speaking out about the loss of life in war

Iroh attempts to redeem himself by using spirits to conquer Ba Sing Se

Zuko attempts to redeem himself by capturing the Avatar and going home

Iroh succeeds in finding spirits but doesn’t take Ba Sing Se, heads home having changed

Zuko doesn’t succeed in capturing the Avatar but goes home, hasn’t yet changed

Iroh abandons his family to join the group he thinks is doing the right thing

Zuko abandons his family to join the group he thinks is doing the right thing

Iroh works to support the Avatar

Zuko reconnects to the spiritual side of Firebending and the elements to find peace

Iroh speaks out against the war

Zuko falls in love with a Water Tribe woman oh sorry, I mean a Fire Nation lady thus maintaining the status quo.

During the show, we see a lot of seeds Iroh plants in Zuko’s mind blossom later on. Zuko follows in his uncle’s footprints, not ever knowing that’s what he’s doing.

And Iroh didn’t marry someone from the Fire Nation, that’s clearly obvious.