#we should recognise the similarities between their characters and how azula is a CHILD

[ravenousgf]

sort of bleak how there's so much compassion for sokka for being forced into the role of a child soldier to earn his place in the world--something he never had to do in the first place, ofc--while the only way ppl seem to be able to engage with azula's character is joking abt how she's a war criminal and famous proponent of the Far Right (bc us political systems are so universal obviously) despite her being. you know. ALSO forced into the role of a child soldier to earn her place in her world JUST LIKE SOKKA except she has absolutely no one in the present and foreseeable future :) ppl really hate victims of child abuse who don't turn out to be compassionate empathetic and hypersensitive huh

[nyangibun]

I know it sounds crazy to say it but if we are going to have a dance of dragons between Jon and Daenerys I would like it to be similar to the battle between Zuko and Azula, that instead of being something epic it was tragic. It was a fight between two siblings where one of then was succumbing to madness and the background music represented that perfectly. simply by listening to the soundtrack you can feel how, little by little, azula was losing her mind. she was realizing

[cont… that she no longer had anyone to care about her and that she was not as invincible as she believed. It was tragic.]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I’ve been saying this for years but I don’t hate Dani whatsoever. While I do see her as an eventual villain or rather antagonist to the Starks, I find her entire story completely tragic. She was an abused, lonely child, who was forced into marriage. Her rise to power should be a heroic journey but she is the poster child for the “living long enough to become the villain” quote. 

In a similar way, both Azula and Dani believed too much in their own hype. While Azula was sadistic and Dani thought herself a benevolent god, they’re not so different. They expect loyalty from their subjects and if you betray them, they won’t hesitate to burn you for it. They believe a throne/crown would fill in the gaps in their lives.��

Azula has always had her father’s approval but she believed she never had her mother’s. In her own way, she craved that but because it was Zuko who got their mother’s approval, she decided that she would have to be better than Zuko and be the better child/bender for their father in order to spite him and their mother. She was a child who just wanted a mother’s love if you broke it down to the simplest explanation. She substituted the need for love with the need for power because that was what her father gave her, what he passed down to her. He was the only parent who “cared” (though he didn’t; Ozai was an abusive ass to both his kids) and praising her capabilities was all he gave to her. So she was willing to do whatever or hurt whoever to become the next Fire Lord. 

Similarly, Dani grew up without parents. She only had her brother and we all know he was a creepy abusive asshat too. She also never had a home and has always spent her life moving from one place to another to avoid being found and murdered for being a Targ. There’s no wonder that Dani craves a home and a place where she can feel safe. But she’s misplaced this desire with the desire for the throne. In her mind, the Westerosi people have betrayed her and stolen her home from her, ousted her family from the throne, and it’s her right to reclaim it for herself. She has replaced a desire for a home with a desire for power/the throne. It’s become less about finding a place where she can be safe to just reclaiming what she thinks she’s owed because of her miserable childhood and she won’t stop for anyone till she gets it. 

They are both tragic figures but that in no way excuses their actions. A bad childhood doesn’t mean you get free pass to be a murderous cow, let’s be honest here. But it also doesn’t mean we can’t recognise that they are tragic figures as well as villains. That’s why Azula’s final fight was so powerful, so poignant and so heartbreaking. The crazed desire for power finally broke her and tore apart her mind. What made it worse was Zuko’s reaction to it for me because you know he never wanted to truly fight his sister. In his own way, he still cared about her and it wasn’t a victory for anyone in that moment. Even Katara recognised that. 

To simply make Dani a baddie and kill her without any other context would be a waste of a much more complex story and character. Her story is a sad one and her end should acknowledge that she had never intended to be this person, that she once had good intentions and a good heart. Even at the end, I won’t think Dani is wholly bad either because I don’t think you can reduce it to something like that. GRRM’s characters are never one or the other. Good characters aren’t always good and bad characters aren’t always bad. Life is shades of gray, as are his characters. And Dani’s death should reflect that, just as Azula’s had. 

I don’t know if what I said made sense or how repetitive it was lol so apologies if it’s one or the other or both. I’m very tired today (thank you, insomnia).