#yon rah

[sokkastyles]

I'll pay for the plane tickets to the library.

Kidding, I'm not rich.

On that not, I hate the whole colonizer/colonist argument. It makes no sense.

I also hate the whole Katara wouldn't get with Zuko because he is everything that she hates. Like dudes, she forgave him. As an individual. And she is friends with him.

Like

For reals.

Like idk maybe antis hate their friends but Katara is a person with high ideals who expects a lot from the people in her life. She's not that two-faced.

But honestly, it also goes back to ye olden Southern Raiders discourse and how KA shippers often see forgiveness as a passive thing vs Zutara shippers who support Katara's decision to forgive Zuko because she wanted to have a relationship with him (whether it be friendship or romance) alongside her choice not to forgive Yon Rah because she wanted nothing to do with him.

Katara wants Zuko in her life. That's canon whether you ship it or not.

[dragomer]

Why did Katara spare Yon Rah?

Because Yon Rah wasn't worth it, she'd hurt herself as much as she'd hurt Yon Rah and generally murder is bad. The episode was quite clear about it.

Thanks for the ask ^^

[sokkastyles]

The actual reason for this is just design, Zuko's scar is shaped like a flame because of style, which is also the reason FN helmets are flame-shaped, but thematically, it's just...really sad. That Ozai branded his thirteen year old son with a symbol of war. No wonder Katara associated it with war being "in Zuko's blood" like it's physically a part of him. No wonder she wanted to free him from that.

The face of the enemy

I was looking up references for Yon Rha and realized his helmet looked like Zuko's scar.

Which makes this scene even more powerful when Katara sees Zuko as a person much like herself and not just the pain and trauma the Fire Nation has caused.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Katara and Sokka - post southern raiders

Katara: Sokka? Do you have a moment?

Sokka: Sure. Did you find him? The guy who killed Mom?

Katara: Yes.

Sokka: Is he dead?

Katara: Yes. But I didn't kill him, Hama did, she's also dead.

Sokka: Hama?! Where'd you find her? How did she die?

Katara: It's a long story, and get this, Hama was the real target, not Mom, or me.

Sokka: Wow.

Katara: After killing him, she tried to after Zuko. We had a huge battle, she slipped and got stabbed through the heart by a giant icicle.

Sokka: Jeez. I'm sorry you had to see that.

Katara: Thanks, but, that's not all I wanted to talk with you about. The things I said to you earlier...I was way out of line. I went too far. I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for being dismissive of Aang's loss.

Sokka: I appreciate that, and it's alright. You know, you can always talk to me about what's bothering you, you don't have to put so much weight on your shoulders.

Katara: Your right. Even though the southern raiders mistook Mom for Hama, I would never have blamed her for her death or why she died. Hama did what she had to do to survive, she didn't deserve to suffer as badly as she did.

Sokka: May she find peace in death.

Katara: I never told anyone this...but for a long time...I blamed myself for mom dying. I hated myself more than the man who killed her.

Sokka: Why would you do that?

Katara: I don't know anymore.

Sokka: Well, I can tell you right now, what happened to Mom or Hama is not on you. You don't need to keep doing this to yourself. Do you understand me?

Katara (Gets teary-eyed and nods)

Sokka holds Katara and they embrace in a hug.

Sokka: Mom would be proud of you, of both of us, so Dad, and probably even Hama.

Katara expresses a low but semi-joyful chuckle during her sorrowful sobbing on Sokka's torso.

[aangarchy]

Ok but the fact aang is a child. And thinks u have to forgive someone who killed ur family. I bet Monk gyatso and the others were rolling in their graves devastated they can't ever tell Aang the real deal that he would've been told when he got older.

Monk gyatso probably: NO AANG. ITS JUST ABT LETTING GO

Ah, yet another shining example of someone who missed the entire point of the show.

If you think monk Gyatso would be "rolling in his grave" (which he doesn't even have, and i'm pretty sure air nomads don't do graves anyway) to see Aang grant Ozai mercy, you have completely misunderstood what air nomad culture represents. Air is the element of freedom. Yes, it's about letting go, not having any attachments. But not having attachments also means letting go of your feelings of hatred, letting go of grudges, and not letting your feelings consume you. Aang understands that remaining angry and bitter will not bring his people back. All he can do, is try his best to preserve and protect his culture, and part of that culture is an oath of pacifism. Aang choosing to spare Ozai does not mean he forgives him, or his predecessors for what they have done to the world. Instead, he lets go of his anger and hatred towards them so he himself can be free. Maybe eventually Aang will forgive them, but i personally don't believe it's then and there.

If anything, monk Gyatso would be proud of the decision Aang made in the end. It's the ultimate middle finger to the fire nation to show that they failed at destroying the air nation. Aang is not only a symbol of hope for the other remaining nations to end the war, but also for his own culture to prevail, and keep existing in whatever limited form Aang can preserve.

I think what you're referring to is TSR, with "thinks u have to forgive someone who killed ur family", when he tried to teach Katara about letting go and forgiving. Aang wasn't doing that bc he's against Katara getting justice. If anything, he agreed Katara needed to face Yon Rah for her own closure. But he's not trying to teach Katara forgiveness so he can save Yon Rah, he's doing it so he can save Katara. He knew that if Katara went through with this she'd get consumed by hate and anger for the rest of her life. Zuko even admitted in the end that Aang was right about what Katara needed, and it wasn't killing her mother's killer. And Katara did end up forgiving someone at the end of the episode, namely Zuko. Katara still learned and accepted Aang's lesson by the end, when at first she insisted forgiveness was impossible.

Also I think you're forgetting that Air nomads swear a non violence oath. Gyatso swore this oath as well. So again, idk where you're getting this idea that Gyatso would be "rolling in his grave" to see Aang stick to this oath.

[the-badger-mole]

Walk Around In Circles

Katara couldn't explain it. the sense of deja vu she got around Zuko. The moment he stepped off the boat and his eyes clashed with her furious glare, it felt familiar. Like she'd been waiting her entire life for this confrontation. But if Zuko felt it, he didn't let on. His focus arrow sharp on Aang.

The next time she felt it, she'd been tied to a tree. That part was new. What felt familiar was his pleas for understanding, and her ire at his audacity. The nerve of him! Still putting his pride and his country's valor over what was right.

Still?

Katara's anger was forgotten in that instant. What did still mean? The question was promptly chased away from her mind when he dangled her dearest treasure, her mother's necklace before her face. She had never been here before. She didn't recognize the uncertainty behind Zuko's bravado. She did not want to take his hand and lead him away from his foolish pursuit. She just wanted her mother's necklace back, and if she had to pry it from his cold dead fingers, she would.

Two times, a cave sent her reeling. The first time, was when she heard about them. Oma and Shu. Two lovers divided by the animosity of their people. What had they been fighting about, Katara had wondered. What was so important that Shu had to die before it could be resolved? Was was so unimportant that Oma and Shu thought their love could thrive in spite of it. The second time, Zuko had landed at her feet. Had anyone asked her about it later, she wouldn't have been able to explain her sense of betrayal. She'd let Zuko in. She had actually thought the part of her that recognized something in him had been telling her that she was seeing the good in him. But he'd made her look and feel more foolish than she'd ever felt in her life. From then on she was determined to squelch any sense of familiarity she felt towards him.

When he arrived, begging to even be their prisoner, Katara felt a type of rage she didn't have a name for. That was new. There were so many things in her life that enraged her, and she knew the feeling well, but this particular flavor of rage was new. It made her want to throw Zuko off of the cliff. It made her want to pummel his chest until it caved under her bare fists. It made her want to claw at him demanding to know why he betrayed her. How he could do it after everything.

After everything.

That gave Katara pause again. There was no everything. There was only a stupid girl who thought she saw something in a dark cave that wasn't really there. So when she went to Zuko that night, when she threatened his life, she was shutting a door. Building a stone wall. He would never get that close to her again.

He held her. They had left her mother's murderer alive, and she felt too many things to call it any one emotion, but it came out in tears, and Zuko didn't complain once as she sobbed into his shoulder. He held her and murmured soothing words that only made her cry harder. Promises that she did what was right for her. That her mother would be proud. That he was proud. That there was nothing wrong with what she chose. That Yon Rah was the most pathetic creature on the planet, and if she changed her mind, he would gladly take her back to put him out of everyone's misery. That made Katara laugh, even through the tears. It was just the sort of half joke he would make.

She didn't know that. She didn't know him well enough to know that. But...she did know that. As certainly as she knew the desert was hot and water was wet.

After that. She knew more. She knew his sense of humor (which no one else but Toph understood), and how to read when the tension in his shoulders was just annoyance and when it was actually something he needed to talk about. She knew when he needed space from everyone (though he never seemed to mind her presence). She knew his crooked smile (he only ever seemed to let her see it). She knew his scent (because she did his laundry with everyone else's, of course...). She knew that he liked having his scalp scratched, even though she had never actually done it himself.

She knew that he would die for her.

The despair she felt seeing him fall to Azula's lightning hurt the more for the familiarity. She would not let him die. Not this time.

There was no time for her to question that. This time. This was the first time he'd risked his life for her. They hadn't been friends that long. Still, when she beat Azula, there was nothing on Katara's mind except getting to Zuko's side. She could help him (this time she could help him). And when his flesh came together under her hands, and he took a deep breath, and Katara felt like she could breath again, too, it felt like she had been able to right a deep wrong.

It had been a long time since she'd stopped being bothered by the sense of deja vu. She didn't know how to explain it, but she felt as if she'd known Zuko forever. When they kissed for the first time, though...oh, it felt like coming home. Katara sank into his embrace and she fit in his arms so well. When she leaned in to kiss him again, and she didn't question the rightness of it. There was no thought in her mind at all except one.

Oh! How I've missed you, my love.

[sokkastyles]

This is a very good answer that gets to the distinction between the kind of forgiveness Aang thought Katara should give and genuine rehabilitation. Reformation should never mean that the people responsible for atrocities escape responsibility, especially if they aren't actually repentant for the things they did. But even in our own history we have people like Oskar Schindler who are considered heroes for their role in saving lives. Schindler started out as very much a part of the Nazi party but we weigh his actions as a whole when considering his legacy.

Similarly, nobody "forgot" Iroh's role in the siege, but it would also be ridiculous to not consider the instrumental role he had in ending the war.

At the end of the day, ATLA of course is not real life, but it is still important to consider the distinction between forgiving someone who is not sorry and genuine rehabilitation of a person who wishes to make amends, and allowing them the opportunity to do that. Which is something I think Katara would absolutely want to be involved in, but none of it should mean she should have to put up with abuse or disrespect, the same as Zuko shouldn't. But Katara did help that fire nation village, remember. She has never been against helping people in genuine need.

I actually think Iroh gives us insight into Katara's future as well. Someone who is always willing to help others but isn't a pushover with no moral conviction, either, and definitely reserves judgment for those deserving of it. We could all learn a lot from Uncle Iroh.

Katara made it very clear that she never ever wants to see Yon Rah again and most of the Zutara fandom supports that decision of hers.

So I guess the possible downside of Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals like Yon Rha and all those who are even worse than him.

Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh and she reforms in that way along with my and a few other's ideas of Aang showing her how open and master her own chakras. Speaking of Iroh, does anyone remember his ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore? There's no way he'd avoid dropping bodies that whole time.

Looks like Katara will ironically be taking Aang's advice about forgiveness after all but I don't think it'll be necessary for Katara to look for Yon Rah again and say so.

What do you think?

Tw: War crimes, genocide and nazism.

Disclaimer: I don't know what actually happened post canon. I tried to look on internet forums and it seems as the topic wasn't addressed in the comics. For this answer, I'm going under this assumption.

Sorry for not getting to this sooner, life got busy and I didn't want to give some half assed answer to such a delicate topic. There's a lot to comment on so I'll break this down step by step.

"Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals"...

The fire nation commited atrocious war crimes, leaving them with with many war criminals. War crimes are more than punishable. If it were real life, neither Katara or Zuko would have to reform and rehabilitate any of them.

An example of this would be the Nuremberg trials after WW2. Even recently, in 2022, Irmgard Furchner (an 98 year old women) faced a trial for being a secretary of a concentration camp (to put it lightly, she was very much a murderer). No one is getting away with their actions.

I read the relevant section from a Red Cross's document titled "Analysis of the punishments applicable to international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) in domestic law and practice". (The section being "States’ obligations under IHL to prosecute and punish international crimes").

I found something interesting. (ID in alt text).

*Grave breaches are more serious, vile violations of humananitarian law. Everything above applies to "genocide and crimes against humanity".

If Katara were in a position of power in the Fire Nation, not only would she not have to reform anyone, she also might get to help with the trials for them.

"Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh"

I don't know about his plans for Aang's other ideas, so I can't comment on them. What I did find was a short thread of his. And after reading it, I maintain that – like most ideas – his vision can work with sensitive execution.

Azula was still very much a 14 year old victim of grooming when the series took place. Her brother can help her through her redemption under one condition – the desire to be better should come from her.

He shouldn't sit through any mistreatment whatsoever. He'll guide her through a path he already went through, but she has to walk with him. Azula needs to be safe for Zuko. Only then, redemption would be possible.

"does anyone remember [Iroh's] ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore?"

The difference between Iroh and Yon Rah is what they're up to now. In the present Yon Rah is just some guy living with his mother. Meanwhile Iroh took back Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation colonizers.

Yon Rah isn't out here fixing his mistakes, he just got off scot-free. On the other hand, Iroh is a changed man and took action to correct his past on the same scale.

At the end of the day redemtion isn't Aang's idea. It's one of the major themes of Atla. It wants to show that people can change and grow. So it does. Zuko changes, Mai changes, Ty Lee changes, and Iroh is their future.

He tried to conquer Ba Sing Se, and now he took it back from conquerors. He was the worst of them all, and now he's unrecognizable. He's warm, wise and sweet. There's a meaning to it.

That doesn't mean that war criminals in the current day, scums who made no affort will get away with their crimes. That doesn't mean Katara would have to go through the mental torture of reforming her colonizers.

That is it! I hope I didn't come off as aggressive, I didn't mean to. Thank you for the ask, sorry for taking me forever to write this, and have a lovely day!

[allhailnarusama]

Do you ever think about how when Zuko confronted Ozai, before learning about what really happened to his mother, Ozai goaded Zuko into attacking him and Zuko didn't take it?

Do you ever think about when Katara confronted Yon Rah, after learning about what really happened to her mother, Yon Rah begged for his life and Katara granted it?

Victims confronting their victimizers and winning.

[forevermore05]

Prompt: Katara kills Yon Rah in Southern Riders but the both decide not to tell Aang, Katara wants to protect his innocence and is worried he'll see her differently and she knows he won't be supporting and Zuko goes along because it was her own private revenge quest and he was just tagging along so it's her decision not his and he'll respect that (and also because he doesn't think Aang can handle seeing Katara as a person with her own set of morals that differ from his)

Sharing this secret brings them closer together and they end up talking a lot just the two of them together in the beach house late at night often

Eventually Katara tells her brother who has mixed feelings about it because just thinking about his mother is difficult for him but he is supporting and promises he won't tell Aang but by this point Aang knows they are hiding something from him and doesn't like it, he starts getting jealous but they successfully distract him with training and war plans

After the war is over Katara tells her dad who approves and is openly proud of her for it, Aang hears and can't understand, he corners her alone and tries to tell her this goes against everything the monks taught him but it comes off as so balantly patronising that Zuko, who was just passing by feels like he has to intervene and defend her

Oh god, this is so good! You all have such good prompts. I promise I will write all of them. It will just take me time!

[atla-confessions]

Big beef with Zutara i have is y'all give Zuko too much credit in his treatment of Katara.Him hunting down Yon Rah so she could kill him was to get her to forgive him,not care for her trauma and it was shitty on his part to not spare her of more by doing it himself.At no point pre-redemption arc was did he give her special treatment like y'all often claim he did and the only real grand act of (platonic) love he did for Katara was jumping in front of Lightningbending for her.Y'all want her to grovel at Zuko's feet for the bare minimum and it gets on my nerves.Free Katara Aipaluk from the boy asskisser allegations

X

[bethany-sensei]

Rahi’s job involves him being alone a lot, but I’m actually in the middle of writing this scene:

Ragheiyont waited until sundown before making his way to the military neighborhoods. Following the map Seikhiel had drawn for him, he found the house.

It looked almost just like all the other houses on the street: two stories made of unadorned rectangles, but the slope of the roof looked nice to relax on. Two shallow steps led to the front door. Someone had tried growing some flowers out front, but they were all limp and brown now. Ragheiyont decided the path to the door looked far too exposed, so he circled around the back, where he found more doomed flowers and an old bench covered in leaf litter. There was a back door, but one of the windows opened with almost no effort. Ragheiyont eased himself over the sill.

The house felt abandoned, but that was stupid, wasn’t it? Ragheiyont moved silently, letting his senses adjust to his surroundings. He had entered a room with tall shelves lining the walls. A battered old chair and probably a lamp occupied one corner. Ragheiyont tiptoed through an open kind of archway or something into what must be the front room. A table and a kind of vertical organizer occupied the space beside the door. The adjacent wall held an assortment of weapons in neat display racks. On the opposite side of the room, a stairway led upward. Ragheiyont considered it for a long moment. Then he continued his circuit of the downstairs.

In the kitchen and dining area at last he encountered signs of life. There were some of the same arcane supplies and fixtures he recognized from Raphael’s kitchen, but most of them were smaller. The little table had only two chairs, and one of them looked like an afterthought. Behind the table, though, the interior wall was covered in shallow shelving in staggered and asymmetrical arrangements, each shelf artfully displaying tins and cups and little ceramic pots with spouts. Ragheiyont stared at it, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

Tea, he realized, remembering the teapot and the green tea. This is all to do with tea? If so, it was clearly the one thing in the house that Seikhiel truly loved. Ragheiyont wanted to touch it, to run his fingertips over every shelf until he understood. Then the refrigerator box thing made a noise, and he sprang away like a startled cat.

With one last guilty glance at the tea shelves, Ragheiyont headed for the stairs.

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[sokkastyles]

Honestly Katara would not be that angry at Zuko post ba sing se if she did not care about him. If she did not trust him. For her it's Jet all over again(I am again writing wise hating the writers for not letting Zutara be canon. It's not even about shipping. It's about character development choices and writing choices man and the choices they made did not make sense!) So yeah people saying she hated Zuko does not make sense. I honestly do not think any of the guys hated Zuko. Even when he was chasing them I do not think they hated him(found him annoying as hell and saw him as the black and white thinking of their image of evil fire nation. But not hate) Azula though I can see actual hate especially Sokka. Hate and fear.

I think they hated Zuko, but it's the hate you feel for an impersonal enemy. Katara's anger at him post-Ba Sing Se is something different altogether, because now she knows he's not just an impersonal enemy. Her insisting so much that he was just pretending to be human when she's with the others is proof of that, because Katara doesn't even treat her enemies that way. Katara's first instinct is to empathize with people, like Jet or the people of the Fire Nation town.

It's actually the ambiguity with Zuko that she's most afraid of after Ba Sing Se. Because he hurt her, like Jet, but also because, unlike with Jet, who never had the chance to show how he had changed, Zuko is asking her to trust him again. So Katara's empathy is at war with itself, because she wants to care about Zuko but is afraid of getting hurt again.

Katara needs to be able to forgive Zuko, needs to see that he is someone she can trust, in order for those feelings to be resolved.

When I think about Katara's relationship with Zuko, I think of the saying, the opposite of love is not hate, it's apathy. Katara feels so intensely about Zuko because of the love she has for other people, and because he was someone she wanted to love. Contrast that with Yon Rah, who she feels mostly apathy for, which is why she neither forgives him nor does she feel any more need for revenge after her confrontation, after she sees that he's just an empty shell, not even worth her hate.

[dreamchasernina]

All this newly restored discourse on the show is making me realize something. Some people just see ATLA as a show. A good show they once watched.

Look, I’ve been watching the show since I was 12, I guess. I’ve watched it more times than I can count and it has gotten me through a lot of tough times. It could be considered silly that a tv show had gotten me through a lot, it’s a just a tv show after all. But for me, it’s so much more than that. When I feel like I’m losing it in life and I can’t see the light I just watch the show, with characters I know and love so much and it just makes me feel better, so much weight is lifted off my shoulders. Seeing Zuko make mistakes over and over to eventually find himself, seeing Aang accept his destiny while also shaping it in a way that suits him, seeing Katara and Sokka get stronger and smarter and changing the world for the better. And so much more. It all just helps me, it’s like therapy.

Recently I’ve been through the hardest time ever in my life, and again, this show made me sane again. It just reminds me that “sometimes you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place”.

So when I see people talking about who’s the best Avatar, or who’s made more mistakes or that Katara should’ve killed Yon Rah or Aang should’ve killed Ozai or Zuko should’ve joined the gaang sooner, or weather Iroh deserves a redemption arc. It just makes me realize that people must have watched the show and thought, huh, great fights scenes, cool characters and that’s it. And that’s great, nothing wrong with that. It’s just that I see so much more than that. Everything is not black and white, that’s the whole point of the show.

It’s just opening my eyes that some messages went over some people’s heads, or they didn’t think about much after it was over. Huh, maybe I’m the only one who has this deep attachment to this show. Maybe it’s getting to the point of unhealthy lol

Anyway, I love watching the fandom come back to life but I’m also kinda stunned that - from this amazing show, that talks about serious real life issues, philosophy and balance, all some people took out of it was - “who’s more powerful” or “this character is terrible cause they did so many things wrong”. These characters are human, that’s what makes them interesting. That’s what makes me, personally, connect with them on so many levels. You can’t just reduce them to one character flaw or judge them by one decision they once made. This show is about growth, it’s about making mistakes and learning from them and becoming a better version of yourself. It sucks that some people don’t see it.

Just some thoughts I wanted to share.

[teddy-boar]

I'd imagine after they interrogated the man they thought was Yon Rah, Katara wouldn't have the time nor the energy to explain the logistics of bloodbending to Zuko. She was still too angry and upset. So that whole time after, Zuko would have been confused and scared as hell. Like, no one ever told that boy something such as bloodbending existed, how was he supposed to figure out. He probably thought Katara picked up witchcraft somewhere along the way or something 💀💀💀

[starlight-bread-blog]

The Good & the Bad: On Aang (Not) Killing the Fire Lord

I recived this asks forever ago, trurly sorry anon, but I'll keep my apologises for the end. I'd love to answer that!

If you're asking me, this is way better than """killing him""". Case closed.

Getting this cleared up: The show didn't say that Aang is morally superior for this. It was solely about staying true to himself. Not a moral high ground.

So when I hear people say it's problematic because it implies that sparing imperialistic dictators has some intrinsic goodness to it, (Ahem-Lily Orchard), I just can't agree. It was never about universal ethics, it was about Aang's culture and values.

Why Is This a Good Thing?

Aang loves his culture, and takes a lot of pride in it and its values. (See: in The Southern Raiders his first go-to to convince Katara to spare Yon Rah is his culture, rather than what such act would do Katara herself). He would have been ashamed if he had broken them. But right now they clash with his Avatar duties, with god-knows how many lives at stake. He needs to let go of his pride & shame, and become humble.

Just like Zuko humbling himself to the GAang before they accept him, or Sokka humbling himself to the Kyoshi warriors and Master Piandao, Aang could only speak to the the lion turtle after he'd given up, after he was humbled.

Even beyond Aang, it enhances the show's themes at large. A theme in A:TLA is paving your own path, and that you can do what you want despite the pressure. Your true destiny will come, you might be surprised by it, but it's yours and you're free to carve it.

You just have to keep going, to continue to do the right thing, and your destiny will find you. Things have a way of working out in the end, eventually.

Sparing Ozai serves the theme, thus the show overall. Everyone told him it's his destiny to kill the Fire Lord and end the war. But he didn't agree, paving his own path, his own destiny, and all was well. The pieces fell in their place.

It is s amplified by the fact that if you read between the lines, he actually did follow all the previous Avatars' wisdom besides Yangchen's.

Aang knew what he wanted from the start. He isn't going to kill the Fire Lord. People (rightfully) tried to pressure him, but in the end, he stuck to his decision.

Justice was served. Aang took his bending away and put him to rot in prison for the rest of his life. There's more than one way to execute justice.

"... and the destiny of the world". That's exactly what Aang did. He followed his own path (staying true to himself) while saving the world (ending Ozai regime).

So that leaves us with Yangchen's advice. The one he didn't follow:

This opens another layer to this. Why doesn't Aang take the advice of a fellow Air Nomad? The one he should relate to the most? Because despite both being Avatars and Airbenders, Aang is the last. They're not the same. Yangchen is speaking from a place of privilege. She can carry the weight of the Avatar and not worry about the Air Nomads. Notice the wording: "spiritual needs". But it's deeper than that. In her time, they were there, they'll preserve their culture and values. Aang doesn't have that.

He's Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has both weights to carry. The decision to spare the Fire Lord, while protecting the rest of the world, is embedded in the show's title.

There's also something so incredibly powerful in Ozai being defeated specifically with Air Nomad values. A 100 years ago, during Sozin's Comet, the Fire Nation started the war by genociding them. When it comes back, the Avatar, the last Air Nomad, ends the war and stops the next genocide while preserving their values. The Fire Nation isn't going to push him to taint (one of) the last living aspacts of the Air Nomads, and Aang is shouting it – in the very same day the disaster occurred.

(Additionally I view this as a land mark of his character development since Siege of the North. He used spirit powers for murder, now he's using them for mercy).

(A:TLA is also a show made with kids in mind. They may not be able to make Aang kill Ozai. He got his bending stolen and sentenced to prison for the rest of his life. That's a more than serviceable punishment for a show aimed at kids).

(Ps: If Ozai had died Zuko would never have found out where his mother is).

The concept is fantastic. Nothing wrong there. But now, it's time for the critisism.

What's the problem then?

Despite looking in internet forums, it's entirely possible that I missed some things. With that being said, the Lion Turtles could have been foreshadowed better. As I stated, I don't mind it. But as far as I recall, it was foreshadowed once in The Library, and that's it. (Edit: It's also foreshadowed in Sokka's Master and The Beach, but the point still stands).

The Lion Turtle is a twist, it subverted expectations, but that doesn't mean it has to be a deus ex machina. That's what foreshadowing is for. It's the literary device to making a plot twist feel believable. The result is many fans, including me, feeling as though it came out of no where, even though it didn't.

Overall, I love that Aang spared Ozai. It ties into the themes of the show and Aang's role as the last airbender. It makes perfect sense, it's rather beautiful. However, I do wish the foreshadowing was better.

And for Anon, to apologize for the wait, I dedicate you this meme:

[eponastory]

ZUTARA...

Okay, so my thoughts...

Look, I'm an OG fan. I was a teenager when the animated show came out and boy oh boy...

Okay, so yes, I am a Zutara shipper. I have been since the show aired, and the way the show ended with Aang and Katara left an icky taste in my mouth. I'm not anti Kataang either. It just gives me... eew. Especially now that I'm an adult and I know relationships are messy to begin with. I don't agree that the show creators think that Zutara would be toxic... that is not necessarily true as Zuko's character doesn't support such a thing and neither does Katara's. Aang is still a child mentally and he doesn't seem to understand that people are going to do what they are going to do. Case and point, The Southern Raiders. Aang confronts Katara telling her that she should let it go and forgive Yon Rah... the only problem with this is that Katara needs to deal with her own closer. Forgiveness does not mean closure. Take it from me, a person who has difficulty letting go of hurts from the past. Some things I can forgive, while other things I can't because they are still a problem for me today, which is why I'm in therapy. It is not up to Aang to decide what Katara needs to do in that moment. If anything, he is showing his complete misunderstanding of her resolve. She is angry, hurt, and compulsive. She is feeling these things because her past has been thrown in her face by Zuko's presence. Because he is there, all that hurt is like a thousand daggers in her back. Zuko is letting her do. He is letting her feel, and for those who say he is encouraging her to murder someone, that isn't what is going on. He is basically letting her do what she needs to do. When someone is feeling that way, you wither let them feel it and support them or you get out of the way. People are going to do what they want. It's a hard lesson to learn.

Aang has his world view of peace and compassion, which is not a bad thing, but he lacks understanding. Probably because he is still a child and still learning the ways of people. People are cruel and sometimes unforgiving, but we can also be kind, loving, and filled with hope. Aang sees the good in everyone, except Ozai, which I'm pretty sure the only thing good about Ozai is the fact that Mark Hamil is behind his voice. But anyway, I like Aang. He's a good character that transforms everyone he interacts with. That is the best quality about him. The absolute worst of his qualities is that he tends to push his beliefs into the open without taking a moment to think about how others feel. And that isn't even that bad. It's a disregard of those emotions that leave a little bit of bitterness in my mouth. But that is something everyone struggles with at one point. That is just being human.

But yeah, this is just my humble opinion. Relationships are messy and they need work. They arent always going to be perfect, which is why neither ship is going to be better than the other. Does Aang and Katara have a happy marriage? Well, I can't say that they do because there isn't much to go on other than they have children. I'd like to think they have their ups and downs like most relationships do.

Would Zuko and Katara have a good relationship? Going off of their character I'd say they would balance each other out. It won't be toxic because they do fine when they are together in the show. They work well as a team and have each other's backs. So yeah, that is there in the show.

I'd also like to point out that Zuko and Mai don't tick the boxes for outstanding relationship. Those two have been on and off and I honestly don't think they will get back together. Kinda reminds me of the guy I was on and off with for five years... now that was toxic.

But yeah. I've done the shipping thing for so long it doesn't matter if it's Canon or not. Like I seriously shipped Sesshomaru and Kagome for years even though I knew she and Inuyasha were going to be together. Didn't care too much for Sess/Rin because again... eew. You ship who you want and what you feel makes sense. Does this mean people have to berate others about it? No. There should never be any condescension or degrading because we are all fans.

But for real... I think Azula and Sokka should get together. And I'm not on the Taang ship either.

Fight me... I dare you.