#zuko made mistakes

[demaparbat-hp]

That infamous prison escape.

[sunday-good-enough]

arguing over whether Zuko or Aang is better is actually insane. They're having tea together y'all what are you doing

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Zuko: Aang, promise me. If I become evil, you have to kill me. Aang: Ok, I will. Szeto, inside Aang's mind: Hey what's all that crashing noise? Some of us are trying to sleep. Yangchen: That's Kyoshi. She's breaking the furniture. Szeto: Why? Kuruk: She does it when she's upset, I think she got it from her wife. Szeto: And that damn sobbing noise? Yangchen: Oh, that's Roku. Szeto: The Fire Avatar after me? Sigh *pinches the bridge of his nose* Why are they throwing a fit? Kuruk: Aang just promised to kill his best friend. And both of them have hang-ups on that particular issue. Szeto: And that is? Yangchen: Kyoshi's killed Yun. She didn't want to, fought it every chance, but her hand was forced. I don't want to speculate on what's she's feeling, but perphaps she's upset because people always call her a monster for doing such a thing. But with Aang it's "oh, he has to make a tough call." Kyoshi: THIS IS SUUUUUUUCH FUCKING BULLSHIT! Kuruk: Ooo nice, you hit the nail on the head! -hi-fives Yangchen- Szeto: And Roku? Kuruk: He couldn't kill his best friend. Szeto: I don't see how that's bad- Yangchen: That same best friend later genocided all of my people. Szeto: ................................................................ Szeto: I apologize on behalf of the Fire- Yangchen: Ah ah, save it. I don't want to hear it. Szeto: Fair. So he doesn't want Aang to make the same mistake he did? I can understand, but why is he sobbing so damn much- Kuruk: Also, the guy that's Aang's best friend, is Roku's great-grandson. Szeto: ........................well that certainly is a conflict of interest. Roku: Aaaaaang! You gotta do it buddy! Don't be like me! ;w; Kyoshi: Nah Aang, fuck it! See what happens! Follow your instinct, kid! Roku: What? And wait for him to stab Katara before doing anything like you did?! Kyoshi, picking up Roku by the throat: YOU WANNA DIE OLD MAN?! Yangchen: Uh-oh it's getting heated. Better go break them up. Kuruk: Now is Kyoshi siding with not killing Zuko because his sister looks like Rangi, or does she just want to be Roku's straw man to spite him? 🤔 Kyoshi: Get off! Get off of my back Yangchen! Aang you listen to me! If you don't fight for your friend, then you are scum! You better at least put some fucking effort in lil' man! Kuruk: Ahhhhh, nevermind. I'm sorry for doubting you, kiddo. 😔 Szeto: Nah fuck this, y'all are crazy. I'm going back to bed.

[perfectlypanda]

But I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm If your cascade ocean wave blues come Peace/ Taylor Swift

♥ Please do not repost. If you like it and want to show people, share a link to this page instead. Thank you!

[mfelewzi]

Ehi @ironinkpen , somebody had made some screenshots of your post about Uncle Jasmine Dragon! And here, some interesting comments by r/TheLastAirbender!

Ehi, @akiizayoi4869 and @stardust948 , some ideas for your stories! Especially if you will make some jokes about this Mad and Crazy level of Lucky!

If you want, obviously.

[mad-not-disappointed]

s5 and the trivialisation of catra's crimes

i couldn't be the only who noticed the language that s5 used whenever it came to talking about catra's actions.

(i probably missed a bunch of other instances, so feel free to reblog and add more!)

“hurt people” = huge understatement.

you also abuse them, try to control them, emotionally manipulate them, gaslight them, and attempt to murder them.

“for everything” = again, vague.

what's everything? we see later that catra still holds adora accountable for “abandoning her”, she still acts like adora is dumb and weak and easily manipulated, she still shows no remorse for the way she treated adora. what did she mean by everything then?

“tried to kill me a bunch of times” = only touching the surface.

she also physically and emotionally abused you, scarred you, kidnapped your friends, mind controlled you, kidnapped you, drugged you, and almost ended the entire universe just to spite you.

“stubborn brat” = huge understatement 2.0

she was acting like an abusive bitch person. stubborn brat makes it sound like catra is a pre-teen throwing a temper tantrum (which is exactly what she acts like, to her credit).

“i thought things would be different”, “fixing things” = vague terms + trivializing the situation.

adora is speaking as if the only problem here was a rough patch in a relationship or a bad breakup and not, you know, dealing with a literal war criminal and abuser.

“it's a long story” = vague and refusing to explain further.

said long story being that catra only sided with you because she had no choice and is still actively abusing you.

we're talking about a war criminal here. we're talking about someone who put the safety of the entire universe at jeopardy.

why is s5 using such vague terms and trivializing everything that catra did? why is it acting like the only problem with catra's character was that she had some relationship issues with adora?

oh wait, i know why. it's because the creators were hoping that we don't remember what happened in the previous seasons or sweep everything under the rug. and luckily for them, 90% of the fandom fell for it.

[hel-phoenyx]

I see people using Zuko as an example of a redemption arc beautifully done every other morning and while I do agree with that I don't see a lot of people touching what is really interesting for me about it : The progression of his character is different from the progression of his acts

Like Zuko's character act is very much not linear. He learns, he make mistakes, he goes back to his old ways when he is offered his initial goal, honor and redemption, his path is like climbing a hill, rolling down the path on the other side and climbing a second hill again this time successfully

But when he does go back to the fire nation he's already a changed man and that is not a turn back in any way. What he saw in the Earth Kingdom is still there. What Aang told him about being friends in another life is still there. He's not the thirteen year-old that left obsessed with chasing the Avatar, or even the sixteen year-old with the same, three-year-old obsession. And he's aware of that.

Even though he returned back to his old ways and did so against everyone's advice, causing a bump in his arc, his character progressed linearly. He needed that comeback at his old home to realise it was anything but the safe place he remembered. The troubled teen that left didn't come back, a man did. And he didn't fit.

Hos relationship to Maï didn't fit, and the awkwardness is probably due to Zuko having a whole new bagage and seeing his childhood crush grow up without him : The fact that they do come back together at the end of the show is a proof that this time, they entered the relationship not as the teens that remembered what the other was like, but as adults that are aware of who the other is. His relationship to Azula didn't fit, even though still with the same tension ; it is less build on sibling rivalry and more on the awareness of both of their abuse (the beach scene is probably a catalyst for Zuko's pained expression at the end of their final battle. Like he knows she's as broken as he is, in different ways). His relationship to his father didn't fit as it is not one of admiration, but one of distrust and fear.

Even his relationship to his uncle didn't fit. Because now Iroh is a traitor and he's a prince and they created a rift from the core of their very values.

And realizing that he didn't fit the old life he came back to is exactly what prompted him to follow his own path.

Zuko did not just go backwards just to find his own redemption. Zuko went back to an old environment with knowledge of the outside world, relationships and doubts and realised he already grew past his childhood and dreams and had to find new ones, ones that align more with the views he gained and upheld. And he needed to see that his home was not what he remembered to realise that.

The acts seem to make him go backward, but the character himself evolved in a very forward way, looking back only to see how much he changed.

[allgremlinyaps]

"I hate the kinds of parents they made Toph and Aang in tlok :/" <- good litmus test for how boring someone is

[edgyandoverzealous]

I'm a Zokka shipper, I am in fandom purely for fun, as I am under the impression that everyone is.

[hauntingblue]

Jee and zuko reconciliation episode I guess

[goldenvulpine]

I want to clear up a mistake people make with Azula and Ursa.

Ursa didn’t play favorites.

Ursa didn’t think Azula was a monster.

Ursa simply, unequivocally, just didn’t enable Azula’s worst traits like Ozai did.

Ozai’s favorite child was Azula, but Ursa still loved her more.

Because enabling isn’t love.

What did Ozai’s enabling do? It made Azula into the type of person to never have any loyal friends. It made the type of person that Mai and Tai Lee would betray at the risk of their own lives.

Ursa pushed Azula to be with her friends. To be with Zuko. Ozai pushed Ursa away, and both kids suffered for it. Azula became a sadist, enjoying seeing her brother get burned—while Zuko was pushed away because he cared for his people.

Azula thought her mom hated her because her mom was the only one who cared enough to tell her no.

[beifong-brainrot]

The gall to call the Air Nomads eugenicists while shipping Katara with the leader of the nation that wiped out a huge swathe of her culture as well as the entirety of Aang's. Like, yes, Zuko is redeemed. But the optics are. Not good.

Not to mention Zuko being the result eugenics due to Ursa and Ozai's union being made due to a prophecy of powerful offspring.

And yes, Aang 'favouring' Tenzin was not the best parenting, but Tennzin was also the only one of Aang's children who actually could fully engage with the culture Aang was trying so hard to pass down, with Air Nomad culture being so heavily tied to bending.

Sokka would genuinely hate this freak

[melzula]

well since requests are open i wanted to request a zuko fic?

zuko x waterbender reader in which someone from team avatar walks in on them kissing?

i feel like it’d be funny idk lol 😂

a/n: i love this trope it’s so funny. also it’s like subtly mentioned reader is a water bender since i didn’t wanna just shove it in there awkwardly. anyway hope you enjoy!

summary: a private moment between you and your boyfriend is interrupted by your unsuspecting friends

“Are you sure no one saw you come in here?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Zuko says with a huff after closing the flaps of your tent. “You know, I’m starting to think you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”

“You know that’s not true,” you argue with a frown. “I just enjoy having some privacy. I know those guys are going to make a big deal about us being together, and I just want to enjoy our relationship without having to deal with any prying eyes.”

“I know,” he admits with a sigh. “I’m just tired of sneaking around. Do you know how difficult it is not to kiss you or check on you after a fight with my sister? It’s torture.”

“It’s just until the war is over. There’s a lot at stake right now, and it would be a weird time to come clean. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Zuko murmurs with a frown, one that immediately melts away at the feel of your arms wrapping around his midsection. It’s hard to be upset when you’re smiling up at him with the purest look of adoration in your eyes. Despite everything, all of his flaws and mistakes and cruelty, you love him, and it fuels the warmth inside of his heart knowing he has someone like you. Maybe he would have joined the Avatar and his friends sooner if he knew it would lead him to you.

“At least we’re finally alone,” he notes with a faint smile before leaning down to press his lips against your own in a long awaited kiss. He hasn’t been able to give or receive affection all day, and it isn’t until now with your chest pressed against his own that he’s finally able to truly feel relaxed.

Unfortunately, you’re both too engrossed in each other to notice the rustling of your tent flaps as Sokka and Toph let themselves in without a second thought.

“Hey, y/n, Toph and I are gonna head into town, do you want to- oh, gross!” He cries after catching Zuko and yourself mid lip lock.

You both jump at the intrusion, knocking your head together on accident and groaning in unison at the impact.

“Sokka!” You cry out in embarrassment. “Monkey feathers, don’t you knock?!”

“It’s a tent! There is no knocking!” He yells back defensively, equally as upset as you are. “I can’t believe you guys were kissing!”

“We weren’t kissing,” Zuko argues, his face red with embarrassment. “We were… hugging… with our… mouths?”

“Oh, spirits,” you groan, your palm hitting your forehead in embarrassment at Zuko’s horrible attempt at lying. For a Prince, he has a terrible way with words. You’d think all that time spent with his Uncle would make his vocabulary more eloquent.

“If Toph could see she’d be very upset right now!” Sokka scolds, but the girl beside him simply shrugs.

“Actually, this works out great for me. Katara owes me five gold pieces now,” she says with a grin.

“You guys knew they were dating and didn’t tell me?!” The water tribe boy says in offense.

“I had a hunch, but Katara disagreed, so we made a bet.”

“Enough already! This is mortifying enough as it is,” you groan impatiently. “Sokka, we’ll talk about this later. For now, I need both of you out!”

After getting the two to leave the tent, you shut it closed with an irritated sigh. You’re absolutely humiliated, and you don’t think you can show your face to your friends ever again.

“So much for keeping it a secret,” the fire bender mutters.

“You,” you say with an accusatory finger pointed at the Prince, “need to learn how to lie better.”

“I know,” he admits meekly, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. Sighing, you open your water pouch and tend to the growing bump on his head from your previous collision. You can’t stay mad at him when he looks so flustered and sweet, so instead you merely throw your arms around his neck and pull him back in for another kiss.

You can focus on coming clean later. For now, you just want to enjoy your moment of peace with the boy you love.

| zuko tags: @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @taeeemin @lora21

[dreamchasernina]

So I had to stop on episode 6. Gonna continue watching tonight. I just have one thing to say so far. People think a good adaptation is the one that follows the story of the original. It’s not. It’s the characters. The characters are the ones that made the original so good. And none of them are as fleshed out here. You cannot seriously tell me the katara you see in the original is the one you see in the live action.

The writers decided to take the struggle and the growth of the characters away. I’m on episode 6. So far, Aang had everything come so easy to him, he didn’t struggle at all. Kyoshi fought for him at Kyoshi island. He enters the spirit world so easily, he finds Roku so freaking fast, he immediately knows Hei Bai is the spirit of the forest, out of nowhere. He learns absolutely nothing through those 6 episode. I could talk for hours about how that scene with Gyatso was a cop out. Why should their main character suffer right? He shouldn’t. So they just make up a scene where Aang meets Gyatso and he just outright tells him there’s nothing he could have done so he shouldn’t feel guilty.

The OG never had that scene. Because the OG knew the audience was smart enough to realize it themselves. There was nothing Aang could have done if he hadn’t run away, he would have died. But Aang needs to realize this himself, he needs to confront his feelings, learn from his mistakes, forgive himself and move on. But these days, writers don’t want their characters going through a journey, nope, the characters are just perfect, from the beginning to end.

Same said for Zuko. The writers apparently decided to make him softer, have higher morals, not as angry or determined, because that would make Zuko complex and interesting. He was good at heart in the OG show too, but he was spoiled and angry and violent. He’s none of that here, he’s gentle and respectful to everyone and just wants to capture the avatar, but not too much though. Zuko doesn’t even give everything he has to capture Aang, he doesn’t hire pirates, he doesn’t hire June himself (Iroh has to convince him to do it), he doesn’t follow Aang into the fire nation, you don’t feel his desperation, his determination, just how much he wants to go home. How could his journey feel interesting when we don’t see the dramatic shift in his character? The most interesting character in the show is not as ineteresting when he doesn’t go from a spoiled angry hurt teenager to an honorable smart and compassionate young man.

Yes, the story is fine, the visuals are nice, but it’s all very surface level. Everything is just flat.

[floatyflowers]

Dark Platonic! Fire Nation Royal Family x Non-bender Reader

Part 2

With Ozai:

At first he didn't accept the fact that you, his youngest child, is a non-bender, and ignored your existence.

That was until he noticed how his older brother, Iroh, spends time with you, Ozai got extremely jealous.

And decided to spend time with you, only to realize that you are his favorite child, and felt like an actual father.

Yes, you can't firebend nor do you even have the ability to protect yourself.

But why would you need to protect yourself when your father is going to be the Phoenix king of the fire nation?

Ozai will burn down the world for you.

"You, my sweet child, will grow up in the presence of a very powerful father"

With Ursa:

When Ursa found out that you couldn't bend, she became overprotective of you to the point of paranoia.

Since childhood, she refused to allow you to play with anyone except Zuko.

One time, one of her handmaidens scolded you harshly for playing outside without your mother's permission which resulted in you bursting into tears.

The next day, that handmaiden was fired and Ursa made sure that she gets no other jobs.

While thinking of escaping, she thought to take you with her.

However, Ozai has forbidden that from happening.

"When you find out the truth, promise to come find me"

With Azulon

While still alive, he made sure you had the best education and guards.

Azulon also made sure to have you believe that the fire nation is without mistakes or faults.

He tried manipulating you into believing that just your loyalty to your people is enough duty.

However, you are kind, too kind.

Yet, he Azulon didn't hate you for it even if he considered a weak trait to have in the royal family.

He also still has the flower crown you made him stored away safely so it doesn't rot.

It is rumored that the last word he muttered was your name.

With Iroh

Uncle Iroh isn't really as possessive as the other characters, but he focuses on advising you from time to time.

You enjoy drinking tea with him and gossiping about everything.

Even though, Ozai has forbidden him from speaking with you, you would sneak behind your father's back to drink tea with him.

After the loss of his son in the war, Lu Ten, Iroh felt depressed.

Yet you managed to comfort him with your cheerfulness and playful attitude.

It reminded him of his son.

"The best quality in a princess is her kindness, something which your sister clearly lacks"

With Zuko

Zuko thought you would be like Azula but you have proven him wrong.

You are kind, gentle, and nurturing just like your and his mother.

That's why Zuko always found himself by your side, being your playmate...being your protecter.

His mother told him that it's his duty to protect you from danger considering that he is your older brother.

Even though Azula has never hurt you, but Zuko was always wary of her, especially after his mother disappeared.

When Ozai challenged him to an Agni Kai, you were the first to cry out and plead with him to let Zuko off, but Ozai felt jealous of your relationship with Zuko and was determined to teach his son a lesson.

However when your brother got banished, Zuko took you with him in secret not wanting you to be left with Azula.

"I know the journey will take long but once I restore my honor we can return home together"

With Azula

Azula was extremely jealous when you were born, thinking that you will take all the attention from her.

But she realized that you deserve all the attention.

You didn't treat her like a monster, you weren't scared of her.

Instead you showed her love and called her 'big sister'

You would cling to her as a toddler, whenever there was lightning, you would secretly sneak to her room and sleep beside her.

"How can you be scared of lightning, we control it, silly"

Mai and Ty Lee saw how Azula softens whenever you are around.

And when Azula discovered that you have left with Zuko, she destroyed everything in her way and burned a few servants.

"She's mine, and only MINE"

[wileycap]

Two Siblings In A Room Talking About How Much Their Dad Sucks

a.k.a a non-comics compliant ficlet about Zuko and an in-therapy Azula talking about their dad. This ended up being weird angsty sibling fluff instead of a crackfic about how stupid Ozai is. G. ~1000 words.

“Did you know that Father could have won the war?”

Azula cracked an eye open, lazily. Sunlight streamed in through the narrow windows. It had caught Zuko’s good eye – Zuko was turned so that she couldn’t see his scar and he looked…

“Oh, Zuko, it’s so strange how your mind works,” she said, cutting off her own train of thought. “What prompted this?”

“I was reorganizing the Navy, and I had to read up on our old battle plans,” Zuko replied, turning to face her. “Did you know that we had a plan to invade Ba Sing Se?”

“I did,” Azula said, inspecting her nails. "More than one, in fact."

“A good plan? A plan that would have worked? A plan that wasn't a giant drill?”

Azula mm-hm’ed, trying to speed Zuko along.

“As soon as Omashu fell, we had our supply lines. Farms, water, land, even quarries. Uncle Iroh would have taken Ba Sing Se if cousin Lu Ten hadn’t died, you know that. And if he could have done it with just what we had at the time, Father could have done it any time he wanted.”

Zuko was picking up steam. Azula was mildly entertained.

“I never even thought about how stupid the drill was. A huge offensive… relying on an untested piece of technology that cost more than half our fleet. If I did that, my advisors would skin me alive!”

“If that happens, can I book tickets in advance?” Azula asked, smirking in the face of Zuko’s fuming.

“It’s not a joke!” Zuko snapped, getting up in one violent motion. He paced around the small sitting area. “I spent sixteen years terrified of him, hating him, wanting him to love and accept me, and…”

Zuko let himself drop down on the rug, burying his face in his hands.

Azula observed, uncaring.

They sat in silence for a while.

“It was better when he was this… invincible monster,” Zuko finally said, gesturing vaguely with his arms.

“Yes, I imagine it was. Better than getting half your face burned off by an idiot who doesn’t even know how to read,” Azula shrugged.

Zuko’s incredulous look was an entirely predictable reaction. “I’m pretty sure he knows how to read.”

“I’m not.”

“Azula, come on. Father reads.”

“Are you sure? Can you remember one time he read something, or wrote something, instead of having it read to him or dictating?” Azula paused to let Zuko think. By the blank look on her brother’s face, Azula decided that no answer was forthcoming. “See? Father doesn’t know how to read.”

Zuko gaped. Azula raised an eyebrow, radiating smug superiority.

“Wait,” Zuko said, pointing a finger. “At his coronation, he read the Greeting to Agni!”

“Memorized it,” Azula waved it off. “And he made a mistake. He said Agni’s radiance instead of Agni’s light.”

“Why would he replace an easier word with a harder one?” Zuko asked. There was just the slightest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Wouldn’t it make more sense the other way around?”

“Easy. Bigger words are better, if you’re an idiot who can’t read and doesn’t want all the nobles and the ministers and the sages to know about it.”

Zuko snorted, toppling over to lay on his back. “I thought he didn’t read my letters because I was a failure, but now it turns out he just couldn’t.”

“No, he had those read out for the court to laugh at,” Azula said, her face serious. “’I remain your dutiful son’ always got big laugh.”

“I bet it did.”

They sat in silence for a while. The beam of sunlight dragged across the floor.

“Do you ever think about him?” Zuko said, staring at the ceiling.

“No,” Azula said, staring at Zuko because she wasn’t a coward.

“Never?”

“No,” Azula said, rolling her eyes. “I already had one mental breakdown. I’m not going to have another one just so you can have company on your little pity-me-my-dad’s-terrible trip.”

Zuko didn’t say anything. He just turned his head so that his scarred eye was looking at Azula.

Azula sighed.

“Look, do you want to know what’s going on in dear old Daddy’s head right now?” At Zuko’s nod-shrug, she continued. “He’s written the both of us off as losses. Oh, if I break out of here and go release him, he’ll take me back – just like he took you back after Ba Sing Se – but until then, I’m crazy and you’re a traitor.

“That leaves him in his cell, and without his bending. By now, he’s probably convinced himself that either his bending will return on its own and he’ll conquer the world again, or his loyalists, his good friends from court, will depose you and probably capture the Avatar to boot. Then they’ll force the Avatar to give him back his Firebending, and Father will reign supreme forever.

“Neither of the two options is going to happen. Even if his Firebending comes back naturally, the Avatar will just defeat him again – hopefully before he makes your eyes match. And his loyalists? He probably doesn’t have any. And if he does, they’re as incompetent as he is. You’re right, Father’s an idiot. He alienated half his court with his insane schemes and promoting crackpots like Qin. The other half he terrified or bribed into submission. I wouldn’t be surprised if even his actual supporters, the few that there are, are happier with you in power.”

Zuko was looking at her with undisguised interest. “So, what’s your point?”

“My point, little Zuzu, is that there’s no need to worry about him anymore,” Azula said, laying down on her bed. “It’s over. He’s not coming back, idiot or not.”

“Huh,” Zuko said. “That’s like a proverb, except it makes sense.”

Azula huffed, caught by surprise. “Dum-dum.”

“… what if I captured Aang and took him to Father? Do you think he’d let me be the prince again?”

“Try it,” Azula shrugged. “But I definitely want tickets.”