IROH AND ZUKO REUNITE! | Avatar The Last Airbender Book 3 Episode 19 Reaction 

Roku: you must have the resolve to do what’s necessary Kiyoshi: _kill the bastard._

One extra heartbreaking detail to add on to that masterpiece of a reunion scene: if you notice, when Iroh is about to hug Zuko, you can see Zuko flinch slightly. Because he remembers what happened the last time he disappointed a father figure...

Something I just realized, When Iroh went to conquer Ba-Sing-Sae, he lost a son. When Iroh went to liberate Ba-Sing-Sae, he got back the man he considers his son.

Zuko ended up being the brave soldier boy marching home. That reunion will always be a series highlight.

Fun fact! They're blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, but the existence of lion turtles is actually foreshadowed as far back as Book 2! When in Wan Shi Tong's library, Aang is actually seen reading a scroll with a lion turtle on it and then showing it to Katara, even name-dropping the creature. Then, later on, when Sokka is training with Piandao, his gardens are decorated with lots of lion turtle statues in the background.

Yo, Bumi really said "I didn't escaped from them, they escaped from me" what a madlad, literally

A lot of people tend to forget that its not just about "killing is bad" or that Aang is a good kid but it also about Aang's culture. He is last surviving air nomad if he were to abandoned belief of his people, their ideals, their mentality, then in a way Ozai truly will win ideological war.

Zuko's reunion with Iroh is one of those few piece of media that never fails to bring a tear to my eye. Masterfully written by the creators and masterfully voice acted by Dante.

iroh having his own, mostly off-screen, redemption arc, he took part in the fire nation's unjust war efforts laying siege to ba sing se for hundreds of days, only to realise years later that his destiny was actually to help ba sing se, kinda like zuko chasing the avatar only to end up joining him, incredible writing

I love how all the past Avatars' wisdom applies to the situation, and Aang is the one who interprets it as them telling him that he must kill. But none of them say it outright that he should kill Ozai.

one thing i love about the lion turtles design is that is colored and shaded and even animated in a totally different way from the rest of the show. it just feels ancient and otherworldly.

Avatar Yangchen’s wisdom is the most interesting to me. She believes, as Aang does, that all life is sacred and that the taking of life is morally wrong. Yet she still counsels him that ending Ozai’s is necessary for the world to balance itself. Despite popular opinion, a wrong can make a right. Being bound to one set of morals and ethics limits and constraints your actions, and becomes just another weapon to be used against you.

Apologizing to Iroh must have been so difficult for him as the last time he kneeled to a father figure to apologize he got his face burned off

I love that Bumi scene so much. People seem to forget he and aang are technically the same age. So a legitimate 113 year old man single handedly took back his city on his own

One of the most heartwarming scenes in media. That reunion always gets me.

So there's a LOT of controversy surrounding Aang's dilemma, but I think people tend to forget a few things regarding the build up to it. Aang receives wisdom from 5 individuals: Roku - "You must be decisive." Aang needs to make a decision and stick by that decision, but it must be a decision that will ensure peace. Kyoshi - "Only justice may bring peace." It's Aang's duty as the Avatar to bring justice to the Firelord for what he's done in whatever form that takes. Kuruk - "You must actively shape your own destiny, and the destiny of the world." Aang mustn't hesitate with his decision, and he must be active in his approach. Yangchen - "Self-sacrifice means sacrificing your own spiritual needs for the sake of the world." Aang mustn't let the teachings of the monks dictate his choices, and he must view his decisions from the perspective of all nations, not just the Air Nomads. All four of these choices make it seem like Aang's only option is to kill Ozai, but then you have the fifth master, the Lion Turtle, and this is what he says: "The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed." The Lion Turtle is essentially telling Aang to not take the wisdom of the Avatars at face value, and instead look at the deeper meaning behind all of them. None of them told Aang to directly kill Ozai, instead they told him that his decision on whether or not to kill the Firelord must be his own active decision that he believes will ensure peace and justice. Not a one of them is saying that the best decision is to kill him, they're saying that Aang must face Ozai with wisdom and certainty, and only then will he make the right choice.

Iroh scene kills me in the best way! Also fun fact the Lion Turtle was shown in the library... the pay off no one knew was coming haha

Poor Zuko this entire time has been searching for forgiviness. First from someone who never accepted him for his pure heart, and only took. Next from team Avatar, who he had chased around and hurt. Lastly, from his uncle, his true father, who forgave him immediately because all he wanted, was to see that pure hearted boy come back to him 😢.

Kyoshi once again cements herself as the best Avatar and the most underutilized part of the franchise. Aang: “But technically you didn’t kill him, he fell to his death.” Kyoshi: “Bitch, what’s the difference? Bring his ass out here and I’ll do it again.”

There's a fan theory that each new Avatar embodies what the last avatar lacked or wished they had been. Yangchen spent her entire life devoted to the world rather than herself, so we get Kuruk. If Kuruk had been less worldly and more decisive his lover wouldn't have had her face stolen (and a couple of geopolitical crisis could have been avoided), so we get Kyoshi. Kyoshi was so focused on her duty and fixing the problems of the world that she literally and figuratively isolated herself and her people, which leads to Roku. And while Roku was too attached and trusting of his friends to see how far they'd gone (he's constantly telling Aand to trust less)... if he had been better at actually connecting with and confronting his friend he might have been able to prevent the conflict before it even started. Roku sees his mistake as not killing Sozin as soon as he started the conflict, but before the conflict even began Roku knew what Sozin wanted to do. Rather than confronting him while peace was still an option, he shut down all discussion, distanceing himself from the problem until it was too big to ignore. So we get Aang as the diplomat. He is amazing at connecting with others and mediating conflict, but he's also a pacifist to a fault and struggles with the reality of necessary conflict and violence.

Iroh hugging Zuko is the most powerful moment in the whole show for me.

I was so hyped to see Alixia watching this episode since book 1 because I knew she would dehydrate for crying her eyes out on the Zuko + Iroh scene. For me, it is the most emotional moment in the entire series. So good.

Fun fact I only just noticed recently. When the avatar spirits leave you can hear their element. Roku's spirit leaving sounds like something burning, Kyoshi's sounds like gravel falling, Kuruk sounds like water flowing, and Yangchen sounds like wind blowing.

To add to the awesomeness of Bumi retaking his city: according to fan analysis, since the eclipse was still going when he was done, he managed to retake his entire city, solo, in under 8 minutes.

"The tinyest spider-fly caught in its own net" How did i only now notice that line? It's brilliant! 😂🤣😂🤣😂

THE FINALE IS HERE BABY! Zuko has gone through so much and changed so much. I love that while Zuko thinks Iroh was gonna be angry and scold him instead, was brought into a hug and told that Iroh was never angry just sad. Now we got the rest of the finale to end this great series

Aangs story definitely has an aspect of personal freedom. He has the world trying to tell him what to do and forcing him to act how they want. He pushes back against that and finds his own way while still helping others.

Something I love about this situation is that none of the previous selves had to be int he same conditions as Aang. He's the *last* of his people. He's the avatar that would have this knowledge but he's the only one to ask this so he has to set the precedent. This is his knowledge to give future avatars if they find themself int his situation, but it can't help him now. He has to make the decision first.

So, these next two episodes are going to be epic... SO PLEASE JUST WATCH THEM BOTH BACK-TO-BACK!!! IT'S SO WORTH IT!!!!

Lion turtles were mentioned a couple of times before and piandao had a bunch of lion turtle statues

I found Avatar Yangchen’s advice very interesting. She believes that all life is sacred, yet she still counsels Aang that he must set aside himself to do what is necessary for the rest of the world. She acknowledges that for the world to work you sometimes have to do things that you consider morally wrong.

@1:41 the Zutara/Kataang shipping wars were something else 😂 and all the avatars talking to Aang about duty… this was powerful stuff to see as a kid.

Another detail that's more wholesome than heartbreaking: the moment Iroh pulls Zuko in, in the very last frame, you can see Zuko's mouth/tongue whatever forming to an "L", which implies he was going to say "I don't know how I'll ever make it up to you, but I love you" Thanks for coming to my TED talk, I'm going to cry in a corner now

I was watching this episode in a normal mood but the moment of reunion literally made me burst into tears. Such a masterpiece

"I was never angry with you, I was afraid that you'd lost your way" When I first heard them, those words hit harder than possibly any other quote in existence, because I grew up with a particularly strained relationship with my parents. But no matter what, after every fight we had my parents would often say something very similar, often breaking down themselves, as looking back, they likely felt worse simply because they felt like they failed to help me... every time i watch this scene, even to this day, tears inevitably come.

Roku: Be decisive Kuruk: Be active Yangchen: Fulfill your duty to the world Kyoshi: Let's kill da ho, I mean, responsibility for your decisions, no regrets or something

Fun fact: Everyone hated Kuruk until the Kyoshi novels was released.

WELP, TIME TO CRY literally the second episode that ALWAYS makes me cry

Iroh saying he was sad and then that he was proud of Zuko just hits different. May we all find someone who is as proud of us as Iroh was of Zuko.

Still one of the most masterful scenes we've ever seen. This NEVER fails to bring a tear to my eyes. And I'm a grown ass man.

ITS FINALLY HERE! THE MOST HEARTWARMING MOMENT OF THE SERIES!

over a thousand small strands laid down over 3 seasons finally come back together for the finale, basic story telling masterfully done. 😁 also Mark Hamill being over the top chewing through fictional scenery is always a win. 😉

So just to clarify the reason Nyla couldn’t sniff out Aang was because the lion turtle he’s on the back of is so old that it’s intense scent of the earth masks out Aangs own scent, one of the creators stated this when a fan asked about it

I love the double meaning of the title in this one. In both stories of the episode, they're meeting with a group of "old masters" Aang meeting with the previous Avatars, and the rest of the gang meeting with the order of the White Lotus.

Those bastards knew what they were doing, having Zuko break when seeing Iroh again. Man is the absolute GOAT of this series! We all need an Iroh in our lives…

Fun fact: Zuko’s VA and Jong Jong’s VA played Jake Long and his Grandpa respectively in American Dragon Jake Long, another series about a hero with magical powers meant to keep peace between the material world and the mystical one.

Avatar Kuruk was the shortest-lived avatar in history and was directly followed by Avatar Kyoshi, the longest-lived avatar in history. I think he was only in his thirties when he died. Kyoshi lived to at least 200. Add to that the fact that Kuruk was the laziest, least involved party animal of an avatar ever while Kyoshi was the most duty bound and involved.

Roku: Yeah I let my best friend live and later he left me to die in a volcano and commited genocide so yeah that didn't go too well. Kyoshi: Lamo id have killed this dude for fun lol. Kuruk: Yeah I didn't do much work and a centipede spirit stole my girlfriends face so yeah. Yangchen: Sorry kiddo but you can't hide behind your culture to get out of your work upp and at em.

One of the other huge parts about Aang's worry that I love, though this is like 50% just speculation and not something touched on much in the show, he is the LAST of his culture, for him to do what the Avatar is expected to do, he will have basically given up the last bit of the air nomad ways.

Nothing left but big amazing moments, we have been waiting for this one for awhile. the White Lotus, the return of Iroh, the Lion Turtle. This is peak Avatar!

Ah yes the scene that made us all fucking sob with joy

😭😭😭😭brooo Iroh will always be a top tier character not only in this series but in cartoons in general

Not sure if anyone posted this since I came in late but the sandal Zuko saved and used in this episode is the one Iroh dropped as a hint when he got captured by earthbenders in season 1.

This is about the time in reactions where I like to say that Momo was originally intended to be Monk Gyatso's reincarnation

Iroh is the literal embodiment of a perfect father figure.

You know Yang Chen invented the air bender equivalent to Darth Vader's force choke.

We all need an Uncle Iroh in our lives. We all cried when Zuko and Iroh reunited. We're approaching the end of Zuko's redemption arc. And what a beautiful end it is.

I hereby vote we change the definition of "Goat" to Uncle Iroh. All in Favor?

Yeeess this was the episode I’ve been waiting for you to see. Years later it still makes me tear up every single time.

The tearbending is strong in this episode

Oh this one killed me! So touching seeing Zuko and Iroh reunite and mend fences. I love it! The whole finale is great! Glad u r enjoying it Alicia!!

Iroh really said "I'm going to do what I love for the rest of my life, and it will be so good" Good for him

One of the essential rules of Avatar, if Iroh is crying, we're all crying. Theories about Aang not existing are that the lion turtle is both in the spirit world and the material world at the same time, or that Lion Turtles' Spirits are so powerful that being on their back s is like being in a miniature spirit world. Either way would work because if you take your body into the spirit world with you then you get to keep your bending. Alicia really did well in picking up on things in this episode. She caught that Aang was looking for someone to make the decision for him, but he's the main character,....I mean he's the Avatar. He has to make the choice on his own. She also caught that throughout the talks with his past selves they never tell him which way to choose. What he knows now is that he has to be decisive, bring justice so there can be peace, be active and attentive, and do whatever it takes to stop the Firelord, no matter what the risks. There are a lot of really well written episodes of this show, and the next two are real good ones, but I consider the Old Masters to be the best written episode of the entire show.

Fun Fact: Zuko's voice actor, Dante Basco, actually said "Father Lord" on accident but the directors liked it so they left it in.

God damn that Mark Hamil Fire Lord voice is so good. Who knew Luke Skywalker would be so good at playing Bad guys.

It never fails to amaze me at just how heartbreaking Zuko's voice actor's performance is in this episode. Dante Basco really hit it out of the park.

Imagine working in a factory and being shifted around not from an earthquake but because the entire building was effectively fluck off a hill.

there's a comic that takes place during this episode where toph and bumi try and find out who's the better earth bender

I love how he calls Kyoshi out to get advice on how not to kill someone. Bruh she would be the first and last mf to tell you to drop him

Avatar Yangchen statement about sacrificing your own spiritual wellbeing in defence of the world is one of my favourite lines in Avatar. What a wild and thought provoking idea.

I like the fact that they give aang advice and what they went through, and him understanding that he know ye has to but can't because his still mentally 12 years of age, but then he hears that he doesn't need to take the life only the darkness it holds

Omg I love that hug so much you can practically feel it

June seems like a decent person, being a merc for hire aside. Also, cute of Appa to forgive. 10000 years of the world's protectors to call upon. You mentioned the White Lotus last time. That was a very good guess. The old masters have mustered for war. A coalition of friends and allies from all nations come to turn the tide. If he lives, Ozai MUST be broken. Cool trivia about the comics. Piandao also trained Zuko back when Zuko was still a prince. And for a lot longer, so when Zuko and Sokka decided to spar with swords, Zuko beat him handily. And for the really fun one, Toph and Bumi has a slugfest of a sparring match. It ended in a DRAW. Honestly, Kiyoshi was too passive about Chin if anything. For the Force of Nature that she was, she should have beaten him down sooner. Unless she was busy training. "I knew I shouldn't have asked Kiyoshi." This means Aang isn't seeking wisdom, he's seeking validation and the answer he wants. He dismisses what Kiyoshi has to say despite her having far more experience than him and living longer than any other Avatar. She was the World's Protector for over 200 years. Aang is not willing to listen though, unless he gets the answer he wants, which is not wise. It is folly. Again, in a sparring match, Toph fought Bumi to a DRAW! Granted, sparring match, so probably not bringing, the S game with full effect, but it speaks volumes to both of their power and skill to tie. She is his successor as greatest and strongest Earthbender alive. Aang is fishing for approval of the answer he already chose. Choosing to find a way to nonlethally defeat the Fire Lord is one thing. Deluding yourself into thinking you're seeking wisdom when you're just trying to get someone to sign off on what you already chose is deep hubris. Your advisors can be wrong, but you must be willing to consider that you can be wrong. And Aang isn't just doing this for his personal beliefs, but because he wants to follow his teachers. The Monks told him killing was wrong, so it's wrong. The Monks had him prejudging the Ba Sing Se that was 100 years of wartime removed from the Ba Sing Se of his time. The Monks who tried to force a 12 year old to be Their champion because They couldn't fight for themselves. Aang refuses to believe that he is wrong or that his teachings aren't his priority. I said last time I'd come back when I had the last piece of applicable evidence. Aang is being close minded and selfish here. She knows what she speaks of. She fought a warrior spirit who nearly leveled an entire city. She faced off against a conspiracy headed by 3 combustion benders. She knows how to kill with airbending. Precisely, you agree. He wanted a specific answer, not guidance. If killing is evil, there are times it's a necessary evil. Let's say all life, even the most evil scum, is sacred, then that doesn't preclude necessary violence. Ozai is responsible for untold suffering and death indirectly and will now do even more harm directly if allowed. Preserving one unit of sacred that has already ended at least 10's of thousands of other units of sacred and will continue to do so is not a wise choice. Even if Aang held Ozai's life no less sacred than Katara's, logic would still demand ending Ozai's. Dante is putting in the work on that acting. You did call the turtle, but there's more to it. I'm kind of sad Suki still has to wear the commandeered fire nation clothes and can't gear up with her fans. and makeup. Everyone else gets to put on their comfortable and national pride clothes, but not her. Sokka has his armor, Katara is packing heavy with two large waterskins, but poor Suki doesn't get even a single fan. Sometimes it is best to appoint those who don't want power to leadership. Because they respect it and do not pollute it with ambition. Zuko has come to respect the power of other benders, and he saw the typhoon of fury Katara can unleash or temper. He underestimates her no more. Iroh is looking forward to retirement. There was a blink you you'll miss picture of a Lion Turtle in the Great Library. If not for this Lion Turtle, Aang likely would have to take Ozai's life this night. The Comet is here, and the final battle has begun.

I whole heartedly agree with you. I’m glad I’m not the only one who agrees Aang shouldn’t have killed Ozai. And believe me I *hated* the dude when I was younger, but I also acknowledged the true strength of not killing him and finding another way. Now as I’m older I’m bitter towards the previous airbender avatar for basically abandoning what it meant to be it. The nomads teachings apply to ALL life, not just the normal ones but the major ones to.

I love how despite the very small amount of time to characterize Kyoshi in the show, everyone predicts that Kyoshi will tell aang to just kill Ozai.

After rewatching these reactions, I noticed they teased the Island thing Aang is on as early as the episode featuring Wan Shi Tong's Library.

I watched that last few episodes on your patreon because the last two episodes have a lot of tear jerking and a lot of emotions. Avatar the last air bender was the best cartoon to watch growing up. Thank you Alicia for allowing me to watch this once again but with a very amazing person to share the experience with. And as well I hope your medical situation gets better.

I was waiting so long for this moment and seeing you tear up at this actually made me tear up a bit. So glad I could watch it with you Alica

The Zuko/Iroh reunion is so nice. And I love how the Avatars were like "nah, waste 👏 his 👏 ass 👏".

Fun fact: avatar Yang Chen created a forbidden air bending technique. It involves forcing the air out of someone's lungs until they suffocate. She is known as the deadliest known avatar because of this.

19:01 is where streamer broken. That being said…can’t blame her

I’ve been waiting for their reunion, I knew exactly how you’d react to it. No disappointments in this reaction nor episode.

In a (semi-)canon comic, Toph and Bumi have a sparring match shortly before the gaang leaves the White Lotus camp. The overall result was a tie, meaning they are both tied for "Strongest/Best Earthbender in the world". However, Bumi is super old and Toph is 12-13, and she does get even better as she gets older.

Uncle Iroh is a real one!! we don't deserve a man like him!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

If I recall, one of the reasons why Iroh didn't speak until now during the entire season was because Mako, his original voice actor, passed in-between seasons. They managed to get Mako's understudy Greg Baldwin to record Iroh's lines for the season, but brought out as much emotion as they could and increase the sense of loss by deliberately not having Iroh speak.

“But the Avatar can never do it, b/c Your sole duty is to the world. Here is my wisdom for you. Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs, and do what ever it takes to protect the world” = chills

If you're a reader, I HIGHLY recommend the Kyoshi novels, Rise of Kyoshi and Shadow of Kyoshi. They're an amazing duology about Kyoshi's early days finding out she's the Avatar and there's lots of twists, political intrigue, and in some ways they're darker than either of the shows ever get (w/ the exception of maybe the Air Nomad Genocide). And let's just say, Avatar Kuruk was witholding a LOT about how the world was relatively peaceful and the "good times" during his life,. FC Yee is a really talented writer, imo. They're also going to be considered canon for the ongoing Avatar Studios projects, so it's good backstory to have to spot easter eggs & references they might put in to various projects. There's a new book (also by Yee) about Yangchen too, Dawn of Yangchen, currently awaiting its sequel. Also a very good read, it's more "subdued" I'd say, but it fits for the more spy/mystery vibe.

I remember the hype for the last 2 episodes to air. every day was a countdown to the end of Avatar and the fight of Aang vs Firelord. For little me it was the hypest even of the whole year

The bit with Avatar Yengchen is one of my favorite bits of dialogue in any medium. It’s incredibly complex for a show that’s ostensibly for children.

You are correct, Avatar Kuruk was indeed a ladies’ man.

Definitely in my top 5 episodes here. Can't wait for you to react to the final episode. TLA is and will always be in my top 3 favorite shows of all time.

Zuko: I'm so sorry uncle, I made the wrong choice but im here to fix it, i need to atone for my dad's mistakes. Iroh: he may have been your father, but he wasnt your Daddy

Fun fact: There is a series of canon novels called “Chronicles of the Avatar” that go over the lives of some of the past Avatars

I knew the watefalls were comming this episode, the reunion of Zuko with Iroh is perfect.

Iroh and Zuko's reunion always makes me cry too.

28:00 Ozai working on his Nobunaga impersonation.

If you actually pay attention, _none_ of the previous avatars actually say "You have to kill the Fire Lord". Their advise is only about being decisive, just, and proactive. Even Yangchen doesn't tell him he has to kill, only that he can never be detached from the world like he wants to be. It's just Aang who interprets it as such, because that's where his mind is.

I'm gonna miss avatar the last airbender on your channel. Mainly Sokka tho because there just isn't any character like Sokka that guy was a comedian and had a great story arc and he also was the Coochie bender

his past selves techical didnt say to kill him. they said to do what must be done

Bro she cried so hard that tears started coming out of my phone screen wth