Overanalyzing Avatar on the thrilling conclusion to Book 2, The Crossroads of Destiny. TWO EPISODES AHEAD ON PATREON: / overanalyzing TWITTER: / overanalyzinga #ATLA #avatarthelastairbender #overnaalzingavatar
"Is Aang flying here?" Wait. The Legend of Korra showed that airbenders could fly by shedding their earthly attachments. Aang just opened the last chakra by letting go of Katara. So... probably! Unintentional continuity for the win!
How does this Show Still manage to absolutely crush everything with its continuity Your Spot on thats probably the Inspirational moment the writers uses for that ability.
I'm sure others have pointed this out here, but the recap of Roku saying "If you die in the Avatar State, you die in real life" was ABSOLUTELY necessary in 2006. Content nowadays is designed to be binged, the writers have to keep in mind that people will watch 2-3 episodes, of not entire seasons in a single sitting... In 2006, this was NOT the case lol. For us in the future, Appa was missing for a handful of episodes. For kids in 2006, you had to wait over two painstaking MONTHS of real time before even knowing if he was alive or not... Roku's bombshell was dropped an entire SEASON AND A HALF before this episode. I was in the target demographic when Avatar premiered, but I went out of my way to not get into it because I knew it had one big overarching story, and missing a single episode could mean I was completely lost the next week - As a kid, I couldn't control my own schedule, so I knew I would miss a lot of important info. If Mom decided to go shopping an hour or two before that episode aired, I just would not get to see it - This is the kind of shit a bunch of kids back then would just miss lol
But for precisely those reasons, even kid me knew that if something was in the recap it was going to matter THIS episode. Spoiled quite a few shows. I actually remember liking the recaps on Teen Titans MORE because they took longer and just covered the whole current plot line, so I didn't know which bits would matter. And then Terra would just appear in the recap and I'd know this episode would hurt. Dunno if that's good or bad.
Literally story of my 6th grade life. Worse yet, I literally had no promise of guaranteed TV time being the youngest of 3 brothers. Avatar would either air when we had dinner, or during some sports program my other brothers wanted to watch was on. I always had to watch replays of this all until the 2009's when I was able to find sketchy online anime websites where I could steam all the seasons for free.
I was actually blessed by the timing of when I first watched Avatar. Nickelodeon was doing a marathon of the entire series when my friend introduced me to it but even though I was able to binge it, it was still wonderful!
Yeah, my brother and I only got to watch episodes on the Nick website. Sometimes they'd have 6 sequential episodes, sometimes none, and rarely a full marathon. Watching the episodes so out of order like that, I was confused for a while about whether Uncle Iroh was an earth bender or a fire bender.
The title of “Dragon” is awarded to a fire bender for slaying a dragon in battle. So when Azula complains of not wanting to hear a “lengthy anecdote,” she’s expecting Iroh to recount the story of how he supposedly hunted and defeated the last dragon.
I'm so glad that the algorithim blessed me with your drill episode, it got me hooked. Edit: 8/18/23. I am still getting replies lmao. Edit 5/9/24: We’re still going, good lord.
Another important thing about Zuko not joining the gaang right here is this: If he did, he never would've truly realized why he had to do it. Why it was the right decision. He would've always had the thought in the back of his mind that he could've gone back home and have everything be as it had been before. He HAD to know what it was like to truly redeem himself. That's what the beach episode was leading up to. Despite having everything he ever wanted for the entire series, he wasn't happy. Because only through having all of it he realized that it isn't what he truly wanted. That this wasn't who he truly is.
i like to think that the beach episode was just his inner conscious REALLY yelling at the back of his head like ''BRO YOU DONE FUCKED UP YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE 100TH TIME IVE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS AND WILL KEEP DOING IT UNTIL YOU LISTEN''
Just realized this as Overanalyzer focused on the green crystal caves for the finale. Each book, water, earth, and fire, ends in a battle colored after each element. Water had the monotone color scheme (like the Ying yang of Tui and La) with blue as the feature color. Earth had the crystals, and Fire had Sozin's comet with the sky lit up in red.
I like to think that Azula recognized that killing the avatar didn’t matter, because with the city under her control the war was essentially over. A new avatar being born would still take over a decade to be a threat, and at that point the fire nation would already control the world. Also, once you finish season 3 I would love to see you do a miniseries of an episode breaking down characters progression and arcs over the show, like one episode per character
11:09 If Admiral Zhao killed Aang he had at least 12 years till the avatar became a threat as water bender, also Zhao’s attack an the North Pole would’ve been successful in killing the moon spirit, then the Drill penetrated Ba Sing Se with that and Omashu under Fire Nation control they could’ve burn the Earth kingdom during Sozion Comet. No more Air or Earth benders and powerless Water benders Only the Fire Nation remains all because of Zhao Poor decision
@@Not_4uoo Actually I think Zhao made the right play by capturing Aang. Zhao didn't know for certain that a war that's been going on for decades will be concluded within 15 years. Aang also only mastered air at that point so he wasn't as much of a proven threat. Zhao planned long term. Imagine how messy it would be if they attacked the water tribes, but didn't completely eradicate them. Even if only a handful survive that would lead to a hidden avatar starting a resistance movement long after the war ends. There's also the possibility of the avatar cycle jumping straight to earth if there are no water benders available since it's never been shown that it can't. Killing Aang buys time, but there's no guarantee that they'll win. It's also better for Zhao to capture Aang then let the firelord decide if he wants to be rewarded as much as possible. Also we as the viewers know that swamp benders exist so it's basically a sure thing that we'll have a swampy avatar starting shit after the fire nation conquers the earth kingdom. Allowing the avatar to come back after 15 years is just worse than imprisoning him for 70+ years.
@@cmck362 the only problem is, why didn’t Zhao expect an attempt to capture him? He’s the freaking avatar the one guy that could/will end the war. From Zuko breaking in we see the security is kinda lax till he gets spotted, if it were me I’d have Aang surrounded by rhinos with a lava moat and make sure his whole body is tied down (And if you say that level of physical restriction is a war crime, it’s the fire nation… ) not just chains on his arms and legs which Aang literally proved he could bend regardless of the chains. So if Zhao really planned on having him contained for 70 years he shoulda done some planning on what kinda security that would take. For example how the red lotus members were imprisoned in Korra would be what I’m looking for if I captured the freaking avatar. Just an opinion but everyone already knows Zhao was kind of an idiot.
@@mattpassos5689 I didn't realize temporary prisons used to hold people before transport to a more secure location needed to be so insane that they replace the structure they're being moved to..... Do you actually think that was aangs permeant prison? That they wouldn't have moved him either to the firelord or the burning rock or some other place more secure? Aang wasn't getting out of those chains alone with just air bending otherwise he would have done it himself. He was secure enough and it was pretty low key that aang was captured so it was unlikely he'd get a rescue from anyone besides a couple water tribe kids. Zuko freeing him was unexpected. He knew the layout of the place and acted immediately. You people talk a lot of shit about zhao, but he made the correct moves. He was just written to fail. Plot armor beats realism.
@@trevorpacelli8056 meaning he's badass even without working out but still awesome he did though would love to have seen the break out though wouldn't that be badass scene
Imagine how much worse Katara would've felt if she had used the spirit water to heal Zuko's scar, he betrayed them anyway, AND she would be unable to save Aang.
I feel like Zuko wouldn't have turned against them if Katara healed him, and Azula probably wouldn't have had the chance to strike Aang if Zuko was on his side.
@@dylanbowes427 I can see it either way. Personally I think he may have turned to the Gaang earlier because of his own words: Azula. Always. Lies. And yeah, it's tragic because the best lies are those that the person wants to believe. Even if you tell them to their face its a lie they may still buy into it.
I’m shocked you didn’t mention the disappointment in Irohs face after he surrendered and looked at Zuko. It always hit me when he looked at him and Zuko didn’t even bother to look back
It's more like Zuko didn't dare to look back. He already knew at that point how badly he had disappointed and betrayed Iroh. And he might not have realized it, but he probably was already ashamed and regretful as well.
@@wombat4191 yes. Zuko gave into the temptation to finally get the one thing he's always wanted, what seemed impossible and had thought he gave up on, only to be presented to him again. Immediately after the act Zuko knew it was the wrong choice, even if he spends a few episodes in denial.
Also another thing about the final fight being green, it coincides with the books. Book one is water and its in blue, book two is earth and it’s green and book three is fire and it’s red
15 years later still learning new stuff about this show, great observation, it seems so obvious but i never connected those dots myself. Like OA said with aang starting with A and zuko starting with Z, aang with the blue mark, zuko with the red mark. Little details that still astound me
damn. ive watched the show at least five times through and this has never occurred to me...this is an awesome observation and one that i wish i wouldve realised myself
I love how Zuko sees the glowing and recoils. It sets him back for a second, which makes sense. He's seen the AvatarState™ in action, most recently when Aang and the ocean spirit fucked up a whole fleet of ships. Azula on the other hand has never dealt with it, so she doesn't hesitate. She's not scared at all. Brilliant execution on that.
I think that's doing her a disservice. Aang's tattoos started glowing and the fire nation was down a whole fleet five minutes later. She didn't attack because she didn't know what the avatar state was or because she knew that the avatar was vulnerable in that state, she knew that if someone didn't take him out fast that he would be unstoppable.
Eh, she's just a very practical and ruthless fighter, if her opponent wants to be still and float out in the open to give her an easy shot then why not take advantage with as quick and deadly an attack as she's allowed
The waist-high wave gag is amazing, I would literally never have given that bit of the scroll a second thought and you manage to make it funny like five times
People who underestimate the waist high wave have never been swimming in the ocean that wave is a bitch that will knock you over unless youre stanced correctly
@@validark okay but the height and power of the wave aren't necessarily correlated. I've been knocked over by a wave that wasn't even knee-high as it broke over my shin and been totally fine as a wave gently lifts me a foot off my toes and gracefully sets me back down again. It really has to do with the force/speed and not necessarily the height.
@@r.pizzamonkey7379a person needs 6 inches of water to fall down and get sweeped away. A car needs 12 inches of water to get sweeped away. The waist-high wave is overpowered as hell
@@cryopex9976 Especially if you're standing in water. The water under the surface is still moving, just not visibly. Water is fairly dense and remarkably hard to compress, so even a small amount of motion can be far more impactful than comparable air currents.
Iroh says “Perfection and power are overrated.” Because that’s basically his family with the exception of Zuko. Ozai and Azula’s whole life philosophy is based on perfection and power.
Fuckin' Iroh face-palming is one of my favorite moments in the episode. He's doing exactly what everyone watching this back in the day was doing. "Zuko, you're a fuckin' idiot!"
I do think it's important that Zuko relapses here, both for the reasons you listed and for a better redemption arc. If Zuko redeems himself here, while he's alone and weak, after years of mistreatment by the fire nation, its so much less powerful than when he chooses to redeem himself after gaining everything he ever wanted. Too many writers think villains redeeming themselves after being defeated is better than villains redeeming themselves at the height of their power simply because they realize its the right thing to do. It makes a way more powerful redemption story.
Zuko is an addict for honour and father’s acceptance. Addicts relapse when given the chance to and it’s disappointing when it happens but makes it sweeter when the addict finally kicks the addiction.
What Azula's takeover of the Dai Li needed was a scene of her pointing our how Long Feng was finished, and they were too, but she could make them powerful in the aftermath. I think that's what they were going for, but needed more.
but… the whole reason that Long Feng “was finished” was that the Dai Li turned on him. If they hadn't sided with her (for no apparent reason), Azula would have been arrested and there would be no need for the Dai Li to be powerful in her new regime because there would have been no new regime.
@@dw1419 Azula does have a pretty good position. If the Dai Li side with her they get the strongest army in the world to enforce their fragile new regime, while if they side with Long Feng they need to repel that army with a weaker army that could turn on them at any minute and was recently deprived of its top leadership, in a city that sees them as traitors. And Long Feng did screw up majorly getting discovered by the king. I think it would have worked a lot better if Azula actually said this to the Dai Li instead of them just being too scared to act against her, but Avatar was never very frontal with politics.
I LOVE the detail of Iroh drinking tea right before he breathes fire. And it makes total sense in universe, the tea would naturally up his body heat, and as fire bending comes from the breath it would give him a little boost in power. It's also just gratifying to see his love for tea played a part in his bending.
I always thought Zuko’s “I have changed” was almost a taunt, and that he was saying he has improved as a bender since their last fight, possibly deflecting from the topic of changing as a person to stay focused
I think it not says that he has not just changed as a bender but as a more decisive person as whole, I think the few past episodes are him accepting the other half of himself, compare early season 1 zuko to end of season two zuko, he is not torn between two halves of himself until he decides to let appa free in season 1 he goes after the avatar without thinking things through, beyond common thinking he pursues. Until season 3 when he actually acnowlages the good half. Like when he goes to the war meeting with his father
This has always been my interpretation, too. But the line could definitely also include some element of his new understanding of the world, understanding that has grown over the course of season 2. It could even be that he sees his bending improvements partially as a result of his improved worldliness.
Not the same. There’s been a lot of betrayals in Ancient Rome definitely, but never the Pretorians straight up destroying their empire like that. Let’s take emperor Pertinax for example, he was a threat to the Praetorian gaurs themselves, thought they were too powerful and wanted reformation. They were bought out by his Father I think? (Don’t remember) and they killed him. NOT the fuckin villain from an enemy force leading to a unquestionable destruction of the country and its civilians. The guards acted when THEY WERE THREATENED themselves. Definitely not just because “this bitch is a good leader, better ruin the country” this writing about that scene was so sloppy and illogical to me. Fang was back and free, they could have annihilated Azula right there easily.
Praetorian Guards: Spem pretio emere. Nosmet ipsi requirum moneta, aes, argentum, aerum, summa summarum, pecunia est tempus, tempus est vivo, pecunia est vivo. Or in English, Coins for a service. We ourselves require money, copper, silver, gold, the whole, money is time, time is life, money is life. And to top it all of, if money is life, lives have value, and if life has a value, it has a price, and as it has a price it can be bought. Coins for a service, Nex est convenio. Death is waiting. He too doesn't have all the time in the world, he too needs to be paid, as the Greeks said, a coin for the ferryman.
@@marley7868 Not comparable, this episode is the equivalent of the praetorians selling Rome to the Sassanids or the Huns. For as much time they spent removing the word "loyalty" from their minds, they never allied with actual invading armies against their own country.
@@gyarurespecter3386 The show does not explain it and moves forward too quickly, but as soon as the Earth Kingdom's Dai Li heard about the drill, they knew they were doomed against the "also English-speaking" and "just more tech advanced" Fire Nation. Given how isolated and anti-freedom-of-learning the Earth Kingdom had become (as well as slowly but surely shrinking), they likely saw all of their superiors as corrupt and weak but thought there was no way an "attacker" could be as corrupt especially one that "trained so hard to be so strong" like they would assume of Azula. 1. Azula had more money for them 2. Azula had more "benefits" for them then "more of the same" 3. Azula was a better and more "wise" warrior than any of their previous managers 4. To protect their cultural heritage, they would need to give a reason to their eventual overlords anyway to keep and fund them 5. The "avatar" was like an "immature hail marry" 12 year old boy, yo. The show could have definitely elucidated a better narrative that would make the take-over more believable...But the Dai Li were already being directed to betray the Earth King, why not betray Long Feng and skip the middle man all-together. Like a discussion between Dai Li agents on why they couldn't simply take Azula hostage and how they had no shot of conquering the Fire Nation and their fellow spies had already heard the Fire Nation had flying machines and that (much like Afghanistan) skipping the battle that "you are for sure going to lose anyway" will save more lives than fighting it just be become dust on a third party's decaying history book. The Dai Li just wanted to make money preserving the rich Ba Sing Se cultural heritage of keeping the peasants oppressed "in their place."
9:32 Another thing I notice here is Zuko hasn't forgotten Iroh's lesson of learning from the other types of benders to better his own firebending. He perfectly mimics what Katara is doing with the water, using his fire as a fluid weapon instead of a projectile to further his reach from that distance which we don't see done often with fire.
I always interpreted the “I have changed” line as a reference to his usage of water bending techniques and the like, the path to mastery he’s begun. Looking at this fight parallel to the one at the northern water temple, it shows how far Zuko has come along with Katara. Azula was taken out rather quickly, yet Zuko decides to use the same technique Katara is, essentially cancelling her out. He’s changed, but not for the better. He’s grown, but not matured.
In regards to Azula taking over Ba Sing Se: Its clear that Aang has made it known that the type of deception and control the Dai Lee currently have is unacceptable. They have gotten more power with the war, and don't' wish to give it up. If they turn traitor, then they can still have the same power they are used to.
And I think it makes perfect sense that Azula herself would *not* see it that way. That she would interpret it as the result of herself being the most intimidating and powerful person around. Which, you know, she probably is, but I think she's still somewhat delusional about her importance in the grand scheme of things.
Another factor to consider is what Azula represents. While they may not necessarily care about her specifically, she is the Fire Nation princess. Helping her puts them in a position to have FAR more power and control than Long Feng could ever reasonably offer. And from their perspective, the Fire Nation winning the war is an inevitability. Better to jump ship now than risk being crushed when they invade. All in all, I see the Dai Li defection more as opportunistic than Azula herself pulling it off. Naturally, she isn't going to see it that way and assume it was all her doing.
I think another part of it though is Azula. The Dai Li side with who is the most competent leader, that's why they'd side with Long Feng over the earth king. And they see what Azula was able to plan and accomplish is a few days and realize that she's a more cunning leader than Long Feng.
And Momo's wide-eyed look can also be taken for a scared/confused look. Momo's thought process is like, "What happen to Arrowhead? Why isn't he waking up?"
I'm glad you mentioned Aang's left foot having the lightning wound. It's mentioned a bit by Iroh talking about lightning redirection, but an important part about surviving lightning strikes in real life is that it can never pass through the left side of the body. That it exits on the left foot shows that this would be invariably pass through his heart and be lethal without immediate medical care.
6:18 I actually think that this makes perfect sense. It's clear to anyone that the fire nation will win the war, especially after the fall of Omashu. What Azula's offering to the Dai Li is a way out, a way to switch sides and continue existing, while Long Feng is offering nothing more than an inevitable perish.
I agree. Like aside from everything else, they just got rid of their entire military apparatus. Who’s gonna lead all those soldiers, especially if those soldiers are loyal to their general/king and know that a coup is going on? They nearly lost just a few weeks previous. Long Feng backed them into a corner, and they would’ve been willing to accept that when they were likely to lose power anyways. But now Azula is offering them a better deal.
This episode is really important for zuko's character arc and unique from other works of fiction that has redemption arcs, because normally we expect this to be the defining moment for a villain to redeem himself and go with the good guys and prove himself worthy of redemption and acceptance, but this episode plays on our expectations, it shocks and disappoint us, and manages to make zuko's character much more realistic by not making his progression a straight line, but a series of hurdles. I love this episode, it's truly a masterpiece.
I agree. It is also one thing to embrace his new life in Ba Sing Se when his old life seems like a distant impossibility. It is totally different for him to reject Azula's offer when it is everything he has suffered for years to attain. I think when he says "I have changed", it is sort of an acknowledgement that he realizes his identity as "Zuko, Son of Ozai and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation" was one forced on him by his father, but at this point he still wants to accept it as a destiny he is choosing for himself; that by embracing it as his own choice he expects to find fulfillment. Only once he does embrace it is he able realize how empty it is and to fully, without regrets, let go of that identity.
ALSO, that's why I think katara was right, or at least her behaviour was understandable when she didn't trust Zuko when he decided to train Aang, such a natural and realistic response from a very well written character.
Something I noticed too is how up until this point Iroh never directly told Zuko what to do with regards to his destiny or tell him avatar = good, fire nation = bad. However in this episode he does and I think that's what tossed a wrench in Zuko's development because he needed to figure that stuff on his own instead of Iroh directly telling him. And so in book 3 thats what happens because at that point Zuko was really alone and didn't have Iroh. He found out his destiny on his own without any pointers
"I have changed." Zuko believes he has defeated his doubts and is ready to be the 'perfect' prince of the Fire Nation. It conveys the certainty with which he's made his decision, in contrast to the way he's felt conflicted throughout the season. This is an important line to set up the emptiness Zuko feels after convincing himself that is his is true path. Without this moment Zuko is just being manipulated again, but we see that trepidation replaced by a sense of clarity as Zuko walks his Crossroads of Destiny.
I'm no music theorist, but one of the coolest things about this episode happens musically. The Avatar state leitmotif is playing after Aang unlocks the last chakra and goes into the Avatar state. But the chord that is playing gets flipped, probably by only one or two notes, from a triumphant theme into one of despair.
Zuko going for Appa instead of going to Aang's address does make some sense: he would use Appa for leverage. He knows how dangerous the Gaang are and directly attacking their home would never work. Of course, the whole thing is an exercise in Zuko's poor judgement and desperation, that he thought that taking a giant animal hostage would work either.
I wish you would have talked about Aang's "I'm sorry Katara" before he encloses himself in crystal. Even through all the years that I forgot about most of the show, that one line and shot has always stuck with me.
You mentioned that Zuko was weirdly happy earlier. That it came off as forced? Well I think that it really was forced. He swung from one side to the other and didn't really earn it. You even saw Iroh go, "ooooohkaaaaay?" And here he is, slipping back into old ways because that's just what brains do, especially if he was just in denial and was trying to force change.
that parallel you did with Katara reviving Aang and them first meeting was so beautiful. And the way you put it together without talking over it just made it hit perfectly.
I love Iroh's advice and how it's in direct contrast to the Guru and all the previous avatars. A big theme of the show is inversely correlating power with humanity. Whether it's giving up your love or your morals, Aang's avatar state according to everyone requires him to give up a part of his identity. And he gets no end of flak for not immediately making these sacrifices. Iroh is one of the few characters that explicitly says its okay to not sacrifice yourself like that.
@@gavinsmith9871to be fair he was about to win and decided to go a different route, it's not like going against the wishes of the past avatars wouldn't have solved the problem. They emphasized duty over self, Aang just so happened to find a way around it this one time cause he met a lion turtle at the last possible moment
11:40 I always thought this stance Iroh takes and how he just tanks the hits head on, seems like a classic earthbender move. We know that Iroh studied all bending techniques and most famously created the lighting redirection from waterbending. So seeing him here using an earthbending technique in his fighting style is just awesome and really makes him stand out from other fire benders.
You could interpret the Dai Li's logic like this maybe: flipping sides now could very well be the best way to ensure stability and continuity in Ba Sing Se. As we know, the Dai Li wanted nothing to do with war and the instability it brings.
Yeah they were fighting 100 year war with the walls nearly being penetrated Plus at least three spies were able to get to the king. They probably thought they were fighting a losing the war
How stupid they had to be, as earthbenders to "change sides", they want peace with nation that wants nothing more than kill every person that doesn't use same magic as they are.
Its still stupid as hell. they later open the walls to the fire nation army, WHO wants and DOES become in charge of the city! They literally handed their kingdom and power away to the fire nation here
@@axelNodvon2047 You're assuming the Dai Li give a damn about the Earth Kingdom. They don't. They just want to secure their own power which Azula offers.
@@nousername191 They’re going to lose it in time, along with their lives. When the fire nation starts genociding the earth kingdom the Dai Li would be first, considering their treacherous history and bending prowess
If you watch Xiran Jay Zhao’s videos on Avatar, they translate the flyer Aang hands out and it *does* actually have their address on it! Maybe the reason Zuko didn’t immediately go there is because he wanted to capture their bison first for leverage, and that was his barely-scraped together plan.
Maybe the citizens from the poor ring cant get in the higher ring without some kind of bourocracy so he found it easier to get appa and set up a trap for aang
@@ayoogunsakin9223 Remember, by the time he got the flyer, he's had a season-and-three-quarters of character development. He's learned to pick his battles just a bit smarter.
I think it’s good important to note: when Zuko turned his back on the Fire nation in this season, he is forced to do it. So it’s believable that capturing Aang could still get him back in his fathers good graces. In season 3 when he gets everything he wanted and realizes the cost, then he can fully make the decision to leave.
“Pakku what’s you teach this girl?” This makes me think how scary Aangs Waterbending would’ve been with Pakku as his teacher he’s by far and away the most aggressive water bender in the series
Welcome to the end of Book 2. Can't believe we're already here. Do me a favor and leave a like and comment, as a send off to this incredible season. Also to help me get more views, but, you know.
The dai li betraying long fen part always confused me as well, but it does make sense on a certain level. The dai li could have known they were already losing the war, so they preferred a quiet takeover instead of the long drawn out war. Also they could have just been too corrupt and power hungry to notice that they are destroying the city they swore to save, just to maintain their position of power
i think zukos “i have changed” is actually very relatable, you can begin to grow and change but when you are tempted and regress back into your old ways you feel like you’ve still grown and become stronger even if you’ve just taken as many steps backwards and making the same mistakes again
I agree with this. In fact, I think he still has grown at this point in the story. I interpreted that line to mean, that even though Zuko is still choosing to follow the path his family has chosen for him, his recent experiences and trials have still made him stronger, smarter, and wiser than the Zuko we see in book 1.
This episode is really important for zuko's character arc and unique from other works of fiction that has redemption arcs, because normally we expect this to be the defining moment for a villain to redeem himself and go with the good guys and prove himself worthy of redemption and acceptance, but this episode plays on our expectations, it shocks and disappoint us, and manages to make zuko's character much more realistic by not making his progression a straight line, but a series of hurdles. I love this episode, it's truly a masterpiece.
I just got done watching a Ross's Game Dungeon episode where he talks about this Uwe Boll movie that was supposed to be based on this very calm, cerebral game, but got pumped full of action and car chases because the director just thought it was fun stuff to have in a movie.. and Ross is like "yeah. higher number of good stuff = movie is more good. That made sense to me when I was five"
2:36 Aang really did put the address there! The end of the poster reads "Please contact Avatar Aang at upper ring, district 96, building (apartment?) 217." Awesome detail as always!
Jokes aside, 1:55 is one of the coolest moments for me, and is often overlooked. Iroh had taught Zuko that the elements are connected, and by studying each style, it will make your bending more powerful. This moment shows that he was actually listening to what his uncle said, as he "waterbends" fire.
Azula killing Aang actually makes a lot of sense if you ask me. She probably knew he was an escape artist so she decided killing him would be the easiest course of action. Plus, with the Earth kingdom fallen, there really wouldn't be anything stopping the fire nation from committing water tribe genocide and eventually Earth kingdom genocide to break the cycle. I mean, the reborn avatar still needs to age a little bit to be a competent bender so this theoretical early Korra wouldn't be stopping a mass genocide
Well she probably knew that the avatar state was too powerful and too dangerous and decided to take him out while he powered up. At this point it could be considered self defense.
Regarding not killing Aang: I think, at this point, Azula's made the quick calculation that *imprisoning* someone who knows Air, Water and Earthbending to the extent that Aang does is largely unfeasible. It's more expedient at this point to kill the Avatar and Comet the fuck out of the Water Tribes like Sozin did the Airbenders. It's not like thare's all that many water benders left - the north pole was screwed back in the end of Season 1 until Aang and the fish spirit went Kaiju on them - a comet enhanced Fire Nation fleet attacking the North Pole with no Avatar support would be hopeless. Additionally, even if they didn't wipe out the water tribes completely, with the Earth Kingdom pretty much fully conquered even before any potential comet gains, they can consolidate power more aggressively. Lots of people gave up hope when Ba Sing Se fell as is, and Azula's understanding of fear as a motivator is definitely good enough to predict that. In 10-12 years when the new Avatar just *starts* being a threat - ie: is comparable to Aang at the start of Season 1, there's not gonna be much hope left for that Avatar to get a backing. And without airbending or a sky bison, they'd be severely lacking in the evasive capability that made Aang so damned hard to hold down. Ugh...that was an unpleasant thought experiment. Trying to read situations the way Azula would is *fucking gross.* Side note: the one thing Zuko knows that I feel like it should have made him stay on Iroh's side: "Azula always lies....Azula always lies...." That's literally a mantra of his growing up. At the start of this season, she offered him a return to the Fire Nation and he bought it then, too, until some mook called him and Iroh prisoners before they were safely confined and ruined it. Why does he keep believing her? Yes, she promises everything he wants, and be bought it once...sure, I can see that. He'd been away from her for a while at this point, maybe she grew out of it. Unlikely, but there's a shadow of a doubt and that's all it takes when someone offers you everything you want on a silver platter. When she does it here, the second time in a matter of months at most, and at a time when he's not even sure he wants what she's offering even if it were legit, I feel like he should know better than to trust her. Hell, he spends a good chunk of season 3 being *very* confused as to why she actually followed through on that promise.
Everything you said I completely agree with the only logical argument I can make for zuko is 2 things, he's an addict for family and honour. While he was happy being clean I think he still feels the draw and need for his fix and azula offered it to him. He's relapsing and he's not thinking clearly. He's also backed into a corner and he doesn't know how good iroh is at this point he probably sees an army off earthbenders and azula as the winners here regardless of his own skill and sides with them. It's not really about trusting her it's just about getting out alive. I think the first one is more fitting tho.
Remember that we know for a fact that the Avatar State can use power and knowledge that the current avatar lacks, and we know for a fact that it does hijack the body of an inexperienced avatar when necessary.
I suspect it was really important that, specifically, he's been fighting and bleeding and dying for the chance to return to the home he remembers for three years, and just lost since they were made fugitives. Narratively at least, it was important for him with the way his character is designed to go back, so he can face the fact that the home he remembers, the one he thinks was lost when Lu Ten died and everything started going wrong, never really existed to begin with. I'm not saying he's right to do so, but would we believe in his redemption arc if desperation didn't make him stupid sometimes? If he didn't struggle and fight the way that is supposed to be fundamental to him? If he'd never gone home, there would always have been that plaguing doubt about if things could have been 'fixed', and he wouldn't have been as able to commit as he was in canon.
I think Zuko's "I have changed" line refers to him changing from his 13 year old self who got burned and banished, and now he thinks he's the son his father wanted, unlike before.
One detail I find pretty cool is the wording when Iroh & Azula convincing Zuko to choose, which further reinforced Zuko's decision to choose Azula's path. Despite Iroh told Zuko he's free to choose his own destiny, Iroh screwed up in the end by saying "It's time for you to choose good." which sounds like Iroh demanded Zuko to be good. Especially when Azula said "Why don't you let him decide, uncle?", Zuko realized despite Iroh's good intention, in the end Iroh is still another people who tried to mold him into what others wanted him to be, just like his own father. Azula, on the other hand, started by saying "I need you.", which sounds less like a demand and more like a proposal. And thoughout the conversation Azula simply propose the benefit of helping her in an indifference tone, instead of trying to emotionally kidnap him with "I'm begging you" like what Iroh did. Zuko knowing how wicked Azula is ironically helped here because he know Azula doesn't care if Zuko become good or evil, which in turn proved she wasn't demanding him to choose her path. For Zuko, Azula's path may not be the best, but at least it's a choice he can decide on his own accord and a good middle finger to the cruel world that has forced his path for so long.
You can see it in earlier episodes, but I love how casualy and brotherly Sokka takes care of Toph, and how she totaly accepts it. They never talk really say anything about it, Sokka just does it. It so organic
I actually think that the dai li trusting azula almost immediately does make some sense. They lost their grip on the earth king, there’s no way for them to get that power back without turning to an outside source: the fire nation. Azula shows up and almost immediately succeeds where Long Feng just previously failed. Azula has more power in this situation because she’s winning and the Dai Li would want to go with the the leader who got them their power back, not the one who lost it.
@@axelNodvon2047 I mean technically they didn't The Dai Li went from being the secret police of the Earth Kingdom to the personal guards to the crown princess of the Fire Nation
also something you didnt mention, at 7:36 you can hear the blue spirit theme in the back signifying that zuko still has some "desperation" left in him to catch aang and will not be strong enough to help him and will instead fight with azula.
Being able to have well-established antoginists meet and talk, putting the viewer in an uncomfortable position of knowing *both* sides of their story, is one of the big advantages TV has over film, imo. This episode is a fantastic example not only because it has it twice, but also because there's no lazy reliance on misunderstandings here - everyone is being honest to each other (if not themselves) and allowing themselves to question their stance on their opposite; when the conflict happens it comes from believable inner turmoil and its devastating.
10:46 According to TLOK, airbenders are able to fly by 'releasing their earthly tethers', aka letting go of all connections, which is essentially what Aang just did to master the avatar state. So theoretically, he could actually be flying here
I've never understood the hate for Legend of Korra. Just about every problem it had was also in The Last Airbender; people just tend to look past them in the original for whatever reason. I should note that I think Last Airbender is significantly better than Legend of Korra, I'm just stating a point.
@@infinitynull9597 Not that I want to start an argument in the comments section, but I believe LoK has _many_ issues that undermine previously established concepts from the original. Among other story writing issues.
@@TheFunPop I did state that I think [edited from saying "thought"] Last Airbender is better than Legend of Korra. But again, most of its story writing issues are also in Last Airbender. When it comes to previously established concepts, people seem split. Some people prefer the conceptual explanations in Korra, and others prefer the conceptual explanations in Last Airbender; I don't think anyone should bother arguing against preference.
2:43 presumably Zuko actually did think that one through, and decided that trying to capture Aang by himself in the middle of Ba Sing Se wasn't the best idea.
Which he learned from the North Pole. Zuko had the Avatar, then he had nowhere to go. Which would be essentially the same if he went to their house and captured Aang, even if the Gaang isn't able to just crush him.
also when he says "I did change" it didn't land right because it wasn't supposed to land right zuko doesn't have a good justification anymore and deep down he knows he failed he is saying words to try and reconcile his actions but he will wake up and regret his decision soon.
It's super minor, but I love how when toph traps the dai li guy at around 3:34, you can see that his feet are in the air, meaning he can't bend his way out. I just noticed it watching this video, and it's just a neat detail.
8:34 not earthbending help, katara sees aang go to do a wave move and instinctually joins him. great subtle way to show how much they've been practicing togather
I would defend the “you were never even a player” on the grounds that the Dai Li are supposed to be loyal to the Earth King but already betrayed him to Long Feng. And with traitors like them they will only be ruled by the right of conquest. It’s like Shakespeare said “If Hercules and Lychas were to play at dice, then fortune’s hand would but favour the stronger throw” they have no idea who the more powerful of the two is so they decided to wait and see and the reason Princess Azula manages to defeat Long Feng is because due to his humble origins he cannot actually imagine himself on the throne. If he could he’d have attempted to kill her with his Earthbending and let the Dai Li know who exactly who the boss is. But he can’t envision himself in that position whereas Princess Azula can and that’s how she wins.
I think her 'divine right to rule' line also plays in with this. We don´t really have a concept of royality anymore, but for a lot of people the divine connection of the monarchs was the main reason why they rule the country and not someone else, like Long Feng. And the Dai Lee was supposed to be even more traditional than others so the lack of a real ruler would make them very open to Azula and I think her line was directed at the Dai Lee and not some expression of hybris.
@SirMarshallHaig, that actually makes a lot of sense especially considering that the only other reference to divinity in the entire show is when Long Feng says that the Earth King is “a god to his people” though that really raises the question of what role religion plays in the Avatar Universe
@@matityaloran9157 Good question as we don´t really see anything, apart from the Avatar temples and even there just the one in the Fire Nation outside of the short glowing eyes scene. I think the people might worship a lot of greater spirits, like Tui and La so the Earth King might be a decedant of some spirit or at least from a family blessed by a greater spirit?
@SirMarshallHaig, I hate to reference it but in the live action movie Zhou comments after killing the Moon Spirit “We have no need for gods. We have become the gods” implying that there’s at least one take on it where they actually do worship the Spirits. Though there are problems with that take on it considering in the actual show no one ever calls the Spirits gods or prays to them or does anything of the sort. Religion in the Avatar Universe isn’t all that clear.
@@matityaloran9157 Well that can´t be canon, after all...there is no live action movie in Ba Sing Se ;) But yes, I feel they avoided the religion theme completely. So spirits would be my best guess, otherwise Aang could be like some sort of deity and I really dislike that idea. So I prefer to go by spirits, after all they do exist, are quite powerful and might have been in contact with the people a lot, like the Painted Lady. A bit of a nature and spirits religion maybe, that has a lot of local spirits to worship with some greater ones on top, like moon and ocean spirits and maybe a sun spirit as source of fire for the Fire Nation?
I don't really think the coup is that heavy handed. The Dai Lee would have some of the most intimate knowledge of the war as well as Ba Sing Se so they would know that without the avatar the fire nation would have broken through and possibly taken the city. The avatar is already against their leader and has substantial evidence to stop his political career leaving them stranded or branded as traitors. Azula presents the most direct path to ensure their safety and status in the new earth kingdom.
As well as ensure the safety of the citizens of the city, and some marginal influence on Fire Nation policy in the colonized Earth Kingdom. It isn't just not heavy handed, its almost an understandable decision.
I really love how these videos are mostly positive while being funny and fair too. I hope this extends into korra. It's so easy to poke holes and be negative but I love how you're so supportive
0:55 I love how Azula tells the guy with a scar about any weakness is forbidden or whatever. She knows he's weak spirted and she knows he'd tell Aang and the group exactly where Katara is and how to get there, the scar can mean a lot of things but she read him as someone who doesn't have what it takes to get shit done in a not so friendly way or that he doesn't have a backbone. She knew he'd spill the beans without much intimidating cause he straight up got caught by Iroh, tells them where Katara and Zuko are being held upon the first time being asked, (ya I know Toph tells him she'd be able to tell if he was lying but he could've at least tried) it just seems really well layed out once you think about it long enough.
@@WingMaster562 In what sense you're kidding though? I'm not familiar with Warframe. Still, the principle of heating water very rapidly and producing an explosion is no joke
Man I guess it's a good thing they didn't depict it realistically then. With natural lightning, assuming you don't die immediately (which doesn't happen all that often anyway) you have a 50/50 of two different outcomes. One is singed hair, some twitching, and temporary deafness from the resulting thunder. The other is severe burns, extensive nerve damage, muscle spasms, maybe a couple broken bones. With extended exposure (such as from a powerful electrical device) or a very very high-powered bolt (such as from a magical lightning bolt) the result is much worse. Lots of burnt hair, 3rd degree burns, boiling fat and eyeballs (and possibly steam bursting through damaged skin) completely burst eardrums, many broken bones (probably burst near the exact path of the bolt), all your toenails and fingernails popped off, damaged tendons and ligaments, and extreme nerve and neurological damage. But you can't have that in a show that is at least partially marketed towards children. Edit: I should mention a natural lightning bolt's temperature is greater than the surface of the sun, and has 300 million volts at 30,000 amps. The only reason lightning isn't guaranteed to put you in a grave is the exposure lasts for a fraction of a second and the human body, being mostly water, is decent at allowing the electricity to simply move through it (ie, low resistance). Were its resistance any higher, you'd probably just melt or explode.
Can we talk about how chilling the shot composition is when aang gets shot? We see him, writing in midair in the reflection of Azula's eye, panning out to her smug grin. sends chills down my spine every time. And the SCORE. MY GOD they did not have to go this hard but im so glad they did
I remember watching this back when I was 12 or so for the first time and my first thought wasnt “oh crap they’re defeated” it was “someone finally shot at the protagonist when they were powering up”
Yeah Avatar is unique on this even to this day. You rarely see it happen. That's a big reason it's so shocking and so memorable for people who watch it for the first time.
Zuko likely couldn’t have gone directly to the avatars house because he saw jet get taken away for acting out and starting a fight and zuko is a smart person so he knows if he just goes directly to the avatars house and starts a fight with him then he’ll probably get taken away by the dai-Lee…just my hypothesis
It's also in the city of walls and secrets... I don't think the lower ring citizens had free access to the upper ring, the new teashop was in the upper ring. So Iroh had access to it where Zuko didn't until he decide to not capture Appa. Offcourse skillfull as zuko is he might have been able to try and sneak in nonetheless but he might have already decided with the flyer that it would be easier to capture aang if he took Appa and let aang come (and surrender or Appa dies) to him. Else he needs to fight the entire gang on their turf and terms... While the dai lee is probably heavily spying and guarding in the upper ring. (such big fight would most likely not go unnoticed there)
@@narmerthelion5418 Not to mention all he would have is his swords vs all their bending skills, because firebending in the middle of Ba Sing Se ain't the play.
I have a little headcanon as to why Azula knew of the Avatar state. Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin were friends up to adulthood. Between mastering the elements and the end of their friendship, Roku would have shown him stuff he learned. He probably would have talked about the avatar state to his trusted and best friend. And to stop the question as to why he isn't always in op-mode, he would have talked about the downside. Even during the war Sozin kept this a secret, because it would hurt the morale if his soldiers knew how strong the Avatar can be. He wrote that info on a secret scroll, detailing all his plans and his wisdom and only the reigning Firelord can access this scroll. Ozai didn't tell Zuko, because Zuko wasn't meant to succeed in his hunt for Aang. But Azula was meant to succeed so he told her everything their dinasty knew about the Avatar
Minor thing, but holding your arms out to your sides is proper form for fighting multiple opponents. Katara's line about "protecting your center" applies to one on one fighting, but against multiple opponents it's more important to use your arms to control multiple directions at once, you can see Zuko doing the same thing in The Blue Spirit with his swords
I always interpreted zuko's "I have changed" as he thinks he has changed from "the banished prince" to "the prince of the fire nation". He turned against the gaang because he still believed Azula and Ozai could change him, by restoring his honour and washing away his shame. Zuko is wrong but he believes that the validation he gets from Azula (and assumed by Ozai) shows that he has changed and for the better.
My favorite part is how in a regular anime the bad guy just stands there and lets the hero get their bad ass power up, but Azula shoots him out of the sky without a second thought.
Eren Jaeger watched this episode and said: those are GOALS, right there. (well, that and Aizen re: Bleach--when Aizen killed the main chara's *theme song*.)
To be fair, in more than a few anime it's left ambiguous whether or not the power-up actually happens in real-time. IIRC, it's not clear whether Sailor Moon actually spends a minute posing as her outfit slowly transforms or if she transforms instantaneously and the sequence is purely for the audience's benefit. But the way the Avatar State transition is shown, it clearly *does* happen in real-time. It's still a clever twist on the trope, because most viewers, especially those used to works like Dragonball Z, won't question Aang's prolonged heroic power-up (when it doesn't generally work that way in this show) right up until he gets shot in the back.
