#Toph was pissed cause she gave up a cushy life to help Aang but wasn’t ready to hear that she still needed some sort of guidance

[hybrid-angelic]

Okay here me out in this okay- me and my man watch Elemental recently, and like- one of the key point yanno was like “oh yeah temper can be from something you aren’t ready to hear or something you don’t wanna do blah blah blah” right, got it- good….

I’m

Then I realized… there is a specific set in of characters… in a really specific show…That fit this perfectly.

These three, while they aren’t the only ones. These are perfect examples of it!!!

Katara’s temper was always there, up until she FINALLY came to terms with her Moms death, with Tophs antics, and with her father leaving. When she FINALLY spoke on those issues and worked through them, and finally said what she didn’t want to hear. That violence and revenge wouldn’t fix what happened to her mother, that Toph had just as rough of a time, but in a different way and was coping in her own way too, and that her dad didn’t want to leave, but that he was so proud of who his children had become and wished so badly that he coulda been there. She’s the perfect example of someone who could function with the temper, but didn’t want to face it.

Zuko constantly argued with his uncle, and even when he admitted that his uncle might be right, he did so begrudgingly. All through season 1, he was hotheaded and angry, because he, unbeknownst to him, was fighting for something he didn’t agree with, never taking the time to ask what he wanted. In ba sing se, his temper went away because finally, he could be a kid, he could do casual life stuff, he could relax! But- it came back when he went back home. To where he was expected to live a life he didn’t want. Zuko NEVER wanted to fight on this side of the war, he did so because that’s what his father wanted for him, he did so because that’s what was expected of him. Iroh was right. He did lose his way. And it took a lot of work, but he found it again, and realized the reason he was truly happy after his fever had passed in ba sing se, was cause he did something not just for the good of himself, but for the good of someone who was, in all accounts, innocent. He found his purpose again, and found what he truly wanted. Not his honor, but to be loved, and to love.

Azula though? She’s never got that arc. Her temper came from a very similar place that Zuko’s did, but was groomed and honed at a very young age, drilled and taught that no matter what, she had to do what was expected. She was 14, and already using fear and violence to get what she wanted. But- she was always angry. Even if she didn’t show it. But it didn’t truly take hold until after their vacation to ember island. She was snappy and rude when talking to Ty Lee, but then admitted she was jealous. A lot of people chalk that up to manipulation but, I think that was genuine- she genuinely wanted advice, and even used it with Chen! Chen rejected her after she tried to use fear again though, and she snapped at Zuko shortly after, until she confided in her view on her mom. But then the Boiling Isles happened. When Mai told her she loved Zuko, more than she feared Azula. Azula didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t fathom that love could beat fear and hate. Because that’s not what she was told her whole life. Because, again, that’s how she thought her own mom thought about her and zuko. So, she started doubting what she wanted- she even seemed hesitant to accept the role as firelord, and became more angry, more unstable. Because she never had that person to bring her back. She was groomed to be a monster at such a young age, so when her world view was challenged, she had no where to go, no support to tell her what she needed to hear. A temper that flared out of control-

I stand by the fact that this show is fucking genius.