#but aang and toph are parallels because they’re opposites

[moodlemcdoodle]

Read some Dark/Chaos Avatar Zuko AU fics a while back and those AUs are VERY GOOD but then I had a brain blast so. Dark/Chaos Avatar Toph AU

[comradekatara]

I'm v sleep deprived, but what are your thoughts abt the symbolism of Zuko using twin swords? I read it as a symbol for his inner conflict, with the "they're really one" line being about Zuko unifying himself. He has all that duality going on, esp. w/ the way the blue spirit is used alongside them. I think it's interesting how, iirc, Jet is the only other character we see use dual swords of any kind, esp in context of his conflict w/ Zuko. I have more thoughts, but I'd love to hear your take.

i've never actually thought about jet's dual swords paralleling zuko's before! but like. duh. while jet has the "right" motivations ("fire nation bad and oppressive"), his methods are uhhhhhh questionable (i'm not even referring to destroying a town, which also admittedly wasn't a great call, but primarily the way in which he manipulates others for his own gain, which is his actual greatest flaw). conversely, zuko wants to be/do good, but he doesn't actually know which side is "right." unlike jet, or azula, or even iroh, he is staunchly honest (even when jet accuses him of being a firebender, he never actually denies it, he just fights jet because. he loves attacking people with swords? i guess?) and (some might say stupidly) brave. he speaks out against injustice, is honest, honorable, and sensitive by nature, but his morals and values have been shaped by the fire nation, and without any other information to contrast his learned ideology against, he simply cannot know any better. essentially, jet has good external values but bad internal values, whereas zuko has good internal values but bad external values. they are both morally complex characters, and one must assess them holistically – the good and the bad – as neither part of them can be separated from the whole.

furthermore, "duality as oneness" is a prominent theme throughout atla. both in terms of individual characters (for example: katara's kindness & rage, sokka's skepticism & open-mindedness, zuko's gentleness & destruction, aang's joy & grief, toph's confidence & vulnerability – all key character traits which both oppose, complement, and inform each other) and in terms of character foils (aang & zuko, katara & zuko, katara & azula, katara & toph, to name a few, all at first glance appear to be opposites, but are actually the same). things that may seem divided are actually just two (or more) parts of the same whole. the four nations. the four elements. black and white. push and pull. yin and yang.

zuko as a character presents an obvious example of duality, especially when framed in "zuko alone" with the flashbacks of him as a sensitive kid who loves his mom contrasted with the present-day angry teen who self-isolates and burns things in desperation. rather than seeing zuko's past as irreconcilable with his present, we must understand how his upbringing shaped him, how every response and act he performs throughout the show is a direct response to the way he was brought up, and the environment in which he was taught. zuko was a gentle, curious, loving child by nature, but was taught (nurtured) to destroy those parts of himself and consider his instincts a weakness. the zuko who burned down kyoshi island is the same zuko who goes to frogs for advice, because people are a product of their environments as much as they are their "true" natures. "don’t think of them as separate, ‘cause they’re not. they’re just two different parts of the same whole."

finally, for more analysis on zuko's dual swords, here's a great post by @atlaculture that goes into more depth on the topic. i highly recommend reading it

[miekasa]

YES i love annie as an earthbender I think she would be as skilled as Toph, I can see her as a metalbender too maybe🤔. She’s got that stoic exterior and her fighting stance is so well balanced she’s practically as unmovable as a giant boulder

Reiner as a lavabender just fits so good😭 i kinda feel like bolin and him have somehow the same physique? They are built similar uwu

Omg i also compared eren with zuko when I was thinking because I feel like they share their temper, they are both so easy to rile up and pick fights with or at least s1-3 eren and s1 zuko

And I think the avatar would probably be Eren :/ i think he’s the type to have enough bad luck to turn into the “chosen one” each time he reincarnates 💀

Or maybe Falco because he has the vibe, he’s nice, he’s sweet, he’s a genuinely nice kiddo :’) he’d make a good avatar

Annie is perfect as an earthbender. She could definitely bend metal, but I feel like that’s only if she’s unable to earthbend and/or is inside for a considerable amount of time. Her form is perfect, she’s strong and levelheaded, could level a city at her strongest. She’s the best <333

I WAS THINKING OF BOLIN WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT REINER AND LAVABENDING. They’re both such lovely little (huge) himbos, I couldn’t help but wanna give him that because of Bolin. And Eren and Zuko have a lot of parallels, think Eren’s bending style would be similar to Zuko’s in how it progresses: from temperamental and angry to more sustainable and free :((

Eren would definitely be burdened w being the avatar 💀💀 he’d probably hate himself the realize he found out, too poor thing :(( but honestly the way you described Falco as the avatar… I love that for him omg. He’d be a lot like Aang but maybe also like Roku? Not sure but I like this path for him… don’t know why I’m getting a fire nation influence from him, but the idea of him being born a firebender, learning alongside Udo and Zofia… Colt supervising him as he travels for his training… Jean as his, at first reluctant, waterbending teacher—he’s so hard on him at first bc it’s his opposite element, but Jean realizes he’s just a kid and :(( Pieck as his air bending instructor. Gets so excited to hear that Reiner can be his earth bending teacher but then becomes terrified when it’s Gabi instead 💀💀 he would be a good avatar, I agree. Very wholesome 12/10

[tea-and-la]

today i’ve seen enough posts from zutara antis in our tag to make me irritated enough to make a post of my own. 

let me start off by saying that i’m not an anti of any ship because i don’t care enough to be. 

first, there was a post that claimed the bryke self-insert was unsubstantiated. i think people misunderstand what self-insertion entails, and that in general, the definition is meant to reference the idea that a fictional character represents the real author. that doesn’t mean that we should tote around false equivalencies of assuming that zks are saying that the writers wanted to self-insert into a relationship with a 14 year old girl (we aren’t.) it means that to some degree, all writers relate to their main characters, and can sometimes, maybe even unconsciously, their internalized biases can influence the character. 

i also find it funny how there’s all this fanfare against the idea that *maybe* bryke self inserted, but yet, the majority of that side of the fandom thinks it’s acceptable to say that zks do. (if you think it’s gross to imply that bryke self-inserted into a 12 y/o’s relationship with a 14 year old, you should also think it’s gross for non-zks to imply that adults in the zk fandom self-insert bc they want to be with a 16 year old boy.) if you don’t, that’s hypocritical. 

i also saw another post that said “zutara is like watching a really toxic couple argue for three seasons long” and then went on to reference loving their platonic friendship. i just ... there’s a lot to unpack there. first of all, that analogy doesn’t really make sense (at least to me) because they aren’t in a close enough capacity relationship wise through the three seasons (in terms of proximity and length of interactions bc they’re on opposite sides--prior to Book 3) to be compared to a toxic couple. also, it just ignores the fact that, they’re enemies for two seasons so them battling? yeah, that’s kinda the whole point. also like, that analogy would only make sense if they were on the same side and were arguing constantly. not to mention that their opposition wrt each other is because they are on opposite sides. also, and this is something that confuses me a lot that zk antis do, why do y’all love to purport zk as horrible but then love their platonic relationship? do these statements not contradict each other? why would you want her to be friends with someone that you just wrote a whole dissertation about how he was encouraging her to kill someone?  

the last post i saw and this one probably irritated me the most, was someone saying that zks only ship taang to get aang out of the way. and that that’s the only reason. idk why taang and zutara antis believe that they are capable of knowing the only way that every single person in a fandom thinks but it’s honestly... baffling? and also just the idea that only taang shippers who don’t ship zk are valid because they have a “genuine reason.” no one owes anyone their reasoning for why they ship two ships that can coexist together, and no one has to “prove” that they’re a legit fan of a ship. ik plenty of zks who liked taang first and only became zks because of it. it’s just incredibly irritating when people constantly make assumptions. like just because i like zk does that mean that i’m mentally incapable of seeing the symbolism and parallels and dynamic of taang? tbh taang is more of a comfort ship for me than zk, always has been since i first watched. toph is my fav character, so ofc i’d only want good things for her, and they just genuinely make me happy. 

also, a lot of other shippers in fandom do exactly the same thing. i literally saw a post the other day that said a ka shipper initially shipped zs because it made anti-aang zks mad. there are people from almost every fanbase that may ship a couple because it gets another person out of the way. why do some of y’all act like that’s only exclusive to zks and like zks aren’t capable of appreciating both taang and zk? 

[my-bated-breath]

Rage, Compassion, and the Bridge in Between

An essay on Katara’s emotions

On the spectrum of human emotion, rage and compassion exist on opposite ends. After all, rage is harsh and violent while compassion is soothing and nurturing; rage is unforgiving while compassion is all-forgiving. As such, they run a parallel course to each other, one canceling out the other whenever they do meet.

At least, that’s what we expect. We expect anger and kindness to be separate entities, and our media reflects this - a character is either severe or gentle, and in the rare case that they’re both, the contrast between their ability to hurt and their ability to heal is treated as a dichotomy. Except the human condition is not that simple, and sometimes, there is a not-so-simple story that remembers that.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Katara embodies the human condition - or more specifically, she embodies the duality within it. Throughout the show, her tenderness and her wrath are balanced in a way that renders her one of the most well-written female characters in children’s animation, perhaps even in all of television. Because Katara’s anger and compassion do not simply split themselves into two identities. Instead, they coexist and coalesce into one. They drive each other; they feed into each other; they are two sides of the same coin.

But how can that be true when opposite traits are supposed to clash and counter each other’s effects?

There’s no denying that at times, Katara’s anger and compassion serve to show two different sides of her. We even see this within the very first episode:

(on left) Katara: No that's it! I'm done helping you! From now on, you're on your own!

(on right) Katara: He's alive! We have to help!

At first, Katara’s irritation towards Sokka is what causes her to accidentally waterbend the iceberg open, in which the transcript describes her movements as “agitated.” However, as soon as she sees Aang, this irritation is replaced by concern for “the boy in the iceberg.” Hence, within a few minutes, we see how Katara can be motivated by compassion and rage separately.

Still, just because her kindness and anger are shown to be separate in many scenes that this separation applies to every scenario. Although Katara’s two opposite traits are opposite, that does not mean they are always opposing. Instead, they can fuel each other - her rage can fuel her compassion, and her compassion can fuel her rage.

Let’s see how.

Part 1 - Katara’s Rage Fuels Her Compassion

Throughout the series, Katara shares her grief over her mother’s death as a way to sympathize with others. In “The Southern Air Temple,” “Imprisoned,” and “Jet,” Katara tells Aang, Haru, and Jet about the effect the Fire Nation raids had on her, which establishes some of the most emotionally-charged scenes in these episodes. She is at her most vulnerable during these moments, laying bare a deep-rooted trauma in order to reach out and connect with someone else.

Dialogue from The Southern Air Temple

Katara: Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.

Aang: What about 'em?

Katara: Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.

Dialogue from Imprisoned

Haru: Yeah. Problem is... the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending. He taught me everything I know.

Katara: See this necklace? My mother gave it to me.

Haru: It's beautiful.

Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.

Haru: It's not enough, is it?

Katara: No.

Dialogue from Jet

Jet: The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever.

Katara: Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.

Jet: I'm so sorry, Katara.

However, these moments seem to distinctly lack any hint of anger from Katara’s end, so it may seem irrelevant to mention them here - that is, until we remember Katara had mentioned her mother one more time. Trapped in the Crystal Catacombs with a former enemy, she once again says that the Fire Nation took her mother away from her - but this time not with sympathy. No, this time she is filled with rage.

Dialogue from The Crossroads of Destiny

Zuko: You don't know what you're talking about!

Katara: I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.

As Katara sits down, tears forming in her eyes, it becomes clear that her grief has festered into bitterness and anger towards the Fire Nation. By now, her grief is her anger, and so it’s not just shared pain Katara is empathizing within all four of these scenarios - it’s also shared rage.

She is gentle with Aang because she knows the effects of loss (inducing the Avatar State); she is sympathetic with Haru because she knows what she would be driven to do to have her mother back (inciting a prison break by stirring the prisoners’ righteous anger); and she is moved by Jet’s dedication to the Freedom Fighters because she would fight for the Southern Water Tribe too (against the Fire Nation, although Jet’s rage blinds him in a way that Katara’s doesn’t).

Then, in the Crystal Catacombs, it’s Katara’s anger towards the Fire Nation that uncovers her hidden pain. Her vulnerability is what causes Zuko’s words (“That’s what we have in common”) to resonate with her so much, enough for her to offer to heal his scar.

Therefore, Katara’s relationship with anger and grief (whether it’s emotionally-driven similar to how Aang enters the Avatar state or self-righteous similar to her calling the earthbender prisoners to action) is the foundation for some of her most compassionate moments in the series.

Part 2 - Katara’s Compassion Fuels Her Rage

Just as some of her most sympathetic moments are rooted in understanding someone else’s rage, many of Katara’s harshest moments see her acting on the behalf of others’ pain and needs.

As the designated “mother” of the Gaang, the Gaang’s more silly and immature antics often aggravate her and cause her to reprimand them severely, a clash that features prominently in Katara and Toph’s relationship.

In “The Chase” and “The Runaway,”  Katara shouts at Toph for lacking a sense of responsibility. However, her indignation does not simply stem from taking personal defense, but from wanting to safeguard the family she has found in the Gaang. Then, both these times, Toph learns the true motives behind Katara’s overbearing actions through a conversation with Iroh and Sokka, respectively.

Dialogue from The Chase

Toph: People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me, but I can take care of myself, by myself.

Iroh: You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you.

When Toph talks with Iroh in “The Chase,” Iroh imparts some wisdom on finding mutual support in friendship, implying that Katara pushing responsibilities onto Toph is her way of solidifying and upholding the loving and supportive dynamic within the Gaang.

Dialogue from The Runaway

Sokka: I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but honestly? I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture.

Toph: The truth is sometimes Katara does act motherly, but that's not always a bad thing. She's compassionate and kind, and she actually cares about me. You know, the real me. That's more than my own mom.

As the dialogue states, “Katara’s been the one looking out for [them].” Hence, her mothering tendencies towards Toph in “The Runaway” are evoked by her wanting to avoid the danger that Toph’s high-profile scamming is beginning to place them in. In other words, she simply wants to protect her makeshift family because “she actually cares about [Toph and the rest of the Gaang]. You know, the real [them].”

Katara’s ability to empathize with others, to see past facades and prejudices, is one of her defining traits. Earlier, in the episode “The Painted Lady,” Katara manages to see beyond the people of Jang Hui’s Fire Nation background and recognize that above all else, they are suffering from war and poverty. Consequently, they are people who need her.

As such, even the notion of abandoning the people of Jang Hui (as suggested by Sokka) enrages her because Katara is someone who “will never, ever turn my back on people who need [her]!”

Still, Katara’s desire to fight for a village of strangers cannot compare to the lengths she would take to protect Aang.

Dialogue from The Western Air Temple

Katara: You might have everyone else here buying your… transformation, but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends ... right then and there. Permanently.

While Zuko was a bystander as Azula shot lightning at Aang, he was an active participant in his fight against Katara, whom, just moments ago, he shared an incredibly intimate moment with. But despite how Zuko betrayed Katara personally, it is the impact his betrayal had on Aang’s life (and death) that she focuses on. So even at her most threatening, Katara acts to protect someone else, Aang, the boy who is her friend and her family.

Together, all these instances reveal that Katara’s compassion is what grants her a protective instinct, and her protective instinct is what moves her to anger and violence.

Conclusion

Katara’s character provides invaluable insight into the relationship between compassion and rage, revealing how it is not simply black contrasting white, but a spread of grays and contradictions. After all, that is who Katara is. She is two sides of the same coin and the bridge in between.

Even more, that is the human condition - full of grays and contradictions, simultaneously negating and reciprocating, balancing and tipping the scales all at once. And perhaps human emotion, in all its breadth, cannot be contained to a two-dimensional spectrum where emotions can either be placed close together or on opposite ends - because humanity is of infinite dimensions, constructed from science, dictated by art. And yet, somehow it is a two-dimensional animated character who captures human complexity with such ease.

[shrinkthisviolet]

Who would the Cobra Kai’s Characters counterparts be from Avatar: The Last Airbender & Legend Of Korra? Like which Avatar character is most like a character from Cobra Kai personality wise? The main parallels that I can see are:

Kreese = Firelord Ozai

Johnny = Zuco

I love to hear your thoughts on this.

Keep in mind, these aren’t perfect parallels, and some of the ships don’t work with the swap, but this is more about the characters anyway.

I actually think Ozai fits Silver better, while Zhao fits Kreese! It’s not quite the same dynamic, since Kreese and Silver are on much more equal footing than Ozai and Zhao, but Silver is a much more formidable opponent to Daniel than Kreese. Neither of them really try to win over anyone’s trust, but Zhao does at least pretend to be on the same side as Zuko, just as Kreese does for Johnny.

Sam = Katara! They both have that instinct to nurture before anything else, to protect the ones they love, and they will throw down for their friends if they must (and they’re unafraid of a tussle!).

Daniel = Aang! Both have the instinct to help, to give of themselves, and when they act recklessly, it usually has disastrous fallout (Aang because he’s the Avatar, Daniel because he overcorrects). Tho Daniel’s fuse is shorter than Aang’s for sure 😂

Miguel = Sokka! Both are seemingly the comic relief on the outside, but they struggle a lot with not feeling good enough (mostly in S3 for Miguel, due to his injury). And it’s interesting that Sokka and Mai are both nonbenders on opposites sides, while Miguel and Robby are star karate students on opposite sides 👀

Robby = Definitely Mai. Wanna talk about absent parents and a teen feeling like they need to raise themselves and hide away all vulnerabilities because every show of it just gets them hurt? FITS THEM BOTH TO A TEE! And they’re both “betrayed” by someone they thought they could trust with their heart: Robby with the LaRussos, and Mai with Zuko (tho in both cases, the offenders regret pushing Robby/Mai away and try to make up for it).

Demetri = Toph, as strange as it sounds! It’s not quite the same, since Toph doesn’t let anyone bully her, but she is constantly underestimated by everyone around her. She’s taught a new way of fighting that works for her, just like Demetri is, and it’s different from the norm (Demetri doesn’t vibe with MD teachings, so Daniel has to adapt. Toph can’t learn to earthbend the traditional way, so she learns from someone who understands–the blind badgermoles!). And ofc they have an epic moment, like Demetri throwing Hawk into a trophy case, and Toph freeing herself with metalbending, that cements their confidence!

Hawk = I guess Jet could fit here! Both of them get a bad rep from some parts of the fandom, they both initially befriend Miguel/Sokka, and they do things that Miguel/Sokka take personally (Jet wants to flood a village filled with civilians, Hawk becomes more violent and even breaks Demetri’s arm). They also both “flip the script” after some kind of trauma: Eli’s sick of being bullied, and Jet wants revenge on the people who killed his parents. They ALSO both have a sort of redemption arc: Hawk in 3x10, and Jet in Ba Sing Se when he’s trying to turn his life around! Tho Jet’s got cut WAY too short, dying just as he was helping the Gaang and TRULY letting go of his painful past.

Tory = Okay hear me out: Suki. Both girls have huge responsibilities on their shoulders (Tory’s family, Suki’s Warriors), and both are kindhearted. However, Suki is able to show that kindness much more than Tory because her Warriors are her equals. She’s trained them, they can match her, she knows they have her back. Tory doesn’t have anyone like that, except Aisha (who, incidentally, receives the most of Tory’s kindness!). Sam would probably get it too, if not for their rivalry. Suki and Katara obviously don’t have an antagonistic relationship, but 🤷‍♀️ I don’t agree with what Tory did in 2x10 (especially her exclusively blaming Sam) or 3x10, but can we PLEASE talk about what an AWESOME Kyoshi Warrior she’d be??

Aisha = Yue! The calm, levelheaded one who’s written off way too early and is mainly used in service of someone else’s story because she would totally shorten the plot of the show otherwise? Yep! And if you think Aisha was ever treated like a main character: let me ask you: what do we know about her? She’s rich, she’s Sam’s friend, Tory’s friend, Miguel’s friend...see what I’m getting at? We know nothing about her as a person! Same for Yue–she’s the Moon’s vessel, the Chief’s daughter, Sokka’s girlfriend...we know nothing about her as person! Hopefully the S4 writers fix that for Aisha, she deserves it!

Yasmine = Azula fits this one to a tee. Popular girl who does what she wants and doesn’t fear the consequences? Has an iron grip over the school/country, every whim at her command? Come on. We also see that she has the potential for goodness...one day in the future, through a very carefully written growth arc (for Azula, that would obviously be her own journey of self-discovery away from the Gaang. Let her find herself!!)

Moon = Ty Lee! Sweet on the outside, usually underestimated, but fierce on the inside. Remember when Ty Lee took down powerful benders with chi-blocking? Remember when Moon broke up with Hawk because she couldn’t stand his aggressiveness? Plus, there’s that sapphic subtext to consider from Ty Lee 👀

[zukoshotleafjuice]

The funniest thing about june teasing katara and zuko about being a couple is that she just sees a pretty girl and an attractive guy, both looking almost the same age which immediately makes her go "you two must be a couple" and it just reminds me of zvtara shippers, you know what i mean? I'm convinced one of the reasons a lot of ppl ship them is bc of their looks. katara being the female protagonist and also a pretty, smart and powerful girl & zuko, despite not being the male protagonist, being the most attractive guy in the gaang. Boom, a "bomb ass ship". It is worth to recall that "people ship zutara bc they projected onto katara and had a crush on zuko". And if they say they don't ship them for that reason, then it's bc they read too much between the lines in every interaction they have. So, back to june, she didn't even care if they had chemistry or if they were friends or anything, she just straight up teased them about being a couple lmao. Because in all honesty zvtara can be an appealing ship in anyone's eyes but THAT'S IT, it doesn't go further than that. I can be testimony of that😅Before even watching the show i was like june, one day i saw a zk fanart and was like "wow aren't those zuko and katara from atla? They look so good, she's gorgeous and he's hot" i already knew kataang was endgame and that mai was zuko's love interest but seeing zuko and katara together was pleasing to my eyes. However once i watched the show for the first time (2 months ago i think) i realized there was really no romantic chemistry between them, nothing, literally nothing, i mean, i wasn't even waiting for the zvtara content in the show that made ppl ship them so much, i was actually very neutral about ships, i couldn't care less about them, but i still realized nothing was happenig between them and that it was obvious since book 1 ep 1 that kataang was endgame. Zuko and katara were two teenagers from opposite sides of a war that tried to kill each other multiple times and when zuko changed sides they developed a completely platonic relationship. As i said, people either ship them because it's an appealing and aesthetically pleasing ship (water/fire, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, the common red & blue ship) or they just love reading too much between the lines, OR BOTH, because they were so thirsty about it they ended up convincing themselves there was romantic tension between them, that they liked each other and that zvtara was scrapped when it was never planned in the first place. Not to mention the reasons why they claim zvtara should've been endgame are based only on symbolism and things they have in common that are just so ??? Random. e.g. (i saw these on a post on facebook and the comment section was hilarious, it was full of ppl being sarcastic about it & making fun of it) saying they should've been canon bc:

1. "They both lost their mothers at a young age" (?)

2. "katara was good but had rage in her heart and zuko was bad but had good in his heart so it was like yin and yang, and that was the main purpose/topic of the show" (?)

3. "they both had alter egos (painted lady and blue spirit)" (???) this one sounds like saying maiko was canon bc zuko worked in a tea shop and mai worked in a flower shop😂

4. "Zuko was the only one who supported katara in taking revenge on her mom's assassin" (?) if you ask me, that just proves zuko is not right for katara, he led her to do something she was gonna regret later (not trying to hate on zuko, i love him, and since i love him i acknowledge his flaws. I understand why he thought it was the best thing to do, he's an impulsive and resentful boy (he would've done the same if it was his mom) and he noticed how thirsty katara was for revenge, ofc he wanted to help her + he wanted her to accept him and thought it was the right thing to do in order to gain her trust, but it wasn't) unlike zuko, aang tried to make katara come to her senses and do the thing that was best for her: forgive and let go, and it was basically what she did at the end. She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.

5. and the most ridiculous one, "they both saved each other's lives in the final agni kai"(???????) and the funniest part is that it was followed by "WHAT MORE PROOFS DO YOU WANT???". Honestly wtf did ppl expect? Did they expect zuko to stand there and watch katara die? Did they expect katara to just stand there and watch zuko lay on the floor & die? And this has been said a million times and i am going to join and say it once again: zuko would've done that for ANYONE from the gaang, he would've done the same for toph, sokka, suki and aang. Because he learned to care about them. As for katara, she would've done that for anyone too wtf she healed aang once too and even brought him back to life. (I wouldn't be surprised if zk shippers used that as a parallel for romantic zvtara proof bc they're just like that💀)

There were more "reasons" but they're just so stupid and taken out of context like "they care for each other" & "katara was the one who encouraged him to talk to his uncle" like yeah that's what friends do. Basically all zvtara shippers do is REACH.

Also, i just can't see it happening. I like the enemies to lovers trope, maybe if the writers really intended to make it canon, i would have been down for the ship, it would've been interesting to see how it developed, but,, they didn't, and later i came to the realization that if it would've really happened, it would've been so... weird. Time to bring up the "colonized and colonizer ship" and how some ppl feel uncomfortable about it. Besides the fact that a relationship between zuko and katara wouldn't have worked (they're incompatible af, katara is a girl with a strong character and zuko is a guy with anger issues that takes everything personal, they'd be at each other's throats 99% of the time) it's just weird to think that katara would choose to marry a man from the fire nation, the nation that caused a big war that traumatized her, the nation that took her mother away from her. Imagine katara ruling along with zuko a nation she despised for years. Fire lady katara doesn't sit right with me, and i'm sure it doesn't sit right with a lot of ppl as well. I don't see katara doing that, and yes, i know she forgave zuko, but still, she would've never done that 🤦🏽‍♀️ i think it would've been so OOC tbh.

Another thing i laugh my ass off at is when they say "zuko should've chosen katara instead of mai" as if they were ever in a relationship for zuko to say "ok imma choose katara i wanna be with her". As if katara was EVER an option for him. They never showed interest in each other, what's not clicking?????? And zuko only had eyes for mai, not to mention that despite zuko and mai had a rough relationship, no girl would've dealed with zuko's bs better than mai. Can you imagine katara dealing with zuko blowing up over everything? Because i can't. Also people saying things like "zuko deserves someone who is always there for him and listens to him" (and ofc they're talking about katara) like, ok, you hate that katara is aang's "therapist" but you want her to be zuko's therapist. Logic? Where? And I do remember mai being a supportive gf and trying to cheer him up multiple times. Did they watch the same show as me?

Zvtarians try to play the victims about how they were "robbed" bc some voice actors shipped them and from what i've read people who worked for the show suggested to go for zk, but that's stupid, it doesn't count as "they planned it but scrapped it, we were robbed". The only word that counts are the creators' voice and they have stated they were always rooting for kataang, so no, you were not robbed.

People are just so in love with the idea of zuko and katara together they really convinced themselves it was likely to happen. Honestly zvtara it's a fine ship as fanon but ppl ruined it for me and what i hate the most is when they ship it and hate on aang and mai at the same time and make them look SO bad to invalidate kataang and maiko. Saying aang is abusive and mai is toxic is complete ✨bullshit✨ and lastly, it's ridiculous when they say the creators were cowards for not making it canon. They're cowards for not fulfilling your greatest childhood wish? Something they never planned? It is THEIR show. If you hate sm how things turned out then quit atla once and for all and go find another show that you know is gonna give you what you expect,,, it's tiring that they've been crying about it for 15 yrs , like, i joined the fandom recently but i can imagine how tired old atla fans must be of this.

OK so I have a lot of thoughts about this and firstly,,,anon I appreciate the dedication that it took for you to write  this, and I agree with many of your points. However, the attitude I have on this blog towards Avatar ships is far more neutral than what you’re saying.

Ultimately, romance is not and never was the focus of Avatar. Romantic development was always secondary or tertiary plot, and the entire show was far more focused on platonic relationship development. My attitude towards shippers on here - including Zutara shippers - is that people can ship what they want, as long as they’re respectful of each other and of the other characters that “interfere” with their ship. End of the day, shipping is irrelevant to the core of the show. 

People shipping something because they find it aesthetically appealing is honestly,,,fine. Personally, I think it’s reductionist, but I don’t care if you do because everyone has the right to enjoy media however they want to. 

That being said, we absolutely should call out racist or problematic tropes that we see, including ‘fire lady katara”. I also agree that it’s upsetting when people bash other characters in order to further their ship, as much of the bashing is also pretty racist and/or misogynistic. Calling that out, however, is separate from calling out every single person who happens to enjoy certain ships. 

“She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.”

I understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly disagree with this take. Both Aang and Zuko were approaching the situations from their own life experiences, but Katara didn’t do what either of the boys wanted. She chose her own path, by both sparing Yon Rha’s life but also refusing to forgive him. The episode is about Katara and her personal trauma and its focus should not be on her relationships with either Zuko or Aang. 

When I make posts such as this, it’s less about hating Z*tara and more about how this fandom focuses all its attention on romance and shipping, to the point where if you acknowledge a relationship’s importance it’s assumed you pair the two romantically. I don’t read Zuko and Katara’s relationship as romantic (for reasons that it would take too long to explain here), but their relationship development is extremely important, the two of them share tons of parallels and the final Agni Kai marks the culmination of both of their character arcs. Yes, Zuko would have taken the lightning for any of the characters, but it’s thematically important that it was Katara. None of this inherently means it’s romantic, but refusing to acknowledge the significance of the relationship between them is equally reductionist. 

This isn’t an attack on you, anon, and you’re 100% allowed to have negative feelings about a ship. But at the end of the day, it’s not worth getting this worked up over. If I were you I’d focus more on creating/consuming content for a ship you like than bashing ships you don’t!

[secretlyatargaryen]

Tyrion and Zuko: The Good Bad Guy, The Bad Good Guy

I’ve never seen anyone compare Tyrion Lannister and Zuko, but the parallels seem so obvious to me. I know there’s been a lot of comparisons in fandom to Zuko and his arc and a lot of discussion of what makes a good redemption arc and I’m not necessarily talking about this from that perspective, because I don’t really think Tyrion is on a redemption arc (and also reject the idea that I’ve seen bandied about that he is on a “villain” arc or that his arc is in opposition to his brother Jaime’s, with Jaime as the one who is usually seen by fandom as set up for redemption.) But I do think the parallels between the two characters are striking. I don’t think they’re 1:1 and even many of the parallels I make are not intended to be exact, as these two characters have narratives that are structured differently, and of course there are differences based on medium and target audience between the two series.

This is part one of a series of posts on these two characters, and this part will focus on how these characters are positioned structurally by the narrative.

Spoilers for both series to follow!

The biggest, most immediate difference between Tyrion and Zuko is that Zuko is positioned as an antagonist at the beginning of the story (although not necessarily a villain), while Tyrion is not antagonistic to the identifiable heroes at the beginning of AGOT, and is in fact the only Lannister not to be positioned that way by the narrative initially. In fact, part of this meta and part of my purposes for comparing them is to argue that Zuko’s narrative arc is not a straight line from villain to hero, which makes him very similar to Tyrion and his narrative positioning as the “good bad guy, the bad good guy” as Peter Dinklage says of his character on Game of Thrones. Even though Zuko’s mission at the beginning of the series is antagonistic to Team Avatar, he is still presented as a POV character with whom we are meant to sympathize, if at first only through sympathetic characters in his story like Iroh and characters who act as antagonistic in his own story, like Zhao and later Azula.

Tyrion also is presented to us as on the “bad side” of the narrative. He’s a Lannister, and many of the immediately sympathetic characters dislike and distrust him. Yet he is positioned sympathetically almost immediately as seen through characters like Jon Snow and Bran, and in contrast to his brother and sister.

Zuko and Tyrion also are positioned similarly in the narrative in relation to the way they are paired with and against the other characters in the story. Heroic narratives often make use of the Rule of Three, and one way in which this is shown is in presenting the main characters of the story as a triad. This type of narrative will have a protagonist, a deuteragonist, and a tritagonist. Usually the protagonist and the deuteragonist are male, and serve as foils and shadows of each other, and the third protagonist, or tritagonist, is a female character. You could argue about who takes the second and third position but it’s inarguable that in Avatar: The Last Airbender (further referred to as ATLA), these characters are Aang, Zuko, and Katara. In A Song of Ice and Fire (further referred to as ASOIAF) these characters are Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister. This is also why it’s often theorized that Tyrion is the third head of the three-headed dragon that Dany and Jon are both part of, despite not having any Targaryen blood.

The other narrative structure that ASOIAF uses with regard to the characters that mirrors ATLA is what George R R Martin coins “the five key players” in his original manuscript of ASOIAF:

Five central characters will make it through all three volumes, however, growing from children to adults and changing the world and themselves in the process. In a sense, my trilogy is almost a generational saga, telling the life stories of these five characters, three men and two women. The five key players are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and three of the children of Winterfell, Arya, Bran, and the bastard Jon Snow. (source)

I have theorized from what he says here that when Martin originally conceptualized his story, he intended for Tyrion to be younger than he is when we see him in the series, as Martin says that the five central characters will “grow from children to adults,” and Tyrion is already an adult as of his first chapter in A Game of Thrones. However, the fact that Tyrion is quite a bit older than the other four is thematically important. Tyrion is a character who, when we see him at the beginning of the story, has lost his innocence and become embittered by an abusive childhood and a lifetime of cruelty directed towards him because of his dwarfism. Yet Tyrion, thoughout the series, often relates to the child characters specifically because of that lost innocence. He offers help and advice to Jon, Bran, and Sansa throughout the series, and as of ADWD is on his way to join Daenerys.

Similarly, Zuko is positioned against the four main child characters of ATLA that make up Team Avatar, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, and has moments where he relates to them even before he seeks to join them. And although Zuko is only sixteen and very much a kid (which becomes even more apparent when he joins the gaang), and Tyrion is an adult, he is still a young man and his relationship to Jon is something like that of an older brother.

Zuko and Aang’s relationship could be compared with that of Jon and Tyrion. Jon and Aang offer friendship to someone who they should consider an enemy, and Tyrion and Zuko end up becoming unexpected mentors to the younger boys. In both stories, this serves to highlight the tragedy of how war pits people against each other and what each of these characters has lost.

Aang to Zuko: If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?

-S1E13

Even after ADWD and all the war and strife between Stark and Lannister, Jon still considers Tyrion his friend. Obviously, we do not have the ending of ASOIAF to compare to ATLA, but I find it an interesting parallel, nonetheless.

Another thing that makes the characters similar on a structural level is the use of visual symbolism to show the characters’ internal struggle and duality. This is a clever and immediate way for the audience to understand that this is a character who we are meant to see as morally complex. Visual symbolism is more obvious in a medium like animation, and the specific piece of visual symbolism is something that was downplayed in ASOIAF’s television adaptation, so it might be less apparent, but I’ve talked before about how Tyrion’s heterochromia is a visual symbol of his dual nature as a character and his struggle with his identity.

Similarly, Zuko’s scar functions as a symbol of his duality. And although Tyrion also has a dramatic facial mutilation to compare Zuko’s burn scar to, I am comparing Tyrion’s heterochromia to Zuko’s scar instead because of the symbolism associated with eyes and seeing.

It is often said that “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” and the reason for this is obvious. Often we look into another person’s eyes to get a glimpse of who they are, to understand and empathize, to connect and hope they connect with us. Therefore, in fiction, eyes can often tell you a lot about a character’s identity. Having a scar over one eye is an immediate signal of Zuko’s conflict from the moment he is introduced to the audience. His stated goal from episode one is to capture the Avatar, but as the series goes on we see what this goal really is: an impossible task given to him by his father because it is impossible. Therefore, Zuko’s desire to regain his identity as prince of the Fire Nation is put into question. And what better way to represent a conflict with Zuko’s identity towards the Fire Nation than with an injury caused by fire? I’ll talk much more about Zuko’s scar in part two because this is an extremely important part of his narrative.

Tyrion’s heterochromatic eyes function in a similar way, and mirror the way Martin uses color symbolism in ASOIAF. Tyrion is described in the books as having one green eye and one black one, a fact that was not included in the show save for one scene in the pilot, and was eventually discarded, as were Dany’s purple eyes, because of the difficulty colored contacts posed for the actors, and because, as I suspect, it was decided that it was not enough of a noticeable detail to be worth the trouble. It’s a lot easier to get away with things like this in animation (and Zuko’s scar doesn’t work in a live action series for similar practical reasons), but Tyrion’s “mismatched” eyes are a detail often mentioned in the books. Tyrion’s green eye is the eye color he shares with his brother and sister and father, and is known as a distinctive Lannister trait, representing their physical beauty and perfection. And like Tyrion’s disability, his heterochromia is an imperfection and so not tolerated in a House that prides itself on perfection. His black eye, in contrast, while often called his “evil” eye and is a cause, in addition to his dwarfism, for others to treat him like a pariah, brings him closer to who he is as a person separate from his family, as dark eyes represent earthiness and intelligence.

Zuko’s scar also marks him as other the way Tyrion’s heterochromia marks him. It is often called attention to by characters in the series. In the first season it is often used to make him look frightening. Yet it also marks him in the eyes of the audience and the eyes of other characters as a victim of the Fire Nation and a survivor. In this way, the meaning of Zuko’s scar becomes flipped and it is his unmarred side that links him to what appears on the surface to be the order and perfection and superiority of the Fire Nation, but which, just like Zuko’s face if we are only looking at it from one side, hides a warped horror.

In part two I talk about how these two characters have similar trauma and conflict with relationship to their families and how that shapes their narratives.

[sirenalpha]

I’m still thinking about the atla dororo au

the manga was about the same level of goofiness as atla even if it did actually have them kill people and showed blood

but the anime works much better for matching the war torn world setting and Azula is a much better fit with anime Tahomaru and also for the more politics heavy atla fics I’ve been writing anyways

I also think it would be interesting because Zuko unlike Hyakkimaru probably would be the kind of person to actually consider if he wanted to stop getting his body back if it meant some people could live better lives

the problem is more fitting some of the other characters

Ursa and Nui no Kata are basically opposites when it comes to how they treat their eldest son

Iroh basically has the analogous role to Jukai and they work well as parallels in terms of their past and being mentors except for the part where I can’t see Iroh making prosthetics as his atonement or being able to keep Zuko when Ozai’s supposed to think he’s dead and if he found out would try to kill him

do I make Piandao Jukai??? he at least makes things even if it’s just swords, but then what do I do with Iroh

Do I make Toph the old blind monk guy who has super special seeing powers when Toph is blind with super special seeing powers or do I make Aang the monk because he’s a monk and because the monk is kinda the voice of morality/angel on Hyakkimaru’s shoulder in the anime

Toph could work for Dororo best in terms of her relationship to Zuko, she’s not quite as chatty as Dororo but the brashness is the same and Toph’s the one to pull all the scamming which also works in her favor as well as her parents’ protectiveness though it is not the same as Dororo’s parents’ protectiveness, but Dororo having sight kind of matters for describing things Hyakkimaru can’t see so like I guess Aang could fill in for Dororo with the chattiness except he really doesn’t have the same relationship to Zuko because Zuko is his teacher

at least I know for sure Aang and Toph can fit into this

Katara is NOT going to be Mio and is not a personality match anyways and I have no clue for Sokka and Suki

I mean I could just have them be people picked up along the way more like atla than Dororo but that kind of doesn’t really work with Dororo the other characters they come across are very one off and usually die which is definitely a part of the tone in the anime you need people to die if you want the world to actually seem bad and war torn, but also even though it’s less emphasized in the anime no one joins them long term because they’re outcasts and considered bad or monstrous and you kinda lose that a little bit if you grow the cast too big so do I just cut characters out?

I just think it would be good if I could get the logistics to work

[more-than-a-name]

Attacked and almost killed her friends, murdered her father figure, took her prisoner and tortured her in a scene that the director said was written as a rape scene: Kylo is abusive. Now fuck off and get crotch rot for posting pro-Reylo content in the anti tag.

Okay, first of all I would like to say I debated heavily on even replying to this one. You do not know everything about why I tag things the way I do, and saying what you did was horribly immature, and childish. However, I will indulge you with the explanations to why I have tagged these posts as “anti-reylo”.

1. The asks I was answering included anti-reylo sentiment. I may be defending the ship in my post, but that does not make the ask’s content suddenly obsolete.

2. As the asks are anti-reylo in nature, and I am answering them, this means there is discussion of anti-reylo. Discussing anti-reylo means it is viable for the anti-reylo tag.

3. Some people, including myself, have gone through literal hell from anti-reylos (not all of them of course, but some anti-reylos certainly) since 2015. Therefore, some reylos chose to blacklist the anti-reylo tag, and in case any of them follow me and do not want to see any anti-reylo conversation, I tag it as such so they can avoid these posts. It is a courtesy I extend to my followers, just as I tag my posts that include Reylo as “reylo”, so those who are either triggered/squicked by or just don’t like the ship can blacklist it, and not see the posts. (Heads up- THIS INCLUDES YOU, ANON! You are more than welcome to simply blacklist “reylo”, and therefore have no other need to harass me for shipping them myself, and posting reylo content on my blog). If you do not feel like blacklisting “reylo”, then you are free to also have no further interaction with my blog. But certainly saying the things you did, simply because you do not approve of my tagging system, was highly inappropriate.

Now that that’s all out of the way... Let’s get into the meat of what your issues with Reylo are. (I will admit, I considered just deleting this ask because of the crude wishes, but decided to go ahead and answer for the sake of this debate that has suddenly, for some reason, cropped up on my blog).

“Attacked and almost killed her friends”- Yes, they are in a war. They are on opposite sides of said war. He was very much pre-redemption arc. Have you ever seen Avatar: The Last Airbender? If you have, I’m sure you know that Zuko was actively trying to capture Aang, and was ready and willing to kill Sokka and Katara (and even Toph, in later episodes) to do so. This did not stop them from, when he had his redemption arc, eventually allowing him to join them. I don’t mean this to say “Ben is Zuko!!!” but to point out that pre-redeemed characters will often attack and try to kill the main characters. In case you haven’t seen A:TLA, I will also point out the same is true for most villains who are later redeemed. Otherwise, they’re not exactly a very good villain, are they?

“Murdered her father figure”- and HIS ACTUAL FATHER? He expresses clear remorse for this as early as The Last Jedi, and Snoke even points out that it caused great conflict within him. This move was to SHOW US that Kylo is not “dark side man bad”. This was to show us that he was a redeemable figure, and not fully evil at all. It would be different if he murdered his own father, and was like “Yeah, I did that.” and moved on with his life, feeling better about what he’d done than ever.

“Took her prisoner and tortured her in a scene that the director said was written as a rape scene”- So, I had to do some research to find where JJ said anything about the scene being written as a rape scene. I asked friends who are very knowledgeable on all things Star Wars, and I would like to request a source from you on that. All I was able to find was an offhanded comment where he said parallels could be drawn to a mind rape, but it was certainly not official commentary, and even then, “Word of God” is typically not considered to be canon. But let’s break the interrogation scene down a little better, shall we?

To start with, the “mind rape”, if we want to call it that, is a Dark Side interrogation tactic. Kylo is far from the first to use it, although I will agree this does not make it okay that he used it. But, see my point concerning pre-redemption characters. They do bad things because, at the moment, they are bad people. BUT, to look further into the scene, Rey does tell him to get out of her head, and he doesn’t, but then she pushes back, therefore creating the Force bond that connects them throughout the next two films. So, if you want to call Kylo a rapist, you must extend the same criticism to Rey. (And before you come at me with any kind of “MEN CAN’T BE RAPED”? I have studied rape extensively as part of my major. The legal term may not include it, but I assure you, a man can be raped). This does not make what Kylo did in using this technique on Rey acceptable or excusable, but it is not acceptable or excusable that she used it in return. I also don’t mean this to say “oh they’re even now”, because that is obviously not how these things work. 

So finally, we come around to “Kylo is abusive”- No, Kylo Ren was the villain. As the villain, he did villainous things.

TL;DR- Kylo Ren was not a good man when Rey met him, but over time, he healed from the horrors that had been done to him, he changed, and he found his redemption in the end. I ship Rey with Ben Solo, the man who laid down his life so she could live hers, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, the one who was canonically her soulmate.

If you want to debate anything I’ve said, please feel free, but I ask that you keep all nasty words (you know the ones I refer to) out of it. No one deserves any verbal abuse simply because you disagree with their actions.

[elrondsscribe]

No ATLA shipping wars, please. There is room for ALL the ships.

So I’m sure anyone who’s been tracking me lately knows that I’ve been all up in Avatar: The Last Airbender ...

And I must say, after checking out the tags, I am TERRIFIED to speak my mind about ANY of the ships I like!! Like, I don’t want to be thought of as a poisonous Supporter Of That Which Is Toxic And Problematic because I did or didn’t gel with one ship or other. Spoilers under the cut.

See, I’m always the kind of fan that nobody likes: I’m the MCU fan that appreciates Steve and Tony; I’m the Star Wars fan that loved all nine Episodes. So when I say that I sail literally all of the ships because all of them hit me in different kinds of feels, well, y’all know to expect this from me.

(I should say at this point that the only thing I’m considering ‘canon’ for the purposes of this conversation is A:TLA; no LoK or comics is relevant here.)

(Also, can I just say what a wonderful change of pace it is to be in a property where, at least in the generation of our ‘mains,’ there seem to be more named, developed female characters??)

So I’m gonna start out with saying: I like the canon pairings as they stand! Kataang, Sukki, and Maiko being the main ones, obvs. However, I also like all kinds of AU pairings too!

Like Zutara - I mean, I can hardly say anything here that ten thousand others haven’t already said better, but their journeys do parallel each other in a lot of significant ways, and I think that, by the end of the show, they do legitimately share enough to have the foundations of a good relationship, if as a fanwriter you wanted to go there. You could make much of the poetry of their differences (”you rise with the moon, and I with the Sun”), and/or really develop their existing ability to safely be the ‘splash zone’ for each other’s turmoil. Besides, I think Katara’s mothering fussbudget energy would be a great thing for Zuko, and there’s a gentleness to her that he’d find healing.

{Now, I’ve seen a lot of comparisons between Zutara and Reylo, made by people who either want to demean or defend both ships. I’ve also seen these comparisons soundly trashed by people who like one, but not both, of these ships. As someone who never has had strong feelings either for or against Reylo, and as someone who loves Zutara but not exclusively, my response to all of that drama is a big old shrug of my shoulders. So don’t come at me screaming about Reylo, either to stan or cancel. Please just don’t.}

Also I don’t know a good way to say this, but you know how some people just can’t seem to resist reading Zuko and/or Sokka as gay? Well, I can’t stop reading Mai as lesbian; I don’t know why.

I don’t know which pairing Taang is. If it’s Aang/Ty Lee, omg yes!! Kill me with all the sparkles and rainbows! I already want to eat them both up. More seriously, I think Aang’s peaceable temperament would be a really welcome change in her life, after Zuko’s turmoil and Mai’s ice and Azula’s, well, Azula-ness. She’d probably just love Aang’s aura :) 

If Taang is Aang/Toph, well, we’ve observed that our flighty lil’ Aangster could use a grouding influence :) I don’t know who on Tumblr pointed it out, but Toph is the last person in the world to fangirl over Aang, which seems to be very good for him, while also not clipping his wings. While I do believe they’d be the kind of couple to quarrel and, at times, drift apart from each other (she’s incredibly rooted while he’s the embodiment of a free-spirit), for some reason I can easily see them finding each other again. There’s a scene in my head, one where an adult Aang is faced with the necessity of a sacrifice play that he might not come back from, and instead of tearfully trying to convince him not to do it, Toph says, “Go get ‘em, Twinkletoes.”

[And if you ship Zutara alongside Aang/Toph, you could have a fanfic where you did a Parallel, with Two Ships Of Opposite-Power-Benders. I’d be a fan!]

Now I’ve seen Sokkla floating around too, and I must say that this intrigues me, especially the way that this ship is connected to ideas about the redemption of Azula. I’ve seen some people being really upset that Azula never got a redemption arc in the show, but c’mon guys. A redemption arc for Azula would have taken a long-ass time - it would’ve been awesome, but it would’ve taken a long-ass time, definitely longer than a fourth season, I think. But if you were going to go with a combination of a redemption arc and a ship for her, Sokka would be a great idea. I don’t think Azula knows what fun and merriment are, and who knows those things better than Sokka?

[Honestly, that’s the thing about shipping Sokka with anyone: he would bring them laughter.]

But enough about the het AU ships, let’s talk about the gay ones!

Zukka would be the most prominent example, of course. The rapport that Zuko develops with Sokka over ‘The Boiling Rock’ is beautiful to behold (jokes about ‘that’s rough, buddy’ aside), and heaven knows Zuko needs someone to teach him how to laugh.

And remember how I said that I somehow can’t see Mai as straight? Well, I also can’t stop shipping her with Azula (don’t know the ship name for this one, but I know it exists). Obviously this ship would have more than an edge of ownership and manipulation about it, but they’re so deadly radiant and it’s like I can’t look away from them.

And Ty Lee is just so adorable and sincere (even with all the buried sadness) that shipping her with almost any of the other girls just makes my heart melt. Especially Katara, who would just cuddle the hell out of her whenever she’s feeling down. Or even Azula, who would totally own and work her but also, like, dazzle her. Main exception being Suki - for some reason, my head goes all kinds of hot, dirty places when I imagine Suki and Ty Lee sparring.

However, all this being said, I still have love for the canon ships that we got.

For example, like I said, I do ship Kataang, and I think together they’re incredibly sweet, but I also think that Katara’s tendency to hover and Aang’s tendency to (literally and metaphorically) fly away from/float above problems would jointly become a not-inconsiderable hurdle in a long-term relationship. Now I’ve observed couples in real life with similar dynamics, and I’ll stick out my neck and say that I consider this a workable hurdle, especially if both Katara and Aang grow in maturity and interpersonal understanding as they get older.

Similarly with Maiko: we see that, where Zuko’s emotions tend to run fire-hot, Mai’s tend to run ice-cold; we saw a clear example of these tendencies really clashing with each other. And Mai’s way of showing Zuko affection does seem to have genuinely perplexed some people who watched the show, to the point that they didn’t read it as affection at all. But again, drawing on what I’be observed, some couples really do develop a ‘love code’ that they understand even if literally no one else does. I don’t see any indication of either Mai or Zuko actually ill-using the other; and I will always stan this line from Mai when she made her big choice: I love Zuko more than I fear you.

As for Sukki - well, you already know. Sokka definitely grew and healed a lot from it, but I don’t think the trauma of being unable to protect Yue is one that will ever truly leave him. And as much as Suki understands him, I do think Sokka’s protectiveness will sometimes grate on her. She’s a motherfucking warrior-chieftain. And yes, this can definitely shape into a relational problem, but not one that can’t be worked around.

So ... TLDR, I love all the ships, and refuse to be part of the anti drama.

[laufire]

hellooo for fandom ask meme- atla?

Top 5 favourite characters: Sokka, Azula, Toph, Ty Lee, Mai.

Other characters you like: practically everyone. Aang, Zuko, Katara, Suki, Yue, Jet...

Least favourite characters: Ozai sucks, obviously xD. And frankly... though I love other parts of him, I have to say Iroh has not aged well in the rewatch. I hate how creepy he was with June, the bounty hunter. And I side-eye his attitude towards Azula vs. Zuko.

Otps: tbh nothing really makes it to OTP levels, BUT in this rewatch I’ve found myself appreciating Aang/Zuko and their dynamic and parallels all the more. I don’t ship them during show-time (I watched the show when I was 10-12 and it’s kind of hard to ship Aang at that time lol) but as adults I could tbh; their dynamic is just incredibly well-written. Other of my fave ships are Sokka/Suki/Zuko, Sokka/Yue, Azula/Sokka, Azula/Mai/Ty Lee, and Jet/Katara.

Notps: nothing gets to NOTP levels, though over the years I’ve decided to keep away from both Aang/Katara and Aang/Zuko discourse LOL.

Favourite friendships: Zuko & the Gaang, Toph & Aang.

Favourite family: Azula & Zuko. I love disfunction xD.

Favourite episodes: the Boiling Rock and Azula’s coup in Ba Sing Se.

Favourite season/book/movie: season 2 >>>>>>> (late s3 was... disappointing in some areas. AKA the Dangerous Ladies).

Favourite quotes: Aang talking to an asleep Zuko in the Blue Spirit episode vs. Zuko talking to an asleep Aang during the blizzard about Azula ( “She was born lucky. I was lucky to be born.” That whole speech is A Lot); “pride is not the opposite of shame, but rather its source”. And of course, “can your science explain why it rains?” “YES IT CAN”.

Best musical moment: the Avatar state theme always gets me.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: the Dragons episode (I looooove dragons).

When it really disappointed you: the Dangerous Ladies’ endings (Azula’s is utterly undignified, Mai’s is dull, and Ty Lee’s is kinda heartbreaking but presented as triumphant aka what I hate the most xD).

Saddest moment: Zuko going back to his father in s2.

Most well done character death: Jet’s.

Favourite guest star: Jet I guess? I never know how to take “guest star” in shows like this.

Favourite cast member: didn’t Serena Williams voice someone? The guard that was nice to Iroh so he spared her? There you have it xD.

Character you wish was still alive: Jet, if only for The Drama LMAO.

One thing you hope really happens: ........ I just hope the live-action reboot doesn’t make concessions and they write what THEY want to write.

Most shocking twist: hmm. Can’t really remember anything.

When did you start watching/reading?: I watched the show more or less as it aired, the first time.

Best animal/creature: Appa, DUH.

Favourite location: Ba Sing Se. So damn creepy, such good plots.

Trope you wish they would stop using: tbh the thing that annoyed me the most is when they tried to ~recreate the... effect some of ATLA’s characters had with LOK’s and utterly failed ¬¬ (Bolin annoys me in particular. It’s a good thing I’ve never seen anyone in fandom explicitly compare him to Sokka LMFAO). And I want to clarify I don’t say this as a way to hate on LOK, because I love LOK (and Korra is my favourite character in the whole ‘verse). But that part annoyed me xD

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: it falls on that category of “children show that NEVER talks down to children” and I’ll always love it for that.

Funniest moments: Sokka was sincerely funny and enjoyable. And the show was great at visual/physical humor, especially with bending.

Couple you would like to see: Sokka/Zuko or Azula/Sokka, Just Because LOL (and I really hope the reboot doesn’t erase Jet/Katara tbh).

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: n/a. Well, actually, that’s wrong. I’d love to see Brandon Soo Hoo to join the cast as ANYONE, just because I want to see Brandon Soo Hoo on-screen again :P

Favourite outfit: Azula’s Ba Sing Se outfits. And the ones on the beach episode.

Favourite item: Sokka’s boomerang, OFC. And his meteorite sword.

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: nope.

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I’d love to be an airbender (I just want to flyyyy).

Most boring plotline: n/a.

Most laughably bad moment: Ty Lee’s ending. A character that valued individuality so much she left a family because there was nothing differentiating her from her sisters ends in a uniformed order where every girl looks the same. O-fucking-kay.

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Zuko’s banishment flashbacks *sniffs*

Most layered character: Aang and Zuko, IMO.

Most one dimensional character: cabbages man, but we love him so xD

Scariest moment: Zuko’s Agni Kai. Poor dear.

Grossest moment: that weird deformed panda spirit comes to mind.

Best looking male: I actually have some Issues(TM) about how they’re drawn as grown-ups LMAO. Hmm. Between Sokka and Zuko I guess.

Best looking female: 12-year-old me had a mini crush on the Dangerous Ladies LOL.

Who you’re crushing on (if any): see above.

Favourite cast moment: n/a.

Favourite transportation: Appa.

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): there’s a lot of great ones but I’m going with the dragon dance.

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: n/a. Though if we get into LOK I would have a few LOL.

Best promo: n/a.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I liked it from very early on, but I remember starting to Love It in Jet’s episode (Sokka and his ~instincts! Tragic ship with Betrayal(TM) and irreconcilable issues! My catnip).

[seyaryminamoto]

Hiiiiii - read your Iroh and Ursa metas, loved them. Might I ask if you've any equally Hot Takes on the fandom's favorite punching bags - The Great Divide and Avatar Day?

Uuuuh well.

If the hot take is expected to be “they’re GREAT episodes!”, I… I’m afraid I’ll disappoint :’D I dislike them both, but who knows? Maybe my reasons for disliking them are different than other people’s?

My problem with The Great Divide is a little personal: that was the first episode I ever watched of ATLA, and if only I’d caught another one, anything slightly more plot-relevant than that, I might have become a fan of the show much sooner. I watched it, found certain things entertaining, others not so much, and concluded ATLA was a “monster of the week” show masquerading as a show with a plot. Which… made it less interesting to me, by mere logic. I was also very much a teenager back then, and while I still had decent instincts as far as storytelling was concerned, they weren’t as polished as they are now. So I didn’t really see much of ATLA worth my while in The Great Divide, and so, from a personal point of view, it’s not at all amongst my favorite episodes.

Upon rewatching the show in full, I was more forgiving of the Great Divide, not only because I understood the show’s dynamics better, but because ATLA actually has other episodes that, while featuring occasional relevant information and characters, could also feature not-so-relevant developments later on. So it’s not just Avatar Day and the Great Divide: the Fortuneteller, while a pretty liked episode, is honestly about as lacking in plot-heavy developments as those two are. Yet most people like that one :’) why’s that? Shippy reasons? Weeeell…

The truth is, if you ask me, that the Great Divide and Avatar Day and the Fortuneteller are episodes that allow the plot to slow down. This wasn’t so good in the early stages of Book 1, where slowing the plot too much actually made you forget there was a plot altogether… but when you watch the show as a whole, those moments of less tension, featuring Aang resolving problems and saving lives of completely ordinary people, were actually pretty good for what they were. That, in particular, is something I missed in Book 3: Team Avatar minus Zuko certainly do their best to help common people here and there through the first half of Book 3, but Zuko never does (and then when Zuko joins them, they never really do that again). What would I give for an episode where Zuko actually had to reason with the harm the war has caused not only to the Earth Kingdom, but to his own people… frankly, that oversight from the writing department is still absolutely absurd to me.

So, my problem with the Great Divide and Avatar Day isn’t that they weren’t plot relevant. My initial problem with the Great Divide, like I said earlier, was personal. But there’s also the feeling that not enough growth for the main characters takes place in these episodes: Aang resolved the Great Divide’s problem in the goofiest way he could. It was funny, creative and helpful, and kind of unexpected for your kind-hearted hero to lie to deal with a problem… though it also makes the situation more complex because of that, since he’s doing something ethically incorrect to establish peace between warring tribes. He did an objectively bad thing… for good purposes. So… it’s complicated, but it’s cool. It’s not half-bad as a concept that the show could explore. 

Nonetheless, you can’t feel a HUGE, PALPABLE CHANGE in the relationship between Sokka and Katara after this episode. You really don’t. They spend the bulk of the episode at odds with each other, and they set aside their problems later… but everything they do, post-Great Divide, really doesn’t look like they learned a lot from their clashing, such as how to see things from each other’s POV or being more fair with each other… I, at least, don’t feel much of a change. No idea if other people see it differently, but they continue to clash pretty wildly later on, particularly in Book 3. So, did they learn something at all? If not… then the episode does end up feeling rather pointless because it doesn’t feel like the characters really are impacted by what happened in it, right?

And that, beyond anything else, is what makes these sorts of episodes feel like filler content: The Ember Island Players WAS filler content, absolutely, but you have scenes such as Zuko talking to Toph about Iroh, or Aang and Katara’s catastrophic rejected kiss, and it feels like SOMETHING happened in the episode even if in general it didn’t do anything plot-heavy. But aside from these small scenes that offer characters a chance to make at least a little progress (whether forward or backwards…), you even get a chance to see how the Fire Nation views the war, how they see themselves, how they see their Fire Lord. Even there, the show is giving you information that helps in the worldbuilding of the show. This is absent in The Great Divide, where the two warring tribes are never seen or heard of again, and they’re not exactly relevant because of that. Do they add some diversity to what we ought to perceive of the Earth Kingdom? Yes. Is it useful for anyone other than the rare fic writer who decides to use these characters for something? (never really seen it but I bet it has happened) Honestly, no.

Now, Avatar Day is annoying to me for another personal reason, even if it connects with some of what I said above: I HATE the way Sokka is characterized in this episode. I have more than enough qualms with how he’s characterized for many episodes in Book 2, but this one takes the cake.

Sokka is usually sharper than everyone else, helpful, resourceful, even when no one is really acknowledging it. Often he’s the voice of reason, the one who figures out what’s going on (such as in the Cave of Two Lovers, where he realizes the tunnels are changing, just to name one thing), but Avatar Day decided to feature him obsessing with acting as an investigator, and he kept stopping Katara from making the big reveals because HE had to do it, and she just rolled her eyes at him all along (from the get-go too, since she goads him into investigating by spurring his ego and yet she still is shown visibly annoyed when he starts raving about how he figured out the seal jerky thing back in the Water Tribe). All of this is to make Sokka a punchline of the “Katara is the smart one” joke that doesn’t even work when you take the rest of the show into account :’) so… this particular thing will ALWAYS rub me the wrong way with Avatar Day.

From this episode, I do like that Aang has to deal with people who hate him because he’s the Avatar. I always complained about how LOK basically had everyone swooning and adoring Korra even if they hated her, everyone constantly in awe of her prowess and talent, and those who DIDN’T like her were constantly shown as unreasonable jerks, such as the kid who throws that snowball at her, and we’re supposed to feel bad when she calls Korra the worst Avatar ever :’) we are REALLY expected to feel bad and to dislike the kid… when we literally watched Aang dealing with a mob that sentenced him to boil in oil for his past life’s crimes, and who burned effigies in his image. Right. A spiteful little kid is so very harmful, so heartbreaking, so jarring. Wow.

What I like about Avatars dealing with people disliking them, be it for solid reasons or for stupid ones, is that it feels REAL. Because it makes sense that people wouldn’t have an unanymous opinion of the Avatar as the savior of all the world, it makes sense that there’d be people who are jerks because they don’t like him on principle (or lack thereof). It’s normal, natural, completely common in human beings to just see something popular and go “MEEEEH I’VE SEEN BETTER”. And that’s what Avatar Day gave me, as far as worldbuilding is concerned.

As for more worldbuilding, Avatar Day certainly offered more insight on Kyoshi, but while most people found that fascinating and the insight in question absolutely wonderful because oh woooow she bends LAVA, I found it damning instead. If you need to know why… feel free to read this post (seeing as you like my controversial opinions you might even enjoy the whole thing x’D). While there’s some new novels now about Kyoshi that shed more light on who she was and how she did the things she did, I have certain gripes with some of the ideas I’ve heard those novels bring up. All in all, though, they shouldn’t change what canon brings forward with Kyoshi’s behavior with Chin: just in case you didn’t read that ask, I’ll say that my problem isn’t that she killed Chin, if anything, my problem is that she only killed him when he only had two places left to conquer. 

She wouldn’t sit passively while he took her home. Because, uh, that’s the only place the almighty Avatar had to defend, I suppose. 

Basically, Chin pulled a Kuvira with no opposition because the Avatar apparently didn’t care to involve herself in this particular problem until he was knocking on her door. Seriously? Best Avatar ever? Oookay then…

So, my favorite Gaang member, turned into a bad joke and unable to tell he’s been turned into a joke + the birth of a fandom-wide circlejerk around a character because she bent lava, nevermind the implications of her disregard for a tyrant’s conquest until it reached her doorstep + the worst point of Zuko’s theft spree = I don’t like this episode :’)

Avatar Day’s only redeeming quality for me, like I said, is Chin Village’s Avatar-hating ways, but ONLY as a concept. Even so, I wish they’d tackled that particular matter far more seriously than they did, because sure, Chin Village’s villagers were damn stupid, but hating the Avatar because she killed someone they idolized wasn’t exactly a far-fetched motivation. Where you’d think this could even serve as a sort of parallel between Zuko and Aang, where they both find themselves as the new heirs of their respective, long legacies, legacies full of people who did good and bad things, and the ones being held accountable for those bad things are THEM, however unfair it might be…? The show just turned the whole damn thing into a joke. And that’s just a real waste of screentime. I’m not against ATLA’s comedic episodes at all, not as a concept, and I really like the show’s humor in general… but this episode absolutely could have used less of it, especially when offering an opportunity for Aang to actually find out that his past lives aren’t at all as idealistic and righteous as he might have thought they were, or, at the very least, he could have reflected on the fact that they didn’t necessarily share his principles and beliefs. But nope. Missed opportunity, right there.

In short… I suppose people dislike Avatar Day because of similar reasons why I do, I can’t say for sure. I assume people dislike the Great Divide for its filler-nature and general irrelevance to the show, and that’s pretty reasonable? But in my opinion, the problem with so-called filler content is that it ought to be used to expand on characters, to further develop them, they should be a chance to slow down and offer introspection during a brief chance that opens up when heavy plots give the viewers, and the characters, a chance to pause and breathe for a while. Both Avatar Day and the Great Divide fail at this particular wishful standard I impose on fillers, though. And that, along with my personal reasons, is why they’d be part of my personal “least liked episodes of ATLA” list, if I were to make one. It isn’t to say there aren’t a few redeeming qualities in both episodes, I hope I made that clear… but that’s not enough to offset the negatives in this case.

Also, I brought up the Fortuneteller too as an example for a filler episode that actually doesn’t achieve much, same as these two don’t. I actually enjoy this episode quite a bit? The animation is really good and smooth here. But that’s neither here nor there :’) 

The Fortuneteller certainly emphasized Aang’s crush on Katara, it also expanded on Katara’s character by showing how she’s so quick to believe fortunetelling, as opposed to Sokka, who absolutely doesn’t believe any of it. This generated a ridiculous but fun dynamic between the three characters through the episode, and it added Meng to the mix as well by featuring her as the girl Sokka misunderstands Aang is pining over. There’s a lot of silly comedy, but it’s in a much nicer way (in my opinion) than the one presented by Avatar Day, especially as it emphasizes elements of the character’s personalities: Sokka’s unwillingness to believe in spiritual nonsense, DESPITE he has already been caught up in Spirit World shenanigans, Aang’s hopeless pining over Katara and Aunt Wu’s encouragement for him to find his own destiny instead of being trapped by whatever she told him, and Katara’s obsession with asking Aunt Wu about EVERYTHING in her life up until the point where she finds herself considering that the super powerful bender she’ll marry could be Aang.

In general, this episode does handle its filler qualities as best as possible. But, and this is a problem I’ve seen brought up by other people before, it’s also an episode that features Katara pondering maybe Aang could be her one true love… only for the next episode to absolutely forsake that plotline and go for a wholly different subject. Which is, of course, fine… the problem is, we could’ve had Katara treating Aang slightly differently if she found herself thinking of him in a new light. That she didn’t treat him visibly differently, if anything, makes it look like right after her “He really is a powerful bender…” reveal, she just went “NAAAAAH, no way it would be him” and just decided to push aside all romantic possibilities with Aang until the Cave of Two Lovers. Which, considering Kataang is the endgame couple, is honestly another fumble by the writing department, as following up on this development would have easily silenced all those detractors of the ship who have interpreted the whole show under the tried and tired guise of “but she’s just mothering hiiiiiim!”.

One great thing about romance is watching it grow steadily, gradually… and when you have such big moments you ought to follow up on them, to a fault. It didn’t even have to be acknowledged in any massive ways, but it could have been acknowledged by featuring Katara wearing the necklace Aang weaved for her during later episodes, or something like that. But… there’s nothing palpable. Nothing serious. And this isn’t to say Kataang is lesser for it, but it would have been greater if the next episode had addressed the pending elephant in the room instead of going around it and pretending it didn’t exist at all.

So, while the filler in ATLA in general is better than the frequent fillers from anime, for instance, or than fillers in certain liveaction TV shows… it’s not quite perfect, let alone is it always top-tier writing that, while slowing down the plot, allows proper character introspection and growth. I really do like the Fortuneteller, as usual Aang’s work to help of those who need him is probably my favorite thing about his character and it shows in spades in this episode. The comedy is really great here, and I love the way Sokka is portrayed here… as opposed to how he’s portrayed in the Great Divide and Avatar Day, where not only does it feel like he didn’t grow at all, it also feels like he’s reduced to slapstick comedy with zero respect for his character. So… yeah. I don’t really like those two episodes, not out of any genuine disliking of fillers for what they can be, but because, as far as chances to slow down plot and developments go, both Avatar Day and The Great Divide really didn’t do it the way I would’ve wanted them to.

[armageddon-generation]

Fixing The Legend of Korra - Book 4

AGAIN THIS IS A SOLID SEASON, SO THIS IS MOSTLY JUST CHARACTER STUFF – I ALSO VEER INTO FULL-ON FANFIC AT A FEW POINTS, BUT FUCK IT

I also need to thank @threehoursfromtroy for being a huge inspiration, especially with the korrasami dynamic - you’ll notice I magpied a bunch of ideas from her amazing fics.

Book 1,  Book 2,  Book 3,

KUVIRA

FUCKING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – let’s fully explore her reasoning for leaving Zoafu (the White Lotus is pretty much done, the Dai Li have been disbanded but now they’re individual warlords ruling over Ba Sing Se as a city state, the airbenders are still rookies and she sees them getting injured)

Emphasise the familial connections between Kuvira and the Beifongs – playing sports with Wing and Wei, falling for Bataar Jr.

Besides Bataar, have her be closest to Opal. They were both outsiders – the non-bender and the unofficial adoptee, but Opal, as the only non-bender in a family of historically famous benders, was also jealous of Kuvira the metalbending prodigy, who appeared to be everything Su wanted in a daughter. Kuvira was similarly jealous of Opal, the biological daughter who was doted on despite not doing anything to ‘earn’ it. This complicated relationship evolved into their bitter hatred of each other

Have Kuvira’s isolation in Zoafu parallel Korra’s in the South from Book 1

Without Korra there to push them forwards, everyone has started backsliding – In Kuvira Bolin has found a Korra-surrogate to rely upon instead of taking responsibility for himself (this is the same reason, ironically enough, he was attracted to Eska – she controlled him and he could hide behind her – something a more mature Eska is able to see when they meet at the Corniation)

EARTH EMPIRE

Let’s see Bolin leading the charge clearing out Ba Sing Se, and Kuvira liberating the city and defeating the Dia Li (who are trying to establish their own control of Ba Sing Se as an independent city-state) for good

Explore the apparatus of the Empire a touch more – the propaganda recruitment system – how does fascism work?

Have Raiko supply troops to Su so he doesn’t look like a complete fool. That way when she defeats Zaofu and sees Raiko violated her terms, Kuvira has a legitimate reason to go after Republic City

Also, can we make the Battle of Zoafu a proper siege once they break the ceasefire? Avatar does Helm’s Deep? Pretty please? Kuvira knows all the city’s defences as former Head of the Gaurd, so let’s demonstrate her tactical prowess dissecting the domes’ weaknesses. And have some of Zaofu’s defenders start siding with Kuvira (people she used to command etc), fighting amongst themselves to give her an easier victory

When the Beifongs are captured they go through the camp system, so we get to explore it – take inspiration from true stories and films like Life is Beautiful –The other prisoners either hate them for giving up, hate them for creating Kuvira, or look up to them as their only hope. But in the end they’re just a family trying to hold together on the brink.

Bring in the Red Lotus members hiding across the world – they start trying to move against Kuvira from the shadows. They are the strongest chance the world has against Kuvira without Korra, and Raiko’s willingness to accept their help (as the shady politician) shows how desperate the situation is – Korra needs to step in

ASAMI (& KORRASAMI)

The best part about Korrasami is how opposite they are – The non-bender figurehead, The bender figurehead. Traddition vs innovation, spirituality vs technology, idealism vs realism, faith vs strategic calculation – Asami should by all means be a supervillain, but she’s just too good a person. Play into that divide and conflict in Book 4

Asami is keeping herself dangerously busy, between helping the Equalists and managing the spirits living in the city that are against her industrial company  

Without Korra, Asami felt lonely and vulnerable. To compensate for a world without Korra, (much like Kuvira) Asami secretly develops plans for super weapons inspired by a combination of her father’s old Equalist designs – these weapons are designed to artificially replicate bending attacks on the scale of the Avatar state – Seismic waves, artificial flooding, firebombing, weaponised wind machines etc. She has prototypes developed

This gives her attempts to re-connect with Hiroshi more weight – she’s lost, and reviewing his old work makes her feel closer to him than she has in years – she thinks she’s beginning to understand what he went through when her mom died.

When Korra returns the weapons cause major conflict between them – especially when undercover Red Lotus steal Asami’s plans (exploiting their new connection with Raiko) and attempt to use protypes to ambush Kuvira – causing an all-out battle

Because the protypes were so hastily assembled they don’t work particularly well and cause chaos – Team Avatar has to jump in and save as many from the crossfire as they can, and Korra has to ignore a chance to fight Kuvira – they then have to leave the people to be taken by Kuvira, because they can’t save all of them.

These weapons would be key to Korra’s arc, as she doesn’t yet trust or have full control over the Avatar State again – she’s fighting that power as recreated by the person she cares most about, compounding the themes of Korra confronting herself

Kuvira uses the weapons the same way Korra used to use the Avatar state – wantonly and without thought, causing mass destruction.

Kuvira defeats the Red Lotus and takes Asami’s weapons for herself (Asami is horrified – she has indirectly become what her Father was to the Equalists. Varrick is being more morally upstanding than her.)

Korrasami is not smooth sailing in this book – both of them are aware they love each other, but they also have to deal with their own shit first. Korra’s time away let them build up perfect, imaginary versions of each other. Asami needs to stop idolising Korra (the same mistake Hiroshi made with her mom) and Korra needs to stop idolising Asami (as I felt the original show tended to do)

In the finale, Korra is the one to get Hiroshi out of jail, because Asami needs to move past his shadow – the repentant Hiroshi comforts her and assures her she is better than him. So much like her mother. He also expresses gentle approval of Korra before he dies.

Asami is the woman in the chair in the finale, simultaneously helping with the hummingbird suits and coaching the United Republic Forces (Hi, General Iroh) through how to defeat the artificial bending weapons.

I don’t know if it’s feasible, but I think reuniting the OG Team Avatar (Toph, Katara and Zuko) as three of the most powerful benders in the world (plus Zuko has a dragon) against these things the same way the White Lotus took back Ba Sing Se in ATLA would be really cool

The series ends not with the culmination of a relationship a la ATLA, but the tentative beginning of one

MAKO

Mako has let himself become consumed by his work – the only one to visit him is Kai, who’s filling in Bolin’s spot as little brother. (“Stop breaking in to a police officer’s apartment!”). Their relationship has grown a lot stronger, but they both miss Bolin

Mako is caught between both sides of the Earth Empire debate – he works for Wu and knows that deep down he’s actually a decent guy, but he has an established professional relationship with Kuvira, and he really respects her. They joke about his new job together before the Corination.

Kuvira has become a surrogate Korra figure for all Team Avatar – Mako (who admits he’s still in love with Korra) sees the potential for Kuvira to compensate for the loss of Korra, and must learn to let go of this unhealthy dream.

Because he’s no longer a member of the Republic City Police. Mako and Lin finally get to work together as equal partners

AIRBENDERS (KAINORA)

Look, I just want some cute long-distance Kainora stuff, OK? Keeping in contact via astral projection

Kai has been unofficially adopted into the airbender family and acts as a big brother to Rohan and Meelo

(I also think it’d be fun if Rohan was an uncontrollable bending prodigy like Jack-Jack from The Incredibles, bouncing around the house like the Tasmanian Devil – Pema and Kai are the only ones who can control him

Jinora has become the day-to-day leader of the Air Nation, using astral projection t co-ordinate people across the globe, with Kai in support

They express frustration with Air Nomad tradition – they sneak out at night and run around the new Republic City, giving us a chance to explore – Jinora shows Kai the wonders of the Spirit Wilds, while he teaches her how to win at street gambling.

They flirt with breaking the law – practicing pickpocketing the rich to feed the poor, and dabble in vigilantism – until they get caught.

Mako gets them off charges, but this causes a big conflict between Tenzin and Jinora. My problem with Jinora’s characterisation the original Book 4 (she was previously one of my faves) was she seemed too perfect. In this version, that perfection is an act, and she needs a way to blow off steam. Tenzin argues (quite rightly) that by taking the law into her own hands Jinora is no better than Kuvira (or Korra, Jinora points out. “Jinora, you’re not the Avatar.” / “I’m as good as.”)

This is important because original book 4 Jinora felt super stuck-up and full of pride, not good traits for an airbending master. Here we’re emphasising then confronting that big-headedness. Kai helps her realise she’s still just a kid, and that’s OK. Her family (and Korra) help her realise she’s stronger when she embraces the strength of others

I also like the idea of air nomads roaming with herds of bison, like Bryke originally envisioned for Aang

ZUKO, IZUMI AND THE FIRE NATION (This part veers into full-on fanfic territory and doesn’t really contribute to the plot, but I need to get the idea out there so sorry)

Use flashbacks to explore how the unrest in the Earth Kingdom parallels the unrest in the Fire Nation after Ozai was defeated

These could adapt elements of the Smoke and Shadow comic, where Mai’s father leads a rebellion against Zuko. This would take place when Zuko is in his early thirties, just after Kya was born (her waterbending was a trigger for nationalists)

The opposition find Azula after she ran away at the end of The Search, and manipulate her mental state to use her as a figurehead against Zuko – an alternate legitimate heir

Zuko and Katara have to flee with the toddler Kya, and go underground in the Fire Nation as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady respectively, fighting the coup from the inside (with Mai and Ty Lee, allowing us to explore everyone’s interesting relationship history) while everyone else tries to fight from the outside

During her wanderings Azula found the Sun Warriors and the dragons Rin and Sha – she uses her new followers to storm the temple and capture the blue dragon (just like her great grandfather before her). Azula is now riding around on a huge blue dragon. You’re welcome.

This is how Zuko gets his dragon – he and the Gaang liberate the Sun Warriors and the red dragon partners with him in order to save its mate

In the final battle between the two factions Azula inevitably snaps and the coup leaders are unable to control her – she goes nuts and tries to lay waste to both forces.

Zuko and the red dragon save both the blue dragon and Azula from herself. He is able to reassert control over the nation and get Azula back to hospital. This explains Kya’s extreme guilt and Izumi’s extreme reluctance to get involved in the Earth Empire situation

TOPH, LIN AND SU

Kyalin are already a thing by the time Book 4 starts – Korra is flabbergasted, and they set an example she wants to follow with Asami – things are very casual and domestic, which is a new and weird experience for both of them

When Lin meets up with Toph to free the Beifongs and then they free Su, have the idea of motherhood come up a few times – Toph suggests Lin has waited this long to re-enter a relationship because she doesn’t want kids, because she’s scared she’ll end up treating them like Toph. Toph encourages Lin to make her own choice uninfluenced by her – Lin can learn from Toph’s mistakes, and Su has made a great mom

The subject of Lin and Su’s dads come up. In this version, Sokka is Su’s father – hence her darker skin – but the brief affair was secret because he was married and Toph was with Lin’s father – one of those regretful one-night stands you always knew was a bad idea

This is a bombshell for Su, who never realised – it completely recontextualises her relationship with both Sokka and the Red Lotus (she almost joined the people who killed her father) . It also forces her to reconsider both her political and personal responsibilities – she accepts responsibility for her part in creating Kuvira, and understands her abandonment issues a little better

Lin, however, the aspiring detective from a young age, figured it out a long time ago (she always assumed Su knew). This is why Lin resented Su so much when they were kids – her arrival caused Toph and Lin’s dad to end things, because she was proof Toph never got over Sokka

Now Su is the one angry at Toph, and Lin is there to apologise and comfort her. Opal recognises what Toph is trying to do; throw herself under the bus to get rid of any lingering resentment between her girls and strengthen their sisterly bond – she’s forcing them to move on

Through Opal’s intervention everyone manages to patch things up

DARK KORRA/KORRA’S TRAUMA

In the original series it was never explained what that creepy vision of Korra in chains actually was. Sometimes it was just in her head, other times it physically attacked her, and then it just disappeared.

My explanation links to the Book 2 finale – Jinora was able to bring Raava back because she still existed within Vaatu. By the same logic, though Vaatu was destroyed, he (and Unalaqq, now forever bonded with him) exist with Raava’s light. In Book 3 we established Raava was directly feeding off of/reliant on the light within Korra. Now that Korra has been through all this trauma, that light has been replaced by negative energy, which allowed Vaatu to grow within her.

The Dark Korra hallucination is a manifestation of Vaatu’s dark power growing within Korra, feeding off her trauma and attacking her from the inside-out. It is both psychological and spiritual. When she goes to the Tree of Time, she sees echoes of Vaatu are there. He has stolen Unalaqq’s voice and face, completely taken him over – the ghost of the family member Korra failed to save.

When she finally reconnects with Raava, Korra defeats the Dark Korra; she can’t destroy the darkness inside her, but she can move on

Korra has to find alternate energy source for the Avatar State now her past lives are gone. She learns to channel the energy of the spirit world through Raava (a spiritual extension of Toph’s root connections, possible thanks to the open portals)

During the finale Korra’s appeal to the spirits to protect the world is heard – as the spirits attack Kuvira’s weapon, simultaneously the swamp halfway across the globe demolishes the Earth Empire’s vine harvesters – all the spirits come out of the woodwork and attack, claiming the area as a new Spirit Wild, like in Wan’s time