#peacekeeper doesn't mean pacifist

[antianakin]

@theneutralmime

"Peacekeeper" isn't an official job title, at best it's like... PART of the job description, a way to kind-of boil down what they do into something easy and simple to explain or understand. It's also vague, probably intentionally. They're peacekeepers, they keep the peace, in whatever way that ends up being necessary. Sometimes it might mean helping a queen escape her planet so she can get to the Senate and ask for aid. Sometimes it might mean protecting said queen from assassins as she launches a rebellion to take her planet back from invaders. Sometimes it means being sent in to mediate a treaty between two conflicting groups. Sometimes it means going to investigate whether a planet's request for resources is legitimate. Sometimes it means running an army during a galactic civil war.

The Jedi answer to the Senate, THAT is a part of the job description. Pre-Palpatine, there does appear to be a certain level of leeway in that relationship where the Jedi could handle some things on their own or internally depending on the issue, but after Palpatine takes over that seems to become less and less true and so they become forced to simply do whatever the Senate asks them to do more often. We see them fighting against this in AOTC towards the beginning, with Mace and Yoda arguing that they're not supposed to be soldiers, especially not on their own, and they won't hold out forever.

This isn't something we see explored in the films very often, but there's been some comics and books that tell us that the reason the Jedi answer to the Senate is because it allows them legitimacy and resources and power they wouldn't have otherwise. And when I say power, I mean things like the power to actually mediate an official treaty that means something legally. They have the power to send for Republic aid officially and be LISTENED TO. They have the power to help a planet or system join the Republic. Without this relationship to the Senate granting them these things, they're basically just charity-workers doing grassroots work that might help with short-term problems but won't necessarily achieve long-term solutions. The Jedi give up a certain amount of freedoms in order to be able to provide better help to the galaxy AT LARGE. They're not a third party at all, and that's entirely by design.

There's a comic set during Anakin's padawan years where Obi-Wan manages to bring the Republic to a planet by essentially sending back a report implying that there's some kind of dangerous substance on the planet that needs to be dealt with immediately. Anakin realizes that Obi-Wan sort-of "lied" to the Republic and asks why and Obi-Wan explains that it got the Republic HERE in a way nothing else would have and the hope is that, as they're looking for this dangerous substance, they'll be able to provide the actual assistance the planet needs just by being there at all. Anakin asks why the Republic would come just from Obi-Wan saying there MIGHT be a dangerous substance on the planet and he says that they didn't come for him, they came because a JEDI called. THAT'S the sort of power that the Jedi are granted by choosing to make themselves answerable to the Republic. Obi-Wan is capable of bringing a ton of Republic aid to this planet on nothing but a "maybe" simply because he's a Jedi.

There are certain things they choose to give up in order to HAVE that kind of power and one of them is the freedom to just go anywhere they want and do whatever they want as an organization. Which means if the Senate decides to ask a Jedi to be a bodyguard for someone and there's no really good reason for them to say no, then they're a bodyguard for someone that day.

It's supposed to be a SYMBIOTIC relationship, one that only works when there is a certain amount of balance. The Jedi help the Republic maintain peace and the Republic provides the resources and legitimacy and power the Jedi need in order to make a real difference in the galaxy. It's supposed to be, ultimately, good for BOTH of them.

You can also add in some even more niche things like how working with the Republic gives the Jedi a certain amount of safety and security because if they're answerable to a higher power that ISN'T Force sensitive, it presumably makes people less afraid of them or worried that the Jedi will just take over. Attacking the Jedi has consequences beyond just pissing off the Jedi because the Jedi can get the entire Republic involved in the issue if they wanted to, so that can act as a deterrent to people wanting to hurt them. The Jedi gain so much more from being answerable to the Senate than they lose.

The problem is that when Palpatine ends up in charge, it starts unbalancing that relationship and it's no longer symbiotic because he's taking advantage of the Jedi very intentionally. He's putting them in positions that force them to be something they're not supposed to be, he's putting them in dangerous positions that cause many of them to die, and he's using his power over them to take away their autonomy over themselves. And people look at THIS relationship between the Jedi and the Senate and then question why the Jedi would ever put themselves in a position to be taken advantage of at all without realizing that the relationship between Palpatine (and Palpatine's Senate) and the Jedi ISN'T THE NORM. It is very intentionally NOT THE NORM. Palpatine is taking advantage of certain checks and balances the Jedi had set up with the Senate and the Chancellor that have worked up until that point and worked pretty well so far as we know.

Certain people in charge of Star Wars these days would have you believe that the Jedi working for the Senate means that they were always supporting corruption, or that the Jedi got so comfortable that they didn't NOTICE when it started becoming more corrupt and difficult to work with, and they blame the Jedi for being "part of the problem" instead of recognizing that the Jedi were the only ones trying to FIX a relationship that had done a lot of good for the galaxy for thousands of years instead of just immediately abandoning ship for their own purposes.

[kanansdume]

Of course, thinking about how Bo-Katan and Satine's father's treatment of them influenced Bo-Katan's terrible choices actually starts to shed some light on SATINE'S terrible choices, too.

Because as much as Bo-Katan would've dug her heels in and refused to compromise on her beliefs regarding traditional Mandalorian values and what their father would've wanted, Satine would've dug her heels in just the same and refused to compromise on her OWN opposite beliefs.

Which leads us to how Satine treats Obi-Wan and her disregard and dismissal of the Jedi and the situation they're in. There is nothing Obi-Wan could ever say that would convince Satine that the Jedi fighting in the war is a necessary evil. Nothing. He'll NEVER be able to convince her otherwise because Satine likely got completely dismissed by her father for her choice to be a pacifist or her arguments that Mandalorian infighting was supremely stupid. She was her father's EMBARRASSMENT and she likely knew it just as well as Bo-Katan did. I imagine she was asked to change her mind a lot or to just give up and compromise because she was the heir or something to that effect and she never ever allowed herself to because she knew that she was RIGHT.

But this leads to her refusing to see any kind of nuance in the Jedi's situation. It leads to a VERY limited definition of what it means to be a "peacekeeper" that doesn't take into account what you do what someone else attacks YOU. She claims she's not against the idea of defending herself, but cannot wrap her head around the idea that the Jedi fighting on behalf of the Republic IS them defending themselves and their people. Obi-Wan TRIES to argue his side of it, tries to make her see that refusing to fight would do nothing but allow the Separatists to kill and enslave and oppress everyone in the Republic, and Satine will hear NONE of it. She's completely and entirely convinced that she's right and refuses to budge on the topic to the point that she's willing to get into a screaming match with Obi-Wan about it in public.

This doesn't excuse or condone her arrogance and refusal to compromise or understand someone else's situation, but it at least adds some context to it to help make that unfortunate aspect of her personality make more SENSE. I know where it comes from now, and that lets me see it in a different light even if I still don't agree with her. Because while she was right about the Mandalorians (mostly), she was WRONG about the Jedi. She was wrong about the Separatists.

[dameronalone]

please elaborate on the jedi and mandalorians

I am SO glad you asked I've been thinking about this a lot for awhile

basically, the mandalorians and the jedi have wayyyyy more in common than either they think or would like to believe. the venn diagram with the overlap of mandos and jedi is nearly a circle. obviously their biggest difference is that the mandalorian's first instinct is to hit back, while the jedi would prefer hitting back as a LAST resort

readmore for everyone else's sake

but they really do have so much in common. both are a highly specific cultures with imo closed communities (it's not that they don't like "outsiders" but not just anyone can be part of the group) and despite being such a small percentage of the population of the galaxy, they are both nearly instantly recognizable. they both have core principles that they cling to. they are both misunderstood by outsiders because of their closed practices and they were both massacred by the empire. they both value family. maybe the jedi wouldn't phrase it that way exactly, and the mandalorian would say something about blood bonds, but the point is that the strongest relationship were familial.

just look at any of the main mandalorian characters or the jedi. anakin and obi-wan. bo-katan and satine. din and grogu. leia and rey. familial. I'm trying to think - I believe the only romantic relationship focused on with a mandalorian was satine and obi-wan (which is fascinating for entirely different reasons I don't have time to get into)

again, they do have very different philosophies: the mandalorians are a militaristic society and the jedi value peace above all else. we all know how satine's pacifistic efforts turned out (you can't change an entire society's philosophy of the society is not willing to change).

the jedi and mandalorians are both highly skilled fighters when it comes to it and though historically tend to clash because of their opposing ideals, when they DO work together their shared outcome almost always ends in success. I like the little "a jedi and a mandalorian? they'll never see it coming" because it still hinges on the fact that the rest of society still misunderstand both cultures and take them at face value. of course the fighter and the peacekeeper will never get alone, must less fight together. but the jedi tempers the mandalorian and the mandalorian encourages the particular breed of boldness in the jedi

(off topic: my slight beef with making sabine force sensitive in the ahsoka show is because I feel like it takes away from her arc in the cartoon. she became balanced as a fighter and strategist because of kanan's influence while still being a proud mandalorian. you don't have to be force sensitive to hold jedi principles. I just feel like it takes from kanans legacy idk)

the point is that the mandalorians and the jedi have so much in common, if it weren't for the conflicting philosophies of combat / peacekeeping, they would be feared allies. they ARE feared allies, the times they've teamed up. some of the strongest fighters have been the ones that truly embodied both jedi and mandalorian principles. I can't imagine how powerful tarre vizla must have been, I don't even mean from like a strength perspective, i mean the combination of both philosophies is buckwild. and I'm not saying one philosophy is better or worse than the other. the mandalorians survived so long against the empire because of their relentless refusal to submit. palpatine knew he had to ambush the jedi and wipe them out if he wanted a chance for the empire to succeed. peacekeepers first. that doesn't necessarily mean they don't fight, because we know they do. when you're already at war, you fight against tyranny. the only way he beat the mandalorians and the jedi is by just. wiping them out with an onslaught neither could escape or prevent.

anyway it makes you wonder how many mandalorians are/were force sensitive and just did not go to the temple (take THAT babysnatchers jedi theorists) because you can't tell me there were NO other force sensitive mandalorians before or after tarre vizla. my beef with f-s sabine regardless its fun to see one of those late bloomer jedi stories in canon star wars the way we used to have in legends and I would like it if we got more of that.

[physically restraining myself from going off on that topic]

anyway. mandalorians. jedi. I love them both so so much. they mean so much to me. I don't know if this made any sense but it makes sense to me

[tobiasdrake]

So, Yuma, do we finally have a deal?

So, Shachi wants to hire a Master Detective to string up cameras. Bit of a gofer job for someone so--

Ohhh, I gotcha. You're not hiring me for my skills, you're hiring me for my organizational badge. You want the Peacekeepers to get pissed off at the WDO instead of the Resistance.

Do they need one? This is a fascist police state. "A Resistance exists" is sufficient excuse to stamp out the Resistance.

Asking the real questions here. I liked the Resistance at first but I'm growing more and more sour on them, the more I learn about their plans.

I said it before but I'll say it again: The last thing a police state needs is more surveillance.

Okay? And then what? My guy, what are you going to do with the recordings? What is the plan here? You've got video evidence of the cops being corrupt and then you....

And what, exactly, is the non-violent "right way" to resist fascism?

How do you use a video of a cop beating up a store owner to end militarized dictatorship, without violent revolution? If you can't answer that, Shachi, then I can't think of a good reason to help you expand your privacy-violation network.

Why does everybody in this city think walking up to the fascists and trying to engage with them in good faith is a viable option? Yomi is for all intents and purposes God-King of Kanai Ward, and your plan (and Yuma's plan previously) is to catch him in a Gotcha?

See, he's using poetic talk like this, while also dismissing violence against the Peacekeepers out-of-hand. Yeah, my guy, I know what a grassroots movement is. That doesn't change the fact that you need to have a plan for what you intend to do with the large crowd of people you've whipped up.

This is not a democracy. You are not campaigning for the election of the new head of Amaterasu. The Peacekeepers do not have electoral optics to concern themselves with when weighing the pros and cons of stamping you out, nor are they in any way influenced by international pressure. They have complete authority here.

PR can be a valuable recruitment tactic. But you need to figure out what you're recruiting people to do.

Is it, Yuma? Is it really? A well-meaning objective is not the same as a clear one. From where I'm sitting, Shachi is a good man with a kind heart, but also a pacifist preaching civility in an isolated military dictatorship. His best-case scenario is martyrdom once tensions escalate.

Well, Yuma's come around at the same time I've soured on these guys, but they're still better than nothing. Even if Shachi has delusions of being able to take down Yomi with a stern talking-to, once a movement begins to snowball it may grow out of his control. Whether he likes it or not, other people within the Resistance will eventually see that under these circumstances, there's only one path to liberation.

[vendettavalor]

⚔️ TV Tropes ⚔️

OBJECTIVE: Browse this website and select 3-10 tropes that represent your chosen character. You may elaborate on these selections if you wish, but it is by no means necessary.

SUTEK MET'HARK

A BEAST IN NAME AND NATURE: An unfortunate consequence of being a child of prophecy - and not the good half of it - is that Sutek is known by several names with very negative connotations. The Black Dragon, the Great Destroyer, or just Mordeu (Death God). As a Sith, his new name of Darth Gore also falls in line with this trope.

BAIT-AND-SWITCH BOSS: In Sutek's case, Sidious is the bait-and-switch. After his fall, Sutek ends up taking over and ruling the Empire from the shadows. He's not named emperor and does not keep power centralized, instead maintaining the idea that the Empire is just "fractured and scattered" to hide the fact that it is still very much alive while he's working on the Palpaclones in preparation for the rise of the First Order.

DRAGON-IN-CHIEF: Followup to the previous trope - despite taking over in Sidious' absence, Sutek still doesn't end up being the true villain in the end. That remains to be Snoke, who takes over once Sutek is redeemed after saving Aurelia.

EX BIG BAD: Sutek post-redemption. Everyone knows what he did since he does come clean after all. They come to realize that he was behind a lot of the more horrifying projects of the Empire. But he's no longer actively working with the Empire and is trying to atone for his misdeeds.

GOD OF EVIL: While not his official title, this is what most people perceive Sutek as. Regardless of the fact that his prophecy states that he can bring peace and harmony to the galaxy if he works well with his sister, the fact that he is the incarnation of a destruction god whose fall ultimately did play a vital role in a creation myth is often conveniently overlooked just so his character can be boiled down to and automatically assumed to be evil. After all, it's easier to assume that destruction god = death god = evil god = reincarnation = evil child. Even if he was just a baby.

INVOLUNTARY SHAPESHIFTING: To a certain degree. Unlike Aurelia, who takes great steps to stop her dragon form from emerging because she has no control over it and doesn't want to acknowledge that it exists for fear of the damage it could do, Sutek leans hard into his. He does have control over it for the most part, but like his sister, intense emotion can just have it BURST out at random.

JUSTIFIED CRIMINAL: In his own mind. Sutek turned to the Dark Side after a mission gone wrong and no backup almost caused Aurelia to die. Because the council didn't believe Sifo-Dyas and his visions. Because it seemed like the Order was more concerned with answering to the Senate than to the people of the galaxy it claimed to serve. And because his own people seemed convinced that he would do nothing but bring about the end of the galaxy as they knew it, no matter how much good he did. He genuinely thought that having the power to control everything via the Dark Side would allow him to prove everyone wrong and protect Aurelia.

PACIFISM IS COWARDICE: A belief shared by a lot of Sith, including Sutek. The idea that the Order is pacifistic by nature and maintains peace by either serving one side or simply ignoring conflict that doesn't involve them despite their self-proclaimed role as intergalactic peacekeepers makes them cowards in his mind. And he refuses to stand by them for it.

STRIKE ME DOWN WITH ALL OF YOUR HATRED: Sutek, especially towards the end of his Sith arc, will goad his enemies into striking him down. It's an ideal taken from Palpatine. If they strike him down, he taunts that they will be just like him, or that they will simply have removed one cog from the machine of the Empire. Further down the line however, it's done more ferally and more as a cry for help: strike him down and put an end to what he is and what he has done.

YOU WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME: In reference to how Sutek saves Aurelia after brainwashing her into becoming a tool and a weapon of his destruction. Upon realizing that rather than fulfill his intended goal of protecting her he's about to be the cause of her death, he rushes to stop her before she can gore herself. When asked why, he apologizes for everything he has done and all the hurt he has caused her and reiterates that despite it all, she would have done the same for him.

TAGGED BY: @valorums (this was so much fun <3)

TAGGING: Anyone who feels up for it!

[nightfall-1409]

hate when you're reading Star Wars and you someone uncritically Redeem Count Dooku but make Mace Windu The Worst (TM)

Like. I know what's going on there. Most people prolly do too. It's not a hard thing to look at the facts on Paper and go "Oh bud you've got some serious internal biases to unpack."

"The republic was corrupt tho and the Jedi enslaved the clones"

Yeah the first one being the case doesn't really mean what most ppl think it does and the individuals we learn the information from (Notably Palpatine and Dooku) have ulterior motives and an openly authoritarian agenda.

The second one is dubious as fuck. The Jedi hold 0 power in the Galactic Senate and are, in fact, beholden to them. It's just canon that most planets in the galactic republic are demilitarized, the Jedi are meant to be diplomats and peacekeepers, but as the galaxy turns more hawkish as those with authoritarian aspirations start to take control, they're the ones who are going to be thrown at the problem in spite of their objections. They've no means to change the laws. They've no means to protect them but by getting out there with them, and they did that. In fact, Mace Windu in the 2008 CW is repeatedly shown going to great lengths to save his men whenever he's able to.

"Well they should have refused the clones" they did at first. The first battle of Geonosis, at the outset, the Jedi went by themselves. They launched a mass attack against a portion of Dooku's forces alone. 212 Jedi went. 30 came back. Over 80% of the Jedi they sent died. They would have all been killed if the clones' presence hadn't turned the tide of battle.

And if they refused the clones, they would have been given to the "Republic Navy", which neither was truly a republic entity, as it initially belonged to Governor Tarkin of Eriadu. Within the star wars canon, the "Republic Navy" or ORSF drew heavy criticism as a human-only, male-dominated space. There's a reason why these guys went on to become the heads of the Empire, and it wasn't because they saw the Clones as people.

Mace Windu is the head of a religious order that has a public service purpose. If they do nothing, they will be declared traitors to the Republic, if they don't take the clones, they will be given to those who explicitly want to play war games. The tragedy of the clone wars is that for the Jedi, it was always a no-win scenario.

But okay, let's say thats not enough. Slavery is always bad, I do agree with that take. No matter what happened during the Clone Wars, the Jedi should have done more to advocate for Clone Rights (though on what platform would they have been able to, I do wonder, from a logistical POV) and how could they have depicted that in a child's TV show from the doylist POV)

Count Dooku explicitly sells people into slavery in the clone wars show. An entire planet's population of Togruta pacifists are sold into slavery, explicitly to his ally, the Zygerrians, in explicit hopes of using their labor to restore their mighty slave-fueled Empire. Indeed, most if not all of the people that Count Dooku work with in the CIS either currently use slave labor or want to use slave labor. He's 100% down with slavery, because he believes that power should go to the powerful, bc he's an authoritarian. Some of the "Corruption" that these people accuse the Republic of was the Jedi going after their ability to own and sell slaves.

So if you're condemning the Jedi for the Clones, you should be sending Count Dooku into the fiery pits of hell right there too, along with basically every leader in the CIS.

[daughterofzagreus]

The Astrological Signs of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" characters

Part 1 - Team Avatar

♎ Aang - Libra

Libra is an air sign and Aang is an airbender. More than that, though, Libra (represented by the scales) is the sign of harmony and balance. As the Avatar, restoring and maintaining balance is Aang's primary duty. Aside from all that symbolism though, Aang's personality is a lot like a Libra.

Libra is the opposite compliment to Aries, a war sign. Libra don't really like discord (at least, they don't like to be IN the discord and chaos). They're lovers, not fighters, so they tend to be peacekeepers. This is Aang to a T. Aang is not only one of the youngest characters in the show (and therefore, the most likely to be uncomfortable with violence), but he is also a monk, raised by other peaceful monks.

He values peace and all life. Even his fighting styles are evasive and are more about using an opponent's strength against them, rather than attacking. It's something that is brought up in the Book 2 episode "Bitter Work", when Aang has trouble learning earthbending from Toph. Libras (depending on the rest of their chart, of course) often tend to respond to conflict in a similar manner, by being avoidant.

You see the pacifist in Aang anytime he needs to mediate a conflict. Examples include "The Great Divide" in Book 1, where Aang has to mediate between the two tribes (as well as Sokka and Katara). He does so by telling them that "Harsh words won't solve anything. Action will". Of course, when that doesn't work, he just lies and makes up the alternative story of WeiJin and JinWei. I don't think Aang is a big fan of lies, but it was for the sake of peace, a means to an end. Very Libra.

Another thing that makes Aang a Libra is the fact that 1) Libra is ruled by Venus and 2) Libra rules the 7th house, which is essentially relationships. Aang's relationships (platonic and romantic) mean EVERYTHING to him, and there's a reason why putting one of his loved ones in danger is initially the only way to activate the Avatar state. He's a very friendly, charming and loving kid (like most Libras) and he's the first one from team Avatar who believes they can make it through the secret tunnel, because of how strongly he believes in his love for Katara. The final point is Aang's reluctance (or sometimes downright refusal) to cause harm to others unless absolutely necessary. While others use violence, Aang is more likely to want to befriend his enemies, and that's actually a good thing. It's Libra's superpower.

♋ Katara - Cancer

Cancer is a water sign that is ruled by the moon, and Katara is a (very powerful) waterbender who draws her powers from the moon. In astrology, water signs are known for being on the emotional side. And with Cancer's ruling planet being the moon (the planet of emotions and also the celestial body that pushes and pulls the tides), Cancers are known to be so emotional, that they're often just archetyped by it. Katara is similarly emotional (see the Book 3 episode "Ember Island Players"). However, Katara being so in touch with her emotions also makes her extremely emotionally intelligent. Like Cancers and most other water signs, her heightened sensitivity allows her to almost psychically sense how others are feeling, and to know how exactly to respond to and comfort them. There's a reason why Katara has such great chemistry (when it comes to her one-on-one conversations) with so many people (Aang, Haru, Jet, Zuko, Toph). Her emotional intelligence also makes her very mature for her age and allow her to see things clearer than others, or to foresee things that others don't.

Cancers are often either family oriented, or they love and value their home (this can either be their childhood home, current home, or the city, country or culture that they came from). This applies with Katara. As a waterbender, being from the water tribes is a big part of who she is, and she has a deep love for her culture. We see how being the only waterbender in the South Pole and having no one to show her the ways of waterbending saddens her, and how happy she is to hear that Hama is willing to teach her (the only other waterbender from the Southern water tribes that Katara has ever met).

With regards to Katara being mature for her age, she's also very motherly. The Book 3 episode "The Runaway" (as well as most of her interactions with Toph) demonstrates this. The moon (which rules Cancer) is The Mother in astrology, and so most Cancers have a significant relationship with motherhood. Katara was very close to her late mother and her death still affects her.

Following the death of her mother, Katara has basically had to become everyone else's mother and hold things together. You see this as well (in a more positive light) in the Book 2 episode "The Desert". In this episode, Appa is missing, Aang is too upset to think or act clearly, Toph can't see properly because of the sand and Sokka is high off cactus juice. Katara is the one that is keeping everything together in this episode.

On the downside, Katara's mothering can turn to nagging sometimes, but I don't blame her. She's a child that's had to grow up way too fast. She has a lot of pressure on her. With water, that pressure can build up, until it bursts like a dam wall (which it's likely to do). It's the combination of this, as well as Katara's strong and fearless sense of right and wrong that lead to those cataclysmic outbursts that both Katara and water signs are sometimes known for.

♋♐Sokka - Cancer sun, but with a lot of Sagittarius aspects in the birth chart

Okay, let's start with the Sagittarius side of things. There are a lot of elements of the Sag personality in Sokka. For one thing, luck. Not only does he manage to survive (and thrive) in the entire series WITHOUT any bending powers, but that boomerang ALWAYS comes back! That's some Jupiter-luck energy if I've ever seen it.

Sokka was originally going to be a more serious character, but the voice actor decided to improvise and add some of his own humor to the role, which created the Sokka that we know and love now. I mention this because the voice actor (Jack De Sena) is a Sagittarius. Sokka has the kind of personality that provides humor in difficult times and can lighten up the sometimes very heavy atmosphere in the group. He doesn't just make people laugh, he likes to laugh as well (at his own jokes and even at his enemy's jokes). In the book 3 episode "The Ember Island Players", heeven goes to the effort of getting Suki to sneak him backstage, so he could give the actor playing himself some tips and extra jokes (and low and behold, the crowd actually laughs at them). In his words, he's "just a guy who loves comedy". In fact, I think he's one of the only ones there who just decides to kick his feet up and enjoy the show (by basically turning the situation into a date night for him and Suki). Sagittarians love to laugh and make people laugh. They're optimists who like to have a good time, and are likely to be the make-lemonade-out-of-lemons type.

He's also one of the smartest and most competent characters on the show. He has excellent problem solving skills, and isn't afraid to look at things through a different angle and try new things to expand his worldview and knowledge. This is relevant, as Sag rules the 9th house which includes, amoung other things, higher learning, truth and knowledge. He can be a bit tactless and insensitive...a little slick at the mouth, but it's largely ignored by others, as he is likeable and funny enough for others to let it go. That's quite a Sag trait.

The Cancerian part of Sokka's personality is less pronounced, but it's there. He's VERY protective of his loved ones, even before the situation with Princess Yue. He is family oriented in that he admires his dad and the traditions and customs of the water tribes. He loves and is just as proud of his culture and home life as Katara is, but just in a different way. He also always looks out for the other members of team Avatar. He can tell when a member of the team needs support and immediately jumps to action (for example, the way he immediately grabs Toph's hand to guide her in "The Serpent's Pass", in "The Desert" and on the air ships during the final battle in the series finale). He's also very loving and protective of his sister, despite how often they fight. Also, quiet as it's kept, Cancers are one of the funniest signs in the zodiac.

♉♈Toph - Taurus sun, but with a lot of Aries aspects in the birth chart

Let's start with the Taurus aspects. Taurus is not just an earth sign, it's FIXED earth. It embodies the firm stance and hardheadness of not just Toph, but earthbenders in general. Tauruses are very stubborn and like to do things their own way at their own pace. Combine that with the independence and confrontational nature of an Aries, and you've got Toph.

Aries value their independence, sometimes to the point of being selfish, which is what we get with Toph in the Book 2 episode "The Chase". In this episode, it's Toph's first time riding with the group, but it's also her first taste of freedom. Like an Aries, she hates the idea of seeming weak or helpless, and has to learn that freedom doesn't mean that she has to do everything alone.

As Toph shows us, there is, however, power and strength in valuing independence, so long as you're not insecure about independence or projecting. Toph is a wealthy, sheltered child who is blind, which, in most cases, would make her vulnerable. But it's not the case. Toph ran away once before when she was little, and that's where she learned earthbending from the giant blind moles. She learned earthbending not just as a martial art, but as an extension of herself and her senses, and as a way to see. She would have never been able to master doing that (nor would shehave gone on to do even greater things like train the avatar and discover metal bending), if she didn't have the will, bravery and self assurance to run away in the first place. That little pilgrimage (her life changing adventure, if you will...but still not with Zuko, I'm afraid😔) showed the value of independence. Of going out on your own journey of self-discovery. Much like how Zuko needed to be be alone for a while during Book 2 for his own journey of self-discovery.

Oh, speaking of "Zuko Alone"...

♈Zuko - Aries

Zuko's arc in the show shows us the transition from a dark-sided, low vibrational Aries, to a high-vibrational Aries at it's best: passionate, brave, protective, strong, innovative, a good leader, driven, energetic and independent. Zuko embodies many Aries (and general fire sign) traits, both good and bad. He can be impulsive, and doesn't always think things all the way through. Aries is cardinal fire, so it's about getting up and going, just DOING something. Zuko is known for never giving up. These are things that that Iroh, Sokka and Ursa have mentioned. Zuko is an impatient person and is very fiery, hot headed and reactionary even for a firebender.

His reactionary nature makes him prone to a bit of melodrama (and I imagine that's why it's so fun for Azula or even Iroh to get a rise out of him). This is definitely the case with Aries. They're not the only sign with a temper, but they are the most likey to cause a scene and storm off in a huff about it. Or challenge you to a fight. Zuko can't refuse a fight for the life of him. At least not until he evolves and figures out his ✨true destiny✨.

One the other hand, he also keeps that same fiery energy when it comes to defending those who can't defend themselves and fighting for what he believes is right. In these cases, he refuses to back down. Even if his chances of winning are low, he'll still keep pushing forward. That's the will, energy and drive of cardinal fire. Zuko just needs to chanel all that power into something useful and constructive, like creating change for the greater good, and not distraction. Like with fire in general, Aries (and Zuko) is useful and powerful, but requires direction, guidance and purpose, so as to not risk letting the fire run wild to cause destruction and devastation.