one of the best heartwarming scenes between Zuko and Iroh. The fact that Zuko is truly repentant and Iroh is unconditionally forgiving despite everything he’s endured. And of course, they can make you cry one moment and laugh in the next.
I was thinking a lot about this moment. Somehow it feels like the agni kai was a watershed moment not only for Zuko, but also for Iroh.
I think this something that Iroh is intensely ashamed about – and is the source of all the patience he has with Zuko and his determination to make things right for him.
Because Zuko’s scar is not just a testament of Ozai’s cruelty as a father, but is a scar on the soul of the entire Fire Nation.
Their supreme ruler publicly mutilates on his own son, a 13-year old child, who merely spoke the truth about a nation that in a quest for power has lost perspective on the worth of human life – and everyone cheers.
The scarring and humiliation of the young prince (who should be really the symbol of the future to his people) is a grotesque public spectacle.
And Iroh, who was once next in line to leading these people, former great war hero, one of the most powerful benders, and still one of the nation’s leaders – all he can do is to look away.
The boy who spoke the truth, who stood up for kindness, who tries to do the right thing, who refuses to fight his own father, who begs for forgiveness – he faces completely alone his horrible punishment, and nobody speaks up for him.
And I think this is Iroh’s moment of truth – that disagreeing privately is not enough, he cannot look away anymore. He realizes that healing this boy could be the chance to heal the Fire Nation, that he is maybe destined to be their leader, but not from the throne of the Fire Lord. He has to get Zuko through this trauma and show him kindness, love and acceptance in a way he has never experienced it. He has to teach him that speaking up and saying sorry should not and will not lead to harsh punishment, that kindness is not weakness and cruelty is not strength; that honor is not violence, but doing the right thing.
“airbenders are able to warm themselves with only their breathing”
ok so this explains why katara and sokka were bundled up in parkas galore while aang was just walking around in his little jump suit like it was a perfect summer evening. I’m so glad this was cleared up. I literally thought Aang’s optimistic attitude is what kept him warm, heavens.
So you remember the firebender prison? And how Zuko kept his bending at full strength when he was put in the freezer box, which disabled anybody else put in there? That’s because Iroh taught him that airbender trick, just like later he taught him waterbending moves to deal with lightning. Iroh was secretly master of all four elements and passed it on to Zuko without him noticing.
That’s what made Iroh so powerful. He stretched beyond his limits, and beyond the limits of what was known and expected. That’s why he’s such a force to be reckoned with.
I- I just can’t get over Zuko and his arc. Everything he did – everything – was out of this insane drive to prove everyone wrong, to prove that he was worth something, and it amazes me that he never realized just how valuable he already was.
His sister tells him ‘You waste all your time playing with knives. You’re not even good!’ and he masters dual swords.
His sister is a prodigy and he’s told he’ll never catch up. He learns from dragons. He trains the Avatar. He takes her down (with the help of a very skilled waterbender)
He’s left behind by his mother, cast out by his father, hunted by his sister, and Zuko still learns unconditional love.
His father tells him he’s worthless and unloved, that he was ‘lucky to be born,’
and he becomes a man that the world is proud of.
Anything his family said to him, he managed to turn around and build on it. He thrived on it, exploded from it, turned all the negativity into a positive path and it’s just… it’s amazing.
There’s just no end to my love for this character. No fucking end.
Bonus: The weak, banished prince has fangirls for all the ages. Take that, Ozai.
Zuko has the best redemption and development of ANY character I’ve ever encountered.
How dare no one mention Uncle Iroh as being one of if not THE main reason Zuko didn’t lose his way. Yes Zuko took action and did what he did to grow and learn from his mistakes and turn what others deemed were his weaknesses into his strengths.
But THIS MAN.
Kept Zuko on the right path, teaching him all the lessons Zuko needed to grow. Even after what happened between them in Book2 Iroh never gave up on Zuko.
If it wasn’t for Iroh, Zuko wouldnt have had the needed support to grow and would have probably ended up like Azula in book 3
bullshit central 