The first 1000 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/gaijingoombahmedia0820 Thought Part 1 solidified Zuko as an Avatar the Last Airbender Ninja? PFT! Not even CLOSE!
Hey Gaijin Goombah Media I have a question for you who do you think would win in a fight jin from ghost of Tsushimavs VS The ONI from dead by daylight? 🤔
Gaijin Goombah Media great vid guys. I just have one question. What the name of the song you use in your videos? It’s a really catchy tune and I’d love to know what it’s called so I can download it and listen to it for hours on end.
Zuko: speaks up to his abusive and tyranical father/king, is one of the first people to redirect lightning, is a ninja and near single-handedly takes out a military base to capture the Avatar Also Zuko: panics when a 14 year old girl yells
So true, and it's a theme that remains constant in the entire series. I feel like he lives with the phrase "actions speak louder than words" in mind; when he can't talk his way in or out of a situation, his skills come to the rescue. He gets more comfortable with the Gaang but even then he's still awkward as hell conversation wise, but he's extremely fluid and trusting of his capabilities to mold to the way the person next to him is moving and fight as a team. It's always interesting to me how he'll go and pave the way for whoever is with him, and then cover the rear when they get to their destination; I'm sure this skill set was pretty useful during his time as lord overseeing military discussion.
I feel like Zuko's blunder is actually really good at portraying him as a good ninja while not betraying his character. His infiltration of the boiling rock was good from a mechanical perspective, as he knew where to go, what disguises to use, who to talk to, etc. Problem is from a social perspective he didnt do great because Zukos people skills are abysmal. The only reasons he ever screwed up were 100% because he was put into situations where talking was unavoidable, which as you said should be avoided. The fact the guard who exposed him asked him a question, thus not exactly giving him anything to "yes, and" made failure inevitable.
Thinking about it, when he's caught, did he even have another choice? Sokka was going to be discovered no matter what and his excuse fell apart. So Zuko only really had two options: Either let Sokka get found out and reveal their objective early, or let himself be taken and keep their plans hidden. Given the situation, he probably made the right call, keeping the guards from discovering who they were even after. Sure, there's one less guard now, but as long as Sokka could find ways to communicate, it didn't hamper their ability to gather information or plan the escape since the two would have to sneak prisoners out either way.
@@dethhollow to this day i wonder if it was a different character or the show was rated for mature audiences would they be able to make a good excuse. Like "this prisoner is getting a beating due to this or that"
Commissioner Aang: “I know you are a wild card Zuko but I want this mission done by the book” Ninja Zuko: “Don’t worry, my honor won’t allow anything else”
It is HIGHLY unlikely that Zuko’s ninja skills are just coincidental. The show creators went so far as to hire two separate martial arts masters to teach the animators how the fighting and bending styles, stances and movements should look and flow in order to make the world more authentic; there’s no way they didn’t research real infiltration techniques, especially ones used by the famous ninjas.
Not to mention all writing seen in the show (Chinese based language) was supervised by an actual Asian historian. He made sure that no word written was simple gibberish, that includes posters, scrolls, signs, etc.
Plus, ninjas are pretty rad, so if they were to write an oriental inspired fantasy show, might as well add some concepts of real ninjutsu. Plus, since shinobi were japanese, it fit that the Fire Nation is the kingdom based on Japan.
What about when Zuko and Iroh, under the guise of "Lee" and "Mushi", infiltrated Ba Sing Se while posing as Tea Peddlers? Does THAT count as Yo-Nin? I mean, sure, Zuko made no effort to conceal his facial scarring, but it's common-enough in the Earth Kingdom with Firebenders running around that no-one brought it up or just compared it to their OWN burns, and they went as far as to cut off their Japanese-style topknots and posed as peasants. Admittedly, Zuko had a harder time committing to the lifestyle at first, but Iroh for all intents and purposes was "invisible"; and if his use of flattery/seduction on the Customs officer at Crescent Moon Bay isn't a textbook ninja move... I'm sure SOMETHING he did was. Not sure if you'll get around to responding to THIS in particular, but it's something I noticed missing from the two videos and thought I'd take the time to note down.
@@iaxacs3801 That's a very distinct possibility. Iroh WAS the only one with any sort of war experience who COULD'VE taught him, and I imagine the Crew allotted to him were "bottom-of-the-barrel" that no-one else in the Fire Nation Navy wanted. They seemed a MITE young to be long-time friends of Iroh.
@@Valiguss Imma blame it on the fact that he didn't have any real opportunity to sneak his way out. So he had to do the next best thing: Deceive his captors to feel safe around him and drop their guard while he secretly got into shape. Then he waited for the one moment where his captors' abilities were crippled and his physical strength and decades of training and experience, as well as the preparation and moment of surprise, gave him the upper hand. Seems pretty ninja.
What about that one time before his character development when he allied with pirates to get to Aang? Not only did he have Katara's necklace, which he used as emotional leverage against her, but he also had the waterbending scroll, which the pirates couldn't afford to lose (in more ways than one). Zuko manipulated everyone by playing to their desires, playing mindgames with them to capture Aang. Sounds like something a ninja would do to me.
Firestorm I might have put it the wrong way. Sure, Ninjas would do that, but so would other people, which is why I would not count it as a Ninja ‚thing‘. It‘s like sword fighting, sure, Ninja did that, but so did the Samurai, Ronin or even criminals.
@@firestorm165 Gray meant that it's not a technique invented by nor exclusive to ninjas, that anyone smart enough could manipulate others through use of valuable/desirable objects, places, or people. It's a pretty common and widespread tactic: threaten or hold hostage someone or something the target cares about to force their compliance.
I think having Zuko screwing up the overt stuff fits well with his character as hes always been terrible at conversation and awkward as hell. Sokka on the other hand I believe with the right training would have the exact opposite problem since that kid is a klutz but could talk his way out of an execution. We know those 2 became great friends and partners thanks to Korra. And now I want a series based around Zuko and Sokka ninjaing around in their adult years.
Zuko cleaning his swords: „I started a graveyard for failed Assassin’s and they keep sending them.“ Sokka with Suki in his arm walking in: „You said it. There are 4 more in our guest chamber by the way. I guess we were supposed to be the scapegoats.“
Sokka isn't all that much of a klutz, especially in later seasons. One of his only fighting skills in earlier seasons is to throw a boomerang in such a way that it comes back. IDK if you've ever tried throwing any kind of weapon, but you need a fair bit of dexterity to pull it off.
@@leandersearle5094 And then there was that moment where Sokka threw his boomerang so precise that he managed to snipe Sparky Sparky Boom man right in his chi-spot. One does not simply do that without major skill.
Then, shortly after escaping the boiling rock, Chit Sang himself showed his mastery of the shinobi arts when he vanished from the series without a trace!
About that blunder: Zuko is still very young and also still human. Of course he messes up at times. I have a very hard time believing that the real ninja were always doing everything completely perfect. They surely also messed up at times.
This! It's so easy to forget their age because most of them act and think way beyond their years, but they're all still kids! And kids are dumb sometimes lol hell, even adults are dumb 🤣
Real ninja wear what best to hide Blue for Default population-free night strike Black for indoor and city light White for Snow Green for Jungle Also Tradition outfit for traditional event Casual for Casual event Enemy disguise for enemy base sneakout Wear what best to stay in hidden, blend in and not stand out.
@@ZenoDLC you'd think that, but look at the uniform patterns used by the ground forces of the US and its allies in wars like Korea and Vietnam, and there's a healthy amount of green there, whilst brown/tan was saved more for situations like Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, due to green being the dominant colour in the forests of South East Asia and light brown/tan being the dominant colour of the sandy deserts of Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, whilst it's easier to source/make clothes of a singular colour (like traditional ninja outfits), the use of dissimilar "random" patterns made of around 3 colours in the same 'family' (like deep green, forest green and mid green) breaks up the contrast and contouring of an object clad in those patterns making it harder to spot in a visually noisy scenario like a forest or desert. That is the reason of "camo pattern" clothing that the US and its allies used more often post-WW2, that looks like blotches of a dark, mid and light colour randomly laid over each other, and eventually evolved to things like the "Digital Camo" desert patterns of the 90's/00's.
He was doing partial Yo-Nin through most of season 2 while he was going through the Earth kingdom. Dude played Earth Kingdom citizen/refugee pretty well, even without Iroh's considerable help. Sure he consistently blew his cover, but he was able to establish and maintain it surprisingly well. I just feel it's something of a disservice to overlook that.
Bthsr71 as a ninja Zuko would always be doomed doing Yo-Nin. Even ignoring his celebrity status as the fire prince, he has a huge scar on his face that anyone would instantly recognize if they know of it.
@@frankwest5388 actually you're not completely correct as apparently there were civilians in the earth Kingdom who had burn scars from firebenders. I want to be uncommon to see someone with a burn scar on their face in the Fire Kingdom the creators just never did it because they wanted Zuko to be distinguishable in the background.
I can never get enough of Gaijin analysis on the accuracy of fictional characters, but I'm even more exited when it's Zuko from Avatar the last air bender is the topic, its like combining my two favorite things together, so absolutely love the video Gaijin💕💕💕
Ya know, I never realized as a kid how unique and story developed Zuco was. When I first saw Zuco I thought of him as a blast fire ask questions later kind of person with daddy issues that to turned good near the end. Now he is starting to turn into one of my favorite characters.
Its so on point to Zukos character to be really good at hidden infiltration but not open infiltration. My man is the shelter son of a leader, he literally has no experience with normal conversation.
Best character in the series is an UNDERSTATEMENT, the character holding second place is a tie between Toph and Sokka, but Zuko has been the best character since the Blue Spirit episode in Book One, seriously, it shows that Zuko has a complicated motivation, since if he was single-mindedly trying to capture Aang, he could have done it there, but he didn't. He only grows in character from there, he even eventually gets what he always wanted, but it doesn't make him happy.
@@king_alloy He's got Chuck Norris status, he's exempt from the list, because ranking him would imply that he's an imperfect character in some way. He was also voiced by Mako for the first half of his time in the show, so out of respect he is simply unrankable because he's too good. He also doesn't have an arc, so it would make ranking him a lot harder as his character is consistently good and well written from his first appearance.
I think one of the most important things to take away from this, is that a *flawed* ninja, isn't always a *bad* ninja. No matter how closely someone follows the book, characters are still allowed to be human and make human mistakes, and still be ninja, plans don't always work, sometimes not all strategies fit in every situation, the key to being a true ninja is often not in being perfect, but being adaptable, to not just minimize mistakes, but recover from them when things go wrong.
Gaijin Goomba, I am writing to say that you are a great resource for all is aspiring writers. Thank you for writing such in depth analysis on the shinobi.
Oh my Gods, I do hope he reads the entire series (the original series, Heros of Olympus, the Kane Chronicles, and Magnus Chase) and does episodes on them.
@@Nerdycopia ......You do know he does more than just ninja stuff? Anyway, Dana Trick was talking about a general Gaijin Goombah episode not Which Ninja?. Though the mythology and culture in Percy Jackson is usually well explained, i'd love to see it covered in an episode. He usually doesn't cover literature though.
@@3fatkid If he does expand to literature, he should do a Which Ninja on the Ranger's Apprentice series, as the Rangers themselves act like a European ninja.
I have a recommendation for Which Ninja: Agent 47 of the Hitman series. While he may not be one to one with real ninja I still think he uses a lot of ninja tactics, like hiding in plain and using distraction tools.
I like the detail with house ukko's inward infiltration in go so well because outward infiltration it says a lot about how his character is not too good at speaking with individuals
"Zuko is the best character in the series" Sokka: am I a joke to you Oh who am I kidding, he is a joke to everyone. Speaking of Sokka, it would be cool to see you analyze the water tribes and their connections and differences To actual Inuit culture
sokka is my favorite actually, I don't think he's the "best" because that's something relative to everyone, but sokka is pretty badass when you think about it, he manages to stay relevant and useful on a team full of superpowered people
pretty sure that you could see some yo-nin of zukes not at his time of infiltration of the northern water tribe but his infiltration of the fire nation armada invading the northern water tribe once again he utilises his position in coming in as a low level soldier (this time better hiding it) takes advantage of ppl that would be willing to help (uncle iroh) and going along with the normal day to day work (true we don't see that one but considering they were on the ship it had to be done well)
It's the small details like this that really make you appreciate what a masterpiece this show is. They really did their homework, and them some when creating this show.
1:17 meh, the second best character. Dont get me wrong, I think Zuko is awesome. Some of the best character development in modern day entertainment. But the one who guides him on his development is the best in the series and I think many agree.
I came back to the channel after begging away for a while. Gave me waves of nostalgia from the old days of culture shock. Love it man keep up the great work!
Saw this in my feed, went back and watched part 1 first. Watched other episodes. You get the jist. Now I'm left with three things: •An addiction to the series, and the need to know how Ninja are ninja characters. •The fact that I want go to ninja school because the child inside me loves ninja. •And the question, "How ninja are Paladins champions Skye and Koga?"
I'm just imagining a base built for the sole purpose of being 100% ninja-proof but then a handful of inexperienced ninja get in by breaking every ninja rule in the books
i was really excited when i heard the co creators of ATLA was making a live action version of the show. now that they have left, im getting the movie flashbacks now... hopefully itll still be good.
#001 I died laughing when Goomba was singing the jingle but then realizing that they were wearing black. He was like "Real ninja wear......WTF?" His facial expression sold that part. Sometimes you have to wear black...
There is an interesting point someone in the atla community that notice that a lot of fire nation people practice “ninja” like tactics whether they are fire benders or not both in comics and the shows. This is from the culture where fire bending is the only non stealthy bending style. The other 3 elements can be stealthy. This comes from the idea of not revealing your attack until the very last moment. We can see this with non benders like mai who uses various “shurikens” hidden all over her body and ty lee getting in close and out maneuvering her opponents and surprise attacking. Look azula and co were not above using disguises to get into earth kingdom or misinformation to trick the dai li. Azula can be a great kunoichi with her manipulation skills
1025 "alongside sokka funnily enough" stop. think for a second. is this really even remotely out of character for sokka? he might be the shows comic relief but when it comes right down to it sokka is the most practical and reliable person in the show, adults included...though Iroh can honestly contest that. getting done what needs gettin' done in the middle of all the crazy magic superpowers through situational awareness and creative _intelligent_ use of any aspect of the situation that he can effect is what he does right from the start of the show, it just never gets thrown in the audience's face until very late in the series, and even then it's still shaded as light comic relief before things get serious.
I WOULD like to remind yall that Zuko is only 16. He's still just a kid. He's gonna make occasional mistakes, since he's not old enough to be a fully trained ninja.
My sister likes pointing out to me that Zuko, the former main villain, is a terrible liar, whilst Azula always lies, and the rest of Team Avatar are quite adept at lying (especially Katara when she needs to back up a teammate's cover story)
I see the team avatars skills being less about lying, and more about improving. They can make up stuff on the fly, but they are doing it to really manipulate or get people to do what they want, just to fool people. The difference between a deceiver and a trickster really.
I think Genji deserves another look. Blizzard has come out starting that the portrayal in the game is only loosely cannon. In the manner that this game is a real videogame in universe. In the world of overwatch the game is how genji is displayed. But if you look at the comics and the animated short Dragons, you start to see a difference. First the look. Goombah here complained that he was shiny, reflective, and covered in neon lights. Putting aside that you see in the Dragons short that he can turn the lights on and off at will, where do you think he is sent on missions? Dense futuristic cities where his abilities keep him high up, near bright neon lights and metal surfaces. He blends in to the environment he works in. In game he uses shuriken as his primary weapon. But in the Dragons short he only used them once. And that was as a tool to clip the feathers off the majority of Hanzo's arrows. Every other attack he uses a sword. Ninjas like tech right *slaps genji* YOU CAN FIT SO MUCH TECH IN THIS BABY. You see in Dragons that when Genji lands it is utterly silent. So we got noise canceling tech. You see him dash at high speeds climb. And when he does use his dragon move he does it to gain the advantage in combat. In the short he mostly used it to prove his identity to Hanzo. So I'd love a Genji revisit with a closer look at the Comics and Animated short
Not only is being disguised as a lower solider advantagous because they dont arouse suspicion, but also, you dont necessarily know all the lower ranked soliders working in the place. You would, however, likely know anyone of significant rank involved.
I think the part that hurts Zuko's In-nin is the fact that he has a giant burn scar on his face. He was a figure of authority, his face known to every noble and decent ranked military person. While he had the knowledge of the Fire Nation bases, that's also where he was most well known. His best In-nin was when he was acting as a civilian in the Earth Nation capitol. While he wasn't actively doing covert actions, he did gain info about his quarry's whereabouts.
I feel like you would do a mini analysis on Iroh too, from hiding in Ba Sing Se to the prison break, even his knowledge of other bending styles and cultures.
In a way, Iroh is like an Avatar with only fire bending. The breath of fire from airbenders, the lightning redirection from water bending, and the love of cultural diversity from the Earth Kingdom.
One point that I feel is not really addressed enough when talking about information gathering, be it ninja or otherwise, that Zuko explains to Katara before they infiltrate the navy base is the importance of not only gaining the information, but gaining it in a way that doesn't reveal your motives. Katara is all set to go in full force and just take what they need but Zuko points out that if they do that their enemies will simply warn their targets and then any info that they gained would at best be wrong and useless and at worst a trap.
Fire nation roalty are really good at ninjitsu/ infiltration skills. Zuko and Azula definitely show off their skills throughout the show. Heck when you think about it, even Iroh, ( perhaps Ursula) and Ozai have done certain sneaky ninjitsu tactics
Ursa was a skilled herbalist, a skill that was certainly used by ninja. In the comics she poisoned Ozai's father in return for him sparing Zuko's life. The toxin she created was not only lethal but completely undetectable and untraceable.
Zuko's blunder was also a strategic decision, really. If he had walked away Sokka would have been discovered, which probably would have lead to him being discovered by association. Giving himself up gave Sokka a chance to escape.
And he knows that being the prince and all, he'll be either visited by his family or someone higher among the fire benders. What he didn't realize is that the warden happens to be his ex's uncle. But as luck would have it, she was exactly what he needed. He somewhat made peace with her and let go of some of his weights. Also, without Mai and Ty Lee, he never would've escaped Azula's clutches.
Hey, I came across an anime that I haven't ever heard you mention and I really think you'd find it interesting. It's called "Kakuriyo - Bed and Breakfast for Spirits." It's all about a young woman who is spirited away to the "hidden realm" and winds up running an eatery for an ayakashi inn. There are a ton of different yokai as well as Japanese mythological references. I really think you'd find it interesting and I'd personally love to see a video covering it.
You may need to make a part 3. So many people are begging for it in the comments. I myself would love to some culture shock episodes of Avatar. I love the videos.
The talk of Zuko's great ability at In-in and struggle with Yo-nin, I wonder if it's comparable to look at Azula for Yo-nin cause of book 2 as she disguised herself, Tai Lee, and Mai as the Kyoshi Warriors and took down all of Ba Sing Sei?
I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING REGARDING ZUKO’S INFILTRATION OF THE NORTHERN WATER TRIBE HE’S WEARING WHITE SO HE CAN BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW. IF HE WORE BLACK OR BLUE, HE’D BE NOTICEABLE EASILY, BUT WHITE MAKES HIM BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW!!!!
Hey Gaijin I love this series and I was wondering if you would consider doing an episode of Which Ninja on Deathstroke from DC comics because he's a pretty interesting character
Hey! :) I love your Which Ninja series! I don't know if you've ever considered branching into analyzing ninja from literature, but if you do I'd like to nominate "Ranger's Apprentice". It's a western style fantasy but I think the rangers would make a great case study in Ninjitsu by non-ninjas. (If you don't want to read the whole series then I'd suggest Books 5&6. Its pretty much a self-contained story with great examples of yo-nin and in-nin)
Ok, but how ninja is Mgs' Snake? Nice video btw, awesome to know one of my favorite characters in animation is also realistic in the tactics he uses Also: how about a video comparing Bushido vs. Chivalry/knighthood? It could be an interesting discussion if made as a collab with another channel
Looking back, I'd assume Zuko's ninjaness comes more likely from his mother's side of the family than Ozai's since her family was know for undetectable poisoning methods that were efficient enought to make firelord Azulon's death seem of natural causes allowing Ozai to take the fire nation's throne.
The first 1000 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/gaijingoombahmedia0820 Thought Part 1 solidified Zuko as an Avatar the Last Airbender Ninja? PFT! Not even CLOSE!
Hey Gaijin Goombah Media I have a question for you who do you think would win in a fight jin from ghost of Tsushimavs VS The ONI from dead by daylight? 🤔
Gaijin Goombah Media great vid guys. I just have one question. What the name of the song you use in your videos? It’s a really catchy tune and I’d love to know what it’s called so I can download it and listen to it for hours on end.
Appreciate the free trial. Definitely will use it to support you and love the series!
You seriously need to do a video on the Callidus Assassins. They pretty much redefine Yo-Nin.
Can you do a which ninja on the Hunter from destiny 2? The void and the new stasis sub classes have a few ninja concepts in them.
Ah, Zuko's only weakness: his social skills
Now THAT is relatable
That is tough bucko.
He does make fangirls and his girlfriend swoon sometimes
HONOR!
Zuko: speaks up to his abusive and tyranical father/king, is one of the first people to redirect lightning, is a ninja and near single-handedly takes out a military base to capture the Avatar
Also Zuko: panics when a 14 year old girl yells
To be fair, Zuko's blunder is in character being a socially awkward kind of guy.
plus I feel that he was just a bit anxious about Sokka getting discovered as well.
@@JG-qg1gz Exactly. Better for one of them to be caught than potentially both of them
The guard already suspected him and if she went inside she would have caught Sokka too. This way at least one of them gets to maintain his cover.
He is just a socially depraved teenager after all.
So true, and it's a theme that remains constant in the entire series. I feel like he lives with the phrase "actions speak louder than words" in mind; when he can't talk his way in or out of a situation, his skills come to the rescue. He gets more comfortable with the Gaang but even then he's still awkward as hell conversation wise, but he's extremely fluid and trusting of his capabilities to mold to the way the person next to him is moving and fight as a team. It's always interesting to me how he'll go and pave the way for whoever is with him, and then cover the rear when they get to their destination; I'm sure this skill set was pretty useful during his time as lord overseeing military discussion.
I feel like Zuko's blunder is actually really good at portraying him as a good ninja while not betraying his character. His infiltration of the boiling rock was good from a mechanical perspective, as he knew where to go, what disguises to use, who to talk to, etc. Problem is from a social perspective he didnt do great because Zukos people skills are abysmal.
The only reasons he ever screwed up were 100% because he was put into situations where talking was unavoidable, which as you said should be avoided. The fact the guard who exposed him asked him a question, thus not exactly giving him anything to "yes, and" made failure inevitable.
Thinking about it, when he's caught, did he even have another choice? Sokka was going to be discovered no matter what and his excuse fell apart. So Zuko only really had two options: Either let Sokka get found out and reveal their objective early, or let himself be taken and keep their plans hidden. Given the situation, he probably made the right call, keeping the guards from discovering who they were even after. Sure, there's one less guard now, but as long as Sokka could find ways to communicate, it didn't hamper their ability to gather information or plan the escape since the two would have to sneak prisoners out either way.
@@dethhollow to this day i wonder if it was a different character or the show was rated for mature audiences would they be able to make a good excuse. Like "this prisoner is getting a beating due to this or that"
Commissioner Aang:
“I know you are a wild card Zuko but I want this mission done by the book”
Ninja Zuko:
“Don’t worry, my honor won’t allow anything else”
Just take my like.
I don't know what this referencing but i love it
Island Ranger 80’s cop movie tropes
Kinda ironic since avatars are the wild cards when it come to bending.
It is HIGHLY unlikely that Zuko’s ninja skills are just coincidental. The show creators went so far as to hire two separate martial arts masters to teach the animators how the fighting and bending styles, stances and movements should look and flow in order to make the world more authentic; there’s no way they didn’t research real infiltration techniques, especially ones used by the famous ninjas.
Water, earth, fire, air, gun.
Long ago, the nations lived in harmony.
That was, until the (insert major power) attacked.
Not to mention all writing seen in the show (Chinese based language) was supervised by an actual Asian historian. He made sure that no word written was simple gibberish, that includes posters, scrolls, signs, etc.
Very true
Plus, ninjas are pretty rad, so if they were to write an oriental inspired fantasy show, might as well add some concepts of real ninjutsu.
Plus, since shinobi were japanese, it fit that the Fire Nation is the kingdom based on Japan.
@@sorcikator993 yep
16:03 - _"Hey everyone! RIOT!"_ That scene will never get old XD
What about when Zuko and Iroh, under the guise of "Lee" and "Mushi", infiltrated Ba Sing Se while posing as Tea Peddlers? Does THAT count as Yo-Nin?
I mean, sure, Zuko made no effort to conceal his facial scarring, but it's common-enough in the Earth Kingdom with Firebenders running around that no-one brought it up or just compared it to their OWN burns, and they went as far as to cut off their Japanese-style topknots and posed as peasants. Admittedly, Zuko had a harder time committing to the lifestyle at first, but Iroh for all intents and purposes was "invisible"; and if his use of flattery/seduction on the Customs officer at Crescent Moon Bay isn't a textbook ninja move... I'm sure SOMETHING he did was.
Not sure if you'll get around to responding to THIS in particular, but it's something I noticed missing from the two videos and thought I'd take the time to note down.
Oh my gosh Iroh is the one who trained Ninja Zuko
@@iaxacs3801 That's a very distinct possibility. Iroh WAS the only one with any sort of war experience who COULD'VE taught him, and I imagine the Crew allotted to him were "bottom-of-the-barrel" that no-one else in the Fire Nation Navy wanted. They seemed a MITE young to be long-time friends of Iroh.
Just look at the time Iroh ninja'd his way out of a high security prison during the eclipse.
SKy_the_Thunder I think there’s a difference between sensk8ng out of a prison and one man army fighting your way out
@@Valiguss Imma blame it on the fact that he didn't have any real opportunity to sneak his way out. So he had to do the next best thing: Deceive his captors to feel safe around him and drop their guard while he secretly got into shape. Then he waited for the one moment where his captors' abilities were crippled and his physical strength and decades of training and experience, as well as the preparation and moment of surprise, gave him the upper hand.
Seems pretty ninja.
What about that one time before his character development when he allied with pirates to get to Aang? Not only did he have Katara's necklace, which he used as emotional leverage against her, but he also had the waterbending scroll, which the pirates couldn't afford to lose (in more ways than one). Zuko manipulated everyone by playing to their desires, playing mindgames with them to capture Aang. Sounds like something a ninja would do to me.
While a Ninja would do that if the opportunity arises, I wouldn’t count it a thing Ninja‘s did.
Everyone with some smarts can pull that off.
@@grayscribe1342 he's right actually. I remember it coming up in previous which ninja episodes
Firestorm I might have put it the wrong way. Sure, Ninjas would do that, but so would other people, which is why I would not count it as a Ninja ‚thing‘. It‘s like sword fighting, sure, Ninja did that, but so did the Samurai, Ronin or even criminals.
Heheh, Pirates vs Ninja
@@firestorm165 Gray meant that it's not a technique invented by nor exclusive to ninjas, that anyone smart enough could manipulate others through use of valuable/desirable objects, places, or people. It's a pretty common and widespread tactic: threaten or hold hostage someone or something the target cares about to force their compliance.
Zuko was still really young, makes sense that despite his skill, he's still struggle. Besides, social interactions were his stated weakness.
I think having Zuko screwing up the overt stuff fits well with his character as hes always been terrible at conversation and awkward as hell. Sokka on the other hand I believe with the right training would have the exact opposite problem since that kid is a klutz but could talk his way out of an execution. We know those 2 became great friends and partners thanks to Korra. And now I want a series based around Zuko and Sokka ninjaing around in their adult years.
I imagine things would be hilariously successful XD
Zuko cleaning his swords: „I started a graveyard for failed Assassin’s and they keep sending them.“
Sokka with Suki in his arm walking in: „You said it. There are 4 more in our guest chamber by the way. I guess we were supposed to be the scapegoats.“
Sokka isn't all that much of a klutz, especially in later seasons. One of his only fighting skills in earlier seasons is to throw a boomerang in such a way that it comes back. IDK if you've ever tried throwing any kind of weapon, but you need a fair bit of dexterity to pull it off.
@@leandersearle5094 And then there was that moment where Sokka threw his boomerang so precise that he managed to snipe Sparky Sparky Boom man right in his chi-spot. One does not simply do that without major skill.
@@WH40KHero 😂🤣
Then, shortly after escaping the boiling rock, Chit Sang himself showed his mastery of the shinobi arts when he vanished from the series without a trace!
What do you mean? He was in every following episode. Didn't you notice him?
About that blunder: Zuko is still very young and also still human. Of course he messes up at times. I have a very hard time believing that the real ninja were always doing everything completely perfect. They surely also messed up at times.
This! It's so easy to forget their age because most of them act and think way beyond their years, but they're all still kids! And kids are dumb sometimes lol hell, even adults are dumb 🤣
Real ninja wear what best to hide
Blue for Default population-free night strike
Black for indoor and city light
White for Snow
Green for Jungle
Also
Tradition outfit for traditional event
Casual for Casual event
Enemy disguise for enemy base sneakout
Wear what best to stay in hidden, blend in and not stand out.
If you get spotted but are able duck out of vision for a while. Wear a guards disguise and join the efforts in searching for yourself.
@@lancelindlelee7256 Now that's some Looney Toons level big brain level tactics.
How about brown/grey for jungles instead? Utilizing the trees and all
@@ZenoDLC you'd think that, but look at the uniform patterns used by the ground forces of the US and its allies in wars like Korea and Vietnam, and there's a healthy amount of green there, whilst brown/tan was saved more for situations like Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, due to green being the dominant colour in the forests of South East Asia and light brown/tan being the dominant colour of the sandy deserts of Arabian Peninsula.
Additionally, whilst it's easier to source/make clothes of a singular colour (like traditional ninja outfits), the use of dissimilar "random" patterns made of around 3 colours in the same 'family' (like deep green, forest green and mid green) breaks up the contrast and contouring of an object clad in those patterns making it harder to spot in a visually noisy scenario like a forest or desert.
That is the reason of "camo pattern" clothing that the US and its allies used more often post-WW2, that looks like blotches of a dark, mid and light colour randomly laid over each other, and eventually evolved to things like the "Digital Camo" desert patterns of the 90's/00's.
He was doing partial Yo-Nin through most of season 2 while he was going through the Earth kingdom. Dude played Earth Kingdom citizen/refugee pretty well, even without Iroh's considerable help. Sure he consistently blew his cover, but he was able to establish and maintain it surprisingly well. I just feel it's something of a disservice to overlook that.
Bthsr71 as a ninja Zuko would always be doomed doing Yo-Nin.
Even ignoring his celebrity status as the fire prince, he has a huge scar on his face that anyone would instantly recognize if they know of it.
@@frankwest5388 actually you're not completely correct as apparently there were civilians in the earth Kingdom who had burn scars from firebenders. I want to be uncommon to see someone with a burn scar on their face in the Fire Kingdom the creators just never did it because they wanted Zuko to be distinguishable in the background.
I can never get enough of Gaijin analysis on the accuracy of fictional characters, but I'm even more exited when it's Zuko from Avatar the last air bender is the topic, its like combining my two favorite things together, so absolutely love the video Gaijin💕💕💕
That Sponsor segment was smooth and sneaky
Almost like...
A Ninja...
Ya know, I never realized as a kid how unique and story developed Zuco was. When I first saw Zuco I thought of him as a blast fire ask questions later kind of person with daddy issues that to turned good near the end. Now he is starting to turn into one of my favorite characters.
I’ve always thought that Zuko and Iroh COMBINED were the best characters. Can’t have one without the other.
It is so interesting. Even when Zuko messed up he was still a good ninja. The man can't fail at being a good ninja.
Now if he wasn't so bad at being good.
Donelle Bullock but he is good at being good
@@donellebullock7404 He hadn't read the book about that
@@HiopX Maybe Iroh can send a scroll.
Video: "How ninja is Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender?"
Me: "Yes"
Its so on point to Zukos character to be really good at hidden infiltration but not open infiltration. My man is the shelter son of a leader, he literally has no experience with normal conversation.
Best character in the series is an UNDERSTATEMENT, the character holding second place is a tie between Toph and Sokka, but Zuko has been the best character since the Blue Spirit episode in Book One, seriously, it shows that Zuko has a complicated motivation, since if he was single-mindedly trying to capture Aang, he could have done it there, but he didn't. He only grows in character from there, he even eventually gets what he always wanted, but it doesn't make him happy.
How about Iroh as another runner for runner-up?
@@king_alloy He's got Chuck Norris status, he's exempt from the list, because ranking him would imply that he's an imperfect character in some way. He was also voiced by Mako for the first half of his time in the show, so out of respect he is simply unrankable because he's too good. He also doesn't have an arc, so it would make ranking him a lot harder as his character is consistently good and well written from his first appearance.
I think one of the most important things to take away from this, is that a *flawed* ninja, isn't always a *bad* ninja. No matter how closely someone follows the book, characters are still allowed to be human and make human mistakes, and still be ninja, plans don't always work, sometimes not all strategies fit in every situation, the key to being a true ninja is often not in being perfect, but being adaptable, to not just minimize mistakes, but recover from them when things go wrong.
Instantly clicked and liked
And yo that was a nice transition into the sponsor
Geonie Prewitt 69 likes please no wone like this anymore
Gaijin Goomba, I am writing to say that you are a great resource for all is aspiring writers. Thank you for writing such in depth analysis on the shinobi.
I can’t stop laughing at the increasing levels of the naked ninja’s censored bars layered on top of eachother
Wait what? Where?
@@BlueAmpharos The purple haired woman from Dead or alive, shown during the intro.
I think her name is Ayane?
@@nine_tails137 Oh, the intro.
How interesting he references Sisyphus's boulder. I've been reading the Percy Jackson books for the past few weeks.
Oh my Gods, I do hope he reads the entire series (the original series, Heros of Olympus, the Kane Chronicles, and Magnus Chase) and does episodes on them.
@@Nerdycopia ......You do know he does more than just ninja stuff? Anyway, Dana Trick was talking about a general Gaijin Goombah episode not Which Ninja?. Though the mythology and culture in Percy Jackson is usually well explained, i'd love to see it covered in an episode. He usually doesn't cover literature though.
@@Nerdycopia I meant on Culture Shock.
@@3fatkid If he does expand to literature, he should do a Which Ninja on the Ranger's Apprentice series, as the Rangers themselves act like a European ninja.
Cool, so the culture he's covered and referenced for our own study isn't considered literature. Got it.
When even the sponsor tranisition is so good you dont skip it you just know its gonna be a good video
You have some of the smoothest transitions into sponsor plugs I’ve ever seen.
I have a recommendation for Which Ninja: Agent 47 of the Hitman series. While he may not be one to one with real ninja I still think he uses a lot of ninja tactics, like hiding in plain and using distraction tools.
Agent 47 is more yonin than innin, so that could make for an interesting video!
I like the detail with house ukko's inward infiltration in go so well because outward infiltration it says a lot about how his character is not too good at speaking with individuals
did you use talk-to-type?
"house ukko"
@@masterboa6321 yes
Iroh is the best character in the series.
This is indisputable, objective fact.
Iroh is the kind a guy everyone would want as a uncle
His only rival is the cabbage man
I hear you and raise you Appa
"Zuko is the best character in the series"
Sokka: am I a joke to you
Oh who am I kidding, he is a joke to everyone.
Speaking of Sokka, it would be cool to see you analyze the water tribes and their connections and differences To actual Inuit culture
sokka is my favorite actually, I don't think he's the "best" because that's something relative to everyone, but sokka is pretty badass when you think about it, he manages to stay relevant and useful on a team full of superpowered people
Iroh is the best character.
@@SuperKiobi13 same. He's been my favorite since the he tried to fight Zuko in the first/second ep
Iroh: Now let's calm down and agree that everyone can have their favorites. Speaking of favorites, want some ginseng tea?
Every time I watch this show I realize how much I love ninjas
pretty sure that you could see some yo-nin of zukes not at his time of infiltration of the northern water tribe but his infiltration of the fire nation armada invading the northern water tribe once again he utilises his position in coming in as a low level soldier (this time better hiding it) takes advantage of ppl that would be willing to help (uncle iroh) and going along with the normal day to day work (true we don't see that one but considering they were on the ship it had to be done well)
When he started talking about online research I was like "there's a possibility" "yep there it is"
I completely forgot there was gonna be a part 2, and this video just slapped me on the nuts harder than a bus
That sponsor segue was so clean I didn't even see it coming
*Lillie on her phone and soon became a rookie ninja*
Lillie: I guess everything is on the internet.
It's the small details like this that really make you appreciate what a masterpiece this show is.
They really did their homework, and them some when creating this show.
1:17 meh, the second best character. Dont get me wrong, I think Zuko is awesome. Some of the best character development in modern day entertainment. But the one who guides him on his development is the best in the series and I think many agree.
Arguably, yeah. I prefer Zuko more but Iroh is also pretty close. They're both incredible characters for sure.
I came back to the channel after begging away for a while. Gave me waves of nostalgia from the old days of culture shock. Love it man keep up the great work!
Saw this in my feed, went back and watched part 1 first. Watched other episodes. You get the jist. Now I'm left with three things:
•An addiction to the series, and the need to know how Ninja are ninja characters.
•The fact that I want go to ninja school because the child inside me loves ninja.
•And the question, "How ninja are Paladins champions Skye and Koga?"
I'm just imagining a base built for the sole purpose of being 100% ninja-proof
but then a handful of inexperienced ninja get in by breaking every ninja rule in the books
Ah, just in time for the Zuko/Shoto Death Battle.
These videos make me really interested in reading the Bansenshukai.
Amazing how a hot headed edge lord would make a great Shinobi. Thank you, Gaijin-Sama.
Zuko could probably use some help from Skillshare to learn how to casually talk to people
i was really excited when i heard the co creators of ATLA was making a live action version of the show. now that they have left, im getting the movie flashbacks now... hopefully itll still be good.
The main thing I got out of this was just how valuable Chit Sang actually was to their escape.
#001 I died laughing when Goomba was singing the jingle but then realizing that they were wearing black. He was like "Real ninja wear......WTF?" His facial expression sold that part.
Sometimes you have to wear black...
oh boy I just refreshed and see this just posted 1 minute ago
and I get a huge smile seeing a new video of one of my favorite series :3
I wonder how much of it was carefully researched by the creators, either way Zuko and the whole series are fantastic
5:12 "episode fourteen"
text: "episode sixteen"
There is an interesting point someone in the atla community that notice that a lot of fire nation people practice “ninja” like tactics whether they are fire benders or not both in comics and the shows. This is from the culture where fire bending is the only non stealthy bending style. The other 3 elements can be stealthy. This comes from the idea of not revealing your attack until the very last moment. We can see this with non benders like mai who uses various “shurikens” hidden all over her body and ty lee getting in close and out maneuvering her opponents and surprise attacking. Look azula and co were not above using disguises to get into earth kingdom or misinformation to trick the dai li. Azula can be a great kunoichi with her manipulation skills
"Hey! *_RIOT!!!_* "
- Chit Sang, Hero of the Boiling Rock
"Zuko is the best character of the series- yeah, I said it."
You say that as thought that's not a scientific fact.
1025 "alongside sokka funnily enough"
stop.
think for a second.
is this really even remotely out of character for sokka?
he might be the shows comic relief but when it comes right down to it sokka is the most practical and reliable person in the show, adults included...though Iroh can honestly contest that.
getting done what needs gettin' done in the middle of all the crazy magic superpowers through situational awareness and creative _intelligent_ use of any aspect of the situation that he can effect is what he does right from the start of the show, it just never gets thrown in the audience's face until very late in the series, and even then it's still shaded as light comic relief before things get serious.
Thirty minutes before I have to get to work. This dropped at just the perfect time.
I WOULD like to remind yall that Zuko is only 16. He's still just a kid. He's gonna make occasional mistakes, since he's not old enough to be a fully trained ninja.
The first part had me more interested in Zuko than I already was, and I just know this will be a good one in my opinion
My sister likes pointing out to me that Zuko, the former main villain, is a terrible liar, whilst Azula always lies, and the rest of Team Avatar are quite adept at lying (especially Katara when she needs to back up a teammate's cover story)
I see the team avatars skills being less about lying, and more about improving. They can make up stuff on the fly, but they are doing it to really manipulate or get people to do what they want, just to fool people. The difference between a deceiver and a trickster really.
The ad segue was so damn smooth, you infiltrated it there like a real Ninja Gaijin!
10:55 can we get item 5 covered in more detail in one of these videos?
I think Genji deserves another look. Blizzard has come out starting that the portrayal in the game is only loosely cannon. In the manner that this game is a real videogame in universe. In the world of overwatch the game is how genji is displayed. But if you look at the comics and the animated short Dragons, you start to see a difference. First the look. Goombah here complained that he was shiny, reflective, and covered in neon lights. Putting aside that you see in the Dragons short that he can turn the lights on and off at will, where do you think he is sent on missions? Dense futuristic cities where his abilities keep him high up, near bright neon lights and metal surfaces. He blends in to the environment he works in. In game he uses shuriken as his primary weapon. But in the Dragons short he only used them once. And that was as a tool to clip the feathers off the majority of Hanzo's arrows. Every other attack he uses a sword. Ninjas like tech right *slaps genji* YOU CAN FIT SO MUCH TECH IN THIS BABY. You see in Dragons that when Genji lands it is utterly silent. So we got noise canceling tech. You see him dash at high speeds climb. And when he does use his dragon move he does it to gain the advantage in combat. In the short he mostly used it to prove his identity to Hanzo. So I'd love a Genji revisit with a closer look at the Comics and Animated short
Zuko went from Prince, to banished, to Ninja, to being redeemed, and later...FIRE LORD.
Not only is being disguised as a lower solider advantagous because they dont arouse suspicion, but also, you dont necessarily know all the lower ranked soliders working in the place. You would, however, likely know anyone of significant rank involved.
YES! I was hit in the heart when you left me on a cliff hanger. LOL
You could say
It was an honor to watch this 2 parter
huehuehue
ah yes, Chit Sang secret technique of starting a riot:
Chit: Hey, riot!
When you were talking about researching things I'm now realizing this series is what I use to research ninjas
In the thumbnail, it looks like Zuko’s scar is on the wrong side.
This is an amazing video, never in my life did I think Zuko would be a ninja.
Also please cover Ninja and Ninja 2: The Shadow of tear
I think the part that hurts Zuko's In-nin is the fact that he has a giant burn scar on his face. He was a figure of authority, his face known to every noble and decent ranked military person. While he had the knowledge of the Fire Nation bases, that's also where he was most well known. His best In-nin was when he was acting as a civilian in the Earth Nation capitol. While he wasn't actively doing covert actions, he did gain info about his quarry's whereabouts.
Damn I loved avatar when I was younger, now that it's more popular I might re watch it
OOH! OOH! You should do a “Which Ninja” on the Phantom Thieves from Persona 5/Royal!
Assuming you played the game that is. If not, that’s cool.
I knew when UA-cam kept recommending me part 1 part 2 was around the corner 😁😁😁
i just found ur channel i really love ur content can't wait to see u live stream
Tonight at 7pm US central!
I feel like you would do a mini analysis on Iroh too, from hiding in Ba Sing Se to the prison break, even his knowledge of other bending styles and cultures.
In a way, Iroh is like an Avatar with only fire bending. The breath of fire from airbenders, the lightning redirection from water bending, and the love of cultural diversity from the Earth Kingdom.
One point that I feel is not really addressed enough when talking about information gathering, be it ninja or otherwise, that Zuko explains to Katara before they infiltrate the navy base is the importance of not only gaining the information, but gaining it in a way that doesn't reveal your motives. Katara is all set to go in full force and just take what they need but Zuko points out that if they do that their enemies will simply warn their targets and then any info that they gained would at best be wrong and useless and at worst a trap.
Love the videos keep up the amazing work GimGam!
Fire nation roalty are really good at ninjitsu/ infiltration skills. Zuko and Azula definitely show off their skills throughout the show. Heck when you think about it, even Iroh, ( perhaps Ursula) and Ozai have done certain sneaky ninjitsu tactics
Ursa was a skilled herbalist, a skill that was certainly used by ninja. In the comics she poisoned Ozai's father in return for him sparing Zuko's life. The toxin she created was not only lethal but completely undetectable and untraceable.
Zuko messing up yo-nin is me whenever i play D&D lol
My character is ok at yonin despite being a 7 foot tall dragonborn with a battleaxe, but he is too shiny for innin
@@masterboa6321 lol
Zuko's blunder was also a strategic decision, really. If he had walked away Sokka would have been discovered, which probably would have lead to him being discovered by association. Giving himself up gave Sokka a chance to escape.
And he knows that being the prince and all, he'll be either visited by his family or someone higher among the fire benders. What he didn't realize is that the warden happens to be his ex's uncle.
But as luck would have it, she was exactly what he needed. He somewhat made peace with her and let go of some of his weights. Also, without Mai and Ty Lee, he never would've escaped Azula's clutches.
Hey, I came across an anime that I haven't ever heard you mention and I really think you'd find it interesting. It's called "Kakuriyo - Bed and Breakfast for Spirits." It's all about a young woman who is spirited away to the "hidden realm" and winds up running an eatery for an ayakashi inn. There are a ton of different yokai as well as Japanese mythological references. I really think you'd find it interesting and I'd personally love to see a video covering it.
14:32 another guard approached Zuko while Sokka was inside Suki
Hell yeah he was we always knew he was a player
You may need to make a part 3. So many people are begging for it in the comments. I myself would love to some culture shock episodes of Avatar. I love the videos.
The talk of Zuko's great ability at In-in and struggle with Yo-nin, I wonder if it's comparable to look at Azula for Yo-nin cause of book 2 as she disguised herself, Tai Lee, and Mai as the Kyoshi Warriors and took down all of Ba Sing Sei?
Then it could be concluded that Ninjutsu is part of the Royal Education then.
I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING REGARDING ZUKO’S INFILTRATION OF THE NORTHERN WATER TRIBE
HE’S WEARING WHITE SO HE CAN BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW. IF HE WORE BLACK OR BLUE, HE’D BE NOTICEABLE EASILY, BUT WHITE MAKES HIM BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW!!!!
Hey Gaijin I love this series and I was wondering if you would consider doing an episode of Which Ninja on Deathstroke from DC comics because he's a pretty interesting character
Hey! :) I love your Which Ninja series! I don't know if you've ever considered branching into analyzing ninja from literature, but if you do I'd like to nominate "Ranger's Apprentice". It's a western style fantasy but I think the rangers would make a great case study in Ninjitsu by non-ninjas. (If you don't want to read the whole series then I'd suggest Books 5&6. Its pretty much a self-contained story with great examples of yo-nin and in-nin)
Ok, but how ninja is Mgs' Snake? Nice video btw, awesome to know one of my favorite characters in animation is also realistic in the tactics he uses
Also: how about a video comparing Bushido vs. Chivalry/knighthood? It could be an interesting discussion if made as a collab with another channel
Because of you, Gaijinn. I ordered the bansenshukai and i'm reading it with a passion.
Looking back, I'd assume Zuko's ninjaness comes more likely from his mother's side of the family than Ozai's since her family was know for undetectable poisoning methods that were efficient enought to make firelord Azulon's death seem of natural causes allowing Ozai to take the fire nation's throne.
No I am pretty sure it comes from piando who taught him how to use his swords aswell
@@mubarakhassan6060 could'va been, that would make sense too.
Absolutely amazing, thanks for the video. Good luck and stay safe gaijin goombah.
I waited so long for part 2!
Gaijin another great analysis love this series but my god the Zuko analysis was next level thanks for a great way to start the day.
i got an ad for a game called ninja simulator when i clicked on the video