de-pollution of lake would be 20-30 years, however your not taking into account that water-bending exists in the world of Avatar, so there's a high possibility that shaved off about 15years give or take if it was done consistently, the other thing to bear in mind is that as the city grew cleaner more water benders would arrive to speed up the process cutting the time down further. So the depollution method, may have well been achieved within the time span of 5-15years which in our world would be a world record to be frank. Quite the achievement too pull off for any civilization.
Out of context question,if the elder dragons can produce colours out of their flames,does that mean fire benders can manipulate electromagnetic waves because multi coloured flames are probably done through the manipulation of frequency and wave lengths of their radiation so does that mean in the future,there may be dark fire benders that can use x rays or gamma rays or ultraviolet rays to attack their opponents?
@@chickens1543 I think it'd be more of the programming from her father. She pictures Zuko without a scar because she's incapable of going against her allegiances to the Fire Nation at that deep of a level. It's a lot easier to ignore something and pretend it doesn't exist than it is to come to terms with reality.
@@trajectoryunown Someone needs to go read the novelization of the show lol. Azula PoV in the The Earth Kingdom Chronicles makes it pretty clear that she wants Zuko back with her in the Fire Nation for no ulterior motives, and if anything, she might never have wanted him to be exiled at all. It's certainly a retcon of the flashbacks we saw in the series, but then again, that one flashback where Azula smiled at Zuko getting burnt was Iroh's PoV, not an omniscient narrator.
The creators of Avatar said they had an even longer and harder redemption arc for Azula planned than what Zuko got. I hope that means we can get a more drawn-out one for her than his in the end, as she would need to overcome a lot more trauma to even be on cease-fire terms with the Gaang.
Is this said by the live action creators or was it the original creators because the comics have done my head in for a long time for not understanding what her character is meant to be. They often get the role of antagonist confused with being a villain
@@ToxicDarkLord The original creators have intended for azula to get a redemption arc, her shenanigans in the comics right now is the beginnings of that, and there are some immediate parallels to Zuko Alone and some of his other rough beginnings of his redemption arc.
@@tuxxle8830 I was aware of the original creators doing that in book 4 but I was hoping this was said by the live action series cause man I need that redemption arc in the live action to clean the misery that I feel from seeing Azula in book 3
@@ToxicDarkLord Azula is at her forefront a villain in the avatar series. I appreciate her being on the path to redemption in the comics, but her arc in the animated series is incredible with her spiral into madness toward the end of the series, and it makes her Agni-Kai with Zuko as intense and profound as it is. Azula getting redeemed in the events of the animated series would be a dampen on her character and that profound rivalry culminating in such an incredible climax. Redeeming her in a shorter time frame would also seem contrived as she’s a genuine psychopath, and presenting her at any less would be a disservice to her character’s amazing role everyone enjoys within the show.
Basically like a Hojo/sephiroth (according to Evercrisis) dynamic with Ozai and Azula. It’s good Azula does eventually change tho. (As for Sephy he’s screwed since he got Jenova stuck on him since before birth)
"deserves" Not really. In attack on titan, There was a child soldier that ended up dying after being manipulated in his childhood years and carried out an attack. He was one of the people but the least dangerous one nor did he have a say in the actions...he died the worst death out of them.
@CSM_Kobeni_Fan Not really sure what your point is here? How does the story arc of one character in an entirely different franchise equate to Azula's character not "deserving" a chance at a happy ending? That's like saying, "Aang shouldn't have ended up with Katara because Naruto didn't end up with his childhood crush, Sakura." One doesn't have anything else to do with the other...
@@XLE6IONX my point is "they don't have to" the story ended 15 years ago...now all of a sudden just because you want her to have a redemption arc because you feel like she deserved it. She "doesn't deserve" anything. In fact she did nothing to deserve it. Now if there was a several comics a couple years after explaining in depth that her father tortured/manipulated her then started the second one with her mother... but that did not happen in fact the comics with her mother did not feel like azula deserved a redemption arc. Especially the articles with her and people that wanted her in power over zuko. but you want her to have a redemption arc after time and time again that she doesn't deserve anything.
Redeeming Azula will not be easy. It will need to be a long tumultuous journey that challenges and forces her to confront her entire world view. Much like Zuko, she will need to have a huge internal struggle and fail to make the right choices several times throughout her journey before she finally succeeds at redeeming herself. She’ll need to confront her trauma and face it head on, and doing so should almost break her completely. Eventually we’ll need to see her start helping people, showing compassion and empathy towards other people she’s wronged. She’ll need to seek to right her wrongs and seek to make things right with the world, which for a character like Azula will take a lot. Zuko’s redemption was so powerful because we had an entire series to follow him along his journey. We saw his ups and downs and how much he struggled. He failed on multiple occasions and lost his way a couple of times, but was able to find his way back with the support and guidance of his uncle. He didn’t change overnight, it took him awhile and ultimately he had to make the right choice and so will Azula. It will need to take years for Azula to do the same and she will need a strong support system who believes in her and are determined to help her succeed. Initially that support system will be Zuko, then Aang could join the cause after Zuko convinces him that Azula needs it and eventually she could have all of team avatar behind her doing everything they possibly can to help Azula turn her life around
@@humayunkabir3814 Her mother was a good person, but Azula has a certain paranoia. So when Ursa “opposed” her, Azula placed her mother as an adversary and not as a trustworthy person who was trying to educate her.
@@PatrickBlake-ct9geno that was Lucia Lobosvilla from the Book 4 Restoration Project. It’s a channel creating motion comics for Book 4 of ATLA. Lucia’s the head writer.
The fact that she was a child who was neglected and sought out reinforcement in the only way she could recieve.... her dad....and was a soldier. She deserved redemption. Her breaking down was a perfect setup for a great humbling of the once admired and feared azula. She did bad things but people change everyday. Maybe she can be loved for once and happy. I for one cannot wait to see such a beautiful transformation. It's beautiful 😭
@@harrybudgeiv349 She is not power hungry. Many kids have these traits and are not sociopaths. There is a reason why more extreme cases like Beth Thomas were not labeled as a sociopath.
@darkpersona1462 spoken like someone who's never had to deal with serious bullying as a child. Besides, these aren't real people, they are fictional characters.
It was heroic as we see the bad guy fall, but it’s also like watching someone who tried their best after being traumatized for so long get beat down horribly.
Azula’s story is nothing short of tragic, tbh. She never had a chance. She was raised crazy. Can’t feel too satisfied with her defeat because she was born a victim. ):
Can we just appreciate how backstreet’s back is playing in the background. Why can I imagine Azula walking into a room with this playing an going “look who’s good now” 😂
Literally couldn't focus on what he was saying because all I could think was "Wait is this Backstreet Boys? Why is it Backstreet Boys? Where did he get this rendition? Did he do it himself? etc"
There's a LOK fan fiction called Book 5: Rebirth, in which Korra and team travel to the Fire Nation to investigate Red Lotus activity, including a guy who can artificially bend fire and air. In this fan fiction, the Fire Nation remains the most technologically advanced nation in the world, even compared to the United Republic. Amongst the characters the team meets is an elderly and redeemed Azula, who is revealed to be Mako and Bolin's maternal grandmother.
That honestly would have been so much better than the shaft Mako and Bolin got in the series, and it happens more often than people think irl so it would have been a cool line to see in the show (irl, there’s a woman who found out she was a long lost (I think African? But that could be my mind racial bias not remembering accurately) princess. When she was found, the country celebrated and it made the news for a short period.)
If Azula is the maternal grandmother of Mako and Bolin…that’s so goosebumps. This can also explain why Mako knows lightning bending (it could have been taught by their mum, but we aren’t sure if she is a fire bender). However, it would also mean that Azula would have her name changed and hidden, possibly to prevent everyone, including Zuko to find her
I honestly want nothing less than her redemption. She honestly deserves it. And I really enjoyed zuko’s character development in the series. They did a really good job
I would imagine a fan fiction, going to the extreme like her mother to change her face and her memories wiped would be unlikely as she still wants to topple Zuko, but the haunting of her mother still traumatizes her, already having schizophrenia. But over time, she would give up (Long before the comic was announced), whether she'll meet the Mother of Faces, it's up to her, my idea is she runs to a lower profile of the Earth Kingdom, conceal her identity and maybe give up her old crown and Fire Nation clothing to become part of an Earth Kingdom citizen. Obviously she rather stay away from any water sources and don't like to look in the mirror without someone by her side. Pretending to be a refugee and her parents are "killed in a raid", met her future husband, once married and have a kid, she could slowly forget her mother when she became a mom herself. In this way, she'll leave no trace for Aang or Zuko to find her, they'll see her as missing and presumed dead.
That's not what the lead writer of the OG series wanted. Aaron was going to devote book 4 to her redemption. She was going to do a complete 180. Then Shayalaman came along, Bryce and Nick got greedy, and Book 4 went bye bye. What happened after that served them right.
@@dustinmaxwell259Every time I see people mention a 4th season for ATLA, everyone says something different, and this is the first time I’ve heard what you said. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing or idea, but it’s always something different whenever people mention anything about Book 4.
@@ningmushii This came straight from the lead writer Aaron. He said it in an interview. Book 4 was all about redeeming Azula. And as I said, i'm glad the film flopped so badly. They promised us 4 books. Then of course Shaya dragged his washed out arse to Nick, and those greedy studio d*ckheads wet themselves at the thought of breaking into the film industry. Book 4 was dropped for the sake of a film. Then Bryce thought maybe the OG series was too complex to adapt tp film, which is why the following series was so modernized and dumbed down. At least that's how I saw it. Cheap fireballs and a 1920's setting would have been far easier to adapt to film.But they didn't have Aaron's talent, so korra ended up being a mediocre series.
i really like this idea. azula doesn’t need to become some moral beacon for society, it would be nice to just see her work past her mental issues and more “evil” traits and just become a member of society, maybe not a hero, but not a villain either. although i do think she’ll probably be a neutral character rather than a good one, i would still like to see some form of an apology from her (even if it’s not verbally) to zuko, mai, and ty lee.
Yall are acting like Azula isn't like, a psychologically groomed 12 year old. She has her whole life in front of her and people change, especially when they're that young.
She has to many traits of a psychopath. Usually in media psychopaths aren't redeemed because IRL psychopaths aren't very well known for being good people who can be redeemed. Its even arguably our social distaste from them comes about because they tended to be the biggest harm to group survival when we are nomadic hunter gathers. The fact, that psychopathic women are treated with redemption is a huge fed flagto our culture as it reveals a break from this long held tendency which may reflect who is leading us.
@@Xo-3130 She doesn't have more traits than a standard villain. In the same way that people label her, it's too easy to do the same with many redeemed and unredeemed villains.
@@nataliabeam873 personality wise she has no justification for it. Remember the listing you gave me I kind of pointed out only Vader works and again it's shaky without the prequels( and one of them isn't even a villain but that's besides the point). Her personality and actions is close enough to someone like Freiza or Eggman in the IDW Comics who isn't redeemable in the slightest.
I like to think Azula would be more like Loki (Marvel's MCU version). a lovable, chaotic force that is somewhat of an Anti-hero that tends to be on the razor's edge of becoming a villain again.
@@joesunday199 The fact that you're comparing Avatar to the shit mcu movies is already bad enough, but to try and slam some mediocre character into Azula, one of the best antagonists ever written, is just insulting.
Her redemption arc will be a very tough challenge for sure. Long before the comic, I have a fiction idea that she becomes a runaway after the many defeats by the good guys and Zuko is already too strong to be toppled. She's a wanted fugitive as she thinks, she'll flee to the Earth Kingdom to a lesser village, whether she'll meet the Mother of Faces or not, she's having schizophrenia and need someone new whom she can trust, but trust is hard to find. She would move on, possibly throwing away her old crown and Fire Nation clothes, she became a regular Earth Kingdom citizen and told her new village friends that her parents were "killed in a Fire Nation raid". She's married in the future with a kid, to forget her mother while she becomes a mother herself to focus on her new family more, slowly to let go of her old memories, won't be easy but might visit wise men and meditate, therapies one after another. Yeah, not much of a redemption but a new path to hopefully she won't be found again by Zuko or Aang. Oh well, let's see what the comic provides, the time is coming closer.
I think both Zuko and Aang will be happy that Azula found new purpose in life. If the life she chose suits her, then I do not see either Zuko or Aang wanting to interfere.
Nah, we’ve seen Azula beat Zuko again in the comics and she beat him badly until she lost her mind, and I’m sure she would’ve won if she was herself at the end of the story as well. I don’t think her not being able to beat Zuko would be her reason for reforming.
Every fanfic I’ve read had Azula running away to earth kingdom😂 After her mother chose to forget her children I don’t think Azula will chose to have her memories taken
While I am excited to see Azula be redeemed and hope they handle it well, I can't help but be a little conflicted about it. I always liked the idea of having a villain that can't be redeemed, not necessarily because their actions went to far, but just because they refuse to change. Zuko was an example of how someone can see what their trauma has done to them and become a better person despite it. I saw Azula as an example of someone who couldn't do that and gave into their trauma and became a worse person because of it. She was a way to show how villains can be created and a lesson at what trauma can do to people. On the other hand, I do think an Azula redemption can work and can help show people that they can change despite their pasts and that you don't have to refuse to get better.
You do have that, his name is Ozai and Aang was forced to take his bending as it was that or kill him since repentance and redemption were never on the table. Counter to that Azula was 14-15. You are right that Azula provided a nice mirror for what Zuko could have been but in the end her redemption doesn't deminsh that as Zuko shows us redemption is possible, he had an easier (but still hard) time of it thanks to Iron, here as Azula will be coming from much further back.
@@melon_616 And I agree with your point, but I still do stand by mine but am excited to see where her redemption goes. But I do have to say that Ozai is not as much an example of that. I do appreciate how he never had a chance at redemption, but we never got to see his descent into evil or madness. He very likely was also abused, but since we didn't see that, it's hard to teach that type of lesson.
@@riymeep6708he wasn’t abused. I don’t know if it’s canon or I read too many fanfics but iron and Ozai father heavily favored iron because he was a firstborn and I think that’s why ozai favored Azula because she like him was a second born and in his eyes had more potential and power than first born. Azula was never evil and I think her breakdown proved that she was broken and needed help. If she does get redeemed I hope she doesn’t forgive her mother for abandoning her and making her feel unloved in her childhood. Zhukov didn’t have his fathers love but his mom and uncle while Azula only had her fathers and that itself was conditional. I do feel the only person that can show Azula they love her is either a new character or zuko. Zuko did more for her than anyone else
There are irredeemable villains like Sozin, Hama, Ozai and so much more... They all have one thing in common. They are all middle-aged or elderly people who have gone past a point of no return a long time ago. Azula on the other hand is just 14 basically a CHILD SOLDIER! It would be a crime to not allow her to have any sorta redemption! Maybe not a 180 turn sure but at least she might be able to land herself on a more neutral moral ground. It would also take A LOT more to undo the damage Ozai had caused in her psyche than Zuko since Zuko at least had Ursa's and later Iroh and Team Avatar's influence.
I think for azulas arc, she’s going to need to see that she can get real love from her mom, instead of having to earn it like with her dad. She grew up in an environment where the way to get praise and affection is by being the best, and showing vulnerability was treated harshly. She needs someone to show her real love and kindness so that she can 1) learn what real love looks like, and 2) realize that she doesn’t need to be the best and act tyrannical to have affection. I think Azula’s redemption arc started the moment she was betrayed by tai lee and Mai, it was the first sign that all the methods she had been using to rally people and get what she wanted wasn’t working. She’s been going through a denial phase at the moment, trying to use old methods to get the upper hand, and she keeps failing. Eventually she’ll need to find new ideals to ground herself in. Those can be deluded ideals if she falls deeper into denial, or they can be enlightening and redeeming. I’m excited to see how they handled this, I feel bad for azula and hope she can get a happy ending.
She either need a boyfriend or her brother to show her love/ her brother had been in the same state as her it took him a long time to reconnect with himself if her brother won't help her why not find a boyfriend that doesn't find her weird snd can show her some love❤
I absolutely agree to this viewpoint regarding the upcoming comic. This shouldn't be a FULL redemption, but rather a stepping stone to redemption. The first steps to finally overcoming her toxic upbringing and the fracturing of her ideals and perceptions she's had of people. I'm still excited for it but definately cautious. I didn't actually know there would be some TLA films though upcoming. Those also have me very excited.
I agree. Just have her go at her own path in life rather than just be another member of their group. Redemption for her is something that will likely take years and not months like her brother.
Nah man, im not gonna believe them anymore, i gave them chance after chance after chance for them to redeem her and what do they do? Break her mind and make her loose the qualities that made her interesting and redeemable. I mean wtf is even the point in trying to redeem her when she doesn't have anything anymore? You'd think it'll be like having a blank slate but no, her character doesnt work like that because even during the show she used her calm and intelligence to admit to Ozai's evil giving her a path to understanding, but now that she's crazy it's impossible for her to have the clear mind to see that, the show and comics broke her so much that she hallucinates, how can they possibly "redeem" mental illness? I get that they want to put her in a place like Zuko, when he lost all, but then again Zuko had Uncle Iroh to guide him as he chose to loose it all, what does she have? No one, not even her brother, not even her mother.
I think you are looking at it too simplistically. Azula does have a story arc in the comics, however the story was left up in the air. I watched Airspeed Prime non spoiler review of the upcoming comic. The comic is a character study. The comic Azula in the spirit temple which comes out next week is the first time in more than 7 years that Azula's story been expanded upon in a major way. Azula's arc has to take time with winding road. The comics only extend the story in universe couple years past the war. The time beyond the comics up to Legend of Korra timeline covers more than 60 years. Other than few basic details, this gap is not covered well. There a lot of unanswered question. Azula's ultimate fate in Korras time have never been addressed. The upcoming comic will have to have follow up story. All the plot threads will not be resolved in 72 page comic.
I swear to god people in the comments have literally forgotten that Azula was a literal child. Kids, no matter how horrible, can change and become functioning adults of society. Just because someone used to be a bully doesn't mean they'd continue being a bully their whole life. Azula was literally groomed by Ozai to be a perfect weapon. She's sadistic and cruel because she followed in the footsteps of her father. You know? as kids do? Zuko turned out different because not only did he have more time with his mother compared to Azula, but his father had also given up on him Day 1. Azula didn't have that luxury. Zuko and Azula both faced child abuse, just different kinds of it.
Having read the graphic novel, it definitely does start Azula’s redemption arc but in my opinion, it didn’t do ENOUGH for it. We just see a hint that maybe her attitudes have started to shift.
Ever since that one vacation at ember island I’ve wanted her to have a redemption arch seeing as it showed she was just kinda broken inside but ignored it
Azula has more psychological damage than Zuko. Zuko was able to heal from his father's neglect because he was always angry at him and within a year rejected him. Azula was fully on board with her father's horrible ways from an early age. His aggression didn't bother her since she was strong and did whatever he asked of her. She was sadistic and though we all know these things are bad traits, she didn't view them like that. The only psychological scar Azula has is from her mother and it's worse than Zuko's scar. Azula feels like her mom was scared of her and rejected her. That's so much worse than having her be a loving mother but then vanishing one day. At least Zuko's memories of her are positive. Then we get into the social aspect of Azula. She only sees values power and sees weaknesses in others. She has no charisma with people her age and seems to never respect elders other than her father. We all point out how incredible it was for Aang to master the 4 elements within a year, but Zuko underwent all that change in that time too. He did a 180 and in the end got everything he wanted. He regained his honor by taking the Fire Nation out of the warmongering ways of his father, he found his mother, he found true friendship, his father figure Iroh is still there and loves him, and he still has a girl who loves him. Azula may find inner peace and redemption but I think it will be a lot harder and a longer road for her to be accepted by others like Zuko.
I think Azula getting a redemption eventually is a good thing. She was a victim of abuse just as much as Zuko, except she never got a the kind of wake up call Zuko did.
I'll be very honest, all the new avatar stuff coming out feels more like a product than a story that someone wanted to tell. I'll give it all a chance, but i would prefer to see new stories from new characters in that world.
The problem is that we jumped from Avatar to Korra and skipped 70 years worth of stories. We still do not know anything about Lins father Kanto or Identity of Su Yin. In addition what about Suki and Kyoshi warriors? There are a lot to tell about our heroes when they are adults.
@@AndalusianPhilosopherTrue, but honestly, I'm kinda more interested in the 100-year war. We only somewhat saw the tail end of the war from the gaang's perspective but I think it would cool to actually see how it transpired from the start of the genocide to aang's arrival. Like we could see new characters and also returning characters at their time at the war like jeong jeong, iroh, hakoda, lu ten, and other members of the white lotus.
Assuming the redemption will be good, I wonder how it will go? Seeing a character like azula be redeemed, however that means for her, will definitely be an interesting journey if anything (again, assuming it’s done well).
I dunno, I feel that sometimes, certain people really just don't change in the way we'd like. The idea of Azula having a redemption arc is kinda odd sounding. Sure, maybe she could, over time, be less overzealous but I can't see her having a complete change. Maybe she could place her efforts into something more poised towards the spiritual side of life. Still, her personality and upbringing kinda places her as essentially a Psychopath so... yeah, it's not gonna be some kind of Zuko scenario Hell, Zuko was never even all that bad to begin with, he was an Anti-Hero at best, certainly not a Villain to such an extent as his sister was, which is why his redemption arc works so much better in concept.
I totally agree with you. Remember when she was sadistically smiling while her own brother was scarred for life? Her lack of compassion and sadistic traits make me feel like it would be very hard for her to have a redemption arc. Many kids were abused by their parents, and did atrocious things in their life. Does it mean we should forgive all of their actions because of their difficult childhood?
@@Alantkathat was in the memory of iron who wasn’t even looking. Plus Azula was 11 at the time following her fathers example because no one ever thought to teach her different. The adults in her life failed her and it’s sad that zuko was the only one to fight for her
@@Lexie955the thing that gets me is everyone says her redemption is "deserved" but what has she done to deserve it? Should she get some form of redemption? Maybe, but she's not entitled to it because she has not done anything to say the character could be turned. It's similar in a way to kuvira's somewhat undeserved redemption as she attemped to raise a militant society and nuke a city.
Azula's redemption isn't about whether she deserves one or not, it's not about whether she can be redeemed, it's about whether she wants to redeem herself.
I know that some people can't find it in their hearts to forgive abusers and manipulators, especially those that have been hurt by them... I'm glad that Avatar went this route, I like the idea that no one is ever "too far gone" to earn redemption. Not necessarily forgiveness, but redemption.
Honestly while I’m glad that Azula is gonna be getting more focus I’m VERY worried about how they’re going to handle her redemption cause these days redemption arcs for characters like Azula are a very sensitive issue. But more importantly Azula CANNOT turn into the kind hearted person similar to Zuko, they really need to make her Struggle for it and At best Azula should turn from Villain to Anti-Hero. The whole gang accept Zuko and Aang would mostly keep her at arms length at best.
I disagree with you about redemption not every redemption needs to be long and rigorous. redemption is also multi-faceted there are different components to it, repentance & contrition, forgiveness, rebuilding trust, making amends, setting things right, penance, etcetera.
Spoiler: She’s not redeemed yet. In the comic, the group she formed of rescued girls “betrayed” her by leaving her in order to save one of the girls that got captured. Alone and feeling betrayed she wandered into a “fire sage temple” where people encountering turmoil find peace at. She has at first a peaceful dream where everything was the way she wanted it. Her mother being proud of her and not fearing her, a united family, loved by all her people and by the guy from the fire island episode. But her inner turmoil could not be resolved that easily. A lot of back and forth occurs with her facing her inner demons but she still has them. After she leaves she finds her group and seeking for revenge initially she looks like she’s about to fight but then looks at them longer, has an odd yet kinda happy smile and leaves them staying “they’re not worth it” and thus began her redemption arc. The old azula would have rained a fire fiery upon them. TLDR: she’s not redeemed yet but her redemption arc begins
Azula didnt need redemption. But, because she is young, can she deserve it, to find a "peacefull live". Not necressary like, living happy on a farm. But, living like a mercenary or bounty hunter (like the women with this big animal, who hunted Aang for a short time). Something, where she didnt has to do bad things. And antagonising others or nations But, lives out her fighting nature.
When first I watched the finale all those years ago I expected Azula to just spontaneously combust after being beaten by Zuko. That would’ve been such a good moment.. like she charges her lightning and is so furious at Zuko beating hear she just explodes.
I always wanted continuations, especially with The Legend of Korra, and I did want a future avatar in like a 1900s setting with more advanced technology and stuff like that, and then even a new future avatar in modern times like today. There could have been so much opportunities with the future of this media.
I’d like to see this as an additional Iroh journey. Something along the lines of he sees how broken she is and is determined to try and undo the damages his brother did to their own family, but something he is wise enough to recognize that he needs Azula to become vulnerable enough to want her family’s help and it becomes some drawn out chess game between two masters on how to both double speak and hide emotions while being truly honest and trying to submit their worldview as the best path forward.
I still hold that she needs a Zuko alone style moment and that she needs to see a child that more or less mirrors her so she can see her life from the outside.
One of the best quotes I have heard regarding redemption arcs is this. "If redemption is only for characters who haven't done anything that bad, it's not a redemption arc."
@wormfood69 The only difference between fictional characters and real life people is that you like the characters because you understand them. So, if you're willing to have grace for monsters in fiction, why not real life? Because you can excuse fictional violence as long as it makes you happy that your crush is with the main cast?
@@harrybudgeiv349 There's several differences, actually. You've touched on one - we can actually look into the heads of certain fictional characters to understand their true motivations, whereas in real life we can't. We can make attempts, but psychology isn't there yet, and in my opinion never will be. This is pretty impactful in terms of whether a person could be rehabilitated. A criminal who steals because they don't have money to eat will stop stealing if they have money to eat, for an extremely simplified example. Another is fairly straightforwards - any actions a fictional character does are fictional. Hitler actually was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Darth Vader is responsible for the deaths of some words on a script. Even well past the fact that Alderaan doesn't exist, even within the film, Alderaan was never seen and nobody aside from Princess Leia was written into the narrative at the time. A third is that a character isn't a person. A person has a wide variety of complex psychological and sociological phenomena motivating their actions. A character's actions is motivated by the needs of the story and the whims of the author. Hitler was a person with free will. Steven Universe's Diamonds do not exist outside of the script, drawings and voice acting, and a different author is as free to rewrite them as unrepentant monsters, unfeeling aliens with no concept of morality in the first place, or secretly pawns of the hidden super-dictator, Wurtzite Boron Nitride. Indeed, a character's actions are more likely to be informed by the themes of the work than they are any form of common sense.
I agree with people saying Azula shouldn't necessarily be redeemed. Like, I can't picture her being "good" but I can absolutely see her being an ally to Zuko in her own twisted way and of course making peace with Ursa; her mother. Azula's "redemption" can work if she is treated like Dragon Ball's Frieza or Darth Maul from Star Wars. Azula will never be good, but the audience (which is us) can still root for her and she can still work together with Zuko, Ty Lee, etc. She just won't exactly apologize and retain her disdain for peasants...you know, like Frieza!
Better to compare her with Vegeta than Frieza. Frieza has zero nuance in his character. He's evil, he knows he's evil and he takes pride in it. Azula on the other hand doesn't view herself as evil, she views herself as being wronged by everyone else and simply refuses to see her own faults. At the end of it all, she wants love. She even acknowledges that. But rather than earning love, she feels entitled to it
@@toadlord8594 Nah, the more I think about it, Azula's arc should not try to parallel anyone else's. Neither Vegeta nor Maul. I really like what the comics did to her. She's much too proud to admit her own faults and how she pushes people away from herself, even when it's spelled out for her. But despite it all, she goes from wanting revenge on her team to saying "They're not worthy of my leadership". Finding a selfish reason to do something good. It works absolutely perfectly for her
@@somerandomnon-importantper3219 As long as becomes mostly an Anti Hero or Neutral Good at best in my eyes. She’s still has her sadistic traits and only Zuko and Aang are really gonna try and support her. I just would Hate if she just becomes this holy good person who full supports the gang. A reluctant ally at best.
@@toadlord8594 All of Azula's sadistic traits are the result of her belief that fear is better than love and her fervent refusal to question this belief, despite having her entire world come tumbling down in front of her eyes. Azula does enjoy being feared, but not because of the fear itself. She enjoys it because it's the only reliable way to ensure people don't betray her, in her belief. In the comic, the spirit says "So what you want most is for the people who've hurt you to acknowledge that and ask for your forgiveness?" And Azula plainly answers yes. Azula's biggest problem is the fact that she won't relay this to anyone. If Zuko were to hear that, I guarantee he would be the first to reach out to her. Her belief that she can't be the first one to acknowledge her wrongdoings, because only the weak do that. But if she keeps behaving like that, every and any alliance she enters will eventually crumble. And herein lies the key reason why I believe that she will change. A character like her is much too smart to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. In this comic, she abandoned her desire to get revenge on her team and justified it with the notion that not having a leader like her will be punishment enough for them. This is still an insanely narcissistic reasoning, no doubt about it. But the key point is that the one she is justifying this to is herself. She felt the need to justify her decision not to seek revenge in a way that makes even that decision selfish. That's exactly what I think she'll be doing from now on: Every now and then, she will make a small but meaningful decision and despite that decision being objectively selfless she will always find a reasoning that makes it selfish until the line blurs
For my first time hearing @Book4Air, the VA work blew me away. I was willing to chalk down the first few seconds of the video to AI. It's hard to mess up 2 lines. Then she started reading the cookbook entry and I lost it because I thought you had Azula's actual VA doing this bit of the script. Bravo!
I've got a point out the discrepancy I've encountered a lot in the fandom. So many people want azula, who was a psychopath born into privilege, to have a redemption ark, but will turn around and call Jet garbage
One you can’t diagnose someone under 18 with psychopathy and she shows traits that contradict that diagnosis as well two if you consider her to be beyond redemption then zuko should be to as he was given many opportunities to be better and threw almost all of them away and she (being two years younger) was given 0 chances to become better
People sure love to throw that word around. She was a child who knew no other way to get her own father to give a damn about her. She grew up cruel because she didn't know any better. Ozai is right there, he deserves all the hate.
@@anitamihholap5926 she had a father to give a damn about her; a father whose war and terrorism took Jet's parents. Ozai does deserve the hate, but Jet deserves the sympathy
@@DementedXShenzi I never said anything about Jet. So you do agree, Ozai is trash. So trash in fact, that his own children were nothing but bloodhounds in his eyes. Not much of a privilege. And that maybe, just maybe, a child who, deep down, only wanted to be accepted by someone, has a chance to change.
@@anitamihholap5926 Yeah Ozai is trash. I don't think Azula is necessarily beyond redemption but I ain't holding my breath. At least she knew where her next meal was coming from and that at night she'd have a pillow under her head and roof over it. Jet didn't have those advantages. His life was a constant battle
Only played the video for some background noise and some insight. But finding out about UA-cam channel that brings the comics the life AND a Cookbook?! That’s awesome
@@TheMrPeteChannel Of which he is indeed a villain. And even with Vader's redemption, it was brought about at the tail end of the story. So in the end, he did the right thing, and may have redeemed himself, but he does not have a redemption arc, and most people in the universe would not think highly of Vader, but rather negatively.
I mean she was groomed from an early age to actively rid herself of any redeeming qualities, that’s not really her fault. I think anyone who grew up with abusive/manipulative parents understands how she ended up the way she did. Also, she’s 14
While the book is out already and many have read it, I will not spoil anything, except that the book does not redeem Azula, but it does sow the seed of the why she may eventually choose redemption. But as of right now she is in the initial stages of that major redemption arc.
When you think about it, Azula has more in common with Katsuku personality wise than Touya, beings raised with a toxic superiority complex and a crippling need to prove oneself.
As a popular skeleton in a blue hoodie once asked, "Do you believe even the worst person could change?" And as another popular skeleton in a red cape once said, "But you can do better, I believe in you."
Well the comic was certainly a strong first baby step, if it is indeed a start and not just a one off. The spirit manifestations of her subconscious or whatever really laid out all those exact issues you brought up, of what needs to happen for her to change. She's rejected it all by the end of course, but the fact that we saw her mind at least confront her with those issues gives me hope (and am I alone in thinking the old monk was the spirit's manifestation of an old lady Azula? She had the same eyes, same lines under them, I have a feeling) Of course, I would rather it not take until over 10 years after ATLA for her to finally reconcile with people, but it's better than nothing. I also hope Ty Lee's role in this comic and her vow to keep hunting shows that she will be another important person in helping her down a new path. And that it's not just Mai she's on good terms with in the cookbook. Not that I expect Tyzula to happen, but I was always on that ship lol.
While this is a fantastic video I can say that redemption is more about healing than suffering. 13:32-13:38 Redemption is both a flick of the wrist and a soothing journey. When I had my chance at redemption, it was long and hard but not the suffering type of hard, the empowering kind. Redemption is about healing and as mentioned in the video seeing what you do wrong then seeing a better path and taking it. My redemption is a result of my senate service at college, within a month everything had changed and it took a few years for things to settle. Redemption is eye opening and enlightening. I had been redeemed for mutual misunderstandings between my classmates and I. I looked at myself as better since I was born in a mega big city and they were from a small town by comparison, it was ridiculous. Nevertheless, no one was mad at me in the first place and today it's all been resolved for a few years. Now I'm poised to become a great leader in the environmental field and in society.
An ending I always imagined for Azlua was her having a child and/or getting married. I mean, think about it. Her father was a narcissist who manipulated her and her mother was scared of her. Her becoming the kind of parent she deserved as well as no longer trying to get power could be a good ending for her.
I’m sure there’s reasoning both ways, but this isn’t what I wanted to see. Sometimes it’s better to leave villains as villains. Not everyone needs to be vegeta/zuko
To be honest, with the way the show shows Azula, you'd think she'd around Zuko's age, 16, but no, she's only 14. Traveling the world, conquering cites, became the fire lord (for a extremely short time) and having a death match with her older brother. Zuko is almost an adult while Azula just turned a teen.
If you look at Zuko and Azulas parents, borh of them in a way gave up on their child. Ozai gave up on Zuko which caused him to recieve their mothers love more while Azula was cherised by Ozai but was basically(in her mind) negelected of tgeir mother because she was becoming too much like Ozai
One of the reasons that has become particularly important to me as to why I want Azula to redeem herself is to see the reaction of those who have chosen to label this villain with a disorder (with their incredible knowledge and experience in these matters, of course), as if it were more or less to saying "golden-eyed, black-haired teenager." Not only is it inaccurate at best, but it seems like they haven't seen more villains or character arcs. If you believe Azula is irredeemable let me tell you that you are too vanilla.
I don't think Azula is "irredeemable", but I just think that some characters can remain complicated and have unresolved anguish their whole lives (like Amon and Tarrlok if you've watched LOK). I strongly disagree with the idea of handing out redemption arcs to every single character like it's free lemonade. Azula's and Zuko's character arcs are the complete opposites (in the show, at least). One went from the rock bottom to being their best possible self; and the other went from being their best possible self to the rock bottom. It represents how differently people with similar childhood traumas can turn out. Azula is my favourite, and she is probably redeemable, but I only want to see her redemption if they make it as good as/even better than Zuko's redemption. Her character is too intensely complex.
@@Abhaaa I'm one of those who want redemption for her but not a resolution to all her problems and a complete turnaround from who she was. To me, she should remain flawed. While I love redemption stories like Amon/Tarlock, the problem is that those stories work because they had closure at the right moment. With Azula that didn't happen, at this point it's too late for that, and it will make less sense if we see the same thing over and over. I also agree with giving every character a redemption arc, but even if Azula redeems herself, it won't be the case. She's not the only villain without a redemption in ATLA (we have Ozai, Zhao, Hama, Long Feng, etc.), and whether they redeem her or not, it won't set a precedent or change how such things are handled. If they do redeem her, she'll be another redeemed villain in a universe with many unredeemed ones, and if they don't, she'll add to the long list of unredeemed villains that have existed in fiction for as long as it's been around. As for representation, it's more about the perspective. For example, for someone who has suffered in a similar home and managed to break free from it, it would be appropriate for both characters to break the cycle. Perhaps for a family that couldn't break the cycle, seeing the cicle broken in fiction is comforting because that's what fiction is for.
I can't understand how people on the Azula hate train think she's isn't capable of redemption. Yet they had no problem with Zuko's redemption. He initially wanted to capture/kill Aang just to restore his position as Crown Prince. Come on now.
I had no idea that there was a 2021 cookbook, let alone that it canonized Azula as not being this psychotic child left to live out her life in chains. That's kind of hilarious and amazing at the same time.
I don't think she needs to be redeemed. Azula is a Ozai with more range. Her world view doesn't mesh with compassion and I kinda like that. Also, I always loved how much she looks like Ozai. And when she's not scowling, she's really pretty. P.s. that beach dream shot with all her family was really sad😢
She looks like her mom. She was manipulated by Ozai to be a heartless weapon/tool. She looks more like her mom. But yeah, most guys agree with you. And a lot of girls possibly. Yes it was.
Ya know Azula is just as broken as many of the members of team avatar but she had no one to help her, her breaking down crying in chains. I wanted to hug her even if she blew fire in my face lol she has problems but I believe she deserves a redemption now someone like their father, no. Azula did show some emotions and remorse which shows she can still be redeemed Edit: btw I don’t think this will be the only comic for Azula, she was a #1 fav in the series and so many people would riot if she was done unjust by just one short 80 page comic
She REFUSED to let anyone help her. Her friends tried to help her, her mother tried to help her before she showed how much of a monster she was even as a small child.
Who else wanted that old unnamed female Fire Sage from the 2nd season of TLoK to be a redeemed Azula who took a vow of lifelong servitude to make up for her earlier atrocities?
That's a decent theory, but it'd really be a complete 180 turn for her character. I'd rather she make, like, a 120 turn where she starts leveraging her skills for good.
@@eradictI'm not. Have you noticed that the ATLA-verse is making EVERY female who hasn't had a biological child LGBT? I'm OKAY with 1 or 2 or 3 but every? Korda, bi. Asami, bi. Kyoshi bi (But probably, truly a Lesbian). Yangchen, arro/ace. They 100% make her a lesbian. This is getting repetitive.
@@TheMrPeteChannelaroace 😂. Maybe Azula will have kids who just happens to be nobodies while being aroace. Also is Toph bi straight or lesbian or other?
I feel like Azula relishing in the harm she's caused and havoc she's wrought is in-line with her character. I'd like to see her redemption arc not be to abhor her past actions, but to see that's not the *only* nor *the greatest* things she can do. I want a more full, robust villainy with an acceptance of moral gravitas. Not this downplayed, "become good" trash
I think the best way to give Azula a redemption arc is to give her something to care about. She won't necessarily become a good person... just more human.
Considering that Azula was groomed into growing into a power-hungry, sadistic, sociopathic narcissist like her Dad, you can approach her character arc with the attitude of it not being entirely her fault that she turned out the way that she did. Doesn’t mean its not her responsibility to grow out of her programming, though. We are all of us our choices, after all- and just because it’s not your fault that you turned out a certain way, that doesn’t make it NOT your responsibility to fix. And given that she still IS a sociopathic narcissist, there’s now really no cure for her personality disorder/s. That doesn’t mean she can’t learn and grow as a person, though- just that it’s going to be much, MUCH harder for her to do so- and the process is going to be more replete with relapses into her old ways (and subsequent corrections/accountability from her support group/s) than it would be for people without a personality disorder as severe and deep-seatedly malignant as hers. It’s not going to just stop here with this one big and impactful redemption for her- it’s going to be a lifelong struggle of constant work and constant checking of herself. But hey, I believe in her! Someone as capable as her can definitely do it. But “can” and “will” are two different concepts…
Good idea but she was not groomed she was born evil to the core and all of her flash backs show us that, her father just give her a direction if everyrhing else was her doing for example he ask her to capture zuko nothing more everything else she did was because of the pure pleasure she gets from it even giving zuko the credit for killing the avatar was just for the pleasure of seeing him fall.
@@SoyElBrokas no one is really BORN evil, though. You can make the argument that full-blown psychopaths are born “evil,” but even that’s polarizing language- and not always polarizing in a way that’s accurate. Cause psychopaths aren’t necessarily born “evil,” they’re just born without a capacity for emotional empathy. They can develop cognitive empathy, yeah- but they often just use it to manipulate people. And even so, psychopaths can still be taught ‘right from wrong,’ and/or develop their own moral code/s. But Azula was mostly groomed into the person she is now. Daddy Ozai saw a prodigy firebender, then ostracized Zuko while taking Azula in as his golden child. He then TAUGHT her to become the wicked, sociopathic cunt she became.
Does no one remember when Zuko told his mom she used to throw rocks at animals as a kid? And when she smiled when she watch as Ozai burned half of his face during their agni kai? Shes a psychopath, how do you people not realize this? She doesn't deserve to be redeemed, she hasn't done anything to warrant it. You people jusy feel bad for her because shes a girl. All the excuses you make could just as well be applied to any other evil fire bender, like Zhao or Ozai. But nobody wants them to be redeemed.
Well, she's a child / teenager when the events of ATLA unfold, and neither Zhao nor Ozai are. Maybe she doesn't deserve redemption, maybe she does, it all depends on what is coming next. If her redemption is rushed, it will definitly feel unwarranted, because yes, she was terrible. But I think it may be possible. I did feel bad for her at the end of the show but just because she showed some vulnerability. Of course she totally deserved to lose everything (and the fight was epic, it was very gratifying to see). But she can feel some emotions after all, don't you think? She was even becoming crazy at the end. And she was a pawn in Ozai's hand (he didn't show any form of vulnerability and he was an adult very well aware of the consequences of his actions.)
If Zuko can change, so can she. If Iroh can change into the man he was, so can she. She will never be 'good' as the scars will never heal, but she has a chance to move on and seek a different purpose in her life. She also needs an incredible amount of therapy and care. Iroh was there for Zuko, Katara and friends were there for Aang, and now someone needs to be there for Azula as she grows up in a world where she can't fight for world domination.
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When can we buy the book or get it
@@peteryanes3413 It's out Oct 31
de-pollution of lake would be 20-30 years, however your not taking into account that water-bending exists in the world of Avatar, so there's a high possibility that shaved off about 15years give or take if it was done consistently, the other thing to bear in mind is that as the city grew cleaner more water benders would arrive to speed up the process cutting the time down further. So the depollution method, may have well been achieved within the time span of 5-15years which in our world would be a world record to be frank. Quite the achievement too pull off for any civilization.
Out of context question,if the elder dragons can produce colours out of their flames,does that mean fire benders can manipulate electromagnetic waves because multi coloured flames are probably done through the manipulation of frequency and wave lengths of their radiation so does that mean in the future,there may be dark fire benders that can use x rays or gamma rays or ultraviolet rays to attack their opponents?
@@vinny8589 Oh, and the 5-15 year timeline aligns quite nicely with the 2025 movie, which take place ~12 years post-war
What I am most interested in is the fact that in Azula's dream Zuko has no scar, it reveals a lot about Azula's psyche.
Yeah ! Like maybe she didn’t actually want him to be scarred 😌
@@chickens1543 I think it'd be more of the programming from her father. She pictures Zuko without a scar because she's incapable of going against her allegiances to the Fire Nation at that deep of a level. It's a lot easier to ignore something and pretend it doesn't exist than it is to come to terms with reality.
@@chickens1543you missed the point
More like she prolly wasn’t focused on the dude forgetting about all of his problems but they weren’t her problems
@@trajectoryunown Someone needs to go read the novelization of the show lol.
Azula PoV in the The Earth Kingdom Chronicles makes it pretty clear that she wants Zuko back with her in the Fire Nation for no ulterior motives, and if anything, she might never have wanted him to be exiled at all. It's certainly a retcon of the flashbacks we saw in the series, but then again, that one flashback where Azula smiled at Zuko getting burnt was Iroh's PoV, not an omniscient narrator.
The creators of Avatar said they had an even longer and harder redemption arc for Azula planned than what Zuko got. I hope that means we can get a more drawn-out one for her than his in the end, as she would need to overcome a lot more trauma to even be on cease-fire terms with the Gaang.
Is this said by the live action creators or was it the original creators because the comics have done my head in for a long time for not understanding what her character is meant to be. They often get the role of antagonist confused with being a villain
@@ToxicDarkLord The original creators have intended for azula to get a redemption arc, her shenanigans in the comics right now is the beginnings of that, and there are some immediate parallels to Zuko Alone and some of his other rough beginnings of his redemption arc.
@@tuxxle8830 I was aware of the original creators doing that in book 4 but I was hoping this was said by the live action series cause man I need that redemption arc in the live action to clean the misery that I feel from seeing Azula in book 3
@@ToxicDarkLord Azula is at her forefront a villain in the avatar series. I appreciate her being on the path to redemption in the comics, but her arc in the animated series is incredible with her spiral into madness toward the end of the series, and it makes her Agni-Kai with Zuko as intense and profound as it is. Azula getting redeemed in the events of the animated series would be a dampen on her character and that profound rivalry culminating in such an incredible climax. Redeeming her in a shorter time frame would also seem contrived as she’s a genuine psychopath, and presenting her at any less would be a disservice to her character’s amazing role everyone enjoys within the show.
5th reply
Azula was a child soldier. There’s no better way to describe her upbringing. She deserves to have a chance at a happy ending.
Basically like a Hojo/sephiroth (according to Evercrisis) dynamic with Ozai and Azula. It’s good Azula does eventually change tho. (As for Sephy he’s screwed since he got Jenova stuck on him since before birth)
"deserves"
Not really. In attack on titan, There was a child soldier that ended up dying after being manipulated in his childhood years and carried out an attack. He was one of the people but the least dangerous one nor did he have a say in the actions...he died the worst death out of them.
@CSM_Kobeni_Fan Not really sure what your point is here? How does the story arc of one character in an entirely different franchise equate to Azula's character not "deserving" a chance at a happy ending?
That's like saying, "Aang shouldn't have ended up with Katara because Naruto didn't end up with his childhood crush, Sakura." One doesn't have anything else to do with the other...
Dude, what are you even talking about? Child Soldier? Get some grip off reality and inform yourself how actual child soldiers are treated.
@@XLE6IONX my point is "they don't have to"
the story ended 15 years ago...now all of a sudden just because you want her to have a redemption arc because you feel like she deserved it. She "doesn't deserve" anything. In fact she did nothing to deserve it. Now if there was a several comics a couple years after explaining in depth that her father tortured/manipulated her then started the second one with her mother...
but that did not happen in fact the comics with her mother did not feel like azula deserved a redemption arc. Especially the articles with her and people that wanted her in power over zuko.
but you want her to have a redemption arc after time and time again that she doesn't deserve anything.
Redeeming Azula will not be easy. It will need to be a long tumultuous journey that challenges and forces her to confront her entire world view. Much like Zuko, she will need to have a huge internal struggle and fail to make the right choices several times throughout her journey before she finally succeeds at redeeming herself. She’ll need to confront her trauma and face it head on, and doing so should almost break her completely. Eventually we’ll need to see her start helping people, showing compassion and empathy towards other people she’s wronged. She’ll need to seek to right her wrongs and seek to make things right with the world, which for a character like Azula will take a lot.
Zuko’s redemption was so powerful because we had an entire series to follow him along his journey. We saw his ups and downs and how much he struggled. He failed on multiple occasions and lost his way a couple of times, but was able to find his way back with the support and guidance of his uncle. He didn’t change overnight, it took him awhile and ultimately he had to make the right choice and so will Azula. It will need to take years for Azula to do the same and she will need a strong support system who believes in her and are determined to help her succeed. Initially that support system will be Zuko, then Aang could join the cause after Zuko convinces him that Azula needs it and eventually she could have all of team avatar behind her doing everything they possibly can to help Azula turn her life around
Xena's redemption wasn't easy either
@@garymadison3401 Azula was let down by everyone. All of the adults in her life were bad influence
@@stitchfire15 exept her mom
@@humayunkabir3814 Her mother was a good person, but Azula has a certain paranoia. So when Ursa “opposed” her, Azula placed her mother as an adversary and not as a trustworthy person who was trying to educate her.
@@dllps EXACTLY, which is why I said her mom did not let her down like people think
"Guess what bitches, I'm back."
I was not expecting that💀💀💀
If this were not a kid's show, I would bet she'd say something like that
Oh you bet Grey would do it for free @@Robust-d7u
It actually fit xd
@@PatrickBlake-ct9geno that was Lucia Lobosvilla from the Book 4 Restoration Project. It’s a channel creating motion comics for Book 4 of ATLA. Lucia’s the head writer.
sameee 😂
The fact that she was a child who was neglected and sought out reinforcement in the only way she could recieve.... her dad....and was a soldier. She deserved redemption. Her breaking down was a perfect setup for a great humbling of the once admired and feared azula. She did bad things but people change everyday. Maybe she can be loved for once and happy. I for one cannot wait to see such a beautiful transformation. It's beautiful 😭
She was manipulative, deceitful, and power hungry as a child of like 7. Kids do not think that way unless they are sociopaths.
@@harrybudgeiv349 She is not power hungry. Many kids have these traits and are not sociopaths. There is a reason why more extreme cases like Beth Thomas were not labeled as a sociopath.
A redemption would have ruined her character tbh. Sometimes people are just assholes, including children, and that's totally fine.
@@Twiggierjetkids are not evil nor are they unworthy of redemption
@darkpersona1462 spoken like someone who's never had to deal with serious bullying as a child. Besides, these aren't real people, they are fictional characters.
I always forget she's 14 and her defeat was...something that I can't really quite place cathartic. Bittersweet. I cant really place it honestly.
It was heroic as we see the bad guy fall, but it’s also like watching someone who tried their best after being traumatized for so long get beat down horribly.
Azula’s story is nothing short of tragic, tbh. She never had a chance. She was raised crazy. Can’t feel too satisfied with her defeat because she was born a victim. ):
Can we just appreciate how backstreet’s back is playing in the background. Why can I imagine Azula walking into a room with this playing an going “look who’s good now” 😂
Thank you, stranger. Now I can barely hear the narration over the sheer power of that music.
LOL glad I'm not the only one who couldn't unhear that.
I had to mute the video and turn on captions tbh.
It was good music- way way too loud
Literally couldn't focus on what he was saying because all I could think was "Wait is this Backstreet Boys? Why is it Backstreet Boys? Where did he get this rendition? Did he do it himself? etc"
There's a LOK fan fiction called Book 5: Rebirth, in which Korra and team travel to the Fire Nation to investigate Red Lotus activity, including a guy who can artificially bend fire and air. In this fan fiction, the Fire Nation remains the most technologically advanced nation in the world, even compared to the United Republic. Amongst the characters the team meets is an elderly and redeemed Azula, who is revealed to be Mako and Bolin's maternal grandmother.
May I have the link please? I'd be so down to read this
That honestly would have been so much better than the shaft Mako and Bolin got in the series, and it happens more often than people think irl so it would have been a cool line to see in the show
(irl, there’s a woman who found out she was a long lost (I think African? But that could be my mind racial bias not remembering accurately) princess. When she was found, the country celebrated and it made the news for a short period.)
@@Norinia I heard about that. It was African (Sierra Leone).
If Azula is the maternal grandmother of Mako and Bolin…that’s so goosebumps. This can also explain why Mako knows lightning bending (it could have been taught by their mum, but we aren’t sure if she is a fire bender). However, it would also mean that Azula would have her name changed and hidden, possibly to prevent everyone, including Zuko to find her
@@zhining911 Actually, in this fan fiction, Azula is long since reformed and living back in the Fire Nation Palace.
I honestly want nothing less than her redemption. She honestly deserves it. And I really enjoyed zuko’s character development in the series. They did a really good job
Same... I think they did a great job giving us a soft spot for her l, especially at the end.
I think azula will go from evil to neutral
I would imagine a fan fiction, going to the extreme like her mother to change her face and her memories wiped would be unlikely as she still wants to topple Zuko, but the haunting of her mother still traumatizes her, already having schizophrenia. But over time, she would give up (Long before the comic was announced), whether she'll meet the Mother of Faces, it's up to her, my idea is she runs to a lower profile of the Earth Kingdom, conceal her identity and maybe give up her old crown and Fire Nation clothing to become part of an Earth Kingdom citizen. Obviously she rather stay away from any water sources and don't like to look in the mirror without someone by her side. Pretending to be a refugee and her parents are "killed in a raid", met her future husband, once married and have a kid, she could slowly forget her mother when she became a mom herself. In this way, she'll leave no trace for Aang or Zuko to find her, they'll see her as missing and presumed dead.
That's not what the lead writer of the OG series wanted. Aaron was going to devote book 4 to her redemption. She was going to do a complete 180. Then Shayalaman came along, Bryce and Nick got greedy, and Book 4 went bye bye. What happened after that served them right.
@@dustinmaxwell259Every time I see people mention a 4th season for ATLA, everyone says something different, and this is the first time I’ve heard what you said. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing or idea, but it’s always something different whenever people mention anything about Book 4.
@@ningmushii This came straight from the lead writer Aaron. He said it in an interview. Book 4 was all about redeeming Azula.
And as I said, i'm glad the film flopped so badly. They promised us 4 books. Then of course Shaya dragged his washed out arse to Nick, and those greedy studio d*ckheads wet themselves at the thought of breaking into the film industry. Book 4 was dropped for the sake of a film.
Then Bryce thought maybe the OG series was too complex to adapt tp film, which is why the following series was so modernized and dumbed down. At least that's how I saw it. Cheap fireballs and a 1920's setting would have been far easier to adapt to film.But they didn't have Aaron's talent, so korra ended up being a mediocre series.
i really like this idea. azula doesn’t need to become some moral beacon for society, it would be nice to just see her work past her mental issues and more “evil” traits and just become a member of society, maybe not a hero, but not a villain either. although i do think she’ll probably be a neutral character rather than a good one, i would still like to see some form of an apology from her (even if it’s not verbally) to zuko, mai, and ty lee.
Yall are acting like Azula isn't like, a psychologically groomed 12 year old. She has her whole life in front of her and people change, especially when they're that young.
She's Katara's age not Aang and Toph's age
@@Kymanbitch but she's still a child
She has to many traits of a psychopath. Usually in media psychopaths aren't redeemed because IRL psychopaths aren't very well known for being good people who can be redeemed. Its even arguably our social distaste from them comes about because they tended to be the biggest harm to group survival when we are nomadic hunter gathers.
The fact, that psychopathic women are treated with redemption is a huge fed flagto our culture as it reveals a break from this long held tendency which may reflect who is leading us.
@@Xo-3130 She doesn't have more traits than a standard villain. In the same way that people label her, it's too easy to do the same with many redeemed and unredeemed villains.
@@nataliabeam873 personality wise she has no justification for it. Remember the listing you gave me I kind of pointed out only Vader works and again it's shaky without the prequels( and one of them isn't even a villain but that's besides the point). Her personality and actions is close enough to someone like Freiza or Eggman in the IDW Comics who isn't redeemable in the slightest.
The intro lmbo. My girl, she deserves this.
Y'all want a proper Azula redemption story? "Measure Each Step to Infinity" by paxbanana on Archive of Our Own.
I like to think Azula would be more like Loki (Marvel's MCU version). a lovable, chaotic force that is somewhat of an Anti-hero that tends to be on the razor's edge of becoming a villain again.
Damn man perfect comparison
That sounds awful...
@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon Why? It's closer to her personality than being a Hero.
@@joesunday199 The fact that you're comparing Avatar to the shit mcu movies is already bad enough, but to try and slam some mediocre character into Azula, one of the best antagonists ever written, is just insulting.
@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon I have no clue what you are talking about. Azula is fine. I'm comparing the anti-hero/villain type.😮💨🙄
Her redemption arc will be a very tough challenge for sure. Long before the comic, I have a fiction idea that she becomes a runaway after the many defeats by the good guys and Zuko is already too strong to be toppled. She's a wanted fugitive as she thinks, she'll flee to the Earth Kingdom to a lesser village, whether she'll meet the Mother of Faces or not, she's having schizophrenia and need someone new whom she can trust, but trust is hard to find. She would move on, possibly throwing away her old crown and Fire Nation clothes, she became a regular Earth Kingdom citizen and told her new village friends that her parents were "killed in a Fire Nation raid". She's married in the future with a kid, to forget her mother while she becomes a mother herself to focus on her new family more, slowly to let go of her old memories, won't be easy but might visit wise men and meditate, therapies one after another. Yeah, not much of a redemption but a new path to hopefully she won't be found again by Zuko or Aang.
Oh well, let's see what the comic provides, the time is coming closer.
I think both Zuko and Aang will be happy that Azula found new purpose in life. If the life she chose suits her, then I do not see either Zuko or Aang wanting to interfere.
it would be ironic as Azula said to Zuko that he can find a nice earth kingdom family to adopt him
Much of that sounds like Zuko's backstory.
Nah, we’ve seen Azula beat Zuko again in the comics and she beat him badly until she lost her mind, and I’m sure she would’ve won if she was herself at the end of the story as well. I don’t think her not being able to beat Zuko would be her reason for reforming.
Every fanfic I’ve read had Azula running away to earth kingdom😂
After her mother chose to forget her children I don’t think Azula will chose to have her memories taken
While I am excited to see Azula be redeemed and hope they handle it well, I can't help but be a little conflicted about it. I always liked the idea of having a villain that can't be redeemed, not necessarily because their actions went to far, but just because they refuse to change. Zuko was an example of how someone can see what their trauma has done to them and become a better person despite it. I saw Azula as an example of someone who couldn't do that and gave into their trauma and became a worse person because of it. She was a way to show how villains can be created and a lesson at what trauma can do to people.
On the other hand, I do think an Azula redemption can work and can help show people that they can change despite their pasts and that you don't have to refuse to get better.
You do have that, his name is Ozai and Aang was forced to take his bending as it was that or kill him since repentance and redemption were never on the table. Counter to that Azula was 14-15. You are right that Azula provided a nice mirror for what Zuko could have been but in the end her redemption doesn't deminsh that as Zuko shows us redemption is possible, he had an easier (but still hard) time of it thanks to Iron, here as Azula will be coming from much further back.
@@melon_616 And I agree with your point, but I still do stand by mine but am excited to see where her redemption goes. But I do have to say that Ozai is not as much an example of that. I do appreciate how he never had a chance at redemption, but we never got to see his descent into evil or madness. He very likely was also abused, but since we didn't see that, it's hard to teach that type of lesson.
@@riymeep6708he wasn’t abused. I don’t know if it’s canon or I read too many fanfics but iron and Ozai father heavily favored iron because he was a firstborn and I think that’s why ozai favored Azula because she like him was a second born and in his eyes had more potential and power than first born. Azula was never evil and I think her breakdown proved that she was broken and needed help. If she does get redeemed I hope she doesn’t forgive her mother for abandoning her and making her feel unloved in her childhood. Zhukov didn’t have his fathers love but his mom and uncle while Azula only had her fathers and that itself was conditional. I do feel the only person that can show Azula they love her is either a new character or zuko. Zuko did more for her than anyone else
I mean the franchise already has those kind of villains, Ozai, Zhao, Long Feng.
There are irredeemable villains like Sozin, Hama, Ozai and so much more... They all have one thing in common. They are all middle-aged or elderly people who have gone past a point of no return a long time ago. Azula on the other hand is just 14 basically a CHILD SOLDIER! It would be a crime to not allow her to have any sorta redemption! Maybe not a 180 turn sure but at least she might be able to land herself on a more neutral moral ground. It would also take A LOT more to undo the damage Ozai had caused in her psyche than Zuko since Zuko at least had Ursa's and later Iroh and Team Avatar's influence.
I think for azulas arc, she’s going to need to see that she can get real love from her mom, instead of having to earn it like with her dad. She grew up in an environment where the way to get praise and affection is by being the best, and showing vulnerability was treated harshly. She needs someone to show her real love and kindness so that she can 1) learn what real love looks like, and 2) realize that she doesn’t need to be the best and act tyrannical to have affection.
I think Azula’s redemption arc started the moment she was betrayed by tai lee and Mai, it was the first sign that all the methods she had been using to rally people and get what she wanted wasn’t working. She’s been going through a denial phase at the moment, trying to use old methods to get the upper hand, and she keeps failing. Eventually she’ll need to find new ideals to ground herself in. Those can be deluded ideals if she falls deeper into denial, or they can be enlightening and redeeming.
I’m excited to see how they handled this, I feel bad for azula and hope she can get a happy ending.
She either need a boyfriend or her brother to show her love/ her brother had been in the same state as her it took him a long time to reconnect with himself if her brother won't help her why not find a boyfriend that doesn't find her weird snd can show her some love❤
I absolutely agree to this viewpoint regarding the upcoming comic. This shouldn't be a FULL redemption, but rather a stepping stone to redemption. The first steps to finally overcoming her toxic upbringing and the fracturing of her ideals and perceptions she's had of people. I'm still excited for it but definately cautious. I didn't actually know there would be some TLA films though upcoming. Those also have me very excited.
Let her be redeemed and help the Gaang but still have grey morals
I agree. A developed Azula is probably more like a ruthless Nick Fury.
Agreed
I agree. Just have her go at her own path in life rather than just be another member of their group. Redemption for her is something that will likely take years and not months like her brother.
5:50 - 6:16
Damn! That impression was spot on!
Good job @Book4Air
For several long seconds I did actually think that that was Grey DeLyle reading those lines, and I've gotta say? That's impressive :)
Right?? She's so good!
It's good to know that Grey Delisle is still taking voice requests
It was a imitator
@@oxymrn7038even so
@@oxymrn7038 And that was a joking compliment.
@@John_Carguello how would you know? your just assuming this
Nah man, im not gonna believe them anymore, i gave them chance after chance after chance for them to redeem her and what do they do? Break her mind and make her loose the qualities that made her interesting and redeemable. I mean wtf is even the point in trying to redeem her when she doesn't have anything anymore? You'd think it'll be like having a blank slate but no, her character doesnt work like that because even during the show she used her calm and intelligence to admit to Ozai's evil giving her a path to understanding, but now that she's crazy it's impossible for her to have the clear mind to see that, the show and comics broke her so much that she hallucinates, how can they possibly "redeem" mental illness? I get that they want to put her in a place like Zuko, when he lost all, but then again Zuko had Uncle Iroh to guide him as he chose to loose it all, what does she have? No one, not even her brother, not even her mother.
I think you are looking at it too simplistically. Azula does have a story arc in the comics, however the story was left up in the air. I watched Airspeed Prime non spoiler review of the upcoming comic. The comic is a character study. The comic Azula in the spirit temple which comes out next week is the first time in more than 7 years that Azula's story been expanded upon in a major way. Azula's arc has to take time with winding road. The comics only extend the story in universe couple years past the war. The time beyond the comics up to Legend of Korra timeline covers more than 60 years. Other than few basic details, this gap is not covered well. There a lot of unanswered question. Azula's ultimate fate in Korras time have never been addressed. The upcoming comic will have to have follow up story. All the plot threads will not be resolved in 72 page comic.
I just love that he used Girl on fire as a background on the first half of the vid.
noticed that and came to the comments to see if anyone else noticed 😂😂
I swear to god people in the comments have literally forgotten that Azula was a literal child. Kids, no matter how horrible, can change and become functioning adults of society. Just because someone used to be a bully doesn't mean they'd continue being a bully their whole life.
Azula was literally groomed by Ozai to be a perfect weapon. She's sadistic and cruel because she followed in the footsteps of her father. You know? as kids do? Zuko turned out different because not only did he have more time with his mother compared to Azula, but his father had also given up on him Day 1. Azula didn't have that luxury.
Zuko and Azula both faced child abuse, just different kinds of it.
Im so sorry i couldnt keep a straight face with the This Girls on Fire piano backsground music
Having read the graphic novel, it definitely does start Azula’s redemption arc but in my opinion, it didn’t do ENOUGH for it. We just see a hint that maybe her attitudes have started to shift.
It's a start! I liked that actually, someone like azula needs a LOT of work done.
I'm fine with Azula being redeemed, but only if it's a much different way from Zuko
Ever since that one vacation at ember island I’ve wanted her to have a redemption arch seeing as it showed she was just kinda broken inside but ignored it
Azula has more psychological damage than Zuko. Zuko was able to heal from his father's neglect because he was always angry at him and within a year rejected him. Azula was fully on board with her father's horrible ways from an early age. His aggression didn't bother her since she was strong and did whatever he asked of her. She was sadistic and though we all know these things are bad traits, she didn't view them like that. The only psychological scar Azula has is from her mother and it's worse than Zuko's scar. Azula feels like her mom was scared of her and rejected her. That's so much worse than having her be a loving mother but then vanishing one day. At least Zuko's memories of her are positive. Then we get into the social aspect of Azula. She only sees values power and sees weaknesses in others. She has no charisma with people her age and seems to never respect elders other than her father.
We all point out how incredible it was for Aang to master the 4 elements within a year, but Zuko underwent all that change in that time too. He did a 180 and in the end got everything he wanted. He regained his honor by taking the Fire Nation out of the warmongering ways of his father, he found his mother, he found true friendship, his father figure Iroh is still there and loves him, and he still has a girl who loves him. Azula may find inner peace and redemption but I think it will be a lot harder and a longer road for her to be accepted by others like Zuko.
I think Azula getting a redemption eventually is a good thing. She was a victim of abuse just as much as Zuko, except she never got a the kind of wake up call Zuko did.
great to have you back, BLT! cool video and great choice of music haha
I'll be very honest, all the new avatar stuff coming out feels more like a product than a story that someone wanted to tell. I'll give it all a chance, but i would prefer to see new stories from new characters in that world.
The problem is that we jumped from Avatar to Korra and skipped 70 years worth of stories. We still do not know anything about Lins father Kanto or Identity of Su Yin. In addition what about Suki and Kyoshi warriors? There are a lot to tell about our heroes when they are adults.
@@AndalusianPhilosopherTrue, but honestly, I'm kinda more interested in the 100-year war. We only somewhat saw the tail end of the war from the gaang's perspective but I think it would cool to actually see how it transpired from the start of the genocide to aang's arrival. Like we could see new characters and also returning characters at their time at the war like jeong jeong, iroh, hakoda, lu ten, and other members of the white lotus.
@noctisastrum7495 Having a "Clone Wars" style spin-off show set during the Hundred Year War could be fire
@@BabyLionTurtle , just imagine if Genndy Tartakovsky would do. As the Samurai Jack creator that animated the 2D Clone Wars, that was epic to watch.
It is subpar. But the real talent left so...
Assuming the redemption will be good, I wonder how it will go? Seeing a character like azula be redeemed, however that means for her, will definitely be an interesting journey if anything (again, assuming it’s done well).
I dunno, I feel that sometimes, certain people really just don't change in the way we'd like. The idea of Azula having a redemption arc is kinda odd sounding.
Sure, maybe she could, over time, be less overzealous but I can't see her having a complete change. Maybe she could place her efforts into something more poised towards the spiritual side of life. Still, her personality and upbringing kinda places her as essentially a Psychopath so... yeah, it's not gonna be some kind of Zuko scenario
Hell, Zuko was never even all that bad to begin with, he was an Anti-Hero at best, certainly not a Villain to such an extent as his sister was, which is why his redemption arc works so much better in concept.
Agreed fully with every word you said.
I totally agree with you. Remember when she was sadistically smiling while her own brother was scarred for life? Her lack of compassion and sadistic traits make me feel like it would be very hard for her to have a redemption arc. Many kids were abused by their parents, and did atrocious things in their life. Does it mean we should forgive all of their actions because of their difficult childhood?
@@Alantkathat was in the memory of iron who wasn’t even looking. Plus Azula was 11 at the time following her fathers example because no one ever thought to teach her different. The adults in her life failed her and it’s sad that zuko was the only one to fight for her
@@Lexie955the thing that gets me is everyone says her redemption is "deserved" but what has she done to deserve it? Should she get some form of redemption? Maybe, but she's not entitled to it because she has not done anything to say the character could be turned. It's similar in a way to kuvira's somewhat undeserved redemption as she attemped to raise a militant society and nuke a city.
Azula's redemption isn't about whether she deserves one or not, it's not about whether she can be redeemed, it's about whether she wants to redeem herself.
I don’t think Azula can be redeemed. She was bad to the bone from childhood
@@Meela9088 Exactly
*Smoke and Shadow comic was a ridiculous Azula apology rather than a true redemption story. Let's hope this new one will do justice to her story.*
Yeah, not much of a fan of the earlier comic trilogies tbh
Cool title, repulsive writing.
I know that some people can't find it in their hearts to forgive abusers and manipulators, especially those that have been hurt by them...
I'm glad that Avatar went this route, I like the idea that no one is ever "too far gone" to earn redemption. Not necessarily forgiveness, but redemption.
Honestly while I’m glad that Azula is gonna be getting more focus I’m VERY worried about how they’re going to handle her redemption cause these days redemption arcs for characters like Azula are a very sensitive issue.
But more importantly Azula CANNOT turn into the kind hearted person similar to Zuko, they really need to make her Struggle for it and
At best Azula should turn from Villain to Anti-Hero. The whole gang accept Zuko and Aang would mostly keep her at arms length at best.
the best way i could describe the good/redeemed version of azula is.... "tsundere"
@@stripedpolkadots8692 Yeah no matter how much good writing is placed into this Azula redemption it’s always gonna leave the fanbase crazy divided
@@toadlord8594 i like to think that if it’s crazy good (in an ideal timeline) then it’ll be up there w zuko
@@stripedpolkadots8692 Yeah will you can be optimistic about it but that’s not the kind of world we live in
She basically should become what Vegeta was during the cell saga
Omg I'm so happy to see this!!! She was my favorite villain so happy she's finally getting her redemption ❤
I disagree with you about redemption not every redemption needs to be long and rigorous. redemption is also multi-faceted there are different components to it, repentance & contrition, forgiveness, rebuilding trust, making amends, setting things right, penance, etcetera.
I honestly like the idea of her getting a boyfriend who matches her personality and pushes back kind of like the Han Solo to her Princess Leia.
...so like, what Zuko has been doing throughout the show?
Why yal want her to hookup with someone?
As much as Azula deserved that bad karma, she DESERVES a redemption arc. It won't be easy though... but it may work
Spoiler:
She’s not redeemed yet. In the comic, the group she formed of rescued girls “betrayed” her by leaving her in order to save one of the girls that got captured. Alone and feeling betrayed she wandered into a “fire sage temple” where people encountering turmoil find peace at. She has at first a peaceful dream where everything was the way she wanted it. Her mother being proud of her and not fearing her, a united family, loved by all her people and by the guy from the fire island episode. But her inner turmoil could not be resolved that easily. A lot of back and forth occurs with her facing her inner demons but she still has them. After she leaves she finds her group and seeking for revenge initially she looks like she’s about to fight but then looks at them longer, has an odd yet kinda happy smile and leaves them staying “they’re not worth it” and thus began her redemption arc. The old azula would have rained a fire fiery upon them.
TLDR: she’s not redeemed yet but her redemption arc begins
Azula didnt need redemption.
But, because she is young, can she deserve it, to find a "peacefull live".
Not necressary like, living happy on a farm. But, living like a mercenary or bounty hunter (like the women with this big animal, who hunted Aang for a short time).
Something, where she didnt has to do bad things. And antagonising others or nations But, lives out her fighting nature.
Or maybe she can become the mom she never had
Interesting
Is that Am I Dreaming i hear in the background W song choice
When first I watched the finale all those years ago I expected Azula to just spontaneously combust after being beaten by Zuko. That would’ve been such a good moment.. like she charges her lightning and is so furious at Zuko beating hear she just explodes.
I still like to think the fire shaman in Korra is actually Azula.
why do i sorta hear “this girl is on fire” in one of the songs he plays and the “guess what bitches? im back👹” was funny lol
I always wanted continuations, especially with The Legend of Korra, and I did want a future avatar in like a 1900s setting with more advanced technology and stuff like that, and then even a new future avatar in modern times like today. There could have been so much opportunities with the future of this media.
I’d like to see this as an additional Iroh journey. Something along the lines of he sees how broken she is and is determined to try and undo the damages his brother did to their own family, but something he is wise enough to recognize that he needs Azula to become vulnerable enough to want her family’s help and it becomes some drawn out chess game between two masters on how to both double speak and hide emotions while being truly honest and trying to submit their worldview as the best path forward.
I still hold that she needs a Zuko alone style moment and that she needs to see a child that more or less mirrors her so she can see her life from the outside.
They almost did that with The Search, one of the few good post-Last Airbender stories.
One of the best quotes I have heard regarding redemption arcs is this. "If redemption is only for characters who haven't done anything that bad, it's not a redemption arc."
So Hitler should have been given a redemption arc? Azula killed Aang with a smile and came up with the plan for the Earth Kingdom Genocide.
@@harrybudgeiv349 Hitler isn't a fictional character.
@harrybudgeiv349 hitler is a real life person and not a character hope this helps 👍
@wormfood69 The only difference between fictional characters and real life people is that you like the characters because you understand them. So, if you're willing to have grace for monsters in fiction, why not real life? Because you can excuse fictional violence as long as it makes you happy that your crush is with the main cast?
@@harrybudgeiv349 There's several differences, actually. You've touched on one - we can actually look into the heads of certain fictional characters to understand their true motivations, whereas in real life we can't. We can make attempts, but psychology isn't there yet, and in my opinion never will be. This is pretty impactful in terms of whether a person could be rehabilitated. A criminal who steals because they don't have money to eat will stop stealing if they have money to eat, for an extremely simplified example.
Another is fairly straightforwards - any actions a fictional character does are fictional. Hitler actually was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Darth Vader is responsible for the deaths of some words on a script. Even well past the fact that Alderaan doesn't exist, even within the film, Alderaan was never seen and nobody aside from Princess Leia was written into the narrative at the time.
A third is that a character isn't a person. A person has a wide variety of complex psychological and sociological phenomena motivating their actions. A character's actions is motivated by the needs of the story and the whims of the author. Hitler was a person with free will. Steven Universe's Diamonds do not exist outside of the script, drawings and voice acting, and a different author is as free to rewrite them as unrepentant monsters, unfeeling aliens with no concept of morality in the first place, or secretly pawns of the hidden super-dictator, Wurtzite Boron Nitride. Indeed, a character's actions are more likely to be informed by the themes of the work than they are any form of common sense.
I'm surprised Avatar Studious hasn't opened a restaurant yet.
Many movie/TV show themed restaurants fail. Exceptions are The House of Blues & Bubba Gump Shrimp.
It'd be great if she had a budding adventure with her uncle Iro; she betraying him at the end would be a very tragic scene
Maybe that’s why he died
I agree with people saying Azula shouldn't necessarily be redeemed. Like, I can't picture her being "good" but I can absolutely see her being an ally to Zuko in her own twisted way and of course making peace with Ursa; her mother.
Azula's "redemption" can work if she is treated like Dragon Ball's Frieza or Darth Maul from Star Wars. Azula will never be good, but the audience (which is us) can still root for her and she can still work together with Zuko, Ty Lee, etc. She just won't exactly apologize and retain her disdain for peasants...you know, like Frieza!
Better to compare her with Vegeta than Frieza. Frieza has zero nuance in his character. He's evil, he knows he's evil and he takes pride in it. Azula on the other hand doesn't view herself as evil, she views herself as being wronged by everyone else and simply refuses to see her own faults. At the end of it all, she wants love. She even acknowledges that. But rather than earning love, she feels entitled to it
@@somerandomnon-importantper3219Personally I’d think Azula should kinda be like the Darth Mail of the Avatar Universe for her redemption
@@toadlord8594 Nah, the more I think about it, Azula's arc should not try to parallel anyone else's. Neither Vegeta nor Maul. I really like what the comics did to her. She's much too proud to admit her own faults and how she pushes people away from herself, even when it's spelled out for her. But despite it all, she goes from wanting revenge on her team to saying "They're not worthy of my leadership". Finding a selfish reason to do something good. It works absolutely perfectly for her
@@somerandomnon-importantper3219 As long as becomes mostly an Anti Hero or Neutral Good at best in my eyes.
She’s still has her sadistic traits and only Zuko and Aang are really gonna try and support her. I just would Hate if she just becomes this holy good person who full supports the gang. A reluctant ally at best.
@@toadlord8594 All of Azula's sadistic traits are the result of her belief that fear is better than love and her fervent refusal to question this belief, despite having her entire world come tumbling down in front of her eyes. Azula does enjoy being feared, but not because of the fear itself. She enjoys it because it's the only reliable way to ensure people don't betray her, in her belief.
In the comic, the spirit says "So what you want most is for the people who've hurt you to acknowledge that and ask for your forgiveness?" And Azula plainly answers yes.
Azula's biggest problem is the fact that she won't relay this to anyone. If Zuko were to hear that, I guarantee he would be the first to reach out to her. Her belief that she can't be the first one to acknowledge her wrongdoings, because only the weak do that.
But if she keeps behaving like that, every and any alliance she enters will eventually crumble. And herein lies the key reason why I believe that she will change. A character like her is much too smart to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. In this comic, she abandoned her desire to get revenge on her team and justified it with the notion that not having a leader like her will be punishment enough for them. This is still an insanely narcissistic reasoning, no doubt about it. But the key point is that the one she is justifying this to is herself. She felt the need to justify her decision not to seek revenge in a way that makes even that decision selfish. That's exactly what I think she'll be doing from now on: Every now and then, she will make a small but meaningful decision and despite that decision being objectively selfless she will always find a reasoning that makes it selfish until the line blurs
For my first time hearing @Book4Air, the VA work blew me away. I was willing to chalk down the first few seconds of the video to AI. It's hard to mess up 2 lines. Then she started reading the cookbook entry and I lost it because I thought you had Azula's actual VA doing this bit of the script. Bravo!
I've got a point out the discrepancy I've encountered a lot in the fandom. So many people want azula, who was a psychopath born into privilege, to have a redemption ark, but will turn around and call Jet garbage
One you can’t diagnose someone under 18 with psychopathy and she shows traits that contradict that diagnosis as well two if you consider her to be beyond redemption then zuko should be to as he was given many opportunities to be better and threw almost all of them away and she (being two years younger) was given 0 chances to become better
People sure love to throw that word around. She was a child who knew no other way to get her own father to give a damn about her. She grew up cruel because she didn't know any better. Ozai is right there, he deserves all the hate.
@@anitamihholap5926 she had a father to give a damn about her; a father whose war and terrorism took Jet's parents. Ozai does deserve the hate, but Jet deserves the sympathy
@@DementedXShenzi I never said anything about Jet. So you do agree, Ozai is trash. So trash in fact, that his own children were nothing but bloodhounds in his eyes. Not much of a privilege. And that maybe, just maybe, a child who, deep down, only wanted to be accepted by someone, has a chance to change.
@@anitamihholap5926 Yeah Ozai is trash. I don't think Azula is necessarily beyond redemption but I ain't holding my breath. At least she knew where her next meal was coming from and that at night she'd have a pillow under her head and roof over it. Jet didn't have those advantages. His life was a constant battle
Only played the video for some background noise and some insight. But finding out about UA-cam channel that brings the comics the life AND a Cookbook?! That’s awesome
Haha, glad to be of service
Writing Tip: The best way to redeem a villain is to introduce them as a character that has redeemable traits instead of a cold blooded monster.
I do feel that’s part of why Zuko’s redemption arc landed so well.
A New Hope Darth Vader says hi.
@@TheMrPeteChannel Of which he is indeed a villain. And even with Vader's redemption, it was brought about at the tail end of the story. So in the end, he did the right thing, and may have redeemed himself, but he does not have a redemption arc, and most people in the universe would not think highly of Vader, but rather negatively.
I mean she was groomed from an early age to actively rid herself of any redeeming qualities, that’s not really her fault. I think anyone who grew up with abusive/manipulative parents understands how she ended up the way she did. Also, she’s 14
Azula is a cold blooded monster because she is a victim of circumstance. Have some compassion.
I need her own movie. She's a total perfectionist and that's painful. She hated Zuko, but not as a brother but a competitor.
4:46 I knew I was going to see factor the moment you said cookbook😂😂😂😂
While the book is out already and many have read it, I will not spoil anything, except that the book does not redeem Azula, but it does sow the seed of the why she may eventually choose redemption.
But as of right now she is in the initial stages of that major redemption arc.
Finally a redemption arc for my girl.
When you think about it, Azula has more in common with Katsuku personality wise than Touya, beings raised with a toxic superiority complex and a crippling need to prove oneself.
bro the intro got me flabber ghasted
As a popular skeleton in a blue hoodie once asked, "Do you believe even the worst person could change?"
And as another popular skeleton in a red cape once said, "But you can do better, I believe in you."
Azula and kuvira are my favorite antagonists in the series bruh
Well the comic was certainly a strong first baby step, if it is indeed a start and not just a one off. The spirit manifestations of her subconscious or whatever really laid out all those exact issues you brought up, of what needs to happen for her to change. She's rejected it all by the end of course, but the fact that we saw her mind at least confront her with those issues gives me hope (and am I alone in thinking the old monk was the spirit's manifestation of an old lady Azula? She had the same eyes, same lines under them, I have a feeling) Of course, I would rather it not take until over 10 years after ATLA for her to finally reconcile with people, but it's better than nothing.
I also hope Ty Lee's role in this comic and her vow to keep hunting shows that she will be another important person in helping her down a new path. And that it's not just Mai she's on good terms with in the cookbook. Not that I expect Tyzula to happen, but I was always on that ship lol.
Girl on fire is the PERFECT song for her😂😂😂😂
While this is a fantastic video I can say that redemption is more about healing than suffering. 13:32-13:38 Redemption is both a flick of the wrist and a soothing journey. When I had my chance at redemption, it was long and hard but not the suffering type of hard, the empowering kind. Redemption is about healing and as mentioned in the video seeing what you do wrong then seeing a better path and taking it. My redemption is a result of my senate service at college, within a month everything had changed and it took a few years for things to settle. Redemption is eye opening and enlightening. I had been redeemed for mutual misunderstandings between my classmates and I. I looked at myself as better since I was born in a mega big city and they were from a small town by comparison, it was ridiculous. Nevertheless, no one was mad at me in the first place and today it's all been resolved for a few years. Now I'm poised to become a great leader in the environmental field and in society.
The pokemon mystery dungeon music 😭❤
yoooo crazy pull recognizing the GOAT Pokémon game!
the this girl is on fire song on piano hits home for some reason
Azula was my favorite character in ATLA
An ending I always imagined for Azlua was her having a child and/or getting married. I mean, think about it. Her father was a narcissist who manipulated her and her mother was scared of her. Her becoming the kind of parent she deserved as well as no longer trying to get power could be a good ending for her.
I’m sure there’s reasoning both ways, but this isn’t what I wanted to see. Sometimes it’s better to leave villains as villains. Not everyone needs to be vegeta/zuko
There are plenty of villains who remain villains in avatar sorry the 14 year old child soldier is getting a redemption
@@darkpersona1462 sorry that you have to be a prideful uppity person because someone didn't share your perspective.
@@crimsonking7179 not prideful just not blind
@@darkpersona1462 no you are.
@@crimsonking7179 ok then, explain how I’m blind.
THE THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE PIANO FOR THE BACKGROUND SONG IS VILEEEEEEEE
The background piano really is something else
I like her evil they should keep her that way
To be honest, with the way the show shows Azula, you'd think she'd around Zuko's age, 16, but no, she's only 14. Traveling the world, conquering cites, became the fire lord (for a extremely short time) and having a death match with her older brother.
Zuko is almost an adult while Azula just turned a teen.
If you look at Zuko and Azulas parents, borh of them in a way gave up on their child. Ozai gave up on Zuko which caused him to recieve their mothers love more while Azula was cherised by Ozai but was basically(in her mind) negelected of tgeir mother because she was becoming too much like Ozai
One of the reasons that has become particularly important to me as to why I want Azula to redeem herself is to see the reaction of those who have chosen to label this villain with a disorder (with their incredible knowledge and experience in these matters, of course), as if it were more or less to saying "golden-eyed, black-haired teenager." Not only is it inaccurate at best, but it seems like they haven't seen more villains or character arcs. If you believe Azula is irredeemable let me tell you that you are too vanilla.
nah. i just want her to suffer for my entertainment. her stupid smirking face is just so satisfying to slap.
I don't think Azula is "irredeemable", but I just think that some characters can remain complicated and have unresolved anguish their whole lives (like Amon and Tarrlok if you've watched LOK). I strongly disagree with the idea of handing out redemption arcs to every single character like it's free lemonade. Azula's and Zuko's character arcs are the complete opposites (in the show, at least). One went from the rock bottom to being their best possible self; and the other went from being their best possible self to the rock bottom. It represents how differently people with similar childhood traumas can turn out. Azula is my favourite, and she is probably redeemable, but I only want to see her redemption if they make it as good as/even better than Zuko's redemption. Her character is too intensely complex.
@@Abhaaa I'm one of those who want redemption for her but not a resolution to all her problems and a complete turnaround from who she was. To me, she should remain flawed. While I love redemption stories like Amon/Tarlock, the problem is that those stories work because they had closure at the right moment. With Azula that didn't happen, at this point it's too late for that, and it will make less sense if we see the same thing over and over.
I also agree with giving every character a redemption arc, but even if Azula redeems herself, it won't be the case. She's not the only villain without a redemption in ATLA (we have Ozai, Zhao, Hama, Long Feng, etc.), and whether they redeem her or not, it won't set a precedent or change how such things are handled. If they do redeem her, she'll be another redeemed villain in a universe with many unredeemed ones, and if they don't, she'll add to the long list of unredeemed villains that have existed in fiction for as long as it's been around.
As for representation, it's more about the perspective. For example, for someone who has suffered in a similar home and managed to break free from it, it would be appropriate for both characters to break the cycle. Perhaps for a family that couldn't break the cycle, seeing the cicle broken in fiction is comforting because that's what fiction is for.
@@nataliabeam873 You've got a great point actually!
I can't understand how people on the Azula hate train think she's isn't capable of redemption. Yet they had no problem with Zuko's redemption. He initially wanted to capture/kill Aang just to restore his position as Crown Prince. Come on now.
I had no idea that there was a 2021 cookbook, let alone that it canonized Azula as not being this psychotic child left to live out her life in chains. That's kind of hilarious and amazing at the same time.
I don't think she needs to be redeemed. Azula is a Ozai with more range.
Her world view doesn't mesh with compassion and I kinda like that.
Also, I always loved how much she looks like Ozai. And when she's not scowling, she's really pretty.
P.s. that beach dream shot with all her family was really sad😢
She looks like her mom.
She was manipulated by Ozai to be a heartless weapon/tool.
She looks more like her mom. But yeah, most guys agree with you. And a lot of girls possibly.
Yes it was.
I KNEW I WAS HEARING A MEDIEVAL VERSION OF BACKSTREETS BACK
Ya know Azula is just as broken as many of the members of team avatar but she had no one to help her, her breaking down crying in chains. I wanted to hug her even if she blew fire in my face lol she has problems but I believe she deserves a redemption now someone like their father, no. Azula did show some emotions and remorse which shows she can still be redeemed
Edit: btw I don’t think this will be the only comic for Azula, she was a #1 fav in the series and so many people would riot if she was done unjust by just one short 80 page comic
She REFUSED to let anyone help her. Her friends tried to help her, her mother tried to help her before she showed how much of a monster she was even as a small child.
0:33 idk why but this picture is so wholesome and almost made me cry for some reason lol
Who else wanted that old unnamed female Fire Sage from the 2nd season of TLoK to be a redeemed Azula who took a vow of lifelong servitude to make up for her earlier atrocities?
That's a decent theory, but it'd really be a complete 180 turn for her character. I'd rather she make, like, a 120 turn where she starts leveraging her skills for good.
I'm interested in her/their romantic interests/story
@@eradictI'm not. Have you noticed that the ATLA-verse is making EVERY female who hasn't had a biological child LGBT?
I'm OKAY with 1 or 2 or 3 but every? Korda, bi. Asami, bi. Kyoshi bi (But probably, truly a Lesbian). Yangchen, arro/ace.
They 100% make her a lesbian.
This is getting repetitive.
@@TheMrPeteChannelaroace 😂. Maybe Azula will have kids who just happens to be nobodies while being aroace.
Also is Toph bi straight or lesbian or other?
Azula's journey would be more difficult and longer than zuko's.
I feel like Azula relishing in the harm she's caused and havoc she's wrought is in-line with her character. I'd like to see her redemption arc not be to abhor her past actions, but to see that's not the *only* nor *the greatest* things she can do. I want a more full, robust villainy with an acceptance of moral gravitas. Not this downplayed, "become good" trash
I think the best way to give Azula a redemption arc is to give her something to care about. She won't necessarily become a good person... just more human.
Considering that Azula was groomed into growing into a power-hungry, sadistic, sociopathic narcissist like her Dad, you can approach her character arc with the attitude of it not being entirely her fault that she turned out the way that she did. Doesn’t mean its not her responsibility to grow out of her programming, though. We are all of us our choices, after all- and just because it’s not your fault that you turned out a certain way, that doesn’t make it NOT your responsibility to fix. And given that she still IS a sociopathic narcissist, there’s now really no cure for her personality disorder/s. That doesn’t mean she can’t learn and grow as a person, though- just that it’s going to be much, MUCH harder for her to do so- and the process is going to be more replete with relapses into her old ways (and subsequent corrections/accountability from her support group/s) than it would be for people without a personality disorder as severe and deep-seatedly malignant as hers. It’s not going to just stop here with this one big and impactful redemption for her- it’s going to be a lifelong struggle of constant work and constant checking of herself. But hey, I believe in her! Someone as capable as her can definitely do it. But “can” and “will” are two different concepts…
Good idea but she was not groomed she was born evil to the core and all of her flash backs show us that, her father just give her a direction if everyrhing else was her doing for example he ask her to capture zuko nothing more everything else she did was because of the pure pleasure she gets from it even giving zuko the credit for killing the avatar was just for the pleasure of seeing him fall.
@@SoyElBrokas no one is really BORN evil, though. You can make the argument that full-blown psychopaths are born “evil,” but even that’s polarizing language- and not always polarizing in a way that’s accurate. Cause psychopaths aren’t necessarily born “evil,” they’re just born without a capacity for emotional empathy. They can develop cognitive empathy, yeah- but they often just use it to manipulate people. And even so, psychopaths can still be taught ‘right from wrong,’ and/or develop their own moral code/s. But Azula was mostly groomed into the person she is now. Daddy Ozai saw a prodigy firebender, then ostracized Zuko while taking Azula in as his golden child. He then TAUGHT her to become the wicked, sociopathic cunt she became.
everyboday touch yo boday. lol funny choice diggin it!
It’s rock your body lol
6:13 no joke, it thundered where I'm at when she said "jolt of lightning" right on the "j".
The comic will be a healing arc - not redemption.
that colored fire is still breathtaking
Does no one remember when Zuko told his mom she used to throw rocks at animals as a kid? And when she smiled when she watch as Ozai burned half of his face during their agni kai?
Shes a psychopath, how do you people not realize this? She doesn't deserve to be redeemed, she hasn't done anything to warrant it. You people jusy feel bad for her because shes a girl. All the excuses you make could just as well be applied to any other evil fire bender, like Zhao or Ozai. But nobody wants them to be redeemed.
Well, she's a child / teenager when the events of ATLA unfold, and neither Zhao nor Ozai are. Maybe she doesn't deserve redemption, maybe she does, it all depends on what is coming next. If her redemption is rushed, it will definitly feel unwarranted, because yes, she was terrible. But I think it may be possible.
I did feel bad for her at the end of the show but just because she showed some vulnerability. Of course she totally deserved to lose everything (and the fight was epic, it was very gratifying to see). But she can feel some emotions after all, don't you think? She was even becoming crazy at the end. And she was a pawn in Ozai's hand (he didn't show any form of vulnerability and he was an adult very well aware of the consequences of his actions.)
The background music is crazy 🤣
why do they rin villains with this redemption bs? hate them
she was perfect as a ruthless villain, broken from the inside out
If Zuko can change, so can she. If Iroh can change into the man he was, so can she. She will never be 'good' as the scars will never heal, but she has a chance to move on and seek a different purpose in her life. She also needs an incredible amount of therapy and care. Iroh was there for Zuko, Katara and friends were there for Aang, and now someone needs to be there for Azula as she grows up in a world where she can't fight for world domination.