@@cardboard_hatI mean to be fair, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that since it's heavily implied through that scene that they can. They literally show every Avatar bending their respective element to heightened degrees, so when it pans to the Firebender, the natural thought would be that firebenders can bend lava. It's only in TLOK where that's actually specified.
@@creativeartivity I believe you have it right yeah. In ATLA they heavily imply that lavabending is a fire bending sub art and one exclusive to fully realized avatars. While it is heavily implied based on being associated with the fire nation originating avatars it ultimately was still left vague and open. But in TLOK they decided to take advantage of ATLA's ambiguity on lavabending and instead classify it instead as an earth bending sub art.
@@TrisAndAsura it honestly can go either way. Just like how mud is water mixed with earth. Fire-bending is more like heat bending. Which is why zuko can heat up his hands underwater. If it was just "they can only bend fire out of their hands" he wouldn't be able to do that.
The Captain, I never saw as a bad guy. He was soldier at the end of his rope, who was tired of seeing his friends, family, and those in his command die around him. He was desperate. His heartbreak made him appear crazy.
I agree. Fong is not evil, he's just misguided and desperate. What most people have to keep in mind is that this war has been going on for 100 years, and it is the people of the Earth Kingdom who have been putting in the most effort to hold back the Fire Nation. These people are fighting the same war that their grandparents did and just want the whole thing to be over.
Top knots in Fire Nation culture represent honor. People who are shamed and lose their honor are taught to cut off their top knot. In this episode it signifies Zuko and Iroh truly being cut off from the Fire Nation.
That's actually inspired by Japanese culture (as the fire nation is in general). The top knot was a status symbol for samurai. Cutting it off basically meant that you no longer live as a samurai, and therefore also lose your status as one.
@@unwantedscrub As if cutting off their ponytail would do anything to hide their identities. They would still look the same. The hair is symbolic of their honour. Cutting it off means you are turning your back to your country.
also azula demanding the ship be brought in that day wasnt just to flex power. she had to deliver this ploy to Zuko that day because it's the anniversary of his banishment, when he would be more vulnerable to the lie
They needed this episode to answer 'why doesn't he go Avatar State and solve every problem?' Not to mention that many fans were just like the Earth Kingdom General here and thought 'so he can solo the whole fire nation? Awesome war over!'
So every bending discipline in this show has what is called sub-bending to it. You will learn more about the sub-bending of the other elements so I will not spoil it but Fire is the first true experience you see here. Lightning is a sub-bending ability as it is plasma based. You will learn more about it as the show goes on. Trust me most questions you have will be answered throughout the series. I suggest writing down big questions you have and revisiting them when the opportune time arises. C:
And different people can have different affinities for the sub-disciplines. Some of them are even opposed to each other, where if you're good at one it's REALLY HARD to be good at the other.
If i remember correctly at the start of the show, Aang is 12, Katara and Azula are 14, Sokka is 15 and Zuko is 16 so yeah, he Zuko fought his father when he was only 13.
Azula, Sokka & Katara ages are never mentioned but are in source materials. Some people assume Azula is older because her voice actress was in her mid 30s.
We do know, however, that Azula and Katara are the younger sisters, and that both of them are a little older than Aang. So that narrows the age range down quite a lot.
I don't think Aang's decision to give it a try was emotional or impressionable AT ALL! I think Aang was seeing the reality of the situation he is in, which the earth general tried to point out to him by showing him the infirmary. I feel like people try to discount Aang because he's only 12 and he can be childish sometimes, but think about the wight of the literal world being on your shoulders and being 100 years late to do anything about it
The original script had Azula vaporize the ship captain after he mistakenly refers to Zuko and Iroh as prisoners, thus blowing Azula's cover story. This was changed because the creators deemed it to be too intense for younger viewers.
They didn't show it, but you know one of two things happened. Either Azula killed him or he got smart and jumped overboard during the fight never to be seen again.
This is the first Azula/Zuko interaction in the series. The two are very different in personality and fighting styles. Azula is calculating, precise and stealthy, Zuko is emotional, aggressive and angry.
@@bananakrusher811 i haven't said who or what changes, only that things change. I think its pretty reasonable that everyone would expect things to change over the course of 2 seasons of a TV show
sometimes there's a "bending intersectionality" , like for example a water bender and an earth bender both being able to bend mud , in the case of the lava being bent by a fire bender, keep in mind the fire bender you saw in the Roku flashback was an avatar , so he was also an earth bender.
About fire/eletricity relationship in Avatar: There will be a deeper explaination about it in Book 3, but for now, let us just say that in Asian cultures, thunder is normally associated with fire... because... it burns.
Well because it burns and because before technology the most frequent way for fire to be originated was lightning. It makes sense in a somewhat spiritual manner.
I feel like the Earth Kingdom General's motives (if not his methods) were justified. Imagine how he feels sending loyal men into battle to die day after day, when suddenly the Avatar finally appears. The Avatar was supposed to prevent wars like this from getting so out of control, but Aang was missing for a century while entire generations suffered through war and genocide. I'd try just about anything to put the war to an end as soon as possible, too.
The earth sage at 6:32 is based on Mako (Uncle Iroh)'s character in the Arnold Swarzenegger film, Conan. Whilst there is an in-universe explanation, the hairstle that Iroh and Zuko have, the topknot, denoted Samurai status in pre-Meiji Japan, upon whom the Fire Nation are partially based, so cutting it off is basically surrendering their fire nation social status.
Lighting (as any other arcs are) really is just plasma, superheated material. If we look over the "magic" aspect of bending, the how it works with science part can be explained by the bending of the four elements is actually done by exciting molecules of the given mediums at the frequency of their natural resonance. So the regular redish glow of bended fire would just be the most reactive atoms in air oxigen and carbon getting super heated. And Azura's blue flame and lightning bending in general can be explained by some firebenders being so fucking good at what they are doing that instead of only the most reactive molecules they also use the waste amounts of nitrogen in the air, as nitrogen plasma puts out a bright blue light, and in the process ripping off enough electrons from the atoms that it creates a momentarily high voltage high current flow of electricity through the superheated gases.
Ive only ever seen Daniel Dae Kim in live action roles, but recently i watched a video of famous actors who voiced characters in the ATLA franchise and i was suprised to find he voiced the general in this episode. Its amazing to know how long he's been apart of the avatar franchise
The fire nation avatar can bend lava because he is an avatar. Avatars master all elements. The reason strong fire benders can control lightning is a bit more weird but I think it can be rationalized easy enough. Lightning produces light and heat like fire and whatever lightning passes through gets burnt. While the match is not perfect I think its good enough to maintain the suspension of disbelief. Btw I dont think the show ever explains why they can bend lightning.
They explained how but not why. But considering ATLA elements relate one to another in a spiritual way more than a scientific one, it makes sense. After all, before technology, lightning was the most common way of getting a fire. The connection between lightning, fire and humans is there in actual history.
Doesn't Iroh explain in season 1 that firebending comes from the breath, as the breath becomes energy in the body which becomes fire? He explains lightning in season 2 as positive and negative energy colliding, with the bender guiding the process. So it's always seemed to me that firebending is really just "energy bending" which normally is expressed as heat, but manipulating energy in a specific way creates lightning.
@@kaijingarou6526 I know it's called energy bending, but it's not manipulating electromagnetism to ionize the air. Which is closer to what the modern person would call "energy bending" than manipulating your chi.
Think of fire bending along the lines of Combustion, like in Full Metal Alchemist. They make a spark and that creates their fire. Lightning is just expanding on that spark and ignoring the combustion stage. As for the hair, the bun is a symbol of status in the fire nation. By severing off the knots, they're cutting ties to the fire nation. Some of the best Zuko moments are coming up.
From my understanding, lightning and fire are both caused by friction. Since lightning is caused by the friction of particles, it is vastly more difficult for a firebender to perform. Also, fire and lightning at their basest forms are both kinetic and thermal energy (which assumedly are what firebenders are actually bending).
Yeah my understanding on it was always towards that firebenders deal heavily in energy conversion after breath, where both lightning and fire are different manifestations of that aspect.
Nah, it's more spiritual than this Avatar is based on eastern religions and philosophies In Hinduism, the fire god Agni lives in the form of lightning in the sky if i remember correctly
Also yin and yang energy if you separate them, and they will find each other to meet and that caused the friction aka lightning. I know I'm not explaining it well. Sorry for bad english.
Thats a pretty good theory. I also saw one where ice and water, for water bending is similar, to the changes that goes into earthbending earth and lava, both are changes in their state. similar int he the changes in states of matter, like solid, liquid and gas
"I wonder when he realizes he's the only one on his side" Well... that hurt. False though, uncle iroh is on his side wether he agrees with Zuko or not. That's what I love about them 😭
"Why can the fire avatar bend lava; wouldn't that be earth?" Simple answer, hes the AVATAR lol Master of ALL four elements. Also, you've already seen Iroh redirect lightning before in eps 1x12 in the storm.
Regarding the fire Avatar controlling lava, recall that they're all Avatars and thus have a connection to all four main elements and are capable of the specialized disciplines in each of those elements. The specializations are explored further later in the series and in the sequel series.
@@waldoman7 I thought the retcon WAS that any skilled earthbender can do it. Prior to Korra it was generally accepted that only an Avatar could do it (and I believe this was even directly stated in a special commentary episode of the show).
Azula's ship is the pride of the Fire Nation. In contrast to Zuko's ship, it's bigger, faster, newer, cleaner, and more technologically advanced. The guards on Azula's ship wear unique helmets. It identifies them as part of the Royal Procession.
Also. People like to forget. But there IS a reason Zuko lashes out to Iroh the way he does. Classic symptom of psychological and emotional trauma. He doesn't mean it. Notice Iroh rarely gets overly angry or upset with Zuko for doing it. Ita because he understands its not coming from a real place of anger and judgment. He's simply a deeply damaged and traumatized 16 year old young man. You're already naturally angsty and temperamental as a teenager. Zuko just has it worse than your average kid.
"Damn look at those cement grippers".. I honestly thought, goddamn I've never heard a slur for earthbenders like that.. and then realized it's just the feet 😂
lightning generation is a subskill of fire. all "lightning benders" can bend fire but most firebenders cannot generate lightning. lightning is much hotter than fire and can create fire when it strikes things so it makes sense. all the elements have sub skills that are rare among each nation. except for air. air is like spiritual stuff but they dont got any actual elemental sub skills like combustion bending, lightning bending, etc.
What i always found clever about this episode is the fact the creators of the show had to basically plan for this. because after what happened in the finale last season i bet many people would have this very question about why aang just doesn't go right to the fire nation and just go avatar state. so the creators showed us and also introduced a weakness in the avatar state for if aang died the avatar will not exist anymore. it kinda balanced the ability out a bit. all this power but you have to be very careful with it.
the question at 17:15 would make sense if we were talking about a normal bender but that man was an avatar. every element and their variations are his.
If you think about it, it kind of makes sense that the most advanced firebenders are able to bend lightning, because lightning (like fire) is pure energy, comprised of heat and light. Lightning is just a more concentrated version of it.
100 years of war and death... makes people very desperate, lose connection to humanity... not saying he general was right by any means, but I offer this as more a perspective. just shows how deep this show's stories and themes can go when you really think about it.
General wants to end the 100 yr war and save his people... Being shown the severely wounded and told these are the ones that survived: Diegesis "You just want power... He's too focused on his own goal... 100%"
I always get recommended to yall's channel I enjoy ur reactions also Maple & Arianna are my favorites keep up the great work 👍🏽 and u got a new subscriber
OMG IM SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS REACTION You guy’s reaction to the Book 1 finale has been my favourite out of most reactors, and if you reacted THAT way to those two episodes, I cannot WAIT to see your reaction to the rest, which arguably is a LOT better
Did you notice how large the Earth Kingdom is on the maps? The peoples of the Earth Kingdom are very diverse. Some great political analysis videos show that the Earth Kingdom is simply too large to effectively govern with the level of technology depicted in this show, and the Kingdom has all of the problems one would expect from that. Those problems come to a head in the next series, Legend of Korra. The characters in this show have character arcs. By the end, you will weep for Azula. Don't want to say more than that.
There isn't a scarier introduction to a villain like Azula saying "Worry less about the tides, who've already made up their minds about killing you, and worry more about me. Who's still mulling it over." Absolutely bone chilling.
Azula actually goes further back than that in a way. She's been in the opening montage since the beginning. Azula's the one firebending (albeit red flame) when Katara announces the elements. So, Azula actually appears in the show before Aang. 😄
16:08 Cutting the hair (especially the topknot) has a lot of significance in certain periods of Japanese history. Samurai during the Edo period would do it when stepping down from their positions (or when leaving the service of their former master) to symbolize a break form the past and a casting off of their former lives of privilege.
the fire nation has a lot of vibes that reflect japanese culture and traditions... the topknot was the traditional headgear exclusive to samurai.. cutting it off was a punishment and a dishonor.. or, like in this case, a renounce to status and affiliation. Zuko and Iroh are severing their ties to the royal family and to the fire nation in general, now that they are properly on the run from them (until now they still had some sway and were still considered fire nation royalty). The electricity is... a power up. each element bending has subclasses and abilities that are exclusive to particular either elite fighters or specific bending traditions/cultures. as for the lava thing.. the guy you saw do it was an avatar, if I am correct.. they can bend whatever the hell they want :D but the lava thing will make a return (just not in this series)
so, general Fong isn't bad or power hungry like u said. his intentions are good and his idea was valid, from someone who knows nothing about being the avatar that is. and thats it. he's just a guy who knows the avatar can help but is ignorant of the actual process of avatar stuff. but he just wanted what's best for the world. just didnt go about it right
17:13. There was not a fiery guy, there was an avatar from the people of fire - that's why he's dressed like a fiery guy.) Technically, lava is a hot earth, and in theory, the avatar, controlling the earth + fire, can control lava.
Every element have sub-elements. Water got healing, fire got lightning. The rest you will have to wait to find out, including lava, you will be waiting a while to get that one, but it's worth it.
Great episode, great reaction. Gotta leave at least one comment per video for you for the algorithm. This episode does an awesome job at setting up Azula's character. All of the bending arts have sub-bending elements to them and some people can do the sub-bending better than others and some not at all. Azula is a prodigy and a perfectionist so it makes perfect sense she'd be a good lightning bender. Remember too, we once saw Iroh redirect lightning in "The Storm."
I don't think Pakku thoroughly checked General Fong's references. 14:38 "The Avatar State is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the *skill and knowledge* of all the past Avatars." So, many fans have been getting where the power of the AS comes from wrong from jump? Been a while since I've watched this. I'll revisit this after Maple and Ariana watch Book 2 of The Legend of Korra through.
Lighting bending is considered a sub-category of fire bending. Lavabending can actually only be performed by earth benders as Ariana said. The guy with the red clothes in the flashback was a past Avatar so he can bend Lava too.
"If you are killed in the avatar-state, the reincarnation-cycle will be broken, and the avatar will cease to exist." "Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Roku"
It's extra hard for Aang to see himself in the Avatar state. 1. Because he can't control it's power, it control him. 2. He's an Airbender & they are thought to respect all life. Only taking lives as a last resort, if even then. I think its safe to say that Aang killed a lot of fire nation soldiers in his Avatar/Spirit state. Something that go against his core belief & he had zero control over it.
@Diegesis I googled why lightning and fire are connect4ed in Avatar and found this explanation someone made "Fire - a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light (same as the glow of lightning), heat, and flame. Lightning - a brilliant electric (creates light) spark (fire) discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground. Both fire and lightning are linked due to the flow of energy. Fire, when has no fuel, ceases to exist. While at the same time, lightning appears for seconds. In the Indian culture fire was called Agni, and it had has three forms: fire, lightning and the sun. In Avatar the Last Air Bender, lightning was considered "Cold-Blooded Fire". And in several occasions (not just in the show), the lightning creates fire when it stuck the surface of a flammable object, let's say wood. Also, Lightning and Fire burns."
In my opinion Book 2 is the best season as a season Whereas Book 3 has some of the biggest and best episodes Book 1 is really fun and does well with early character building and world building Book 1 is great with the character building and world building Book 2 is just a great coherent story that in my opinion feels like you’re pet of the gang and going around the earth kingdom almost like a cool rpg
I find it interesting how yall saw the general as a power hungry man. When I saw this episode I saw a man who just wants to defeat the fire nation and end this war, pain, and death. Like I know its for the story and Aang's destiny is to master the 4 elements but there's no rule that says the only way to defeat the firelord is to master the elements first, and theres no law that says Aang has to be the only one to fight the firelord.
"You can't run forever." "You can't fight forever." Each bending style has movements based on a real-world martial art. Aang's fighting style is based on a martial art that involves putting your hand on the small of your opponent's back, and simply staying behind them, forcing them to spend more energy trying to attack you than you spend dodging. The goal is literally to wear the opponent down so that you can defeat them without attacking.
Diegesis. In our real world, erupting volcanos have been known to produce their own lightning on rare occasions. That's why in the Avatar world, some firebenders can also produce lightning. Also, topknots represent honor in the fire nation. So cutting off the topkot means you have brought dishonor to yourself.
I will always stan for the general, they were fighting war for almost a century and they are loosing. Everyday his people die, he was desperate and has full right to be.
Fire and Lightning are connected both through their relationship to plasma, and the relationship from some asian cultures in the real world. The show will go into more depth about lightning later, but for now we've seen 2 fire benders manipulate lightning in some way, one of which also bends their fire so hot that it's blue instead of the usual red/orange. I get the confusion with the Fire nation Avatar bending lava, since the others were shown bending their native elements, but being an Avatar, bending earth with a mindset more like a waterbender isn't all that surprising. Zuko and Iroh cutting off their top knots (and ponytail) signifies them cutting ties with their country.
The thing is: General Fong is right. Aang could clean house in the avatar state, right now. The issue is that even if it’s a 10,000% power boost, it’s not god-mode. It’s a great way for the show to explain that Aang shouldn’t just turn it on every chance he gets, only when there’s ABSOLUTELY no other option. ALSO, Azula obviously demands respect, but the tides speech isn’t just her showing how ruthless she is, it shows how childish she is. Instead of being smart about it, she threatens the captain to do what she says. Azula is willing to wreck her own ship to maintain power.
I can see what the general is _trying_ to get at. I think it's more impatience than "power hungry". I mean, think about it. You, Your parents, their parents, they all were part of that *one* war. Then a Nuke shows up on your doorstep. Potential shot at ending a century of dealing with the "unlucky" ones never coming home. I doubt he'd even care if it was a one way trip as long as he could set Aang off just once near the Firelord. He's totally wrong, but I get the thinking. Especially, if they heard about the literal giant fish that wiped out a fleet in a single night. Basically the Avatar equivalent of Cell v Goku to Gohan, or the Hulk. "Good luck, bud. Aim, bend and snap."
To answer "why can the fire guy control lava?" Everyone that was shown in that scene were past avatars, so he could control all the elements.
Firebenders can't bend lava, that guy was the Avatar
@@cardboard_hat thats what he said lol
@@cardboard_hatI mean to be fair, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that since it's heavily implied through that scene that they can. They literally show every Avatar bending their respective element to heightened degrees, so when it pans to the Firebender, the natural thought would be that firebenders can bend lava. It's only in TLOK where that's actually specified.
@@creativeartivity I believe you have it right yeah. In ATLA they heavily imply that lavabending is a fire bending sub art and one exclusive to fully realized avatars. While it is heavily implied based on being associated with the fire nation originating avatars it ultimately was still left vague and open. But in TLOK they decided to take advantage of ATLA's ambiguity on lavabending and instead classify it instead as an earth bending sub art.
@@TrisAndAsura it honestly can go either way. Just like how mud is water mixed with earth.
Fire-bending is more like heat bending. Which is why zuko can heat up his hands underwater. If it was just "they can only bend fire out of their hands" he wouldn't be able to do that.
The Captain, I never saw as a bad guy. He was soldier at the end of his rope, who was tired of seeing his friends, family, and those in his command die around him. He was desperate. His heartbreak made him appear crazy.
I agree. Fong is not evil, he's just misguided and desperate.
What most people have to keep in mind is that this war has been going on for 100 years, and it is the people of the Earth Kingdom who have been putting in the most effort to hold back the Fire Nation. These people are fighting the same war that their grandparents did and just want the whole thing to be over.
Top knots in Fire Nation culture represent honor. People who are shamed and lose their honor are taught to cut off their top knot. In this episode it signifies Zuko and Iroh truly being cut off from the Fire Nation.
That's actually inspired by Japanese culture (as the fire nation is in general). The top knot was a status symbol for samurai. Cutting it off basically meant that you no longer live as a samurai, and therefore also lose your status as one.
I never thought of it being that deep. I always thought of it as them changing their appearance to help conceal their identities as fugitives.
@@unwantedscrub As if cutting off their ponytail would do anything to hide their identities. They would still look the same. The hair is symbolic of their honour. Cutting it off means you are turning your back to your country.
We dont see Iroh mad very often. He is *visibly* upset when he sees Azula. That says something with no words what-so-ever
Azula has a knack for upsetting everybody
Well she is a people person
@@maggoteater2290 I read this in her voice and it was very satisfying (I love Azula's voice, the voice actress did an amazing job).
also azula demanding the ship be brought in that day wasnt just to flex power. she had to deliver this ploy to Zuko that day because it's the anniversary of his banishment, when he would be more vulnerable to the lie
I laughed at the “He was 13 when his dad fought him. That’s extreme.” I agree, my dad waited until I was 15 to fight me.
I really am so sorry that happened to you, but 💀
@@deithlan Spoiler alert I did not win against the 39 year old grown man. But atleast I didn’t get banished. Take that Zuko!
I didn't think Don Alejandro de la Vega would pose a threat to you, even at 15
@@_ZORRO__ my dad banished me to my room all the time 😢
Man that is rough budy
They needed this episode to answer 'why doesn't he go Avatar State and solve every problem?' Not to mention that many fans were just like the Earth Kingdom General here and thought 'so he can solo the whole fire nation? Awesome war over!'
Also, when he soloed that Fire Navy, he wasn't just in the Avatar state, he was in the Avatar state AND merged with a very powerful spirit.
Bearing in mind that I have rewatched this series innumerable times, I'm still always shocked at how icy and downright terrifying Azula is.
So every bending discipline in this show has what is called sub-bending to it. You will learn more about the sub-bending of the other elements so I will not spoil it but Fire is the first true experience you see here. Lightning is a sub-bending ability as it is plasma based. You will learn more about it as the show goes on. Trust me most questions you have will be answered throughout the series. I suggest writing down big questions you have and revisiting them when the opportune time arises. C:
They'll even get to see a new one be invented later on
And different people can have different affinities for the sub-disciplines. Some of them are even opposed to each other, where if you're good at one it's REALLY HARD to be good at the other.
What about water?? We've already seen ice and healing
@@VeniKpop Well Water has one that has not been viewed yet and won't for some time. Trust me the sub-bending of water is probably the most deadly.
@@Skrulzieice is literally a sub bending lol, and so is healing
If i remember correctly at the start of the show, Aang is 12, Katara and Azula are 14, Sokka is 15 and Zuko is 16 so yeah, he Zuko fought his father when he was only 13.
Azula, Sokka & Katara ages are never mentioned but are in source materials. Some people assume Azula is older because her voice actress was in her mid 30s.
We do know, however, that Azula and Katara are the younger sisters, and that both of them are a little older than Aang. So that narrows the age range down quite a lot.
An amazing introduction to one of the best written antagonists in children's media
Have you seen how they write 90% of cinema villains? I'd say one of the best in general haha.
Both true
In all of media
I don't think Aang's decision to give it a try was emotional or impressionable AT ALL! I think Aang was seeing the reality of the situation he is in, which the earth general tried to point out to him by showing him the infirmary. I feel like people try to discount Aang because he's only 12 and he can be childish sometimes, but think about the wight of the literal world being on your shoulders and being 100 years late to do anything about it
The original script had Azula vaporize the ship captain after he mistakenly refers to Zuko and Iroh as prisoners, thus blowing Azula's cover story. This was changed because the creators deemed it to be too intense for younger viewers.
They didn't show it, but you know one of two things happened. Either Azula killed him or he got smart and jumped overboard during the fight never to be seen again.
@@IamnotJohnFord Or Zuko threw him overboard to get to her...
Or it was nick show so they can’t show that either
source?
@@WanMemeTong Show no, but we can tell.
“The Earth Kingdom are a bunch of dingus biscuses.” My favorite description of them I think I’ve ever heard lol
This is the first Azula/Zuko interaction in the series.
The two are very different in personality and fighting styles.
Azula is calculating, precise and stealthy, Zuko is emotional, aggressive and angry.
Up until their final battle. Then things change a bit
@@josefstalin9678 spoiler
@@bananakrusher811 i haven't said who or what changes, only that things change. I think its pretty reasonable that everyone would expect things to change over the course of 2 seasons of a TV show
@@josefstalin9678 fair enough
sometimes there's a "bending intersectionality" , like for example a water bender and an earth bender both being able to bend mud , in the case of the lava being bent by a fire bender, keep in mind the fire bender you saw in the Roku flashback was an avatar , so he was also an earth bender.
About fire/eletricity relationship in Avatar: There will be a deeper explaination about it in Book 3, but for now, let us just say that in Asian cultures, thunder is normally associated with fire... because... it burns.
Well because it burns and because before technology the most frequent way for fire to be originated was lightning. It makes sense in a somewhat spiritual manner.
@@kaijingarou6526 Also, energy.
@@Londronable yeah although the show can get confusing if we just call it energy, you know why
I feel like the Earth Kingdom General's motives (if not his methods) were justified. Imagine how he feels sending loyal men into battle to die day after day, when suddenly the Avatar finally appears. The Avatar was supposed to prevent wars like this from getting so out of control, but Aang was missing for a century while entire generations suffered through war and genocide. I'd try just about anything to put the war to an end as soon as possible, too.
Yeah he's more grey than black that people think. I definitely don't think he is fully evil he just wants the war to be over for his country
The earth sage at 6:32 is based on Mako (Uncle Iroh)'s character in the Arnold Swarzenegger film, Conan.
Whilst there is an in-universe explanation, the hairstle that Iroh and Zuko have, the topknot, denoted Samurai status in pre-Meiji Japan, upon whom the Fire Nation are partially based, so cutting it off is basically surrendering their fire nation social status.
Lighting (as any other arcs are) really is just plasma, superheated material. If we look over the "magic" aspect of bending, the how it works with science part can be explained by the bending of the four elements is actually done by exciting molecules of the given mediums at the frequency of their natural resonance.
So the regular redish glow of bended fire would just be the most reactive atoms in air oxigen and carbon getting super heated. And Azura's blue flame and lightning bending in general can be explained by some firebenders being so fucking good at what they are doing that instead of only the most reactive molecules they also use the waste amounts of nitrogen in the air, as nitrogen plasma puts out a bright blue light, and in the process ripping off enough electrons from the atoms that it creates a momentarily high voltage high current flow of electricity through the superheated gases.
The avatar cycle is explained to be water, earth, fire and air in every intro since episode 1. Not much guessing there.
Ive only ever seen Daniel Dae Kim in live action roles, but recently i watched a video of famous actors who voiced characters in the ATLA franchise and i was suprised to find he voiced the general in this episode. Its amazing to know how long he's been apart of the avatar franchise
The topknots denote status either in a family or military, or both. To cut it off is to renounce you ties to those things. It's a really big deal.
The fire nation avatar can bend lava because he is an avatar. Avatars master all elements. The reason strong fire benders can control lightning is a bit more weird but I think it can be rationalized easy enough. Lightning produces light and heat like fire and whatever lightning passes through gets burnt. While the match is not perfect I think its good enough to maintain the suspension of disbelief. Btw I dont think the show ever explains why they can bend lightning.
They explained how but not why. But considering ATLA elements relate one to another in a spiritual way more than a scientific one, it makes sense. After all, before technology, lightning was the most common way of getting a fire. The connection between lightning, fire and humans is there in actual history.
Doesn't Iroh explain in season 1 that firebending comes from the breath, as the breath becomes energy in the body which becomes fire? He explains lightning in season 2 as positive and negative energy colliding, with the bender guiding the process. So it's always seemed to me that firebending is really just "energy bending" which normally is expressed as heat, but manipulating energy in a specific way creates lightning.
@@michaelhenry3234energybending also exists in this world and it's a completely different thing
@@kaijingarou6526 I know it's called energy bending, but it's not manipulating electromagnetism to ionize the air. Which is closer to what the modern person would call "energy bending" than manipulating your chi.
5:35 fire is just a low temperature level form of plasma(lightning)
Think of fire bending along the lines of Combustion, like in Full Metal Alchemist. They make a spark and that creates their fire. Lightning is just expanding on that spark and ignoring the combustion stage. As for the hair, the bun is a symbol of status in the fire nation. By severing off the knots, they're cutting ties to the fire nation. Some of the best Zuko moments are coming up.
From my understanding, lightning and fire are both caused by friction. Since lightning is caused by the friction of particles, it is vastly more difficult for a firebender to perform.
Also, fire and lightning at their basest forms are both kinetic and thermal energy (which assumedly are what firebenders are actually bending).
Yeah my understanding on it was always towards that firebenders deal heavily in energy conversion after breath, where both lightning and fire are different manifestations of that aspect.
Nah, it's more spiritual than this
Avatar is based on eastern religions and philosophies
In Hinduism, the fire god Agni lives in the form of lightning in the sky if i remember correctly
Also yin and yang energy if you separate them, and they will find each other to meet and that caused the friction aka lightning. I know I'm not explaining it well. Sorry for bad english.
Thats a pretty good theory. I also saw one where ice and water, for water bending is similar, to the changes that goes into earthbending earth and lava, both are changes in their state. similar int he the changes in states of matter, like solid, liquid and gas
Lava bending IS earth bending btw. The Avatar was displayed doing it because the avatar is an earth bender.
Great video as usual! Also just a quick note, the all the avatars can bend all 4 elements, so they should be able to bend earth&fire (lava) as well :P
General Fong is considered one of the most aggressive generals in the army.
5:36 fire is a form of energy, the lightning it is as well. Think of it as form of well polish fire bending.
I dont think poles can firebend
@@luccoruja3097I meant lightning is a perfected form of fire bending
@@jasonschuler2256 áaaaa, I see....😂
"I wonder when he realizes he's the only one on his side"
Well... that hurt. False though, uncle iroh is on his side wether he agrees with Zuko or not. That's what I love about them 😭
Azula is without a doubt one of the best villains in any story out there
"Why can the fire avatar bend lava; wouldn't that be earth?" Simple answer, hes the AVATAR lol Master of ALL four elements. Also, you've already seen Iroh redirect lightning before in eps 1x12 in the storm.
Regarding the fire Avatar controlling lava, recall that they're all Avatars and thus have a connection to all four main elements and are capable of the specialized disciplines in each of those elements. The specializations are explored further later in the series and in the sequel series.
Also lava is just hot earth and any skilled earthbender could probably control it as easily as a water bender controls steam before the korra retcon
@@waldoman7 I thought the retcon WAS that any skilled earthbender can do it. Prior to Korra it was generally accepted that only an Avatar could do it (and I believe this was even directly stated in a special commentary episode of the show).
@@Andy-roid i have no awareness of such a thing
@@waldoman7 What was the retcon you were referring to then
@@Andy-roid to make lava bending into something like lightning and not just earth bending or perhaps an avatar-only mix of earth and fire.
Azula's ship is the pride of the Fire Nation.
In contrast to Zuko's ship, it's bigger, faster, newer, cleaner, and more technologically advanced.
The guards on Azula's ship wear unique helmets.
It identifies them as part of the Royal Procession.
i didn't know it. thank you
Also. People like to forget. But there IS a reason Zuko lashes out to Iroh the way he does. Classic symptom of psychological and emotional trauma. He doesn't mean it. Notice Iroh rarely gets overly angry or upset with Zuko for doing it. Ita because he understands its not coming from a real place of anger and judgment. He's simply a deeply damaged and traumatized 16 year old young man. You're already naturally angsty and temperamental as a teenager. Zuko just has it worse than your average kid.
"Damn look at those cement grippers".. I honestly thought, goddamn I've never heard a slur for earthbenders like that.. and then realized it's just the feet 😂
Maple be like. Let me Damn this entire NATION because of this one mans attitude.
The resort used to be a retreat for Earth Kingdom monks.
It's located on top of the Su Oku River.
lightning generation is a subskill of fire. all "lightning benders" can bend fire but most firebenders cannot generate lightning. lightning is much hotter than fire and can create fire when it strikes things so it makes sense.
all the elements have sub skills that are rare among each nation. except for air. air is like spiritual stuff but they dont got any actual elemental sub skills like combustion bending, lightning bending, etc.
What i always found clever about this episode is the fact the creators of the show had to basically plan for this. because after what happened in the finale last season i bet many people would have this very question about why aang just doesn't go right to the fire nation and just go avatar state. so the creators showed us and also introduced a weakness in the avatar state for if aang died the avatar will not exist anymore. it kinda balanced the ability out a bit. all this power but you have to be very careful with it.
Every Earth Kingdom base has a shaman who has a special connection to the earth and the spirits.
The lava bender was a fully realised avatar so he could bend all elements... Ariana😅
the question at 17:15 would make sense if we were talking about a normal bender but that man was an avatar. every element and their variations are his.
If you think about it, it kind of makes sense that the most advanced firebenders are able to bend lightning, because lightning (like fire) is pure energy, comprised of heat and light. Lightning is just a more concentrated version of it.
100 years of war and death... makes people very desperate, lose connection to humanity... not saying he general was right by any means, but I offer this as more a perspective. just shows how deep this show's stories and themes can go when you really think about it.
Came for the reaction, got distracted watching Maple play with her hair the whole time😂
Also you’re right about lava being more closely related to earth but fire guy is also avatar guy so his nationality doesn’t really matter lol
General wants to end the 100 yr war and save his people... Being shown the severely wounded and told these are the ones that survived: Diegesis "You just want power... He's too focused on his own goal... 100%"
I always get recommended to yall's channel I enjoy ur reactions also Maple & Arianna are my favorites keep up the great work 👍🏽 and u got a new subscriber
OMG IM SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS REACTION
You guy’s reaction to the Book 1 finale has been my favourite out of most reactors, and if you reacted THAT way to those two episodes, I cannot WAIT to see your reaction to the rest, which arguably is a LOT better
Did you notice how large the Earth Kingdom is on the maps?
The peoples of the Earth Kingdom are very diverse. Some great political analysis videos show that the Earth Kingdom is simply too large to effectively govern with the level of technology depicted in this show, and the Kingdom has all of the problems one would expect from that.
Those problems come to a head in the next series, Legend of Korra.
The characters in this show have character arcs. By the end, you will weep for Azula. Don't want to say more than that.
This was one of my favorite shows in Middle School so much nostalgia one of the best shows ever made
Nahhh not you calling out Sokka’s e-boy haircut 😂😂 so true tho
Fire and lightning are just plasmas. Fire benders could more accurately be described as plasma benders.
There isn't a scarier introduction to a villain like Azula saying "Worry less about the tides, who've already made up their minds about killing you, and worry more about me. Who's still mulling it over."
Absolutely bone chilling.
I live for your reactions to this show!!!!
Looking back at episode 12 of season 1 you can see Azula smiling as Zuni faces their father and gets punished. And I'm talking full on sadistic smile.
Azula actually goes further back than that in a way.
She's been in the opening montage since the beginning. Azula's the one firebending (albeit red flame) when Katara announces the elements.
So, Azula actually appears in the show before Aang. 😄
16:08 Cutting the hair (especially the topknot) has a lot of significance in certain periods of Japanese history. Samurai during the Edo period would do it when stepping down from their positions (or when leaving the service of their former master) to symbolize a break form the past and a casting off of their former lives of privilege.
roughly speaking lighting is plasma, super heated air
Exactly. Both fire and lightning are different forms of matter that are closer to energy, which is probably why they are related in terms of bending.
the fire nation has a lot of vibes that reflect japanese culture and traditions... the topknot was the traditional headgear exclusive to samurai.. cutting it off was a punishment and a dishonor.. or, like in this case, a renounce to status and affiliation. Zuko and Iroh are severing their ties to the royal family and to the fire nation in general, now that they are properly on the run from them (until now they still had some sway and were still considered fire nation royalty).
The electricity is... a power up. each element bending has subclasses and abilities that are exclusive to particular either elite fighters or specific bending traditions/cultures.
as for the lava thing.. the guy you saw do it was an avatar, if I am correct.. they can bend whatever the hell they want :D
but the lava thing will make a return (just not in this series)
so, general Fong isn't bad or power hungry like u said. his intentions are good and his idea was valid, from someone who knows nothing about being the avatar that is. and thats it. he's just a guy who knows the avatar can help but is ignorant of the actual process of avatar stuff. but he just wanted what's best for the world. just didnt go about it right
"How was the fire guy controlling lava when that would be more of an earth thing?" Good Question there. And one that will get answered rather soon.
17:13. There was not a fiery guy, there was an avatar from the people of fire - that's why he's dressed like a fiery guy.)
Technically, lava is a hot earth, and in theory, the avatar, controlling the earth + fire, can control lava.
Fire and lightning being plasma is what they have in common.
In Avatar every bending tend to have subsets (sub-bending). You'll understand later on
the general wasn't power hungry. nothing he said suggested that. his intentions were pure but his methods were just stupid
Electricity and fire are both forms of pure energy.
Roku is an avatar so he can control all 4 elements.
Every element have sub-elements. Water got healing, fire got lightning. The rest you will have to wait to find out, including lava, you will be waiting a while to get that one, but it's worth it.
Great episode, great reaction. Gotta leave at least one comment per video for you for the algorithm.
This episode does an awesome job at setting up Azula's character. All of the bending arts have sub-bending elements to them and some people can do the sub-bending better than others and some not at all. Azula is a prodigy and a perfectionist so it makes perfect sense she'd be a good lightning bender. Remember too, we once saw Iroh redirect lightning in "The Storm."
Can't wait for... "Secret tunnel!!!"😂😂
Iroh the GOAT coming in clutch with that Lightning Redirecting
I don't think Pakku thoroughly checked General Fong's references.
14:38
"The Avatar State is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the *skill and knowledge* of all the past Avatars."
So, many fans have been getting where the power of the AS comes from wrong from jump? Been a while since I've watched this.
I'll revisit this after Maple and Ariana watch Book 2 of The Legend of Korra through.
Cement grippers!? 🤣
Lighting bending is considered a sub-category of fire bending. Lavabending can actually only be performed by earth benders as Ariana said. The guy with the red clothes in the flashback was a past Avatar so he can bend Lava too.
Oh snap, Maple is looking 11/10 today. Blue fire, not the normal 🔥
"If you are killed in the avatar-state, the reincarnation-cycle will be broken, and the avatar will cease to exist."
"Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Roku"
girls , about the link between fire benders and lightning , it's explained soon in this season , watch out for spoilers ✌
It's extra hard for Aang to see himself in the Avatar state.
1. Because he can't control it's power, it control him.
2. He's an Airbender & they are thought to respect all life. Only taking lives as a last resort, if even then.
I think its safe to say that Aang killed a lot of fire nation soldiers in his Avatar/Spirit state. Something that go against his core belief & he had zero control over it.
Fire and lightning are both plasmas, just different amount of energy and densities
@Diegesis I googled why lightning and fire are connect4ed in Avatar and found this explanation someone made
"Fire - a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light (same as the glow of lightning), heat, and flame.
Lightning - a brilliant electric (creates light) spark (fire) discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.
Both fire and lightning are linked due to the flow of energy. Fire, when has no fuel, ceases to exist. While at the same time, lightning appears for seconds.
In the Indian culture fire was called Agni, and it had has three forms: fire, lightning and the sun.
In Avatar the Last Air Bender, lightning was considered "Cold-Blooded Fire". And in several occasions (not just in the show), the lightning creates fire when it stuck the surface of a flammable object, let's say wood.
Also, Lightning and Fire burns."
In some Asian languages lighting is literally called "sky fire" hence why lighting generation is done by 🔥 benders.
In my opinion Book 2 is the best season as a season
Whereas Book 3 has some of the biggest and best episodes
Book 1 is really fun and does well with early character building and world building
Book 1 is great with the character building and world building
Book 2 is just a great coherent story that in my opinion feels like you’re pet of the gang and going around the earth kingdom almost like a cool rpg
I find it interesting how yall saw the general as a power hungry man. When I saw this episode I saw a man who just wants to defeat the fire nation and end this war, pain, and death. Like I know its for the story and Aang's destiny is to master the 4 elements but there's no rule that says the only way to defeat the firelord is to master the elements first, and theres no law that says Aang has to be the only one to fight the firelord.
"You can't run forever."
"You can't fight forever."
Each bending style has movements based on a real-world martial art. Aang's fighting style is based on a martial art that involves putting your hand on the small of your opponent's back, and simply staying behind them, forcing them to spend more energy trying to attack you than you spend dodging. The goal is literally to wear the opponent down so that you can defeat them without attacking.
Lava is considered Earth. The “fire guy” controlling the lava is the Avatar, meaning he CAN earthbend 😅
Both fire and lightning are plasma
Diegesis. In our real world, erupting volcanos have been known to produce their own lightning on rare occasions. That's why in the Avatar world, some firebenders can also produce lightning. Also, topknots represent honor in the fire nation. So cutting off the topkot means you have brought dishonor to yourself.
Bruh maple and the nicknames is just on point this episode . Cement grippers , dookie booty like come on😂
Lightning bending is a sub element to fire ,so don't be alarmed when it happens in the show.😊
You forget the fire avatar from the past can use lava most because he is an avatar. He can also control earth as well as his fire lol.
Zuko is 16, Iroh is in his 60s, Sokka is 15, Azula and Katara are 14, Aang is 12 (112 if you count the time in the ice berg)
I will always stan for the general, they were fighting war for almost a century and they are loosing. Everyday his people die, he was desperate and has full right to be.
Fire and Lightning are connected both through their relationship to plasma, and the relationship from some asian cultures in the real world. The show will go into more depth about lightning later, but for now we've seen 2 fire benders manipulate lightning in some way, one of which also bends their fire so hot that it's blue instead of the usual red/orange.
I get the confusion with the Fire nation Avatar bending lava, since the others were shown bending their native elements, but being an Avatar, bending earth with a mindset more like a waterbender isn't all that surprising.
Zuko and Iroh cutting off their top knots (and ponytail) signifies them cutting ties with their country.
Just for context azula is only 14.
The thing is: General Fong is right. Aang could clean house in the avatar state, right now. The issue is that even if it’s a 10,000% power boost, it’s not god-mode. It’s a great way for the show to explain that Aang shouldn’t just turn it on every chance he gets, only when there’s ABSOLUTELY no other option.
ALSO, Azula obviously demands respect, but the tides speech isn’t just her showing how ruthless she is, it shows how childish she is. Instead of being smart about it, she threatens the captain to do what she says. Azula is willing to wreck her own ship to maintain power.
And we saw in The Storm, of course, that Zuko is not.
I can see what the general is _trying_ to get at. I think it's more impatience than "power hungry".
I mean, think about it. You, Your parents, their parents, they all were part of that *one* war. Then a Nuke shows up on your doorstep. Potential shot at ending a century of dealing with the "unlucky" ones never coming home.
I doubt he'd even care if it was a one way trip as long as he could set Aang off just once near the Firelord.
He's totally wrong, but I get the thinking. Especially, if they heard about the literal giant fish that wiped out a fleet in a single night.
Basically the Avatar equivalent of Cell v Goku to Gohan, or the Hulk. "Good luck, bud. Aim, bend and snap."
Lava is Earth. Lightning is Fire. Ice is Water.
Lava bending is a combination of earthbending and firebending.