Analyzing Evil: Azula From Avatar: The Last Airbender

[@TheVileEye]

GASP! TWO ANIMATED CHARACTERS IN A ROW?! Purely coincidence everyone. Planned on covering Griffith at the end of November, and the patrons chose Azula for December. Your regular human programming shall resume next week.

[@justinriley]

We don't mind.

[@skuba6360]

Thank you, I love this villain, another amazing thing about this show

[@hollywoodnation6692]

Omg! I got my wish. Now can you do nerrissa from W.i.t.c.h and wuya from xaolin showdown and aizen from bleach.

[@TheVileEye]

@@justinriley I know some of you don't, but I anticipate others do. So I figured I'd be proactive.

[@nanananananananananananana9430]

I would be interested on seeing one on Johan Liebert from "Monster". Also Simon Laurent from "Infinity Train".

[@victorconway444]

I think Ozai's favoritism for Azula is also rooted in personal spite. He always felt like he was playing second fiddle to his older brother, Iroh, just because he was second born. He detested the idea that someone was entitled to the throne just because they were born first. So his hatred for Zuko and making Azula his _de facto_ heir is just his one last jab at his own brother and parents. Also doesn't help either that Zuko's conscience was reminiscent of Iroh from a very young age while Azula was the mirror image of Ozai's personality.

[@robertisham5279]

It also explains why Zuko chose to only to have one child.

[@antichaos]

I think firebending also played a fair part in the favouritism. Since Ozai and Ursa was paired due to their firebending lineage, having a child who isn’t a firebending prodigy like Azula would’ve made Zuko seem unworthy in the eyes of Ozai.

[@DavidLopez-yt2yp]

My point exactly azulon actually loved iroh deeply which is a hard thing to believe, being the cruel man he was and he was ready to kill ozai on the spot for even suggesting to Betray iroh, so that probably had a mental effect on Ozai

[@thegreattotemaster]

This kind of thing is what makes Fire Lord Ozai very relatable.

[@conradaster3764]

Excellent point. I think it also had a lot to do with self hatred. After all, for as talented as ozai was; iroh's creativity and demeanor obviously made him the protégé of the 2...it's interesting that Iroh was in active duty during the war yet Ozai remained at the palace. Ozai's father speaks to him exactly like he speaks to zuko as we

[@Dissection39]

I love perfectionist villains. Azula is an exceptional girl that is fascinating due to her unstable, yet unparalleled skills in practically everything, with the exception of being social and her being absolutely insane. She did what an entire army could not do and conquered the impregnable Bae Sin Sae. She is top tier, and she did it before adulthood. There needs to be more villains like this animated character.

[@otakusama2024]

Sun tzu would be proud

[@spbot2]

14 years old

[@anitamihholap5926]

She was also broken beyond repair way before adulthood because of that. Remember that.

[@ΓρηγόρηςΠανούσης]

"impregnable" chuckles

[@grimreefer213]

I’ve seen enough “strong” masculine female characters and feminized male characters, Avatar was an amazing show but if someone were to try to recreate a character like that Idk if they could pull it off

[@GUMMRUCHK]

Worst thing about Azula is that she is in fact brilliant she could have very easily been a Fire Lord of unequaled talent. With a sane Azula at it's head I think the Fire Nation might have finally won the war or if she was inclined towards peace ended the war.

[@mysteryjunkie9808]

It takes more than brilliance to be a good leader. As he mentioned outside of conquest she had no real social skills. She also didn’t listen to anyone except for maybe her father. Ozai appeared to have social skills and often times in the war room took advice by his generals and even once from Zuko about how to deal with Earth Kingdom rebels.

[@GUMMRUCHK]

@@mysteryjunkie9808 A sane Azula would not have this problem I find your point kind of irrelevant to the version of her I'm talking about. You describe the insane Azula we get not the one the world could have got.

[@4RestJay]

I think the whole point of the series is that Azula strength of brilliance and cruelty, was also the very thing that drove those around her away. Azula, with Mei and Tai Lee is near unstoppable. Even Azula, in command of fearful servants would probably be unstoppable. But before her coronation we she her gradually getting more and more unhinged and paranoid of betrayal I think that the show did that on purpose. It was to show that no one can exist alone, no one can rule alone. Azula's poorly cut hair is great symbolism. For all her brilliance, she requires a servant to cut her hair. For all her brilliance she requires servants to dress her. Her own paranoia caused her to banish even her servants away from her.

[@mysteryjunkie9808]

@@GUMMRUCHK no ever watch the Ember Island episode she can’t socialize like at all. She’s awkward and here’s a exact quote of her trying to be charming :”That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful, you could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battle ship, leaving thousands to drown at sea. Because... it's so sharp.“. Yeah imagine those social skills being in charge of a empire lmao

[@valtersplume3726]

"Azula" and "peace" do not belong in single sentence. At the end it was literally stated that Azula is a savage berserker engine of war with an unquenchable bloodlust. She exists purely to wage war and kill. Also, Azula is interested purely in her own good and doesn't give a flying fuck about her nation; this is made abundantly clear by the fact that her treatment of her fellow FN people is awful. With her as the Fire Lord, the war would not end by any means - rebellions against her dystopian rule would start left, right and center.

[@Reyma777]

When I was younger I never realized how well written Avatar:The Last Airbender was. As a teen, I never realized how Azula’s own actions and defeats gestated her schizophrenia.

[@amuroray9115]

When I was young, I always knew this show was top tier on an emotional level.

[@SnepBlepVR]

The amazing writing in this show was one of the reasons my very conservative Christian mother let us watch this.

[@jackoconnor5085]

I would love for them to do a reimagined live action that was more teen/adult, the story would still stand just as well

[@Signal85-0]

@@SnepBlepVR tbh the show does preach some of the lessons in the Bible. Patience above anger, forgiveness, helping your fellow man. Of course most of this is shown through Iroh

[@sweetlulubean1118]

@MrReyno Tanks : Azula was groomed by her farther to be his reflection. A reflection of his power. Cruelty, cohesion and violence are simply weapons of acquiring power !

[@mitchellsullivan1110]

I definitely think you missed azulas obsession with perfection. She is always referred to as a prodigy, and always gets her way. Even in a small training exercise using lightning, she is one hair out of place and reacts savagely. When she cant control everything in her life and she sees everyone around her betraying her, she breaks down

[@jagrant9624]

The Most Chilling Scene in TLA is when in Sozin’s Comet Azula has a mental breakdown after she lost and starts crying. I can’t help but get teary everytime I watch it.

[@blacklight1104]

It's quite an interesting duality she shows once she no longer has control over others. Instead of the usual cool, aloft and sharp-tongued wit she shows, we instead see her more akin to an aggressive child throwing a tantrum.

[@Doktor_dooom]

And she is battling her brother is not something happy and triumphant but a tragedy

[@Diontho]

Azula's character is so tragic, she had no choice but to become what we is because of her upbringing. I feel like alot of people can relate to this.

[@SuperPrettyPink101]

@@Doktor_dooom triumphant?

[@Doktor_dooom]

@@SuperPrettyPink101 Yeah sorry

[@kristofgriffin384]

Next to Iroh, Azula has got to be my favorite character from Avatar. Her mentality is frighteningly perverse, a child warped into a monster by the need to feel loved. A child who morphs into a demon because jealousy and a lack of love compel her to seek admiration through the only means she has ever known, fear.

[@burningearthfilms]

This is "Analyzing Evil." Iroh might be the least evil character in all of fiction, so I wouldn't count on a video for him.

[@kristofgriffin384]

@@burningearthfilms I never said that Iroh is evil, only that he's my favorite character.

[@straburyred]

That's also a perfect description of "Gladiator's" Commodus.

[@gunjfur8633]

@@kristofgriffin384 He didnt say that you said that Iroh was evil. He said that the video maker of the channel focuses on evil characters, and thus most likely wont make a video on him.

[@JP-br4mx]

peope keep forgetting that she was just a kid younger than Zuko. Her family never cared for her. Uncle Iroh really tried with Zuko beause he reminds him of his son who die in Ba sing Sey but never even gave Azula a second. All Azula wanted was to be loved

[@我主也]

Azula is an excellent character which foils Zuko's story, showing how the outcast child and the favourite child in fact BOTH suffer under a narcissistic parent. Azula was fully indoctrinated in Fire Nation supremacy and supremacist ideology becomes self-defeating, as one of its strongest assets and actors cannot bear the cognitive dissonance it creates with reality. Azula had the immense drive and willpower necessary to be the flawless princess, and it was her very nature which combined with nurture to set her up for her personal tragedy. It is stirring and her descent gets me every time!

[@gd88467]

Agreed and unlike Zuko she never had a good influence in her life. Even Zuko still struggled with Iroh guiding him because of their father.

[@TheSinisterkelly]

Don't forget Zuko wanted his father's love Azula wanted her mother's Zuko was blind to see he'll never get it Azula was blind to know she had it

[@BloodBoiling]

Golden Child and Scapegoat dynamics

[@youngmaster7405]

Except azula didnt suffer she flourished. Notice how she only spirals into madness after her friend ms betray her. Her mental break had little to do with her upbringing and more to do with her schizophrenic paranoia brought on by those closest to her betraying her. When they did that, she began to distrust anyone and everyone. That on top of the pressures of being a fire lord looming caused all of that mental mess we see in the finale. She then connects that to her mother because she believed her mother feared her. Azula loved being royalty, she loved doing her father’s work and bettering her nation. A lot of what she did in book 2 was her own, the only mission she got from ozai was to get zuko and iroh back. There are literally no signs of dissatisfaction in her whatsoever before the finale

[@我主也]

@@youngmaster7405 uh, no, her upbringing shaped Azula's psychopathology: as she said, "you cant treat me like Zuko" meaning she KNOWS she has to perfect at all times or else she will be discarded. Like did you miss that scene? It was pivotal to understanding the narcissistic parenting they BOTH suffered. Azula is just as much a victim as Zuko... if you cant see that, youre normalising abuse you sicko 😂😂😂😂

[@davidgeorge1943]

A personal highlight of Azula for me was the Day of Black Sun, where a total solar eclipse disabled all firebending for eight minutes, and Team Avatar fully intended to capitalize on that moment of vulnerability. However, thanks to her coup in Ba Sing Se, she learned of this invasion months in advance, allowing the Fire Nation to prepare against it. She served as a decoy for her father, set a couple of Dai Li agents to fend off Aang, Toph, and Sokka, who were unaffected by the eclipse, being that they were earthbenders. She also proved herself to be immune (or at least resistant) to Toph's lie detecting ability by telling an outlandish falsehood that even Toph could see as a lie, and she's blind! She also managed to stall for long enough by attempting to evade capture, and even when she was caught, she managed to manipulate them long enough for the Fire to turn back on.

[@anatoldenevers237]

@Greg Elchert I love how during the eclipse we see a parallel between Azula and Ozai, Azula stalling The Gaang by bringing up Suki after she's caught and Ozai stalling Zuko with information about his mother until he can blast Zuko with lightning.

[@boardcertifiable]

​@@anatoldenevers237 the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

[@NotWorthBeans16]

As much as I knew Azula had to be stopped that scene where Katara manages to chain her up makes me cry. Seeing Azula lash out in fear, confusion, and rage always gets me. She was so broken her whole life because of her father's control. She felt she had to have everything in control and perfect in order to be loved and when that was finally taken from her she had nothing.

[@rhymenoceros3303]

Omg yes Azula is easily one of top 10 animated villains of all time. She’s intimidating, smart powerful and has a lot of tragic depth to her. It’s hard to believe at times she’s only 14 during the events of the story. She is a brilliantly written character that you love to hate yet manage to pity in the end.

[@BenHopkins1000]

*Azula. Azusa is from K-ON and is completely harmless compared to her

[@rhymenoceros3303]

@@BenHopkins1000 my b

[@osmanyousif7849]

Gotta hand to voice actress Grey Delisle. She can really make her villain characters sound so irredeemable, from Vicky (Fairly Oddparents) to Sally Avril (Spectacular Spider-Man) to Mandy (Billy and Mandy; though Mandy does show some good in her) to Jacqueline Natla (Tomb Raider).

[@JP-br4mx]

why do people keep calling cartoons like this Anime? Anime is just cartoon from Japan. There is nothing distinctive about other than the fact it was made outside of the US. Avatar was made in the US.

[@DR3ADER1]

@@BenHopkins1000 Azuza was based on another scumstain in the form of Yoko Ono, but that's a story for another day.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

I always found Azula to be a very compelling Antagonist for Zuko in particular, as a symbol of what the Fire Nation was for him to overcome to become Fire Lord himself

[@lunsen402]

should also be mentioned i think that the marrige between ozai and his Urza was coerced, and while such things can´t be shown in a TV show and comic for the whole family, but it wouldn´t be that far of a stretch to belive that the two children of this marrige was boorn from things that rhyme with grape. In any case a marrige born from coercion isn´t a good enviroment for children. honestly its a miracle zoku turned out as well as he did

[@gd88467]

And honestly that because of Iroh. Their mother was really only in their lives for a relatively short time. Without him or their mother Zuko would’ve been killed.

[@alecburris4225]

Oh yeah she was definitely graped there's no way she desired him

[@mysteryjunkie9808]

Their marriage was arranged because she was the granddaughter of Avatar Roku and Azulan the Fire Lord before Ozai believed merging the two powerful bending bloodlines would ensure their families Royal line for many generations. I guess it worked because Zuko and Azula were definitely powerful

[@j.1759]

you don't have to censor that word in this video

[@lunsen402]

@@mysteryjunkie9808 I have read the comics that came after. The scene where Urza is forced to come with ozai seems pretty damn coerced arranged or not.

[@stonefree7973]

Azula is easily one of my favorite villains ever, behind the villains of Hunter x Hunter and Gargoyles. She has undeniable power and an extreme sense of tragedy. Loved her dynamic with Zuko and the threat she posed to most of the characters.

[@seanmcinerney6507]

Azula is such a well written character and may actually be one of my favorite characters in avatar. I appreciate how you mention just how much Azulas upbringing affected her.. a toxic abusive cruel household that encourages brutality is no proper upbringing and in a way it’s sad how Azula was groomed into believing this was the superior way of thought. Now I’m not saying Azula was a good person she’s so clearly not but you can’t help but wonder if it was ever possible to harness her in like Zuko. At the end of the day while she’s not a good person she’s clearly a mentally ill psychologically abused young woman, it’s sad really.

[@facundogonzalez1277]

I think you missed, slightly, Azula's obssesive personality or maybe lack of individuality? Not sure how to call it. She needs to focus in someone, at least by her later portrayals. First her father, then her mother and finally Zuko. Azula cannot be an independent person, she needs to latch to someone.

[@1999yasin]

That's because Azula's animus is submissive, compassionate and understanding. Her deeply hidden desire is being loved and being surrounded by friends and family. Normally, a so called shadow (animus/anima) is something dark and twisted. In Zuko's case, his anima is being domineering, violent and aggressive. This is a direct inverse of Azula's personality and her animus, which is no coincidence. It is reminiscent of Yin and Yang. Both parties contain a part of the other within themselves. In The Beach we see both, Azulas and Zukos, shadows come out. Azula is apologizing to Ty Lee, flirting with a guy, concerned with Zuko's mental being. While Zuko gets in a fight and insults Ty Lee, Mai, Azula and himself. Through the duration of their stay on Ember Island, their personalities slowly switch. We are literally told at the beginning of the episode, that the island makes your true self come out. Their true self here is their shadows lurking deep within them. One of the shows overall themes was one of balance. One well written fan fiction, which explores this dynamic with Zuko and Azula, is called Dominion, but it is not for the faint heart, since Ozais abuse of Azula is depicted in more detail.

[@j.1759]

@@1999yasin what is the difference between anima and animus?

[@yunyunkyo2166]

@@j.1759 animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman, while the anima as the unconscious feminine side of a man

[@ExeErdna]

Azula is truly like fire she needs fuel to burn, she can't help but to burn others because she's more like a force of nature

[@johnlawful2272]

@@yunyunkyo2166 that explains Seymour summoning in final fantasy x

[@petermj1098]

Azula’s manipulation of Ty Lee and Mai are specifically important to her decent into madnesses and loneliness. Azula intimidated Ty Lee to fight for her by making her do dangerous stunts in the circus and Azula intimidated Mai to not to trade the Earth king for her infant brother. Both Ty Lee and Mai knew what she did was wrong but did it out of fear of her. Mai eventually confronts Azula saying “I love Zuko more than I fear you”- which perfect tells Azula’s “friendship” with Ty Lee and Mai only lasted because of intimidation by Azula. Ty Lee and Mai are closer to her than her mother and Azula realized it when she first hallucinated her mother.

[@Stormkrow280]

Through both Azula and Zuko we can see just how horrible a father Ozai was. Azula was also a victim, but in the opposite way, where all Zuko received from his father was scorn, Azula was held to high expectations, pushing herself to meet those expectations because she didn’t want to be treated like Zuko. Off topic but I read something rather horrifying: I don’t remember the episode but Azula taunts Zuko by holding her hand up in front of her face, obviously to mimic Zuko’s scar, but one theory said there was something else to it. If we look through the series we see that firebenders are notoriously hard to burn, often shrugging off blasts with little to no damage, even from point blank range, so how did Zuko get his scar? The theory suggests that Ozai concentrated heat into the palm of his hand and pressed it into zukos face, searing the skin and flesh permanently.

[@anatoldenevers237]

That's always how I pictured it happening. Ozai placing his hand on Zuko's face and just scorching the flesh while Zuko screams in pain. Because Ozai is the worst.

[@parthlad8263]

Well I guess the Netflix writers also liked this theory. Seeing Ozai hold Zuko down as he burns him is brutal

[@caddiewallace-jones7756]

@parthlad8263 yeah the Netflix series did a good job with that scene, it was really difficult to watch

[@jy285]

Azula absolutely earns her spot among the ranks of Walter White, Darth Vader, and Jaws. Anyone at any age can love the ATLA story.

[@anatoldenevers237]

I think Magneto should be up there with Walter White and Darth Vader as well. That's my top three for sympathetic villains.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

@@anatoldenevers237 Darth Vader is a tragic villain than a "sympathetic" villain at all.

[@ChiqueIndustries]

@@anatoldenevers237facts

[@acmodelmaster1944]

Long Feng: You have beaten me at my own game. Azula: Don’t flatter yourself, you’re never even a player.

[@facundopollacino7956]

Sería bueno traer de vuelta a Long Feng y a su organización (Dai li) en los medios, ya sea una serie o comic. Long Feng es uno de los cabos sueltos más grandes de la serie original. No se supo nada de él en los cómics y en la Leyenda de Korra es inexistente. Con respecto al mundo de los fanfics, el potencial de Long Feng cómo antagonista se desperdicia por completo. Se qué no es un antagonista tan memorable e icónico cómo Azula, pero por sí sólo tiene el potencial para ser un oponente digno para los heroes. El Dai Li es una facción interesante cuyo potencial se desperdicia.

[@Supasmartguy]

Azula is a WAAAAAAY better villain than Ozai.

[@dariuspaker7960]

Yes I think that too but I think it’s because we see more of azula thn ozai

[@Supasmartguy]

@@dariuspaker7960 she also seems to be a lot smarter and a little bit more evil than ozai in my opinion.

[@ReblazeGaming]

And the sky is blue. Azula and Zuko were the main "active" villains after all. Ozai was more of the final boss and also Zuko's own villain.

[@margarethmichelina5146]

Ozai is never doing anything for most of the time. He's also a coward by hiding in the bunker in Eclipse day and sacrifice his own daughter to be the pawn of the enemy. He's just a lazy old man who just wants to sit in the throne and be scary and intimidating until he got beaten by The Avatar.

[@ethanthesavior1999]

I think there both equally fantastic villains

[@shadejakva9367]

Azula's a fantastic villain and one of my favorites. In many ways, her father was little different, albeit in his case Ozai learned all the wrong lessons from his own father Azulon, believing a Fire Lord's strength is measured by how others fear his cruelty and power. Ozai in turn, repeated this abusive cycle while Iroh ultimately broke from it, as did Zuko.

[@jonathanm.9801]

@Greg Elchert Ozai probably wouldn’t have had to kill his own father for the throne if Ozai was the favorite child too.

[@mercykelly5267]

Did Iroh really break away from this cycle or did his son just die in war

[@Abandoned_Account88]

“I can fix her” Famous last words

[@deusstultus]

I love this analysis, but i think something you didn't mention following the loss of her two friends isn't just the fear of betrayal, but something that was touched on during the beach episode which is her fear of being unlikable as well which personifies in the hallucinations ofher mother. After her two friends leave and she's about to become firelord she realizes no matter how much power and fear she manifest no one will truly like her or love her regardless of the power she gains. This creates a frustration in her that no matter how strong she becomes she will always be alone. Her mother is a manifestation of the need for the love on top of the paranoia you mentioned, as a result of how she was raised, thinking only power matters in the grand scheme of things, she finds herself questioning the nature of her own being. Her mother's image is meant to show her it's okay to be emotionally vulnerable with others especially since its hinted her mother was most likely the only one in her life to show her selfless love, which is something Ozai, the person she aspires to become, would ultimately detest the very notion of as weakness. Ultimately Azula is a human being, and ontop of that, a teenage girl at that, and so towards the end of the show she becomes more unhinged as the belief in the world view she was raised in is brought into question making her double down on the paranoia in hopes that no one will see any mercy she may give as she ascends the throne as weakness, even though that would in turn give her the friends and loved ones she so desires.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

One of the reasons I love Azula is because she comes across as a spoiled, narcisstic brat, but she's every bit as competent and effective as she hypes up she makes herself out to be. She's fiercely intelligent, conniving, and above all, powerful. She's clearly favoured by her father Ozai, but he shows her no love, he only values her as an effective tool. This makes her tragic because she only wants to be loved, but she doesn't know how to love others.

[@ClassicCase]

I think you have missed out on her mother's role. Or rather absence. All her mom did was scold her even when she clearly needed guidance. Abuse father and a despondent mother are the classic ingredients for nurtured psychopathy.

[@ludonymous526]

Badass, nightmarish, surprisingly tragic and oh so entertaining, this girl is a fantastic antagonist.

[@josephedmond3723]

Zuko: I know what you're going to say. That's she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her. Iroh: NO! SHES CRAZY AND SHE NEEDS TO GO DOWN!!!

[@demetriusmarshall8226]

And iroh was 100 percent right

[@jasminedragon7360]

Ahhh Azula, you know it’s so easy for us to understand Zuko, his dad abused him but he still wants his love, but just imagine for second how hard it is to see a monster when it does nothing but praise you. A monster who makes you think that is love and anyone else who says otherwise is a fool. Ozai was smart, he knew she was like tomboy so he didn’t get her dolls, he got her fighting lessons. It took me while to realize it but she is so tragic, 14 years old and condemned as if she was an adult. This does not make her actions right, she was definitely wrong, she is also tragic. Tragedies can happen to villains just as much as heroes.

[@deckkid101]

Shes 14, kids that age can barely think for themselves and just begin understanding abstract and complex thoughts, yet lack the emotional maturity to handle those thoughts. Thats what she made the akatsuki for. The fire nation will know PAIN

[@JP-br4mx]

she wasnt a tomboy. She just interested in dolls. she saw herself as above the average kid. She was still really girl and comform to her societys expections. even while on the hunt she still had long ass nails

[@jasminedragon7360]

@@JP-br4mx her nails were for her defense, she doesn’t paint them or design them and it’s okay to call her a tomboy because honestly we change what qualifies as girly, you know that I meant that she wasn’t into the norm of what defined a girly girl. It would be like someone telling you to edit your sentence because you forgot to add “she doesn’t like dolls” it’s not needed because I understood what you meant even though you worded incorrectly 😊

[@JP-br4mx]

@@jasminedragon7360 Sis Azula is not a tomboy. She represents her cultural ideal. A tomboy is someone who rejects societies expectations of her. When a woman embodies her society's expectation in her culture she is not a tomboy. Being a tomboy is to protest and to be a outcast in the process. I think the reason they showed her burning the doll was to show her losing her innocent like Ii said before Azula just did not see herself like the average kid not because she prefer masculine things such as war strategy blah blah because those things were not gendered in the Avatar world since we saw many female warriors like the Kyoshi warriors and the countless female. All in All, a tomboy is someone who actively goes against her society's expectation Alienating herself in the process, if anything Azula fights to protect tradition.

[@XavionofThera]

I don't think she was 14 years old. The show simply doesn't depict her in that way. The age of Zuko and Azula is never actually said during the show. I'd say she's 16 at the absolute youngest.

[@lazyybunnyy]

Azula was always my favorite character in the show. Analyzing her is so interesting.

[@daniell1483]

Seeing Azula on the beach, we get a glimpse into who she could have been and it really tugs at the heart. She was taught cruelty and raised on violence. One can imagine who she might have been if Ozai hadn't intentionally brought out the worst in her. Though really, the root cause of all of the pain in the series is Sozen. After betraying the Avatar, Sozen's spree of conquests very nearly led to the destruction of his own family. Azula's downfall and later madness is quite tragic.

[@ohno8398]

I love a good tragic villain, she's an unfortunately perfect example of the cycle of abuse

[@wizard_of_poz4413]

This show and everything else filoni does are just amazing

[@Flemmli1]

Azula sure is a tragic evil, shaped by the war and unable to exist outside of it. Makes it so appropriate that the music during the Last Agni Kai between her and Zuko is so sad. There's nothing thrilling or good about a brother and a sister fighting each other to the death.

[@Fizzybubbler23]

Such an accurate analysis. Incredible attention to detail.

[@user-vp3qd1yb2d]

I would say that from the moment shes introduced she becomes the main antagonist. The fire lord really isnt the main antagonist until the last episode.

[@likepocketsjingling]

One of the more interesting moments I remember from the series was during the prison breakout storyline where an innocent prisoner is about to be tortured. Azula sees in an instant that he has no involvement in the escape attempt and tells Mei's uncle as much. It doesn't redeem her in any way and I believe that it was her not wanting to waste time with him when they could be looking for the real culprits, but I feel like it's a possibly an instant which shows that she employs sadism in order to gain something, not simply for its own sake.

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

3:35 I have a personal pet theory, although I am far from the only one to have made these sorts of comparisons, that the Fire Nation and Water Tribe royal families are mirrors of each other in a Yin-Yang sense, both pairs of siblings lost their mother at a fairly young age and had to be raised by their father who couldn't be more opposite in attitude and behaviour. I think there is a strong implication that if raised by someone like Ozai, Sokka and Katara would have turned out like Azula. It's one of the reasons why Zutara was and remains a popular fan pairing, because they are each other's mirrors and though less obvious on surface level, Sokka and Azula, because despite Sokka embodying the comedic element of his group, is also the most ruthless of the group and has the most nonchalant attitude towards killing Ozai. Azula and Sokka even share a similar scene, getting left behind by their respective fathers, which I think is to demonstrate where the two modes of parenting get your child, so while Sokka is arguably less competent in his role as village leader, he does it to the best of his abilities and leads him to a path of self-discovery where he can really begin to grow as a character, while Azula, burns out and suffers a psychotic breakdown over the burden placed on her shoulders.

[@friedsalt7265]

i love how you dont just analyse films or series, u also analyse characters from cartoons and mangas, and thats why ur content is amazing.

[@iamjigzzy]

She’s actually a *much* better villain than her dad, and the way she just goes full tilt at the end ? 😘👌 magnificent.

[@helloeditor9376]

One of the most well written villains. Good job on deciding to make a video on her!

[@IronDragon-2143]

This was without a shadow of a doubt the best animated series ever and I'd argue the best cartoon ever on Nick. The world, the lore, the characters, everything about it makes it a timeless classic. And somebody out there had better NOT TRY MESSING IT UP WITH ANOTHER REMAKE!!!

[@AdonisTurner1992]

Easily best cartoon on Nick and it’s honestly not even close. I thought Netflix was doing a remake, no?

[@TheSmokefan14TS]

There are at least twenty anime television series that are leaps and bounds better than Avatar

[@AdonisTurner1992]

@@TheSmokefan14TS No

[@TheSmokefan14TS]

@@AdonisTurner1992 Great response. But seriously, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Monster, Attack on Titan, Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the shell, Psycho Pass, Fate Zero, Darker Than Black, Shin Seki Yori, season 1 of Berserk and Madoka beat Avatar into the ground and that’s only 13 examples.

[@AdonisTurner1992]

@@TheSmokefan14TS monster has severe flaws towards the end and gets really boring. I love death note but it has massive issues after L dies. Manga is perfect though. Psycho pass is really good also but unravels illogically towards the end. The main thing about Avatar, it’s basically got no real issues while also having a great story line and characters. Parasyte is excellent also but the last two episodes become political. I’m not an anime aficionado but I have watched some. I don’t like most of them.

[@WieldingEminator]

Zuko tends to hold back more than he should; my guess is that he does so because he doesn't want to end up like his sister.

[@yoavjacoby8246]

5:22 This scene was always a pet peeve of mine. If the captain is saying that the tides are too low, it's not because he's lazy. If the tides are too low for the ship to doc, you can't bring the ship to port. The ship's gonna get stuck in mud (which would otherwise be too low for the ship to hit) and need to be rescued by another ship, or the ship could even suffer serious damage from hitting big rocks at the bottom of the ocean. The tides are commanders of the ship just like the rain is commander of the umbrella. This scene is supposed to make Azula look like a competent scary leader, but instead it just makes her look like a dumb tyrannical child who knows nothing about the world and just gives out arbitrary punishments to people who are just doing their job.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

"dumb tyrannical child who knows nothing about the world and just gives out arbitrary punishments to people who are just doing their job." I mean that's basically what her character becomes at the end of it all doesn't? So it's all good and it still fits for her character. It's not that she knows "nothing about the world" it's more like she's so insanely conceited that she thinks everything will obey her no matter how irrational her demand is. Which again, fits her character seeing how she breaks down later on.

[@XxdextriousxX]

I think it’s purposeful to show her character upon her first introduction. It’s my way or the highway type thing.

[@MrBone-qv5tz]

If any Avatar character deserves to get a spin off series, it’s Azula. (Besides Iroh and Kyoshi of course.)

[@AgentSteffi]

I heard there are Kyoshi comics (probably not what you meant, but I am planing on reading them)

[@AndalusianPhilosopher]

I will not hope too much. The sad reality is that beyond the Smoke and Shadow which came out 6 years ago, and some vaque references in books and cookbook, the creators it seems to due to contraversy regarding Azula are afraid to take her story further. Understandable due to the fact that one fan wrote a nasty e-mail to Faith Erin Hicks and she is reluctant to touch Azulas character. It could be that we never know her fate by Korras time. Maybe creators left her story to fans imagination. Though cookbook does imply she got better and seems to be on speaking terms with Mai at the very least

[@teamblack204]

It's coming by the way. A series only for Azula, it's a comics and called "Azula In The Spirit Temple"

[@teamblack204]

@@AndalusianPhilosopher I think Azula's character in Smoke and Shadow was perfect. She became powerful and cunning again, still an awesome villain.

[@maxicheese4609]

Yes!! Azula is one of the most cool and fascinating animated vilain that has been created, she is complex, crazy and tragic. At first like Iroh we hate her but in the end we pity her, Ozai really fuck her up and ruined her.

[@AdonisTurner1992]

GOAT-like CHOICE. Thanks for this! I’m impressed you read the graphic novels as well. Good work as usual man!

[@alexmendez9792]

One of the best parts was when Azula won over the Dai Li soldiers from BSS. Her speeches, strategy and demeanor. When they said that they admired her and feared her at the same time..

[@pajamapantsjack5874]

I think a great person for you to cover would be Caesar from fallout new Vegas, I think his origins paint a very interesting story to cover

[@TheSufferingDarkness]

Ulysses as well

[@isaiahdaddys9379]

Yo Vile Eye really glad you did my suggestion really appreciate it man I love you’re videos. Always thought she was such a compelling villain for a “kid’s” show.

[@Sleepyhead_22]

Azula is a victim too. She was praised for actions that showed a lack of empathy, cruelty and ruthlessness. She’s just 14, and her breakdown after the agni kai with zuko wasn’t a pay off; it was tragic and genuinely sad.

[@JazzyAnasazi]

One of the sickest episodes you've done yet, I love Azula's voice actress, she was phenomenal, and the show is one of my favorites!! Thank you for taking on Avatar the Last Airbender!

[@owenbaker2.084]

Here’s some other amazing cartoon villain suggestions for Analyzing Evil: Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls King Andiras from Amphibia Emperor Belos from The Owl House The Lich from Adventure Time Aku from Samurai Jack Simon Laurent from Infinity Train And Lord Commander from Final Space

[@diamantemrobinson]

I've been waiting for you to do a video on Azula. It's so tragic how both her mother and uncle believed she was a monster and didn't try to reform her.

[@scotbush4338]

It's hard for a lot of people to accept or even understand, but some things in this life are just straight up broken, and can not be fixed, or reformed, and that includes people. Some people are just born.....wrong.....and there is no fixing them. It's heartbreaking and tragic but it happens.

[@diamantemrobinson]

@@scotbush4338 she wasn't born that way her father twisted her that way. It's pointed out multiple times Ozai made her that way and her mother could've saved her.

[@JP-br4mx]

none of them tried to reform her. They abondon her hence why she cracks once Mai told her that she loves zuko more than she feared her. To her, that was just another proof everone prefer zuko and she broke down when she saw Zuko with team AV

[@diamantemrobinson]

@@JP-br4mx thank you for getting it she was literally an after thought to people. What's crazy is in her own twisted way she did show love to her mother and Zuko. Zuko could've saved her as her older brother.

[@seliamila1005]

@@scotbush4338 she could have been saved if they just fucking take her away from Ozai since young age -.- ffs bro she was a manipulated 14 years old

[@soundblaster1987reviews]

There are a lot of parallels between Azula and Bellatrix LeStrange from the Harry Potter series, including her fall into madness at the end of the final battle.

[@Neellssoonn1]

Azula is unique and the most beautiful female character of all Avatar’s series, she just grew up in a really difficult family. 🇨🇴🌎🇺🇸

[@bakiterriyaki9794]

Azula just needed a fucking hug lmao She was crying to be loved through all that evil

[@Alice_Haukea]

I'm glad you mentioned it- Azula's "beauty" is completely overshadowed by her evil. I cannot see her charm as her evil is so blatant and off putting. Its a similar story with Mei from this show as well. I didn't like Mei for a LONG time because her actions outweighed any visual attraction. But in Mei's case, she came around when she stood up to Azula and suddenly she became visually appealing. lol

[@kyopathy6236]

her and katara are perfect foils to each other. both young bending prodigies who lost their mothers. but where katara became caring, azula became sadistic and hateful.

[@bentomedeiroschediakstg8185]

After more batman villains for batman returns, I always wanted an analyzing evil on Azula I have never been so excited over a youtube video

[@JustTooDamnHonest]

TLA is the prime example of a near perfect show with characters with deep backgrounds and different views of the world. Azula is a prime example of a lifetime of conditioning, royal treatment and having power since birth. This was a good pick VE I do have a few selections if you would see them. El Sueño from Wildlands Dio from JoJo Bizarre Adventure

[@gd88467]

And not only that how a one terrible and one apathetic parent can completely damage a person.

[@johnlawful2272]

@@gd88467 she should fight dabi from my hero academia

[@skuba6360]

Wow, I didn’t expect this, but I’m excited Edit- this was a great video. Azula is probably tied with my favorite villain in avatar, only matched by zaheer.

[@Muudy1]

Yes!! This is the one I’ve been waiting for. She’s the best villain in the avatar universe in my opinion

[@erikfleming9317]

You should do an episode on Tyler Durden from “Fight Club”. That would be an interesting episode. Is he evil? On one hand he never killed anyone and was pointing out our flaws in our economic system, on the other hand he caused mass chaos.

[@margarethmichelina5146]

In the end of the day, Azula is just a broken girl who never gets love from her parents nor even anybody. Her friends, Mai and Ty Lee are scared to her and they have to do anything to satisfy her by letting her bully them. Her mother cares to her but she is so delusional, she thinks her mother loves Zuko more than her while in fact, she cares to both of her children. Her father is an egomaniac man who's only sees her as his killing machine, Ozai is in fact is just a lazy coward adult who's never see the other sides of the world, he is so lazy and coward, he's hiding in the bunker in Eclipse episode and sacrificed Azula to be beaten by their enemy. Both of Azula and Zuko have been brainwashed since a child to only see that Fire Nation is the greatest Nation of all and the other Nations deserved to be rot. While Zuko finally learn humility from Iroh and also from his banishment journey, Azula stayed as Ozai's true killing machine and has been brainwashed completely by him to only obey and fear him and also needs to be perfect. Iroh said that "Perfect is boring" and it took so long to Azula to realize that being perfect is killing her mentally.

[@appl_cider]

Finally, I sat in an iceberg for 100 years waiting for this video to come out. Glad I thawed out just in time!

[@azazelgrigori9244]

That's the downside to ruling through fear. You can manipulate people at first, but someone will eventually find the courage, strategy, moment, and implementation to take you out. If people like you enough, they'll want to help you. Friends are important.

[@austinwallett5140]

That's one of the points made by Machiavelli. Ideally it is best to be both loved and feared, but being feared is preferable if you can't have both. HOWEVER... You should take care that you aren't *hated* because, as you said, others will be willing to endure suffering just to bring you down.

[@dilandelllgado4489]

I think a great character to see in this series is Thragg from invincible, he’s an incredible character and there’s a lot that you could talk about with him.

[@abbadonne8342]

YES PLEASE

[@iilikecereal]

I just wanna day that your speaking voice is very clear and easy to understand, and I had no problem comprehending what you were saying at 2x playback speed

[@NickAndriadze]

Person can simply not talk evil without talking Azula. One of the most interesting Villains of all time.

[@lavi_t]

I don't think that Azula is power hungry and that is her utmost goal in life but rather her mentality that she's been brainwashed into is that fear is the only reliable way. Love is a weakness. So when Mae betrays her saying "she loves Zuko more than she fears Azula" her world starts to collapse. Everything that she's ever believed since childhood that fear and power will bring her happiness collapses. After she learns that people can betray her regardless of how much she scares them she begins to doubt everyone around her hence genuinely believing that all the servants around her want to kill her because now she has no way of controlling them without fear.

[@bornimusic]

This is next level prose you’re delivering, man. Bravo. Great analysis of a great character from the greatest show. 🙏🏾

[@kevenvaldez2565]

I love your videos, not that it matters because you got the point across about her character per usual may I say you always hit it right on the mark in my opinion. A great mention would’ve been when she almost kills her uncle, in order to escape when they have her surrounded , putting her own well-being above everything and everyone

[@EDEEB7]

I can safely say you did not miss a thing! 😁 Extremely thorough and thoughtful breakdown of evil Azula. Very impressive speaking voice as well. Thanks so much!

[@gonnacry442]

The painful thing about Azula is that, with how desperate she was to be loved by a parental figure knowing her mother didn't because she perceived her as a monster, she turned to Ozai who was the worst figure to look up to. She didn't get love from the guy and thus remained alone in the end because she didn't know how to love people, even if only her friends. Zuko on the other hand has been exposed to love by a parental figure albeit short-lived, but it was enough for him to distinguish later on that Ozai is the worst figure to look up to, and to eventually have friends whom he loves and cares for and vice versa.

[@JAYDOG1337A]

A lot of children are cruel, especially if there's no-one there to tell them "no, that's bad, don't do it again", the fact is that if she had normal parents they would've corrected at least some of that behaviour.

[@wildfire9280]

Ursa does this yet she’s chastised for doing so because Azula felt bad after misinterpreting her years later, a misinterpretation that’s taken as fact despite obviously contradicting all we know about her.

[@th3azscorpio]

Childers are usually cruel unintentionally; as if to test boundaries.

[@identitywithheld2123]

Azula is the best written villain in tv cartoon history!

[@kidprime6863]

You got that right

[@purpl_4]

Would absolutely love to see your take on Silco from Arcane, the show is absolutely incredible

[@splashnskillz37]

I wish there would a show that gradually evolves to her redemption, along with other crazed people she meets along the way and goes on a journey with

[@lucasfaco6445]

In the "The Avatar and the Fire Lord", we learn that Zuko and, by extension, Azula are descendants from not only the Fire Lords through their father, but also Avatar Roku, through their mother. In the Search series, it's revealed that this union was by Fire Lord Azulon's design, as he arranged the marriage between his second son, Ozai, and Avatar Roku's granddaughter, Ursa, in order to unite the bloodline of Roku with the Fire Lord's. However... At the time that Ozai and Ursa were wed, Azulon's eldest son, Iroh, was heir to the throne and Iroh's own son, Lu Ten, was young and healthy. The line of succession was secure and did not involve Ozai or his descendants. At the time of their wedding, any children born to Ozai and Ursa would not fulfill the obligation of uniting the Fire Lord line with Roku's line, as Ozai was not in position to become Fire Lord until Lu Ten's death and the events we see in "Zuko Alone". In that case, the most logical explanation is that Azulon was using Ozai as a genealogical stopgap, using him and Ursa in order to ensure that their would be available descendants of Roku to marry into the Fire Lord line of a future generation. Following this logic, given that Lu Ten was young, unmarried, heterosexual/bisexual and in the direct line of succession, it seems reasonable to assume that any daughter produced by Ozai and Ursa would be considered a suitable spouse for Lu Ten. Through this understanding, we are able to see Zuko and Azula's childhood differently. Azulon isn't simply disinterested in Zuko due to any perceived weakness, he isn't interest in Zuko because a son of Ozai does not have a place in his plans. Azula is the favored child because she is being prepared for life as the wife of the future Fire Lord and Ozai favors her because she is his key to greater involvement and influence at the royal court, improving his relationship with his father and strengthening ties with his nephew, the future Fire Lord Lu Ten.

[@gh02tdu2t]

i think the one thing everyone misses is that she isnt a "woman", shes a young girl, barely a teenager, azula is only 14

[@MysticBlueFox]

Just an excellent show overall, the redemption for Zuko and the downfall of Azula are arguably two of the best stories I've ever heard.

[@archnebula]

She is so desperate for love and affection, something which her father never gave her. We really never seen Ozai hug Azula or comfort her, he just shurgs most of her actions or approves them and he mostly ignores it. When she see's the relationship between Zuko and their mom, she is jelaous. She never show's it but it does feel like deep inside she know's that her actions are wrong but she can't help to put on an act, and ever singly time when she does a certain action which her mother dissaproves, it hurts her.

[@ryanrobb3343]

Great video! Such a fascinating character. Also I’d love to see Tywin Lannister in a future video!

[@blakebirdsell6879]

Great Video. Azula is one of my all time favorite cartoon villainess. If your interested, I have some cartoon villians you can do an analyzing evil on. Aku (Samurai Jack) Slade (Teen Titans) Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) Shredder (The Version from the 2012 TMNT animated series) Vlad Plasmius (Danny Phantom) Amon and Zaheer ( Legend Of Korra) Mark Hamil’s Joker The Beast (Over The Garden Wall)

[@butcherpete2286]

Oh yes, OH YES! *THIS* is a video I'm on KZbin for. Thanks Vile. And thanks for the in depth take on such a complex child's cartoon character.

[@qkomodo9098]

Why is it that you CONSISTENTLY make videos I didn't expect but ALWAYS appreciate? You spoil us with what we don't want until we get it

[@wumb0kurkkusalaatti609]

Azula is ATLA‘s version of Stalin. From her Paranoia and distrust towards others, to her skills of manipulation and need for absolute control. Not to mention the use of terror and secret services to further her goals

[@КалерияКалинина-я1з]

So fire natiom is for USSR? Both are red as well. Ozai aka Lenin, Zuko aka Trotsky... Heck, I need this fanfic now

[@valtersplume3726]

And she's also a psychopath with 0 redeeming qualities.

[@JoshuaTreePark2002]

In my observation I can say that Azula is just as much of a victim of Ozai's abuse if not more so.

[@j.1759]

that's an understandable perspective, how so?

[@JoshuaTreePark2002]

@@j.1759 she was controlled by her father whom didn’t love and only saw her as means to an end Ozai was abusive to Zuko and extended his abuse to the entire family.

[@j.1759]

@@JoshuaTreePark2002 well yeah, she is a victim although she has no qualms of being evil herself

[@TheAngryXenite]

@@j.1759 To be fair, Azula was indoctrinated by an absolute psychopath into believing that A) no one else understood her or cared for her (and implicitly that no one else could possibly care for her as a human being), B) that the reason they didn't understand her is that they were weaklings too caught up in imagined moral quandaries and soft emotions to enforce their will on the world and her own drive made them jealous and afraid, and thus C) she was superior to everyone else but him and the rest of the world were just tools for their bidding. Basically, Ozai nurtured her cruel tendencies from a very young age and played on her insecurities over her family being antagonistic to her in order to get her to believe whatever made her most useful as a weapon. He gave her a worldview that all at once explained why her being a "monster" was a good thing and that she could rise above needing validation from others, which seeing as she already believed she was incapable of being loved must have sounded like the next best thing. Basically, she's on the side of evil, and she definitely has a number of really dangerous tendencies. She's not a good person. But she had very little chance to be anything else. Zuko, even when he was every bit as loyal to his father and trying as hard as possible to please him, had his mother, Iroh, and Lu Ten providing role models for him that made him loathe to shed his better nature. Azula only had her father, and all of the potential positive role models in her life abandoned her in some way from a young age, in some way.

[@j.1759]

@@TheAngryXenite I understand that she is a victim and she was conditioned and predisposed by her father to be evil and all, and I'm saying that she is. I'm in total agreement with you

[@tslamcyt]

this is another one i was desperately awaiting after the zuko episode that got me interested in the series

[@Gopherbee]

Absolutely nailed this analysis! Was blown away. This show means a lot to me, and was thrilled to see you cover a character from it. Adore your content; keep up the great work!

[@zombieinfo2099]

I’m dead after he called her a beast in a girl’s body at the beginning. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@christianmclain2045]

Man this is awesome. One of my favorite characters growing up

[@TrillerFilmV2]

This might be the best episode in the series yet what a great show avatar is

[@Kaiju-Driver]

It's amazing how this animated series is so layered

[@winglessmecha]

Wow...this is amazing. I never thought you'd do animated characters. Thank you

[@10THPROPHET]

It is disturbing how much humanity Azula slowly loses throughout the series as she turns into a monster while Zuko is embracing the true nature of his mother's compassionate nature and Iroh's wisdom of using power to bring peace.

[@Mule-chezedek]

One of the best villains of all time!! Ranked with Magneto and Vader imo.

[@anatoldenevers237]

I'd put Walter White up there as well.

[@samuelebincoletto637]

Thank you Vile Eye, i'll never be grateful enough to you for finally making this video.