The Psychology of Zuko | Avatar: The Last Airbender

[@HelloFutureMe]

"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you had lost your way." If you'd like to support me and my kitty Supreme Leader Momo, please do so over at www.patreon.com/hellofutureme ~ Tim

[@elizabethtemplton744]

How’s it doing for you?

[@lassegrotkjr6326]

Hej Tim i would just like to know if you are planing to do fixes on the rest of LOK, since i have realisht you never Said you would, and it (in my opinion) would be a Shame to not do a part 2, 3 and 4.

[@animeman8203]

I hope you do more Psychology videos on other ATLA and LOK characters.

[@honk4459]

Good luck Alex! I myself just separated from the military to pursue a more fulfilling career for me. I know it's scary but I have faith we'll both be okay!

[@shadowofchaos8932]

Well done sir. One problem, now you need to do all the main characters. Next should be Toph, then Sokka, then Kitara and last Aang. Older brother left to protect the village. Last waterbender in the south carrying traditions and bending. Then Aang as a father and mentor for the world while neglecting his children. Please continue with more characters. Toph with a handicap and rich parents is a deep issue.

[@standard-carrier-wo-chan]

One thing I love the most about Zuko is how he eventually looked within himself to save himself from his other self, which made his true self reveal itself.

[@terendril]

Hilarious and true

[@seselis625]

It's true! It proves that every cloud has two sides, and uh, there's silver between them. Every cloud is a silver sandwich! So take a bite out of the silver sandwich?

[@amoris5202]

@@incanusolorin2607 turns out, he's like really good at impressions

[@jagnestormskull3178]

@@amoris5202 Yeah, right? He said he was bad at impressions, but I think his impression of Azula was right on.

[@AstraIVagabond]

@@King_Menelik Flameo, hotman!

[@AkiTheDenglishQueen]

Toph was absolutely right when she said that considering his family and how he grew up, he could have turned out so much worse

[@Delta_Aves]

She would also know what it's like to grow up in a high class family and have a stubborn father who tries to force his own teachings and views onto you.

[@jamesynfg]

@@Delta_Aves it’s funny how it was polar opposite treatment, but the lesson is the same. For Toph, it was about being treated as weak and powerless; for Zuko and Azula, it was about using their abilities to become sentient weapons of war. Different sides of the same coin

[@fumkioyuki8457]

when did she say that

[@AkiTheDenglishQueen]

@@fumkioyuki8457 In Book 3 when Zuko first tries to join the Gaang

[@slomosis8923]

Azula was living proof of that

[@latergator9622]

“Pride is not the opposite of shame, but it’s source. True humility is the only antidote to shame” Is one of the wisest things I’ve ever heard a character say.

[@marcinwitkowski217]

Agreed, we don't deserve wisdom from the great master Iroh

[@GreyWithAnE42]

I also really love his line: “You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” :)

[@benpark5074]

@Later Gator In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109-10.) Seemed relevant. I’ve got more of these quotes sitting around then I know what to do with them haha

[@zacharyreichert5035]

Shame is what you feel when you don't live up to your own idea of what you should be. If what you feel you should be is good, this is useful. If what you feel you should be is bad, well, that's how you get mass shooters.

[@joeyfarino6560]

I agree

[@hhmmhmhm5743]

I find it interesting how Toph is able to sympthize with Zuko so quickly. Yes, she hasn't suffered the betrayal from him that the others have, but I think it goes a tad deeper. She knows what it's like to grow up in an oppressive household and be misrepresented and underestimated, so she's willing to give him another chance. Joining Aang was her own escape from that life, after all, that allowed her to flourish. Gosh, so many details, I love it.

[@jennamomenna5750]

Also, it's important to note that she knew for a fact that he was being genuine because of her bending, and that generally she's not the type to let her judgement be clouded anyway.

[@zinkheroofyoutube8004]

@@jennamomenna5750 Though, since she knows Azula is capable of tricking her, she could have assumed the same about Zuko at first

[@jennamomenna5750]

@@zinkheroofyoutube8004 yeah I guess so, since she hadn't encountered him before and all that and couldn't have known that it's really not his style lolll. I mean one could say it's safe to assume that azula is just the exception lmao, she is azusa after all

[@KidAL0]

That’s one connection I wish they had strengthened during their brief time searching for Aang together. I’m not really a fan of how Zuko brushes off her opening up about her struggles, when Toph is clearly being sincere. I get that it’s kinda played for laughs, and I’m not implying Zuko should’ve sat down and had some long-winded and emotional heart-to-heart with her when there were obviously more pressing matters at hand, but he could’ve taken a moment to recognize she was being real and commented how they shared Team Avatar as a sort of second family who accepted them for who they are. Just a few words and back to the mission, with Toph feeling a sense of reassurance in the path she chose. Or I guess it could in fact be a bigger conversation delving into the nuances of their individual situations; they can simultaneously walk and talk of course. I just assume it would be a bit awkward to wedge all that into an episode centered around Aang’s disappearance but I’m no expert writer

[@andrewbecker1013]

@@zinkheroofyoutube8004 With Azula she couldn't read her at all. Zuko can't regulate his emotions in that way. He always wore his heart on his sleeve

[@Applemangh]

Honestly, being banished is the best thing that ever could have happened to Zuko. It got him away from Ozai and allowed Iroh to become the dominant adult influence in his life. It also turned out to be a huge mistake for Ozai, as Zuko is the one who taught Aang lightning redirection.

[@nadersaid2215]

The reverse shield the lighting redirection method

[@k_slyons7346]

That moment of redirection of the lightning is so powerful to me. It’s truly the culmination of Zuko ark (even though what comes after is the healing and is still his ark)

[@nadersaid2215]

I should have added Lighting users hate him!

[@fortcastlevgn2368]

like cancer,, and atherosclerosis,, bone hurting so bad,, I HAD TO WAKE THE FUCK UP,, AND STOP EATING DAIRY N CADAVERS,, LEARN ABOUT NUTRITON HOW INSANELY IMPORTANT IT TRULY SUPERIOR TO AL THOSE PHARMACEUTICAL DOCTORS WHO DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT NUTRITion (even nutritionists are fkin outdated,, only some vegan nutritionists got it right very rare gotta learn somethings wrong at some point

[@levy9595]

Zuko basically says this verbatim in his conversation when he confronts his father during the eclipse. He says it was the best thing he ever did for him cause it started his journey and set him on the path he is now on, to do the right thing and actually restore honor, not for himself but for his people, the fire nation.

[@okita_souji_alter]

Zuko's growth from a young kid seeking his father's acceptance to a young man who comes to understand his own worth was remarkable

[@a.jthomas6132]

Even though complete opposite of Zuko, I do believe Azula is somewhat trying to get acceptance from their father as well.

[@lauramarschmallow2922]

@@a.jthomas6132 I feel Azula is the most tragic charactre of ATLA: she has the same heritage as Zuko which was meant to make Zuko an honorable Firelord. Yet Azula is nearly up til the ene pkrtrayed as an unambigiously evil person, even by "wise" Iroh. She was a fourteen year old girl! And everyone portrays her as already as irredeemible.

[@anowl9773]

It's unfortunate because Azula prolly shared some of the abuse Zuko did even though she was Ozai's favorite child, but unlike him, she didn't have Iroh or her mother to fall back on, and then she doesn't get a redemption arch either. After the main show she's put into a ward

[@greglong7170]

@@lauramarschmallow2922 Who did she have in her life to even hint that she was redeemable? Zuko had Iroh constantly in his ear so it was easy to see that Zuko could be redeemed. Azula bought into her father's logic, had no one to show her another path and pretty much created a situation where Zuko was likely gonna have to kill her to stop her. Perhaps if the show was to depict events past the final confrontation with Ozai the idea that she could be redeemed would be floated. But on a purely storycraft level, the story ends with the defeat of Ozai. As such there isn't time for the characters to consider she could be redeemed. Instead since we are at the climax the characters rightly consider her irredeemable. Her being irredeemable is a result of this being a story with a defined end point and isn't really meant to comment on whether or not a 14 year old girl is irredeemable. It's a function, and perhaps a flaw, of storytelling, nothing more.

[@ag7898]

@@anowl9773 she ABSOLUTELY did share in Ozai's abuse. But it was from a different angle. While Zuko was always told he wasn't worthy, Azula was always told she was. And was manipulated to those ends. Just watch her (also the character breakdowns from Sage's Rain and Tim on this channel) at the end of the series. She finally gets the "recognition" she always wanted from her father... i.e. the next Fire Lord. Only to have the magic carpet RIPPED from under her with Ozai out doing her with an even higher and more important title.

[@outofequilibrium5775]

I really love the fact that Zuko, a boy, is the 'overly' empathetic one and Azula, a girl, is the cold cruel prodigy. So often it's the other way around and it's so important to see a teenage boy coming to realize that his kindness is not his weakness

[@maeikaa4427]

I'd never thought of it that way, but it's true! Another way ATLA was breaking the stereotypes, huh :)

[@GreyWithAnE42]

@@maeikaa4427 100% not to mention that A:tla does a great job of writing female characters. So often in animes/tv-shows will they make the “strong woman” character be this stereotypical overly masculine macho girl with a stoic personality. Basically saying that the only way a woman can be strong, is by having masculine traits. (Which is kinda sexist ngl when it’s the only example of a “useful” woman in said media) I say “useful” as in ‘an actual character’, not just some damsel in distress. But Avatar says screw that, and makes femininity it’s own strength. Look at Ty Lee: the most feminine character in the show, and she’s one of the greatest fighters in the fire nation. It also allows for masculine women, like Toph, to express themselves in feminine ways (Ex. When Katara and Toph go to the Salon in Tales of Ba Sing Se) without it being seen as a bad thing, or some kind of weakness. Not to mention that Sokka is able to explore the strengths of femininity when he’s trained by the Kioshi warriors. (Even though the act of him dressing up is originally played for a laugh) not to mention it was his rejection of femininity, and blatant misogyny in the beginning that was his biggest weakness. Aka: masculinity isn’t ‘stronger’ than femininity and vice versa. The writers of A:tla knew that character and personality came first. Not the gender. Men can be feminine and still be strong. Women can be masculine and still be strong. Etc. Etc. TL;DR: A:tla knows how to write good women.

[@digimonalvatrax2738]

ikr it was really a breath of fresh air and a breakthrough in animation

[@althelor]

@@GreyWithAnE42 I agree completely. And I love how the writers baked that kind of viewpoint into every part of the show by making it a core theme that no one trait or viewpoint is inherently stronger or better than the rest, and that true strength comes from accepting many different traits and ideas and incorporating them into a greater whole. Like how Iroh described the 4 elements, and how "if you divide them, it becomes rigid and stale." and "it's the combination of the 4 elements in a single person that makes the avatar so powerful, but it can make *you* more powerful as well." And the writers used this theme even in writing gender roles in the series. That drawing a strict line between masculinity and femininity would make the characters feel stale. But emphasizing both traits in the characters allows for them to grow and feel truly real to the audience.

[@maeikaa4427]

@@GreyWithAnE42 100%. The more I think about it, the more I see just how well ATLA did literally everything (from writing strong female characters to diversity to exploration of dark themes...) and back in 2008 as well!

[@rorygal2991]

The more I immerse myself in this show, the more I respect the writers. They really understand the human condition, and their end goal was to show children how they can survive and heal from trauma, no matter how large or small.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

the writers Bryan and Michael (Bryke) are far from perfect-they wrote Aang to be almost too perfect, almost always free from fault, and they set up quite a few characters only to have them kind plateau Toph being one of them. And they got INVOLVED with the Zuatara vs Kataang shipping war to the point where they the writers made fun of people who liked Zutara. They aren't perfect, but HARD AGREE they along with the rest of the crew did a great job world building. I have to give credit where it's due.

[@Ironsuaba]

@@TheRibottoStudios there was, however, a third writer... and he was likely the reason the show is so goooooooood

[@932ForeverLove]

@@Ironsuaba And his wife. Aaron and Elizabeth Ehasz, the star writers of the show.

[@midnightwolfwarrior]

It's one of the reasons so many people hate the sequel series. It's not the same, it's not even close.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

@@Ironsuaba *whispers* truuuuuue 😂

[@CrimzinEclipse2010]

Ironically, while Ozai was a very simply written character, almost one-dimensional in how evil he was, his 3 relatives(Zuko, Azula and Iroh) are arguably the 3 most complex, well-written characters in the whole show.

[@gailasprey7787]

😂 that’s funny. The apple doesn’t at all fall from the tree in this family of writing.

[@Supercalifragil]

I think that Ozai being a simple written character was nacessary in order to understand the oder characters, for example he is full evil that help with understanding Azula that has low empathy but is not a sociopath, and with Zuko it help us to understand his deep trauma when he is willing to justifie an irredimable person

[@thataintfalco7106]

Ozai did have some depth to him, very little, but it is very impressive how he’s still such a good villain in a show full of amazing ones.

[@sabrinafletcher7884]

i wonder if part of the decisionmaking on that was to avoid any conversations or ambiguities about ozai being redeemable. the depth of zuko, iroh, and azula is what allows people to have empathy for them, relate to them, and, ultimately, defend them or at least some of their actions. by keeping ozai as a cartoon villain - by only exploring his traits of "abusive" and "power-hungry" and "merciless" and "sadistic" - no one could ever argue in his favor or defense for any reason. he can't be used to justify his actions. after writing all this out, i actually think it was a responsible decision on the part of the creators.

[@--ACCEPT--]

@@sabrinafletcher7884 Reading that and assuming that this difference in characterization was intentional, it's actually a genius way to steer the audience. Having a pure-evil villain just be a terrible person without redeeming qualities. It's kind of the opposite of the John Wick way of characterization by having the villain literally kill a puppy so the viewer knows they're supposed to hate that character. (Which is not to say that John Wick is a bad movie. It thrives on simplicity whereas ATLA thrives on complexity.)

[@michaelwells529]

Watching this made me realize how symbolic Zuko learning lightning redirection is. The lightning is symbolic of his abuse and how over the course of his journey he learns how to counter it. He learns how to redirect the pain and emotions in a healthier way, no longer letting it dominate him. And of course Iroh refusing to shoot lightning at him, symbolic of Iroh being the safe space, the safe parent.

[@chirayudesai793]

That’s so true. Considering he launches this lightning at his abuser (Ozai) makes his journey all the more incredible.

[@johnstajduhar9617]

And how Iroh literally tells him to not hold onto the energy in his heart, or it'll kill him, but let it pass through and back out.

[@joyjoy427]

oh gosh its so deep😊

[@gailasprey7787]

⁠@@chirayudesai793even more symbolic when you see that he’s shooting back the blame for his banishment at his father rather than himself, like he shoots the lightning back he shoots the shame back at his father. It’s very incredible and amazingly shows how good of a character arc he has.

[@nefylia4037]

I never really thought about that! That's really interesting! We can sort of compare it to like a real world example. Let's say these were real people with no fire bending. Zuko's dad has been hitting him so Iroh says "here let me show you a way you can avoid getting hurt" and teaches Zuko some self-defense. Zuko is like "awesome! Now try to hit me so I can do it!" Of course Iroh would be like "what?! No! I'm not going to hit you!"

[@pufthemajicdragon]

Something super critical that you didn't mention but which came to mind early on as you first described Zuko's banishment "Until you come back with the Avatar" - Ozai thought the avatar was dead, gone. Nobody had seen the avatar in 100 years. Ozai banished his son on an impossible fool's errand. That's a critical element in Ozai's abuse, and Zuko not even realizing the errand was expected to be an impossible one, Zuko's denial, was also a critical part of his character. Imagine Ozai's surprise when after banishing Zuko to "go capture the avatar ha ha", the avatar actually turns up.

[@elizabethbeierle7464]

Additionally, Ozai sanctions others to hunt the avatar once it’s no longer a snipe hunt, which I think only amplifies how little Ozai ever wanted or expected Zuko to “succeed” even now that it was possible.

[@dudeman5303]

Yeah it's literally like telling him to go find a unicorn. It's a wild goose chase basically. He chose that because he wanted zuko to THINK he could make amends but to ensure he never could. He didn't want zuko back. He chose that to constantly break his spirits.

[@sifuhotman1300]

Ozai did have some sort of plan for Zuko. Ozai, of all people, felt the need to defend his command, in front of Zuko, while no one else was present, when Zuko confronted Ozai in the bunker during the eclipse. Ozai was adamant it was to "teach him respect" and we also hear him say, when Zuko returned, that "the weight of his travels have changed him" etc. Ozai was planning on shaping Zuko into something alike himself. Not a weak, pansy *ss momma's boy who needed to rely on Ursa, and cried and whined about everything. Zuko would either learn or be left behind. There's this very odd dynamic. Ozai was to Azulon, what Zuko is to Ozai... And Azula is to Ozai, what Iroh was to Azulon. This is odd. Very odd. "I am your humble servant. Use me!" Ozai said to Azulon, bowing. "I am your loyal son." Zuko said to Ozai, bowing. Both Ozai and Zuko were desperate to somehow proof themselves to their father... And I think Ozai is aware of this, and that Zuko simply reminds Ozai of his own weakness, when he used to gain Azulon's approval in vain. Now here is the weird part, Ozai killed his own father, and Zuko is, in retrospect, actually quite like Ozai in a lot of ways... Yet he allowed Zuko to return and sit at his right hand. He wants Zuko to suffer, become bitter or crude or whatever... So Zuko would end up like Ozai. Someone who "doesn't need" anyone else, and someone who would wield power and use it, regardless of others. Like a phoenix, he would die, but some part will stay alive. Perhaps immortality through his son, by turning his son into himself or something? I dunno. Still, Ozai did have plans for Zuko, if Zuko was finally deemed "worthy" of "redemption". This also is important, given that Azula brought back Zuko home like the tsundere little sister she secretly is, as we get to read her inner thoughts in the Earth Kingdom Chronicles, where she wanted Zuko at her side. She just needed an excuse to give herself in order to take him home. Anyway, there are a lot of strange dynamics present here.

[@triplezeroxz5875]

​@@sifuhotman1300interesting observations

[@Creature_of_the_Land]

⁠@@sifuhotman1300 Ursa killed Azulon, not Ozai

[@TheRibottoStudios]

"Your father's grandfather was Firelord Sozin. Your MOTHER'S grandfather was Avatar Roku." That single line is MY generation's "No. *_I_* am your father." moment. And the composition of that scene is incredible, with how it's framed it looks like ZUKO is the one behind bars. And he was....he was trapped in his own mind for a long time.

[@lakernation26]

That scene had me replaying it over and over just in shock 😭😭

[@dargron7614]

It's a big moment. It was the final piece of information Zuko needed to finally turn away from "his destiny". Zuko was obsessed with playing out the role he believed the universe had assigned to him. Iroh tried the entire series to convince Zuko to follow his own path, but deep down, Zuko was always thwarted by his belief that his destiny demanded he walk the same path as his ancestors. Anytime an opportunity was presented to Zuko to capture the Avatar and restore his standing with his father, he felt he had no choice but to take it, because he believed it was the only role he was allowed to play. Learning the Avatar was also part of his ancestry allowed Zuko to finally give himself permission to make his own choices and not feel enslaved to a predestined path. In short, Zuko actually did look within himself to save himself from his other self, allowing his true self to reveal itself.

[@AE-ld9ck]

Also, Ozai being voiced by Mark Hamill really makes it come full circle.

[@aanyamallick7747]

@@dargron7614 in the words of Aang "Roku was just as much fire nation as Sozin" "I think their story just proves that anyone is capable of great good and great evil"

[@TheRibottoStudios]

​@@aanyamallick7747 "If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?" "Do you really think friendships last over lifetimes?" ahhhhh the writing in the show was so GOOD.

[@cmd31220]

One of the little tidbits of the show I love is that Iroh almost always addresses and refers to him as PRINCE Zuko. Despite how low things got for him and how alienated and dishonored he felt, he was always reminded by his uncle that no matter what his father did to him he could never take away that honor, just like he couldn't take away Zuko's inherent honor

[@jeangentry6656]

Prince is a royal title, not one tied to Honor. That being said, I do think that Iroh always referring to Zuko as "Prince Zuko" is very important, because it reinforced in Zuko that no matter how low he got, how worthless he felt, he was worthy of the proper respect, one owed to him by birthright. One thing many abusers do to make sure their victims don't resist or fight back is attack their sense of worth via blatant disrespect and belittlement. Given how wrecked his self esteem is throughout most of the show, to be reminded of his royal status by Iroh is a big help.

[@thedemocraticfilipino6417]

Man, being a psychology student and an avatar fan has never been so good.

[@appleboss9742]

Fake human

[@buddersib_]

​@@appleboss9742??

[@bojuu]

​@@buddersib_ i believe what this gentleman originally intended to say, was "fake human".

[@buddersib_]

@bojuu Yes, I clearly read what the gentleman had to say, but I typed "??" because I wanted to understand his reasoning for typing his comment.

[@bojuu]

@@buddersib_ i believe his reasoning, as to why he would write such thing, is "fake human"

[@justanotherredheadattheend955]

It's a tiny detail, but it really hits me when even Azula calls the family beach house "depressing". You could interpret it as her usual shallow affect, a la "a dark, abandoned house is a downer, let's go back to the beach", but personally I hear something else in her tone, and Avatar is a good enough show that I can trust that subtle things aren't accidents. It's a tiny window into the fact that even the role of Golden Child is abusive, and her experiences were painful and haunting too.

[@ViridianCrisis7]

It’s such a small moment of camaraderie between them from this character that we’ve spent a season and a half viewing as a cold, calculated, perfect machine. Azula shows Zuko in that moment that, at the very least, she knows that his life has been as hard as it was and she has some level of empathy towards it

[@Coffy-chan]

It's also reinforced by her later breakdown. That was completely intentional. Azula's character doesn't get the credit she's due because she was never given a redemption arc like Zuko.

[@aanyamallick7747]

Yes ofc! Even the Golden Child still gets it hard. Take Isabella from Colombian animated film 'Encanto' for example. She wasn't given room to be flawed, she didn't think about herself. All that mattered/ all she was concerned about was how her Grandmther felt about "doing this" or "saying that." She even wanted to marry someone not because she wanted to, but because "I was doing it for the family." That's something common in latin/hispanic households. Where, whom your marrying has to be the ideal partner in every way. One being for the family imagine and another for amazing Offspring

[@AndalusianPhilosopher]

@@Coffy-chan there is possibility, given the fact that Azulas story extends only a few years after shows end. There are still 65 years to Korras time, and there is no information in Canon at all about what become of Azula. Hopefully Avatar Studios will cover Azulas story more. However we have to wait years for content to be ready. I guess patience is virtue. I would love to see Azula redemption arc.

[@AndalusianPhilosopher]

@@Coffy-chan There is recently released cookbook. Highly recommend. Has great recipes from Avatar world. Azula has an entry implying she got better at some point. But as a fellow avatar fan pointed out. The publishing company made mistakes in the past. So hard to say what the plans are for Azulas story going forward. Perhaps Bryan and Mike are not sure where to take Azula as of now. Cannot say.

[@vianabdullah2837]

The fact that even 15 years after the series has ended there's still so much left to dissect is impressive. Edit: 14 years

[@amalija11]

bruh I did not need to contemplate the realization that it ended 15 years ago this morning lol

[@MrE_]

There's always more to break down from this special series

[@airpodsmurf6175]

thanks i feel old now

[@michimatsch5862]

@@airpodsmurf6175 Yeah, lol.

[@Jona69]

Thanks for making me feel ancient.

[@downsidebrian]

I feel like not enough people recognize that part about Zuko being a genuinely good firebender. Viewers fall into the same trap he did, of comparing him to Azula. But all she has is talent for destructive, aggressive firebending. There are two firebenders in the world who could have taken out the cooler in The Boiling Rock - as we saw in The Siege of the North, when Iroh tells him to use his "breath of fire." Three, if he taught that to Aang. Ditto lightning redirection. Those aren't just abilities Azula doesn't have. They're techniques she couldn't understand. Use your enemy's power against them? Why would she ever do that? She has all the power she needs. This is really an excellent example of, "demonstrate, don't tell." We're told explicitly over and over that Azula is so much more powerful than Zuko. But the reverse is clearly demonstrated. Also, this video needs to be required viewing in every high school health class; no parents' notes excusing kids from it.

[@corenlavolpe6143]

Yeah we need to focus more on how versatile one's ability is, rather that how well they can win fights. But even if you just focus on the fire power, Zuko during the last Agni Kai was still stronger. He would have won, only reason things didn't go that way was because Azula dishonorably attacked Katara who was standing by. Point is, determining who a better bender is should include practical, non-combat techniques when making the judgement.

[@downsidebrian]

@@corenlavolpe6143 yep. But those techniques are also about self-control - part of why Aang, a trained monk, could redirect lightning so well with little, if any practice. Zuko is demonstrably a better fighter overall and a better bender specifically than Azula because he never assumed his own competence. Also, I think Zuko might be the overall most capable soldier in the fire nation.

[@adrianr3885]

love your comment, and agree fully, until the last line. i don’t think if someone is suffering currently from abuse that this video would be helpful. in the simplest of terms think of all the times iroh tried to get through to zuko before he was ready, and zuko shut down. if you’re in a place where you’re already battling for your guardian’s approval or “love,” sometimes hearing that they’re not treating you right can only make things worse. not to mention that the majority of this video wouldn’t make much sense if you haven’t seen the show haha, would alienate those that haven’t

[@skullsquad900]

Just wanted to point out that Zuko never outright beat anyone with his firebending but with his incredible martial arts skills, usually using fire bending to cover his movements like a ribbon dancer.

[@downsidebrian]

@@skullsquad900 fairly true, but he did use his firebending to control the battlefield, strengthen his own movements, mess with people's heads, etc. Basically, he treated fire the way Pian Dao taught him(and later Sokka) to use a sword. While Azula used fire and lightning more like a platoon of soldiers under her command - not a part of her, but doing her bidding.

[@TheTaleFoundry]

You know how to tell when you've made a good friend? When they introduce you to their channel's editor, encourage you to work together because they know you'll be a great fit, work through all the ensuing zany shared-schedule antics with you, and then, when the time comes, graciously, lovingly, help the person who's been editing their videos for years transition over to work on yours instead of theirs. I don't think many people would have been as supportive of Alex and I through this change as you've been. You're a good friend, Tim. Thanks for introducing me to the editor of my dreams. -Benji

[@HelloFutureMe]

I'm just glad to have helped the both of you :) ~ Tim

[@kryptokaur]

warms my heart to see such successful entrepreneurs be so good to each other. so much respect to all of you!

[@scotcheggable]

Congrats on the marriage lol

[@lemo4739]

I’m torn between saying something genuine and just commenting “lol gae”

[@r.babylon2885]

TALE FOUNDRY RULES

[@rodmusic3787]

after all this years i finally realised that after Lu Ten died, Iroh was over with the fire nation he was about to leave everything but noticed his nephew wasnt this souless animal who wanted destruction and had a glimmer of hope, he wanted to save him and thats why he stayed

[@lusinebaghyan8864]

Lu Ten*

[@caylah509]

I’m reading your comment and almost shed a tear. If you haven’t already you check out the live action. It shines a different light on their relationship and it speaks to what you’ve said here.

[@ruutjormun2262]

like tyson and cus

[@nebulonicc]

people always talk about how the Luten's anniversary leaves from the vine moment was the saddest, but the one that has gets me every time is when zuko apologizes to Iroh in the white lotus camp. Zuko truly believes that iroh is going to cast him away, and won't forgive him, i mean, that's what his father did so why would iroh be any different. He betrayed Iroh and any normal person would find that betrayal unforgivable. But despite that, Iroh wholeheartedly forgives zuko, and is even *proud* of him. He doesn't even let zuko finish apologizing before wordlessly embracing him in a hug. Cue me sobbing.

[@r0cketm00se3]

That's my favorite moment between them for sure, just the realization that he has no right to expect forgiveness after the false turn and betrayal. He gets it anyways because the only thing Iroh ever wanted was for him to break the cycle, and nothing about the journey to that end mattered when he finally accomplished this.

[@ashlynwolff]

I was simply sad at Leaves from the vine moment but tent scene Never failed to make me Bawl 😢😢😢

[@chelbanna]

Can confirm the "Ozai was simply pitting his children against eachother" sentiment. My parents were unfortunately very similar to Ozai and Ursa. I was the Azula, and I was always told "You don't want to end up like X, do you?" with X being the "failure/stupid" child, even though they weren't stupid; they simply were not supported as they needed to be, which, in turn, I think was because I was the easiest to manipulate. I was so desperate for positive reinforcement and was the least headstrong, and I could provide the results my parents wanted. It was also easier to manipulate all of us by having us fighting against eachother as opposed to letting us be on the same side.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

I hope you made you with your sibling in time

[@wereshem-ankh9063]

It takes great courage for self-awareness and recognition. Thank you for your honesty.

[@ViableJourneys]

Yep I was a "Azula" too. The only reason my brother and I still have a good relationship is the extreme abuse we faced together before adoption.

[@ΧΡΗΣΤΟΣΑΜΑΝΑΤΙΔΗΣ-β7μ]

@@ViableJourneys I am glad you could escape this abuse and make things up with your sibling

[@15_heidune72]

In your position, too

[@katieb9428]

Zuko is the best. As someone who was also abused as a child, his story has always been so relatable to me

[@kassykreutzer6972]

Agreed

[@johanabi]

Ironically, his story wasn’t relatable to me until I came to terms with the fact that I was abused as a child after moving out of my family’s house for the first time. The parts Tim said about what is needed to heal from trauma are very accurate to the genesis of my growth! I’ve seen this show literally dozens of times, but it’s only within the last few years that I see parts myself and my story reflected in him.

[@kassykreutzer6972]

@@johanabi agreed totally. I'm finally feeling better about myself but its took a long time. Tim's videos really help in my own opinion.

[@deforestshell3037]

Zuko story kind of kick-started my own path to healing and becoming a writer myself. And it's crazy because like someone else said you don't think of yourself as abuse until you look outside of yourself and witness it and someone else. All the signs he mentioned in Zuko I fit perfectly. Especially the part about after the traumatic event that you're emotional journey is stunted or halted. I wasn't sexually abused but I was physically and mentally. And for so long I never thought I could be of use because I was always the biggest and tallest. Even as a kid. Everybody's excuse was that I could take it. I've long past that now and I feel much better but it took all the way up till I was about seventeen.

[@kevinsorto8313]

Ah yes glad we can all relate from our childhood traumas...

[@Calebgoblin]

Even though I did not watch Avatar in its entirety until I was 23 years old, the depth of character that I learn from these videos still amazed me

[@m4ck02]

I recently watched the full show, i'm 19, and it's by far the best choice i've made in a while. It really opened my eyes tp a lot of things about myself and my personal relationships and awoke perspectives that i had never even considered before. The depth of the characters is truly eye-opening for viewers of any age, especially in our range.

[@lakernation26]

Crazy dude I watched it when it came out and remember the last 4 episodes when I was 9 a great experiences

[@Gundamguy-py3ir]

Damn... I did that shit at 19. Almost 20, but I'm glad I did it young enough.

[@jerradmarsan2220]

I was a few years older. I'm thinking it's easier to appreciate it all as an adult actually; a lot of the surface childishness actually made it hard to initially absorb for me. It wasn't until I started seeing more things unfolding with the psyche of Aang, Katara, and Zuko that I finally started watching the show with more attention. As a kid, I think I preferred shows that were all about violence, not necessarily gruesome, but violent. Or at least stories that immediately delve into the plot. Avatar like a lot of other shows with a slow build up are harder to appreciate if you get caught up on the slow S1 of a trope military villain, and Zuko, let's be real, didn't feel like that great of a villain, but definitely starts off perfect for a damaged and complex character. I don't think I would've cared for show and definitely would've cared less for the subtleties in the plot with genocide and clear signs of child abuse with Zuko being a literal hothead with a comic relief uncle who's literally the only one caring for him, aang being happy go lucky despite losing everyone he ever loved, katara and sakka balancing war effort, their complicated sibling relationship while trying to make the best of their war torn lives.

[@isaachester8475]

I’ve seen this show at least 4 times entirely since childhood and it STILL amazes me. I’m always learning something new and these videos definitely help with that.

[@lovefromwonderland]

An aspect of Zuko’s character that I feel is underrated is Dante Basco’s vocal performance. It really brings this brilliantly written character to life.

[@TheDaniela3112]

I find it so funny how even after he changes sides his voice remains quiet and angsty.

[@skyandghost]

@@TheDaniela3112 It was like that even Korra, but less angsty.

[@arthurdowney2846]

When I was 17 I was excommunicated from my church and kicked out of my parents home with no support. Zuko's story has always been close to my heart.

[@vick7868]

I'm sorry... everyone deserves the support and love of their parents. Was there any reason why this happened? No need to answer if it's too personal.

[@mariustan9275]

This sounds like a horrible thing to happen. What happened? Was there a disagreement of some kind? I agree with the other person, no need to answer if it's personal.

[@tpilot_error404]

I hope you understand that this church thing was something very manipulative and bad and that you were able to find true spiritual support outside of this.

[@sotachan1]

I'm a bit late to this, but do not feel alone. I too was excommunicated from the church, and I followed the rules. It took me 28 years to realize the problems and the amount of self-hatred I carried within me. I still practice my faith alone, but never going to a church again, unless I'm criticizing the idiots. It's funny though... The one story about Cain and Able, when the brother didn't humble himself, instead killing his brother over 1 of the offering was accepted.. The tale of narcissism still echo's in the churches today. I will never understand our elders hypocrisy and inability to actively listen. But honestly, I'm livid. If "The devil is the enemy," Then why the bloody hell- am I watching Satan "preach," in a suit and tie forcing "God" down our throats?-- instead of shutting-up, listening, and actually helping people without opening their bible mouth and about themselves.

[@oliversacks3837]

Hi, I am so sorry to hear about that. Did you happen to have been a JW?

[@pokemonmanic3595]

In “The Guru” it is explained the Fire Chakra is located in your stomach: it deals with Willpower and is blocked by Shame. During “Bitter Work” Zuko cannot generate lightning because in essence his fire chakra is blocked by his shame. Iroh also explains while teaching lightning redirection that you must let the lightning pass through your stomach. When Zuko finally stands up to Ozai and redirects the lightning, he performs the technique and lets the lightning pass through his stomach, where his Fire Chakra is, as he fully casts the shame aside. And finally during “The Firebending Masters” he masters the Fire Chakra when his resolve to help Aang becomes his new willpower.

[@yumi_cloud]

That's a good point, after reading the comment I keep remembering different parts of the show that connect to one another

[@alyseleem2692]

Indeed. I had a similar theory.

[@juliajohnson4080]

The detail in this show astounds me

[@matthewmurphy5429]

Right in the mail ! True

[@matthewmurphy5429]

Nail

[@Lady_de_Lis]

I've heard many people don't like the moment when Zuko relapses at the end of book 2. But I think it's brilliant, and that it's executed brilliantly, too. The entire second season, Zuko is being confronted with the reality that he'll never go home, Avatar or no Avatar, after Azula attempts to arrest him. It's a hard pill to swallow after 3 years dedicating all his efforts to it. So he's cycling between denial and hopelessness. Even when he goes on a date with Jin, I think he ultimately rejects her because he doesn't want to have anything tying him down outside of the fire nation, as if there is some small chance he could still go home one day. And though at one point he seems to have finally accepted his new life as a peasant fugitive, though he finally chooses to embrace reality and let go of the past, the past suddenly comes knocking. Azula's back with her dangling carrot. He'd only JUST made peace with his new life. And it wasn't even his own choice, he was forced to make peace with it because he thought it was hopeless. But now, suddenly there is hope. Suddenly, he has an opportunity to get what he always wanted after all. How could he possibly refuse? Honestly, I think the whole thing was absolutely brilliantly done.

[@pokemonmanic3595]

It was also important for him to realize because he does get everything he thought he wanted how much he doesn’t value it anymore: it only created more emotional turmoil which made him finally realize what his true destiny was

[@MinecraftIsLoveMinecraftIsLife]

if zuko redeemed himself in crossroads of destiny, it would make his character arc feel cheap. it would make the redemption of zuko be dependent on so many things falling into place. instead we get zuko redeeming himself when he gets everything he wants. zuko is respected by his father, he is adored by the fire nation citizens, and as an added bonus the fire nation is about to rule the world. everything is against zuko redeeming himself but he still does it anyway. this part of his arc shows us that no matter how late or how hard it is, you can always change for the better.

[@Lisa_Flowers]

I actually LOVE the fact that he relapsed at the end of book 2. Like you said, it was exectuted amazingly, but it also made so much sense for the character. Zuko has spent his entire life placing his worth in his father's and nation's approval, and the last three years entirely focused on getting it back. Yes he grew as a character and learned new things, but he isn't going to throw away what has been the crux of his self worth for years, and it's clear that he never entirely let go of his desire for approval anyway. And even better, we see that he actually _has_ changed - not because he rejects Azula's offer, but because when he goes back it isn't what he thought it would be. The old Zuko might have never questioned his life after being accepted back, but the new Zuko knows things aren't right, that this isn't what he really wants, and that his father's approval means nothing because of the kind of man he really is. It also isn't all that uncommon for abuse victims to desperately want the approval of their abusers because of how much they've been brainwashed into thinking that is the _only_ way they can ever have worth. It's partially why it takes so many attempts for people to leave abusive relationships, or for kids to put up boundaries or go no contact with abusive parents.

[@marocat4749]

It makes him earned his redemption o much more, that he wants it, not hi father, not iroh, his. As akward it was facing boom boom man.

[@haydentempest3874]

I don't think you should conflate people not liking something with thinking it's bad. I absolutely agree it's brilliantly done and realistic, the writing is superb. But, it feels bad. It's sad to see Zuko betray Iroh and Katara, and it sucks to see him slide backwards in his progress. Good writing doesn't only make people feel happy, a well written tragedy SHOULD make you sad. So when people say they don't like Zuko's relapse I think this is what they mean.

[@Sootielove]

Ozai's abuse of his family is one of the most interesting explorations I've seen because the story never makes it about Ozai. Ozai himself is a pathetic, simple man. The important characters-- the ones the story wants us to care about and focus our attention on-- are Ursa, Zuko, and Azula. Unlike other similar stories, we're never suggested to care about Ozai's greater motives, all we need to focus on are how Ursa, Zuko, and Azula have been hurt and how they can recover and leave him in the past. I think the way you talk about abuse is incredibly empathetic in this regard. It's strangely comforting, even if it's a hard subject. Zuko's arc is often toted as one of the best written character shifts/developments in fiction and honestly, I don't blame people. He's such a complex character and the fact people can easily discuss him for an hour and a half and still have more, it's just incredible/

[@a.jthomas6132]

He also considered Azula a prodigy and a tool. His sickening heart is to small to give out to her. If you look at her face before the Angi Kai, you can tell how torn she is about how he rejected her.

[@MinecraftIsLoveMinecraftIsLife]

@@a.jthomas6132 at that moment when azula says "you can't treat me like zuko" and the conversation afterwards, azula really looks like a vulnerable child. she's drawn to look young and bewildered rather than her cold, calculating self.

[@hez859]

@@a.jthomas6132 a major theme in the show is living up to expectations and i think a similar thing happened to Ozai. Iroh was the favored son, he didnt show any interest in his younger brother--who apparently was sweet and good natured--until he started to show ruthlessness, because after all Iroh in his youth was a product of his environment. In some ways Iroh helped create the monster. Wish this was explored more. I would love a mini series of young Iroh and Ozai

[@vivvy_0]

@@hez859 it makes me think of tywin lannister and how he turned out because of his spite towards his father tytos weakness

[@hez859]

@@vivvy_0 yup! Exactlyyyy... Zuko broke generational trauma and rose above what was viewed as "right", as if there wasnt enough of a reason to love him as a character

[@caesar98]

Last year I got diagnosed with C-PSTD because of my neglectful upbringing and bullying at school. I always felt bad for Zuko and remember wishing for a role model like Iroh. I think it was really important for me seeing ATLA as a child and learning these lessons. That it helped me have a better moral code and have empathy for someone like Zuko

[@just_a_username8979]

Can't say it was the same, but I could understand better than some. I went through much of the same with bullying as well as having a somewhat neglectful upbringing

[@RosePierce.]

Abusive romantic relationships, neglectful childhood, bullying so definitely can relate.

[@kayakat1869]

Rewatching ATLA, Zuko's arc really hit different. My estranged grandpa is a rich, raging narcissistic sociopath who abused and neglected my mom when she was a kid. There were even times where she though he would kill her, because he told her he would be better off if she wasn't there. She cut herself off from him for years, but when I was a preteen I met him a few times. From what I remember, he acted nice to me when I was there, but after he found out my mom was going lose our home and we may have become homeless he completely abandoned us because he thought my mom would ask him for money (she never asked him for a dime). I never asked her what happened, but I did hear her telling my grandma (her and my "grandpa" are divorced) about what happened, and it added to my depression as a kid. A few weeks ago I was at her house, and during a deep conversation we started talking about how he affected us. That's when she opened up to me a lot more about his abuse. When I watched Avatar again and I realized that so much of what Zuko went though was almost the same as what my mom, and to a much smaller amount I, went though. I almost cried so many times, especially when Zuko was talking about how all he hoped was that someday he would be good enough for his dad, because that is exactly what my mom told me she felt. Always trying to do work to get him to love her, but nothing she could do would ever been enough, because he is the broken one and not her. Him imagining how good his life would be if Ozai was a good person mirrors what I thought about for so long. If only he was a good person, then I could feel the love of another good family member. There could be infinite possibilities of making great memories with him, but it is impossible because he is a completely broken person and it's not worth thinking about what could have been. My mom also was a rebellious and fiery teen, but she also had an Iroh who was her grandpa, who was great grandma on my grandma's side. Because of this, she became a really fantastic person and she broke the cycle of abuse for me and my sister. It is heartbreaking that so many people have to deal with familial abuse like this, and I am so proud of the writers for adding such an important storyline into a TV show and especially one on a children's network. This probably helped so many kids out there. ATLA is such an important piece of art, and I hope it stays popular for a looooong time.

[@AndorRadnai]

I am really glad you and your mother are in a good place. Coincidentally, my maternal grandmother’s side of the family was a mostly abusive environment, and my mother has made an effort to cut ties with my grandmother recently, as she could not deal with the flashbacks. She doesn’t talk about it much, the little that I have heard sounds like proper psychological torture. She is an unbelievably strong and loving person, to a point that it shocked me seeing her past trauma flare up, as she seems never to be affected by it otherwise. She managed to break that cycle of abuse thanks to both her father, a genuinely good -if unorthodox- parent, and her own endless capacity to love. Having said that, I deeply sympathise with you and I hope my little anecdote serves to convey how genuinely happy I am for you and your mother. I wish both of you all the best!

[@rinpaisys]

A line of Zuko’s that has always stuck out to me is one that on it’s face, is very goofy, but upon closer examination says a lot about his inner conflict. It’s where he accidentally refers to Ozai as “the fatherlord” and immediately denies having done so. It’s a clear indicator of the internal conflict between seeing Ozai as his dad, and seeing him only as the firelord. His immediate denial where he claims he just said firelord rather than fatherlord indicates where he is leaning and what he has recognized on some level, that Ozai has never treated him as a son, that blood and family aren’t synonymous, but he doesn’t want to acknowledge the part of him that still wants to see Ozai as a dad. It’s a goofy line on the surface that really shows his inner conflict upon closer examination.

[@marocat4749]

And its situational humor from his character, but yeah he still has a lot on his mind aout the fatherlord. Also shows how important the characte in the show is to come from the characters and themes or the most part. A video on humor as coping mechanim which avatar does pretty well. Or humor generally.

[@marianmeletlidiscrap]

​@@slevinchannel7589 Despite being an atheist, I think banning religion won't fix anything. High-control environments will still exist even in a world where religion doesn't. And such a decision will cause a lot of backlash, since the vast majority of people are religious

[@JMObyx]

@@marianmeletlidiscrap Adding to that, religion is usually the first targets of Tyrants on their quest for power.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@marianmeletlidiscrap When did i say 'Ban Religion!!' though??

[@marianmeletlidiscrap]

@@slevinchannel7589 You said it should "die out", which I interpreted to mean "be stopped by force". I made a mistake, my bad

[@Lady_de_Lis]

I know this is a bit off topic, but there's one thing about Zuko I've still never seen recognized or explored by the fandom. Not sure if the creators of Avatar had plans to expand on this or not, but I think it's interesting how they made Sokka so clearly a mirror of Zuko. Sokka is a similar age to Zuko. He is the elder brother of Katara who is similarly aged to Azula. Katara is technically more skilled than he is because she's a bender and he's not, sort of like how Azula is a more skilled firebender over Zuko. They both have absent fathers (though for different reasons) who hold positions of authority in their community. They both lost their mothers at similar ages. Both of their mothers were lost in an attempt to save the lives of one of their children. Both were lost due to the fire nation's power struggle. Both boys were separated from their role in their community at the start of their teens, Zuko being banished and Sokka having to remain behind with the women and children rather than leave with the men. Both have elderly family figures who give them care and wisdom during that time, Gran Gran versus Iroh. Both struggle with an intense desire to live up to their fathers' expectations and those of their home community. It's clear to me that Sokka's position and family structure is essentially a healthy version of Zuko's position and family structure. So I really do wonder if Zuko and Sokka's friendship and shared experiences were meant to be explored more in the show, but they just ran out of time.

[@ruflippingkiddingme3850]

Don’t forget they’re both swordsman as well

[@Umbra_Canine]

And then is there the point that both have trust issues they have to overcome, even when they come from different. Zuko’s Trust issues come from try to protect himself and Sokas trust issues come from try to protect others.

[@Lady_de_Lis]

@@BlackWaltzTheThird Do you know which one? I've read a handful of the comics, but seems I must have missed it.

[@emilytopham5069]

+

[@malonee]

Holy shit. I never thought about it. They both were affected by the fire nation, lost their moms to the nation but instead of an abusive father and sister, like zuko, sokka has an extremely supportive sister and father. I never caught that.

[@heliianth]

35:40 i'd argue Zuko also displays symptom e. in an ATLA art book (secrets of the fire nation, if i remember correctly), a young Zuko consistently writes letters to Uncle Iroh, who is still on the warfront, asking when he will return and if he will teach Zuko pai sho again. in the same book, it's revealed that Zuko was musically talented (being a prodigy at playing the Tsungi horn, apparently) adding onto his hinted love for theatre he probably got from Ursa. in the series, though, Zuko consistently rejects Uncle Iroh's attempts to engage him in these activities he used to love-Zuko berates Iroh for wasting time on pai sho even though Zuko obviously enjoyed playing it with him while he was young, and he's hostile towards "music night" on the ship despite being genuinely impressive at playing instruments. these interests are not in the interest of Ozai; engaging in art and hobbies is probably categorized in Zuko's mind the same as rest and healing-laziness. therefore, decreased interest. (edit) i'd really recommend checking out the book if you want some gut punches. Zuko's letters to Iroh are mostly innocent, but with the knowledge of Ozai's abuse and Ursa's confusing attempt at picking up his slack, they read as very desperate for more familial connection. even 11 year old Zuko is so much different from 7 year old Zuko. great analysis as always though :)

[@efoxkitsune9493]

Whoa, I had no idea about any of that... Makes the scene/line that I always found really funny ("For the last time, I'm _not_ playing the tsungi horn!") a whole lot more heartbreaking...

[@emilytopham5069]

I've seen people talk about this on Tumblr! Also adds a layer to Zuko's leitmotif in the soundtrack featuring the tsungi horn

[@efoxkitsune9493]

@@emilytopham5069 Oh my god...

[@Sqwivig]

@@emilytopham5069 yoooooo omg you just blew my mind!

[@kittyfox123]

@@emilytopham5069 DANG

[@guwuega8010]

Literally crying so hard. Zuko is one of if not the most complex and tragic character ever created in an animated series. His redemption is the sole of the most rewarding storytelling ever written. Props to Brian and Michael for creating him.

[@dinowibisono99]

Don't forget Aaron Ehasz. Bryke came up with the worldbuilding and the grand narrative, but it's mainly Aaron who gave breath to every details of the storyline and character arcs. The man really doesn't get enough credits.

[@AltAccount-cb7sh]

I came to this video because of the azula video. This was so much harder to watch and idk why because azula went through equally horrible stuff.

[@michaelclarke8367]

​@AltAccount-cb7sh Azula was proof of not everyone can be saved

[@gailasprey7787]

A great thing about Zuko is how he doesn’t immediately realise what’s happened after he’s betrayed Iroh and it takes time for him to realise what’s happened and what he did and didn’t immediately feel bad because when people are angry they can’t see that they’ve hurt others. Avatar did their research and I’m proud.

[@imbadatcomingupwithnames3514]

The fact that I audibly went “oh boy” upon seeing the title of this video just goes to show how complex and well-written Zuko’s character arc is, to the point that my brain looks back on it with mixed emotions of frustration and fondness, as if it were a real event that actually happened instead of a part of a fictional animated series hfsfhdss

[@Barwasser]

57:20 Uncle Iroh forgiving Zuko is one of the best written and executed scenes in all of television - change my mind. ...still brings tears to my eyes after all these years.

[@brandonchapman4532]

😭 *I'm not crying! You're crying* 😭

[@elizabethtemplton744]

Honestly there are 2 parts to this show that always make me cry and I sometimes turn to in difficult times. It’s when uncles yells “it’s time for you to look inward start asking yourself the big questions. Who are you and what do you want?” And when Irish forgives zuko gave me chills as a kid makes me cry as an adult

[@Barwasser]

@@elizabethtemplton744 Its because they invested so much time and effort into setting this up. It's a shame that nowadays shows just want to jump to the payoff without first making sure that the audience is actually invested.

[@autisticdancer]

Honestly that scene actually doesn't make me cry. It makes me smile. It makes me smile because whenever I watch that scene I just think about how Zuko was so confused, angry, and ashamed at the start but he has started to heal from all his trauma. He feels he cannot be forgiven for how he treated the one person in his life who ever gave him true unconditional love. But Iroh isn't angry at him. Iroh immediately embraces him for discovering himself and finding his own path in life. And honestly that scene just seems so heartwarming to me it just makes me smile. :)

[@MinecraftIsLoveMinecraftIsLife]

it's impossible to change your mind. this scene makes me cry and smile a the same time.

[@phantomteammate8271]

I've always considered ATLA to be a kind of Asian-folklore-based Lord of the Rings for kids, and the detail in the writing just amplifies that. The fact that the writers spent so much detail on the characters of a three-season kids show that their psychology, goals, and thoughts can be analyzed in depth in an hour-and-a-half video is so important, and it shows the value of thinking past the story to create realism. ATLA is, without doubt, a masterpiece of its time.

[@ericmay560]

This will never be replicated again. Just like the original LOTR

[@flaiirenn]

exactly

[@justchilling704]

I’ve always made that association too I’m head head as well, both masterpieces in areas of philosophy, psychology, etc.

[@brendan9868]

It’s funny because the original pitch made to the writers from Nick was for them to actually make a animated fantasy show they could eventually make into live action films with the ultimate goal being to get the same level of recognition as the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films. Obviously the live action film part went poorly on the first go and it never quite gained the fame of LoTR or Potter, but still pretty funny you mentioned it was sorta like Lord of the Rings when that was kinda the goal lol Also fun fact it took them only 2 weeks to make the basic outline of the world and story before they pitched it to Nick. Pretty damn impressive

[@averageytber5547]

This video has made me curious about Azulon's parenting. How exactly did Iroh turn out so well adjusted while Ozai became the devil incarnate.

[@wildfire9280]

“It really do be like that sometimes.” -Rouge the Bat A thirst for power and control, not just of the realm’s (and by extension, world) affairs, but of family as well. That last part is the defining distinction between Ozai and the preceding powermongers. With that line of progression going on since the reforms that centralized the Fire Nation’s administration it’s not inconceivable how that desire being instilled within each and every successive generation of Fire Lords might manifest into something destructive not only to the other nations but to the royal family as well. At least, that’s just a theory. A show theory.

[@nikolagostojic1000]

He was like Ozai but Iroh changed when his son died, you have some moments in show when he talks about his young days

[@mophead_xu]

@@nikolagostojic1000 eh, i think iroh and ozai were similar in conviction, but differ in cruelty. iroh might have bought his nation's propaganda wholesale at some point, believing the conquest was right and needed to be done. ozai probably believes that too, but with an added layer of entitlement and self righteousness. it wasnt just right and needed to be done, but it was _his right_ to do those things. iroh did his nation's cruel biddings out of misplaced loyalty and misguided patriotism; i get the feeling that ozai has always done everything for personal gain. iroh saw his nation as a collective of people; ozai saw himself as the nation.

[@fridakahlo4225]

Wow, such a rich topic to discuss. There is no doubt that Azulon's parenting was toxic as well. The difference between Azulon and Ozai might be that Azulon still cares about compassion between siblings in some weak and sick manner. We never get the hint that Azulon pits his sons against each other like the way Ozai does. And when Ozai offers himself as a suitor for the throne after Iroh lose his only child, it angers Azulon. He orders Ozai to sacrifice his own son to teach him how it feels like to lose a child. Which is sick but still shows he still cares about Iroh, eventhough Iroh might no longer be the future of Fire Nation due to lack of an heir. If the same thing were to happen to Azula, Ozai would get rid of her without blinking. And I believe we should also consider that Iroh allways was the brightest one. He was much more talented than Ozai in military matters as well as fire bending. He was entitled but unlike Ozai, his entitlement was well deserved. This might have furthered Ozai's harsh and toxic feelings while they were growing up, making Ozai the bitter one with a huge and fragile ego. Meanwhile Iroh grew up to be a more confident and grounded man thanks to his abilities and self-acknowledge. This might explaine how the two brothers came out as what or who they were. Azulon's compassion and Ozai's lack of confidence might be the key.

[@kayakat1869]

It's interesting, because even before Iroh saw the horrors of war and changed for the better, he was shown to be much kinder than Ozai. There were all those flashbacks of him raising Luten and Zuko. Being a great father and uncle. It makes me wonder if he had done some soul searching before that, like if he was just more empathetic as a kid like Zuko or maybe after the death of his son's mother.

[@NVGCHIEF]

The writing of this show is unbelievably good. People say it’s a kid show but has so many values and lessons. The development of all the characters are complex and it’s much deeper than people realize.

[@kittikats]

The fact that it is a kids show mean the issues have to be more general and relateable. Not everyone will take on a pseudo communist dictator but have no personal growth like Korra. But almost everyone will feel the pressure of having to take on new responsibilities that don't feel skilled enough or ready for like Aang. Or deal with loss like ... every character, pretty much. Or feeling unsure of their personality and path in life and having to figure out their own destiny like Zuko. Everyone has a personal growth arc that we can relate to because the journey is universal as opposed to the cause (magic element war)

[@2008rmartin]

I've loved it since it aired and the kids watched it. We all watched it together and was even our thing for a while. When I watched an episode before they could get to it, they got mad lol "you watched it without me!"

[@Delta_Aves]

One thing I find brilliant about Zuko's redemption arc is that he's given the chance to redo what he thought was his biggest mistake/failure; speaking out of turn during a war meeting in his father's throne room. It's pretty much all he's wanted to do since his banishment; to get that second chance. And this time, he gets it "right" but at a tremendous cost; hearing his father's plan to burn down the Earth Kingdom using Sozin's comet. It's at that moment, I feel, he begins to re-contextualize everything and all that Iroh taught him starts to fall into place. Perhaps he wasn't in the wrong for calling out against the general's plan in the first place, and what his father did wasn't meant to "teach him respect" but just to scrutinize and get rid of him. I think it's also in that moment that Zuko realized what his mother meant when she said "No matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are."

[@Obsidian8R]

also considering that zuko was living in that same city for a while with his uncle and actually starting to like his new life found there, learning about it planned to be destroyed soon and even assisting in it will cause conflicted feelings towards the situation

[@bivtheast]

Oh man this is a good comment

[@kaimagnus5760]

"I SEE you......After all this time, I finally SEE you" That in and of itself is a very profound statement. Especially coming from an abused spouce to her abuser. His hold on her is finally broken. And he's no longer the one in control....... Deep man. Really deep.

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@slevinchannel7589 Did you reply to the correct comment? Cause your statement has nothing to do with mine.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@kaimagnus5760 I talked about the video. I gave a timestamp.

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@slevinchannel7589 But how was your statement relevent enough to mine to reply to it? My comment was in reguard to the abuse topic being discussed. Yours was a tagent about religion when such a thing was not relevent to any part of this video.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@kaimagnus5760 Its about a video your commenting under. That's enough.

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@slevinchannel7589 Clearly someone was never taught the meaning of "Subject Relivence". You're just hiding from the religious nuts in my comments >_> Spoiler alert, Atheisim is the most Zelotous and Hypocritical religion man kind has ever come up with. Makes Bible Thumpers look like normal poeple.

[@chrisb3892]

Hands down, one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time.

[@hermitsunite953]

Facts

[@irecordwithaphone1856]

One of the greatest characters period

[@operaanimelover369]

Amen to that, buddy.

[@bubbaj3314]

Almost a perfect comment, you just accidentally wrote cartoon.

[@jehnuhsuhs]

Agreed!

[@Gods17thWorstMistake]

"You've always thrown everything you could at me. Well, I can take it. And now I can give it back!" This line hits me so hard every time. When my abusive dad used to hit me as a helpless child, I never knew how to stop it. All I could do was learn to take it. Once I grew older, bigger and stronger, all I ever wanted was an opportunity to show my dad a piece of what I'd become. I wanted to give it back. I never wanted to march up to him and hurt him without reason, but I wanted him to see that he does not have power over me anymore. As much as I'd wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me, I could never let myself become my dad. One time, he tried to hurt my mum. I saw him walk over with a shoe in his hand. I'd planted myself between him and my mum. When he tried to walk around me, I shoved him and he fell backwards. That was my lightning redirection. It was the first time I'd been able to look him in the eye without fear. He has never laid a finger on me or my mum ever since.

[@dauntethomas5594]

That’s beautiful, whoever you are I hope life has been fortunate for you since, I had a similar situation with my abusive mother.

[@MaiAmiMayAmy]

I love how all analysis of this show boils down to “Iroh is the best…” I love it

[@FantabulousFail]

I can't handle the scene with Iroh singing at his son's makeshift grave. It brings tears to my eyes instantly everytime. This is such a well done video melding the world of Avatar with actual psychological issues that come from the trauma of the characters. Just goes to show how well thought out this show was.

[@ajjamsen694]

Same! Even just thinking about that scene gets me all teary-eyed. The heartbreak, sorrow, regret and all those emotions are so palpable, you cant help but feel it alongside Iroh 😭😭😭 this show is so beautiful, so well-written, I will never not love this show (Unless it's a M. Night remake 😑)

[@grasshopperye3593]

It's actually not a makeshift grave but a funeral service type that a lot of cultures in east and south asia perform! On the memorial of a loved one's death or their birthday, you put out food they like, etc. in front of a picture of them, and sort of pray/talk to them a moment. My family does this too, and I actually just realized reading your comment what it was lol. But yeah, the simplicity of that scene always gets me. There's no happy moment at the end for him, it's just a sadness and regret that's without resolution, which is what some loss is. Just heartbreaking.

[@Melbeezo]

@@ajjamsen694 we don't talk about that😬

[@blion2225]

Same. As I read your comment the scene came up 😭

[@kittikats]

Another subtle thing is I can't remember if it's a memory or a picture but Iroh is playing with his son and Zuko is also there as a toddler playing with Iroh too. Even in his infancy, Iroh was there as a father for Zuko. It was natural that he would see Zuko as his second son.

[@jojonerdz5258]

As a 17 year old that has suffered through physical and emotional abuse from my parents, Zuko's story has always really stuck with me. Going through a similar (obviously a little more extreme) experience as me at a similar age help gave me hope in my darker moments for a better future, that you can become something more than your parents. I'm glad that this show can still be disected years after it's release.

[@a.jthomas6132]

I’m sorry that you have to go through all of this. No matter how we picture them, not every parent is that perfect as we all wanted to look up on. Especially some can be a complete assholes.

[@jojonerdz5258]

@@a.jthomas6132 Thank you, yeah not everyone gets a lucky roll with good parents.

[@kristinoatley4710]

Proud of you for getting as far as you have. If you identified with Zuko I doubt I have to specify how horrible the lows can be, I remember feeling so hopeless when I was 17. I can say it gets easier to navigate the effects of abuse and shame and I hope you have all the progress in the world. You're amazing for persevering and surviving, and I know that you will be better than what came before you. x

[@SnakeMan448]

I was recently thinking about The Western Air Temple, where Zuko has a flashback to when he was only a scant few weeks into his banishment and search for the Avatar and he's already suppressing the good person he was and putting on the surly antagonist persona we were introduced to in episode 1. Iroh suggests that he should rest and let his burn heal before searching and Zuko snaps back that Iroh is the laziest person in the Fire Nation, as if they'd never had a close relationship prior to the banishment. Given that Zuko was scouring the Air Temples all over the world before his bandage was off, this strenuous task is likely why his eye scarred so badly.

[@JaneXemylixa]

I'm just now finishing watching this and that was a great scene, at a great moment. It's like Zuko remembers what he used to be like and barely believes that was him.

[@rissjohnson3308]

TIM!!! Dallas Liu mentioned watching this video to get into character for Zuko in the live action. He said he watched the Azula one too! I know there’s a small chance you’ll see this comment but knowing you’ve loved ATLA for so long just like the rest of us and now you’ve directly influenced the portrayal of Zuko on the Netflix show is just phenomenal. I hope you know how insightful you are when it comes to talking about writing characters

[@geekychick04]

Came here to say this but you beat me to it. It's so cool that Dallas was inspired by this channel!!

[@dauntethomas5594]

Wow that’s awesome, thank you for sharing!

[@StupidCatLady]

I relate so much to Zuko because I grew up in a broken and abusive household. Watching my mother and step-dad fight truly scared me as a child. Being told horrible things about myself by both of them, beaten into submission, and scared into "loving" them despite it all. It's a horrible cycle, and I thankfully realized what was happening to me and begged my father to take custody of me. He did and he truly saved me. Sadly though, not many have that safety net. Zuko is a prime example of this, and his growth is genuine. They show his failures and his successes, which is so vital in making him a good character. It's not easy to push past your abuse and better yourself. Edit: I'm further into the video, and the scene with Zuko came up to Iroh and apologized, and Iroh just hugs him always hits me hard. I had something similar to that scene happen within the last year. My mother and step-dad always made my father out to be a horrible person, and I sadly believed it. Even after recognizing that I needed my dad to be the one to save me from the abuse, I still lashed out at my dad like he was the enemy. I pushed and pushed and pushed until I had finally pushed my dad too far. I didn't see him or talk to him for 2 years, which hurt. I missed him deeply, but felt bitter towards him. Thankfully, in the last year, I reached out to my dad. He met me and just hugged me and let me sob in his arms. I just kept apologizing and asking if he was mad. He told me something similar to Iroh. He was never mad, he was fearful that I had gone the wayward. He always has and always will love me. It was such a huge part of my trauma recovery that I hadn't realized I needed until it happened. I'm thankful I was able to have those moments with him.

[@Giruga905]

Damn... i actually really relate to what you wrote i never really thought of my father figure as abusive cuz i kept justifying them with disciplining me and that i deserved what was going on to me. Luckily I've recently also realised that person was just a toxic existence in my life, my mom was there to pull me in and love me unconditionally. I hope you and your father continue to have that amazing relationship and that you may heal your wounds fully one day and enjoy the life you have. You have been through a lot clearly so treat yourself :)

[@pauliusbaranauskas7915]

My theory is that the Blue Spirit is supposed to represent a "perfect prince". I remember reading, that in traditional chinese opera Xiqu every actor wears face paint according to their role. Each colour used for that face paint has a stock meaning or emotion or symbolism attached to it, which in turn characterises the actors telling the audience who is kind, who is wise, who is a villain and so on. Blue, in this case, is supposed to represent: "ferocity, courage, uncontrollable, cruel, violent". The Blue Spirit is probably meant to be the kind of Zuko that Zuko wants to be. Cruel, uncompromising and strong - more like Ozai or Azula(who, by the way, also creates blue flame). However, he never firebends as a Blue Spirit and this is either meant to show how shallow this part of his identity is and how it weakens him, or that not being able to firebend as a Blue Spirit is a result of an insecurity that he is a disappointment who cannot bend(as this video showed). When he drops the mask into lake Laogai, he casts aside this mask of himself or is in the process of casting it aside. His nightmare with blue and red(bravery, fidelity, loyalty, chaste(?) - since he stays loyal to his uncle, for a time) dragons could also be mentioned here. Avatar Roku also had a red dragon while Sozin had blue dragon. Zuko ultimately doesn't break free of the mask until he LITERALLY redirects blue(ish) lightning and returns it to Ozai. And THEN goes on to witness true firebender's flame where colour blue is absent.

[@kittikats]

Another reason he doesn't bend as the blue spirit is often that persona is used for covert missions where he does the biggest betrayal to authority/government figures that he is trying to get approval from / avoid their wrath. First appearance was stealing Aang from a fire nation fort and Admiral Zhou. He can't bend because what other fire bender would be so desperate to steal the avatar but Prince Zuko? In his last big appearance he is in the earth kingdom capital and trying to find and capture Appa to catch Aang. Again, he can't bend as it would be too dangerous and lead to his almost instant capture and recognition. Interestingly he does not take on the blue spirit persona in "Zuko Alone" while fighting the earth bender guards.

[@fionn_mac_ribs]

Despite Zuko’s abusive upbringing, and growing up in a time of war, in an imperialist nation and being the nation’s prince, I feel like the core of Zuko’s character in his environment is that he is much more sensitive than he would want to admit. He is sensitive in the sense that it’s very easy to set him off, like in every episode someone does something to get him to yell. He’s also sensitive in the way that he’s always contemplating his feelings. As a kid he struggles with deciding what the right thing to do is. He breaks down in front of his father during the Agni Kai. When Iroh and Zuko stay over at an Earth Kingdom family’s home, he’s visible shocked and disturbed by the daughter’s burn scars. When he’s in his date with Jin, he’s very aware of how awkward he is and tries to cover. This can also be seen as culminating in the Blue Spirit persona. I think it’s the bundled up and cold version of Zuko’s sensitivity. How his emotions turn him into a reactionary person.

[@WolfmanArt]

Dante Basco does an amazing job portraying Zuko!! The amount of emotion he puts into the role is astounding. Let's not forget the animation!!

[@calladricosplays]

Thank you for using nonbinary terms to describe power dynamics in abusers. I'm part of a group for surviving abusive mothers, and the stigma is so different than that of those who had abusive fathers

[@benjamincarlson6994]

Same, but for me it was both. Just in different ways

[@RowanArk]

Yes, I am sometimes scared that if I open up to people, they won't take me seriously if I say I was abused by my mother and that it would be different if it was my father

[@calladricosplays]

@@RowanArk there are a lot of groups for survivors of narcissist mothers, and a growing awareness of victims of other forms of abuse. However you chose to handle your pain, I hope you know you are never alone in how you feel. Love your name and what you do, by the way. You got yourself a subscriber

[@serenaleahy-higgins3]

i had both in different waves. my mother and i are amazing now and my fathers...well hes better now that im 18 but still not great but it used to be my mother. it took many years for me and my mother to become close. my father and i probably never will be/

[@Asphyx12]

Sorry for asking but what's this nonbinary terms?

[@grigoryalexandrovitchpecho6934]

As a clinical psychologist who loved this show as a kid, bravo man. This analysis is beautiful and SPOT ON, especially the exploration of the relationship between pride and shame.

[@dionettaeon]

This was a phenomenal video on par with The Psychology of Azula. I wonder if this means the possibility of The Psychology of... analyses of other characters as well. Aang definitely comes to mind, for me. For one, his mind was wrecked at the realization that he's the last of his kind (as far as anyone is aware), and the deep guilt that he feels it was his fault. This also compounded when Appa was kidnapped, driving him to his breaking point. But even before all this, he faced a parallel dilemma to Zuko: dealing with a destiny that someone else has tried to force upon him. Except that Aang never had and never would have a choice. He never chose to be the Avatar and admitted that he never wanted to be, but forces beyond his control dictated that that's who he's meant to be. He was also told this at a younger than normal age, and with an oncoming threat of war, no less. He faced insanely high pressure and expectations for a child, he's effectively alienated by his peers, and overhears how he's going to be forced away from the one person who's always stood by him. I really do think The Psychology of Aang would be a worthy video. While not abuse like with Zuko and Azula, he does have an unfathomable trauma that he grapples with throughout much of the series, a responsibility as the Avatar that he struggles to maintain, and faces a literal life or death crisis of morality.

[@awaywiththefaeries9464]

I agree with this! I’d also like to see ones for Toph, Sokka and Katara as well. I think Ty Lee and Mai would be a interesting addition as well.

[@slamzam]

yes Aang’s character is great and is often overlooked even though it’s his own show

[@hilarymajor3983]

YES PLEAE WE NEED THE PSYCOLOGY OF AANG.

[@doktorryeen5124]

for me, a video on psychology of korra would be incredible. despite the legend of korra being a bit bumpy, i've always deeply connected with her story

[@dionettaeon]

@@doktorryeen5124 She definitely deserves one, too. Love her or hate her, Korra's as complex a character as any of the original cast.

[@pastelnyx8736]

Watching this after being diagnosed with CPTSD and diving into the abuse both of my parents dealt me, it shines a light on why I loved Zuko so much even before his redemption arc started. I related to him in almost every sense. (Even the Korean fashion resembled my Korean side) It took years to come to terms with the grief of my mother (my Ozai) being an abuser. Of remembering the "good" times in a more objective way, all while being my siblings' Ursa because I didn't want them to hurt like I did. At 11, I "convinced" my mother to divorce my dad because he was continuously cheating on her (and used me to get some of those women at times). I did it because I hated seeing my mother hurt and because I knew that wasn't right. But I was 11. And I carried that blame and shame with me into my adulthood. I blamed myself for breaking the family apart, for throwing my little brother into that man and his abusive household's arms (thank you gender biased legal system at the time), and even now, I carry some of the blame/shame for the trauma it caused my brother. Zuko is and always will be my comfort character. Watching his redemption always reminds me that I am capable of doing the same and that I'm also the type to continue fighting, even when it's difficult. I cannot express my gratitude to the writers enough in how well they depicted him and how very seen I felt with him.

[@Sqwivig]

Thank you for sharing that story

[@mrscreamlad6572]

You're a good person. I hope you can continue to have a good life. Also yeah Zuko's great.

[@jakemakov1047]

Oh my gosh! I watched it too after being diagnosed with CPTSD as well. Zuko was such a relatable and great character. He changed so much and seeing why he acted the way he did really showed how deeply ingrained his trauma was. He didn't deserve what his father did to him. Hope you're doing better, stay strong.

[@benjaminkelly6093]

I like how they're willing to let Zuko perform some petty or self serving evil in the middle of the series like when he steals the ostrich creature. They strike a real nice balance for him.

[@ninogamingvariety6594]

As someone who was a child abused (mentally and physically) by a relative i totally understand Zuko, I related to him in a person way, I tried to do the things this abusive relative told me to just to win his trust and his love, I never got that, just like Zuko didn’t, kudos to the writers for understanding these heavy subjects, that’s why ATLA is one of the greatest shows ever if not the greatest

[@MikaelaKMajorHistory]

In the past, my dad used to be abusive due to his own past abuse and depression (combined with alcoholism and anger issues). I couldn’t see him as completely bad because when he wasn’t as stressed and not drinking, he took me to fun places, taught me things, and played with me, and then when he drank out of stress, he would yell at me, hit me, and throw things. I came to see him as two different people: he was my dad when he was good to me, and he was a stranger when he wasn’t. To be honest, I see my dad as someone Zuko could’ve ended up as, having similar childhoods, but my dad was someone who continued to abuse and Zuko wasn’t. Also I saw from a child psychologist’s show in Korea, a kid similar to Azula. She seemed to prefer her grandma and dad and shunned her mother, refusing to be touched by her and calling her names. It turned out to be that children will often side with whoever seems stronger in the family dynamic, and bully whoever is weak in fear that they too will be bullied/outcast if they don’t. Azula in the post-show comics, The Search, cries when she confronts Ursa in her amnesiac form when Ursa tells her, “I’m sorry I didn’t love you enough.” It shows that she too longed for her mother’s love and affection, but being her father’s favorite, was likely too afraid to end up like Ursa or Zuko, abused by Ozai. This could even be seen when Ozai leaves Azula in the fire-nation during the finale of the show. She says, “you can’t treat me like Zuko!” and shows fear in her expression rather than just anger.

[@synshenron798]

Thats how it is with my dad except he doesnt drink and he never hit me, my mom or sister. I never hated my dad, even when he said things that hurt me. I remember when hed take us to fun places, spend time with us, and just be an amazing guy. And then there were the times that he and I would be working outside and id make a mistake or something would go wrong and he'd get more and more angry. Most times he wouldnt even insult me. Hed say things like "For Gods sake, you need to learn quick that if you want to work this slow in the real world your only going to be a liability." Or "What do you think you're doing? For your sake you better find a simple job cause you cant think to quick." And the way he'd say it was more disappointed/frustrated than angry. It hurts a lot worse when someone says your slow in a disappointed tone than if they yell at you. My dad would yell at me from time to time but It was much worse for him to just be so disappointed he'd say "just put the tools down Ill do it myself." Or "Go in the house. Just go. I dont care what you do but go away." Those words have stuck in my head for years and years. What they meant was, "your so slow/incapable that its easier for me to do this myself than deal with you." I have many other memories of both good and bad times with my dad but the more I revist them the more sad I make myself

[@annaaquitaine4225]

As a young man with abusive family that I used to idolize, I manage to use Zuko’s arc to gain some insights. Him speaking up to his father is extremely satisfying, and competent analyses of his character manages to spark epiphanies. This video’s done it well. I hope you know this video’s done some good, Tim

[@itsnotballer2502]

“Hello zuko here”. Zuko is really a best character if not the best character ever written.And I love his narrative too zuko is truly a masterpiece not only in his story but a definite character in all tv history. His redemption, ideaology,and struggle is brilliant. Because as beautiful as his story and redemption is m,well he said it himself. “That’s Rough Buddy”. A rough story it is indeed.Thank you Hello Future Me this was amazing and I hope you have more of these to come (mostly katara because we all know it’s more than revenge arc in that southern raiders episode 😁)This essay you made It was truly amazing

[@tysonmoore7319]

This video was extraordinarily helpful in recognizing some things that happened during my childhood that probably still have an impact on me today. Fortunately, no one taught me a lesson on my face (permanently), but there are things I still haven't worked through, and your explanation of these ideas prompted me to look inward. Thank you so much.

[@mintgreensandra8772]

that video is 12 min old as of right now....how cam you know already O.o

[@lunasquib]

The video takes 1 hour and 30 minutes How did you watch this in 10 minutes 😅

[@voidify3]

@@lunasquib on patreon probably…

[@joshbishop]

@@voidify3 Yo that makes sense, I was so confused about this comment for a minute lol

[@patdforever2]

I’m like 20 minutes in and I totally feel the same. Only recently started going to therapy ❤️ hope you can find peace as well

[@TrollDragomir]

As someone who's been abused and neglected as a child, even though I already processed it and forged out a new life for myself, many points here land uncomfortably close to home. Really gives me a new appreciation and understanding as to why I connect so deeply with this story.

[@madyalvarez428]

I loved this dissection of Zuko’s character. As someone with C-PTSD, I also completely agree with your assessment of that scene as not being suicidal. Sometimes, C-PTSD has made me want to just… not try anymore and I guess just passively die, but more often than not, my feeling is just “okay God, I’ve gone through every single fucking thing you’ve thrown at me and I’m not a little kid anymore, I’m handling it straight faced as a woman so WHAT NEXT?? What now?? Throw it at me, because you’ve never held back before!” It’s a sense of survival out of SPITE, in a way.

[@synshenron798]

Honestly I know how you feel. Being so angry that you just keep pushing through to spite all of the shit thats been thrown at you. Ive lived with an anger like that for years now. And as I got older I felt like it was pointless. That I could keep surviving, but id never be able to hurt the world the way it hurt me so why do I keep getting back up when it pushes me down? Why do I try so hard when I know what will happen? Most days idk if I want to keep pushing out of spite or if I want to just lay down and pass on

[@Sqwivig]

I love that people are STILL talking about OG Avatar and breaking it down analytically. There is so much to explore in this show. The characters, the geography, the world building, the politics of imperialism and how fascism effects the entire world, the martial arts and magic system, power scaling, etc! This show is 13 years old and still something that should be praised and talked about endlessly! Zuko's character is possibly one of the best villain redemption arcs in animation/television history. This video was brilliant and I could gush about Zuko here in the comments but then I would just be repeating everything you said in the video lol. I love the amount of research into child psychology there was for this essay. It really reinforces how Zuko's character was written with this research in mind. You can tell the creators of ATLA really studied the psychology of children during war time, as well as abusive relationships, and did an amazing job weaving that research into every single character. From Saka learning what it truly means to become a man and overcoming misogyny. Aang coming to terms with the genocide of his people and the weight of war and imperialism. Katara has to come to terms with losing her mother and has to learn how to grieve because she never had the opportunity to. And Toph, while her character arc is not directly related to the war, goes through a personal journey of accepting help and kindness from others. Iroh learning the tragedies of war by experiencing the loss of his son, and living his life to atone for his guilt of being involved in the war that has taken countless lives, learning to embrace love, empathy, and kindness and finding peace and happiness within oneself. (Honeslty you should probably do a video on the Psychology of Iroh some time!) Then we have Zuko and Azula, both growing up in an abusive household trying to navigate the social and political landscape of the royal family. Your video on Azula was astounding and I'm so happy you made one for Zuko as well!

[@tkaine7983]

The Blue Spirit is, to me, a reflection not if Zuko's upbringing but a more base level of Humanity. Specifically according to one of Iroh's advice to him: "No, Zuko. You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that route and you succumb to your lowest instincts." All of Zuko's actions while in the Blue Spirit Persona are acts of desperation. He desperately needs to save Aang to hold onto his chance to return home. He desperately needs to violently assert himself over others by stealing from people because begging is too low a blow for his pride. And when he knows that the Avatar is in Ba Sing Se and looking for Appa, even after he accommodates himself to a simple life in the city, he once again desperately needs to try just one more time to get back. The Blue Spirit is the complete stripping away of both moral compass and rational thought. It is pure animalistic instinct. Being backed against a corner and lashing out in primal recklessness.

[@Delta_Aves]

Considering the mask is from a stage play "Love Amongst Dragons" that Zuko and Azula saw and acted out as kids, The Blue Spirit, in a way, is like a ghost of the past following Zuko throughout Books 1 & 2; something that he still clings to that hasn't been tarnished or destroyed, yet it hinders his growth and affects actions in the present, so it's only when he discards the mask in Lake Laogai can he make the necessary steps toward change and bettering himself.

[@arandomcomment1092]

Parts to watch at a time: Part 1, Honor: 1:36 Part 2, Dad's Going to Kill You: 14:58 Part 3, I'm Angry at Myself: 32:37 Part 4, I Was Never Angry With You: 46:55 Part 5, The Greatest Civilization in History: 1:10:15 Outro: 1:25:38

[@ahenchman8656]

Tim, I love that you found little moments to talk to abuse victims and remind them that they are not alone. I see the "if you've ever been in this situation, you know what it's like" and I thank you for saying something so simple and making us feel a little less isolated.

[@LA-Will]

Maybe Iroh had to lose his son for Zuko to gain a father. Little did they know they needed each other.

[@trevorfeller9361]

Videos on zuko just never get old.

[@You-dont-get-to-know-1001]

I’ll be honest. When I have nothing else to watch I’ll always find my way back to your psychology of Azula video. I’m unbelievably stoked to have this half of the sibling psychology.

[@TheGhettoGinger]

As someone who has childhood trauma from his absent father, Zuko was a character I related to on an emotional level. Luckily I have therapy and a loving family now, but when I first saw this show I didn't have either so Zuko's arc really hit home. I could've ended up as twisted and broken as Azula, but luckily I had someone in my corner like Iroh.

[@dingus_maximus]

Really shouldn’t have listened to this at work. Fighting back tears for the whole 90 minutes. This is one of the most important things I’ve ever seen, and it’s a KZbin video essay about a fictional character from a children’s cartoon. And I couldn’t be more grateful for its existence, as well as Avatar’s.

[@Ferytowa]

When I was watching ATLA as a child, I was very disappointed that I didn't find out what happened to Zuko's mother. Only years after the comics satisfied my curiosity. However, Ursa had a huge impact on the development of her son's character and I regret that the creators of the series did not have the opportunity to show their reunion. Finding Zuko's mother after all these years would be as emotional a moment as meeting Iroh at the white lotus camp. Even for Azula, her mother was someone extremely important. I know The Search explains all these threads and has the best storyline from comic books published, but still. I love Ursa as a character even though she actually only appeared in one episode.

[@tss3393]

Zuko's story hits so much harder now that I'm a parent. EDIT: I spent the last several months going back through this video and unpacking my own trauma and familial abuse. Not to say that I'm making a 1-to-1 comparison with a fictional character, but what you broke down and how you framed it with Zuko's story, something I've always felt I've related to, has helped me unpack my own experiences in a way I never have before. I can never thank you enough for this, Tim.

[@shaobues]

I wouldn't say I was abused, but I 1000% relate to his feelings of rage. I get so angry sometimes i feel the only way to release it is to be violent. I have never hurt anyone else, but i've broken important things in moments of blind rage. I am still trying to become a better person and regulate my emotions. Zuko's arc is amazing.

[@KD-ou2np]

Its okay to say it even if you werent burned or hit

[@StudioStig]

It amazes me how well they portrayed Zuko’s mental health struggles and the whole dynamic of abusive households, golden child and all. Zuko is absolutely the scapegoat, and it’s no wonder that I related to him so much having been through similar. Zuko’s character arc is fabulous. I love the points where he tries to emulate Iroh 😂

[@sweetdnlg618]

I am in tears, this video made me realize why I favored Zuko so much all these years. I never realized how much I actually had in common with his character. I am in my late 20's very soon to enter a new decade, just now learning many things that were actually trauma from my childhood that I for years associated with me just being a bad child and I wasn't good enough, and maybe just being better would help thinking the physical and verbal abuse I endured was normal. I literally learned over the past couple years alot of the disorders and battles Zuko had are the same things I've been told I have and am still learning how to cope. Granted I don't think the things I went through were as dramatic, but the empathy I've felt for Zuko all these years was really maybe also really tears for myself?

[@christinaartista697]

I've watched Azula's Psychology a half dozen times, so psyched about this release! 🥳 Thank you for the glimpse into your psychological studies origin story Tim, as it's insightful and profound. I discovered myself a bit numb during parts of Zuko's journey, because my own healing is ongoing, so it feels therapeutic to revisit. The writers conveyed deep subtext in sophisticated ways. 🥇

[@lincolnbeckett8791]

Big shout out to Alex (Tim's editor) this video was perfectly edited together and as an editor myself, I truly approve the amount of work he must have put into this and all of Tim's videos. Wish you all the best Alex.

[@tinaj3279]

This is the most love and respect I’ve seen a KZbinr give to their editor. It really shines a light on the character of both these men, something that was already showing in positive abundance with the care shown to the subject matter of these videos!

[@gracex8276]

Literally one of the deepest analyses of character and psychology i’ve ever watched. Theres so many incredible connections here. Thanks for discussing CPTSD!

[@sunnyyoda5511]

The Character Arc of Zuko is a MASTERPIECE PERIOD!!!!

[@CounterLink]

zuko has so much symbolism behind him, hes almost the exact opposite of aang in so may ways from the very start. but he still manages to show us all that even if you are bad you can still have good in you, all you need to do to let it out is make the right choice.

[@owensreviews625]

The sequel we’ve all wanted.

[@aidarosullivan5269]

I can honestly say that I was crying throughout this essay as I've resonated with it so much. Thank you Alexander for your work! My mother died when I was 13. and although my father wasn't abusive but left without mom's emotional support I feel like I was growing on my own for the most part of my life because men in my country aren't taught to be sensitive or caring too much. In the last couple of years I've figured that I've grown a bit narcissistic as an coping mechanism for my lack of self worth and seeking gratification in constant praise of my intellectual capabilities. I've never turned to psychotherapeutic help to figure out my struggles, partly because it would too be considered a weakness or outright "abnormality" here. I've read a number of books on the topic but never fully grasped their meaning in terms of healing process, but this essay may get me closer to that being put in so simple terms with beautiful visualisation through this genius series. I know that understanding alone wont mean instant healing of course, but I'll certainly come back to it not once in my further journey. So, thanks again to the creators of the show, to Alexander and Timothy!

[@Vi_Vi_1]

This was such a good analysis of abuse, trauma, and recovery. I grew up in an abusive home, so honestly I feel like I can always come back to Zuko's story and see new elements of it, based on how I'm healing and recovering myself. Thank you for your thoughtful and respectful dissection of this excellent show and amazing character. Great video!

[@mantycorrin246]

“Pain doesn't make people, it's love that makes people. The pain is inconsequential. It's love that saves them.” -Taliesin Jaffe (Caduceus Clay) I really think that this really matches up with what you said in the video and couldn’t help but think of this quote. Love your videos keep doing what your doing

[@alphapockets]

As a post 9/11 child in the US and veteran, the talks of radicalization hit in a way it probably was not meant to. This video is one of the best I have watched in a long time. Thank you for these works. Its stuff like this that challenge what "significant works" looks like in a digital age.

[@meatiest1989]

Where did you fight veteran

[@alphapockets]

@@meatiest1989 I was stationed at a not deployable base because of "mission critical" reasons (aka training base). Because of that, even TAD and Augment requests were rarely granted, which sucked as I had joined to deploy.

[@meatiest1989]

@@alphapockets so u weren't in Afghanistan

[@Expropriator91]

@@meatiest1989 what’s your point? You trying to gatekeep who’s a veteran and who isn’t?

[@meatiest1989]

​​@@Expropriator91 I hate some soldiers who was in my country Afghanistan, hopefully he didn't do bad stuff that means I don't hate him

[@sachinalani]

I remember being a kid watching this show. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, I shared a lot of struggles with zuko, which made him my favorite character immediately. Sometimes my distracted younger self would zone out, but never when he was on screen. I didn't understand why I replayed the scene of him confronting his father so often, or why I sobbed after iroh forgave him. Only now that I'm a college dropout watching hour and a half videos on KZbin about fictional characters mental states do I look back and understand that through zuko, little me found a way to relate experiences and even cope. This show gave me hope before I knew I needed it.

[@0Quiwi0]

Sometimes it just hits me how good this series was. We are still talking about it halfway through 2022. That is just insane

[@Eainai]

Hey, um, just a random human coming back to say that, after I left an abusive relationship myself, this video helped me to process my emotions and begin to try to recover. Watching it 3 months after it first helped me makes me realize how much this video did help, even subconsciously. Thank you.

[@BaggyTrous3rs]

They wrote him so good, even his hair is a symbol of his character, being cut, then slowly regrown as a representation of him growing as a person

[@jakubpacua2351]

Can we just admire how an nikelodion show 7+ have such complicated and detailed world that someone makes a 1 and a half hour movie about only a psychology of only one of many characters 15 years after the show ended? I honestly think A:tLA is *the* greatest story of *all time*

[@benduford3746]

In a few thousand years I can imagine tha world where Avatar: the last Airbender will be the next Epic of Gilgamesh the quintessential story that influences every other story for years to come.

[@corenlavolpe6143]

Rumor has is Mark Hamill said this show was way too good for Nickelodeon, and I agree. It has some flaws and standard showmaking mistakes, but it's so solid I don't blame you at all. It really is great as a whole package.

[@sasha8934]

i’ve been watching this video and the psychology of azula with my mom and we have both cried more than we ever have. my dad has always been verbally, mentally, and physically abusive. my mom is french and she moved to america. she met my dad and immediately he forced her away from all her friends. she lost a sense of who she was. she was no longer french, all of her roots and her family ddint matter anymore, she was stuck here with my dad. he forced her out of her business that she loved doing, made her be the caretaker of me and my brother. her entire identity was ripped from her. she became a shell of herself in order to regulate my dads temper. he used to joke that once i was born he lost his self composure. my brother was always to perfect child and i wasn’t. i was the liar, my brother never lied, i had a huge temper, my brother didn’t. my dad told me i’m the reason he’s like this. i’m the reason why he lashes out. i’m at fault. whenever i stood up to him and defied him he told me i’m making up stories about him. it’s not real. i’m painting him out to be the bad guy. it’s all in my head. i’m a liar and i always have been. i am useless. he has thrown stuff at me too many times to count and destroyed our house on numerous occasions. then the next day he would act fine. he has so many undiagnosed mental illnesses and recently we’ve learned he has intermittent explosive disorder. he explodes and then just forgets. it was invaliding my whole experience. did he really just forget or did this even happen? what if i am still the liar i used to be when i was 5? he’s warped my perception of everytging. i was a perfectionist, nothing i could do was good enough for him. i always had to be on my best behavior and if i ever spoke out against him he would break down. he was able to manipulate everyone around us that we’re the problem, not him. no one in our family believed me. my dad was able to control them so well that they started to blame us. he has ruined my entire life. i had suicidal ideation and actions that caused me to be hospitalized. i have grown and learned so much from that. i’m only 15, it has been so much for me to deal with him. thankfully my mom is finally divorcing him and he lives in a separate house. she’s getting her business back and reconnecting with her family in france. we’re all healing. however i have diagnosed PTSD and have an overwhelming fear of men. i can’t get close to them, i can’t be mean to them or speak out. i need to be on my best behavior for them. it is so exhausting and seeing this story of zuko and azula has really hit home. thank you for making this, it gives me some sense of validation that what i went through did actually happen and i’m not a failure. thank you so much

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

Hey, hope you’re ok

[@athenageislinger6081]

I am sorry you had to go through such an awful situation. I want to reassure you that what happened to you was not your fault. The road to recovery is long and bumpy, but give it time and you will heal. I wish you the best 😊

[@DanDanDoe]

You're incredibly brave for speaking about your experiences. I'm glad to hear the situation is improving and I hope for the rrst of your life there'll only be good things on the path for you, your brother and your mother. You deserve a good life and you speaking out about your experiences may help others who are in a similar situation.

[@komaedakat1583]

i'm really sorry your father had put you through all that. I'm glad you are on the path to healing and that you are away from them now. It was never your fault, and you were never useless. It did affect you and hurt you and they were just gaslighting you. I am also a survivor of child abuse and your comment about not being able to trust men really hit close to home. For years i convinced myself i couldn't date them because i thought all men couldn't be trusted. Luckily i don't fear men now because i recognize it was the abuser that was evil and not men in general. But yeah, it really messes with your perception of what a father figure is. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@catdogfishdogcats]

There is a reason we as higher beings learned to write. Even when all entities around us are corrupt, the voices of the past, long dead, as long as we still have access to their writings, can still guide us when the living fail to do so. If your father is unable to be there for you, Iroh's teachings can still be there as they were for Zuko. Make friends with the departed if those who are living are distant or worse Corrosive to your psyche.

[@onionwielder9728]

There’s something about this redemption arch that just hits different. Other shows have tried their best to make memorable redemptions of their own, and had great success with The Dragon Prince’s Soren, the Owl House’s Hunter, the list goes on. (I’m personally not a fan of Catra from She-Ra’s redemption, I thought her arc would’ve been better as an Azula arc, but that’s just me) Zuko’s arc will always be the greatest.

[@raikaschieck1634]

Well, Zuko's arc is the progenitor of these other arcs, so there's no wonder it still stands above.

[@foleneju]

“I’m personally not a fan of Catra from She-Ra’s redemption” LET’S F**KING GO A SUPPORTER I agree. Catra is extremely abusive and manipulative towards Adora, and from a storytelling/moral standpoint she should’ve had a tragic end.

[@gocelotspice5766]

Darcy pfp!!

[@mags9073]

@@foleneju Yeah but the thing is, whether you think she-ra in particular handled that arch well, redemption shouldn't be just for people who didn't do things "too horrible" or were just secretly always good. Redemption is often messy its often just being better. Its really hopeful to say that no one is far gone. You can be an abused kid becoming abusive yourself and can still make the choice to be better even if it doesn't wipe away all the hurt you've caused. No one deserves to have a tragic end and from a storyteller perspective its really powerful actually to not go the traditional route of a tragic end for an abused warped villain. Again like yeah I also think catras arch had some issues specifically but that's in the actual execution of it by the end, I def wanted to see it drawn out more butI don't feel comfortable with the idea that she should have been better of with that sort of tragic ending. That's my thoughts on it at least.

[@FeralSB2S351]

@@mags9073 I agree in that people will somehow relate to Catra anyway. Whatever that reason is, a lot of these people are genuinely good personalities. It's great to see another perspective story wise, but also gives closure to more people like I'm assuming you are implying. I HEAVILY related to Catra, and for her to have the kind of ending she had made me realized I deserved better too.

[@faffywhosmilesatdeath5953]

57:25 When he says "How can you forgive me so easily? I thought you'd be furious with me." It makes me think of one of my favorite Buffy quotes: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it." It's a recognition that oftentimes we forgive people because they want to do better and we need to let them know that they have room to be better. Of course the things Zuko said and did to Iroh and others was awful, but forgiveness isn't necessarily an erasure of the past. It's more of a nod to the future. A future where you'll be a better person.

[@katherinemijal9977]

I’m a survivor of chile abuse, and I want to touch on something that is really helpful for me in this video: the background music/wind chime noises. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but having the background noise mixed in with the heavy discussion of child abuse psychology is very grounding when discussing such a heavy topic, and helps me digest the video without drifting into memories of my own abuse. Thank you for including it.