Ozai vs Aang: Breaking Down the Best Fight of Your Childhood

Come check out the writing behind the final climactic fight of Avatar.
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Full Avatar Fight!: • Aang vs. Ozai (Final B...

[@Cjaj2]

Beginning of the fight: a 12 year old boy is going up against the most powerful man in the world. End of the fight: a man fighting for his life against a god.

[@endershepard7117]

I kept wanting to say to Ang’s punk ass at the beginning of the fight. What Breadsword spoke about so well on his latest video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZiQmXRsaZKsjdU To paraphrase - “Stop being scared and start getting mad!!!” 😤😡 Just seeing Ozai’s smug ass face and recalling all the fuckshit that he and his Fire Nation have done for decades. Would be all the motivation I need to move all fear from my body, soul and spirit. While facing him, head on!

[@jordanglasper1064]

Emanuel Castillo A God in disguise. This fight was everything. I felt in every fiber of my bone Aang was supposed to kill Ozai. But this is a kid’s show. That came into account.

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@jordanglasper1064 not really. Aang was always a monk and they dont kill

[@malwinelogina9781]

I could never put this in such perfect words as you did. Totally agree

[@larsboeter2486]

@@alfa01spotivo unless ofcoarse firebenders are cornering you in your own temple then you kill a room full

[@PolarShift]

15:23 "Come on out, avatar! You can't hide in there forever!" Did nobody else see Aang hiding into a ball, while the world around him is on fire, as being at least slightly reflective of what he did 100 years ago?

[@Cryomancer27]

Polar Shift yooo very true, his lowest point in the fight is a recreation of his greatest failure in life and the thing he’s been trying to move beyond for the whole show

[@robertoperez2843]

@@Cryomancer27 well said

[@damonedrington3453]

Polar Shift YOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@anonymousx775]

I seriously never made that connection before... that's awesome.

[@bigmoe9856]

I noticed that as well, this fight is filled with many callbacks.

[@airforcerules1]

I think it's important to note: every time Aang dropped out of his Avatar state, he always fainted. This fight is the only time he doesn't do that, he is rigid on his feet because he so strongly believes he shouldn't kill Ozai

[@gforce7431]

It’s about control

[@chairmanofrussia]

He does it because he’s finally strong enough to overcome.

[@443Cosmic]

He didn’t point out that Ozai was winning in the energy bending but at the last second he took over ozai much faster than he did and this is just a theory but I think that is representing the fight, ozai is winning until aang turns into the avatar state and beats the crap out of ozai

[@leonkuwata4510]

It's kinda obvious why tbh, he unlocked the final chakra just a few minutes prior. He can enter the Avatar State at will after that, no fainting side effects included.

[@sterlingmuse5808]

@@leonkuwata4510 This is true from a worldbuilding perspective. But, the scene does still accomplish what airforcerules1 was saying from a narrative perspective. It shows that Aang is in control and insistent that he will not kill Ozai.

I think an argument can be made that Aang's insistence to his belief-that he shouldn't have to *kill* the fire lord in order to _stop_ him-is the very thing that earns him the technique he uses to win the fight. First, Aang refuses to accept the alternative, to the point where it attracts the Lion Turtle to him-creatures which have been foreshadowed throughout the show, yet which never made a living or spirit appearance by that point. Aang even asks past Avatars of all four elements for their wisdom or guidance, and none of them have a satisfactory answer. Second, and here's the thing: the show presents the most transcendent beings to have an understanding of time that surpasses the linear, as a result of their connection to their highest true self. That's not Avatar stuff, as Guru Pathik teaching the chakras reveals, and it's first established in The Swamp, when Aang sees a vision of Toph who he has yet to meet. The Lion Turtle did not "coincidentally" come to Aang on Ember Island and give him a ride to the EXACT spot of land that Ozai would later start his attack at. The Lion Turtle knew because it is more transcendent (enlightened?) than even the previous Avatars combined. But wait, there's more! The Lion Turtle has seemingly not deemed any of the previous Avatars worthy of the knowledge of energy bending either, or anyone else for that matter-no characters throughout the show express any indication they think this could even be a thing. MAYBE Ran and Shaw know, but they obviously did not divulge that information. The Lion Turtle came out of hiding because he deemed Aang worthy of knowing this ability, which-hey, let's be real honest here-is a super dangerous power to bestow on anyone. Hence: "The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed." + "To bend another’s energy, your own spirit must be unbendable or you will be corrupted and destroyed." Aang earned the knowledge of energybending by demonstrating his spirit to be unbendable when it comes to valuing life. And that is the highest value to be unbendable about.

[@whosthere8658]

Found the comment that got it

[@DogsRNice]

Perhaps he even knew that Aang would have to pass on energy bending to korra to undo the damage Amon caused

[@willmungas8964]

I left another comment about this somewhere else, but the only problem with this is it still comes across as the writers giving Aang the easy way out rather than forcing him to make the difficult choice and obey his duty to the world. If lion turtles were more established as great creatures of knowledge that haven't been seen in centuries, this reveal wouldn't seem quite so out of the blue. As is, they are only mentioned once or twice and unless I'm wrong nothing ABOUT them is over said, especially nothing to indicate that they are island-sized transcendent spiritual beings or sources of bending rather than just another hybrid animal or minor spirit. Don't get me wrong, I love this solution, especially because removing Ozai's bending is such a more punishing resolution to him than just killing him, but it also doesn't challenge Aang's beliefs and it comes across as a last-second ladder out of a writing hole. It also just bugs me that while the energy bending is cool, there's not a representation of the mental struggle for Aang to succeed beyond the glowing lights, which show the _result_ of the conflict rather than necessarily the _feeling_ of having to mentally overcome the will of fricking Ozai. Still love this battle so much though, and I like the thought put in and connections drawn for comments like these

@@willmungas8964 "but it also doesn't challenge Aang's beliefs" - Aang's beliefs were already being challenged, by literally -everyone- on his side, for _several_ episodes. His duty to the world was not to kill Ozai, but to protect the world from great harm, so he absolutely obeyed and fulfilled his duty.

[@BybeeBunnie]

@@willmungas8964 Aang made the most difficult decision by ignoring everyone else around him and staying true to himself and his people. He wasn’t going to take the easy route of revenge, he was going to stay true to himself even when facing the personification of ‘evil’ that wiped out his entire people. He refused to give up his ‘innocence’ and his unwavering integrity probably had a lot to do with this out come. I don’t care about minor plot holes over the show because this fight was amazing and it would not have made sense for Aang to suddenly consider killing his duty or be so cynical. He’s physically and metaphorically 12, a literal child. Who had never killed on the show. Bloodshed was never part of his MO and he wasn’t going to regress to Book 1 Zuko and suddenly see red.

[@coreyholt8522]

I'll never get tired of "why avatar was so perfect" videos

[@carlospretel4630]

Same

[@AstraIVagabond]

Same~

[@EmmaDilemma039]

I'm watching Korra for the second time and it only gets worse on the second viewing. Meanwhile ATLA is as good now as when I was a kid.

[@redacted5078]

true.

[@djw07williams84]

@@EmmaDilemma039 she always gets beaten up and kidnapped or something, and some people still argue that she is stronger than aang

[@MonCappy]

Aang's decision to spare Ozai's life probably is what led to building a lasting peace. He might not have realized it consciously at the time he decided to spare him, but by doing so he prevented turning Ozai into a martyr.

[@TeutonicKnight92]

I thinks it’s also a greater threat/warning to any would be conquerors. The avatar won’t kill you, no, he’ll take away what made you special and render you merely human. I imagine there are quite a few benders that would rather die than lose their powers

[@endershepard7117]

Menkir Dennis the greatest respect that two warriors on opposing sides can give to each other. Is to die as they chose to live. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Ozai was a genocidal madman full of pride. The Avatar is essentially a glorified referee and that’s a good thing but I still believe Ang was far to lenient on the Fire Nation and far to selfish to be the true Avatar. Because Ang wasn’t thinking about doing what was best for the world of benders. He was just thinking about doing what was best for himself.

[@elijahvelasco8963]

@@endershepard7117 He wasn't just doing it for himself. He didn't want to kill him because he was raised not to kill. Aang's morals came out on top here because he coincidentally found a way to make lasting peace. Aang realized that these people, the Fire Nation, just have a skewed world view of supremacy and greatness and that they're still human beings with families and loved ones. It was hard for him to accept that he might have to face the fact of killing someone for peace, which is not selfish

[@kamataro1482]

@@endershepard7117 Your response is just hopelessly close-minded. We saw in many of Book Three's episodes that the Fire Nation isn't all bad. It's only the loyalists of Ozai and the believers in Sozin's ideals of military supremacy that are in any way bad; and even then, is it their fault that they believe in it, when that's all they were taught was right? Zuko certainly believed it was right, until Iroh showed him otherwise. How would Aang choose who lives and dies for the choices and upbringings brought about by the nation they were born in? Who has the right to decide at all? Are you saying that being the Avatar grants Aang the right to play God? Honestly, ridiculous.

[@ggtroll1365]

@@kamataro1482 Aang does have the right to play god, hes the avatar

[@DavidBoden]

"That's why characters were restrained to remove their bending." *Shows a picture of Bumi, a character that bent earth with his face

[@TheBluePhoenix008]

He still moved, just with his face

[@DavidBoden]

@@TheBluePhoenix008 irony of editing still remains.

[@TheBluePhoenix008]

@@DavidBoden irony of editing? What's that mean?

[@DavidBoden]

@@TheBluePhoenix008 irony that was presented through the editing process. What the speakers intent for their statement was vs what is being shown on screen at the time the statement was being made.

[@TheBluePhoenix008]

@@DavidBoden i see

[@infinity3459]

Hi, random physics thing: I would also like to point out how Aang made the rocks smaller when he entered the Avatar State. By decreasing the volume of the rocks without changing the mass present, he increased the density of those rocks by a significant amount. That means if Ozai got hit by even one of those rocks with enough speed, he would have been torn in half. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[@sarahdicarlo8589]

IM LATE but i always pay attention to that part too like he literally altered the density of those rocks

[@aetherspiralknight]

*Avatar Kyoshi, talking all chill-like along with the previous Earth Avatars ,* : "Hey, Aang, wanna see how to bend GRAVITY?" Mimicking the internal pressures in the earth... An Avatar could make diamonds for fun.

[@gfyGoogle]

That’s why the machine gun attack he does will forever be the coolest bending attack in the entire fight.

[@greg77389]

Aang technically does not break any laws of physics. Water is considered incompressible in mundane cases though in reality it can be compressed along with any other kind of matter. Yes even solids can be compressed. Otherwise black holes couldn't exist. Remember that the majority of the volume of an atom itself is just the electron cloud, which isn't a "hard" boundary like the relatively tiny nucleus composed of protons and neutrons. The fact that Aang was able to compress water and earth by such a significant amount shows just how powerful he is in the Avatar state. To do such a thing in real life, it would require forces on the scale of nuclear bombs, and even then you'd only be able to compress the material for a fraction of a second since an explosion is short-lasting.

[@devonharvey8414]

@@greg77389 damn your smart

[@samwarren2850]

My favorite thing about this fight is that when Aang takes himself out of the Avatar State, his fire, water, and earth bending all go away, and he's left with just air. he's surrounded by his element, and standing up for what his people believed in, saying that what they believed had strength and had value, and refusing to go against it and kill someone.

[@Genpri]

Damn

[@anthony5996]

Wow😳

[@aetherspiralknight]

Thank you I'm crying now

[@etazeta674]

And then using earth bending-an element related to unyielding resolve-when Ozai attacks him from behind shows he NOT gonna change his mind on that, and he’s not as weak as Ozai believes

[@garammaru3272]

And I think Comet enhanced Ozai is so far 2nd most powerful villain in the Avatar series. Azula, Yakone, Amon, Zaheer, and Kuvira are powerful too but so far Ozai is only villain other than UnaVatu, managed to fight Avatar in pretty equal terms. Yakone and Amon's psychic bloodbending was immediately overpowered by Avatar state and Zaheer and Kuvira managed to fight Korra and beat her because Korra was weaken from poison and mentally unstable at the time. Compared to them, the only "human" enemy that managed to fight and corner Avatar is Comet enhanced Ozai.

[@Sperium3000]

Man I had totally forgotten that was Mark Hamill as Ozai.

[@wl9162]

Right??? Mark Hamill just sneaks up on us all that way. I was p shocked to find out how prolific a voice actor he was (didn't he voice the new Chucky doll too? It's all so surreal...)

[@Darkdayzz]

To be honest, after awhile you recognize voice actors no matter which voice they put up

[@ciao_fiv5118]

Toy Carousel he voices Skips in Regular Show, and a few minor characters in Adventure Time too!

[@GreaterGrievobeast55]

ciao_fiv I know his most famous villain role is the Joker But I really liked him as the skeksis scientist from the dark crystal show and The skeleton thing from that one robot monkey thing.

[@TheSpectator7]

I never even realized that was The same voice actor who played Like Skywalker, Then again Ozai's was so minimal in the show it could fly over anyone's head.

[@toosolidcuuj]

Aang didn't get energybending through happenstance. We have two episodes of Aang doing some serious introspection, going on a spiritual journey that also follows narrative structure, and only when he accepts the wisdom of his past lives does the Lion Turtle give him the insight he needs in order to energybend. Buddhist fans have pointed out the similarities between Aang's journey in the finale and Buddhist parables. And even after the Lion Turtle teaches energybending to Aang, he still risks his life by trying to use it. There are high stakes, and the show makes this clear. This solution wasn't just handed to Aang. It's not a deus ex machina. I think the fact that you overlooked this is obvious given the line of Ozai's that you didn't discuss. "You are weak, just like the rest of your people. They did not deserve to exist in this world, in my world!" Despite it being in the show's title, we in the fandom don't talk enough about how Aang is the last airbender. This fight is not just the avatar vs. the firelord. It's the sole survivor of a genocide against the imperial power that destroyed his people. Throughout the show, Aang has been forced to give up parts of his identity as an Air Nomad. He was forced to accept the disfigurement of the Northern Air Temple, was separated from Appa, burned his glider, hid his tattoos. And finally, he's faced with giving up his regard for the sanctity of life. If he abandons this core value of his people by killing the firelord, the airbenders truly will no longer exist in the world. Aang using the spiritual strength he has honed throughout the series in order to both follow his people's teachings and save the world defeats Ozai not just physically, but spiritually as well. Ozai's worldview of might makes right has been overturned by Aang's practice of peace. Aang using energybending strengthens the narrative, not weakens it.

[@Drekromancer]

This is the best summary I've ever read. That dynamic of cultural surrender really hits home with that added context, and I have so much more appreciation for this entire series as a result. All I can say is thank you. 👑

[@blackjackal8770]

i wanna tattoo your comment to my body

[@StonetheDestroyer42]

I agree. And the weight and importance of this conflict is established in episodes like The Southern Raiders leading up to it. Aang trying to talk Katara into forgiveness is an essential character moment for him. He regards her as his family now, and wants to invite her into his culture. To me, it shows he's struggling with the opposition between the responsibility of being the Avatar and the responsibility of being the last of his people and culture. He spends most of the rest of the series, in fact, in this conflict. And he ultimately uses one tool he's developed over the course of the series--his connection to the Spirit World--to discover the new skill he needs to end the fight with Ozai without killing him. And I would also like to make clear that he didn't end the fight non-violently. Taking away bending is an act of violence. But it's an act of violence which carries with it a chance and invitation to redemption, if Ozai proved willing to take it, and that's what allowed Aang to preserve his culture.

[@dominickstewart433]

I think the reactivation of the avatar state was the deus ex machina and the energybending could have been introduced better

[@kaderushing9422]

VERY well said 👏

[@NIKSEEN]

I also love that you can actually see the full potential destructive power of airbending. Aang over the course of ATLA almost never uses his airbending agressively, mostly just to avoid getting hit himself or pushing over opponents. Seeing a strong and concentrated gust of wind decimate a stone pillar was one of the highlights for me watching this scene for the first time.

[@youngmaster7405]

yeah or like how korra completly tears solid rock with air slices

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

Yeah just imagine being hit with a wind gust going a couple hundred miles per hour, strong enough to break mountains, and certainly strong enough to crush a human body. The fire nation is lucky air nomads are the most peaceful of the four nations.

[@frosttheicelord1497]

@@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820 And that's not a case. Airbending is the most dangerous bending if used aggressively, a tremendous power that must be severely controlled to not hurt anyone. That's why the nomads are a full peaceful culture, to avoid someone use airbending to do what Oozai did

[@islandboy9381]

I know this goes against the show's philosophy but just imagine how bending would look if it had the type of gory consequences to people's bodies getting hit by them like in Invincible with super powers lol

[@infamouse9263]

Tbf this is airbending being used by an avatar in the avatar state I doubt any Normal airbender can ever be on this level just like with all the other bending he was doing at the time

[@JoseRS1186]

18:38 Gotta disagree with that. That isn't a coincidental tap on the back. Eastern mysticism doesn't even acknowledge the concept of coincidence. The avatar state is entirely the creation of Ozai. It was his daughter acting on his wishes that almost killed Aang and gave him that scar. What we're seeing is the direct reaction of the Firelord's unawarranted violence towards the world coming back to bite him.

[@jeffreyjohnson3687]

I had always seen that moment as a crisis for Aang. That's a wound that everybody believed would have killed him if not for the extraordinary healing he received right afterwards. Many characters believed it DID kill him. The coincidental hit was a hard reminder to Aang on a visceral level that regardless of the experience he has fighting, he is facing death. I had always seen that it was a symbolic hit that conveyed to the audience that Aang feels as though he is about to die BECAUSE he is holding himself back, and that panic over corrects him to give into his rage and begin the sequence where Ozai is fighting to survive.

[@billlyons7024]

I think the point is that it was not a conscious choice for Ang to enter the Avatar state. It's almost like he fell out of the driver's seat and someone else jumped in. It robs Ang of a little of his agency in the scene.

[@DigiTism]

Bill Lyons it does rob him of his agency but it’s also the deus ex machina, so it’s somewhat gets a “pass”.

[@Moony1568]

Chris's C That’s not what a deus ex machina is. A deus ex machina is a thing that was never mentioned in the story at all that resolves the plot at the very end. The avatar state is a massive obstacle for Aang throughout the show. You can make the argument that the Lion-Turtle and energy bending are (even though the Lion-turtle was briefly mentioned in season 2).

[@Moony1568]

Bill Lyons The Avatar State always robbed Aang of his agency. It’s a huge obstacle for him throughout the show. He never had control until the very end. He would only enter it when he was under extreme stress or mortal danger. He was trying to conquer the state and gain control over it until Azula nearly killed him. That scar on his back hindered him from going into the state willingly and unwillingly. Ozai coincidentally bring it back is not only poetic irony on his part but it finally allowed Aang to conquer it

[@Nemo12417]

A minor note on the Lion Turtle: you don't really think it was a coincidence that Aang woke up on one, do you? Despite being in the physical world, his scent was so thoroughly erased that June's tracker animal thing was convinced he didn't exist. That Lion Turtle came for Aang specifically, and didn't want anyone else to interrupt. Now, I do think they could have foreshadowed the Lion Turtles better. The opening sequence of the show (although his airbending skills are good, he has a long way to go before he's ready to save anyone) has Aang riding an air scooter face first into a statue of a Lion Turtle, he is impressed by a portrait of one in the Spirit Library, and a few mansions have Lion Turtle door knockers, but you have to pay very close attention to notice that, and even then you'd have no way to know what it means.

[@im_tiffany]

Thank you! Finally some one who sees it like I do. I personally don't have a problem with the idea of the lion turtle and energy bending, but you have to establish things like this first before you just throw it in to something like the finale. Again I really do like the concepts just a bit of foreshadowing could have turned an already amazing show and finale fight, into something astounding.

[@vianneyb.8776]

@@im_tiffany Another comment had proposed that this scene could have worked better if the lion turtle had found Aang because he meditated a lot, looking for an answer. Then, it would have manifested to him, and Aang could have joined it of his own will, instead of being hypnotized and waking up on it.

[@krissmith9814]

@@im_tiffany I think the lion turtle is just a bad idea all around and a way to have the cake and eat it too. It spits in the face of what Avatar Cheng said. "Sometimes an avatar must forsake spiritual peace to do what's best for the world." Paraphrasing of course. This is the exaxt same as man.of steel and superman. Aang can let the fire lord live knowing no prison can hold a fire bender that strong or he can sacrifice his inner peace as an air nomad and kill him. Either choice is good narratively. I think it would be better to kill him just like superman killed zod. But being able to not kill him while also not having the consequences of him with bending is a cop out.

[@Justmyhandle]

@@krissmith9814 I don't necessarily disagree with this, but we both know Nickelodeon's executives would've been apprehensive about a children's show ending with the protagonist killing someone (regardless of how justified it was or how horrible the villain is). I'm sure parents would've had something to say too. Unfortunately, times have changed (too extremely imo) since the older days of Disney when killing antagonists onscreen was more common. These days, many children's animated films & shows are more sensitive about that. Ex- *Tangled* shows Gothel stabbing Eugene, which kills him until Rapunzel brings him back, but we barely see any blood and no onscreen wound. Gothel's death is also as tame as possible, as she simply turns to dust. Ursula's death in *The Little Mermaid* was more graphic. And it was rated G. That right there tells you the difference between 1989 vs. 2008. Even given that *TLA* from the very beginning tackled more mature subject matter than what was standard for its time, at the end of the day, its intended demographic was still 6-11 year olds. When characters died, it was usually only ever stated, implied or off-screen. *TLoK,* despite being marketed as "more adult", never fully crossed this boundary either. I wish adults gave children more credit and didn't sugarcoat these themes so much, but that's the current norm.

[@CATboss001]

I don't think this justifies the ending at all. The opening and all the hints given to the audience is not the same as implementing it in the story (to you know... the characters). Avatar isn't Scooby Doo and it was not our task to connect the small, ant-like dots, it was about Aang's conflict that wasn't solved by his abillities in the end. The problem stays and should've been handled better than it was.

[@ethanmagdaleno5332]

"Firelord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price!" The delivery of that line with all the Avatars speaking through Aang was so badass

[@bensingleton9146]

My favorite line in the entire show, and one of the most badass lines ever delivered in any media

[@issnake1109]

And then following, when Aang himself says “no”, that he wont end it like that, his voice almost sounds weak without the power of the avatar state running through him. But we can understand through hearing the resolve in his voice and following his journey through the entire show, that just because Aang does not plan to kill Ozai, does not mean he intends to let him win. We know just from knowing Aang that this is not where he will let it end. But Ozai does not know this. Ozai thinks he’s won, that Aang is too weak to defeat him in the only way he can think of. Ozai thinks that, whatever other plan Aang has, it is not absolute and that he will be able to overcome it and rule again. He knows how powerful he is, and he is so confident in himself that he truly believes nothing but death could stop him. But Aang proves him wrong. I feel like there’s something special and important in the way Aang’s voice changes, in more ways than just him overcoming the act of killing Ozai. I just cant quite place my finger on it

[@rickyronny4019]

@@bensingleton9146agreed

[@HueManatee]

18:49 Aang was basically running away the entire fight, defending himself, and finally being called a "little boy". When Aang emerges from the rocks, he immediately takes control instead of Ozai, like you said, but also shifts to a seemingly murderous intent, whereas Ozai begins running. Aang is actually physically above Ozai in the scene to represent this. Right after he swats Ozai's fire away he also directly attacks Ozai with airbending. Airbending has traditionally only been used peacefully, using weak attacks and mainly using it to maneuver and dodge. Aang instead hurting Ozai hard with an airbending attack is almost frightening.

[@danthiel8623]

So basically if he was a dark avatar the world would be ended

[@marlocerberus2767]

Also that shot of the rock pillar being turned to dust by only Airbending cements it as a dangerous element, what a moment

[@HueManatee]

@@marlocerberus2767 absolutely!

[@scribblerstudios9895]

Quite a bit late but, yeah. You can see it in Ozai's face when he impacted the rock spire after that first blast from Avatar State Aang. He did *not* expect it.

[@wafflingmean4477]

One of the best parts about Aang overwhelming the Avatar State is that this is the moment when he truly becomes a fully realised Avatar. Once Ozai overwhelmed Aang after Aang gave up his kill shot despite all the previous avatars saying Aang had to kill him, they took over his body almost as if to say "Fuck it. If you won't do it, we will." We've seen the sheer destruction of the Avatar State many times throughout the series when Aang can't control it. We know the sheer level of power he is now fighting against, and it's something that makes Ozai as dangerous as a firecracker. That's why being stronger than them shows that he has become more than the Avatar. He is Aang.

[@raywolfe1321]

"Alright you tried, you almost died. now we will finish what you started"

[@corruptangel6793]

"No, I won't end it like this." Aang wasn't talking to the Fire Lord...

[@PresentHeroes]

So true. That's when he truly became a full fledged avatar, he stood firm before all the previous great avatars of the world and said, "No, I respect all of you greatly but this era belongs to me. Let me make my own decisions."

[@austinjohnsen4430]

Aang’s true fight wasn’t against Ozai. It was against the world that he was trying to save.

[@knightnigjt7703]

I mean Aang mastered the AS at the end of season one but sadly azula blocked the seventh chakra but reopened it and had the most powerful AS in 3 months which is insane

[@TheSinisterkelly]

If this was Naruto, there would of been flashbacks every 5 minutes

[@alexheller5602]

it would of been whole book dedicated to the flashbacks

[@TheSinisterkelly]

@@alexheller5602 constant talking about Aang's avatar way and not going back on his word

[@ThomasNoname]

Yeah, Avatar had a perfect blend of Japanese and Western storytelling. It wasn't generic shoune "get stronger and pummel everyone" But it wasn't just Superman powers all the way either. It's one of the reasons I love ATLA, it's so nice to see the elements blend so well. And I haven't seen it seen done to such a masterful degree since.

[@testedalexthegreat1759]

5 minute flashbacks every minute*

[@moonlight_oats]

That screen gets more airtime than so many characters

[@drfreshey]

25:30 I have to disagree. Aang learning energy bending was absolutely a result of his choices. Throughout the entire show, Aang has been defined by his rejection of the destiny the universe chose for him, choosing to create his own. Now, right at the end he was being presented with a destiny to kill the Fire Lord, and it looked like there was no way out of it... And yet, he continued. Aang looked for any alternative solution he could find, even choosing to reject the advice of all of his own past lives. The Lion Turtle sought out Aang because Aang was seeking him. Aang asks the lion turtle for help, because even when every other possible resource has been used up, Aang holds out hope that maybe this one last thing will be able to give him the solution he needs. Aang earned his ability to energybend by refusing to give up his conviction when literally the entire rest of the universe was refusing his request. Imo that's really the true climax of his character arc. He went from a young boy trying to escape destiny, to a fully fledged avatar standing boldly against it and refusing to waver.

[@youngmaster7405]

the turtle didn't seek out aang. if it did it would've been said.

[@masodemic4509]

And this knowledge of energybending did not provide Aang with an immediate decision either. Remember that in a split second he contemplated redirecting the lightning towards Ozai. Because firstly, this is a high stake, extremely dynamic battle, even a moment of hesitation can mean death. Some might be determined to not kill but resort to killing as a backup plan, that is only logical in such a situation. But Aang could not even consider that as his backup plan. It is specifically for that reason that Aang manages to energybend, because as the lion turtle says, if you soul not be pure and conviction unmovable, you will be corrupted and destroyed. So what saved Aang and the world at the end of the day is ABSOLUTELY his choice and the result of HIS character.

[@SelvenXXUP]

@@youngmaster7405 It's an expresion. The only reason Aang eventually found the turtle was because of his refusal of what the whole world was telling him was right. Kill Ozai. He's not deserving of your mercy. Well, that's not the point! Rarely is the spared worthy of the mercy, giving mercy is all about who gives it! So he refuses to give up this precious ideal to him, and does something that was uncharacteristically of him in the first seasons. He plants his feet and refuse to give in. He leaves, in a desperate attempt to find something, anything, that will allow him to stop Ozai in the upcoming battle. He searches deep inside himself, and rejects the doubts the other Avatars try to seed in him. And through that determination, he eventually finds the turtle. He eventually finds another destiny, another fate.

[@happilyevernever4289]

It's still Deus ex machina which is weak writingwise.

[@lioheart55]

​​@@happilyevernever4289 It may seem like it at first but as others have already said the power he's gained comes from his unbreakable resolve to his nature which we've seen throughout the show. The ability may come out of nowhere but the strength needed to actually use it was built from the beginning. Aang's duty as the avatar is something he's always struggled with whether it's about the responsibilities or the sacrifices he has to make. As he continued on his journey he grew to accept his role but also stay true to his upbringing. Ozai was the ultimate test he had to overcome and during the final days he struggled to find a way beat it not as the avatar but as an air nomad. The Lion Turtle gifted him the power to resolve things the way he wanted but to even gain it he had to truly want to settle it this way. Sure any person could say they don't want to kill but I doubt a lot of people would hesitate to kill someone like Ozai if they had to. Especially Aang who's seen the things the fire nation has done as a result of his mistakes, he can't run away anymore. During the final fight he's the most offensive we've ever seen yet he's still holding back. He had many opportunities to kill Ozai if he really wanted to but he doesn't. Even when faced with the most evil and destructive person Aang still can't bring himself to end their life because it goes against his principles. I think this just proves why he was given this ability.

[@otalek9250]

Admittedly this is my own interpretation, but I’ve always seen Aang’s lucky-chakra-point-release-on-a-convenient-rock as a contrast to Ozai’s claim that the universe had delivered Aang to him in an act of “providence”.

[@piperlee4213]

I just want to clarify that Aang didn’t just happen to wake up on a lion turtle. The past episodes beforehand showed aang’s inner turmoil with the idea of taking the fire lord’s life. I believe that the lion turtle, the holders of bending, heard aang’s spiritual call for help and came to him. As we could see, Aang’s spiritual side responded to the presence of the lion turtle and met him in the ocean. The lion turtles only show up in a desperate time of need; therefore it was premeditated. I don’t think you can call the climax a coincidental win, because in the world of avatar, the spiritual side is just as important as the physical side

[@laststrike4411]

Soo....headcanon. All that just sounds like the writers realized that they'd written themselves into a corner and needed to come up with something to justify keeping Ozai alive. The fact that this happens literally at the eleventh hour supports the idea.

[@DeathnoteBB]

Strike Phoenix Oooorrr the entire fucking show has built that concept since day 1 and sometimes writers know wtf they’re doing. Like the spirit world wasn’t a damn after thought. Nor has people internal conflicts having physical repercussions. (See: Zuko’s “angst coma”) Idk why this is so hard for everyone. There has been set-up, and we are seeing the pay-off. Just because y’all forgot the set-up because you haven’t seen the show in a decade doesn’t mean it stopped existing.

[@androkguz]

@@DeathnoteBB there was no setup. A setup would be to have a story of a lion turtle doing this or a couple cases of spirits answering the call of those in turmoil.

[@danjo2080]

Lion turtles come up in the episode 'The Library', and there are other examples of them being subtly placed throughout the series. Idk the overall execution could have used some polish, it might have been more meaningful for Aang to seek one out. But they were totally foreshadowed. The series was planned and written before airing.

[@androkguz]

@@danjo2080 that's the thing... If the surprise was "big weird ancient animals exist" then the lion turtles would have been somewhat foreshadowed. But the surprise was that "big ancient weird intelligent animals exist and they can give the avatar the power he needs in the final moment to solve his unsolvable problem of not killing"

[@Flameclaw123]

One more quick note about Aang's initial attack taking down the Firelord's ship: Where Ozai's attack is all brute force, Aang's is targeted. He doesn't try to blast Ozai with fire to get him to stop blasting fire; he attacks his ship with precise rock throws and concentrated fire. This is as much a reflection of who Aang is as Ozai's opening move is representative of Ozai's character. Aang doesn't want to damage more than what is necessary, doesn't want to kill Ozai, and uses his mind to come up with alternative solutions that emphasize surprise and quick thinking rather than brute force. You can tell who each of these characters are before either open their mouths, even if you've never seen the show before. This also foreshadows the final resolution of the conflict, where Aang doesn't kill Ozai but instead takes his bending, finding another solution that doesn't involve him just brute forcing his way to victory.

[@carso1500]

He pretty much blasted his ship with fire afterwards thou

[@immanuela209]

carso1500 Yeah but he was more coordinated and focused with on the weak points in the warship’s engine. It was specifically to stop Ozai’s in his path. Whereas Ozai was just using his attack to burn down trees for the literal fire-y hell of it.

[@ianchen9100]

It also shows a contrast with later in the fight after he ascends into the avatar state. He pretty much used pure brute force, blasting through every rock pillar that stood in his way.

[@lmcdoug23]

Not to mention that earth and fire were his two most recently learned elements. It shows from the outset that aang is fully prepared for the fight he is about to get into.

[@Cryomancer27]

Flameclaw123 it also shows a lot about Aangs emotional state, which is imo the biggest thing he missed. That fire blast from Ozai (with aang literally framed in it by that shot) reminds us of the stakes and his power and so on, but aangs attack shows that he’s calm and prepared, not desperate or angry, but that he’s ready for this fight.

[@canolathra6865]

Ozai's opening line in this scene is the moment that I realized he was voiced by Mark Hamill. It doesn't come through quite as much in his previous lines, but the way he says "act of Providence" makes it really obvious.

[@156bowler]

My favorite part is the name of the episode; Avatar Aang. It’s not “the avatar” because the “avatars’” goal was to bring balance no matter the cost. It was Avatar Aang and only Aang who sought not to shed blood, making the other avatars just as willing to kill as ozai stands Aang out as the truly best avatar

[@jennifer-cm6bo]

YUP HES THE BEST AVATAR. POINT BLANK.

[@anthonyvaldes118]

In a way Aang did try to seek out the lion turtle, but not specifically. He ran away to search for another way to defeat Ozai without killing him, and his search lead him to the turtle. So it wasn't explicitly a search for the lion turtle, but a search for an answer which he ultimately received by learning energy bending from it

[@SoftSpott]

Came here to say this

[@mmmcookies2]

Seriously, it's like no one watched the show. The problem with trying to analyze this scene by quoting a book or 'thinking like an editor' is that you miss the greater themes of the journey Aang took. I see so many people trying to analyse through rules they've read and miss more subtle and thematic approaches to writing. Aang learned to energy bend because he took the time to consider alternatives to killing, they did a whole episode on that! It's so obvious, but not obvious enough for some people who need it all spelled out.

[@tonydubose3812]

I still think that he should have had a eureka moment about energy bending while discussing bending with Uncle Iroh. It may have been that little bit to put Iroh over the top and into storytelling crutch territory, but it seems like it would have been more natural. Don't get me wrong, I do like the lion turtles in this story, but it didn't feel implemented quite right.

[@DeathnoteBB]

Antony DuBose Would Iroh even know about that though? If he did, why would he? Aang has gone to spirits before, either to help them or get help from them. Spirits/otherworldly creatures independent from human conflict _have_ been set up!

[@paroxysm_brian7817]

@@mmmcookies2 Alternatives which only arise when Zuko asks him the question of what he will do 4 episodes before the final episode. This would've been more elaborate and justified if throughout each book he learned a lesson of differents way he could approach the conflict. - Water; the tranquil and serene element, but can also be harsh and consuming = Aang could defeat Ozai by talking with him and reaching an understanding, a compromise of sorts. - Earth; the optimistic and protective, but a resourceful and enduring element = Aang could defeat Ozai by standing his ground and not engaging with Ozai once, and wait for an eventual mistake that brings downfall upon himself. - Fire; the aggressive and tumultuous, but passionate and expressive element = Aang could defeat Ozai by fighting him with everything he's got, critically injure him or mentally scar him, or scar him like he did Zuko. He already has his airbending teachings so that wouldn't be necessary to dedicate time and would work as a juxtaposed argument to the teachings of the element he's learning.

[@jamesrobillardjr]

But my favorite fight is Zuko vs Azula.

[@AndreNitroX]

That Agni Kai is still completely in my head!

[@JayAreAitch]

Even as a child I knew that Zuko vs Azula was more emotionally impactful and better written.

[@15jewjew]

Zuko is the real protagonist and he and Azula is way better final fight.

[@kossettereaditte7552]

Same

[@wickedpie77]

@@15jewjew zuko v azula is for sure more emotionally interesting, I think this one is more interesting in the choreography/creativity department :-)

[@chickenmonger123]

An interesting note on the metaphysics of this scene. Aang probably has just as much juice from the comet as Ozai. Plus he has Air. Air and Fire are complementary from a mechanical standpoint. Aang could have done far more destructively than Ozai ever could’ve. Fed the flames with oxygen to get white hot fire. But he can’t and won’t use his power like that. Ozai thought that his power could rival the avatars, but it’s only Aangs resolve that saved him.

[@NameMiWhatever]

Why had I never thought about this, this makes it so much more spectacular!

[@cheetah219]

I know 1 year late, but imagine if we saw white fire from avatar aang. That's the one thing I wish the creators did...was show zuko or aang with a new flame color after their dragon dance

[@Phoenix-King-ozai]

I don't think he's even remotely skilled to do anything close to that Ozai's 🔥 bending rivaled that of the Avatar state in power, scope and mastery Aang while a natural is no match in fire bending

[@issnake1109]

@@Phoenix-King-ozai you also have to consider though, that Ozai was fighting to kill. Aang was fighting someone who was trying to kill him, but he was fighting with intent not to kill, which can be a lot more difficult. I think if Aang wanted to snub Ozai off the face of the earth, he could have done so with only moderate difficulty. But his moral reservations were holding him back, so we didn’t get to see what a true battle with full power between the two would have resulted in (excluding the avatar state, that is)

[@edenrom2349]

I like how in the begining they say Aang: "you have the power to stop this" Ozai: "thats right, I have the power. I have all the power in the world" and after Aang refuses to kill him he says "even with all the power in the world, you are still weak" showing that Ozai learnt to recognize the Avatar's powers as greater than his but he still has his fantasy of being the most powerful man alive.

[@TheTdroid]

I think of it slightly differently: Ozai believes in power and having the will to use it. Even the strongest can be brought low if they won't use their power to their full extent and so they are 'weak'. Strength is determined by the last man standing.

[@phoenixking9457]

Its more about Aang not using the power ...Ozai may be a villain but he's not the delusional type,he knows when he's beat

[@wanderlustwarrior]

I'm actually seeing stuff I've never noticed before. For example: 1. When Ozai clapped his hands when thanking the universe for providing the Avatar to him on a metaphorical silver platter, that clap was actually a brief, genuine, "give thanks for the meal" gesture in some Eastern cultures, akin to (and IIRC inspired by) the prayer gesture in Christian cultures. And as opposed to other Large Ham hand gestures that other loud bully world leaders do, or that Ozai had done in other parts of the scene, that seems to have been an intentional decision, noted by the fact that that small gesture had a disproportionately loud sound effect. 2. When Aang stopped the Avatar State from dealing the killing blow, he didn't stop it all at once. He only stopped the arm that was dealing the killing blow, after which the State shut itself off. This suggests that Aang was fighting an internal struggle against the Avatar State that we only saw the end of, where the Avatar State eventually relented after he mustered up enough power to stop that one attack that was moments from going through (slightly downplayed by the comedy of the water and pebbles landing on Ozai's face. 3. When Ozai first shoots fire during the comet, even *he* seems surprised by how much and how powerful it is. But by the moment in which he produces that concentrated stream to blast the cornered Aang, he's gotten such a complete handle on his newfound power, from internal learning over the course of the fight, that he's able to turn it from (yellow) wild lightning, instantly to a compressed, far more powerful concussive stream. We've already seen at several points in this fight and in the series that compressed elements tend to carry more power behind them, here he did both compression and a phase change, of what was possibly going to be the most powerful stream of fire seen in the series so far.

[@vallmasker]

Other thing to note is that Ozai is wearing a Agni'kai suit. Aang trying to stop him was a disrespectful act and Ozai, confident of his firebending, "challanges" him to a Agni'kai and want to humiliate Aang.

[@HungerGames0012]

I was reading the 2nd one and I thought what really?? And you were right and I was amazed you noticed that little detail

[@sekharapramod7819]

The gesture you mentioned in the first point wasn't inspired by the Christian prayer culture, but is the traditional Indian prayer gesture that spread throughout East Asia through Buddhism, and the Christian one might even possibly be inspired by it. The gesture is called the anjali-mudra, but more commonly known as the 'namaste' pose. Both the Indian and the Western gestures might even be the relics of the old Indo-European religion.

[@wanderlustwarrior]

@@sekharapramod7819 thank you for the clarification!

[@kaylen4930]

Building onto the second one, I think every recent avatar was fighting. The voice switches between prominently male and female, and the bending styles switch’s

[@Jacob3986]

I never realized that he was compressing water ever.

[@marcihamar7464]

Bro he is crompressing solid rocks

[@Satherian]

He did the same with the fire and earth (and air, probably). The massive lines of fire compressing into a small ring and massive rock turning into small balls.

[@jugemujugemugokonosurikire4735]

Yeah that is impossible to compress water.... until aang did it. Fun fact: if you compress water hard enough, they turn to ice. Not cold ice. Compressed water so compressed it takes its "ice" form.

[@gljames24]

@@jugemujugemugokonosurikire4735 That's probably why they can ice bend.

[@Tethloach1]

I always wondered what would happen if you try to compress water, lets say you had the force of the big bang and tried to compress water from every direction. or trying to compress water using very strong materials powered by a lot of force. well technically you would be able to compress water but the forces required would have to be insane enough to change the atomic structure or something. probably enough force to create a universe or something would be needed to compress water.

[@matt8258]

I just noticed that at the beginning of the fight, Aang uses the elements in the opposite order that he learned them: fire, earth, water, then air. I don’t know what that represents thematically, but I thought it was neat.

[@pinkdaruma8942]

maybe it shows he's having a hard time? like he gradually changes to the tools he knows the best when the time of need came.

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

I think he used fire and earth for practical reasons. Fire because he recently learned it so it’s fresh in his mind, and because the comet is already here, so he might as well use its power like Ozai is doing. Earth because the entire terrain is earth, so it was easily within reach. Then, like @Pink Daruma said, I think he switched to water and air because these are the elements he feels most comfortable with.

[@KomodoDojo]

I disagree: Lion Turtle & Energy Bending were set up. In the episode The Guru, Aang first learns about energy bending by opening and closing his Chakras. Aang says the energy within his body are swirling pools of energy just like the stream, but things get in the way and stop the flow. Aang then opens his chakra therefore bending the energy within himself. In the Episode The Siege of the North, Aang masters his ability to communicate with Spirits and becomes a vessel for The Moon. The Avatar has a connection with spirits. Thus when meditating on land to find a solution to his problem, he called out and the Lion Turtle (a Spirit) arrived. On top of the Lion Turtle Aang believed the answer he needed from a previous Avatar, but unlike Aang no Avatar before him had solved balancing the world without murder. Aang realizes after speaking with his past lives that he must kill Ozai. And this moment is why the final is perfect. The real Deus Ex Machina is if instead Aang asked Roku or any Avatar to solve his problem and they gave him the answer. Just like when Roku had Aang ask Koh The Face Stealer for help finding the Ocean and Moon, Aang must use his connection with the Spirit World to bring balance to the material world. What makes this ending Spectacular is Aang used the 4 elements to defeat Ozai in the external conflict but used The Avatar Spirit to win the internal conflict. The first Avatar to do so, and this is what makes Aang the ultimate hero in this world. Aang created balance by not continuing the violence. Aang achieved peace and that is what his goal always was. When Aang speaks with the avatar there is a common theme that in action, allowing something to happen leads to unbalance. Roku ignored the problem, Kyoshi killed the problem, Kuruk was inactive, and Yangchen is wrong when she says the Avatar must sacrifice his spiritual needs. Aang proved to better than all of the previous Avatar he found a way to use his Spirit, an unbendable force as the Lion Turtle puts it, as a way to defeat darkness with purifying light. The Lion Turtle then places Aang exactly where he needs to be to fight Ozai. Ozai says the universe has delivered Aang as an act of Providence, and that statement is true. The Lion Turtle are basically the most God-Like Spirit (shown in all their subtle representation throughout the series) and it as the Universe delivered Ozai his demise. The Avatar is more than the 4 Elements his Spirit, his redemption through reincarnation is what arcs the Character. Aang's story tells the concluding chapter of all his previous lives by finally achieving full spiritual enlightenment.

[@taylonyilly]

You said it best. When Aang saw the picture of the Lion Turtle at the library, he was drawn to it because his past lives (most notably Wan) were drawn to it. And especially about the part when he was meditating and the Lion Turtle delivered itself to him and brought him to the scene of the fight, it makes sense. Writers did their job brilliantly and Aang did not get bailed out.

[@KomodoDojo]

@@taylonyilly Thanks! I put a lot of thought in my analysis.

[@davidtakyi14]

This is incredibly deep I think this is the best analysis on the ending I've read

[@mayquest8708]

To say what a lot of others have said, when I first saw Aang enter the avatar state in this battle I couldn't help but see it as Ozai sealing his own fate. Through his violence and the trauma, the avatar state was activated as it's basic defense mechanism. And Aang finally overcomes and takes control of it, something he's been trying to handle for basically the whole series. To me is was instant karma on Ozai's part. The turtle lion tho, that could have been a little more of a conscience journey.

[@jonathanacosta36]

I 100% agree. The lion turtle appearing out of nowhere felt like Aang was gifted the answer to one of the hardest decisions anyone could make. Had Aang spoken to the last 4 avatars BEFORE meeting the lion turtle, and Yangchen still given that EYE OPENING answer she gave, it would have made a much bigger impact on the finale for Aang to have gone against her wishes, and still seek out a different solution, despite it seeming like hers was the ONLY solution. I would have much preferred Aang found the lion turtle on his own. It would have made his character development come full circle.

[@swamidude2214]

But the night the lion turtle appeared Aang was meditating for an answer. Lion turtles are the oldest creatures and seem to have a connection to the material world and the spiritworld. Just as the avatar. So I always guessed Aang meditating on the problem summoned the lion turtle. I guess they did take themself more seriously at this point. In book one Aang had episodes into the spiritworld. Now I can use that to fill the gaps, but I think an idea would have been to actually let him enter the spiritworld and have him find some spirit that simply would state that they had send someone to help him figure it out. Maybe even show that when his body is walking towards the water he is still in the spiritworld and thus not in control. I mean it perfectly fits the lore and would feel way less as an easy fix. I almost feel that it would be to comedic at this point to at that in. They would just need him to find a spirit older then the avatar or whatever that sended the lion turtle. Aang talking and getting advice from previous avatars would then have to be pulled forward. Or simply have Aang go to the spiritworld, not find an answer and later a simple line were the lion turtle mentioned a spirit send him or whatever because he was asking arround earlier. Or whatever. To much gaps I have to fill here, but I guess I can fill them pretty well with the canon provided especially in book 1 to make it a plausible idea that the lion turtle did appear through a higher power. The universe or spiritworld or whatever. Now the pointy rock is way more a very very happy coincedent and I have more issues with that...

[@matthewochrym7923]

I rewatch ATLA like every year and the more I watch it the more I think the lion turtle giving Aang energy bending is a huge misconception. I believe that the Lion Turtle energy bended Aang's chakras back together, undoing the twisting of aang’s energy caused by Azula’s lighting. Aang didn't need to be giving energy bending because he already knew energy bending before the lion turtle even came into the picture. The lion turtle just unblocked his chakras so aang could go into the avatar state when his life was in danger. Now how do I know; 1) Aang energy bended in the swamp episode. He energy bended the tree to find appa. 2) Aang learned more energy bending and how to bend the energy within from the guru. The guru was an energy bender and that whole episode is about aang energy bending his chakras open, energy bending within. 3) we know the guru is an energy bender because in appas lost days. He energy bended appa to find out what happened to him. He used energy bended to stop appas nightmares, and he used energy bending to find aang because their energy is so interconnect. 4) The lion turtle stated that before the elements, people bent the energy within. That means everyone or at least just benders can bend energy. Meaning the avatar has that power and wouldn’t need a lion turtle to give it to him. 5) The lion turtle touched Aangs cosmic chakra and his chakra where azula hit him. The lion turtle energy bended aangs chakras to undo the twisting azulas lighting caused. This showed and gave aang the idea of energy bending the fire lord. Up to that point aang really only energy bended on himself. The lion turtle showed Aang that he could use energy bending to bend the energy other people as well. Now how did Aang know that he could take away the Firelords bending. Well the way I have understood it is azula twisted his energy and chakras with her lighting causing him to lose the avatar state. The lion turtle then told aang and showed him that with energy bending the lion turtle could fix his avatar state by bending his energy and chakras back to normal. The lion turtle also said that before elemental bending people bent the energy within. I always took that as energy bending is the base of all bending. So Aang did the inverse of what the lion turtle did to him. Instead of fixing and realigning the fire lords energy he twisted it and warped it so he couldn't tap into the energy that allowed him to fire bend. Instead of taking it away he basically stopped the flow of the fire lords energy by twisting and blocking his chakras much like azulas lighting stopped his avatar state. If you remember the guru episode where aang needed to unblock and let the pools (chakras) flow clear (energy), Aang basically covered up the fire lords pools entirely and stop the flow 100%. Thus causing the fire lord to not being able to fire bend. Because the energy has been blocked by aang bending his energy and stopping the flow. There is more evidence but yeah aang already knew how to energy bend. The lion turtle just fixed his chakras by energy bending him and giving aang the idea that just like bending the tree's energy to find appas in the swamp, aang could bend and twist the fire lords energy to stop him from bending ever again

[@ghillysuit9330]

But when ever he went to see the guru waant the whole point so that he could activate the avatar state on choice? I might be confused but doesn't that mean he meant to activate it there

[@matthewochrym7923]

@@ghillysuit9330 he could only activate it by choice if he finished the training with the guru.

[@Curelax]

24:45 you skipped past the Seismic sense part. This was to show the important of Toph. Only she could have taught him earthbending as shown by him using her otherwise unique skill as a key component in his final battle. Skip past the spirit bending/lion turtle bit but you could have talked about of aang waiting and listening here.

[@TheGreatBackUpVIDEOS]

There's a lot of details I wish he touched on in the fight honestly. You can point to several parts he just skipped.

[@DeathnoteBB]

TheGreatBackUp I mean he said himself it wouldn’t be the whole fight

[@zaxtonhong3958]

Not to mention the whole energy bending shows Aang's growth as the avatar: the ability to utilize the techniques of all the elements at once. Bitter Work establishes it's difficult for Aang to understand earthbending: the idea that he must be grounded and "just deeeewww it". Yet, what is the whole premise of the energy bending scene? "To bend another's energy, you yourself must be unbendable". He has to utilize the method of his opposing element in order to complete his goal.

[@Animefan1803]

i don´t really see the Avatar-State activation as a weak writing point. The entire fight in general is basically the human Ozai against the embodiment of nature and peace. The one being that holds the balance of this world in place. The Avatar. This child is the protagonist from the viewers point of view. But narrative-wise? It is a battle between human and god. In which the god wins, not out of own will but necessity. Which is why it is fitting that Aang does not activate the State by choice. It is not his to make this choice, he´s just the body to fulfill the consequence.

[@aetherspiralknight]

Interesting take! Nice!

[@igale328]

that is such a cool way to view this ! :)

[@cryxtheace3129]

At 17:05 he is technically moving, but it’s micromovement. You can see the tension in hands as he’s straining the extensors and flexors in his forearm to create fire-which reflect the concentrated flame he creates. It’s like he’s bending tension, and it’s a really fascinating bit, but I do not believe it breaks the rules of ATLA’s magic system.

[@Theroha]

Don't forget the big swing of his arm back to get it into position. And Ozai summoned great balls of fire with minimal movement at the beginning of the fight. No rules broken here. Just a demonstration of mastery

[@aetherspiralknight]

I agree with your point, and I also agree with Savage (wait no let me explain) Even if Savage is wrong about the rules breaking, he's right that Ozai's tiny comet is a flex the likes of which you only see from hardcore Devil May Cry players and Olympic medalists. ... oh my god I just figured out what the actual source substance of firebending is... 🤯

[@erc5445]

I agree, it did not break the rules of the established rules of bending, considering we also see Azula do this at the wall during the drill episode.

[@dvol]

It also does something narratively: It demonstrates that physically restraining Ozai probably isn't a way out of this, like it was with Azula.

[@yeahmhmmrightokaymhmmyeahsure]

You forgot one major point imo, remember when Ozai said “Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak” I feel like that was a reflection of how Ozai felt about himself. He had all the power from the comet and had the upper hand, then he was reduced to running away from a 12 year old kid. I feel that moment said a lot about his character

[@meowcow21]

I don't think so. Aang is the Avatar. Everyone knows that. He's the strongest being in the world. Ozai only felt confident because he believed Aang was inexperienced. It shows more how comically evil Ozai still is. He banished Zuko for not fighting him and he's mocking the most powerfully being in the world because Aang chose not to kill him.

[@youngmaster7405]

nope, he was commenting on aang's inability to kill him even though it's what he needs to do.

[@RatMansVlog]

I think you're right, and it's interesting that earlier he says "I have all the power in the world!!" Before doing a lion turtle roar. He admits here that his mind changed, he doesn't, Aang does, but is condescending because Aang won't use the power to kill even him, when Ozai would commit mass murder against the earth kingdom to accomplish his goal.

[@yeahmhmmrightokaymhmmyeahsure]

@@RatMansVlog very well said

[@justsomeguyanimations]

I feel like even that little bit of rock in Aang's back wasn't the necessary to unlock the avatar state and the general collision with the wall would've been enough. However it was the better choice because it gave more clarity as to why as well as being more visually pleasing, which you know was a major factor in this gorgeous fight.

[@LieutenantAlaki]

I think the issue is that the Avatar State was unlocked by accident, and that the rock specifically hitting Aang's lightning wound is basically just a symptom of that.

[@diamondrhino64]

I was scared it was going to kill him when i saw it first, it acted almost as a mini plot twist and general moment of suspense

[@GHanBax]

No, I don't think Aang hitting the rock is a flaw. The rock hitting him was a reference to the guru's teaching on opening the chakra's: 1st Chakra - Earth Chakra Location - Base of spine Dealing - It deals with survival and is blocked by fear Ask yourself - What are you most afraid of? Let the fears become clear to you. To do - Surrender your fears. Let your fears flow down the creek Remember that's what the Guru taught him, so the point of him hitting the rock was not about unlocking but triggering his chakras to reopen, it was necessary, just as it was "closed" when he first unlocked all his Chakras at the end of Book 2. You can see later on that he knew how to control his avatar state when he put out the flames on the land, that's because he reopened his chakras after they were closed when Azula hit him with the lightning the same spot. Take not that after he was able to open all chakras, he had full control of the avatar state. What hindered him from opening the whole time is accessing the first chakra. The same door that closed was opened. And note that at the Guru episode, he already surrendered his fears especially from the Firelord. So there's depth to that bit, but the point then is if it's lazy writing to just let an "accident" be the reason for him accessing such power? Well, I still don't think so, it's the "soft spot" like any other narrative that would motivate the protagonist, for some memories of their family, training, etc, but in this, the soft spot was his scar that brought him back to where he left off in such state, or the scar that reminds him of his responsibility as the avatar.

[@truthfulkarl]

he got smashed into a wall earlier in the fight tho

[@virtualwarp]

@@GHanBax You explained it perfectly and I fully agree with your comment. I also believe that him learning energy bending isn't as much of a flaw as this individual is pointing it out to be. Aang struggled with killing fire-lord Ozai the moment he found out that that was the only way to resolve the conflict and bring back balance to the world. As he meditated on the beach, the night before the planned attack, the universe called out to him and brought him to the solution of his inner conflict. Once on the moving island (soon to be known as a giant lion turtle) he began calling out to his past lives, hoping to gain wisdom that may lead to a possible solution. As his past lives couldn't grand him any form of solution that would keep his peaceful ideals and morality intact, he feared that he had to compromise them in order to safe the world. Still clueless on how the island was moving, he dived to discover it wasn't an island but an ancient giant lion turtle. Aang then turned to the lion turle for guidance, as he was wise and ancient, and he revealed the teaching of an ancient form of bending: energy bending. The lion turtle then warned him that in order to bend someone else's energy, the energy flowing through himself had to be unbendable, else he would be compromised and destroyed. The meaning behind this message goes hand in hand with Aang's ideals. He had to be fully committed to his beliefs without a single doubt in order to bend the energy of fire-lord Ozai. Which he did. That isn't "overcoming a conflict because it gets handed to him." It's overcoming a conflict because he stood up for his ideals and believes. Aang overcame his obstacles and final conflict because he stayed true to himself. As an uncompromising, peaceful warrior. I will never mistake this to be a flaw, as it is perfectly placed symbolism. In my opinion, this show is flawless.

[@Jm649]

The Avatar finale is still the best finale of any show I've seen, over ten years now! They set the bar so high... Well done to that team!!

[@izaakullian9779]

While it's kind of overlooked, I think part of what made the fight so compelling was how Aang was around the same age that Zuko was when he got his scar.

[@kysdie9979]

Zuko was 14, and aang is 12

[@Anthonest1]

@@kysdie9979 Aang is 13 by this time and Zuko was 13 because he is 16 by the time the series starts not 17.

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

Aang's ultimate uncontrolled Avatar State also looks like the classic image of an atom - electrons spinning around a nucleus. This reminds us of nuclear power - the ultimate, but perhaps terribly uncontrollable, form of human power.

[@carso1500]

We can pretty much control nuclear power, but for that we have to have it respect, all modern nuclear reactors have security checks over security checks

[@luciddreams5272]

Hate to be a nerd but electrons dont just flow in orbit of a nucleus they actually move around randomly near it at different distances based on its energy level that is able to repel the strong nuclear force

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

@@carso1500 Uncontrolled as in "the first weapon able to wipe out all of humanity, which can be made by numerous nations"

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

@@luciddreams5272 I said "classic image of an atom" for a reason. the whole "atoms spinning around a nucleus" is how many people visualise it. The art decision here is to be evocative, not accurate.

[@novakastmusic]

@@luciddreams5272 He said it looks like the "classic image of an atom"... He probably knows.

[@JackCahiII]

17:00, fire bending is different from the others. It’s explained that it comes from the breathing not the muscles, so to do a powerful attack you must focus on the breath not in the movement. One example is Ozai’s first fire blast, that was shown at the start of the video, but a better one is Iroh’s Wall breaker fire attack, seen in the same episode.

[@JackCahiII]

And Aang didn’t bend without movement, you can see in the clip you’ve shown. That being said, you are right that every attack that you presented subverts our expectation by the sheer power in contrast with the apparent ease that they were made. Awesome video

[@PeanutStrawberry]

@@JackCahiII Iroh heating his tea in Ba Sing Se; Pakku unfreezing Katara; Zuko melting the ice with his hands when he is underwater... There were many instances we were shown benders bending without moving, not just firebenders. Also, he claims bending is a "soft magic system" when it is clearly a hard magic system with rules and clear explanations. Benders can't bend more than one element except the Avatar, you need to know "martial arts" to bend an element, etc. I had trouble liking this video with such misunderstanding of the source material.

[@evanbao93]

Iroh was always better than Ozai, no matter how much Ozai trained himself to be. I"m willingly a lot of the hate that Ozai uses to channel his firebending stems from his desire to one-up Iroh in every way possible.

[@misssingingotter]

@@PeanutStrawberry Thank you! That part really bugged me haha, #1 because we see firebenders casually bring fire to their hands without movement all the time, throughout the entire series. The shocking thing about that scene was the sheer power of the fire he summoned. #2 because atla is such a standard hard magic system (besides the spirit world)...and ozai using just his breath to summon fire complied completely with the rules of that hard magic system. That whole section of this video really confused me

[@rutger5000]

@@PeanutStrawberry You're being to harsh on the guy. Yeah there are certain almost passive abilities that all benders have that don't require movement. But before the fight we hadn't seen anyone actually using such feats in combat. No fire benders blasting fireballs without movement, no earth benders chucking rocks without movement, no water benders turning water into deadly icicles without movement and no air benders blowing slicing their opponents with concentrated air waves without movement. Yes obviously all benders have innate connections with their element that they can call to without movement. There are many examples of that, but none of it as a truly martial feat.

[@dragonfury7554]

23:08 “The avatar state’s murderous intent stands in aang’s way” Me an intellectual: *Kyoshi’s murderous intent stands in aang’s way”

[@LordWyatt]

I agree with every point except one: The ‘weakness’ of Aang activating his Avatar State by ‘accident’. Right before this you see Ozai pushing Aang past his breaking point. Aang was beaten, physically and mentally in that moment. He had lost everything to the War and if he lost not only just what he grew to Love but the entire world would burn. I think in that moment where Ozai broke through Aang’s last defense Aang truly realized that saving the world was more important than his personal beliefs and accepted that in order to win he *HAD* to end Ozai with the Avatar State. He unblocked his seventh chakra in that moment as the rock pierced his wound. Energy-bending is a whole other thing🤔

[@zashgekido5616]

I think energy bending works, if only because narratively speaking, its not like Aang didn't earn it

[@ianharrison5758]

@@zashgekido5616 exactly. They could have handled it way better but having Aang would be a worse way to end aangs story. The beacon of hope and innate goodness casting his most cherished belief away in the final hour would work if avatar was a darker show. It’s not, it’s been hammered home since day 1 that Aang is hope. Aang is the polar opposite to Ozais absolute evil. He more than earned the wisdom of the lion turtles, but they should have had Iroh meet one first and tell Aang about it to help set it up. Either way I would have been so disappointed if Aang had killed ozai. To be fair, no one said aang specifically had to kill him. Flip around some character positioning and have Toph pull up after Aang had ozai restrained. Here’s how it goes Aang: I won’t kill you. There’s another way. Ozai: you’re a fool, you wasted your one chance to kill me. Enter Toph Toph: IF TWINKLETOES WONT KILL THIS DOOFUS GUESS ILL DO IT Toph proceeds to drop a mountain on him as Aang stands there in pure shock. Leave the relationship dynamic change between the toph and Aang to be resolved in the comics

[@mediadunce653]

Energy-bending does somewhat make sense from a narrative perspective. He may not have sought out the Lion-Turtle or energy bending as the solution to his goal but in the first two episodes of the Finale, he _was_ looking for a way. Can't completely call it "happenstance" as _Savage Books_ put it. Many times, you can go out looking for something, but not necessarily know what you're going to find.

[@thirdcoinedge]

I also think it was that Aang essentially had a near-death experience. He was hit in the exact same spot as when he died(?), allowing for the Avatar state to kick in as a defensive instinct, which was how the Avatar state has predominantly been used in the show. Aang had already technically unlocked with seventh chakra in the season 2 finale, and he wasn't disconnected from his previous lives, so it was likely more so that he was psychologically unable to enter that state of mind due to it being associated with his death(?). It wasn't just "hit him with a frying pan in the same spot" that fixed it - it was Aang believing he was about to die and being desperate to do anything to stay alive that fixed it.

[@LordWyatt]

@@thirdcoinedgewell said. Couldn’t have said it better myself 😏🥃

[@dablacksmith4208]

17:58 I always interpreted Aang getting his his powers back as the universe throwing it's hat in the ring in favor of Aang. The reverse of what Ozai says at the beginning of the fight. I know that idea can be abused in stories (and it often is) but given how much Avatar talks about destiny, I think it works well in this story. If its Aangs destiny to defeat Ozai than the universe is literally on his side.

[@batsight1663]

Universe = Writers

[@Khrene]

Yes! And how many times has Aang communed with the spirits?? They tossed him a bone cause he dealt a pretty raw deal.

[@only1kingz]

I think it's even deeper than that actually. The Avatar series also set the stage for spirituality and destiny to be at work behind the scenes. In that setting, I feel it's completely justifiable that a very spiritual character like Aang, who searched REALLY hard to find answers to not kill Ozai by even consulting past Air bender avatars, would find the answer for his problems by consulting an ancient spiritual lion turtle. His heartfelt desire to end the battle this way without killin Ozai resonated with his spirit and was stronger than the avatar state's hold on him. His spirit sought the answer for him. Still, it's possible this could've been demonstrated better. I also agree that the lucky hit on the back was a minor weak point, but damn was that avatar state cool af or what?

[@ibrahimtall6209]

Please stop w/ this pseudo-logic. I don't think you realize the implication of what you're claiming here. By saying this you invoke determinism, that Aang was MEANT to win. If that is the case that completely destroys any potential dramatic tension. Where are the very real stakes if there's no real risk/possibility of losing? So please stop w/ this rationale. Furthermore, the narrative gives us the information that Aang must let go of his attachments to enter the avatar state, he fails to do this yet he is still rewarded w/ the avatar state. That's shitty writing, as nothing was sacrificed. This is still my favorite show, but you CANNOT be afraid to dissect and analyze it's many writing successes and very few failures. It's absolutely critical to improvement and understanding.

[@iiMEiii]

My opinion is that it would be much more emotional if Aang had to give up everything to detach and unleash the avatar state because he did not want to let go back with the guru. It also would have felt much more his choice and it's a hard choice to make. Also don't have the energy bending have him make a choice he willingly detached him self to unlock the avatar state and he is not on some unconscious rampage he is doing this under his own control like the guru said he would be able to. Then have the same fight ending with the fire Lord locked down and Aang has to chose what to do. Let him live or kill him. I would have him kill him for the good of the world and to show that he is now changed he is willing to sacrifice him self and ideals for the benefit of world. That won't happen because it's a nick show so oh well I guess. I think I have watch this show to many times over because I loved the ending the first 2 times.

[@zivronen9539]

I want to add that Ozai fire [edit: before the battle] also symbolize the threat it pose to the world. Had he shot the fire to the sky the power might have still been obvious, but the act of burning the actual Earth (kingdom) deliver the message that he is not only powerful, but dangerous and destructive.

[@zivronen9539]

On Aang insane bending (start of third act), there is the bending of four elements. I might be mistaken, but I don't recall Aang bending several elements *simultaneously* before. It wasn't common at any rate.

[@zivronen9539]

I don't really mind the back bump. It didn't solve the fight (as was describe in the video, it has actually introduced a new complication), the power (avatar state) was established from the beginning of the series and in fact if it wasn't present in the climax it would have been quite a disappointed. The energy binding, on the other hand, was never mentioned (or at least, I don't remember it was) before the finale, wasn't earned (unless you consider Aang refusal to accept the suggestions of past Avatar) and was so perfectly suited to solve that exact scenario that it irked me to the point of thinking the end was just great, which for the second and third seasons of Avatar is basically a failure.

[@benjamincabrera9912]

I don't like the back bump cause the issue is solved by accident, it did solve the fight, cause it activated the Avatar state, which up until that moment we thought it was lost, I do think that, instead of going with the Lion Sea Turtle, is like the Izanami thing in Naruto, I think those 2 things, cause I agree that it wouldn't be the same without the Avatar state, but I think that those 2 things could've been solved by going with seasons 2 guru, and then open the Avatar state understanding that Roku did and still had a wife, maybe won't be like he wanted to be, but still have Katara, and you solve both, and change a little the narrative instead of - how to defeat Ozai w/o killing him - to - How to defeat Ozai w/o killing and trying to not use the Avatar state cause I can't control myself - as it was said at the beginning of season 2.

[@benjamincabrera9912]

And just wanted to add that by doing that you can also have a little moment of "We are meant to be together" but Aang explaining to Katara that he knows that he loves her but, by actually becoming the Avatar he can't feel anything, that could've been tragic yes, but beautiful

[@zivronen9539]

I can agree that with most of the first comment, but I didn't said that the way the Avatar state activation was done was the best, just that I didn't mind it. Note that it didn't solve the fight: it was needed for the solution, yes, but it was an ingredient in solving it, and not the final one (Aang still had to stop using it and energy bend afterward). In addition, it cause a different issue, and transforming one problem with another is more legitimate when it is come to coincidences. I disagree with the second comment though. While I would appreciate it on other series, I found the message itself to be a poor one, and it doesn't fit well with avatar. I mean, for once, Iroh was against it.

[@Ryeguy123a]

Re: the Lion Turtle, the scene immediately before he wakes up on the Lion Turtle, he's in the midst of a moral crisis and meditating for what had looked like a long time, trying to find an answer. Part of his character is as a spiritual medium, or someone who can 'bridge' the worlds. That scene always read to me as Aang reaching out to the spirit world without quite realizing it, and the Lion Turtle (as one of the spirit world's most powerful forces) essentially answering Aang's prayers. It never felt cheap to me.

[@InSamniac777]

There's also speculation about that first attempted blow, by Ozai, on Aang once he enters the avatar state. It all goes back to Zuko's scar and how its shape resembles that of a hand, implying that the same move is being attempted on Aang as was once used during the infamous Agni Kai between Zuko and Ozai. The speculation is Zuko knew Ozai would attempt it at one point and Zuko taught Aang how to counter it due to...up close demonstration for lack of a better term.😕

[@aetherspiralknight]

Oof right in the trauma. Helluva observation! 👌

[@KingoftheJiangl]

Excellent perspicacity

[@naiyadyani2466]

THANK YOU, I was out loud begging him to mention that!!

[@jinclay4354]

13:35 - I was actually hoping you would mention something more in this part which I don't think I have ever seen anyone address. Ozai's expression, when Aang starts redirecting the lightning towards him, is the detail that most impacted me in this whole fight. The change in his face, as Aang prepares to release the lightning, is such a contrast to his arrogance, such a show of absolute weakness -- there was no way Ozai could have escaped that, the fight could have ended there and then, and that face shows that he realized it -- that, not only does it tell us that Ozai saw his life pass before his eyes, it also stands for the humanity that Aang saw in Ozai, which only made Aang's decision to not kill him more mature and relatable. Had that expression not been there, Aang's might have actually felt artificial.

[@ApplePi._.]

Bit late but I thought the same

[@NameMiWhatever]

Thank you! I never found out how to put how I felt into words but that's it. I think this split second shows Ozai as a life, not as the personification of evil, because of how utterly vulnerable he was at the moment, and if this is how Aang felt, that this is, amidst everything else, still a human life, then he cannot help but not kill him.

[@mr.z2157]

Beautifully said

[@AstroSully]

Ozai knew had Aang shot that towards him the fight is over.

[@RisingStoic96]

Felt this too! I also wish he talked about the duration and power of the redirected lighting. Zuko’s redirection was swift and quick whereas Aang’s was a stream of pure energy. They did a whole 3 second shot of just the redirected lighting. My thought was this is a visual representation of the energy and power within the avatar.

[@BlondieGurl1129]

Don’t forget the column of light when he takes away Ozai’s bending, tying us back to the beginning with the boy in the iceberg... this show is amazing

[@smallandstressed2364]

For me, the Ozai motionless bending was so striking and memorable because that fire conjured was small. It fit in the palm of Ozai’s hand, yet it was *devastating* in power. Kind of like a comet (or an asteroid or meteor). The actual rock isn’t big in any cosmic scale, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for at impact. The speeds at which an asteroid or meteor enter the atmosphere are *brutal* - enough that the dinosaur killer wiped out an entire region with just its shockwave and heat. That’s what Aang is up against. He has to brace for and withstand that.

[@joaquinarcilla1277]

What I also love is that Iroh, the firelord's brother, uses a similar non-martial art bending ish thing to free Ba Sing Se. Its kinda like a reverse of Ozai's first attack, where they both charge up a ball of fire first and then deliver a devastating blow.

[@tobyk5091]

Technically when Aang enters the avatar state isn’t that coincidentally getting aang *into* trouble since it poses a new problem that he needs to overcome, being the avatar state.

[@austinjohnsen4430]

Absolutely. The writers themselves have confirmed that Aang wasn’t in control of the AS. Although I would have liked to have some moments here and there that better conveyed Aang trying to free himself from the AS. Kinda like how Korra struggles against the mercy poison when she fights Zaheer.

[@ApexGale]

I love the way the music changes entirely from an intense orchestra to one with a heavy sense of mysticism and drama. The choir could be taken to represent the thousands of Avatars channeling their powers into Aang. It's not really meant to be a "heroic" thing because this is not the way Aang wanted this fight to play out. We've seen him struggling with the fear of losing control and hurting people without meaning to. So the soundtrack plays this for all its worth. It's still as tense as it was but now there's a sense of frantic fear. The roles are reversed, Ozai is running for his life against a being that can effortlessly manipulate nature. Look at how the blast of air erodes a pillar of stone in mere seconds. Or how Aang's rock shrapnel attack shreds through all the pillars with ease. The Avatar State hasn't just been the antagonist in this scene. It's been a major point of inner conflict for Aang throughout the whole series, and in this finale he's effectively fighting two antagonists at once. The one within himself and the one outside. Music is so incredibly important when it comes to setting the tone and I'm glad they fought to have this in the finale

[@_Siptah]

Underrated comment, Bravo 👏🏽.

[@DogsRNice]

The avatar state is a secondary antagonist for the entire series It represents everything that Aang doesn’t want to be, infinite unforgiving power that has no problem with killing. He doesn’t just defeat Ozai, he defeats and masters the avatar state

[@juanwynn9506]

Aang's intent to not kill is also visually seen when his first bending in the fight strikes the airships, not Ozai directly.

[@erikbussing9570]

one thing I love is the subtle fact that at around 19:00 in this video when aang's stone sphere is broken his last defense against ozai's fire is a bubble of air. It may seem minor, but it sort of shows that his last resort in face of "certain death" is still the first and thus most natural element: air.

[@rosaliecarlson3525]

This video made me notice a great moment right after Aang grabs the goatee. As he emerges from the rock, he moves it down around him as he goes to a standing position, making Aang an impossibly fixed point. His physical presence changes in a way that visually demonstrates his total control, as he becomes a literal immovable object. This is only further emphasized by his minimal movement in swatting away Ozai's attack.

[@completelyferrouschemist6776]

The dues ex machina doesn't detract from Aang's character, I'd argue that it strengthens it. Even when Ozai is given to Aang on a silver platter by sheer luck, he refuses to kill him. Fate nor the Avatar State could sway his decision in the matter.

[@enkiimuto1041]

AKA he needed a god ex machina to make reality bend because he was being selfish and betting the world on his morals.

[@justjackiie]

@@enkiimuto1041 Aang deciding to not kill Ozai yielded better results longterm. If he had, Ozai could've been seen as martyr, further frustrating or altogether cancelling out attempts to restore peace throughout the world, especially within the Fire Nation/among loyalists. Resulting in a young and vulnerable Avatar who is now going to deal with unparalleled inner turmoil as a result of going against his beliefs. So, then we have a completely unbalanced Avatar in a torn world needing immediate reconstruction. Nah, it was the right choice. Also, let's be fair. This show was on Nick. There is no way they would straight up kill Ozai and they can't get away with ambiguity (like they did with Jet's death) because he is the main antagonist.

[@laststrike4411]

Yeah, the people would have lost their minds if they knew their leader died in battle, but they'll be totally fine with Aang crippling him and throwing him into a cell for the rest of his natural life. THAT'S the answer. Like, have ANY of you even considered the idea that the people might grow to resent and fear Aang for being able to strip away something so crucial to one's identity? And if the comics are to be believed, the manipulative psycho's still causing trouble with that mouth of his (surprise surprise, a person can actually still do things in the world of Avatar without powers; who saw that coming?) anyway, so yeah, I'm calling BS. I agree that they were never going to be able to go that far, but you'll forgive me if I'm not as sympathetic. This is the hole the writers put themselves into, and they'll just have to reap the consequences for that.

[@laststrike4411]

@Menkir Dennis You were the one talking about long term effects. All I did was point out that that's a BS argument because you end up facing loyalists even if you spare him. And the final fight is the conclusion of a journey, the answer to a question that had been asked long ago. It doesn't need to be unpredictable for unpredictability's sake; it's a fight, not a mystery. And yes, there are people that resent Aang and co for doing that, we know as much from the comics. This isn't conjecture. And if you ask me, the problem is as simple as addressing the moral conundrum in the first place. If Aang goes into his final battle, kicks the butt of some big bad really hard and puts him down in bars, or if he somehow causes something to malfunction with Ozai and the guy COULD live if he backs off and he chooses not to, then that's the problem taken care of. A dangerous man too full of ego met a fitting end by his own hand (mostly). However, by putting this moral issue into the front and center, you have a serious issue. Energybending doesn't come until the eleventh hour as an actual option for Aang to use, and even then it could fail. It's not acknowledged as an option by Aang until the end. As such, going into this fight, all we know is that Aang has two options: kill magic Hitler or die and let him go on to commit genocide. It's a no brainer considering all the crimes Ozai has committed so far and all the evil he intends to commit, along with the fact that he likely cannot be restrained. The only things that could make this into an issue are Aang's values (which even other nomads reject in these circumstances-the fact that he's already turned his back on Air Nomad teachings twice in book two doesn't help matters), his desire not to bloody his hands (even though failure/inaction would end up bloodying them anyway), and the fact that he's a kid and doing that crap would traumatize him (which is understandable but removes the moral conundrum entirely, turning it into a question of want). The question, when asked clearly, is one with an obvious answer. The problem emerges when you don't take this obvious answer (which would assuredly be saving lives here). Killing Ozai was the only answer offered here, and it was the sensible one too. But since we rejected that, we've run into a wall. As things are, there's no real way out of this without turning to the obvious answer. Hence the hole. Hence the need to get out of it. Hence the Lion's appearance at the next to last episode. And then there's the final battle itself. As I said before, Aang didn't even acknowledge energybending as an option throughout the final fight. Killing remains the only surefire answer, and Aang is presented two opportunities to do exactly that. Two surefire opportunities to ensure the lives of thousands, including his own friends. One of them would have even been self defense. Still no knowledge on how to energybend in either of these moments. And even when he does finally do it, he could have gotten overloaded by Ozai's will. Aang effectively through away two guaranteed victories against Ozai and the ensured survival of countless people on a gamble. Sorry for rambling so much.

[@sharky8303]

Him: "Using a lucky hit in the back is one of the few flaws..." Me: shut up shut up its perfect

[@DeathnoteBB]

It was hardly a lucky hit. It’s as lucky as it is that they’re fighting in a location that Aang can use all his bending powers. I don’t know why that thing is suddenly a flaw when the exact same “lucky thing happening” was praised before. If he means it activating the avatar state, that wasn’t luck, it’s what always happens in a near death scenario... It’s set-up multiple times in the show.

[@Chrisdish]

The thing is the fire was going around aang, that "lucky hit" would be very possible considering the fire couldn't reach the exact center of his back

[@heavenlygoku5093]

You guys are actually stupid and toxic and I love it

[@Goonlord]

@@DeathnoteBB Did you miss the part where he couldn't enter avatar state anymore? Him being near death would've meant nothing if he didn't happen to hit his back just like that. In my head this is justified by Ozai's constant attempts at ruling the world and breaking the balance. If Ozai wasn't trying to murder a child, he wouldn't have unintentionally given him access to his ultimate power. As such, Aang is a direct response/rejection of Ozai's hunger for power. Though if that was the intent, the writers could have done a better job at showing it. Ultimately I do think it's a flaw. In the end though, who gives a shit? A flaw like that barely takes away from the fight as a whole due to all the other good stuff

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@Goonlord Did you miss the part where the giant lion turtle gives him his avatar state back?

[@blitzgirl6522]

Whenever I watch the 4-part finale, I have to close the curtains and turn off the lights. So epic, and amazing visuals and music that deserves a theatrical setting. To this day I get chills when Ozai and crew start burning the earth from the zeps. Random note from the aforementioned scene: Toph's line of "That's A LOT of fire, isn't it?" also gives me chills. She FEELS the sheer heat of the fire, and is disturbed. Also, I love that you brought up Haku from Naruto.

[@MegaChickenfish]

The ending is what always struck me. Being able to get out of killing Ozai might initially sound like "the easy way out", but it in no way was. It was far, far harder. Aang not only had to defeat the firelord, he had to defeat *the avatar state.* The power and vengeful fury of *all* his past lives, focusing their energy through his body. A power that throughout the series, ironically, often made him feel powerless and afraid as it took over and caused him to hurt so many people. Triumphing over *that* and pulling that arm down was Aang's greatest accomplishment and the fulfillment of his arc. After Ozai is defeated and he puts out the fires, he calls upon that power, but *he* is the one in control.

[@PeanutStrawberry]

16:15 I'm sorry but I'll have to contradict you on your statement: Avatar TLA's magic system is not a soft magic system. It is a hard magic. The rules are clearly define: waterbenders bend water; earthbenders bend earth; firebenders bend fire; airbenders bend air. Nobody can master more than one element except the Avatar. Not all people can bend elements. A lot of people can and have defined the bending system as hard magic, so I don't understand why you'd say it is a soft magic system, since a soft magic system is defined by a "lack" of rules, or rather the impredictability of the magic. Bending is a very, very predictable magic system because you can logically determine what a bender can and cannot do. 16:50 so you stated, bending was a soft magic system and that Ozai bending by not moving "breaks the rules," except it doesn't. The serie had already established it to be a possibility: Bumi was able to bend with only is face; Zuko melted ice with his hands standing still under it; Aang, the first time he used firebending, didn't move (he was standing still, holding a leaf and it burst into flame) and it was the point since the practice itself was to stay still and control the burning from reaching the edges of the leaf. I could go on, even adding the fact that Katara healed her burned hands simply by putting them in the water; Master Pakku unfreezing her after their fight while standing still; and our favourite tea loving uncle Iroh warmed his tea without moving. I don't want to go into Avatar the Legend of Korra since it is an antalogy serie, but my point is clear: benders can bend without moving, simply not to the same extent. And even then, Sozin's comet overpowered Ozai immensely.

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

^This. Although I'd also point out that Avatar's "magic" system does get a bit soft when it comes to most anything related to the spirits and the Avatar's connection to them, though this is fine from a narrative perspective because the spirits are meant to seem mysterious and alien.

[@trequor]

@@akhasshativeritsol1950 You make a good point. The bending system is 100% hard magic, but the spiritual stuff is a little more loosey-goosey.

[@thebananas6483]

His problem is that he's looking at it purely from a narrative perspective, and as such, the "show, don't tell" nature of it lends him to believe that it's a soft magic system, since the show doesn't blatantly tell you the strict rules of bending very often.

[@Flaxify]

agree.. the, part where ozai generates that floating orb, also is a callback to his first attack that giant fireblast had the same orb effect. his first attack on the rock was heating it up, but it stood up. then we get this charge up, we already can tell that aangs fortress will not hold because its now facing not just simple blows. but that massive energy from the first fireblast. it builds up tension in a matter of seconds, and the releases it with the triggering of the avatar state. then the viewer is immeadiatly catapulted into whats happening next same as with the orb. with the avatar state, we now know sides will flip, and tension builds again as we are interested in the outcome again.

[@coconutflour9868]

Another couple of examples would be Iroh breathing fire (I think it was at Dai Li agents?), Iroh's breathing making flames rise and wane in the battle to retake Ba Sing Se, Aang and Zuko holding the eternal flame while going up to meet the firebending masters, Katara melting the ice around her and Azula in the final fight with just her breath... There's a ton more examples too

[@im_tiffany]

I feel like people get too caught up on the lion turtle being a deus ex machina that they don't realize the real conviction is with Aang owning the Avatar title along with his beliefs (hence the title Avatar Aang). He was still strong in his beliefs even when everyone told him it was wrong, and in that he was able to be more open to possibilities thus being lured in by the lion turtle in his dream like state. And yeah, the lion turtle would have been better had there been more foreshadowing in the beginning, or something mentioned off hand about it in the spirit world or whatever, but at the end of the day Aang wasn't just simply handed a Win All card. He established his win once he decided to stick with his beliefs, and that is what matters because without that the energy bending would have backfired on him. That's a much more powerful way to tell a story than, "welp everyone says kill the bad guy so I guess I gotta kill the bad guy. Fuck my beliefs and the fact that I'm the last of my people due to this man's ancestors and that (literally) fighting fire with fire would only continue the hate that this person's ancestors used to destroy my people. Instead of using my people's beliefs to stand for something and win this fight in a way that doesnt step down on what they believed." Yeah the appearance of the lion turtle seems a bit last minute but I'm going to need people to realize the importance of Aang and his beliefs as the last airbender before they whine about energy bending and lion turtles anymore.

[@johnmorrell3187]

I think the importance of aang's beliefs are exactly why the lion turtle is a problem. We've set up really good narrative conflict but that conflict is solved in large part without the character's actions. Aang won't kill but needs to, but the way it's shown it doesn't really seem like he solved that, rather the lion turtle stepped in, with no real foreshadowing, and revealed that actually there isn't any conflict, you have no need to kill.

[@im_tiffany]

@@johnmorrell3187 ok, I understand your point of view. My issue also still stands with the lion turtle not being a real foreshadowed element of the mythology along with energy bending. However, I don't think Aang did nothing. As being the last airbender with only access to past Avatars to seek guidance from, what all could he really do? I find it interesting that they brought in another character with wisdom that was beyond even the existence of the Avatar, and gave Aang new possibilities. But with that being said (from my point of view), it really just comes down to how the lion turtle was introduced, and how Aang went to the lion turtle. Had the turtle been foreshadowed properly, and had Aang actively went out to find a possibility, instead of "sleep walking" to it, this could have been done better. But cant change that so instead I decide to see the beauty in the flaw. Cause being stuck on "deus ex machina" this and "foreshadowing" that gets really boring after a while. Don't get me wrong I'm not ignoring the flaws, I agree things could have been done better, but I don't think certain parts should be dismissed because they were still done nicely they just could have been done better... LOK is a different story though....????!!!!!!

[@leviwatson1891]

He still had to win the fight, or at least immobilize Ozai for a short period of time, in order to energybend. It wasn't a trump card, it was his second to last resort, which may have ended up killing him. He beat Ozai, Aang showed him that even at the height of his power he is incapable of defeating the Avatar, and Ozai didn't surrender, he continued to try and win a battle he'd already lost. Aang knew he could try to remove Ozai's bending, but not if it would work, or even if it would backfire

[@im_tiffany]

@@leviwatson1891 agreed 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@im_tiffany]

@Menkir Dennis agreed, well said 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@WobblesandBean]

I don't care how bullshit it is, seeing Ozai running for his life with a look of sheer terror in his eyes is WORTH IT. 💜

[@tylergil7322]

My favorite moment is when Aang aims the lighting a way from ozai when he sees the fear in his eyes

[@LairaSxOaRnRaY]

They fight on the terrain similar to playground Aang used to play in his before-Avatar life.

[@GeneralPathik4201luv]

ayyyy that is a great point! -Glomps-

[@aetherspiralknight]

Aaaaaaaaaahhhh nooooooo aaaaahhhha why Now I can't unsee this Sincere thank you, tho I'm crying rn 😭

[@Ali-zn6sg]

Strongly disagree with one part. From the beginning, Avatar was a hard magic system.

[@mcgoldenblade4765]

Literally everything he stated about bending in the video is the DEFINITION of a Hard Magic system. I'm honestly not sure of how he came to the conclusion of it being soft.

[@atlys258]

Ozai's mega fire blast is cool and all but Iroh's BREATHING RING OF FIRE was an absolute spectacle. And then of course Aang's hyper rapid fire rock blast and his rock destroying wind blast were insane too.

[@juliannastevens-guille7582]

I read this somewhere else but when Aang redirects the lightning, Ozai's reaction isn't just an "oh shit" moment because the avatar could kill him at that moment but it's a realization that Zuko had more importance than he cared to believe. Zuko was seen as worthless in the yes of Ozai but in this final battle, Aang uses this technique that Zuko taught him, a technique that Ozai's brother, Iroh, created. Ozai more or less realizes that those two had an important hand to play and before Aang redirected it away from Ozai, could have been the reason for his downfall.

[@Canaris4]

8:20 Talking about how Ozai "revels in the killing of a child" is really under-selling Aang even if you haven't watched any of the show prior to this battle. The boy just took out his flag-ship, this is the voice of a man who considers Aang to have been a massive thorn in his side for a while. And if you have watched the show, are you forgetting how Aang wiped out the largest fleet ever summoned by the Fire Nation in a single wave, during the Battle of the Northern Water Tribe? Ozai talking about how the universe has gifted him an opportunity to take on the Avatar reminds me of Soka going "Thank you, the universe".

[@rush4in]

I think it was more about the principle of him not having any remorse in killing a child that stands in his way, rather than underselling Aang.

[@Canaris4]

If you think of Aang as a child (and a civillian), you're underselling him.

[@rush4in]

@@Canaris4 Never said he is, only that Ozai trying to kill him means that he wouldn't hesitate to do the same with other people Aang's age

[@ProfessuhLemon]

Canaris4 Except...he's a literal child. He's what, 12? I know I know, 112, but still. For all intents and purposes he's 12. I really don't think the point was to undersell Aang. It was to highlight the viciousness and evil of Ozai, by stating a fact about the nature of the fight and the two opponents.

[@immanuela209]

Canaris4 It’s not underselling him if that’s what he is. Aang hadn’t even turned 13 at this point. He’s extremely powerful, but he’s still a kid.

[@pwsnyder510]

I think that a couple changes leading up to this fight would have better justified both the rock in the back and the taking away of the firebending, because they each follow the same rule: Chakras are blocked by force or ignorance (or the specific seven things the Guru lists), but are unblocked by personal growth. (Ty lee's chi blocking for example) Aang needed to more actively seek out the Lion Turtle instead of being led to it. Show more of Aang meditating after storming off from his argument with his friends. Show the Lion Turtle contacting him, and Aang accepting an invitation to learn more. Having that be a conscious decision would also play into the whole "when the world needed him most, he vanished" idea, and Aang's growth since then. Then, the Lion Turtle's message needs to more effectively communicate an emphasis on how chakras work. What Aang did to Ozai could be interpreted as how Zuko lost his firebending earlier in the season. But Ozai, the psychopath, is not capable of finding a peaceful motivation for his fire, and thus would never be able to unblock the Chakras that Aang closed. Aang couldn't use the Avatar state in season 3 for the same reason. He mistakenly believed it only had one trigger, danger to himself or his friends, and the only way to overcome that was to give up his friends, and his sense of self-preservation (like when he ran away at the beginning of the season). I think the truth is that the Avatar State, no matter how Aang felt about it, would not allow him to die in combat without activating. However, the Avatar state is not purely a defense mechanism unless that is all you allow it to be. I think the idea that chakras can never be permanently blocked if you are still honestly working to reach spiritual enlightenment would have been an interesting idea to introduce that would have helped clarify what the creators were intending with the finale.

[@batsight1663]

I think during the battle when the avatar state was brought back it was only the defense mechanism that was used since Aang never completed and why he last control, when ever we see the previous Avatars use it they are in full control.

[@hominid3528]

@@batsight1663 I could definitely see it being a defence mechanism just due to the dialogue between ozai and aang in the scene where he goes to kill ozai "Firelord Ozai. You and your fore-fathers have devastated the balance of this world and now you shall pay the ultimate price." that bit of dialogue definitely doesn't sounď like aang talking

[@vianneyb.8776]

Great comment! Your idea of improvement of the show is what I was looking for. I've never considered it a mistake to allow Aang to discover energy bending because, to me, he constantly was looking for a means to respect his morals. To me, he deserved to be showed a way out of this moral dilemma because of his continuous effort. Also, I don't find that to prevent Aang to kill is a cop out, as it demands him a lot of struggles to overcome this difficulty. But it would have made more than enough sense for him, as a monk, to be contacted by a lion turtle through meditation and join it as a conclusion of his journey towards becoming the avatar. I thought at first that the prpblem came from the solution appearing out of nowhere at the very end of the show, but it is more satisfying for his resolution and active research to come to fruition as a reward.

[@krissmith9814]

@@vianneyb.8776 it's most definitely a cop out. Especially after it was hinted in his conversation with his past selves. Avatar chen said he will probably have to sacrifice his inner peace In order to save the world. The whole get rid of bending thing spits in the face of that. Just like superman sending criminals he cant kill but prison cant hold to the phantom zone is a cop out. I dont really care what choice aang would haven't made, whether it be to kill him or to send him to jail and risk a future escape. Both are good endings. It's the total lack of a choice, having his cake and eating it too that's a cop out.

[@fangsabre]

the back injury had previously been foreshadowed to be connected to the Avatar state and his blocked chakras when Katara tried to heal him. I do like your idea that the energy bending has to do with effectively forcefully shutting down chakras, and the back injury linking physical injuries to chakra blocking brings up the question of whether that was how Amon stole peoples bending, by finding the points in the human body connected to the chakras and physically blocking them somehow

[@slightlyembittered]

Great video. One thought is this. Ozai is the at his most powerful, and the strongest he'll ever be. Aang defeating Ozai in the conflict shows that the Avatar is far greater that any bender could ever aspire to be.

[@austinjohnsen4430]

Yes, the fight was bigger than just Aang trying to defeat Ozai. It was Aang against the world that he was trying to save. The finale was about him making a point on how he decides to do his job as the Avatar without sacrificing who he is. Even if you don’t think it was done very well, that is what the writers were really going.

[@rutger5000]

Your are wrong about the end. Aang did earn that power, he earned it retroactively by risking being destroyed for using it, he earned it by merit of being a 12 year old pacifist in a world that wants him to be a vengeful god, and he earned it by embracing his role as the avatar without discarding who he is. Character growth isn't limited to change in personality, it can also be acceptance of who you are and how that fits with who the world needs you to be. The lion turtle seeking out Aang to give him the tools for a peaceful resolution was the universe reaching out that it's not as cruel and uncaring that it may seem. That there is a place for mercy, and it's up to us to go for it. It's too bad that flew over your head.

[@ibrahimtall6209]

You're being foolish. Please tell me how someone/something can GROW w/out CHANGING. Once requires the other. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CRITICIZE SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT. I agree that the structure and choreography of the final fight is on a level of its own, but the avatar state and energy bending aspects were shitty writing/poorly done. I know this is supposed to be a children's show, and that may have come at a cost in the final moments. Let me explain. I believe that Aang shouldn't have been allowed to come out of the battle victorious without KILLING Ozai. Why? Because the critical narrative element of sacrifice is omitted as a result. Aang is allowed to enter the Avatar state w/out letting go fully of his attachments (obvious from when he fled the Guru/Air Temple w/out having let go of Katara and the people he loves, presumably sealing the Avatar state until he's able to do so). He's rewarded w/ this superpower w/out doing so... Energy bending is a dues ex machina introduced in the 11th hour which allowed him to defeat Ozai w/out killing him and making for an unsatisfying/unconvincing resolution. This is unacceptable. This is a dramatic example, but not inapplicable bc Ozai and his predecessors were genocidal maniacs, but what if no one was willing to kill and go to war w/ the Nazi party? Would the Nazi's have just disappeared? Of course not. There is a price to pay for ridding the world of evil and that price is SACRIFICING values you may have about the sanctity of life and some of your humanity. Now, why is sacrifice so important? Because lofty goals ALWAYS come at a price. It adds a critical layer of believablity to the narrative. It shows us that, just like in life, there are consequences to your every choice/action and there is always a price to pay. Would Zuko's story arc be half as rewarding if there weren't dire consequences for his actions? When he's trying to get back in to good graces of the Fire Nation he sacrifices some of his humanity and commits atrocities, he nearly loses his uncle forever, etc...all in hopes of being accepted by his father again, who couldn't give a shit about him, which Zuko later realizes. Even when Zuko turns to the "good" side, there are still sacrifices to be made. He doesn't just get to join team avatar. He has to leave behind his nation and family and Mae, he temporarily loses his powers, he must struggle to gain acceptance, etc. SACRIFICES, PEOPLE! There is no "earning" w/out sacrifice. Individuals who can't compromise something always lose. Aang emerging victorious w/out having to compromise on his pacifistic ideals cheapens the story/make it less convincing. ....It's too bad that flew over your head.

[@rutger5000]

@Menkir Dennis I don't think killing the firelord would have worked well for the world. Many in the fire nation were genuinely loyal to the fire lord. To them Aang taking his power and away and capturing him was a much more decisive defeat. Aang killing the firelord would have seemed like assassination in their eyes. But Aang capturing him allowed the good guys to bring the firelord to trial, and taking his powers away allowed them to show who the firelord really was. Aside from that I don't think anyone but someone with a childlike innocence and optimism like Aang could have reunited the world half as well. And killing the firelord would have greatly hurt Aang.

[@rutger5000]

@@ibrahimtall6209 If you want to call it change when you decide to stick to your own believes and convictions and disregard the wisdom of everyone else. Then yes you need change to have growth. Don't be afraid to criticise something you love. This was a great video but it did made mistakes, and the motive of sacrifice makes for compelling storytelling, but it isn't perfect either. The energy bending didn't come out of nowhere every season strongly hints to 3 key elements behind it. 1. The link between spiritual energy and bending. 2. The avatar being a creature of immense spiritual power. 3. Aang being especially spiritual and a pacifist at heart. All Avatars before Aang could have done this, but few could have discovered it. There was a conscious decision not to hint to this all too strongly. Because the option could not have been obvious. As that would go against the sentiment. "For those who look for it, a path towards peace will always reveal itself, even if you can't see it", As for sacrifice. Most of the people who tell Aang to kill and to sacrifice are really really old. And in a world were there has been 100 years of war you really need to question the wisdom of old people. This too is a theme in Avatar were most old people need to learn an important lessons or two. The exception being Iroh, who also is the one telling Aang to be wise not to sacrifice love for power and perfection, and I'm certain would not have told Aang to kill the firelord. Yes the sacrifices Zuko made, made his story more compelling. But you're wrong to think he gave up his nation to help Aang. He saved his nation by doing so, and he knew that was what he was doing. What he sacrificed when he joined the Avatar was comfort (Zuko doesn't care for comfort) and May. But he got May back in the end. And yeah the show getting a fully positive ending is part of the children show story structure. The game of throne show writers would not have done it like that (But I think G.R.R Martin would). Does that make it flawed? The motive of sacrifice is just as much a cliché in adult storytelling as the motive of optimism and making the world a better place in children storytelling. I absolutely love avatar, it's my favourite story of all time. But I know I'm watching a kids show, did you forget that? Cause a 12 year old intentionally killing another human in kid show would be a massive mistake. It'd go against the entire feeling of the show and be forced and a blemish.

[@doublehelixalchemist8678]

Menkir Dennis no really, Aang did not work for energy bending. He went against what was expected of him, yes, but that doesn’t mean he earned the power. There was literally no set up for lion turtles or energy bending before that episode. It just feels like a copout. If there had been a better set up, maybe the energy bending wouldn’t have felt cheap, but we didn’t get that, it just came out of nowhere. Also, I think if Aang had to go against his beliefs, because his duty is with the world first, before himself and his culture and beliefs, is a much more satisfying ending

[@doublehelixalchemist8678]

Menkir Dennis except it wouldn’t. He’s the avatar, and by killing the FL, he’s doing what everyone already expects of him. Look at Kyoshi

[@wweltz]

While I understand your point, I feel like it's incredibly reductive to say Aang found the solution merely through happenstance. He was seeking a non-violent solution to end the war from the beginning of the show and we have been shown that the Avatar is intimately connected with the spirit world. The Lion Turtle wasn't just a deus ex machina. It was a spirit creature that called out to Aang to help him solve this problem. He did do the legwork and evem after talking with all the prior Avatars he held true to his convictions. The Lion Turtle was his reward for his hard work and holding true to his beliefs.

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

The problem is though that the ability to remove bending wasn't foreshadowed or alluded to earlier in the series. As it stands, it kind of feels like the writers just made up a new mechanic because they had written themselves into a corner. Not to say that's actually what happened (after all, lion turtles are hinted at earlier in the series, so maybe they had this in mind all along), but it doesn't actually matter if it was pre-planned or not if the proper foreshadowing is lacking.

[@LifeUntilLove]

@@akhasshativeritsol1950 But it was foreshadowed? Energy Bending is basically an upgraded version of what Tai Lee can do, just like Metal, Lighting, and Blood Bending. Doesn't Zuko even lose his ability to fire bend for a while? We have seen people lose their bending, just not permanently.

[@__nog642]

@@LifeUntilLove Yeah, no.

[@rayweaver8295]

@@__nog642 really? "yeah no" is your response? Your not going to try and refute anything that they said?

[@__nog642]

@@rayweaver8295 No, I have better things to do with my time.

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

A climactic fight has to tackle the characters' philosophies to truly be a narrative masterpiece.

[@prince_nocturne]

Coming back to this a year later, I still LOVE that the avatar state is pointed out as becoming the antagonist. I have always loved stories where the protagonist almost becomes the villain by the end, pushed so far that they very nearly become the thing they fear the most: Just like the antagonist. It's the whole goal of the Joker with Batman. To corrupt the hero and make them just as broken. It's also a great way to end on a cliffhanger if it's part of a series. Have the hero take that step they said they never would. Then the journey becomes about redemption.

[@ryanchapman4459]

Damn you gonna leave out the best part.. when Aang let’s out that dope ass yell with fxckin fire tentacles. I feel like that’s a literary element showing his true power but also literally the only time in the show where he’s expressed destructive anger. Was looking forward to hearing your opinion of that

[@aetherspiralknight]

Me, reading this comment a year later right after watching Savage's power scaling in Avatar video: You're in luck! And you've probably also already watched that video too 😆

[@youngmaster7405]

that is amped by sozin's comet

[@jms418p2]

I think the best part of avatar state was when he blasted the compressed rocks and obliterated a huge chunk of the field.

[@Nathi98]

To me that bit of firebending formed into a dragon-figure :)

[@crowningtesla]

Something I'm noticing off the bat is how the pillars of rock look like the airball court at the Southern Air Temple in Book One Episode Three. I just started rewatching for the first time since I was like five and that seems like a cool parallel.

[@lidla2008]

I actually liked Ozai bringing out his avatar state. Ozai ultimately defeated himself by repeatedly trying to kill an opponent who had made multiple attempts to deescalate the situation, going so far as to redirect a killing blow. It's an excellent parallel to the self-destruction that Ozai's way of thinking brings about.

[@vektursome]

I have to disagree with the lion-turtle helping being a “cheat”. Aang’s conflict was that he k ew with the skills he already possessed he COULD kill Ozai if he had the will to do it. But he consulted with his past lives hoping to gain the wisdom to do what needed to be done without killing. In that scene it only showed that he spoke to the 4 most recent avatars, but he wouldn’t have stopped there. He likely went back as far as he could...and once there (Wan) he probably consulted with the memories of the avatar BEFORE there was an avatar. We didn’t learn about this until Korra, but Raava and the lion turtles were there before the avatar. The show is based on spiritual connectedness. Aang was as drawn to the lion turtle as the lion turtle was drawn to Aang. He woke up there after exhausting all of his previous lives’ knowledge and only then spoke to the lion turtle. He told Aang the secret to how bending started and how it was about more than just the 4 elements. No other avatar was shown to energy bend because they never needed to think outside the box as much as Aang did. He is the ultimate pacifist facing the ultimate violent threat. He was at his lowest point...and that is when you are open to the most change. He was in a trance when he went to the lion turtle, but the lion turtle was also swimming to him. It was a spiritual connectedness that allowed Aang to reach the one being that had the answer to his question.

[@france_d_robin]

Korra energy bends HEAVY

[@youngmaster7405]

@@france_d_robin yeah what's the problem? aang mastered it in a day without using it once but korra learned it from aang

[@HxH2011DRA]

I completely agree: the final epic clash when done well is PEAK fleek

[@SHISUIAFTERDARK]

The Hunter x Hunter 2011 Dickriding Association 👀

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@SHISUIAFTERDARK sup fam 😎

[@Tethloach1]

A great show indeed.

[@cathrsys9584]

Bro I see you every where. You've kept the same username for yeaaars man.

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@cathrsys9584 ye

[@scruffytuna]

Personally, I like the activation of the avatar state because it's an extension of Aang growing as a spiritual person and gaining control of that state instead of it controlling him. (Remember that episode where the people from the earth kingdom were trying to get Aang to activate that state to use as a weapon against the firelord?) It also increases the tension because if Aang is killed in that state, there will be no more avatars ever

[@batsight1663]

But Aang had nothing to do with the activation

[@tannakota1846]

batsight1 I liked a comment I saw on a reaction vid about that rock jabbing into his scar reopening his earth chakra, which is located at the base of the spine (where his scar is), connected to survival and blocked by fear. So of course he didn’t intend for it to happen, but since it did, maybe his need for survival in that moment motivated him to let go of the fear that was keeping him from entering the Avatar state. It wasn’t a conscious decision to hit the rock or even to get jolted into the Avatar state, but maybe he had a little bit of responsibility in getting himself over his fear so that he could fight better. I mean, the need for survival triggering his Avatar state could’ve also just knocked the fear out of him for him - without any internal overcoming being done on Aang’s part 😂 But I wonder.

[@ibrahimtall6209]

You fail to see the key issue w/ this scene. Aang is allowed to enter the Avatar state w/out letting go fully of his attachments (obvious from when he fled the Guru/Air Temple w/out having let go of Katara and the people he loves, presumably sealing the Avatar state until he's able to do so). He's rewarded w/ this superpower w/out doing so. Without making any sacrifice/concessions. Sacrifice is absolutely critically to anything that intends to be narratively convincing, because every lofty goal comes w/ a lofty price. Aang emerging victorious w/out having to compromise on his pacifistic ideals cheapens the story/make it less convincing.

[@matthewochrym7923]

I rewatch ATLA like every year and the more I watch it the more I think the lion turtle giving Aang energy bending is a huge misconception. I believe that the Lion Turtle energy bended Aang's chakras back together, undoing the twisting of aang’s energy caused by Azula’s lighting. Aang didn't need to be giving energy bending because he already knew energy bending before the lion turtle even came into the picture. The lion turtle just unblocked his chakras so aang could go into the avatar state when his life was in danger. Now how do I know; 1) Aang energy bended in the swamp episode. He energy bended the tree to find appa. 2) Aang learned more energy bending and how to bend the energy within from the guru. The guru was an energy bender and that whole episode is about aang energy bending his chakras open, energy bending within. 3) we know the guru is an energy bender because in appas lost days. He energy bended appa to find out what happened to him. He used energy bended to stop appas nightmares, and he used energy bending to find aang because their energy is so interconnect. 4) The lion turtle stated that before the elements, people bent the energy within. That means everyone or at least just benders can bend energy. Meaning the avatar has that power and wouldn’t need a lion turtle to give it to him. 5) The lion turtle touched Aangs cosmic chakra and his chakra where azula hit him. The lion turtle energy bended aangs chakras to undo the twisting azulas lighting caused. This showed and gave aang the idea of energy bending the fire lord. Up to that point aang really only energy bended on himself. The lion turtle showed Aang that he could use energy bending to bend the energy other people as well. Now how did Aang know that he could take away the Firelords bending. Well the way I have understood it is azula twisted his energy and chakras with her lighting causing him to lose the avatar state. The lion turtle then told aang and showed him that with energy bending the lion turtle could fix his avatar state by bending his energy and chakras back to normal. The lion turtle also said that before elemental bending people bent the energy within. I always took that as energy bending is the base of all bending. So Aang did the inverse of what the lion turtle did to him. Instead of fixing and realigning the fire lords energy he twisted it and warped it so he couldn't tap into the energy that allowed him to fire bend. Instead of taking it away he basically stopped the flow of the fire lords energy by twisting and blocking his chakras much like azulas lighting stopped his avatar state. If you remember the guru episode where aang needed to unblock and let the pools (chakras) flow clear (energy), Aang basically covered up the fire lords pools entirely and stop the flow 100%. Thus causing the fire lord to not being able to fire bend. Because the energy has been blocked by aang bending his energy and stopping the flow. There is more evidence but yeah aang already knew how to energy bend. The lion turtle just fixed his chakras by energy bending him and giving aang the idea that just like bending the tree's energy to find appas in the swamp, aang could bend and twist the fire lords energy to stop him from bending ever again

[@vhampyre01]

I just watched this show recently for the first time, and even though I'm 43 years old, I was simply blown away. I had no idea how good it was, but the finale episode is the closest thing I've seen to narrative perfection. Your points are valid, but honestly they don't change my opinion of the story at all. One could argue that in the journey of life some of its greatest victories are stumbled upon by accident, but having the wisdom to gain from those accidental experiences and recognize their purpose in the right moment is what makes a hero truly great.

[@madcat1865]

I haven’t finished the video yet, but a couple things I’ve noticed: Fire bending doesn’t come from a character’s movement. In Ozai’s case it comes from his hatred and rage. Earlier in the series we see Iroh use fire bending to heat his tea without moving which comes from his life force. Second, it wasn’t a lucky hit to the back. When the stone sphere he was using as a shield broke apart, it created the jagged edges he hit. What was lucky is that he didn’t hit his head.

[@stevenjuststeven7428]

18:38 I disagree about Ang enter the avatar as "luck". Ang didn't master the avatar state and so it can only be triggered by trauma. That being said I think he never really considered entering the avatar state cause he might not be able to control it. Accidentally triggering the avatar state felt natural. I mean it is bound to happen at some point.

[@mazikeensmith6558]

Wrong. Aang couldn't enter the Avatar State because he lost access to it after Azula killed him in book 2 finale. Special attention is given to Aangs wound making contact with a rock, thus triggering the Avatar State against Aangs will. If that isn't luck, idk what is.

[@Radec913]

nah he deffinatly wanted to if he could. But he knew it was blocked by azula's lightning. He mastered it before he got struck. The lightning physically blocked the cosmic energy from flowing as explained by aang himself when toph asks why dont u just go into the avatar state.

[@DeathnoteBB]

Mazikeen Smith Wrong... yes he lost the Avatar state but the Lion Turtle gave that power back to him. That was the whole point of that scene.

[@sparrow2068]

I love the fact that Aang was so adamant about not killing. Despite being in the minority, he stuck to his morals. It’s a great message and I’m really happy they went with it :)

[@austinboylan5476]

23:32 I think you’re forgetting a crucial detail; Aang learned to control the Avatar state through the unlocking of his chakras with Guru Pathik. When he hits the rock, it unblocks the last chakra that he lost connection to when he was electrocuted by Azula. Meaning this isn’t Aang being controlled by the Avatar state as seen in previous scenes. He’s in control of his actions (he proves this by not killing Ozai); this is him using it’s power to take control of the fight and give him the opening he needs to make the final decision.

[@purplehaze2358]

“Writing fight scenes” is referred to as choreography.

[@RudTeljes]

Choreography is how they are fighting specifically, the writing is what is happening in the fight that isn't in itself the fighting.

[@joeycardenas4219]

The Avatar State was always an antagonist throughout the entire series. From episode 2 we saw the aggressive nature of the Avatar State, but we deemed it as a body guard type of form only showing up in times of absolute need for Aang and staying for as long as the threat was large. The reason the Avatar State was an antagonist was because it was the opposite of Aangs character throughout his story and may or may not have been another reason why Aang had such a problem with not wanting to be the Avatar. Aang showed signs of emotional abuse from the power and the status of being the Avatar. Now whether that comes from the loss of his people at the hands of the fire nation or the pressure put upon "just one kid" to save the world from a powerful nation. We see evidence of this in episode 3 where he realizes he put Katara and Sokka in great danger by popping off in front of them, as well as at the beginning of Book 2 in the Earth Kingdom military compound we see the beginning of Aang's refusal of the form because of its aggressive nature and intent to kill. At the end of Book 2 when Aang chooses Katara over the Avatar State he locks the power inside of him, giving him a sense of victory and relief over the form but at the same time giving him a taste of just how important this form is to not only himself but to the world. He realizes this when later in B2E20 when fighting Zuko Azula and the Dai Lee, they are outmatched and won't make it out of the fight alive, Aang feels a sense of guilt as he looks at Katara, not necessarily thinking he chose wrong by any means, but by realizing that the Avatar State is a part of his character, and without it, the world does not have The Avatar. This culminates in Book 3 when the only time in the entire season Aang pops off in the Avatar State is when he snaps. Now you could make the argument there was no way he unlocked the form to give him the chance to go into the State. I'll refer you to 2 possible solutions: 1. How was Aang able to contact his past lives on the Lion Turtle if the Avatar State was blocked? Perhaps he remained in a halfway unlocked state since he did start the process at the end of book 2 but was interrupted by Azula. 2. He snapped. He literally snapped. The final chakra Aang left locked was his Earthly Attachment, his refusal to take a life. When pushed to his absolute limit, Aang let go of everything, and the form was unlocked. We see proof of the second theory at the end of the glow montage, we see the same purple glowing spirit make a sound possibly signifying Aang opened the chakra by letting go of everything for the time being. We see further proof of this when Aang pulls himself out of the Avatar State by returning to his morals and stating he still refuses to kill Ozai, thus locking his last chakra once again. And to wrap this up, Aang conquers the Avatar State in that moment. All throughout the series Aang was never able to trigger or end the Avatar state on purpose but at the very end of the fight we see Aang end the Avatar State, and post fight we see the first time when Aang is in full control of the State when he moves the ocean to douse the forest fire. Hang has not only conquered but Accepted to power and finally has the control he's been looking for. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk lmao

[@orio-kami7601]

Thanks! I never really understood it like that before!

[@karolchruzik1919]

You could make a case for both of these: a) avatar state trigger isnt get poked in the back but smth smth great stress or threat, so it would activate anyway around that moment even without that artisticaly ironic ptsd triggering sharp rock in the scar. b) aang waking up on the island is a bit lazy but details make it better. First of all at the time he ran away and was activly searching for an answear to the dilema, Second his great connection to the spirit world is probably what caused turtle bro to notice him and invite to teatime and magic powers giveaway. So yea, it was lucky but it also was earned as if it didnt happened aang would simply spend more episodes looking around for another solution. Like blood bending... These answears are somewhat hardcore fan apologetic and obviously in writing an answear you have to dive and think deep for is usually a bad one but still. Just throwing that out there.

[@zivronen9539]

Honestly, I just thought that blood bending would have been a better solution, although impossible (Without removing the small but brilliant usage of blood bending by Katara few episodes before). About energy bending, had it been establish that it wad a thing, that it was connected to the spirits and that the turtle lions could grant it, I wouldn't mind. I would even agree that if Aang thought that the turtle lions were extinct and he couldn't used it, but then the turtle lion revealed itself because Aang pass a test by refusing to give up on his ideals, then the scenario seen in the show was earned. But it was not. Even the conflict about how to stop Ozai wasn't presented (or at least, was not the focus) before the finale. Therefore, it almost felt to me like an average solution, thrown into a great story because the writers need an ending that matches the tone of the show and didn't set something good enough beforehand.

[@zivronen9539]

And I always thought that the back poking make sense, due to the combination of necessity that always triggered it, with the explanation if Chakras and the cause for the avatar state failing. Sure, it was a little contrived but sense it didn't actually solved the conflict (just changed it as was described in the video), I at least was always fine with it.

[@Moony1568]

I agree with you but I couldn’t stop cringing while reading your comment

[@riotdancesquadleader1047]

Furthermore: Ozai claims divine providence is on his side. I always thought it was intentional irony that divine providence actually came in clutch for Aang and his morally upright mission. By refusing to bend (lol) to the pressure to treat the fight like a matter of merely physical dominance and kill the fire lord (i.e. by insisting on maintaining his moral and spiritual integrity) Aang is acting as a true balancer and avatar of nature itself, rather than just another might-makes-right dominance-based ruler. Ergo, nature itself and the spiritual world back him up. ALso the lionturtle thing never bothered me, it wasn't happenstance but his persistent pursuit of a moral solution that led the spirit world/lion turtle TO him, I always thought. The narrative was responding to his moral character.

[@rohhaiil]

a) I don't believe that the Avatar state would've triggered at that time anyway. Guru Pathik had said to Aang that once he had started opening his chakras and then left the last one blocked, he WOULDN'T be able to enter the Avatar state AT ALL. Given that beforehand Aang could only enter it as a defense mechanism, it meant that even involuntary activation was now impossible. Although Aang had opened the last chakra, Azula's shot blocked it and the energy there, preventing the state until that rock poked and released energy there. b) Lion turtle thing was okay but it was delivered at the VERY last moment, same as Aang's inner conflict about not killing Ozai. Imo a much better solution would've been to show Aang regaining the control of the Avatar state during Season 3's first half (instead of/alongside with episodic adventures) and appearance of Lion turtle somewhere in 2nd half (it was already impossible to understand what he did and said when he appeared). Furthur, Aang's desire to not kill Ozai could've been indicated as far back as Day of Black Sun, where it was easy to achieve as Ozai was powerless. The Avatar state would've Aang greatly influenced by previous Avatars which could be indicated through one of the dialogues.

[@kenzies4903]

not to mention the bending rule Aang broke by using all of the elements at once. Up to that point we'd seen incredible moments where the elements were bended in crazy ways (like the creation of kyoshi island or roku vs the volcano) but even in those scenes it was always just the avatar bending each element so skillfully that they became seamless. But here, Aang is using each of them at once, showing just how much power he must possess in that moment, but also the control he has to have to restrain himself before he lets the power consume him (i.e.- letting the avatar state continue to be fuelled by all his past lives who urged him to kill ozai, but rather he chooses to take control of the avatar state himself for the first time and puts his own values first.)

[@1mol831]

Roku can use all 4 elements at once too

[@ethanmcfarland8240]

The music in this scene makes aang look like an eldtritch god

[@johnnyoutlaw6534]

Also i like the parallels of Aang hiding in a sphere when he feels truly overwhelmed. They show started with him wrapped inside an air/ice sphere when he became overwhelmed by being the avatar, and ended with him surrounding himself in a rock sphere when overwhelmed by Ozais power. And once he was out of the air sphere, he was ready to become The Avatar, and once he was out of the rock sphere, he truly became a fully realized avatar. Its almost like a womb.

[@siaracastic2515]

Also can we talk poetic justice? I love how the last water bending move aang uses (pushing and pulling the water to extinguish the fires) in the entire series is also the 1st one he ever learns from Katara. The first time Ozai faces the possibility of death is when Aang uses lightning redirection - taught to him by Zuko (who was taught the same by Iroh his own brother) who's a part of Aang's life simply because Ozai was a terrible father - it's almost self inflicted. Also I loved how the idea behind why Aang HAD to find an earthbending teacher that "waits and listens" proved vital as that's the one way he senses Ozai's actions right before he takes his bending away. Every single detail is carefully panned out and given prominence. Bryke and Aaron deserve all the love in the world!

[@siaracastic2515]

@Menkir Dennis That's why I said Bryke and Aaron - Bryan,Mike and Aaron 🙃😂

[@BeginnerBrews]

A small detail that o love about the scene around 19:05 is that Ozai hits a spire the same way Aang did: full back slamming against the wall. It works to show both Aang’s willingness to fight and die for everybody else activating as soon as the chakra is unlocked, and shows Ozai’s cowardice as he runs when the fight changes against him. If the glowing tattoos didn’t show enough that the advantage has flipped, that direct comparison certainly does

[@pchris]

Most youtube comment sections: shitty memes formatted like this one This comment section: actually insightful comments and additions to what was talked about in the video I like it here.

[@michaeldelaparra3330]

The music takes this fight to the next level of intensity. It’s what gives you chills.

[@rupaIii]

How ironic would’ve it been if Aang has struck him with that redirected lightning? The same technique his son used against him, one of the victims of his violence only for karmic retribution to determine that his son teaches that technique to the avatar that kills him

[@Cryomancer27]

I think it’s set up so that that moment is when the fight was “supposed” to end, they’re fairly even up until then but Aang gets the upper hand with the surprise technique and could have ended it. Him choosing not to do so wildly shifts the fight in ozais favor

[@aetherspiralknight]

The "Oh shit Zuko taught him that" look on Ozai's face gets me every time

[@imawinter6928]

I really liked this video. Its evidence was strong and well organized, but your tone and attitude also garnered my appreciation. This video presents your commentaries, suggestions, and thoughts in a gentle, easy-to-follow and yet not condescending way. Having been in a few writers’ workshops myself, I know how hard it can be to achieve that. It is often a mistake to equate one work with its creator, but this video seems to have been made by someone who is a good teacher and considerate interlocutor, by one who knows and learns new information: practiced qualities that I wish I saw and embodied more often.Thank you.

[@marsh3198]

probably my favorite thing about this fight when i first saw it as a kid and upon every rewatch since is the fact that both ozai and aang's first moves tell you everything you need to know about their character. ozai's go-to was immediate, total, cataclysmic destruction. he wanted to show off his power and burn everything in the name of conquest. aang's first move was solely incapacitation: instead of going for ozai, the very first thing aang did was take down the airship, not only showing how committed he was to not killing but preventing ozai from being able to be so recklessly, widely destructive. it's just so *chef's kiss* every time. i remember thinking to myself way back when, "aang's gonna figure it out" Only based off of his choice to take down the ship instead of aiming a blow at ozai. masterful writing