Zuko vs Azula: Breaking Down the REAL Best Fight Of Your Childhood

Come check out the writing behind the final Agni Kai!
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ON PATREON:
www.patreon.com/savagebooks?f...
Check out my second channel, Savage Speaks:
• What's An Average Day ...

[@savagebooks7482]

This was SO MUCH FUN TO MAKE! Let me know what you guys think and if this helped at all with understanding fights scenes or appreciating the agni kai!

[@lapaba1236]

A wonderful video! I just watched this episode seconds ago. Are you watching me? All jokes aside, thank you.

[@JacobsonCinema]

Your video essays are amazing! I I immediately pressed like even before starting the video.

[@psychokineticediting1854]

Savage Books I really hope you can expand on the planning VS execution writing concept outside of fighting one day. That would be a video I guarantee all of the KZbin media criticism community would benefit from. Incredible video!

[@benjaminochoagonzalez9900]

This is HANDS DOWN the best breakdown on avatar i've seen! It's awesome how the details that parallel or are referenced from this agni kai make it that much more significant and thus we ended up more engaged. And definitely gonna affect my writing when thinking about conflicts between characters

[@B-MC]

Something ive often found interesting with this is the thought of ... if Zuko HADNT have brought Katara, he would still have won but it wouldnt mean anything. Azula would still have cheated, probably, but how? And if zuko had merely been able to redirect her lightning, he would have won but it be the same as Iroh defeating Ozai; whereas saying Katara brought her down in support of zuko and zuko is just taking his rightful place, its no longer an in-house victory. This is also why i think people feel zuko and katara are a lot better developed than aang and katara. Also, please write a book including all this stuff so i can put it on my Writing Guides bookshelf. I will gladly pay money.

[@kenrenkerish3177]

Zuko and Azula was truly the emotional finale while Aang vs Ozai was the resolution of the plot

[@hellogoditsmesara3569]

Agreed, there was more emotional investment in Zuko v. Azula because we didn't know how it would turn out while we had the reassurance of how stories work to know Aang would beat Ozai.

[@user-pi8pi3wj7h]

@@hellogoditsmesara3569 The thing is, it wasn't about the ending for aang vs ozai but whether or not aang would compromise his ideals to defeat ozai through killing him. That fight was also the conclusion of aang's character arc as the avatar

[@c_rem6101]

That's exactly how I feel about it, especially because of the fact that I knew the entire time that eventually Aang and Ozai were going to fight, so it was the typical hero vs villain thing. But Zuko being such a human character seen his personal growth and struggle to getting to the final point to fight his sister the person he used to envy a symbol of his past he has to abandon to become a better person is the best piece of emotional resolution ever.

[@KLRW94]

Facts

[@jormungunther7741]

Like kakashi and Obito

[@qwynnthotland6775]

In my opinion, Zuko does straight up overcome Azula. In the moment Azula shoots lightning at Katara, she admits that she couldnt win against Zuko in their most honorable form of combat. The 1v1. She had to resort to underhanded means to come out "victorious"

[@mc_zittrer8793]

Yeah, if we're sticking to the criteria of the divine Agni Kai, her loss is even more dishonorable since she broke the rules as the substitute Fire Nation ruler. It was completely unsanctioned though, so I suppose she felt that as long as she wins, the history books will say whatever she decides they SHOULD say.

[@kuzon8883]

I think that was the point. With how sacred combat and honor is in Fire nation culture, Azula breaking all the rules shows that she was never worthy to rule just as Ozai wasn't

[@b4hji]

I agree with you but that fact is actually made clear in the duel itself, before she resorts to attacking Katara. The beginning of the duel is nothing but Azula throwing everything she has at Zuko, full blast. And for the first time ever he can take it, he stands his ground, not giving up more than a literal inch. When the fight takes a pause and Azula catches her breath you can see the panic set it. He hasn't fired back once and she's the one out of breath, it can't be, it doesn't make sense. Then Zuko finally takes his turn and you get this wicked zoom into Azula's face as she stares the blast down and realizes she can't block it. She dodges. In that moment the fight is over, the match is decided. She threw everything she had at him and he never dodged yet she did. She lost and she knows it. The rest of the fight is Azula frantically trying to flank Zuko instead until she resorts to attacking Katara, capitalizing on the honor Zuko demonstrates.

[@Fandresvc]

Counterpoint: Zuko and Katara say it right at the start, Zuko can't beat Azula alone, she's too good and she's a superior bender/fighter to him in every sense. But he notices something's off about her so he might have a chance. And he was right, she was tilted, she was paranoid, hallucinating, her mental health deteriorated, she was not at her best, very far from it. Her style is usually extremely skilled, cold and calculating, nothing at all like how she fought that final time. She even let Zuko bait her into shooting lightning, whereas before in Ba Sing Se she hadn't even let him bait him into a one on one even though she'd beaten him before, because she had her priorities straight, and she was always the one to bait him. When she prepared the lightning, either realizing he was tricking her to deflect it, or as a split second realization of how she could hurt him much more than by just shooting him, she went for Katara. It was never because she didn't think she couldn't beat him, she already had, she was the strongest and they all knew that, she wanted to hurt him.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

​@@Fandresvc Counterpoint to your counterpoint - I think even if Azula was in her RIGHT head, she still would have lost to him in a true 1v1. What he spoke about at the beginning of the fight just showed that he was going to approach her with all due caution, as you would any viper that's been cornered. And with what bahji pointed out about his fighting style incorporating elements from all four schools, plus the application of his technique of lost fire bending, I'd say he was giving her way more credit than she actually deserved for a duel between purists. If she still had all her underlings, then yeah, he'd have every reason to be nervous about his chances, cause a fair fight was something he'd never count on at that point. Katara was the only variable that wasn't in Zuko's immediate control for this whole fight. Savage calling her a damsel was likely an accidental mislabeling, as I consider her more of just a bystander that proved she could take care of herself against that psychopath if she needed to. Azula plans her fights like a person would play Shogi; stack the field in your favor as much as possible before engaging the enemy proper. But Zuko basically showed up and said Azula had a trucker's haircut and challenged her to Agni Kai, and she just accepted the throwdown right there. The only friends Azula had had gave her the brush-off because she was an insufferable bitch to get along with, and that began her downward spiral where she ejected EVERYONE that could have helped her, including the secret police of Ba Singh Sei. Zuko's development was a journey of self actualization, of embracing the styles of friends he had made that were all from kingdoms the Fire Nation stepped on. Azula started off as a prodigy, and as a fiercely loyal nationalist, saw no need to refine her style any further. Why use techniques from losers that were powerless to stop you, right? Her only real development was all the ways she discovered she could manipulate others. She lost because Zuko had surpassed her in skill(not the same as passing her in talent, since she still had more than him. But in regards of that duel, that didn't really matter since talent wasn't something he was fighting her with), and her blade was blunted since she was suddenly fighting Zuko with a handicap she didn't actually want to give him. Losing the people she had been manipulating is like if you were playing a shoot 'em up and after catching a stray bullet, your plane blows up and you lose all those dank powerups that more or less allowed you to play in autopilot mode.

[@DourFlower]

I really love how when Aang is betrayed by Zuko, the scar left by Azula is on his back, but when Zuko protects Katara, the identical scar left by Azula is on his front

[@alain2898]

A Classy Splatter I never really take any notice into that small detail. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@idman4081]

You may have just blown my mind with that beautiful symbolism

[@Persnikity-yv3nh]

WHOA

[@oliviermitton3035]

Woooow, I would never have noticed that. Very nice observation

[@ssamyuljins]

I saw someone say that “Aang got his when he let go of his attachment of Katara to save the world. Zuko got his when he let go of his attachment of the world to save Katara.” Such a cool parallel.

[@riotdancesquadleader1047]

A big character thing about this fight: Zuko uses the "basics" that Iroh was drilling into him in the first few episodes. Azula darts around the field doing big flashy moves but Zuko almost doesn't move from his position until he leaps to take the lightning bolt. Plus he even uses that same spinning stance-breaking move from his first on-screen Agni Kai to throw her off. She's a prodigy but he has incredibly strong basics thanks to Iroh, and the self-control to not feel the need to compete with her theatrics thanks to his encounter with the Old Masters

[@the-nina-beans88]

Riot Dance Squad Leader 10 wasn’t Zuko’s “ stance breaking “ based off of Dante’s break dancing? I heard somewhere they too inspiration from Dante’s break dancing when. Zuko uses his feet to fire bend. You can see it in book one’s episode 3 and 4 And in the Agni Kai seen in this video.

[@soulofshukaku]

I also like that his sacrifice isn't aimless, he clearly attempts to redirect the strike as Iroh taught him - he fails because he wasn't stable, since he was diving to save her. Not just "I will give my life for you!" More "I can handle this- urk!"

[@ZakuroTL]

Zuko also follows Iroh's advice from Bitter Work, in which Iroh teaches him that he can use knowledge from other bending styles to be a better Firebender. Zuko does a few moves in the Agni Kai that are very reminiscent of Earthbending - namely the jump he does as his first move of the fight, and when he goes into a horse stance to stand his ground and break apart her flames (shown at 15:12 in this video). There's also a zoomed-out shot where you can see him using techniques from the Sun Warrior dance. It all really shows how much more rounded Zuko has become not just as a person, but as a bender.

[@gingerpi93]

@@ZakuroTL Someone else pointed this out in a different video I watched on this fight so I can't state it nearly as eloquently, but Zuko also uses techniques of all four elements as he fights off Azula's attacks. The spinning fire kick is like Aang's classic move, the big fire wedge is an earth stance, the lightning redirect is a waterbender move, etc. So in a sense, Zuko also "mastered" or learned from all four elements throughout his journey. Which makes sense since he is a descendent of the avatar line and acts as a foil to Aang.

[@ZakuroTL]

@@gingerpi93 Ah, how could I forget about lightning redirection being from waterbending? And I didn't think of that about Aang's kick! That makes it even better!

[@presidenttogekiss635]

I mean, Ozai is pretty much just a placeholder. Even in Avatar lore, his presence is minimal. He was only fire Lord for 5 years (compare with his dad, Azulon, who ruled for 75 years, and was responsible for most of the war), and even some of the greatest feats of his reign, like his conquer of Ba Sing Se, were done by his daughter, not him.

[@jaycastle2897]

Technically, history will remember his reign as the end of Azulon's He was doing nothing different than Azula, dogmatically following the wishes of the father. Her fall was a representation of Ozai were he to accomplish his shortsighted goal. All Ozai wanted to do was own it all, to consume it, to flood it with fire, all at the behest of his father, who's presence in the war, and as Ozai's figure of constraint, was seemingly tiring out. Ozai was having himself the tantrum Azula experienced but was prolonging it by attaching it to Azula and the dream of a dead man. All their stories are reflective of their relationships, and their selves.

[@dwaynecox2002]

So Azulon vs Aang would have been a more thematic fight. It wouldn’t have happened, but still

[@austinjackson7103]

Ozai is basically just the emperor, more a force of nature or representation of the dark side of the fire nation.

[@presidenttogekiss635]

@@dwaynecox2002 It would have been cool to see a 100 year old fire bender fight the avatar.

[@presidenttogekiss635]

@@austinjackson7103 Yes, but I always found that boring. I only like Emperor Palpatine because of the prequels. Those movies really made me love him, in all his hammy self.

[@alanareynolds1193]

I love that azula’s blue flame has very little practical use beyond fighting (eg. The throne room being almost completely dark when lit with her blue flame), while zuko’s red flame can be used as a source of light: it just solidifies the idea that azula is purely a warrior and used bending only to that end, while zuko has a much deeper connection to the element

[@totesme14]

Now that’s something I hadn’t heard yet.. I like your analysis

[@consumerjtc5835]

Kinda alludes to how Zuko and Aang learnt that fire is more than just a cause of death, but how it can also bring warmth.

[@spamsamwabam]

Wow I never thought about that actually! Good point!

[@tashaigreene4518]

Definitely, especially after the firebending masters episode

[@thabokgwele5268]

Why was Azula's flame blue anyway?

[@adamgrogory]

God this show was so good. Taught a whole generation how to build a great narrative without us even realizing.

[@KaliTakumi]

Idk about teaching. If there's anything to be learned from amateur writing, it's that knowing what a good narrative is is vastly different from understanding why it's so good and how to implement the same principles

[@treezy326]

Multiple

[@Plookql]

It is good

[@the_viggy]

Bro forget how to write a narrative, this show taught me how to be a better person.

[@RollingxBigshot]

And then the movie was made..............

[@ILoveAnime1121]

Man, that shot of Azula crying just breaks my heart. She has been abused and manipulated her entire life, pushed away all of her friends and family, and had a mental break down, and she just broke. Everything she was lead to believe about herself, about Zuko, about everything, has just been completely shattered. She's a terrifying villain, responsible for a lot of pain in our main characters, but in that moment, she's just a scared and angry kid.

[@Neopolitan_Illusion]

Made to believe that she was "born lucky" This moment is her biggest downfall

[@GeekMasterGames]

She's only 14 years old in this scene. Can you IMAGINE.

[@greenstuff9361]

Alacar Leoricar Say sike right now

[@CRFIDJ9K]

It's called.... Humanizing the villain. She went from always on top, ruthless and brutal, to insanity and hate. She was never "human" - she was the epitome of what evil is always seen as. In the end, when it all falls apart, her eyes aren't angry, they're pained with desperation. Crying tears and out in a plea - you see that she had her entire life was set up for 1 thing, 1 moment, and to not obtain it; she lost her purpose to live. She was turned... human. It's why her defeat wasn't "cheered" the way Aang defeating Ozai was; it was sympathized. We didn't see her get defeated as a villain, we saw her break as a person. It wasn't sweet, it wasn't even bittersweet, it was just bitter. Even on Zuko and Katara's faces. It's why the end of the fight was so impactful.

[@Krystalmyth]

You're projecting. you don't understand why she's actually crying there. She's crying because she thought she had at least killed Zuko. The moment she sees Katara heal him, and that they're going to be okay. THAT is when she broke down. She's not just a scared and angry kid. She's a dangerous sociopath. She would burn down villages with children locked in their homes if given the chance. Your empathy is ill-placed. What you're seeing in her crying, is called narcissistic rage. Anyone with - any - exprience with a narcissist has seen it before and would tell you, clearly, that it is not to be pitied, nor given any attempt at understanding. As at its core, is simply the signs of a hollow person, who cannot be redeemed. Hence why Katara and Zuko, stand in silence.

[@tylerbradfield9981]

It's also my favorite detail that zuko uses air, earth, water, and of course fire bending techniques. Shows that his soul is balanced, unlike azula, who uses her palms to firebend instead of her fingers like she usually does.

[@ihaventshoweredforayearbut247]

Air was probably his break dancing move and the defensive opening move was probably earth based. This kid learnt some real shit from everyone.

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

Examples please?

[@ChildishGambeaner]

@@Ray_D_Tutto right above you

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

@@ChildishGambeaner I mean time stamps and which fighting style it correlates to.

[@twistedlegacy5942]

Something I'd like to add to your analysis, is the exact thing Katara does to beat Azula. First she freezes Azula in ice, which was the first water bending move Katara ever successfully preformed against the fire nation. This alone could just be a coincidence, but notice how she manages to unfreeze herself by breathing out through her nose. Sound familiar? It should. Back when Zuko and Katara had their first big confrontation/fight near the end of Season 1, Zuko was able to beat Katara through a bending move he learned called "Breath of Fire". Zuko breathes through his nose via fire/heat bending to unfreeze himself from Katara's ice. Here, Katara is preforming the same exact feat through her water bending to preform the finishing move on Azula. So not only did Zuko's new outlook overcome Azula like you said, but so does (what is essentially) his own bending technique through Katara's actions.

[@Ishasgirl]

oh, good point! everyone is focusing on Zuko using multiple bending styles, but what Katara does IS like the firbending he was doing in the north pole. it adds another layer if that's what it was. Zuko saved her with something based in waterbending and Katara saved* him with one based in firebending. (*by ending the fight so she can use her healing)

[@corngreaterthanwheat]

This really highlights why you don't feel like it's a Deus ex machina. We've been through three seasons of Katara being awesome and learning to throw ice tentacles or enslave people that her figuring out how to phase shift on the fly feels like natural progression and not cheap narative device.

[@lunabearsong2043]

This comment is severely underrated. Love it!

[@annettesnyder3451]

I mean, Ozai is pretty much just a placeholder. Even in Avatar lore, his presence is minimal. He was only fire Lord for 5 years (compare with his dad, Azulon, who ruled for 75 years, and was responsible for most of the war), and even some of the greatest feats of his reign, like his conquer of Ba Sing Se, were done by his daughter, not him.

[@benjaminalberts4067]

You know what's more interesting? Iroh is the one that taught Zuko that move. Essentially, Iroh saved Zuko in that fight back in season 1. Azula on the other hand didn't have an Iroh-figure in her life, thus losing the fight

[@0axis771]

I feel you missed some other aspects of the Agni Kai itself. The Agni Kai itself was a character driven fight, but it also goes to show how Zuko and Azula's techniques have differed. To that, I point you to examine Zuko's very first Agni Kai, where he dueled Zhao. Zuko was on the disadvantage, being reckless at first, and wasting his energy on big attacks, overall running out breath easily. And Azula is always calm, focused, and always in control of the fight. She wastes no movement, and keeps her momentum going. But the fight here is basically Azula recklessly trying to overpower and beat Zuko, and Zuko fighting smarter, using his attacks to mostly deflect or divert. One moment is when we return to their Agni Kai and they have a fire clash going, and you can see the attacks diverting, and Zuko nearly losing his footing. This is evidence that Zuko made the attack be at an angle that would divert the attack, as he is not trying to brute force his way to Azula, but rather trying to keep her attacks off of him. And Azula ended up being out of breath, which is when Zuko finally launched his assault. It's a great way of showing how Zuko has really come through as a Firebender, having grown strong enough to take a mentally unstable Azula using every lesson he learned. I bring back the very first lesson of Firebending that Iroh teaches: "Power in firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire."

[@regard2093]

though i think both of them in their prime have equal strength but azula is fine playing under hand, that why zuko would loose

[@keyofdoornarutorscat]

Not to mention his stances and movements looked a lot more like other elements, he doesn’t move from his spot until he tries to save Katara

[@imasavage8692]

This is what I came to this video for

[@Fabiocean2000]

He more or less won the duel, Azula only defeated Zuko because he tried to redirect the lightning she shot at Katara.

[@samlerf]

I feel like the first Agni Kai with Zuko was a problem. Zuko was pretty much the main villain for season 1. But there was never really a fight where it felt like he could defeat Aang or even that he was much of a challenge. That didn't get better by the fact that the end of Episode 2 turned Zuko already into a comedy version of himslef, with how tauntingly Sokka bested him. Then we would have Zhao. But he was introduced only to pretty much lose his very fight against someone who already wasn't that threatning. I feel like Avatar truly needed more villains - or at least more of Azula.

[@kaksspl]

Something I noticed when I watched the show last time was how those characters, in a way, swapped places. Zuko started off with an explosive personality lead by anger, focused only on his target and nothing else could get in his way. Azula was calm, precise and through hard work she aimed for perfection. When hit the limit of how powerful she could become she lost her goal and became obsessed with keeping her position, quickly falling into madness. In the meanwhile Zuko had found friends and new meaning to his life. Episode with dragons showed he was no longer lead by anger but by the will to make world a better place. Accordingly in their final battle, Azula loses control, her attacks become more flashy and massive while it's Zuko who stays cool and precise. And while Azula only cares to destroy him at all cost, Zuko throws himself into the lighting because he values protecting Katara more than defeating Azula. And this way this fight finished arcs of those two characters. Or at least that's how I felt about it.

[@gabesklansky]

And obviously, of course Aang growing up as well. The first episode is titled “The boy in the Iceberg”, while the last is “Avatar Aang”.

[@urarakasupremecist5671]

I love that he actually redirected the lightning anyway. While it looks like he took the strike head on, He did redirect the lightning. He was gravely injured because he threw himself mid-air and directed the energy through his heart.

[@xaviercopeland2789]

She never hits a wall though, she just loses her friends and goes mad because of years of abuse from her father causing her to push everyone close to her away. She never hits a wall, she becomes a lonely little girl.

[@xaviercopeland2789]

JBcoolbreez she was bending three elements as a toddler pretty proficiently, and was coddled her whole life. She was handed everything from the beginning, all of a sudden got a bending mastery without tapping into her spiritual side like was required because Aaang couldn’t let her have consequences, and used the bending mastery technique using past lives instead of her own proficiency. I would hope she didn’t have anything else to learn, she had the strongest power of all. Power of plot.

[@lordodysseus]

This really is the best scene in the entire series. It trumps all other scenes. It's beautiful and quiet and the lack of sound is what makes it so fucking loud. It's like base boosting something at minimum volume with a subwoofer the size of a football field.

[@BlastedChutoy]

I find it mirrors perfectly with the fight in the Northern Water Tribe while the moon was gone. How the fire from the fighting lights up the whole scene almost by itself showing the power of the benders that wield them. Of course with Sozin's comet this was amplified ten-fold which only makes even more visually pleasing.

[@fariachaudhry1870]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@roberteads1297]

I definitely agree, the big draw for me was the music or lack there of which make it seem more dramatic.

[@theanswer5431]

This is an amazing scene. My favorite is the last scene in the series. Iroh playing that instrument and all our beloved characters finally together and having a good time; add that last kiss and it gets me teary eyed every time.

[@asant1986]

ya I kept really hoping he would address the sound design in this scene because I think its a huge part of what makes it such an intimate character driven piece despite the flashy over the top visuals

[@christianbryan7474]

"What, no lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it?" assumes that his dad told Azula offscreen about how Zuko turned Ozai's lightning back on him in the eclipse episode.

[@Pluto_dreamz]

I think it was showcasing zuko flaws about how he doesn’t think all the way through he could’ve just beat her with regular fire ending but instead taunted her and because of that he ended up “losing”

[@fireandbombs12]

True, but it does seem strange she hadn't tried to use it yet.

[@being47]

@@fireandbombs12 she would have used lightning if she was in her correct state of mind. If zuko fought Azula from Book 2 final chapters, it would have been very difficult for him to win. Because show multiple times cleared us that Azula is way more powerful than zuko. Even Uncle Ivoh told him he need help defeating Azula. And No one denies Uncle Ivoh Words :P

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

@@being47 But Iroh did that with the knowledge he had from Zuko nearly a year prior. Last fight Iroh had seen Zuko in was 2x6 I believe, which was before his second training session with Iroh, before his Dragon training, and while he came freshly off a streak of malnourishment. The Zuko we saw in Crossroads of Destiny (dude knocked out Aang, which turned the fight to him and Azula's favor), was a different Zuko. The Zuko we saw in the Boiling Rock and Western Air Temple was an altogether different beast. He stalemated Azula twice before the Final Agni Kai, both while she didn't have the madness excuse.

[@being47]

@@TheStraightestWhitest well i agree with all this , Zuko had learned so much and became so much powerful , but you gotta understand this , Azula was very talented and powerful , The only reason zuko lost that match was because she was almost went physico , it was very good decision from the writing stand point. because they needed to show azula that if someone who has proper control on their emotions and actions even if they are weaker they can win, and thats why Katara defeated her. (my interpretation of that fight)

[@rotisseriepossum]

I’ve never been able to articulate why but azulas defeat/breakdown has always felt so... *crushing* to me, for lack of a better word. She stands out from every villain I can think of in every way. Whenever I see her writhing and wailing on the ground for the last time my heart can’t help but break a little

[@rush4in]

Let me put it into words for you: because she is as scarred and even more so than Zuko by her parents. Zuko always had his mom to support him and then Iroh adopted him, Azula had only her father who in the end saw her as nothing more than a tool. "What is wrong with that child?" "My mother thought I was a monster... she was right, of course, but it still hurt." If you want examples of how she never had anyone by her side. There is also a great parallel in The Search that shows exactly how dysfunctional Azula's relationships are - it's a scene where Azula and Katara are sleeping in the cold and how Sokka and Zuko react to it. Knowing this, there is no way not to feel pity for her as the world kicks her in the gut again and again throughout the second half of season 3.

[@MR-ek6yk]

The animation was pretty special for that moment - her range of facial expressions, how fleshed-out her every movement is as she flails against her chains, the intense focus on her eyes - it all was very finely detailed. That, along with the otherworldly sounds her voice actor managed to make, was I think fully intended to make the audience connect with her like never before.

[@the8u9]

For me it was because it was anticlimactic. Deliberately anticlimactic. We wanted the protagonists who have finally reached super saiyan 4 to bring this powerful big baddie to justice, but... realized in the boss room was a sad, misunderstood girl, who had been abandoned for the last time. Unsure of herself, unsure of her abilities, and sure that she was all alone in the world. And when Katara chains her... like an animal... and she cries, the show judges us for wanting a fun good VS evil battle in a world that is as morally gray as our own.

[@pranjalsingh3998]

@@rush4in well if u read the comics ursa loved zuko and azula equally. It was all in azula's head

[@rush4in]

@@pranjalsingh3998 While this may be factually true, mean comments such as “what’s wrong with this child” leave a much much bigger impact on a kid than the positivity. With Azula being the “bad” kid she got a lot more of that, hence the idea that her mom doesn’t love her

[@PowerMatrixAnime]

We appreciate you sacrificing your time, effort and intellectual property even though you know you won't make a penny out of your creation. - Stay Savage.

[@lapaba1236]

We appreciate you sacrificing

[@mydogsfacelookslikeastockp8275]

There's ads!

[@LvHebel]

You forget the styles of bending. Zuko was always agressive like Azula. But in the end he was completely still and stable, to the point of not even moving a single step while Azula was unstable and agresive. Azula represented the new fire nation, destroying all, whil Zuko was like the two dragons, stable and warm, the ancient way of fire bending. It was character driven yet story driven at the same time.

[@VegetaLF7]

Not only that but Zuko's actual motions during the fight, the style with which he fought against Azula, were all inspired by the other bending styles. In his final challenge, Zuko had taken Iroh's words of wisdom to heart and learned from the other styles of bending to better his own.

[@Pluto_dreamz]

Azula wasn’t aggressive though she was always calm and stable that’s how she was able to avoid ang toph and sokka with no bending they switched roles Azula was aggressive that time and zuko wasn’t

[@LvHebel]

@@Pluto_dreamz yeah that's what I meant, they switched out their 'aggression'

[@ChefSandwichboy]

Something else to talk about in terms of why the scene works so well from a film making perspective. The sound design masterfully matching and fueling the tone of the scene. A tone that, for the first half, is established right before the fight by Zuko himself when he tells Katara that he can beat her because "Something's off. She's slipping." The entire first half is scored almost like an elegy, mournful and understated as is the sound design accompanying the action. Despite how much tighter the visual focus and how much the flames dominate the screen, the clash of the two fire bending effects is dramatically muted in comparison to previous fights, especially in contrast to Aang and Ozai, letting us focus on the two characters and their emotional responses to each sequence of attacks and counters. It's telling (audio) AND showing (visual) us right from the get go that Azula has already lost. Where she is erratic, fearful, all aggression and a raw nerve of emotion, Zuko is calm and focused, easily countering everything she throws at him. We saw him overcome his demons and grow at the same time that Azula has become more and more unstable as she continued to isolate herself, and this has taken that and sharpened it to a fine point. The turn is when a bit of the old Zuko comes out and he makes the Oberyn Martell mistake of goading his opponent because he has just proven that she can't beat him in a straight, honorable fight completely forgetting that she has never displayed any intention of playing fair at any point in the show. Like Zuko, the audience is fooled into thinking that both adversaries were fighting by the same rules. It's only when Zuko realises his critical miscalculation and sacrifices himself (briefly shifting to a normal sound level before his moment of sacrifice only to then revert to the subdued tone at it's most muted) that the sound shifts to match the change from character driven to story driven narrative. Suddenly everything is louder, the music changes pace and tone to one of immediate dread and danger. Whereas we the audience went in believing (and had it initially visually confirmed) that Zuko could ultimately defeat Azula, that's not the case for Katara and the change in music and sound design amplifies the sudden shift to a much more tense and uncertain confrontation. This buildup continues until just after Katara figures out how to trap Azula, the strings rising to a crescendo of tension before once again changing back to a more somber tone as Azula is defeated, amplifying the visual message of how pathetic and broken she has become. All of this is sharply contrasted to the audio choices of Aand/Ozai, which opens with a literal roar of sound from Ozai's firebending and retains that aggressive bombast throughout the fight. Had this been scored in a more traditional way like both the Aang/Ozai one simultaneously taking place and the vast majority of duels within the show, it would have lost SO MUCH of the impact it ultimately landed with. Both fights compliment and contrast each other, displaying a master class in film narrative on every level. Ultimately both big duels in the finale are a combination of Character and Story driven conflicts, but inverted. Where the fight between Zuko, Katara and Azula starts as a character conflict and then shifts to a story conflict, the one between Aang and Ozai does the exact opposite. As you pointed out in the other video, from a metatextual standpoint the audience already knows that Aang will win somehow. The fight as a story conflict is the text, but the real meat is the subtext, the focus on the uncertainty of HOW Aang will ultimately defeat him. The dual narratives of Aang defeating Ozai without betraying his principles and displaying that the differing directions of isolation/regression and empathy/growth are how Azula defeats herself, are the complete package and why the whole finale remains one of the best of all time in any visual medium.

[@masonhmusic]

Very well said.

[@dancorps1388]

Not only that, but the sound and visual gives somewhat of a tragic vibe. It tragic that the fight is happening between brother and sister. That they drifted apart so much that they share only the same fauther. It tragic that Azula has slip so far from grace... and then you realize that she, just like Zuko, is a victim, because of a bit of character exploration earlier in the show that you might of laugh along with at the time. There an episode where the fire team go to on a mandatory vacation to a island. We see that Azula can't function in normal day situations. And then we realized that she similar to season one Zuko. She strives for control, he use to strive for being able to go home. Thier goals different, the effects the same. And then you realize that the only reason why they different is because Azula didn't have someone who challenge her way of thought, Zuko did. Zuko had Iroh, where all she had was soldiers to afraid to talk back to her. And that why every once of the first haft of the fight feel tragic. For all that makes these two different in this one fight, is also what makes them the same at the start of their journey. You can see Zuko ending up that way Azula did without Iroh being there every step of the way. If not literally, then in the back of Zuko head judging every action he makes.

[@gabriellucena6583]

Comments with 6 lines have a "Read More" option at the bottom... I'm amazed this one doesn't to me lol.

[@domc55]

If I remember correctly, aren't these two fights spliced into each other in the episode? Switching back and forth between them? I think that also adds to both of these scenes. The Aang fight keeps you in the feeling that this is a fight for the fate of the world, while the Zuko fight amps up the personal stakes that they're fighting for simultaneously.

[@Galvatronover]

Yes which is why I wouldn’t rank one of these above each other

[@missingtexturez]

​@@tennsf4468i view them on the same fight in a way tbh

[@mewtwo.150]

Exactly as how it happened in STAR WARS Revenge of the Sith Yoda vs The Senate, and Anakin vs The High Ground

[@laurenv6275]

I think that it's also notable that for Zuko to win this fight without help, he probably would have had to kill Azula. Azula, no matter how much of an upper hand Zuko had, was never going to give up. And because of the nature of firebending, there would be no way for Zuko to subdue Azula without killing her or severely burning her. Even after everything, I don't think Zuko wanted Azula to die, let alone be the one to kill her.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

A very fine point. The fact that he certainly would pull his punches on her just further proves he would have won in a fair and sanctioned fight.

[@Pluto_dreamz]

Mc_ Zittrer no if Azula was in her right mind she would have won zuko clearly stated that himself

[@Pluto_dreamz]

Sirius Stark Al Ghul no he asked for kataras help to fight her but he saw she was crazy so he knew he could take her on but in the end he still lost and even in the comics after the story Azula still beat zuko I don’t wanna hate on zuko but he is the weakest of all aangs bending teachers and Azula sorry

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

@@Pluto_dreamz Zuko never asked for Katara's help. Iroh, being ever overprotective of Zuko and unaware of his feats during the Crossroads of Destiny and this learning of the Dragon form, advised someone to go with him. That's when Zuko, now appreciating his uncle's advise for once, asked her. And you've got to keep in mind as well that they were expecting resistance. They didn't know Azula had banished her guards, that she'd be alone. They were assuming to have to go in there like they went into Ba Sing Se, meaning past a small army amped on Sozin's Comet. Azula beat Zuko 1/3 times they fought in the comics succeeding ATLA. And that one win could be argued wasn't a real win seeing as it wasn't a real fight. Zuko was shown to control multi-colour fire, which no other firebender had ever done before. He did not use it against Azula. He literally threw one regular fireball at her. More importantly than anything perhaps is that Bryke and especially Ehasz were not involved in the writing of the comics. I believe Bryan was involved in its art style, but nothing more. You can't expect consistency from a different writer. Ehasz has two audio templates explaining some of the narrative decisions he made. In one of them, he talks about Katara's arc. In another, he talks about Zuko's arc, and he describes how it's half his journey to overcome his sister. In fact, that's the only reason Azula's flames are blue. They made her with that final confrontation in mind.

[@princess_azula4012]

But I'm confused because he asked for lightning why would he want it but to redirect it back at her and kill her also by accepting the agni Kai he accepts the fact and acknowledged that this fight is to death but thankly the katara situation happens so neither of them had to die

[@Noveler00]

I think another moment that comes full circle, in the final Agni Kai, is the use of techniques outside the benders normal repertoire. We know Zuko uses the lightning redirect, which was a technique learned from water benders. If Katara wasn't outright told about it she could have learned or detected as Zuko taught it to Ang or when Zuko did it in front of her during the Agni Kai. Reguardless of how she aquired the knowledge, it could have been on of those broaden horizon moments that Zuko got from Iroh. The point I'm getting to is that I believe Katara used a fire bending technique to defeat Azula. Most of water bending is about flowing and redirecting to off balance their opponent. When Katara froze both herself and Azula in the the water, Katara performed a breathing technique to free herself within the ice and restrain Azula. The only other time I can recall, within the series, where breathing was valuable to bending was in talks bout fire bending. Both Iroh and Jeong Jeong make mention of it, helping Zuko survive the freezing north and teaching Ang fire bending basics. This mirrored to the season one finale in which Zuko used this breath of fire to free himself from the ice flow Katara put him in at the Spirit oasis and defeat her, but this time, ironically, used by a water bender againt a fire bender.

[@filipeoliveiraladislau4533]

team avatar does that often especialy on seasson 3, as example katara vs hama. it was on a stalemate with waterbending techniques but then katara does a sequence of earth bending instances completely crushing hama

[@wanderingpaladin4927]

What really made me sad when Azula had her breakdown is that she’s only 14. She’s just a kid.

[@renatoapetino3653]

problem is she is also a sociopath and is a terrible person, don't get me wrong i felt sad for her, but she enslaved cities and killed dozens probably, she also attacked someone who wasn't in the Agni Kai, showing no respect for the fight she chose to take, or the traditions that gave her the political power she has. she also has a breakdown because Zuko is alive, not because she is defeated. you see. before Katara heals Zuko you can see her face and her eyes are just waiting to see it not work, full of anger. Said anger turns into despair when she realizes that she didn't kill her brother.

[@NoahofWill]

@@renatoapetino3653 That, in a way, just makes it sadder. Because it's like Azula never had a choice to be anything but this. It's like she said. ""My mother thought I was a monster... she was right, of course, *but it still hurt."* She was a 14-year old child groomed into being a monster by everyone and everything around her. It's no surprise that she turned out the way she did, but it's also infinitely sadder than if she started closer to the middle like Zuko did, with support she respected, and made choice after choice after choice to push herself to where she is now. I very much doubt that if she had started off closer to the middle, protected at a young age and able to make her own choices without influence, she would be crying at the end.

[@princess_azula4012]

@@renatoapetino3653 bruh it's not confirmed anywhere that she kileed anyone your trying to hate badly

[@renatoapetino3653]

@@princess_azula4012 I'm not trying to hate, I love her characterization and how it is constructed. I just think that she is a sociopath... also, why would I hate a piece of fiction? like, I hate how she treats others and herself but still, doesn't mean I hate the person. Also, she had no trouble and absolute cold blood trying to kill her own brother, she is part of the nation that is known for war, and war is known for the death it brings. she is a high ranked military figure, with no regard for life, as she threw rocks to pond and fountain animals for fun, and tried to kill her own brother and uncle, and mastered lethal arts. What makes you think she couldn't kill anyone?

[@princess_azula4012]

@@renatoapetino3653 war is known for the death it brings??? You just said a peace of fiction then brought up an Irl problem?

[@kuzon8883]

Wheras the Ozai fight was the crazy and spectacular that the show needed to end on, the final Agni Kai is almost just as important. Zuko coming full circle. He's calm and at peace. He's the rightful heir

[@tomsimpkins1211]

One reason I've always loved the Final Agni Kai, was because it wasn't some huge bombastic finisher. There was no epic theatrics, there was no upbeat music to get you hyped. From the first moment of the morose music, you understood this was a tragedy. Everything is framed from a neutral or low angle, the somber colours and sound design, the lack of sound effects that usually accompany the bending replaced by the air being split by the fire, everything in it feels raw. It truly made a beautiful scene.

[@SamaritanPrime]

One thing that struck me about this fight is the music. You can hear the drums of war sound, the steady THUMP as the arena and the combatants are shown, setting the stage for what is to come. Then, the fight begins, and a tragic melody begins to play... ...but the drums do not stop. They continue as the melody plays, providing a steady cadence that explains, to the audience, that the war is what has pushed these siblings apart and brought them to this moment, and how, despite all the pain one has inflicted upon the other, it is still a tragic thing that this family has come apart. As a side note, if people (ahem, Viacom!) would stop copyrighting KZbin videos that talk about their stuff, that would be great.

[@charleskreisel674]

I cringed every time you said that Aang turned his back on Katara. He meditated to save Katara, not forsake her.

[@narufan987]

Although he did that to save Katara, he knew from Guru Pahtik's teachings that he had to let go of her to master the Avatar state. In other words, Aang had to turn his back on Katara to save her

[@isdrakon9802]

@@narufan987 he had to let go of his love for her, he wasn't going to just save himself. Would you rather die fighting or lose nothing. This would be kataras perspective and I'm sure she would choose option two

[@nurainiarsad7395]

I think this was one of the story moments that increased his doubt over the advice of his predecessor Avatars and Guru Pathik. When Katara was in serious trouble, Aang made the decision to take his advice and to accept the final step to release her, in order to access the Avatar state and save the situation (and her). But instead, he was jolted out of it by Azula's attack and it was Katara - the very person he was told to let go - who saved him from death (and therefore saved the world). I think in a way it encouraged him to consider alternative ways to deal with Ozai because at this point it no longer seemed obvious that the advice he receives from others is necessarily going to be what works.

[@maeikaa4427]

@@nurainiarsad7395 oh, that's a really good point - i always felt iffy about that advice and this could explain it a lot better!

[@ALilRanga]

I love how Zuko used other styles of bending in his fight! Redirect of lightning was learnt through studying water benders. The double handed defensive deflect has strong earth bending tones the way he holds his ground. Finally the spinning flip kick he does on the ground that ends up tripping Azula feels like it could also be used by an airbender. In this fight you can see how Irohs teachings led to Zuko winning the final Agni Kai

[@DreamerTrain]

So happy that others have noticed! This aspect of the fight doesn't gets enough mention and it's huge on Zuko's character development in my opinion, it represents him having learned from the other nations and the importance of harmony between them that Iroh taught him

[@Raziroth]

I showed this fight to my buddy with zero context to get him to watch Avatar. It worked!

[@IIlllllI]

Nice but sucks that it's spoiled for them now haha

[@Qwerterwildfang]

Good job

[@Tman2010001]

That's what you gotta do sometimes!! And then they'll watch with anticipation up til then!

[@ceri3677]

same bro

[@darthfall275]

Can you break down Zuko's confrontation with Ozai on the Day of Black Sun? It's one of the best moments of dialogue in the series

[@NeighbourhoodVandal]

18:58 when Azula sets fire to the ground, the water gets evaporated. The attention to detail in this show is so satisfying I swear

[@MiraAdriana]

Your explanation on katara's story arc took my breath away and made my jaw dropped on the floor. I was always questioning katara's purpose following Zuko, it didn't make that much sense to me why she needs to be there. But your explanation about her arriving at the fire nation in contrast to when the southern raiders invaded her home and also how she ran away from Azula in The Crossroads of destiny and then she face Azula head on,... is just... breathtaking. This might be the first video essay of agni kai where a portion of the video is dedicated to explaining katara, and I respect that!

[@xtentasticx]

There's another difference between character and story driven fight scenes that I'm not sure if you know but is still relevant: Characters in story-driven fight scenes aren't the ones who choose to fight- the story chooses; but in character driven fight scenes, it was the characters who chose to fight. Yes, the character Aang could have 'chosen' not to fight, but that would go against the story. So his character is forced to fight Ozai. But Zuko didn't need to go fight Azula. He could have waited for Aang to defeat Ozai and then gone and defeated Azula with him. But he chose to go fight Azula anyway.

[@PristinePerceptions]

I agree with your point but not with your reasoning. The story-driven imperative is to prevent Azula from becoming the Firelord. His true character-driven choice, however, was to fight her alone in an Agni Kai. He had Katara with him, they could've taken Azula down together. But he chose to face her in a fair fight, both to avoid harm to Katara and (imo) make his crowning as the Firelord justifiable in the eyes of his future subjects.

[@lidla2008]

Anyone who thinks Zuko didn't overcome Azula wasn't paying attention. It was his choice to trust and rely on Team Avatar (specifically Katara, here) that overcame Azula. Any other path leading to this moment would have likely resulted in his own death at his sibling's hands.

[@Banks-]

Zuko became stonger than Azula because he found the true source of firebending. Azula's firebending come from anger and agression while Zuko's come from the breath

[@adamwu4565]

We aren't told what all the rules of an Agni Kai are, but I think it likely that the by shooting at a bystander, Azula violated them and thus disqualified herself. We aren't shown too many bystanders/observers of the fight, but they must have been there. An Agni Kai with this much at stake needs witnesses and Azula couldn't have banished the ENTIRE Fire Nation court. That's why Zuko was accepted as Firelord afterwards, and why none of those bystanders/guards/etc intervened to help Azula after Katara tied her up. They all (or maybe most) agreed that Zuko won the fight. He was clearly winning up to that moment, and her pulling an underhanded trick like that to injure him is tantamount to an admission of defeat.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

Yeah, jury's out on that one. Taking a hit for Katara was indeed his own personal victory, but what people care about first and foremost was who was physically stronger at that point. Doesn't matter how you wanna slice it, he very clearly was pulling his punches and allowing her to burn herself out before counter-attacking. Mayweather did like the exact same thing to derail Tyson. Azula didn't shoot lightning at Katara cause she had the lead, or even to break a stalemate. She did it cause she was gonna lose, otherwise. I'm really getting tired of the incessant gaslighting from Azula fuck-boys.

[@WeMissDimebag]

Sure, I guess he beats her by proxy. But in the actual fight, she beat him and he was dying on the floor. She broke the boundaries of Agni Kai to do it, but she did it.

[@xaviercopeland2789]

He is never shown to be stronger. The fight even gives you subtle hints of this by him being pushed back when they throw fire at eachother, them saying they were going to probably lose before they saw how crazy she was, and showing how erratic her moves are compared to her cold/calculating self. He gets smacked to oblivion in the comics like a bug by Azula as well when she has her head, so it just goes to show you the gap they still had.

[@catherinetannahill3714]

I literally downloaded Patreon for yours. I really appreciate how much you have helped my writing. best of luck. you are easily one of my top 5 creators on this platform

[@savagebooks7482]

Thanks Cat! That really means the world to me :)

[@misstycatbb]

i'm not really sure how i feel about the implication that aang "turned his back on katara to save the world", because he.. didn't. that's not what happened. in the episodes before that fight aang goes through an arc where he has to challenge his inner turmoil, grief, shame, trauma, and earthly attachments in order to gain control over the avatar state. he's told that he needs to let go of katara in order to gain control over the avatar state and he's unable to let her go, he makes an attempt because he knows he has to master the avatar state in order to save the world, but he ultimately chooses katara when he has a vision that she's in danger and immediately goes to her instead. he's told that if he goes to her, he wont be able to go into the avatar state at all. he still goes to her aid anyway. skip forward to the fight against zuko and azula, aang soon realizes that they're outnumbered. you can try to argue that the reason he locked himself in that crystal dome to enter the avatar state was him turning his back on her to save his skin because the world needs him, but thats really not it? his first instinct after pausing to take in how outnumbered they are is to look to katara, and see that she's surrounded by the dai li agents, more than she can take. he sees that she's in danger with a look of terror in his eyes--- katara being in danger is the whole reason he returned to ba sing se without finishing mastering the avatar state. he remembers the words of the guru telling him he has to let her go, and with a pained expression says 'i'm sorry katara'. he "turned his back" on her because he wanted to protect her, and in order to do that he had to let go of his feelings for her. i just. don't like the implication that aang was leaving katara at the wayside to save the world when its very clear he was trying to protect her by giving up his love for her so he could go into the avatar state and overpower their attackers.

[@ninjacheetah_]

finally!!! i hate that people are acting like aang doesn't care about katara. it was something that had to be done to save the world. but if you think about it he really doesn't let go as you can see in the ending episode at iroh's teashop. he just somehow masters his feelings so he is still able to go into the avatar state.

[@MrSignman65]

By the very nature of going into the avatar state, we're shown that he has put aside his love of Katara. What you're saying makes no sense, he put aside his love of Katara, in order to save Katara out of love? It contradicts itself. I personally think that Aang gave up on her in that moment, but his past lives took the wheel and attempted to fight off their attackers, not for Katara, but for self-preservation. Now I'm not saying that he doesn't care about Katara, but he learned that he must put his own life above hers for the sake of the world.

[@paraplegicleopardman]

@@MrSignman65 but it didn't even work. Prioritizing his own life got him shot down and katara had to actually carry him out of there herself. To me that message is inherently warped and borderline indefensible. That one life be deemed more valuable than another because of some cosmic mandate. One can argue material measures but either way, Iroh's sentiment is what wins out in this outcome to me: "power and perfection are overrated. I think you were wise to choose love."

[@PedricCuf]

@@MrSignman65 He didn't put his life above hers, though. He put his life as an Avatar above his life as Aang. He gave up on himself. As the guru and the Avatars claimed, he decided to sacrifice his own needs to do what he thought needed to be done. He figured that when he gave up all personal bonds and gained the power he thought he needed to save the world, then she would be saved, as well.

[@lunabearsong2043]

@@PedricCuf I absolutely agree. Katara understood this, as well.

[@geoffgreen2105]

For another amazing example of a character driven fight that is close, personal, and has high stakes for both characters, see Obi Wan kenobi vs. Maul in Star Wars Rebels, season 3, episode 20, "Twin Suns."

[@juicebox9465]

One of my favorites and highly underrated!

[@psychedelicbread2217]

Juice Box that 1 minuet scene and like 5 second duel was the best part of rebels imo

[@biteablehawk4551]

Azula: *Charging up her most powerful attack* Zuko: *Bippity Boppity ur lightning is my property*

[@CharlieQuartz]

I feel like qualifying Katara as a damsel in that moment isn’t justified, since she is wholly capable as a fighter against all but the most powerful attacks, like lightning (also considering it was a surprise move that caught both her and Zuko off-guard). Zuko isn’t the love interest to Katara in this story, and he certainly hasn’t shown himself to be overwhelmingly capable compared to her. (They were able to best each other in the fight at the Spirit Oasis depending on the presence of the Moon and Sun.) Their skills don’t overlap, which is why where Zuko’s abilities kept him at a stalemate with advantage during his fight with Azula, Katara was able to defeat her with her unique skills that could counter fire. Katara isn’t a damsel in this situation in the same way that Toph isn’t a damsel when she’s not fighting enemies on solid ground and her friends help her. Katara and Zuko being analogous to the stereotypical female and male roles in a typical damsel-saviour situation in entirely cosmetic in this fight, I think. It’s much more about how complex characters with specific weaknesses and strengths help each other in conflict. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole essay and love your videos. I learn something new about writing every time and something about my favorite show, too. Thank you for all the time you put into these thoughtful videos, you deserve all the attention and praise that you are given. I’m eager to sign up for your Patreon.

[@littlebigmarc]

I agree. She had no time to re act. You could see the fear on her face.

[@yeahkeen2905]

I don’t think that when he called her a damsel he meant that literally, he just called her that because from a writing perspective she was a damsel. It’s just like how he called the Avatar State the antagonist of the fight between Aang and Ozai. Also it’s not like Zuko wasn’t capable of defeating Azula. Azula fires the lightning at Katara for a reason because she knew that if she fired it at Zuko he would redirect it. And Katara only beat Azula by luring her into a trap.

[@CharlieQuartz]

Yeah KeeN I’m not sure what you mean by “literally” a damsel, unless you’re referring to the Medieval term, which she definitely is as a young, unmarried woman. My comment was intended as a literary analysis rejecting that Katara fits in the “damsel in distress” trope. I didn’t say Zuko couldn’t defeat Azula, he definitely had the upper hand in the fight, and his conversations with Aang about ending a life to bring peace make it clear he’s willing to kill his own sister. Zuko actually prepared a trap for Azula when he tried to goad her into firing lightning at him. He didn’t anticipate that she would aim at Katara and saved her by redirecting it, but not through his stomach, so the chi path damaged his chest/heart. I think it’s unfair to say that Katara was less capable of beating Azula because she used the environment (the sewer) to her advantage. It actually led to a more favorable outcome since she didn’t have to take Azula’s life. (A lesson learned in The Southern Raiders) And it’s also important to remember that neither of them would have been able to take her on if she hadn’t been in the middle of a mental breakdown.

[@hippygarden]

I was wondering about this. Wouldn't water be the worst thing to fight lightening with? Wouldn't she have been electrocuted multiple times with water conducting electricity?

[@mc_zittrer8793]

@@hippygarden Probably not. The thing about lightning is that you only see it if it flashes in the distance and you're NOT its target. It's possible she may have been hurt less than Zuko, but then again the surprise of it all may have been potent enough that the lightning overloads her heart before she can properly react.

[@christopherjensenmusic4131]

The erratic fighting style of azula in contrast to zukos in this fight is also a nice bit of symbolism. If you recall, it was zuko who was erratic and used his anger to fuel his bending and azula who was in control used her wit and war molded mind to control the fight, only using bending to end the fight or if she new she had the advantage. Nice little detail portraying how the characters have changed over the series. From zuko learning to earn his honor in a healthier way and thus gaining control, and azula pushing her friends away because of her reliance on fear to control them. (not to send your viewers else where savage, but Hello Future Me's deep dive into azula and everything around her arc is insane and explains thoroughly why this final climax hits every note dead on! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGWYZWeQiteSnaM ) Hostestly, i almost consider this the true final fight of the series, even after multiple re-watches it still slaps me around the face with such raw emotion. Watching Azula finially crack emotionally is what cemented ATLA as my all time favourite show! I could gush about this show all day long!

[@DreamerTrain]

Zuko is using the forms of earth, water and air bendering throughout this match the way Iroh taught him to, that's the secret behind the harmonious feeling in his fighting style contrary to Azula's erratic full-on firebender-style offensive one

[@ChadKakashi]

I'm seeing 5 ads already, hope you get your $.

[@SkyP9812]

You deserve it savagebooks

[@nicholasmaniccia1005]

@James L none of the money will go to him if it's copyright claimed

[@ChadKakashi]

@@nicholasmaniccia1005 well that's depressing.

[@Bandikit]

This scene... The score alone brought me to near tears. The visual spectacle I was witnessing was unlike any other fight I've seen in animation. This wasn't a moment of triumph, it was... tragic. The desperation, the wordless emotions, it's truly one of my favorite moments in animation history. All from, what appears to be on a surface level, a mere kids cartoon. This series is a gift to animation and television as a whole.

[@VaubanParty]

I feel there is also someone between Zuko and Azula in the color schemes from their flames, but (and maybe mainly) in the stances. Azula know no stability in her character, betraying, manipulating and lying to people to get to her goals. Zuko on the other hand is stable, sure of his beliefs and his position as a human. As such, he does not move in front of malevolence. He does mearly weaver but stand still, ultimately defeating Azula in the one-on-one battle, a battle of characters.

[@DreamerTrain]

Iroh taught Zuko to look at the way the other benders fight, his stability comes from watching Toph doing the same with earthbending, firebenders normally do not fight like that at all

[@lancebaxter6612]

Zuko taking a lighting bolt to save Katara is the peak of the entire series.

[@headachepuppy]

"My job isn't to make responsible financial decisions or to worry about my retirement plans, it is to make youtube videos about writing, and that is what i'm gonna do." That's it, I'm clicking the bell.

[@thundertwonk1090]

I honestly think they were both holding back. Azula held back because of her pride, thinking that going all-out was pointless, and Zuko held back because he was no longer fuelled by hatred and angst and possibly still held some hope for her.

[@marche800]

Something I love about this fight is that it is a perfect parallel to the very first Agni Kai against Zhao. Even ending with the same breakdance kick. There's also the red and Blue Symbolism that has been all over the series especially in Zuko's story being present too. Honestly this is peak avatar for me.

[@serge263]

Let's just call it what it is: The best two fights of our childhoods.

[@Johnathanbyers]

I always found the friendship between katara and zuko beautiful. Both have this really dark edge to them that i think when with each other they can explore that darkness while also not allowing each other to fall into it. Theres a maturity to how the interact and i love it. Also is cool to know that zuko isnt just friends with aang but he is also friends with the entire group and i think its shown best through his friendship with katara

[@jessicatang5162]

you've given us so much zutara fuel by making this video.

[@Jenn_Bran]

The sound of the fire gives me chills, omg. It sounds like two ancient dragons roaring at each other, I'm absolutely obsessed with this detail and how incredibly fitting it is to Zuko and Azula.

[@robertking4645]

16:53 this guy just admitted he's a Zutara shipper)

[@sebastianb.3978]

If anything, the writers admitted they were when they scripted that scene

[@devinbaird2470]

I remember thinking they were going to be together during the Season 2 finale.

[@zsu-23-4shilka2]

I’m a kataang shipper myself cause that ship had a whole *SERIES* to develop compared to just a couple episodes

[@RealSavfsimonandres]

@@zsu-23-4shilka2 I agree, the only reason I can't see Zutara happening ever is because of the pacing of it all. However, I do feel like Katara and Zuko's relationship is developed in a much deeper way. It is only my opinion, but I think that Aang and Katara don't have true moments of rapport. It seems to me as if their relationship is mostly only understood through Aang's own feelings and never really expanded upon from the perspective of Katara. As an audience, we usually find Katara portrayed as indecisive or confused about her feelings for Aang. There's nothing wrong with the uncertainty on one's own feelings, it's just that the uncertainty is never given closure properly, only to be kind of brushed away every once in a while. I just would've liked it more if the writers put a bit more care and depth into their relationship instead of the "good guy gets the girl" at the end of the movie that I feel we got.

[@advil9567]

simon vargas I agree completely. I feel like Kataang could have been better/ had better chemistry is they spent more time with Kataras feelings and pushing her more towards Aang (in a natural way). I used to be a massive Kataang shipper but after rewatching the show it only made me uncomfortable realizing that Katara never really... reciprocated his feelings until the last scene. It ended up being really sudden and rushed to see her kiss Aang when the last time they were together was when he non consensually kissed her (at the play). I hope that in the Netflix adaptation they either expand upon their relationship in a more natural/realistic way or they just go for Zutara altogether (which probably won’t happen but I do dream lol- idk Zutara would have seemed a lot more natural if they gave it time, even after the show. I wouldn’t want to see them together right away cause that would also feel rushed.)

[@shokyle]

I was wondering about this, so is Luke vs Vader in Episode 5 a story driven fight and then their rematch in Episode 6 a character driven fight? Because in Episode 5 its more just Good vs Evil where in episode 6 Luke isn't necessarily fighting just evil, but fighting to bring his father back.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

It's....kinda both. I mean the Force is kinda bullshit in how it grants precognitive abilities, allowing insight into the truth of reality, etc. Going into the episode 5 duel, Luke just saw Vader as his nemesis, while Vader already knew him to be his son, hence why he was able to stay his hand against the wannabe Jedi without going too far, even when he started fighting angry. Plus, while Luke didn't even know the true reason for the fight or whom he was fighting with, Vader was ultimately out to try to force his son to join him. You could say it was character driven fight that was initially disguised as a plot driven fight. A lot of people thought Luke was a pussy for running, but at that moment he was outmatched, outclassed, and reeling from the horrible truth he was presented. If he didn't escape in that moment, he would have truly failed in his journey to become a great jedi. Episode 6 is definitely more of a character driven fight, as with all the major battles going on in the final act, Luke's fight against Vader and Palpatine had the least impact on what was happening with the fate of the galaxy. Luke's personal victory didn't hinge on returning the favor Vader dealt to him in removing his hand in Empire Strikes Back, or even kicking the Emperor's ass, it was to show Palpi how powerless he was to tempt Luke to darkness, and to show that his faith was stronger than hate. Luke could fight with complete abandon for his safety because he knew his friends could get the job done without him. He saw losing his life as an acceptable sacrifice because he thought that might be what it would take to bring his father back. That's why he looked so surprised when Vader interrupted the Emperor from murdering Luke, to cast him down into that energy core. And that's why it's such an amazingly written finale.

[@Hifuutorian]

Luke vs. Vader in episode 6 is absolutely a character driven fight, because it isn't /really/ a fight between Luke and Vader, it's a fight between Luke and the Emperor for Vader's soul.

[@legogaur08]

@@Hifuutorian And, in a way, between the Emperor and Vader for Luke's.

[@Hifuutorian]

@@legogaur08 I wouldn't say so. Until the very end Darth Vader was definitely on Palpatine's 'side' and trying to corrupt Luke.

[@legogaur08]

@@Hifuutorian It's certainly a matter of interpretation so I'm not going to say you're wrong. But we know Vader wants Luke to join him so together they can overthrow the Emperor, but when the fight breaks out, Vader steps in to prevent Luke from killing him. Why would he do that? One could interpret it in such a way that if Luke strikes the Emperor down in anger his descent to the dark side would be inevitable. Vader knows this, having experienced the same, and perhaps does not want his son going the same way, even if he will not admit it to himself. But, like I said, this is just one interpretation.

[@masonhmusic]

Great video, but aside from your focus on the “visual spectacle” and the writing, I think another thing that drives the impact of the character-driven fight scene between Zuko and Azula is the music. There isn’t some intense, fast music to heighten the fight scene, instead you hear this slow, solemn music that really conveys the tragic relationship between the two siblings and the tragedy of Azula’s mental deterioration.

[@Brogert.]

This was a true pleasure to watch! Thank you for all your time making this video.

[@mariasotomayor4454]

wow! really great video! for some reason i got really emotional when you said that katara went to the heart of the fire nation and defeated the people/empire that wronged her and her loved ones. made me feel really proud of her and even though she didnt get “”revenge”” on the person that killed her mother, she was still able to redeem herself and acomplish what she set out to do in the first episodes

[@megan-qs7zg]

i've always thought the last agni kai was overshadowed by ozai vs. aang. one of the reasons i really love that fight is the music and the choreography. they are so unique and special to that scene. all surrounding sound was slightly muted so that the music could really make its impact. it was melancholic, well paced, and i can still perfectly replay it in my head. i also admire how the fight really showcased all the development zuko had gone through. the last agni kai was honestly one of my favorite moments in the entire show.

[@Tman2010001]

This definitely helped me understand the mechanics of why story-driven and character-driven work the way they do. I'm not a writer but I love ATLA. Thanks!

[@luisbello4837]

Dude i can tell you, your own narrative in explaining and breaking down this scene gave me goose bumps towards the end, so well explained, so well written. excelent video man. i'll recommend this to a friend of mine who has passion for writting.

[@geronimobellicoso1438]

This was one of the best videos I've seen. Thank you.

[@thejikzter6782]

I really like how even after a decade, people still keep uncovering the little nuances and foreshadowing on this show. Truly the best series ever created

[@samsheridan7524]

been looking forward to this video since I heard about you making it. Just found you recently and I love the content!

[@Lothiril]

I've always loved this fight, but your video made me appreciate it even more. Thank you for this great and insightful video!

[@bonez136]

Your commentary on this content enriches the understanding that one can glean from experiencing the story. Thank you 🙏

[@blakdeth]

I love the climax of avatar. But nothing hits me more emotionally than the third situation happening. Sokka, Toph, and Suki vs the fire nation fleet. That shot where sokka is protecting toph by body shielding her, or the scene where they are dangling from the ledge.

[@LioraBCT]

Sokka's arc may actually be my favorite in the show, because of his vulnerability and his struggle to find his own power. It really stood out to me when he threw himself on top of Toph to shield her. He is a man now; a warrior and a hero, in every sense. A quieter :destiny" than out other heroes, perhaps, but that made it somehow sweeter to me.

[@jordinagel1184]

“Conversely, you could have a plot that sounds completely nonsensical but turns out beautifully” Doesn’t that describe almost every good anime out there? Especially the ones that really are more “out there” like Jojo’s, Assassination Classroom, or Guren Lagann?

[@dietdrnasty]

Now I'm gonna need to rewatch Assassination Classroom

[@alfa01spotivo]

Jordi Nagel Jojo part 7: Italian executioner and paralysed cowboy collect Jesus corpse parts to stop the 23rd American president from making America even more powerful with the help of a guy who can turn into a dinosaur and a 14 year old girl

[@hectordanielhernandezmaldo]

@@alfa01spotivo And a nun

[@justjesssss1026]

Fantastic video. It was clear, concise, and applicable -- it didn't hurt that this is my personal favorite fight. I love your speaking voice and look forward to keeping up with your content!

[@maxmuss4969]

Great video! A really coherent and beautiful explanation of what we all felt subconsciously while watching the show! But let's not forget JUST HOW BEAUTIFUL the animation and the music was that in that scene!!

[@r3medyproductions]

I’m pretty sure this fight is my favorite part of the show from how much of an impact it has. The music, the meaning behind it, the framing, just everything about it is so good. Honestly book 3 is just amazing lol especially the second half and this part just makes it even better.

[@mat_max]

Wait, what? Katara turning water into ice and vice-versa isn't a "never seen before" ability. Yes, melting ice while in it was something we never saw before, but it's not like its a new form or sub-art of water bending, it's just basic water bending but used creatively. On the other hand, Aang's energy bending is really avatar's DEM.

[@salamiiscrazi4194]

Facts. I don’t blame him for not knowing this seeing as how he’s most likely not a fan of avatar. It’s pretty tame considering katara learned she could blood bend episodes ago. Soo...yeah, he’s just wrong on that.

[@yeahkeen2905]

Salami IsCrazi how is he not a fan of avatar because he said something that’s only technically not true.

[@yeahkeen2905]

*”Yes melting ice while in it was something we’ve never seen before...”* So you admit that what Katara did was a “never seen before” ability because he was very clearly talking about Katara moving around in a solid block of ice by turning a thin layer around her into water. No one has done that before.

[@1sdani]

@@yeahkeen2905 No, but it's a creative combination of two already seen abilities of hers

[@mc_zittrer8793]

@@salamiiscrazi4194 Be real here, even you didn't know that Aang actually compressed the water in his final fight with Ozai until Savage broke that down for you.

[@daniman5393]

This was amazing and thank you for your commitment

[@IamColt13]

So well done! Thank you for making such a detailed overview! I learned a lot!

[@persianking44]

The soundtrack for this particular fight was always one of the series' best imo.

[@liamatte]

Shared this a few times before, but whatever I'll do it again cuz it's another great example of why this show is amazing: In the first Agni Kai Zuko has with admiral Zhao, he was still learning how to firebend. Throughout the fight, Iroh coaches Zuko and encourages him to succeed despite his obvious lack of experience. The important thing is how he finished that fight; Iroh taught him a leg sweep to push his opponents off-balance at the opportune moment. This ultimately won him the duel. Fast forward to the Final Agni Kai, and Zuko is now fighting Azula at his highest point of the show. Throughout the battle, Azula is on the offensive while Zuko mainly redirects or blocks her fire with his own. She eventually becomes impatient, and begins aggressively zooming around him trying to break his defense when he does it: THE SAME LEG SWEEP. HE USED THE SAME LEG SWEEP IROH TAUGHT HIM TO WIN THE BATTLE.

[@littleravendesigns5587]

I appreciate your videos! You are helping me and my group better our stories! I hope to repay the favor soon!

[@konstantinossvolopoulospap8735]

Well for me that's about half the reason why it was so emotional, the music is what elevated for me

[@Tkokat]

it's a pity to hear that you are not able to monetize a 300k views video. Shame on youtube

[@Eirikr69]

Great video and analysis, although there's one point that I personally disagree on. It's the claim that Aang abandons Katara in her hour of need during the Book 2 finale, as he decides to let go of her for the good of the world. In my eyes, Aang actually did this to save Katara. He knew that he couldn't save her and win without the Avatar State, and so he did the selfless thing and let go his own feelings for her, in order to defeat Azula/Zuko and save Katara. Which would break the parallel that you draw between that and Zuko, but that's at least my take on it.

[@josephslattery8760]

Easily one of the best worded videos and analysis I've ever heard in my life. Well done dude you've really outdid yourself. Thank you.

[@c00mgoblin]

I’m late af but I have to say, I liked Aang and Ozai’s fight but Zuko and Azula’s fight was raw and emotional in so many ways. Zuko’s redemption in HIMSELF as he realized that Azula wasn’t perfect but a hurt teenage girl crippling from the pressure of her father and the longing of love from her mother which is recognized as he not only took on the fight with confidence he’s never had facing Azula before as well as sparing her life and leaving her to breakdown alone.

[@johngrayson1441]

Love the video! Keep 'em coming! Though I'm not sure I completely agree that Aang "turned his back" on Katara in season 2. If anything, he thought that the only way to save Katara was to go into the Avatar state, sacrificing his own feelings/future with her so that she could live. Rather than that moment showing his abandonment of her when she needed him, it shows a selflessness similar to Zuko's in the Final Agni Kai. But agree to disagree! Avatar is still an incredible show, and I love that people are still talking about it today!

[@nikki607]

15:56 ok, I feel like you misunderstood something here. Aang didn't abandon Katara here. He didn't close himself off or betray her like you seem to imply. He knew that they were fighting a loosing battle, he knew he'd need to be able to control the Avatar state to get them out and he knew how to do it. Doing so, however, entailed a personal sacrifice he had until then been unwilling to make. But facing the threat of being taken prisoner or being killed by the Fire Nation, he came to the conclusion that her life and well-being were more important to him than a future with her by his side, having a worldly, romantic relationship with her. He had to let her go to save her. Under this angle, what Zuko does during the final Agni Kai is in mirroring what Aang did in the S2 finale, not in contrast. This also plays into the greater theme of Zuko and Aang being mirrors or 2 sides of the same coin to each other

[@Supermateo97]

Absolutely incredible vid. Taught me a lot about how fights work.

[@dylanspecht2738]

This is a brilliant video. Explains perfectly to me why I feel the way I do about this scene. I hope your channel becomes more popular, because your videos are extremely high-quality, unpretentious, and get to the point fast.

[@arcanus5120]

I think I do like this fight more than I like the final fight.

[@cubelogic372]

3:22 Thats an "ability"? I always seen that as extremely good waterbending (which makes sense since Katara spends a lot of time learning) I may be wrong tho

[@AlienBunnyRabbit]

I didnt think it was a new ability either. It seems like something that makes sense. A water bender should be able to have that level of control as well as breathing underwater. I thought it was a really cool combo of skills.

[@mal9369]

@@AlienBunnyRabbit well she wasnt actually breathing underwater. When the ice finally falls away you see them both gasping for air.

[@zzasserzz]

You earned my sub and patreon, blessings from Singapore. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to your craft. You inspire me

[@felipeson]

the soundtrack of this scene is surreal. takes the whole scene to another level

[@shadowninja4825]

Nice break down on one of my favorite fight scenes in Avatar. Though I would have to disagree on something. Where it's true that Aang had to 'let go' of Katara, I find he did so in order to save her. Not really turn his back on her, since the best chance they had to make it out of that cave alive was for Aang to let her go.

[@sharkdentures3247]

Reading the comments below, I find myself agreeing over & over with the points made. I also feel that the true "power" behind why this fight is so good is because, from the outset, it is established that Zuko is inferior to Azula! Sure, Zuko is naturally gifted too. And even somewhat driven, but not ANYWHERE near the level of this Firebending prodigy named Azula. I mean, it is established pretty quickly how amazingly talented she is when she takes on practically the ENTIRE cast before having to retreat! But you see over time, Zuko improving . . .learning from Iroh, learning from the dragons, facing Azula (with Sokka's help) in the part 2 of the jail break, facing Azula in the Southern Raiders (almost to a draw)! EACH time they face off, Zuko seems to be getting stronger / better. (but he is STILL playing 'catch up' with his sister) THAT is where the source of tension comes from. IS his improvements & her mental breakdown combined, ENOUGH for him to win?

[@ethana2326]

Beautiful breakdown and explanation. Much love 🙌🏼

[@ThevenimX]

Liked and commented while there were still ads. Excellent job man i got chills so many times

[@Flowtail]

17:00 Zutara shippers: “...and that, kids, is how I met your mother”

[@hugoweaving7320]

Amazing break down and I love your categorization of Character vs. Story-based Fight Scenes. But could I ask you to share the name of the back-ground music you used in this video? It was epic and really added to the video's presentation!

[@savagebooks7482]

Funny enough it is actually the Minecraft Chinese Mythology Soundtrack Lol

[@hugoweaving7320]

@@savagebooks7482 Haha-I suppose there's no reason why the Minecraft soundtrack couldn't be epic. Thank you for your reply!

[@davidchhom]

I respect your work and how you care for your viewers.

[@friskycatnip9107]

YOU ARE AMAZEING!

[@dadag9559]

Speaking of Naruto vs Sauke, I'd love a breakdown of that joint

[@Modenut]

I would love to hear your take on a book called "Sleeping Beauties" by father and son Stephen and Owen King. If you've read it (or get around to it) you will know what I mean. Love your work, my man. Keep it up. :)

[@WobblesandBean]

Thank you for everything that you do.

[@Talllestayrone]

I found your chanel just today and fall in love with each video that I watched!