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I think folks are far too quick to call out Zuko for being a dick in that flashback without thinking about his own perspective. Partly this is the show. One thing that I think the animators actually did NOT do a good job of is conveying the ages of all the kids properly. Zuko in this flashback here does not look any different than he did in the beginning of the series, and yet he was thirteen years old. He's about sixteen when we first see him, a good three years after his father burned his face. But you wouldn't know that from the art style.
And that's kind of a crucial fact of Zuko's development. He grew up STEEPED in an abusive environment from the beginning, and for most of his life his mother and to a lesser extent Iroh was the only bit of positive influence in his life. He lost his mother when he was eleven years old, leaving Iroh as the only source. Then of course he was publicly humiliated, subjected to extreme violence that left him permanently scarred, and banished from the only home he knew. Again, while he was all of thirteen years old. And the thing about setting him to search for the Avatar that people forget - nobody expected him to find the Avatar in the first place. His father didn't set him on that quest with a genuine expectation that he'd ever actually fulfill it. As far as Ozai was concerned, he was deliberately putting Zuko on a snipe hunt. (For context in case people don't know, a snipe hunt is when you send an unwitting person out to find something that does not exist).
Zuko spent his life being abused by a sadistic man whose cruelty extended to his wife and children. His reaction to everything is literally a textbook example of how trauma victims ACTUALLY behave when they want desperately to earn a parent's approval. To get angry at him for behaving exactly like the abused, traumatized child that he literally is, misses the mark. Nobody should be surprised, or angry, that he's not acting like a rational adult with an objective grasp of the situation.
People may just call him a dick in that scene because of how he talks back to Iroh, something that most people get annoyed to see with any child regardless of age or background. Although many enjoy that the flashback is there to show how far Zuko has come and he looks back cringing at his behavior. Now, I'm not trying to discredit what you're saying in your essay here just something that often comes to mind with this scene especially when I see people's reaction 🤔.
Also, in regards to you saying that the animators didn't do a good job conveying the ages. I would argue that perhaps the idea is that because of they are in a war many of them have had to grow up fast especially if their situations called for it like Sokka and Katara losing their mother and their father leaving to fight in war. On the other hand, Aang and Toph do feel like they convey their ages but also have to grow-up quickly because of the responsibilities placed on them. In addition, I can see someone arguing that this world setting resembles the ancient times in our world where being around teenage age meant your were basically an adult 🤔.
Yes, Avatar is still a product of its time when mental health was not expressed in media very well. But they still get the behaviors somewhat right. On top of it all, Ozai is the Firelord and supreme ruler of a Monarchy. Where he is considered to be generally infallible and extremely powerful. Zuko has no reason to believe that his father is in the wrong, especially when no one really stood up for him. It would be like going to a judge and telling them they have the case all wrong even though the whole jury agrees with him.
There is real psychological damage when a person with a developing brain goes through that kind of Trauma, its been documented to causing entire personality changes. Especially when it seems like almost everyone agrees with what was done.
100% agree with everything you said.
Fun fact it is considered dishonorable to learn how to use a weapon when you are a fire bender, Oazi doesn’t know how to use weapons only how to fire bend very well. That’s why he didn’t fight Zuko last ep.
Also all Airbenders are born with air bending abilities due to their close connection to the spirit world and being spiritual.
it cant be considered dishonorable since zuko was taught how to use swords, which i doubt he would've learnt either while he lived with his family or when he was banished and devoutly lived by what was honorable.
Where is it said that it's dishonorable for a firebender to learn to use weapons? For that matter, where is it said that all Air Nation people are born with the ability to airbend?
Innate airbending is mentioned in the wiki, probably sourced from one of the creator interviews or commentaries
Z
that air temple is definitely one of my favorite fictional locations.
Great reaction, loved your reaction to his "Hello, Suko here" haha, I always get a laugh at peoples reaction to that.
Western Air Temples is a stage in the Nick All Stars game, it's one of the funnier casual stages due to how big it is
Man is trying so hard but he is soooooooooo bad at this XD but also Toph did startle him when he was half asleep and probably more than a little on edge
Love y’all, thanks.
Don't the boys have a little ending discussion for the silver tier anymore? Or do they just not discuss anything after Avatar episodes?
they discuss usually, but not every video cause its better the convos are not forced.
so siked we get another episode after the invasion!
Hi there, Zuko here!