This may be grasping straws, but there was a time were Aang deliberately killed people. At the North Pole, Aang merged with the ocean spirit, La during the siege of the Siege of the North. He totally wrecked the Fire Nation fleet and a lot of Fire Nation troops definitely died. It would be interesting if Sokka mentioned this when the gang attempted to convince Aang to kill the Fire Lord. I acknowledge and argument can be made that Aang was not fully in control; however, he did not show any remorse after the deed was done. During the Ember Island play, Aang did not bat an eye when his actor was wrecking the Fire Nation fleet. He was more upset that they had a woman playing him.
I think the way Aang saw it, he was acting in self defense and didn’t set out to intentionally kill people. And you seem to forget that Aang did have nightmares for weeks after the siege.
The thing with Aang is he doesn’t think of the past too much. This is the same kid who was strong enough to mask his feelings of his entire nation being killed.
@@MrMoleHoleI think Aang’s problem is also in the way he did it. He didn’t want to end the violent war with more violence. A very innocent and naive approach. Makes sense given his age.
Every character needs their biggest weakness deeply explored at some point. In the moment of truth getting answers out of nowhere isn't smart either. During the fight, I'd like Ozai to say things like "What are you going to do with me, kill me?" to make Aang feel a bit insecure. Then, when Ozai really lost to Aang, Aang could remember what he did with Hei Bai to see what the thinks or what Roku's dragon did to him to make him see visions, and _learn_ how to bend energy instead of gaining the ability out of nowhere. They could find info about energy bending in the spirit library to plant the idea at all but it was all left to the last moment.
@@monkfruit woah, if that happened I would need one more season of atla to see Aang recover. I wonder what your idea is about ending the show with a kill. I'm looking forward to that video, good thing you told me about it)
My favourite character in the show is Uncle Iroh. After that I would have to say Prince Zuko. And then Sokka. I like Aang enough but he’s not on the top. And I think you’re entirely right about Aang’s pacifism arc. I disagree with you in that I don’t think that the show did a bad job showcasing Aang’s abandonment issues. (It’s also worth noting that in Season One, there was a formula wherein each episode Aang (or Sokka or Katara but normally Aang) makes an appallingly bad decision which leads to things going wrong and Aang having to learn a lesson, it is a Nickelodeon show after all, but after it got more attached to the greater narrative, which I acknowledge was better than Season One, they couldn’t use that formula but were still less devoted to character development for Aang than they were for Zuko.)
I think the character whose ideology challenged the least in the series is Katara. She never seems to be in the wrong long enough for her ideals to be challenged. Sokka's had to deal with the idea that he might not be the great warrior he believes himself to be, Aang had to learn the responsibilities and consequences of being the Avatar, Toph learned that relying on others isn't necessarily a weakness and the bulk Zuko's character arc is dedicated to his ideals being challenged.
there is growth in aang but not as much as Zuko thats why he is well liked among the fan base or look at iroh he has even less growth as a Charakter only revealing things about him and still wellliked and i Agree with your assesment of Aang Pacifisim He atleast Horrbly mains a lot of People in the show and some are mostlikely dead Just look at the Battle at the northern Airtemple there are Fire Soldier dieing in this Battle off screen some by Aang directly and trageted
@@monkfruit i think it Was an Oh f decison by the writers and Not an original idea because of what He was okay with befor Thats why i actually like the idea of him taking Azulas Bending away and treating it similar to rape for an Azula redemption and to explain away the lack of energy bending in LOK. Because overpowering an other Persons will is kind of horrific
aang's biggest flaw is that they turned him into a total Nice Guy/Gary Stu. to an adult viewer, he came across increasingly like a whiny petulant child whereas many of the other characters, but zuko especially, displayed the maturity and growth that was necessary to resolve the story. aang refused to change at all and he just... won anyway. he made no sacrifices, he came to no epiphanies about his beliefs or actions, his path was less of an arc and more of a straight saunter from waking up, receiving the hero's quest, and waltzing straight to the finish line. he's an intensely dissatisfying character from a heroic perspective and from a romantic perspective.
He made no sacrifices??? I guess in season 2 finale where he had to let go of his attachment to Katara but only for him to be strike down by Azula and be in a coma for months right? And literally did you forget the episode where he lost Appa and he was affected emotionally and nearly went to the avatar state due to the inner turmoil he was going through?
@@kafukwamekemehbut letting go of his attachment to Katara did not have any real consequences to his relationship with her. It’s as if he never detached himself from her
Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Iroh, heck, even Azula all have character development. Aang really doesn't. His hero's journey pretty much focuses on him mastering the elements, not growing as a person. I once said that they could have greatly improve his character if they had him redirect Ozai's lightning BACK at him instead of away in the final battle, as it would have shown that he was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill his duty and save the world, even against his own ideology. They just needed to have Ozai dodge the lightning, then everything else could have played out exactly the same, showing that even though Aang WOULD kill if he absolutely had to in order to save the world, he wouldn't if he didn't have to. Instead, he doesn't grow, learns nothing, doesn't have to make any sacrifices, then just deus ex machinas everything to let him get whatever he wants at the end.
0:46, that’s a fair point to make but it’s also not an uncommon occurrence. Since as I understand it, people seldom describe Harry Potter as their favourite Harry Potter character, for example.
It's also easier to make an asshole who redeems himself a secondary character. Since people often wouldn't want to follow that guy full time. But as a second character he gets enough time.
It's the same reason there are many more Vegeta fans than there are Goku fans. Aang has a flat arc and Zuko has a positive change arc. Positive change arcs are typically more popular if done correctly and the character hasn't done something irredeemable like shoving a kid out the window (GLARES at Jamie Lannister) I agree they should've explored more the depths of Kataang's relationship after he "let her go" but wholeheartedly disagree he needed a better character arc. A flat is perfectly fine for a protag. Naruto and Goku never learn or change from their experiences. They are the way they are and the world reacts to them
6:23, agreed. It’s the part of the show that I criticize most. (I’m not particularly critical of the show which I quite enjoy but of the parts of it I criticize that’s probably on the top of the list.)
His passivism isn't the character arc. It is simply one part of the character arc and his passivism is a running joke because he vary obviously kills a lot of people. His biggest internal struggle was with the idea of being the Avatar and living out what that means. In the end of season 2, he finally embraces it and promptly gets killed. He struggles with embracing the role of Avatar again with the question of passivism.
@monkfruit Fair, not in the show itself. From just about anyone who watches it, though. There are whole videos counting the number of people he killed in avalanches, drowning, etc... However, I still contend the passivism is simply part of his arc on accepting his role as Avatar. It is the last hurdle he must cross. Immaturity was the first. Connection was the second. Self was the third. You are right that some of his arc could have been better. No matter what they did, Zuko who has the best redemption arc in television history, would have still over shadowed Aang. Aang is the title character, but the story equally about Zuko.
@@davidreynolds9744 haha I agree largely! I'm coming out with a video that's scheduled to publish in like 2 hours actually examining his pacifism in the context of becoming a fully realized Avatar too :) def think it's an important hurdle for Aang to cross
I always had a crush on Zuko. I could see why people would want Katara and Zuko to be together, but I always thought it made more sense for Katara to end up being with Aang. Although I like Aang, I just don’t feel like his character got as much attention as a person compared to all the other characters. Aang’s character was solely about being the avatar and defeating the firelord, the series never even really addressed Aang’s character as the Avatar. Aang is more of a placeholder in comparison. Aang’s purpose is to aid the other character’s in their character development rather than having his own character development. Edit: It is worth noting that it is possible that Aang didn’t have as much character development as he could have due to him losing his entire culture and everyone he knew with an exception of Bumi by being frozen for 100 years. He has no real attachments because of this.
Aang really got underdeveloped as a character. Especially when compared to the others. Let's be real Zuko slowly stole the show as the writers gave him so much more development and even showed it more. We see more of Zuko's childhood and the fire palace than we ever see of Aangs growing up as a monk or of the Air Temples. The most being when they visited the taken over Eastern Temple. Aang even had all his issues sped run through by his Guru training. Literally saying here is a list of flaws you will no longer have. Now, Aang, you are perfect.....as soon as you let Katara go. Something I wish he did as it would not only change their dynamic, which they could show and even make an episode of where Katara questions it, but also have Aang stop getting mad over Katara not wanting to date him! Honestly I find Aang pretty toxic in his pursuit of Katara. Day of black sun kiss was fine since he wasn't sure if he was coming back or not but Ember Island players made me hate the boy. Gentlemen, ladies and everything in between let us agree pushy is not a good look on any character. Had this flaw been addressed and used to make Aang grow it could have been great. He was a kid with a crush and wasn't sure how express his frustrations. Lessons to be learned. Sadly Aang was too perfect for this to be a thing. Part of the reason I shipped Zutara. Say what you will of Zuzu he tried to be a good boyfriend to Mai. Zuko's anger with her mostly being reactionary like her dismissing his efforts with the shell or her not stopping a dude from hitting on her. Had Zuko been talking to another girl something tells me she would have tossed something, hopefully not sharp, at her or him. Don't wanna go into a Zutara rant here but I will if someone asks me about it as I find them to make more sense story wise as well as stopping Katara from becoming the prize for Aang to win at the end of the war (she deserved better).
Alot of people can relate to Zuko’s struggles. Aang is like an idealistic character that just doesn’t exist in our world Makes sense he is the Avatar in that notion.
To me zuko n aang are the same in my love of character, i prefer iroh n toph, iroh with his unconditional love and love of tea, toph with her brazenness and vulnerability when she is out of her element
The biggest difference with Aang is that his childhood was pretty much perfect before he ran away. There's no personal traumatic event until after he finds out his entire culture was wiped out which is pretty hard to explore through a child. Zuko was abused and scarred by his father. Katara mother was killed right in front of her. Those personal traumas r easier to explore because they're still dealing with it. Especially zuko since 16 to 17 years old n has his uncle to make his journey more clear to the viewer. Aangs loss is explore but its connected to the fact that he still presently has the responsibility of being the avatar and ending the war while being 12. They honestly just didn't have time with the story basically being less than a year
yeah if it weren't for real-life constraints like the narrative needing to go on (and especially with Avatar being a kids show) I would have loved to see more of an exploration of Aang's grief. kinda wild how he finds out his entire culture's been wiped out and then the next episode is chipper enough to try and ride the Unagi lmao
@@monkfruit Kids easily distract themselves and Aang was just too far removed it. They were wiped out a 100 years ago. Now he's teen/adult years that would've been something to explore because the world is safe but now he has to actually deal with the fact that his culture is completely gone n we can assume he's trying to get use to the water tribe culture with katara. That would be awesome to see
That’s an excellent point. Zuko’s losses and traumas are specific and thus easier to comprehend than the gigantic and almost inconceivable loss of an entire culture. Aang’s loss feels abstract; Zuko’s loss feels personal so we can relate to it better.
Knowing how Aang is, he would’ve either performed all sorts of mental gymnastics to either blame it all on the ocean spirit or claim that it was purely self defense and that he never set out to intentionally kill people.
I know it doesn’t really justify it. But in the library episode, aang show katara a picture of the lion turtle. And in the picture looks like he’s doing the same thing he does to aang at the end.
They showed the picture of it, yes. But, considering that this was the spirit library that contained all the knowledge of the universe, the fact that there was no mention of energy bending in the same breath as lion turtles is a mark against the whole thing.
def agree he grew, but I still think it could've been done better i guess. like he didn't really fulfill his responsibility to find a way to end the war, the perfect solution just showed up on his doorstep
Just to point out about ATLA, the Avatar was originally designed as the spirit of the Earth which needed to be human to understand and empathize with those its supposed to protect, (which is also what makes the Avatar such a unique spirit, none of the other spirits can empathize with humans and in fact cause problem with them because of that, the Avatar expressly cannot do this) the spirit is human because its not supposed to disconnect itself from its human side, this is why Iroh's advice, in always being framed as correct, is also stated clearly regarding not giving up love and those you love. The point of the story is Aang can't become detached from the world specifically because he is the spirit of the world, he needs to be connected to it for the betterment of the world and to understand and care for the world. He can't do that by detaching, this is why the Guru is wrong and why Aang was punished, not only because he was accessing the Avatar state before he was ready (being fully trained in all four elements) but because he tried to shortcut it by opening up his chakras in violation of his training. (just like the reproof he recieved for trying to instigate the Avatar state in season 1) Just because the opening of his chakras provided him with some character development and relief and opened access to the Avatar state does not mean they were a positive thing for the Avatar to do. (unfortunately this fact was deliberately kept silent in the show despite all the elements pointing to this fact) Avatar Yangchen outright tells Aang this and much of the other past lives of the Avatar agree. This is one of the reasons why the lionturtle resolution was so bad, it didn't force the story to address this fact.
I do like Aang more than I like Zuko, but at least you aren't b__tching about how Aang never grew as a character. It's something the community does quite often.
yup, definitely think he grew! not to the extent as some other characters imo but growing into his role as the Avatar, dealing with his abandonment, and learning various lessons on their adventures are all things that Aang definitely learns from
I don't get it because Aang did grow - from a goofy, kid who was fun loving to a slightly mature boy still fun loving but he knew not every time is a time to joke and goof off.
People fail to see Aang's growth because they expect to see him grow out of his pacifist beliefs but I think he grew into them. As a kid, he was a pacifist but I goofy one. I feel like if he was not the Avatar, he would have been kicked out of the air temple for continuously disrupting the other monks meditation, going outside the curriculum. While the nomads encourage freedom, they fall into an ideological trap as the other air-bending avatar pointed out: they think there is one way of airbending and achieving spirituality and Aang seemed less spiritual like an altarboy who knows the bible but only prays when at church; you are still a christian but not as into your religion as your pastor who prays ten times a day. Sorry for the rumbling, let me get back to the point. After the100 year sleep, he tries to grasp onto any of the monks lessons that he can and decides to become fanatical about them. He tries to resolve conflict with words, remains vegetarian, meditates more (maybe) and doubles down on his pacifism. We see him try to broker peace with Zuko several times even when it seems idiotic because that is what he was taught. If he willingly and knowingly plans and carries out murder he would be breaking the cardinal rule which all their teachings are based on that all life is sacred. After doing that, the monks teaching would be truly gone and the Air Nomad culture would also truly crumble so this is his last cultural defense
They kinda ruined aang and it pisses me off because they could’ve of done something but they did not if I owned the show without Nickelodeon on my back I would do a lot of changes, I hope in the new animated movie we see aang grow, I hope it shows us more of Katara and Aangs relationship maybe it will show us aang killing somebody and him trying to get over it and overcome it. But idk
"he's the protagonist of the show. He shouldn't be coming ninth in popularity" I disagree. Aang is the way he is by design, he's not supposed to be the best character in the show.
sometimes azula is higher in rank than aang himself and i can't blame her, she's the opposite of him, arrogant, superb, competitive perfectionist, authoritarian, nilinistic, determined some of these traits are considered flaws of bad character and yet she is more charismatic than aang
well there was where he burned katara from not being disciplined fire bending he takes a long time to work up the courage to try it again with his guilt bit that did tie into zuko arc too since after he burned toph by mistake aang decided to let him join the ggang because he understands
There's one other thing that is affected by Aang having so little on-screen development or exploration of his character: his relationship with Katara. Had he let go of Katara during that scene, it would've massively enhanced him as a character and finally given Katara room to be her own character in her relationship with Aang. In the show, she's often treated as just a prize for Aang to win, which is a real shame because both of them are amazing characters. Had Aang been more developed, and had his flawed perspective on Katara and her feelings been addressed, Kataraang as a relationship would have been so much more believable. They could've grown together and really become a lovely couple. Instead, it was uncomfortable and often only served the male audience, thus taking away from Katara's whole feminist narrative. It's so unfortunate because I love Kataraang and I genuinely believe it could have been a beautifully done pairing had the creators actually known what they were doing. Aang's lack of exploration for his development is such a bummer. And the deus ex machina things really didn't help with the idea that the writers had no clue how to naturally write romantic subplots, let alone main character development. Actually, this also explains why Zutara is popular. Had Zutara been canon, Aang would've had so much more going for him as a character. The narrative of letting go to unlock one's true potential is so cool and would've made Aang ridiculously interesting, but because the writers coddled him and let him get everything he wanted, Aang never got the chance to stand on his own. Zuko and Katara had growth on-screen, both separately and together, while Katara and Aang never did. So because Aang had everything handed to him by the writers, Kataraang suffered from a lack of development because Aang never changed with or for the good of his relationship with her. Meanwhile, Zuko did. Sigh. Struggles of being a multishipper. I love both. I honestly prefer Zutara over Kataraang, but I also really love the sweet dynamic Kataraang has throughout the show. If only it was developed better... It would definitely be my all-time favorite if they had implemented some parts of book 4 into the show, as I've heard book 4 really expands on Katara and Aang's relationship in a positive way. But for now, Zutara will always be my OTP. Let's hope someone tries to give the show a well-done remake to develop one, or both, relationships in a better way. And Aang. He deserves better.
i see where your coming from, aang might seem like he doesn't change that much when you compare im to zuko but there are reasons for that zuko is older than aang is and no matter how you slice it aang is still the avatar part of aangs apeel is that he is forced to grow up quicker than any child ever should have to in order to save the world, while aang wasn't abused like zuko he was keppt shelter and what's at times treated more like a asset or weapon rather than a person, the avatar does have a duty to keep the balance in the world but the avatar is still a human at the end of the day, the mistake that aang makes does makes sense for his age and experiences , if i whas in aang's shoes i would probably act similarly as well, i also believe that aang not killing ozai shows us something very interesting about aang in that everybody else has told aang that he should kill ozai and for good reasons but it goes against all of aang's believes and values i don't blame aang for wanting to find another way it makes sense to who he is its whats makes him interesting if aang would have just killed ozai it would have been a hollow victory for aang and the fact that he chose his own way rather than anyone else's way makes him unique and and shows us his individual strength and determination in doing so his entire culture and people were genocided and yet he still holds one to his values despite that fact, a big message of the show is to choose your own path and your own destiny not what others want wants you to do. personally i like aang more but i see why people would prefer zuko and i have no problems with that.
Zuko is my favorite character. My only complaint with him is that I don't think he ever got a big win for himself. I think the perfect chance for him to get a win was in the finally with Azula. I think Zuko should have been the one to beat Azula. Katara already had so many wins did she really need another one ?
I think the fight with Azula was perfectly hadeled. Zuko didn´t loose because he was too weak or because he gave himself into anger. He lost because he tried to safe a dear freind. Aside from that at least in my eyes he was portrayed as the stronger one in that fight.
Zuko becomes Fire Lord, he gains a real family that genuinely cares about him, reunites with his long lost mother, gets to live a long full life with a wife, children, and grandchildren while his piece of shit father rots behind bars all alone. That’s a big win in my book.
katara's flaw is his idealism for ang being this savior of the country when in fact aang is a 12-year-old child who has not had time to grieve for his people, and cannot see the world beyond the lens of an airbender, another flaw she has, she is very controlling you just see it in the episodes where toph ang and sokka are robbing fire nation civilians, she should let them suffer the consequences of their actions or threaten to leave the group (they wouldn't survive one day without their mother). another flaw she has abandonment issues she thinks everyone who leaves is abandoning her which is not true. and i disagree it's the fact that sokka loves kya not the way katara does because in the episode behind sokka says he doesn't remember his mother and that every time he thinks about having a mother he sees katara not kya he doesn't even know he wants to remember his mother's face he says seeing katara as a mother not kya (i think sokka still has a lot to grow about his character including i think it shouldn't even be zuko accompanying katara it should be him, he lost kya and yue to the nation of fire and still think aang is right in sourthem raiders?
@@monkfruit To be fair, she's right. Sokka literally told Toph that he doesn't remember what their mother's face looks like. He says that when he imagines the person that has always been there to take care of him, he imagines Katara's face. It had only been 6 years since Kya died. He was 9 when she died! How does he not remember her face? That alone indicates that at the very least that he doesn't love Kya like Katara does (which just means that they loved her differently, not that one necessarily loved her more).
Aang is just kinda boring he always has to be the great good and someone of who is limited to having to be the avatar. So a lot of who he is and free will is taken by that responsibly. If he were just an airbender then I think we’d get more development. The scenes that hit hard for me with aang is the process of opening the chakras and when he woke up in season 3 after losing in the avatar state. He was talking about redemption and wanting his honor back but other then that he’s always kind of a simp and alot of it has to do with being the avatar something he never had the choice of being.
I completely disagree with saying that the lion turtle is a deus ex machina. Lion turrles are shown to us twice, directly and also in reference via the white lotus symbolism. You see a picture of a lion turtle during the library episode, and you see statues of them at Piandao's mansion. The lion turtle says to Aang that before bending the elements, they (assume he means other physical beings and other lion turtles when he says the word "they") used to been energy itself. As we know, from The Legend of Korra, the lion turtles can pass abilities onto others. Thus passing energy bending onto Aang. How is this a plot convince? An ancient being, older than the first avatar stepping in to help the current avatar with a world ending conflict is logical writing choice, especially given the world building in ATLA. It is absolutely not a deus ex machina
Nah seeing statues is not enough foreshadowing for something that changed the series as much as lion turtles did in the finale. And yeah we find out about them in Korra but in the og series they totally came out of nowhere. They're for sure Deus ex machina imo
@anshul barnwal the main issue I have with calling it a DEXM is because the world building in ATLA is so strong. The lion turtle explains to Aang the origins of bending before sending that power to him. The lion turtle is built into the world building.
@@TheoBrownMusic7 while I see what you're saying, I disagree that it's built into the world building. if there had even been something before talking about the concept of the origins of bending I would be fine with that- the issues is that the writers wrote themselves into a corner where there's no way to beat Ozai without killing him and so make something up. To me deus ex machina means something unsolvable is solved by something totally out of nowhere, which the lion turtle definitely falls under
There was nothing foreshadowed about the energybending, whether the lion-turtles exist is irrelevant, also LoK is a retcon of the original story and its elements, nothing about can be applied retroactively, ATLA has to stand on its own to make sense, Korra is irrelevant. (and Korra actually functionally destroys the Avatar and deconstructs it to become utter nonsense) All elements of a story must be supported internally, external extensions are additions to an internally consistent story, if the energybending wasn't plot relevant, it wouldn't need clarification for the sake of internal consistency in the story, but because it is the biggest plot convenience in the story for which prevents Aang from wrestling with a necessary character conflict that is vital to the climatic plot, and it resolves the biggest and most important fight in the show, it is by design a deus ex machina as it prevents the conflict from actually being addressed by the narrative's own logic.
Aang didn’t grow at all. He continued to maintain the Pacifist and no killling nonsense that led his people to the brink of extinction. He is a selfish person. He runs away as a 12 year old kid once he is told he is the Avatar and that they are on the brink of war which resulted in the near extinction of his race. He still doesn’t go above putting himself before others throughout the series. He has killed people and animals in the series but was crying about how he isn’t willing to kill some crazy evil overlord. But I really don’t expect that sort of growth from a 12 year old. He already is very mature. But you think he’d be up for killing Ozai just to prevent him from wiping out the earth kingdom like the way he wiped of his own people if he cares so much about the value of life. Behaving like that batman dumbass. He takes away Ozai bending instead of killing which as a kid sat right with me but as an adult is worse than killing him. Call they gave him a living death. Aang took his bending, being the most powerful fire bender in the series, stripped him of his psionic powers, Zuko took his throne stripping him of his political power and financial power and Ursa took away his pride in the comics. This guy just withers away in prison. Honestly death would have been much better if I was in his shoes. If Aang refused to kill me I am crawling off the cliff and falling to my death
i kinda get you point but i disagree. In my eyes Aang grew. At the beginning of the show he was clearly immature just knowing that killing is bad. But at the end he really had to wrestle the question how he should handle wiht Ozai instead. He also grew and learned to be responsible for others, carrying the weight of the world as avatar. My major complain is that the energy bending at the end was a too easy solution. like a deus ex machina. your point about what Aang did to Ozai is worse thatn death is debatable. I defenitely see where your coming from. I myself think pazifistik (if that´s even a word) but lately I too wrestle with the question
ATLA, and as a result Aang, suffers from kids show pacifism. If the show wasn't owned by Nickelodeon and got the chance to be a little more, maybe Aang's flawed ideology could've been explored better. Unfortunately, kids shows can't understand that kids can understand certain complex concepts, so they coddle protagonists and maintain the pacifism above all else narrative. Pacifism is an admirable ideology, but it is not always possible to uphold, and a slight delve into Aang's character could've easily explored that idea, but ATLA was a kids show so it can never get the chance to do that. :(
This may be grasping straws, but there was a time were Aang deliberately killed people. At the North Pole, Aang merged with the ocean spirit, La during the siege of the Siege of the North. He totally wrecked the Fire Nation fleet and a lot of Fire Nation troops definitely died. It would be interesting if Sokka mentioned this when the gang attempted to convince Aang to kill the Fire Lord. I acknowledge and argument can be made that Aang was not fully in control; however, he did not show any remorse after the deed was done. During the Ember Island play, Aang did not bat an eye when his actor was wrecking the Fire Nation fleet. He was more upset that they had a woman playing him.
I think the way Aang saw it, he was acting in self defense and didn’t set out to intentionally kill people. And you seem to forget that Aang did have nightmares for weeks after the siege.
@@kcirtapelyk6060 Ozai was intent on killing Aaang and genociding the Earth Kingdom, thus Killing Ozai is self-defense.
The thing with Aang is he doesn’t think of the past too much. This is the same kid who was strong enough to mask his feelings of his entire nation being killed.
@@MrMoleHoleI think Aang’s problem is also in the way he did it. He didn’t want to end the violent war with more violence. A very innocent and naive approach. Makes sense given his age.
Every character needs their biggest weakness deeply explored at some point. In the moment of truth getting answers out of nowhere isn't smart either. During the fight, I'd like Ozai to say things like "What are you going to do with me, kill me?" to make Aang feel a bit insecure. Then, when Ozai really lost to Aang, Aang could remember what he did with Hei Bai to see what the thinks or what Roku's dragon did to him to make him see visions, and _learn_ how to bend energy instead of gaining the ability out of nowhere. They could find info about energy bending in the spirit library to plant the idea at all but it was all left to the last moment.
ooh I cover the dilemma of Aang killing Ozai in another video that's about to be published tomorrow :) but yeah i definitely agree
@@monkfruit woah, if that happened I would need one more season of atla to see Aang recover.
I wonder what your idea is about ending the show with a kill. I'm looking forward to that video, good thing you told me about it)
“Daang shame” Apology video with tears right now.
NEVER
My favourite character in the show is Uncle Iroh. After that I would have to say Prince Zuko. And then Sokka. I like Aang enough but he’s not on the top. And I think you’re entirely right about Aang’s pacifism arc. I disagree with you in that I don’t think that the show did a bad job showcasing Aang’s abandonment issues. (It’s also worth noting that in Season One, there was a formula wherein each episode Aang (or Sokka or Katara but normally Aang) makes an appallingly bad decision which leads to things going wrong and Aang having to learn a lesson, it is a Nickelodeon show after all, but after it got more attached to the greater narrative, which I acknowledge was better than Season One, they couldn’t use that formula but were still less devoted to character development for Aang than they were for Zuko.)
Actually that idea with sandbender is really good lol
ty :)
I think the character whose ideology challenged the least in the series is Katara. She never seems to be in the wrong long enough for her ideals to be challenged. Sokka's had to deal with the idea that he might not be the great warrior he believes himself to be, Aang had to learn the responsibilities and consequences of being the Avatar, Toph learned that relying on others isn't necessarily a weakness and the bulk Zuko's character arc is dedicated to his ideals being challenged.
there is growth in aang but not as much as Zuko thats why he is well liked among the fan base or look at iroh he has even less growth as a Charakter only revealing things about him and still wellliked
and i Agree with your assesment of Aang Pacifisim He atleast Horrbly mains a lot of People in the show and some are mostlikely dead Just look at the Battle at the northern Airtemple there are Fire Soldier dieing in this Battle off screen some by Aang directly and trageted
yeahhh I have a video on whether Aang should've killed Ozai coming out soon but he's definitely a little hypocritical imo
@@monkfruit i think it Was an Oh f decison by the writers and Not an original idea because of what He was okay with befor
Thats why i actually like the idea of him taking Azulas Bending away and treating it similar to rape for an Azula redemption and to explain away the lack of energy bending in LOK.
Because overpowering an other Persons will is kind of horrific
aang's biggest flaw is that they turned him into a total Nice Guy/Gary Stu. to an adult viewer, he came across increasingly like a whiny petulant child whereas many of the other characters, but zuko especially, displayed the maturity and growth that was necessary to resolve the story. aang refused to change at all and he just... won anyway. he made no sacrifices, he came to no epiphanies about his beliefs or actions, his path was less of an arc and more of a straight saunter from waking up, receiving the hero's quest, and waltzing straight to the finish line. he's an intensely dissatisfying character from a heroic perspective and from a romantic perspective.
He made no sacrifices??? I guess in season 2 finale where he had to let go of his attachment to Katara but only for him to be strike down by Azula and be in a coma for months right?
And literally did you forget the episode where he lost Appa and he was affected emotionally and nearly went to the avatar state due to the inner turmoil he was going through?
@@kafukwamekemehbut letting go of his attachment to Katara did not have any real consequences to his relationship with her. It’s as if he never detached himself from her
@@MysticOceanDollies oh shut up
@@MysticOceanDolliesI agree with you 100%, idk why this other person is so angry lolll
@@kafukwamekemehbruh wtf is that response
Was recommended this channel by a friend, and I'm glad they did, your stuff is cool
Ayy thanks fam, please tell your friend I love them
Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Iroh, heck, even Azula all have character development. Aang really doesn't. His hero's journey pretty much focuses on him mastering the elements, not growing as a person. I once said that they could have greatly improve his character if they had him redirect Ozai's lightning BACK at him instead of away in the final battle, as it would have shown that he was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill his duty and save the world, even against his own ideology. They just needed to have Ozai dodge the lightning, then everything else could have played out exactly the same, showing that even though Aang WOULD kill if he absolutely had to in order to save the world, he wouldn't if he didn't have to. Instead, he doesn't grow, learns nothing, doesn't have to make any sacrifices, then just deus ex machinas everything to let him get whatever he wants at the end.
What character development does suki get other than falling in love with sokka?
0:46, that’s a fair point to make but it’s also not an uncommon occurrence. Since as I understand it, people seldom describe Harry Potter as their favourite Harry Potter character, for example.
It's also easier to make an asshole who redeems himself a secondary character. Since people often wouldn't want to follow that guy full time. But as a second character he gets enough time.
@@darksideofevil13 Good point
It's the same reason there are many more Vegeta fans than there are Goku fans. Aang has a flat arc and Zuko has a positive change arc. Positive change arcs are typically more popular if done correctly and the character hasn't done something irredeemable like shoving a kid out the window (GLARES at Jamie Lannister)
I agree they should've explored more the depths of Kataang's relationship after he "let her go" but wholeheartedly disagree he needed a better character arc. A flat is perfectly fine for a protag. Naruto and Goku never learn or change from their experiences. They are the way they are and the world reacts to them
Good job man. This was a pretty good and entertaining video 👍
thank you!
Lion-Turtles are mentioned in The Library episode.
That is not enough.
6:23, agreed. It’s the part of the show that I criticize most. (I’m not particularly critical of the show which I quite enjoy but of the parts of it I criticize that’s probably on the top of the list.)
His passivism isn't the character arc. It is simply one part of the character arc and his passivism is a running joke because he vary obviously kills a lot of people. His biggest internal struggle was with the idea of being the Avatar and living out what that means. In the end of season 2, he finally embraces it and promptly gets killed. He struggles with embracing the role of Avatar again with the question of passivism.
hm I don't personally remember anytime there was a joke or humor revolving around Aang's hypocrisy on killing people. I could be wrong tho :)
@monkfruit Fair, not in the show itself. From just about anyone who watches it, though. There are whole videos counting the number of people he killed in avalanches, drowning, etc... However, I still contend the passivism is simply part of his arc on accepting his role as Avatar. It is the last hurdle he must cross. Immaturity was the first. Connection was the second. Self was the third. You are right that some of his arc could have been better.
No matter what they did, Zuko who has the best redemption arc in television history, would have still over shadowed Aang. Aang is the title character, but the story equally about Zuko.
@@davidreynolds9744 haha I agree largely! I'm coming out with a video that's scheduled to publish in like 2 hours actually examining his pacifism in the context of becoming a fully realized Avatar too :) def think it's an important hurdle for Aang to cross
I always had a crush on Zuko. I could see why people would want Katara and Zuko to be together, but I always thought it made more sense for Katara to end up being with Aang. Although I like Aang, I just don’t feel like his character got as much attention as a person compared to all the other characters. Aang’s character was solely about being the avatar and defeating the firelord, the series never even really addressed Aang’s character as the Avatar. Aang is more of a placeholder in comparison. Aang’s purpose is to aid the other character’s in their character development rather than having his own character development.
Edit: It is worth noting that it is possible that Aang didn’t have as much character development as he could have due to him losing his entire culture and everyone he knew with an exception of Bumi by being frozen for 100 years. He has no real attachments because of this.
definitely agree! kinda crazy that the main character of the show seemed to get less attention than a bunch of other characters
Aang’s character gets overlooked alot for being the MC it’s kinda of crazy.
Aang really got underdeveloped as a character. Especially when compared to the others. Let's be real Zuko slowly stole the show as the writers gave him so much more development and even showed it more. We see more of Zuko's childhood and the fire palace than we ever see of Aangs growing up as a monk or of the Air Temples. The most being when they visited the taken over Eastern Temple. Aang even had all his issues sped run through by his Guru training. Literally saying here is a list of flaws you will no longer have. Now, Aang, you are perfect.....as soon as you let Katara go. Something I wish he did as it would not only change their dynamic, which they could show and even make an episode of where Katara questions it, but also have Aang stop getting mad over Katara not wanting to date him! Honestly I find Aang pretty toxic in his pursuit of Katara. Day of black sun kiss was fine since he wasn't sure if he was coming back or not but Ember Island players made me hate the boy. Gentlemen, ladies and everything in between let us agree pushy is not a good look on any character. Had this flaw been addressed and used to make Aang grow it could have been great. He was a kid with a crush and wasn't sure how express his frustrations. Lessons to be learned. Sadly Aang was too perfect for this to be a thing. Part of the reason I shipped Zutara. Say what you will of Zuzu he tried to be a good boyfriend to Mai. Zuko's anger with her mostly being reactionary like her dismissing his efforts with the shell or her not stopping a dude from hitting on her. Had Zuko been talking to another girl something tells me she would have tossed something, hopefully not sharp, at her or him. Don't wanna go into a Zutara rant here but I will if someone asks me about it as I find them to make more sense story wise as well as stopping Katara from becoming the prize for Aang to win at the end of the war (she deserved better).
Alot of people can relate to Zuko’s struggles. Aang is like an idealistic character that just doesn’t exist in our world Makes sense he is the Avatar in that notion.
To me zuko n aang are the same in my love of character, i prefer iroh n toph, iroh with his unconditional love and love of tea, toph with her brazenness and vulnerability when she is out of her element
The biggest difference with Aang is that his childhood was pretty much perfect before he ran away. There's no personal traumatic event until after he finds out his entire culture was wiped out which is pretty hard to explore through a child. Zuko was abused and scarred by his father. Katara mother was killed right in front of her. Those personal traumas r easier to explore because they're still dealing with it. Especially zuko since 16 to 17 years old n has his uncle to make his journey more clear to the viewer. Aangs loss is explore but its connected to the fact that he still presently has the responsibility of being the avatar and ending the war while being 12. They honestly just didn't have time with the story basically being less than a year
yeah if it weren't for real-life constraints like the narrative needing to go on (and especially with Avatar being a kids show) I would have loved to see more of an exploration of Aang's grief. kinda wild how he finds out his entire culture's been wiped out and then the next episode is chipper enough to try and ride the Unagi lmao
@@monkfruit Kids easily distract themselves and Aang was just too far removed it. They were wiped out a 100 years ago. Now he's teen/adult years that would've been something to explore because the world is safe but now he has to actually deal with the fact that his culture is completely gone n we can assume he's trying to get use to the water tribe culture with katara. That would be awesome to see
That’s an excellent point. Zuko’s losses and traumas are specific and thus easier to comprehend than the gigantic and almost inconceivable loss of an entire culture. Aang’s loss feels abstract; Zuko’s loss feels personal so we can relate to it better.
Aang’s trauma cannot be solved in the series alone. I completely agree. It’s just too damn big.
They should have just said aang killed a bunch of people during the North Pole ocean spirit incident.
yeah there's no way they survived lol
Knowing how Aang is, he would’ve either performed all sorts of mental gymnastics to either blame it all on the ocean spirit or claim that it was purely self defense and that he never set out to intentionally kill people.
I haven’t started the video yet but as someone who definitely likes Zuko better than I like Aang, I would love to hear your theory as to why
I know it doesn’t really justify it. But in the library episode, aang show katara a picture of the lion turtle. And in the picture looks like he’s doing the same thing he does to aang at the end.
yeah and even though it’s just decoration piandao has lion turtle sculptures around his home and garden
They showed the picture of it, yes. But, considering that this was the spirit library that contained all the knowledge of the universe, the fact that there was no mention of energy bending in the same breath as lion turtles is a mark against the whole thing.
The Lion Turtle was setup in the Library.
Interesting point of view
ty!
Aang did a lot of character development, though. He went from abandoning his responsibilities to fulfilling them. I do love ❤️ Zuko
too.
def agree he grew, but I still think it could've been done better i guess. like he didn't really fulfill his responsibility to find a way to end the war, the perfect solution just showed up on his doorstep
3:01, same but I find that it’s an episode wherein Sokka steals the show (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Hi. Pls dont spam. You can put all this info in 1 comment.
4:19, agreed
Just to point out about ATLA, the Avatar was originally designed as the spirit of the Earth which needed to be human to understand and empathize with those its supposed to protect, (which is also what makes the Avatar such a unique spirit, none of the other spirits can empathize with humans and in fact cause problem with them because of that, the Avatar expressly cannot do this) the spirit is human because its not supposed to disconnect itself from its human side, this is why Iroh's advice, in always being framed as correct, is also stated clearly regarding not giving up love and those you love. The point of the story is Aang can't become detached from the world specifically because he is the spirit of the world, he needs to be connected to it for the betterment of the world and to understand and care for the world. He can't do that by detaching, this is why the Guru is wrong and why Aang was punished, not only because he was accessing the Avatar state before he was ready (being fully trained in all four elements) but because he tried to shortcut it by opening up his chakras in violation of his training. (just like the reproof he recieved for trying to instigate the Avatar state in season 1) Just because the opening of his chakras provided him with some character development and relief and opened access to the Avatar state does not mean they were a positive thing for the Avatar to do. (unfortunately this fact was deliberately kept silent in the show despite all the elements pointing to this fact) Avatar Yangchen outright tells Aang this and much of the other past lives of the Avatar agree. This is one of the reasons why the lionturtle resolution was so bad, it didn't force the story to address this fact.
I do like Aang more than I like Zuko, but at least you aren't b__tching about how Aang never grew as a character. It's something the community does quite often.
yup, definitely think he grew! not to the extent as some other characters imo but growing into his role as the Avatar, dealing with his abandonment, and learning various lessons on their adventures are all things that Aang definitely learns from
Aangs is the most creative martial arts
I don't get it because Aang did grow - from a goofy, kid who was fun loving to a slightly mature boy still fun loving but he knew not every time is a time to joke and goof off.
@@youtubecommentergal4346 Amen. Couldn't have said it better myself.
People fail to see Aang's growth because they expect to see him grow out of his pacifist beliefs but I think he grew into them. As a kid, he was a pacifist but I goofy one. I feel like if he was not the Avatar, he would have been kicked out of the air temple for continuously disrupting the other monks meditation, going outside the curriculum. While the nomads encourage freedom, they fall into an ideological trap as the other air-bending avatar pointed out: they think there is one way of airbending and achieving spirituality and Aang seemed less spiritual like an altarboy who knows the bible but only prays when at church; you are still a christian but not as into your religion as your pastor who prays ten times a day. Sorry for the rumbling, let me get back to the point.
After the100 year sleep, he tries to grasp onto any of the monks lessons that he can and decides to become fanatical about them. He tries to resolve conflict with words, remains vegetarian, meditates more (maybe) and doubles down on his pacifism. We see him try to broker peace with Zuko several times even when it seems idiotic because that is what he was taught. If he willingly and knowingly plans and carries out murder he would be breaking the cardinal rule which all their teachings are based on that all life is sacred. After doing that, the monks teaching would be truly gone and the Air Nomad culture would also truly crumble so this is his last cultural defense
They kinda ruined aang and it pisses me off because they could’ve of done something but they did not if I owned the show without Nickelodeon on my back
I would do a lot of changes, I hope in the new animated movie we see aang grow, I hope it shows us more of Katara and Aangs relationship maybe it will show us aang killing somebody and him trying to get over it and overcome it. But idk
"he's the protagonist of the show. He shouldn't be coming ninth in popularity"
I disagree. Aang is the way he is by design, he's not supposed to be the best character in the show.
sometimes azula is higher in rank than aang himself and i can't blame her, she's the opposite of him, arrogant, superb, competitive perfectionist, authoritarian, nilinistic, determined some of these traits are considered flaws of bad character and yet she is more charismatic than aang
well there was where he burned katara from not being disciplined fire bending he takes a long time to work up the courage to try it again with his guilt bit that did tie into zuko arc too since after he burned toph by mistake aang decided to let him join the ggang because he understands
I think they did reference the lion turtle a couple times
hm they had like a couple pictures of them here and there but not enough foreshadowing for such a series altering mechanic imo
There's one other thing that is affected by Aang having so little on-screen development or exploration of his character: his relationship with Katara. Had he let go of Katara during that scene, it would've massively enhanced him as a character and finally given Katara room to be her own character in her relationship with Aang. In the show, she's often treated as just a prize for Aang to win, which is a real shame because both of them are amazing characters. Had Aang been more developed, and had his flawed perspective on Katara and her feelings been addressed, Kataraang as a relationship would have been so much more believable. They could've grown together and really become a lovely couple. Instead, it was uncomfortable and often only served the male audience, thus taking away from Katara's whole feminist narrative. It's so unfortunate because I love Kataraang and I genuinely believe it could have been a beautifully done pairing had the creators actually known what they were doing. Aang's lack of exploration for his development is such a bummer. And the deus ex machina things really didn't help with the idea that the writers had no clue how to naturally write romantic subplots, let alone main character development.
Actually, this also explains why Zutara is popular. Had Zutara been canon, Aang would've had so much more going for him as a character. The narrative of letting go to unlock one's true potential is so cool and would've made Aang ridiculously interesting, but because the writers coddled him and let him get everything he wanted, Aang never got the chance to stand on his own. Zuko and Katara had growth on-screen, both separately and together, while Katara and Aang never did. So because Aang had everything handed to him by the writers, Kataraang suffered from a lack of development because Aang never changed with or for the good of his relationship with her. Meanwhile, Zuko did.
Sigh. Struggles of being a multishipper. I love both. I honestly prefer Zutara over Kataraang, but I also really love the sweet dynamic Kataraang has throughout the show. If only it was developed better... It would definitely be my all-time favorite if they had implemented some parts of book 4 into the show, as I've heard book 4 really expands on Katara and Aang's relationship in a positive way. But for now, Zutara will always be my OTP.
Let's hope someone tries to give the show a well-done remake to develop one, or both, relationships in a better way. And Aang. He deserves better.
i see where your coming from, aang might seem like he doesn't change that much when you compare im to zuko but there are reasons for that zuko is older than aang is and no matter how you slice it aang is still the avatar part of aangs apeel is that he is forced to grow up quicker than any child ever should have to in order to save the world, while aang wasn't abused like zuko he was keppt shelter and what's at times treated more like a asset or weapon rather than a person,
the avatar does have a duty to keep the balance in the world but the avatar is still a human at the end of the day, the mistake that aang makes does makes sense for his age and experiences , if i whas in aang's shoes i would probably act similarly as well, i also believe that aang not killing ozai shows us something very interesting about aang in that everybody else has told aang that he should kill ozai and for good reasons but it goes against all of aang's believes and values i don't blame aang for wanting to find another way it makes sense to who he is its whats makes him interesting if aang would have just killed ozai it would have been a hollow victory for aang and the fact that he chose his own way rather than anyone else's way makes him unique and and shows us his individual strength and determination in doing so his entire culture and people were genocided and yet he still holds one to his values despite that fact,
a big message of the show is to choose your own path and your own destiny not what others want wants you to do. personally i like aang more but i see why people would prefer zuko and i have no problems with that.
1.ZUKO
2.IROH
3.TOPH
Are the best characters in atla according to me.
and as a villian azula.
this is my personal list too!!
Zuko is my favorite character. My only complaint with him is that I don't think he ever got a big win for himself. I think the perfect chance for him to get a win was in the finally with Azula. I think Zuko should have been the one to beat Azula. Katara already had so many wins did she really need another one ?
I think the fight with Azula was perfectly hadeled. Zuko didn´t loose because he was too weak or because he gave himself into anger. He lost because he tried to safe a dear freind. Aside from that at least in my eyes he was portrayed as the stronger one in that fight.
Zuko becomes Fire Lord, he gains a real family that genuinely cares about him, reunites with his long lost mother, gets to live a long full life with a wife, children, and grandchildren while his piece of shit father rots behind bars all alone. That’s a big win in my book.
I like aang better than zuko but zuko tuff fr
2:42, the second of those was not well-handled by the show.
What’s Katara’s flaw ?
The flaw that stuck out the most to me is that Katara has a temper, like when she told Sokka he didn't love their mother like she did
katara's flaw is his idealism for ang being this savior of the country when in fact aang is a 12-year-old child who has not had time to grieve for his people, and cannot see the world beyond the lens of an airbender, another flaw she has, she is very controlling you just see it in the episodes where toph ang and sokka are robbing fire nation civilians, she should let them suffer the consequences of their actions or threaten to leave the group (they wouldn't survive one day without their mother). another flaw she has abandonment issues she thinks everyone who leaves is abandoning her which is not true. and i disagree it's the fact that sokka loves kya not the way katara does because in the episode behind sokka says he doesn't remember his mother and that every time he thinks about having a mother he sees katara not kya he doesn't even know he wants to remember his mother's face he says seeing katara as a mother not kya (i think sokka still has a lot to grow about his character including i think it shouldn't even be zuko accompanying katara it should be him, he lost kya and yue to the nation of fire and still think aang is right in sourthem raiders?
@@monkfruit To be fair, she's right. Sokka literally told Toph that he doesn't remember what their mother's face looks like. He says that when he imagines the person that has always been there to take care of him, he imagines Katara's face. It had only been 6 years since Kya died. He was 9 when she died! How does he not remember her face? That alone indicates that at the very least that he doesn't love Kya like Katara does (which just means that they loved her differently, not that one necessarily loved her more).
Aang is just kinda boring he always has to be the great good and someone of who is limited to having to be the avatar. So a lot of who he is and free will is taken by that responsibly. If he were just an airbender then I think we’d get more development. The scenes that hit hard for me with aang is the process of opening the chakras and when he woke up in season 3 after losing in the avatar state. He was talking about redemption and wanting his honor back but other then that he’s always kind of a simp and alot of it has to do with being the avatar something he never had the choice of being.
Even momo and appa have more character development than Aang
No one is Match for katara and azula
Aang has absolutely killed several times, throughout the series
I like most characters more in the series than Aang.
I completely disagree with saying that the lion turtle is a deus ex machina. Lion turrles are shown to us twice, directly and also in reference via the white lotus symbolism.
You see a picture of a lion turtle during the library episode, and you see statues of them at Piandao's mansion.
The lion turtle says to Aang that before bending the elements, they (assume he means other physical beings and other lion turtles when he says the word "they") used to been energy itself. As we know, from The Legend of Korra, the lion turtles can pass abilities onto others. Thus passing energy bending onto Aang. How is this a plot convince? An ancient being, older than the first avatar stepping in to help the current avatar with a world ending conflict is logical writing choice, especially given the world building in ATLA.
It is absolutely not a deus ex machina
Nah seeing statues is not enough foreshadowing for something that changed the series as much as lion turtles did in the finale. And yeah we find out about them in Korra but in the og series they totally came out of nowhere. They're for sure Deus ex machina imo
@anshul barnwal the main issue I have with calling it a DEXM is because the world building in ATLA is so strong. The lion turtle explains to Aang the origins of bending before sending that power to him. The lion turtle is built into the world building.
@@TheoBrownMusic7 while I see what you're saying, I disagree that it's built into the world building. if there had even been something before talking about the concept of the origins of bending I would be fine with that- the issues is that the writers wrote themselves into a corner where there's no way to beat Ozai without killing him and so make something up. To me deus ex machina means something unsolvable is solved by something totally out of nowhere, which the lion turtle definitely falls under
@@anshulbarnwal6122 that's fair
There was nothing foreshadowed about the energybending, whether the lion-turtles exist is irrelevant, also LoK is a retcon of the original story and its elements, nothing about can be applied retroactively, ATLA has to stand on its own to make sense, Korra is irrelevant. (and Korra actually functionally destroys the Avatar and deconstructs it to become utter nonsense)
All elements of a story must be supported internally, external extensions are additions to an internally consistent story, if the energybending wasn't plot relevant, it wouldn't need clarification for the sake of internal consistency in the story, but because it is the biggest plot convenience in the story for which prevents Aang from wrestling with a necessary character conflict that is vital to the climatic plot, and it resolves the biggest and most important fight in the show, it is by design a deus ex machina as it prevents the conflict from actually being addressed by the narrative's own logic.
I DONT Like zuko better than aang so the title is already wrong
Then this video isn't for you. No need to act like you're the only person here whose opinion matters
comnetb
i have no idea what this means but ty for the engagement :)
@@monkfruit ganeengament
Aang didn’t grow at all. He continued to maintain the Pacifist and no killling nonsense that led his people to the brink of extinction. He is a selfish person. He runs away as a 12 year old kid once he is told he is the Avatar and that they are on the brink of war which resulted in the near extinction of his race. He still doesn’t go above putting himself before others throughout the series. He has killed people and animals in the series but was crying about how he isn’t willing to kill some crazy evil overlord. But I really don’t expect that sort of growth from a 12 year old. He already is very mature. But you think he’d be up for killing Ozai just to prevent him from wiping out the earth kingdom like the way he wiped of his own people if he cares so much about the value of life. Behaving like that batman dumbass. He takes away Ozai bending instead of killing which as a kid sat right with me but as an adult is worse than killing him. Call they gave him a living death. Aang took his bending, being the most powerful fire bender in the series, stripped him of his psionic powers, Zuko took his throne stripping him of his political power and financial power and Ursa took away his pride in the comics. This guy just withers away in prison. Honestly death would have been much better if I was in his shoes. If Aang refused to kill me I am crawling off the cliff and falling to my death
yeah if only this wasn't a kids show and Aang could've killed him :/
@@monkfruit Or at least reasonably wrestled with the question.
i kinda get you point but i disagree. In my eyes Aang grew. At the beginning of the show he was clearly immature just knowing that killing is bad. But at the end he really had to wrestle the question how he should handle wiht Ozai instead. He also grew and learned to be responsible for others, carrying the weight of the world as avatar.
My major complain is that the energy bending at the end was a too easy solution. like a deus ex machina.
your point about what Aang did to Ozai is worse thatn death is debatable. I defenitely see where your coming from.
I myself think pazifistik (if that´s even a word) but lately I too wrestle with the question
ATLA, and as a result Aang, suffers from kids show pacifism. If the show wasn't owned by Nickelodeon and got the chance to be a little more, maybe Aang's flawed ideology could've been explored better. Unfortunately, kids shows can't understand that kids can understand certain complex concepts, so they coddle protagonists and maintain the pacifism above all else narrative. Pacifism is an admirable ideology, but it is not always possible to uphold, and a slight delve into Aang's character could've easily explored that idea, but ATLA was a kids show so it can never get the chance to do that. :(
Aang absolutely had growth
Fair! I just think his arc was less fleshed out and significant than other characters including Zuko
I always hated aang. Hated. And the scroll episode is why.