UPDATED VERSION: ruclips.net/video/FaTKlnYzU4o/видео.html 🔥Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/0xI4Ph2YBWiUl3b88exU4B 🔥Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/album/the-last-agni-kai-extended-violin-opening-extended/1579539738 🔥1hr loop: ruclips.net/video/Q34Gx1y32eg/видео.html UPDATE: I'm almost free of COVID! However I still need to pay some medical bills. Thanks a lot for the overwhelming response to my arrangement! Wasn't expecting this amount of engagement and almost 1k more subs! It really motivated me during this days. Stay safe everyone! More ATLAverse stuff soon!!! Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great start of the week. Unfortunately I've contracted COVID and I won't be able to work for a couple of days. I'd really appreciate your help to go through this situation! So please, consider donating or purchasing my music through bandcamp or your preferred store. If this performs as good as the original release I'll do a track based only on that violin intro.
You have to make a track based only on that violin!! If you can make it, same style as this track, for sure it will perform good, because everybody wants it and from al versions i heard, i believe you can make the best. And make it emotional epic again because i hear the details. Not hardcore epic like movietrailers when you dont hear the details. But you know it better then me. I am just a fan of this kind of music. I am waiting for your masterwork, and i hope you will recover soon!
I thought it was really sad, he responds without hesitation beacause he knows she doesn't feel sorry about it at all, and it saddens me when you think your own sibling, your flesh and blood would be willing to kill you. Zuko's story is truly a heart breaking one.
This is what Zuko's final test in his adventure with the Avatar was: facing his own nation and returning it to glory with the humbling lessons he learned since season one. He wasn't fooled into thinking the Fire Nation was so perfect because he knew its brutality firsthand. It was a test to see if he could truly face his sister, his father, and everything they stood for. It was even more climatic to me than Aang vs Ozai because Zuko fought his inner demons only to face Azula in a devastating battle between siblings that shouldn't have happened.
They weren’t truly siblings anymore... not really... one had evil, brutality and malice at her core, and the other knew what had to be done. Such a truly sad yet beautiful tale.
Yeah I had the thought that Zuko took the throne from Azula and like Iroh's words echoed in my head when he said he couldn't or it shouldn't be his task to fight Ozai coz of: brothers killing/fighting brothers thing... Then why Azula vs. Zuko? Then I remembered in the end Katara was the one who finished the fight. (Lol not sure if I got the message through, I'm not good at explaining my thoughts)
@@saruwatarisa That is true. It's just sibling vs sibling regardless. I imagine it's because he was Azulon's son and that it would be seen as the elder of the two killing his brother to reclaim his birthright despite his old age for power. It would be seen as continuing Azulon's legacy I think. He was wise and kind, but he was also old and didn't want to be leader. It's possible that he just didn't want the throne in his old age and wanted Zuko to lead everyone the right way for years to come so that he could live on and grow among the people. Zuko and Katara ended up sparing Azula, but ultimately it was a duel between siblings for the throne. And Zuko was the rightful heir so it really is the same thing: wise and learned older brother reclaiming his birthright against his set-in-her-ways and malicious younger sister. They both have Ozai as their father, and he is responsible for trying to incinerate the Earth Kingdom. It would be the same thing as if Iroh took his rightful place except Azula wasn't officially Firelord yet. He also traveled with Aang for a while and lived among other nations and benders, so I imagine it would be seen as a prince restoring the honor of his nation through mercy and devotion instead of war and fearmongering. In concept though you are right: he really is just taking down his sibling and it would go down in history as brother fighting sister. Except Iroh said "History would see it as a brother killing a brother". Maybe that's what set it all apart with Zuko sparing his sister and trying to help her later. Morally speaking it's all for the greater good no matter how tragic it is. That's why this fight is much darker and climatic to me.
@@damonrichardson1999 yeah that fight was epic. I couldn't think of anything to say but, that fight... The way they did it with the intense flames... Azula's blue flame vs. Zuko's... well regular flame 😂 and the dramatic music had so much impact. O.O
I love how sad the music was for this Agni Kai. They could have had some epic, dramatic theme about a hero defeating a villain. Instead, they really capture how this was a tragic fight between a brother and sister, who’ve both been irreparably scarred by the same terrible father.
what I like about this comment is that the sad choice is so obvious until you pointed out the alternative (dramatic epic hero song) which could have been an equally valid choice. Excellent. This makes the choice they made so much more thought out than I initially considered.
@@Elinialei don't think so. I think the point of contrasting Zuko and Azula like this is to show the importance of a rescuer. Someone who believes in you, who wants to help you no matter how tough things get. Zuko had Iroh and later the Gaang while Azula had no one like that. If she did have someone she would not have turned out this way. People don't become deranged like that without some outside influence. Same goes for growing into someone better.
I'm so fucking happy the creators of ATLA chose a theme for this battle that was somber rather than exhilarating. It deepens the connection we created with Zuko by calling attention to how inevitable this battle was, and how hard it was on all three of them
Jeremy zuckerman has said in interviews that it was really hard to make the music for this scene, and bryke referenced the ghost in the shell directors words "I want to hear what's in the chatecters hearts, not what's on the screen" neither zuko nor azula enjoyed that fight and you can hear that in the music.
honestly, it's sad that Azula is only like this because this is how Ozai raised her. She would have been different if she had someone different. Like Iroh as her dad.
@@DGuadalupePerez even Ursa, there's a video dedicated towards her banishment in the fire nation and the different time lines she could have done, my favorite one is where she takes Zuko AND Azula with her, raising them both with the caring and love they needed in the series, they're pretty much enemies of the Fire nation and Ozai himself.
@@DGuadalupePerez Its not just Ozai fault... Ozai raised Zuko too and I like to think Iroh tried to change Azula too.. Just she was born to a monster.. a psychopath
Often you forget that Azula was just 14. Zuko was 16. These were just kids being forced to compete against each other pretty much since they were born. The show made a great choice depicting this scene as the tragic thing it was.
This is my favourite soundtrack in Avatar, it gives that tragic feel of their torn relationship. I also love that during the fight, the firebending was muffled, the muffle makes the audience feel like they are covering their ears as this is not a fight that wants to be heard, brother and sister fight to the death to gain the throne.
@@OutOfPocket-h9e And from the nuances I got that Ozai killed his father and claimed the throne when Iroh is the supposed crown prince. That's why I said it's just a fire nation tradition
@@houghwhite411 Technically Ursa, Zuko's mom killed Azulon, she proposed a plan to poison Azulon so Ozai can claim the throne, in reward, Zuko doesn't have to die. That's why Ursa got banished. Ozai mentions this during the invasion confrontation with Zuko and I think they go into detail more in the comics.
@@houghwhite411 it wasn't one. Azulon did not become this furious about Ozai wanting to usurp Iroh's claim if it was. Iroh even said himself that taking back Ozai's throne from him, would look really bad in the eyes of the people.
"Look at what you've done to your kids!" This fight is Ozai's cruellest crime. The quote is from LM Reactions, I really liked it as it pointed out the juxtaposition of Ozai peacocking and the utter ruin of his family, embodying how he has ruined the Fire Nation.
and the worst part about it ? It was all just to spite Ursa every time he abused Zuko and encouraged others to do the same all of that just to hurt an unhappily married woman for talking back to him once
@@captainseb8652 There's that, sure. I think he decided early on that Zuko was weak, and Ozai could not permit this. That was enough. He judged his son at about eight, and decided he would never be good enough. Also Ozai is the younger sibling to, in his mind, a weaker and more emotional older sibling, whom he replaced as Firelord.
@@Sinewmire have you read the comics? If no, then i'd recommend them since they give more inside into this (and without going into spoilers, it's what *Captian-Seb* was probably refrencing)
Azulas voice actor said in an interview that to interpret this scene was really hard for her because in order to get those screams when she was defeated She said that had to look inside her saddest and darkest memories to bring those emotions to the character. I honestly feel pain when I hear azula scream and the emotions that the voice actress brought to her it really speaks of how far this professional was able to go to get those emotions and bring something pure to her character. Azula will always be my favorite character. I'm looking forward to read the comic about her next year 2023. I want to understand this character better. I believe she has good in her but she doesn't know it. This show is a masterpiece
And she is also Wonder Woman in a bunch of stuff. Plus Queen Moon Star VS. and then also Vicki form Fairly Oddparents and Maz Katana in Star Wars and Arcee in Rise of the Beasts. Woman is a. LEGEND.
I will never forget Azula's stare when Zuko unleashed that swirling fireball at her. Stunned by her brother's immense power and experience; I will never forget Azula's sobs of agony and despair, how she flailed around. Betrayed by her best friends, disposed by her father, and believed an abomination by her own mother. Azula's psychosis is a grim reminder that sometimes your biggest opponent is yourself.
@@nodaerT Yeah, until she tries to kill mom and then realizes after failing that her "true purpose" is basically to be Zukos archnemesis and constantly threaten his rule so that he never becomes weak and complacent, after which she becomes an absolute thorn in his side for the next several years before finally vanishing and never being seen or heard from again.
If you notice though, Ursa never called her monster or an abomination. The only person who ever said those about Azula was Azula herself. Ursa loved her and Azula knows it. But love is something Azula cannot understand. She only understands fear. Ursa loved her daughter. She was sad and disappointed in both her and Ozai
As a kid you don't understand how sad this fight is, Avatar may have been a cartoon, but its fights like this that made it stand out from the rest. I think this is the most tragic battle in Avatar. It may not be the most important, but it definitely is the best.
"It may not be the most important" Boi if Azula won, even if Aang still beat Ozai, the war would take a much, MUCH, more aggressive turn than it already has. With her psyche she'd throw all caution to the wind, hold nothing back, and probably drag the war on for at least another year. Azula was in Avatar as Grievous was in Star Wars: not the main head, but still one that needs to fall
I’m very close to my brothers, so watching this, two siblings, one who has redeemed himself and the other falling into insanity, trying to kill each other is heartbreaking. I know Zuko wasn’t trying to kill her, but Azula being fully intent to kill him, and not feeling even a bit of remorse is so saddening.
“You can’t take her alone.” “Yes I can. I can’t explain it but she’s slipping.” I love how their shared history as siblings gives Zuko the insight to immediately pick up on Azula’s fracturing mental state.
@@OswaldAureliaI love the memes with the “she’s slipping” and it’s some awful photo of someone with messed up hair and makeup lol. But it’s also interesting because despite her appearance, Zuko doesn’t really know what’s been going on with her. So yeah, her messed up appearance has something to do with it for sure but I think he could also just sense that something wasn’t right about her (despite her new look 😂)
Everyone talks about how Zuko's evolution and growth is one of the best stories in Avatar. Not enough people talk about how Azula's slow devolution and fall into loneliness and insanity is one of the best villain stories in Avatar.
@@paxtheskeleton6636 and you have to think from an audience POV too some kids know what it’s like to have that person in their life like iroh and some know what it’s like to be so alone to the point you become what azula became all the kids or characters in the show have stories that are pretty similar especially the rich kids having a pretty relative bond with toph
This scene really proves Avatar wasn’t just a kid’s show. The kid in you wanted to see Azula go down…but that was what Ozai’s fight was meant to be. This scene was just tragedy. Original take, I know, but many kid’s shows wouldn’t dare do this now, breaking Azula down this hard because of how dark it is. And keep in mind she was only 14.
@@edithputhy4948 She is more than that. She is insecure due to her lack of emotional depth and has always overcorrected. We see her true self when we see her trying to flirt as well as when she thinks about her friends and mother after they left her.
@@michaelcarlton1484 a sociopath can still be all those things and that was the most interesting side of her character, but the deranged, machiavellan villain side was way overblown but then again it is a cartoon so cartoonish overaccentuated characters make sense
I love that this kind of captures the sad nature of the fight. It’s not triumphant like Aang beating up Ozai. It’s two kids set against each other by their scumbag dad. One who had to go through an immense amount of pain to rise above it and one who went with it and can’t understand how it all turned out so wrong. Truly heartbreaking.
I wonder if you could amp up Ozai vs. Aang parts 1 & 2. Trying to amp up that Dynamic Final Boss music and the intense fear both are feeling in their respective parts.
in my opinion the music when aang goes into the avatar state was never meant to be triumphant, aang in the avatar state is supposed to be scary to everyone, even his friends, the fact that aang is even in the avatar state is an aversion to himself, its never triumphant to have to end things with violence in aang's eyes you can notice this especially at the siege of the north, it isnt a celebratory power up and beat the bad guys, its a scary natural disaster in a 12 year old and the music reflects that if anything, aang's situation is just as sad as any of the others in avatar, a 12 year old boy that just wanted to have fun with his friends was given an impossible burden, and when he naturally runs from the responsibility his entire culture was wiped out and he failed the world for 100 years, now he has to fight people like ozai when he just wanted to be a kid from a writing standpoint the avatar state becomes the antagonist in the finale, ozai is running for his life, and aang wants to spare him, however the avatar state is directly opposing what aang wants by trying to kill him, thats why i dont think its triumphant, the music doesnt imply that either
@@sanzharzaitenov5268 It actually was, especially with how it ended. The music was fast paced and hard - like any action movie, and when Aang takes away Ozai's bending and finally masters the Avatar State and uses it to quell the flames, the rising notes of the ATLA theme was pretty much like the Star Wars Force melody. Good prevailing over evil. Azula vs Zuko wasn't triumphant, it was heartbreaking. It was misery and sorrow and just pain. Even when Azula was defeated, the music wasn't happy - it was just a cry, with Zuko and Katara unable to look at the breakdown of a psychologically damaged child lashing out.
Azula was fourteen... Ozai screwed over her entire sense of right and wrong, made her believe that power was the only thing that matters, turned her into a cold and ruthless manipulator, unable to understand love. And she was just fourteen.
I'm not sticking up nor justiying anything for ozaï, don't get wrong.. But what is "right or wrong" exactly ? People have their own perception of being "right or wrong", it depends/varies on an individual's believes. Ozaï believed in his view on/way of live to be the "right", and thought of the others oppossing him were the "wrong". same way as we do, but with different believes
@@mrnelis8037 And his beliefs ended in the permanent trauma of a young woman who was pushed to the point where she was not only willing, but took joy in the attempt, to kill her own flesh and blood brother. A 14 year old girl trying to murder her brother, and hurting others in the process of the attempt just because she knew it would hurt him even more. Right/Wrong, ways of life, systems of belief. Yes, they are all each of them subjective to the individual and entirely beyond our perspective on what truly constitutes our moral ideas of "right". But when a man tortures his son and turns his daughter into a murderous megalomaniac for his own gain and amusement...it truly is a reflection of what cruelties man is capable of inflicting upon the world around him.
@@mrnelis8037 this is not a good view on morality. morality strives for wellbeing. his actions were objectively morally wrong, as they violated wellbeing. what may appear as right or wrong for some people is irrelevant to actual morality.
@@dannycoitus6738 he (ozaï) had a different view on "wellbeing", his beliefs what i said differs from us others. we view it as wrong he bent his view morals to his own beliefs. at least how he thinks. i think..
@@mrnelis8037 Even with his view of well-being being his own wellness, society is the one who actually dictates a base line of good and bad, him believing he is right doesn't make him actually right. If you want to go a bit more in depth(between what is right and wrong), try to see the difference between morals and ethic, I had actually wrote a paragraph but in this discussion would be a bit too much.
I used to think that Katara finishing this fight was a cop out and that Zuko should have been the one to win, but now I am older I see that it was the perfect completion of both their arcs. Zuko's honor wasn't restored by winning an Agni Kai, it was restored by sacrificing himself for another. Meanwhile Katara finally gets an honorable vengeance on the fire nation for what they did to her family and people. Edit: as someone commented, vengeance is not the culmination of Katara's arch. Instead it is justice (which is what I think I was trying to say with "honorable vengeance"). Katara served justice for her people when she symbolicly defeated the Fire Nation (represented by Azula, the new Fire Lord)
I think it also reminds us that Zuko managed to change because he had people who helped pull him out of the darkness like Iroh while Azula never really had anyone to depend on in the first place. Ty lee and Mai were really only by her side for awhile because they feared her.
@@notyourbusiness2449 I have a real problem empathising with azula the way other people do, just because I'm unclear on whether or not her mental problems were the result of mistreatment or whether they were actually inherent to her psyche. Obviously there was massive mistreatment of her, but the fact that her machiavellian characteristics started to show so early (and that it appears that her mother noticed them first and then began neglecting her) leads me to believe that they were inherent. Now maybe I should empathise with her more because she didn't choose to be a machiavellian just like she didn't choose her parents, but if you can't hold someone accountable for who they truly are and how they behave, with all other variables removed, then how can you hold them accountable?
@@liamsloan5410 I get where you’re coming from and I also ask myself the same thing whenever I think about Azula. I ask myself a bunch of questions actually lake was she an ass since she was a little kid because she was a prodigy and her father favored her there for spent more time with her and brainwashed her since then? If her mother wasn’t so neglectful towards her would she have turned out different and ended up like Zuko? His first support was his mom and Azula said so herself in the ember island episode that her mom thought of her as a monster since she was little and it hurt her feelings. Or would it not have mattered whether her mother was loving to her in the end? Would Azula have still chosen the dark side if she had an actual support system? Would she still be as ruthless or would she be more like Zuko in the first seasons? Is she even capable of love?
@@notyourbusiness2449 I feel similar to you, she received positive reinforcement of her father every time she did well in her fire-bending and when she was ruthless. What brought her closer to her father, was also what made her mother distance herself from her. She's a self-fulling tragedy.
This is by far among the greatest final battle themes in all of media for one simple reason: it's NOT bombastic, nor pompous, nor vainglorious. It IS melancholy, mournful, heartfelt. With this final battle, you aren't just witnessing the heroes taking down the bad guy, you are witnessing Azula's final plunge into despair. And you feel Zuko's mourning the loss of his own sister and family. THAT is the kind of environment to bring on tears. This is not just any victory. This is the crushing force of reality. And it's beautiful.
In eastern cultures family fighting among each other is considered the worst thing. The hindu scripture "bhagwad geeta " begins at a similar situation lord krishna teaching warrior arjun his duty and righteousness ,who lost his morale when he saw his own family, his cousins , teachers and uncles as enemies in the battle field. So this theme shows the sad situation where a family is ripped apart , siblings are officially in a war against each other
The fact that Zuko and Azula (16 and 14 years old respectively) end this by fighting each other is so heartbreaking on it's own. Azula's breakdown at the end makes it even more tragic.
I raise you Answers from FFXIV. Perhaps watch A Realm Reborn - End of an Era or A New Beginning cinematic trailer. This is what occured at the conclusion end of the world events when the original game was taken offline in 2012 for them to completely remake and re-release the game as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, but keep the original game's story canon. It is indeed used in a final battle of a raid series in the game, and the fight's spectacle is choreographed to the music. (・ω・)/ The song returns again and again in different contexts, recontextualizing the lyrics, and breaking the hearts of millions who make the journey through the game's immense story.
"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again." -Uncle Iroh Zuko's journey and redemption started with failure, and ended with greatness. Zuko was given a new beginning because of failure, and it all led up to the famous Last Agni Kai. Uncle Iroh is always right we have learned.
The problem with Azula is that she was raised to believe failure was wrong, and she never allowed it to happen. She never learned, and in the end, she was just as unwilling to accept it. Her paradigm was what caused her to break in the end.
Azula's character was simply a masterpiece, in my opinion, at least At the start, she looked like she was normal, just a daddy's brat and snotty child. Yet, at that time, she didn't need to be this out of control It is clear she's a perfectionist, so she needed to control and manipulate people to get what she desires. Thanks to her father (and everything else), the only way azula knows with people is fear. Her position as the Princess, her father, and her vengeful and low temper are things that mostly scare people. So no one really said no to her. If anything was not the way it should, she always brought it back; by using fear. So she didn't need to be angry. But as we near the end, her 'friends' betray her, her father abandons her and everything is out of place. So she snaps. The insanity was always there. It just found a reason to show itself.
She's a narcissist, a product of genetics and environment, with an insecure ego that has to control everyone in order to cope. The loss of her friends, their complete refusal to be in her life, caused a massive ego wound, hence her disintegration.
The tragedy of Azula, molded to be her father's perfect weapon, only to realize giving him the victory he always wanted meant he'd no longer need her. A weapon he just intended to sheathe and forget about. The one and only person whose love she tried to earn all her life... and he never saw her as anything but a temporary tool.
And her tragedy was quite honestly the reason he was always doomed to failure. Sure, he may have conquered the earth kingdom if aang hadn't stopped him, but pockets of resistance would always be springing up, and Ozai was never going to live forever. He didn't have an heir. He had a weapon, and a disappointment. One would be sheathed once the world was conquered, and the other was banished, never to return. Even if he died prematurely, Iroh didn't have any heirs either, his son died in the first siege of ba sing se. Any remaining fire nation nobles or high ranking military commanders would fight amongst themselves for the throne, and the empire would collapse. Then the other nations would come. They'd take their revenge, and the world would only have 2 benders. The only real way for the fire nation to survive was for Ozai to be defeated and Zuko to end the war
@@snotenberg7 I honestly don't think Ozai even cared for what would happen after he died. Everything was for him, not the Fire Nation, not the dynasty, just him. If he dies, what does he care happens to the world?
@@Fordo007 he probably would have, but only after his mortality was clearly in his face. He would have realized that he left behind no dynasty, no legacy. But for a long time, you're right, he wouldn't care.
The next part of the tragedy is that the person she's fighting? Zuko? He's literally the only person in the show who actually loves her. He could accept her even at this point if she'd accept him, but she can never do that because Ozai taught her that her worth comes from being better than everyone else. If she's not the untouchable prodigy, she's nothing.
I think that Ozai is a perfect example of the fact that fear not the appearance of the villain, but his actions. And he's also a great example of how not to raise kids
The whole point of challenging Zuko to Agni Kai was to neutralize Katara and keep her out of the fight. Katara points this out herself. Azula is in essence sabotaging her own clever plan by taking a shot at Katara. We know that Zuko can redirect lightning (We've seen him do it successfully to his father already), so we don't really need to see Zuko do it again. We already know he can win with Iroh's redirecting lighting trick. Odds are Azula knows that too. Ultimately. Azula's tragedy is that she was in a no win scenario. If she fires on Zuko, he redirects and hits her for big dmg. If she fires on Katara, she violates the duel and frees Katara of her obligation to stand by and do nothing. For a true perfectionist, the real nightmare is realizing that there is no perfect move to make. Sometimes, you just can't win no matter how clever you are. She's betrayed every friend she ever had and now finds herself outnumbered, outgunned, and outclassed. It's the final push towards to full mental breakdown.
But that's the problem: Azula knew Zuko would save Katara, thus eliminating the only person she thought could actually overpower her; that's why she smirked right before she launched that strike. In her mind, the last waterbender is but a "filthy peasant," unworthy of the princess' respect. Azula underestimated Katara, not knowing that the latter is one of the most powerful waterbenders of her time (not to mention there was a full moon during the fight, so Katara's bending was amplified to it's zenith).
@@colt9836 not sure if there was a full moon, as far as I can tell there was zero mention or focus on the full moon, it was all about the comet. I think that was just Katara on full beast mode
Well yeah, but really the right thing to do in her position would be to make the challenge, position yourself during the fight, then snipe Katara whenever Zukos footing prevents him from intervening - then you just have to fight Zuko alone so no need for honorable pretense after that. We know she's the better technical martial artist and superior fire bender, sooo
‘’She was born lucky, I was lucky to be born… The sun would meet her and come alive My father would praise and people would pride in her name Her beauty so electrifying and great The fear and power of a crown she was born with and instilled Yet I... The sun would die whenever I came nearby My father gave me an ugly scar as a kiss goodbye With hate I grew up and lies A power that was never kind Yet, as I look into the same colored eyes as mine As I see the same light skin and darkened hair that shines, The same fire burning and blinding the sky The same anger, fear, sorrow and tragedy tiring our lives. I cannot help but fall down and cry For is she not my sister? The sister I should protect instead of fight? She was born lucky, I was lucky to be born… Yet why is it then, that she looks so lost and gone with not even a single person by her side?’’
This song is composed of the "friendship" strings used when team avatar are caring for eachother, and the fire nation drums. Just thought yall would wanna know that
Now I'm crying about Azula again. She was just as much a victim as Zuko was, but she had no one to help her escape it. Her fate is one of the greatest tragedies in this show
@Dungeon Master ya i agree that she deserves her ending because she's made so much people suffer, not just to the gaang, zuko and her friends, but citizens, workers too. but I guess that's whats so powerful in that certain scene, someone you can absolutely hate, someone you won't feel mercy for,, someone totally psychotic and sociopathic suddenly turns into someone you pity the most and cry for. it gives u a weird aftertaste, a bittersweet, incomplete feeling in the end. the ppl working on the final agni kai scene and azula's conversion to absolute madness are amazing.
@Dungeon Master I believe her surroundings are to blame. If you or I were raised with the idea that people with blue eyes are to be killed on sight and our whole country was forced into thinking like that, there isn't much we could've done, especially if we had a king as a father to make them proud. If it only were the family, she could've educated herself through her normal friends, but unlike Zuko, she never had the opportunity to see the wrongs in the fire nation, not until it was already too late, these beliefs cemented forever. This is just my opinion, though. I'm curious to learn your perspective on my theory. Until then, take care and I hope you're all doing well guys! 😊
It’s ironic to think that if Ozai just loved both of his kids equally they’d both be unstoppable, the only one with any humanity in the royal family that was alive was Iroh and he influenced Zuko and gave him the love his father never gave him while also teaching him compassion and empathy. Poor azula was under her fathers evil spell and it corrupted her and damaged her for life. This is more than just a kids show
And Iroh himself only started on the road of humility when his son died. He was just as much a fearsome, warmongering general as any before that. It took him years to reform himself, which I assume is why he was so unbelievably patient with Zuko- un-indocrinating yourself takes years.
First watched this when I was 14/15 I think. Just before the music started I thought it was going to be some epic intense battle, but then the music started and it showed the fight for what it really was: a tragedy of two childhoods ruined so much and Zuko having to finally come to realise that his sister isn't saveable because of what their father did
I think the fire sound in last agni kai being more muffled works really well. It was not an epic and rageful fight, it was more like seeing your parents fight each other which is something you wouldn't want to happen. It feels like the muffled fire sound sounds as if your ears were covered because you did not want to watch this happen.
@@Raven_Black_252 Interesting take! Never thought about it that way. That does help me appreciate the style more. My personal bias for fight scenes in most capacities is that I feel cheated whenever the integrity of the fight is changed. I don't like the artistic and dramatic quality that muting the audio brings to most moments because it feels disingenuous and takes me out of the moment, it makes me realize that I am watching someone's artistic vision rather than an organic fight. My personal preference is for things to be as raw as possible in most cases, and as such while I still liked the fight, I would have also preferred the fullest experience of the fight. If I wanted my ears to be covered, I would do it myself. You cannot overcome suffering if you're too afraid to look at it.
Azula’s character arch in the show has to be one of the best Villain character devolution I have even seen in any type of show or media. The way that Zuko found the light and got everything, friends love and purpose and Azula just went farther and farther into the dark searching for the same things but only found hatred paranoia and loneliness. The way she must of despised Zuko at the end of the show, not for being Zuko but because he had everything she had ever wanted but she thought she had done everything right! She was the perfect daughter the perfectly cruel commander the perfect princess (or so she thought) and she got /nothing/ and Zuko got /everything/. It’s astonishing how they reflected that through her actions and dialogue at the end of the show, how they portrayed her decent into madness. Azula has got to be one of the best written characters in the show
Warning over sharing: Everyone is talking about how they didn’t know how sad this fight was as a kid but I just remember my sister saying during one of the commercials (she was 5 at the time) their only two years apart right? why aren't they friends? this fight is sad. I remember the entire time all I could think of is my sister and I r only 2 years apart this could be us one day. I won't ever let this be us. This thought process really saved our relationship when our mother actively tried to pit us against each other in a very similar Born lucky, lucky to be born type of way. Ironic she always refused to watch the show with us. Point is subconscious or consciously I have no doubt children then and now understood the sadness of this fight. Well at least until katara steps in and freezes azula butt then everything is just awesome. We laughed at azula when she cried for being pathetic it would only be after the epic premiere that we would talk about how sad that was
@Zany Awesome I’m sorry your mother put you through that. And I feel like kids should watch shows like this in order to learn life lessons not all the nonsense I see in today’s kids shows I think it’s because of parents who are too afraid to show kids stuff like in Avatar the last airbender.
@@jesuscoyt-munoz2753 I agree my mother was against the show because she thought it was too violent, lol, really ironic on her part. Either way don't feel sorry my sister and my little brother who did nothing but steal my popcorn during the premiere (grubby little toddler) are extremely close to this day. My sister and I even attend the same college and live with each other. We FaceTime our brother and play video games with each other every weekend. So know need to feel bad our childhood ironically bonded us together.
Me and my sister never commented about this fight. We were so close as kids. I mean we were 2 years 9 months apart, but you could never tell. I loved her so much. SO damn much. it was morals and beliefs that broke us in the end. She has gone one way and I the other. I've never been so devastated in my life. I never saw this coming. Never.
In the end zuko looks away, he isn't happy he won it was sad watching his sister crumble after everything they have been through she finally lost it. Katara also knew it was sad to watch so it makes it even more meaningful.
I love this cover art too. I love how, even with the grin, and the clawed fingernails and the lightning, despite how terrifying she looks, she still looks like a child. She still looks like a 14 year old girl who was twisted and manipulated by someone who should have loved her unconditionally
I absolutely love how the "Glory of the battle" was not at all the aim of the writers and composers. Unlike most shows, especially animated, that have a final fight scene with some absolute banger of a song that makes you wanna rip and tear like doomguy, The Last Agni Kai is much slower, basically all symphony, with tear-jerking vibrato in nearly every note. They are long and drawn out too, rather than being fast and nearly impossible to follow. It really adds to the emotions of the fight. This isn't some epic battle glorifying its violence, it's a fight between two siblings raised in an abusive home by a terrible father, who suffered abuse of his own, one sibling getting drawn into the generations of nationalism and propaganda while the other, after three whole seasons, finally managed to escape from that and find his own way. And I'm literally not even leaving a scratch on the surface of it. I could talk for days about this ONE fight!! Don't even get me started on all the others. Long story short yes I'm an Avatar fanboy through and through lmao.
Zuko - the prince who was considered 'lucky to be born', brought to humility through many challenges yet raised to glory through true friends and inner victory. Azula - the princess who was considered 'born lucky', brought to power through tyranny and fear-mongering yet lowered to shame through betrayal and inner defeat.
The duality of learning to be great and being born great. Naruto vs Sasuke, Goku vs Vegeta what do all these underdog heroes have in common? The underdog always overtakes because they let themselves learn from others as they understand that they have more to learn, more to overcome. Being born a prodigy makes you feel expected of and to always keep up a shell of strength and invincibility, never allowed to show weakness, never allowed to admit they are lesser than. In many ways fighting your way up from the bottom is actually much simpler and creates more character. I love this juxtaposition of prodigy and not, a lot can be told about real character strength in story telling by using this trope.
This gives me two reactions every time: Zuko's redemption was absolutely beautiful. He became the man his mother wanted and the enemy his father feared. He restored his honor not by joining the avatar, but sacrificing himself, knowing it could mean potential death, for someone he loved and cared for. I feel like in that moment he became a man, and worthy to lead the fire nation to a glorious new era. Azula's downfall was the saddest thing to watch during the golden era of Nickelodeon. She went from being on top of the world and the next leader of the fire nation to a lowly, broken shell of a woman. I pity her honestly. Imagine being the golden child, having perfection demanded of you from the time you walked.... She faced so much pressure that she felt and learned the only way to deal was to shut everyone out and trust no one. Imagine facing your demise and knowing you have no other options.... so you lash out like a feral animal. I truly pity Azula. I don't think she ever really stood a chance.....
In the end everyone she had left her. Her childhood friends betrayed her, her father left her in charge of the fire nation, her mother long banished, she banished most of the palace servants etc, now she was in a duel with her own brother.
@@edithputhy4948 War and victory was all Azula knew. It's really not her fault. Someone like Azula is raised this way, not born this way. Like a PitBull raised to be violent, while others are extremely sweet and loving. It always traces back to who raised them and their environment. Keep in mind Azula is only 14 here. She will never have a normal life
@@Hugs_4_Bugs_ no she definitely inherited sociopathic tendencies from her father, she's incapable of human empathy, takes more than a crappy childhood for that to happen
@@edithputhy4948 Socipaths are epigenetic; sure, there could be a genetic factor to them, but nurturing those tendencies are what creates a sociopath. Perhaps in a different world, Azula would have been saved. Maybe she would have had difficulty expressing empathy correctly and processing emotions, but ultimately she wouldn't have been the monster she ended up being.
We all know and love Zuko’s redemption arc. In fact ATLA fans will swear you up and down Zuko’s redemption is one of the best in story telling, period! BUT This scene and this music wouldn’t have worked as well as they did if we hadn’t seen Azula feel how her mother silently alienated her, seeing her best friends betray her, how she was manipulated and brainwashed by Ozai, her own father. Seeing her battle her own demons and not being able to see herself in the mirror without feeling unbearable shame and pain. She was far more lonely than Zuko ever was. (Shout out to Uncle Iroh for that)
completely agree, you can partly blame Azula for what she became, but not completely. I would still love to see an Azula redemption arc, but I doubt it'll ever get made. (as a TV show that is)
Whilst I agree, I think your last point in unfair. Azula, from the beginning maybe, was favoured by Ozai. He’s had her under his thumb since she was a kid. Every thought and belief was influenced by him and no one else. That’s because she wasn’t raised to value anyone else’s opinion. Iroh and her mother probably could only get through Zuko because he hadn’t been groomed by their father to do his bidding like Azula (in the sense that Ozai didn’t take as much of an interest in him). Who is to say they didn’t try to put her on the right path? I think even Iroh’s gift to her when they were kids is symbolic of him trying to correct her behaviour. And her mother trying to talk sense into her several times. But that’s the thing-when an abuser takes control of your life, no one else (and this includes the other parent and literally every other outsider) can do much in terms of intervening. Azula, from a young age, noticed what could get you ostracised in the fire nation. She saw the words of her mother and uncle did not mean much in that system and most importantly, that they didn’t align with her father’s beliefs. It’s obviously not her fault, the blame lies solely on Ozai. Although I do believe more could have been done for her, considering the interest her father had in her, who is to say he allowed anyone to influence her the way he had?
My favorite part of that final fight between siblings is that they could have easily given it epic, final boss level music. But that wasn't what the scene was, and they made the music reflect that. I love Avatar so much!
It's been so many years since my first avatar viewing and it's only now that I'm starting to realize the tragedy of this scene... It's no longer a fight between a hero and a villain. This is the last fight between a sister who was born lucky and a brother who was lucky to be born
Honestly, I don’t understand how Dave Filoni hasn’t got his own animation studio yet. All the shows he touches, regardless of their platform, regardless of style or runtime, hell, regardless of their budget, end up being icons
@@Lukastar1 Dave Filoni was only a producer for most of those episodes. Meaning he found the casting and resources for the show. Made sure it didn't destroy any contiunity, etc.
I’ve never seen the clone wars or mandalorian; if I’d known the guy who did avatar worked on them I’d have been interested a long time ago! I just figured people talked about them because of Star Wars hype, never thought anything could compare to ATLA. Do they hold a candle to it? What else has he done?
Listening to this and reading these comments, I realize we're all so blessed to have grown up with this show. The depth of the development of these characters, the way this music emphasized the tragic reason for the fight, the breath taking animation, the incredible voice acting.. There will never be another show like Avatar: The Last Airbender. 💖
I remember when the fight started i was cheering, rooting for zuko but as the music began to play and the fight went on, my excitement began to drift slowly. Soon i was left feeling sad and quiet all of a sudden. I couldn't help but feel both their pain through the music. Music has power over human emotions. A single powerful tune can speak a thousand words
That was clearly one of the thing that was missing from Kora,such a brilliant conclusion for a character Arc which isn't for the MC. Great job dude, as always.
Just finished ATLA after only getting through half the first season multiple times in my life. So happy I finally finished it. Would you still recommend watching LOK? Lots of comments are giving me doubts.
@@matstersolo In my opinion, LOK has interesting season arcs. A lot of people complain that s2 was the worst but for me it was an okay season. S1 and everything else following after is great! The team avatar characters however don’t develop as much throughout the story like Team Aang did. Still would recommend though👌🏼
@@matstersolo I think season 1 is pretty solid. It has some good ideas, but also some things that could've been executed better. I would recommend watching that one at least. It works on its own. And if you're hungry for more you can give season 2 a try. I really didn't enjoy it though.
@@matstersolo LOK is pretty good honestly, but I can't compare it to ATLA 'cause this show is too excellent. One of the thing to consider is this : LOK was written as a one season show in the begining. So, the cohésion of this season with the rest isn't great, what happened after season 1 though, it's up to your expectations, really.
Yea the problem with LOK is that Nick only approved LOK one season at a time so the creators always had to end the seasons as if they could be the end of the show. That made long term character development hard.
THANK YOU for crediting the artist, it means so much to the art community, so many people don't credit the artwork featured in their videos so seriously THANK YOU
And the poetic beauty of this entire thing about this, this is the melancholy behind it all. It isn’t a heroic struggle for Zuko as he tries to reclaim what’s his. It’s him bitterly doing the inevitable, something caused by their monstrous family. This is two siblings fighting for the final time. Two children, fighting to the death because of the war their family started.
This show will make you cry, laugh. Love. Hate. Pity. Pretty much every emotion possible. It’s the greatest animated show of all time hands down and it’s not even close, absolute masterpiece
I really liked how this last duel of Azula and Zuko was never hyped up as a "boss fight" but rather presented as the tail-end of a tragedy it really was, the tragedy of Azula trying and failing to be the son her father wanted but never found in Zuko, while also being the daughter her mother wanted but never found in her. She was always a smart, calculating kid, she couldn't be lied to, she couldn't be coddled, she couldn't be consoled. She wanted to be the child her parents wished for, she gave her all, pushed until the very end, to the end of her sanity, only to fail with no way out in sight. She became the villain, she ended up on the losing side, her only shred of a chance at redemption and healing locked behind her hatred for her brother. There is no way out, there is only pain and it will never end - locked into this very personal hell is the tragedy told in this theme.
You're right--I've been subconsciously looking for something as powerful, emotional, and utterly magnificent as this. As I type out this post, my skin is erupting into goosebumps from the raw emotion felt within this piece. I am going into college, my major undecided, due to myself being torn between writing and music. *This* is why I am torn; because something as glorious as this is what can create a story, an entire world, the legendary fight between two siblings, with not a single word spoken. *This* piece is why I want to pursue music--so that when words can't seem to describe something, music can. And all the words in the dictionary that could possibly describe this recreation of a beautiful soundtrack don't hold a candle to what I want to say. All I can say is that this is breathtaking.
I agree! Do both! Double major, or do one as a minor, or see if your college offers an interdisciplinary degree! If I were to do college again, I would do INTD for sure...
Pursue both! I majored in math but got minors in drama and philosophy. I changed majors a few times so I had to play a lot of catch-up, otherwise I totally would've double majored in math and drama! Maybe even tripled! I know SEVERAL people who double majored. You can do it!
Double major is more work, but you are almost getting 2 degrees for the price of one... I really wished I had done it. Can't change the past though, so I've accepted it. Anyway, I believe in you stranger!
May i point you toward Mercedes Lackey? She is proof you can do both! She wrote books and then wrote songs for them! Check out Battle Dawn and Cost of the Crown!! GOOD LUCK
I love how this theme doesn't really have a climax, it's goes in an unending cadence that mimics how Zuko and Azula's rivalry has gone far beyond the point of ever being resolved.
Damn, such an emotional opening for one of the most tragic characters in Avatar. Stripped from her childhood, molded into a weapon by an abusive father and a absent mother, indoctrinated to believe that everything the FN was doing was right... god fucking dammit now I'm remembering how broken she was at the end of the series and this music is killing me.
your comment relates to alot of whats going on with this current day ordeals..... CRT, politics..... broken families... just wars of ideals pitting us against each other. this country needs an avatar right now and unfortunately the soft side of avatar aangs approach wont solve our deeper problems..... to use a quote from Iroh in context of our current problem......... the vast majority of us are at war with ourselves and each other, we lack balance within ourselves( why our country lack any balance as a result). we need to find the avatar within ourselves and do what must be done to make changes that will impact future generations
@@edithputhy4948 I think people should 100% feel bad for her ?? She’s 14 and no one ever genuinely loved her if you have read the comics which SPOILER her own mom a big reason why azula is the way she is forgot about her and started a whole new family she had no idea who azula was.. she was never actually given a chance and the only reason Ozai payed more attention to azula was because he thought Zuko wasn’t his actual son cause of the mother
@@edithputhy4948 Azula possesses many sociopathic traits, but also lacks some. This doesn't change the fact that if she had proper guidance and probably a loving family, that she would have ended up a lot different. The comics also make it pretty clear her mom plays a big big part in the way she ends up. I know it's really hard to hear but even sociopaths, real or fiction, deserve some understanding, love and guidance.
I think I was 12 when the show first aired in 2005. It's been my favorite show ever since and here I am at 30 and I've seen this show upwards of 40-50 times. It brings me so much happieness seeing this show have such a huge comeback. It went silent for a few years and now it seems people are discovering it once again. I love seeing others get exposed to such a wonderful story.
It was really a depressing battle. I believe in the end Azula just went insane because she felt truly alone, unloved, and overwhelmed with too much power.
Crazy how different Azula and Zuko were raised, Azula would have killed him in the final battle if she won, but in the end Zuko prevailed, and didn’t even think about killing her, they just tried to help her somewhat, whilst keeping her in chains and stuff
Well tbf I think Zuko probably would have redirected the lightning at her and killed her if not for Azula targeting Katara. He wouldn't have been happy about it but I feel like he would have done it if he felt it necessary. Katara being involved might have actually saved Azula's life.
Pretty sure Zuko wouldn't have hesitated to kill her, because by then he had fully realized who Azula was and knew she wouldn't hesitate to kill him either
The title is so fitting. I have actually wanted a violin opening for the last agni kai for so long and the fact that I've finally found it brings me so much joy. Thank you so much for making this masterpiece.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way." "No you're not." For my money, the absolute hardest exchange in any media before a fight scene - made even harder by years of history between the characters.
I genuinely cry every time during that scene after the fight when Azula is chained to the ground and breaks down crying. She deserved a better life, just like all of them did.
I put this show off because I thought it was a kids boring show. My sister finally convinced and… WOW. I fell in love with Zuko and his internal conflict. Just seeing him grow and the relationship he had with his uncle and Azula. It’s tragic but also beautiful.
Watching this as a child I didn't fully understand the significance, but it made me feel sadness. That "deep in your stomach" kind of sadness. Re-watching this as adult is enough to make a grown man cry.
There's a deep core to sibling rivalry that resonates even with stories that miss the mark. Oddly enough this reminds me of Anakin and Obi-Wan. "I was your brother, I loved you" could definitely be seen with this music, and the same themes between Zuko and Azula. He was fighting a maniac, but it was still his little sister. He was supposed to protect her, guide her, comfort her, and in the end he had to subdue her, for the good of the world he'd come to know and cherish. Tragedy between siblings has been a universal concept since before Kane and Abel, which is probably why it was one of the earliest biblical stories.
I'll never forget the first time hearing Iroh say "No. She's crazy, and she needs to go down." I chuckled at first, but soon understood, IROH JUST SAID THAT with zero hesitation and a straight face. Then I erupted in chills. The absolute atmosphere around this chick, seriously
As a huge fan of Avatar The Last Airbender and its original soundtrack, I have to say that this is a beautiful and well-composed arrangement that still has the central melodic structure of the original, but contains incredible new enhancements. Well done!
For me, the final Agni Kai was the true end battle of this series, not Aang and Ozai's fight. This scene alone has stuck with me for YEARS, all the way from childhood into nearly my twenties. It's the most beautiful, soulful, and tragic fight scene I've ever seen in a piece of media. The fact that they chose a piece of music that was a beautiful, melancholic orchestral rather than something amped up and adrenaline fuelled makes the fight that much more crushing to watch. They could've gone with something that had viewers pumping their fists and cheering, but that wasn't the right tone for this scene at all. The final Agni Kai wasn't some epic battle, it was a tragic culmination of years of abuse and manipulation. Children fighting for and as a result of their fathers sins. It's two siblings who never had the chance to love eachother, one driven to the point of insanity, and the other reconciling with the fact that there is truly no hope for her. There is no victory in this fight, and I'm so glad they acknowledged that because the end result is absolutely breathtaking. The animation, the fight choreography, the score, the dialogue... chills every time I watch it.
When Azula screamed at the end of the battle to the throne fight, it really hit. It tops off how much insanity and trauma there was inside of Azula during the entire show that kinda just kept building up. It makes you think back to how she was raised and it lets you remember the moments when her friends left her. The moment she starts cutting her hair and breaks the mirror. How her mom even thought of her as a monster, and most importantly Lord Ozai. He probably influenced her the most if I’m being honest. And it sucks that Zuko and Azula were both victims of abuse yet only Zuko could make it out, and Azula just sat in the dark for a good chunk of her youth. Her devotion to Lord Ozai is also painful to think about. He probably never cared about Azula ever, and probably just saw her as a mere tool for him. And to think that he played a big role to warp Azula’s mindset just sucks. I’m not gonna blame all of it on Ozai though, obviously it was so many factors that also played a part. It’s just so hard to fully hate Azula, despite all the BS that she has pulled.
Azula is my absolute favorite character in ATLA. Her downfall from being the perfect child to being an insecure mess was just Perfect. She was always confident in herself which led her to believe she didn't need anybody else. She was the perfect tragedy and I ADORE her character.
One of the main reason I love this soundtrack is because it isn't heroic or epic or anything thing like that. Its sad and tragic. Made to reflect a tragic battle between siblings.
I love how this song isn't dramatic and energetic like a song for a fight between rivals or enemies who hated each other. It's a song played during a fight between siblings who were led on vastly different paths. It does a great job of showing just how tragic their sibling relationship is. Azula was the favorite child to a cruel dictator, and she did anything and everything to gain his approval. She was the perfect daughter to Ozai, but even still she was incomplete. Ozai was distant with both of his children, and even Azula was left without a proper parental figure to show her love. She kept her friends close with her influence and threats, and when she finally lost control and the semblance of companionship she had, her facade began to drop, and cracks began to show. Zuko was the hated son of Ozai, who learned there was much more out there for him to learn and gain away from his family and the Fire Nation throne. He broke the cycle of hate and cruelty that the Fire Nation perpetuated for a century, and learned to move on and live his own life. He started just like Azula, seeking his father's approval and fighting to regain his honor by defeating the avatar and bringing him to his father. Throughout his journey, he realizes how much suffering his family has caused the world, and unlike Azula, he decides to try and make a change and help put an end to the war. Although Azula is selfish and cruel, you can see how much her mother's favor for Zuko impacted her, and how Ozai's influence led her to how she ended up. As for Zuko, he had a better influence in his life who showed him that he would never be the son Ozai wanted, but that he could restore his own honor and become who he needed to be for the sake of the world. Zuko and Azula aren't very different when you break it down, but they went on such different paths, but the lessons they were taught led them on differing paths. Their final fight is reflected well in this song. It does it justice portraying this not as a battle to defeat the other for pride or out of anger, but as a heartbreaking necessity. It had to happen. On top of all of this, Azula is 14 years old, and Zuko is 16. They're children at the end of the day.
I knew this would be epic, you brought this soundtrack to higher heights than it already was… I loved this sound now more than ever! Thank you sm for this masterpiece!
It always puts into perspective that my brother and I used to be like this - we fought often for our parents approval because we were a competitive family, and I was in Azula's position. Reuniting with my brother always puts this into perspective that we could've always been hostile like these two, and I will never regret more how I antagonized him in the pursuit of trying to be perfect instead of understanding that our cynical father was the problem instead. My biggest thing was that I got the Uncle Iroh instead - our maternal grandmother - and I had to help my brother.
Reading the comments, about how deep the meaning in the scene, how the music blends with the emotion, sadness, despair, the last fight between brother and sister, and yeah... that scream though.... it was really a show not only for kids, but adults too. It touches the entire age groups.
![Rick and Morty: Evil Morty Theme (For The Damaged Coda) | EPIC VERSION [Attack on Titan Style]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zh4gzV_x3UM/mqdefault.jpg)
UPDATED VERSION: ruclips.net/video/FaTKlnYzU4o/видео.html
🔥Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/0xI4Ph2YBWiUl3b88exU4B
🔥Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/album/the-last-agni-kai-extended-violin-opening-extended/1579539738
🔥1hr loop: ruclips.net/video/Q34Gx1y32eg/видео.html
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If this performs as good as the original release I'll do a track based only on that violin intro.
Get well soon!
Get well soon ☺
As soon as I get myself situated, you'll be the first person who gets my support! Keep making awesome music and get well!
You have to make a track based only on that violin!! If you can make it, same style as this track, for sure it will perform good, because everybody wants it and from al versions i heard, i believe you can make the best. And make it emotional epic again because i hear the details. Not hardcore epic like movietrailers when you dont hear the details. But you know it better then me. I am just a fan of this kind of music. I am waiting for your masterwork, and i hope you will recover soon!
Damn get well
"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother."
"No, you're not."
And the way she smiles before she unleashed a powerful fire kick..
Chills.
Idk why but that reply was always funny to me
I thought it was really sad, he responds without hesitation beacause he knows she doesn't feel sorry about it at all, and it saddens me when you think your own sibling, your flesh and blood would be willing to kill you. Zuko's story is truly a heart breaking one.
@@undyingknowledge7818 it’s such a sad story, they had such shit childhoods 😭
@@jf175 ikr I hate it when they glorify characters with damaged childhood. No character in ATLA had a healthy childhood.
This is what Zuko's final test in his adventure with the Avatar was: facing his own nation and returning it to glory with the humbling lessons he learned since season one. He wasn't fooled into thinking the Fire Nation was so perfect because he knew its brutality firsthand. It was a test to see if he could truly face his sister, his father, and everything they stood for. It was even more climatic to me than Aang vs Ozai because Zuko fought his inner demons only to face Azula in a devastating battle between siblings that shouldn't have happened.
They weren’t truly siblings anymore... not really... one had evil, brutality and malice at her core, and the other knew what had to be done.
Such a truly sad yet beautiful tale.
Yeah I had the thought that Zuko took the throne from Azula and like Iroh's words echoed in my head when he said he couldn't or it shouldn't be his task to fight Ozai coz of: brothers killing/fighting brothers thing... Then why Azula vs. Zuko? Then I remembered in the end Katara was the one who finished the fight. (Lol not sure if I got the message through, I'm not good at explaining my thoughts)
Continuing the fire nation tradition. Nothing to see here
@@saruwatarisa That is true. It's just sibling vs sibling regardless. I imagine it's because he was Azulon's son and that it would be seen as the elder of the two killing his brother to reclaim his birthright despite his old age for power. It would be seen as continuing Azulon's legacy I think. He was wise and kind, but he was also old and didn't want to be leader. It's possible that he just didn't want the throne in his old age and wanted Zuko to lead everyone the right way for years to come so that he could live on and grow among the people.
Zuko and Katara ended up sparing Azula, but ultimately it was a duel between siblings for the throne. And Zuko was the rightful heir so it really is the same thing: wise and learned older brother reclaiming his birthright against his set-in-her-ways and malicious younger sister. They both have Ozai as their father, and he is responsible for trying to incinerate the Earth Kingdom. It would be the same thing as if Iroh took his rightful place except Azula wasn't officially Firelord yet. He also traveled with Aang for a while and lived among other nations and benders, so I imagine it would be seen as a prince restoring the honor of his nation through mercy and devotion instead of war and fearmongering. In concept though you are right: he really is just taking down his sibling and it would go down in history as brother fighting sister. Except Iroh said "History would see it as a brother killing a brother". Maybe that's what set it all apart with Zuko sparing his sister and trying to help her later. Morally speaking it's all for the greater good no matter how tragic it is. That's why this fight is much darker and climatic to me.
@@damonrichardson1999 yeah that fight was epic. I couldn't think of anything to say but, that fight... The way they did it with the intense flames... Azula's blue flame vs. Zuko's... well regular flame 😂 and the dramatic music had so much impact. O.O
I love how sad the music was for this Agni Kai. They could have had some epic, dramatic theme about a hero defeating a villain.
Instead, they really capture how this was a tragic fight between a brother and sister, who’ve both been irreparably scarred by the same terrible father.
Excelente comentario, concuerdo 100% con lo que dices, este tema retrata maravillosamente la escena y sus consecuencias, no podía ser mejor!!
what I like about this comment is that the sad choice is so obvious until you pointed out the alternative (dramatic epic hero song) which could have been an equally valid choice. Excellent. This makes the choice they made so much more thought out than I initially considered.
Both physically (Zuko) and emotionally (Azula)
Azula if left unchecked would have turned out the same. Zuko had his uncle to teach him to he could be better than what his father was.
@@Elinialei don't think so. I think the point of contrasting Zuko and Azula like this is to show the importance of a rescuer. Someone who believes in you, who wants to help you no matter how tough things get. Zuko had Iroh and later the Gaang while Azula had no one like that. If she did have someone she would not have turned out this way. People don't become deranged like that without some outside influence. Same goes for growing into someone better.
I'm so fucking happy the creators of ATLA chose a theme for this battle that was somber rather than exhilarating. It deepens the connection we created with Zuko by calling attention to how inevitable this battle was, and how hard it was on all three of them
and emphasizes that this is not something to be celebrated. A brother and sister in a fight to the death. Not as it was meant to be.
I remember everything being silent and only this playing. I still get goose bumps. The orange and red fire kissing each other's face. Insane.
It also helped with the decision to let the music tell the story and have no sfx or dialogue.
Jeremy zuckerman has said in interviews that it was really hard to make the music for this scene, and bryke referenced the ghost in the shell directors words "I want to hear what's in the chatecters hearts, not what's on the screen" neither zuko nor azula enjoyed that fight and you can hear that in the music.
the first series was nearly perfect with the exception of maybe the last few episodes feeling a bit rushed. korra on the other hand...................
Zuko: "I know, she's my sister, and I should be trying to get along with her."
Azula: "I'M ABOUT TO CELEBRATE BECOMING AN ONLY CHILD!"
honestly, it's sad that Azula is only like this because this is how Ozai raised her. She would have been different if she had someone different. Like Iroh as her dad.
@@DGuadalupePerez even Ursa, there's a video dedicated towards her banishment in the fire nation and the different time lines she could have done, my favorite one is where she takes Zuko AND Azula with her, raising them both with the caring and love they needed in the series, they're pretty much enemies of the Fire nation and Ozai himself.
@@DGuadalupePerez Its not just Ozai fault... Ozai raised Zuko too and I like to think Iroh tried to change Azula too.. Just she was born to a monster.. a psychopath
@@BernatDukat you have crushed my hopes for Azula
@@DGuadalupePerez sorry xd but lets hope we get a redemption arc about her someday
Often you forget that Azula was just 14. Zuko was 16. These were just kids being forced to compete against each other pretty much since they were born. The show made a great choice depicting this scene as the tragic thing it was.
Not only compete, but to literally fight each other to the death because of a war their own family created.
1000 likes lets go
“My father said Azula was born lucky. He said I was lucky to be born.”
@@derekmann8239 Chills, man.
...... She was 14?......
This is my favourite soundtrack in Avatar, it gives that tragic feel of their torn relationship. I also love that during the fight, the firebending was muffled, the muffle makes the audience feel like they are covering their ears as this is not a fight that wants to be heard, brother and sister fight to the death to gain the throne.
It's just a fire nation tradition, nothing extraordinary
@@houghwhite411 A duel between siblings is pretty extraordinary. If Zuko and Azula weren't siblings, this battle would not be as tragic and emotional.
@@OutOfPocket-h9e And from the nuances I got that Ozai killed his father and claimed the throne when Iroh is the supposed crown prince.
That's why I said it's just a fire nation tradition
@@houghwhite411 Technically Ursa, Zuko's mom killed Azulon, she proposed a plan to poison Azulon so Ozai can claim the throne, in reward, Zuko doesn't have to die. That's why Ursa got banished. Ozai mentions this during the invasion confrontation with Zuko and I think they go into detail more in the comics.
@@houghwhite411 it wasn't one. Azulon did not become this furious about Ozai wanting to usurp Iroh's claim if it was. Iroh even said himself that taking back Ozai's throne from him, would look really bad in the eyes of the people.
"Look at what you've done to your kids!"
This fight is Ozai's cruellest crime.
The quote is from LM Reactions, I really liked it as it pointed out the juxtaposition of Ozai peacocking and the utter ruin of his family, embodying how he has ruined the Fire Nation.
Dang, you're right
and the worst part about it ? It was all just to spite Ursa
every time he abused Zuko and encouraged others to do the same
all of that just to hurt an unhappily married woman for talking back to him once
@@captainseb8652 There's that, sure.
I think he decided early on that Zuko was weak, and Ozai could not permit this. That was enough. He judged his son at about eight, and decided he would never be good enough.
Also Ozai is the younger sibling to, in his mind, a weaker and more emotional older sibling, whom he replaced as Firelord.
Genocide?
@@Sinewmire have you read the comics? If no, then i'd recommend them since they give more inside into this (and without going into spoilers, it's what *Captian-Seb* was probably refrencing)
Azulas voice actor said in an interview that to interpret this scene was really hard for her because in order to get those screams when she was defeated She said that had to look inside her saddest and darkest memories to bring those emotions to the character.
I honestly feel pain when I hear azula scream and the emotions that the voice actress brought to her it really speaks of how far this professional was able to go to get those emotions and bring something pure to her character.
Azula will always be my favorite character.
I'm looking forward to read the comic about her next year 2023. I want to understand this character better. I believe she has good in her but she doesn't know it.
This show is a masterpiece
Wow I had no idea about that, that is such a cool yet pretty sad insight behind a scene that I already loved so much
Grey DeLisle crushing it like always.
And she is also Wonder Woman in a bunch of stuff. Plus Queen Moon Star VS. and then also Vicki form Fairly Oddparents and Maz Katana in Star Wars and Arcee in Rise of the Beasts. Woman is a. LEGEND.
And came to voice the water bender in the Red Lotus 😅. She’s been both Fire and Water and did them so extremely well. ❤
That's awesome.
Her defeated screams always give me chills and make me a little upset. I guess that explains it.
I will never forget Azula's stare when Zuko unleashed that swirling fireball at her. Stunned by her brother's immense power and experience;
I will never forget Azula's sobs of agony and despair, how she flailed around. Betrayed by her best friends, disposed by her father, and believed an abomination by her own mother.
Azula's psychosis is a grim reminder that sometimes your biggest opponent is yourself.
Do you know what happen to her after her breakdown ? I haven't read the comics
@@andimuhammadalif2829 She and Zuko find their mother. She's still completely batshit crazy, but she atleast tries to control herself.
@@nodaerT Yeah, until she tries to kill mom and then realizes after failing that her "true purpose" is basically to be Zukos archnemesis and constantly threaten his rule so that he never becomes weak and complacent, after which she becomes an absolute thorn in his side for the next several years before finally vanishing and never being seen or heard from again.
@@Cryogenius333 She becomes Zuko's version of the reverse flash
If you notice though, Ursa never called her monster or an abomination. The only person who ever said those about Azula was Azula herself. Ursa loved her and Azula knows it. But love is something Azula cannot understand. She only understands fear. Ursa loved her daughter. She was sad and disappointed in both her and Ozai
As a kid you don't understand how sad this fight is, Avatar may have been a cartoon, but its fights like this that made it stand out from the rest. I think this is the most tragic battle in Avatar. It may not be the most important, but it definitely is the best.
The last season was my favourite, it made me cry so much both this and the reunion of Zuko and Iroh... MMMMM i love it so much.
Hey, I know you :)
"It may not be the most important"
Boi if Azula won, even if Aang still beat Ozai, the war would take a much, MUCH, more aggressive turn than it already has. With her psyche she'd throw all caution to the wind, hold nothing back, and probably drag the war on for at least another year. Azula was in Avatar as Grievous was in Star Wars: not the main head, but still one that needs to fall
I’m very close to my brothers, so watching this, two siblings, one who has redeemed himself and the other falling into insanity, trying to kill each other is heartbreaking. I know Zuko wasn’t trying to kill her, but Azula being fully intent to kill him, and not feeling even a bit of remorse is so saddening.
Nah even as a Preteen/middle schooler watching ATLA I could tell why this was sad
“You can’t take her alone.”
“Yes I can. I can’t explain it but she’s slipping.”
I love how their shared history as siblings gives Zuko the insight to immediately pick up on Azula’s fracturing mental state.
Not the fact that pretty perfect azula looked like an absolute mess?
@@OswaldAurelia KEKW
@@OswaldAurelia And at no less at the crowning to become the new Fire Lord.
@@OswaldAureliaI love the memes with the “she’s slipping” and it’s some awful photo of someone with messed up hair and makeup lol.
But it’s also interesting because despite her appearance, Zuko doesn’t really know what’s been going on with her. So yeah, her messed up appearance has something to do with it for sure but I think he could also just sense that something wasn’t right about her (despite her new look 😂)
you do?
Everyone talks about how Zuko's evolution and growth is one of the best stories in Avatar. Not enough people talk about how Azula's slow devolution and fall into loneliness and insanity is one of the best villain stories in Avatar.
"In Avatar" is not needed.
I gotta agree…why is it that fire nation characters have the best character development ? Or Just best characters alone (ahem Iroh ahem) ?
@@paxtheskeleton6636 Cuz they have Iroh, Azula and Zuko. I think that's about it lol
@@curranfrank2854 yeah I know that’s literally what I’m saying lol
@@paxtheskeleton6636 and you have to think from an audience POV too some kids know what it’s like to have that person in their life like iroh and some know what it’s like to be so alone to the point you become what azula became all the kids or characters in the show have stories that are pretty similar especially the rich kids having a pretty relative bond with toph
This scene really proves Avatar wasn’t just a kid’s show. The kid in you wanted to see Azula go down…but that was what Ozai’s fight was meant to be. This scene was just tragedy. Original take, I know, but many kid’s shows wouldn’t dare do this now, breaking Azula down this hard because of how dark it is. And keep in mind she was only 14.
The way she yelled at the end broke me. COMPLETELY broke me. I never liked her but to witness her fall apart like that…
Azula is probably my favorite character just because of how complex she is if you really look into her character
@@sage_2608 I mean she's a clichéd sociopathic villain character without any moral ambiguity, that's not all that complex
@@edithputhy4948 She is more than that. She is insecure due to her lack of emotional depth and has always overcorrected. We see her true self when we see her trying to flirt as well as when she thinks about her friends and mother after they left her.
@@michaelcarlton1484 a sociopath can still be all those things and that was the most interesting side of her character, but the deranged, machiavellan villain side was way overblown but then again it is a cartoon so cartoonish overaccentuated characters make sense
I love that this kind of captures the sad nature of the fight. It’s not triumphant like Aang beating up Ozai. It’s two kids set against each other by their scumbag dad. One who had to go through an immense amount of pain to rise above it and one who went with it and can’t understand how it all turned out so wrong. Truly heartbreaking.
I wonder if you could amp up Ozai vs. Aang parts 1 & 2. Trying to amp up that Dynamic Final Boss music and the intense fear both are feeling in their respective parts.
A clash between the quieted and the wanted
Aang vs ozai wasnt triumphant
in my opinion the music when aang goes into the avatar state was never meant to be triumphant, aang in the avatar state is supposed to be scary to everyone, even his friends, the fact that aang is even in the avatar state is an aversion to himself, its never triumphant to have to end things with violence in aang's eyes
you can notice this especially at the siege of the north, it isnt a celebratory power up and beat the bad guys, its a scary natural disaster in a 12 year old and the music reflects that
if anything, aang's situation is just as sad as any of the others in avatar, a 12 year old boy that just wanted to have fun with his friends was given an impossible burden, and when he naturally runs from the responsibility his entire culture was wiped out and he failed the world for 100 years, now he has to fight people like ozai when he just wanted to be a kid
from a writing standpoint the avatar state becomes the antagonist in the finale, ozai is running for his life, and aang wants to spare him, however the avatar state is directly opposing what aang wants by trying to kill him, thats why i dont think its triumphant, the music doesnt imply that either
@@sanzharzaitenov5268 It actually was, especially with how it ended. The music was fast paced and hard - like any action movie, and when Aang takes away Ozai's bending and finally masters the Avatar State and uses it to quell the flames, the rising notes of the ATLA theme was pretty much like the Star Wars Force melody. Good prevailing over evil.
Azula vs Zuko wasn't triumphant, it was heartbreaking. It was misery and sorrow and just pain. Even when Azula was defeated, the music wasn't happy - it was just a cry, with Zuko and Katara unable to look at the breakdown of a psychologically damaged child lashing out.
Azula was fourteen... Ozai screwed over her entire sense of right and wrong, made her believe that power was the only thing that matters, turned her into a cold and ruthless manipulator, unable to understand love. And she was just fourteen.
I'm not sticking up nor justiying anything for ozaï, don't get wrong.. But what is "right or wrong" exactly ? People have their own perception of being "right or wrong", it depends/varies on an individual's believes.
Ozaï believed in his view on/way of live to be the "right", and thought of the others oppossing him were the "wrong". same way as we do, but with different believes
@@mrnelis8037 And his beliefs ended in the permanent trauma of a young woman who was pushed to the point where she was not only willing, but took joy in the attempt, to kill her own flesh and blood brother.
A 14 year old girl trying to murder her brother, and hurting others in the process of the attempt just because she knew it would hurt him even more.
Right/Wrong, ways of life, systems of belief. Yes, they are all each of them subjective to the individual and entirely beyond our perspective on what truly constitutes our moral ideas of "right". But when a man tortures his son and turns his daughter into a murderous megalomaniac for his own gain and amusement...it truly is a reflection of what cruelties man is capable of inflicting upon the world around him.
@@mrnelis8037 this is not a good view on morality. morality strives for wellbeing. his actions were objectively morally wrong, as they violated wellbeing. what may appear as right or wrong for some people is irrelevant to actual morality.
@@dannycoitus6738 he (ozaï) had a different view on "wellbeing", his beliefs what i said differs from us others. we view it as wrong he bent his view morals to his own beliefs. at least how he thinks. i think..
@@mrnelis8037
Even with his view of well-being being his own wellness, society is the one who actually dictates a base line of good and bad, him believing he is right doesn't make him actually right.
If you want to go a bit more in depth(between what is right and wrong), try to see the difference between morals and ethic, I had actually wrote a paragraph but in this discussion would be a bit too much.
I used to think that Katara finishing this fight was a cop out and that Zuko should have been the one to win, but now I am older I see that it was the perfect completion of both their arcs.
Zuko's honor wasn't restored by winning an Agni Kai, it was restored by sacrificing himself for another.
Meanwhile Katara finally gets an honorable vengeance on the fire nation for what they did to her family and people.
Edit: as someone commented, vengeance is not the culmination of Katara's arch. Instead it is justice (which is what I think I was trying to say with "honorable vengeance"). Katara served justice for her people when she symbolicly defeated the Fire Nation (represented by Azula, the new Fire Lord)
Sacrificing himself for a girl from the water tribe was also the ultimate rejection of his families nationalism.
I think it also reminds us that Zuko managed to change because he had people who helped pull him out of the darkness like Iroh while Azula never really had anyone to depend on in the first place. Ty lee and Mai were really only by her side for awhile because they feared her.
@@notyourbusiness2449 I have a real problem empathising with azula the way other people do, just because I'm unclear on whether or not her mental problems were the result of mistreatment or whether they were actually inherent to her psyche. Obviously there was massive mistreatment of her, but the fact that her machiavellian characteristics started to show so early (and that it appears that her mother noticed them first and then began neglecting her) leads me to believe that they were inherent. Now maybe I should empathise with her more because she didn't choose to be a machiavellian just like she didn't choose her parents, but if you can't hold someone accountable for who they truly are and how they behave, with all other variables removed, then how can you hold them accountable?
@@liamsloan5410 I get where you’re coming from and I also ask myself the same thing whenever I think about Azula. I ask myself a bunch of questions actually lake was she an ass since she was a little kid because she was a prodigy and her father favored her there for spent more time with her and brainwashed her since then? If her mother wasn’t so neglectful towards her would she have turned out different and ended up like Zuko? His first support was his mom and Azula said so herself in the ember island episode that her mom thought of her as a monster since she was little and it hurt her feelings. Or would it not have mattered whether her mother was loving to her in the end? Would Azula have still chosen the dark side if she had an actual support system? Would she still be as ruthless or would she be more like Zuko in the first seasons? Is she even capable of love?
@@notyourbusiness2449 I feel similar to you, she received positive reinforcement of her father every time she did well in her fire-bending and when she was ruthless. What brought her closer to her father, was also what made her mother distance herself from her. She's a self-fulling tragedy.
This is by far among the greatest final battle themes in all of media for one simple reason: it's NOT bombastic, nor pompous, nor vainglorious. It IS melancholy, mournful, heartfelt. With this final battle, you aren't just witnessing the heroes taking down the bad guy, you are witnessing Azula's final plunge into despair. And you feel Zuko's mourning the loss of his own sister and family.
THAT is the kind of environment to bring on tears. This is not just any victory. This is the crushing force of reality.
And it's beautiful.
In eastern cultures family fighting among each other is considered the worst thing.
The hindu scripture "bhagwad geeta " begins at a similar situation lord krishna teaching warrior arjun his duty and righteousness ,who lost his morale when he saw his own family, his cousins , teachers and uncles as enemies in the battle field.
So this theme shows the sad situation where a family is ripped apart , siblings are officially in a war against each other
The fact that Zuko and Azula (16 and 14 years old respectively) end this by fighting each other is so heartbreaking on it's own. Azula's breakdown at the end makes it even more tragic.
its good but i wouldnt go that far guy. its not that amazing nor is it unique really.
I raise you Answers from FFXIV. Perhaps watch A Realm Reborn - End of an Era or A New Beginning cinematic trailer. This is what occured at the conclusion end of the world events when the original game was taken offline in 2012 for them to completely remake and re-release the game as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, but keep the original game's story canon.
It is indeed used in a final battle of a raid series in the game, and the fight's spectacle is choreographed to the music. (・ω・)/
The song returns again and again in different contexts, recontextualizing the lyrics, and breaking the hearts of millions who make the journey through the game's immense story.
This and Kakashi vs Obito fight is on par with each other. Pure masterpieces, both scenes...
"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again." -Uncle Iroh
Zuko's journey and redemption started with failure, and ended with greatness.
Zuko was given a new beginning because of failure, and it all led up to the famous Last Agni Kai.
Uncle Iroh is always right we have learned.
From which episode is the quote?
I thought I've heard all Iroh's Quotes
well I wouldn't say the fight was infamous aha. Good quote though!
@@crepecrepecreapee Shoot- Sorry I get words mixed up lol
The problem with Azula is that she was raised to believe failure was wrong, and she never allowed it to happen. She never learned, and in the end, she was just as unwilling to accept it. Her paradigm was what caused her to break in the end.
I'm so looking forward to when my friend sees this scene for the first time. She's never watched Avatar and I can't wait for her to reach S3.
I feel that
Am doing the same with a friend right now (:
Have they gotten to The Tales of Ba Sing Se yet?
@@bhbvh4904 We at The Great Divide rn 🥴
@@electricboi9319 oof, not that one. Though I guess most of us dislike it because of how many times it was rerun
if only my friend would listen to me and watch avatar.
Azula's character was simply a masterpiece, in my opinion, at least
At the start, she looked like she was normal, just a daddy's brat and snotty child. Yet, at that time, she didn't need to be this out of control
It is clear she's a perfectionist, so she needed to control and manipulate people to get what she desires.
Thanks to her father (and everything else), the only way azula knows with people is fear. Her position as the Princess, her father, and her vengeful and low temper are things that mostly scare people. So no one really said no to her.
If anything was not the way it should, she always brought it back; by using fear. So she didn't need to be angry.
But as we near the end, her 'friends' betray her, her father abandons her and everything is out of place. So she snaps.
The insanity was always there. It just found a reason to show itself.
Dang....
damn that last sentence
Dang
She's a narcissist, a product of genetics and environment, with an insecure ego that has to control everyone in order to cope. The loss of her friends, their complete refusal to be in her life, caused a massive ego wound, hence her disintegration.
how exactly does her father abandon her?
The tragedy of Azula, molded to be her father's perfect weapon, only to realize giving him the victory he always wanted meant he'd no longer need her. A weapon he just intended to sheathe and forget about. The one and only person whose love she tried to earn all her life... and he never saw her as anything but a temporary tool.
And her tragedy was quite honestly the reason he was always doomed to failure. Sure, he may have conquered the earth kingdom if aang hadn't stopped him, but pockets of resistance would always be springing up, and Ozai was never going to live forever. He didn't have an heir. He had a weapon, and a disappointment. One would be sheathed once the world was conquered, and the other was banished, never to return. Even if he died prematurely, Iroh didn't have any heirs either, his son died in the first siege of ba sing se. Any remaining fire nation nobles or high ranking military commanders would fight amongst themselves for the throne, and the empire would collapse. Then the other nations would come. They'd take their revenge, and the world would only have 2 benders. The only real way for the fire nation to survive was for Ozai to be defeated and Zuko to end the war
@@snotenberg7 I honestly don't think Ozai even cared for what would happen after he died. Everything was for him, not the Fire Nation, not the dynasty, just him. If he dies, what does he care happens to the world?
@@Fordo007 he probably would have, but only after his mortality was clearly in his face. He would have realized that he left behind no dynasty, no legacy. But for a long time, you're right, he wouldn't care.
The next part of the tragedy is that the person she's fighting? Zuko? He's literally the only person in the show who actually loves her. He could accept her even at this point if she'd accept him, but she can never do that because Ozai taught her that her worth comes from being better than everyone else. If she's not the untouchable prodigy, she's nothing.
I think that Ozai is a perfect example of the fact that
fear not the appearance of the villain, but his actions.
And he's also a great example of how not to raise kids
The whole point of challenging Zuko to Agni Kai was to neutralize Katara and keep her out of the fight. Katara points this out herself. Azula is in essence sabotaging her own clever plan by taking a shot at Katara.
We know that Zuko can redirect lightning (We've seen him do it successfully to his father already), so we don't really need to see Zuko do it again. We already know he can win with Iroh's redirecting lighting trick. Odds are Azula knows that too.
Ultimately. Azula's tragedy is that she was in a no win scenario. If she fires on Zuko, he redirects and hits her for big dmg. If she fires on Katara, she violates the duel and frees Katara of her obligation to stand by and do nothing. For a true perfectionist, the real nightmare is realizing that there is no perfect move to make. Sometimes, you just can't win no matter how clever you are. She's betrayed every friend she ever had and now finds herself outnumbered, outgunned, and outclassed. It's the final push towards to full mental breakdown.
But that's the problem:
Azula knew Zuko would save Katara,
thus eliminating the only person she thought could actually overpower her; that's why she smirked right before she launched that strike.
In her mind, the last waterbender is but a "filthy peasant," unworthy of the princess' respect.
Azula underestimated Katara, not knowing that the latter is one of the most powerful waterbenders of her time (not to mention there was a full moon during the fight, so Katara's bending was amplified to it's zenith).
100
why am i crying reading this (its okay, i cry very easily) i love atla so much. and i love how they written azula.
@@colt9836 not sure if there was a full moon, as far as I can tell there was zero mention or focus on the full moon, it was all about the comet. I think that was just Katara on full beast mode
Well yeah, but really the right thing to do in her position would be to make the challenge, position yourself during the fight, then snipe Katara whenever Zukos footing prevents him from intervening - then you just have to fight Zuko alone so no need for honorable pretense after that. We know she's the better technical martial artist and superior fire bender, sooo
‘’She was born lucky, I was lucky to be born…
The sun would meet her and come alive
My father would praise and people would pride in her name
Her beauty so electrifying and great
The fear and power of a crown she was born with and instilled
Yet I...
The sun would die whenever I came nearby
My father gave me an ugly scar as a kiss goodbye
With hate I grew up and lies
A power that was never kind
Yet, as I look into the same colored eyes as mine
As I see the same light skin and darkened hair that shines,
The same fire burning and blinding the sky
The same anger, fear, sorrow and tragedy tiring our lives.
I cannot help but fall down and cry
For is she not my sister? The sister I should protect instead of fight?
She was born lucky, I was lucky to be born…
Yet why is it then, that she looks so lost and gone with not even a single person by her side?’’
This is genuinely beatiful. Thank you for taking the time to write this
Honestly enjoyed this
I don’t know how to use the right words to express how much I loved this
You have some mad writing skills, I'm in awe!
Poetic AF
This song is composed of the "friendship" strings used when team avatar are caring for eachother, and the fire nation drums. Just thought yall would wanna know that
Oh my goodness really. wow…
I knew those strings sounds eerily familiar… this makes it so much sadder.
Composers are the geniuses of our time
It’s almost as if it’s signifies what should’ve been the relationship that Zuko and azula should’ve had if it weren’t for the fire nation.
thanks for the pain
Now I'm crying about Azula again. She was just as much a victim as Zuko was, but she had no one to help her escape it. Her fate is one of the greatest tragedies in this show
She did see partial redemption in the comics after the show ended.
Greatest tragedies in cinematic history and that’s no understatement !
@Dungeon Master ya i agree that she deserves her ending because she's made so much people suffer, not just to the gaang, zuko and her friends, but citizens, workers too. but I guess that's whats so powerful in that certain scene, someone you can absolutely hate, someone you won't feel mercy for,, someone totally psychotic and sociopathic suddenly turns into someone you pity the most and cry for. it gives u a weird aftertaste, a bittersweet, incomplete feeling in the end. the ppl working on the final agni kai scene and azula's conversion to absolute madness are amazing.
Yes, but unlike Zuko who sought redemption, she embraced what she had become.
@Dungeon Master I believe her surroundings are to blame. If you or I were raised with the idea that people with blue eyes are to be killed on sight and our whole country was forced into thinking like that, there isn't much we could've done, especially if we had a king as a father to make them proud. If it only were the family, she could've educated herself through her normal friends, but unlike Zuko, she never had the opportunity to see the wrongs in the fire nation, not until it was already too late, these beliefs cemented forever.
This is just my opinion, though. I'm curious to learn your perspective on my theory. Until then, take care and I hope you're all doing well guys! 😊
It’s ironic to think that if Ozai just loved both of his kids equally they’d both be unstoppable, the only one with any humanity in the royal family that was alive was Iroh and he influenced Zuko and gave him the love his father never gave him while also teaching him compassion and empathy. Poor azula was under her fathers evil spell and it corrupted her and damaged her for life. This is more than just a kids show
And Iroh himself only started on the road of humility when his son died. He was just as much a fearsome, warmongering general as any before that. It took him years to reform himself, which I assume is why he was so unbelievably patient with Zuko- un-indocrinating yourself takes years.
Zuko also had his mother too. She also had some humanity in her. Azula wasn't as closer to her mother as Zuko was
He didn't truly love either of his kids, he just used them both in different ways.
My dad paused this recording because his reaction was, and I quote "THIS IS A KID'S SHOW!?!"
Me: Yes. THIS is a kids show. Deal with it.
just imagine that fire nation's power if the royal family was in unity 💀💀💀💀
First watched this when I was 14/15 I think. Just before the music started I thought it was going to be some epic intense battle, but then the music started and it showed the fight for what it really was: a tragedy of two childhoods ruined so much and Zuko having to finally come to realise that his sister isn't saveable because of what their father did
Damn, I'm in tears
I could listen to the violin part for 24hours straight. Excellent job king
Right-click on the vid, then click on "Loop".
@@Lycanthromancer1 The violin part is only at the beginning though lol
Eh I did added that small leitmotif through the second half a lot tbh
@@JafetMeza It's really good, I'm just saying "Loop" doesn't solve OP's thing LMAO
Soon
"OH, I'll show you LIGHTNING!!!!"
The way azula flails her arms around to summon the lightning in this fight sent chills thru me. Cold as ice
Throughout the battle you can see just how much she's unraveling and it's chilling to see.
She was basically going to kill herself if Katara wasn't there, poor azula..
Do you ever find something you didn’t know you needed? This is one of those things for me.
The violent sound of fire is what i liked about last Agni Kai.
yeah its just not the same without that roaring
@@stevenwright366 it is still epic tho.
@@waqarsaleem8611 unquestionably
I think the fire sound in last agni kai being more muffled works really well. It was not an epic and rageful fight, it was more like seeing your parents fight each other which is something you wouldn't want to happen. It feels like the muffled fire sound sounds as if your ears were covered because you did not want to watch this happen.
@@Raven_Black_252 Interesting take! Never thought about it that way. That does help me appreciate the style more.
My personal bias for fight scenes in most capacities is that I feel cheated whenever the integrity of the fight is changed. I don't like the artistic and dramatic quality that muting the audio brings to most moments because it feels disingenuous and takes me out of the moment, it makes me realize that I am watching someone's artistic vision rather than an organic fight. My personal preference is for things to be as raw as possible in most cases, and as such while I still liked the fight, I would have also preferred the fullest experience of the fight.
If I wanted my ears to be covered, I would do it myself. You cannot overcome suffering if you're too afraid to look at it.
Azula’s character arch in the show has to be one of the best Villain character devolution I have even seen in any type of show or media. The way that Zuko found the light and got everything, friends love and purpose and Azula just went farther and farther into the dark searching for the same things but only found hatred paranoia and loneliness. The way she must of despised Zuko at the end of the show, not for being Zuko but because he had everything she had ever wanted but she thought she had done everything right! She was the perfect daughter the perfectly cruel commander the perfect princess (or so she thought) and she got /nothing/ and Zuko got /everything/. It’s astonishing how they reflected that through her actions and dialogue at the end of the show, how they portrayed her decent into madness. Azula has got to be one of the best written characters in the show
I went from hating to pitying Azula in about...4 episodes. That's some impressive writing.
Warning over sharing:
Everyone is talking about how they didn’t know how sad this fight was as a kid but I just remember my sister saying during one of the commercials (she was 5 at the time) their only two years apart right? why aren't they friends? this fight is sad.
I remember the entire time all I could think of is my sister and I r only 2 years apart this could be us one day. I won't ever let this be us. This thought process really saved our relationship when our mother actively tried to pit us against each other in a very similar Born lucky, lucky to be born type of way. Ironic she always refused to watch the show with us.
Point is subconscious or consciously I have no doubt children then and now understood the sadness of this fight.
Well at least until katara steps in and freezes azula butt then everything is just awesome. We laughed at azula when she cried for being pathetic it would only be after the epic premiere that we would talk about how sad that was
@Zany Awesome I’m sorry your mother put you through that. And I feel like kids should watch shows like this in order to learn life lessons not all the nonsense I see in today’s kids shows I think it’s because of parents who are too afraid to show kids stuff like in Avatar the last airbender.
@@jesuscoyt-munoz2753 I agree my mother was against the show because she thought it was too violent, lol, really ironic on her part. Either way don't feel sorry my sister and my little brother who did nothing but steal my popcorn during the premiere (grubby little toddler) are extremely close to this day. My sister and I even attend the same college and live with each other. We FaceTime our brother and play video games with each other every weekend. So know need to feel bad our childhood ironically bonded us together.
@Zany Awesome that’s nice and yeah it is ironic lol.
Me and my brother used to be worse enemies, now we best friends
Me and my sister never commented about this fight. We were so close as kids. I mean we were 2 years 9 months apart, but you could never tell. I loved her so much. SO damn much.
it was morals and beliefs that broke us in the end. She has gone one way and I the other. I've never been so devastated in my life. I never saw this coming. Never.
In the end zuko looks away, he isn't happy he won it was sad watching his sister crumble after everything they have been through she finally lost it. Katara also knew it was sad to watch so it makes it even more meaningful.
It reminds me of Iroh’s line about looking away when Zuko’s father scarred him during the Agni Kai
I love this cover art too. I love how, even with the grin, and the clawed fingernails and the lightning, despite how terrifying she looks, she still looks like a child.
She still looks like a 14 year old girl who was twisted and manipulated by someone who should have loved her unconditionally
How does that look like a child lol.
Still does, just a corrupted one
I absolutely love how the "Glory of the battle" was not at all the aim of the writers and composers. Unlike most shows, especially animated, that have a final fight scene with some absolute banger of a song that makes you wanna rip and tear like doomguy, The Last Agni Kai is much slower, basically all symphony, with tear-jerking vibrato in nearly every note. They are long and drawn out too, rather than being fast and nearly impossible to follow. It really adds to the emotions of the fight. This isn't some epic battle glorifying its violence, it's a fight between two siblings raised in an abusive home by a terrible father, who suffered abuse of his own, one sibling getting drawn into the generations of nationalism and propaganda while the other, after three whole seasons, finally managed to escape from that and find his own way. And I'm literally not even leaving a scratch on the surface of it. I could talk for days about this ONE fight!! Don't even get me started on all the others. Long story short yes I'm an Avatar fanboy through and through lmao.
Do it, talk more on this fight 😌
Zuko - the prince who was considered 'lucky to be born', brought to humility through many challenges yet raised to glory through true friends and inner victory.
Azula - the princess who was considered 'born lucky', brought to power through tyranny and fear-mongering yet lowered to shame through betrayal and inner defeat.
The duality of learning to be great and being born great. Naruto vs Sasuke, Goku vs Vegeta what do all these underdog heroes have in common? The underdog always overtakes because they let themselves learn from others as they understand that they have more to learn, more to overcome. Being born a prodigy makes you feel expected of and to always keep up a shell of strength and invincibility, never allowed to show weakness, never allowed to admit they are lesser than. In many ways fighting your way up from the bottom is actually much simpler and creates more character. I love this juxtaposition of prodigy and not, a lot can be told about real character strength in story telling by using this trope.
push and pull
Hotel- Trivago.
Reality can be difficult to accept for the unfortunate
@@christopherrosengren6017 Indeed, but who is unfortunate?
This gives me two reactions every time:
Zuko's redemption was absolutely beautiful. He became the man his mother wanted and the enemy his father feared. He restored his honor not by joining the avatar, but sacrificing himself, knowing it could mean potential death, for someone he loved and cared for. I feel like in that moment he became a man, and worthy to lead the fire nation to a glorious new era.
Azula's downfall was the saddest thing to watch during the golden era of Nickelodeon. She went from being on top of the world and the next leader of the fire nation to a lowly, broken shell of a woman. I pity her honestly. Imagine being the golden child, having perfection demanded of you from the time you walked.... She faced so much pressure that she felt and learned the only way to deal was to shut everyone out and trust no one. Imagine facing your demise and knowing you have no other options.... so you lash out like a feral animal. I truly pity Azula. I don't think she ever really stood a chance.....
If I met azula and spoke with her I'd give her a hug, she really needs it
She will probably stab you for it.
@@Avicerox No doubt
@@Avicerox I know but she needs a hug
She'd burn you to a crisp
@@Avicerox Worth it
In the end everyone she had left her. Her childhood friends betrayed her, her father left her in charge of the fire nation, her mother long banished, she banished most of the palace servants etc, now she was in a duel with her own brother.
i mean if you behave like a sociopathic tyrant, that tends to drive people away
@@edithputhy4948 War and victory was all Azula knew. It's really not her fault. Someone like Azula is raised this way, not born this way. Like a PitBull raised to be violent, while others are extremely sweet and loving. It always traces back to who raised them and their environment. Keep in mind Azula is only 14 here. She will never have a normal life
@@Hugs_4_Bugs_ no she definitely inherited sociopathic tendencies from her father, she's incapable of human empathy, takes more than a crappy childhood for that to happen
@@edithputhy4948 Socipaths are epigenetic; sure, there could be a genetic factor to them, but nurturing those tendencies are what creates a sociopath. Perhaps in a different world, Azula would have been saved. Maybe she would have had difficulty expressing empathy correctly and processing emotions, but ultimately she wouldn't have been the monster she ended up being.
@@edithputhy4948 in this case she banished them because the servants didn't walk away from Ozai. She made them leave before "they left" her.
"my mother was afraid of me but that didnt bothered me."
Remember, that azula always lies
Sad knowing that only "WE" know that her mother love her as much as Zuko and she went to her room first before she went to Zuko to say goodbye.
We all know and love Zuko’s redemption arc. In fact ATLA fans will swear you up and down Zuko’s redemption is one of the best in story telling, period! BUT
This scene and this music wouldn’t have worked as well as they did if we hadn’t seen Azula feel how her mother silently alienated her, seeing her best friends betray her, how she was manipulated and brainwashed by Ozai, her own father.
Seeing her battle her own demons and not being able to see herself in the mirror without feeling unbearable shame and pain.
She was far more lonely than Zuko ever was.
(Shout out to Uncle Iroh for that)
Finally! Someone sees how Iroh also affected Azula's downfall, I feel so bad for the poor girl, she never stood a chance once they left.
completely agree, you can partly blame Azula for what she became, but not completely. I would still love to see an Azula redemption arc, but I doubt it'll ever get made. (as a TV show that is)
Whilst I agree, I think your last point in unfair. Azula, from the beginning maybe, was favoured by Ozai. He’s had her under his thumb since she was a kid. Every thought and belief was influenced by him and no one else. That’s because she wasn’t raised to value anyone else’s opinion.
Iroh and her mother probably could only get through Zuko because he hadn’t been groomed by their father to do his bidding like Azula (in the sense that Ozai didn’t take as much of an interest in him). Who is to say they didn’t try to put her on the right path? I think even Iroh’s gift to her when they were kids is symbolic of him trying to correct her behaviour. And her mother trying to talk sense into her several times.
But that’s the thing-when an abuser takes control of your life, no one else (and this includes the other parent and literally every other outsider) can do much in terms of intervening.
Azula, from a young age, noticed what could get you ostracised in the fire nation. She saw the words of her mother and uncle did not mean much in that system and most importantly, that they didn’t align with her father’s beliefs.
It’s obviously not her fault, the blame lies solely on Ozai. Although I do believe more could have been done for her, considering the interest her father had in her, who is to say he allowed anyone to influence her the way he had?
Props to Grey DeLisle for bringing her to life and for making us feel something real when she broke!
This... This is beautiful. I wasn't even looking for music from Avatar, but this is an immediate favorite.
I don't know if you've watched ATLA but the whole score slaps, but yeah... especially this one
My favorite part of that final fight between siblings is that they could have easily given it epic, final boss level music. But that wasn't what the scene was, and they made the music reflect that. I love Avatar so much!
It's been so many years since my first avatar viewing and it's only now that I'm starting to realize the tragedy of this scene...
It's no longer a fight between a hero and a villain. This is the last fight between a sister who was born lucky and a brother who was lucky to be born
Honestly, I don’t understand how Dave Filoni hasn’t got his own animation studio yet. All the shows he touches, regardless of their platform, regardless of style or runtime, hell, regardless of their budget, end up being icons
@@terrabiteking8439 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Mandalorian
The Book of Boba Fett would like to know your location
@@Lukastar1 Dave Filoni was only in a partial role with that. As seen by the best episodes having his full involvement
@@Lukastar1 Dave Filoni was only a producer for most of those episodes. Meaning he found the casting and resources for the show. Made sure it didn't destroy any contiunity, etc.
I’ve never seen the clone wars or mandalorian; if I’d known the guy who did avatar worked on them I’d have been interested a long time ago! I just figured people talked about them because of Star Wars hype, never thought anything could compare to ATLA. Do they hold a candle to it? What else has he done?
Listening to this and reading these comments, I realize we're all so blessed to have grown up with this show. The depth of the development of these characters, the way this music emphasized the tragic reason for the fight, the breath taking animation, the incredible voice acting..
There will never be another show like Avatar: The Last Airbender. 💖
I remember when the fight started i was cheering, rooting for zuko but as the music began to play and the fight went on, my excitement began to drift slowly. Soon i was left feeling sad and quiet all of a sudden. I couldn't help but feel both their pain through the music. Music has power over human emotions. A single powerful tune can speak a thousand words
Fr
That was clearly one of the thing that was missing from Kora,such a brilliant conclusion for a character Arc which isn't for the MC.
Great job dude, as always.
Just finished ATLA after only getting through half the first season multiple times in my life. So happy I finally finished it. Would you still recommend watching LOK? Lots of comments are giving me doubts.
@@matstersolo In my opinion, LOK has interesting season arcs. A lot of people complain that s2 was the worst but for me it was an okay season. S1 and everything else following after is great! The team avatar characters however don’t develop as much throughout the story like Team Aang did. Still would recommend though👌🏼
@@matstersolo
I think season 1 is pretty solid. It has some good ideas, but also some things that could've been executed better.
I would recommend watching that one at least. It works on its own. And if you're hungry for more you can give season 2 a try. I really didn't enjoy it though.
@@matstersolo LOK is pretty good honestly, but I can't compare it to ATLA 'cause this show is too excellent.
One of the thing to consider is this : LOK was written as a one season show in the begining.
So, the cohésion of this season with the rest isn't great, what happened after season 1 though, it's up to your expectations, really.
Yea the problem with LOK is that Nick only approved LOK one season at a time so the creators always had to end the seasons as if they could be the end of the show. That made long term character development hard.
THANK YOU for crediting the artist, it means so much to the art community, so many people don't credit the artwork featured in their videos so seriously THANK YOU
Easiest part of the job tbh. A shame internet culture is so against proper crediting.
@@JafetMeza still, it really means a lot to the artist, and useful too because I loved the art and wanted to check out more of the artist’s work!
He's great and has a lot of cool stuff so definitely check it out;
@@JafetMeza thanks i will!
When I looked into the description my heart just jumped because of the THREE links. It's so rare that people even include other platforms
And the poetic beauty of this entire thing about this, this is the melancholy behind it all. It isn’t a heroic struggle for Zuko as he tries to reclaim what’s his. It’s him bitterly doing the inevitable, something caused by their monstrous family.
This is two siblings fighting for the final time. Two children, fighting to the death because of the war their family started.
Most remixes of avatar tracks are generally mediocre, but this one takes the agni kai remix throne. Really solid work here.
I thought you said “most Avatar tracks are mediocre” at first and was like damn wtf is he talking about lol.
This show will make you cry, laugh. Love. Hate. Pity. Pretty much every emotion possible. It’s the greatest animated show of all time hands down and it’s not even close, absolute masterpiece
I really liked how this last duel of Azula and Zuko was never hyped up as a "boss fight" but rather presented as the tail-end of a tragedy it really was, the tragedy of Azula trying and failing to be the son her father wanted but never found in Zuko, while also being the daughter her mother wanted but never found in her. She was always a smart, calculating kid, she couldn't be lied to, she couldn't be coddled, she couldn't be consoled. She wanted to be the child her parents wished for, she gave her all, pushed until the very end, to the end of her sanity, only to fail with no way out in sight. She became the villain, she ended up on the losing side, her only shred of a chance at redemption and healing locked behind her hatred for her brother. There is no way out, there is only pain and it will never end - locked into this very personal hell is the tragedy told in this theme.
You're right--I've been subconsciously looking for something as powerful, emotional, and utterly magnificent as this. As I type out this post, my skin is erupting into goosebumps from the raw emotion felt within this piece. I am going into college, my major undecided, due to myself being torn between writing and music. *This* is why I am torn; because something as glorious as this is what can create a story, an entire world, the legendary fight between two siblings, with not a single word spoken. *This* piece is why I want to pursue music--so that when words can't seem to describe something, music can. And all the words in the dictionary that could possibly describe this recreation of a beautiful soundtrack don't hold a candle to what I want to say. All I can say is that this is breathtaking.
i know this may be a stretch but what if you do both? double major! your paragraph gives the impression that youd definitely be able to pull it off
I agree! Do both! Double major, or do one as a minor, or see if your college offers an interdisciplinary degree! If I were to do college again, I would do INTD for sure...
Pursue both!
I majored in math but got minors in drama and philosophy.
I changed majors a few times so I had to play a lot of catch-up, otherwise I totally would've double majored in math and drama! Maybe even tripled!
I know SEVERAL people who double majored. You can do it!
Double major is more work, but you are almost getting 2 degrees for the price of one... I really wished I had done it. Can't change the past though, so I've accepted it. Anyway, I believe in you stranger!
May i point you toward Mercedes Lackey? She is proof you can do both! She wrote books and then wrote songs for them! Check out Battle Dawn and Cost of the Crown!! GOOD LUCK
The one in the show was already the "EPIC EMOTIONAL VERSION," this is just more ✨cinematic✨
EPIC EMOTIONS
I love how this theme doesn't really have a climax, it's goes in an unending cadence that mimics how Zuko and Azula's rivalry has gone far beyond the point of ever being resolved.
0:46 will never not get me cause you never realized how sad this fight as a kid but this soundtrack displayed it perfectly.
Damn, such an emotional opening for one of the most tragic characters in Avatar. Stripped from her childhood, molded into a weapon by an abusive father and a absent mother, indoctrinated to believe that everything the FN was doing was right... god fucking dammit now I'm remembering how broken she was at the end of the series and this music is killing me.
i mean she was still a textbook sociopath so I wouldn't feel too bad for her
your comment relates to alot of whats going on with this current day ordeals..... CRT, politics..... broken families... just wars of ideals pitting us against each other.
this country needs an avatar right now and unfortunately the soft side of avatar aangs approach wont solve our deeper problems..... to use a quote from Iroh in context of our current problem......... the vast majority of us are at war with ourselves and each other, we lack balance within ourselves( why our country lack any balance as a result).
we need to find the avatar within ourselves and do what must be done to make changes that will impact future generations
@@edithputhy4948 I think people should 100% feel bad for her ?? She’s 14 and no one ever genuinely loved her if you have read the comics which SPOILER her own mom a big reason why azula is the way she is forgot about her and started a whole new family she had no idea who azula was.. she was never actually given a chance and the only reason Ozai payed more attention to azula was because he thought Zuko wasn’t his actual son cause of the mother
@@mal-9869 which part of she's a textbook sociopath didn't you understand? she's literally a full fledged sadist and incapable of love and empathy.
@@edithputhy4948 Azula possesses many sociopathic traits, but also lacks some. This doesn't change the fact that if she had proper guidance and probably a loving family, that she would have ended up a lot different. The comics also make it pretty clear her mom plays a big big part in the way she ends up. I know it's really hard to hear but even sociopaths, real or fiction, deserve some understanding, love and guidance.
I think I was 12 when the show first aired in 2005. It's been my favorite show ever since and here I am at 30 and I've seen this show upwards of 40-50 times. It brings me so much happieness seeing this show have such a huge comeback. It went silent for a few years and now it seems people are discovering it once again. I love seeing others get exposed to such a wonderful story.
Dont know how old I was was but love the show so much my brother still take the mick out of me for watching it but I dont care one bit
It was really a depressing battle. I believe in the end Azula just went insane because she felt truly alone, unloved, and overwhelmed with too much power.
I think you're right. Sozin's comet played a huge role. She was devoured by her own thirst for power. It ate her alive and destroyed her psyche.
Crazy how different Azula and Zuko were raised, Azula would have killed him in the final battle if she won, but in the end Zuko prevailed, and didn’t even think about killing her, they just tried to help her somewhat, whilst keeping her in chains and stuff
Well tbf I think Zuko probably would have redirected the lightning at her and killed her if not for Azula targeting Katara. He wouldn't have been happy about it but I feel like he would have done it if he felt it necessary. Katara being involved might have actually saved Azula's life.
Pretty sure Zuko wouldn't have hesitated to kill her, because by then he had fully realized who Azula was and knew she wouldn't hesitate to kill him either
oh Zuko would've killed her bc there wasn't really another option in their battle, Katara wouldn't have
that's a normal "big bro-lil sis" sibling routine. It's rough buddy...
oh my god some of you might've mischaracterized zuko 😬😬
As a kid, you enjoy the animated battle. As an adult, you realize the concept of tragedy and mental issues.
Azula is such an incredible character.
Zuko is such an incredible character.
This fight was only able to be an incredible fight.
This is brilliant, and you absolutely should do something based just on the violin.
Man, best kid's show ever. Still makes me bawl as a grown man.
Yes it was perfect !
The title is so fitting. I have actually wanted a violin opening for the last agni kai for so long and the fact that I've finally found it brings me so much joy. Thank you so much for making this masterpiece.
over 5 million views; half because it's THAT song.
the other half because of the perfectly chosen title.
that IS what we were ALL looking for.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way."
"No you're not."
For my money, the absolute hardest exchange in any media before a fight scene - made even harder by years of history between the characters.
I genuinely cry every time during that scene after the fight when Azula is chained to the ground and breaks down crying. She deserved a better life, just like all of them did.
i swear this show is the most iconic thing ever made and no one can ever top that, from the characters to the music it's just perfection
I put this show off because I thought it was a kids boring show. My sister finally convinced and… WOW. I fell in love with Zuko and his internal conflict. Just seeing him grow and the relationship he had with his uncle and Azula. It’s tragic but also beautiful.
"I'm sorry it had to end this way brother"
"No, you're not"
Those lines before the fight always hit different.
Watching this as a child I didn't fully understand the significance, but it made me feel sadness.
That "deep in your stomach" kind of sadness. Re-watching this as adult is enough to make a grown man cry.
There's a deep core to sibling rivalry that resonates even with stories that miss the mark. Oddly enough this reminds me of Anakin and Obi-Wan. "I was your brother, I loved you" could definitely be seen with this music, and the same themes between Zuko and Azula. He was fighting a maniac, but it was still his little sister. He was supposed to protect her, guide her, comfort her, and in the end he had to subdue her, for the good of the world he'd come to know and cherish. Tragedy between siblings has been a universal concept since before Kane and Abel, which is probably why it was one of the earliest biblical stories.
I'll never forget the first time hearing Iroh say "No. She's crazy, and she needs to go down." I chuckled at first, but soon understood, IROH JUST SAID THAT with zero hesitation and a straight face. Then I erupted in chills. The absolute atmosphere around this chick, seriously
As a huge fan of Avatar The Last Airbender and its original soundtrack, I have to say that this is a beautiful and well-composed arrangement that still has the central melodic structure of the original, but contains incredible new enhancements. Well done!
Thanks a lot!
For me, the final Agni Kai was the true end battle of this series, not Aang and Ozai's fight. This scene alone has stuck with me for YEARS, all the way from childhood into nearly my twenties. It's the most beautiful, soulful, and tragic fight scene I've ever seen in a piece of media. The fact that they chose a piece of music that was a beautiful, melancholic orchestral rather than something amped up and adrenaline fuelled makes the fight that much more crushing to watch. They could've gone with something that had viewers pumping their fists and cheering, but that wasn't the right tone for this scene at all. The final Agni Kai wasn't some epic battle, it was a tragic culmination of years of abuse and manipulation. Children fighting for and as a result of their fathers sins. It's two siblings who never had the chance to love eachother, one driven to the point of insanity, and the other reconciling with the fact that there is truly no hope for her. There is no victory in this fight, and I'm so glad they acknowledged that because the end result is absolutely breathtaking. The animation, the fight choreography, the score, the dialogue... chills every time I watch it.
I love that the score doesn't make you feel hyped up. This isn't something to be excited for, its a tragedy. and the score does it perfectly
When Azula screamed at the end of the battle to the throne fight, it really hit. It tops off how much insanity and trauma there was inside of Azula during the entire show that kinda just kept building up. It makes you think back to how she was raised and it lets you remember the moments when her friends left her. The moment she starts cutting her hair and breaks the mirror. How her mom even thought of her as a monster, and most importantly Lord Ozai. He probably influenced her the most if I’m being honest. And it sucks that Zuko and Azula were both victims of abuse yet only Zuko could make it out, and Azula just sat in the dark for a good chunk of her youth. Her devotion to Lord Ozai is also painful to think about. He probably never cared about Azula ever, and probably just saw her as a mere tool for him. And to think that he played a big role to warp Azula’s mindset just sucks. I’m not gonna blame all of it on Ozai though, obviously it was so many factors that also played a part. It’s just so hard to fully hate Azula, despite all the BS that she has pulled.
This gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful
Azula is my absolute favorite character in ATLA. Her downfall from being the perfect child to being an insecure mess was just Perfect. She was always confident in herself which led her to believe she didn't need anybody else. She was the perfect tragedy and I ADORE her character.
A blessing from the lord!
Lord of fire, right?
From the MELON LORD!!
From the Phoenix King!
Amen!
One of the main reason I love this soundtrack is because it isn't heroic or epic or anything thing like that. Its sad and tragic. Made to reflect a tragic battle between siblings.
The music and sound design of this show was absolutely EPIC! Just another reason it is one of the best and most enduring shows. Love it.
I love how this song isn't dramatic and energetic like a song for a fight between rivals or enemies who hated each other. It's a song played during a fight between siblings who were led on vastly different paths. It does a great job of showing just how tragic their sibling relationship is.
Azula was the favorite child to a cruel dictator, and she did anything and everything to gain his approval. She was the perfect daughter to Ozai, but even still she was incomplete. Ozai was distant with both of his children, and even Azula was left without a proper parental figure to show her love. She kept her friends close with her influence and threats, and when she finally lost control and the semblance of companionship she had, her facade began to drop, and cracks began to show.
Zuko was the hated son of Ozai, who learned there was much more out there for him to learn and gain away from his family and the Fire Nation throne. He broke the cycle of hate and cruelty that the Fire Nation perpetuated for a century, and learned to move on and live his own life. He started just like Azula, seeking his father's approval and fighting to regain his honor by defeating the avatar and bringing him to his father. Throughout his journey, he realizes how much suffering his family has caused the world, and unlike Azula, he decides to try and make a change and help put an end to the war.
Although Azula is selfish and cruel, you can see how much her mother's favor for Zuko impacted her, and how Ozai's influence led her to how she ended up. As for Zuko, he had a better influence in his life who showed him that he would never be the son Ozai wanted, but that he could restore his own honor and become who he needed to be for the sake of the world.
Zuko and Azula aren't very different when you break it down, but they went on such different paths, but the lessons they were taught led them on differing paths.
Their final fight is reflected well in this song. It does it justice portraying this not as a battle to defeat the other for pride or out of anger, but as a heartbreaking necessity. It had to happen.
On top of all of this, Azula is 14 years old, and Zuko is 16. They're children at the end of the day.
I love how specific (and accurate) that title is :D
I don't have to keep rewatching the actual scene to get this awesome opening.
i am in actual tears right now, this cover really captures the pain of losing a sibling... Zuko still loved Azula despite everything
I get chills just thinking about this. I'll never be able to wrap my head around how a kid show was so perfect
I knew this would be epic, you brought this soundtrack to higher heights than it already was… I loved this sound now more than ever! Thank you sm for this masterpiece!
It always puts into perspective that my brother and I used to be like this - we fought often for our parents approval because we were a competitive family, and I was in Azula's position. Reuniting with my brother always puts this into perspective that we could've always been hostile like these two, and I will never regret more how I antagonized him in the pursuit of trying to be perfect instead of understanding that our cynical father was the problem instead. My biggest thing was that I got the Uncle Iroh instead - our maternal grandmother - and I had to help my brother.
I was really looking for the version with that opening violin. Thank you so much.
its funny this is labeled "epic emotional version" as if the original wasn't epic and emotional on its own
c l i c k b a i t but still true
@@JafetMeza Can I use this for a youtube video? Will gladly give credit in description
Sure
@@JafetMeza god bless
This finally satisfies an itch I've had with this song for years. Having it become a fully-fledged out song is a dream come true.
The drums are playing my chills.
FINALLY someone put the first part in... usually it's just straight to the second part
Reading the comments, about how deep the meaning in the scene, how the music blends with the emotion, sadness, despair, the last fight between brother and sister, and yeah... that scream though.... it was really a show not only for kids, but adults too. It touches the entire age groups.