They wrote out the entire plot and designs before they even aired the show lol. They’ve said this multiple times. It wasn’t “during” it was literally planned.
@@vitaliitomas8121 Nah the whole show was already created before it was put on a screen, every timeline finished every character timeline written out. They did leave some easter eggs in the show about previous designs like the earth bender in the opening was supposed to be Aangs earth bending teacher instead of Toph
Also, the blue flames are "cold fire", the allegory to Azula being cold and calculating while Zuko was hot-headed. Until the final Agni Kai reversed the roles.
the battle also perfectly reflects how zuko utilized the other elements in his firebending, just like how iroh told him. he evades like an airbender, stands his ground like an earth bender, and adapts to azula’s moves like a waterbender. absolute masterpiece.
Yes! I've seen a similar analysis before and it's *chef's kiss* thank you for adding this! Watching the fight again while looking for the different styles is incredibly rewarding and ties back to all of Zuko's different journeys throughout the continent. It adds another layer to him being worthy of the throne because he has a deeper understanding of each kingdom.
i heard this so many times, but not really, he still uses the same firebending moves we see him use throughout the other seasons Like i heard one say the spin is airbending. no it's literally Zukos signature move. And the same goes for most other moves. actually, if you look into it you can find most of these moves he does in previous fights he did, manny if not most way before he even thought of a teamup with Aang. if anything, it shows that Zuko has just lgrown as a firebender over time. Which speaking of, you could easily also say Azula always evaded attacks like an airbender, but that is just as much of a stretch. Zukos doges and blocks are never truly like Aangs or Tophs moves, they are just him not wanting to be burned to a crisp by Azula
@@ast8177 Pay close attention to the stances Zuko is taking, not the moves he’s doing. There’s parts of the fight where he stalls time by dispelling her attacks, like an air bender, or turtles up and gets very defensive like an earth bender.
Honestly something I didn't notice (despite having seen ATLA a dozen times) until I went to analyze the scene. Added a whole other layer of depth to the fight.
I can remember feeling so sad during the last agni kai scene. Two people who should love each other and their relationship is so broken that it's probably unrepairable at this point. And yet it was so hauntingly beautiful, the visuals and the music. I love that Zuko really doesn't move about that much, unlike Azula. I think after all this time, I really wanted Zuko to be Azula's Iroh, but maybe that is impossible.
I agree, though maybe she just wasn't ready. Zuko fully betrayed Iroh before he was ready for the embrace in the final episode. Zuko did visit his father in Prison, he probably visited Azula as well
Although the creators have mentioned that this was the original plan for future seasons. They acknowledge that Azula wasn't yet at her worst. She still hasn't hit rock bottom enough for her to change, but they say that ultimately she would, at which point she would think about her life and the person that never gave up on her--Zuko. Zuko was going to be her Iroh.
Sumo had probably visited and tried helping Azula over the years as she was in prison, and I’d like to think he did, atleast in a way, help her find her peace, even if she didn’t redeem herself
Small detail I noticed. Just before the fight, Azula remarks: "I'm sorry it has to end, brother". Zuko replies with: "You're lying". This is a nice detail as Zuko often repeated to himself the mantra: "Azula always lies."
Through this last Agni Kai we also see Zuko using all the tecnniques and lessons he learnt through this journey: the footwork, the focus, the Fire Dragon clan dancing techniques, redirects. This fight is literally his character arc.
Interestingly, though, his final move which effectively 'ends' the duel is his signature breakdancing fire-spin. At the very end, he succeeds by being true to himself. That stoicism for which he strived throughout the entire series is finally properly achieved. When all else has not brought him victory, he falls back on himself. This is a great counterpoint to Aang's final victorious 'move,' wherein it's Toph's stone sight technique that saves him from Ozai's sneak attack. Out of what was essentially a stalemate (because Aang refused to kill Ozai), the Avatar's victory came not from himself, but from the strength of another. This is something Azula and Ozai never really understood. They saw relying on others as a weakness, but Aang demonstrated its power. This is quite literal, as earth bending is Aang's weakest form. He turned what may be considered a weakness into the key tool to defeat the greatest fire bender alive. In essence, Zuko defeated Azula with strength of self, and Aang defeated Ozai through strength of companionship. Beautifully perpendicular.
@@irregularassassin6380And to add at the same time, its Katara's companionship with Zuko at their fight is what put Azula down and restrained. While Aang's own decision to just take away Ozai's own bending as opposed by the advice of the previous Avatars snd even some of his friends including Zuko is what truly defeated him. Zuko and Aang conquered their greatest challenges with their founded companionhip and their own selves.
@@memecliparchives2254 Great point! Zuko won the duel, but Katara put Azula down. Something she might not have been able to do had Zuko not shaken his sister to her core. Without the companionship he found in Team Avatar, Azula would be Fire Lord. And, once again, Aang reflects this. Toph helped him physically defeat Ozai through her tutelage, but it was Aang's own determination to finish the fight his way that put the Phoenix King down, and secured the moral victory.
You mention that Zuko learns the way of self-sacrifice, not sacrificing others for your own purpose. That's definitely true, so it's interesting that the act that got him scarred and banished was decrying a general's proposal to wilfully sacrifice soldiers as a diversion.
I was thinking about how it might have looked from Katara's point of view. Her mother was executed by a fire nation soldier, but now, the prince of the fire nation is taking a lightning bolt intended for her. This seems to fit what his uncle Iroh described as restoring the honor of the fire nation.
Even growing up, I remember watching the final Agni Kai and not feeling like this was some grand fight, like Aang vs Ozai. It was a tragic reality between two siblings. I don't feel excited watching it, I feel heartbreak and I feel sad, even now. Easily one of the best fights in Avatar.
@@jogosheugueuShe's as much a victim of her father's abuse as her brother, but unlike Zuko, she never had someone like Iroh to show her another path. She was completely at Ozai's mercy, desperately vying for approval from someone who saw her as not his daughter, but merely a tool, one to be discarded once no longer useful. An approval that no matter what she did, no matter how close to perfection she came, would never be given.
@@Pathological100azulas problem wasn’t that she wasn’t shown another path but the fact she never received genuine love or friendship which is the difference between zuko and her ..(which is hinted at with the hallucinations of her mother right before the duel) and her being a girl id argue she needed it more …which is why she was cold and power hungry vying for the approval of ozai..that was her way of filling the void ..
I think that was the point of the duel and why it was better then ozai and Ang’s showdown ..more emotional depth and meaning ..u will hear in good writing that even fight scenes are supposed drive the story telling
@@Pathological100being victim doesn’t give one an excuse to hurt innocent people. The show basically said the same thing about Jet and Hama, so why make excuses for Azula?
@@Pathological100THANK YOU! 😭🙌 I’m so happy I’m not the only one who see this cause the Double standard with Azula in this fandom is insane. Legit the only difference personality wise between book 1/2 Zuko and Azula is that Azula is actually COMPETENT at being a villain. The only reason Zuko went down a different path is because he 1: was isolated from the family and 2: had iroh there to give him unconditional love and support for YEARS even when he was burning down villages. And even STILL he betrayed iroh, helped conqueror Ba sing se and helped KILL aang. And then after sent an ASSASSIN to kill him. He had to commit some of the worst crimes in the entire show and then hit rock bottom before he became a good guy. It took SO MUCH to overcome the brainwashing the firenation did on him and he had to see the ENTIRE world firsthand and see the suffering caused to even just START the process of redemption. The fact that people don’t understand Azula legit had NO chance to become anything other than what Ozai forced her to be is so frustrating, I’m not saying she shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions but what she DESERVES is somebody to give her that love and guidance and acceptance unconditionally like Zuko had. She deserves to be recognized as an abuse victim by her father cuz this is a FOURTEEN year old girl who was robbed of a childhood and any sense of normalcy to the point she can’t even TALK to kids her own age. She was mentally abused to the point her entire PSYCHE cracked and she had hallucinations about being unloved and a monster. That’s so incredibly sad and I can’t believe people don’t focus on how F’d up it is for that to happen to her. All I’m saying is if It was worth the effort to help Zuko even with his MULTIPLE egregious set backs than there’s no excuse to not try and get Azula the help and support she needs too. I don’t think she could ever be “good” but I genuinely believe she could make a great anti hero if Zuko were to be her guidance just like Iroh was to him.
Not only everything said in this video but the fact that Azula, a 14-year old princess who grew up with every luxury was defeated by a 14 pesant water tribe girl who grew up with so little.
Not just a peasant, though. I'm in agreement that the juxtaposition of a peasant defeating a monarch can draw you into the narrative, but it was also more than that. Katara was a living representation of the cruelty of the Fire Nation's war. Both girls lost their mother at approximately the same age, but Katara was a witness to the physical violence of a genocidal nation. Katara achieving victory over Azula, and therefore helping to end the war, was symbolic of justice finding its way around to correct the wrongs of a nation.
I also like to factor that Azula was completely deranged or near in this scene and leading up. She wasn’t thinking at all pure action. Katara was more inclined to be resourceful due to her bending being reliant on the presence of water. She was at a huge advantage. Plus Katara definitely ain’t a scrub. All this to say i agree with you and noticed these things too 😂
To be fair, it might just be an example of someone just being really bad against a certain opponent. Azula was getting stomped pretty well by Katara in crossroads of destiny until Zuko intervened.
Seeing Azula mentally break at the end is quite powerful. Things always came easy for her, she rarely failed, was a prodigy-she didn’t really know what it was like to fail, again and again, but persevere. Like her brother. Failure taught him humility once he was ready to learn, and that humility made him wise in the end. But she was always “perfect”-and it was her father who taught her perfection was necessary for honor, and love. Ozai’s affection was always utilitarian and conditional. When she “failed”, she just internally collapsed.
There's also the symbolism of Zuko casting aside his ties (again) with his blood relatives in that he sacrifices himself for Katara effectively being "killed" by his own sister only to be revived by his spiritual sister.
@@SinHurrseriously though, to have Zuko marry a water tribe priestess is so poetic and they are such a good match. Aang is such a little kid it’s just weird they throw him into a romance all of a sudden. Just as bad as Hermione not being w Harry Potter.
I was thinking about this fight recently, and how Zuko didn't hardly move, he conserved so much energy. He had found his center. Another thing I like about this fight is the dichotomy of skill, represented by the flame colors. Azula is implementing an advanced and unique form, while Zuko stuck to the basics, but not just of firebending. He stone walled like an earthbender, redirected like a waterbender, and tripped up Azula like an airbender. Firebending moves strengthened by his journey.
I agree with but one thing. His fire was different from most of the show. After he met the dragons and watched their fire bending, his flames colour changed a little bit. It was more white IIRC because the source of its strengh changed.
I don't usually care for fight scenes, but this one was so amazing, I kept coming back to that episode just to watch it. It's beautiful, and I LOVE how sad it is. Because it needs to be sad. It is so heartwrenching that it has come to this, that Ozai's manipulation has broken Azula this badly. It really captures the horror of war and propaganda. This show in particular shows how wartime propaganda hurts the people of the attacking/colonizing nations as well as those being attacked. It is so, so tragic. And I love that moment at the end where Azula is chained to the ground, completely unhinged, screaming, sobbing, roaring out fire like a dragon, and Zuko and Katara are looking at her. Not triumphantly. Zuko looks at her quietly, and he KNOWS that it shouldn't have been like this, it didn't have to be like this, but there was nothing he could do. And Katara can't even bare to look at her. I just LOVE how Avatar didn't make this scene some triumphant victory where they beat Azula and said "Yay, we won!" The show treated the fight, and Azula's mental collapse, how it should be treated: as a tragedy. Edit: typo
I don't know why but I always thought of the Fire nation as North Korea in the real world, and what you've said here is not only 100% correct but fortifies my beliefs. Family power, propaganda, sibling rivalry and how it will ultimately destroy them all when all the lies surface and when the smoke clears the peasants will rule what is left of the kingdom
This fight is the only one that makes me emotional when I watch it. It's an amazing feat that what is essentially "just a fight scene" bears so much emotional weight.
8:00 and Zuko not only focuses on defence, but he used an earth bender technique. The fire nation always think they are superior, but Zuko learned in his arc, that theres much to learn from others, and with something he learned from watching Toph (presumably) he can easily defend from the overwhelmed power of maybe the most powerful fire bender.
I love that they did the first half of the fight with no talking. No yapping, no evil monologue and taunting and my friends are going to win type bs. Just intensity.
in my opinion, the most beautiful thing about this duel is seeing Zuko finally taking Iroh's lessons about balance and understanding all nations to heart, some of his movements are clearly inspired by other bending practices, something Iroh has been trying to teach him most of his life
One thing I’ve always noticed: though Zuko doesn’t want to, and doesn’t hate Azula in any way, he is trying to kill her. The double streams of fire Zuko unleashes while Azula is on her knees was aimed to kill. Azula BARELY avoided it. That was a kill shot. And the second? Well… the lightning. I’ve seen way too many people say “oh that was so stupid goading her like that.” But no. He did it intentionally, knowing she’d have to take the bait. He’d then redirect it and kill her. That’s what he had prepared for.
As a kid I watched Avatar everyday enjoying seeing Aang go into the Avatar state and never really cared about Zuko. But rewatching it in lockdown, I never would have known I'd fall in love with Zuko's story as a whole. Him finding this destiny, his story arc in book 3, his relationship with Iroh and his rise from grass to grace was really something to behold. His final Agni Kai against Azula was truly beautiful that brought his story full circle was really beautiful.
I did pause and watch it again. And at the end when Azula is defeated, you don't feel happy. Yes, as Iroh said, "She's crazy and she needs to go down," but it's still so sad to watch her finally break down.
@@jmwilliamsart Does she deserve to suffer, or does she need help to break the cycle of suffering? What would Uncle think of judging and doling out punishment? Repent? Yes. Atone? Absolutely. Suffering is neither of those things.
@@SinHurr I wouldn’t say suffer but she needed to suffer a humbling defeat before we can even hope for her recovering and being in the right state of mind. Otherwise I agree with you?
Actually Zuko’s victory was not robbed from him. Azula cheated targeting Katara disqualifying herself. I don’t know if Agni Kai is based on any rules of Asian dueling, but according European dueling rules Katara seems to function as Zuko’s second or his representative/witness to this duel. Deliberately targeting a second or any non duelist I would think is against any rules of dueling. This is an imperfect statement. I don’t know all the rules beyond what’s on Wikipedia and Azula doesn’t have a second of her own. I still agree with everything else in this video.
I think he was more addressing objections people have had to the fight that Zuko didn’t get to officially “defeat” Azula himself. I agree with you that targeting Katara is presumably cheating and disqualifying
@sparkyblue7016 I agree. It's almost more of a win for him to Save Katara than to have to kill Azula. She wouldn't have accepted defeat and in order to get her to stop fighting he would have most likely had to seriously injure/disarm her, or maybe even kill her. He wouldn't have wanted that.
By developing Azula as a main supporting character with depth, she isn’t just some faceless nameless idea. It makes the fight more weighted and tragic.
This scene was breathtaking upon first viewing. ATLA is one of the greatest examples of how “made for children” should not be used as a point of derision towards certain media.
What i like most about these fights between them at season 3, is that zuko is finally not fighting with anger, so he literally is fighting with his full potential, of course azula might still be powerful, but to see the difference between the hot headed and brash kid from season 1 fight with calmness and patience and live up to his true colors is amazing
Definitely the best fight scene in Avatar. The Aang vs. Ozai fight was important and meaningful in its own way. In terms or pure action I would say it is better. But this fight between Azula and Zuko is so much more meaningful because of their relationship and their individual journeys. I have said it before and will say it again. Any aspiring writer, no matter what medium they are writing for, should watch and study Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is an absolute master class in story telling on every level.
Even Master Class is under selling this thing tbh. I can't for the life of me think of a better show that did so much so perfectly. Even more so carried by how the writers were able to contain the series into still being deemed a kids show. It broke the barriers of that limitation in so many ways but was able to retain the title for not needing to show anything past them to get the sense of seriousness and depth that even shows not restricted by the same struggle to instill. There is a reason that when you say "Avatar was the greatest show" or anything of the such nobody says anything to combat how good it was. Anyone might bring up others that they thought were better, but nobody denies how amazing it is.
@@CollateralKaos I agree completely. It is only master class because there really is no higher descriptor for such topics lol. I am due for another rewatch of ATLA soon.
@thomasbrown4626 same here, gotta rewatch occasionally anyway, and my GF hasn't seen it in years. Hard to go wrong with rewatching any of your favorite series tbh
Yea to be a kids show it has very strong messages about life and alot of things are relatable I think zuko is one of the most relatable characters in the show hands down
The show did a phenomenal job showing us this is not some grand victory, it was merely stopping the threat, it needed to be done, sinple as that. There is no joy in beating a mentally crumbling, emotionally and psychologically abused 15 year old girl
You read my mind, good sir. Possibly the best moment in the whole freaking series, one thing I always loved about this fight was it also highlighted that self-reliance was just inferior to working together with those who trust and love one another. Zuko and Katara's friendship had grown, in true Zuko fashion, painfully and slowly, but now they are an effective team who trust one another and value each other. Katara stood down at the start of the fight, and Zuko made the sacrifice you mentioned. Anyways: yes, best fight in the series bar none in my humble opinion
Another thing to note about Zukos fire bending is the form has changed. Learning to take sources from other bending as iroh taught him. It’s no longer him just throwing fists, hes doing more fluid movements from Air bending and water bending, and staying “rooted” with more earth bending moves
Avatar is not only timeless it’s also ageless. I watched when I was 10-13 and I watch it now with 23. In my mind ATLA is the pinnacle of Shows. It has everything, can entertain every gender, nationality and age equally. I would even go so far and say that ATLA is literally perfect.
Really thoughtful analysis man, and I love your use of music. The spectacle here is unmatched, but as you said, it's the fight's emotional weight and payoff that elevates it to infinity.
Im honestly so sad for Azula and Zuko both, but extremely sad for Azula. She's a little girl who didn't have a mother who showed her constant unconditional love or an Uncle to guide her to the path of peace. She was broken down by her father with "love" that was conditional to her success and his version of "honor". Zuko would have been the same had he not had two loving figures in his life. She's a villain through and through but she's a tragic one.
This is inherently incorrect. She had a mother too who did indeed love her. The big problem was that her father sank his fangs into his talented daughter early on.
I think that it does somewhat overshadow Aang's fight with the firelord to some extent, but that fight has never been the pinnacle of Aang himself unlike the fight was for Zuko. The descision at the end of the fight was the true ending for Aang, and the rest of the series was his, so it was good that our second most important character arc in the series recieved more of the attention here since it had far less screen time than that of Aang himself.
I really like the move he uses of two spirals of flame like dragons intertwining during the battle. It's a very mastered move and it also like so many other things show amazing development
Beautiful video and it echoes how I feel about this fight. One more thing I'd add is that I love how Zuko's ability to learn from his friends helped him to match Azula. He incorporates earth and water bending forms into his attacks and defenses which I'm sure confuses Azula since it's like fighting a different person. His friendships allowed him to grow and improve while Azula's isolation caused her to remain stagnant and predictable. It's all so thoughtful and poignant, just amazing.
I totally agree with you Master Samwise... I remember watching this as a kid but already feeling the emotional weight of the scene, how heartbreaking but beautiful it is. Absolutely one of the most incredible fights, not just in Avatar, but in any movies/series. This is what we get when creators trust and respect their audience (a bunch of 7 year olds). A masterpiece!
This was almost like a dance, it was beautiful, the sound effects, the duality of zuko and Azula, Katara helping the person who represents the nation that killed her mom, it’s incredible depth
Even with Azula going mad , I do think Zuko’s experience with the dragons and truly accepting the teachings of Iroh allowed for him to at least match Azula at full strength . I mean realistically, Zuko didn’t even break a sweat in this fight . Plus in their fight before this where she was level headed it ended up being a draw falling of the balloon ships . I take self actuated zuko over Azula every day
The combination of the images, the music ans the story in this scene is beautiful, that's the most remarkable scene in the series to me. Everytime i remember this scene i get chills
Need a video on Appa and character growth. He let the guy that had kidnapped him and tried to kill him the entire series ride him to the final showdown in the heart of the Fire Nation without Aang.
Actually Zuko never tried kidnapping Appa and Appa was never his intended target for the most part, safe for the first few episodes where Zuko attempts to shoot him down bc he's Aang's means of escape/ transportation. But until the Lake Laogai episode, Zuko never really comes after Appa and when he does,Appa is rightfully distrustful towards him but learns to trust him after being let go.
You say that Zuko taunting her for the lack of lightning is him doing so because of her pride, but I think it’s because of her view of fear. Now she is the one that is in fear and she gives up her pride to be in an advantage again proving him right. She was scared of him redirecting her lightning. She then goes on to try and jump scare Katara by making her think she stopped paying attention to her and is looking at Zuko before throwing some lightning at her. She then starts chasing her and getting behind her. She is basically relishing being feared again.
I also want to point out Azula's lightning bending. When we first see her bend lightning it is centered. A straight shot. The lightning she bends at the first time we see it represents how calm and collected she is. Even when she kills Aang, the bolt is straight until it hit Aang, she has it under control. When she displays her skills during agni kai, you can see how sporatic it truly is. Shoot off into separate directions, even as she begins casting it you can see how messy it is, just like how messy her mind is at the moment.
The other really gorgeous but understated thing about this fight is how Zuko has learned from the other nations just like Iroh expressed he should, and you can see Zuko use other bending style forms in his defensive maneuvers during the showdown, he also does so earlier in the first scuffle in Ba Sing Se but only once (he used a water wall technique to block Azula’s first bolt and fire back at her) showing just how much his uncle and new friends’ lessons and techniques have stuck with him and influenced his own morals and skills. Absolutely gorgeous stuff that doesn’t even get mentioned by any characters and is easily missed
One of the many little details I love about this scene is how Zuko employs techniques he has seen or fought against throughout the show. At 10:06 you can see him in the same position Zhao was in their first Agni Kai, but more calm, and focused. You can't see that smirk on his face that Zhao had when he toyed around with Zuko. Thank you so much for these breakdowns and analysis videos, it's great to find new ways to appreciate and love a show that was a big part of my childhood.
I would dare say that this is the best fight scene in the entire animation history. The somber tone, violin, stunning visuals and the entire storytelling. Absolutely perfect!
I remember watching this for the first time and even though it was a spectacle of a fight, I couldn't help but feel sad at how tragic it all was. To me it is one of the best pieces of media ever made, that scene was so masterfully crafted to represent the end of a long arduous journey by Zuko and Azula.
The other thing that unbalances Azule is that she's always viewed Zuko as her compassionate weakling little brother, never a threat, never a presence in her life except to be used and discarded when it suited her, her entire life Zuko never once matched her, in this fight his fire collides with hers and forces it away, her power had met its match, its symbolic in more ways than just her quest for power, Zuko is finally, truly her equal in skill with fire bending, no special blue fire, no lightning, just the basics and everything he's learned from his friends, when he splits Azula's fire he's using Sokka's sword techniques, when he matches her initial fire blast he's channeling Toph's strength, when he redirects her swing he's using Katara's tide like movements, his spin is what he developed watching Aang fight firebenders, and at the heart of it all, a style cultivated by his uncle and the dragons, Azula here has fully embraced Ozai, and we see Zuko come full circle and use everything he's learned from the connections he formed along the way
Masterfull piece of art in every sense of the word. The final fight in which the culmination of every lesson Zuko learned throughout his journey is showcased for example the lessons he learned from other benders are applied contrasted with Azula's slow descent into madness.
Fun fact: Blue stars are the only naturally occurring blue fire in our world, blue fire is so hot all the chemical in perfections are quite literally BURNED away, so Azula having blue fire, while if you look closely not even the dragons possessed blue fire, shows how much effort she put into being the perfect fire bender and symbolically showed she was flawless while Zuko who always had orange fire was flawed but Zuko still won, because Azula was TOO perfect. She sought out to be flawless when humans, even in the world of avatar, are anything but, Zuko won because he accepted his flaws and worked to improve them
I feel like Azula is just as much of a victim of Ozai as Zuko is, if not greater. Zuko got the physical scar showing the abuse from his father, but azula's scars were emotional and psychological. No one could see how much trauma she had, she was alone. Zuko had Iroh, Azula had no one.
She loved being evil, she loved how her father behaved. With all the faults Zuko had, he had moments when he listened. That is why his mother and uncle continued working on him.
Which made Ursa a terrible mother. Alienating her little child because she didn't like her behavior when it was her job to nurture her character@@theolite360
@theolite360 Did she really love being evil, or did she have to abandon her humanity to turn "evil" to make ozai happy? Being the younger kid, she definitely seen zuko being bullied by his father so her natural thinking would be to do the exact opposite of zuko, to please ozai.
Yes, this is the best fight avatar ever. Even better then Aang vs the Fire lord . It's perfect in every way and it's also my favorite scene in the enter serious.
Even though Aang defeating the Fire Lord is the ultimate goal of the show, now that I am older the final Agni Kai is the thing that I love watching the most. Followed by Sokka, Taff and Suki' taking down the fire nation's air crafts
One of my most treasured memories is my mom driving up from socal to norcal to pick me up, buying everyone znaxks and watching the Avatar finale on a tiny 12" CRT. The entire family was almost touching faces the entire time trying to see as much as we could. The screams and cries from that motel room in the middle of nowhere will live with me too this day, and i couldn't be happier having those memories
The score definetley helped me as a child to see the emotional side of it. I was always like yeah this is amazing the visuals the whole defeating Azula part etc but never realized the true significance of two siblings ready to fight to the death from the stakes seen. like I know they never had a normal childhood and therefore were never truly close but it is just too nerve wracking.
This is the best fight scene in the show and ranks as the best of all time in my book. It doesn’t have as much action as other fight scenes (even in the same episode) but it has more emotional weight than anything I have found before or since. This is one of my favorite stories of all time. I found a marathon one summer of the first season, watched it because there was nothing else of interest on. The third episode of the series, when they focused heavily on “the bad guys” is the moment I knew this was special. I will always love and admire ATLA and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something deep and fun. Thanks for your input.
During the Southern Raiders episode, I noticed that Azula’s hair becomes undone during the course of the fight. I see this as the beginning of her becoming undone. It happens on the Agni Kai as well. I love this show so much for subtle details
One other detail worth noting is that in all the Agni Kais Zuko has fought in, _every single one_ had his opponent commit a dishonorable act. Ozai attacked Zuko after he had already surrendered. Zhao attacked after he himself had surrendered. And Azula commits what is arguably _the most_ dishonorable act, by attacking someone who wasn’t even involved in the fight. Perfect to conclude Zuko’s arc of truly regaining his honor, by having him technically lose the honor duel to protect a bystander from his cheating opponent. Man I love this show.
Absolutely is the best fight scene in the Avatar series. Overshadows the final show down. The writing aligns perfectly with the character arches, and reflects the growth and progression of the mindsets in each of Aula and Zuko beautifully. The Final Agni Kai is a master class on how to create a character buildup, how to reflect morals in an action scene, and how to finalize the fates of character arches in a grandiose and spectacular fashion. The fight has be my favorite among any show or movie I'd ever seen.
Another point I realized is that when Zuko is basically sacrificing his life before Katara is struck by Azula’s lightning, it is a parallel to how Katara’s mom sacrificed her life for Katara, and which is why Katara says to Zuko, “It is me who should be thanking you.” Not only does that line show the direct parallels between Azula and Katara (which is why I think it’s symbolic that Katara was the one to ultimately end the battle), it shows who the more “powerful” sibling is. Azula showed her weakness by cheating, and Zuko showed his strength by his near-death sacrifice, something that Azula would never have had the strength to do.
The Final Agni Kai is such beautiful storytelling of a tragic tale. This show is unmatched in how well it fleshed out the characters stories and everyone got a fitting finale.
That battle was the most perfect and satisfying animated scene/conclusion I ever seen! The soft music and muffled fire noises, the artwork, the characters development... Oh my God. It was truly sad watching siblings fight for a thrown. The fight was depressing yet exciting.. incredible
Just watched the video and I’ve gotta say you did a spectacular job making this video and I thought I’d heard all perspectives on this duel already but you just opened another for me.
Amazing analogy of the fight. This show to me was all about those minor details we didn't notice as kids but as adults can see how well thought out they were, one of the greatest shows of all time.
I loved how someone pointed out that Azula's lightning in the Agni Kai is so wild and uncontrolled in stark contrast to how lightning is portrayed in other moments in the show
Something I just realized recently is that at the start of the duel when they have that close up shot on both Zuko and Azula, neither one of them has any symmetry, Zuko from his scar and Azula from her hair. It's symbolic of the damage that's been done to both of them by Ozai. A reminder before the final fight of how neither of them ever wanted this and how as epic the fight we're about to watch is, it's not a shining moment for either of them. It's a tragedy
i remeber crying during the last agni kai. i watched every single episode as it aired and i just remeber loosing my breath as a child as how it all ment, the build up, the meaning, THE MUSIC. i feel like the fact the writers didn't baby it up for children is what made such an impact on me
The fight at the boiling rock is actually pretty good for shadowing for the Agni Kai...Zuko remaining calm and collected allowing his defense to lead to offense and his advantage with Sokka at his side to flourish as he can flawlessly defend Sokka and himself from anything Azula is throwing at them. You can even see her getting slightly frustrated at the fact that Zuko isn't really pushing the issue isn't recklessly attacking forcing her to change how she fights him and attack more often. That leads into the next fight beautifully because the dynamic change was already being shown and it came near full circle with Azula being on the offensive most of the fight. Then the Agni Kai where she was no where near herself and Zuko finally realized who he was
Another icing on the cake for Zuko's character arc: He started the show by attacking Katara and her water tribe, only seeing them as water tribe peasants and obstacles in his quest for the Avatar. What a way to redeem himself by sacrificing his life and saving her. Katara also gets a cap on her character arc - she started off hating Zuko and ends up saving him by taking down the soon-to-be Firelord who represents the Fire Nation, which has brought so much pain in her life (like Yon Rha killing her mom). She can also be said to help install Zuko as the new Firelord, which brings about a new Fire Nation.
The one thing that Reddit has forever made me regret in this scene was that they didn’t give Zuko the rainbow fire from the dragons. There was an edit posted on Reddit where they gave him rainbow flames and it made this scene equally as breathtaking
Thanks for the explanation. When I watched Avatar a while ago, I couldn't understand why Azula didn't win this fight easily when she was established to be better at everything and even fought the entire Team Avatar at one point. She could also simply deny the duel and throw every bender she had at the fight.
The blue flame also shows us that Azula, who is more skilled and thinks more highly of herself, had an opportunity to beat zuko fairly, but sold that moment for her pride
This has always been the most paonful moment in the whoe show for me. Her tipping point is the deepest which seems like it will nevwr have a redemption arc. Red and blue of their flames is the representation of evil and good as red and blue dragons as well. The life these siblings ahve to suffer with eachother because of their parents and position. I wonder if theyd have even been like sokka and katara if they were in anothee universe.. to another parents.
I loved the battle and it was amazing to see the change that the characters each had! I was so surprised by Azula’s aggression and anger. I don’t think however it’s the greatest one! Imo Aang vs the firelord when the shift in the battle happens after he has the avatar state activated again was pure gold for me. Grabbing Ozi by the chin hair and millimetrically shoving his hand away then shoving him off was priceless!
Beautiful. I'd also find a video on KatARa vs. Azula throughout the whole show to be interesting. They're pretty much the same age, but they're so different, and Azula constantly sees Katara as her lesser. Then she gets beaten by her
Because they show personality and character developement of the characters along with azula's deterioting mental health. There is a build up,clear intent after the fight and stakes are high. And music just fucking bangs. There you are everything you need for a high intensity fight that finishes with an amazing satisfaction.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
The creators said that they gave Azula blue fire because of how it would contrast Zuko's in the final duel. Shows how far ahead they were thinking.
OR they did it during work on final fight
They wrote out the entire plot and designs before they even aired the show lol. They’ve said this multiple times. It wasn’t “during” it was literally planned.
@@vitaliitomas8121 Nah the whole show was already created before it was put on a screen, every timeline finished every character timeline written out. They did leave some easter eggs in the show about previous designs like the earth bender in the opening was supposed to be Aangs earth bending teacher instead of Toph
They are genious
Also, the blue flames are "cold fire", the allegory to Azula being cold and calculating while Zuko was hot-headed. Until the final Agni Kai reversed the roles.
the battle also perfectly reflects how zuko utilized the other elements in his firebending, just like how iroh told him. he evades like an airbender, stands his ground like an earth bender, and adapts to azula’s moves like a waterbender. absolute masterpiece.
Yes! I've seen a similar analysis before and it's *chef's kiss* thank you for adding this! Watching the fight again while looking for the different styles is incredibly rewarding and ties back to all of Zuko's different journeys throughout the continent. It adds another layer to him being worthy of the throne because he has a deeper understanding of each kingdom.
i heard this so many times, but not really, he still uses the same firebending moves we see him use throughout the other seasons
Like i heard one say the spin is airbending.
no it's literally Zukos signature move. And the same goes for most other moves. actually, if you look into it you can find most of these moves he does in previous fights he did, manny if not most way before he even thought of a teamup with Aang.
if anything, it shows that Zuko has just lgrown as a firebender over time.
Which speaking of, you could easily also say Azula always evaded attacks like an airbender, but that is just as much of a stretch. Zukos doges and blocks are never truly like Aangs or Tophs moves, they are just him not wanting to be burned to a crisp by Azula
he also blasts the mf!!!!!!!
@@ast8177
Pay close attention to the stances Zuko is taking, not the moves he’s doing.
There’s parts of the fight where he stalls time by dispelling her attacks, like an air bender, or turtles up and gets very defensive like an earth bender.
And people still thinks he isn’t a prodigy
I’m glad you mentioned how their flames were burning the capital, their childhood home was burning because of their feud. Very symbolic.
Honestly something I didn't notice (despite having seen ATLA a dozen times) until I went to analyze the scene. Added a whole other layer of depth to the fight.
I can remember feeling so sad during the last agni kai scene. Two people who should love each other and their relationship is so broken that it's probably unrepairable at this point. And yet it was so hauntingly beautiful, the visuals and the music. I love that Zuko really doesn't move about that much, unlike Azula. I think after all this time, I really wanted Zuko to be Azula's Iroh, but maybe that is impossible.
I agree, though maybe she just wasn't ready. Zuko fully betrayed Iroh before he was ready for the embrace in the final episode. Zuko did visit his father in Prison, he probably visited Azula as well
@@Called-to-Live The first and only time Zuko visited her, she used it to escape.
@@dllps oh snap, well that answered that question!
Although the creators have mentioned that this was the original plan for future seasons. They acknowledge that Azula wasn't yet at her worst. She still hasn't hit rock bottom enough for her to change, but they say that ultimately she would, at which point she would think about her life and the person that never gave up on her--Zuko. Zuko was going to be her Iroh.
Sumo had probably visited and tried helping Azula over the years as she was in prison, and I’d like to think he did, atleast in a way, help her find her peace, even if she didn’t redeem herself
Small detail I noticed. Just before the fight, Azula remarks: "I'm sorry it has to end, brother". Zuko replies with: "You're lying". This is a nice detail as Zuko often repeated to himself the mantra: "Azula always lies."
Actually he said "no you're not". Meaning that he didn't believe her, but pretty much calling her a liar nonetheless.
@@boardcertifiable Oh you're right! Good point
He said no your not
I’m sorry it has to end this way brother” “no you’re not”
It's a pretty bad ass line. Though I think a better one would be:
Azula: I'm sorry it has to end this way.
Zuko: neither of is is.
“I love Zuko more than I fear you…” that line hits so deep
Facts, that line does hit deep. And then, " you should have feared me more ? " That line cuts even deeper.
Through this last Agni Kai we also see Zuko using all the tecnniques and lessons he learnt through this journey: the footwork, the focus, the Fire Dragon clan dancing techniques, redirects. This fight is literally his character arc.
Interestingly, though, his final move which effectively 'ends' the duel is his signature breakdancing fire-spin. At the very end, he succeeds by being true to himself. That stoicism for which he strived throughout the entire series is finally properly achieved. When all else has not brought him victory, he falls back on himself.
This is a great counterpoint to Aang's final victorious 'move,' wherein it's Toph's stone sight technique that saves him from Ozai's sneak attack. Out of what was essentially a stalemate (because Aang refused to kill Ozai), the Avatar's victory came not from himself, but from the strength of another.
This is something Azula and Ozai never really understood. They saw relying on others as a weakness, but Aang demonstrated its power. This is quite literal, as earth bending is Aang's weakest form. He turned what may be considered a weakness into the key tool to defeat the greatest fire bender alive.
In essence, Zuko defeated Azula with strength of self, and Aang defeated Ozai through strength of companionship. Beautifully perpendicular.
@@irregularassassin6380I really like that
@@irregularassassin6380And to add at the same time, its Katara's companionship with Zuko at their fight is what put Azula down and restrained. While Aang's own decision to just take away Ozai's own bending as opposed by the advice of the previous Avatars snd even some of his friends including Zuko is what truly defeated him.
Zuko and Aang conquered their greatest challenges with their founded companionhip and their own selves.
@@memecliparchives2254 Great point! Zuko won the duel, but Katara put Azula down. Something she might not have been able to do had Zuko not shaken his sister to her core. Without the companionship he found in Team Avatar, Azula would be Fire Lord.
And, once again, Aang reflects this. Toph helped him physically defeat Ozai through her tutelage, but it was Aang's own determination to finish the fight his way that put the Phoenix King down, and secured the moral victory.
You mention that Zuko learns the way of self-sacrifice, not sacrificing others for your own purpose. That's definitely true, so it's interesting that the act that got him scarred and banished was decrying a general's proposal to wilfully sacrifice soldiers as a diversion.
I was thinking about how it might have looked from Katara's point of view. Her mother was executed by a fire nation soldier, but now, the prince of the fire nation is taking a lightning bolt intended for her. This seems to fit what his uncle Iroh described as restoring the honor of the fire nation.
Even growing up, I remember watching the final Agni Kai and not feeling like this was some grand fight, like Aang vs Ozai. It was a tragic reality between two siblings. I don't feel excited watching it, I feel heartbreak and I feel sad, even now. Easily one of the best fights in Avatar.
@@jogosheugueuShe's as much a victim of her father's abuse as her brother, but unlike Zuko, she never had someone like Iroh to show her another path. She was completely at Ozai's mercy, desperately vying for approval from someone who saw her as not his daughter, but merely a tool, one to be discarded once no longer useful. An approval that no matter what she did, no matter how close to perfection she came, would never be given.
@@Pathological100azulas problem wasn’t that she wasn’t shown another path but the fact she never received genuine love or friendship which is the difference between zuko and her ..(which is hinted at with the hallucinations of her mother right before the duel) and her being a girl id argue she needed it more …which is why she was cold and power hungry vying for the approval of ozai..that was her way of filling the void ..
I think that was the point of the duel and why it was better then ozai and Ang’s showdown ..more emotional depth and meaning ..u will hear in good writing that even fight scenes are supposed drive the story telling
@@Pathological100being victim doesn’t give one an excuse to hurt innocent people. The show basically said the same thing about Jet and Hama, so why make excuses for Azula?
@@Pathological100THANK YOU! 😭🙌 I’m so happy I’m not the only one who see this cause the Double standard with Azula in this fandom is insane. Legit the only difference personality wise between book 1/2 Zuko and Azula is that Azula is actually COMPETENT at being a villain. The only reason Zuko went down a different path is because he 1: was isolated from the family and 2: had iroh there to give him unconditional love and support for YEARS even when he was burning down villages. And even STILL he betrayed iroh, helped conqueror Ba sing se and helped KILL aang. And then after sent an ASSASSIN to kill him. He had to commit some of the worst crimes in the entire show and then hit rock bottom before he became a good guy. It took SO MUCH to overcome the brainwashing the firenation did on him and he had to see the ENTIRE world firsthand and see the suffering caused to even just START the process of redemption. The fact that people don’t understand Azula legit had NO chance to become anything other than what Ozai forced her to be is so frustrating, I’m not saying she shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions but what she DESERVES is somebody to give her that love and guidance and acceptance unconditionally like Zuko had. She deserves to be recognized as an abuse victim by her father cuz this is a FOURTEEN year old girl who was robbed of a childhood and any sense of normalcy to the point she can’t even TALK to kids her own age. She was mentally abused to the point her entire PSYCHE cracked and she had hallucinations about being unloved and a monster. That’s so incredibly sad and I can’t believe people don’t focus on how F’d up it is for that to happen to her. All I’m saying is if It was worth the effort to help Zuko even with his MULTIPLE egregious set backs than there’s no excuse to not try and get Azula the help and support she needs too. I don’t think she could ever be “good” but I genuinely believe she could make a great anti hero if Zuko were to be her guidance just like Iroh was to him.
Title should be, "How avatar the last airbender perfected nearly everything." Truly one of the best shows ever written.
The older I get the more it gets to me. Truly one of the most mesmerizing stories ever written 🌊🔥🪨💨
What didn't they perfect?
@msimelelomqikwa1213 There's always room for improvement. May there be little, there is always some.
Then they, completely messed up with korra
@@DaddyHenseiwel they peaked with Ang so it can only go down hill from
There lol
Not only everything said in this video but the fact that Azula, a 14-year old princess who grew up with every luxury was defeated by a 14 pesant water tribe girl who grew up with so little.
Not just a peasant, though. I'm in agreement that the juxtaposition of a peasant defeating a monarch can draw you into the narrative, but it was also more than that. Katara was a living representation of the cruelty of the Fire Nation's war. Both girls lost their mother at approximately the same age, but Katara was a witness to the physical violence of a genocidal nation. Katara achieving victory over Azula, and therefore helping to end the war, was symbolic of justice finding its way around to correct the wrongs of a nation.
I also like to factor that Azula was completely deranged or near in this scene and leading up. She wasn’t thinking at all pure action. Katara was more inclined to be resourceful due to her bending being reliant on the presence of water. She was at a huge advantage. Plus Katara definitely ain’t a scrub. All this to say i agree with you and noticed these things too 😂
Was katara not the daughter of head of souther water tribe?
To be fair, it might just be an example of someone just being really bad against a certain opponent. Azula was getting stomped pretty well by Katara in crossroads of destiny until Zuko intervened.
yeah I'd say she's more like a nobleman@@nightwolfnordberg9476
Seeing Azula mentally break at the end is quite powerful. Things always came easy for her, she rarely failed, was a prodigy-she didn’t really know what it was like to fail, again and again, but persevere. Like her brother.
Failure taught him humility once he was ready to learn, and that humility made him wise in the end.
But she was always “perfect”-and it was her father who taught her perfection was necessary for honor, and love. Ozai’s affection was always utilitarian and conditional. When she “failed”, she just internally collapsed.
There's also the symbolism of Zuko casting aside his ties (again) with his blood relatives in that he sacrifices himself for Katara effectively being "killed" by his own sister only to be revived by his spiritual sister.
Beautiful
And maybe secret girlfriend LET US DREAM, MOM
@@SinHurrseriously though, to have Zuko marry a water tribe priestess is so poetic and they are such a good match. Aang is such a little kid it’s just weird they throw him into a romance all of a sudden. Just as bad as Hermione not being w Harry Potter.
Bruh katara ain't nun but like 15 in the show
@@goonpaid9319 and Aang acts like he’s about 10 years old
I was thinking about this fight recently, and how Zuko didn't hardly move, he conserved so much energy. He had found his center.
Another thing I like about this fight is the dichotomy of skill, represented by the flame colors. Azula is implementing an advanced and unique form, while Zuko stuck to the basics, but not just of firebending. He stone walled like an earthbender, redirected like a waterbender, and tripped up Azula like an airbender. Firebending moves strengthened by his journey.
Beautifully put!
Thats how he beat Zhao too. Once he knocked them both off balance he had the upper hand.
Exactly what Iroh taught him. Using elements of the other bending forms within his firebending made him whole and stronger.
I agree with but one thing. His fire was different from most of the show. After he met the dragons and watched their fire bending, his flames colour changed a little bit. It was more white IIRC because the source of its strengh changed.
Iroh had told him he could learn things from the others
I don't usually care for fight scenes, but this one was so amazing, I kept coming back to that episode just to watch it. It's beautiful, and I LOVE how sad it is. Because it needs to be sad. It is so heartwrenching that it has come to this, that Ozai's manipulation has broken Azula this badly. It really captures the horror of war and propaganda. This show in particular shows how wartime propaganda hurts the people of the attacking/colonizing nations as well as those being attacked. It is so, so tragic. And I love that moment at the end where Azula is chained to the ground, completely unhinged, screaming, sobbing, roaring out fire like a dragon, and Zuko and Katara are looking at her. Not triumphantly. Zuko looks at her quietly, and he KNOWS that it shouldn't have been like this, it didn't have to be like this, but there was nothing he could do. And Katara can't even bare to look at her.
I just LOVE how Avatar didn't make this scene some triumphant victory where they beat Azula and said "Yay, we won!" The show treated the fight, and Azula's mental collapse, how it should be treated: as a tragedy.
Edit: typo
^ This. Exactly this.
I don't know why but I always thought of the Fire nation as North Korea in the real world, and what you've said here is not only 100% correct but fortifies my beliefs. Family power, propaganda, sibling rivalry and how it will ultimately destroy them all when all the lies surface and when the smoke clears the peasants will rule what is left of the kingdom
@@thereaper2762The fire nation reminds me of imperial Japan during world war 2, with china being the earth kingdom
Guys the fire nation is clearly modeled after America and Britain
@@thereaper2762yeh Fire Nation is Industrial Japan
This fight is the only one that makes me emotional when I watch it. It's an amazing feat that what is essentially "just a fight scene" bears so much emotional weight.
8:00 and Zuko not only focuses on defence, but he used an earth bender technique. The fire nation always think they are superior, but Zuko learned in his arc, that theres much to learn from others, and with something he learned from watching Toph (presumably) he can easily defend from the overwhelmed power of maybe the most powerful fire bender.
I really love how the fight showcases Zuko’s improved firebending skills and how he’s implemented other elements into his fighting style
I love that they did the first half of the fight with no talking. No yapping, no evil monologue and taunting and my friends are going to win type bs. Just intensity.
And I also love how the fire drowns out the sounds of the music
in my opinion, the most beautiful thing about this duel is seeing Zuko finally taking Iroh's lessons about balance and understanding all nations to heart, some of his movements are clearly inspired by other bending practices, something Iroh has been trying to teach him most of his life
One thing I’ve always noticed: though Zuko doesn’t want to, and doesn’t hate Azula in any way, he is trying to kill her. The double streams of fire Zuko unleashes while Azula is on her knees was aimed to kill. Azula BARELY avoided it. That was a kill shot. And the second? Well… the lightning. I’ve seen way too many people say “oh that was so stupid goading her like that.” But no. He did it intentionally, knowing she’d have to take the bait. He’d then redirect it and kill her. That’s what he had prepared for.
Zuko also asked Aang if he's ready to kill his father. He knew that that was the only way
Never thought of that
Good catch
ZUko's self-sacrifice shows that he has found a different definition of honor.
100%! Probably the most truly honorable thing he does
*Honor*
As a kid I watched Avatar everyday enjoying seeing Aang go into the Avatar state and never really cared about Zuko. But rewatching it in lockdown, I never would have known I'd fall in love with Zuko's story as a whole. Him finding this destiny, his story arc in book 3, his relationship with Iroh and his rise from grass to grace was really something to behold. His final Agni Kai against Azula was truly beautiful that brought his story full circle was really beautiful.
I did pause and watch it again. And at the end when Azula is defeated, you don't feel happy. Yes, as Iroh said, "She's crazy and she needs to go down," but it's still so sad to watch her finally break down.
True, but she does deserve to suffer for all the harm that she had done to others, and the way that she manipulated them.
@@jmwilliamsart Does she deserve to suffer, or does she need help to break the cycle of suffering? What would Uncle think of judging and doling out punishment?
Repent? Yes. Atone? Absolutely. Suffering is neither of those things.
Maybe azula needed a uncle iroh of her own
Azula needed genuine love ..which she never got ..but zuko eventually did find it ..they were both in the same state of mind at the beginning
@@SinHurr I wouldn’t say suffer but she needed to suffer a humbling defeat before we can even hope for her recovering and being in the right state of mind. Otherwise I agree with you?
Actually Zuko’s victory was not robbed from him. Azula cheated targeting Katara disqualifying herself. I don’t know if Agni Kai is based on any rules of Asian dueling, but according European dueling rules Katara seems to function as Zuko’s second or his representative/witness to this duel. Deliberately targeting a second or any non duelist I would think is against any rules of dueling. This is an imperfect statement. I don’t know all the rules beyond what’s on Wikipedia and Azula doesn’t have a second of her own. I still agree with everything else in this video.
I think he was more addressing objections people have had to the fight that Zuko didn’t get to officially “defeat” Azula himself.
I agree with you that targeting Katara is presumably cheating and disqualifying
Oh yeah I’m sure Zuko technically would win the Agni Kai, but he doesn’t exactly get the same sense of victory due to Azula cheating.
Zuko already won this agni Kai. When Azula cheat she only show that she just been a bad loser.
@@master_samwise Personally, it is a tragedy, even if he did win on his own, i doubt a character like Zuko would think that he won.
@sparkyblue7016 I agree. It's almost more of a win for him to Save Katara than to have to kill Azula. She wouldn't have accepted defeat and in order to get her to stop fighting he would have most likely had to seriously injure/disarm her, or maybe even kill her. He wouldn't have wanted that.
By developing Azula as a main supporting character with depth, she isn’t just some faceless nameless idea. It makes the fight more weighted and tragic.
This scene was breathtaking upon first viewing. ATLA is one of the greatest examples of how “made for children” should not be used as a point of derision towards certain media.
What i like most about these fights between them at season 3, is that zuko is finally not fighting with anger, so he literally is fighting with his full potential, of course azula might still be powerful, but to see the difference between the hot headed and brash kid from season 1 fight with calmness and patience and live up to his true colors is amazing
You'd know a battle scene is good when it has a lot of subtext and thematic purpose. Because a fight can be more than just a fight. If written when.
Definitely the best fight scene in Avatar. The Aang vs. Ozai fight was important and meaningful in its own way. In terms or pure action I would say it is better. But this fight between Azula and Zuko is so much more meaningful because of their relationship and their individual journeys.
I have said it before and will say it again. Any aspiring writer, no matter what medium they are writing for, should watch and study Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is an absolute master class in story telling on every level.
Even Master Class is under selling this thing tbh. I can't for the life of me think of a better show that did so much so perfectly. Even more so carried by how the writers were able to contain the series into still being deemed a kids show.
It broke the barriers of that limitation in so many ways but was able to retain the title for not needing to show anything past them to get the sense of seriousness and depth that even shows not restricted by the same struggle to instill.
There is a reason that when you say "Avatar was the greatest show" or anything of the such nobody says anything to combat how good it was. Anyone might bring up others that they thought were better, but nobody denies how amazing it is.
@@CollateralKaos I agree completely. It is only master class because there really is no higher descriptor for such topics lol. I am due for another rewatch of ATLA soon.
@thomasbrown4626 same here, gotta rewatch occasionally anyway, and my GF hasn't seen it in years. Hard to go wrong with rewatching any of your favorite series tbh
Yea to be a kids show it has very strong messages about life and alot of things are relatable I think zuko is one of the most relatable characters in the show hands down
The show did a phenomenal job showing us this is not some grand victory, it was merely stopping the threat, it needed to be done, sinple as that. There is no joy in beating a mentally crumbling, emotionally and psychologically abused 15 year old girl
2:35 clarifying: the episode is called "The Avatar State", book 1 episode 2. They are not secret avatars.
You read my mind, good sir. Possibly the best moment in the whole freaking series, one thing I always loved about this fight was it also highlighted that self-reliance was just inferior to working together with those who trust and love one another. Zuko and Katara's friendship had grown, in true Zuko fashion, painfully and slowly, but now they are an effective team who trust one another and value each other. Katara stood down at the start of the fight, and Zuko made the sacrifice you mentioned. Anyways: yes, best fight in the series bar none in my humble opinion
Another thing to note about Zukos fire bending is the form has changed. Learning to take sources from other bending as iroh taught him. It’s no longer him just throwing fists, hes doing more fluid movements from Air bending and water bending, and staying “rooted” with more earth bending moves
Avatar is not only timeless it’s also ageless. I watched when I was 10-13 and I watch it now with 23. In my mind ATLA is the pinnacle of Shows. It has everything, can entertain every gender, nationality and age equally. I would even go so far and say that ATLA is literally perfect.
Really thoughtful analysis man, and I love your use of music. The spectacle here is unmatched, but as you said, it's the fight's emotional weight and payoff that elevates it to infinity.
Im honestly so sad for Azula and Zuko both, but extremely sad for Azula. She's a little girl who didn't have a mother who showed her constant unconditional love or an Uncle to guide her to the path of peace. She was broken down by her father with "love" that was conditional to her success and his version of "honor". Zuko would have been the same had he not had two loving figures in his life. She's a villain through and through but she's a tragic one.
This is inherently incorrect. She had a mother too who did indeed love her. The big problem was that her father sank his fangs into his talented daughter early on.
I think that it does somewhat overshadow Aang's fight with the firelord to some extent, but that fight has never been the pinnacle of Aang himself unlike the fight was for Zuko.
The descision at the end of the fight was the true ending for Aang, and the rest of the series was his, so it was good that our second most important character arc in the series recieved more of the attention here since it had far less screen time than that of Aang himself.
I love this scene so much, it’s literally a battle for the soul of the fire nation
I really like the move he uses of two spirals of flame like dragons intertwining during the battle. It's a very mastered move and it also like so many other things show amazing development
Beautiful video and it echoes how I feel about this fight. One more thing I'd add is that I love how Zuko's ability to learn from his friends helped him to match Azula. He incorporates earth and water bending forms into his attacks and defenses which I'm sure confuses Azula since it's like fighting a different person. His friendships allowed him to grow and improve while Azula's isolation caused her to remain stagnant and predictable. It's all so thoughtful and poignant, just amazing.
He did well to learn from his uncle the value of the other elements in his fire bending.
I totally agree with you Master Samwise... I remember watching this as a kid but already feeling the emotional weight of the scene, how heartbreaking but beautiful it is. Absolutely one of the most incredible fights, not just in Avatar, but in any movies/series.
This is what we get when creators trust and respect their audience (a bunch of 7 year olds). A masterpiece!
This was almost like a dance, it was beautiful, the sound effects, the duality of zuko and Azula, Katara helping the person who represents the nation that killed her mom, it’s incredible depth
Even with Azula going mad , I do think Zuko’s experience with the dragons and truly accepting the teachings of Iroh allowed for him to at least match Azula at full strength . I mean realistically, Zuko didn’t even break a sweat in this fight . Plus in their fight before this where she was level headed it ended up being a draw falling of the balloon ships . I take self actuated zuko over Azula every day
The combination of the images, the music ans the story in this scene is beautiful, that's the most remarkable scene in the series to me. Everytime i remember this scene i get chills
"This way no one else has to get hurt"
Proceeds to light up the whole capitol.
When i rewatched the series i got goosebombs as the agni Kai Starts, the beautiful music and amazing Flame blasts make this Moment unforgettable!
Even all these years later there are still videos about the Final Agni Kai and people who watch them. ❤
Need a video on Appa and character growth. He let the guy that had kidnapped him and tried to kill him the entire series ride him to the final showdown in the heart of the Fire Nation without Aang.
Actually Zuko never tried kidnapping Appa and Appa was never his intended target for the most part, safe for the first few episodes where Zuko attempts to shoot him down bc he's Aang's means of escape/ transportation. But until the Lake Laogai episode, Zuko never really comes after Appa and when he does,Appa is rightfully distrustful towards him but learns to trust him after being let go.
Zuko never kidnapped Appa. He tried too, but he was talked out of doing it by Iroh and actually set Appa free, which is why Appa seemed to like him
You say that Zuko taunting her for the lack of lightning is him doing so because of her pride, but I think it’s because of her view of fear. Now she is the one that is in fear and she gives up her pride to be in an advantage again proving him right. She was scared of him redirecting her lightning. She then goes on to try and jump scare Katara by making her think she stopped paying attention to her and is looking at Zuko before throwing some lightning at her. She then starts chasing her and getting behind her. She is basically relishing being feared again.
I also want to point out Azula's lightning bending. When we first see her bend lightning it is centered. A straight shot. The lightning she bends at the first time we see it represents how calm and collected she is. Even when she kills Aang, the bolt is straight until it hit Aang, she has it under control. When she displays her skills during agni kai, you can see how sporatic it truly is. Shoot off into separate directions, even as she begins casting it you can see how messy it is, just like how messy her mind is at the moment.
This scene(s) in terms of pure epicness is outclassed by ride of the Rohirrim, but in every other aspect measurable is perfection.
The other really gorgeous but understated thing about this fight is how Zuko has learned from the other nations just like Iroh expressed he should, and you can see Zuko use other bending style forms in his defensive maneuvers during the showdown, he also does so earlier in the first scuffle in Ba Sing Se but only once (he used a water wall technique to block Azula’s first bolt and fire back at her) showing just how much his uncle and new friends’ lessons and techniques have stuck with him and influenced his own morals and skills. Absolutely gorgeous stuff that doesn’t even get mentioned by any characters and is easily missed
One of the many little details I love about this scene is how Zuko employs techniques he has seen or fought against throughout the show. At 10:06 you can see him in the same position Zhao was in their first Agni Kai, but more calm, and focused. You can't see that smirk on his face that Zhao had when he toyed around with Zuko.
Thank you so much for these breakdowns and analysis videos, it's great to find new ways to appreciate and love a show that was a big part of my childhood.
I would dare say that this is the best fight scene in the entire animation history. The somber tone, violin, stunning visuals and the entire storytelling. Absolutely perfect!
I remember watching this for the first time and even though it was a spectacle of a fight, I couldn't help but feel sad at how tragic it all was. To me it is one of the best pieces of media ever made, that scene was so masterfully crafted to represent the end of a long arduous journey by Zuko and Azula.
The other thing that unbalances Azule is that she's always viewed Zuko as her compassionate weakling little brother, never a threat, never a presence in her life except to be used and discarded when it suited her, her entire life Zuko never once matched her, in this fight his fire collides with hers and forces it away, her power had met its match, its symbolic in more ways than just her quest for power, Zuko is finally, truly her equal in skill with fire bending, no special blue fire, no lightning, just the basics and everything he's learned from his friends, when he splits Azula's fire he's using Sokka's sword techniques, when he matches her initial fire blast he's channeling Toph's strength, when he redirects her swing he's using Katara's tide like movements, his spin is what he developed watching Aang fight firebenders, and at the heart of it all, a style cultivated by his uncle and the dragons, Azula here has fully embraced Ozai, and we see Zuko come full circle and use everything he's learned from the connections he formed along the way
Zuko has always been one of my favorite characters alongside Iroh because his story is just so deep.
Masterfull piece of art in every sense of the word. The final fight in which the culmination of every lesson Zuko learned throughout his journey is showcased for example the lessons he learned from other benders are applied contrasted with Azula's slow descent into madness.
this is the most beautiful fight scene ever made! i truly hope the live action film can recreate this dual in all its glory.
Fun fact: Blue stars are the only naturally occurring blue fire in our world, blue fire is so hot all the chemical in perfections are quite literally BURNED away, so Azula having blue fire, while if you look closely not even the dragons possessed blue fire, shows how much effort she put into being the perfect fire bender and symbolically showed she was flawless while Zuko who always had orange fire was flawed but Zuko still won, because Azula was TOO perfect. She sought out to be flawless when humans, even in the world of avatar, are anything but, Zuko won because he accepted his flaws and worked to improve them
I feel like Azula is just as much of a victim of Ozai as Zuko is, if not greater. Zuko got the physical scar showing the abuse from his father, but azula's scars were emotional and psychological. No one could see how much trauma she had, she was alone.
Zuko had Iroh, Azula had no one.
Even ursa had her attention on zuko more
She loved being evil, she loved how her father behaved. With all the faults Zuko had, he had moments when he listened. That is why his mother and uncle continued working on him.
cause azula was a psychopath?? why tf people feeling sorry for her by this logic Ozai is the biggest victim@@j19l8r4
Which made Ursa a terrible mother. Alienating her little child because she didn't like her behavior when it was her job to nurture her character@@theolite360
@theolite360
Did she really love being evil, or did she have to abandon her humanity to turn "evil" to make ozai happy?
Being the younger kid, she definitely seen zuko being bullied by his father so her natural thinking would be to do the exact opposite of zuko, to please ozai.
Yes, this is the best fight avatar ever. Even better then Aang vs the Fire lord . It's perfect in every way and it's also my favorite scene in the enter serious.
Even though Aang defeating the Fire Lord is the ultimate goal of the show, now that I am older the final Agni Kai is the thing that I love watching the most. Followed by Sokka, Taff and Suki' taking down the fire nation's air crafts
The first note of 'Last Agni Kai' makes me cry immediately. I love this show so much
One of my most treasured memories is my mom driving up from socal to norcal to pick me up, buying everyone znaxks and watching the Avatar finale on a tiny 12" CRT. The entire family was almost touching faces the entire time trying to see as much as we could. The screams and cries from that motel room in the middle of nowhere will live with me too this day, and i couldn't be happier having those memories
I really also like how despite Azula's blazes being blue, the flames they leave behind are the same color as Zuko's.
The score definetley helped me as a child to see the emotional side of it. I was always like yeah this is amazing the visuals the whole defeating Azula part etc but never realized the true significance of two siblings ready to fight to the death from the stakes seen. like I know they never had a normal childhood and therefore were never truly close but it is just too nerve wracking.
My favorite part of these contrasts are that their hair actually reflects their positions, especially Azula. Check it out next time you watch the show
This is the best fight scene in the show and ranks as the best of all time in my book. It doesn’t have as much action as other fight scenes (even in the same episode) but it has more emotional weight than anything I have found before or since.
This is one of my favorite stories of all time. I found a marathon one summer of the first season, watched it because there was nothing else of interest on. The third episode of the series, when they focused heavily on “the bad guys” is the moment I knew this was special. I will always love and admire ATLA and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something deep and fun. Thanks for your input.
During the Southern Raiders episode, I noticed that Azula’s hair becomes undone during the course of the fight. I see this as the beginning of her becoming undone. It happens on the Agni Kai as well. I love this show so much for subtle details
"Hauntingly beautiful" well said.
One other detail worth noting is that in all the Agni Kais Zuko has fought in, _every single one_ had his opponent commit a dishonorable act.
Ozai attacked Zuko after he had already surrendered.
Zhao attacked after he himself had surrendered.
And Azula commits what is arguably _the most_ dishonorable act, by attacking someone who wasn’t even involved in the fight.
Perfect to conclude Zuko’s arc of truly regaining his honor, by having him technically lose the honor duel to protect a bystander from his cheating opponent.
Man I love this show.
The music that’s playing in the background of the whole duel makes the whole thing infinitely better
Zuko's signature move: breakdancing flash fire.
Absolutely is the best fight scene in the Avatar series. Overshadows the final show down. The writing aligns perfectly with the character arches, and reflects the growth and progression of the mindsets in each of Aula and Zuko beautifully. The Final Agni Kai is a master class on how to create a character buildup, how to reflect morals in an action scene, and how to finalize the fates of character arches in a grandiose and spectacular fashion. The fight has be my favorite among any show or movie I'd ever seen.
Very nicely done! Thank you for your work/research
Not to mention the song the final agni kai was so haunting. One of those themes that sticks with you long after you hear it
Another point I realized is that when Zuko is basically sacrificing his life before Katara is struck by Azula’s lightning, it is a parallel to how Katara’s mom sacrificed her life for Katara, and which is why Katara says to Zuko, “It is me who should be thanking you.”
Not only does that line show the direct parallels between Azula and Katara (which is why I think it’s symbolic that Katara was the one to ultimately end the battle), it shows who the more “powerful” sibling is. Azula showed her weakness by cheating, and Zuko showed his strength by his near-death sacrifice, something that Azula would never have had the strength to do.
Love that scene, it's stunning. The showrunners channel the momentum of the story like Iroh explains to channel lightnining.
8:56 The most subtle yet badass Zuko moment for me.
The Final Agni Kai is such beautiful storytelling of a tragic tale. This show is unmatched in how well it fleshed out the characters stories and everyone got a fitting finale.
That battle was the most perfect and satisfying animated scene/conclusion I ever seen! The soft music and muffled fire noises, the artwork, the characters development... Oh my God. It was truly sad watching siblings fight for a thrown. The fight was depressing yet exciting.. incredible
Throne*
Just watched the video and I’ve gotta say you did a spectacular job making this video and I thought I’d heard all perspectives on this duel already but you just opened another for me.
Amazing analogy of the fight. This show to me was all about those minor details we didn't notice as kids but as adults can see how well thought out they were, one of the greatest shows of all time.
I loved how someone pointed out that Azula's lightning in the Agni Kai is so wild and uncontrolled in stark contrast to how lightning is portrayed in other moments in the show
Something I just realized recently is that at the start of the duel when they have that close up shot on both Zuko and Azula, neither one of them has any symmetry, Zuko from his scar and Azula from her hair. It's symbolic of the damage that's been done to both of them by Ozai. A reminder before the final fight of how neither of them ever wanted this and how as epic the fight we're about to watch is, it's not a shining moment for either of them. It's a tragedy
i remeber crying during the last agni kai. i watched every single episode as it aired and i just remeber loosing my breath as a child as how it all ment, the build up, the meaning, THE MUSIC. i feel like the fact the writers didn't baby it up for children is what made such an impact on me
The fight at the boiling rock is actually pretty good for shadowing for the Agni Kai...Zuko remaining calm and collected allowing his defense to lead to offense and his advantage with Sokka at his side to flourish as he can flawlessly defend Sokka and himself from anything Azula is throwing at them. You can even see her getting slightly frustrated at the fact that Zuko isn't really pushing the issue isn't recklessly attacking forcing her to change how she fights him and attack more often.
That leads into the next fight beautifully because the dynamic change was already being shown and it came near full circle with Azula being on the offensive most of the fight. Then the Agni Kai where she was no where near herself and Zuko finally realized who he was
Another icing on the cake for Zuko's character arc: He started the show by attacking Katara and her water tribe, only seeing them as water tribe peasants and obstacles in his quest for the Avatar. What a way to redeem himself by sacrificing his life and saving her.
Katara also gets a cap on her character arc - she started off hating Zuko and ends up saving him by taking down the soon-to-be Firelord who represents the Fire Nation, which has brought so much pain in her life (like Yon Rha killing her mom). She can also be said to help install Zuko as the new Firelord, which brings about a new Fire Nation.
The one thing that Reddit has forever made me regret in this scene was that they didn’t give Zuko the rainbow fire from the dragons. There was an edit posted on Reddit where they gave him rainbow flames and it made this scene equally as breathtaking
Thanks for the explanation. When I watched Avatar a while ago, I couldn't understand why Azula didn't win this fight easily when she was established to be better at everything and even fought the entire Team Avatar at one point. She could also simply deny the duel and throw every bender she had at the fight.
The blue flame also shows us that Azula, who is more skilled and thinks more highly of herself, had an opportunity to beat zuko fairly, but sold that moment for her pride
Absolutely this duel was way more spectacular and impactful to watch than the Aang-Ozai one.
I think it may be the best fight scene ever, and your analysis of the previous fights Zuko had made it even better.
This has always been the most paonful moment in the whoe show for me. Her tipping point is the deepest which seems like it will nevwr have a redemption arc. Red and blue of their flames is the representation of evil and good as red and blue dragons as well. The life these siblings ahve to suffer with eachother because of their parents and position. I wonder if theyd have even been like sokka and katara if they were in anothee universe.. to another parents.
I loved the battle and it was amazing to see the change that the characters each had! I was so surprised by Azula’s aggression and anger. I don’t think however it’s the greatest one! Imo Aang vs the firelord when the shift in the battle happens after he has the avatar state activated again was pure gold for me. Grabbing Ozi by the chin hair and millimetrically shoving his hand away then shoving him off was priceless!
Beautiful. I'd also find a video on KatARa vs. Azula throughout the whole show to be interesting. They're pretty much the same age, but they're so different, and Azula constantly sees Katara as her lesser. Then she gets beaten by her
There is one like that
Because they show personality and character developement of the characters along with azula's deterioting mental health. There is a build up,clear intent after the fight and stakes are high. And music just fucking bangs. There you are everything you need for a high intensity fight that finishes with an amazing satisfaction.
The best, most tragic, most beautiful fight scene. Ever.
The final agni kai was absolutely the best beat fight in avatar. The entire thing was one big stunning work of art.