Why Zuko and Azula’s Agni Kai is SO INCREDIBLE
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- #avatarthelastairbender
Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai from the finale of Avatar the Last Airbender is one of my favorite fight scenes in all of TV and film history. It is incredibly beautiful in design, but also has so much weight and meaning behind it. The two character arcs of the siblings clash in a wonderfully satisfying manner that wraps up each of their storylines just perfectly.
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 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
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.
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.
@@joshhampton6511She'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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 love Zuko more than I fear you…” that line hits so deep
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.
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
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
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.
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
ZUko's self-sacrifice shows that he has found a different definition of honor.
100%! Probably the most truly honorable thing he does
*Honor*
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
How fitting that this fight echoes the Zuko vs. Zhao Agni Kai. Zuko wins the physical contest, lets his guard down, is a victim of a cheap shot, has to be saved by the person next to him, and leaves his opponent with a severe psychological defeat.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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 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
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
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 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 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
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
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.
At 8:05 roughly, you mentioned that Azula is fighting a single opponent, and one of lesser skill. I disagree. Zuko during the second season of the show, after Azula was introduced, was undoubtedly a lesser skilled opponent. However, in the final agni kai, I would argue that with Zuko's increased knowledge of the world, as well as his understanding of the four elements, he was the more skilled in the battle. I believe this simply due to the earthbender like stance he takes to block Azula's massive fire wave after the palace is lit on fire, the airbender type rotation that he uses while she's spinning around him in circles, waterbending with the lightning redirection, and *true* firebending with his understanding that firebending is not from the muscles nor your strength, it comes from the breath. Azula has a massive disadvantage here with her mental instability, but Zuko is no longer the weaker sibling. Though he lacks the ability to create lightning, he does have the most important thing, to quote Tai Lopez, "Knowledge."
I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if Zuko could do lightning bending at this point. The man is now centered calm and collected he should be able to do it.
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 all these years later there are still videos about the Final Agni Kai and people who watch them. ❤
I love this scene so much, it’s literally a battle for the soul of the fire nation
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
Every one do agree that Zuko is immortal right ?
Azula lance lightning to the back of Aang and he dead but she do it at Zuko's heart but he still alive. No only here but in many others situation 😅
Ps: Yeah the agni kai is the best figthing scene ever 🔥
Zuko wasn’t killed because he was able to redirect some of it
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.
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
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!
I know this was meant for 'seven year olds', but not just. This show is about maturity
Those are the best kinds of kid shows
Enjoyable while young
Deep when old
Shows whose target audience are kids but can still appeal to an older audience are the best ones
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
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.
"This way no one else has to get hurt"
Proceeds to light up the whole capitol.
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 love how Avatar demonstrates such complicated and deep sibling relationships: Katana and Sakka, Zuko and Azula, Ozai and Iroh. It is interesting to see how they were raised affects their relationships. Something to think about for parents.
Katara & Sokka
Avatar the last Airbender, let's go!
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
Last angi kai is best fight scene in Avatar
This carried a similar feeling as watching Aragorn lead the armies of Gondor and Rohan to Mordor, it was the Epic battle of a king truly stepping into his role. Zuko, from the beginning, was meant to be the Fire Lord, he knew it, and this is where he earned it
I have never thought of comparing Aang v Ozai to Zuko v Azula.. but wow do I agree. The Ozai fight kinda has a lot of tension twken out because it's been building the entire show so you kinda know Aang is going to win. Whereas they very easily could have had Azula kill Katara and/or Zuko.
A Nice note is that some of Zukos deflects are not very fire bendy, hinting that he did in fact listen to his uncle about the other tribes
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
Peak fiction till this day 😔👏
Probably the best fight scene in Avatar yes. Aang vs Ozai can't hold a candle to it and the resolution (Energybending) always made me cringe because it's too contrived
Despite how brief the showdown between Zuku and Azula is, it does remain my favorite fight scene ever. While the battle between Aang and Ozai is cool, it's the classic good vs evil battle. Unfortunately, Ozai doesn't have enough depth. Azula has far more depth than Ozai. Aang being the Avatar, being the last airbender, and it also being the last episode. Aang just has plot armor that cannot break. We all knew Aang would have to enter the Avatar state in the final battle. Meanwhile, Katara and Zuko had the possibility of death. So much so that I felt my gut wrench when Zuko was shot with lightning. It was a very real possibility that he would have died. The scene when Suki falls, the moment when Sokka lands on a platform while holding Toph. These were moments where I had genuine fear that someone could die.
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.
Zuko's signature move: breakdancing flash fire.
Thing is, this fight wasn't really about Azula and Zuko.
This was about Azula and Katara, two princesses of their own people, dueling it out. One considering the other an inferior person. Azula and Katara, are _princesses_
Katara, being the daughter of the southern water tribe's chief, is essentially the princess of the southern water tribe. And yet, the entire show has Azula calling her a commoner and a peasant. It's a time for Azula to fall, Zuko's moment had already happened
“Princess of what?
A lot of things”
As a kid, I never understood why such a cool fight was ruined by drowning out the sound and adding a sad score. After all, it was the gaang's most noticeable antagonist throughout the whole show, and she was about to be defeated. It should have been a happy moment with triumphant music. I didn't stop to think about the way it was taking place. How sad it was that Azula had become a truly broken woman, who had gone so far down the wrong path to the point of hysteria, and how her brother, possibly the only person who could ever hope to see something good in her, was the one that had to fight her in this state. I rewatched atla recently, and the agni kai really is done perfectly.
Very nicely done! Thank you for your work/research
As always a near perfect commentary! 99.5/100
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.
When I first watched the show, I thought her fire was blue because her name was Azula. In Spanish, the word for blue is "azul". So basically... Azula's name is Bluey.
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.
There's one thing i saw another reviewer touch on, I'll add it here. The combination of up close and far away shots. I'll be paraphrasing.
The
Conflicts can be either character driven or plot driven. In Aang and Ozai's case, it's plot driven. Have you noticed that there were few close up shots during their battle?
Compared to Zuko and Azula, yes, also plot driven. But the sibling relationship makes it character driven as well. Hence the close up shots as well as far away shots.
The original guy said it far more eloquently than i can, but you get the point.
Absolutely this duel was way more spectacular and impactful to watch than the Aang-Ozai one.
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’ve seen people in other comment sections for this video on other social media platforms saying that azula would’ve beat zuko , had she not been losing her sanity. I disagree, because keep in mind this is an AGNI KAI! That means that I can argue that azula was legitimately trying kill him! Zuko was only trying to disable the threat that azula was! To be able to disable someone WHILE someone is trying kill you is arguably far more difficult.
I'm not sure what Azula did counts as cheating. Angni Kai was created taking only traditional Firebending into account. Zuko did not stick to Firebending. So why should Azula stick to only one opponent ? She had to break his form, so that's what she did. It was a logical move, just as Zuko's was.
Y'know, I wonder how different this would have been if Katara hadn't, for some odd reason, run up behind Zuko when he was goading Azula. Like, gurl, let the man cook, he's doing a thing!
But I think if that had happened, Zuko may have had no choice but to kill Azula in the duel. By swapping to Katara as an opponent, she unknowingly saved her own skin.
You can see the strength in Zuko overcoming Azula because in martial arts you are trained to block instead of evade when possible. It allows for more control, and chances to counter attack. In this battle Zuko stands his ground and blocks where as Azula is forced to evade. Just another sign of the power dynamic shifting in Zuko's favor.
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.
Azula's name alone denotes her prodigal prowess. "Azul" means "Blue", hence Azula's Blue flames from being a child prodigy.
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.
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.
💯💯💯 they don't make shows like this anymore. great video btw.
This fight absolutely trumps the Ozai duel. It isn’t even close for me. I truly consider Zuko to be the main protagonist of Avatar. Obviously, Aang is the technical one, but Zuko I feel is the character with the most passion put into him. An incredibly fleshed out backstory, a consistent role model, an arc that stays consistent and true the entire story, and a perfect finale to cap it off. No other character I feel checks all of those boxes. Aang Vs. Ozai is the battle against the big bad. Zuko vs. Azula is a battle against everything he had ever known and had worked so hard to overcome.
This was much more of a “final fight” spectacle and feeling. Ozai vs aang was pretty one sided in both phases (not bad by any means but on rewatches I look forward to the Agni Kai) but Zuko and azula had so much build up with the music and fire blasts going so intense at each other.
In the start Azula had far greater ability than Zuko. But Azula is like many of those high IQ children that coast through on ability and neglect to put in the work. Zuko by that point had gained a proficiency in techniques from the other forms of bending and had learned to find a new source for his bending from the source.
Yes, Azula may always have a higher potential than Zuku but outside of bending she lacked many points of personal growth that tend to become the breaking point for people. She did not know how to deal with failure or how to control her own emotions. she lacked the simple ability to take that step back and put things into perspective.
I do not believe, during the Agni Kai with Azula, that Zuko is still Azula's lesser. Zuko is a master in his own right - taught by Iroh, ánd the dragons.
8:56 The most subtle yet badass Zuko moment for me.
You know I never really thought about it but if Azula shot the Lightning at Zuko would Zuko have redirected it back at Azula killing her??? I personally think he would have considering his speech to Aang in earlier episodes but i had never thought about it until watching this episode.
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.
Love that scene, it's stunning. The showrunners channel the momentum of the story like Iroh explains to channel lightnining.
You got it right, final Agni Kai is better than Aang vs Ozai. The buildup of emotion that culminates in this perhaps fated duel between siblings is so...amazing.
I doubt Zuko refused to duel his father because he's far more superior than Zuko (ending in his inevitable defeat), but instead because he's his father. This is made quite obvious in the choice of words when Zuko begs for his father's forgiveness.
Its truly masterful art.
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