Why Zuko's redemption arc succeeds where others fail
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- Опубликовано: 28 май 2024
- In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko has an iconic redemption arc. This video details why Zuko's redemption arc works so well within the story of The Last Airbender.
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thanks so much for watching, everyone!! if you liked this video, please consider supporting me on patreon so i can keep making videos like this: www.patreon.com/rileyjaydennis
below, i've linked to some other videos of mine that you might enjoy if you liked this one!
🔹 Why we all remember and cherish Uncle Iroh: ruclips.net/video/UM32977Ov_s/видео.html
🔹 The Brilliance of She-Ra's Final Season (and examining Catra's redemption arc in comparison to Zuko's): ruclips.net/video/YFLhKWYsBUo/видео.html
🔹 Katara's Revenge: Why It's the Perfect Side Story: ruclips.net/video/-roa8M8hT-E/видео.html
🔹 How The Legend of Korra Made History: ruclips.net/video/MCUkvV_RQaE/видео.html
Let me know your thoughts on Zuko's arc, or if there's another other aspects of ATLA that you'd like me to look at for future analysis videos!
Only redemption arc I think is as good is Peridot from steven universe
Riley J. Dennis you perfectly described why zuko is one of my favorite characters ever. Great job man!🔥
Why zuko is the best character in the show
You're forgetting 'bout Riku from Kingdom Hearts
I find the vast majority of Zuko's arc to be great and filled with nuance. However, one part that has started to bother me is why Zuko decides to confront his father and join Team Avatar. The meeting that led Zuko to realize that he wasn't being himself in "Nightmares and Daydreams" is the same meeting from "Sozin's Comet: The Phoenix King" where Ozai goes on a spiel about destroying much of the Earth Nation and basically commiting another genocide for the sake of him becoming the supreme rule of the world.
This means that Zuko didn't entirely change sides because he realized that regaining his honor and the love of his father couldn't satisfy him, that the life he wanted wasn't the one that would allow him to stay true to himself and be happy. The crux of his entire redemption instead hinges on Zuko witnessing his father being so cartoonishly evil and merciless that he had absolutely no choice other to "become good". Ozai was already a bastard before declaring his plan, especially since he tried to kill Zuko during "The Eclipse". However, Season 3 pushes this narrative that Zuko is stuck between the forces of Good and Evil since his great grandfather is Avatar Roku; and while this is great for strengthening the parallels between Zuko and Aang, it implies that Zuko struggles because of his heritage and threatens to simplify his arc a little bit. This simplification is emphasized by Zuko deciding to face his father because he acts so incredibly "evil".
Zuko: *Does one good thing*
His entire body: a̫̗̖ͧ͗̀ͪ̓̆ͪͫ͜͢a̸̲̪͎͍ͯ́ͩ̆̎̊ͧ́a̸̺̳͍͎̲̱̔ͮ̓ͧ͐̃͊a͛̎҉̰̙̳̯ͅa̜̫ͣ̀̈́͑͂ͫͬ͋͠a̵̡̙̘͉̬̦̬͎̖ͮ́̑̋̿̎ͨͮa͗̈͟͏̼̹̫͚a̜̟̲̅ͪͪͨ͠ǎ̦̼̝̖̰̰̝̣ͦͮ̏ͬ͞A͆͗̿͂͡҉̥̰͈̭̱̻A̶̼͋͞A̡̺̣̘̻̰͔ͦ̿ͤ͗̂̾ͨ͠A̝̲̣̲̲̬͓̤̋͘A̖̱̟̝̾̇͊̚̕͘A̡̤̳͑ͬ͠A̶̵͉̳͓͖̲ͧͨA̐҉̫̗̙̝̘͇͎̻A̴̬̫̪̼ͣ̊̋͑̄͟A̷̧̯͓͚̗̺̹̩ͣͦ͂͒ͩ͒̎Ȁ̶̹̮̥̯͎͉̹
Wtf
It's not only in the show, one of the comics made him faint for doing something good
Lobster named goose ꨄ uh what
big mood.
-ng
His redemption arc was good but his hair change was better 😂
asdfsdfnsksm fair his hair did really upgrade
I love his Emo Hairstyle in the beach episode.
@@konanxhidan3202 nah I don't like the emo hair but yeah it is better than the ponytail XD
What happened to his hair is the true redemption.
@@RileyJayDennis whats asdfsdfnsksm
I think Zuko’s arc is realistically complicated, it never feels too predictable and I think it really adds to the believability.
true true
Me just watching ATLA for the first time and already knowing Zuko was going to be redeemed had 2 major (and maybe like 6 more minor) "wait what??" moments
@@jrtc53 same, the season 2 finale still caught me of guard eventhough I knew he was going to betray Iroh
And I it's admirable that he realized his mistakes by his own, because mostly of people wouldn't. He decided to not ignore his true feelings, because that would be the easy way, instead he went against the common sense in fire nation, that is support the lord and his plans.
I agree
Zuko was never evil.
He was just lost. He was a young man finding who he was. It was a heroes journey in itself.
Even in exile, Zuko had honor !
As an example, when he arrived at the Southern Water tribe, Aang asked Zuko if he would leave the village and the women and children alone, if he would come with him.
And Zuko did *!* He kept his promise, and this was already in the second episode of Book Water
In the Northern water tribe, when Zhao was confronted by Zuko, who sought revenge for Zhao's attempt to murder him, Zhao did everything to kill him (again).
And when the ocean spirit took Zhao, Zuko tried to save him ! (his 'murderer').
But the worst thing he has done was
1. betraying Katara and his uncle Iroh, which leaded to the death of the Avatar.
2. Sending an assassin after them to make sure that the avatar and his friends truly died
3. Burning Sukkis village, Kyoshi island
4. Stealing the family's ostrich horse of the poor earth kingdom girl Song
But Zuko mostly felt conflicted while and after he was doing those crimes. That is the main reason that makes his character development so believable and realistic, and not forced and rushed.
Wouldn’t he be an anti-hero?
Zuko is definitely the side hero in the show
yeah like, the reason why he was banished in the first place is bc he thought sacrificing a whole trope is wrong and cruel. if he was evil, he would see nothing wrong with this proposal.
I feel like Zuko's the real protagonist of the show
Bruh the fact that toph didn’t get a life changing experience w zuko is the saddest part 😔✋
TRUE she deserved an adventure with zuko 😭
on the one hand I'm like 'Toph didn't need one because she didn't have a pre-exisiting negative relationship with Zuko like the other three did (since he wasn't really present for their adventures in book 2)' and on the other hand I'm like 'we were so so so robbed' 😅
I wanted that field trip we WERE ROBBED
She got a changing experience with Iroh. Zuko is amazing, but Toph experienced the original source :)
i agree but at the same time toph didn’t get a life changing field trip because her inner turmoil had already been resolved. she sent a letter to her parents to reach out. they could’ve brought the guys trying to kidnap her back (maybe) but we all know toph could handle those guys with her hands tied behind her back. if there had been some unresolved tension in her life, then it would’ve made sense for her to have a life changing field trip.
Meanwhile during Zuko's reintroduction to Suki: "Oh, sorry about that."
Well it's nice to see you again
We love our awkward Prince
"This realization was brought to you by The Letter S."
That's rough buddy.
What?
A lot of redemption arcs lose me because they boil down to “yes, I’ve done horrible things but you should forgive me because my parents suck.” Ozai is unquestionably horrible, but this is never Zuko’s get out of jail free card. He takes responsibility for his behavior and doesn’t act entitled to his forgiveness. The writers of Once Upon a Time should’ve taken notes.
You’ve half put into words why Catra’s redemption didn’t sit as well with me as everyone acts like it should.
What character in once upon a time had a bad redemption arc?
It’s awesome. Zuko actually worked towards his redemption.
I haven’t seen the Walking Dead for a while, but how was Negan?
The fact that Toph notice this also a good writing. It didn't give the audience to think "why didn't they notice how bad his father is." It showed they notice it but they also consider that he might be influenced by his father's desires but it was his choice to act upon..
@@tanner201x8 most people would never forgive or trust Regina, Snow and David did it pretty fast. Same with Mr. Gold, Zelena, etc.
Also, he finds out he's Avatar Roku's descendant, what makes everything even more interesting!
LOVE the episode where Aang and Zuko are learning about Sozin and Roku at the same time, the PARALLELS 😭
@@RileyJayDennis Sort of happens once a season. The Storm and Bitter Work being the first two instalments in that mini-trilogy.
It's especially interesting to me, because they don't try to make it into a "he's got good in him while being from such an evil family only because of an Avatar's blood" argrument. No, it doesn't justify or excuse Zuko's actions. It explains his *inner conflict.* Zuko has the ability to freely choose his own destiny.
@@RileyJayDennis I like how, in the end, the avatar and the firelord became friends "again"
@@blueteller Plus there's the added knot that Azula is also Roku's descendant, and that argument wouldn't work at all for her character.
One of the best things about this redemption arc is how it ties in together with him overcoming his abusive father's influence on him. Ozai is very true to what real abusers look like, and Zuko is a great example of how to get free from an abuser's control of your life.
Their confrontation during the eclipse was so cathartic
yeah good point!!
Yeah I’m glad Zuko didn’t follow in his footsteps
Yes! As someone who is older now, it means so much to me. Zuko looks like a stereotypical villain when he's actually this damaged young boy whose been abused his whole life.
Ozai looks like a perfectly normal dude, if not somewhat pleasant when in reality he's an abuser and a monster. In a general sense, it helps teach people not to judge others based on appearance, but speaking of abuse specifically, it's so powerful. Abusers carry themselves in such a way that people will like them and want to trust them. Their victims are left stumbling and struggling through life, trying to figure out how to behave and the difference between right and wrong when they relied on their abuser for that information for so long.
I'm so so happy about that design choice.
Ozai was a narcissist and probably a psychopath. He never loved anyone- not his wife, father, brother, son, and also daughter. Azula might have thought her father loved her, but he didn't- he needed her as somewhat an extension of his rule, but there was no fatherly love.
At the end, Zuko was able to see the truth and break free.
all good points, but i would like to add that While Zuko did start out as an Antagonist, he was never Hated (by the audience) or Evil, many redemption arcs fail because they are trying to redeem the wrong character.
Ehh I disagree with this. In fiction, you can redeem any character if you put in the work and handle it appropriately. There are tons of ways to do it (from adding perspective on previous actions that the audience didn't know, making the character work for it- like Zuko- and having them really humbled but still determined, having them build bonds with other strong characters in a believable way), it's more like writers will try to "redeem" characters that were Hated and never put in the work, try to take the easy way out (i.e., give them some tacked on dark backstory, ignore the Awful things they've done, have the heroes unrealistically act like everything's cool). Tons of Hated characters have been redeemed in audiences' eyes; it's just a question of how much work the writers put into redeeming them (and admittedly how skilled the writers are).
After Stranger Things season 1, articles upon articles were posted about how Steve Harrington was the Worst and everyone wanted Nancy and Jonathan together and how Steve should have been killed off/written off the show. Flash forward to post-season 3 and he's an undisputed fan favorite- and part of that is because the writers have him humbled constantly, apologize repeatedly, do selfless and heroic acts over and over again for people he doesn't have relationships with, and in every season, multiple other characters mock him and/or say he is/was an asshole. For a different character who did more Evil things, Jamie Lannister of Game of Thrones went from being introduced as a completely Evil attempted child murderer (who did paralyze the 7 year old) and was sleeping with his married twin and murdered the king he was supposed to protect to being one of the most beloved characters of the show/books (before the final season ruined everyone). Both Jamie and Steve were completely hated by the audience from the onset and became more loved than the protagonist (Jonathan Byers and Bran Stark) that was presented as the person they were in conflict with.
It's not about the right or wrong character so much as the right or wrong approach and writer.
This is very true. In Book 1, we've seen why Zuko chases the Avatar, and how trying to be good, like speaking up against cruelty in a war meeting, has gotten him into trouble. It gives the audience the idea that Zuko does indeed have good in him.
*cough* the Diamonds from Steven Universe!
idk, anyone can be redeemed, it just doesn't have to mean forgiveness from or reconciliation with the victims. It's just about taking responsibility , apologizing and working to right your wrongs
In the first season I only hated him because of his nasty hair
I feel like Zuko HAD to fail at Ba Sing Se. If he didn't choose to help Azula, we wouldn't have seen him get what he really wanted which would cheapen his redemption in a way. Zuko actually saw what he thought he wanted, respect, his father's love, a loving relationship with Mai and STILL realized that this wasnt what he truly wanted anymore. He realized this on his own, without his uncle. Internalized all of his uncle's lessons and his own experiences into a true desire for justice ON HIS OWN. That's huge for his character
I wonder how nobody has replied yet. Anyway,good point!
Tommy Natantiel Actually, no. People say Iroh is a bad mentor because “he told Zuko to follow his destiny but was controlling Zuko and made him join team Avatar.” There are people who literally think Iroh was pushing him to join Aang... but he didn’t even say or imply that once. He was in jail and was mute the whole time. There are people who don’t recognize that Zuko came to this conclusion all on his own.
@@Trollestiatumblur Fr. Iroh just encouraged Zuko to find a certain honor he can achieve for himself, that would make him proud of himself. Zuko was the one that decided joining the Avatar was his own honor.
Yeah
That's how some change.
let's be honest, if zukos redemption arch was linear we probably never would've gotten the great, "hello, zuko here" scene😭
lol
Can we talk about the reason that he was banished for standing up for innocent people?? He’s always been a good person.
Exactly
People don’t mention this enough
Exactly
Overanalysing Avatar explained it well, when Zuko discusses with Aang about his honour, he reasons that he only lost his honour when he started hunting the avatar, that was him doing "evil"
I think another reason why his arc is so popular is because his story is inspiring. To be able to confront a longterm, violent abuser and realuze they deserved better is just about one of the bravest things a person could do. As someone who was once abused as a child I have to say he's my favorite fictional character
Since no one else replied hi
honestly!
YES I LOVE THAT
Here, here!
His redemption arc works because he was an antagonist, but never the villain. He didn’t do anything truly atrocious that couldn’t be forgiven, unlike ozai. His actions could all be fixed and forgiven and that’s why his redemption works.
Except for him stealing that poor earth kingdom family’s ostrich horse.
That's why I have trouble with Catra
@@nataliehoward6458 Thats true but he just started a new life pretty much and hadnt had too much kindness yet from iroh which later on paid off when he was hungry and then didnt steal the food from that pregnant girl.
@@hbluemole6941 I think her redemption was to steep. I wish we would have heard her thoughts that led to her helping Glimmer,something like "I don't wanna do what others tell me anymore,I wanna choose my own path."
He’s more of an anti-hero to me
Sometimes I find myself crying by just remembering how good his redemption arc is.
valid
Lol same
Relatable, have a nice day.
Omg I thought I was just seriously emotional
True, especially zuko - iroh moments in book 3
i think another wonderful aspect of Zuko's character arc is realistically depicting how difficult it can be to escape and break the cycle of abuse. Zuko's insistence on his father's righteousness despite being treated cruelly his entire life, and still wanting to go back despite the pain inflicted upon him, is very realistic. It's so important to show people that victims of child abuse are not innocent angels who know they're in a horrible situation. Often times, they're people with a warped sense of morality and a lot of mental conflict over the pain they feel and their belief that family should be good. Not all people are able to resolve it, but Zuko certainly did, and serves as a great role model for people in a similar situation.
👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼This.
zuko even expects iroh do hate him and punish him because he was used to it, but iroh did what noone else had done, forgive him
Azula is a great example of somebody who was a child abuse victim and never resolved it. Apparently some people wanted her to have a redemption arc... no. That wouldn’t be realistic or in her character. Her blue fire symbolizes that she is too far gone. And she can bend lightening. Iroh’s explanation of Azula being able to lightning bend it perfect and explains why she will never be redeemable. She will remain broken, forever.
@@Trollestiatumblur Actually, the blue fire isn't symbolic. Have you ever seen a flame with a blue part at the bottom center? That blue is the hottest part of the fire. Azula's fire is blue due to how talented she is in firebending.
@@Trollestiatumblur Too many think any child can be saved.
Oh I thought its cos he gets a cuter haircut in book 3.
fair his haircut does get way better lol
ahaha it's the pretty privilege
thats one of the points and this is coming from a straight man
Zuko season 3 is hot
@@blaue_sophie1317 I mean Zuko was always hot, but book 3 Zuko was like FLAMEO HOTMAN
I think my reason for loving the Zuko arc (and putting Zuko as one of my fav ATLA characters) is that his redemption is for himself, he isn't helping others because it's what is expected but it is what he wants because he sees it as the right thing to do, I have read and seen stories where the bad guy is dragged along becoming the good guy because they want forgiveness from the main hero/es and it always annoyed me because they are usually bad guys in the 1st place because they were looking for validation from the real antagonist so their core problem was never solved, they just switched their target of validation, Zuko doesn't need Validation, he realizes that only he can give himself honor and he is the one who has to live with his actions, and if the Gaang still hated him after all that? then he will live with it. love a character who gains a solid emotional core and values.
I feel like the only time he does good for others is for his uncle. He primarily does it for himself and his own self journey, but at the same time uncle is the one person who he wants to do good by and truly make him happy.
You mispronounced gang.
oh my gosh! You are so RIGHT! He does it for HIMSELF...Genius.
@@newdupe8063 that was intentional
This is so true!
everything clicked when i realized his grandfather was roku. it made sense why he always had such an internal conflict whether he wanted to be good or bad. he is literally the human personification of the ying and yang, being a descendant of the personification of good (aka the avatar) and the bad (i.e the fire lord)
I think the reason he ended up good and Azusa evil is because *spoiler alert*
But in the comics azula actually finds out ozai isn’t his real dad
@@friendofmara6109 WHAT LINK PLS
Azulon cried in agony!
@@friendofmara6109 you didnt read the whole comics did you? Read it again mate.
@@sabbitussa4820 the comis name is called " The Search". Worth reading. You will enjoy it. RUclips it you might find some recorded vids on it.
Zuko's character arc can be directly traced through his hairstyle
So true😂
That is definitely true,when he cut his nasty ponytail,he slowly but surely began to change into the Zuko we know and love.
It's actually kinda ingenious. Watch just whatever episode comes on on TV, Zuko comes on screen and your like: Oh, a buzzcut. He's kinda in the entitled brat stage but after the are fugitives.
Zuko and Azula's characters were just 😩👌 They both represent what could happen to people who are actually get abused. You either become like that person or you became a greater person than they ever will be. Azula could've easily been him and vice versa. I just wish she was redeemed😣
I think the reason why Azula became like that is because she was mostly raised and favoured by Ozai, while Zuko was mostyl raised and favoured by his kind mother.
They grew up in the same house, in the same family but they still had different role models..
A cruel fate it was, and we could have have a Azula redemption Arc two if it weren't for The last Airbender. And what makes it worse is that The last Airbender is a garbage of a film and a terrible adaptation of such a great show.
She has a redemption arc in the comics.
@@clarkepercivaljaeblood4886 she is? I thought she just become more psychopath.
@@alifhazmi7341 I was trying not to spoil it. LeilaDennis could find out themself that it doesn't work out well, but I guess they know now.
this is both a great analysis of media AND an opportunity for folks to apply this to their own lives and contemplate their behavior and the behavior of others. love this vid!
thanks!!
Inspiring
This is actually why I'm here. If my life is a story how can I redeem myself?
Another interesting aspect of Zuko’s arc is that it highlights a sad truth about abused children. For many of them, it’s all they’ve known, so they continue to seek love and approval from their parents, even after everything they go through.
Been there done there. My sister is still trying... Even ignored her health...
@@nafsi8519 Can you explain more?
Omg I died at seeing “Gaang” in the captions.
it is what it is 😄
And how the captions in the show say, “gaang” LoL
Gaangrene
what captions?
God! I can’t imagine if he went the “NOT ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE FIRE NATION!”
😂😂
Sounds familiar given the current climate of America huh 👀
He wouldn't be wrong, tho.
I mean, not all citizens of the Fire Nation are bad people. They’re still part of an unjust and corrupt nation.
Didn't he say something like this in the balloon with sokka? And sokka was like "what do you mean you?" And Zuko replies with "no my uncle"
I can imagine him saying "Not all people deserve the hatred, but we do. We succ" and it is the funniest thing ever.
The secrect to Zuko's redemption arc is time
Exactly !
Thank you. Finally someone who understands.
*Time:* Zukos character development didn't start in the last season, it's was starting already in Book 1.
*Crimes:* Even in exile, Zuko had honor !
As an example, when he arrived at the Southern Water tribe, Aang asked Zuko if he would leave the village and the women and children alone, if he would come with him.
And Zuko did *!* He kept his promise, and this was already in the second episode of Book Water
In the Northern water tribe, when Zhao was confronted by Zuko, who sought revenge for Zhao's attempt to murder him, Zhao did everything to kill him (again).
And when the ocean spirit took Zhao, Zuko tried to save him ! (his 'murderer').
But the worst thing he has done was
1. betraying Katara and his uncle Iroh, which leaded to the death of the Avatar.
2. Sending an assassin after them to make sure that the avatar and his friends truly died
3. Burning Sukkis village, Kyoshi island
4. Stealing the family's ostrich horse of the poor earth kingdom girl Song
But Zuko mostly felt conflicted while and after he was doing those crimes. That is the main reason that makes his character development so believable and realistic, and not forced and rushed.
Uchiha Sasuke had like 700 chapters of time and he is one of the worst characters ever made! hahaha (Shippuden, original was ok)
@@konanxhidan3202Great analysis
zuko: I'm about to let go of my pride and embark on a journey towards good-
Azula: hold my mommy issues
Sadly Azula never got her redemption arc, for now.
@@hardcandy9880 i don't think she should've gotten one tbh. she was too far gone at the end. just mentally imo.
Azula doesn’t need a redemption cause it would just betray her journey as a character, she is written as a tragic person who can only feel safe when the whole world is bowing to her , she couldn’t see that Zuko was mentally abused and just assumed Ursa loved him more than her , she was spoiled by Ozai and Azulon into the being she is. So yeah although she could get a redemption she crossed a line of no return
Honestly, she should have been in a cell until she loses her mind enough to come out on the positive spectrum again and forgetting who she even is. And then they could have let her go.
@@linusmota9712 Thank you! I see where people are coming from, but at the end of the day not giving Azula a last minute redemption arc would have kept her from being one of the most beloved villains in animated history. Plus, not every villain deserves a redemption, especially if they aren't going to even bother putting in the work that it takes to better yourself. There is nothing wrong with having flat out bad/evil characters. Those are the most fun and memorable types of characters anyway. ☺
Zuko was never really bad person, because when he was still obesses with capturing avatar he was still doing good deeds. Which made him an outcast in the fire nation.
wrong he was a bad person
wazup3333 he was neither lol. He was never evil, but certainly motivated wrongly.
@@wazup3333 did you miss the whole point of The Storm?
It's also in book 2 that he really learns to choose and live for himself. If book 1 Zuko had gone back to the fire nation he would've complied with Ozai. It's in book 2 that he truly learns how horrible the fire nation has been to the rest of the world. And when he's back in te fire nation he realises that he isn't living for himself and that by staying and complying he actively lets the world suffer.
Agreed! Although I thought Regina's arc was amazing, helped by Lana's stunning performance
Because everyone in the fire nation is indoctrinated to believe what they are doing is good. When he goes out into the rest of the world he gets to see things for himself. Ironically that banishment was the best thing for Zuko.
@@lawnmowerdude its not just the banishment, he was a wanted man by the fire nation and needed to be on the run, he himself got to experience, how the whole world feels about the fire nation
"Zuko's not here to say, 'not ALL Fire Nation people.'" 😂 Love it, hahaha.
Great analysis! ❤️❤️
Another thing that makes Zuko’s character arc and development so intriguing and brilliantly written is the fact that there is just so many layers to his ultimate destiny. I love how over time, especially with failure as guidance, Zuko realized that it was never too late to do the right thing, no matter how many mistakes he made in the past.
my favorite thing about zuko's redemption is that they don't stop at zuko realizing he's wrong. so many shows and movies have a villain and "redeem" them by having them realize they're the villain and then just apologize or die... but with zuko he actively works towards his change. he doesn't just apologize but he works towards fixing things as well
Hopefully that's what Amphibia Does with Sasha.
So far so good.
One of the things Ive always loved about ATLA is that they dont leave you to assume why a villain is a villain, they tell you why in a realistic way. It leaves no room to empathize with the consistent villains of the show, Ozai, Sozin, and Azulan.
Sozin we don't get a lot characterization, but what we do get tells us, he is not like Ozai. Sozin actually cared about roku, even if he let him die. Ozai would have been firebending to make the volcano worse.
@@st.michaelsknight6299 Yes. Sozin might have even regretted the way he left Roku on the volcano, we hear that Sozin was looking back at the "simpler times" then it flashes back to when him and Roku were dueling with firebending when they were teenagers.
You forgot Zhao. But again, Azula is pretty complicated villain, not really one-dimensional like Zhao and Ozai. Many of us start to feel bad for her near the end.
I love that Zuko was saying from the beginning, “I need the avatar to restore my honor.” That takes on a completely new meaning in the end. He was destined to help restore balance.
this!
His redemption arc had people going "We were rooting for you!" each time he fell back into his old ways and that's something that made it so good. It was very human.
I think a key part of his redemption arc is that the story doesn’t have him be the boogeyman chasing the avatar, but frames him as a secondary protagonist on his on journey from like, episode 2. The moment we see things from Zuko’s perspective we know he’s a troubled kid and we want him to do better. They make him understandable and sympathetic from the get go, and that allows us to follow his journey without resentment, because they never made him a true villain in our eyes. Also, it’s easier to forgive his crimes as he is literally a child.
For me there is also some similiraties with addictions in Zuko behavior, he can't stop himself to chase Aang and the one time he does the opposite thing, freeing Appa, he colapse and lock almost in withdraw. Then he thinks he's good but once Azula offer him some of that tasty honor he relapses, because he never confronted the source of his addiction to anger and rage. And for me it shows that toxic environment can force you down a path of using something easy to cope with your issues. I don't know if i'm overanalyzing but the feel is there for me. (Really good analysis btw, feels good to talk about a great show in those times)
Whoa, this makes so much sense 🖤
I think it's also worth mentioning that in addition to being very well written, Zuko's character arc makes him more enjoyable as a character overall. Sometimes I think characters can lose some of their enjoyable traits as they develop, whereas Zuko in the latter half of season 3 is probably the most enjoyable that Zuko's ever been.
yeah, he's still a 'hot-headed', determined, rage monkey, just not *at* people. It's fun!
I just realized i used to hate on you when i was radicalized as a young child. I’m sorry for any pain I may have caused you or joined in on the hate. I genuinely love your videos and feel so embarrassed for bad mouthing you.
Oof, Well that must really suck lol.
(Don’t worry we were all dummy’s when we were kids-)
Redemption arc ❤
Same here. A lot of people I used to despise at 14 I am now inspired by at 19.
You have redeemed yourself
Why?
"People should want to be good because it's the right thing to do" a very high ideal, but a necessary one for true change.
You also gotta love how this arc impacts his firebending. Zuko lacked discipline and his firebending came from his anger (mostly self anger). When he truly changes, this includes his firebending. He finally understand discipline. Most of the time, firebenders defeat themselves (Admiral Zhao for, example). This is why it makes sense to have him as a firebending master for aang, even tho there were benders who were more naturally gifted than Zuko. He earned his redemption while also earning the position of a master through great effort.
I like that his change & redemption is not motivated by a romantic relationship, it's not "I've fallen in love with you, so now I want to change sides and try to be good for you". Love is a powerful motivator but it's hard to balance a true redemption story if the person is using someone else to be their conscience.
Instead, Zuko goes through a continual process of self discovery & true change, or as Iroh puts it: "You struggled. You suffered. But you have always followed your own path. You've restored your own honor".
Oh, and you are spot on about how the non-linear nature of his journey makes it so much more relatable. No easy fixes - one step forward, two steps back.
“I like his change and redemption is not motivated by a romantic relationship”.
You basically summed up Vegeta’s redemption arc. One of the reasons he changed is because of his love for Bulma. Not to mention that he went from “I have more important things to worry about than that foolish woman and her blasted child” to “What did you do to my BULMAAA!”. Sure, Zuko did fell in love with Mai but he left her because he was considered a traitor to the Fire Nation and he didn’t want to drag her into the situation.
I think the reason he regresses in Ba Sing Se is because for most of Season 2, he's growing to accept the idea that he is never going to get back the life he wanted. Since he's been branded a traitor of the Fire Nation, he has no choice but to move on and start establishing the life he wants to live in the earth kingdom. That let's him commit to his uncle's teachings and behin to grow. Once azula and aang come together in the finale, all of those dreams of his that he had moved on from suddenly become attainable. That disrupts the precedent for his growth and sets him up for a quick fall back into his old ways.
good point! i also think he regresses because iroh doesnt really address the root of his problems - it works while they're enjoying a new life but when the time comes where he actually does have a chance to go home iroh can't get through to him because he is trying to appeal on a higher level than zuko can feel right then. Its home or not and for someone who has wanted to go home for years except for maybe the past couple weeks appealing to someone to look at who they truly are and want just isnt going to be strong enough to overcome the desire he's had for a long time.
Zuko needed to be shown that 'home' is a figment of his past memories in rose coloured glasses and what he experienced was abuse not a chance to prove himself and iroh didn't provide that and couldn't while they were away with only memories to compare
Can I just say that I’m living for your media analysis videos? They’re always so thoughtful and interesting!
Always! It must be nice to the showrunners to see that we saw the work they put into the show. 🥰
thank you so much!!
Zuko after bah sing sé: he is evolving just backwards*
No, not at all true, Zuko did understand what he really needed to do after his separation from Iroh
Devolving
Wow, some of y'all don't have humor lmao
I like to think the ponytail Zuko had resembled his bottled up emotions, his emotional turmoil and confusion.
But when Zuko finally rid of his hair, he let it grow free and not tied up.
I absolutely adore the fact that hair can resemble someone so significantly.
yesssss so true! this whole show is incredible but i think zuko's arc is probably the best part of it. also such a good point about the full circle war meetings I hadn't thought of that before!
Another parallel in that in both cases after the meeting, he does what he thinks is right, and both times he kneels for forgiveness from his father. The first time he was burned. The second iroh cried and hugged him.
basically he changes because he has a reason other than for the sake of the plot
Earlier this year Tangled the series ended with it's series finale centering around the redemption arc of traitor, Cassandra and I HATED it because it did nearly the exact opposite of everything you listed here, including that Cassandra DOES get super defensive over the idea of anyone thinking of her as the bad guy for her choices to lie, kidnap, attempt murder, etc. But mostly I hate it because it makes it the story about how "The power of friendship can get through to my misguided friend as long as I never ever give up on them".
I am so sick of redemption arcs that focus around the main character trying to fix the misguided antagonist with their endless supply of unearned second chances. I love that even though Iroh is a wonderful source of support for Zuko, It gets to a point where Iroh recognizes that the best thing for Zuko is to step back and not talk to him until his nephew shows him he's willing to do the right thing on his own.
When we see what zuko was like before the Agni Kai. Those moments in the Western air temple right after said Agni Kai are jarring. His entire worldview had been shattered. He cared for both the little guy and his uncle. He could be angry but never full of rage. All of that was no longer true. His choice to care about his men for one moment in season 1 is his first step towards reclaiming his former self and it's one of my favorite moments in the whole show.
Also, Zuko was a complex character with good and bad aspects from the beginning (his conflict with commander Zhao, for example). There was room for him to grow from the outset, unlike how nowadays writers take their cookie-cutter evil for the sake of being evil antagonists and suddenly have them realize the power of friendship. Character growth takes time and hard work, and you have to actually be shown to be capable of it before you do it.
aang did say “forgiving is hard” and it was hard for him to forgive zuko but he finally did
It's good because it relies on change and not sad backstory (tm).
Can we all just appreciate this person’s talent? They have an amazing speech, editing which lines up perfectly, no speech blunders, and a thorough, logical explanation. After watching some of their reviews on shows I love, I can definitely say I’m now an instant subscriber.
Side note: I really really love how you are a geek, how you like the same stuff I do, and how you are an lgbtq fan! We have soooo much in common, you’re like the older version of me. How do you even deliver the speech without breaking a sweat, or pausing to breathe? Can you do some reviews on some book series too? Do you have a vlogging channel? I can’t believe I haven’t stumbled upon your RUclips channel until now!
There’s a thing called audio editing. But you’re right, they did a really good job.
all your avatar analysis are currently everything for me
I also think it’s important to realize that Zuko wasn’t even wrong to begin with. A lot of redemption arcs nowadays redeem some truly awful people just because they cried a little and “felt bad”. While I think everyone deserves the chance to prove they can be better, a lot of shows really don’t do enough to prove that the characters earned their redemption.
His confrontation to his father about his own abuse and fire nation propaganda was one of the most satisfying speech of the show for me. It was a moment of catharsis for me, an abuse survivor as well by my father. Zuko has such a special place in my heart.
What I like about Zuko's redemption arc is that even though he stumbles and takes steps backwards, his progress isn't actually erased. His progress leading up to the book 2 finale wasn't negated by his betrayal of Iroh. He stumbled not because he hadn't learned anything, but because some part of him still wanted his father's forgiveness, or perhaps, just yearned to capture the Avatar as a catharsis to his failures.
The lessons he learned up to that point informed and enabled his realization, upon being allowed back home, that this wasn't the life he wanted. But had he not gone on his journey with Iroh and seen the everyday lives that the fire nation was destroying, he wouldn't have been equipped to make that same realization upon returning home.
What I'm saying is, every step was necessary, even the steps backwards. He needed to return home with his wisdom, and see himself unfulfilled by it, in order to re-learn how to be himself.
When Zuko tells off his father during the eclipse, he's basically speaking for every kid that's ever been badly mistreated by their parents, and that's one of the reasons why it GETS ME every time I watch it.
I love how this is also a life lesson on how to really seek forgiveness, how to repent and how to change, especially in the middle part where you compared Zuko's actions with people in real life. People should do good because it is right, not to please others and oneself. A lot of people could learn a lot from Zuko. Thanks for this video, it's very inspiring.
Zuko's redemption arc in a nutshell:
"I DONT NEED ANY CALMING TEA! I NEED TO CAPTURE THE AVATAR!" to "Hello, Zuko here"
I agree, someone once simplified this down for me really well
“the whole arc of Zuko’s quest to regain his honor, is him learning that he was the only one who had any to begin with”
Standing up for the soldiers that would have been sacrificed for the generals glory was the right thing to do, it was the honorable thing to do
and Zuko finally is able to see that he never lost his honor, he was the only one who had it and has kept it.
It never struck me that Zuko believed that his father was right to scar him and that he was wrong to speak out. I understand him much better now.
It’s really interesting how he lets his hair down when he decides to join Team Avatar, rejecting the “perfect prince” he was supposed to be under Ozai. He doesn’t put it back up until he’s the prince he wants to be.
I really love this video.
And I love how you make sure to say Zuko EARNED his redemption. It wasn't something handed to him.
The thing I liked most about Zuko's arc was the constant back and forth. One moment he's doing something bad, and the next he's doing something good. It's like that all the way until he joins the Gaang, it's all good from there.
I think another key point, at least for me, is that while Zuko's given a sympathetic backstory/motivation, it's never used as an excuse. It explains why he acts the way he does, but it never tries to justify or downplay the wrongs he commit.
It’s so interesting how he hurt so many people around him and team avatar, yet his redemption made everyone love him.
Made me learned that your past doesn’t define you, and you shouldn’t define others base on their past mistakes. People change, they can redeem themselves. But ofc it does take time.
The real trick is that Ehaz and the bunch made us think that Aang was the main character.
Zuko and Aang are the perfect foils for each other. Peak writing to have parallel leads like that.
lol
Riley I'm loving these avatar videos! I rewatched it recently and i've watched a ton of commentary vids on youtube, but Im still excited when you post yours. :) You make so many good points here!
The nonlinear-ness was great, I loved that zuko almost stealing Appa became a culmination of his behaviour that showed the audience there was a lot more going on there. Him reverting could have v easily come across as "He became bad again"" but we already KNOW his issues are so deep inside him and we know that he feels like this is his last chance and it's all really sad.
I didn't even notice the full circle part you spoke about! Amazing!f
A thing I loved about the apology bit too was that it puts the audience in an interesting position: we're the only ones with all the information, so we can see where each side is coming from and sympathize with both. I really like that a kid's show does that because it's so easy to make it so the viewer is on someone's side. It takes you out of the story (but in a good way!) and might be nice for kids to be able to reference that moment when they're having conflicts with friends and family.
the whole thing was done so WELL. I do hate that he becomes firelord at the end though, like I get that it's repairing Sozin's betrayal across lifetimes, there is once again the avatar and the firelord etc etc etc but maybe not in a world where we have actual colonialism. In terms of the story itself I don't know that it makes much sense for Zuko to be running the fire nation either (like, would the character believe he deserves that position of power?) but oh well.
TLDR I love this video, thank you!
thank you so much!! and that's a really good point about how it models argument/conflict resolutions for kids! re: zuko being firelord, i feel you, i think they do a decent job of addressing the fallout effects of the fire nation colonizing the earth kingdom in the comics that follow the tv show, and in Korra they address to some degree the ineffectiveness of having a monarchy in general. not saying it's all handled like perfectly ya know but it's all very interesting and leads into itself well 😄
what? You don't like that he becomes Fire Lord? But he is literally a PRICE. He can't not.
i like your points on modeling conflict. Regarding the last one on believing if you deserve leadership - Azula had that slightly terrifying scene where she basically took over a whole city simply because she stated her 'divine right to rule' with conviction. I don't think conviction like that is what you want in a leader! I think Zuko accepts it as it's a chance to change things and 'restore his honor' thru restoring the nations honor, as several people have said, but I doubt he'd like it...with time he might see other ways
I'm reminded of an arc in the show Charmed. My mom's binging the series, so I've been catching some along with her, and the character of Cole has a redemption arc of sorts, starting as a demon and becoming a good man because of love. However, it has never sat right for me, in part because he's always saying "I'm good now" as a method to excuse his past actions (of actively trying to kill the protagonists, it should be noted). As well, it's been shown that his being good is incredibly tenuous, all tied to his love for the sister he fell for. Therefore, the redemption not only doesn't feel earned, but actually feels like it didn't really happen. Makes me think that with worse writing, this could have been the way Zuko could have gone.
But he wasn't good in the end i think. 🤔
I think it was more to prove a point that choosing good for selfish reasons doesn’t fundamentally change that person or excuse the shit they’ve done. He needed to earn it and backed out when he felt he had a way to have Phoebe and be bad at the same time.
He came back from hell, and the sister went go kill him for revenge in his last appearance.
Wow, that truly made me reconsider Zutara. It seemed like an missed opportunity at the time, but it's actually better for him not to redeem for love and get the girl at the end! I'm looking at you, Reylo!
Falling in love can't change someone's view of the world. It takes inner work..
I was suicidal but I fell in love and I'm still a suicidal.
I feel like another reason why I like his redemption arc so much is because he always had someone trying to help him redeem him self, even when it wasn't he him self trying to do it. The fact that Iroh was trying to help him from the beginning gave me a reason to want him to redeem him self.
I like his redemption arc because he didn't just immediately become an uninteresting, mindless Saint and join the main character as a designated foot stool like so many others in different media.
I'm just constantly crying over Zuko's redemption arc
Kelly Cavolo Same
İt's just that good
That and leaves from the vine
What really does it for me is the relatability of it. Zuko was a product of abuse from his father. He dedicated years to finding the Avatar to earn his father’s love. That’s an incredibly sad situation to feel like fatherly love needs to be “earned” but it’s a real symptom of abuse. The victim places the deficiency in the relationship on themself, and not on the abuser.
The scene where Zuko confronts Ozai during the eclipse gives me chills. He calls him out on everything and it’s so cathartic. He finally realizes that Ozai doesn’t love him not because he’s a bad son, but because Ozai is a monster. “How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?” Sums it up perfectly. It’s this realization and courage to stand up for yourself that breaks real abusive cycles. When the abused realizes the abuser is just a monster, and they don’t deserve the treatment they receive.
I remember when I first watched the the part where Katara found Zuko in the tea shop all I could think was “Why did you have ruin it for him, Katara”
i feel like the core reason his redemption arc is good is because the signs of his goodness were there from the very beginning- it wasnt like he was slowly changing into a good person, but actually slowly unlearning the hate and bitterness and slowly becoming the person he always was.
Lol. I love that ending clip.
aang's little pity clap for zuko gets me every. time.
The Gaang tho 😂
I was just there and my reaction was just that lol
I personally think there is a kind of a symbolism in the ba sing se final episode most people tend to gloss over. Katara offering to heal Zuko's scar as a symbol for him finally escaping the past "evil" self and becoming a new, clean person. And then this attempt being interrupted by the Avatar himself. It shows that Zuko hasn't really forgotten what he sincerely, deeply wants and has wanted for years. To capture the avatar. Hence, he remains with his scar and chooses Azula over Iroh.
yoooooooo
I really do love zuko, wow.
Your first point is honestly just YES. When he had his fever I was thinking the entire time "This is such a cop out...he just gets sick and now he's a good guy?!" I was delighted when he turned on them and we got the entire story of him figuring himself out.
If they had made him become good at that point, I wouldn't love him NEARLY as much as I do.
I find that the best villains for me are the ones whose actions make complete sense from their perspective, but those actions are still completely unjustifiable. The trend where 'three-dimensional' villains are given a pass for everything they do seems toxic and even lazy to me. We sympathize with Zuko's circumstances, but not his actions. The best villains aren't ones where the writer frequently tells us how complex they are, but they evoke complex feelings within us.
It kinda reminds me of Rebecca's character arc from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, especially with the elements of going backwards in her development, and not letting the bad things she did in the past be excused just because she is a better person now.
I like how Zuko only changes when he finds his own reason to do so. Other people help shape his identity, but in the end he is his own person.
I think why "the storm" episode was one of my favorites, is that it's our first introduction to zuko s past , and that he s just a messed up teenager with a horrible childhood. other episodes also emphasize that (egs : zuko alone) but that was really the first episode to makes us like this charecter this much
Zuko *never made excuses* for his evil deed and that really opened my eyes. You SHOULDN'T try to justify the bad things you KNOW you did. Repent, apologize and do better, that's the best course.
I've always been frustrated at Zuko's decision at the end of Book 2, but you're right. It makes sense, the amazingly done. Even though I was mad, I was very impressed.
this is so well put! I feel like most people try to push a Zuko redemption without respecting their own character's characterizations or literally writing an Ozai-Esque character that literally commits such heinous actions that the main character/s is so hell-bent on giving those people a second chance that it ends being at best a story that makes literal abusers good guys with no actual work on their part, or at worst literal fascist being UWUified
I feel like this is what a azula redemption arc would be like. I can sympathize for her, but she is a heinous person that needs to go down.
Gotta love the references to the Diamonds and the toxic catgirl
Trusting someone because they said they're good now is exactly what happened when Man Ray convinced Spongebob and Patrick that he's not evil anymore.
A Zuko-Toph arc is kinda missing imo :/
YESS!! They should've been closer so they could both help each other!!
ooohhh true i wish they'd had more time for them to bond. toph dying to go on a solo adventure with zuko when they were looking for aang so she can talk about her relationship with her parents was so pure i wish she'd had a whole episode for that
Honestly it wasn't needed. Toph didn't really have any personal problem with Zuko, she wasn't in season 1 and the only time she meets him in season 2 they teamed up against Azula. The only time he attacked her was when he burnt her feet, and that was an accident. Apart from that, she didn't have any problems he could help her with. The only problem she had you could say was with her parents, but that didn't involve the fire nation at all.
But to compensate the lack of Zuko-Toph episode, they paired them on the ember island players, when Toph helps Zuko instead, so you could say that's something
@@RileyJayDennis
I actually wish there would be a Sokka-Toph arc.
It seemed that Toph really liked Sokka and sometimes she secretly told him what's on her mind.
@@tsunami3963 I agree. I don't think it was needed. Heck, Toph even defended Zuko, and when he burned her feet, she admitted it was an accident out of fairness.
The writers were pretty aware of the lack of a Toph-Zuko adventure too, given their gag of Toph wanting to pair off with him when they were searching for Aang during Sozin's Comet.
I like the show so far.
You watched this video without finishing the show? I almost did but I didn’t want spoilers.
Unlike game of thrones which relied on “subverting your expectations” with shocking plot twists, the change with zuko at the end of book 2 was perfectly set up and believable. While shocking it makes sense because it was everything he had been fighting for for years
Also great point about being “easy” for other shows in a linear character development
Back when only season 1 has aired, i would go to my friend's place. I didn't have nickelodeon. I was like 8 or 9 at that time. When i saw this show, something about S1 Zuko interested me. Soon i forgot about the show. In 2011, i watched ATLA, and boy was i glad to see Zuko's journey. He is my favourite character ever.
Long story short:
Zuko is the best character ever
better than iroh, imo
Great video! I especially like the part where you talk about Zuko accepting blame for his part in the war and the part about him understanding the backlash he receives from the gang. It made me realize how we as people should seek to do the right thing not for approval, but for it simply being right.
In retrospect it makes a ton of sense Zuko's 'betrayal' if we have in mind Filmento's needs vs wants. Although convincingly, Iroh kept telling Zuko what he needed to do, but he never utter a word about Zuko's wishes and desires, and then Azula appears telling him exactly what he wanted to hear and Zuko listened her words like a wolf that hasn't eaten meat for months.
And we could think for a minute that Iroh's efforts were pointless, but they were lines in a map that Zuko could follow when he got ready to complete his redemption.
This is why zuko is my fave
Never forget the moment where Ozai says, sneeringly, "I see your uncle's got to you" and Zuko smiles and says "Yeah, he has."