Avatar: The Last Airbender has been a classic fan favourite ever since its first episode in 2005. While it aired on Nickelodeon and was classified as a kids tv show, it brings joy at any age. Being my favourite tv show of all time, I thought my first blog post could honour my love for the show by walking through one of its best aspects: Zuko’s redemption arc.
We are introduced to the ponytail-wearing, honour-seeking, banished prince Zuko at the beginning of Episode One, searching for an Avatar that hasn’t been seen for 100 years. Given what seemed like an impossible task to regain what he cares for the most — his honour, Zuko finally has a shot of what he thinks is his redemption. Capturing Aang and Co. is his driving force for the majority of the show. That, of course, makes him the needed antagonist for our protagonists, especially in Book One.
There have been many attempts at redemption arcs throughout the media and not all were satisfying. However, in contrast, Zuko’s redemption arc is generally well-received. So why did Zuko’s work while other prominent cases fell short? We can explore his development through the three books to see how it all comes together.
While he made plenty of morally wrong choices while chasing Aang, the show ensures that Zuko never crosses the invisible line. In the episode The Storm, we come to understand Zuko’s past and purpose, and at the very end of the episode, as he sees Aang flying by, Zuko is caught between two choices: chase the Avatar and regain his honour, or to let him go and save his crew members from the storm. Zuko, while believing himself to have no honour, makes the honourable choice of saving lives over his goal. This is the first of multiple times where he makes the correct choice, including saving Aang after he was captured in the Blue Spirit, or not harming a passed out Aang with ample opportunity during the Book One Finale. This is a significant contrast to Zhao, the other villain who does not hesitate to harm Aang and resorts to even harming creatures of the Spirit World to get what he wants. Zuko is largely motivated by self-interest and never made the morally correct choice out of the goodness of his heart. It, however, establishes that there is more to Zuko’s character than simply his need to capture Aang. As the Blue Spirit episode subtly foreshadows the future, with Aang wondering if they could have been friends under different circumstances, we are left to wonder if it may happen all along.
He [Kuzon] was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too? — Aang to Zuko, the Blue Spirit Book 1, Episode 13
For Zuko in Book Two, the one word that can sum up his arc is conflict. He is conflicted about who he is, his future, and where his loyalties lie, as with most 16-year-old banished princes. In the beginning, we see him and Iroh as refugees in the Earth Kingdom, a far cry from the lives they once lived as royals. Zuko is constantly questioning himself and wondering if capturing Aang is truly his purpose. “Zuko Alone”, his most defining episode of the season, sees this play out. After travelling through the Earth Kingdom alone, he befriends Lee, a little boy who he grows fond of in a brotherly way. This allows the viewer to see a different side of Zuko, which humanizes him further. At the end of the episode, Zuko runs to fight thug soldiers that have captured Lee. He is mocked and insulted, and Zuko cannot go on pretending he is a powerless refugee. He reveals his bending and his status as the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and defeats the soldiers only for Lee to be disgusted at who he is. Knowing this, it isn’t difficult to understand why Zuko chooses Azula in the finale of Book Two. While it seems like he might do the right thing, he ultimately chooses his “honour”. He values his status as the Crown Prince and he wants the world (in reality his father) to respect that. At the same time, no matter what Katara might think, he is still the son of the man the world hates. So, he does what any conflicted person does; he chooses what he desires most — his family.
Going into Book Three, the showrunners have established three important things over the series long redemption arc: Zuko is not evil, he is capable of good, and he is in turmoil over who he is. So, all that’s left is to take this arc over the finish line and wrap up a couple of loose ends. The final season begins, and he is exactly where he wants to be from the very beginning: he is back home, a hero to his nation, and has most importantly won the admiration of his father. However, even after achieving his destiny, he is anything but happy. Zuko is constantly uneasy, even hiring a hit-man to hunt and kill the presumed dead Avatar. Destiny, however, has a different path for Zuko. Nudged by Iroh, Zuko learns his mother is the daughter of Roku, the previous Avatar. At this moment, he finally realizes why he is so conflicted, and why he has always been drawn to helping his supposed foes without any sort of personal gain. Zuko, fully understanding his destiny is to help the Avatar, confronts his father during the Solar Eclipse. And his final act of betrayal towards the life he once craved is predictable in the best way possible. Zuko finally realizes what we as readers knew in Ba Sing Se. He then joins Team Avatar, slowly gaining the trust of the others, defeating the Fire Lord and forming lifelong friendships in the process.
The writers of Avatar handled redemption differently than others before them by seeing out the intricate plan carefully. However, as with any story, if the ending doesn’t land, the story becomes lost. The most refreshing thing about Zuko’s redemption is that it is not one grand heroic act at the tail end of the show. It is a slow, carefully planned process that mimics that of people who have been abused, hurt and in conflict, who can’t change in one day. He makes the wrong choice even after making the right one and while it is incredibly frustrating at times, there would be no satisfaction if had only taken one conversation with Katara to change it all. So, Zuko comes to this on his own terms (with a lot of help from Iroh) and cements himself as one of the best characters in television and one of my personal favourites.
While these are only three reasons in a very long list, I hope you enjoyed reading a little about Zuko and my first attempt at public writing!
