#Avatar: the Last Airbender

[f1reladymai]

there is a serious lack of discussion about how mai is zuko’s safe space. we see this in their first appearance together (that’s not a flashback). when mai asks him a simple question, “aren’t you cold?” and zuko, who has a hard time opening up and expressing emotions that aren’t anger or angst, freely and openly starts to tell her his worries about going back to the fire nation. and while people love to chastise mai on her reply, “I just asked if you were cold, I didn’t ask for your whole life story”, I think they misunderstand her approach to this. zuko is worrying and overthinking about something he cannot change, something that will only drive him crazy and she tries to distract him with a joke. and it might fall flat, but she realises this and suddenly she is comforting him with her touch. her hand reaching out so casually towards scar like it’s not a big deal, because it’s not. they’ve known each other for a long time, they’ve grown up together and their relationship was a long time coming. and zuko leans into her hand, and her kiss, without thinking twice about it. because mai is familiar, and mai is comfort and that can be seen when you contrast it to song’s attempting at touch his scar, and how quickly he was to stop her. but it’s not only this moment that showcases mai as his safe space, but also when he’s back in the fire nation. when he’s stressed out and going through a tumultuous time, not knowing what’s right and wrong or what he should do next, it’s mai he goes to. we see this in “nightmares and daydreams” when he spends all day at her house, when he can’t stand being in the palace anymore, mai and her house and her bedroom is his safe space. and here we see her trying to comfort him, trying to say the war meeting is stupid, it would be be boring anyway, and shall we go for a ride around town? it’ll be fun… and even though he’s still sad, he goes back to her house on the day of the war meeting and she’s making him tea. and even when he does get invited to the all day war meeting, she goes to the palace with him and waits for him all day, to see if it went well and to comfort him if it didn’t. when he says that it was everything he thought wanted it to be, she’s immediately happy for him, reaching out to touch him with a smile on her face. mai is who zuko feels safe and comfortable around, even in his vulnerable moments and it’s something we should talk about.

#txt post #atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko #prince zuko #fire lord zuko #avatar: the last airbender #a:tla #txt post: maiko #mai #fire lady mai #zuko&mai #pro maiko #maiko #mai&zuko #fire nation #mai atla #atla mai #atla maiko

[shelbycragg]

oohh, just found this avatar fanart i did in 2013 that i still like

#avatar: the last airbender

[cienie-isengardu]

Zuko and Azula in "The Beach"

Lately I think a lot about "The Beach" episode [x], especially about this small detail of great teamwork Zuko and Azula have during the game.

Zuko is looking ahead, directly facing their rivals (who had the control of the ball at this moment) but his body is clearly lowered to the ground, left hand most likely touching the ground, legs bent and widely spaced - a clear contrast to Mai standing near and how he stood before on two separate occasions

which is why I think Zuko willingly create an opportunity for Azula, so she could jump higher - something she definitely used to their team’s advantage. If Azula simply jumped on her brother’s back when he wasn’t expecting it or wasn’t ready, he would probably just fall face down from the impact but as the scene shows, he had no such problem nor was angry about it in the following scenes.

During the game sequences there was no dialogue shown between our protagonists, so it is hard to determine if Azula in advance called Zuko to give her a “lift” or Zuko offered on his own, or did they were that much in sync they just acted without thinking. Regardless I like this few seconds long interaction, because for me it implies how they trusted each other despite all the rivalry and bitterness from previous episodes. Like Zuko trusted Azula won’t use that moment to hurt/humiliate him by overuse of force, the same as Azula trusted in Zuko’s strength and that he won’t mess up by losing his balance. It is a small thing but no less sweet to see them working well together when fighting for the same goal - what reminds me a bit their teamwork from the previous season finale.

Interestingly, it was also the second time Zuko assisted Azula in scoring against their rivals while not scoring himself any point on screen. The first time happened almost right at the beggining of the game (second from total five sequences)

while each girl have the solo sequence of winning a point:

Azula's first attack,

later Ty Lee landing on the net

and Mai kicking the ball (and presumably scoring)

while Zuko’s two actions are shared only with his younger sister while there is no sense of competition between the siblings, something contrasting a lot with some previous and later episodes.

Azula is bossy and competitive through most of the episode and her brother lets her be that without a complaint. Azula and Zuko get along pretty well and A) do not argue (with the exception of the campfire scene and then they argue not even for the whole scene itself) and B) don't get on each nerves the way they do in the palace, with Ozai's presence looming in the back of their mind. I absolutely adore this episode, as it humanizes all our Fire Nation characters by showing them as teenagers outside the war zone but also giving us a bit of insight into what Azula and Zuko could be if Ozai didn't pit them against each other. And they could be a great team!

#atla #avata #avatar: the last airbender #prince zuko #azula #mai #ty lee #zuko and azula #fire nation #fire nation siblings #avatar: the last airbender - the beach episode is such a great mini story #look i have a lot to say about zuko and azula and their messed up relationship but this episode just make you realize how much azula & zuko #are socially awkward teenagers who have no idea how to interact with their peers #but also the deep of their bond shattered by ozai's abuse and yet somehow still connecting them on emotional level #when they can be just kids not ozai's perfect soldiers and heirs #also zuko just tagging with azula's friends is both funny and sad he has no friends of his in fire nation #while sokka will be the first boy befriended close to his own age (with aang a bit younger and lu ten some years older) #i think a lot about the tragedy of azula and zuko okay? a lot as in too much

[edas-boytoy]

Silly concept: Aang tries to talk to Azula and help her, but he only gets her agitated. When he's threatened, he enters the Avatar state. Only it's Kuruk and he gives Azula an impromptu therapy session.

#kuruk #avatar kuruk #aang #avatar aang #azula #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #atla #the rise of kyoshi #the shadow of kyoshi #kyoshi novels #chronicles of the avatar

[new-popular-popular-piece]

#nu metal #mommy #thick and juicy #naomi soraya #enfp #loving #avatar: the last airbender #overwatch league #poems and quotes #soup #wlw community #brianna francisco #edits #blue diamond #black friday

[feathered-serpents]

I’m sorry but KATARA LITERALLY HELPED RAISE HER WHAT ARE WE DOING

#avatar: the last airbender #atla #legend of Korra

[operationbeifong]

ME QUOTING THESE GODDAMN KIDS SHOWS 24/7 !!!

#sir she WON'T SHUT UP #avatar fandom #that's how i meditate #atla #tlok #legend of korra #avatar: the last airbender #funny stuff #funny memes #series quotes #operationbeifong:quotes

[dunnowho180125]

yes another Zukka AU

Ok so Zuko got put in charge of a boat and its crew at age 13 (not the brightest decision right Ozai) and Hakoda was on sea a year later right? So imagine Sokka, really wanting to go with his dad, deciding to snuck in their boat, so when his dad finally finds him, its too late to go back but still, they can’t let him stay on a WAR boat so they set a course for a port to contact someone from the tribe to pick him up but while they were there, you have 14 years old Zuko meeting 13 years old Sokka and both have 0 idea who the other is until someone, probably lieutenant Jee, comes up to Zu and is like “Your Highness, we are ready to depart” except that in the short time the boys were together, Zuko got told about the raids and a first hand story about the Fire Nation’s “GrEaTnEsS” so he’s like “wait a second my dad’s an asshole” and he’s just like “ok no we are going to help Sokka’s dad” and after a lengthy discussion of life choices, parenting styles and boats intricacies, Zuko comes out with a new dad, a boyfrie- best friend and a new life goal, which is to end the war. He also gives several people a new life goal too, which is to punch the Fire Lord in the face, or whack him in the head with a bat, they’re not picky

#Bonus points if Hakoda asks Zuko to bring Sokka back to the SWT and so he stays for a bit and thats when him and the siblings finds Aang #Yes he does changes his hairstyle #The blue spirit is also there somewhere #Iroh and Hakoda bonds over tiring childrens #zukka au #zukka #atla zuko #atla sokka #atla aang #atla katara #atla hakoda #atla iroh #atla au #atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender

[kitkatperce]

this is who your hating on when you hate on aang

@meeyow4419

#the air nomads had flying bunnies and rabbits #aang #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #aang appreciation #avatar aang #atla #atla aang #🤗fav character;atla #aang antis dni

[wilcze-kudly]

A barely coherent ramble on the Beifongs being a family of people with an incredibly high ability to feel things

Toph

I think a lot of people really misinterpret Toph. They see her for her role as powerhouse. However, one of her key abilities is actually her ability to sense her surroundings with earthbending.

But that's not all. Toph is able to sense people's heartrates and tell when they are lying or not.

In fact, Toph is a surprisingly empathetic person. Despite her abrasive and harsh personality, she's surprisingly good at reading people and seems to have very high emotional intelligence. She's extremely good at identifying people's strengths and their weak points. Multiple times, she's able to successfully get under people's skin very efficiently.

Girl is using her empathy to bully people good for her.

Sure, she often uses a tough love approach, however I would argue that it's a self defence mechanism. Toph doesn't like being vulnerable, probably due to the fact that she was treated as weak and helpless when she was growing up. People with higher empathy or sensitivity tend to be percieved as weaker or more delicate, which is something Toph desperately wants to avoid. Toph also carried her parents' emotions and expectations of her for a very long time and it could stand to reason that she doesn't wnat to do that with anyone else.

I think I may make a longer post on Toph and her trauma surrounding her parents and how that affects her relationships and behaviours lol.

Lin

So... Lin is very similar to her mother in many ways. She also puts up a prickly wall of "tough love" to deal with her high sensitivity. However, she seems to absorb and internalise things that hurt her much more than Toph does.

Lin's emotional maturity is heavily stunted, most likely due to her difficulty with bonding with people. She never really allowed herself to grow past a certain point. She didn't grow into her empathy, therefore she feels things, but doesn't exactly know how to handle them. Repressing these feelings is a band aid solution, and we do see how dangerous them overflowing is.

However, on rare occasions we do see Lin allow herself to empathise with others. We see this particularly with Opal and Mako. However, with most people, Lin's guard is always up.

Lin is the textbook example of someone very sensitive who pushes people away out of the fear of getting hurt.

Suyin

I can see some people arguing that Suyin has pretty low empathy. Looking at her treatment of Lin, Kuvira and Baatar Jr. I think it's true that in her younger years, Suyin struggled with her feelings. I'd argue it is due to very high empathy actually. In the flashbacks, Su seems to mirror Lin's emotions back at her, perhaps unable to distinguish them from her own.

However, unlike Lin, Su grows as a person in her time away from Republic City. When we see her as an adult, she is very in tune with her emotions and also able to deal with other people's outbursts without internalising their feelings.

She has a very gentle way of speaking to people and is able to quickly pinpoint what they need to hear, as she does with a young Kuvira and with Bolin. She can make other's feel comfortable and safe. Perhaps due to her own turbulent upbringing.

However, Suyin is also heacily driven by her emotions. Her impulsivity can cloud her judgement, such as when she flew into a fit of rage at the idea of a guard betraying her city, or when she risked not only her own life, but that of her sons, and tried to impulsively save Zaofu feom Kuvira. She also still holds a shocking degree of sympathy for Kuvira, despite her initial anger at her ans her children's visible discomfort with Kuvira's presence.

Suyin feels things very strongly, and, despite getting better at managing her feelings, they still often overtake her.

Baatar Jr

It's interesting when a character who is characterised as a more "intellectual" type is driven primarily by their emotions. Despite being a man of science, Baatar Jr has a habit of disregarding logic completely.

He prioritises his relationship with Kuvira, he has a weird lil rivalry with Varrick, he's incredibly bitter when it comes to his relationship with his family. Baatar Jr is such an underrated character.

Huan

I think most artists are inherently sensitive people. And we very much like to express the things we feel.

Huan seems to use his art to process certain experiences, for example Harmonic Convergence. He's quite sensitive when it comes to his creations. He also values other people's art too and perfers "raw emotional power" over quality.

Opal

I think a lot of people pick up on Opal's empathy on the first watch, especially when you see her interact with Lin. Opal is also very quick to notice that Su still has a soft spot for Kuvira. She also sets boundaries with Bolin very quickly and efficiently and I would credit this to Suyin's parenting.

But Opal is very much like her mother in the sense of having her judgement clouded by her emotions. Especially when it comes to the Kuvira situation. Her strong emotions often act to her detriment, as she almost gets baited into attacking Kuvira and her unchecked anger at Bolin arguably made him retract further into Kuvira's army. This is hardly a new thing for Opal, as we see her lashing out even as a child.

Wei and Wing

Splitting what little screentime the twins have between them yields scarce, but interesting characterisation. Wing seems to be more outwardly emotional, throwing a tantrum when he loses a game and cheering when excited about sparring Korra. While Wei, much like Lin and Toph before him, seems to put up a bit of a prickly wall, for example when he's antagonising Bolin.

The twins are very closely tied to their mother and it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say that they internalise her emotions. Like when Wei yells at Kuvira during the negotiations.

The twins are also very open about their upset at Opal leaving. It's honestly sweet to se that Suyin raised her children to be able to express their emotions rather healthily.

Uh. Anyway. This post was mainly meant to toss a pattern I've noticed out into the open. I might make some more posts elaborating on particular aspects of it (i also wanna make one on kuvira and how she's quite the opposite of the Beifongs). So uh. If you have any suggestions of topics i should start with,just shoot lol.

#beifong brainrot #toph beifong #toph #lin beifong #suyin beifong #baatar #baatar jr #huan beifong #opal beifong #wei beifong #wing beifong #legend of korra #avatar #tlok #the legend of korra #avatar the legend of korra #atlok #lok #atla #avatar: the last airbender #the last airbender #avatar the last airbender

[cleverheroine]

Someone do that bro fists meme about people that support Zutara being the people who also actually get Katara as a character.

#zutara #atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar #katara #anti-kataang

[shinigami-striker]

Prince Zuko Joins NASB2!! | Thursday, 04.25.24

Originating from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation joins Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2!

A master of the twin swords and firebending, Zuko can dominate in both close-quarters and long range combat!

#downloadable content #zuko #prince zuko #atla zuko #dlc content #fighting game character #playable character #nickelodeon #nickelodeon all star brawl 2 #vincent tong #ps4 #ps4 games #ps5 #ps5 games #nintendo switch #xbox series x #xbox one #microsoft windows #pc game #platform fighters #available now #out now #avatar: the last airbender #april #april 25 #april 2024 #protagonist #reformed villain #redeemed villains

[cienie-isengardu]

Avatar The Last Airbender: North and South

#avatar: the last airbender #atla #katara #sokka #i admit i like how the comics dwell on the matter of sokka and katara's culture that needs to be rebuild after war #but people may not have a real idea what it looked before war

[abbyofthefirenation]

its funny to me how zuko stans are complaining about him being ‘hated’ (when most of the ‘hate’ towards him is a result of the delusional takes from a good amount of his stans) when characters like aang and katara have been dragged through the mud for over a decade.

#avatar: the last airbender #avatar: tla #avatar #aang #katara #zuko

[timeofdeathnote]

stop that's so funny 💀

#avatar #avatar: the last airbender #netflix avatar #avatar the last airbender #general zhao #aang #james cameron #sokka #katara #zukko #humor #meme #spilled ink #atla #natla #live action avatar

[mfshipbracket]

#mf ship bracket #mf ship bracket 2023 #bonus round #kylo ren #rey #reylo #star wars #avatar: the last airbender #aang #katara #kataang #anti-reylo