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mah-o-daryaa · 5 months

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The Cycle Repeats: Part III

One of the key themes of the ATLA franchise is the concept of the Avatar; master of all 4 elements, the fusion of humanity and Raava, the spirit of light and order, whose sole duty is to bring balance to the world, and be the bridge between both the physical and spiritual realms. Along with this comes the idea of reincarnation, which is the premise of the Avatar Cycle, the idea that the Avatar reincarnates in a cyclic order in any of the four nations (fire, air, water, earth). Another concept related to the Avatar Cycle (although originating from the fandom) is the idea of the Avatar fixing the mistakes of their past life, which is often indicated in differences in both habitual circumstances and personalities between both predecessor and successor, and therefore differences in morality.

But what if I were to tell you that the saying "history repeats itself" is also true among Avatar incarnations? Not exactly going the same way, but rather parallels between the lives, personalities, and accomplishments (and failures) of past lives?

In this series of metas, I will be going over parallels (or in some cases, foils) between certain pairs of Avatars that lived decades, or even centuries apart, and yet could not have ever been more similar.

Elemental Foils II: Avatars Kuruk and Roku

"Kuruk was the Water Tribe Avatar immediately succeeding Avatar Yangchen and preceding Avatar Kyoshi. Native to the Northern Water Tribe, he was a powerful and gifted bender who dreamed of changing the mortal world for the better by uniting the people and acting upon the foundations laid by Yangchen."

"Roku was the Fire Nation-born Avatar immediately succeeding Avatar Kyoshi and preceding Avatar Aang. Roku's memory served as a guiding force for Aang throughout his quest to end the Hundred Year War."

This post will be a little different, because instead of analyzing the similarities between Kuruk and Roku, I'm going to examine the differences between them. I once again showed part of their respective Avatar Wiki to test whether there are any similarites between them; however most might say "Mone, they may technically be the same person, but aside from Raava, they're completely different people!"

And you'd be dead right.

Before we begin, we must define the word "foil". This word has many meanings, but we're going to define it with a literature standpoint (no, I don't mean the one made from aluminium). Britannica defines the word "foil" as follows:

Foil, in literature, a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second character. An obvious example is the character of Dr. Watson in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Watson is a perfect foil for Holmes because his relative obtuseness makes Holmes’s deductions seem more brilliant.

You see, unlike most pairs of Avatars, Kuruk and Roku are the only true "foils", even though they are literally the same person. It's my humble belief that Kuruk is supposed to act as a narrative foil to Roku (compared to the similarities between their successors, Kyoshi and Aang respectively), especially when we take into account Kuruk's extended backstory.

(WARNING: There will be possible spoilers for both The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi, particularly regarding Kuruk's backstory. If you do not wish to be spoiled, I suggest not reading any further and scrolling past this post until you have finished reading both novels. You have been warned.)

The first (and most obvious) difference between Kuruk and Roku is their native element; Kuruk's is water, Roku's is fire. According to the episode The Avatar and the Firelord (Book 3, Episode 6), water has even been established as the element that Roku mostly struggled with mastering (similarly to how Aang struggled to master earthbending), due to it being the opposite of fire, and thus being unable to adapt to change. As a result, it took Roku 12 years to master the four elements.

On the other hand, firebending would be the most obvious choice for the element that Kuruk would most struggle to master. However, Kuruk was stated to be a prodigy in mastering the other three elements, even going so far as to invent a master airbending technique, and being the only Avatar in history confirmed to have participated in an Agni Kai (and apparently won, considering he still has hair), so we could infer even firebending wasn't particularly difficult for him to master. We can infer that it took Kuruk around 4-5 years to master the four elements. Even then, he still asked his Team Avatar to continue teaching him so he could be the best bender of all time, saying that Pai Sho masters never stopped learning and improving their skills. (This man is basically a younger Water Tribe Avatar version of Uncle Iroh, or at least Iroh's role model.)

In The Shadow of Kyoshi, it's revealed that Avatar Yangchen neglected the spiritual world, often siding with humans when making decisions between humans and spirits. As a result, there were many dark spirits ravaging the physical world, and Kuruk hunted down and killed them, harming his own spirit in the process until his early death at 33. At this time, his physical and bending prowess were clearly challenged, especially in his battle against Father Glowworm, and that I already sort-of-talked about here. Short answer: He wasn't a weapon, he was the entire arsenal.

However, by spending so much time in the Spirit World, he accidentally neglected his physical duties (Yangchen, but in reverse), which led to the corruption of the Earth Kingdom (although, in Kuruk's defense, when is the Earth Kingdom ever not corrupt?), as well as an increase in daofei and raids by the Fifth Nation, among many others.

However, it's unknown what sort of conflict Avatar Kyoshi left behind for Roku to solve, at least until Roku's first novel, The Reckoning of Roku, arrives. (Yes, there was the Dai Li, but that was mostly Aang's problem, especially during Azula's invasion of Ba Sing Se.) From what little information we know of Roku's life that is shown in The Avatar and the Firelord, Roku mostly kept his role as the maintainer of the long-lasting peace that Kyoshi worked for. We don't really know what Roku was capable of in terms of bending; however, we can assume he was a pretty competent bender.

The real problems in Roku's time as the Avatar began with his falling out with his childhood friend Sozin. For a long time, Roku was indecisive and couldn't bring himself to kill Sozin and stop his imperialism when he had a chance. As a result, he was indirectly responsible for the Air Nomad Genocide, which resulted in the death of his successor, Avatar Aang's people (and by extension, the Hundred Year War). Roku believed that it was Aang's destiny to end the Hundred Year War and to atone for both of their mistakes, even though the Air Nomad Genocide was not Roku's fault; it was, and still is, Sozin's sole responsibility (looking at you, Avatar blamers).

Even their deaths are similar yet contrary. Kuruk "betrayed" his friends Jianzhu, Kelsang, and Hei-Ran by not communicating with them about his spiritual duties (although, technically they all "betrayed" him first by regarding him as a failure to the world). Roku, on the other hand, was betrayed by Sozin when the latter left the former to die from the volcanic explosion. Kuruk died to protect his friends, while Roku died as a result of his friend's actions.

This also adds an additional tragedy to the fact that in the Spirit World, Roku appears as an old man, while Kuruk appears as a young man. It's a common theory in the ATLA fandom that the Avatars either appear around the age of the greatest defining moment of their lives, or they choose to appear the way they do, since in The Avatar and the Firelord, Aang appeared to be bald and wearing Air Nomad robes in the Spirit World, even though at this point in time, Aang had hair and was wearing his Fire Nation disguise. Either way, it's still an unfair tragedy, since Roku was able to live a long and healthy life, while Kuruk wasn't given the same chance. This parallels their greatest regrets: Kuruk's decisiveness saved the world at the expense of his own life, while Roku's indecisiveness lengthened his own life but ruined the world. @natequarter has talked about this particular detail (in great detail) here.

And yet, their "supposed" legacies and how they are remembered don't do them the appropriate justice they deserved as merely flawed individuals. Their respective successors, Kyoshi and Aang, have contrarian views on their predecessors' achievements. Kyoshi, like the rest of the world, blamed Kuruk for the mess that was left behind for her to solve, while Aang holds Roku in high esteem and regard. I'm pretty sure the Fire Sages also respect him, since in Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku (Book 1: Episode 8), when the Fire Sages first see Roku after he took over Aang's body, they immediately prostrate before him (which indicates respect and reverence).

Kuruk was forced to sacrifice himself killing dark spirits again and again and again, and he did sort of succeed in bringing balance to the Spirit World, but no one knew the truth, and thus the world mocked Kuruk by calling him a lazy, entitled failure of an Avatar, and this was encouraged by everyone. Roku, on the other hand, had one job and failed miserably, but was never held accountable for his mistakes; rather he was held in high regard among the four nations.

This is exactly the reason why I believe that F. C. Yee made Kuruk a narriative foil to Roku by providing an extended backstory to the former. From their opposing elements, to their journeys as the Avatars of their time, to how they are remembered beyond the grave, one might understand that when you put them together in any context, they only enhance each other and their opposing traits. In the next part, I will explore the parallels between Kuruk's successor, Kyoshi, and the Water Tribe after him, Avatar Korra, along with a very special guest.

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#atla #past avatars #the cycle repeats #kuruk #roku #kyoshi novels #my brain was already halfway fried throughout writing this meta #where is that creativity duck when you need it the most #I should have reblogged it when I had the chance #it reminds me of the Avatar #you know #when the world needed him most #he vanished #anyway #I hope you like this ramble #media analysis #mah rambles #mone's theory #mone digs deep

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cherrybomb-babyyy · 7 months

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my favourite soundgasm got deleted :(

#personal #had all the good könig audios too #gehwild #where have u gone #when the world needed him most #he vanished 💔#soundgasm

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ichthustent · 3 months

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“do you think i’m spooky” pin and RED HAIR like what’s your problem honest to god what is your problem i’m SICK.

#twenty one pilots #josh dun #spooky jim #spooky #OH MY GOD #WHEN THE WORLD NEEDED HIM MOST #WE ARE SO BACK

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chirpsythismorning · 1 year

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WHERE IS HE!!!

#stranger things #puzzle tales #mike wheeler #byler #flip flop #cali mike #when the world needed him most #he vanished #or never appeared at all #no but fr why are they promoting this look #when this character isn’t even available 😭👎#i found this on the puzzle tales Instagram by the way

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theamazingmudkip · 1 month

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Who was gonna tell me that The Duck Song 4 dropped?!?!

#I feel betrayed that I only found out about this now #When the world needed him most #duck song #got any grapes?

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sunrisesnowfall · 5 months

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i’m doing homework but what im seeing in the tag is that moose is SO BACK

#when the world needed him most

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zenyye · 2 years

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HAAAAANBIIIIIIIIN

#WHEN THE WORLD NEEDED HIM MOST #missed that bitch so much you know he’d about to remodel the music industry

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puppetmaster13u · 3 months

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Prompt 194

Bart is frozen. He’s terrified- his heart is beating faster in his chest than it’s ever done before yet he couldn’t even start to force himself to run, his body practically vibrating in place as he shook.

There was a familiar feeling in the air, one he’d never thought he’d ever feel again once he’d slipped back in time. He couldn’t breathe, everything felt like it was falling away except for that horrifying fiery aura-

“Kid, are you okay?” There was a hand on his shoulder, light as a feather (he’d learned that from gramps!) yet grounding.

He finally managed to suck in a breath, however wheezy, and looked up to answer, the words dying in his throat before they even began.

“Kid? Holy shit-” Bart didn’t hear anything else as his poor brain fizzled and he fainted.

Danny blinks down at the barely-teenager who seemed to just have some sort of attack before fainting practically in his arms. He’d say diabetes or something, but he has no way to be sure and is maybe panicking himself.

“Wow Mum, wha’ you do?” a toddler Dan- he knew what he did but honestly his baby lisp was adorable- snarked from next to him, chewing on his kid leash. Which he wasn’t getting out of until he could both stop floating whenever he saw the stars (yes he knew he used to do the same thing, shush) and walk out into traffic.

#Dcxdp #Dpxdc #Prompts #De Aged Dan #Bart came from Dan’s timeline and is maybe slightly traumatized about it #Jordan has forgotten most things about it #Danny just picked up Dan from daycare & saw Bart freaking out & went to check on him #Dan just wants to go home so he can try to convince Tucker he doesn’t need a nap #Why yes Tucker & Danny are roommates in Central #They video call Sam (who is in college in Gotham) thrice a week #Dan: This isn’t fair- Ellie got to travel the world when she was my age and I’m stuck with a leash #Danny: Ellie never ate anyone sunshine #Dan: She ate her brothers this isn’t fair #Danny: Those were emergency situations they were already dead and she panicked #Bart is in civilian clothes

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introspectivememories · 3 months

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been watching mashle and oh my god, the eugenics???? the way lance's parents were so ready to give up their daughter??? no second thought???? just "why did this child have to be born to us?"???? um everyone talking in mash's face about how non-magic people are inherently worthless???? the triple line dude fucking making dolls out of people and somehow no one??? is??? checking him???? and then when questioned immediately jumping into "well humans are little more than mindless beasts and i will become a creator deity and reshape the world in my liking!"????? the, um, corruption in the government??? the way this story is so clearly "h*rry p*tter if it was actually funny"??? the slytherin coded characters are blood purists???? they took out hufflepuff??? one of the magia lupus' mage's powerset was just big shuriken???? another one is rip off kisame???? lance is a siscon and the first thing mash says is "that doesn't make it better"???? lemon is genuinely so fuckin funny??? dot is incel-coded but like in a funny way??? dot says that lance is playing life on "easy mode" cause lance has a good face??? dot likes tea??? dot has good manners??? everybody only has one spell they can use??? finn ames is like if you transported is regular human into this stupid ass world??? i think the old man and the cop have explored each others bodies.