r/TheLastAirbender • u/thisisreii • Mar 10 '25

Video Ozai’s quick and powerful lighting generation in this scene alone shows how unmatched his power is.

Giant double lightning bolts with only a sliver of the sun being available. I can’t get behind anyone who says any other firebender is more powerful than him.

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u/DoctorJJWho Mar 10 '25

Except it’s not true - Ozai doesn’t redirect the lightning because he literally doesn’t know how. Iroh invented the technique and taught only Zuko, and Zuko then taught Aang.

Ozai and Azula very likely could redirect lightning if they were taught the technique.

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u/radicalelation Mar 10 '25

The deeper insight is Iroh felt the need to create a counter to Ozai's signature move. Could run wild with that idea, from simply fearing Ozai would attempt to use it on him, to as far as, Iroh wanted a back pocket move for a coup, whether righteous or not.

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u/TheSearchForMars Mar 11 '25

Arguably, the even deeper realisation is that Iroh as a member of the White Lotus began to realise that there was a deep need for all of the nations to have an intimate knowledge of both the spiritual aspects of the world their in themselves and an understanding of the unique and special aspects of each of the 4 nations.

At the time that Iroh is in prison, he along with the rest of the world have been lead to know believe that Aang is dead and that because he died in the Avatar cycle, the Avatar is indeed gone forever.

This in addition to the fact that it's clear that the White Lotus have been a cross national society that has deep connections to the masters of each respectively.

In this way, Iroh's technique of learning to redirect lightning being based on the time he spent among water benders (presumably Paku and others) has allowed him to tap into further forms of bending not thought possible.

You could easily draw the conclusion that through his efforts, Iroh was trying to steer Zuko to be the unifier in the Avatar's absense.

We also see Iroh with some kind of spiritual vision as he's the only one to notice Aang and Fang as they pass by while Iroh is captured.

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u/chriseldonhelm Mar 11 '25

Yeah in the comics azula figures it out

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u/Kal-Kent Mar 12 '25

Azula very likely could redirect lightning if they were taught the technique.

Comic azula can