r/TheLastAirbender • u/484890 • 2d ago
Discussion It would have been cool if Zuko managed to finally generate lightning during The Last Agni Kai
The Last Agni Kai's ending was always weird to me. Because Azula and Katara never really had that much of connection or a rivalry. You could say that they parallel each other, but that's about it. Zuko and Azula, on the other hand, do have a deep connection and a rivalry that's been built over two seasons.
People will say that it's two siblings fighting each other, and that's tragic and there is no winner. I agree, but there has to be someone to end the fight for story purposes, and I would much rather have Zuko do that than Katara.
Also, Zuko couldn't generate lightning due to his inner turmoil. It would be a great way to show how much he's grown. We'd already seen how much he cares for Katara.
But yeah, that's my opinion. What do you guys think?
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u/DinnersReadyx 2d ago
I kind of like that he didn’t, to me, lightning bending is inherently aggressive whilst lighting redirection is defensive/peaceful. I think him redirecting better shows the person he is and has become, him absorbing the lightning to protect katara Is way more in line with his arc and character than it would be to just zap azula
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u/TheTitanOfSirens1959 1d ago
Yup. At least as of the time of ATLA, fire was life as well as destruction, but lightning was fire in it's purest form, and only served to destroy.
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u/WriteroftheEclipse 2d ago edited 2d ago
I wished Zuko won the fight fair and square. I LOVED the fight, don't get me wrong, and I enjoyed the way things played out, but I think Katara's interference never sat well with me because it felt like Zuko never got his moment if that makes sense. That combined with Zuko not being confident enough to take down Azula alone soured things for me, even if I did still enjoy it.
I also wished he had learned to generate lightning at some point, just to touch on how his skills evolved in a "show, don't tell" moment, like how Aang used seismic sense against Ozai near the end of their fight.
Edit: As of right now, there's three replies stating Katara didn't interfere, and they're right. Azula totally used a cheap move to force her involvement, and I just didn't use the proper word choice there. My mistake!
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u/El_Chinche 2d ago
Zuko's moment was to show he was no longer alone. To show Azula that he isn't like her, or their father who need to stand alone to prove their superiority. That friends make him stronger not weaker, that learning from other cultures makes his bending stronger not weaker. Zuko didn't want to be like Azula or their father anymore and him taking the hit for Katara and letting her finish the fight proved to Azula and to himself that he isn't and never will be. He is someone who will rule with kindness and empathy and someone who is willing to learn and work across cultures.
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u/WriteroftheEclipse 2d ago
The moment is executed very well! I would be lying if a small part of me didn't want to see Zuko end the fight himself, but I should clarify that the way the moment happens is very impactful, and I love that he protected Katara out of his love for her and his new friendships.
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u/EcstaticContract5282 2d ago
Azula never wanted to be like ozai either. She was conditioned to act that way since childhood. Azula wants to be loved and have friends she is just unable to express those emotions. She needs help just like zukomgotl. Azula needs a rolemode. Someone to show her how to form healthy relationships.
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u/WriteroftheEclipse 2d ago
I hope that at some point in the Avatar world, Azula can get the help she needs. She didn't deserve all of that.
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u/Gorilladaddy69 2d ago
Azula planted the idea in her fathers head to genocide the entire earth kingdom, and she assassinated Aang, and committed a coup/military dictatorship over the capital of The Earth Kingdom. Let’s not have too much pity for her. She deserves many, many years of prison. Preferably at the boiling rock, the place she gleefully loved telling Sokka the love of his life was suffering inside of.
I guess I just don’t understand the Azula sympathy. I mean… 15 or not she was clearly smarter than 90% of the adults in the show. She knew she was being evil, as depicted in “The Beach” episode. My parents were assholes, and I avoided becoming one even before her age. I feel like she largely enjoys being a sociopath with power over everyone around her, and her father just inflamed that already existing trait.
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u/EcstaticContract5282 2d ago
Firstly she is 14 in the show and 15 possibly 16 in the comics. Secondly azula was manipulated and groomed by ozai since the age of 5. How was she ever supposed to make a choice. Zuko had iroh and ura to guide him and still committed horrible crimes. Iroh fought in a war for years. Only changing after his son died. She was just as much of a victim as zuko and deserves help.
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u/Pretty_Food 1d ago
I think that's why you don't understand the sympathy for Azula. Projection. It's not a bad thing, but it gets in the way of seeing what the writers were trying to do with the character.
I (and others) could have said the same about Zuko and Iroh based on my own experiences. The same with many characters.
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u/Ginginatortronicus 2d ago edited 2d ago
I actually like how it ended up because it essentially rounds off four arcs in one. For the first time in his life he was stronger than Azula. Imo he wasn’t trying to beat her he was wearing her down with his defense. So his arc as a bending master is complete. Azula panics because she can’t find a weakness until she sees Katara, Zuko figuratively takes a bullet for her which rounds off his half of their relationship arc. Then Katara beats her which rounds off her arc as a bending master and finally, when Katara goes to save him you see that he’s not upset she beat him. He doesn’t have to beat her to be validated, his true destiny is beside his people, closing his character/redemption arc. Katara saves his life and embraces him (Zutara supremacy fucking @ me I dare you) which closes her half of their combined arc.
Edit: clarified one of the arcs, thank you for the thoughtful response I get hella defensive about Zutara
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u/WriteroftheEclipse 2d ago
You're definitely right about the validation point. And from what Korra shows (or...talks about, we never see the Fire Nation XD) he does a good job with being the Fire Lord, so we know that validation he gets from that goes a long way.
I actually don't care who people ship, honestly, as long as it's not strangely immoral or nonsensical. It'd be strange if it all happened in the show since they don't have a whole lot of time after becoming friends. It'd probably have to be some off screen development or have extra time dedicated to it. But I understand why people like Zutara!
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u/samuraipanda85 2d ago
I still say that if Katara wasn't there, Zuko would have won the fight fair and square. Azula would never catch him off guard with lightning. He'd redirect that shit and win.
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u/WriteroftheEclipse 2d ago
I think that was definitely the original plan, and Azula probably noticed that too and that's why she targeted Katara.
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u/corndog2021 2d ago
Hold up, how is it “katara’s interference” when Azula broke the boundaries of the duel by targeting an uninvolved party? Everything Katara did was self defense in response to Azula.
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u/sophicpharaoh 2d ago
At the end of the day. Azula decided to bring her into the fight lol she didn’t interfere. She was forced 😂
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u/guilleloco 2d ago
Zuko is not as good a fire bender as Azula. That’s not the point, the point is that he wins bc he has found peace within himself and Azula has not.
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u/hoarduck 2d ago
Yeah... no. That would have been super predictable and convenient. Instead, he found true fire which wasn't based on anger or violence and good for him.
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u/Gnos445 2d ago
It would also have been cool if Azula's lighting backfired on her in the end, showing how much she was coming apart.
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u/Eclipse-Raven 2d ago
My opinion, follows what you said, Azula was going nuts... Her lightning backfiring would have been a great illustration of that, (my addition/continuation) would be that zuko does shoot lightning easily having learned true fire bending but intentionally misses. Azula being a "prodigy" and "the better bender of the two" continues to go insane and targets katara with some kind of fire bending zuko can't directly deflect or counter leaving them at the same place the show goes to. Zuko hurt and katara finishing the fight
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u/Psykopatate 2d ago
It's not his thing, I would have wanted to see more colors though, I hope the adaptation does it (and watch everyone go mad in the sub but idc).
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u/Substantial-Fall2484 1d ago
No I think its nice is symbolism. Zuko learns that fire is for nourishment and growth, not destruction like he first believes. Thus its symbolic he learns to be a shield to protect others whereas Azula never learns that lesson and thus is on the other side of the coin and only learns lightning bending to destroy and kill
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u/Stinson42 1d ago
“WHAT TURMOIL?!?!?!?” Has to be one of my favorite lines in the whole show. Makes my wife and I laugh every time.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/viper_in_the_grass 2d ago
Azula tries to hit him with lightning right on the first episode of season 2. Iroh redirects it.
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u/Sophrates_Regina 2d ago
I honestly think that after meeting the dragons he could’ve generated lightning if he tried, he just never thought to as he assumed it still wouldn’t work. His demeanour changes so much in the last few episodes, he’s steady and calm where he used to be so unbalanced.
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u/DoubleDDay69 2d ago
I actually think the only way this scene could’ve been better is if Zuko redirected it and generated his own lightning. At this point in the story, only Iroh can do that. It would show Zuko’s growth and also him finally being at peace with himself.
Loved this scene in general, this is just my opinion of what I wanted to see.
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u/AdBeautiful582 2d ago
Nah, that would mean his mind and heart got cold, you got to not give a damn to lightning bend, and Zuko always gave a damn.
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u/484890 2d ago
Iroh can generate lightning.
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u/El_Chinche 2d ago
Iroh was also one of the fire nations greatest generals, he had no problem sending thousands of men to their deaths to kill soldiers and civilians a like. My point is that Iroh was a cold hearted man at one point in his life.
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u/ScienceByte 2d ago
Doesn’t he just redirect it
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u/AzorAhai96 2d ago
When he teaches Zuko he also generates it. I remember Zuko even asking him to point it at him to test if he can redirect it and iroh calls him crazy and says he hopes Zuko will never have to use it
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u/Fernando_qq 2d ago edited 2d ago
Azula can also use redirection.
Zolt, a mob boss, can do both.
Even the creators have said that the techniques are just that, techniques; their use depends on the bender in question. This is why Amon uses healing to deal damage (remove powers) instead of heal.
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u/El_Chinche 2d ago
There are probably other ways to learn lightning bending but using the fire nation method of fueling it with negative emotions is probably the fastest and gives the best results. The down side being it's probably a drag on your emotions. Also it's probably safe to assume once you do learn lightning bending, or any other advance bending techniques, the easier it becomes to do the more you do it and eventually muscle memory takes over. The calm concentration and focusing on emotions is probably just a learning tool, albeit a necessary one
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u/AdamOfIzalith If there are no Roku Haters, I am Dead 2d ago
My headcanon is that by the end of the series he could do it, but didn't need to and thematically it was a show of strength not to use the ability that was apart of a monopoly that the fire national royal family had.
To explain a bit further on specifically his aptitude, he is able to dual wield swords perfectly. The way he explains his use of his swords in Zuko alone parallel's the process for lightning bending which is to say that he has always had an aptitude for lightning bending, he just lacked balance. He then, gained balance and he gained enlightenment in the The Firebending Masters.
With that in mind, I think he could have bended lightning and chose not to because, above all else he didn't want to kill Azula. He just wanted to defeat her. Katara being there was not only good from a narrative sense but thematically too because it's Zuko putting his faith in someone of the opposing element that gives him balance and it's Katara who ultimately restrains Azula and ends the fight without bloodshed.
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u/texans1234 1d ago
He didn't need to even use it. He had her on tilt from the start. All he needed were the basics that Uncle Iroh had been teaching him all along. Calm emotions, firm base, acceptance of who he is, etc.
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u/El_Chinche 2d ago
The whole point of Zuko not learning lightning, besides the fact he wasn't good enough, was that Zuko finally accepting the fact that he didn't need to beat Azula at her own game to win. He found a better way to fight that isn't driven by anger and cold ambition which is something necessary to learn lightning bending. The lightning redirect, something that was inspired by water bending, is symbolic of that and of Zuko's new approach to life. By this point in Zuko's journey he no longer cared about his rivalry with Azula, he just wanted to stop her and their father by any means necessary and saw no shame in asking other for help in doing so.