I've been thinking about doing an essay for ages, it's about time I wrote something while on my break from uni and contribute SOMETHING to DA. So, I've completed this long ass essay on Zuko’s character development so far and what role everyone has played in Zuko’s arc. It'll end up being a 2 maybe 3 part essay.


Zuko is one of the most complicated characters in the series consequently; he’s probably the hardest to understand. Throughout most of the series, he wanted his ‘honor’ back, his father’s approval. At the end of S2, he made the decision to side with Azula and country to gain that approval. Zuko might have been making steps towards the ‘good side,’ like freeing Appa in Lake Laogai, but it just wasn’t the right time for him to go against his dad. There are a few very important reasons why Zuko couldn’t help the Gaang at that particular point in the story, both character and story wise.

Firstly, it would be very bad story telling to have a character choose the opposite of what they’ve strived for, without actually getting what they’ve worked so hard for FIRST. Zuko needed to get the thing he most desired to realize it isn’t what he wants at all. When he returns home, we see him acting abrasive and high strung with nearly everyone. He’s been through and seen too much during his time away from home that he can’t be content with having his old life back. “I admit it. I have everything I always wanted, but it's not at all how I thought it would be. The truth is I need your advice. I think the Avatar is still alive. I know he's out there. I'm losing my mind. Please, Uncle, I'm so confused! I need your help. Forget it! I'll solve this myself! Waste away in here for all I care!”

If Ozai finds out he didn’t kill Aang, he will lose everything he’s worked so hard for. Now he has everything he’s wanted, he has to fight to keep it. At the price of finally having his father’s acceptance, he betrayed his loyal and caring uncle. Iroh is so hurt by Zuko’s actions he refuses to acknowledge his nephew. Now Zuko must face the responsibility of his actions on his own. Seeing the Avatar as a threat to everything he finally has, he hires an assassin (Combustion Man) to kill Aang and make his problems disappear.

Another essential reason why Zuko couldn’t have possibly joined the Gaang in CoD; Zuko views Aang as little more than a symbol. To Zuko, Aang is an obstacle in his way. Zuko distances, himself from Aang. In fact, he almost dehumanizes Aang in an attempt to fulfill his duty without guilt. For example, in “The Blue Spirit,” Zuko throws a fire blast at Aang after innocently asking if they could’ve been friends at one point in the past. After Aang leaves, Zuko watches Aang leave with a sad, possibly regretful look, but continues to hunt Aang to regain his lost “honor.”

When Iroh attempts to teach Zuko the concept of unity through lecturing him on the four nations and their culture, he the concept escapes him. He can’t understand the philosophy, “we’re all one people.” To Zuko it’s just ‘Avatar stuff,’ which is part of the reason he couldn’t master lightening redirection. Zuko asserts it’s his duty, his ‘destiny’ to capture Aang, after Iroh points out he wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Aang. Zuko defends his bad decisions by using duty and patriotism to escape responsibility from his actions. In “The Headband,” Zuko stubbornly defends his actions to Iroh and himself by leaning on the stringent sense of nationalism that he was raised to follow. “You brought this on yourself, you know. We could have returned together. You could have been a hero! You have no right to judge me Uncle. I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se, and you're a fool for not joining me.”

Soon, Iroh tries to help Zuko form his own ‘destiny’ by informing Zuko on the history of the century long war and his relation to the Avatar: Avatar Roku is Zuko’s maternal great grandfather. This information shakes Zuko’s world to the core, for so long, the Avatar was merely a symbol to Zuko that threatened his goals. Iroh forced Zuko to see the Avatar as an actual human being. In a way, he forced him to see a connection between him and Aang he never wanted. Zuko and Aang are both ‘descendent’ from Roku and Zuko has the responsibility of fixing the problems of the past. When Iroh gives Zuko the crown, he stares at it and contemplates what his uncle told him.

Zuko has been doing exactly what his father and Fire Nation society demands of him, but Zuko couldn’t keep up his defense of patriotism and loyalty for very long. Zuko knew the Fire Nation was wrong, he just wouldn’t admit it to himself until he realized how much the war has wronged his own family.

Zuko is slowly forced to take responsibility for actions and Mai played a key role in forcing Zuko to stop from sinking into a cycle of anger and self-pity. His abrasive, brooding and standoffish attitude was often justified by his traumatizing past, Mai doesn’t let him dwell on his angst. In “The Awakening” when Zuko shares his reservations about his return home, Mai flippantly comments “I asked if you were cold, not your life story,” then assures him everything will be fine. Mai never allows Zuko to wallow in his angst. In “The Beach” Mai does not tolerate his increasingly angry and jealous attitude and calls him out on it, resulting in a falling out between the young couple. Mai only forgives Zuko when he admits he is confused and doesn’t know right from wrong anymore.

Mai is supportive, yet firm with Zuko, which is exactly what he needed to help him finally stop taking responsibilities for his own on problems and start making his own decisions. Mai offers help and support, but she does not and cannot ‘heal’ Zuko, because is the only one who can do that, as evidenced in “Nightmares and Daydreams.” Mai tries to cheer Zuko up, she listens to him, tries to console him the best she can, listens to him and even makes him tea. As much Mai wants to help Zuko, she knows there is only so much she can do.

Zuko’s arc has been a real, complicated and somehow relatable experience. He slowly struggles with accepting, moving on with his problems and following his own convictions.

Damn, that was long.