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(DISCLAIMER: These are my personal opinions and observations. You are allowed to disagree with me. This is all just for fun. Thanks!)
Hello, my fellow story-loving nerds! Welcome to the first official analysis of We Arc Here. Since this is the first post, I had to start off with one of my favorite characters of all time: Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Completely ignoring the fact that the animators made him gorgeous (though that is very hard to do), Prince Zuko is one of the most complex and realistic characters I have ever seen in media. I will be going through the stages of Zuko's arc, picking out specific moments that stand out and show the complexities of his character. In doing this, we will hopefully gain a deeper understanding of Zuko, why he is the way he is, and how he ends up where he does at the end of the show. That being said: SPOILER ALERT!
Book 1: Water
As soon as the show starts, we are informed that the Fire Nation is the main antagonist of the story, so it makes sense that when we are introduced to Zuko (prince of the Fire Nation), we immediately frame him as a bad guy. Not only is he the son of the Fire Lord, but he is tasked with finding the Avatar and bringing him back to the Fire Nation most likely to be killed. So, Fire Nation+kidnapper=bad guy, right? Right.
Enter Commander Zhao.
The antagonist to the antagonist. Suddenly, we have someone even less likable than Zuko, and though we don't want either of them to get what they want at the expense of Team Avatar, in this mini showdown between them, you can't help but root for the underdog that is the less equipped and less experienced teenager. Thus, sympathy points to Zuko.
Later in episode twelve titled "The Storm," Zuko earns even more points from me. As the title suggests, there is a huge storm that is affecting all of the main characters, including Zuko. Despite the dangers, Zuko makes it clear that the only thing he cares about is pursuing the Avatar, and he is willing to put the entire crew in danger to do so. The crew is obviously not happy about this but before a potential mutiny can occur, Uncle Iroh steps in like the OG he is. Iroh sits the crew down and tells them the tragic story of Prince Zuko. We are shown through flashbacks what went down right before Zuko was banished. Though it doesn't excuse the way he acts and treats people, it explains it, and it gives us a better understanding of him.
I came across this quote from a Screen Rant post by Ian Krietsberg that perfectly sums up Zuko's story in this first book. It said, "he was a boy forced to bear the burden of a man." A teenager with the constant pressure and disapproval from a father who physically scarred him, publically disowned him, and sent him on a wild goose chase that he had no faith the boy would come back from. How would you feel in his shoes? Sad? Angry? Worthless? All valid emotions in this situation. Also all emotions we see in Zuko throughout this book. We love a relatable character.
Book 2: Earth
This is the book when things get genuinely tumultuous in our boy's internal journey.
Now that Zhao is out of the picture, there needs to be someone or something new to actively stand in the way of Zuko's goals. This time, his opponent is even more clever, power-hungry, and vicious than the commander could have ever dreamed. And she is the princess of the Fire Nation.
Up to this point, we knew exactly what Zuko wanted: to be welcomed home with love and respect from his father. Everyone who knows Zuko at this point is aware of this, including his sister, Azula. She uses this knowledge to manipulate her brother in an attempt to capture him. Luckily, a dumb guard misspeaks, and our favorite fire boy and uncle escape. This is the final nail in the coffin of Zuko's humiliation. After everything he's done in an attempt to prove himself, the Fire Lord sends Azula to capture and imprison them, forcing them to hide. Now on the run, Zuko and his uncle renounce their royal blood, taking refuge in the Earth Kingdom.
With the prince no longer pursuing the Avatar, it would seem that we have no reason to continue to focus on him. But rather than pull back on Zuko's screen time, it increases. Though not as dangerous as his previous adventures, watching the internal battle Zuko goes through while trying to find out who he wants to be. The culmination of this happens in the last three episodes of the season. Before this, we mainly saw bitterness and irritation at the circumstances he was placed in. Then in the episode "Lake Laogai," he catches wind of Appa being held in the Ba Sing Se. He takes this opportunity to hunt down the sky bison but when he finds the creature, rather than use him to get to Aang as originally planned, he takes Iroh's advice and lets Appa go. This drastic shift from who he was leads the prince to spiral.
In the very next episode titled "The Earth King," Zuko falls into what Iroh describes as "a war within [the] mind and body." The show depicts Zuko falling ill while at the same time experiencing dreams of two dragons giving him conflicting advice. For the entire episode, we are watching Zuko struggle, wondering what he will choose. By the end, it seems he has chosen his new, simple life in Ba Sing Se. He is happy.
Open on "The Guru/The Crossroads of Destiny." This is the episode where the true decision has to be made. After being captured by his sister and thrown into a crystal prison with Katara, the two get to talking and bonding. The way he talks, Zuko seems genuinely remorseful for what he'd done up to this point and he is. He even manages to convince Katara, but then ish hits the fan. A showdown. Azula on one side, team Avatar and Uncle Iroh on the other. One would think after already choosing to let go of this pursuit and seeing his #1 supporter on the side of the good guys, it makes the decision very easy. One would be wrong. It was one thing to make the decision when he had no real means of succeeding. Now with Azula outnumbered and obviously needing any help she can get, redemption is within his grasp. And he takes it. This split decision seems to unravel all of the growth that we saw in him up until now. However, just like last time, this isn't the end of the story.
Book 3: Fire
Zuko has finally achieved what he set out to in the beginning. He's defeated the Avatar, regained his honor, and been welcomed home. Zuko has to be happy now, right? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous.
Everything he thought he wanted isn't filling the void within him like he thought it would. He is still fighting with himself to figure out what he wants and who he wishes to be. He visits his uncle in hopes of receiving answers but what he learns only makes things more complicated for him. Finally, he chooses.
On the day of the Solar Eclipse in episode 10, Zuko confronts his father and declares that he will be joining the Avatar and becoming his fire-bending teacher. We finally see Zuko making a decision on his own without anyone in his ear telling him what to do. Even after finding that Iroh escaped on his own, Zuko continues on this new path without the need for approval from anyone else. He works the rest of the book to earn the trust of his new allies. Despite this, we don't lose the grumpy, hot-headed prince that we've come to know and love throughout the show. He is still himself, just an elevated version. Book 3 showcases the completeness of Zuko as a person. We are able to see him be happy, sad, and triumphant. He's learned to acknowledge, handle, and embrace his emotions in a healthy way. When he is crowned Fire Lord at the end of the show, Zuko has 100% earned it. He has fought for this role and with the wisdom he obtained and the council of his new friends, there is no doubt that he will work tirelessly to rebuild the world that his family before him destroyed.
Watching his journey from being a shame-filled disgraced prince to becoming a wise leader of the Fire Nation is a rollercoaster. This is what solidifies it as the best redemption arc I've ever seen. He went through hell and. Of all the characters in the show, Zuko felt the most real and tangible. This is just one of the many reasons why Avatar: The Last Airbender is hailed by many as one of the best shows ever.