Anime
Zoko Avatar 10 Ways Zuko Is The Best Character
Zoko Avatar: At first glance, Prince Zuko appears to be a cartoonish villain, but there’s a lot more to him than that. He’s in the running for Best Character.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an animated action fantasy series starring Aang, the last Airbender, who is on a quest to bring peace to the world. For a hundred years, the world has been at war, and only the Avatar can save it from the wrath of Fire Lord Ozai. Aang, on the other hand, has more foes than Ozai; he also needs to deal with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.
10 Ways Avatar Zuko Is The Best Character
Table of Contents
Prince Zuko started out as a cartoonish villain, distinguished by his irrational rage and pratfalls when fighting Aang. The series, on the other hand, did an excellent job of fleshing out his character, making him a well-rounded and approachable figure who is simply unhappy and lost in life, rather than malevolent. Zuko’s storey arc is astounding, and he has proven to be the best character in the series in many aspects.
Zuko humbled himself and changed his fate.
Zuko’s preoccupation at first was to catch Aang, believing it was his destiny to eliminate the Fire Nation’s greatest foe, the Avatar. This would bring him enormous honour in his home country. His uncle Iroh, on the other hand, recognised that this was not Zuko’s true fate, and Zuko later learned it as well.
Zuko abandoned his petty notion of honour in favour of assisting the Avatar. It was Aang’s destiny to defeat Ozai, and Zuko’s humble destiny was to stand by the Avatar and restore his honour in his own unique way. Zuko’s destiny is one of peace rather than conquering.
Zuko’s Opinion On His Crew Has Changed
The crew aboard Zuko’s destroyer disliked Zuko’s use of them as disposable tools at first. Iroh attempted to mediate between the two camps, and the crew chose to give Zuko another chance rather than start a mutiny. Zuko quickly earned Zuko’s trust.
Zuko threw up his chance to catch Aang during a storm in lieu of assisting a crewmate who was in mortal danger, and no one, not even Iroh, urged him to do so. Zuko made the selfless decision to prioritise his soldiers over his personal interests, which is admirable.
Zuko’s Heart Was Always Compassionate
Zuko was a likeable kid when he was younger, a pleasant and sincere young man who never did anyone any harm. True, he had frequent verbal spats with his cruel sister Azula, but Zuko was otherwise almost identical to Aang in every manner.
This part of Zuko was finally buried beneath rage and hatred, yet it never completely vanished. Zuko has always been the kind boy who feeds bread chunks to turtle-ducks and listens to his devoted mother Ursa, which says a lot about him. This aspect of him was essential in his restoration.
Iroh and Zuko have a great chemistry.
When two characters have great on-screen chemistry, they have significant and profound interactions based on their personalities’ contrasts and overlaps, and they complement each other well. On-screen chemistry is generally associated with romance, although it can also refer to friendships, rivalries, and other relationships.
Zuko and his uncle Iroh are similar enough to get along with, yet different enough that their teasing and disputes have real meaning. It’s always amusing to watch Zuko become irritated by Iroh’s lighthearted and compassionate personality.
In Ba Sing Se, Zuko had a lovely date.
Zuko and Iroh joined the millions of war refugees in the huge city of Ba Sing Se during Book Two: Earth, and they made sure to stay hidden from both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. They also worked at a tea store, where a customer named Jin came in one day and showed an immediate interest in Zuko.
Zuko was hesitant at first, but Iroh persuaded him to meet Jin, and the two had an awkward but wonderful date that night in Ba Sing Se’s quiet streets. To amaze Jin, Zuko even used firebending to light some lights while concealing how he did it. Iroh was pleasantly surprised when Zuko told him that his date night had been “wonderful.”
Admiral Zhao was rescued by Zuko.
Aang was kidnapped by the conniving Admiral Zhao about halfway through Book One: Water, and no one was coming to his rescue. Until a masked ninja in a blue mask appeared and broke him free, as well as assisting him in fighting off Zhao’s guards.
The “blue spirit” was actually Zuko in disguise, and Aang was disappointed that he and Zuko wouldn’t be able to become more permanent allies as a result. On the surface, Zuko saved Aang in order to destroy his competitor Zhao, but perhaps a part of him really dreaded Zhao’s victory over the Avatar and, by consequence, the world.
Zuko Approached His Father
When the Fire Nation was invaded on the day of the black sun, Zuko determined he didn’t need anything from his Fire Lord father and confronted him in Ozai’s underground bunker. While the war aboveground continued, Zuko revealed his intention to back the Avatar and bring Ozai down.
This was Zuko’s moment of no return, and it was a thrilling and inspiring spectacle to witness. Zuko confronted his authoritarian father vocally, then utilised Iroh’s method to deflect Ozai’s lightning and flee. If only Aang had been present to see it.
Sokka was aided in breaking inside the Boiling Rock by Zuko.
Sokka revealed his wish to find and rescue his father, Hakoda, who had been captured during the black sun invasion, late in Book Three: Fire, when Zuko joined the Gaang. He turned to Zuko for assistance, and Zuko told him about the Boiling Rock, a dreaded maximum-security jail in the Fire Nation.
Zuko was hesitant at first, but despite the dangers, he consented to help Sokka rescue Hakoda, which is especially surprising given that Zuko had no personal connection to Hakoda. During the Boiling Rock expedition, Zuko had to go through a lot, including fighting Azula again, but everything worked out in the end. Zuko was a hero in his own right.
Zuko was able to mend his relationship with Mai.
Since their upbringing in the Fire Nation capitol, Zuko and Mai have had a tumultuous relationship, and they had their fair share of drama during the main events of Avatar. For a period, Zuko and Mai were grumpy and irritated one other, only to restore their connections in Book Three, only to break up again.
Zuko admitted to leaving a “I’m breaking up with you” note, and he and Mai were able to mend their relationship permanently by the end of the series. Zuko’s inner turmoil had been overcome, and he was now a more faithful and stable partner for Mai.
Despite his many hardships, Zuko clung to hope.
From Aang losing his whole Air Nomad culture to Sokka and Katara losing their mother to Azula, who crumbled under the expectation to be flawless, most important characters in Avatar experienced sadness and pain. Zuko, without a doubt, took the worst of the punishment.
Zuko was put to the test from all sides, including his own family, his homeland, Aang’s party, and a slew of random strangers. Despite the stress, tribulations, and self-doubt, Zuko persisted in doing what was right, no matter how many opponents he had. Even before his salvation, that is highly praiseworthy.
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