An Avatar Fanfiction

Avatar Parallels || Aang and Yue helping each other

01x20 “The Siege of the North Part 2” || 03x01 “The Awakening”

gif 1, past: Katara falls to the ground. Text over the gif reads: “Don’t lie!” gif 2, present: Katara looks over her shoulder with a glare, hurt and angry at Zuko; and then she walks away. He throws up his hands in frustration.

gif 3, present: Katara yells something, putting on hand on her chest, and then dropping that hand and pointing with the other out to sea. gif 4, past: Katara looks away from the water octopus she’s bending, shocked tears in her eyes. Text over the gif reads: “You look her in the eyes”.

gif 5, past: Katara and Zuko attack each other, with water- and fire-whips respectively, across a thin canal of water in the catacombs. Text over the gif reads: “And you tell me”. gif 6, present: Katara angrily says something to Zuko, then walks past him. He doesn’t say anything.

gif 7, present: Zuko bows his head. gif 8, past: Zuko frantically punches fireballs towards the viewer. Text over the gif reads: “You don’t remember”.

gif 9, past: Katara holds an injured, passed-out Aang in her arms. She looks at him, and then she looks up. Text over the gif reads: “What you did!” gif 10, present: Zuko looks back at Katara regretfully.

Zuko’s Broadswords

The broadswords that Zuko uses are niuweidao (牛尾刀) or “oxtail sabers”. Niuweidao are characterized by their flat and wide blades, flared tips, rounded cutting sections, and noticeably bent hilt; all characteristics present in Zuko’s swords.

The niuweidao actually has a rather unique history compared to other Chinese weapons. Whereas most Chinese weapons were adapted to be used by the imperial troops, the niuweidao was created and used exclusively by civilians. The primary reason for this was that their design was optimized to efficiently cut through flesh rather than harder surfaces; making them impractical for slashing through armored soldiers on the battlefield but perfect for petty robbery and common street violence. Unsurprisingly, these 19th-century swords came to be associated with rebels and criminals.

That Zuko chooses to wield niuweidao as the Blue Spirit is yet another example of his intelligence. After all, no one would expect the Prince of the Fire Nation, with a ship full of military-grade tools at his disposal, to utilize a weapon wielded by the lowest levels of society.

The niuweidao being the weapon of thugs also explains why that one Earth Kingdom jerk had a pair on him as well. In fact, you’ll notice that Zuko only ever uses his broadswords when he’s behaving criminally or rebelliously. Even his dual-wielding breaks from typical sword-fighting convention. The swords are the embodiment of his innate brashness.

This also provides a unique foil to Sokka and his sword. Sokka is often dismissed as a “peasant” and many characters simply write him off as dimwitted goofball. Yet his sword, the jian, is an ancient weapon dating back to 500 BC and is considered to be the weapon of scholars and gentlemen. Sokka’s sword embodies all of his most overlooked qualities: His intelligence, creativity, and honorable nature.

Zuko, by contrast, was seen as the elitist prince obsessed with honor and maintaining the Fire Nation’s imperial legacy. Yet his swords of choice, the niuweidao, are a relatively new kind of weapon from the fringes of society. Their entire purpose is to undermine the established power structure. Zuko’s swords embodies all of his most overlooked qualities: His boldness, his cunning, and his willingness to break from tradition.

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