The Female Carlton Banks

Zutara as told through "date a boy suggestions" Textposts: Part 2

Part 1

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Image 1: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Katara and Zuko are hugging each other very tightly on a pier against the sunset, with both of their eyes closed and Katara’s mouth seen in a smile. A text box reads, "Date a boy who holds you so tightly you feel whole again."

Image 2: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko has a yearning expression on his face as he stands on the pier and keeps watching Katara walk away. A text box reads, "date a boy who looks at you like youre the only one in the room."

Image 3: This is a screenshot from "The Ember Island Players." Katara is watching Zuko finish training Aang for the day in the Ember Island beach house. Zuko and Aang are bowing to each other, and Katara sits on the steps watching. A text box reads, "Date a boy who is strong."

Image 4: This is a screenshot from "The Ember Island Players." Katara and Zuko are sitting next to each other in the theater. Katara has her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, and is looking at Zuko with a smirk on her face. Zuko is sinking into his seat with a frown on his face as he looks towards the stage. A text box reads, "Date a boy who is a dork."

Image 5: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters." Katara and Zuko are sleeping next to each at night in mirroring positions on Appa. Zuko is facing away. Katara is facing towards the camera with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. A text box reads, "Date a boy with whom you can fall asleep safe and sound next to him."

Image 6: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters." Zuko and Katara are sitting next to each other at night outside of Iroh’s tent. Zuko is looking straight ahead with a sad expression, but is nodding his head and sitting up. Katara sits to his left side and is looking at him with a soft expression and a smile on her face. A text box reads, "Date a boy who tries."

Image 7: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno." Zuko’s face is twisted in pain as he takes a lightning bolt to the chest to stop the bolt from reaching Katara behind him. A text box reads, "Date a boy who ends up being the epic love of your life."

Image 8: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet: Avatar Aang." Zuko is on the ground with his face twisted in pain from taking a lightning bolt to the chest. He is looking up and reaching one hand outward in Katara’s direction. A text box reads, "Date a boy who loves you dearly."

Image 9: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet: Avatar Aang." Zuko is on the ground after being healed by Katara, and his mouth is open in a slight smile as he says something to her. His expression is reverent and tired. A text box reads, "Date a boy who respects you .PERIODT."

Image 10: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet: Avatar Aang." Katara is helping Zuko to get up from the ground after healing his lightning wound to the chest. Zuko’s face is in a grimace of pain. Katara is touching his chest and is looking at him with a worried expression. A text box reads, "Date a boy who has been hurt and is now healed because of you 💌."

Zutara as told through "date a boy suggestions" Textposts: Part 1

Part 2

(Image Description:

Image 1: This is a screenshot from "The Crossroads of Destiny." Katara and Zuko are sitting a distance apart on the floor of the crystal catacombs. Zuko is turned to Katara to tell her something. Katara is listening to what Zuko is saying, and is wiping her tears away. A text box reads, "date a boy who cares."

Image 2: This is a screenshot from "The Crossroads of Destiny." Katara and Zuko are standing in the crystal catacombs. Zuko is touching his scar and saying something to Katara. Katara is watching him and listening. A text box reads, "Date a boy who trusts you enough to tell you his deepest secrets and fears."

Image 3: This is a screenshot from "The Crossroads of Destiny." Katara and Zuko are standing across from each other in the crystal catacombs. Katara is touching Zuko’s scar with her right hand, and Zuko’s eyes are closed as he leans into her touch. In Katara’s left hand is a vial of spirit water. A text box reads, "Date a boy who is bound by the same red string of fate."

Image 4: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko is in Sokka’s tent saying something. A text box reads, "Date a boy who remembers that very specific detail about you that you mentioned months ago."

Image 5: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko is sitting on a large rock outside of Katara’s tent, and is looking up with bleary eyes and a tired expression at Katara. Katara stands in front of him with her arms crossed. A text box reads, "Date a boy who respects your boundaries with no problems."

Image 6: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Katara is brushing her hair and Zuko stands behind her. Zuko is saying something to Katara. Katara has an extremely wide-eyed and surprised expression as she listens to what Zuko is saying. A text box reads, "Date a boy who understands and wants to help you heal."

Image 7: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko is speaking to Sokka and Aang with a frown, while Katara has her back turned to them. A text box reads, "Date a boy who sticks up for you."

Image 8: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko is watching Katara against the sun while on Appa’s saddle. A text box reads, "Date a boy who looks at you in the same way that you look at the stars."

Image 9: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Zuko and Katara are standing outside in the rain. Katara is closing her eyes as she stands in front of Yon Rha with a sad and decisive expression. Zuko is standing beside her and staring at a point in front of him with a sad expression. A text box reads, "date a boy who remains by your side when things get difficult."

Image 10: This is a screenshot from "The Southern Raiders." Katara and Zuko stand across from each other on a pier against the sunset. They are staring into each other’s eyes. Zuko has a neutral expression. Katara has a soft expression and a smile on her face. A text box reads, "Date a boy who will wait for and support you for as long as you need, asking for nothing in return, yet still being willing to give all his love to you when you're ready. (And try not to let him go too soon)."

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“No,” it says finally. “I am many.”

Structurally speaking, ATLA did something important with Zuko that, in a purely mechanistic sense of narrative development, I think a lot of people don’t notice immediately, and that even fewer people who want to emulate what was done with him get.

Which is Zuko is made a protagonist VERY early, and the show goes out of its way to continually place Zuko into situations where the audience empathizes and roots for him.

This happens in literally the second episode of the series, if we count the two-part premiere as a single episode, which I think we should. The A-plot of that episode, “The Southern Air Temple,” is Aang reckoning with the genocide of his people… but the B-plot?

The B-plot is the introduction of Zhao, and more specifically, his introduction in a way that is calculate to shift the audience, whose introduction to Zuko did NOT engender a ton of sympathy to him, directly and forcefully onto his side. They want Zuko to kick Zhao’s ass.

This continues all through book one and book two. Remember, Zuko is never, ever the main villain of this series. That’s initially Zhao, followed by Azula and Ozai. (Plus various temporary players like Long Feng.) Whenever Zuko isn’t placed into direct conflict with the other protagonists, he’s always written and presented in a way that is careful, VERY VERY careful, not to make him too monstrous, and to make us root for him. He’s placed right next to Iroh, who is designed for people to like, and that reflects back onto Zuko; we want Zuko to be better than he is because we want Iroh to have good things.

1.) 

He made a deal with Aang to leave the Southern Water Tribe alone if Aang went with him. When Aang escaped with help from two of those tribe members, Zuko didn’t demand they go back and destroy what was left of the tribe as revenge. He didn’t even think of it as an option. There was no split second where he went, should I/shouldn’t I?

2.) 

This is repeated. He corners the Avatar somewhere, causes some damage to the area in the ensuing fight, but does not stick around to raze the village/monastery to the ground and kill the people when he doesn’t get what he wants. Doesn’t consider this a necessary action even once.

3.) 

The Iroh&Zuko relationship is juxtaposed with the Zhao&Zuko relationship. Both older men have more power over him. Iroh is a retired War General and Prince who is not banished. Zhao is a Commander in favor of the Firelord, who is also not banished. We could tell early on that Iroh is wise and despite being on the bad side, seems to be pretty chill. We took a liking to him immediately. Zhao is the opposite. He is very much like early!Zuko. Impulsive, rude, loud, cocky, etc… But why is he more annoying? Why do we root for Zuko as opposed to him? 

Because we see what Zuko is like with his Uncle Iroh. Iroh does not rub in the fact that he’s banished. He doesn’t use that when reprimanding him for his attitude or his failings. That is a hot iron and he knows it. It’s to the point where Iroh can bend fire in Zuko’s face and Zuko is perfectly relaxed over it and doesn’t once believe his uncle will hurt him. There is a lot of faith in Iroh, from this angsty teenager, and it’s very obvious with their interactions.

Zhao is not trustworthy from the start. We’re shown this by how both Zuko and Iroh are hesitant to interact with him and don’t want to linger in areas he has control over, for too long. They even lie to him despite him obviously having more favor in the Firelord’s eyes than either of them do. Zhao’s personality opposes both Zuko and Iroh. And as we like Iroh, we want him to win and have nice things, as stated above. But Zuko&Iroh is a package deal. And as Zhao reveals himself more and more to be nasty even if it’s subtle, we want Zuko to win even harder.

And even when Zuko wins and he’s in the prime position to do to Zhao what Ozai did to Zuko for also ‘speaking out of turn’… he doesn’t do it. He walks away. He is the bigger man in that scenario. And Iroh further puts shame onto Zhao when he goes against the sacred rules of the Agni Kai because he can’t handle a loss to a banished teen. We are shown that Zuko follows rules and has honor, which is reinforced by Iroh’s, ‘even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you’. Iroh’s Word is basically Law at this point. Sf he says it is so, then he must be right and the audience accepts that. He knows Zuko better than us and hopefully we’ll get to understand more as the story progresses.

Already by the 3rd episode, we’re shown that Zuko is in no way the worst person from the Fire Nation. In fact, we’re given a sort of scale now from the four major Fire Nation people we know of. Iroh–Zuko——-Zhao–Firelord.

We’re also hoping that Iroh rubs off on Zuko enough for him to also become wise and learn to chill out.

4.) 

When “The Storm” finally rolls around, we’re pretty invested by then in the Iroh&Zuko relationship and that episode gives us so much more info into Zuko’s character and we are shown that Iroh is right. He has honor and he cares for others. And yet it’s obvious the Firelord doesn’t because we see Zuko do the right thing(protesting the plan to treat new recruits as cannon fodder) in the wrong place, and then his face gets burned off by his father because of it. And further, he’s banished for refusing to fight his own father. What sane parent wants to do battle with their own child? What sane parent banishes their child for speaking out of turn at the defense of their own peoples’ lives? What the fuck is wrong with the Firelord?

Zuko was punished severely for showing compassion and having a kind heart. And Iroh(and the ship crew even) is properly mortified by the punishments his nephew received for it, which in turn affects the audience’s perception of this situation. Iroh doesn’t like it, it’s especially bad then.

Now we start wondering why does Zuko wants to go back to the guy who burned his face off?! Iroh, talk some sense into him! PLEASE!

Halfway through S1, they got us to the point of wanting Zuko to have a redemption arc.