#chief arnook

Now, to be fair, Yue does not get a lot of screen time or development, and most of her development is in relation to being Sokka's love interest, and bolstering his story forward. So while I think how overlooked she is in fandom is definitely in part due to misogyny, I also see how most people won't be overanalyzing the interior of incredibly minor characters. So while I think that depth is there, I understand why most viewers don't really see it, especially when a lot of it has to be inferred from context. Which is what I am here to do today.

I was going to go appearance-by-appearance, and kind of structure this meta that way, but I realized that wouldn't work very well given the actual structure of Yue's story, I decided to go for a different approach.

Part 1: Sokka and Yue

Now this relationship, again, is what Yue is known the most for. I wouldn't say it's her primary purpose in the narrative, but it is certainly one of her most major ones. She pushes his development in this Northern Water Tribe arc, and then later down the line when he tries to cope with losing her. Most of her scenes do involve Sokka to some extent or another. And, ultimately, he's the only one she goes out of her way to say goodbye to.

I personally think this relationship is just a bit underdeveloped (one of the many reasons there should have been at least one more episode in the Northern Water Tribe). But I find what we do get pretty interesting.

First of all, there are two things, on Yue's side, that particularly stick out to me in their first conversation together.

First of all, she's seems genuinely charmed by Sokka's enthusiasm, awkwardness, and lack of formality. She's legitimately interested in this conversation, and she seems to really like him going forward.

Secondly, she also seems honestly unsure how to talk to him. She vacillates between talking to him in a gracious, formal manner, and not knowing how to talk to him at all.

Sokka: "Hi there. Sokka, Southern Water Tribe."

Yue: Very nice to meet you.

*awkward silence*

Sokka: So . . . uhhh . . . you're a princess, huh? (Yue nods and smiles) You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of like a prince, myself.

To me, at least, it seems like she legitimately doesn't know how to talk to someone her own age. She can be gracious, she can be sweet and composed, she can be silent and listen, but she can't talk to someone informally, much less one of her peers. It's almost as if she's been raised for so long to fulfill this specific "princess" role, that she honestly has difficulty breaking out of it. Even with someone who is being far, far less composed and elegant than she is.

And this . . . gives me the impression that she is really, really lonely. Like, we never see any of her friends (which kind of implies that she doesn't have any), she only has her father as far as family members (and, oh boy, we will get to that), and obviously she doesn't care much for Hahn (who looks, like 3-5 years older than her anyway), or any of the other friends of her father.

She seems to have nannies/caregivers.

As well as at least one servant.

But she doesn't really seem to have much else, in terms of people she can talk to. Which is why I think she attaches so quickly to Sokka, because he's someone she doesn't have to worry about formality around, and because it doesn't seem to faze him much that she's a princess. Besides, he's at least someone she can talk to.

Later down the line, I think Sokka will symbolize a sort of freedom, liveliness, and free-spiritedness that Yue's has never really gotten to experience before. He was the silver lining to the shitty situation she was trapped in. He was freedom, escape, joy in the face of stagnancy and misery.

Ultimately, he couldn't save her. But he did give her the hope, even for the briefest moments, that she could be saved. And I don't think she ever forgot him for that.

(On Sokka's end, I personally think this relationship is brought down by his unresolved misogyny. Like, I struggle to think about what he likes about her other than the fact that she's pretty and nice. He's pretty quick to crush on her purely based on appearance. He doesn't seem to have any particularly deep understanding, or appreciation, of her struggles or her sacrifices. Maybe we would have gotten more if we had had a little more time to flesh out this relationship, but as of now, I don't think it's as strong as it could have been. Anyways, back to Yue.)

And that brings me to another contributing factor to Yue's loneliness (a little more on Sokka and Yue later):

Part 2: Yue's Mother

I guess she's dead???

It's never spelled out, by she doesn't appear anywhere, and she's never really mentioned, so I think "dead" is the most straightforward answer.

Like she's here in the flashback.

But she isn't anywhere else.

I think it's possible she died when Yue was young, which is why she doesn't really mention her (maybe doesn't even remember her), but it's definitely up to interpretation. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Northern Water was only ruled by men, so Yue, despite being the oldest and only heir, isn't actually in line for the throne. Perhaps Yue's mother died trying to give birth to a brother for Yue, so that the family would have a male heir, and that's why she's not around. But that's just a theory (it would also add to why Arnook is so quick to try and marry Yue off).

That being said, the only solid things we know about her are 1) she was married to Arnook (and they seemed to be happy together), 2) she loved Yue, 3) she was the one who named Yue. Not a lot to go off of there. Maybe Yue's life would've been better if her mother was present, or maybe her mother kind of sucked, and wouldn't have made a difference (Arnook clearly loved Yue, and he still kind of sucked).

Maybe Yue's mother would have stood beside Yue, and objected to her marriage with Hahn, or maybe she would have been entirely complicit in the will of her husband. I guess we'll never know.

Oh, speaking of Arnook:

Part 3: Yue and Her Father

Y'know, something I find interesting about these two is that they never really interact, at least not directly. Arnook introduces Yue in front of a crowd, and certainly mentions her quite a bit, but never actually has any sort of conversation with her.

Nevertheless, I think there is actually quite a lot to dig into here. Let's go back to Yue's proper introduction, and the first indirect interaction these two have.

I find Arnook's introduction of Yue to be very representative of what their relationship will look like going forward.

"Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe. And they have brought with them, someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now . . . the Avatar! We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age!"

He seems just as excited to announce the presence of the avatar, as he is to announce his daughter's birthday.

Like, he looks genuinely happy and proud here.

However, that sentiment is immediately followed up with "Princess Yue is now of marrying age" which is . . . far less sweet.

I think celebrating the fact that your daughter is about to get married (to a guy she doesn't like) because now she is just barely legally old enough to is a bit gross, but that's just my opinion. (Also, I can't believe nobody wished her happy birthday. Yue deserved so much better, smh).

At this point, I'm pretty sure Yue has been engaged for a while, so it's not even a sentiment of "it's time for suitor's to start presenting themselves for my daughter's hand" or whatever. The announcement isn't "it's time to start looking into suitors" it's "it's almost time for my daughter to marry that douche I engaged her to", which he seems genuinely happy to announce. On one hand, it makes sense for Arnook to want to expand the royal family (particularly if he needs male heirs), but it's still strange, at best. Especially in the context that Yue can't stand her betrothed.

(Side note: Yue's response also has that same formality I was talking about earlier, and I think it speaks to her upbringing more than it speaks to any affection she has for him.)

Anyways, I think this really encapsulates how Chief Arnook seems to think of his daughter. He loves her, obviously, and he does want what he thinks is best for her. Buuuut, he also sees her as a bit of a "means to an end" in terms of producing an heir for the throne (at least I assume that's the goal of marrying her off), and doesn't seem to take into consideration her desires or feelings on the matter. The fact that he loves her doesn't change the fact that he doesn't really respect her or seem to value her opinion.

Chief Arnook is in this interesting position of sexism. He's not shown to be actively awful to any of the women he interacts with, but he's also is complicit in and enforcing structural sexism all throughout the tribe. Any of the sexist laws and policies of the tribe are probably not directly his fault, but he most likely would have the power to change them if he really wanted to. Not to mention the fact that he poses no objection whatsoever to the more overt and nasty sexism of Pakku and Hahn.

He's the kind of man who is really quite misogynistic, but also doesn't seem so bad on the outside, because at least he has the capacity to be nice to the women he is around (not kind, when it comes down to it, but nice). That doesn't make his love for Yue any less sincere, but it does make it less pure and selfless. It is a love that comes without consideration or respect.

From this lens, it arguably puts into perspective the fact that these two never directly talk to each other. The absence is significant because they aren't actually on the best of terms. I don't mean that they are actively in conflict, per se, but that they have this underlying tension that prevents true closeness (whether Arnook is aware of this or not).

Like, Yue doesn't really mention her father, either. Frankly, it would have been incredibly easy for her to tell Sokka to "say goodbye to my father for me" or "tell my father I love him" or anything, really, as she was turning into the Moon Spirit. But . . . she doesn't. When she's "dying", the only living member of her family isn't even on her mind.

For the record, I'm not necessarily saying that Chief Arnook was a horrible person whose affable demeanor was entirely a persona. Like, he doesn't seem like a terrible person, even if he definitely has issues. He is pretty willing to overlook Aang and Katara breaking Northern Water Tribe rules simply on the condition that Katara apologizes (though notably she's the one he asks to apologize, and not Aang). Aside from his misogyny, and his tolerance of the repugnant men around him, he seemed generally alright as a person. However, that doesn't mean he was a good father. He is responsible for her engagement to Hahn, something he never seems bothered to think about her feelings on, he doesn't seem to have a very active part in taking care of her, and he, again, is partly responsible for the systematic misogyny laced throughout the entire tribe.

I think Arnook's adulterated love for Yue, and the pain he inadvertently put her through, really lessened any love she had for him. To be entirely honest, I'm not sure if Yue even missed him that much when she was gone. I think she missed him a little; he was her father and he did love her, but I think the fact that he wasn't even necessarily a good part of her life would have made if difficult for her to have any kind of wistfulness for when she was living with him.

I don't think she hates him; there's not really any indication of that, but I'm not sure if she loves him nearly as much as he seems to love her.

So, yes, I think it definitely has to be inferred from context, but I completely believe that Princess Yue has daddy issues.

Moving on.

Part 4: Yue and Hahn

Again, this is another relationship that doesn't have any direct interaction, but it is crucial to Yue's character nonetheless.

Hahn is one of the major manifestations of Yue's imprisonment. He represents the life ahead of her if something doesn't change- and soon. She would be his wife, and the mother to his children, and that would take up a giant portion of her life that she wouldn't be able to get back. Once she is married to him, it's not really something she can undo.

Yue seems to quite dislike Hahn (and for good reason). It's unclear how far back their relationship goes, but I think it's a reasonable assumption that Hahn is either from a noble family, or he is the son of a friend of Arnook's. Either way, probably someone she's known, at least to some extent, for years at this point (maybe since they were children). Other than the fact that she seems to think him repugnant, or at least that she doesn't seem to care for him much, we don't actually get that much more information on the two of them. It's almost as if she goes out of her way not to talk about him so she doesn't have to confront the imminent marriage ahead of her. Particularly when she's with Sokka, she can at least pretend for a little while that that is not what her future holds.

Speaking of Sokka, not only does Yue's engagement to Hahn hang heavy on her heart because of Hahn himself, but also because it taints her only true friendship. She can't even enjoy what little freedom she has, because she cares too much for the only person who is her respite from the rest of the tribe.

And when Yue is finally free; free from the tribe, free from its customs, free from her marriage, and free from the duty that would make her miserable, it is represented by the fact that she no longer wears her necklace.

Her ultimate sacrifice for the people of her tribe has been completed, and now she is freed.

Speaking of freedom, there's something, or rather someone, else I would like to bring up in regards to Yue.

Part 5: Yue and Katara

This two actually do interact, barely. Unfortunately, there's not much to talk about in terms of canon interaction, but that doesn't mean Katara wasn't, or couldn't have been under different circumstances, important to Yue's story.

The first thing I would like to bring up is this moment, right after Katara tears into Pakku.

All around her, the men look horrified, aghast. But Yue, she looks surprised, certainly, but not upset. Maybe she's intrigued, maybe she's impressed, it's hard to say. Either way, it's markedly different from the people around her.

Now, Yue has spent the entirety of her life steeped in misogyny. She's had to stay still and silent while the men around her probably said some of the most rancid shit imaginable, has had to resign herself to the fact that her own father didn't care enough to do anything about it, and has had to resign herself to being the trophy wife to a pig-headed fool. She didn't have any female friends, she didn't have her mother, and she didn't have any ally.

But, here, this girl, who is of her tribe but not her people, she's tells this repugnant old man off in front of an audience. She stands her ground and refuses to stay silent for the benefit of an asshole. She has the courage to do what Yue couldn't even dream of doing. She, along with the rest of Team Avatar (especially Sokka), represent this freedom that is just out of reach. A freedom from the people of her tribe, from the stifling gender norms of her people, from a marriage she hates, and from having no more purpose by her father than to simply sit around and look pretty.

And that brings us here.

Katara: "But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage. Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage."

Yue comes in at the end of the fight to hear this speech from Katara. Obviously she's crying because the mention of an unhappy arranged marriage reminds her of her own situation, but I think it goes deeper than that.

Yue is someone who chooses not to fight back. In part because she's probably believed no one would be on her side (so it would simply be pointless), in part because it's simply the way she was raised, but also in part because she thinks she doing the right thing by not resisting her fate. She thinks she's doing the right thing by obeying her father and marrying Hahn. It is self-sacrifice, primarily not cowardice, that drives her submission and passivity.

But here is this story of a brave, exceptional woman who did fight back. Who refused to accept her fate, and ran away. Whose granddaughter came back all these years later to fight just as hard.

It is, again, this tantalizing, unreachable freedom; freedom she has never felt allowed to reach for. She's caught between wishing she could be like Kanna and Katara, and "knowing" that she can't. Wishing she could fight, and suddenly questioning her lack of resistance all this time, but still coming to the conclusion that compliance is her best option. Because at least, in her mind, her suffering and marriage is for her people.

And, just, think of the friendship these two could have had. Katara could have been the one to inspire Yue to strive for what she wants; she could have helped her run away like Kanna did. Katara could have been the person, who not only understood her struggle, but also helped her achieve that freedom she had been so long craving. In turn, Yue could've been the person to help lighten Katara's load in terms of chores and responsibility. She could have been an additional Responsible One. And she could've been one of the only people to validate the labor Katara puts into keeping the Gaang afloat. Plus, I honestly think Yue would have found Katara's sense of humor charming, like how she did with Sokka. I truly believe that they could've clicked so well together.

Part 6: Yue Herself

After talking so much about the people in her life, I think it's only fair that I talk about Yue herself. She is someone's whose story revolves around themes of duty, isolation, loneliness, sacrifice, and silent, uncelebrated suffering.

She is a girl with a mother who is long gone, and a father who was never on her side when it mattered.

She is a girl who tries to find small, personal escapes from her fate, in the limited confines of her home.

She is a girl who is willing give to give up everything, everything, for what she thinks is right.

She is a girl who comes so close to the idea of freedom and escape (in the form of Team Avatar), but whom it ultimately passes by. She is a girl who has been isolated her whole life, but still has to leave the one friend that mattered. She is a girl who has watched blatant, wonderful examples of defiance of misogyny, while still believing that she could never participate in that same defiance herself.

She is a girl that has always been isolated from the people around her, in one way or another, and, in the end, that separation was only exemplified when she became a whole other being.

However, that's not the end of her story.

Part 7: Yue as a Spirit

Yue's story is undeniably tragic in the way the only way to escape from the miserable life ahead of her was to lose hers altogether. How the only way she could fulfill her duty is by choosing to die. How instead of finally having a chance to be able to fight her oppression, she simply has to submit and die before she had the chance. How she has to lose her only friend and only chance at freedom after being so little acquainted. How she watches the rest of the world find peace and love and happiness, none of which she'll ever be apart of.

But that's not the whole of it.

In the series, we see Yue once more, all the way in season 3.

It's a short scene, but it is a beautiful one.

And, perhaps I'm reaching, but I believe Yue looks happier here than she did when we last saw her.

She's beautiful, she's self-assured, she's powerful, she's ethereal, and she's free.

Perhaps she lost everyone she knew when she became a spirit. Perhaps she lost out on being able to live the rest of her life. But it clearly isn't all bad.

She is no longer bound by the chains of duty and responsibility (that would never be appreciated). She is no longer forced to endure the presence of bigoted and self-important men. And she is no longer forced to live out a life that would only have made her miserable.

Perhaps she never found that connection and community. Perhaps she lives hundreds and hundreds of years forever separated from the people she cares about, only being able to watch and assist from afar. Perhaps she never stops feeling wistful about the life she could have lead as a person.