I find it very interesting yet tragic how Azula already has a fake “love” by her dad, deep down craves for true connection and love, yet in the end true connection and love is what sort of lead to her downfall in a way. Hear me out here- we all know she has fake “love” by her father. Along with deep down wanting her mom’s love, and the Beach episode that showed inside she really wants a connection.
Yet...gets defeated in the Boiling Rock by Mai’s LOVE for Zuko. She also proceeds to get betrayed by Ty Lee’s platonic connection with Mai, which can also count as love. After that, we see her whole breakdown- which, we all know. She wanted her mom’s love, but then it ended up causing her breakdown at the mirror due to Zuko mainly receiving the attention. And then, finally, in the end- she gets defeated by Katara in the Agni Kai. Someone who not only literally leads her life by love and empathy, but who also has connection with Zuko. And literally outsmarted and fought her (Azula) FOR him.
This is not a ship post by the way, I’m just talking about Zuko and Katara’s canon platonic connection in the show. Whether you ship them or not it’s clear they do have a connection/friendship. Whether you perceive it as platonic or not. Also yes, platonically or romantically (however you want to perceive it) she DOES love Zuko.
In conclusion: Idk, I just find it so tragic that while she gets FAKE love by her father and deep down craves a true connection/love, it’s also what in a way defeats her.
Love doesn't defeat Azula "in a way." It's literally the point of her narrative. This is the point, that love is stronger than fear and control, something Azula does not understand in the end, which is why she doesn't understand why her friends betrayed her despite "knowing the consequences," and why, when being confronted by the image of her mother, she says that trust is for fools and "fear is the only way," and that "even you fear me." What breaks her though, is not that Zuko "mainly recieved," that love, but that her mother loved her, too, putting the nail in the coffin on Azula's belief that fear and control are better than love. Azula wants love deep down, but totally believes in the idea that fear and control are the only way to get that connection she desires, and that's her tragedy. That's why she loses.
Someone commented on this post that Azula would have conquered the world if her father had hugged her, and I'm sorry, but no. Hugs do not make a conqueror. Fear and control do, and Azula was heading in that direction until she was defeated by people whose love was stronger than the fear Azula and Ozai tried to create.
I agree with all this.
I've always read Azula aiming lightning at Katara during the Final Agni Kai is evidence that Mai's, Ty Lee's and her father's betrayals all hurt her, and she's trying to hurt Zuko the way she was hurt (but worse.) However, she still sees love as a weakness to exploit, which is her downfall.
She thinks to kill Katara because she sees Zuko is connected to her and if she dies than Zuko will be destroyed (even worse than Mai's, Ty Lee's, and her father's betrayals destroyed her). It's similar to when she told Sokka "My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time," but feels more personal for her now.
But Azula doesn't foresee Zuko sacrificing his wellbeing for a stranger and a peasant. She just doesn't have that sense of empathy or selflessness. And then this stranger who is beneath Azula beats her in a fight without using force/violence ("fear is the only reliable way") and THEN heals Zuko.
And possibly the worst part of it all, when they win they look at her sadly and don't even gloat.
I think deep down she does desire connection and love. But as sokkastyles said, it's not that she doesn't have it. Her mother does love her; her friends, Iroh and Zuko all trust/love/loved her at one time. But she "rewards" people being vulnerable with her/trusting her by exploiting it. ("You lied to me!" "Like I've never done that before") It's that she believes that love is a weakness and will never accept genuine love from people or be able to connect with anyone unless she lets that worldview go.
