Current Events > Watching Avatar the last airbender. Why are the fire nation evil/the bad guys?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Oh okay. Damn that's not a lot of time.

I don't get Zuko. On the one hand, he did something that made me really hate him, he stole the horse from the woman and daughter who showed him kindness and took him into their home, fed him, even after the daughter showed him her scars from the Fire nation.

And yet a couple of episodes later, he helps a boy and his family against some bullies in the village, ultimately revealing his identity as a fire nationer and receiving their scorn.

And Finally, they met Toph! I had heard of the blind character years before watching the show and kept waiting for her to show up.

She's a lot different from what I was expecting. Strong-headed, sometimes crass, and very blunt. Not at all meek and sweetly like I was expecting her to be. She not only holds her own, she kicks ass

Ah ha, so just like how water benders get their power from the moon, fire benders get their power from the sun. And during a solar eclipse, they actually lose their bending!

I'm with the owl though, humans kinda suck. Nice callback to how Zhao found out about the identity of the moon in an underground library.

corneliusmagus posted...

Typical American ignorance to not do any research before using a word or thinking about international distribution. Pretty sure Australians and New Zealanders would have the same issue.

ok bender
---

I remember using that slur once when talking about cigarettes without really thinking about it and the mods refused to believe me that its slang for cigarettes in the UK even after linking them to proof lol.

---

I just don't get how the air nomads were wiped out. Air bending seems pretty damn powerful. You can fly, you can create gusts of wind... heck could they possibly create something as powerful as hurricanes?

If the Fire nation gain the power of flight to their war... god help us all.

Amenadeel posted...

I just don't get how the air nomads were wiped out.

I feel like it won't surprise you anymore now that you've realized the quality of the show, but they actually do answer that.

Edit: I looked it up and realized you already heard the answer: Sozin's Comet greatly amplified firebending.

---

If the Fire nation gain the power of flight to their war... god help us all.
weren't the fire nation using zepplins when they assaulted the air nomads?

---

stoltenberg11 posted...

If the Fire nation gain the power of flight to their war... god help us all.
weren't the fire nation using zepplins when they assaulted the air nomads?

No,some dude in either season 1 or 2 invents a hot air balloon and the fire nation army recovers his designs and make their own zeppelins by season 3.

---

Gobstoppers12 posted...

In America, a "bender" is a drinking spree, which is what the Futurama character is a reference to.

What the fuck, how did I never realize this

---

Poor Appa... getting captured by marauders and sold :( . I hope they make it to ba-sing-say and rescue him soon. The way Aang looked and how broken he was at Appa being missing.... The feels.

But at least we'll finally see the capital of the earth kingdom guys! A place even the fire nation hasn't taken down yet.

I'm kinda excited for you to get there finally

There is no war in Ba Sing Se

---

So yeah they pretty much make sokka the butt monkey but... he does have occasional moments of wisdom or where he gets something right.

Omg omg it's Jet! Jet and Zuko, what an interesting pairing. I love it, so much potential there.

Huh, despite making Sokka the butt monkey they sure give him a lot of love interests to pair up with. That's what, 2 or 3 girls now?

Amenadeel posted...

Huh, despite making Sokka the butt monkey they sure give him a lot of love interests to pair up with. That's what, 2 or 3 girls now?

He really only has one proper one from Book 2 onwards and she is one of the best girls imo.

---

Leaves from the vine falling so slow..... Is all Im going to say about the future ;_;

---

Holy crap at that giant drill the Fire nation have!

Now I see what you guys mean when saying the Fire nation has superior technology, they really do. The other nations are downright peasants compared to those steampunk designs.

It's like seriously other nations, what are you even doing?

Being able to control fire is a big boon when it comes to steam power. Have you seen the episode tales of ba sing se yet?

---

Amenadeel posted...

It's like seriously other nations, what are you even doing?

mostly living in the natural nexus of their bending element (mountain peaks, polar ice caps, pangaea continent) and either being universally able to bend (air) or subservient to those that can (water, earth)

the motivation for the war (at least, at first) was lebensraum--they only can fit so many people in those volcanic isles.

it's somewhat baked into the names, too: air nomads. water tribes. earth kingdom. fire nation.

---

spikethedevil posted...

Leaves from the vine falling so slow..... Is all Im going to say about the future ;_;

---

Omg now it's Jet vs Zuko!

This show is so good. Did I mention this show is so good?

The gang are sneaking into the palace to see the king. Something is up with this city I just know it

Holy fucking crap that ending was terrifying. Brain washing is always so terrifying. They're doing it to Jet right now so he forgets there's a war going on.

This is so idiotic, the Fire nation was just about to break through their walls with a drill, what do they think is gonna happen if they bring more of those things? There's no point to keeping "peace and order" in the city if they're taken down and there is no city.

Amenadeel posted...

Oh okay. Damn that's not a lot of time.

I don't get Zuko. On the one hand, he did something that made me really hate him, he stole the horse from the woman and daughter who showed him kindness and took him into their home, fed him, even after the daughter showed him her scars from the Fire nation.

And yet a couple of episodes later, he helps a boy and his family against some bullies in the village, ultimately revealing his identity as a fire nationer and receiving their scorn.

Zuko is my favorite character on the show. Zuko, Iroh, and Azula are my favorite characters easily. Zuko is one of the most interesting characters on the show because of how his abusive upbringing with his father and sister conflicts with his natural disposition and care from his uncle.

He has a very well developed character arc over the course of the series.

Amenadeel posted...

Holy fucking crap that ending was terrifying. Brain washing is always so terrifying. They're doing it to Jet right now so he forgets there's a war going on.

This is so idiotic, the Fire nation was just about to break through their walls with a drill, what do they think is gonna happen if they bring more of those things? There's no point to keeping "peace and order" in the city if they're taken down and there is no city.

It's to allow Long Feng to keep control of the city and the Earth King. The Gaang telling the King about the war threatens his control.

---

That Appa episode absolutely wrecked me V__V

Tales of Ba Sing Se might be next up iirc.

---

Oh I already watched tales of, that was a great episode too. Iroh in particular was just... heart breaking.

Also omg was the voice actor for iroh that one voice actor, the one who voiced Aku from samurai Jack and several other characters? It just hit me a couple of episodes before when I finally placed why he sounded familiar.

Amenadeel posted...

Oh I already watched tales of, that was a great episode too. Iroh in particular was just... heart breaking.

Also omg was the voice actor for iroh that one voice actor, the one who voiced Aku from samurai Jack and several other characters? It just hit me a couple of episodes before when I finally placed why he sounded familiar.

Lol yes, Mako. He's great!

---

Amenadeel posted...

That Appa episode absolutely wrecked me V__V

Oh, just you wait until the next episode.
---

Huh, Jet redeemed himself in the end. I hope he finds the peace that he deserves.

Also wow at Zuko. Setting Appa free, doing a good thing... I dunno what to feel.

Hah they finally overthrew the dai li dude. But... So basically the earth king IS a buffoon. Still, What did the faing long dude think was gonna happen once the Fire nation break in? All his subterfuge and machinations (which lay undetected for years) will be for naught when the Fire Lord razes the city to the ground.

And it seems he still has a hold despite everything...

Amenadeel posted...

Hah they finally overthrew the dai li dude. But... So basically the earth king IS a buffoon. Still, What did the faing long dude think was gonna happen once the Fire nation break in? All his subterfuge and machinations (which lay undetected for years) will be for naught when the Fire Lord razes the city to the ground.

And it seems he still has a hold despite everything...

to be fair, the King is only a bufoon because Long Feing was keeping him in the dark his whole life. he does try to step up once his trechery is revealed.

---

We'll see.

Omg. Azula is straight up terrifying. Does anyone itt even like her? She just scares the bejeweled out of me. They have infiltrated the earth kingdom and fooled the earth king as kyoshi warriors. Despicable!

I don't understand How anyone in this topic likes ty lee either, she's one of the bad guys! And she hurts the good guys no less with her bending blocking power. Irredeemable.

Water Nation is a bunch of primitive tribes. They all suck.
---

Amenadeel posted...

We'll see.

Omg. Azula is straight up terrifying. Does anyone itt even like her? She just scares the bejeweled out of me. They have infiltrated the earth kingdom and fooled the earth king as kyoshi warriors. Despicable!

I don't understand How anyone in this topic likes ty lee either, she's one of the bad guys! And she hurts the good guys no less with her bending blocking power. Irredeemable.

they are well-constructed characters.

---

Amenadeel posted...

We'll see.

Omg. Azula is straight up terrifying. Does anyone itt even like her? She just scares the bejeweled out of me. They have infiltrated the earth kingdom and fooled the earth king as kyoshi warriors. Despicable!

I don't understand How anyone in this topic likes ty lee either, she's one of the bad guys! And she hurts the good guys no less with her bending blocking power. Irredeemable.

Her character arc hasnt ended yet along with Azulas other friend.


---

I've kept away from this topic, but TC is getting f'n hyped now, lmao. Welcome to the show, baby!

---

Wait, what's this? A... neutered Zuko? Is this a trick? Or has he really finally let go of pain, and anger, and the need to constantly hunt the avatar and such?

Oh no Katara! Aang you've got to save her quick the Fire nation girls have got her! This is it we're almost at the finale for book 2! I can't wait to read all the posts with spoilers people have been posting itt.

I think season 2 is Avatar at it's best, but season 3 is pretty good as well.

---

They... They lost. Aang straight up lost against Azula. What even... I need to sit down for a minute.

We all know that feeling. The gap between season 2 and 3 was a long one in my mind. Idk how long it was in reality. But season 2 definitely feels the most like "real" Avatar. Its halfway through the series but to me the library stuff still feels like the cool new special. They aired multiple episodes in one night as a special event and it was super kewl.
---

Man, Zuko choosing the dark side made me so sad back then.
---

Cant wait for him to get to the episode that accidentally takes the piss out if how bad the movie was two years before it came out lol.

---

I love the show to death, but once it dawned on me that the last two episodes of S2 were almost a direct copy of Empire Strikes Back, I couldn't unsee it.

---

Sigh it's just so infuriating.

The dai li basically betrayed their people and opened up ba sing se to invasion by the Fire nation. What do they think the Fire nation is going to reward them? They're still earth benders at the end of the day and pose as a threat right? So they basically screwed themselves by allying with Azula.

I just find it weird that they did that.

Anyway I was actually too upset by book 2's finale to even want to continue on to book 3, but honestly it's not bad. I feel like they're doing something very interesting: showing how the Fire nation live. That should add some more depth and an extra layer to the show.

Did you find out why da fire nation are da bad guys
---