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comradekatara · 3 years

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kyoshi’s legacy: individualism vs. community

ty lee’s arc culminating in her joining the kyoshi warriors is significant due to her growth from resenting being part of a “matched set,” never allowed to exist as an individual amongst her identical sisters, to actively embracing the sisterhood of the kyoshi warriors, who all don identical facepaint and armor. joining the kyoshi warriors is a choice she makes, her first act of agency we see of her in the entire show that doesn’t stem from desperation. since their leader (suki) is not with them when she initially joins, this further highlights that ty lee is finally forging connections with people who adopt her into their community as a true equal.

in the shadow of kyoshi, multiple characters are established to look near-identical. kyoshi makes the devastating mistake of confusing firelord zoryu with his half-brother chaejin; later, a near-identical body double is hired by zoryu to be executed in yun’s place to appease the masses; and finally, when yangchen appears to kyoshi in the spirit world, kyoshi initially mistakes her for her mother jesa. conversely, zoryu comments that with kyoshi’s uniquely tall stature, it would be difficult to find anyone who could be mistaken for her.

the idea that even the most important people have lookalikes, that no one is as unique as they think they are—especially in the case of yun, whose life is destroyed when kyoshi “replaces” him (much like his body double—an average citizen plucked out of obscurity and forced to make choices in desperate circumstances); zoryu, who knows that his brother is plotting to usurp him, and is desperate to keep his position, despite not even particularly wanting the throne (desperately trying to maintain the power he believes is “rightfully his,” just like chaejin—only, he’s the good guy, right?); and yangchen, who is constantly compared to kyoshi (and kuruk) as the gold standard avatar whose legacy kyoshi is constantly reminded she will never live up to (an absent figure in her life who nevertheless shaped her and informed her legacy, much like jesa)—resonates with kyoshi’s character due to her status as someone who is simultaneously especially and not particularly unique.

for her intimidating height, her status as an orphan in yokoya, and of course, as the avatar, kyoshi has spent her whole life standing out. but due to the stigma surrounding her role in society, it takes a very long time for her to embrace her uniqueness, to allow herself to take up the space she deserves, rather than shrinking herself to appease others and remain unnoticed. conversely, as one of many servants at the avatar’s estate, as just another discarded lower class queer woman on the margins of society, and as a member of the flying opera company, painting her face to show solidarity with her group, kyoshi innately knows that she is part of something larger than being an individual. even when people want to celebrate kyoshi for being the avatar, she is constantly thinking about the legacy of the avatars who came before her, both good and bad, and how their actions paved a path that contextualizes all the decisions she must now make.

for generations, the kyoshi warriors have all donned the same uniform, including identical facepaint, other than their headgear, which differs slightly. they all carry the same weapons, wear the same armor, and paint their faces in the same way, hailing back to kyoshi’s own facepaint she initially donned as part of the flying opera company, and her iconic fans that the non-bending kyoshi warriors have adapted for their own fighting style inspired by her values. yes, all armies value cohesion, both aesthetically and in terms of fostering an “us vs them” mentality among the soldiers, but with the kyoshi warriors, it’s more than that. they are upholding a tradition that will outlive them. when they apply the facepaint and draw their fans, they are promoting the ideals of kyoshi.

in suki alone, we see just how impactful the values of communal living are to all the residents of kyoshi island (including but not limited to the warriors), and how emphasis on community rather than individuality has shaped and formed suki’s worldview. while she is technically the leader of the kyoshi warriors, she treats all of them as her peers, sisters even, without hesitation, valuing their input and their worth equally. while they all hold a great deal of respect for the avatar as a figure in general, it is kyoshi’s values they serve above all, values which kyoshi was uniquely equipped to promote.

once ty lee finally defies the rigid hierarchal imperialist power structure she was coerced into serving, she is invited to join a community that opposes the individualism and definitions of power promoted by the fire nation, instead promoting the communal ideals kyoshi fought for as the avatar, and as a poor, mixed, queer, and otherwise marginalized woman who grew up ostracized by most people around her. while ty lee claims that she wanted to find a way to stand out among her sisters, we see that she ultimately only values individualism under the influence of the fire nation. when outside of their dominion, she finds that standing out isn’t actually all that important to her; while the fire nation may value being better than others, being “special,” the kyoshi warriors do not believe in supremacy. they have a better offer: community, and equality.

#analysis #kyoshi #ty lee #suki #zoryu #yun #yangchen #jesa #suki alone #the shadow of kyoshi #ok I think that’s all the tags I need #lmao #this was in drafts for so long...#I’d almost forgotten about it entirely #but I like leaving analyses to sit for a while #gives me more time 2 ponder 2 cogitate 2 ruminate ... etc #I rly loved how suki alone just further emphasizes this #suki alone was soo good tho #like just. Gets It #anyway !!!#I love u kyoshi & ur warriors !!! mwah x

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