#i saw a poll about who would've won if katara hadn't been there; and most people were saying it wouldve been zuko

[incoherent-orca]

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#atla #azula #this is about zuko & azula's finale agni kai. while i adore it + it's such a beautiful fight... #i saw a poll about who would've won if katara hadn't been there; and most people were saying it wouldve been zuko #but to me zuko would've lost not because azula wasn't in her right mind but because he wouldve had restraint and she wouldnt #restraint in the sense of... she's still his SISTER so he's aiming not to maim or kill; unlike azula who in that moment has no qualms abt— #—inflicting lethal injuries on anyone present. and it just got me thinking about how we were robbed of their sibling relship #a more nuanced sibling relship at least. like without katara there would we have seen zuko hesitate before dealing a winning blow #would he have seen his little sister who their family failed just as much as they failed him? #because even iroh says at some point that “[azula] is crazy & needs to go down” like... sir that is your niece #idk #i wish we could've gotten a zuko who not only fears envies pities and opposes azula; but also loves her in some way #they're constantly pit against each other and i wonder if the younger idealistic compassionate zuko wouldve been protective of her #up until his banishment; then a once loving relationship (if strained) becomes so horrifically complicated #like the narrative spent way more time establishing azula as a terrible manipulative person (which she is) but also glossing over the fact— #—that she's a child. she wasn't born evil & the writing does not condemn ozai at all for his failure in raising her #the writing clearly shows how he fucked up with zuko but not how he fucked up with azula #which is a missed opportunity for zuko to empathize with her. they were both kids under the same abuse; just pushed in opposite directions