Suki is one totally badass non bender! And I really don’t get why some photos don’t include Suki whenever I type in “The Gaang/Team Avatar”. I also hope that Suki isn’t an underrated ATLA character (Is she? You tell me!) because she’s pretty darn awesome! Not only does she recur throughout the series, but she plays a major role in the finale… Suki deserves a rightful place on Team Avatar and this is why:
When we first met her, we learn she’s the leader of an elite team called the Kyoshi Warriors. She’s also only 15.
She likes to make it her point that girls can fight just as good, maybe even better, than men. “I am a warrior. But I am a girl too.”
She once crossed the Serpent’s Pass with the GAANG because she wanted to make sure Sokka got to safety. Talk about commitment!
And let’s not forget the time she found Appa and took care of him. This was one big touching moment 😭
And the time she fought Azula off, knowing full well she could get captured, so that Appa could fly away to safety and find Aang
SHE ALSO SINGLE HANDEDLY CAPTURED THE WARDEN OF THE HIGHEST GUARDED SECURITY PRISON IN THE FIRE NATION by climbing 3 levels of a building with nothing to use at her expense but just herself. TALENT! That’s literally my fave scene of her. She was so BADASS!!!
A collaborative print between me and @diwhitney! She did the sketch and i did the colors. Atla is one of our favorite shows so we figured we’d work on some art for it together. You can find this print at Sacanime this year!
ok so i screenshotted this moment because i thought it was pretty cool
the first time we get to see all four elements working together for a common enemy, blah blah blah, but i started laughing because
sokka’s fucking boomerang. sokka threw a fucking boomerang at princess azula, renowned lightning bender and heir-apparent to the throne of the fire nation.
and sokka threw a boomerang at her.
I said it once and i say it again.
Azula considered Sokka to be the biggest threat in this group and countered him first. What this picture miss is Sokka sanding nearby. All members of this group unleash their attack at same time, but Azula reacts to boomerang first. If you watch this part in slow motion, you could see that Sokka’s boomerang was the first thing that would hit Azula and may even incapacitate her making her unable to continue to fight. So she had to counter in first. She deflected it with well placed shoot.
Then and only then, when there is no immediate threat, she starts to create her blue fire wall to counter other elements.
Lets think about this. How hard should you have to throw something to make it move faster that any elemental attack? Either all elemental attacks are slow or you are pretty strong. That said nonbenders with good aim and strong hands could easily overpower benders if they timed it right.(Aang got captured by Yuan archers who are all nonbenders.) Azula knew of this and acted according to it. She is talented bender and you may think that she should enlist other benders to help her track and capture Zuko, Iroh, and later avatar, but instead she uses her nonbender friend to help her.
Even if you have no bending you can still fight… and win.
Let’s not forget that on the Day of Black Sun, Sokka was the one in charge and Azula was no idiot Azula knew that.
When Aang, Sokka, and Toph all confronted Azula, she proceeded to make them chase her and waste their time. Azula is not only talented, she’s sly and smart as hell. WHO WAS THE ONE WHO SAW THROUGH THAT BS CHASE?
Sokka.
NOT ONLY THAT but after Sokka explains to the Gaang that Azula is just baiting them, Azula actually verbally attacks Sokka. Not through fighting, but through words, knowing not only that an intelligent person like him could only be brought down with emotions BUT that Sokka was the leader and if she could get him the stay, Aang and Toph would follow his lead.
Azula knew Sokka was their strength and took him down. WOULD SHE DO THAT IF HE WASNT A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO HER!!??!
No. She wouldn’t waste her time and energy on someone she didn’t think was capable of actually getting in her way.
WHEN SHE GETS HER FIREBENDING BACK SHE HAS THE OPTION OF ATTACKING BADASS METAL BENDING TOPH AND THE FUCKING AVATAR
WHO DOES SHE ATTACK?!?!
Azula never underestimated the power of non benders especially an intelligent one like Sokka. Sokka was a huge threat to fucking Azula on multiple occasions.
Remember that.
Look at this spot on fucking discourse. LOOK AT IT.
Just thought I’d drop this
into the debate as well, (instead of actually fighting him she backs off, and who blames her? Sokka’s club looks like it could shatter bones…).
Along with this:
Scenes with Azula confronting Sokka are few and far in between but they paint a pretty interesting picture, don’t they?
I mean, Azula’s friends/most trusted warriors were two non-benders. Mai was an expert with thrown weapons and Tai Lee was the only chi blocker shown in the first series, and she was able to take down half a groups of earth nation soldiers like that. Azula knows that non-benders are dangerous and she sees sokka for the genius he is
She’s knows she can take bending, she can redirect fire and she’s fought Katara a lot- but unlike Zuko she was probably never trained with weapons, she knows she has no defense to a sword or a club, and she knows that one of Ty Lee’s biggest advantage is that people underestimate her
Zuko was a firebending master by the time he was eleven. Not like Azula was, all dizzying new moves, and terrifying tricks, but something – deeper. More basic. He knew exactly how to control the fire under his skin and on it. If he couldn’t do the flashiest or strongest moves – well, he had this, at least, an intimacy with fire he wouldn’t trade for anything.
This means when his father presses a flaming hand to his face, Zuko doesn’t stop him, but he doesn’t take it either. He directs the heat of the flames from his face to the rest of his body and subtly into the floor.
I’m kind of disappointed that so much Firelord!Zuko content seems to be about how he’s on the verge of falling apart, and how the nation doesn’t respect him and his ministers won’t cooperate with him, and he’s separated from the gaang
And that’s not untrue. Zuko has to run a government that was, a few months ago, ready and willing to burn the rest of the world to ash, and that’s a serious burden to bear, but it’s not hopeless. This is a new time of peace. A new dawn. Where are all my pieces that focus on peace and growth? About Zuko fostering friendly alliances? About Zuko leading by example?
A servant accidentally drops a serving platter of roast duck during a ball. The juice splatters a noble woman’s gown. She backhands the servant across the face and her husband is calling for punishment and people are watching as though it’s some kind of show, because this is the way it is in the palace. Until, that is, the Firelord steps forward and helps the servant to his feet. Zuko asks the shaking man if he is alright. He calls for another servant to help clean up the mess. He tells the noblewoman in a tight voice that she, nor anyone else in these walls, will not raise a violent hand to anyone under his care
Zuko is walking through a city courtyard as he speaks with the Mayor when a young child waddles up and tugs at Zuko’s golden-hemmed robes, curious at the way they catch the light. The guards rush forward and the boy’s parents fall over themselves to offer apologies and beg for forgiveness, and Zuko bends down and picks the child up under the arms, and settles him on his hip. The child reaches for his gold crown settled in his topknot and Zuko laughs and gently pushes his hands away. He gives the boy back to his parents, and says, “There’s no need to apologise. Curiosity is a valuable trait in a young boy. You should encourage his curiosity for life.” And then he sweeps away with the Mayor in tow, as though nothing is amiss, as though his gentle smile and understanding words didn’t rattle these two townspeople more than a reprimand every would
Zuko shifting the nation’s priority away from militarisation, while trying to create new jobs for displaced people, jobs that will help his nation recover. Zuko implementing a new curriculum in schools. Zuko consulting with all kinds of people, like Iroh and Aang, yes, but also other nobles, and common people, and foreign dignitaries, and historical and cultural experts. Zuko bringing culture back to the Fire Nation.
Zuko struggling with his famous temper, but working every single day to be the kind of leader his people can put their trust in. A Firelord that doesn’t strike fear into his people, the people he’s dedicated to protecting. A Firelord that’s very different to his forefathers, who decimated entire cultures, who burned the faces of their sons and cast them out for speaking out of turn.
Zuko being kind and patient. Zuko working hard but slowly, over time, earning the trust and love of his people.
Some travel posters inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender! I’ll be at Silicon Valley Comic Con this weekend selling these as prints as well; Artist Alley #145!
People always lambaste Mai in this scene, saying that she is uncaring and disinterested. I think that’s a pretty shallow reading of this scene and in fact I think it highlights one of the best aspects of their relationship. Mai doesn’t put up with Zuko’s bullshit. She knows there is nothing Zuko or her can do while they wait for the ship to arrive in the Fire Nation, so instead of indulging Zuko is his emotional narrative of his life she uses a bit of dry humour to cheer him up and then some physical affection.
Mai has known Zuko for a long time, and she knows when the moment calls for some heart to hearts. In 3×09 when he is stressing about the war meeting she is incredibly attentive and tries her best to cheer him up. It’s not like Mai doesn’t care. It’s the opposite, she cares so much that she knows exactly what the situation requires. So when Zuko is angsting away on the boat, instead of wallowing in despair with him she goes ahead and attempts to get his mind off the problem.
one of the best heartwarming scenes between Zuko and Iroh. The fact that Zuko is truly repentant and Iroh is unconditionally forgiving despite everything he’s endured. And of course, they can make you cry one moment and laugh in the next.
wupacing 