Why I love Avatar: The Last Airbender

I said I would discuss why I love this show earlier in the year. While I did do that, I am not finished so consider this a part 2.

War and the civilian impact

Alright alright , I know most of us already know that war is something pretty awful. But I want to look at the impact it has on the civilians. Ok. Let’s begin with Zuko (again because it’s not a phase mom). Anyways, Zuko decides to part from Iroh in a seemingly brash mood after they have one of their many arguments. He travels to an Earth Kingdom town having seemingly no direction at the moment. Here he runs into so called soldiers of the Earth Kingdom and properly fends them off. Afterwards he is taken in by a family who’s young son admires him for his courage and bravery. While this short peaceful time for Zuko is great, it isn’t long before the “soldiers” show up again forcing Zuko’s hand. Up until this point, he has only been known as Lee the duel swordsman. Unfortunately, during the altercation, Zuko quite rightly has a crisis on his hand. Does he risk death or does he reveal that he is a firebender and save his life and those of the people being terrorized? Zuko, does the later much to everyone’s horror. It is because of the war and the impact it has had that he is banished and shunned by the village, a feeling that is all too familiar to him. When he attempts to leave a momento for the kid who looked up to him, he is rebuked for the very same reason that the show has done a very good job of impressing us with. Fire benders = Fire Nation = Death = Destruction.

Aang has a similar problem later. Again in the Earth Kingdom no less (I’m noticing a pattern here). Anyways, the team visits a town and it is found that they are having Avatar Day. How the hell they know of Aang is beyond me but we learn that there is beef with Avatar Kyoshi and the people of the town. Aang (naively) agrees to stand trial for the murder of the previous “great leader” Chin the Conqueror. After gathering evidence to buff the defense of Kyoshi, Aang contacts Kyoshi via the Avatar State. It is told that Kyoshi did indeed “kill” Chin but the scene simply does not play out so black and white. Really it is more like Chin fell to his own demise after his hubris prevents him from recognizing the ground beneath him is no more. Kyoshi (who is an enigma of her own and total badass all around) splits from the mainland, creating Kyoshi Island. After this, Aang is sentenced to be boiled in oil right before an attack by the Fire Nation. The judge, pleads with Aang to help them and after a smart-ass remark agrees to community service. The irony here is that, the people where so blinded by hatred for the Avatar that they were willing to kill him even when they themselves are facing a bigger threat. War never changes, but the people do.