Zuko is my favorite character from Avatar: The Last Airbender. There are a lot of reasons for
this, the biggest one being how relatable he is to the struggles the average person faces in everyday
life. He is a character that struggles with anger, self-forgiveness, trust, trauma, and regret.
Something I truly admire about this show is how the characters aren’t afraid to express
their vulnerable side. Vulnerability is a risk because it requires being okay with the
possibility of judgement. To feel anxiety, to feel depressed, to feel anger, these emotions
are a part of you, what makes you who you are, and in order to accept yourself fully,
you must accept those emotions, and have no shame when they come up. Regardless of what anyone says.
The majority of Zuko’s personality is pure anger, and rage. Those who have watched this show would
know this is because of the trauma he experienced during his childhood. The rage is what fuels him
to fight the world back. There are scenes where he rages so hard you just feel bad for the poor guy,
and want to see him succeed, other times it’s hilarious. One moment in the show that
I found incredibly charming is this one where he goes on a date with some girl he met at his
uncle’s tea shop. During the date, he rages at the waiter for assuming they’re a couple.
We also get to see his nervous side during this interaction.
It’s moments like this that help me remember why I love this character so much. He wants to be good,
he thinks he’s being good, he has good moments, moments that prove he’s human,
but he’s unable to see the dark truth behind what he’s pursuing
because his father screwed him over. For those who don’t know his backstory:
He was banished from the Fire Nation by his father,
and ordered to capture the Avatar in order to be forgiven. Something I noticed while watching
the second season is how much happier Zuko is when he’s not chasing the Avatar. It gave me
the impression that deep down he doesn't want to capture him, he just wants the validation or
reward for doing so. There are a few times in season 2 where the show hints at this notion.
His relationship with his uncle is unlike any other. His uncle is always there for him,
and undoubtedly cares about him. He tells him what he needs to hear,
not what he wants to hear. He’s probably the wokest character in the show, yet,
Zuko, for some reason, has a hard time trusting him. Throughout the series,
his uncle would constantly remind him there’s more to life than chasing the Avatar.
There is a moment in the show where the ability to start a fresh, new life.
No more chasing the Avatar, no more trying to seek approval from people who don't care about him,
just a simple, prosperous life.
Let’s fast forward to season 3. “The Beach” is one of those episodes that stick out the most. The plot goes as follows: Zuko, and his crew
get an opportunity to relax, and chill out for a while. They get invited to a party, which should
be appealing to him considering he never gets to party, but it isn’t. In fact, it’s obvious
throughout the episode he’s miserable. This can be for multiple reasons, his ungrateful girlfriend
complaining constantly, his sister’s tendency to screw him over, or even the vibe of the party
itself, but after some deep contemplation he realizes the problem is internal, not external.
Everyone has their own internal battles. For Zuko,
he’s been holding on to this guilt, and shame for as long as he can remember.
He believes in order for him to be allowed to forgive himself, he needs to redeem himself first.
I think redemption is an interesting topic. By definition, it’s, “the action of saving or
being saved from sin, error, or evil.” Some of my greatest life changes happened when I felt guilty
about something I did, even if I knew deep down that I didn’t have to be. Feeling a desire for
redemption can be great for motivation, but it depends on the values. Sometimes we think we have
the right intentions, but we are blinded because of our lack of awareness, selfishness, or ego.
The Fire Nation tried to convince Zuko that when he spoke out of turn that
was somehow wrong. That that was somehow an error, a sin, and was disrespectful. He was brainwashed
into believing he was a disgrace to their nation, and the only way to make up for it, was to capture
the Avatar. Therefore, Zuko’s “redemption” (if you can call it that) was not motivated by his own
morals, and values. He’s chasing someone else’s dream. The dream his father proposed to him.
It is also because of this trauma that he never gives himself permission to make mistakes.
Every time he makes a mistake, he is reminded of his punishment that one infamous day.
When he is welcomed back into the Fire Nation because everyone thinks he killed the Avatar,
it’s bittersweet. His father finally gives him the respect he deserves,
he feels welcomed. However, there is a catch. There’s a scene where he expresses to his uncle
that he finally has everything he always wanted, but it’s nowhere near what he thought it would be.
He’s confused because he knows this “success” that he thinks he’s achieved is only temporary
considering The Avatar is still alive, but there’s also a deeper reason. His whole life, he’s been
pursuing his honor, because he believed it would give his life meaning. In the words of Jay Shetty,
“purpose and meaning, not success, lead to true contentment.”
Zuko hasn’t gone deep within himself to find what it really is that he wants. He thinks it’s honor,
but what he really wants is more freedom; Freedom to express himself, freedom to speak his mind,
freedom to be him. As he later discovers in this season, that’s what’s missing in his life.
He rejected his own motivations because his father scarred him for life. He abandoned his values,
or opinions because of the way his father treated him. He thought it was wrong for Zuko to speak his
mind. When in reality, he did nothing wrong and was undeservedly punished.
Because of this, Zuko thinks his purpose in life is to capture the Avatar, but once he gets
his so-called “honor” or “destiny” back, he realizes it has little meaning. Sure,
the people who betrayed him, now love him, but what good is that if he still isn't
able to speak his mind? What good is it if the moment he does decide to speak his mind again,
he’ll just be rejected, and banished once more? What good is it if he isn't able to be
himself? After some deep contemplation, he discovers his life would be much more fulfilling,
and meaningful if he instead helped Aang bring back balance into the world. In the middle of
Season 3, he confronts his father face to face, to finally express the truth about how he feels.
He then promises to join team Avatar to help take him down once and for all.
This is Zuko’s true redemption. The life purpose he was searching for. His destiny.
This confrontation serves as great motivation to face your fears head on, with complete confidence,
and no regrets. As Zuko describes it, it feels...
Just as he promised, he joins Team Avatar, but is faced with the challenge
of explaining how he came to his profound realization that perhaps
destiny isn’t something that feels forced, but instead is something that feels right.
One of my subscribers left me a message, and it instantly reminded me of Zuko.
“I have done many bad things to other people, I lied, I backstabbed, I betrayed, I've hurt people
(emotionally). I did everything out of spite. I was going through a bad time in life at the time and was mentally and physically
ill. I still struggle with self forgiveness and seeking redemption or starting fresh.” End quote.
I know there are many others who struggle with self-forgiveness,
and feeling as if what they did in the past could never be forgiven. I want to let you know that is
not true. As shown in this show, there are people who will forgive you. But regardless
of whether or not that apology is available, or accepted, you have to forgive yourself first.
You were always trying to do the right thing. You were doing the best you could,
with what you had, and what you knew. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now.
Similar to Zuko, I have been searching for ways to express my inner fire, and rage in more productive
manners. What I’ve discovered is one of the best ways to do that is through working out.
Recently I’ve been training with this YouTube channel called Growth Through Calisthenics,
a channel that I highly recommend checking out. They not only talk about how to improve
your physical health, but they also talk about mental health, and spirituality.
Similar to this channel. So please do me a favor and show them love and support by subscribing.
And thanks for watching everyone. Recently this channel hit 250,000 subscribers, an incredible
milestone. I appreciate each and everyone of you who have stuck with me on this incredible journey.