Zuko

Zuko
File:Zuko Season2.png
Voiced by	Dante Basco Elijah Runcorn (Young Zuko)
In-universe information
Aliases	The Blue Spirit
Gender	Male
Position	Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Dual Dao swordsman, Firebender
Family	Fire Lord Sozin (paternal great-grandfather) Fire Lord Azulon (paternal grandfather) Fire Lady Ilah (paternal grandmother) Fire Lord Ozai (father) Avatar Roku (maternal great-grandfather) Prinses Ursa (mother) Azula (sister) Iroh (uncle) Lu Ten (Cousin)
Nationality	Fire Nation

Prince Zuko is a fictional character voiced by Dante Basco on the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko is a skilled Firebender and exiled prince of the Fire Nation, bent on capturing Aang, the long-lost Avatar, in his quest to restore his honor and right to the throne in the eyes of his father, Fire Lord Ozai, and to earn his return home from exile. He is accompanied and advised in his search by his uncle Iroh.

Zuko's distinguishing marks include an enormous facial burn scar radiating from his left eye over his ear. Formerly, his head was shaven but for a small queue of black hair at the back. After slicing off his top-knot as a show of his severance from his family in the episode "The Avatar State," Zuko begins to let his hair grow out.

History

Zuko is the only son and the first-born of Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa. As such, he is the descendant of both Fire Lord Sozin (from Ozai) and Avatar Roku (from Princess Ursa). From an early age, Zuko is disdained by his father and is also the object of his sister, Azula's, manipulation, ridicule, and deception. Zuko’s mother, however, favored him.

When Zuko was about eleven years old, his cousin, Lu Ten, died while away at war. Soon after, General Iroh, devastated by the loss of his only child, abandoned his two-year siege of the Earth Kingdom Capital City, Ba Sing Se. During an audience with Fire Lord Azulon. Ozai shows off Azula's prodigious Firebending skill and her knowledge of military strategy, both of which outstrip Zuko's. Azulon is unimpressed by all of these exercises and demands that Ursa and her children leave and Ozai be frank about his reasons for wanting the audience. Azula and Zuko eavesdrop on Ozai and Azulon’s conversation as Ozai voices his desire to be made heir in place of Iroh, justifying this course of action by pointing out that not only has Iroh’s overwhelming grief and subsequent erratic behavior made the date of his return from war uncertain, but that Iroh no longer has any heirs to carry on his line. Azulon, however, is outraged and he declares angrily that Iroh has suffered enough, but Ozai’s suffering has only just begun.

Frightened, Zuko runs away while Azula stays to watch. Later, while Zuko is in his room trying to sleep, Azula comes in and mockingly tells him that Azulon's punishment for Ozai is that Ozai must kill Zuko as the Fire Lord now wants his younger son to know what it feels like to lose a child . Ursa, hearing the commotion comes in and drags Azula away, declaring that it is time that they talked, and Zuko, left behind, chants quietly to himself, "Azula always lies." Much later that night, Zuko is awakened once again, but this time by his mother. She tells a sleepy Zuko that everything that she has done, she did for him, and instructs him not to forget who he is no matter how much things may change. Most likely she means by that, that he is not only the descendant of the Fire Lord Sozin, but also the the descendant of the former Avatar Roku. Zuko wakes up the next morning and immediately remembers what transpired the night before and runs frantically through the halls searching for his mother. He finds Azula, who blithely tells him that Azulon died last night and, as she plays with Zuko's pearl dagger (a gift from Iroh), mocks Zuko about the fact that their mother is not there to make her give it back. Eventually, Zuko finds Ozai in the gardens of the palace, and upon doing so demands to know where Ursa is. Ozai does not answer and Zuko hangs his head, defeated. At Azulon’s funeral, the sage conducting the ceremony names Ozai the new Fire Lord, stating that Azulon's dying request was that he be succeeded by his second son.

Years later, Iroh allows a persistent, thirteen year old Zuko into a war counsel with Ozai and a group of his generals. Zuko ignores Iroh's instructions not to speak during the meeting when one general outlines a plan to sacrifice an entire division of new recruits in a diversionary maneuver. Zuko vocally disagrees with this, seeing it as a betrayal of the recruits' patriotism. This insubordination is a grave insult and Ozai demands that Zuko participate in an Agni Kai (fire duel). Zuko agrees, unaware that he will face his father and not the general whom he insulted. Upon turning to face his opponent, Zuko is immediately penitent and kneels, refusing to fight, and tearfully begs his father’s forgiveness. Ozai declares Zuko’s refusal to fight him a sign of cowardice and yet another display of disrespect, and tells him that "[he] will learn respect, and suffering will be [his] teacher." Ozai then burns Zuko (permanently scarring him), strips him of his birthright, and exiles him from his beloved homeland, declaring that he can only return if he is able to find and capture the Avatar, who disappeared one hundred years before. A fool's errand by all accounts, but one to which Zuko clings desperately as his only hope of regaining everything that he has lost.

The Scar

After his duel with his father, when Zuko's healthy eye opens all the way, the scarred one remains partially shut for the rest of the series, meaning that his the eyelid muscles and teer ducts were damaged. During the episode Bitter Work, when Zuko weeps at the end of the episode, his scarred eye does not shed any tears. Nonetheless, Zuko stills retains the ability to see with his scarred eye. The paralysis of Zuko's eye is futher explored at the end of the episode The Avatar and the Firelord when Zuko learned of his lineage in Avatar Roku. His healthy, right eye grows wide with shock, while his left hardly expands at all.

Story

Book 1: Water

Iroh accompanies Zuko during his exile, and the pair spend more than two years at sea with a small ship and crew searching for the Avatar. The crew are not royal guards or special forces, and may well have been banished themselves, or foolishly intent on serving under the popular General Iroh. They were often unhappy under Zuko but obey his orders. Iroh considers the search to be more of an extended vacation.

When Zuko finally finds the Avatar at the South Pole, in the company of the remnants of the Southern Water Tribe, he is shocked and disappointed to discover that the Avatar is only a twelve-year-old boy. However, when Aang (with the assistance of Sokka and Katara) escapes from Zuko, he vows never to underestimate him again. Soon after this first encounter, Zuko docks in a port controlled by Commander Zhao in order to have the damage to his ship repaired. By interrogating Zuko’s crew, Zhao discovers that the Avatar has returned and wishes to capture him himself. This conflict results in an Agni Kai, during which Zuko defeats Zhao. Zhao remains Zuko's bitter rival in his quest to capture Aang throughout the continuation of Book 1.

File:The Blue Spirit.png

Prince Zuko as The Blue Spirit.

After the "The Avatar Returns," Zuko has numerous other encounters with Aang. One of the most significant occurs in "The Blue Spirit," when Zuko takes on the guise of the Blue Spirit, a dual-broadsword-wielding vigilante in an oni mask, in order to kidnap a captured Aang from Zhao. Because Aang assumes that the silent vigilante is a new ally, he and Zuko work well together as they try to escape from the fortress. After Zuko has been knocked unconscious, Aang removes the mask and discovers his true identity. However, Aang does take the unconscious Zuko along with him when he escapes, thus saving him from discovery by Zhao and the charges of treason that would surely follow. When Zuko wakes, Aang makes an overture of friendship towards him, to which Zuko's only response is a fireblast.

During "Bato of the Water Tribe," Zuko encountered the bounty hunter June and her Shirshu invading his ship in pursuit of a stowaway. June tells him her Shirshu can detect a scent for miles by just smelling an object. Zuko enlists her help (to compensate for the damage to his ship) and uses Katara's necklace to follow her scent, tracking Aang by proxy. Zuko ends up in a one on one showdown with Aang, but is defeated when Sokka devises a plan to blind the Shirshu by overpowering its sense of smell, its strongest method of perception. The Shirshu loses control and, with its toxin-secreting tongue, paralyzes both Zuko and June. Iroh pretends to be paralyzed so he could hold June close to him. He shushes Zuko when he points this out.

Towards the end of season one, Zhao recruits the soldiers under Zuko’s command so he wouldn't get in the way again. When he sees the broadswords on a mantlepiece, Zhao deduces that Zuko is the Blue Spirit and hires a band of pirates to assassinate Zuko. The pirates blow up Zuko’s ship, but he survives. With Iroh’s help, Zuko infiltrates Zhao’s crew under the guise of a soldier and stows away on a ship as Zhao journeys to the North Pole to lay siege to the Northern Water Tribe.

Once at the North Pole, Zuko sneaks into the city. After battling Katara, Zuko manages to kidnap Aang from her while the Avatar is in a fugue state, his spirit off in the Spirit World in an attempt to find help to defeat Zhao’s forces. Zuko escapes with Aang into a blizzard, but is found by Katara, Sokka, and Princess Yue soon after Aang awakens. Aang saves Zuko’s life for a second time, insisting that Zuko must be brought along instead of being left unconscious in the snow where he would surely die. Upon returning to the Northern Water Tribe’s city, Zuko escapes while Aang and his allies are distracted by Zhao’s attack on the Moon Spirit, Tui. Zuko runs into Zhao, also escaping, and the two battle over Zhao’s attempt to have Zuko assassinated. However, when the vengeful Ocean Spirit, La, attacks Zhao, attempting to drag him into the water, Zuko offers Zhao his hand in aid. Zhao refuses and is drowned by the Ocean Spirit. Zuko and Iroh escape the North Pole on a driftwood raft for three weeks.

Book 2: Earth

Season two would prove to be a journey of self-discovery and change for Zuko. The possible ramifications of these changes could well have tremendous consequences for both his own personal future and that of many other characters in Avatar.

Betrayed

Main articles: The Avatar State, The Cave of Two Lovers, The Swamp (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Avatar Day

The season opens on the three year anniversary of Zuko's banishment, and Zuko is as determined as ever in his desire to capture Aang and "regain what he has lost". Unbeknownst to him, however, his father has officially declared both he and Iroh traitors for their actions against Zhao during the siege of the Northern Water Tribe and sent Zuko's sister, Azula, to bring them back as prisoners. Azula attempts to deceive them into believing that Ozai has ended their exile, and despite Iroh’s doubts, Zuko wishes to believe this, so he agrees to go. Azula’s treachery is revealed when the two are about to board her ship, resulting in a brawl where Iroh fights off her guards while Zuko angrily confronts his sister. Zuko proves to be no match for Azula, who defeats him without Zuko landing a single blow. Azula prepares to finish him with a lightning attack, but Iroh intercedes, redirecting the blast and escaping with Zuko. Afterwards, as a symbol of severance from their family and the Fire Nation, the pair sever their topknots with a dagger Iroh had given Zuko years earlier.

Iroh and Zuko soon have trouble living off the land. Iroh mistakenly ingests a deadly plant, and they are forced to seek aid from a young Earth Kingdom herbalist named Song. Song tries to reach out to Zuko repeatedly, but he rebuffs her. However, when she displays her own burn scars caused by the Fire Nation, he seems taken aback and dismayed. Despite this, as Zuko and Iroh depart, Zuko steals Song’s ostrich horse, over Iroh's protests.

The two grow more desperate and Zuko fumes as Iroh is forced to panhandle for money. After watching Iroh being harassed, Zuko once again dons the guise of the Blue Spirit and turns to stealing from local merchants. Iroh, worried about Zuko, has a talk with him about his suspicious acquisitions and his honor. However when he goes further and points out that capturing the Avatar at this point would likely not improve their situation or return Zuko to his "rightful place" in the Fire Nation, Zuko pulls away from Iroh and walks off. When he returns, he says that, after reflection, he decides that they no longer have anything to gain by traveling together and parts ways with Iroh.

Alone

Main article: Zuko Alone

File:Zuko Way ofthe Samurai.png

Zuko fighting Earth Kingdom thugs.

Zuko wanders through the Earth Kingdom, passing through forbidding and uninhabited areas. Despite his worsening hunger and lack of supplies, he decides not to rob a young couple when he notices that the woman is pregnant. Eventually, he stumbles upon a small town that is regularly harassed by a troop of unscrupulous Earth Kingdom soldiers. Zuko stands up to those soldiers, impressing a young boy named Lee, who invites Zuko back to his family's farm for food and shelter. He spends the day helping with chores, and thinking of his own, far less happy childhood. Zuko acts as something of a substitute brother for Lee, whose older brother is off in the war, even giving Lee a quick lesson in how to use dual broadswords when Lee’s curiosity prompts him to take them. Before leaving, Zuko gives Lee the dagger that he received from Iroh as a boy.

After Zuko leaves town, Lee's mother comes to him, telling him how the soldiers came to harass the family and took Lee away when he threatened them with the dagger. Having no one else to turn to, she asks Zuko to save him. Zuko denounces the soldiers as common bullies and defeats most of them easily, but the ringleader is an Earthbender and Zuko is unable to beat him using only his broadswords. After recalling his mother's last words to him before her disappearance, to "Always remember who you are", Zuko Firebends to save himself and announces his identity proudly to the town. Despite what he has done for them, the townspeople, including Lee who even throws away Zukos dagger, reject Zuko because of his identity and he departs with his retrieved dagger.

Reunion

Main articles: The Chase (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Bitter Work

Zuko picks up Azula's trail, who is in turn relentlessly hunting and harrying Aang and company. He manages to track Azula into a deserted town where she and Aang are about to face off, and warns her to leave Aang's capture to him. She ignores him and they engage in a three-way battle that Azula dominates, by deflecting all of Zuko's attacks and landing a knock-out blow to Zuko. All seemed lost until Aang’s friends arrive to assist him, and Iroh, who has been following Zuko and watching over his nephew from afar, comes to Zuko’s aid. All six corner Azula, who feigns surrender, only to attack and badly wound Iroh in a moment of distraction and escape. Zuko is grief-stricken about Iroh's serious injury and angrily demands that Aang and his companions, who offer to help him, leave them alone.

After Zuko tends to Iroh's wound himself he asks Iroh to resume his training so that he can defeat Azula. Iroh agrees, and attempts to show Zuko the difficult art of creating lightning, but Zuko's inner turmoil prevents him from doing so. Instead, Iroh shows him how to redirect lightning, but refuses to test the skill due to the danger. Zuko is undeterred and climbs a mountain during a storm, intent on accomplishing the task. He rages at the storm and the world in general when no lightning comes close enough until finally, exhausted and emotionally spent, he collapses, a bitter tear in his eye.

To Ba Sing Se

Main articles: The Desert, The Serpent's Pass, The Drill, City of Walls and Secrets, and The Tales of Ba Sing Se

Zuko and Iroh travel to a desert oasis where Iroh makes contact with a secret society in which he is a member: The Order of the White Lotus. Zuko and Iroh find out that the Fire Nation has placed a large bounty on their heads, but the White Lotus aids them in dodging bounty hunters and garners documentation so that Iroh and Zuko may pass into the Earth Kingdom's capital city, Ba Sing Se. While traveling there they encounter Jet, who is on his way to Ba Sing Se to make a new life and befriends Zuko before noticing Iroh employing subtle Firebending to heat his tea. Furious, Jet becomes determined to expose them.

Zuko and Iroh find a place to live in Ba Sing Se, which displeases Zuko, who has no desire to make a life in the "prison" that is Ba Sing Se. They both take jobs in a teahouse in Ba Sing Se as servers, and Iroh soon takes it upon himself to greatly improve the quality of the local tea, which garners him a degree of fame. Meanwhile, Jet makes various surreptitious attempts to prove that Zuko and Iroh are Firebenders, but fails. Finally, a frustrated Jet walks into the teashop and challenges them to a fight, hoping to force one of them to Firebend in self-defense. Zuko takes up Jet's challenge and the two begin an extended, even battle until the Dai Li interrupt them. Various witnesses state that Jet's attack on the teashop employees and Zuko was completely unprovoked, leading to Jet’s arrest.

Zuko continues to be reluctant to adapt to living in Ba Sing Se, perhaps best typified by his awkward date with Jin, a young girl who is a regular customer of the teahouse where he works and who has developed a crush on Zuko. Towards the end of their date she hints that she wants to kiss him, something Zuko doesn't seem to get. When she does kiss him, he returns it before breaking off, saying only, "It's complicated", and going back home. When he returns home and Iroh asks him how his date went, Zuko goes straight into his room without answering, but after a few seconds, Zuko cracks open the door and quietly remarks, "It was nice."

Crossroads of Destiny

Main articles: Lake Laogai, The Earth King, The Guru (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and The Crossroads of Destiny

Zuko learns that Aang is in the city by seeing a flier that Aang and company have made to look for the missing Appa. Zuko decides to hunt for Appa and use him as bait for Aang. In his Blue Spirit disguise he forces an agent of the Dai Li to tell him the whereabouts of Appa, then sneaks into the Dai Li secret base beneath Lake Laogai and finds Appa in his cell, but is confronted by Iroh. Iroh, in an uncharacteristically sharp manner, berates Zuko's rashness, pointing out that Zuko has not thought of what to do after he has Appa in his possession. He then attempts to persuade Zuko into giving up his search for the Avatar, telling Zuko to give up the destiny set for him by his father, and follow his own path. Zuko cries out in agony and indecision, but does free Appa. When they leave Lake Laogai, he throws his Blue Spirit mask into the lake.

File:Zuko in Throne81516.jpg

Zuko as the Fire Lord during his dream.

As soon as Zuko and Iroh return to their apartment Zuko collapses with a terrible fever. Iroh informs him that the great struggle going on inside Zuko's mind over his future and his destiny has in effect carried over to this body. Iroh likens this period of time to a metamorphosis, and states that in the end Zuko would emerge as the person he is truly meant to be. Zuko has a series of dreams and hallucinations, and in one of them sees himself as the Fire Lord, without his scar, while a blue dragon with Azula's voice and a red dragon with Iroh's voice give him differing advice (these dragons are similar to the ones later seen in the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord", the blue dragon of Fire Lord Sozin, and the red dragon of Avatar Roku). He also sees images of his vanished mother begging him for help. Zuko finally seems to waken. He gets up and splashes water on his face, only to look up into a mirror and see that he has Aang's bald head and tattoo. Zuko then truly wakes with a cry of horror and immediately touches his face where it is scarred. Upon finding the scar still there he closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.

File:Avatar Zuko and Katara.png

Zuko and Katara in the cavern.

Afterwards, Zuko appears to have developed a more optimistic view of life and living in Ba Sing Se. He is enthusiastic at the opening of Iroh's new teashop, and at the invitation for the two of them to come to the Earth King's palace and serve tea to the king. The invitation, however, is a trap set by Azula, who has struck a deal with the Dai Li to perform a coup on the Earth King. Iroh and Zuko manage to fight their way free, but Zuko chooses to stand and face Azula while Iroh flees. He challenges Azula to an Agni Kai, but Azula laughs off his challenge and has the Dai Li arrest him and imprison him in a cave with Katara. There Katara berates Zuko, who sits silently and absorbs the abuse until Katara mentions how the Fire Nation took her mother away from her, something which Zuko can sympathize with and relate to. This is a bonding point for the two, and Katara apologizes, explaining that for a long time Zuko's face was the face of the enemy in her mind, causing Zuko to acknowledge his scar and how it marks him. Katara offers to attempt to heal Zuko's scar and is about to do so when Iroh and Aang barge in to rescue them.

Despite the statement that he has changed, Zuko still holds a great deal of anger towards Aang, and within moments the two old adversaries nearly come to blows, until Iroh restrains Zuko and encourages Aang and Katara to leave and find their friends. While Katara and Aang exit the cavern, Iroh attempts to dissuade Zuko from continuing his pursuit once again. Azula arrives accompanied by two Dai Li agents who incapacitate Iroh in crystal. Both Iroh and Azula attempt to persuade Zuko- Azula seeking his assistance in capturing the Avatar, and Iroh begging him to seek his own destiny. When Azula leaves to fight Aang and Katara, Zuko later joins and decides to help Azula by attacking Aang, which he does with manic zeal. Surprisingly, Zuko also assists his sister directly several times, including freeing her when Katara had Azula trapped.

At the end of the battle, Iroh arrives on the scene and covers Katara and Aang's escape by holding off the siblings and scores of Dai Li agents until they have safely exited the cavern. Iroh then lets himself get captured, and Azula and Zuko triumphantly return to the Earth King's palace. Zuko is suddenly once again uncertain of himself, though, and expresses regret at having betrayed Iroh. Azula turns this aside, though, telling Zuko that it was Iroh who betrayed him. She then expresses confidence that, Avatar or no Avatar, Zuko has restored his own honor. We leave Zuko with the young man still looking conflicted about the decision he has made.

Book 3: Fire

So far Book 3 has followed Zuko's return to the Fire Nation and being looked on as a hero by his people.

Returning Home

As displayed in "Going Home Again," a canonical interlude comic featured within the second All-Avatar Nick Mag Presents edition, Zuko is surprisingly reluctant to return to the Fire Nation as a hero. However, after informing his sister of his intention to remain in Ba Sing Se, the princess pulls out a trump card in the form of an old friend--Mai, who had shared a mutual crush with Zuko as a child. After foiling Azula's dinner date set up, Zuko accompanies the governor's daughter on a stroll throughout the city, where--after an incident involving Jin, octofish, and a fountain--the two end up kissing and reminiscing. The following day, as he sees Mai off during the boardings, Zuko severely contemplates returning home with her, watched on by Azula. The princess then turns her attention to Iroh being led aboard a Fire Nation ship in chains and wonders aloud if he will even survive the trip. As she bids her brother farewell, Zuko suddenly makes the resolve to come with them back to the Fire Nation. Azula slyly tells her brother to do whatever he wants, as it's his decision.

Several weeks later, though, as the ship approaches Fire Nation waters, Zuko expresses his fear at how much everything has changed, and how much he himself has changed. Despite reassurances from Mai and deafening cheers from the citizens of the Fire Nation, Zuko is still uncertain as to how his father would receive him--and even doubtful as to whether or not the Avatar was truly dead, a feeling he consequentially expresses to his sister. When he finally returns to his father's throne room, however, his father welcomes him back with pride and recognition, claiming that Zuko had fully redeemed himself by slaying the Avatar. Zuko manages to contain his surprise at this, knowing full well that it had been Azula who had delivered the blow, not him.

Although the false claim finally gives him the redemption he has so longed for, Zuko confronts his sister that night about why she had given him the credit. Azula claims that she saw how worried Zuko was about not having the Avatar, she decided to give him the credit for his demise out of a generous gesture to repay his part in the takeover of Ba Sing Se. Zuko refuses to believe her explanation, accusing her of retaining an ulterior motive. Azula nonchalantly points out how letting him have all the glory over slaying the Avatar could do little to benefit her, but goes on to insidiously acknowledge the fact that should it be discovered that the Avatar was alive, all that glory would swiftly turn into shame and foolishness. She assures Zuko that he has nothing to worry about, as he had already said himself, there's no way the Avatar could have survived. With that, the princess bids her brother goodnight, who leaves deeply incensed. Even with his redemption, he is still being manipulated.

File:Zuko-holyhell.jpg

Zuko's reaction to the revelation of his ancestry.

Zuko had been secretly seeing his imprisoned uncle, telling the guard to say nothing. However, Iroh would have none of him and refused to listen to Zuko's claims he could have been a hero. While on a picnic with Mai, they were interrupted by Azula who cautions Zuko not to be discovered visiting Uncle or people will think he was conspiring with him (exactly why she would tell him this is ambiguous). After delivering a box of komodo chicken to his uncle, Zuko says to his uncle that he has everything he has ever wanted, but is tortured knowing that the Avatar is still alive; Iroh refuses to advise his nephew. Zuko then meets with a person who has a tattoo of a third eye whom he instructs to kill the Avatar. Zuko goes to the beach with his friends in the episode "The Beach". He tells his friends he doesn't know right from wrong. He also breaks up but gets back together with Mai.

Family History

In the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord", Zuko is sent a note concerning the death of his great-grandfather. He later found a hidden message directing him to the Dragonbone catacombs. Zuko then finds a detailing history of Sozin, his great-grandfather. However, the history did not include Sozin's demise. Confused, Zuko once again visits Iroh, telling him that the scroll did not reveal anything concerning Sozin's death. Iroh, being the one who supposedly had the note smuggled to Zuko , reveals that while Fire Lord Sozin is his father's grandfather, his mother's grandfather is Avatar Roku. He says that since he has both Roku's and Sozin's blood running through his veins, he is more morally conflicted than the rest of his family. Iroh believes that it is his destiny to bring balance and restore peace to the world. His uncle gives him Roku's crown, given to the Avatar by Sozin as a parting gift when they were teenagers.

Personality

While initially the series' main antagonist, over time Zuko's development has shown him to be more of a bitter and complex young man than a truly evil character; he is far closer to antihero than true villain. Zuko wants, more than anything, to have his place as heir to the Fire Nation throne and his father's love. Zuko believes, or has perhaps forced himself to believe, that capturing the Avatar will make these wishes come true, which makes him one of Aang's most determined enemies.

Zuko believes that a person becomes strong by having to struggle and fight for what they want. He has said that he does not want to have good luck, because he feels he can control his own fate. He also believes that he is marked unlucky and that the world is against him. Zuko's reaction to this perception of the world always being set against him is defiance in the form of an iron will and inflexible determination.

Zuko has numerous contradictory traits, beliefs, and behaviors. For example, he is domineering and controlling, a result of being raised as Fire Nation royalty, and disdains working with people he believes are inferior to himself. Yet he adamantly refuses to view people as expendable. It was Zuko's belief that it is wrong to sacrifice able-bodied and willing troops as a diversionary tactic which led to his exile. During his banishment, Zuko displayed much zeal in pursuing the Avatar, using whatever means he thought necessary to gain the upper hand. Although he has said that the capture of the Avatar is a greatest concern to him than the safety of his crew or even himself, he shows compassion to those close to him, choosing to rescue Iroh when he was captured, rather than pursue Aang, and also risked his own life in order to save a member of his crew during a fierce storm. Towards the end of the storm, the crew spots Aang, but rather than chase the Avatar, Zuko orders the ship and crew to safety.

Because the prospect of returning home and being forgiven was Zuko's sole motivation, he is marked by abject despair at having lost his chance early in the second season. He finds himself in perhaps the most dire situation possible: being hunted by his sister, the ruthless and relentless Azula while attempting to survive as a penniless fugitive in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko has nothing, something he cannot seem to accept. At first, Zuko lashes out and turns to robbery, even stealing from those who have been kind to him. After some time, however, and a talk from Iroh, Zuko begins a more reasonable outlook throughout season two. Although theft is still necessary from time to time, he refuses to steal from already needy people, or people who have been shown kindness to him. He also defended an Earth Kingdom village from a group of thugs who terrorized its people after having been appointed to protect them. Zuko begins becoming more patient, kind, precise, and calculating; traits necessary to evade Azula's pursuit while staying incognito from local authorities. During "Lake Laogai", he even sets Aang's pet bison and primary mode of transportation, Appa, free from Dai Li captivity at Iroh's suggestion.

These traits would become dominant after Zuko's fever dreams and hallucinations in "The Earth King," as afterwards he displayed a more optimistic attitude towards life and the world. However, Azula successfully tapped into and manipulated Zuko's desire for the love and approval of his father, and convinced him to betray Iroh and become her ally in "The Crossroads of Destiny." Although Zuko continued to insist that he had truly changed even after joining Azula, it remains to be seen what long term effects his choice will have on his ever-evolving personality. Afterwards, he seems conflicted about his choices, and is uncomfortable with his betrayal of Iroh, who is a father figure to him. In The Beach, Zuko states that he is angry with himself, saying he doesn't know right from wrong. Zuko gets a letter and tries to know his great-grandfather, then later Iroh tells him that Avatar Roku is his mother's grandfather. Iroh then gives Zuko an ancient crown, worn only by the crowned prince of the fire nation. Iroh also states that Zuko's inner conflict is due to the views of his ancestors (Sozin views for conquest and Roku's views of peace).

Name

In "The Desert", considered a traitor, Zuko's name was listed on a Fire Nation wanted poster as "祖寇" (zǔ kòu), which translate as 'ancestors robber." Later, in "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", his name is written as "蘇科" (sū kè) on his segment's title card, which translates as 'resurrected rule.' In "The Avatar and the Fire Lord," the word Sū is also used for his great grandfather Sozin's name on the boxes which held the diary scrolls. 'Fire Lord Sozin' is written as 烈火君蘇進 (liè huǒ jūn sū jìn). Sozin or Sū Jìn translates as 'resurrection enters.'

For a while since "The Cave of Two Lovers," Iroh and Zuko are known as travelers Mushi and Lee. When those names were conjured up by Zuko, he was wearing a bamboo coolie hat which in Chinese is called a Lì ( 笠 ) or Lee.

Abilities

Firebending

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Zuko using broadswords in conjunction with his Firebending.

Zuko has shown himself to be a highly skilled Firebender. The first true measure of his ability came in the Agni Kai against Zhao just three episodes into the series. Zhao was a master Firebender and a high ranking officer in the Fire Nation Navy. Although Zuko struggled in much of the duel, the fact that he managed to defeat Zhao was a major accomplishment for a teenage fighter with far less experience than his opponent. Because Zuko spends much of the first season constantly doing battle with various foes, including Aang himself, his skills as a fighter have improved greatly. At the end of the season, he not only defeats Katara in the Moon Shrine after the sun rises, but he also defeats Zhao far more easily and impressively before the Ocean Spirit ends the duel by carrying Zhao off.

Throughout Book 2 there have been signs that his skill may be improving. In the Book's first episode, Zuko was unable to land a single blow on Azula during their fight. However, during their second encounter, Zuko fares far better, (although Azula still certainly has the upper hand), trading fire blasts with her until he fell into a partially destroyed building, which allowed Azula to strike a knockout blow while he was recovering.. Finally, in the last episode The Crossroads of Destiny Zuko was shown fighting fairly evenly against the Avatar. In Zuko's first fight with the Avatar in the second episode, Zuko could not land a hit against Aang who at the time did not know any earth or water bending, but in the final episode, not only were they more evenly matched, but the two fought to an almost perfect standoff, broken only when Katara and Azula changed opponents.

Following the resumption of his training under Iroh, the very nature of Zuko's fighting style has undergone an evolution. Throughout the first Book his style was based on overwhelming force; nearly all of his attacks produced either a large fireball or a long sheet of flame. While powerful, this style also was reckless, direct, left him open to counterattacks and almost certainly consumed a large amount of energy. (In the first duel with Zhao, for example, Zuko is panting and visibly tired after launching just a few attacks). In the second Book he begins, like his uncle, to show far more finesse, refinement and economy of energy. For example, when faced by an enemy archer, rather than launching a large flame to bowl him over, he sends a small bolt of flame that burns a hole through both bow and string, completely disarming him. Also, like Azula he begins projecting flames from two fingers rather than his whole fist and, as seen when he lit numerous candles during his date with Jin in "Tales of Ba Sing Se", this allows him to hit multiple targets with great accuracy in a matter of seconds.

In the season finale of Book II, Zuko is shown utilizing a number of new tactics and techniques. First, he was shown to charge up his attacks, which significantly increased their power and efficiency in a manner similar to a technique of Azula's. Secondly, he used his firebending in the shape of long whips or lashes, a maneuver that proved to be an effective mid or long range attack and more malleable than simply shooting a ball of flame. As a result he was able to battle on even terms with Katara, who at that point had long since been declared a waterbending master , and Aang, who was now proficient with water and earthbending, along with a mastery of airbending.

Zuko occasionally demonstrated the ability to breathe fire, just as his father and uncle Iroh have in the past, albeit in a considerably less impressive fashion. When infiltrating the Northern Water Tribe capital city, he use the ability to warm his body and enough to sustain the harsh cold weather. No doubt that Zuko was taught this ability by his uncle during their long travels together.

Zuko also attempted to learn from his Uncle, the ability to create lightning, however, due to the conflict in his heart was unable to successfully do so. Instead, Iroh also taught Zuko his unique ability to 'redirect' lightning based on waterbending techniques.

Other skills

As well as being a proficient Firebender, Zuko has also shown to be highly skilled in the use of the dual Dao swords, a talent he refined during his time at sea. This is best displayed in the episode "The Blue Spirit", when Zuko had to refrain from using his bending abilities and was shown defeating scores of Fire Nation soldiers. In Zuko Alone he easily defeats a small squadron of Earth Kingdom soldiers, and even takes on their Earthbending leader with just his swords before he uses Firebending to finish him off.

Zuko's final ability is stealth. His ability to infiltrate a guarded fortress was amply demonstrated in the episodes "The Blue Spirit," "The Siege of the North," and "Lake Laogai." In each case, Zuko entered hostile territory and managed to reach his objective without being caught, although the circumstances of each separate at this point. Also, the different natures of those fortresses show that he is adaptable to circumstances as well. He is also skilled at the art of the ambush, laying cunning traps for his victims, both demonstrated when he briefly turned bandit and when he later set a trap for an agent of the Dai Li in order to obtain information on Appa's location. This ability ties in well with his swordsmanship, and is a key facet of his 'Blue Spirit' persona.

Exemplifying the differences between Zuko and Azula's respective personalities are their fighting styles. Whereas Azula gains immense strength in combat through her removed and somewhat sociopathic mentality and gains the ability to master lightning, Zuko is completley emotional and finds more strength in his passions. Although Azula is presently stronger than Zuko, as the Avatar chapters unwind there is a unique potential for Zuko to surpass his sister through the use of his volatile emotion (which may lead to unpredictable moves).

Family

Fire Lord Ozai

Though Zuko was once moved to tears by his father's upbraiding of him in the Agni Kai arena , his present feelings towards Fire Lord Ozai seem mixed at best. He is resentful of Ozai's favoritism towards his sister Azula, but it is unknown how much of this anger is directed at Ozai himself. Ozai has told his son he was "lucky to be born", (as opposed to his sister being "born lucky") and told Azula he considers Zuko "a miserable failure". Despite this, perhaps the most significant driving force behind Zuko's desire to regain his honor is that it will allow him to regain his father's love. As of the beginning of Book Three, Ozai welcomes his son home with open arms and pride in his false accomplishment: the slaying of the Avatar.

Uncle Iroh

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By the chapter "Lake Laogai", Zuko fully abandons the identity of the Blue Spirit.

Iroh is Zuko's uncle, mentor, Firebending teacher, advisor, caretaker and de facto father-figure. The tolerant and even-keeled foil to Zuko's impulsiveness, Iroh tempers Zuko's anger with practical advice and a wry sense of humor. Though Iroh is a hard instructor, his merciless drilling in Firebending basics has served to improve Zuko's skill. Iroh is sympathetic to Zuko (having likewise fallen from grace due to an infamous military failure in his days as a Fire Nation General ) and pleads that he not be so relentless in his search. Although he often teases Zuko, who impatiently balks at his advice, they care deeply about each other. He even thinks of Zuko as his surrogate child, (his own son having died) and worries over him accordingly. Iroh is constantly guiding Zuko, and trying to help him to make good choices. In turn, Zuko deeply loves his uncle, and is greatly touched when Iroh indirectly praises him. When Zuko was once confronted with the choice of tracking the Avatar or saving a kidnapped Iroh, he chose the latter without hesitation. Both depend on each other in exile. Iroh is considered by the Fire Lord to be "a traitor," blamed for the failure of the siege of the Northern Water Tribe after he attacked Admiral Zhao for killing the mortal form of the Moon Spirit.

In the episode "Avatar Day," Zuko separated from his uncle and both began traveling solo. This occurred after Iroh explained to Zuko that capturing the Avatar at this point would probably not immediately grant him his honor and throne. Zuko left, believing that they no longer had anything to gain from traveling together ("I need to find my own way"), though Iroh continued to follow his nephew's trail.

In the episode "The Chase," Zuko and Iroh rejoined during a battle with Azula and Aang's group. Their reunion was cut short, however, when Iroh was severely injured by Azula. Later, in the episode "Bitter Work," it is evident Zuko has been helping Iroh recover (going so far as to make tea for him). Then, Iroh begins to teach Zuko how to channel lightning through his body, but refuses to aim one at him for practice due to the risks involved.

In the episode "Lake Laogai", Iroh finally loses his temper, and berates Zuko for his lack of forethought in his plans--in the most recent case, discovering Appa before the rest of the main cast does. While Iroh's words are harsh, Zuko ultimately seems to respect the sentiments behind them, opting to release Appa--knowing the bison will return to Aang. At the end of the episode, at his uncle's suggestion, he drops his Blue Spirit mask into the lake, and it disappears. In the episode "The Earth King", he and Zuko arrive back at their apartment. Iroh once again congratulates him for letting Appa go, but Zuko says that he "doesn't feel right" before passing out on the floor. During Zuko's illness, Iroh gladly takes care of his nephew. However, in "The Crossroads of Destiny," Zuko sides with Azula and betrays Iroh. Later in the episode, Iroh turns his head from Zuko, signifying that he is ashamed of the choices that his nephew has made.

Once Iroh was taken back to the Fire Nation as a prisoner, Iroh refuses to talk to Zuko, despite his frequent visits and his confusion. Iroh eventually breaks his silence in chapter six of book three, The Avatar and the Fire Lord. He does this to tell Zuko that Avatar Roku is his maternal Great-grandfather. He tells Zuko that he might be able to redeem their family and that he can restore balance in the world, signifying that although his nephew had betrayed him, he still had faith in Zuko. He then gives Zuko a crown which Sozin once gave to Roku. It is a royal artifact worn by the crown prince of the Fire Nation.

Princess Azula

Azula is Zuko's younger sister by about two years. Azula seems to take great pleasure in the punishment inflicted on her brother, and may hold a desire to inherit the throne. Zuko expresses resentment towards her, as she is a Firebending prodigy and the favored sibling. At the end of the first season, Fire Lord Ozai gave Azula the task of capturing Iroh and Zuko. In "The Avatar State," Azula attempts but fails to capture them, (now considered traitors of the Fire Nation) luring Zuko with the lie that Fire Lord Ozai wanted him back home. When he discovers this lie however he angrily attacks her, but is no match for her fire bending abilities and skills in hand to hand combat. She enjoys tormenting her brother, calling him by a disliked nickname, "Zuzu," and mentioning his inferiority in their father's eyes. In the Episode "The Earth King", it was revealed in Zuko's dream state, that Azula had a great deal of influence over him (arguably rivaling his uncle's influence). This is only furthered in the episode "The Crossroads of Destiny" where Azula successfully convinces Zuko to betray their Uncle, aid her against Aang and Katara, and finally conquer Ba Sing Se. In the first episodes of Book 3, Azula lies to her father and gives Zuko the credit for Aang's supposed death.

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Young Zuko with Ursa.

Princess Ursa

Little has been revealed of the relationship between Zuko and his mother, Ursa. It is hinted that Zuko was his mother's favorite child, and the two were close. Zuko's sister, Azula, stated in "The Beach" that Ursa always likes Zuko better than her because Ursa thought Azula was a monster. This is the opposite to her husband Ozai's feelings towards their children, who has stated that while Azula was "born lucky," Zuko was "lucky to be born." In the episode "Zuko Alone," she leaves under mysterious circumstances and has not returned. This is later touched upon when Azula claims that their father, Fire Lord Ozai, is going to have to kill Zuko after angering the then Fire Lord Azulon. Before Ursa leaves, she tells Zuko that everything she has done has been to protect him. Despite the fact that Ursa disappears on the same night that Azulon dies, it is unclear what exactly took place or how these two events are related. Zuko certainly seems to believe that she is dead; in the season 2 finale "The Crossroads of Destiny", he tells Katara that he, too, has lost his mother to the Fire Nation. In "The Earth King" he is plagued by dreams where his mother was pleading to have him help her. During this dream, the blue dragon, which has Azula's voice, tells Zuko to "sleep, just like Mother!" It could be hinted that Azula might have something to do with Ursa's disappearance, or that Zuko subconsciously believes she does. Princess Ursa is Avatar Roku's granddaughter, as Iroh revealed to Zuko in The Avatar and the Fire Lord.

Avatar Roku

Avatar Roku is Zuko's maternal great-grandfather. Iroh reveals this to Zuko and attributes that his nephew's inner conflict results from having the blood of both Sozin and Roku flowing within him.

Aang

Aang, as the Avatar, is Zuko's greatest enemy and his long sought-after prize. Throughout the bulk of the series, Zuko's primary focus has been to capture Aang, who constantly eludes him. Even though the capture of the Avatar by anyone of the Fire Nation would assist his country, because Zuko sees the capture and delivery of Aang to Fire Lord Ozai as the only way to restore his lost honor, Zuko goes out of his way to impede rivals from capturing Aang before Zuko himself does.

In "The Blue Spirit," Zuko takes on the titular guise of the Blue Spirit, a masked, dual-broadsword-wielding vigilante, in order to abduct Aang from the fortress where he is being kept by Admiral Zhao, who has managed to capture him. Zuko manages to escape with Aang, but once they've made it a ways down the road Zuko is knocked out by the Yu Yan Archers and Aang unmasks Zuko. However, even upon discovering that his rescuer-turned-abductor is his major enemy, Aang still takes Zuko with him when he escapes. When Zuko awakens, Aang speaks to him fondly and nostalgically of Kuzon, a boy from the Fire Nation who used to be his friend 100 years previously and the times before the war. Aang then asks, guilelessly, if Zuko thinks that he and Aang could have been friends in another time. Zuko's response is to shoot a fire blast at Aang. Aang flees through the trees, but Zuko does not give chase.

While Zuko has a catatonic Aang in his custody during "The Siege of the North," he speaks to him about his life philosophy of struggle being the genesis of strength and compares Aang to Azula, citing that everything comes easily to Azula. Once Aang's friends come to rescue him, Aang once again chooses to save Zuko's life when he insists on bringing Zuko along rather than leaving him unconscious in a blizzard.

After Zuko is declared a wanted traitor of the Fire Nation, he still somewhat expresses a desire to capture Aang, despite evidence that this would, in all likelihood, no longer be enough to win back his honor and his birthright. In "The Chase," Zuko confronts both Aang and Azula, then engages in a three-way battle with them when Azula refuses to leave the capture of the Avatar to Zuko. When Azula surprise attacks Zuko's beloved uncle, Iroh, he refuses for the Avatar to get near him. Zuko almost gives up in his pursuit of the Avatar during Book II. The inner conflict resulting over this potential change in goals results with him dreaming in "The Earth King" that he had Aang's face.

Despite Aang being the clear protagonist and Zuko being the main antagonist, their stories are often paralleled in the narrative structure of the show. In "The Storm," flashbacks of the incidents that changed their respective lives forever (Aang being told that he was the Avatar and subsequently running away; Zuko's Agni Kai against his father and subsequent scarring and loss of his honor) are shown side-by-side. In "Bitter Work," their attempts to progress in their bending while impeded by psychological blocks are also shown side-by-side. In "The Avatar State," scenes of Aang struggling to cope with an unexpected betrayal from an Earth Kingdom general morph smoothly into Zuko facing a similar betrayal from his sister. In "The Awakening, Aang was shown displaying the same frustration about the lost of his honor as Zuko. Echoeing the same frustration Zuko has been uttering for the first two seasons, Aang declared, "I need to redeem myself. I need my honor back." Most recently, in the episode "The Avatar and the Fire Lord", both Zuko and Aang find out about their interconnected fates, with Aang being the reincarnation of Avatar Roku and Zuko being Roku's direct descendant (Roku's granddaughter is Zuko's mother).

Other

Fire Lord Sozin is Zuko's great grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon and his wife Ilah are Zuko's paternal grandparents, and Lu Ten, Iroh's late son, is Zuko's first cousin. Only Azulon is shown interacting with Zuko in any way. However, it's unclear how Azulon felt about his grandson. It remains a possibility that he ordered Ozai to kill Zuko as a punishment for Ozai's disrespect toward Iroh, which would certainly indicate a lack of regard for Zuko. Also, because Zuko's flashbacks about Lu Ten's fate are triggered by his exposure to Lee's troubles regarding his brother's fate in the war, it is subtly implied that Zuko and Lu Ten perhaps had a brotherly bond.

Relationships

Jet

Jet is a teenaged boy from the Earth Kingdom and the guerrilla leader of his band of adolescent Freedom Fighters.

Zuko first encounters Jet in "The Serpent's Pass," when they are both travelling on the ferry to Ba Sing Se. Jet approaches Zuko after overhearing him complain about the quality of the food and suggests that Zuko assist him and his gang in stealing better food from the captain's stores. Zuko accepts this offer and they work together very well to complete their mission and deliver food to all the ferry passengers. Jet later tells Iroh and Zuko that he is going to Ba Sing Se to make amends for past deeds of which he is not proud. Iroh pointedly states that he believes that people deserve second chances and can change their lives if they want to, clearly meaning this as a message to Zuko. Zuko, however, appears unaffected.

Katara

Katara is a Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe and Aang's close friend and staunch defender, and thus, by association, an enemy of Zuko.

At the end of "Imprisoned," the only trace of the Avatar and his companions that Zuko finds on an Earthbender prison rig that they helped to liberate is Katara's tribal necklace, lost in the commotion. In "The Waterbending Scroll," after capturing Katara with the assistance of a band of pirates, Zuko attempts to use the necklace as a bribe to get Katara to betray Aang's whereabouts, but she refuses. Then, in "Bato of the Water Tribe," Zuko employs the bounty hunter, June, and her Shirshu, a tracking beast with a hypersensitive olfactory system, and uses the necklace to track Katara, thus tracking Aang by proxy. However, when he does find Aang, the necklace is reclaimed and returned to Katara.

In "The Siege of the North," after Zuko has made his way into the Spirit Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe, Katara is the only thing keeping Zuko from abducting Aang, who is in meditative fugue as he tries to solicit help from the spirits to defeat Zhao's attack on the North Pole. Due to having previously found and been trained by Pakku, a Waterbending master, and with her bending at its most powerful during the full moon due to Waterbending's lunar sympathy, Katara is more than a match for Zuko and initially subdues him. However, when the sun starts coming up, lessening her power and (assuming a solar sympathy for Firebenders) increasing his, he overpowers her, knocks her out, and escapes with Aang. Later in "The Siege of the North, Part II," Katara defeats Zuko with a second time during the full moon when she, Sokka, and Princess Yue have come to rescue Aang.

Also, in "The Chase," Katara, along with Toph, Sokka, and Aang, attack Princess Azula in unison with Zuko. Once Azula has disappeared, Katara tries to tell Zuko that she could assist the injured Iroh with her healing abilities, but runs off with her companions when Zuko violently demands that they leave him and Iroh alone.

In the season finale, "The Crossroads of Destiny", he and Katara are imprisoned in a crystal cave below the Earth King's palace. Katara initially yells at Zuko, blaming him for the Fire Nation starting the war. Zuko seems sympathetic after Katara says that the war took away her mother, remarking that the actions of the Fire Nation have also taken his mother, Ursa. He also tells Katara that he once thought his scar set him apart and made him different, but now believes he no longer needs it to determine his destiny. Katara offers to heal his scar with water from the Spirit Oasis. Before any action can be taken, Iroh and Aang break them out of the prison. Despite the sympathy each shows the other, Zuko joins Azula in trying to capture the Avatar soon afterwards, and the siblings battle both Katara and Aang most likely making Katara bitter towards him in latter episodes.

In "The Awakening" Zuko remembers Katara's offer to heal his scar using the sacred water from the Northern Tribe's spirit oasis. He suspects that Katara used the special water to save Aang and deduces that the Avatar could still be alive. However, he chose to hide this information from his sister.

Jin

Jin is a teenaged patron of the tea shop where Iroh and Zuko work in Ba Sing Se, who has a crush on Zuko. Jin acts on her crush during "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" and asks Zuko out on a date, which Iroh quickly accepts for a confused and silent Zuko.

Jin and Zuko have an awkward dinner after which Jin drags Zuko to a fountain surrounded by candles, but when they arrive they find that they aren't lit. Seeing her disappointment Zuko tells Jin to close her eyes and, despite the risks involved, lights the candles with Firebending. She's pleased, but Zuko is oblivious to the fact that she wants to kiss him, and offers her a coupon to the tea shop. Jin accepts, then tells Zuko to close his eyes and gives him a soft kiss on the lips. Zuko leans in for a split second and starts to return the kiss, but then pulls away.

Zhao

Zhao was a high-ranking (Originally a Lieutenant, then Captain, then Commander, then an Admiral) and ambitious officer in the Fire Nation navy and Zuko's major rival in his attempts to capture Avatar Aang. Throughout the first season Zhao and Zuko were constantly at odds as they attempted to stay one step ahead of each other in their pursuit of the Avatar.

In "The Southern Air Temple," Zuko attempts to withhold the information that the Avatar has returned from Zhao, but Zhao discovers the truth anyway and decides to detain Zuko so that he is unable to capture the Avatar first. This infuriates Zuko and in their subsequent argument Zhao mocks Zuko's plight, telling him that his father doesn't really want him back at all. Zuko then challenges Zhao to an Agni Kai in which he defeats Zhao by utilizing a strong foundation in the basics of Firebending that he had previously dismissed. Zuko, however, chooses not to scar or kill Zhao upon his victory, and while he's walking away Zhao attempts a dishonorable attack that is blocked by Iroh.

In "Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2)," Zuko runs a blockade of Zhao's ships and enters into Fire Nation waters in pursuit of the Avatar, thus violating the terms of his exile. Zhao allows him to pass, however, in order to follow Zuko to the location of the Avatar and, once there, plans to arrest Zuko as well. Zuko escapes.

In "The Blue Spirit," Zuko takes on the guise of the Blue Spirit, a masked, dual-broadsword-wielding vigilante, first to spy on Zhao and then later to abduct the Avatar from Zhao's custody. S. Zhao realizes that this is Zuko's alternate identity in "The Waterbending Master" when he comes to commandeer Zuko's crew in order to invade the Northern Water Tribe and notices dual broadswords in Zuko's quarters. Zhao then hires the pirates with whom Zuko had bad dealings in "The Waterbending Scroll" to assassinate Zuko. However, Zuko survives and stows away on one of Zhao's ships, pretending to be a soldier, and later engages Zhao in a battle in retaliation for Zhao's attempt to kill him. During this fight, Zuko maintains that he had no choice but to act as the Blue Spirit, while Zhao insists that he should have just accepted his failure with honor. Their battle, however, is interrupted when the vengeful Ocean Spirit, upset that Zhao killed its counterpart, the Moon Spirit, manifests a hand-like appendage of water and drags Zhao away. Zuko reaches out a hand to Zhao in an attempt to help him. Though Zhao initially tries to reach his hand, he then refuses to accept his help. He is then dragged down into the water and killed by the Ocean Spirit.

Mai

During flashbacks in "Zuko Alone," Mai is shown, about nine-years-old, sitting off by herself, uninterested, as Ty Lee and Azula play together. However, she does show marked interest in Zuko, turning away shyly and blushing when he walks by with his mother. Azula notices this and takes Mai's obvious crush as a cue to humiliate both Zuko and Mai by orchestrating a situation where in they end up falling into a fountain on top of each other.

In "Return To Omashu" Ty Lee pointedly states that it will be "interesting" for Mai to see Zuko again, in response to which Mai turns away and indulges in a rare smile.

In "Going Home Again," a canonical interlude comic featured within the second All-Avatar Nick Mag Presents edition, Mai and Zuko are finally reacquainted through a Fire-Nation-themed dinner date set up by Azula in plot to persuade a reluctant Zuko to return home, playing off their childhood crushes on each other. However, the two catch on to the set up when Zuko overhears Ty Lee and Azula giggling in the nearby bushes and decide to leave off on a walk around Ba Sing Se. Soon after, they run into Jin, who immediately recognizes "Lee" and questions who his companion is. Thinking quickly, Zuko sheepishly claims that Mai is a friend from the circus, the knife thrower. Mai appears to join in on the charade and decides to give a demonstration. After moving Zuko in front of a fountain and placing a fish from a seafood stand they had passed earlier on top of his head, she targets and precisely pierces the fish with an icicle. Mai then persuades Jin to give it a try. Zuko is just barely able to avoid being impaled by the sharp piece of ice, falling backwards into the fountain in the process. Leaning over the drenched prince, Mai wryly states that now they're even.

As he chases her down an alley, Zuko exclaims that she could have gotten him killed, but an energetic Mai merely laughs it off. Zuko stops to point out that she finally seems to be enjoying herself, going on to shyly impart that he had missed seeing this side of her. Mai responds that while a lot has changed since the days when she used to throw mud in his face, not everything has changed. The two slowly draw close and kiss.

In the season three premiere, "The Awakening," Zuko stands alone on the edge of a Fire Nation ship. Seemingly deep in thought, he does not see Mai approach him. Asking why he is standing out in the cold, he professes his concerns with her. She merely rubs them off and tells him not to worry. Then Mai gently kisses him, which he seems to dutifully return but than goes back to his thoughts as Mai exits.

Later, as he is seen feeding the Turtle ducks, Azula asks him if Mai has rubbed off on him due to his glum expression. Then she states that Mai has "been unusually cheerful".

In "The Headband", Zuko and Mai are having a picnic on an ocean side cliff and enjoying an orange sunset together, Mai hates the color and tells Zuko so which only makes him chuckle and state how beautiful she is when she hates the world, Mai tells Zuko she doesn't hate him and he tells her the same and they kiss. Their moment is interrupted by Azula, the two try to ignore her and keep kissing until Azula tells Mai to help Ty Lee who apparently needs help untangling her braid. Mai plays along but glares at Azula when she passes her.

In "The Beach", Zuko tries and fails to please a bored Mai by offering her an icecream and a seashell. Later, at a party, he gets jealous when seeing Mai talking to another boy. In an act of rage, Zuko throws him to the ground. Mai gets upset and breaks up with him, causing Zuko to leave the scene. Later at the beach, the two are cold to each other while Azula and Ty lee sit around them. They all discuss their problems, breaking the tension between them. When Zuko questions whether Mai really cares about anything at all, she says that she cares about him. The two share a kiss.

References

• Altered States Magazine's Comic Con 2005 coverage