Actually no, she did that same thing in The Drill when Aang was passed out and she was about to strike him. She even saw him opening his eyes and still stood there. So, no, she ain't hot shit.
@ Sexay Shie Azula surely jobbed on the drill, but it doesn't changes the fact that the show actually broke the clichee with Azula just killing Aang while he's powering up.
Alex Harris omg I was just thinking that exact thing, I almost find it more fun to just watch him keep no expression when everyone else is so he doesn't give anything away!
This episode was so freaking subversive. Everything had been set up to redeem Zuko. They even had the metamorphosis. Everything looked as if he would change and then whoops still a bad guy. Then we have Aang getting mortally wounded during a moment where he powers up and sacrifices what he loves. Everything was set for Aang to enter the Avatar state and win but then suddenly Azula shoots him down. This is how you subvert expectations. Masterful story telling.
If you ask me, aang fell victim to a main protagonist trope lmfao and Azula was the one that trampled him and broke the trope - quite literally. which is why I appreciate that scene so much. The main protagonist trope being the cliche when you're charging or being overcome with power you freeze and just sort of look powerful; gazing into the distance. protagonists in anime fall into this and it leaves them wide open and you're always like "is nobody attacking?!?!?" I actually enjoyed that in that cliche trope moment in which most people would think "well there's your opening" azula fucking shattered him. Instead of gazing in awe like the rest did and as a reaction most antagonists do when the protagonist goes through this classic trope of a scene
Allison Cornell I was just about to say that lol! As much as their hate for her is understandable, you gotta admit that at least she did something. While everyone (including Zuko) stood around waiting for Aang to "power-up", Azula was already a few steps ahead and getting ready to sneak attack him. I always saw that moment as a "I don't have time for silly games *BAM*" xD. She did what others couldn't or didn't do and I love that! I also loved how she, like you said, subverted a cliche.
Allison Cornell it just shows why Azula is one of the best villains I have ever seen, she's so out there compared of the usual bad characters like she just doesn't give a shit (oh your eyes are glowing, oh well time to die) I personally love the ending of season 3 that features her as well just because
In regards to what Aang did to unlock his last chakra, I think its more like he had to come to an understanding within himself that he couldn't put his love of one person over the fate of the world, which is something he might have done once upon a time, but now he has sorta accepted the fact that the world comes before his own happiness. If that makes sense?
CLUELESS man these guys can be idiots sometimes. as well as u commentators. if u love someone or something let it go. if it loves u back it will come back. not that hard of a concept.
Yeah people often confuse that. It doesn’t mean stop loving those you cared for, but instead you put them aside to what’s more important and at stake. Aang was too occupied with the idea of protecting Katara and that was what was holding him back. He needed to accept that Katara’s fate can’t be controlled or influenced by him, and even accept whatever might come her way.
DasTemplar 96 which means if it came to a point where Katara's life was weighed against the greator good, Aang would eventually let her go literally for the greater good
Long Fang :you beat me at my own game Azula: Don't flatter your self,you weren't even a player Yeah that's the line that made me fall in love with azula lol
I was in 5th grade when I saw this and I was like "Dad...is that a burn? I think that was a burn." It was. And my other favorite line from Azula is "The divine right to rule is something you're born with."
@@insertcringynamehere I know, but he was brought back as the Avatar, not as a normal person, which means the Avatar cycle wasn't broken, which means he never actually died in the Avatar state. This is just what makes more sense according to the lore.
Tomas Roque no, he was killed in the avatar state which meant that for a good few minutes, the avatar cycle was in fact dead. Otherwise, a new avatar would’ve been born during the time aang was dead and he’d be brought back as either a regular air bender, non bender, or simply a bender of all four elements without the avatar state. Since we know that there has never two avatars at the same time (not counting LOK since those circumstances are different) that means that aang AND the avatar state were in fact dead. This also makes sense lore wise, if the avatar is the bridge between the spirit world and the material world then it stands to reason that spirit water in the hands of a prodigious healer would be able to revive the avatar spirit. This makes even more sense if you include the Raava light spirit aspect of the avatar but I personally don’t find that facet of the avatar lore to compelling, but that’s just me.
The seventh chakra didn't actually involve letting go of katara. It just dealt with learning to be willing to let her go. Also, as a side note, the lightning entered through his foot and all came out of his back. You can see his foot as he's falling, his back as katara puts in the spirit Water. Oh yeah: Aang was 100% dead, but katara's spirit water brought him back. So the avatar cycle was over, but now that Aang's back to life, it will continue.
Katara crying over Aang's defeat towards Azula is what I imagine how the whole world would react if their one and only hope of ending the war was destroyed right in front of them. The despair on Katara's face speaks volumes.
Krystal Ortiz Honestly, I feel that reaction was more personal to Katara. Seeing one of her closest friends being killed (for all she knew) would do that to her.
Katara is crying obviously because she loves Aang and thinks he's dead. They are deeply connected since the second he wakes up in her arms and share a bond noone else shares in this show. They are friends, soul mates and eventually lovers.
@@softrivius5369 -- "eventually lovers" - I was about to be so mad you didn't tag that huge ass spoiler until I saw you made that comment only 3 weeks ago, lol
This episode is amazing! I love all the characters Azula is smart and powerful but as we saw when she fought Katara she's not unstoppable same thing with Aang in the Avatar state extremely powerful but not unstoppable on any given day any of these characters can lose given the circumstances the good guy's don't just win because there the good guy's. This show is so good.
Amogh Prabhakar Yeah I understand that but they way the whole book was going it looked like Zuko left his nation, which is why he cut his hair in the first episode of book 2, the symbolizes that he has cut ties with his nation and family, i thought he was going to be good for sure, him being my favorite character and all and seeing him betray Iroh and Katara just sucked
glad you guys like the heroes lol but come on Azula is sick, she planned every move & killed the Avatar surprised y'all werent that surprised with everything
Hasani Houston yeah lol Azula is sick from making Zuko betray Iroh and Katara to striking Aang with lighting that's all messed up, but that's what makes her awesome and one of the best villains ever
GA y Y AYYAYY YA YY ay y YYAGA Y Gaya yag ay GAYA GAGAYA Ygay yakashi fuck mehard bruh gay ya Or they'll just hate her even more lol, it could go both ways and I'm leaning on the hate Azula more path
I think what makes them (and myself really) hate Azula is not her skill or badassery, because she definitely has that, it's the fact that she's so damn smug about everything she does, it makes her seem so bitchy.
she is an interesting character, but she isn't meant to be a likable character.... that is the freakin essence of her character. That is the concept of antagonists. They can be great characters, but they are supposed to be guys that contrast the likable protagonists. That doesn't mean that antagonists can't be likable in certain ways or become good, but in the end they are still meant to be "evil"
@@Jug_or_not right it's so laughable that people get surprised when people don't like the villains on shows or movies. They're VILLAINS. You're supposed to hate them.
The setup to that line ruins it for me. “You’ve beaten me at my own game.” It just sounds inhuman to say that instead of, for example, getting angry and throwing an insult or just being in shock. I feel like him acting scared but saying something like “This is my game we’re playing” as assertively as he can while being afraid would have been a much better setup
One of my favorite Episodes. Especially the Zuko part, you can feel the conflict within him, just when things were going so well for him Azula comes and brings him back to darkness
Arthur Teixeira I know that's what sucked I really hated to see him go back there, I really wanted him to just be good and forget about his past and family and nation
Fake Account That's true and understandable, but Azula was telling him the same thing in the first episode of book 2 and that nearly got him killed, so i wanted like Zuko to realize that Azula cannot be trusted again you know, and he had already cut ties from his family and nation by cutting his hair thats what that means, and still Iroh is more of family to him than the whole fire nation combined he should've never betrayed him, but thanks to Azula... lol, i really get emotional wiht this episode, Zuko is my favorite character and I hated to see how he acted at the end and going back to his old ways and betraying Katara and especially Iroh.
+imaad Uddin I do agree. It was really dumb for Zuko, after all his character development this book, to end up doing the exact same thing he did in the beginning by siding with Azula over Iroh. I mean, WHY does he trust Azula when he obviously had no reason to? More over why is Azula even offering to team up with Zuko when she spent the whole book hunting him? It makes no sense...
ShinobiPXO I know it really doesn't, and especially after his awakening that he had which shows he's a different person you know, I just find it really out of character of him to betray Iroh, like he had a better chance of betraying him in Book 1 when he was obsessed with capturing Aang, but in Book 2 after how they bonded and his awakening he'd still go stab Iroh in the back like that? Like Idk man that's just ooc for me and it hurts me every time to see it.
yeah as allison said, the avatar state doesn't automatically make you more sustainable to attacks if you get hit in the body. if you get struck by lightning you're DEAD! no matter what state you're in, the avatar state just makes it easier to dodge/block/counterattack as you have the skills and knowledge of your past lives who are all amazing
Bunnitt W I think that some people could survive the lightning strike without doing anything, just as in real life some people have. But yeah, in this case, Aang was DEAD. Only Magical Water combined with Katara's healing powers could bring him back.
Bunnitt W actually avatar state boosts your bending to it's very limit and gives you the knowledge and experience of all the previous avatars that's why Korra's avatar state is so weak her bending is hightened but she doesn't have the experience from the previous avatars
Bunnitt W yeah previous avatars have told Aang multiple times and even the Guru, once you've been killed in the avatar state there's no coming back it's over, but thank god for Katara and her healing water and abilities
i know you guys dont see this but let me comment on the azula thing you mentioned. She struck lightning at his heart, it doesn't matter how strong or weak the fire bender is who would have been the one to have shot the lightning. lightning to the heart is fatal, avatar or not. They mention this with the zuko/iroh training. Nor does being the avatar give you some strength of resistance to attacks. You're just as weak as a normal person, physically body wise. Weak points of human bodies remain unchanged. The same way if someone shot an arrow at the soft part of the back of his head or neck when he did that,the same thing would have happened. He would have dropped like a fly, you feel? azulas strength doesn't come into play here. aang dropped his guard in the avatar state and Azula strategically and maniacally used that to her advantage. A child who could shoot lightning could have taken out aang at that time. A guard dropped is fatal.
Allison Cornell yeah exactly just because he is in the avatar state doesn't mean he's invincible, he's still vulnerable and can be hurt or killed like a normal person as seen in this episode
Very true. *Spoilers for anyone who didn't see Resurrection of F* It's the same concept as when Goku, in Super Saiyan Blue form, was shot through the heart by a ray gun because he dropped his guard.
That's what I also like about the Avatar State, it doesn't make you impervious to attacks. Yes, it heightens your awareness and obviously makes your bending powers far stronger by tenfold, but it doesn't give you heightened resistance, not to mention that he took Azula's lightning in the back (his body still felt it all the same).
Hearing Erik going "I don´t trust this new Zuko", while Kelvin keeping himself cool and not giving anything away, was just the final confirmation for me. You guys are amazing!
What I find really interesting about Azula is despite all of her negative character traits, she is surprisingly very accepting and even reliant on non-firebenders. 1. Her very old firebending mentors, Lo and Li, openly admit in the series finale that they themselves are not actually firebenders. 2. In Book 2, she enlists the help of Mai and Ty Lee in tracking down Zuko and the Avatar, who are non-firebenders. 3. She usurps control of the Dai Li from Long Feng and kept them as her own personal enforcers and bodyguards until she banished them and everyone else in her service during the finale. I just find that really interesting.
@@protector_of_the_realms LET ME GUESS, it's because Zutara wasn't canon, lol. You left so many comments shouting "Zutara!" on various comment threads, so the salt is palpable, lol
@@ember-brandt ... ... ... ... ... ... yes also because I was hoping for someone to die in a sacrifice but mostly the Zutara thing, this is mostly my fault because when I was 6-12 or something I saw one of the last episodes when Zuko jumps in Katar's way to save her from the lightning, and I've always been a sucker for that stuff so it always made sense to me that there was some romantic thing going on there but I hadn't seen any of the other episodes or the next one which was the finale so I just assumed this was the case and then years later when I for some reason decided to watch the whole series I got worked up about that relationship from the start and with all the hints fueled the fire to a point where I was sure it was going to happen, then I somehow heard about Zutara on the internet but never heard Kataang so I took this as confirmation it would happen and was left shocked when it didn't. Zutara always felt natural to me, the Kataang always has and will feel a bit forced, awkward and weird
They were watching these sequentially, but imagine being a kid when this came out, with this HUGE twist at the end, and the last thing we hear from this show for nearly a whole year is "The Earth Kingdom has fallen". That cliffhanger was on par with some HBO series.
I've always loved this episode cause it shows that Zuko was just pretending to have found his path when in reality he was even more lost than ever, and the look iroh gave him just gave me all the feels
Shadi Wajed I see it as he was lying to himself, trying to accept that what Iroh was saying was true because it seemed right, but then Azula came along used the exact wording she knew would confuse him, it was only later on that he then found his true path. This is all my opinion not fact 😊
We both just stating our opinions, no facts here :) Well, you can find yourself then lose it, or relapse as I said. I don't think that in real life there's an "Awakening" moment, it's a process that goes on as long as you are alive, and relapsing is just a part of it. and I think the writers of the show wanted to show that exactly, that's why they made the episode of Zuko's seemingly finding his true path very close to the episode of his relapse. and I love this show "and Korra" particularly for treating those themes in a mature way.
A part of me does wonder what Azula stood to gain here in letting Zuko return to the fold. Azula had to know that zuko with his honour restored would be Fire Lord , so why wouldn't she feed Ozai some story and betray Zuko after she had beaten the Earth Kingdom. She only decides to give Zuko credit for the Avatar's defeat, upon suspecting that he's hiding something about the Avatar.Did she genuinely want to help him before that point
Neeta Song I think, being a villain (and a great one at that), the producers wanted to have her that one step further where she doesn't have to make something up to ruin him when she can let him do it himself. I think it just shows how mentally mixed up she has become over the years to point where being idolised (for killing the avatar) is less important to her than Zuko being shamed by the entire nation, thereby NEVER being able to return. This obviously just speculation but it's what I've always thought.
You know what I love about this series is there is always someone saying "This is my favourite episode" Or "They are getting to my favourite episode" Shows how good this show actually is, I don't think I can have one particular episode that's my favourite.
@@TalhaMansoor I disagree with some choices, specially The Waterbending Master, that episode is very good, I did not get Nostalgia Critic's complaints, it is very effective.
You guys are lucky; no nine month wait for you before you can start season 3. Not sure if you should do a reaction to the season 3 teaser trailer or no.
Jonathan Robinson lolol you gotta learn to redirect that lightening otherwise you're screwed, but I believe Aang would've dodged it, he just didn't see it coming
imaad uddin He was now in control of the avatar state rather than it being on auto pilot. I believe he was still adjusting to all that control and didn't see the lighting in time (he's never seen anyone bend lightning before) or the pacifist in him was waiting for them to run away.
STAY Young Yeah i agree, he's never seen a lightning bolt being fired, and i dont think he was 100% in the fight at the time he was going into the Avatar state either
STAY Young lol guys I know he's never seen lighting bending and he was going avatar state, I'm just saying even with all that power durability is zero.
I know a lot of people don't like what Zuko did. I don't either, but I totally understand it. This had to be one of the best scenes of atla because it's so real. When I watched the episodes before this, I knew zuko wasn't really at peace and he was he was just trying to cope with the idea of being good and living a normal life, but I knew deep down that he hated the position he was in. Then when he heard azulas temptation, he didn't hesitate to grab it. It's like a smoker who quit 2 months ago, if there is a whole bunch of people smoking a cigarette around him and they offer him it , he will definitely take it. Temptation is so frequent in this world and I love how they displayed it in this episode, showing that people do make mistakes and backtrack. And after this episode zuko became my favorite character on the show and on tv. He's one of the most realistic and complex characters ever to me...and he became hot in season 2 and 3😍😂
Numayam bruh I legit had to read my comment cause I posted that three years ago. But imma say this...did I say it was ok cause he’s hot? Or are you just putting words in my mouth...Please reread my comment with common sense before you talk shit😒.
Just a small explanation. The Avatar doesn't have to "let go" of Katara, he has to "learn to let go". He needs to learn to overcome the urge to help when ever she might slightly be in danger and has to learn to how to focus on what he has to do. This is not a spoiler btw, it is clear by how the guru worded it "You must learn to let go!". It is not a permanent detachment, it is the ability to be able to do it when it is needed.
So...poop got real, huh? ;) Zuko turned on Iroh, Azula basically killed Aang, and the Earth Kingdom has finally fallen...Lots of stuff! I also just loved Azula in this finale! She not only brilliantly came up with a coup by using the Dai Li, but she also played Long Feng like a fool, was able to turn Zuko to her side with *just* the right words (she definitely knows people's weaknesses and when to use it against them lol), *and* she took the initiative and actually did something about Aang while everyone else was standing around waiting and watching him basically power-up. It's a good thing you don't have to wait a whole year for S3, because that wait was so long and dreadful for me as a kid.
It was weird for me because I got busy with other things and didnt even know s3 had come out until much later so i had no catch up. Still when i found out it was out, i died XD
And when she revives him on Appa the scene's blocking is identical to the scene at the very beginning of the series when she cracked him out of the iceberg.
Epic Eli yeah but like it's just so werid they should be loyal to the avatar I wonder if. They even know that Iam surprised aang didn't take on the form of avatar kyoshi just to take down the di lee which would have been awesome
I`ll give Azula props on taking Aang out before completed the avatar state. How many times have we seen z fighters let frezia and cell transform or the villains let power rangers morph. I love Aang but this is probably the only cliché that has been broken in any medium.
Lebronze Katara is really powerful, she has the ability to beat Zuko and was doing well against Azula too and we just see her get even stronger in book 3
Hama is not better than Katara, Katara is a vastly superior waterbender to Aang and the foggy swamp monster is only better than Katara in the swamp, where he can regenerate his vines indefinitely, Azula would lose to him in the swamp too. That leaves Pakku, who is superior to and would also beat Azula. So Katara is actually the second or third most powerful waterbender in the world. Creators have explicitly stated that no element holds an advantage over the other and the winner of a fight is determined by the skill of the benders involved. Katara is obviously good enough to beat Azula on equal footing with no advantages as this episode quite clearly showed. Azula couldn't touch her and was about to get slammed into the ground before Zuko came in.
I think Azula and Katara are basically on par as far as bending skills go, both are full on masters of their elements; I guess Katara was getting the upper hand just because it was nighttime.
When I first saw episode I was surprised since Azula always seemed to have the upper hand on everyone she fought with. I expected her to have it here as well, which is why I was happily surprised that she was outmatched first by Katara and Aang as a team and Katara on her own winning. I like Azula, but it was a wise decision to have her need Zuko here to avoid her becoming a Mary Stu.
but to be fair Azula keeps underestimating Katara because she has this privileged mind state. (and she apparently never learned her lesson 😉). Actually i think the only people she doesn't' like belittle is Aang, Zuko and maybe Iroh
This is a common misconception, but he didn't need to give up on her to open his Seventh Chakra. He just needed to accept the *idea* of letting her go. Aang's love for Katara was very childish at this point, and we all know that those first few times you fall in love as a child usually entail the stupidity of never believing in life without the other person, making them literally the center of the universe for yourself. He had to let that go if he ever wanted to clear his spiritual mind, just as much as we all need to give up on that kind of loving if we expect to grow up. He saw it as a bad thing just because of how young he is.
What the Guru taught Aang was very close to Dalai Lama's teachings, I think. And in those, unlike with the Jedi, love is never forbidden. It is just strongly advised that one should not make love relationships the center of their lives. Aang, being a child, thinks it's a bad thing not to put Katara above everything else, because he thinks that's what being in love is about.
Uh no. Iroh could literally just stand there and dodge everyone of Azula's attacks till she gets frustrated and resorts to mind games, probably bringing up Iroh's son or something 😳
@@BhBc8f8 Hahahahahahahahahah no, Iroh would die in seconds like he already almost did in The Chase. Iroh is so terribly overhyped it's sometimes hard to still love him...
Detective Eric knows too much 😩 😩 he has seriously figured out most of the series before it happens Also, Azula saying 'you were never even a player' is the biggest mic drop of that series. She's my evil queen.
It's your first watch, but this is really a series that benefits multiple viewings. 'Cause there's that hatred like masking the well written aspects of Azula's villainy, but damn, the success of pulling off a dark season finale ending with so much weight felt by both the "light side" and "dark side". Also, I see it as Aang having to let go of Katara being his main priority and taking on the responsibility of being the world's Avatar and let go of the notion of Katara coming before the greater good. Doesn't mean he can't still love her. I woukd not be able to hold it in as good as Calvin haha.
It's not about not being able to love anyone, it's about not letting the fear of losing someone control you. Look at what happened when that one Earth General guy buried her, or when they found the sand benders that stole Appa. He went into the Avatar State but couldn't control his rage in it. He can still love Katara, he can still fight hard to protect her, but he shouldn't let anger and sadness control him if he does lose her because he's already prepared for losing her.
@3:15 -- Lol damn, I was hoping that they would remember that was actually a _waterbending_ move that Zuko used xD But it's an easy detail to miss, lol If you re-watch The Seige of the North Pt. 2 and skip to 6:11 - th-cam.com/video/-H-Trm2HIac/w-d-xo.html - you can see Katara actually use it to kick Zuko's ass, which is presumably where he learned it, and I find that hilarious lol
Dark As Night ikr i was so excited to see their reactions to azulas scenes especially the 'Dont flatter yourself you werent even a player' line which got no reaction :/
I think they know that she's great at what she does, but don't care enough about it for it to overshadow their immense hatred. Eric in particular. I'm not too disappointed by it. I've felt that way before. Sometimes I just don't care how good a villain is when I just want them to die with every fiber of my being. I get that a lot with many GoT characters.
All that matters to me is that Azula is seen as a threat, which is exactly what she is. I really like her now since I know now that she's not really evil, she's just as tragic as Zuko. Sadly we didn't get to see much of that and most seem to not like her. Oh well..
Opaque Anity Idk... she's not as tragic as Zuko, and I think Zuko isnt evil at all my man was just confused and had a difficult pastlol but even though i agree with you Azula isnt fully evil either, she does have a little evil to her, we will see this later on in Book 3 as well
This is such an amazing finale. Azula completely playing Long Feng is 1 of my favorite and 1 of her most savage moments. I love the conversation between Aang and Iroh and Zuko and Katara. Or as I like to call it the day Zutara shippers came out in force and started the biggest shipping war before Naruto was a long-running thing. The crucial moment for Zuko and his decision was such an extremely amazing yet disappointing thing for fans. My reaction included a lot of shouted no's and the kind of swears only a kid could come up with. However it also shows how great at manipulating people especially her brother Azula is and how desperately Zuko wants his father's respect. The final fight of this episode is 1 of my favorite fight scenes in the show also shows how well Aang and Katara work together and how surprisingly well Azula and Zuko fight together. The ending is definitely really Star Wars which is awesome but I don't know how much was coincidental and how much was was deliberate considering how influential Star Wars is but how different Avatar is to Star Wars in many ways. And also how an ending like this finale is a very common plot element. I'm also glad that your admitting your hatred of Azula and Aaron is unfair and that you can see that she is a great villain despite your dislike. I also can totally understand why you don't like this type of character personality especially because you particularly expected something else. Awesome reaction regardless. :-)
Supermonaman SuperMonaman yeah but seeing Zuko mess up was really really hard to watch, and this was the episode where everyone thought Zutara was going to happen lol but the writers had to make Zuko mess up..
I like how the series shows Aang improving his bending, through fights. When he was being the crystal knight he could not fully commit to standing his ground (earthbending philosophy) and flinched, therefore losing the clash to Azula, but after he got up he charged in with earthbending, looking very determined. Season 3 is the best cartoon season ever.
I have a bit of a weird theory that Katara was originally supposed to be the next Avatar after Aang. I mean, if you line up when Aang probably would have died if he hadn't went under the ice with Katara's birth, along with the fact that Katara was the ONLY waterbender born in the Southern Water tribe in around 50 or 60 years and that she was considered one of the strongest waterbenders of her time, along with the fact that Korra was born in about the same area as Katara. I know its improbable, but its still interesting to me.
I feel like Azula is a villain who's easier to appreciate in hindsight. When you're watching for the first time, invested in the journey of the heroes, and she keeps coming in and fucking shit up, it's pretty easy to just be mad at her. On a second viewing, when you already know what happens, it's easier to appreciate how effective she is as an antagonist.
It was disappointing to see Zuko choose Azula, but it was the right thing to do story wise. Zuko had come far at this point (very far from book one) but he still wasn’t totally ready for his redemption. He NEEDED to go home, he NEEDED to be at his fathers side to put all his experiences during his banishment into perspective so he could finally do the right thing. This show is written so beautifully.
It's like Zuko just got out of Rehab and all his old friends came around with a case of beer and a pound of coke saying "DUDE! We missed you! Let's party!"
He doesn't have to fully let go of his earthly attachments to unlock the chakra, it's just that he needs to understand the the world and his duties as the Avatar come first, and everything else is second to that
I remmeber when I was younger and I first see this finale, I was so fascinated, I loved the scene of Aang in Avatar State being defeated by Azula, I was shocked and fell in love with her character, even if I was worry about Aang. I always loved smart villains who put the protagonist in problems. That kind of things made the story so much interesting and the fact of the "Good Guy" loosing was so crazy. Azula is an amazing villian. I just always hated how she ended...
Eric the avatar state exist to help the avatar to protect EVERYONE IN THE WORLD, Aang let his feelings for Katara and his friends go and then when he tried to save her he didn't do it because he wanted, he do it because was his "job", his purpose as an avatar, if instead of Katara was a farmer or a good soldier or and oldman he would do it the same. Also, what you were saying about the chakras, you have to remember that Aang is a monk who was trained to control his feelings since the day he was born; so for him open the chakras is more easy that a normal person (Sokka would have to spend years to be able to open the seven for example)
Avatar state doesn't make him invincible or anything just super powerful a surprise attack like that would be fatal, also Azusa is easily one of the best characters
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not." The "letting go of attachment" thing that people always miss with this part of Avatar, and with Star Wars, is that it has nothing to do with having to stop loving someone. Aang needed to let go of what tethered him to the world, and be willing to let it pass on - meaning not holding on to it instead of moving on and living and fulfilling his duty. He needed to ACCEPT that he could and would lose Katara some day, instead of letting his attachment to her hinder him. It's the same as the other chakra that dealt with his grief of the loss of his family and his people - he had to let go of them, but that didn't mean he no longer had to love them, and the Guru said their love would always be with him. In the same way his love for Katara can remain, while also accepting the possibility of losing her. It's a pretty deep mentality to reach, as it can seem somewhat of a contradiction on the surface, so it's understandable why people don't always seem to get it. It's the same with the Jedi, even to the point that by the time of the fall of the order, the Jedi themselves interpret this concept the same way that people watching star wars do. And the Jedi bending their interpretation into a very rigid set of rules ultimately led to their demise. You can love someone while letting go and understanding that nothing lasts forever. And once you realize that, you can treasure the time that you do have more fully.
The seventh chakra is about the willingness to let go. It doesn't mean you have to let go, just that you are willing to if your duty as an avatar requires it of you.
A lil late, but I believe him turning his back on katara was him letting trying to let go of the emotional/love attached with her, if you remember back to the first episode on second season (or close to it), katara asks aang to not go in avatar state anymore because she doesnt like him like that. Him saying "sorry katara" is him apologising for both entering the avatar state again and for him breaking the emotional attachment. He wasnt just saving katara, he was stoping the army the army who was threatining his life (defense mechanism) and friends. My two cents
The last chakra was basically be able to let go of his attachment to Katara. If she were to have died there he wouldn't have let her death hold him back. It has to do with the principal that everything is connected spiritually.
To this day, this is still my favorite episode of Avatar. I remember watching this as a kid and Zuko pissing me off when he made his decision to team up with Azula and betraying Iroh. Also why so surprised at Katara beating Azula. Azula is great but not unbeatable, and Katara is a waterbending master and is just as skilled as Azula when it comes to their respective bending elements.
This episode was so crazy and shocking and This is also the episode where Zuko really messed up... through out the whole book 2 it looked like he was changing into a better person, even Iroh saw this happening, he was bonding with Katara in the prison, and she also saw that he was changing and trusted him, but when it came down to making the big decision Zuko messed up by joining Azula, he betrayed Iroh and also lost Katara trust, you can tell by how Iroh is just looking at him and how angry Katara gets when Zuko attacks them instead of helping them fight Azula, I was expecting Zuko to be like screw the fire nation and join Aang and Katara and fight the Dai Li and Azula and then join the Gaang, but of course that didn't happen, as Zuko being my favorite character seeing him mess up like this once again after being convinced that he had changed really really hurt, anyway I can't wait for you guys to start book 3 that book is epic! So many amazing things happen!
I don't think they understood what actually happened. Aang died and came back to life, Kataras healing was so powerful it brought him back to life, barley though.
I remember when this episode aired on TV it was so crazy and shocking and when it was over everyone was like omg what's going to happen next, we are expecting something but instead something we totally didn't expect happened and what sucked the most was we had to wait almost a whole year for the first episode of Book 3 to find out what's going to happen next, that was really really cruel in my opinion lol
Fun fact at 10:36 Katara holding Aang was meant to mirror Pieta (Michelangelo) as an image of symbolism. I can't help but notice despite their differences, Zuko and Azula make a great team. Also all hail Azula, destroyer of tropes where all princesses should act like Disney princesses and the villain has to wait for the protagonist to power up.
I'm so excited for my fav season! c: There's literally so many episodes in season 3 that I am so excited for! xD There's just too many episodes I love :D
Avatar state isn't super human state. He just gets all the knowledge of his past lives and strenthens his spiritual connection. That doesn't make him immune to any of the elements, especially lightning.
Did you guys know zuko was one of the last characters to be added to the show, the main antagonist was supposed to be the Firelord but he couldn't do much from his throne so zuko was added
17:01 he accepted the fact that katara might die and he wont sacrifice himself to save her. She could've been killed the second he went into the crystal tent thing he made. He went to finish the chakras for the survival of himself. Edit: i know these reactions are old but maybe someone watching for the first time will see this. And enjoy the thought.
it's not that aang wouldn't love katara anymore, it's that he learned to let go of all earthly attachments to unlock the 7th chakra. he can still love her, but he knows now that his personal attachments are superseded by his duties of being the avatar.
Azula's sudden olive branch to Zuko always confused me. Like especially with the Dai Lee, why would she think she needed him? And obviously, she doesn't do anything out of the kindness of her heart. Up until that point she clearly saw him as an (inferior) enemy, and her original orders were to jail him. The only thing I can think of is that she was already planning on pinning Aang's death on Zuko to cover her own ass just in case, but that seems like scheming-overkill.
if yall were confused about the whole guru thing u need to look into eastern philosophy and buddaism, which states letting go of earthly attachments as a way of reaching enlightenment. the guru’s concern was that aang wouldnt let go of katara because of his strong attachment to her. aang could do it at any time, but the guru was worried that he wouldnt
yknow, the thing that's always bugged me most about legend of korra is that roku said that if aang dies in the avatar state then the avatar cycle ends. and then aang gets killed while he's in the avatar state. and then when he dies, another avatar gets born anyway.
In the end of the episode i taught "Yes guys, the Empire Strikes Back!" Can you guys imagine is Episode 8 will be something the same? Luke: "I know how you must feel from my nephew. But believe me when i tell you! He is good in the inside it!"
Katara was relying on her skills, that is why she could keep up with Azula and Zuko, she even almost beat Azula until Zuko interfered. Aang was constantly thinking about the Avatar state, so he was doubting himself, which is why he wasn't really effective in this fight.
About letting Katara go, I always understood it as this: He's allowed to love her, outside of his Avatar stuff, but she can't be the reason for why he fights. He has to fight for the balance of the world, not any one worldly attachment. By "letting her go" it basically means he's detached from the world and is able to channel the cosmic energy.
Look at Zuko's turn against the gaang this way; he'd been hunting the Avatar for several years, "restoring his honor" was all he could ever think about. It was an obsession, an addiction. For a few days, he finally felt free of that addiction. But then Azula turns up with the objects of his addiction on a silver platter; he could capture the Avatar and regain his honor and his father's love right then and there. Like many addicts he relapsed to his old addiction.
Yeah he looked a little irritated :D. I noticed that he got irritated the most when they were being very literal with this entire chakra and "letting go" things and when they didn't tried to understand Zuko, especially those few times when Eric (I think he is Eric, the guy on the left) commented quite rashly about Zuko :)
Azula gets the job done unlike other villain's who stands there waiting for hero's to power up lol
Actually no, she did that same thing in The Drill when Aang was passed out and she was about to strike him. She even saw him opening his eyes and still stood there. So, no, she ain't hot shit.
@ Sexay Shie
Azula surely jobbed on the drill, but it doesn't changes the fact that the show actually broke the clichee with Azula just killing Aang while he's powering up.
very much lol.
@Teresa Gonzalez i don't think hate is the right word here. but i don't have a better one.
@@jjmmm515 na im in love with her.
I would like to commend Calvin for his poker face being on point during the entire run of this series.
Alex Harris Agreed, I know I wouldn't be able to hold it if I was there watching it.
Alex Harris omg I was just thinking that exact thing, I almost find it more fun to just watch him keep no expression when everyone else is so he doesn't give anything away!
Calvin: *presents Avatar badge*
Eric: I don't want it if this is what it takes....
Calvin: *thinks back to GOT season 3 Ep 9* Yeah... I know.
ikr hes been great
I could feel Calvin holding himself back all series everytime they mentioned metalbending
This episode was so freaking subversive. Everything had been set up to redeem Zuko. They even had the metamorphosis. Everything looked as if he would change and then whoops still a bad guy. Then we have Aang getting mortally wounded during a moment where he powers up and sacrifices what he loves. Everything was set for Aang to enter the Avatar state and win but then suddenly Azula shoots him down. This is how you subvert expectations. Masterful story telling.
Aang was actually killed in that state.
Kitara brought him back, though.
It shows what life really is; a battle of choices everyday. That day Zuko lost and gave into his old desires
And that behavior change is not linear. You will slip up but all you can do is to move up
And that redemption and change isn't black and white. And blaming people in perpetuity for finite mistakes is nonsense
If you ask me, aang fell victim to a main protagonist trope lmfao and Azula was the one that trampled him and broke the trope - quite literally. which is why I appreciate that scene so much.
The main protagonist trope being the cliche when you're charging or being overcome with power you freeze and just sort of look powerful; gazing into the distance.
protagonists in anime fall into this and it leaves them wide open and you're always like "is nobody attacking?!?!?"
I actually enjoyed that in that cliche trope moment in which most people would think "well there's your opening"
azula fucking shattered him. Instead of gazing in awe like the rest did and as a reaction most antagonists do when the protagonist goes through this classic trope of a scene
same
Allison Cornell I was just about to say that lol! As much as their hate for her is understandable, you gotta admit that at least she did something. While everyone (including Zuko) stood around waiting for Aang to "power-up", Azula was already a few steps ahead and getting ready to sneak attack him. I always saw that moment as a "I don't have time for silly games *BAM*" xD. She did what others couldn't or didn't do and I love that! I also loved how she, like you said, subverted a cliche.
Allison Cornell it just shows why Azula is one of the best villains I have ever seen, she's so out there compared of the usual bad characters like she just doesn't give a shit (oh your eyes are glowing, oh well time to die) I personally love the ending of season 3 that features her as well just because
in that moment azula became my favorite
I like that there's a bunch of us Azula fanboys over here. She's amazing.
In regards to what Aang did to unlock his last chakra, I think its more like he had to come to an understanding within himself that he couldn't put his love of one person over the fate of the world, which is something he might have done once upon a time, but now he has sorta accepted the fact that the world comes before his own happiness. If that makes sense?
MasterfulPaladin n
G
MasterfulPaladin Damn that's deep. It's like Life is Strange all over again.
MasterfulPaladin pin this blind wave
CLUELESS man these guys can be idiots sometimes. as well as u commentators. if u love someone or something let it go. if it loves u back it will come back. not that hard of a concept.
The last chakra wasn't him not loving her anymore but him being willing to let her go for the greater good
Yeah people often confuse that. It doesn’t mean stop loving those you cared for, but instead you put them aside to what’s more important and at stake. Aang was too occupied with the idea of protecting Katara and that was what was holding him back. He needed to accept that Katara’s fate can’t be controlled or influenced by him, and even accept whatever might come her way.
DasTemplar 96 which means if it came to a point where Katara's life was weighed against the greator good, Aang would eventually let her go literally for the greater good
Long Fang :you beat me at my own game
Azula: Don't flatter your self,you weren't even a player
Yeah that's the line that made me fall in love with azula lol
That line is so sick. Delivered by a 14 years old psycho no less.
I was in 5th grade when I saw this and I was like "Dad...is that a burn? I think that was a burn." It was. And my other favorite line from Azula is "The divine right to rule is something you're born with."
That line gave me a goosebumps!!!
annoying really. kinda just cop-out of the azula vs. long feng sub-plot.
@ Genestfu
What the hell are you even talking about?
I don't think you realized Aang was dead for a few minutes.
If that was true, the avatar cycle would've been broken and he would've been reborn as a normal person.
Tomas Roque He got brought back dipshit.
@@insertcringynamehere I know, but he was brought back as the Avatar, not as a normal person, which means the Avatar cycle wasn't broken, which means he never actually died in the Avatar state.
This is just what makes more sense according to the lore.
Tomas Roque no, he was killed in the avatar state which meant that for a good few minutes, the avatar cycle was in fact dead. Otherwise, a new avatar would’ve been born during the time aang was dead and he’d be brought back as either a regular air bender, non bender, or simply a bender of all four elements without the avatar state. Since we know that there has never two avatars at the same time (not counting LOK since those circumstances are different) that means that aang AND the avatar state were in fact dead. This also makes sense lore wise, if the avatar is the bridge between the spirit world and the material world then it stands to reason that spirit water in the hands of a prodigious healer would be able to revive the avatar spirit. This makes even more sense if you include the Raava light spirit aspect of the avatar but I personally don’t find that facet of the avatar lore to compelling, but that’s just me.
@@alexrusso9221 Yeah, I guess that's also possible. Has this ever been confirmed?
The seventh chakra didn't actually involve letting go of katara. It just dealt with learning to be willing to let her go. Also, as a side note, the lightning entered through his foot and all came out of his back. You can see his foot as he's falling, his back as katara puts in the spirit Water.
Oh yeah: Aang was 100% dead, but katara's spirit water brought him back. So the avatar cycle was over, but now that Aang's back to life, it will continue.
I know this might not be answerable but does spirit water/revival mean that Aang is connected to the moon spirit like Yue?
And actually the lightning entered his back and exited from his foot :D. But otherwise correct!
ObligedUniform Fun Fact: Lightning sometimes goes towards the ground so when Aang was struck by lightning in the back, the lightning left the foot.
Raiguard yeah you're right
And it left through the left foot to.
Katara crying over Aang's defeat towards Azula is what I imagine how the whole world would react if their one and only hope of ending the war was destroyed right in front of them. The despair on Katara's face speaks volumes.
Krystal Ortiz Honestly, I feel that reaction was more personal to Katara. Seeing one of her closest friends being killed (for all she knew) would do that to her.
Zutara!
Katara is crying obviously because she loves Aang and thinks he's dead. They are deeply connected since the second he wakes up in her arms and share a bond noone else shares in this show. They are friends, soul mates and eventually lovers.
@@softrivius5369 -- "eventually lovers" - I was about to be so mad you didn't tag that huge ass spoiler until I saw you made that comment only 3 weeks ago, lol
@@ember-brandt it wouldn't have mattered they don't read comments, especially threads
This episode is amazing! I love all the characters Azula is smart and powerful but as we saw when she fought Katara she's not unstoppable same thing with Aang in the Avatar state extremely powerful but not unstoppable on any given day any of these characters can lose given the circumstances the good guy's don't just win because there the good guy's. This show is so good.
Keaton yeah this episode was amazing I loved it but it also sucked at the same time seeing Zuko mess up and all and betray everyone
Amogh Prabhakar Yeah I understand that but they way the whole book was going it looked like Zuko left his nation, which is why he cut his hair in the first episode of book 2, the symbolizes that he has cut ties with his nation and family, i thought he was going to be good for sure, him being my favorite character and all and seeing him betray Iroh and Katara just sucked
glad you guys like the heroes lol but come on Azula is sick, she planned every move & killed the Avatar
surprised y'all werent that surprised with everything
Hasani Houston yeah lol Azula is sick from making Zuko betray Iroh and Katara to striking Aang with lighting that's all messed up, but that's what makes her awesome and one of the best villains ever
GA y Y AYYAYY YA YY ay y YYAGA Y Gaya yag ay GAYA GAGAYA Ygay yakashi fuck mehard bruh gay ya Or they'll just hate her even more lol, it could go both ways and I'm leaning on the hate Azula more path
I think what makes them (and myself really) hate Azula is not her skill or badassery, because she definitely has that, it's the fact that she's so damn smug about everything she does, it makes her seem so bitchy.
she is an interesting character, but she isn't meant to be a likable character.... that is the freakin essence of her character. That is the concept of antagonists. They can be great characters, but they are supposed to be guys that contrast the likable protagonists.
That doesn't mean that antagonists can't be likable in certain ways or become good, but in the end they are still meant to be "evil"
@@Jug_or_not right it's so laughable that people get surprised when people don't like the villains on shows or movies. They're VILLAINS. You're supposed to hate them.
"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."
Screw secret tunnels and giant mushrooms, that was best line of avatar ever!!!
But...but secret tunnel 😥
But...but giant mushroom worthy of worship 😢
The setup to that line ruins it for me. “You’ve beaten me at my own game.” It just sounds inhuman to say that instead of, for example, getting angry and throwing an insult or just being in shock. I feel like him acting scared but saying something like “This is my game we’re playing” as assertively as he can while being afraid would have been a much better setup
Nah, Iroh's lines are the best ones ^^
@@edgymoji8260 Fuck that tunnel.
One of my favorite Episodes. Especially the Zuko part, you can feel the conflict within him, just when things were going so well for him Azula comes and brings him back to darkness
Arthur Teixeira I know that's what sucked I really hated to see him go back there, I really wanted him to just be good and forget about his past and family and nation
imaad uddin
well I mean think about it,youre asking him to forget about HIS FAMILY, thats not simple.
Fake Account That's true and understandable, but Azula was telling him the same thing in the first episode of book 2 and that nearly got him killed, so i wanted like Zuko to realize that Azula cannot be trusted again you know, and he had already cut ties from his family and nation by cutting his hair thats what that means, and still Iroh is more of family to him than the whole fire nation combined he should've never betrayed him, but thanks to Azula... lol, i really get emotional wiht this episode, Zuko is my favorite character and I hated to see how he acted at the end and going back to his old ways and betraying Katara and especially Iroh.
+imaad Uddin I do agree. It was really dumb for Zuko, after all his character development this book, to end up doing the exact same thing he did in the beginning by siding with Azula over Iroh. I mean, WHY does he trust Azula when he obviously had no reason to? More over why is Azula even offering to team up with Zuko when she spent the whole book hunting him? It makes no sense...
ShinobiPXO I know it really doesn't, and especially after his awakening that he had which shows he's a different person you know, I just find it really out of character of him to betray Iroh, like he had a better chance of betraying him in Book 1 when he was obsessed with capturing Aang, but in Book 2 after how they bonded and his awakening he'd still go stab Iroh in the back like that? Like Idk man that's just ooc for me and it hurts me every time to see it.
yeah as allison said, the avatar state doesn't automatically make you more sustainable to attacks if you get hit in the body. if you get struck by lightning you're DEAD! no matter what state you're in, the avatar state just makes it easier to dodge/block/counterattack as you have the skills and knowledge of your past lives who are all amazing
Bunnitt W don't forget that the Avatar State also amplifies your bending powers immensely
Bunnitt W I think that some people could survive the lightning strike without doing anything, just as in real life some people have. But yeah, in this case, Aang was DEAD. Only Magical Water combined with Katara's healing powers could bring him back.
Bunnitt W actually avatar state boosts your bending to it's very limit and gives you the knowledge and experience of all the previous avatars that's why Korra's avatar state is so weak her bending is hightened but she doesn't have the experience from the previous avatars
You mean weak after season 2 or weak over all the seasons?
Bunnitt W yeah previous avatars have told Aang multiple times and even the Guru, once you've been killed in the avatar state there's no coming back it's over, but thank god for Katara and her healing water and abilities
i know you guys dont see this but let me comment on the azula thing you mentioned.
She struck lightning at his heart, it doesn't matter how strong or weak the fire bender is who would have been the one to have shot the lightning.
lightning to the heart is fatal, avatar or not. They mention this with the zuko/iroh training.
Nor does being the avatar give you some strength of resistance to attacks. You're just as weak as a normal person, physically body wise. Weak points of human bodies remain unchanged.
The same way if someone shot an arrow at the soft part of the back of his head or neck when he did that,the same thing would have happened. He would have dropped like a fly, you feel?
azulas strength doesn't come into play here.
aang dropped his guard in the avatar state and Azula strategically and maniacally used that to her advantage.
A child who could shoot lightning could have taken out aang at that time.
A guard dropped is fatal.
Allison Cornell yeah exactly just because he is in the avatar state doesn't mean he's invincible, he's still vulnerable and can be hurt or killed like a normal person as seen in this episode
Very true. *Spoilers for anyone who didn't see Resurrection of F*
It's the same concept as when Goku, in Super Saiyan Blue form, was shot through the heart by a ray gun because he dropped his guard.
Adam Kruszynski he did die the healing water brought him back
Well said Alison
That's what I also like about the Avatar State, it doesn't make you impervious to attacks. Yes, it heightens your awareness and obviously makes your bending powers far stronger by tenfold, but it doesn't give you heightened resistance, not to mention that he took Azula's lightning in the back (his body still felt it all the same).
Hearing Erik going "I don´t trust this new Zuko", while Kelvin keeping himself cool and not giving anything away, was just the final confirmation for me. You guys are amazing!
What I find really interesting about Azula is despite all of her negative character traits, she is surprisingly very accepting and even reliant on non-firebenders.
1. Her very old firebending mentors, Lo and Li, openly admit in the series finale that they themselves are not actually firebenders.
2. In Book 2, she enlists the help of Mai and Ty Lee in tracking down Zuko and the Avatar, who are non-firebenders.
3. She usurps control of the Dai Li from Long Feng and kept them as her own personal enforcers and bodyguards until she banished them and everyone else in her service during the finale.
I just find that really interesting.
Something something ostracized from her own people/group something.
ahhhhhh I can't wait for you guys to watch season 3 it's so cool 😊😊😊
Don't you mean it's so *coup?*
Eh? Ehhh?
...I'll see myself out.
goddamit
I loved all of season 3 except the last episode. To me that was a total letdown
@@protector_of_the_realms LET ME GUESS, it's because Zutara wasn't canon, lol. You left so many comments shouting "Zutara!" on various comment threads, so the salt is palpable, lol
@@ember-brandt ...
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yes
also because I was hoping for someone to die in a sacrifice but mostly the Zutara thing, this is mostly my fault because when I was 6-12 or something I saw one of the last episodes when Zuko jumps in Katar's way to save her from the lightning, and I've always been a sucker for that stuff so it always made sense to me that there was some romantic thing going on there but I hadn't seen any of the other episodes or the next one which was the finale so I just assumed this was the case and then years later when I for some reason decided to watch the whole series I got worked up about that relationship from the start and with all the hints fueled the fire to a point where I was sure it was going to happen, then I somehow heard about Zutara on the internet but never heard Kataang so I took this as confirmation it would happen and was left shocked when it didn't. Zutara always felt natural to me, the Kataang always has and will feel a bit forced, awkward and weird
They were watching these sequentially, but imagine being a kid when this came out, with this HUGE twist at the end, and the last thing we hear from this show for nearly a whole year is "The Earth Kingdom has fallen". That cliffhanger was on par with some HBO series.
We atleast had a short series of comics that covered what happened while aang was in a coma. That was actually my first exposure to the series.
I've always loved this episode cause it shows that Zuko was just pretending to have found his path when in reality he was even more lost than ever, and the look iroh gave him just gave me all the feels
He wasn't pretending, he was still struggling. you can consider it a relapse.
Shadi Wajed I see it as he was lying to himself, trying to accept that what Iroh was saying was true because it seemed right, but then Azula came along used the exact wording she knew would confuse him, it was only later on that he then found his true path. This is all my opinion not fact 😊
We both just stating our opinions, no facts here :)
Well, you can find yourself then lose it, or relapse as I said. I don't think that in real life there's an "Awakening" moment, it's a process that goes on as long as you are alive, and relapsing is just a part of it. and I think the writers of the show wanted to show that exactly, that's why they made the episode of Zuko's seemingly finding his true path very close to the episode of his relapse. and I love this show "and Korra" particularly for treating those themes in a mature way.
A part of me does wonder what Azula stood to gain here in letting Zuko return to the fold. Azula had to know that zuko with his honour restored would be Fire Lord , so why wouldn't she feed Ozai some story and betray Zuko after she had beaten the Earth Kingdom. She only decides to give Zuko credit for the Avatar's defeat, upon suspecting that he's hiding something about the Avatar.Did she genuinely want to help him before that point
Neeta Song I think, being a villain (and a great one at that), the producers wanted to have her that one step further where she doesn't have to make something up to ruin him when she can let him do it himself. I think it just shows how mentally mixed up she has become over the years to point where being idolised (for killing the avatar) is less important to her than Zuko being shamed by the entire nation, thereby NEVER being able to return. This obviously just speculation but it's what I've always thought.
You know what I love about this series is there is always someone saying "This is my favourite episode" Or "They are getting to my favourite episode" Shows how good this show actually is, I don't think I can have one particular episode that's my favourite.
The Nostalgia critic made a top 11 best and worst avatar episode list featuring Dante Basco it is great list check it out
@@TalhaMansoor I disagree with some choices, specially The Waterbending Master, that episode is very good, I did not get Nostalgia Critic's complaints, it is very effective.
Calvin's dead eyes of knowing throughout. So unfamiliar.
You guys are lucky; no nine month wait for you before you can start season 3. Not sure if you should do a reaction to the season 3 teaser trailer or no.
Dylan L No no trailers lol- imo the season 3 trailers give too much away, particularly the second half one
Dylan L No no trailers lol- imo the season 3 trailers give too much away, particularly the second half one
Dylan L I know that wait was horrible, like we just wanted to know what happens next no need to make everyone wait almost a year haha
They don't react to any series trailer.
Just movie trailers.
Early access subscriber.
It would have helped if Zuko and Katara's mothers had the same name.
Martha :P
KafkaIs Chaznable WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!
KafkaIs Chaznable MARTHA!!!! SAVE MARTHA!!!!
Looks like bending all four elements doesn't make you lightning proof.
Jonathan Robinson lolol you gotta learn to redirect that lightening otherwise you're screwed, but I believe Aang would've dodged it, he just didn't see it coming
imaad uddin He was now in control of the avatar state rather than it being on auto pilot. I believe he was still adjusting to all that control and didn't see the lighting in time (he's never seen anyone bend lightning before) or the pacifist in him was waiting for them to run away.
STAY Young Yeah i agree, he's never seen a lightning bolt being fired, and i dont think he was 100% in the fight at the time he was going into the Avatar state either
STAY Young lol guys I know he's never seen lighting bending and he was going avatar state, I'm just saying even with all that power durability is zero.
Jonathan Robinson Of course, I agree with you, just because he's the Avatar doesn't mean he's invincible.
Congratulations Long Feng, you played yourself.
I know a lot of people don't like what Zuko did. I don't either, but I totally understand it. This had to be one of the best scenes of atla because it's so real. When I watched the episodes before this, I knew zuko wasn't really at peace and he was he was just trying to cope with the idea of being good and living a normal life, but I knew deep down that he hated the position he was in. Then when he heard azulas temptation, he didn't hesitate to grab it. It's like a smoker who quit 2 months ago, if there is a whole bunch of people smoking a cigarette around him and they offer him it , he will definitely take it. Temptation is so frequent in this world and I love how they displayed it in this episode, showing that people do make mistakes and backtrack. And after this episode zuko became my favorite character on the show and on tv. He's one of the most realistic and complex characters ever to me...and he became hot in season 2 and 3😍😂
Yeah he's hot so it's okay what he did smh
Numayam bruh I legit had to read my comment cause I posted that three years ago. But imma say this...did I say it was ok cause he’s hot? Or are you just putting words in my mouth...Please reread my comment with common sense before you talk shit😒.
Just a small explanation. The Avatar doesn't have to "let go" of Katara, he has to "learn to let go". He needs to learn to overcome the urge to help when ever she might slightly be in danger and has to learn to how to focus on what he has to do. This is not a spoiler btw, it is clear by how the guru worded it "You must learn to let go!". It is not a permanent detachment, it is the ability to be able to do it when it is needed.
season 1, a new hope
season 2, the fire nation strikes back
season 3, return of the avatar
So...poop got real, huh? ;)
Zuko turned on Iroh, Azula basically killed Aang, and the Earth Kingdom has finally fallen...Lots of stuff!
I also just loved Azula in this finale! She not only brilliantly came up with a coup by using the Dai Li, but she also played Long Feng like a fool, was able to turn Zuko to her side with *just* the right words (she definitely knows people's weaknesses and when to use it against them lol), *and* she took the initiative and actually did something about Aang while everyone else was standing around waiting and watching him basically power-up.
It's a good thing you don't have to wait a whole year for S3, because that wait was so long and dreadful for me as a kid.
Lalisa T lmfao yes I know I hated that wait... it was so cruel haha
I remember nearly screaming when the S3 trailer came out
It was weird for me because I got busy with other things and didnt even know s3 had come out until much later so i had no catch up. Still when i found out it was out, i died XD
dude just say shit got real, lol saying poop
Kevin Lazaro Lol I'm quoting Bryan Konietzko xD
Fun fact: When Katara holds Aang after he falls the pose is almost a mirror image of Michelangelo's "Pieta", a.k.a. Mary holding Jesus.
And when she revives him on Appa the scene's blocking is identical to the scene at the very beginning of the series when she cracked him out of the iceberg.
Poetic cinema.
Hearing Eric talk about Chakras is fun. He is so damn literal.
So ironic cause the di lee cause was created by avatar kyoshi
Epic Eli yeah but like it's just so werid they should be loyal to the avatar I wonder if. They even know that Iam surprised aang didn't take on the form of avatar kyoshi just to take down the di lee which would have been awesome
One of the best season endings EVER
Itachi Uchiha yeah for sure!
I`ll give Azula props on taking Aang out before completed the avatar state. How many times have we seen z fighters let frezia and cell transform or the villains let power rangers morph. I love Aang but this is probably the only cliché that has been broken in any medium.
Why is it surprising Katara had the upper hand on Azula here? The girl is a badass, and the real MVP in that fight.
Lebronze Katara is really powerful, she has the ability to beat Zuko and was doing well against Azula too and we just see her get even stronger in book 3
Hama is not better than Katara, Katara is a vastly superior waterbender to Aang and the foggy swamp monster is only better than Katara in the swamp, where he can regenerate his vines indefinitely, Azula would lose to him in the swamp too. That leaves Pakku, who is superior to and would also beat Azula. So Katara is actually the second or third most powerful waterbender in the world.
Creators have explicitly stated that no element holds an advantage over the other and the winner of a fight is determined by the skill of the benders involved. Katara is obviously good enough to beat Azula on equal footing with no advantages as this episode quite clearly showed. Azula couldn't touch her and was about to get slammed into the ground before Zuko came in.
I think Azula and Katara are basically on par as far as bending skills go, both are full on masters of their elements; I guess Katara was getting the upper hand just because it was nighttime.
When I first saw episode I was surprised since Azula always seemed to have the upper hand on everyone she fought with. I expected her to have it here as well, which is why I was happily surprised that she was outmatched first by Katara and Aang as a team and Katara on her own winning. I like Azula, but it was a wise decision to have her need Zuko here to avoid her becoming a Mary Stu.
but to be fair Azula keeps underestimating Katara because she has this privileged mind state. (and she apparently never learned her lesson 😉). Actually i think the only people she doesn't' like belittle is Aang, Zuko and maybe Iroh
This is a common misconception, but he didn't need to give up on her to open his Seventh Chakra.
He just needed to accept the *idea* of letting her go.
Aang's love for Katara was very childish at this point, and we all know that those first few times you fall in love as a child usually entail the stupidity of never believing in life without the other person, making them literally the center of the universe for yourself. He had to let that go if he ever wanted to clear his spiritual mind, just as much as we all need to give up on that kind of loving if we expect to grow up.
He saw it as a bad thing just because of how young he is.
What the Guru taught Aang was very close to Dalai Lama's teachings, I think.
And in those, unlike with the Jedi, love is never forbidden. It is just strongly advised that one should not make love relationships the center of their lives. Aang, being a child, thinks it's a bad thing not to put Katara above everything else, because he thinks that's what being in love is about.
Accurate depiction of a twelve year old in love for the first time, who just so happened to be the Almighty saviour of the world.
Kind of like how Roku let go of his wife so he could save the people from the volcano
sorry guys, Azula is the real MVP...she's on par with Iroh in greatness.
Power alone does not make anyone great. She may be powerful, maybe as powerful as Iroh, but she will never be as great as the Dragon of the West.
Uh no. Iroh could literally just stand there and dodge everyone of Azula's attacks till she gets frustrated and resorts to mind games, probably bringing up Iroh's son or something 😳
Black Bishop tea bribe maybe :p
@@BhBc8f8 Hahahahahahahahahah no, Iroh would die in seconds like he already almost did in The Chase. Iroh is so terribly overhyped it's sometimes hard to still love him...
Detective Eric knows too much 😩 😩 he has seriously figured out most of the series before it happens
Also, Azula saying 'you were never even a player' is the biggest mic drop of that series. She's my evil queen.
It's your first watch, but this is really a series that benefits multiple viewings. 'Cause there's that hatred like masking the well written aspects of Azula's villainy, but damn, the success of pulling off a dark season finale ending with so much weight felt by both the "light side" and "dark side". Also, I see it as Aang having to let go of Katara being his main priority and taking on the responsibility of being the world's Avatar and let go of the notion of Katara coming before the greater good. Doesn't mean he can't still love her. I woukd not be able to hold it in as good as Calvin haha.
Tony LeeIm yeah you have to watch this series multiple times to fully grasp and understand everything fully
imaad uddin
Yess, it's just one of those special shows.
Tony LeeIm Yeah I agree 100% you always find something new after a rewatch, and be like woah i never realized that before
This is the best episode of this show. All the twists, turns, heartbreak & betrayal leave you wondering where the "Gaang" & Zuko go from here
Stop finding small flaves in the series, Calvin is getting very upset. =D
It's not about not being able to love anyone, it's about not letting the fear of losing someone control you. Look at what happened when that one Earth General guy buried her, or when they found the sand benders that stole Appa. He went into the Avatar State but couldn't control his rage in it.
He can still love Katara, he can still fight hard to protect her, but he shouldn't let anger and sadness control him if he does lose her because he's already prepared for losing her.
@3:15 -- Lol damn, I was hoping that they would remember that was actually a _waterbending_ move that Zuko used xD But it's an easy detail to miss, lol
If you re-watch The Seige of the North Pt. 2 and skip to 6:11 - th-cam.com/video/-H-Trm2HIac/w-d-xo.html - you can see Katara actually use it to kick Zuko's ass, which is presumably where he learned it, and I find that hilarious lol
And, of course, Azula is still given no credit for her role as an antagonist. Why am I not surprised? Lol.
Dark As Night ikr i was so excited to see their reactions to azulas scenes especially the 'Dont flatter yourself you werent even a player' line which got no reaction :/
Dark As Night lol it's because they don't really like Azula I think which is why they don't give her enough props as an amazing villain
I think they know that she's great at what she does, but don't care enough about it for it to overshadow their immense hatred. Eric in particular. I'm not too disappointed by it. I've felt that way before. Sometimes I just don't care how good a villain is when I just want them to die with every fiber of my being. I get that a lot with many GoT characters.
All that matters to me is that Azula is seen as a threat, which is exactly what she is. I really like her now since I know now that she's not really evil, she's just as tragic as Zuko. Sadly we didn't get to see much of that and most seem to not like her. Oh well..
Opaque Anity Idk... she's not as tragic as Zuko, and I think Zuko isnt evil at all my man was just confused and had a difficult pastlol but even though i agree with you Azula isnt fully evil either, she does have a little evil to her, we will see this later on in Book 3 as well
This is such an amazing finale. Azula completely playing Long Feng is 1 of my favorite and 1 of her most savage moments. I love the conversation between Aang and Iroh and Zuko and Katara. Or as I like to call it the day Zutara shippers came out in force and started the biggest shipping war before Naruto was a long-running thing. The crucial moment for Zuko and his decision was such an extremely amazing yet disappointing thing for fans. My reaction included a lot of shouted no's and the kind of swears only a kid could come up with. However it also shows how great at manipulating people especially her brother Azula is and how desperately Zuko wants his father's respect. The final fight of this episode is 1 of my favorite fight scenes in the show also shows how well Aang and Katara work together and how surprisingly well Azula and Zuko fight together.
The ending is definitely really Star Wars which is awesome but I don't know how much was coincidental and how much was was deliberate considering how influential Star Wars is but how different Avatar is to Star Wars in many ways. And also how an ending like this finale is a very common plot element. I'm also glad that your admitting your hatred of Azula and Aaron is unfair and that you can see that she is a great villain despite your dislike. I also can totally understand why you don't like this type of character personality especially because you particularly expected something else. Awesome reaction regardless. :-)
Supermonaman SuperMonaman yeah but seeing Zuko mess up was really really hard to watch, and this was the episode where everyone thought Zutara was going to happen lol but the writers had to make Zuko mess up..
The end of this episode literally made me cry as a kid. I imagine it's how some people reacted to Empire Strikes Back.
I like how the series shows Aang improving his bending, through fights. When he was being the crystal knight he could not fully commit to standing his ground (earthbending philosophy) and flinched, therefore losing the clash to Azula, but after he got up he charged in with earthbending, looking very determined. Season 3 is the best cartoon season ever.
That line about long feng isn't even a player is such a BEAUTIFUL line
mysticshinee24 amen
I have a bit of a weird theory that Katara was originally supposed to be the next Avatar after Aang. I mean, if you line up when Aang probably would have died if he hadn't went under the ice with Katara's birth, along with the fact that Katara was the ONLY waterbender born in the Southern Water tribe in around 50 or 60 years and that she was considered one of the strongest waterbenders of her time, along with the fact that Korra was born in about the same area as Katara. I know its improbable, but its still interesting to me.
That's pretty interesting
Nice one
Nah, that theory suits Yue more. The moon spirit chose her of all people to give life to.
3:16 I like that he learned that move from watching Katara when they fought in the first season
Damnn I never noticed that
I feel like Azula is a villain who's easier to appreciate in hindsight. When you're watching for the first time, invested in the journey of the heroes, and she keeps coming in and fucking shit up, it's pretty easy to just be mad at her. On a second viewing, when you already know what happens, it's easier to appreciate how effective she is as an antagonist.
i loved her as a villain on my first viewing. i loved that she posed a real threat against the heroes and always leaves a nasty taste in their mouths.
Oh yeah, I loved her on my first viewing too. I'm just saying I can see where they're coming from.
It was disappointing to see Zuko choose Azula, but it was the right thing to do story wise. Zuko had come far at this point (very far from book one) but he still wasn’t totally ready for his redemption. He NEEDED to go home, he NEEDED to be at his fathers side to put all his experiences during his banishment into perspective so he could finally do the right thing. This show is written so beautifully.
It's like Zuko just got out of Rehab and all his old friends came around with a case of beer and a pound of coke saying "DUDE! We missed you! Let's party!"
The absolute dread I feel seeing aang fall from the sky is too real.
12:30 "I wonder if this was a plan to get captured" *HARD FACEPALM*
Season 3 is gonna be a lot harder to edit lol
He doesn't have to fully let go of his earthly attachments to unlock the chakra, it's just that he needs to understand the the world and his duties as the Avatar come first, and everything else is second to that
I love azula so much. Just imagine being a 10 year old kid and you thought that aang was dead. We had no idea how it was going to go
Aang is already a monk, he has been meditating since childhood
I remmeber when I was younger and I first see this finale, I was so fascinated, I loved the scene of Aang in Avatar State being defeated by Azula, I was shocked and fell in love with her character, even if I was worry about Aang. I always loved smart villains who put the protagonist in problems. That kind of things made the story so much interesting and the fact of the "Good Guy" loosing was so crazy. Azula is an amazing villian. I just always hated how she ended...
Eric the avatar state exist to help the avatar to protect EVERYONE IN THE WORLD, Aang let his feelings for Katara and his friends go and then when he tried to save her he didn't do it because he wanted, he do it because was his "job", his purpose as an avatar, if instead of Katara was a farmer or a good soldier or and oldman he would do it the same. Also, what you were saying about the chakras, you have to remember that Aang is a monk who was trained to control his feelings since the day he was born; so for him open the chakras is more easy that a normal person (Sokka would have to spend years to be able to open the seven for example)
Avatar state doesn't make him invincible or anything just super powerful a surprise attack like that would be fatal, also Azusa is easily one of the best characters
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not."
The "letting go of attachment" thing that people always miss with this part of Avatar, and with Star Wars, is that it has nothing to do with having to stop loving someone. Aang needed to let go of what tethered him to the world, and be willing to let it pass on - meaning not holding on to it instead of moving on and living and fulfilling his duty. He needed to ACCEPT that he could and would lose Katara some day, instead of letting his attachment to her hinder him. It's the same as the other chakra that dealt with his grief of the loss of his family and his people - he had to let go of them, but that didn't mean he no longer had to love them, and the Guru said their love would always be with him. In the same way his love for Katara can remain, while also accepting the possibility of losing her.
It's a pretty deep mentality to reach, as it can seem somewhat of a contradiction on the surface, so it's understandable why people don't always seem to get it.
It's the same with the Jedi, even to the point that by the time of the fall of the order, the Jedi themselves interpret this concept the same way that people watching star wars do. And the Jedi bending their interpretation into a very rigid set of rules ultimately led to their demise.
You can love someone while letting go and understanding that nothing lasts forever. And once you realize that, you can treasure the time that you do have more fully.
The seventh chakra is about the willingness to let go. It doesn't mean you have to let go, just that you are willing to if your duty as an avatar requires it of you.
A lil late, but I believe him turning his back on katara was him letting trying to let go of the emotional/love attached with her, if you remember back to the first episode on second season (or close to it), katara asks aang to not go in avatar state anymore because she doesnt like him like that. Him saying "sorry katara" is him apologising for both entering the avatar state again and for him breaking the emotional attachment. He wasnt just saving katara, he was stoping the army the army who was threatining his life (defense mechanism) and friends. My two cents
I broke the sound barrier clicking on this button ✨
The last chakra was basically be able to let go of his attachment to Katara. If she were to have died there he wouldn't have let her death hold him back. It has to do with the principal that everything is connected spiritually.
To this day, this is still my favorite episode of Avatar. I remember watching this as a kid and Zuko pissing me off when he made his decision to team up with Azula and betraying Iroh.
Also why so surprised at Katara beating Azula. Azula is great but not unbeatable, and Katara is a waterbending master and is just as skilled as Azula when it comes to their respective bending elements.
This episode was so crazy and shocking and This is also the episode where Zuko really messed up... through out the whole book 2 it looked like he was changing into a better person, even Iroh saw this happening, he was bonding with Katara in the prison, and she also saw that he was changing and trusted him, but when it came down to making the big decision Zuko messed up by joining Azula, he betrayed Iroh and also lost Katara trust, you can tell by how Iroh is just looking at him and how angry Katara gets when Zuko attacks them instead of helping them fight Azula, I was expecting Zuko to be like screw the fire nation and join Aang and Katara and fight the Dai Li and Azula and then join the Gaang, but of course that didn't happen, as Zuko being my favorite character seeing him mess up like this once again after being convinced that he had changed really really hurt, anyway I can't wait for you guys to start book 3 that book is epic! So many amazing things happen!
I don't think they understood what actually happened.
Aang died and came back to life, Kataras healing was so powerful it brought him back to life, barley though.
I remember when this episode aired on TV it was so crazy and shocking and when it was over everyone was like omg what's going to happen next, we are expecting something but instead something we totally didn't expect happened and what sucked the most was we had to wait almost a whole year for the first episode of Book 3 to find out what's going to happen next, that was really really cruel in my opinion lol
Fun fact at 10:36 Katara holding Aang was meant to mirror Pieta (Michelangelo) as an image of symbolism.
I can't help but notice despite their differences, Zuko and Azula make a great team.
Also all hail Azula, destroyer of tropes where all princesses should act like Disney princesses and the villain has to wait for the protagonist to power up.
I love how 99% of May's attacks whould hit the target's eyes and cause permanent damage if they weren't blocked
I'm so excited for my fav season! c: There's literally so many episodes in season 3 that I am so excited for! xD There's just too many episodes I love :D
Avatar state isn't super human state. He just gets all the knowledge of his past lives and strenthens his spiritual connection. That doesn't make him immune to any of the elements, especially lightning.
Did you guys know zuko was one of the last characters to be added to the show, the main antagonist was supposed to be the Firelord but he couldn't do much from his throne so zuko was added
17:01 he accepted the fact that katara might die and he wont sacrifice himself to save her. She could've been killed the second he went into the crystal tent thing he made. He went to finish the chakras for the survival of himself.
Edit: i know these reactions are old but maybe someone watching for the first time will see this. And enjoy the thought.
10:00 That tension build up... Just when you think everything's about to be okay... Bam! Lightning strike.
Gosh, the way Iroh looked away ashamed from Zuko I knew it was a turning point in their relationship. My heart fell completely.
and tommorow we have RWBY 3x09 "PvP"... FXXK
What a fun week.
Ioan Taf lol what a week
it's not that aang wouldn't love katara anymore, it's that he learned to let go of all earthly attachments to unlock the 7th chakra. he can still love her, but he knows now that his personal attachments are superseded by his duties of being the avatar.
Azula's sudden olive branch to Zuko always confused me. Like especially with the Dai Lee, why would she think she needed him? And obviously, she doesn't do anything out of the kindness of her heart. Up until that point she clearly saw him as an (inferior) enemy, and her original orders were to jail him. The only thing I can think of is that she was already planning on pinning Aang's death on Zuko to cover her own ass just in case, but that seems like scheming-overkill.
if yall were confused about the whole guru thing u need to look into eastern philosophy and buddaism, which states letting go of earthly attachments as a way of reaching enlightenment. the guru’s concern was that aang wouldnt let go of katara because of his strong attachment to her. aang could do it at any time, but the guru was worried that he wouldnt
After book three, you guys should do Legend of Korra.
yknow, the thing that's always bugged me most about legend of korra is that roku said that if aang dies in the avatar state then the avatar cycle ends. and then aang gets killed while he's in the avatar state. and then when he dies, another avatar gets born anyway.
I think "letting her go" meant accepting the fact that she could die.
They evacuated the bear. That's the important thing.
My reaction was exactly like them after the episode
In the end of the episode i taught "Yes guys, the Empire Strikes Back!" Can you guys imagine is Episode 8 will be something the same? Luke: "I know how you must feel from my nephew. But believe me when i tell you! He is good in the inside it!"
Botye Bence Rey: "Good inside him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside of him too, okay."
MetallicaRules i suspect Finn is Sokka's counterpart in Star Wars but still one of the best line!
Katara was relying on her skills, that is why she could keep up with Azula and Zuko, she even almost beat Azula until Zuko interfered. Aang was constantly thinking about the Avatar state, so he was doubting himself, which is why he wasn't really effective in this fight.
To be fair, Azula jobbed like crazy and Zuko stalemated her(the creators rly just wanted to create more tension).
About letting Katara go, I always understood it as this:
He's allowed to love her, outside of his Avatar stuff, but she can't be the reason for why he fights. He has to fight for the balance of the world, not any one worldly attachment. By "letting her go" it basically means he's detached from the world and is able to channel the cosmic energy.
The avatar has to forgo individual attachements, meaning everyone they know that way he can 'serve' humanity as whole. If that makes sense.
Look at Zuko's turn against the gaang this way; he'd been hunting the Avatar for several years, "restoring his honor" was all he could ever think about. It was an obsession, an addiction. For a few days, he finally felt free of that addiction. But then Azula turns up with the objects of his addiction on a silver platter; he could capture the Avatar and regain his honor and his father's love right then and there. Like many addicts he relapsed to his old addiction.
I clicked SO FAST
I remember seeing this episode when I was a kid. I was shocked, I was scared for Aang, and I remember not knowing what would happen next.
Marathon of AVATAR book 3
i wish. lol
That DVD cover makes Aaron looks like a force ghost lol
Why does Calvin look so pissed?
This was filmed not long after the 24 hour stream so he was just tired.
ahh thats right
Yeah he looked a little irritated :D. I noticed that he got irritated the most when they were being very literal with this entire chakra and "letting go" things and when they didn't tried to understand Zuko, especially those few times when Eric (I think he is Eric, the guy on the left) commented quite rashly about Zuko :)
I cant wait till book 3 it has some of my favorite episodes