"What do you mean you don't love or hate me?" Combustion Man whispers, his teeth gently grazing Tim's ear. His hot, ashy breath tingles Tim's skin as it warms and cools Tim's neck. Combustion man raises Tim's trembling chin, bringing the two men face to face, their heaving bodies illuminated by the soft moonlight. Biting his lower lip, Tim glances away, refusing to look into Combustion Man's stormy grey eyes that seem to pierce the soul. "Answer me." Combustion Man growls. As if searching for something, Tim's eyes lock back with Combustion Man's as a blush spreads across Tim's face. "I just don't feel much for you Combustion Man." Tim whispers. Combustion Man Grips Tim tighter, his strong arms cradling the youtuber in a possessive embrace. "But I do now." Tim moans. They explode.
Alternate version for better immersion. "Mmmm" Combustion Man grunts, his teeth gently grazing Tim's ear. His hot, ashy breath tingling Tim's skin as it warms and cools Tim's neck. Combustion man raises Tim's trembling chin, bringing the two men face to face, their heaving bodies illuminated by the soft moonlight. Biting his lower lip, Tim glances away, refusing to look into Combustion Man's stormy grey eyes that seem to pierce the soul. "MMM!" Combustion Man growls. As if searching for something, Tim's eyes lock back with Combustion Man's as a blush spreads across Tim's face. "I just don't feel much for you Combustion Man." Tim whispers. Combustion Man Grips Tim tighter, his strong arms cradling the youtuber in a possessive embrace. "But I do now." Tim moans. They explode.
"And so," Tim said gasping out the words as Combustion Man took him from behind, "In this video I will detail the symbolic importance and universal thematic appeal of, uh, the Cabbage Merchant." The last gasped out as another explosive wave of pleasure swept through him. Combustian Man grunted, "go on my pet," he growled, "tell me about the Cabbage Merchant's place in elucidating the socio economic underpinnings of the Avatar world." Many people called themselves sapiosexual, but Combustion Man meant it. He closed his two real eyes and enjoyed the pleasure of Tim's tight orifice as much as his tight literary research.
Combustion Man is the physical manifestation of Zuko’s toxic desire to hunt the Avatar. He is purely selfish drive given flesh.That’s why it had to be Zuko who hired him, and not Azusa or the Fire Lord from a storytelling standpoint. When Zuko saves the Avatar from Combustion Man, he is saving Aang and the others from the worst part of himself.
The cabbage merchant is an inspiration to everyone. He keeps trying after he fails, he is funny and belives in what he does. After falling, after being in the worng place so many times he did it. In legend of Korra he founded cabedge corp. He has the best character development and became a great meme. I care about the cabbage merchant and whenever his cabbages got destroyed i cried because of how much they mean to him. he had one goal in life and acomplishis it.
I just rewatched the Puppetmaster episode yesterday and was struck with how deeply tragic of a character Hama is. She was literally tortured. Watched her home and family be dismantled at a young age. Beaten into submission; stolen from her home and taken to a strange land to be subjected to imprisonment that stripped her of her very strength. If this wasn't a kid's show, Hama likely would have watched her own brothers and sisters succumb to death while she was powerless to do anything. She deserved to have justice for the horrors the Fire Nation forced upon her. But justice was beyond reach. The Fire Nation stole her life away. The Fire Nation was always going to be stronger; an enemy insurmountable for one Waterbender in a strange, alien land to defeat. Finding justice was a hopeless goal, as hopeless as freedom must have felt for decades. Trauma and hopelessness twist a desire for justice into a desire for revenge. Even the invention of Bloodbending was itself not a malicious act; it was resourcefulness to survive, the only key to her freedom. The moment she used it to inflict the same torture on others was the moment she became no better than her captors. Hama could have gone home after escaping, could have lived the rest of her remaining years in the Southern tribe. But she had no idea if it even existed anymore after the repeating raids. And the Fire Nation would just keep coming. Home and safety was never an option. She could have lived her days in peace hiding in the Fire Nation. But trauma can leave scars. Trauma in isolation even more so, because you know no better, and there is nothing to fill the gaping void of a lifetime stolen. A life marred by injustice will not find easy respite. Hama's redemption and her path to mending old wounds could have been Katara. Katara said Hama was a hero, and she wasn't wrong. She could have done so much good for the rebuilding of the Southern Water Tribe, and for Katara herself. Another woman of the tribe who has suffered tremendous loss. They could have done so much to help each other to heal. But her trauma was carved too deeply, and it fed a desire so thirsty for cold revenge that even finding another Southern Waterbender outstripped it all. Hama only saw Katara as a tool to continue her vengeance. Sufficed to say, unresolved trauma can ruin people. Especially if one has lived their life knowing nothing else. She was just another casualty of the war. All this from a side character in a Halloween special episode on a kid's show, by the way. Coming up on two decades, this show still resounds in my head. *End emotional essay.*
Bowen Nichols as they said, trauma leaves deep wounds that turned hama’s desire for justice into a desire for revenge. she didn’t even know her home had existed anymore
She basically had the same story as Jet. Both characters were so messed up that instead of trying to gain justice they craved revenge. I understand why both of them did what they did and what they went through, but it's still never an excuse for them trying to hurt innocent people.
This is an interesting point of view. All this is true. Although from a perspective of anime-geek Hama was just a generic villain with standard anime villain backstory. No offence of course to Your point of view, bc it all is to the point.
I think it would be cool if the Avatar after Korra is an earthbender who uses neutral jin and is very patient and focused, is having a hard time mastering their firebending. They find it too chaotic and imprecise unlike Water, Air and Earth but eventually discovers their fire in form of Combustion bending. A technique that requires a lot of focus and patience. They cause a lot of damage with it and become seen as a danger to society. This Avatar becomes a social pariah and a young hermit until a group of heroes seek their help and wisdom in saving the world from a new threat. The Avatar has to learn to trust and forgive themselves for what happened in the past and move forward.
Or just have them not be able to until lol they lose there bending except wait no random bending ex machina lmao... (Korra was a decent show but it could have easily been so much better and the contrived nature of so much of it was frustrating at best)
Unlike the other side characters, the cabbage merchant never interacts directly with any of the main characters. He's what most of us are: unimportant to the global scheme of things. Most of us will never get to meet the Presidents, Kings, and Queens nor have our actions dictate the fate of the world yet we trundle on unseen and unappreciated by global affairs. Like us, he carries on trying to make a place for himself in the world. Often he is beaten down yet he never gives up. And when he finally establishes his Cabbage Empire, he gets to sit at the big table of world movers. This is what makes him important. But don't take my word for it Tim, you made a whole video about him.
The side characters I remember best are both ones that Zuko mostly interacts with... The kid from "Zuko Alone", and Jin, the girl Iroh sets him up with
@@joelsasmad That would be amazing. Imagine him finding Sen Su when he was the literal Firelord, and them becoming friends as he takes him back to Lee and his family. He would arrive with Sen Su in tow and be like "Hey guys, so I know you hate me, but like me and my (that's rough) buddies overthrew my crazy dad and sister and now I'm in charge so I got your kid back." Then personally kick every one of those fake soldiers all the way to the Southern Air Temple.
@@lindseysquire8417 While that would've been heartwarming, I don't think it really fits into the message of War the show tries to portray. There's thousands of Sen Sus, all with families, all fighting in the war, many dying. Zuko just coming upon one soldier out of tens of thousands, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and even alive, would make the war feel smaller and the reality that there are so many families like the one in Zuko Alone a bit less significant.
*Cabbage Merchant* The story of th Cabbage Merchant is a compelling tale about never giving up and always getting back up, even when your cabbage stand gets destroyed countless times, and your main product gets disrespected and eaten by none paying costumers. Throughout the series we see him finding new locals to expand his business and sell his most abundant product, cabbages, as he seems to be following our protagonists through most of the world. Many years of hard work and determination later, we see in The Legend of Korra how the Cabbage Merchant fulfilled his dreams and built a cabbage industry so big that he owned a building in Republic City with a statue in his memory infront. This statue is built to remind us, the future generations, to never give up, no matter how many times your cabbage stand is destroyed, you will always have the materials to build a new one, and start again.
What i love about the cabbage merchant is that 1 he only says “my cabbages 5.5 times” and his last “MY CAB... oh who cares” is the last time he ever says it he truly gives up on his cabbage selling dreams after that until the war is over, he is a sad example on how war and hardship can put your dreams to a stop. But he is also an inspiration by letting you know that you can pick up your dreams again once hardships have passed
Yes, I care excessively for cabbage man. I have had many a sleepless nights wondering.. did he sell his cabbages? does he grow his own cabbages? if so, what fertiliser does he use?
Damn, what if this whole time he was secretly a villain, killing people and using their bodies as fertilizer... Actually, I don't think cabbages grow that fast, maybe he was stealing them. It would explain how he kept acquiring new produce and carts.
personally I'd rank them as tier 1: Aunt Wu and the tribes whose names I don't remember tier 2: Combustion Man who I'd argue is more memorable based mostly on cool design and powers but also served a little bit more story purpose as being a small stepping stone towards Zuko joining the gaang tier 3: Piandao, more noteworthy than Sparky, played a more integral part in the main story, and his episode was definitely inspirational but most important his entire appearance in the series lacks the emotional impact of tier 4: Jet and Hama. the emotional weight these 2 have is I think just as important as the other factors and nothing any of the other characters are a part of not even Piandao's inspirational episode comes close to matching their most noteworthy scenes Jet: don't worry I'll be fine Toph quietly and pained: he's lying or Hama with sinister music playing in the background: congratulations Katara. *you're a bloodbender* those moments were *powerful*
I agree, particularly concerning piandao. I think if they had drawn in more complexity in connection to piandao and zukos relationship, in contrast to sokka, it could have really added layers to later in the season with sokka and Zuko together!
Agreed. Especially when Long Shot spoke for the first/last time in that scene. The ties that brought together the Gaang and Jet could’ve warranted him to be a main secondary character but of course that was not able to happen. I mean, it wasn’t that unreasonable to think (at the time the show was running/before Book 3) Jet could come back towards the final fight of the series, kind of like Haru and everyone else that showed up for the day of black sun and again at Zuko’s coronation. Jet was an interesting character that was equally versatile, in that regard.
Pretty good except you forgot tier 5: the cabbage man who shows us gather no matter how many times life kicks you down you can always find the strength to push forward and achieve your dream. You can see this in legend of Kora we’re he created his own company cabbage Corp which is one of the biggest in all of republic city which just goes to show you to never give up on your dreams.
The Cabbage Merchant is a fundamentally important character in the Avatar universe. His legacy lives on into Korra and his persistence for selling cabbages despite the hardships he faces is nothing if not admirable. He represents the rise and fall of a growing business and highlights the struggle of being put down again and again. He is an inspiration to those who feel like their dreams aren’t worth pursuing and he’s a resilient merchant who will stop at nothing to sell those dang cabbages.
*Combustion mam X Tim* It was a hot summer evening when Tim was writing his script as to why Combustion Man is the best character in the ATLA series, while rewatching the episode that Zuko defeats Combustion Man. He was close to finishing the script and decided to finish watching the rest of the episode. Tim had never realized how much he admired Combustion Man untill he sat down to write down all the things he likes about him, the cool lookong eye tattoo, his conbustion bending powers, that moscular chest. Tim's heart started pounding when Combustion Man comes back on screen and he paused the video at just the right moment so he could admire his newfound cartoon crush. Staring at the screen, Tim couldnt help but notice how revealing his open shirt truly was, and he started imagining how the rest of his body would appear in revealing clothes. The thaught of combustion man with less clothing made Tim's hand stsrt shaking as his breaths became more uneaven and sweat started drenching his shirt. Tim decided to remove his shirt to cool off and when his own abs where revealed, he couldn't help himself from imagining Combustion Man placing his strong hands on his chest. Already half maked, Tim decided to go all out, and removed all his clothing. Staring at the screen, Tim slowly caressed his now throbing member as he leaned closer for a better view and whispered in a soft and lustful voice: "I love you Combustion Man."
@@pranavyarlagadda2143 He said to write the kinkiest shit i could think of, it was either that or Combustion Man magically enters rhe real world through the computer monitor 😅
I don't think all side characters should be great and memorable, that just sounds overwhelming. Average, mediocre characters and the occasional side quest can be very important. Fluff and filler aren't entirely useless yknow? It could make the good shit stand out more
@Fremen are you talking about main protagonists and antagonists or you don't like it when the only interesting characters are those who are either actively helping or fighting against the main characters?
As Tim entered his apartment, holding a briefcase in one hand and carrying a folded blue coat in the other, he quickly noticed, no, felt, that something was off. Not necessarily wrong, just off, out of place. He put his coat on the rack, carefully keeping one eye on the hallway. Softly, he put the briefcase down, and opened it as silently as he could. In it were some papers, a pack of tissues, an old receipt from the grocery store, and his knife. A gift from his late grandfather, the blade made out of stainless steel, the black, slightly curved handle elegant in its simplicity. Moving like a cat, he walked down the hallway, the knife grasped firmly in his right hand. The first door on the left led to the small kitchen, and was connected to the dining room which filled out most of the apartment. Exhaling softly, he stepped inside, lifting his right hand so he was ready to attack, or defend, if necessary. Both the kitchen and the dining room were empty. Tim was sweating now, the back of his neck glistening. He fought the urge to call out - *that's how people, die, Tim!* - and continued walking. From the dining room, he could see his bedroom door, which were almost closed, only a faint line of darkness between the door and the wall. And Tim knew, he knew, he had closed them fully before leaving the apartment this morning. He exhaled again, and moved to the door. Here goes, all or nothing. Life or death. *Save me, Lord Mishka.* Mustering all his courage and strength, he pushed the door violently and stepped inside, his knife lifted above his head, a distorted grimace of rage on his face, a battle cry coming out his mouth. Once his hand slapped the light switch, and the room was illuminated, he almost tripped over his own feet from the pure shock of what he was met with. A man - a large, muscular, fairly tanned naked man, was laying on his side on the bed, supporting his upper body with his elbow. He had perfectly toned abs, powerful chest muscles, legs that could, Tim was certain, crush a log between them, and a manhood larger than any he had ever saw in his life. But his most prominent feature was a red tattoo, in the shape of an elongated eye, on his forehead. The man grunted, almost growled, and flexed his muscles. Tim was utterly shocked, but he dropped the knife. And a few seconds later, all his clothes.
I'll say that the "sidequest" concept can still have similar, if not the entire, effects as the subplot version. It just depends on the style of story. In more episodic series like Samurai Jack he goes off to help people all the time even though it delays him from his overall goal of defeating Aku. Even if some may not remember the exact names of the people they were still memorable. The Scotsman, the cave man that helped Jack "jump good", the female assassin who made a team to kill Jack in order to save her people. Avatar TLA does have clear point from A to Zed but its structure does allow for wiggle room. It actually does manage to make "sidequests" into character building episodes even with the characters that initiated it being just a piece on the board. A great example is "The Serpent's Pass". A family needs aid to get to Ba Sing Se, the Gaang has no obligation to help them but they do it anyway and it aids in Aangs grief and Sokka's lingering trauma from Yue.
2 of the three samurai jack characters you mention are incredibly important. Ashi is his wife and the Scotsman the his friend so I dont know if they illustrate your point.
It's always so tear-jerking to see how every little detail in the show is nearly perfectly written. I'm so looking forward to my second binge-through. And thank you, Tim, for your splendid tips on writing. They're always helping and inspiring me dearly. Also, first patron mention! Yeess! haha :D
I just ordered the DVDs for book 2 and 3 (already owned those for the first, but Amazon just got all three of them in their 3 for 2 sale) . Internet connection is often crappy as heck in my hometown but that way I'm not relying on streaming when re-binging :D
Yep, on the German Amazon, buy 2, get 3, you probably know this type, don't you? There's a whole lot of crap in that one, too, but all three boxes of the Avatar books are hidden in there as well. It's pretty recent and the boxes only cost like 11 to 12 Euros, so you can get the whole series for roundabout 22 to 23 bucks or something, so I just had to grap them. Been wanting to buy those DVDs for like ages and this seed the perfect moment :D
There's no Korra ones in it, but wait a minute, I'm going to copy that link. Let's hope it'll work for you, I tried to order from Amazon US and that didn't work, so... Here's the link to that promotion thingy: www.amazon.de/gp/aw/promotion/landingpage/A1MR4T9AO6MLG4?ie=UTF8&ref_=plp_pc_rd_A1MR4T9AO6MLG4
Same. It's revealed to me through this video that one of the main things that makes *most not all* newer movies either not living it's full potential or bad is how they write the characters. The stories are good, but the characters end up just going with the flow of the story and not having layers.
Hama is not only a brilliant side character, her character was also used to show us about grooming. There are six steps to grooming and after we know who she is the steps start taking place. Step 1, targeting the victim. When she found out that katara is also a water bender that when her plan actually started taking place. This could've also happened when she was shopping with katara. Step 2, the bond. After she told her back story she bonds with katara over the fact that they both lost people. Step 3, filling a need. Hama offers to train katara in water bending. Katara wanted a master to train her for a long time, and even though she was already trained she was still very excited to be trained by someone from the southern water tribe. Step 4, separation or isolating the victim. After this she takes katara to a field with flowers and away from the rest of the gang. Step 5, touch. Usually when grooming this means s3xually, but in the scene after this she comforts katara by touching her shoulder. This is the first time that hama initiated touching katara. Step 6, final step, maintaining control. This happens when she started talking about how she learned blood bending. This is made very clear as she keeps talking about control, the rats, the prison guard, the villagers. She controlled them just like she wanted to control katara. All of this was her plan from the start. When she's battling katara she's laughing and has no remorse even though they're both from the southern water tribe. Which she said was part of her motivation. She tried to push her goals on katara and exploit her. And I know that most of these might be seen as far fetched, but in every scene after we learn that's she's from the water tribe she does these steps. And it could be manipulation but she does all of these steps I order and grooming just seems more fitting.
The first time I watched episode Sokka’s Master I was genuinely stunned how Piandao effectively taught sword fighting. Its not the typical video collage of training. Its full of detailed and connected thoughts and techniques. You can never take back a stroke of brush and a sword. Take in your surroundings and use it to your advantage.
I wouldn't call Combustion man a character, but rather a tool. Like a homing missile fired by Zuko. As a side-character he's bad but from this perspective he really works.
If they had gone a bit more on his background Like zuko visiting the place he hired him in more detail when he tries to cancel the deal To give more time to develop his backstory That would helped a bit
What I find interesting about your picks for characters to discuss is that of the forgettable side characters 2/3 were from Book 1 and of the memorable side characters 2/3 were from Book 3. It makes a certain amount of sense, the more complex characters come from the show growing into more complex themes and growing into having more episodes with strong through lines to the overall plot, rather that being fairly episodic with a few heavy hitters.
Aunt Wu does have 1 romantic plot development in katara, the moment she sees Aang as a powerfull bender instead off a kid. Its not as big as other things but that moment of realization did stick with me
Tim: says avatar the last airbender is how area of expertise Me: * _gets flashback to the HTTYD days of this channel_ * really now, are you sure about that
Yea! I'd love to see a return to that. Not instead of what he's doing now, just a light sprinkling of dragon fire. Maybe a little more. A bit more. More. More! KABOOM!!!
Oh, man. One of my oldest stories (that I'm still working on, which is kind of amazing since it's been three years and I still haven't given up on it) had SO MANY SIDE CHARACTERS. I made them interesting by introducing them early in the story, then fleshing them out when they became useful to the plot. Frankly, so many of them had such strange backstories that you could write entire books about them. For an example of this, there's an extremely powerful side character introduced really early on. He's smug and capable and that's all you really learn about him at first. He gets pushed to the sidelines for a few chapters, then gets caught in an explosion caused by one of the other characters and loses most of his powers. He's devastated by this, and has to spend the rest of his character arc slowly learning to cope with this sudden change, until he's at a range that's not quite close to where he was at his full potential but considers himself strong enough to fight alongside the other characters once more. The character who hurt him was one of the main characters, and was at least three years older than him (around his late teens or early 20s), and was devastated by the fact that he almost killed a teenager due to his own recklessness. He vows to be more careful and protective of those around him, which results in him getting shot protecting his best friend and then being told by said best friend that, while his intentions are good, some of them don't NEED his help, which starts its own other arc that's not relevant to this comment. The point is that this starts two different character arcs: a powerful character losing his power and having to learn to cope, much like one learning to survive without a limb, and a character overcoming his regret for having almost killed another human being because of his own flaws. Sorry about the ramble, and I know no one probably cared or read this, but I just...kind of wanted to write it. It's a pretty bad way of writing side characters, but it's one I find interesting and use often.
I really appreciate you sharing your story with a bunch of TH-cam comments, which can get toxic most of the time. I like your story, and I honestly wish I had the creativity to create my own.
I love the cabbage salesman, he feels like a real person and I can strongly relate to him, always trying his best to do something he loves for a living but failing, just like Im trying streaming but I get flooded by bots or sick, maybe somedays Im very tired but I keep trying just to fail to make an impression…yet…because I see him like a an inspiration, it doesn’t matter how many times I get my cabbage stand destroyed, it matters how many times I get back up, just to sell the information to a 2 stars meh theatre about the avatar!
Re-watching Avatar, I've actually become increasingly fascinated by the side characters. They often have just enough hints about their lives that I wind up getting really curious and wanting to see more of them! The hints that Long Feng may have come from a background of poverty and scraped his way up through the ranks to eventually become the head of the Dai Li and the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se, for instance, were really intriguing. I actually felt a bit sorry for him when the Dai Li betrayed him, despite what a terrible person he is. Jet's desire to build a new life in Ba Sing Se was really interesting; it seems that he did regret his actions during 'Jet' and wanted a second chance. Tragically, he couldn't let go of his hatred for the people of the Fire Nation, and as soon as he had a firebender stuck under his nose he started to lose himself to obsession again. Even Jin, the girl Zuko went on a date with in Tales of Ba Sing Se... She surely must have been able to guess that he was a firebender after he lit all those lanterns for her in just a minute! But she still kissed him. Did she maybe suspect he was a refugee or a defector, and decide to give him the benefit of the doubt? The people cheering Katara on during her fight with Pakku made me wonder if the refusal to give waterbending training to women has been been a point of content in the North for a while. Perhaps they felt that, given the war and what happened to the Southern waterbenders, it was short-sighted not to train their women in self-defence, too? And, though he's not a side character, I really wanted to know more about Iroh's journey after Lu Ten's death. How did he become a member of the Order? What about his trip to the Spirit World? What was he thinking all through season 1 while Zuko was hunting the Avatar? There's a lot we could still learn about him which I want to know.
The fact that the side characters have stuck in my mind just as much as some main characters...Hama will never not give me the chills, one of my favorite eps
Well now I need to do a video on the cabbage merchants story just to prove a point 😂 a great video as always though. Jet is definitely a character that I’ve always been intrigued by and both wanted more of and liked what we got.
Sentient Waffle that’s not what I’m meaning but in response to his humour lined challenge for a video on the importance/care we can have for the cabbage merchant aha
"They'll think they like the video, when they really just like you." I laughed and then I realized that this actually applies to some tv shows and movies I really enjoyed watching where I really liked the characters and that convinced me I liked the whole... when really I liked the characters despite the shows they are stuck in.
Hello Future me asking for an erotica of combustion man... Every fanfic writers: WRITE IT DOWN WRITE IT DOWN !!! (Death note potato chip moment intensifies).
I still feel like they could have done more with Jet in the series. I still feel that they should have added him in team Avatar like imagine his development if he was in book 3 where the team was in Fire Nation territory. Then have him see that not all the fire nation are evil monsters and let him have some closure like maybe saving some fire nation villagers from the Leader of the Rough Rhinos that burn his village and taking him down wrapping up his story and redemption. Also imagine Jet, Sokka and Zuko together during the boiling rock two parter.
I always felt like combustion mans purpose was kind of a symbolic extension of Zuko's last ditch attempts to kill Aang and assimilate back into the fire nation and his role as prince. It kind of highlighted how desperate we was to be something he wasn't. Seeing him try to stop combustion man before the tower fell also seemed like an important moment.
I love your videos. They always give me so much to think about. I honestly forgot about some of these side characters for years until I rewatched the series, except for the ones that you mentioned like Hamma and Jet. I can’t say for the others, but I think one reason Combustion Man is less memorable was bc they couldn’t go as dark as a character like that would need to go to be super memorable. Like you said, he looks cool and intimidating, but that’s about it. I think he’s supposed to be like Jaws or the Terminator always on the hunt until he gets his prey. The problem is, as dark as this show can get, it can’t get as dark as those. It hard to be scared of someone like that when they really can’t kill or seriously maim.
I find the cabbage man SO emotionally compelling because he is a lesson in the difficulties, failures, and tribulations of life. Sometimes bad things happen, and it is not your fault. It is not even necessarily the fault of society or even the fault of others. Sometimes you are just repeatedly in several bad places. Sometimes... you lose your cabbages. This doesn't mean that we can't feel pain, that we can't scream out for our cabbages in horror, that sometimes you suffer for things that would be seen as of less importance for other people. That, however, doesn't also mean that at some point we can't recognize life gave us a bad hand, accept it, and perhaps not suffer less, but internalizing that experience as part of life more. Cabbage man, as the incidents occur more and more, eventually reaches a point when he can't get himself to cry out in horror anymore. Of course, we as the audience know, by watching him appear so quickly in so many places, that he is a diligent worker that really goes above and beyond on his cabbage business. But he has by then learned that this just happens, and though he may suffer, the pain of life is not something that should surprise us anymore. Sometimes, you just have to deal. Sometimes, pain and failure are part of life. And that's ok. I want to find cabbage man and hug him and tell him it is ok. And perhaps he knows, as we can see his hard work gave fruit, or well, cabbages, in The Legend of Korra series. His children have gone on to manage a cabbage corporation. It is clear he persevered and followed his passion, despite the traumatizing and recurrent loss of his cabbages.
Cabbage merchant is an insparation to anyone as even though his cabbages are always destroyed, he never gives up, even in the thoughest of times, and he is also forgiveful as in the comics even though the Avatar always destroys his cabbages he still let him come in his restaurant, and because of his sheer will, determination, and kindness he founded Cabbage Corp, one of the largest automobile company in Republic City.
i’m gonna say, i’m a bit disappointed that you didn’t include the refugee family. they had a small part in the show but we did see them 3 different times. the first time was in “zuko alone” where he was about to rob them but saw that the wife was pregnant. in “the secret of the fire nation” where the gaang and Suki helped them travel to Ba Sing Se on the serpents pass and they helped delivered the baby(Hope). and then lastly in “the crossroads of destiny” where they were safe in the city, but Azula took over and we seen them sad and crying because of that. they showed the gaang(including zuko) at three different parts of their character development. with zuko starting a new life; the gaang literally finding new hope after appa and going to the city; and then loss of hope and safety as aang ‘died’ and zuko betrayed them and Iroh. probably more to it, but they were side characters that in between the two ‘categories/types’ or maybe even equivalent to Jet and them
Tim: 8:58 Me: Ok. He broke Tim into kneeling posture, growling into his ear "Accept me as your leader and I might let you live.", Tim submissively nodding "Yes, Alfa, you are the one that rules these lands and me and my spirit and heart!". Combustion man smiled, pressing Tim's face to the floor, entering him, opening his fourth hidden eye and combusting inside of him. Tim, burned out, defeated, gave one last scream to the onlooking moon, smiling, knowing, he was bested, something he longed for his entire life. Things you learn on the internet: th-cam.com/video/zhWWcWtAUoY/w-d-xo.html&t
The cabbage merchant is so important. He has the most iconic and memorable line in all of the avatar. It's the only one i quote daily, his outfit, the way his tone changes, as well as his facial expression every time it happens again. Not to mention the fact that it IS important solely due to the fact that Cabbage Corps is in Korra as well, being able to carry on the same side character/humor in another show with another avatar is incredible, showing people enjoyed his character enough to put it in Korra as well.
Love watching your videos, give some really good insight into shows I love watching. Keep it up. The dog is cute but my heart cries for the cat to this day
Introduction In the world of television and animation, few side characters have managed to capture the hearts of viewers quite like the Cabbage Merchant from "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Despite his limited screen time and seemingly insignificant role, this quirky character has become a beloved icon in the Avatar fandom. The Cabbage Merchant's enduring popularity can be attributed to several factors, making him the greatest side character in the series. Comic Relief One of the most important roles of a side character in any story is to provide comic relief. The Cabbage Merchant excels in this aspect. His constant misfortunes, where his beloved cabbages are destroyed by the main characters' actions, are both hilarious and endearing. Each time he exclaims, "My Cabbages!" viewers can't help but chuckle. This recurring gag brings levity to the series, balancing out the more serious and intense moments. Memorable Catchphrase "My Cabbages!" has become one of the most recognizable catchphrases in the world of animation. The simplicity of the line, coupled with the Cabbage Merchant's exaggerated delivery, has made it an enduring meme and a beloved reference among fans. It's a testament to the character's impact that his catchphrase is still widely used and recognized even years after the series ended. Consistent Presence The Cabbage Merchant's consistent presence throughout the series is remarkable. Despite the numerous challenges and obstacles he faces, he remains undeterred in his pursuit of selling cabbages. His resilience and determination, despite the constant setbacks, are admirable qualities that resonate with viewers. This consistency in his character arc adds depth to the story and showcases the resilience of ordinary people in the face of extraordinary circumstances. Symbolism The Cabbage Merchant can also be seen as a symbol of the innocent bystander in the midst of conflict. In a world filled with elemental bending, wars, and political intrigue, he represents the everyday citizen trying to make a living. His repeated misfortunes highlight the collateral damage that often accompanies epic battles and power struggles. This subtle commentary on the consequences of war and conflict adds depth to the series and encourages viewers to consider the broader implications of the story. Relatability Despite the fantastical world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the Cabbage Merchant's struggles are relatable to many viewers. We all face setbacks and obstacles in life, and his determination to persevere despite the odds resonates with the human experience. His character reminds us that even in the face of adversity, it's possible to find humor and keep moving forward. Conclusion In conclusion, the Cabbage Merchant from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" stands as the greatest side character in the series and one of the most iconic side characters in the realm of animated television. His role as a source of comic relief, his memorable catchphrase, his consistent presence, the symbolism he represents, and his relatability to viewers all contribute to his enduring popularity. This unassuming character has left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans, proving that sometimes, it's the smallest characters that make the biggest impact. The Cabbage Merchant is a testament to the creative brilliance of the show's creators and the power of well-crafted side characters.
Me seeing the card: you calling Katara a side character???? How dare you??? Me looking more carefully: you calling Hama a side character??? How dare you??? Yeah... I should probably chill...
This is 1 reason why I love your channel and content... As somebody who's currently writing his own characters and story...its hard for me to pinpoint the right type of questions, or specific questions to ask.... and then you go and make a video that answers a question that I didnt know I needed an answer to
Completely forgot about Aunt Woo tbh. One thing I’m also noticing is that Piandou, Hama, and Jet all interact more with Sokka and Katara than they do Aang. On the other hand, the tribesmen, Aunt Woo, and to an extent the Combustion Man, they all deal more with Aang
thanks for this video man! as someone who is eventually trying to create their own characterised world, this helps a bunch with understanding how it works!
Challenge accepted: I care about the Cabbage Merchant because he represents how good and kind people can cause harm without actually making up for that harm. They don't repay the cabbage merchant when they destroy his property. In his eyes, the heros that we love are monsters. And it seems like the main characters who are doing good and helping people don't care about the suffering they are causing to this one person. And this hits me on a personal level because I know people like that. I know people who are hurt by genuinely good people, and it's a moral conflict in my heart to know that kind and caring people sometimes just don't care about the people they hurt. Either because they see it as the other person's fault, because they don't know the pain they caused, or because they are psychopaths who do good in the world, making the necessary decision of killing one to save a thousand. The fact that the Cabbage Merchant ends up succeeding in the end seems like the writers trying to say "all the pain he went through was okay because he won in the end," but it would be nice to think that Aang and his friends did something to pay him back for all the destruction they caused. It would be nice to imagine that they made amends, that justice and kindness won out, that Aang found out about the Cabbage Merchant and, out of a sense of guilt, gave him something that led to his success, but that's just wishful thinking on my part.
A very good video. People can feel free to debate my point, but I wanna talk about Combustion Man. I don't think he's a compelling character, but he nevertheless has a purpose in the story. He's like the Terminator; as soon as he appears, you know our heroes are going to need to get their shit together if they're going to outsmart him. Additionally, he adds an additional layer to Avatar's worldbuilding by deepening the practice of firebending: introducing combustion-bending. Never seen before, incredibly difficult to master and a lot of fun to watch. That's my .02 cents.
Just finished LOK and realized this is the first show in a long time that i got really invested in all characters (main and side), cared and routed for them, where most shows dont have this affect on me. I would LOVE an essay on how to write characters (not just specific arcs or roles) and specifically how the writers of avatar make you invested in so many characters in such a short time!
Mainly in LOK wich you have so many characters! And you really feel like you know all of them when there is only 12 episode for a season (which are usually les then half an hour). Where as other shows has double the time but usually end up with two or three characters i genuinely like
Just want to say a big thank you for this video! It helped me a lot in understanding important points and will probably let me avoid a lot of pitfalls I would have ran into with the story I am currently writing. Love your work!
Very useful insights! I can see why some of the side chracters in my story work well and why others less so! I also now know the "subplot" in my story needs a lot more integration. If only i knew how to do that 😂
The "eyepatch" thing is very important, specially if your story has too many characters that tie into the narrative or the story is very long. That's where anime Exels at, this may be a slice of life story, but you'll find a girl with blue hair, a dude with purple eyes, one or two characters with a very peculiar personality, etc. There's nothing more boring to me than a cast of characters that look too same-ish.
Sparky ran his gleaming claws through the young man's shaggy hair, making Tim visibly shiver. "That hand" Tim thought "cold and powerful but so soft when he touches me" His face turned a fiery red as he looked down at his feet. Too embarrassed to look up. Sparky lifted Time chin with his original hand. Still flesh but callused and worn. Tim's eyes glowed in the high summer sun. "So clear and perfect" sparky thought. He stared into them for a long moment only being broken by a loud crash from inside. "Do you know what do it is my love?" "Of course" Tim beamed "how could I?" It was 3 years ago today when they had first laid eyes on each other in the small market in town. It was what seemed like no time at all when they found themselves regularly in each others company, and beds. Sparky smiled warmly. "I have a surprise for you. Come with me" he gingerly wrapped a cloth around Tim's eyes and lead him inside the modest cottage they shared. Through the kitchen and into the bedroom they'd shared for the past 2 years. "Alright. Are you ready" "Yes!" Tim exclaimed. Sparky removed his blindfold. Taking a moment to adjust to the sun pouring in from the sky light above the bed. They'd spent many night naming the stars together. "A wonderful addition" Sparky often commented. As Tim scanned the room he notice a shattered vase. "Thatust have been the crash" he said out loud and teased "is that my surprise?" A soft chuckle escaped Sparky's lips "Well that part wasn't planned. He must have gotten too curious" he pointed to a small orange and white ball of fluff the darted by. Tim turned to Sparky, eyes wide "YOU GOT ME A CAT!?" He jumped into his lover's arms giving him a long kiss "Thank you so much!" Sparky's proud smile displayed his joy. "Well I figured the only way to get you to stop asking was to bring one home. He is 2 months old. No name yet" Still on Sparky's arms Tim buried himself in his benders strong neck amd kissed it softly "Thank you darling. But know I feel like a have to repay you somehow" placing another kiss just under Sparky's ear. "You know me" Sparky growled pinning Tim against the wall "theres only one thing I ever ask for" He said as he ran his hand up the young man's shirt. Tim's body became stiff tightening his grip on the bender. Their lips met and as the heat outside rose, so it did inside the cozy room. Sparky carried Tim to their shared bed. They stripped eachother, slowly this time. Taking note of every inch of the other. Kissing down his body, Sparky removed the last item revealing Tim's slender yet tone figure. He admired his partners now full length standing tall in a bed of dense curly hair. It was identical is color to the hair on his head, save for a few bright orange hair scatted around. Sparky was sure his own manhood now stood at full attention. Breathing in deeply his lovers scent he slowly lowered his lips until they melted around Tim's girth. The sun was nearly set when Tim opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep away. He was in his favorite spot with his head on Sparky muscular chest, the shining claw wrapped protectively around him. "How long have I been asleep?" "Only an hour" "Did you sleep?" "For a little while" Sparky said, pulling Tim closer. Tim let out a satisfied sigh. "I know what I want to name the cat" he said after a few moments. "Oh yeah? What?" Sparky question. "Frodo" "Frodo? Really?" "Yes, what's wrong with Frodo?" Sparky laughed "Fucking nerd" THE END
Toph and sokka are my favourite characters. Toph is funny and doesn't take anything to seriously, but when it comes to it she has laser focus determination, like when she did metalbending. Sokka is funny and is pretty much the 2nd weakest character in the group just barely beating out momo, but he is an incredible strategist and swordsman. Also I loved it when sokka went "who's that?" Zuko "that's my girlfriend" Sokka "she looks angry" ..... Sokka "my first girlfriend was the moon" Zuko "that's tough man" And when Suki finds out sokka made out with the moon spirit she just said "nice". God I love sokka and his character interactions.
I like how everyone comes back to "Avatar: The Last Airbender" when discussing anything about producing a compelling story. From visuals to character development. Music to even filler episodes being the absolute best. If there is anything to say, Avatar: The Last Airbender has to be one of, if not, the best story ever created. They have perfect opposites when it comes down to emotions. I'm really glad it came out in my lifetime, because this gave me true respect to art and artists alike.
The cabbage merchant is an inspiration to everyone. He keeps trying after he fails, he is funny and belives in what he does. After falling, after being in the worng place so many times he did it. In legend of Korra he founded cabedge corp. He has the best character development and became a great meme. I care about the cabbage merchant and whenever his cabbages got destroyed i cried because of how much they mean to him. he had one goal in life and acomplishis it'.....Combustion Man is the physical manifestation of Zuko’s toxic desire to hunt the Avatar. He is purely selfish drive given flesh.That’s why it had to be Zuko who hired him, and not Azusa or the Fire Lord from a storytelling standpoint. When Zuko saves the Avatar from Combustion Man, he is saving Aang and the others from the worst part of himself...The story of th Cabbage Merchant is a compelling tale about never giving up and always getting back up, even when your cabbage stand gets destroyed countless times, and your main product gets disrespected and eaten by none paying costumers. Throughout the series we see him finding new locals to expand his business and sell his most abundant product, cabbages, as he seems to be following our protagonists through most of the world. Many years of hard work and determination later, we see in The Legend of Korra how the Cabbage Merchant fulfilled his dreams and built a cabbage industry so big that he owned a building in Republic City with a statue in his memory infront. This statue is built to remind us, the future generations, to never give up, no matter how many times your cabbage stand is destroyed, you will always have the materials to build a new one, and start again. Naa, justpullingyouleg
A bit off-topic but this video made me realize that Sense8, a Netflix sci-fi series, has the best written side characters, which is a feat considering there’s a lot of them! They’re so well-written that you care about them as much as the main characters. I’ve always loved your video essays and I hope you’ll tackle Sense8 in the future! ❤️
Thought about this video's ideas earlier today but couldn't remember who made it. After hunting for it in my watch history, I made it! I couldn't remember the differences between a subplot and a sidequest. Thanks for your thoughtful content, Tim.
The cabbage merchant eyed combustion man up and down. And though his eyes did wander, they seemed fixated on one particular area. Combustion man had a bulge in his pants the size of a mountain. The weary yet intrigued cabbage merchant couldn’t help but blush at the thoughts racing through his mind. This is where it all began, that damned bulge. Continue smut in the replies if you want
The cabbage merchant is a little shy but goes up to cumbustion man, and ask, "hey cumbustion man I know this is sudden but would you like to go, t-that is would you like to come to my farm with me for the night?" Tim who has been stalking cumbustion man for weeks is so furious that he burns down the cabbage man's cart.
I liked and sympathized with the cabbage merchant. For me, he symbolized the working class trying to get by and make ends meat, but no matter how hard he works, how hard he tries, external forces that he has no control over prevent him from doing so (I'm not taking Korra into consideration for obvious retcons of previously established world-building/lore). He represents the average working class population who are subjected to actions of those with power who don't take the repercussions of their actions on the working class into consideration
Avatar the last airbender is actually one of the best examples of truly amazing writing in general. Not even world famous authors, producers and directors develop a story this good that it inspired a whole generation. We loved this show as kids and even when we are all adults and it comes back on Netflix, we still enjoy it. The side characters is something even JK Rowling gets wrong but here its done very well. It just shows that fantastic writing is not just in books or Award winning movies.
This video was great, today was not the best day for me and I was doubting my abilities as a creator, but it's people like you and videos like these that help keep me going, thank you.
I’ll be honest, fmab may have the best side characters I’ve seen. Scar, ling, greed, Mae, Tim Marcoh, winry, hughs etc. and arguably Mustang and Hawkeye are all technically Side characters
i personally feel connected to the cabbage merchant because of his persistence. he represents us, humanity, our drive to succeed. he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, life can sometimes feel that way. though the cabbage man’s life is neither very complex nor is he the “main character”. recently on the internet the phrase main character has been used to describe those who are similar the main characters in film and tv. the cabbage man shows us that we can be memorable is someone even if we’re not an extremely colorful character. everyone is important and everyone has stories but cabbage man can display this more than the other side characters. this is because the main characters don’t even know he exists but he’s memorable to us. he displays how even if you’re the butt of a joke over and over again and even if your life isn’t extremely interesting you can still be memorable and make an impact. cabbage man is a light in the dark for us who feel like no one cares or that we’re not memorable enough for someone. cabbage man is an icon for many out there just trying to find their way.
One thing I would say with Aunt Wu. There is one line she has: “Just as you reshaped those clouds, so to do you have the empower to shape your own destiny”. This is the very core of Aang and Zuko throughout the series. The world is telling them they need to be or do something but they follow their gut and find another way. It may not prompt major character development, but as an arc theme it does come full circle in the finale with Aang reshaping the expected outcome through energy bending.
**Combustion Man looked down at Tim. "You really do have some... Bending skills !" he said in a surprisingly soft voice, that contrasted with his rugged, muscular appearance. The air was still warm and humid from the action that had just unrolled, but it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, Tim felt quite at home in it. The steam rose from the kettle, the air was fragrant with jasmine and a touch of spicy ginger. Tea was ready ! ** SUBSCRIBE IF YOU WANT TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY !!! 🔥🔥😂
One side character moment I love is from Star Wars The Force Awakens. The Stormtrooper who the internet call TR-8R, the one who yells "Traitor!" at Finn. It changed how we viewed Stormtroopers no more paper targets but real people under the helmets.
All cabbage merchant and combustion man erotica should be left below this comment 👇 Stay steamy
Tim
I tried to find some. Unfortunately, I could only find erotica that referenced combustion man.
"What do you mean you don't love or hate me?" Combustion Man whispers, his teeth gently grazing Tim's ear. His hot, ashy breath tingles Tim's skin as it warms and cools Tim's neck.
Combustion man raises Tim's trembling chin, bringing the two men face to face, their heaving bodies illuminated by the soft moonlight.
Biting his lower lip, Tim glances away, refusing to look into Combustion Man's stormy grey eyes that seem to pierce the soul.
"Answer me." Combustion Man growls.
As if searching for something, Tim's eyes lock back with Combustion Man's as a blush spreads across Tim's face.
"I just don't feel much for you Combustion Man." Tim whispers.
Combustion Man Grips Tim tighter, his strong arms cradling the youtuber in a possessive embrace.
"But I do now." Tim moans.
They explode.
Alternate version for better immersion.
"Mmmm" Combustion Man grunts, his teeth gently grazing Tim's ear. His hot, ashy breath tingling Tim's skin as it warms and cools Tim's neck.
Combustion man raises Tim's trembling chin, bringing the two men face to face, their heaving bodies illuminated by the soft moonlight.
Biting his lower lip, Tim glances away, refusing to look into Combustion Man's stormy grey eyes that seem to pierce the soul.
"MMM!" Combustion Man growls.
As if searching for something, Tim's eyes lock back with Combustion Man's as a blush spreads across Tim's face.
"I just don't feel much for you Combustion Man." Tim whispers.
Combustion Man Grips Tim tighter, his strong arms cradling the youtuber in a possessive embrace.
"But I do now." Tim moans.
They explode.
"And so," Tim said gasping out the words as Combustion Man took him from behind, "In this video I will detail the symbolic importance and universal thematic appeal of, uh, the Cabbage Merchant." The last gasped out as another explosive wave of pleasure swept through him.
Combustian Man grunted, "go on my pet," he growled, "tell me about the Cabbage Merchant's place in elucidating the socio economic underpinnings of the Avatar world." Many people called themselves sapiosexual, but Combustion Man meant it. He closed his two real eyes and enjoyed the pleasure of Tim's tight orifice as much as his tight literary research.
I'm here to say one thing on the topic of the cabbage merchant and combustion man: rule 34.
Combustion Man is the physical manifestation of Zuko’s toxic desire to hunt the Avatar. He is purely selfish drive given flesh.That’s why it had to be Zuko who hired him, and not Azusa or the Fire Lord from a storytelling standpoint. When Zuko saves the Avatar from Combustion Man, he is saving Aang and the others from the worst part of himself.
Well dam.
Nice!
Azula, Lost but Seeking
woah
Classix oh Azula wouldn’t be in Green at all. 😂😂
*slow clap* Beautiful. BEAUTIFUL.
Can we all acknowledge that this show did a phenomenal job at humanizing the Fire Nation?
It’s impressive
No, you can't date the female guards.
Trust me, you don’t want to
Acknowledgment
Dude, it's Avatar, what hasn't it been acknowledged for?
But fine. There, now it's official, just like Toph's seeing eye leamer pass.
The cabbage merchant is an inspiration to everyone. He keeps trying after he fails, he is funny and belives in what he does. After falling, after being in the worng place so many times he did it. In legend of Korra he founded cabedge corp. He has the best character development and became a great meme. I care about the cabbage merchant and whenever his cabbages got destroyed i cried because of how much they mean to him. he had one goal in life and acomplishis it.
Such a long run-on sentence
Ryanator I doubt it, there are many spelling errors.
Corvus lmaooo sorry
Cody Shen i didnt i had just woken up sorry
My cabbages
I just rewatched the Puppetmaster episode yesterday and was struck with how deeply tragic of a character Hama is. She was literally tortured. Watched her home and family be dismantled at a young age. Beaten into submission; stolen from her home and taken to a strange land to be subjected to imprisonment that stripped her of her very strength. If this wasn't a kid's show, Hama likely would have watched her own brothers and sisters succumb to death while she was powerless to do anything.
She deserved to have justice for the horrors the Fire Nation forced upon her. But justice was beyond reach. The Fire Nation stole her life away. The Fire Nation was always going to be stronger; an enemy insurmountable for one Waterbender in a strange, alien land to defeat. Finding justice was a hopeless goal, as hopeless as freedom must have felt for decades. Trauma and hopelessness twist a desire for justice into a desire for revenge.
Even the invention of Bloodbending was itself not a malicious act; it was resourcefulness to survive, the only key to her freedom. The moment she used it to inflict the same torture on others was the moment she became no better than her captors.
Hama could have gone home after escaping, could have lived the rest of her remaining years in the Southern tribe. But she had no idea if it even existed anymore after the repeating raids. And the Fire Nation would just keep coming. Home and safety was never an option.
She could have lived her days in peace hiding in the Fire Nation. But trauma can leave scars. Trauma in isolation even more so, because you know no better, and there is nothing to fill the gaping void of a lifetime stolen. A life marred by injustice will not find easy respite.
Hama's redemption and her path to mending old wounds could have been Katara. Katara said Hama was a hero, and she wasn't wrong. She could have done so much good for the rebuilding of the Southern Water Tribe, and for Katara herself. Another woman of the tribe who has suffered tremendous loss. They could have done so much to help each other to heal.
But her trauma was carved too deeply, and it fed a desire so thirsty for cold revenge that even finding another Southern Waterbender outstripped it all. Hama only saw Katara as a tool to continue her vengeance. Sufficed to say, unresolved trauma can ruin people. Especially if one has lived their life knowing nothing else. She was just another casualty of the war.
All this from a side character in a Halloween special episode on a kid's show, by the way. Coming up on two decades, this show still resounds in my head. *End emotional essay.*
Hama definitely killed a bunch of guards on her way out of the prison.
@@joelsasmad I mean she probably had to she would have done it either way
Bowen Nichols as they said, trauma leaves deep wounds that turned hama’s desire for justice into a desire for revenge. she didn’t even know her home had existed anymore
She basically had the same story as Jet. Both characters were so messed up that instead of trying to gain justice they craved revenge. I understand why both of them did what they did and what they went through, but it's still never an excuse for them trying to hurt innocent people.
This is an interesting point of view. All this is true. Although from a perspective of anime-geek Hama was just a generic villain with standard anime villain backstory. No offence of course to Your point of view, bc it all is to the point.
Um... Excuse me.
Where is THE BOULDER?!
The boulder is the best side character. The guy had legit character development.
The boulder takes issue with this video. The boulder feels this video places the boulder in the chew toy category.
THE BOULDER APPRECIATES YOUR DESIRES!
This is a video about side characters, he was the main character. Obviously.
The Boulder feels conflicted about responding to this comment
I think it would be cool if the Avatar after Korra is an earthbender who uses neutral jin and is very patient and focused, is having a hard time mastering their firebending. They find it too chaotic and imprecise unlike Water, Air and Earth but eventually discovers their fire in form of Combustion bending. A technique that requires a lot of focus and patience. They cause a lot of damage with it and become seen as a danger to society. This Avatar becomes a social pariah and a young hermit until a group of heroes seek their help and wisdom in saving the world from a new threat. The Avatar has to learn to trust and forgive themselves for what happened in the past and move forward.
Ooh I like this...
This sounds so cool!
Write it
Or just have them not be able to until lol they lose there bending except wait no random bending ex machina lmao...
(Korra was a decent show but it could have easily been so much better and the contrived nature of so much of it was frustrating at best)
Sadly it would be based in the 21st century. And that would be really weird to write around
Unlike the other side characters, the cabbage merchant never interacts directly with any of the main characters. He's what most of us are: unimportant to the global scheme of things. Most of us will never get to meet the Presidents, Kings, and Queens nor have our actions dictate the fate of the world yet we trundle on unseen and unappreciated by global affairs. Like us, he carries on trying to make a place for himself in the world. Often he is beaten down yet he never gives up. And when he finally establishes his Cabbage Empire, he gets to sit at the big table of world movers. This is what makes him important.
But don't take my word for it Tim, you made a whole video about him.
He directly threatened them with beheading in Omashu
And then his son's corporation is shut down in LOK lmao
The side characters I remember best are both ones that Zuko mostly interacts with...
The kid from "Zuko Alone", and Jin, the girl Iroh sets him up with
I always hope that one day Zuko managed to find that kids POW brother and personally brings him back home.
@@joelsasmad That would be amazing. Imagine him finding Sen Su when he was the literal Firelord, and them becoming friends as he takes him back to Lee and his family. He would arrive with Sen Su in tow and be like "Hey guys, so I know you hate me, but like me and my (that's rough) buddies overthrew my crazy dad and sister and now I'm in charge so I got your kid back." Then personally kick every one of those fake soldiers all the way to the Southern Air Temple.
@@lindseysquire8417 While that would've been heartwarming, I don't think it really fits into the message of War the show tries to portray. There's thousands of Sen Sus, all with families, all fighting in the war, many dying. Zuko just coming upon one soldier out of tens of thousands, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and even alive, would make the war feel smaller and the reality that there are so many families like the one in Zuko Alone a bit less significant.
Jin was the best.
You remember him so much you refer to him as "the kid". Show more respect to my boy Lee 😠😠
(this is a joke okay)
*Cabbage Merchant*
The story of th Cabbage Merchant is a compelling tale about never giving up and always getting back up, even when your cabbage stand gets destroyed countless times, and your main product gets disrespected and eaten by none paying costumers. Throughout the series we see him finding new locals to expand his business and sell his most abundant product, cabbages, as he seems to be following our protagonists through most of the world. Many years of hard work and determination later, we see in The Legend of Korra how the Cabbage Merchant fulfilled his dreams and built a cabbage industry so big that he owned a building in Republic City with a statue in his memory infront. This statue is built to remind us, the future generations, to never give up, no matter how many times your cabbage stand is destroyed, you will always have the materials to build a new one, and start again.
LOL
This is great!😅
What i love about the cabbage merchant is that 1 he only says “my cabbages 5.5 times” and his last “MY CAB... oh who cares” is the last time he ever says it he truly gives up on his cabbage selling dreams after that until the war is over, he is a sad example on how war and hardship can put your dreams to a stop. But he is also an inspiration by letting you know that you can pick up your dreams again once hardships have passed
bruh
The fact you actually followed through inspired me enough to write my own essay about the Cabbage Merchant xD
The Boomerang is top notch side character I tell you.
Boomerang is best girl.
Can't argue with you there
If you love something, let it go, right?
Luigi Vercotti haha
Hard to dislike a loyal partner
@@luigivercotti6410 if it's meant to be, it comes back
There is no such thing as ‘BAD’ in Avatar. There is only less compelling
Secret tunnel
“There is no bad in TLA.”
ARLA the only perfect nickolodeon show
The great divide
You're totally right!!!!🤩🤩🤩
Tim's erotica request just started a whole new genre.
The madlad
HE'S MY HERO
@Block Baxter bad stuff
@Block Baxter Tim Erotica...... which I for one am all for 😂. But I'm afraid he's opened a pandora's box......but maybe he's into that. 🤷♂️
I haven't found any, and am quite honestly disappointed lol
@@diogobernardino54 check the first pinned comment by Tim... it’s there... 🥵
Hey, i care the FOAMING MOUTH GUY ,the world best side character of all time who just make us WOW with his foaming mouth
He dated Suki, too. A legend.
@@lindseysquire8417 really ??..
He is the real hero.
Why was his mouth foaming though?
@@colinfinkel7587 because he was excited
Yes, I care excessively for cabbage man. I have had many a sleepless nights wondering.. did he sell his cabbages? does he grow his own cabbages? if so, what fertiliser does he use?
Can't help you with the last two, but read the comics to get an answer for the first question 😃
He fertilises then himself...
@Bon Jovi I can finally sleep.
Damn, what if this whole time he was secretly a villain, killing people and using their bodies as fertilizer...
Actually, I don't think cabbages grow that fast, maybe he was stealing them. It would explain how he kept acquiring new produce and carts.
personally I'd rank them as
tier 1: Aunt Wu and the tribes whose names I don't remember
tier 2: Combustion Man who I'd argue is more memorable based mostly on cool design and powers but also served a little bit more story purpose as being a small stepping stone towards Zuko joining the gaang
tier 3: Piandao, more noteworthy than Sparky, played a more integral part in the main story, and his episode was definitely inspirational but most important his entire appearance in the series lacks the emotional impact of
tier 4: Jet and Hama. the emotional weight these 2 have is I think just as important as the other factors and nothing any of the other characters are a part of not even Piandao's inspirational episode comes close to matching their most noteworthy scenes
Jet: don't worry I'll be fine
Toph quietly and pained: he's lying
or
Hama with sinister music playing in the background: congratulations Katara. *you're a bloodbender*
those moments were *powerful*
Well said I couldn't have said it better myself
I agree, particularly concerning piandao. I think if they had drawn in more complexity in connection to piandao and zukos relationship, in contrast to sokka, it could have really added layers to later in the season with sokka and Zuko together!
Agreed. Especially when Long Shot spoke for the first/last time in that scene. The ties that brought together the Gaang and Jet could’ve warranted him to be a main secondary character but of course that was not able to happen. I mean, it wasn’t that unreasonable to think (at the time the show was running/before Book 3) Jet could come back towards the final fight of the series, kind of like Haru and everyone else that showed up for the day of black sun and again at Zuko’s coronation. Jet was an interesting character that was equally versatile, in that regard.
Pretty good except you forgot tier 5: the cabbage man who shows us gather no matter how many times life kicks you down you can always find the strength to push forward and achieve your dream. You can see this in legend of Kora we’re he created his own company cabbage Corp which is one of the biggest in all of republic city which just goes to show you to never give up on your dreams.
Agreed.
The Cabbage Merchant is a fundamentally important character in the Avatar universe. His legacy lives on into Korra and his persistence for selling cabbages despite the hardships he faces is nothing if not admirable. He represents the rise and fall of a growing business and highlights the struggle of being put down again and again. He is an inspiration to those who feel like their dreams aren’t worth pursuing and he’s a resilient merchant who will stop at nothing to sell those dang cabbages.
*Combustion mam X Tim*
It was a hot summer evening when Tim was writing his script as to why Combustion Man is the best character in the ATLA series, while rewatching the episode that Zuko defeats Combustion Man. He was close to finishing the script and decided to finish watching the rest of the episode. Tim had never realized how much he admired Combustion Man untill he sat down to write down all the things he likes about him, the cool lookong eye tattoo, his conbustion bending powers, that moscular chest. Tim's heart started pounding when Combustion Man comes back on screen and he paused the video at just the right moment so he could admire his newfound cartoon crush. Staring at the screen, Tim couldnt help but notice how revealing his open shirt truly was, and he started imagining how the rest of his body would appear in revealing clothes. The thaught of combustion man with less clothing made Tim's hand stsrt shaking as his breaths became more uneaven and sweat started drenching his shirt. Tim decided to remove his shirt to cool off and when his own abs where revealed, he couldn't help himself from imagining Combustion Man placing his strong hands on his chest. Already half maked, Tim decided to go all out, and removed all his clothing. Staring at the screen, Tim slowly caressed his now throbing member as he leaned closer for a better view and whispered in a soft and lustful voice: "I love you Combustion Man."
Da fawk😀
@@pranavyarlagadda2143 He said to write the kinkiest shit i could think of, it was either that or Combustion Man magically enters rhe real world through the computer monitor 😅
This is cursed and you should be proud
@@matthewcenteno5515 Tim said to put it in his pinned comment, likely so that ppl dont accidentally run into it.
I hate you but you are my hero
I don't think all side characters should be great and memorable, that just sounds overwhelming. Average, mediocre characters and the occasional side quest can be very important. Fluff and filler aren't entirely useless yknow? It could make the good shit stand out more
@Fremen are you talking about main protagonists and antagonists or you don't like it when the only interesting characters are those who are either actively helping or fighting against the main characters?
@Fremen yep. this was the issue with naruto. the whole show became about naruto and sasuke and everything else became irrelevant
“Love Amongst the Dragons” fanfic but it’s just HelloFutureMeXCombustion Man
As Tim entered his apartment, holding a briefcase in one hand and carrying a folded blue coat in the other, he quickly noticed, no, felt, that something was off. Not necessarily wrong, just off, out of place. He put his coat on the rack, carefully keeping one eye on the hallway. Softly, he put the briefcase down, and opened it as silently as he could. In it were some papers, a pack of tissues, an old receipt from the grocery store, and his knife. A gift from his late grandfather, the blade made out of stainless steel, the black, slightly curved handle elegant in its simplicity.
Moving like a cat, he walked down the hallway, the knife grasped firmly in his right hand. The first door on the left led to the small kitchen, and was connected to the dining room which filled out most of the apartment. Exhaling softly, he stepped inside, lifting his right hand so he was ready to attack, or defend, if necessary.
Both the kitchen and the dining room were empty.
Tim was sweating now, the back of his neck glistening. He fought the urge to call out - *that's how people, die, Tim!* - and continued walking. From the dining room, he could see his bedroom door, which were almost closed, only a faint line of darkness between the door and the wall. And Tim knew, he knew, he had closed them fully before leaving the apartment this morning.
He exhaled again, and moved to the door. Here goes, all or nothing. Life or death. *Save me, Lord Mishka.* Mustering all his courage and strength, he pushed the door violently and stepped inside, his knife lifted above his head, a distorted grimace of rage on his face, a battle cry coming out his mouth.
Once his hand slapped the light switch, and the room was illuminated, he almost tripped over his own feet from the pure shock of what he was met with.
A man - a large, muscular, fairly tanned naked man, was laying on his side on the bed, supporting his upper body with his elbow. He had perfectly toned abs, powerful chest muscles, legs that could, Tim was certain, crush a log between them, and a manhood larger than any he had ever saw in his life. But his most prominent feature was a red tattoo, in the shape of an elongated eye, on his forehead.
The man grunted, almost growled, and flexed his muscles. Tim was utterly shocked, but he dropped the knife. And a few seconds later, all his clothes.
dear god...
lol
mother of god
Perfection.
What the hell is this and why is it 4 times better than everything I've ever made???
I'll say that the "sidequest" concept can still have similar, if not the entire, effects as the subplot version. It just depends on the style of story. In more episodic series like Samurai Jack he goes off to help people all the time even though it delays him from his overall goal of defeating Aku. Even if some may not remember the exact names of the people they were still memorable. The Scotsman, the cave man that helped Jack "jump good", the female assassin who made a team to kill Jack in order to save her people.
Avatar TLA does have clear point from A to Zed but its structure does allow for wiggle room. It actually does manage to make "sidequests" into character building episodes even with the characters that initiated it being just a piece on the board. A great example is "The Serpent's Pass". A family needs aid to get to Ba Sing Se, the Gaang has no obligation to help them but they do it anyway and it aids in Aangs grief and Sokka's lingering trauma from Yue.
"from A to Zed"
@@meneither3834 Do not disrespect british english
@@meneither3834 It's a joke between me and my Aussie friend. Tim's from New Zealand but close enough.
Also, damn 28 likes, awesome.
2 of the three samurai jack characters you mention are incredibly important. Ashi is his wife and the Scotsman the his friend so I dont know if they illustrate your point.
@@extonjonas6820 Perhaps the Sctsman but I wasn't talking about Ashi, that's a different woman entirely.
It's always so tear-jerking to see how every little detail in the show is nearly perfectly written. I'm so looking forward to my second binge-through.
And thank you, Tim, for your splendid tips on writing. They're always helping and inspiring me dearly.
Also, first patron mention! Yeess! haha :D
I just ordered the DVDs for book 2 and 3 (already owned those for the first, but Amazon just got all three of them in their 3 for 2 sale) . Internet connection is often crappy as heck in my hometown but that way I'm not relying on streaming when re-binging :D
Yep, on the German Amazon, buy 2, get 3, you probably know this type, don't you? There's a whole lot of crap in that one, too, but all three boxes of the Avatar books are hidden in there as well. It's pretty recent and the boxes only cost like 11 to 12 Euros, so you can get the whole series for roundabout 22 to 23 bucks or something, so I just had to grap them. Been wanting to buy those DVDs for like ages and this seed the perfect moment :D
@@LunaBianca1805 can you paste a link here? I can't find that. and do you know the new avatar: the rise of kyoshi book?
There's no Korra ones in it, but wait a minute, I'm going to copy that link. Let's hope it'll work for you, I tried to order from Amazon US and that didn't work, so...
Here's the link to that promotion thingy: www.amazon.de/gp/aw/promotion/landingpage/A1MR4T9AO6MLG4?ie=UTF8&ref_=plp_pc_rd_A1MR4T9AO6MLG4
Same.
It's revealed to me through this video that one of the main things that makes *most not all* newer movies either not living it's full potential or bad is how they write the characters. The stories are good, but the characters end up just going with the flow of the story and not having layers.
came for the doggo
stayed for the doggo but i guess the other guy was fine
Same doggo good
wait u tell me there is something besides a doggo in the video ?
I skipped the bits without doggo
Percy Jackson also did a good job with side characters. (40% are just nutcases though)
We love Nutcases
NOT THE MOVIES
@@dorktriogamer2865 what movies?
@@thexenosaiyan fair
@@dorktriogamer2865 lol
Hama is not only a brilliant side character, her character was also used to show us about grooming. There are six steps to grooming and after we know who she is the steps start taking place.
Step 1, targeting the victim. When she found out that katara is also a water bender that when her plan actually started taking place. This could've also happened when she was shopping with katara.
Step 2, the bond. After she told her back story she bonds with katara over the fact that they both lost people.
Step 3, filling a need. Hama offers to train katara in water bending. Katara wanted a master to train her for a long time, and even though she was already trained she was still very excited to be trained by someone from the southern water tribe.
Step 4, separation or isolating the victim. After this she takes katara to a field with flowers and away from the rest of the gang.
Step 5, touch. Usually when grooming this means s3xually, but in the scene after this she comforts katara by touching her shoulder. This is the first time that hama initiated touching katara.
Step 6, final step, maintaining control. This happens when she started talking about how she learned blood bending. This is made very clear as she keeps talking about control, the rats, the prison guard, the villagers. She controlled them just like she wanted to control katara.
All of this was her plan from the start. When she's battling katara she's laughing and has no remorse even though they're both from the southern water tribe. Which she said was part of her motivation. She tried to push her goals on katara and exploit her.
And I know that most of these might be seen as far fetched, but in every scene after we learn that's she's from the water tribe she does these steps. And it could be manipulation but she does all of these steps I order and grooming just seems more fitting.
The first time I watched episode Sokka’s Master I was genuinely stunned how Piandao effectively taught sword fighting. Its not the typical video collage of training. Its full of detailed and connected thoughts and techniques.
You can never take back a stroke of brush and a sword. Take in your surroundings and use it to your advantage.
I wouldn't call Combustion man a character, but rather a tool. Like a homing missile fired by Zuko. As a side-character he's bad but from this perspective he really works.
If they had gone a bit more on his background
Like zuko visiting the place he hired him in more detail when he tries to cancel the deal
To give more time to develop his backstory
That would helped a bit
What I find interesting about your picks for characters to discuss is that of the forgettable side characters 2/3 were from Book 1 and of the memorable side characters 2/3 were from Book 3. It makes a certain amount of sense, the more complex characters come from the show growing into more complex themes and growing into having more episodes with strong through lines to the overall plot, rather that being fairly episodic with a few heavy hitters.
Your dog is adorable 😍
He a good boi
Who else is waiting for the essays about the other side characters?
Like Zuko? Yes... Except we've probably heard why he's awesome 1000 times before.😋😋
Aunt Wu does have 1 romantic plot development in katara, the moment she sees Aang as a powerfull bender instead off a kid.
Its not as big as other things but that moment of realization did stick with me
"I feel like I can say Avatar is my area of speciality"
Understatement of the century!
what is amazing about these side characters is that even the less memorable ones are memorable
Tim: says avatar the last airbender is how area of expertise
Me: * _gets flashback to the HTTYD days of this channel_ * really now, are you sure about that
Well, httyd is over and their really isn't much to talk about it
YourEvilToenail I know, I was just saying I remember when he exclusively did httyd stuff
Yea! I'd love to see a return to that.
Not instead of what he's doing now, just a light sprinkling of dragon fire.
Maybe a little more.
A bit more.
More.
More!
KABOOM!!!
I miss the httyd content
Whats httyd
the bit where hama pulls the water out of the flowers was chilling, the awful comprehension of what that power implies
Oh, man. One of my oldest stories (that I'm still working on, which is kind of amazing since it's been three years and I still haven't given up on it) had SO MANY SIDE CHARACTERS. I made them interesting by introducing them early in the story, then fleshing them out when they became useful to the plot. Frankly, so many of them had such strange backstories that you could write entire books about them.
For an example of this, there's an extremely powerful side character introduced really early on. He's smug and capable and that's all you really learn about him at first. He gets pushed to the sidelines for a few chapters, then gets caught in an explosion caused by one of the other characters and loses most of his powers. He's devastated by this, and has to spend the rest of his character arc slowly learning to cope with this sudden change, until he's at a range that's not quite close to where he was at his full potential but considers himself strong enough to fight alongside the other characters once more. The character who hurt him was one of the main characters, and was at least three years older than him (around his late teens or early 20s), and was devastated by the fact that he almost killed a teenager due to his own recklessness. He vows to be more careful and protective of those around him, which results in him getting shot protecting his best friend and then being told by said best friend that, while his intentions are good, some of them don't NEED his help, which starts its own other arc that's not relevant to this comment. The point is that this starts two different character arcs: a powerful character losing his power and having to learn to cope, much like one learning to survive without a limb, and a character overcoming his regret for having almost killed another human being because of his own flaws.
Sorry about the ramble, and I know no one probably cared or read this, but I just...kind of wanted to write it. It's a pretty bad way of writing side characters, but it's one I find interesting and use often.
I really appreciate you sharing your story with a bunch of TH-cam comments, which can get toxic most of the time.
I like your story, and I honestly wish I had the creativity to create my own.
I love the cabbage salesman, he feels like a real person and I can strongly relate to him, always trying his best to do something he loves for a living but failing, just like Im trying streaming but I get flooded by bots or sick, maybe somedays Im very tired but I keep trying just to fail to make an impression…yet…because I see him like a an inspiration, it doesn’t matter how many times I get my cabbage stand destroyed, it matters how many times I get back up, just to sell the information to a 2 stars meh theatre about the avatar!
We have been blessed again by him
And his dog
Re-watching Avatar, I've actually become increasingly fascinated by the side characters. They often have just enough hints about their lives that I wind up getting really curious and wanting to see more of them!
The hints that Long Feng may have come from a background of poverty and scraped his way up through the ranks to eventually become the head of the Dai Li and the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se, for instance, were really intriguing. I actually felt a bit sorry for him when the Dai Li betrayed him, despite what a terrible person he is.
Jet's desire to build a new life in Ba Sing Se was really interesting; it seems that he did regret his actions during 'Jet' and wanted a second chance. Tragically, he couldn't let go of his hatred for the people of the Fire Nation, and as soon as he had a firebender stuck under his nose he started to lose himself to obsession again.
Even Jin, the girl Zuko went on a date with in Tales of Ba Sing Se... She surely must have been able to guess that he was a firebender after he lit all those lanterns for her in just a minute! But she still kissed him. Did she maybe suspect he was a refugee or a defector, and decide to give him the benefit of the doubt?
The people cheering Katara on during her fight with Pakku made me wonder if the refusal to give waterbending training to women has been been a point of content in the North for a while. Perhaps they felt that, given the war and what happened to the Southern waterbenders, it was short-sighted not to train their women in self-defence, too?
And, though he's not a side character, I really wanted to know more about Iroh's journey after Lu Ten's death. How did he become a member of the Order? What about his trip to the Spirit World? What was he thinking all through season 1 while Zuko was hunting the Avatar? There's a lot we could still learn about him which I want to know.
Not gunna lie, tempted to head over to Patreon just for that. The only other movie I can think of that was a terrible mess was Eragon.
Agreed. The Percy Jackson movie is really bad as well but (can't believe I'm saying this) not as terrible as those two
What about Artemis Fowl?
Eragon was at least a decent movie. The Avatar movie wasn't even that.
To be clear, I hate them both.
Eragon is better and Artemis Fowl doesn't have a movie in the same Avatar doesn't.
@@A._Person it was, in fact not a decent movie, it was bad, and in comparison to the books, it was a joke
Okay, so who's writing the erotica fanfic of Tim meeting our thicc king Sparky-Sparky-Boom-Man
Honestly, I totally forgot about Aunt Woo but I still remember Maang
The fact that the side characters have stuck in my mind just as much as some main characters...Hama will never not give me the chills, one of my favorite eps
Well now I need to do a video on the cabbage merchants story just to prove a point 😂 a great video as always though. Jet is definitely a character that I’ve always been intrigued by and both wanted more of and liked what we got.
th-cam.com/video/Em3IveMo3T0/w-d-xo.html
He did a video on cabbage economics.
Sentient Waffle that’s not what I’m meaning but in response to his humour lined challenge for a video on the importance/care we can have for the cabbage merchant aha
Yeah wow that would be great.
"They'll think they like the video, when they really just like you." I laughed and then I realized that this actually applies to some tv shows and movies I really enjoyed watching where I really liked the characters and that convinced me I liked the whole... when really I liked the characters despite the shows they are stuck in.
Hello Future me asking for an erotica of combustion man...
Every fanfic writers: WRITE IT DOWN WRITE IT DOWN !!!
(Death note potato chip moment intensifies).
Such a great channel and video!
I still feel like they could have done more with Jet in the series. I still feel that they should have added him in team Avatar like imagine his development if he was in book 3 where the team was in Fire Nation territory. Then have him see that not all the fire nation are evil monsters and let him have some closure like maybe saving some fire nation villagers from the Leader of the Rough Rhinos that burn his village and taking him down wrapping up his story and redemption. Also imagine Jet, Sokka and Zuko together during the boiling rock two parter.
I always felt like combustion mans purpose was kind of a symbolic extension of Zuko's last ditch attempts to kill Aang and assimilate back into the fire nation and his role as prince. It kind of highlighted how desperate we was to be something he wasn't. Seeing him try to stop combustion man before the tower fell also seemed like an important moment.
I love your videos. They always give me so much to think about. I honestly forgot about some of these side characters for years until I rewatched the series, except for the ones that you mentioned like Hamma and Jet. I can’t say for the others, but I think one reason Combustion Man is less memorable was bc they couldn’t go as dark as a character like that would need to go to be super memorable. Like you said, he looks cool and intimidating, but that’s about it. I think he’s supposed to be like Jaws or the Terminator always on the hunt until he gets his prey. The problem is, as dark as this show can get, it can’t get as dark as those. It hard to be scared of someone like that when they really can’t kill or seriously maim.
I find the cabbage man SO emotionally compelling because he is a lesson in the difficulties, failures, and tribulations of life. Sometimes bad things happen, and it is not your fault. It is not even necessarily the fault of society or even the fault of others. Sometimes you are just repeatedly in several bad places. Sometimes... you lose your cabbages. This doesn't mean that we can't feel pain, that we can't scream out for our cabbages in horror, that sometimes you suffer for things that would be seen as of less importance for other people. That, however, doesn't also mean that at some point we can't recognize life gave us a bad hand, accept it, and perhaps not suffer less, but internalizing that experience as part of life more. Cabbage man, as the incidents occur more and more, eventually reaches a point when he can't get himself to cry out in horror anymore. Of course, we as the audience know, by watching him appear so quickly in so many places, that he is a diligent worker that really goes above and beyond on his cabbage business. But he has by then learned that this just happens, and though he may suffer, the pain of life is not something that should surprise us anymore. Sometimes, you just have to deal. Sometimes, pain and failure are part of life. And that's ok. I want to find cabbage man and hug him and tell him it is ok.
And perhaps he knows, as we can see his hard work gave fruit, or well, cabbages, in The Legend of Korra series. His children have gone on to manage a cabbage corporation. It is clear he persevered and followed his passion, despite the traumatizing and recurrent loss of his cabbages.
Cabbage merchant is an insparation to anyone as even though his cabbages are always destroyed, he never gives up, even in the thoughest of times, and he is also forgiveful as in the comics even though the Avatar always destroys his cabbages he still let him come in his restaurant, and because of his sheer will, determination, and kindness he founded Cabbage Corp, one of the largest automobile company in Republic City.
i’m gonna say, i’m a bit disappointed that you didn’t include the refugee family. they had a small part in the show but we did see them 3 different times. the first time was in “zuko alone” where he was about to rob them but saw that the wife was pregnant. in “the secret of the fire nation” where the gaang and Suki helped them travel to Ba Sing Se on the serpents pass and they helped delivered the baby(Hope). and then lastly in “the crossroads of destiny” where they were safe in the city, but Azula took over and we seen them sad and crying because of that. they showed the gaang(including zuko) at three different parts of their character development. with zuko starting a new life; the gaang literally finding new hope after appa and going to the city; and then loss of hope and safety as aang ‘died’ and zuko betrayed them and Iroh. probably more to it, but they were side characters that in between the two ‘categories/types’ or maybe even equivalent to Jet and them
Tim: 8:58
Me: Ok.
He broke Tim into kneeling posture, growling into his ear "Accept me as your leader and I might let you live.", Tim submissively nodding "Yes, Alfa, you are the one that rules these lands and me and my spirit and heart!".
Combustion man smiled, pressing Tim's face to the floor, entering him, opening his fourth hidden eye and combusting inside of him. Tim, burned out, defeated, gave one last scream to the onlooking moon, smiling, knowing, he was bested, something he longed for his entire life.
Things you learn on the internet:
th-cam.com/video/zhWWcWtAUoY/w-d-xo.html&t
The cabbage merchant is so important. He has the most iconic and memorable line in all of the avatar. It's the only one i quote daily, his outfit, the way his tone changes, as well as his facial expression every time it happens again.
Not to mention the fact that it IS important solely due to the fact that Cabbage Corps is in Korra as well, being able to carry on the same side character/humor in another show with another avatar is incredible, showing people enjoyed his character enough to put it in Korra as well.
Love watching your videos, give some really good insight into shows I love watching. Keep it up. The dog is cute but my heart cries for the cat to this day
Introduction
In the world of television and animation, few side characters have managed to capture the hearts of viewers quite like the Cabbage Merchant from "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Despite his limited screen time and seemingly insignificant role, this quirky character has become a beloved icon in the Avatar fandom. The Cabbage Merchant's enduring popularity can be attributed to several factors, making him the greatest side character in the series.
Comic Relief
One of the most important roles of a side character in any story is to provide comic relief. The Cabbage Merchant excels in this aspect. His constant misfortunes, where his beloved cabbages are destroyed by the main characters' actions, are both hilarious and endearing. Each time he exclaims, "My Cabbages!" viewers can't help but chuckle. This recurring gag brings levity to the series, balancing out the more serious and intense moments.
Memorable Catchphrase
"My Cabbages!" has become one of the most recognizable catchphrases in the world of animation. The simplicity of the line, coupled with the Cabbage Merchant's exaggerated delivery, has made it an enduring meme and a beloved reference among fans. It's a testament to the character's impact that his catchphrase is still widely used and recognized even years after the series ended.
Consistent Presence
The Cabbage Merchant's consistent presence throughout the series is remarkable. Despite the numerous challenges and obstacles he faces, he remains undeterred in his pursuit of selling cabbages. His resilience and determination, despite the constant setbacks, are admirable qualities that resonate with viewers. This consistency in his character arc adds depth to the story and showcases the resilience of ordinary people in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
Symbolism
The Cabbage Merchant can also be seen as a symbol of the innocent bystander in the midst of conflict. In a world filled with elemental bending, wars, and political intrigue, he represents the everyday citizen trying to make a living. His repeated misfortunes highlight the collateral damage that often accompanies epic battles and power struggles. This subtle commentary on the consequences of war and conflict adds depth to the series and encourages viewers to consider the broader implications of the story.
Relatability
Despite the fantastical world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the Cabbage Merchant's struggles are relatable to many viewers. We all face setbacks and obstacles in life, and his determination to persevere despite the odds resonates with the human experience. His character reminds us that even in the face of adversity, it's possible to find humor and keep moving forward.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Cabbage Merchant from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" stands as the greatest side character in the series and one of the most iconic side characters in the realm of animated television. His role as a source of comic relief, his memorable catchphrase, his consistent presence, the symbolism he represents, and his relatability to viewers all contribute to his enduring popularity. This unassuming character has left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans, proving that sometimes, it's the smallest characters that make the biggest impact. The Cabbage Merchant is a testament to the creative brilliance of the show's creators and the power of well-crafted side characters.
Me seeing the card: you calling Katara a side character???? How dare you???
Me looking more carefully: you calling Hama a side character??? How dare you???
Yeah... I should probably chill...
This is 1 reason why I love your channel and content...
As somebody who's currently writing his own characters and story...its hard for me to pinpoint the right type of questions, or specific questions to ask.... and then you go and make a video that answers a question that I didnt know I needed an answer to
Completely forgot about Aunt Woo tbh.
One thing I’m also noticing is that Piandou, Hama, and Jet all interact more with Sokka and Katara than they do Aang. On the other hand, the tribesmen, Aunt Woo, and to an extent the Combustion Man, they all deal more with Aang
thanks for this video man! as someone who is eventually trying to create their own characterised world, this helps a bunch with understanding how it works!
Thought I was in a dream when I saw a new ATLA video from Tim. Thank you for blessing my day chief.
Challenge accepted: I care about the Cabbage Merchant because he represents how good and kind people can cause harm without actually making up for that harm. They don't repay the cabbage merchant when they destroy his property. In his eyes, the heros that we love are monsters. And it seems like the main characters who are doing good and helping people don't care about the suffering they are causing to this one person.
And this hits me on a personal level because I know people like that. I know people who are hurt by genuinely good people, and it's a moral conflict in my heart to know that kind and caring people sometimes just don't care about the people they hurt. Either because they see it as the other person's fault, because they don't know the pain they caused, or because they are psychopaths who do good in the world, making the necessary decision of killing one to save a thousand.
The fact that the Cabbage Merchant ends up succeeding in the end seems like the writers trying to say "all the pain he went through was okay because he won in the end," but it would be nice to think that Aang and his friends did something to pay him back for all the destruction they caused. It would be nice to imagine that they made amends, that justice and kindness won out, that Aang found out about the Cabbage Merchant and, out of a sense of guilt, gave him something that led to his success, but that's just wishful thinking on my part.
A very good video. People can feel free to debate my point, but I wanna talk about Combustion Man.
I don't think he's a compelling character, but he nevertheless has a purpose in the story. He's like the Terminator; as soon as he appears, you know our heroes are going to need to get their shit together if they're going to outsmart him.
Additionally, he adds an additional layer to Avatar's worldbuilding by deepening the practice of firebending: introducing combustion-bending. Never seen before, incredibly difficult to master and a lot of fun to watch.
That's my .02 cents.
Im glad you explained side characters like this since its hard for me to write them, this really helps.
man i really love your videos
Just finished LOK and realized this is the first show in a long time that i got really invested in all characters (main and side), cared and routed for them, where most shows dont have this affect on me. I would LOVE an essay on how to write characters (not just specific arcs or roles) and specifically how the writers of avatar make you invested in so many characters in such a short time!
Mainly in LOK wich you have so many characters! And you really feel like you know all of them when there is only 12 episode for a season (which are usually les then half an hour). Where as other shows has double the time but usually end up with two or three characters i genuinely like
Tbh these videos are so interesting, keep making them!
Just want to say a big thank you for this video! It helped me a lot in understanding important points and will probably let me avoid a lot of pitfalls I would have ran into with the story I am currently writing. Love your work!
3:28 "I expect a long and detailed essay-"
URRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH I went to college for a decade already *stop giving me homework*
HalfTangible hehe
what an honest mood
Very useful insights! I can see why some of the side chracters in my story work well and why others less so! I also now know the "subplot" in my story needs a lot more integration. If only i knew how to do that 😂
Avatar's your area of specialty? I had no idea!!
Nice touch of rain at the end
it really relaxed me 😁
The "eyepatch" thing is very important, specially if your story has too many characters that tie into the narrative or the story is very long. That's where anime Exels at, this may be a slice of life story, but you'll find a girl with blue hair, a dude with purple eyes, one or two characters with a very peculiar personality, etc.
There's nothing more boring to me than a cast of characters that look too same-ish.
9:02 honestly it’s pretty fair for you to be asking for that, I’m pretty sure a lot of people want Sparky Sparky Boom Boom Man to crush them 😂
Sparky ran his gleaming claws through the young man's shaggy hair, making Tim visibly shiver. "That hand" Tim thought "cold and powerful but so soft when he touches me" His face turned a fiery red as he looked down at his feet. Too embarrassed to look up. Sparky lifted Time chin with his original hand. Still flesh but callused and worn. Tim's eyes glowed in the high summer sun. "So clear and perfect" sparky thought. He stared into them for a long moment only being broken by a loud crash from inside. "Do you know what do it is my love?"
"Of course" Tim beamed "how could I?" It was 3 years ago today when they had first laid eyes on each other in the small market in town. It was what seemed like no time at all when they found themselves regularly in each others company, and beds. Sparky smiled warmly. "I have a surprise for you. Come with me" he gingerly wrapped a cloth around Tim's eyes and lead him inside the modest cottage they shared. Through the kitchen and into the bedroom they'd shared for the past 2 years. "Alright. Are you ready"
"Yes!" Tim exclaimed. Sparky removed his blindfold. Taking a moment to adjust to the sun pouring in from the sky light above the bed. They'd spent many night naming the stars together. "A wonderful addition" Sparky often commented. As Tim scanned the room he notice a shattered vase. "Thatust have been the crash" he said out loud and teased "is that my surprise?"
A soft chuckle escaped Sparky's lips "Well that part wasn't planned. He must have gotten too curious" he pointed to a small orange and white ball of fluff the darted by. Tim turned to Sparky, eyes wide "YOU GOT ME A CAT!?" He jumped into his lover's arms giving him a long kiss "Thank you so much!" Sparky's proud smile displayed his joy. "Well I figured the only way to get you to stop asking was to bring one home. He is 2 months old. No name yet" Still on Sparky's arms Tim buried himself in his benders strong neck amd kissed it softly "Thank you darling. But know I feel like a have to repay you somehow" placing another kiss just under Sparky's ear. "You know me" Sparky growled pinning Tim against the wall "theres only one thing I ever ask for" He said as he ran his hand up the young man's shirt. Tim's body became stiff tightening his grip on the bender. Their lips met and as the heat outside rose, so it did inside the cozy room. Sparky carried Tim to their shared bed. They stripped eachother, slowly this time. Taking note of every inch of the other. Kissing down his body, Sparky removed the last item revealing Tim's slender yet tone figure. He admired his partners now full length standing tall in a bed of dense curly hair. It was identical is color to the hair on his head, save for a few bright orange hair scatted around. Sparky was sure his own manhood now stood at full attention. Breathing in deeply his lovers scent he slowly lowered his lips until they melted around Tim's girth.
The sun was nearly set when Tim opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep away. He was in his favorite spot with his head on Sparky muscular chest, the shining claw wrapped protectively around him. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Only an hour"
"Did you sleep?"
"For a little while" Sparky said, pulling Tim closer. Tim let out a satisfied sigh. "I know what I want to name the cat" he said after a few moments.
"Oh yeah? What?" Sparky question.
"Frodo"
"Frodo? Really?"
"Yes, what's wrong with Frodo?"
Sparky laughed "Fucking nerd"
THE END
Toph and sokka are my favourite characters.
Toph is funny and doesn't take anything to seriously, but when it comes to it she has laser focus determination, like when she did metalbending.
Sokka is funny and is pretty much the 2nd weakest character in the group just barely beating out momo, but he is an incredible strategist and swordsman. Also I loved it when
sokka went "who's that?"
Zuko "that's my girlfriend"
Sokka "she looks angry"
.....
Sokka "my first girlfriend was the moon"
Zuko "that's tough man"
And when Suki finds out sokka made out with the moon spirit she just said "nice".
God I love sokka and his character interactions.
I like how everyone comes back to "Avatar: The Last Airbender" when discussing anything about producing a compelling story. From visuals to character development. Music to even filler episodes being the absolute best. If there is anything to say, Avatar: The Last Airbender has to be one of, if not, the best story ever created. They have perfect opposites when it comes down to emotions. I'm really glad it came out in my lifetime, because this gave me true respect to art and artists alike.
This honestly is the highest quality of content on this platform, TV think they have high production value, it ain't nothing compared to this
The cabbage merchant is an inspiration to everyone. He keeps trying after he fails, he is funny and belives in what he does. After falling, after being in the worng place so many times he did it. In legend of Korra he founded cabedge corp. He has the best character development and became a great meme. I care about the cabbage merchant and whenever his cabbages got destroyed i cried because of how much they mean to him. he had one goal in life and acomplishis it'.....Combustion Man is the physical manifestation of Zuko’s toxic desire to hunt the Avatar. He is purely selfish drive given flesh.That’s why it had to be Zuko who hired him, and not Azusa or the Fire Lord from a storytelling standpoint. When Zuko saves the Avatar from Combustion Man, he is saving Aang and the others from the worst part of himself...The story of th Cabbage Merchant is a compelling tale about never giving up and always getting back up, even when your cabbage stand gets destroyed countless times, and your main product gets disrespected and eaten by none paying costumers. Throughout the series we see him finding new locals to expand his business and sell his most abundant product, cabbages, as he seems to be following our protagonists through most of the world. Many years of hard work and determination later, we see in The Legend of Korra how the Cabbage Merchant fulfilled his dreams and built a cabbage industry so big that he owned a building in Republic City with a statue in his memory infront. This statue is built to remind us, the future generations, to never give up, no matter how many times your cabbage stand is destroyed, you will always have the materials to build a new one, and start again. Naa, justpullingyouleg
A bit off-topic but this video made me realize that Sense8, a Netflix sci-fi series, has the best written side characters, which is a feat considering there’s a lot of them! They’re so well-written that you care about them as much as the main characters. I’ve always loved your video essays and I hope you’ll tackle Sense8 in the future! ❤️
HFM: Talks about an Extended Essay
IB Students: Dont remind me, I’m trying to procrastinate!
My first thought was: an essay with no word minimum, just a max of 4000 words
Then: does the TH-cam comment section have a word/character limit?
Well I guess I should get off You tube now and get back on it. Thank you for reminding me
Thought about this video's ideas earlier today but couldn't remember who made it. After hunting for it in my watch history, I made it! I couldn't remember the differences between a subplot and a sidequest. Thanks for your thoughtful content, Tim.
The cabbage merchant eyed combustion man up and down. And though his eyes did wander, they seemed fixated on one particular area. Combustion man had a bulge in his pants the size of a mountain. The weary yet intrigued cabbage merchant couldn’t help but blush at the thoughts racing through his mind. This is where it all began, that damned bulge.
Continue smut in the replies if you want
The cabbage merchant is a little shy but goes up to cumbustion man, and ask, "hey cumbustion man I know this is sudden but would you like to go, t-that is would you like to come to my farm with me for the night?" Tim who has been stalking cumbustion man for weeks is so furious that he burns down the cabbage man's cart.
MY CABBAGES!! The cabbage merchant shouts
I liked and sympathized with the cabbage merchant. For me, he symbolized the working class trying to get by and make ends meat, but no matter how hard he works, how hard he tries, external forces that he has no control over prevent him from doing so (I'm not taking Korra into consideration for obvious retcons of previously established world-building/lore). He represents the average working class population who are subjected to actions of those with power who don't take the repercussions of their actions on the working class into consideration
Avatar the last airbender is actually one of the best examples of truly amazing writing in general. Not even world famous authors, producers and directors develop a story this good that it inspired a whole generation. We loved this show as kids and even when we are all adults and it comes back on Netflix, we still enjoy it. The side characters is something even JK Rowling gets wrong but here its done very well. It just shows that fantastic writing is not just in books or Award winning movies.
This video was great, today was not the best day for me and I was doubting my abilities as a creator, but it's people like you and videos like these that help keep me going, thank you.
I’ll be honest, fmab may have the best side characters I’ve seen. Scar, ling, greed, Mae, Tim Marcoh, winry, hughs etc. and arguably Mustang and Hawkeye are all technically Side characters
Considering how integral Scar and Mustang were to pretty much the entirety of the story, I don't really think they can be called "side characters".
i think the little arrows on the block quotes. definitely helps me follow the text better
It's funny how everybody seemingly rewatched Avatar in the quarantine 😂
i personally feel connected to the cabbage merchant because of his persistence. he represents us, humanity, our drive to succeed. he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, life can sometimes feel that way. though the cabbage man’s life is neither very complex nor is he the “main character”. recently on the internet the phrase main character has been used to describe those who are similar the main characters in film and tv. the cabbage man shows us that we can be memorable is someone even if we’re not an extremely colorful character. everyone is important and everyone has stories but cabbage man can display this more than the other side characters. this is because the main characters don’t even know he exists but he’s memorable to us. he displays how even if you’re the butt of a joke over and over again and even if your life isn’t extremely interesting you can still be memorable and make an impact. cabbage man is a light in the dark for us who feel like no one cares or that we’re not memorable enough for someone. cabbage man is an icon for many out there just trying to find their way.
Now make this video into a three part series.
One thing I would say with Aunt Wu. There is one line she has: “Just as you reshaped those clouds, so to do you have the empower to shape your own destiny”. This is the very core of Aang and Zuko throughout the series. The world is telling them they need to be or do something but they follow their gut and find another way. It may not prompt major character development, but as an arc theme it does come full circle in the finale with Aang reshaping the expected outcome through energy bending.
Bumi is one of my favourite
I love your videos! They are so well thought out and well written
Ok sir... You just earned another Patron.
(Love is best expressed as torture??)
this series is still alive and gaining viewers even after all this time. i love it so much :')
**Combustion Man looked down at Tim. "You really do have some... Bending skills !" he said in a surprisingly soft voice, that contrasted with his rugged, muscular appearance. The air was still warm and humid from the action that had just unrolled, but it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, Tim felt quite at home in it. The steam rose from the kettle, the air was fragrant with jasmine and a touch of spicy ginger. Tea was ready ! **
SUBSCRIBE IF YOU WANT TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY !!! 🔥🔥😂
One side character moment I love is from Star Wars The Force Awakens. The Stormtrooper who the internet call TR-8R, the one who yells "Traitor!" at Finn. It changed how we viewed Stormtroopers no more paper targets but real people under the helmets.