With remake on the horizon, now's the best time to review the modern classic. One of the show's strongest aspects and most beloved storylines was the gradual redemption (and occasional slip-ups) of Prince Zuko (Dante Basco).
As the epitome of an angsty teenager, Zuko was always caught in tough situations, especially as the son of the warmongering Fire Lord Ozai. As Zuko danced between the lines of black and white, he was in the grey area for a long time. Here's a look back at some of his worst/best moments on both sides of bad and good.
Villainous: Breaking Up With Mai With A Note
This entry isn't necessarily outright villainous, so much as a bit icy on Zuko's part. When deciding to finally Team Avatar and leave behind his abusive father's side of the war, Zuko had to break up with his girlfriend, Mai, one of Azula's cronies. However, he did it pretty poorly, leaving her behind a note instead of talking to her face to face; the equivalent of breaking up with someone over text.
Had he taken the time to see her, he wouldn't have incurred her wrath and might have even convinced her to change sides. But instead, he made the breakup call for her and broke her heart needlessly, along with endangering the team he wanted to . Zuko was never good with the ladies.
Heroic: Attempting To Save iral Zhao
A lot of people would probably think Zuko saving Aang while disguised as the Blue Spirit was heroic, but that was done to stop Zhao from accomplishing Zuko's main goal, not out of the goodness of his heart. Zuko and Zhao hated each other perhaps more than any other two characters on the show did, with Zuko's hatred of Zhao almost certainly suring the hate for his sadistic sister, Azula.
Zhao tried to assassinate Zuko shortly before the siege on the Northern Water Tribe and failed, with Zuko fully aware of who tried to kill him. Despite that, when Aang (in the Avatar state) dragged Zhao to his demise, Zuko still reached out a hand and attempted to save him, a pretty generous act towards someone who wanted him dead.
Villainous: Stealing From His Hosts
While Zuko and Iroh were on the run in the Earth Kingdom, they came across a family who had been affected heavily by the war with the Fire Nation. Zuko and Iroh both reflected on the effect their nation's actions had on the world and saw it from a civilian's perspective as opposed to their soldier's point of view. The family fed them, healed Iroh from poisoning, and the daughter befriended Zuko.
But despite that, Zuko was still in a survival mode and stole the family's ostrich horses, to the disappointment of Iroh (and the daughter, who was watching them).
Heroic: Saving Katara/Sparing Azula
In the climactic fight against his archenemy (and sister) Azula, Zuko managed to hold his own by redirecting lightning that Azula blasted his way. When Azula got desperate, she noticed Katara nearby and shot the lightning at her instead to throw Zuko off. It worked, and Zuko jumped in the way and saved Katara, taking the hit and almost dying. And after Katara managed to fight Azula and win, Zuko decided to simply imprison his sadistic sister who showed no mercy, rather than execute her.
Villainous: Chasing Team Avatar
Throughout season one, the main course of action in Zuko's brain was to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar, which was a wild goose chase his father threw his way to excuse Zuko's banishment. From the moment Aang was awakened from his iceberg, Zuko was on his tracks, more eager to please his father than do good for the sake of the world. He was constantly harassing Team Avatar, attacking them, kidnapping them, and threatening them at every turn.
Heroic: Chasing Honor, Not Personal Glory
The reason Zuko did so much of what he did was that he was desperate to regain his honor. And it wasn't necessarily for just himself, it was to make his family and the Fire Nation's legacy one of honor, something he was meant to represent.
He wasn't chasing fame or glory, he wanted to please the people he cared about, his people. His misgivings and blindness towards it were obvious, but his heart was in the right place.
Villainous: Hiring Combustion Man
After making the unfortunate decision to shimmy up to Azula and his father, and help Azula try to kill Aang, Zuko was in a turbulent headspace. He was welcomed back into the Fire Nation and had (seemingly) everything he wanted, but at a great price. He could not rest with his decision, and was constantly second-guessing his actions.
However, upon learning that Aang was alive, he secretly hired a violent mercenary who could project explosions telekinetically, nicknamed "Combustion Man." Combustion Man almost killed Aang several times, and when Zuko finally switched sides, he would not listen to Zuko's pleas to stop attacking Team Avatar. It was yet another bad decision that would backfire for Zuko later.
Heroic: Speaking Up Against The Suicide Plan
Zuko's facial scar was given to him by his own father after speaking up against a war crime at a war council meeting. There was a general who was planning a suicide attack that would end in a Pyrrhic victory, with needless mass Fire Nation casualties. Zuko objected, wanting to not sacrifice his own people, and in doing so, earned the wrath of his father. When challenged to a duel, he refused to fight back and was blasted in the face with a fireball.
Villainous: Betraying Uncle Iroh
Too many things in media often get compared to The Empire Strikes Back, but "The Crossroads of Destiny" really is like Empire Strikes Back. Everything goes wrong after Aang leaves his Avatar training to save his friends, and he pays a heavy price. But the worst moment in the entire dreary episode is when Zuko, finally given free will to make a decision, chooses not just the bad option, but he disgraceful one. He betrays his uncle, who treated him like his own son and went out of his way to protect, advise, and help Zuko. And he betrayed Uncle Iroh (and the world) for...Azula. Yikes.
Heroic: ing Team Avatar
Zuko's entire fire bending to take on Fire Lord Ozai.