The critically acclaimed Nickelodeon masterpiece, movies that we have seen in the last several decades.
Perhaps the most prime example of this impeccable writing comes in the form of Prince Zuko, the scarred teenage villain-turned-hero. It is not too far to say that Zuko's character arc is one of the best character arcs of all time; here's why.
Updated By Amanda Bruce On June 3, 2020: With Avatar: The Last Airbender finally making its way to Netflix, some fans are discovering the series - and Prince Zuko - for the first time. It's only made more clear when watching again that the writers had an excellent plan in place for the character, so this article has been updated from its original publishing with even more reasons to celebrate Zuko's character arc.
The Story Makes Zuko A Protagonist
From the very beginning of the series, Zuko isn't just a villain. While he is positioned as an antagonist for Aang, he's also battling his own villains. Zuko is up against his father and his father's generals. The audience might not want to see Zuko capture Aang, but they want to see him beat the likes of General Zhao. That's incredibly effective in making the audience root for him even when he's not yet one of the most likable characters.
Uncle Iroh's Faith
Even when Zuko is at his worst in the series, Uncle Iroh loves and believes in him. Though he's imprisoned by the Fire Nation after Zuko sides with Azula, Iroh doesn't take his anger out on his nephew. Instead, he allows his silence to voice his disappointment in the path his nephew takes. He never, however, gives up hope that Zuko will make the right decision. Uncle Iroh's complete faith in Zuko goes a long way in making the audience see him as someone conflicted and trying to make a tough call.
His Relationship With Mai
Zuko's chief emotions during the first season of the series are shame and anger. He doesn't know what to do with all of his rage, and he channels it into his pursuit of the Avatar. When Mai is introduced, the audience gets to see a slightly softer side to him, though he is occasionally harsh with her when he becomes slighted or confused.
His feelings for Mai demonstrate to the audience that, even when he's the bad guy, he still has a heart. Even when Zuko decides to leave the Fire Nation again, he tries to explain his feelings to Mai, attempting not to hurt her.
Azula's Manipulation
It's easy to see that Zuko becomes so angry and lashes out as a result of the way he's treated by his father as a teenager. His father, however, isn't the only person who mistreats him. Even from a young age, Azula targets her brother. She sees his need to please their parents and his empathy for others as a weakness. Azula frequently tricks her big brother into listening in on conversations she knows will upset him, she outright lies to him, and she intentionally scares him by sharing threats to his life from others. It's Azula even more than the Fire Lord who manipulates Zuko's emotions and toys with him.
Zuko's Friendship With Katara
Katara is the first person in Aang's circle to reach out to Zuko - and not just save him when he's knocked out. His betrayal cuts her deeply and she refuses to trust him even after everyone else has welcomed him to their group. Zuko could just ignore Katara and keep working with Aang, but he doesn't. Instead, he tries to repay her previous kindness and earn her trust again. No matter how many times she shuts him down, he reaches out again and again, and even tries to help her get justice for her mother's death. Katara becomes the person he trusts most in the fight, and it's Katara he asks to help him go up against his sister in their final confrontation.
He Is A Gray Character
The best stories are made up of gray characters. These characters are always better than their black and white counterparts because they are real and relatable. Zuko has always been a gray character. True, he was the main villain of the first season, and true he spent the entirety of that season ruthlessly hunting Aang and exhibiting some startling moments of cruelty, but he always had doubts and hesitations. He was always complex and full of emotion and concern. As he grew throughout the seasons, so too did his complexities. His girlfriend, his ability to show love, his penchant for helping his men (on occasion), and his inability to kill Aang even when he was most vulnerable all prove this.
Ursa
In the episode "Zuko Alone," which followed Zuko as he traversed the Earth Kingdom, had several startling revelations about his past. The most significant of which was the introduction of his mother, whom we had not previously seen on screen.
There were several long scenes in which the two were together; she showed him love, care, and kindness. She blunted his attempts at blustery rage designed to impress his disapproving father. Her disappearance was powerful, emotional, and extremely explanatory as Zuko's rage comes from a place of terror and grief.
Fire Lord Ozai
Being the son of a powerful ruler comes with a level of pressure. But, with Fire Lord Ozai (voiced by Mark Hamill) as Zuko's dad, it's no wonder he so often channeled such anger and cruelty. Ozai mocked and Zuko spent his entire childhood faced with Ozai's disappointment. This all culminated, of course, in the Agni Kai that the Fire Lord had with his 13-year old son, leaving Zuko scarred, humiliated, and more alone than ever before. Nearly everything Zuko does can be traced back to the way his parents each treated him.
His Childhood
The vast majority of great villains had moments of startling trauma in their lives. This trauma permanently altered how they view both themselves and the world around them. Zuko is no exception. He lived his entire childhood in the shadow of an abusive sister and father, and he lived in a world where cruelty was expected of him, though he was never a cruel person. All this amounted to an immense amount of internal conflict. The scar that his father branded him with further added to that complexity, leaving him to deal with feelings of grief, pain, rage, hatred, and failure. This is all the worse for him having lost his mother. He was a boy that was forced to bear a man's burden.
Honor
The greatest consistency of Zuko's character is his ceaseless focus on honor. Every action he took was inspired by honor. At times, that honor was misdirected, yet that does not mean it did not exist. He hunted Aang not for personal glory, nor out of hatred. Capturing Aang was the only feasible way he could restore his honor and redeem himself in the eyes of his nation and father. Later, it was honor that led him to abandon his family and seek out the Avatar to help him. Even after regaining his old life, he realized that being honorable is different than acting with honor.