the onion effect, static characters, and bad heroes

[ivy_chan]

Tori posted something about static characters in fiction that got me thinking about them myself, so I'm going to spill my muddled thoughts on their place in fiction. 'Static' characters are characters that don't change or develop over the course of a story. Her post was basically a rant about people who denounce a character due to lack of

Comments

[ivy_chan]

I really don't think it's unfair to say he had no development, because...he had no significant development. Aang is still Aang at the end of the series, complete with wacky goofy hijinks. We see him at more serious times from season one (end) to season three, and his reactions in serious mode are the same from 1-3. His reactions to stress don't change, his mindset doesn't change, and his character journey is almost entirely external: learning the four elements.

The other elements would be a great way to incorporate character growth: each of the elements comes with its own doctrine. Earth is stubborn and resilient, water is adaptable, fire is aggressive. The point of his journey is to not just be an airbender, because he's the Avatar. He brings balance. He embodies all the elements. So, yes, while he was raised to avoid and evade, tons of people throughout the whole series have been trying to teach him how that does not work all the time. (Toph, Bumi, Zuko, Katara.) When Aang ran away the first time, his entire race was genocided and the world fell into chaos. One would expect he'd take something out of that encounter. After The Storm, I was hoping that the issue was more evident and he'd be less likely to run away.

Also, I didn't expect him to kill Ozai, but I did expect him to find his answer his own self and not go abandoning his friends by haring off somewhere to get 'answers'. I would have greatly preferred it if he came up with his own solution after thinking about it himself (with advice from past lives), and not getting it for free from the amazing lion-turtle.

[aerodactylus]

The lion-turtle thing was really lame, I'm not disputing that. Probably the thing I dislike most about the series was how horribly deus ex machina the ending was.

I guess I don't fault Aang as much for acting the way he does. Personally, I think if I was twelve and faced with the kind of stuff he is, I'd just lose it. I can begrudge him some moments of hesitancy given that.

[ivy_chan]

I think that his stress and his reactions up to the point of him actually leaving were fine, don't get me wrong. I think I would like it more if he didn't choose the worst moment to flee, and if the show didn't keep showing us that he does this at almost every opportunity. (Except for that one time with the village trial. Come on, Aang. Be more like you were in that episode! Learn from the moose lion moment!) If he only reacted that way to humongous points of stress and then learned from his mistakes, I'd be less upset with the character.

Don't get me wrong, I'm also boggling at those buddies of his. I mean...guys. No one says Aang has to kill the Fire Lord. Aang can defeat the guy and then YOU can kill him. Or you can just take him on together.

I guess that goes against the hero mythos, but another point of irritation for me is the idea that the hero has to face that last trial alone, especially when A) it's completely overwhelming and unrealistic for him to do so, and B) in a series where teamwork and friendship is such a key element. If Sokka wanted Ozai's head, he should have just taken it.

[aerodactylus]

Really? I thought the whole Aang facing the Fire Lord alone thing made perfect sense. I mean aside from the fact that there's little that's more dramatic than a final duel between the leaders of the forces of good and evil, Aang was probably among the only people strong enough to take him on. They laid it out pretty well, I thought: the White Lotus librates Ba Sing Se, Sokka, Suki, and Toph take down the airship fleet, and Katara and Zuko take care of Azula. I mean, you could shift those responsibilities a little bit, I guess, but honestly, I can't see anyone joining Aang against Ozai (none of the main party, at least) and honestly being able to contribute. Zuko might have, but the writers chose to wrap up his development by having him face his sister instead of his father. The White Lotus could've, but Iroh gave a solid reason for why they (or at least, he) wouldn't.

All in all, I think covered their bases pretty well.

[ivy_chan]

I strongly disagree that Aang was the only one strong enough to take him on. Katara defeated Azula while she had full power from the comet, Toph is quite capable of immobilizing Ozai simply by encasing him in solid rock, and Zuko...well, Zuko is the bomb. Zuko facing off Azula makes more sense than Zuko facing off Ozai after he refused to before, though. (Oh, yeah, and Ty Lee. Arguably the greatest anti-bender weapon the world has ever seen.)

It's just that I've read tons of fic versions of 'let's defeat the Fire Lord' that incorporated all the characters realistically, had Aang dealing the final blow (lethal or nonlethal,) and still came off better than the finale fight, imho. Especially since the finale fight had yet another dues ex machina in the form of a convenient rock. A rock. ARGH.

Iroh's reason for abdicating the throne actually didn't stick well with me, especially because they have him running a tea shop in Ba Sing Se after the fight. It's just. Really? You're leaving an extremely unstable monarchy led by a boy the people view as a traitor and you're going to be hundreds of miles and an ocean away while you're at it? Zuko taking down his sister and becoming the Fire Lord is just as shifty in the eyes of a populace as Iroh doing so, because there's still the fraticide issues involved. Although...this is royalty. You'd think it would be expected, especially in the gung ho ambitious Fire Nation.

[aerodactylus]

Eh, I guess. I think it had stronger symbolism by being just a one on one fight, personally.

Also, permit me to be picky, but I'm going to have to object to your defense of Katara. Katara defeated Azula using the element of surprise and a part of the environment; when she tried to go toe-to-toe with Azula she was rebuffed without much effort. I'm not demeaning her abilities (she did win, after all), I'm saying that one on one, Azula was almost certainly way more powerful than she was.

You know, maybe it's just me, but Ozai just strikes me as too vicious for anyone else to stand against. The final battle is one of the few times in the series that honest to God murderous intent is displayed. I'm stating the obvious here, I know, but Ozai was out to kill Aang with own two hands. Plus, he was flying for a good portion of that fight. It might seem kind of petty, but that really is something that no one but Aang can counter, especially with the kind of firebending that Ozai was commanding.

[ivy_chan]

Katara went toe to toe against Azula at Crossroads of Destiny and only lost because Zuko intervened, and I consider tactics and intelligent use of the environment a large part of the battle. Strategy is important. Azula was an example of how power doesn't mean everything in a fight.

It's more that they chose a specific symbolism in having Aang go one on one with Ozai, which goes hand in hand with the hero quest. Since Avatar is fairly subversive for several of its storytelling elements, I could see a different angle with the team going against Ozai- a repetition of the balance motif, with the members of all four elements fighting the villain.

We're really going to have to agree to disagree on Ozai being invincible against anyone but Aang. Even Aang himself beat him only by luck and the Avatar State, and having multiple opponents, especially an earthbender who can pop in and out of walls and the ground, would have slowed him down. Especially because firebending relies heavily on the footing, as demonstrated in the fight between Zuko and Zhao.