My Hope, My Hero: Zuko/Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Title: My Hope, My Hero
Author: jill_rg
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Zuko/Aang
Spoilers: For the entire series, up to and including the finale.
A Legendary Friendship
The Show
What is Avatar: The Last Airbender? It's Star Wars meets ancient Eastern mythology in Studio Ghibli style. It is the story of the struggles between peoples who are blessed with the gift to control the four elements of nature. It is the story of a century long imperialist war waged by the Fire Nation against the rest of the world when time is running out before they can be stopped.
But in spite of this epic conflict, at its core, Avatar is a very personal story about two boys coming of age and finding themselves... and finding each other. Avatar is first and foremost the story of Avatar Aang and Prince Zuko, the heroes whose partnership would save the world. Although they start on different paths, they eventually discover how they both need each other to fulfill their destiny. The fate of the world depends on their friendship.
Destiny has spoken - these two belong together. And over the course of the story, many shippers came to agree. From enemies to allies to brothers, their relationship is one of the best to watch unfold, from the beginning to the end.
The Show
Avatar is an epic fantasy show drawn in cinematic anime style. It aired on Nickelodeon, but its impressive artwork and complex storyline have attracted a large adult fanbase as well as children. Katara, the female lead, summarizes the plot in the show’s opening title sequence:
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar - an Airbender named Aang. And although his Airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone.
There you have it. Four elements, four nations, one powerful being called the Avatar reincarnated into a new nation every new generation to maintain balance. A certain Fire Lord named Sozin changed all that when he decided to try taking over the world (because that’s what rulers of powerful, industrializing nations do). He had his armies harness the power of a mysterious comet that makes Firebending stronger, and they were able to “deal a deadly first strike against the other nations.” (Ep. 08, “Avatar Roku”) One of Sozin’s first tasks was to eliminate the one person who could stop him: the Avatar. At this point in the reincarnation cycle, the Avatar was an Airbender. So the Fire Nation orchestrated a successful genocide on the Air Nomads, wiping out the entire race…
…or so they thought. One escaped. The one they were after all along…
The Last Airbender
“Looking for me?”
Meet Aang. Raised by the monks of the Southern Air Temple, the Airbending prodigy happily spent the first twelve years of his life playing Air Ball with his friends, playing Pai Sho with his mentor and guardian Gyatso, and riding his pet flying bison, Appa. All of that ended when the monks dropped a bombshell on him: he is the next Avatar, and he doesn’t have the luxury of waiting until he turns 16 to learn his identity like all the Avatars before him.
“I fear war may be upon us, young Avatar.”
“We need you, Aang.”
Just like that, Aang’s entire world was turned upside down. His childhood was as good as over. His friends started treating him differently, and his teachers began putting more pressure on him. He handled the sudden burden of the fate of the world as well as a twelve-year-old could be expected to: not happily.
Aang: I was afraid and confused. I didn’t know what to do.
The one person who looked out for him during this troubled time was Gyatso. Too much, the other monks decided. Unhappy with the way Gyatso continued to treat his pupil like the child he was instead of The Chosen One, the monks planned to send Aang away to live and train at the Eastern Air Temple.
The prospect was too much for Aang to face: “How could they do that to me! They wanted to take away everything I knew and everyone I loved!” Lonely and scared, the young Avatar made the decision that would change the course of history: he ran away. One night, he flew away on Appa to the South Pole. His intention was, apparently, to take a break and have some fun; he was especially eager to try penguin sledding. He certainly could not have planned on flying into a raging winter storm that plunged him and his bison into the ocean. The danger of the situation subconsciously triggered his powerful “Avatar State,” which saved Aang and Appa by freezing them in suspended animation in an iceberg at the bottom of the sea. There the Avatar slept, completely ignorant of the passing of time, while the Fire Nation slaughtered his people and began their conquest of the world. Aang could run, but he couldn't hide… forever.
One hundred years later, a Waterbender (Katara) fishing with her brother (Sokka) accidentally released Aang from his hiding place. Aang, still as young and cute and energetic as the day of the storm, was shocked to find how much time had passed and how much had changed. Katara was stunned to meet an Airbender and asked him if he knew what happened to the Avatar, whom the world was still waiting for to deliver them from the Fire Nation's bloody campaign.
Aang denied knowing anything about the Avatar, being much more interested in penguin sledding with Katara. The poor boy was still doing his best to hide from his destiny...
...until someone forced him to accept it.
The Prince
Zuko: I've spent years preparing for this encounter - training, meditating... You're just a child.
Aang: Well, you're just a teenager.
The Fire Nation never gave up its hunt for the missing Avatar. Fire Lord Sozin continued searching for him, as did his son Azulon and grandson Ozai, the Fire Lord during the show's storyline. Now, it was Prince Zuko's turn.
It is Prince Zuko who forces Aang to declare himself as the Avatar when he attacks the Southern Water Tribe looking for him. It is Zuko who sets Aang down the path of accepting his responsibility and learning to master all four elements. Aang was kicked out of Katara's village a day after she found him. If not for Zuko's presence in the South Pole, Aang might have stayed away and never started on his journey, at least not soon enough to stop Fire Lord Ozai when he did.
Zuko, Zuko, Zuko... Short intro: A cross between Prince Hamlet, Shinji Ikari, and Anakin Skywalker.
Long intro: The 16-year-old disgraced and exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai. His crime: Speaking out of turn in a war meeting against a plan that involved intentionally sacrificing a division of Fire Nation soldiers. His punishment: A “duel” with his father that was nothing more than an excuse to publicly humiliate him and brand him with a scar over most of the right side of his face. Then Zuko was kicked out of the country and told not to come home until he found the Avatar. Ya’ know, the guy who hadn’t been seen in 100 years and was believed to no longer exist?
It is no wonder that 2 years later, Zuko is an angry, brooding, bitter loner who takes angst to a whole new level. He's the mysterious, quiet, stoic bad boy the fangirls swoon over. His tragic backstory that explains his devotion to an abusive father and need for his love is heartwrenching. His honorable actions like trying to save the life of his arch rival (who recently tried to assassinate him) made it clear it was only a matter of time before he switched sides. His determination and perseverance made him sympathetic in spite of the threat he posed. When Zuko has his mind set on something, he will not give up until he achieves it. Seriously- he won’t give up. The option does not exist in his world. Even Sokka realizes this: “If we know anything, it’s that Zuko never gives up.” (Ep. 20, “Siege of the North II”) Unfortunately for Aang, for two-and-a-half seasons, the one goal that dominates Zuko’s every action and aspect of his life is finding the Avatar.
Zuko's bio lifted from my Mai/Zuko manifesto because I couldn't figure out how to write another one.
Zuko's Only Hope
“The Avatar gives Zuko hope.”
The idea of an Aang/Zuko ship has its roots in the first season from that simple fact: Zuko is obsessed with Aang. Really obsessed. Obsessively obsessed. Every time you see Zuko, he's either planning how he could possibly capture Aang or dwelling on capturing Aang or brooding about Aang eluding his grasp. In the first episode, he refuses to sleep because he's finally found a trail to chase instead of a shadow. In Episode 12 “The Storm,” he's willing to risk driving his ship through a storm to stay on the Avatar's trail. In the season finale, even after losing his crew, his ship, and almost his life to an assassination attempt by his rival, he sneaks into enemy territory alone and emptyhanded, still determined to find Aang. In episode 8 “Avatar Roku,” he risks illegally returning to Fire Nation territory to follow Aang, even though he has to go right through a Fire Navy blockade. His mentor and surrogate father, his Uncle Iroh, desperately tries to talk him out of it: “Please, Prince Zuko! If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar!” Zuko give up following the Avatar? Ludicrous! Zuko will allow nothing to come between him and his quest for the Avatar!
It would be hilarious if it weren't tragic. After Iroh tells Zuko's crew (and the audience) Zuko's backstory in “The Storm,” Lieutenant Jee realizes, “That's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal.” Aang is Zuko's only hope to regain his throne, his honor, his father's love... his whole life. It's not open for debate - fulfilling the terms of his quest is the only way to restore his honor. All his hopes and dreams and wishes depend on Aang. He is Zuko's key to getting his life back, his only chance at regaining everything he lost that was most important to him. After two years of dwelling on this, Zuko is blind with his emotional investment in the Avatar.
Zuko is so invested in his only source of hope, he refuses to ever let it go. Circumstances in the first season finale and second season premiere force him and Iroh to become refugees wanted by the Fire Nation. Zuko goes from being an exiled prince with the luxury of his own ship and crew to a rogue who often resorts to stealing to survive, his uncle now his only companion. By now, even finding the Avatar and taking him back to his father in chains would most likely not restore his honor, and that thought is unbearable:
Zuko: There’s no honor for me without the Avatar.
Iroh: Zuko, even if you did capture the Avatar, I’m not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now.
Zuko: Then there is no hope at all.
~ Episode 25, “Avatar Day”
Zuko will get no peace until he achieves his goal and captures Aang. He cannot give it up.
Zuko: For so many years, hunting you was my drive. It was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire.
His “inner fire.” That's what Aang means to Zuko. The question is, what does Zuko mean to Aang?
The Hero's Hero
Aang: If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends?
The first time Aang seriously considers Zuko, the first time he becomes more than a nuisance of a stalker to him, is in Episode 13, “The Blue Spirit.” Aang is captured by Zuko’s arch rival, Admiral Zhao, and chained up inside a heavily guarded fortress. A very ill Sokka and Katara are waiting back at camp for Aang to return with medicine; even if they knew he was in danger, they’re in no condition to help him. Aang knows this. He also hasn’t mastered any other bending arts at this point in the story, like Earth or Fire, that could help him fight or escape. Aang has been in danger before, but this is the first time it truly looks like he has no way out.
Zhao: Blow all the wind you want. Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress. And no one is coming to rescue you.
Aang is the last source of hope for the world (this was actually repeatedly stated and emphasized in the previous episode), but what hope does he have now? Captured and without his friends, he needs a miracle. This time, he’s the one who needs a hero.
Aang’s miracle comes in the form of a mysterious, never-before-seen, silent, masked ninja in a blue mask and wielding dual broadswords (we are to assume his name - the Blue Spirit - from the episode title, since Zhao does not state it for five episodes). He appears spying on Zhao at the start of the episode with no explanation and then reappears after Aang is captured. Stealthily, almost effortlessly, the stranger sneaks into the prison undetected, takes out the guards outside Aang’s cell one by one, and releases Aang from his chains. Aang is afraid of his masked savior at first and gets no answers to his questions about who he is or why he’s rescuing him, but decides to let him lead him out of the fortress.
Unfortunately, Aang’s empty cell is discovered, the alarm is sounded, and the two are stopped before they can climb over the first wall. A satisfying fight scene ensues as Aang and his anonymous ally use Airbending and broadswords to get past the guards and walls to the outer gate. The two work so well together in battle and in pulling off two plans Aang comes up with (one where he turns a broken spear into a helicopter and one where he uses a bunch of ladders as stilts). It comes to a tense end when they fall off the last wall.
Aang uses Airbending to shield himself and the Blue Spirit from a fire blast before Zhao reminds his men he needs the Avatar captured alive (or else the reincarnation cycle will start over, and they’ll have to find him again). The Blue Spirit takes his cue and crosses his swords around Aang’s throat. Zhao takes the bluff and orders the gates opened. The escapees back out slowly, still in that position, and cover a good distance of ground while Zhao climbs to a battlement and orders one of his archers to shoot the Blue Spirit. The arrow hits the mask with a loud ping, knocking Aang’s rescuer unconscious. Before Zhao’s men can catch up to them, Aang Airbends up a cover of dust and gingerly removes the mask.
The Blue Spirit is Prince Zuko! Aang’s mysterious protector is his enemy who couldn’t let Zhao be the one to capture the Avatar! Aang panics and is about to run off and leave the unconscious prince… but he doesn’t, and by the time the soldiers reach the spot where Zuko fell, they have both disappeared.
When Zuko comes around the next morning, he’s lying on the ground in the forest and listening to the Avatar tell him about his best friend, Kuzon, 100 years ago.
Aang: He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?
It’s far too early for things to change that much, though. When Aang returns to camp and Sokka asks if he made any new friends on his trip, Aang sadly replies, “No, I don’t think I did.” Sure enough, the next time the boys clash, the fight is as intense as ever. Their adventure in “The Blue Spirit” was a taste of what they can do when they work together, shows how they fit much better as partners than as enemies. When Zuko eventually does change sides and makes his bid to join Aang’s team, Aang still remembers it. Zuko does, too: “You once said you thought we could be friends. You know you I have good in me.” (Ep. 52, “The Western Air Temple”) In spite of all his battles with Zuko, Aang wants to be friends with the noble, heroic Zuko who risked his life to save him.
Zuko has to win the battle with his dark side, though, before that side of him can fully develop, which does not happen until Season 3. Once he changes sides, he’s still focused on the Avatar, only now he’s resolved to join him and help him defeat his father: “All I want now is to play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world.” (Ep. 52, “The Western Air Temple”)
How does he know this? Because of a secret his uncle revealed to him in Episode 56...
The Avatar and the Firelord
"You need to understand how the war began, if you want to know how to end it."
What is the connection between the Avatar and the Fire Prince? Why are their journeys so closely interwoven? Why do their paths always seem to bring them back to each other? Why does it always feel like they should be fighting together instead of against each other? The answers are finally revealed in "The Avatar and the Firelord" when Aang and Zuko hear and read the story of Aang's past life, Avatar Roku, and Zuko's great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin. They became bitter enemies, but they started as best friends, until Sozin's thirst for power and Roku's duty to maintain balance forced them to oppose each other. Roku blames himself for the war because, during a battle, he passed the chance to kill his old friend, who would go on to let him be killed by a volcanic eruption so he could execute his plan to conquer the world. But there is more.
Iroh: You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku. ... What happened generations ago can be resolved now…by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world.
The Avatar spirit was reborn in Aang; the strife between Roku and Sozin was reborn in Zuko. Both of them are the key to resolving the ancient conflict, fixing the mistakes of their predecessors. The Avatar is Zuko's destiny - not to capture him, but to fight by his side. Aang was right to choose Zuko to be his Firebending teacher.
Filling A Void
After Zuko finally fulfills his destiny to join Aang in "The Western Air Temple," there's a sense that this is the way it was always meant to be for these two. The new Zuko fills a noticeable void in Aang's story. Aang's friends - Katara, Sokka, and Toph - are all special to him, but none of them could be called his "best friend." Katara is his love interest; Aang fell head over heels for her when he first laid eyes on her from within her arms after she found him in the iceberg, and he has definitely always wanted to be more than her best friend. Sokka is her goofy older brother who stuck around to protect her and for the opportunity to fight the Fire Nation. Toph is Aang's brash, tough, gutsy, at-times-scary 12-year-old blind Earthbending teacher.
His relationship with Zuko is different. Aang decided to learn Firebending from Zuko after he accidentally burned Toph, an accident very similar to Aang accidentally burning Katara the first time he tried Firebending. “Now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love,” he explains to Zuko. The show has displayed similarities between the boys, who are opposites yet not so different, since the beginning. When Aang tries to go home to the Southern Air Temple and finds it destroyed, Zuko runs into Zhao who reminds him of how he can never go home either. (Ep. 03, “The Southern Air Temple”) When Aang trusts an Earth Kingdom general to help him unlock the secrets of his powerful Avatar State, Zuko trusts his sister, and they both suffer for it. (Ep 21, “The Avatar State”) Aang travels to a village that hates the Avatar… until he saves it. (Ep. 25, “Avatar Day”) Two episodes later, Zuko saves a village that hates him when they find out he’s Fire Nation. (Ep. 27, “Zuko Alone”) Parallels - they become so strong that Zuko, in Episode 38 “The Earth King,” has a dream where he sees himself with Aang’s face.
Now Aang can see a parallel between them, too. They’re both confused children who were forced to grow up too fast and burdened with great responsibilities who have lost so many people they loved; it’s only natural the two boys bond in a way Aang was never shown to have bonded with Sokka or anyone else. Zuko and Aang both have a support system (Aang’s friends, Zuko’s uncle and girlfriend), but the one thing they don’t have is a best friend. Until Episode 53, “The Firebending Masters.”
This is the most memorable episode for the Zukaang shippers. It really allows the two to shine as a team and shows the excellent chemistry between the determined warrior and the optimistic kid. Aang and Zuko depart from the rest of the group to visit the ruins of the Sun Warrior civilization, the first Firebenders who learned from dragons themselves, and learn the ancient, uncorrupted origin of Firebending that isn’t fueled by hate and anger as Zuko has been taught his whole life. Aang encourages a restless Zuko on the ride (“In our group, typically we start our missions with a more upbeat attitude”), Zuko encourages a worried Aang when they run into a booby trap (“Where’s that upbeat attitude you were talking about?”). Zuko’s characteristic perseverance (and some uncharacteristic cleverness) gets them into a locked temple, and Aang praises him for it.
What do the two do when they get inside the Sun Warrior temple? Dance together. The temple contains a circle of statues positioned in the moves for a Firebending form that doubles as a dance, performed by two people in synchronization, called the Dancing Dragon. This is probably the second most popular shot for icons among their shippers:
Aang: Zuko, get over here! I want you to dance with me!
Zuko: What?
Aang: Just do it.
But moving on… the boys eventually discover that not only is the Sun Warrior civilization not extinct, but if they want to learn the original philosophy of Firebending, they will have to undergo a judgement ceremony by two “masters.” Naturally, when a frightened Aang wants to give up, Zuko won’t allow it (“No, we’re seeing this through to the end”). When the “masters” turn out to be the last two living dragons, it’s Aang who gets the idea they’re supposed to do the dance from the temple before they pass the judgement.
Working together, Aang and Zuko bring out the best in each other, compensating for each other’s weaknesses and reinforcing each other’s strengths. The leader of the Sun Warriors refers to this when he explains the ritual of carrying a flame to the meeting place of the dragons: “This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big and you might lose control.” A major theme of the show itself is balance and harmony. Aang and Zuko find their balance in each other.
They still fight, of course, but now it’s adorable to watch instead of dangerous:
Aang: Zuko, my fire went out.
Zuko: What do you want me to do?
Aang: Give me some of yours.
Zuko: No, just make your own.
Aang: I can't.
Zuko: Get some from one of those warriors. … Hurry. … Stop cheating off me!
Aang: Quit being stingy!
The dialogue sounds like a brotherly squabble, the visuals look like subtext. But you forget about that as soon as they dance together again. And become engulfed in the dragons’ rainbow-colored fire. While the dragons pose over them in the shape of a heart. After which Zuko confesses Aang has been the source of his “inner fire.”
Not-So-Subtle Subtext
Fiery rainbows, “inner fire”... One of the best things about shipping Aang and Zuko is that it is so easy. Despite obviously not being canonically romantic, you're invited to ship this OTP. Slash pairings in American children's animation are usually purely fanon, any romantic “symbolism” coming from the imagination of the fans. Zuko/Aang is not one of those pairings. The subtext between these two is not subtle and not in the fans' imaginations. The writers are fully aware of what they're doing and of how the fans have interpreted it.
Where is the proof of this? In Episode 57, “The Ember Island Players.” While hiding out on Ember Island in the Fire Nation, Aang and his friends discover that a Fire Nation playwright named Pu Wan Tin has written a play about the Avatar's adventures, based on interviews with sources around the world, “from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se.” The gang decide to attend, but they quickly regret it. It's the kind of episode only a diehard, longtime fan will appreciate - a cross between a clip show, a satire, and a mockery of common fandom practices and complaints. Said mockery mostly comes in the facts the playwright got wrong. For example, the Blue Spirit rescues Aang from Zuko, not Zhao.
Aah, the Blue Spirit scene is priceless and blatant slash. See, in the spirit of Peter Pan, Aang's character is male but played by a woman. The Blue Spirit saves him from "Zuko" and the guards. “Aang” practically swoons saying, “My hero!”, climbs on the giant mask, and rides off the stage looking almost lovestruck.
Do you doubt the implications? Zuko and Aang do not. At least by season 3, it's no accident shippers find so much subtext between these two.
How do Aang and Zuko themselves feel about it? They're shocked, and they exchange an awkward glance. They don’t seem to mind the implications of a female Aang fawning over the Blue Spirit as much other things in that play, including other pairings like Zuko with Katara. Seeing a romantic spin on a scene between those two makes Katara and Zuko slide away from each other in embarrassment and Aang leave the theater in disgust.
Clashing With Katara
Aang's official love interest and self-appointed bodyguard Katara always seems to end up caught in between him and Zuko. In Season 1, Zuko constantly clashes with Katara over Aang, making the three of them look like a love triangle. But make no mistake, Aang's the one in the middle. In Episode 15 "Bato of the Water Tribe," Zuko hires a bounty hunter with a shirshu (a creature that can "smell a rat a continent away") to track Aang by following the scent of a necklace Katara lost:
Jun: What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?
Zuko: It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's traveling with.
In Episode 09 "The Waterbending Scroll," Zuko ties Katara up and tries to threaten and bribe her for Aang's location. In Episode 19 "Siege of the North I," Zuko finds Katara guarding Aang, who is in a trance because his spirit has left his body to visit the Spirit World, and the two fight over him. Zuko wins, knocks Katara out, and disappears with Aang. Katara cries to Sokka, "Zuko took him! He took him right out from under me!" The two fight over Aang again in the next episode - this time, Katara wins, and Zuko is the one who ends up unconscious.
By the end of Season 2, Katara has understandably worked up a strong grudge against Zuko. When his sister Azula takes them both prisoner and traps them in a cave, Katara assumes Zuko is in on it, and that it's about Aang: "Let me guess, it's a trap! So when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches!" The incredibly tragic irony is that, at that point, Zuko is as much Azula's prisoner as she is, but before the episode is over, Azula convinces Zuko to join her and help her fight the Avatar. Zuko seizes the desperate opportunity to achieve his goal and thanks to his choice, Azula is able to complete her conquest of the Earth Kingdom capital and nearly kill Aang! She fatally wounds Aang with a lightning bolt, and only Katara's vial of spiritually enhanced water with "special properties" saves his life.
When Zuko finally does switch to Aang's side in the third season, Aang's love interest is the one member of the team who refuses to forgive him or trust him. She only reluctantly agrees to allow him to join the group because she wants to support Aang. When Zuko takes a moment to indulge in his newfound happiness at being accepted by Aang, Katara is sure to prevent him from getting too comfortable: "Let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends. Right then and there. Permanently." If he betrays Aang, she will kill him. (Possible subtext: You usually find a speech like this being given to a new boyfriend or girlfriend, warning them not to break a loved one's heart.)
Conclusion
But Zuko and Aang are destined to save the world together, and nothing, not even a paranoid girlfriend, can change that. Katara and Zuko eventually become close enough friends to defeat Azula together while Aang defeats Fire Lord Ozai in the series' finale "Sozin's Comet." The action and battles are intense, epic, and exciting, and all the myriad relationship wrap-ups are heartwarming. Before his coronation as Fire Lord, Zuko gets back together with his girlfriend, Mai, who previously sacrificed her freedom to protect him from Azula. Aang and Katara seal the series with a beautiful kiss. But Aang and Zuko have their moment, too.
The two boys chat right before Zuko's coronation.
Zuko: I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down. And now...
Aang: And now we're friends.
Zuko: Yeah... we are friends.
Just... the way Zuko says it says that Aang's friendship is more satisfying than returning home as the crown prince and his nation's war hero for defeating him, that everything they've been through was worth it. After Aang's statement, it looks like the idea suddenly dawned on Zuko for the first time. Having a true friend must be a brand new, foreign experience for him, and it must have taken awhile for it to sink in that he and Aang are really friends. And they both sound so happy just thinking about the fact that they're friends. The war is over, but that just means things are going to be complicated in a different way: Zuko is the Fire Lord, responsible for an entire nation, and Aang is a fully realized Avatar, responsible for the whole world. Things have changed in a good way, but they have changed drastically, and drastic change - even good change - is frightening. All that change is about to weigh on Zuko's mind when he brings up "a year ago... and now" when Aang says something that makes it irrelevant: "Now we're friends." They can rest in the joy from this simple fact and face anything.
As soon as Aang makes Zuko smile, he starts sharing his concerns.
Aang: I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now.
Zuko: And it's gonna be even more different. We'll rebuild it together.
With that, the two embrace and go out to Zuko's coronation like a couple going to a wedding. The friends, brothers, and partners promise Zuko's new subjects they will "begin a new era" founded on "love and peace." And I'm thinking they can do it because they have enough for everybody.
Miscellaneous
To wrap it up, here's a list of all those brief moments scattered throughout the series of Zukaang subtext or just enjoyable interaction.
- “The Storm”: After we have been treated to paralleled accounts of Aang's and Zuko's sad backstories that show how much pain they're both in, the two briefly lock eyes as Appa soars above Zuko's ship in the eye of the storm.
- “Siege of the North II”: After capturing Aang, while waiting out a blizzard in a cave, Zuko pours his soul out: “I finally have you. But I can't get you home because of this blizzard. There's always something. Not that you would understand...” Sad and beautiful. What would Aang have said if only he was right there with him instead of in the Spirit World?
- Later, Aang refuses to leave an unconscious Zuko to freeze to death in the snow, even after all the trouble he's caused him.
- Ep. 28, “The Chase”: Aang, Zuko, and Azula meet up in a ghost town.
Zuko: Back off, Azula! He's mine!
- Ep 42, “The Headband”: Zuko's obsession with Aang still hasn't died. He has gone from being an outcast living on the streets to the revered Crowned Prince living in the royal palace. He has his birthright, his honor, his father's pride, a hot girlfriend... and he's still as angry, confused, and miserable as ever. All he can think about is that the Avatar must still be alive... and sitting at home not pursuing him is literally driving him crazy.
- “The Western Air Temple”: The light that comes into Zuko's eyes when Aang accepts him into his group.
- Their first Firebending lesson in “The Firebending Masters”:
Aang: Sorry, sifu hotman.
Zuko: Stop calling me that!
- Also from “The Firebending Masters,” when Aang and Zuko are stuck in the pit of glue from a trap Zuko triggered:
Aang: You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn’t you? (It was an incredibly stupid move.)
Zuko: At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we’d never have made it passed the courtyard. (He’s right, you know.)
Aang: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!
Zuko: Who are you yelling to?! Nobody’s lived here for centuries!
Aang: Well, what do you think we should do?
(pause)
Zuko: Think about our place in the universe?
- On the trek to the meeting place:
Zuko: Your flame's going to go out because it's too small. You're too timid. Give it more juice.
Aang: What if I can't control it?
Zuko: You can do it. I know you can. You're a talented kid.
- When Aang is afraid of facing the masters, Zuko assures him they have nothing to fear because “We're the Fire Prince and the Avatar. I think we can take these guys in a fight, whoever they are.”
- Ep. 56, “The Southern Raiders”: Aang's fearful cry of “Zuko, no!” when Azula attacks the temple and Zuko tells the others to escape while he holds her off.
- Also from “The Southern Raiders”:
Aang: Wow, camping... it really seems like old times again, doesn't it?
Zuko: If you really want it to feel like old times I could, uh, chase you around awhile and try to capture you.
Now they can look back on those times with a laugh.
- “The Ember Island Players”: When the gang first goes to the play, Aang tries to sit next to Katara, but Zuko tells him, “Just sit next to me."
- “The Phoenix King”: While Zuko's giving Aang a Firebending lesson, Katara pours them some watermelon juice. Aang quickly runs to chill out and drink with his girlfriend, but Zuko grabs him by his shirt and tells him “Hey! Your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!”
Aang and Zuko may have grown and changed since their first meeting in the South Pole, but they're still the goofy little kid and the focused, driven warrior. This scene perfectly illustrates how that chemistry that first attracted us to the pair is still there. It always will be.
Fan Works
Fan Fiction:
Darth_Animus' Memories From the Western Air Temple series
Confusion by Lolita Lockett
His Place in the Universe by ice_is_blue
Odd Little Feeling by Poet of Darkness 5
The Tongue of the Flame by the_writer27
Fan Art:
The Avatar and the Firelord by schellibie
Chapter 13: The Blue Spirit by saraistarr
Friends by Luisa Zukomaniac
He's My BFF by ayuffers
lol Zukaang by schellibie
Fan Comics:
Aang and Zuko Fight by madpuppies
Zukaang by skybluespirit
Fan Communities:
The Zukaang Community
The Zukaang Closet at Distant Horizons
Screenshots are taken from avatarspirit.net, iroh.org, violentred.net, and my own collection on Imageshack. Fake cut lyrics are from "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nickelodeon and Viacom.
Author: jill_rg
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Zuko/Aang
Spoilers: For the entire series, up to and including the finale.
A Legendary Friendship
The Show
What is Avatar: The Last Airbender? It's Star Wars meets ancient Eastern mythology in Studio Ghibli style. It is the story of the struggles between peoples who are blessed with the gift to control the four elements of nature. It is the story of a century long imperialist war waged by the Fire Nation against the rest of the world when time is running out before they can be stopped.
But in spite of this epic conflict, at its core, Avatar is a very personal story about two boys coming of age and finding themselves... and finding each other. Avatar is first and foremost the story of Avatar Aang and Prince Zuko, the heroes whose partnership would save the world. Although they start on different paths, they eventually discover how they both need each other to fulfill their destiny. The fate of the world depends on their friendship.
Destiny has spoken - these two belong together. And over the course of the story, many shippers came to agree. From enemies to allies to brothers, their relationship is one of the best to watch unfold, from the beginning to the end.
The Show
Avatar is an epic fantasy show drawn in cinematic anime style. It aired on Nickelodeon, but its impressive artwork and complex storyline have attracted a large adult fanbase as well as children. Katara, the female lead, summarizes the plot in the show’s opening title sequence:
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar - an Airbender named Aang. And although his Airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone.
There you have it. Four elements, four nations, one powerful being called the Avatar reincarnated into a new nation every new generation to maintain balance. A certain Fire Lord named Sozin changed all that when he decided to try taking over the world (because that’s what rulers of powerful, industrializing nations do). He had his armies harness the power of a mysterious comet that makes Firebending stronger, and they were able to “deal a deadly first strike against the other nations.” (Ep. 08, “Avatar Roku”) One of Sozin’s first tasks was to eliminate the one person who could stop him: the Avatar. At this point in the reincarnation cycle, the Avatar was an Airbender. So the Fire Nation orchestrated a successful genocide on the Air Nomads, wiping out the entire race…
…or so they thought. One escaped. The one they were after all along…
The Last Airbender
“Looking for me?”
Meet Aang. Raised by the monks of the Southern Air Temple, the Airbending prodigy happily spent the first twelve years of his life playing Air Ball with his friends, playing Pai Sho with his mentor and guardian Gyatso, and riding his pet flying bison, Appa. All of that ended when the monks dropped a bombshell on him: he is the next Avatar, and he doesn’t have the luxury of waiting until he turns 16 to learn his identity like all the Avatars before him.
“I fear war may be upon us, young Avatar.”
“We need you, Aang.”
Just like that, Aang’s entire world was turned upside down. His childhood was as good as over. His friends started treating him differently, and his teachers began putting more pressure on him. He handled the sudden burden of the fate of the world as well as a twelve-year-old could be expected to: not happily.
Aang: I was afraid and confused. I didn’t know what to do.
The one person who looked out for him during this troubled time was Gyatso. Too much, the other monks decided. Unhappy with the way Gyatso continued to treat his pupil like the child he was instead of The Chosen One, the monks planned to send Aang away to live and train at the Eastern Air Temple.
The prospect was too much for Aang to face: “How could they do that to me! They wanted to take away everything I knew and everyone I loved!” Lonely and scared, the young Avatar made the decision that would change the course of history: he ran away. One night, he flew away on Appa to the South Pole. His intention was, apparently, to take a break and have some fun; he was especially eager to try penguin sledding. He certainly could not have planned on flying into a raging winter storm that plunged him and his bison into the ocean. The danger of the situation subconsciously triggered his powerful “Avatar State,” which saved Aang and Appa by freezing them in suspended animation in an iceberg at the bottom of the sea. There the Avatar slept, completely ignorant of the passing of time, while the Fire Nation slaughtered his people and began their conquest of the world. Aang could run, but he couldn't hide… forever.
One hundred years later, a Waterbender (Katara) fishing with her brother (Sokka) accidentally released Aang from his hiding place. Aang, still as young and cute and energetic as the day of the storm, was shocked to find how much time had passed and how much had changed. Katara was stunned to meet an Airbender and asked him if he knew what happened to the Avatar, whom the world was still waiting for to deliver them from the Fire Nation's bloody campaign.
Aang denied knowing anything about the Avatar, being much more interested in penguin sledding with Katara. The poor boy was still doing his best to hide from his destiny...
...until someone forced him to accept it.
The Prince
Zuko: I've spent years preparing for this encounter - training, meditating... You're just a child.
Aang: Well, you're just a teenager.
The Fire Nation never gave up its hunt for the missing Avatar. Fire Lord Sozin continued searching for him, as did his son Azulon and grandson Ozai, the Fire Lord during the show's storyline. Now, it was Prince Zuko's turn.
It is Prince Zuko who forces Aang to declare himself as the Avatar when he attacks the Southern Water Tribe looking for him. It is Zuko who sets Aang down the path of accepting his responsibility and learning to master all four elements. Aang was kicked out of Katara's village a day after she found him. If not for Zuko's presence in the South Pole, Aang might have stayed away and never started on his journey, at least not soon enough to stop Fire Lord Ozai when he did.
Zuko, Zuko, Zuko... Short intro: A cross between Prince Hamlet, Shinji Ikari, and Anakin Skywalker.
Long intro: The 16-year-old disgraced and exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai. His crime: Speaking out of turn in a war meeting against a plan that involved intentionally sacrificing a division of Fire Nation soldiers. His punishment: A “duel” with his father that was nothing more than an excuse to publicly humiliate him and brand him with a scar over most of the right side of his face. Then Zuko was kicked out of the country and told not to come home until he found the Avatar. Ya’ know, the guy who hadn’t been seen in 100 years and was believed to no longer exist?
It is no wonder that 2 years later, Zuko is an angry, brooding, bitter loner who takes angst to a whole new level. He's the mysterious, quiet, stoic bad boy the fangirls swoon over. His tragic backstory that explains his devotion to an abusive father and need for his love is heartwrenching. His honorable actions like trying to save the life of his arch rival (who recently tried to assassinate him) made it clear it was only a matter of time before he switched sides. His determination and perseverance made him sympathetic in spite of the threat he posed. When Zuko has his mind set on something, he will not give up until he achieves it. Seriously- he won’t give up. The option does not exist in his world. Even Sokka realizes this: “If we know anything, it’s that Zuko never gives up.” (Ep. 20, “Siege of the North II”) Unfortunately for Aang, for two-and-a-half seasons, the one goal that dominates Zuko’s every action and aspect of his life is finding the Avatar.
Zuko's bio lifted from my Mai/Zuko manifesto because I couldn't figure out how to write another one.
Zuko's Only Hope
“The Avatar gives Zuko hope.”
The idea of an Aang/Zuko ship has its roots in the first season from that simple fact: Zuko is obsessed with Aang. Really obsessed. Obsessively obsessed. Every time you see Zuko, he's either planning how he could possibly capture Aang or dwelling on capturing Aang or brooding about Aang eluding his grasp. In the first episode, he refuses to sleep because he's finally found a trail to chase instead of a shadow. In Episode 12 “The Storm,” he's willing to risk driving his ship through a storm to stay on the Avatar's trail. In the season finale, even after losing his crew, his ship, and almost his life to an assassination attempt by his rival, he sneaks into enemy territory alone and emptyhanded, still determined to find Aang. In episode 8 “Avatar Roku,” he risks illegally returning to Fire Nation territory to follow Aang, even though he has to go right through a Fire Navy blockade. His mentor and surrogate father, his Uncle Iroh, desperately tries to talk him out of it: “Please, Prince Zuko! If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar!” Zuko give up following the Avatar? Ludicrous! Zuko will allow nothing to come between him and his quest for the Avatar!
It would be hilarious if it weren't tragic. After Iroh tells Zuko's crew (and the audience) Zuko's backstory in “The Storm,” Lieutenant Jee realizes, “That's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal.” Aang is Zuko's only hope to regain his throne, his honor, his father's love... his whole life. It's not open for debate - fulfilling the terms of his quest is the only way to restore his honor. All his hopes and dreams and wishes depend on Aang. He is Zuko's key to getting his life back, his only chance at regaining everything he lost that was most important to him. After two years of dwelling on this, Zuko is blind with his emotional investment in the Avatar.
Zuko is so invested in his only source of hope, he refuses to ever let it go. Circumstances in the first season finale and second season premiere force him and Iroh to become refugees wanted by the Fire Nation. Zuko goes from being an exiled prince with the luxury of his own ship and crew to a rogue who often resorts to stealing to survive, his uncle now his only companion. By now, even finding the Avatar and taking him back to his father in chains would most likely not restore his honor, and that thought is unbearable:
Zuko: There’s no honor for me without the Avatar.
Iroh: Zuko, even if you did capture the Avatar, I’m not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now.
Zuko: Then there is no hope at all.
~ Episode 25, “Avatar Day”
Zuko will get no peace until he achieves his goal and captures Aang. He cannot give it up.
Zuko: For so many years, hunting you was my drive. It was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire.
His “inner fire.” That's what Aang means to Zuko. The question is, what does Zuko mean to Aang?
The Hero's Hero
Aang: If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends?
The first time Aang seriously considers Zuko, the first time he becomes more than a nuisance of a stalker to him, is in Episode 13, “The Blue Spirit.” Aang is captured by Zuko’s arch rival, Admiral Zhao, and chained up inside a heavily guarded fortress. A very ill Sokka and Katara are waiting back at camp for Aang to return with medicine; even if they knew he was in danger, they’re in no condition to help him. Aang knows this. He also hasn’t mastered any other bending arts at this point in the story, like Earth or Fire, that could help him fight or escape. Aang has been in danger before, but this is the first time it truly looks like he has no way out.
Zhao: Blow all the wind you want. Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress. And no one is coming to rescue you.
Aang is the last source of hope for the world (this was actually repeatedly stated and emphasized in the previous episode), but what hope does he have now? Captured and without his friends, he needs a miracle. This time, he’s the one who needs a hero.
Aang’s miracle comes in the form of a mysterious, never-before-seen, silent, masked ninja in a blue mask and wielding dual broadswords (we are to assume his name - the Blue Spirit - from the episode title, since Zhao does not state it for five episodes). He appears spying on Zhao at the start of the episode with no explanation and then reappears after Aang is captured. Stealthily, almost effortlessly, the stranger sneaks into the prison undetected, takes out the guards outside Aang’s cell one by one, and releases Aang from his chains. Aang is afraid of his masked savior at first and gets no answers to his questions about who he is or why he’s rescuing him, but decides to let him lead him out of the fortress.
Unfortunately, Aang’s empty cell is discovered, the alarm is sounded, and the two are stopped before they can climb over the first wall. A satisfying fight scene ensues as Aang and his anonymous ally use Airbending and broadswords to get past the guards and walls to the outer gate. The two work so well together in battle and in pulling off two plans Aang comes up with (one where he turns a broken spear into a helicopter and one where he uses a bunch of ladders as stilts). It comes to a tense end when they fall off the last wall.
Aang uses Airbending to shield himself and the Blue Spirit from a fire blast before Zhao reminds his men he needs the Avatar captured alive (or else the reincarnation cycle will start over, and they’ll have to find him again). The Blue Spirit takes his cue and crosses his swords around Aang’s throat. Zhao takes the bluff and orders the gates opened. The escapees back out slowly, still in that position, and cover a good distance of ground while Zhao climbs to a battlement and orders one of his archers to shoot the Blue Spirit. The arrow hits the mask with a loud ping, knocking Aang’s rescuer unconscious. Before Zhao’s men can catch up to them, Aang Airbends up a cover of dust and gingerly removes the mask.
The Blue Spirit is Prince Zuko! Aang’s mysterious protector is his enemy who couldn’t let Zhao be the one to capture the Avatar! Aang panics and is about to run off and leave the unconscious prince… but he doesn’t, and by the time the soldiers reach the spot where Zuko fell, they have both disappeared.
When Zuko comes around the next morning, he’s lying on the ground in the forest and listening to the Avatar tell him about his best friend, Kuzon, 100 years ago.
Aang: He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?
It’s far too early for things to change that much, though. When Aang returns to camp and Sokka asks if he made any new friends on his trip, Aang sadly replies, “No, I don’t think I did.” Sure enough, the next time the boys clash, the fight is as intense as ever. Their adventure in “The Blue Spirit” was a taste of what they can do when they work together, shows how they fit much better as partners than as enemies. When Zuko eventually does change sides and makes his bid to join Aang’s team, Aang still remembers it. Zuko does, too: “You once said you thought we could be friends. You know you I have good in me.” (Ep. 52, “The Western Air Temple”) In spite of all his battles with Zuko, Aang wants to be friends with the noble, heroic Zuko who risked his life to save him.
Zuko has to win the battle with his dark side, though, before that side of him can fully develop, which does not happen until Season 3. Once he changes sides, he’s still focused on the Avatar, only now he’s resolved to join him and help him defeat his father: “All I want now is to play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world.” (Ep. 52, “The Western Air Temple”)
How does he know this? Because of a secret his uncle revealed to him in Episode 56...
The Avatar and the Firelord
"You need to understand how the war began, if you want to know how to end it."
What is the connection between the Avatar and the Fire Prince? Why are their journeys so closely interwoven? Why do their paths always seem to bring them back to each other? Why does it always feel like they should be fighting together instead of against each other? The answers are finally revealed in "The Avatar and the Firelord" when Aang and Zuko hear and read the story of Aang's past life, Avatar Roku, and Zuko's great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin. They became bitter enemies, but they started as best friends, until Sozin's thirst for power and Roku's duty to maintain balance forced them to oppose each other. Roku blames himself for the war because, during a battle, he passed the chance to kill his old friend, who would go on to let him be killed by a volcanic eruption so he could execute his plan to conquer the world. But there is more.
Iroh: You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku. ... What happened generations ago can be resolved now…by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world.
The Avatar spirit was reborn in Aang; the strife between Roku and Sozin was reborn in Zuko. Both of them are the key to resolving the ancient conflict, fixing the mistakes of their predecessors. The Avatar is Zuko's destiny - not to capture him, but to fight by his side. Aang was right to choose Zuko to be his Firebending teacher.
Filling A Void
After Zuko finally fulfills his destiny to join Aang in "The Western Air Temple," there's a sense that this is the way it was always meant to be for these two. The new Zuko fills a noticeable void in Aang's story. Aang's friends - Katara, Sokka, and Toph - are all special to him, but none of them could be called his "best friend." Katara is his love interest; Aang fell head over heels for her when he first laid eyes on her from within her arms after she found him in the iceberg, and he has definitely always wanted to be more than her best friend. Sokka is her goofy older brother who stuck around to protect her and for the opportunity to fight the Fire Nation. Toph is Aang's brash, tough, gutsy, at-times-scary 12-year-old blind Earthbending teacher.
His relationship with Zuko is different. Aang decided to learn Firebending from Zuko after he accidentally burned Toph, an accident very similar to Aang accidentally burning Katara the first time he tried Firebending. “Now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love,” he explains to Zuko. The show has displayed similarities between the boys, who are opposites yet not so different, since the beginning. When Aang tries to go home to the Southern Air Temple and finds it destroyed, Zuko runs into Zhao who reminds him of how he can never go home either. (Ep. 03, “The Southern Air Temple”) When Aang trusts an Earth Kingdom general to help him unlock the secrets of his powerful Avatar State, Zuko trusts his sister, and they both suffer for it. (Ep 21, “The Avatar State”) Aang travels to a village that hates the Avatar… until he saves it. (Ep. 25, “Avatar Day”) Two episodes later, Zuko saves a village that hates him when they find out he’s Fire Nation. (Ep. 27, “Zuko Alone”) Parallels - they become so strong that Zuko, in Episode 38 “The Earth King,” has a dream where he sees himself with Aang’s face.
Now Aang can see a parallel between them, too. They’re both confused children who were forced to grow up too fast and burdened with great responsibilities who have lost so many people they loved; it’s only natural the two boys bond in a way Aang was never shown to have bonded with Sokka or anyone else. Zuko and Aang both have a support system (Aang’s friends, Zuko’s uncle and girlfriend), but the one thing they don’t have is a best friend. Until Episode 53, “The Firebending Masters.”
This is the most memorable episode for the Zukaang shippers. It really allows the two to shine as a team and shows the excellent chemistry between the determined warrior and the optimistic kid. Aang and Zuko depart from the rest of the group to visit the ruins of the Sun Warrior civilization, the first Firebenders who learned from dragons themselves, and learn the ancient, uncorrupted origin of Firebending that isn’t fueled by hate and anger as Zuko has been taught his whole life. Aang encourages a restless Zuko on the ride (“In our group, typically we start our missions with a more upbeat attitude”), Zuko encourages a worried Aang when they run into a booby trap (“Where’s that upbeat attitude you were talking about?”). Zuko’s characteristic perseverance (and some uncharacteristic cleverness) gets them into a locked temple, and Aang praises him for it.
What do the two do when they get inside the Sun Warrior temple? Dance together. The temple contains a circle of statues positioned in the moves for a Firebending form that doubles as a dance, performed by two people in synchronization, called the Dancing Dragon. This is probably the second most popular shot for icons among their shippers:
Aang: Zuko, get over here! I want you to dance with me!
Zuko: What?
Aang: Just do it.
But moving on… the boys eventually discover that not only is the Sun Warrior civilization not extinct, but if they want to learn the original philosophy of Firebending, they will have to undergo a judgement ceremony by two “masters.” Naturally, when a frightened Aang wants to give up, Zuko won’t allow it (“No, we’re seeing this through to the end”). When the “masters” turn out to be the last two living dragons, it’s Aang who gets the idea they’re supposed to do the dance from the temple before they pass the judgement.
Working together, Aang and Zuko bring out the best in each other, compensating for each other’s weaknesses and reinforcing each other’s strengths. The leader of the Sun Warriors refers to this when he explains the ritual of carrying a flame to the meeting place of the dragons: “This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big and you might lose control.” A major theme of the show itself is balance and harmony. Aang and Zuko find their balance in each other.
They still fight, of course, but now it’s adorable to watch instead of dangerous:
Aang: Zuko, my fire went out.
Zuko: What do you want me to do?
Aang: Give me some of yours.
Zuko: No, just make your own.
Aang: I can't.
Zuko: Get some from one of those warriors. … Hurry. … Stop cheating off me!
Aang: Quit being stingy!
The dialogue sounds like a brotherly squabble, the visuals look like subtext. But you forget about that as soon as they dance together again. And become engulfed in the dragons’ rainbow-colored fire. While the dragons pose over them in the shape of a heart. After which Zuko confesses Aang has been the source of his “inner fire.”
Not-So-Subtle Subtext
Fiery rainbows, “inner fire”... One of the best things about shipping Aang and Zuko is that it is so easy. Despite obviously not being canonically romantic, you're invited to ship this OTP. Slash pairings in American children's animation are usually purely fanon, any romantic “symbolism” coming from the imagination of the fans. Zuko/Aang is not one of those pairings. The subtext between these two is not subtle and not in the fans' imaginations. The writers are fully aware of what they're doing and of how the fans have interpreted it.
Where is the proof of this? In Episode 57, “The Ember Island Players.” While hiding out on Ember Island in the Fire Nation, Aang and his friends discover that a Fire Nation playwright named Pu Wan Tin has written a play about the Avatar's adventures, based on interviews with sources around the world, “from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se.” The gang decide to attend, but they quickly regret it. It's the kind of episode only a diehard, longtime fan will appreciate - a cross between a clip show, a satire, and a mockery of common fandom practices and complaints. Said mockery mostly comes in the facts the playwright got wrong. For example, the Blue Spirit rescues Aang from Zuko, not Zhao.
Aah, the Blue Spirit scene is priceless and blatant slash. See, in the spirit of Peter Pan, Aang's character is male but played by a woman. The Blue Spirit saves him from "Zuko" and the guards. “Aang” practically swoons saying, “My hero!”, climbs on the giant mask, and rides off the stage looking almost lovestruck.
Do you doubt the implications? Zuko and Aang do not. At least by season 3, it's no accident shippers find so much subtext between these two.
How do Aang and Zuko themselves feel about it? They're shocked, and they exchange an awkward glance. They don’t seem to mind the implications of a female Aang fawning over the Blue Spirit as much other things in that play, including other pairings like Zuko with Katara. Seeing a romantic spin on a scene between those two makes Katara and Zuko slide away from each other in embarrassment and Aang leave the theater in disgust.
Clashing With Katara
Aang's official love interest and self-appointed bodyguard Katara always seems to end up caught in between him and Zuko. In Season 1, Zuko constantly clashes with Katara over Aang, making the three of them look like a love triangle. But make no mistake, Aang's the one in the middle. In Episode 15 "Bato of the Water Tribe," Zuko hires a bounty hunter with a shirshu (a creature that can "smell a rat a continent away") to track Aang by following the scent of a necklace Katara lost:
Jun: What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?
Zuko: It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's traveling with.
In Episode 09 "The Waterbending Scroll," Zuko ties Katara up and tries to threaten and bribe her for Aang's location. In Episode 19 "Siege of the North I," Zuko finds Katara guarding Aang, who is in a trance because his spirit has left his body to visit the Spirit World, and the two fight over him. Zuko wins, knocks Katara out, and disappears with Aang. Katara cries to Sokka, "Zuko took him! He took him right out from under me!" The two fight over Aang again in the next episode - this time, Katara wins, and Zuko is the one who ends up unconscious.
By the end of Season 2, Katara has understandably worked up a strong grudge against Zuko. When his sister Azula takes them both prisoner and traps them in a cave, Katara assumes Zuko is in on it, and that it's about Aang: "Let me guess, it's a trap! So when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches!" The incredibly tragic irony is that, at that point, Zuko is as much Azula's prisoner as she is, but before the episode is over, Azula convinces Zuko to join her and help her fight the Avatar. Zuko seizes the desperate opportunity to achieve his goal and thanks to his choice, Azula is able to complete her conquest of the Earth Kingdom capital and nearly kill Aang! She fatally wounds Aang with a lightning bolt, and only Katara's vial of spiritually enhanced water with "special properties" saves his life.
When Zuko finally does switch to Aang's side in the third season, Aang's love interest is the one member of the team who refuses to forgive him or trust him. She only reluctantly agrees to allow him to join the group because she wants to support Aang. When Zuko takes a moment to indulge in his newfound happiness at being accepted by Aang, Katara is sure to prevent him from getting too comfortable: "Let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends. Right then and there. Permanently." If he betrays Aang, she will kill him. (Possible subtext: You usually find a speech like this being given to a new boyfriend or girlfriend, warning them not to break a loved one's heart.)
Conclusion
But Zuko and Aang are destined to save the world together, and nothing, not even a paranoid girlfriend, can change that. Katara and Zuko eventually become close enough friends to defeat Azula together while Aang defeats Fire Lord Ozai in the series' finale "Sozin's Comet." The action and battles are intense, epic, and exciting, and all the myriad relationship wrap-ups are heartwarming. Before his coronation as Fire Lord, Zuko gets back together with his girlfriend, Mai, who previously sacrificed her freedom to protect him from Azula. Aang and Katara seal the series with a beautiful kiss. But Aang and Zuko have their moment, too.
The two boys chat right before Zuko's coronation.
Zuko: I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down. And now...
Aang: And now we're friends.
Zuko: Yeah... we are friends.
Just... the way Zuko says it says that Aang's friendship is more satisfying than returning home as the crown prince and his nation's war hero for defeating him, that everything they've been through was worth it. After Aang's statement, it looks like the idea suddenly dawned on Zuko for the first time. Having a true friend must be a brand new, foreign experience for him, and it must have taken awhile for it to sink in that he and Aang are really friends. And they both sound so happy just thinking about the fact that they're friends. The war is over, but that just means things are going to be complicated in a different way: Zuko is the Fire Lord, responsible for an entire nation, and Aang is a fully realized Avatar, responsible for the whole world. Things have changed in a good way, but they have changed drastically, and drastic change - even good change - is frightening. All that change is about to weigh on Zuko's mind when he brings up "a year ago... and now" when Aang says something that makes it irrelevant: "Now we're friends." They can rest in the joy from this simple fact and face anything.
As soon as Aang makes Zuko smile, he starts sharing his concerns.
Aang: I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now.
Zuko: And it's gonna be even more different. We'll rebuild it together.
With that, the two embrace and go out to Zuko's coronation like a couple going to a wedding. The friends, brothers, and partners promise Zuko's new subjects they will "begin a new era" founded on "love and peace." And I'm thinking they can do it because they have enough for everybody.
Miscellaneous
To wrap it up, here's a list of all those brief moments scattered throughout the series of Zukaang subtext or just enjoyable interaction.
- “The Storm”: After we have been treated to paralleled accounts of Aang's and Zuko's sad backstories that show how much pain they're both in, the two briefly lock eyes as Appa soars above Zuko's ship in the eye of the storm.
- “Siege of the North II”: After capturing Aang, while waiting out a blizzard in a cave, Zuko pours his soul out: “I finally have you. But I can't get you home because of this blizzard. There's always something. Not that you would understand...” Sad and beautiful. What would Aang have said if only he was right there with him instead of in the Spirit World?
- Later, Aang refuses to leave an unconscious Zuko to freeze to death in the snow, even after all the trouble he's caused him.
- Ep. 28, “The Chase”: Aang, Zuko, and Azula meet up in a ghost town.
Zuko: Back off, Azula! He's mine!
- Ep 42, “The Headband”: Zuko's obsession with Aang still hasn't died. He has gone from being an outcast living on the streets to the revered Crowned Prince living in the royal palace. He has his birthright, his honor, his father's pride, a hot girlfriend... and he's still as angry, confused, and miserable as ever. All he can think about is that the Avatar must still be alive... and sitting at home not pursuing him is literally driving him crazy.
- “The Western Air Temple”: The light that comes into Zuko's eyes when Aang accepts him into his group.
- Their first Firebending lesson in “The Firebending Masters”:
Aang: Sorry, sifu hotman.
Zuko: Stop calling me that!
- Also from “The Firebending Masters,” when Aang and Zuko are stuck in the pit of glue from a trap Zuko triggered:
Aang: You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn’t you? (It was an incredibly stupid move.)
Zuko: At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we’d never have made it passed the courtyard. (He’s right, you know.)
Aang: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!
Zuko: Who are you yelling to?! Nobody’s lived here for centuries!
Aang: Well, what do you think we should do?
(pause)
Zuko: Think about our place in the universe?
- On the trek to the meeting place:
Zuko: Your flame's going to go out because it's too small. You're too timid. Give it more juice.
Aang: What if I can't control it?
Zuko: You can do it. I know you can. You're a talented kid.
- When Aang is afraid of facing the masters, Zuko assures him they have nothing to fear because “We're the Fire Prince and the Avatar. I think we can take these guys in a fight, whoever they are.”
- Ep. 56, “The Southern Raiders”: Aang's fearful cry of “Zuko, no!” when Azula attacks the temple and Zuko tells the others to escape while he holds her off.
- Also from “The Southern Raiders”:
Aang: Wow, camping... it really seems like old times again, doesn't it?
Zuko: If you really want it to feel like old times I could, uh, chase you around awhile and try to capture you.
Now they can look back on those times with a laugh.
- “The Ember Island Players”: When the gang first goes to the play, Aang tries to sit next to Katara, but Zuko tells him, “Just sit next to me."
- “The Phoenix King”: While Zuko's giving Aang a Firebending lesson, Katara pours them some watermelon juice. Aang quickly runs to chill out and drink with his girlfriend, but Zuko grabs him by his shirt and tells him “Hey! Your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!”
Aang and Zuko may have grown and changed since their first meeting in the South Pole, but they're still the goofy little kid and the focused, driven warrior. This scene perfectly illustrates how that chemistry that first attracted us to the pair is still there. It always will be.
Fan Works
Fan Fiction:
Darth_Animus' Memories From the Western Air Temple series
Confusion by Lolita Lockett
His Place in the Universe by ice_is_blue
Odd Little Feeling by Poet of Darkness 5
The Tongue of the Flame by the_writer27
Fan Art:
The Avatar and the Firelord by schellibie
Chapter 13: The Blue Spirit by saraistarr
Friends by Luisa Zukomaniac
He's My BFF by ayuffers
lol Zukaang by schellibie
Fan Comics:
Aang and Zuko Fight by madpuppies
Zukaang by skybluespirit
Fan Communities:
The Zukaang Community
The Zukaang Closet at Distant Horizons
Screenshots are taken from avatarspirit.net, iroh.org, violentred.net, and my own collection on Imageshack. Fake cut lyrics are from "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nickelodeon and Viacom.