Finally finished Avatar: The Last Airbender

[conuly]

(The series, not the comics or Korra.)

As always, I feel that this series didn't spend enough time on the denouement, and as such I have a few lingering questions like:

1. If Bumi and Toph decided to spar, immediately before the final battle, who would win?
2. Exactly what possessed Sozin to go genocidal and conquer everybody in the first place?
3. Okay, but surely people in the Fire Nation, after a hundred years of genocidal conquest and knowing that Zuko is the traitor (still/again) didn't just go "Welp, all right, guess he's in charge now!"?
3a. Especially since both Ozai and Azula are still alive?
4. Who is the best weird lemur thing in the world? Is it Momo? *snuggles*
5. DID Jet die? What about the other members of his gang who were in Ba Sing Se?
6. Why did Zuko carry around that awful sandal? No, I don't want to know this one, I'm sure it's tragic.

Also, just gonna point out I'm glad the eclipse plan didn't work out, because narratively it would've made no sense. The Fire Nation did their first big push around the arrival of Sozin's Comet. They're waiting for it to show up again. These are people who have a clear understanding of the working of the heavens and how it relates to their powers. Of course they know when the next eclipse is.

Comments

[nrgburst]

5. Yes, Jet died. Toph and Sokka knew but I don’t know if they ever shared it with the rest of the Gaang. We don’t know about the others- presumably they got out.

1. My money is on Bumi because he was crazier. Metal bending might give Toph an advantage though, depending on what was around. Hmmmm

The rest: lol I know! *Makes vague dismissive hand motions*

[conuly]

1. Yeah, that's my thought - first, he's amazingly unpredictable and second, he's been around longer and has even more tricks up his sleeve. But in ten, fifteen years, less time if Toph really works hard and masters his "look ma, no hands" style, Toph would have him outclassed even at his toughest.

[oracne]

It would be a Duel for the Ages!

[conuly]

I WANT TO SEE IT.

[brokenallbroken]

Okay, but surely people in the Fire Nation, after a hundred years of genocidal conquest and knowing that Zuko is the traitor (still/again) didn't just go "Welp, all right, guess he's in charge now!"?

He was the one of the royal family who was available. [gestures at half of English history] Besides, we don't know how much of the populace was like, "war, fuck yeah!" and how much would rather not but it's better than prison or death. Nothing-like-Ozai might have been a relief.

[conuly]

With all that investment in the military, even if all the grunts are conscripts we're looking at a civil war and a few cycles of coups.

[silveradept]

If Uncle Iroh made it known which of Ozai's children he supported in the power vacuum created by Ozai's defeat, that could have shortened the question of who was in charge significantly, since Iroh was a known and well-respected badass in the Fire Nation. And also, the White Lotus could also potentially have some a certain amount of work to make sure Zuko came to the throne without serious issues.

[conuly]

True, and Iroh really had been the rightful heir. But I still think there's bound to have been insurgency etc.

I hate to say it, but the safe way probably would've been to kill Ozai and Azula, or at least isolate them so thoroughly that most people would have no reason to know they were alive.

[silveradept]

I think they're would still be insurgency, yes, because Azula and Ozai's systems wouldn't be easily dismantled or changed, and both of them would have people loyal to them who would fight Zuko.

Killing them would be the certain solution, but not one that Zuko would really be able to order. Putting them somewhere no-one would remember them is a good idea, but there's an event in Korra that leads to people who should be in oubliettes suddenly coming to great prominence that would have shown the error of judgment in that, if Azula or Ozai was still alive. (They might not have been. After all, by Korra's time, Zuko is the father of the mid-aged(?) Fire Lord, Izumi.)

[conuly]

But people in this world do seem to live a long time, as evidenced by King Bumi. He's got to be at least 110, and yet not only is he still alive, but he's physically quite fit and while his behavior is odd you can't really say he's gone senile.

[silveradept]

That's true. And there are others in Korra who are from the original generation of Avatar and in much the same situation of being old, but certainly not senile, so it would be possible. For the setting, none of them would be pushing King Bumi's age.

I think the story concludes that because they're ostracized and shunned, neither Azula nor Ozai has a particularly long life, but they certainly could have if they'd found a big enough pocket of loyalists.