Hey! Ive been thinking a lot about the canon relationship between Aang and zuko. (Something feels off about it, the power dynamic is so weird, i dont think a situation like theirs should be explored in a big bro-lil bro way. The meta text also feels condescending towards Aang but that might be reaching.) On a rewatch myself so maybe i will change my mind🤷♂️
Anyways since you already posted zuko critical stuff i was wondering what are your thoughts regarding this topic?
Yeah honestly, I always thought it's one of the things that kinda fell flat in atla itself. Like the main thing that really lacked for the Aang/Zuko friendship is... the friendship lol. The parallels and symbolism between them run so deep, the whole narrative around it is set up so strongly, but when they actually get around to how they connect all that and the relationship that's supposed to fulfill all that set-up, their actual "brotherhood" feels so underwhelming and lackluster in terms of emotions. In mean, in the context that the show itself is trying to sell us on the idea that they're basically platonic soulmates and the core of the story.
This is where I'll give credit to the ztr shippers, because it honestly does feel like Zuko and Katara's relationship got the most in terms of emotional depth. I've said that elsewhere, but that is my favourite Zuko relationship within the show because Katara gets to confront him with the consequences of his actions and hold him accountable before they become friends. I also feel like more deeper emotions passed between them in terms of redemption and mutual understanding.
However, overall the problem with Aang and Zuko's friendship, I think, really just comes with some of the core structural problems in atla/book 3. Like it's once again that they neglected Aang and put Zuko on a pedestal imo.
We don't even know how Zuko considers the violence his nation committed against Aang's culture in the show because he literally never talks about it except to say "Guru goody goody". It's such weird writing, like he's literally mocking Aang's dead nation, and Aang - being such a saint and a good boy - just brushes it off, but tbh the writing is also just thin. The fact Aang doesn't even push back on Zuko making a joke about his culture just makes Zuko look worse. It's brushed over so Zuko looks better, and Aang doesn't confront Zuko with hard truths or more complex emotions, because Aang simply isn't granted that amount of depth by the narrative at all at that point, let alone within his relationships.
It could have been so interesting to see Aang actually discuss that with Zuko, which could have made a lot of sense in a better-structured version of the show that kept the protagonist as the actual protagonist. If Aang had truly been the main character in Book 3, then Zuko's redemption would have had to fit into Aang's story and actually centered around Aang's perspective more. Instead, they're at the air temple and does nothing about it except Zuko gets to have an awesome showdown fight with his sister. Meanwhile their one friendship episode is about discovering the roots of firebending culture...
I don't think you're wrong that they're kinda reduced to a "little bro / big bro" dynamic, like most of their interactions are quite goofy, with Aang at his most childish. This highlights Zuko's maturity and deemphasizes Aang's. You could also point to stuff like Zuko attacking Aang with fire bending in the final episodes being quite weird considering they've only been on good terms for like 1 week, but tbh that once again, to me, is coming back to the weird narrative choice (aka utter lack of PLOT) that BOTH Aang and Zuko somehow hadn't considered they should really think about having to confront Ozai before like 3 days before the deadline.
So overall, my strongest take on it isn't that I take issue with the specific friendship on it's own, but for me, it's really bringing home a lot of the points I have about overall narrative problems. I actually do think their overall symbolism motifs work fine and are not in themselves devoid of the larger stakes surrounding them. They should have done more to draw back to the Roku/Sozin relationship that parallels Aang and Zuko, because you get the implied potential for darkness even within Zuko's redemption, and friendship itself not being an easy path to glory or even mutual trust.
Also I've said it before, but that their final moments together are during Zuko's crowning as Fire Lord is bothersome to me. That should have been Aang's big hero moment, and instead it just centers on Zuko and Zuko's words. The scene wants to paint them as equals, but the narrative doesn't really give that.
They did try to improve their friendship in the comics, I think, first by giving them a lot mor emotional depth and complex connection. This included actually doing something a bit more nuanced with the parellels Roku/Sozin and Aang/Zuko parallels in The Promise. There's also several stories where Aang is around to help Zuko out, and it's cool to see Aang in more of a mentor-like position at times, however, we still overall have the issue that the relationship tilts towards Zuko. If they were really such platonic soulmates, it's due to get more stories of Zuko actually being this best pal for Aang, in stories that are actually about Aang.
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