I recently learned something interesting about storytelling framework that helps complete the picture for how I look at ATLA. Itâs called
C-locks (pressure of time running down to the last decision)
O-bjective ( what the character needs to do tied to plot. )
S-takes (what happens if they fail)
T-ether (mindset or belief that affects every decision they make, that they tightly hold onto)
Y-earning (what they truly want deep down emotionally)
Then there is the RECKONING- where they must choose to let go of their tether to achieve their OBJECTIVE or YEARNING, or they choose to hold tighter.
If they hold on thatâs a STEADFAST ARC. If they let go Thatâs a TRANSFORMATIVE ARC. Usually they can either have their yearning or their objective but sometimes they can have both.
Now apply that to Aang and it makes sense why people were not fully satisfied with his ending AND Kataraâs.
Aangâs Main Ob. Was to END THE WAR/RESTORE BALANCE TO THE WORLD
Yearn. Was keep his new found family, especially Katara. To not be alone again. (My poor bb)
Tether- Pacifist. If he remains true to who he is everything will eventually work out without having to change himself to do so.
When he meets the guru he is facing his Reckoning. Let go of Katara and unlock full Avatar state to save the world or hold on to Katara and risk not being able to defeat Ozai/end the war. Let go of his tether. Make a sacrifice that transforms him in one way or another. He chooses to keep her but doesnât face any real sacrifices because a rock does the work for him.
If the rock wasnât there, would he have been able to kill Ozai? Would he have died? He never truly had to face consequences, transform, sacrifice and thatâs why his victory feels so hollow. Thatâs why Katara feels unearned. Katara who did so much growth and change alongside Zuko( and I could get into that but this feels really long already might dk a separate post )
All that to say think of hero movies, and this is what I learned makes a story good vs memorable and talked about years later. And this is why the Agni Kai is most talked about end scene to date.
Tony Stark- Saves the world and his family but dies. Thatâs his sacrifice.
Peter Parker- defeats the villain but loses Gwen. Thatâs a sacrifice.
Even Pirates of the Caribbean. Will was stuck between saving his father and choosing Elizabeth. Dies, relives and ends up with both, but at a cost. They canât completely be together.
Now think of a movie where the hero saves the day and gets the girl.. I personally think itâs harder to immediately come up with.
If Aang had let go even just temporarily and Katara came back that wouldâve been beautiful. If he had been forced to kill Ozai at the cost of his values that wouldâve shown he really fought for Katara. But she became a default. (Letâs not even talk about how he promised Zuko heâd kill him if he ever became like his father in the comics but was struggling here for so long about Ozai)
I hope this made sense. Even winners must have lost something. Itâs a kids show that touched down on heavy topics, we want to inspire hope and happiness in the end, but they canât blame people for feeling so strongly when they messed up the recipe.
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