#i don’t think people realize that ~THIS~ was the climax of the show #not energybending #not zuko’s coronation #not anything else people might commonly name as the climax #the energybending stuff might have been the active climax #but this is the thematic climax #this moment when aang has to decide once and for all what kind of avatar he’s going to be #is a perfect mirror for zuko’s climactic expression of what kind of man he has chosen to be #and both of them are redirecting lightning to do it #zuko to save a life #and aang to spare a life #and if that isn’t fucking beautiful to you on every level then #then… #well i wanna say get off my blog but that seems rude #aang #ozai
OP HOW COULD YOU HIDE THIS IN YOUR TAGS
Zuko and Aang redirecting the lightning in those scenes have very powerful and similar symbolism.
Ozai uses lightning to kill. With the skill of redirecting, Aang and Zuko are able to absorb the power and use it as a weapon, but they choose not to.
They absorb Ozai’s power and can use it the same way he does—to murder. But they don’t. In that moment, when they have Ozai’s power, they realize the people that they’re meant to be—better than Ozai. They choose not to use that power to kill.
The redirection of lightning has always been my favorite symbol of ATLA. It represents ultimate power, absorbed from the ultimate evil. But when these two loving and brilliant people absorb that symbol of ultimate power and evil, they choose to be better and to spare life.
The lightning shows us that Aang and Zuko are better than Ozai, that their love and compassion are the most powerful forces in the show—not the force to kill.
I could go on and on about the use of symbolism in ATLA, but this one in particular is so beautiful. What a way to teach kids such valuable and beautiful lessons, all through the use of lightning…
It’s also a wonderful metaphor for Zuko’s recovery from trauma and abuse, but that’s another post for another day. I have so much to say on that topic.














