Zuko lost Azula in the end of the series but reconciled with Кatara, this means that relationship between him and her sibling and not romantic. people should finally learn to distinguish between platonic and romantic relationships and not ignore the obvious romantic development of Kataang
I’m sorry. I’ve read this ask 3 times and I don’t understand really what this is about?
Zuko’s relationship with Azula was always quite bad and distant, full of distrust even when he came home at the beginning of Book 3. So yeah, the Agni Kai probably broke it further, but Azula remained Zuko’s responsibility and there could be scenarios where they reconcile (I obviously don’t talk about the comics).
I don’t know what this has to do with Kataang though? 🤷🏼♀️
Pretty sure the anon is trying to say that Katara was "supposed to" be a kind of Azula replacement? Like Zuko lost Azula, but gained Katara, so she was supposed to be his "new sister", so Zutara shippers are thus Wrong and "need to recognize it as platonic," or, at least, that's what it sounds like to me. But that's not how relationships work. You don't replace someone when you lose them, especially family. And if you think that's how it works, then I can't help you. Also, if that is how it worked, why didn't he ever get a replacement for his mom? If you want to argue that, he got a "dad replacement" in Iroh, but where was his mom?
Not too mention, they just never stuck me as sibling like? Like, you can tell that Zuko feels like Toph is a younger sister. They have exactly Zero possibly romantic or more adult in nature interactions. Zuko and Katara have a history of charged scenes, from "I'll save you from the pirates" to his literal awe and wonder about how strong she is when she frightens the dude who killed her mom.
Ah, thanks! Yes, maybe that’s what they meant. I honestly too feel more the sister-vibes with Toph than with Katara. Toph is the prodigy little kid who is loud, self confident, but is also not mean about how good she is. In a way, she feels a lot like the little sister Zuko never had...
Katara doesn’t in any way feel like a “replacement” for Azula. Her relationship with Zuko has that deep emotional quality to it - she “gets” him, he gets her. She can make him open up, and he sees parts of her she hides from others. It feels very mature, which is why they are so shippable.
Having said that, I don’t have a problem with a platonic Zuko - Katara friendship at all. But I did mind that canon, after giving a ton of development to them in the last 6 episodes, made them virtual strangers in the comics.
I feel the same way. I can handle a platinum relationship, but the series end just made me feel like they cheapened the relationship they spent 3 seasons developing.
I would also argue that if you WANT to go with the "family replacement"theory, Katara feels WAAAY more like a replacement family for Aang than Zuko. Like, she had SOOOOO many mothering moments with Aang, and Sokka, and even Toph, and she never has to do that with Zuko. They always felt more like equals. If we're assigning family roles to the Gaang, Katara is canonically the mom of the group, to the extent that she and Toph have a whole episode about it, and even Sokka said that he kinda looks at her as a mom more than a sister sometimes. Who else is the responsible one in the group? Sokka? Eh, kinda, but big brother responsible. Responsible enough to babysit, but maybe not to actually have authority long term. Probably still needs to be able to have the "or I'll tell Mom" card. (It fades as the show comes to a close, but still has serious big brother energy.) Suki? She definitely feels like brother's girlfriend who never leaves and just gets absorbed into the family (which I really hate, and would have loved to see more about her integrating and creating her own space in the group, separate from Sokka. Difficult with her dating him, but not impossible. Another rant for another day.) Aang feels like the middle child, used to being the carefree youngest, but being forced to step up to handle the responsibility of now saving the world having a younger sibling. Toph has serious only youngest child energy. She's used to getting her way, even if it might occasionally require a fake tear like she uses on her actual parents, the tough exterior from being used to keeping up with the older ones and always feeling like she's never going to compare, because whatever she does, the older one did it first.
Zuko, though? Zuko is the one who falls into the "dad" role pretty easily. Aside from being the oldest in the group (except MAYBE Sokka? I don't remember, I think they might have been the same age). Zuko never really gets into irresponsible shenanigans like the others do. And when he does, it's for a reason, for their growth and development. It's technically irresponsible, but it's a trip there group needed to make. For example, Katara NEEDED to face the guy who killed her mom. She needed that growth, and him going with her was definitely way more responsible than her going alone. Same with Sokka. He felt too wracked by guilt to step up and lead in the way the group needed him to, so Zuko helped. That's like when the kid gets in trouble at school, so the dad takes them to get ice cream. Technically? Yeah he should punish the kid for getting suspended for being in a fight. Realistically? It's more important to sit down and find out WHY the kid felt a need to fight and if it was justified, and talk over why that was the right or wrong choice.
That break down went waaaay longer than I planned, but TL;DR, if Katara is replacement family for anyone, it's Aang, and that's why I can't ship Kataang.














