katara deserves everything

Katara stan account | statistically average tumblr user (late 20s bi autistic she/they etc) | female gaze / female gays enjoyer | mostly ATLA

[ecoterrorist-katara]

meta list + blog nav

turns out most of my metas are just me being salty about the way Bryan and Mike wrote Katara...more news at 11...

Katara’s parentification

the tragedy of Katara’s parentification & (context: parentified children as maladjusted children)

Katara’s crush on Jet

Toph brings out Katara’s inner child & Toph and Suki as people Katara didn't have to take care of

Katara’s post-ATLA arc

Katara didn’t want a quiet life after the war

Katara was a role model and her post-ATLA arc is a failure in representation

Katara being the Chief of the SWT wouldn't conflict with LOK's plot or her relationship

Katara would’ve been an amazing diplomat

Why Katara’s specific healer career didn’t fit her character

bloodbending & why Katara banning it could be in character in a sad way

Zutara & Zutara discourse

Zutara, romance novels, & the female gaze

“Zutara is a self-insert ship” is not a burn, it’s just misogyny

Is Zutara colonizer x colonized: my serious take, my less serious take

the crystal catacombs & how Katara sees Zuko’s pain

Zutara's two distinct ship dynamics

Why I think the way Ka/taang is written is male gaze-y

(KA is just one of those "bitch eating crackers" ships for me...block the #anti kataang tag if you don't want to see it)

Ka/taang: friends-to-lovers or the friend zone?

How Ka/taang is written to be one-sided

Aang’s not a “feminist icon” because the only stereotypically masculine part of his arc is his romance

Misc. character stuff (not just ATLA)

Aang's nuances beyond "sunshine boy"

Rethinking Hama's storyline + some thoughts on the symbolism of bloodbending

Some thoughts on Hermione being autistic coded & her flaws

Blog housekeeping/tags navigation under the cut

Tag Navigation

asks are tagged #can i ask you a question (yeah that's a TSwift ref even though there's minimal Tayposting on this blog); all my metas are tagged #my meta; Zutara fic recs are tagged #zutara fic recs. #zutara and other ship tags (e.g. #azutara) usually contain art, misc ship things, and metas

frequently used salty tags include #anti kataang, #anti bryke, and #katara deserved better

Original posts that involve analysis of Harry Potter are tagged #ref: hp for blocking purposes. I don’t financially support JKR or her harmful rhetoric & actions against trans people, but I choose to engage with parts of the HP fandom that reject her views. In the HP context, I am most likely to talk about #hermione granger. I like Dramione, but I also like Ron quite a lot. I'm very into Wolfstar.

Fundraisers

I post fundraisers that have been verified by third parties. Unfortunately I don't have the bandwidth to verify fundraisers myself.

Fandom Housekeeping

I don't make callout posts of specific users, even if I decide to block them myself, so please don’t use my ask box for that purpose!

[13ag21k]

What if I was a lonely brooding man but my features softened as I stared at you adoringly?

[thaisces-deactivated20151222]

a handy guide to shipping

[angelofconsang]

needed to add this because some of y'all just don’t get it.

[jaffabelle]

Hey avatar fans. Question. What would this fucker have done if the avatar had been a girl?

[wileycap]

Same thing bigots of all sorts in real life do: Aang would have been a Special Case. Aang, due to being the Avatar, would have been an exceptional woman, a class of her own - which is a line of thinking that allows both Pakku and real world bigots to maintain the status quo. Exceptions and exceptional people are easy for bigots to accept, because their existence doesn't actually shake the status quo but reinforces it. The exceptional people will "rise up" (see: survivorship bias) while the ones that can't overcome an unfair system will remain in "their place" - no systemic change needed! The other women just aren't good enough! So sad!

[teaandcrowns]

It's the same thing that happens in the OG show: Katara is still the "special case" because Pakku had proposed to Kanna and carved that necklace for her. If Katara hadn't had that connection and been Kanna's granddaughter with an artifact he recognized, he would not have trained her.

The show likes to pretend Katara won one for feminism in getting Pakku to train her, but there's zero evidence shown after her win and acceptance as his pupil that he allowed combative training for any other women or girls in the Northern Water Tribe.

[artist-ellen]

A little bit of necklace thievery anyone?

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram, tiktok or check out my coloring book available now \ („• ֊ •„) /

https://linktr.ee/ellen.artistic

[addictofreading]

So, while drawing a while ago, I had one of my favorite anime on for background noise. In the theme song, there was a lineup pictured just like this, and my AtLA-obsessed mind thought, "That's cute, but let's make it Avatar!" I also realized I don't really have any AtLA fanart that isn't Zutara, and I should probably remedy that.

I liked it enough to add it to my shop as a poster and a notebook!

[azulasminion]

[azulapunchedozai]

No amount of "She wanted to lay-low after the war" will justify whatever the heck happened to Katara in TLOK

"She doesn't have enough reason to have a statue" And the cabbage man has?

"She wanted to focus on her children" They managed to portray Zuko a good father because of how well his children has turned out while being the freaking firelord. I don't know what's stopping the writiers from doing the same to Katara.

"She wouldn't wanted to involve herself in politics" Did we all watched ATLA????

If you think reviving the Avatar, who, if you're not aware died during the Avatar State, is not enough of a reason to even RECOGNIZE Katara's contributions, I think you need to freaking rewatch ATLA and realize how much they downgraded her in TLOK

[lucytara]

anyway the actual point of fandom is to inspire each other. reading each other's fics and admiring each other's art and saying wow i love this and i feel something and i want to invoke this in other people, i want to write a sentence that feels like a meteor shower, i want to paint a kiss with such tenderness it makes you ache, i want to create something that someone else somewhere will see it and think oh, i need to do that too, right now. i am embracing being a corny cunt on main to say inspiring each other is one of the things humanity is best at and one of the things fandom is built for and i think that's beautiful

[iamnmbr3]

#fandom is a party not a market via @kittenjammer

[elismor]

Fandom is a party, not a market.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

They're coming after my girl Korra again I'm about to crash out🫠

polishing ur pitchfork as we speak!!!

(But seriously block all relevant tags if the discourse gets too much...some opinions deserve to be quarantined rather than engaged with)

[tungpin]

tragedy is when a man has so much failwife potential & yet gets assigned suave dom by the fandom and isn't allowed to be anything else. chin up king your loser energy is seen and appreciated. by me

[memopmiff]

Your Katara is so beautiful, can you draw her more? Pleaseee

Katara!!! 🌊💙

[goofynerdd]

[zutara-4-eva]

gonna be so honest, i would never want bryke or any version of avatar to make zutara canon. they couldnt even write kataang well (even though they could be a pretty intresting relationship) so i want them NO WHERE NEAR THE LOML ZUTARA

[loveamongdragons]

listen, they couldn't even write Kataang in a normal, boring way. Nobody asked them to add conflict to their relationship arc that utterly fucked up their dynamic; NOBODY WANTED THAT

[url-is-url]

I’m having feelings about Katara v Pakku again, and the fact that at this point in the series, Katara has never been in a fight that wasn’t to the death. Every fight she’s ever been in has had world-ending stakes. She’s not shooting to kill Pakku because she’s weaker and less trained than him - though she is - she’s shooting to kill because she doesn’t know any other way to fight. Friendly sparring, or fighting as a spectator sport, has not been a part of this girl’s life. Pakku’s fighting Katara to put troublesome teenagers in their place; Katara’s fighting Pakku because they’ll all die if Pakku doesn’t pull his head out of his ass and train the Avatar.

Pakku is genuinely surprised to see his own reflection in that disc of ice Katara shoots right past his face. If he hadn’t dodged, it would have sliced his head right open. He starts putting actual effort in after that.

[circlique]

How dare you hide this in the tags.

[sokkastyles]

I just came across a Top 10 most heroic Avatar characters and Zuko wasnt one of them. Their reason Was apparantly that "Zuko only turned good in S3 and couldnt be seen as a hero before". Idk that left a very bad Taste in my Mouth especially considering that Bumi made Nr7. What are your thoughts on this ?

Lol I read the article and I think the bad taste comes from the idea that being a hero means you have to have a spotless record? It's the problem I have with most Zuko discourse that usually comes from people trying to diminish his importance in the narrative. I mean, Kya, Ursa, and Yue also make the list but like, they are barely in the narrative and their roles are mostly to be innocent and idealized and then die or disappear.

Well, then, I vote the papaya Katara ate in the fortune teller episode. It gave its life for that girl even thought it was hated.

I don't get the logic of "someone who only appears briefly can be a hero, but Zuko wasn't a hero long enough." Yue appears in two episodes. Zuko may have started out as a villain, but he was fighting the baddies and demonstrating qualities of compassion and sacrifice by episode 3. I'd say what got him banished itself was an act of heroism and that Zuko was actually a hero long before he himself knew it, and even when he is free to be a true hero he spends most of the time denying that he is one.

Not to quote that edgelord line about heroes from The Dark Knight, but if a character gets labeled as a hero just because they didn't live long enough to have their actions scrutinized while another character can't be labeled as one because they survived the world trying to beat their heroism out of them and came out stronger then idk what a hero is.

Here's what google has to say about the definition of a hero:

"...especially excessively or unexpectedly so."

In fact, I'd argue that one of the reasons Zuko stands out as a hero in the story is because we don't expect it of him. But it's a far more realistic and relatable heroic ideal than the idea that people are good or evil from birth and the hero saves the world because destiny says so.

The best heroes are the ones who do it even though it's hard, even thought destiny tells them that heroism wasn't meant for them. The whole thing about heroic sacrifice is that it has to be a sacrifice, meaning that they have to choose it consciously. It's not a heroic sacrifice if a character just suffers or has things taken from them.

I'll also provide one of my favorite definitions of a hero, from Quest for Glory 2. Hold onto your seats, because I'm busting out a poem from a computer game from 1990.

And they ask "What is a hero?"

Though the answer's very clear.

He's the one who faces danger

When the darkness hovers near.

He will face the fiercest foe

When another needs his aid,

He will dare to defy death

Even though he is afraid.

He works not just for glory

And he does it not for gain,

but because he knows that others

will be spared a greater pain.

He won't always follow orders

For he dares to answer "why?"

And unless he likes the reason

He refuses to comply.

He will brave the battle boldly

Even though he may not win.

He will face his fate unflinching,

For he is a paladin.

And they ask, "What is a hero?"

Though the answer's evident.

He's the one who faces death

Knowing that his life's well spent.

[maldeldest]

This is such an awesome take, thank you so much for such a long and spot on answer.

I am not only New to the Avatar Universe, but also to analyzing so forgive me if some of my thoughts maybe "wrong" or far fetched

As you said Zuko showed signs of heroism in S1 and I think Zhao is a very good contrast to Zuko. According to IMDB notes he was created because Zuko was too "sympathetic" to be a real villain and I totally see why they include it. I would argue that he was the one that brought out the Real hero in Zuko, because saving good people is easy. Not by action-wise but by deciding to help them. But Zhao is a terrible Person by any means and Zuko had a lot of Reasons to see him go down. But he doesnt, he showed kindness and mercy not once but twice to a man who doesnt deserve it and who even tried to have him bombed up by pirates.

Now I would never downplay Ursa and Kyas actions or Yues sacrifice. After all what is more honorable than dying for your children/your people ? But the thing is Zuko did the exact same thing, even if his sacrifice was not death. The 41st Division were his people and as a prince it was his place to protect them. Even after Iroh warned him not to speak up, he did it anyway with confidence in his voice. And I fail to see how getting half off your face burned off, losing honor,home,throne everything, just as Zuko said "for talking out of turn" is any diffrent from dying for them. I would even argue it was a Fate worse than death for 13!!!!year old Zuko.

(I cant stress the fact that he was 13 at the time enough)

"A hero protects his friends, a true hero protects his enemies".

And thats what Zuko did. Not just with Zhao but also Aang when he choose not to go after him twice in Book 1. Sure, it was because he had more Important Things to do as I saving his Uncle and Crew but it Was still an act of bravery, choosing what is right over your lifegoal.

And of course in Book 2 when he saves a whole village only for them to turn against him. Of course it makes sense, but we as an audience know and already sympathize with Zuko at this point so it still hurts. Helping these people gained him nothing but hatred from them but he didnt care because it was the right thing to do.

All in all what is more heroic than a child (even if he neither looks or acts like it Zuko is still a child) sacrificing their future, physical wellbeing and comfort (as much comfort as you can get with Ozai as your Dad) for their people?

Whats more heroic than a child facing their abuser and telling them what they did Was cruel and wrong, knowing said abuser will kill him instantly (he tried)

And of Course jumping in front of lightning to protect someone else, even if it means having another scar from a Person of their own family.

And thats why to me Zuko is not just one of the heroes but THE hero.

[sokkastyles]

I don't think it's downplaying Yue or Kya's or Ursa's sacrifice to point out that they lack the narrative agency to really be ranked among the most heroic characters in the narrative. In fact, I feel like the writer included them on this list because of the deficit of truly heroic female characters in the show who play main roles. Neither of these women really had choices and their sacrifice is expected of them. They are written the way female characters are so often written, as beautiful plot devices. Even if you compare to the minor male characters on the list, like freaking Bumi, what makes them heroic is that they are acting and making choices. What makes the women heroic is that they died or were forced out, and their sacrifice is meant to narratively motivate other characters. Yue saves the world but she is not given a choice about it and doesn't do it through any special qualities of her own, she does it because she was destined to by birth. Yue as a character makes me so sad because she didn't have any choices in life, either. Had she lived, she would have been married to someone she didn't choose. And she gets to be idealized as a character who did her duty and never had a bad thought because she didn't live long enough to. Maybe if she had lived longer, she would have found herself stuck in a situation like Ursa's, and we all know what kind of criticisms Ursa gets for not magically solvong every problem in her children's lives. At least the writer of this listicle doesn't criticize Ursa, but he doesn't have much to say about her, either, except that her "devotion to Zuko is very touching."

[woman-becomer]

tumblr users love reading. you literally stopped for this post just because it has words in it

[interpolationz]

this is one of my favorite bits about tumblr

the users seem to actually prefer text posts to anything else, and treat it as a chore to play a video especially with sound

[lazzarella]