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[catastrophic29]

Wellie: But what about Haymitch?

Maysilee: Don't worry about him.

Maysilee: I once watched him fall down 5 flights of stairs, stand up, and keep eating his cornbread like nothing happened

[effieotto]

the fandom supporting the idea that Haymitch would see Effie as a person and give her a chance to be his friend or even his partner regardless of her position makes you uncomfortable cause you can't fathom that Haymitch isn't the radical that you are

If we were talking about Gale, or Johanna, or even Lenore Dove, I would grant you the right to say that they could never bound with someone who profited and personally participated in the Games, with no further consideration of the nuances that brought them to that position, because they all had a very similar viewpoint about what is right and wrong in society, and how much people were deserved to be seen beyond their social standing and ideological shortcomings to be forgiven for their behaviors

But we are talking about Haymitch— and Haymitch has always seen people for their actions, and not their political beliefs. He watched Maysilee being heavily classicist with his starving neighbors for sixteen years, and yet, as soon as he's granted a slightly closer view of her as a real person, she became his sister, regardless of the problematic of her upbringing or her flawed behavior. He warned up for Proserpina and Vitus as soon as they met, even if they made him extremely uncomfortable, because they were silly and close to his age, and their roles in the industry didn't matter enough for him not to call them his "new friends" immediately. He felt sorry about the young Gamemakers that Maritte and Maysilee murdered cuz for him it didn't matter that they wore the labels of the monsters who were doing all of that with them, they were still just children . He saw Silka crying under that tree and it was enough for him to ignore everything she had ever done to him and his friends and throw a piece of chocolate for her, because he knew that although she was cruel, supportive of the Games and guilty of murdering half of his allies, when it came down to it, she was just as human as him

Haymitch was a forgiven and rational boy, and he had always understood where the Capitol citizens stood in the grant political scheme of the Games, even as he had all the reasons to be unreasonable about it. He saw the people for what they had to offer, and not for what they were made to belief, and although he disagreed with things, he never reduced anyone to their mistakes. You are the ones who cannot humanize characters with flaws, but Haymitch Abernathy has never been this person.

[SUNRISE ON THE REAPING- giff/ @dramaism]

[surgepricing]

I think about Azula shooters often and their common refrain of "if Azula hadn't had a mental breakdown, she would've won" and I'm here to tell you that no, she wouldn't have.

There is no universe in which Azula was winning that fight with Zuko (or Katara, for that matter).

Azula spent so much of Book 2 being built up as this deadly terrifying force against whom the heroes are badly outmatched that it can be difficult to catch exactly how quickly Zuko is advancing.

Back up a bit to Book One. For the fearsome exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko's not that impressive a firebender. He's not bad by any stretch, and he's able to lay the untrained Sokka and Katara flat pretty easily. Then he gets in the ring with Aang, who is an airbending master, and the difference between a regular bender and a master becomes apparent when Aang literally puts his ass to bed:

People have attributed this to the fact that no one's fought an airbender in 100 years, but I think it's also worth noting that Aang (a 12 year old from a pacifist nation) has probably never fought anyone before. Like, ever. And yet the second Aang thinks "okay, I'll attack back", the fight's over.

Zuko's got the same genetic predisposition for firebending talent that Azula does, yet it never seems to manifest because of his mental blocks. At the beginning of the series, he's already so beat down that all he really has is conviction, pride, and anger, so even with training from Iroh (the firebending master, thank you very much), he struggles. Yet throughout Book 2, when he has no time to train because he's on the run, he actually seems to advance faster. The fact that his bending is literally tied to his character arc (as his morals become tangled and he has to fight off aforementioned mental blocks) is pretty brilliant. Like, by the time of the Crossroads of Destiny, Zuko getting his ass handed to him by Aang is a pretty consistent feature of the show--he just can't match wits with him.

Hell, at the beginning of the series, he and Iroh (again: the actual firebending master) launch a combined power surface-to-air attack...which Aang casually swats away into a nearby ice wall. Come the Crossroads of Destiny, however, and Zuko by himself launches this bigass fireball that blows through Aang's defenses.

Zuko advances so quickly that it's scary. That prodigious talent is in him even if it doesn't come through as cleanly as with Azula. Who, by the way, was busy about to get flattened by Katara some few dozen feet away, until Zuko took over and then effectively stalemated her himself.

All of this in retrospect makes it abundantly clear why Zuko's firebending seemed to skyrocket so much when he learned true firebending from the Sun Warriors: it was really the only thing left. He's hard a hard road learning how to fight waterbenders, earthbenders, and airbenders, and even if unconsciously, he's applying the philosophy Iroh taught him about augmenting his bending style with aspects of other styles (see also, the waterbending-like fire whips he uses in the above gif). Once he actually understands fire and how it works, he's got it mastered. Hence why any gap between him and Azula effectively disappears as soon as their next fight--before her friends have betrayed her and her stability goes out the window. There's no real sense of urgency to their fight at the Boiling Rock prison. True, Sokka's presence with the sword helps, but Zuko doesn't look remotely worried and he counters Azula's every attack perfectly.

All her life, Azula only ever learned fire. She was taught by the best people the fire nation can employ, so she knows all the cool tricks, but she's still poisoned by the corrupted firebending practiced in the modern ATLA timeline. Unlike Zuko, who managed to get the basics if nothing else from Iroh (fire comes from the breath, and can be used to survive as much as to kill), Azula has always used fire as a weapon and a means to hurt others. She has no true knowledge of the craft, meaning she's got the same weaknesses as Zhao, she's just better disciplined to the point she can make up for it.

Zuko's victory was a given considering Azula's complete loss of control by the time of Sozin's comet, but even had she been in a perfect mental state, she'd have lost, because in many ways Zuko is simply the better firebender.

And that's the truth of it.

[jana-137]

Zuko And Katara In The Southern Raiders: A Catholic Analysis On Justice And Healing

Fandom Discourse

The Southern Raiders, written by Elizabeth Welch, is popularly viewed as one of the best episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is also arguably the most debated episode of the show. Justice vs revenge, forgiveness, closure, healing are only some of the topics that have been brought up in regards to this episode. However, one of the biggest arguments I have seen is whether Zuko was a bad influence on Katara. Let's take a look.

Katara's Condition Before Zuko's Intervention

Katara starts this episode acting not much like herself. The Fire Nation separates her from her father for the third time, triggering her. While the other members of Team Avatar are all talking, laughing, and having a great time, Katara is quiet, withdrawn, seething, and bitter(highly unlike her usual self). She makes a mean-spirited remark about Zuko, thus dampening the lighthearted atmosphere and gets up to isolate herself from the group. It's clear that the only thing poisoning Katara is harboring anger over the fire nation for breaking up her family, most especially her mother's murder(as evidenced by her confrontation with Zuko)

Zuko: What can I do to make it up to you? Katara: You really want to know? Hmm, maybe you could reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know! You could bring my mother back!

If she had just been left alone, chances are she would have grown more and more bitter, seeing as no one else tried to talk to her and figure out what was going on and she herself didn't seek out anyone to talk to.

Justice And Anger As A Moral Emotion

In a murder case, the most you can do for the victim's relatives is to provide them with justice and emotional closure as it would not be possible to naturally bring the victim back to life. This part of Zuko's mindset makes sense. He recognizes that Katara is still bitter about her mother's death after all these years and decides that they should do something about it (Action is Zuko's established way of dealing with issues).

Katara's anger in this episode, by all Catholic standards is justifiable, understandable and a result of an unprocessed emotional and psychological wound. Yon Rha murdered Katara's mother and got away with no consequences and no repercussions, this is an unjust situation. Although killing him would not be the right choice(primarily because Katara is not an official judge), going after Yon Rha, confronting him and making him face the reality of his crime was a completely just pursuit and very much a good idea.

Zuko didn't see going after Yon Rha as being wrong; he saw it as justice, and he was mostly right.

Zuko: She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice.

Katara's desire to not let Yon Rha get away with his crime is in fact a righteous desire not a vengeful one. Neither Katara nor Zuko suggest that they're going to kill Yon Rha, Aang is the first to suggest this by calling the whole ordeal revenge(this was also risky because it had the potential of planting the idea in her head, simply asking her would've been the wiser choice), Katara then doesn't deny it nor does she confirm it, she says maybe.

Katara: [Angrily.] Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!

Katara's lines indicate;

A sense of moral duty

Katara: Now that I know he's out there ... now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no choice. Katara: Maybe that's what he deserves!

And a desire for emotional release

Katara: Maybe that's what I need!

Showing that her intentions at this point in time are mix of righteous anger and vengeful anger

The Forgiveness Dilemma

Aang's stance on this issue is that Katara should forgive Yon Rha. This ideal is morally sound but poorly applied in Katara's situation. Telling Katara to forgive while the emotional wound is unprocessed and untreated poses many risks. It puts the burden of reconciliation on the victim; which is wrong, it leads to coerced false forgiveness, fragile peace, and is an injustice in and of itself because it seeks to forget the victim.

Forgiveness without some form of justice is what we call hollow forgiveness. It downplays the seriousness of the crime and the impact on the victim. We see this in how God deals with humanity; this principle specifically reflects the Christian understanding of why Jesus' death on the cross was a necessary occurrence. God chose not to just forgive humanity because forgiving humanity without anyone paying for the sins downplays its seriousness and is unjust to the victims that have suffered at the hands of sin. The only issue is that we as humans are unable to completely pay for our guilt, meaning we'd spend all eternity doing so.

God decides that He will absorb all the eternal justice that humanity is due, hence the cross and Christ's passion. Now that all humanity's eternal justice has been meted out, God's forgiveness can flow in abundance to anyone who wants it until their last breath or the end of the age(Basically Jn.3:16).

Contrary to Aang's statement, especially in a case like Katara's, where her pain stems from loss and injustice, forgiveness is not the first step towards healing; it's the last. A person's ability to forgive without coercion is a sign of completed healing, not the first step to it.

Accompaniment Over Correction: Why Zuko's Approach Works

When dealing with an emotionally and psychologically wounded soul, Catholic moral theology emphasizes something called accompaniment over correction.

Accompaniment is the act of walking alongside someone in their emotional or moral journey—providing presence, support, and validation—without imposing immediate solutions or judgments. It provides psychological safety to process trauma, empowers moral agency, and prevents premature moralizing. Accompaniment is what Jesus demonstrates with His disciples on the road to Emmaus(Luke 24:13–35) and what Zuko near perfectly does in this episode.

“Jesus himself came near and went with them.” (Lk 24:15)

In the story, Jesus;

Draws near and walks with His disciples

Listens to their story

Acknowledges their grief and takes their state of mind seriously'

Teaches them scripture and gives them instruction, once He's dealt with their grief.

The fourth point is the only thing Zuko doesn't do, and I'll explain why this was a better choice, writing-wise, for Katara's character growth.

Practical And Emotional Support: How Zuko Helps Katara

Katara wasn't blinded by rage in this episode, she definitely felt rage but it didn't chaotically dominate her actions. She shows a notable amount of restraint throughout and isn't shown regretting any of her actions by the end of the episode(an indication that she knew what she was doing). However, Katara could've easily become blinded by rage, and a large part of the reason this didn't happen was Zuko's accompaniment.

Zuko vocally acknowledges the injustice of Katara's situation. This helps to affirm Katara that what happened to her wasn't her fault and that her anger is justified.

His presence keeps Katara from isolation

He takes care of all technical responsibilities concerning the trip(packing, planning, locating the place, flying Appa, getting the right information and pulling his weight in combat). This is important because it relieves Katara of all responsibility, thus allowing her to focus on herself, how she feels and what she'll do once she gets there.

He checks on her and looks after her well-being when she forgets/ignores it(Telling her to get some sleep and checking to see if she still wants to do this by asking if she's ready)

He provides a listening and attentive ear when she narrates the tragedy. This allows her to air out the memory, get it off her chest and process it better.

He makes a sympathetic and comforting remark about her mother. ("Your mother was a brave woman")

He backs her up physically and is protective of her without her being portrayed as a damsel in distress.

He shows anger, intimidation and a menacing attitude towards the man who they thought killed her mother, he accuses him of doing a horrible thing and shoves the reality of the crime in his face.

Zuko: You don't remember her? You will soon, trust me.

Zuko glaring at the captain of the Southern Raiders

Zuko: [Bending down closer to the commander.] Don't lie! You look her in the eye and you tell me you don't remember what you did.

This is especially important for Katara to see. When someone defends you and shows passionate anger towards someone who has deeply hurt and wronged you, this validates the way you feel, it lets you know you're not crazy or ridiculous for feeling the way you feel, it lets you know that you're seen, understood, supported and not to blame for the way you feel.

He doesn't coerce her to spare Yon Rha. Katara being able to face the perpetrator, name his crime to his face, have all the power to kill him but choosing mercy based off of her own moral judgement and perception built true virtue within her. If she had spared him out of force or out of obedience to a human despite not wanting to, it would no longer be considered true virtue.

He took her to Ember Island, allowing her to be alone and reflect on the most emotional journey of her life.

He fills the others in on what happened thus, keeping her from being bombarded with questions.

Aang's Approach: Ethically Admirable But Psychologically Limited

Aang wanting Katara to forgive and not wanting her to kill are morally sound ideals and are consistent with his air nomadic view of inner peace and pacificism and it's good that he eventually conceded to let Katara go. His main issue however is how he approaches the situation. Aang prioritized correction and moralization over accompaniment.

Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish? Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet. Aang: The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself. Aang: Katara, you do have a choice: forgiveness.

This approach, while well meaning, is psychologically ineffective. Trying to do correction(though still very important) before the emotional work of validation, comfort and sympathy serves the effect of coming across as insensitive and uncaring and leads to hardening the heart to guidance rather than softening it.

Going on a quiet trip for days with a companion who spends the whole trip being supportive, looking after your well-being, taking care of all technical responsibilities, providing a listening ear, providing sympathy and validating your justified feelings is far more conducive to remaining grounded, unblinded by rage and having a clear enough mental space to make the right choice.

Even with Aang's instruction, if Katara had gone alone to face Yon Rha, her chances of killing him would've been much higher because she'd be isolated, unsupported, uncared for and have no one to talk to.

Mercy Without Coercion: Katara's Genuine virtue

In catholic and Aristotelian ethics,

virtue is not just doing the right thing, but becoming the kind of person who chooses the good willingly and knowingly.

Katara's decision to spare Yon Rha constitutes genuine virtue because she faces the evil head on, had all the power to kill him in his already pathetic state but chooses mercy because of her own internal convictions, moral judgements and assessments. If she had spared him because she was obeying someone else's moral authority, out of fear or any other external influence, it would no longer be genuine virtue but rather moral compliance(which isn't bad but not as valuable long-term).

Katara's achievement of genuine virtue ties back into accompaniment, because Zuko's accompaniment created the space for Katara to feel everything, think clearly and choose freely. Zuko may have believed that Yon Rha's justice should've come in the form of a death penalty but he didn't try to coerce or influence Katara into doing what he thought. The writing choice of having Zuko not be the one to convince Katara to spare Yon Rha, allowed all the credit for the decision to go to her, thus enabling the development of genuine virtue.

The Aftermath

The episode ends with Katara having no regrets in regards to anything about the trip, still morally conflicted about sparing Yon Rha, but smiling at, forgiving and hugging Zuko.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the episode doesn't present Zuko as a poor/toxic influence but rather uses him to demonstrate the importance of accompaniment in dealing with emotional trauma and allows Katara to achieve true virtue of her own agency without external coercion.

Analytical Note:

This essay draws on Catholic moral theology, Aristotelian virtue ethics, and contemporary trauma psychology in its analysis of character development and moral agency in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

[sproutingliliums]

What are some Zutara fanfics you like?

thank you for asking anon! rubbing my hands together and laughing diabolically rn. most of these fics are completed, but i have a few incomplete or ongoing ones listed at the bottom.

The Color of the Stars by bluenebulae this is my zutara bible... i have read this 3 times, and i think it's still my favorite zutara fic. it diverges from canon during the day of black sun. katara and zuko are both captured and thrown into prison and after breaking out together, they become reluctant allies and travel the world in search of the gaang while also trying to warn the other nations about ozai's plans.

they call you refugee by akaiiko

an arranged marriage alternate universe where when zuko is banished, he leaves the fire nation with—actually, the summary does a pretty good job of explaining it: "Zuko goes into exile with a scar, a mission, and a wife." i think i cried the first time i read this.

refraction by caroes3725

this one's my post-war zutara bible. it is maybe the post-war swt ambassador/politician katara slow burn of all time. it is 200k+ words and it's all worth it, i promise! i prommy!!! read it now!!!! <- this along with The Color of the Stars are maybe my favorite zutara longfics. period.

Mending Wounds by FictionIsSocialInquiry

canon divergent fic where katara sees visions of zuko in the foggy swamp. except in these visions he is older, the fire lord, her husband, and he is gentle and loving, and katara feels sick to her stomach! one of my favs!!!!

lost and found by Smediterranea

hakoda discovers a young zuko, injured, and takes him in. beautiful alternate universe fic where zuko grows up in the southern water tribe with sokka and katara.

The Things We Hide by Lykegenia

katara is held in the fire nation as a political prisoner following the southern water tribe's defeat after an assault launched by fire lord ozai during sozin's comet. the swt, however, will not go down with a fight. love, love, love this one! it has painted lady katara, blue spirit zuko, a sweet romance, political intrigue, and betrayal!!! it's a fun time. also i love hama's inclusion in this :)

The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama

during the day of black sun, iroh takes matters into his own hands and becomes fire lord. shortly after, a marriage is arranged between zuko and katara in order to secure the peace. it's a beautiful arranged marriage au where everyone is so perfectly in character. i really think this fic is one of the best zutara fics out there with a natural and rewarding slow burn romance. and azula is there and she's perfect.

Smoke & Mirrors by sansonnets

blutara bible!!!!!!! that's all i got... blutara go CRAZYYY

so i can die where i met you by irridescence

canon compliant. zuko and katara, eighty years later. the fic is centered around major character death(s), so don't read if you can't handle it but i was sobbing like a fucking baby by the end of it. such a beautiful gorgeous fic that will haunt me forever.

if you don't mind incomplete or ongoing fics:

But Who's Counting? by halfhoursonearth

katara thinks zuko's going to need at least 100 healing sessions after the agni kai. lovely prose and characterization and it's so tender and sweet. just read it!!!

so let us melt, and make no noise by LittleLostStar

zuko is sent on a mission to bring back the heart of the last waterbender so he can restore his honor and return home. but when he nearly dies while in the south pole, a healer named katara saves him and nurses him back to health. (the author describes this as a kinda-sorta frozen AU, and i think it's a pretty good description haha). it's an incredible AU with so much mystery and intrigue and tension!

forgetting is a kind of mercy by nerdylizj

"Five years after Katara and Zuko go missing in Ba Sing Se, Kya and Lee are found living peacefully in the Earth Kingdom countryside." finally, i gotta plug liz's silly n goofy dai li brainwashing fic. it's so good. so painfully angsty. it's about the pain of remembering and about making hard choices and identity and parenthood!!!

[cyborb]

look into a nearby lake and you might find a weird creature or two in there

[fromevertonow]

This YouTube comment has been on my mind since I finished SOTR so this is what I came up with:

Lucy Gray was the mockingbird, living on the outskirts of district 12 and was there at the wrong time when they were forced to stay there after the Dark Days. They were subjected to the Capitol’s politics despite not being a part of Panem, technically speaking. Lucy Gray became part of the Games and, likewise, the mockingbird became affiliated with the Capitol through the jabberjay’s release into the woods, but it still continued to sing its own song.

Haymitch was the jabberjay, a Capitol tool that did what it had to in order to survive. The Capitol thought they could control them, but they retaliated in the form of rebellion. Haymitch refused to be a piece in their game and tried to end it, and the jabberjay, in the eyes of the Capitol, created a freak of nature that showed the Capitol’s lack of complete control.

Katniss was the mockingjay, a slap in the face of the Capitol, something that was never meant to exist. Together, the song of the mockingbird that lived on for generations and the stubbornness of the jabberjay that refused to die, the mockingjay had the best of both worlds. It was a symbol of rebellion and unity.

[justafewberries]

love the symbolism of haymitch's outfit in the parade scene. he loses his "cheesy imitation coal miner hat in the accident and, rid of the headgear, our outfits become merely neutral, black and forgettable." (SOTR, 79).

he's wearing the uniform of his district, a coal miner, someone sent to the deepest parts of the earth day after day, working for scrip, not even real money, facing the highest, "most brutal" person in panem with a dead girl in his arms forcing him to confront that he did this.

how he's not haymitch- rather he's every coal miner in district 12, every person who has lost a child to the games, to starvation, to the oppression of snow's regime. he is not haymitch. he is panem.

[sketch-cat]

Haymitch and his ducklings

[arthdoesart]

Haymitch:...is this a prank?

Plutarch: Oh, of course! The camera's right there!

[shantechni]

I think an awful lot about Splinter believing in the start of the series that he'd lost his humanity.

For the sake of someone named Pete, I will go through the events in chronological order for once-

In Lone Rat and Cubs, Splinter tells the turtles about their time spent running from the Kraang before they found their forever home, and we learn that Splinter didn't easily slip into his new role. Sure, he cared for the turtles, kept them fed and sheltered them from the elements, but he still called them "creatures" and "turtles" before naming them. He didn't see this as an opportunistic situation where he miraculously became a father to a second batch of kids, but rather that he'd fallen into a pool of misfortune and would need to live with this new form while protecting himself and the turtles.

"What terrible deed did I do in a past life that such a curse has befallen me?"

As he considers the turtles' growth and the possibility of a future with them, he then begins to view himself as a potential father. He explains that he wondered if he had the discipline to be a proper father, especially after the loss of his first family, and he realizes it was something he wanted to be regardless of discipline or odd circumstances.

And so, he claims the turtles as his own, and accepts his role as their father.

Though he'd grown accustomed to being a mutant rat over the years, he still draws a line between "Hamato Yoshi" and "Splinter" without knowing it, albeit a blurry and ephemeral one drawn in ever changing sand.

We hear Splinter in the second episode of the series talking about the loss of his family, his home, and his own name. He more or less tells Leo that being mutated erased whatever connection he formally had to the name "Hamato," and the idea is further supported by a similar and more somber scene in I, Monster. Splinter fights off the Rat King's control as he again laments that his entire clan and family, even his humanity, is gone, and he has nothing but the turtles left for him in this new life. Fortunately, he retains his sense of self post mutation, and he's presented from the beginning of the series as one who's in control of himself, both to his sons and friends of theirs, as well as any enemy that comes their way.

However, that presentation of control gives us a bit of a look into his psyche and allows us to consider the idea of him still struggling to come to terms with not being human anymore.

With the introduction of the Rat King, he's taunted by a potential loss of that control for the first time and it shakes him to his core. It makes sense for him to be shaken up since all that'd be left without him is a mindless, humanoid rat who'd lost touch with the human it used to be. Which is why it's so compelling that his sons, particularly Leo, are so adamant about reinforcing the fact that his mutation doesn't erase who he is. It's incredibly noteworthy what Leo says to him when trying to break the Rat King's control over him, "Remember who you are!"

Not who he once was, or the human he used to be, but who he is.

They never viewed Splinter as a separate being from Hamato Yoshi.

The boys aren't strangers to Splinter's old life before them, and they're very much aware of everything he'd lost; the guy talks about certain things frequently enough for them to know his tragedies and recite them without skipping a letter. It's his recollections of the tribulations he suffered through that helped them understand that his life with them is undeniably disconnected from his life with Tang Shen, but not unrelated.

He's still Hamato Yoshi, and his place will always be with his family.

Having been defeated by Splinter, the Rat King runs to find another way of tormenting him, and his perfect target is fear.

Though we got a brief look into this during their first encounter with Falco's twisted appearance, it's not until Of Rats and Men that we get further insight into another layer of Splinter's concern with his rat half: the repercussions that could result from the loss of control.

Throughout all of his years of raising his sons, not once did he ever treat them with the intention to frighten them and make them wary of his every move. The Rat King can easily use that fear to his advantage and weaken Splinter's mental stability enough to figure out how to make mutants similar to him. And he truly makes use of that fear by turning Splinter into his personal puppet.

There's still a considerable amount of concern on the turtles' end that pierces through that fear though. After Splinter teleports across the room to distance himself, Leo looked ready to leap to his side, and the others, despite being threatened literal seconds earlier, remain where they are and are equally concerned.

Eventually, the Rat King strikes again and everyone begins to piece together what's going on when Splinter loses it. Mikey is absolutely terrified and staggered by what happened, and Raph and Donnie tread with caution while Leo and April are the first ones to approach Splinter.

The TV gives them extra confirmation that Falco is back, and to everyone's surprise, Splinter refuses to help them fight Falco, even when Casey is dragged down a manhole by one of the mutated rats in their first attempt to clear the streets. It's not an easy choice for Splinter to make because we see how guilty he feels for his refusal, but the gang doesn't fault him for refusing either. No matter how much they want for Splinter to join them, he's right to worry about what the Rat King, now stronger than before, could force him to do.

April speaks for everyone though when she tells him they all believe in him. They make it known that they aren't afraid of what may happen, and they especially aren't afraid of him.

Unsurprisingly, Splinter changes his mind at the last minute, and, with the help of a recently mutated cat, he chases Falco down to deal with him once and for all. Protecting his family takes priority over his doubts, and by the end of the episode, he overcomes his fear of the Rat King controlling him.

He has his humanity, and that's what makes him different from the rat Falco constantly made him out to be.

And for the first time in the series, in The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman, he says out loud that he has his humanity and is thankful he's fortunate enough to still have it when others lose it post mutation.

I previously went a bit more in depth about it in this post but the boys have witnessed Splinter grappling with being a rat, particularly with the Rat King's meddling, and Donnie sincerely believed giving him retromutagen would be something he'd want. This was clearly an idea that's been weighing on Donnie's mind for a while considering that he seemingly kept quiet about his plan until he completed the retromutagen, and he's the most upset when he has to use the remaining dosage for Kirby.

But Splinter tells him and the other turtles he's content as he is and wouldn't do anything to change himself this far in. And the boys all seem content with his answer.

With the invasion of the Kraang and his defeat at the hands of the Shredder, Splinter again comes face to face with his mutated genes, and there's no Rat King stringing him along this time. He'd been swallowed by delirium with the lack of familial support to pull him out of it, and he became spiritually disconnected from his body as a result. The gang is initially caught off guard by Splinter's state, but they quickly get over it and work to subdue him.

While the boys are pulled away into battle, April uses her powers to sift through Splinter's memories and, after showing him the time he asked her to train with him, we see a memory with the turtles, Karai, and his only family portrait from before his mutation:

Seeing his family is what manages to bring him back to his senses.

We the audience, as well as Splinter, figured that was the end of his troubles with being a mutant rat, but Shredder decided to bathe in some super juice and sent Splinter careening a thousand feet into a dark cavern, the same one Splinter sent Falco down two seasons ago. Being thrown into near total darkness with a fairly debilitating injury and fever was the perfect recipe for him to begin hallucinating, and he believes the Rat King is attacking him when he's most vulnerable. But just when he feels himself slipping further away, his mind goes straight to the day his sons celebrated their 15th mutation day, and just beyond them is Tang Shen.

He regains his clarity, grasps that Falco's been dead the whole time, and is immensely relieved to see Donnie and Mikey after what he'd been through.

"Perhaps a teacher, but never my master."

Falco inadvertently taught Splinter that he's always had his humanity, and his family serves as a reminder of that fact by remaining a constant and significant pillar for him.

His family is his humanity.

[turtleshalfshell]

Fans: 12 Leo is too serious all the time wish he would loosen up

12 Leo:

...Yeah...

And only this is just a small handful of this "serious" 12 Leonardo

[forgetful-nerd]

The three ways of characterizing 2012 Leo:

Whenever I open up a fanfic, I always anticipate that 2012 Leo will be portrayed as one of these three and I am rarely disappointed!

[jnxxvii]

Yes, I agree Quaritch is a well written character that has depth and that he has potential for redemption through Spider, but you could never make me like Quaritch. Because at the end of the day, he’s still directly responsible for the Omatikaya losing their home and being forced into war. He’s brought the Sully’s and other Na’vi nothing but pain and suffering, he’s part of the chain of events that led to Neteyam’s death, he’s a maga colonizer, etc. And yes you can argue that the Avatar Quaritch is not the same as human Quaritch and that he just has his memories, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s done what he’s done and is continuing to do it.

So once again, yes he’s a well written character, but they could never make me like you Quaritch.

[kireywa]

that’s exactly how i feel and why i was so bothered by the whole “redemption” talk in afaa. i do not want him to be redeemed and it feels so pointless to do so. even if avatar quaritch is different, it’s pretty clear he share very similar ideals from his human form.

[jnxxvii]

I feel the same way. It feels wrong for Quaritch to be redeemed because it's like people are forgetting everything that he’s done just because he loves Spider. Him loving Spider and wanting to keep him safe doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s still the reason the Na’vi and the Sully’s are suffering. Rather than focusing on his redemption (which honestly doesn’t mean much to me) I’d much rather the focus be on the Sully family and other native Na’vi.

[kireywa]

exactly this!!! god i’d take quaritch being a villain throughout the entire next two movies if that meant no redemption for him 😭 although i wish the next movies focused more on the na’vi, i’m kinda sick of humans and quaritch

[jnxxvii]

Samee, I would be content with Quaritch continuing to be a villain in A4 & 5. I just want more focus on the Na’vi and Sully’s. It’s all I ask for.

[jnxxvii]

Tags so accurate they needed their own post.

[of-pandora]

Like, I see where they’re going with it in that it absolutely has everything to do with him not technically being that same guy anymore. I get that. But I still don’t like it.

It feels like the narrative is asking us to forgive and have sympathy for a character who has done nothing to atone for his actions simply because the one positive trait he has (loyalty, which has been present since the first movie has he is a ‘man of his word’ who ‘takes care of his own’) has manifested in him being a loving father. Him being a loving father is not a new trait, it’s his loyalty in a different font. I really like that about the way characters are written in Avatar — all of their traits are interconnected and make sense to form a whole, rather than just being a bunch of disconnected personality traits stacked onto a character.

Anyway, back to the point; this is not enough reason to forgive him or have sympathy for him, because it has not altered his worldview in any meaningful way (which again, is consistent to his character and I appreciate that) nor has it led to him taking any action to atone for the things he did when he was human or the things he’s doing now.

Because even if he wasn’t still doing these things, which he is, he still would have to atone for what he did in his previous life even if it technically wasn’t him who did it. Why? Because Spider has had to atone for that. Spider has carried the weight of what his father did, despite not being the one to do it, so the Recom who actually WAS the one who did it once should have to as well. But none of that even matters because Recom Quaritch DOES do exactly what human Quaritch did.

But then that bares the question: what can you do to atone for the colonisation of an entire moon? The displacement of a whole clan of people, severing them from their spirituality as well as their home, and slaughtering members of their families? Not to mention the fact that this had taken place over decades, not just what was shown in A1. Friendly reminder that Neytiri had a sister.

The other thing is, his love for Spider does not actually make him a good father, so the extent to which this is a genuinely redeeming quality is also debatable even if we divorce the idea of his redemption from the actual actions that need redeeming. Because he’s kidnapped Spider… twice? Threatened him more than that. He may have intervened when Spider was tortured in ATWOW, but he let Varang force tsaheylu in AFAA, which is also a form of torture. But above all of that, Quaritch is actively trying to destroy everything that Spider loves and all the people and places he associates with the concept of ‘home’. Spider should not forgive him easily for that. Jake, who is supposed to be on the side of the Na’vi, should not forgive him for that.

We KNOW that Quaritch has ZERO plans to atone for any of his actions because he will not even face Neytiri.

Redemption arcs have to be earned. Quaritch hasn’t earned it. I don’t know if he ever can.

I honestly worry for where the series is headed in general? I’ve heard they’re focusing on Earth more in A4 and A5. I don’t want Quaritch redemption and I’m a bit scared about the direction of the Spiri relationship. We’ll see

[jnxxvii]

I genuinely couldn't have said it any better. Especially the point about Spider. Loving someone does not automatically make you a good parent, and Quaritch is the perfect example of that. His feelings for Spider are real, sure, but they're still filtered entirely through his own priorities and worldview. Kidnapping him, threatening him, enabling his torture, and actively destroying everything Spider understands as home, like you said, fundamentally cancels out the idea that this love is redeeming. At best, it makes Quaritch emotionally complex, it doesn't make him safe or deserving of forgiveness. A parent who "loves" their child while harming everything that child values isn't doing something noble.

And I completely agree that Quaritch hasn't earned a redemption. Nothing about his internal conflict has translated into accountability. The narrative flirting with sympathy without demanding consequence feels unearned, especially when characters like Spider are forced to shoulder guilt and responsibility for crimes they didn't commit, while the person who actually did commit then refuses to even face the people he destroyed. And as you said, when the scale of harm is colonization, cultural annihilation, and generational trauma, the bar for redemption isn't just high, it might genuinely be unreachable. Complexity is great, but forgiveness without accountability is not, and I really hope the series doesn't confuse the two.

[lightsofpandora]

"dead man memories."

"you are free and there is a world out there. there are things that those suits will never understand. the na'vi called it "kame" (to see). see this world. see yourself."

to be honest, this was one of the best scenes and lines in the movie.

[tenebrius-excellium]

The way the outside noise quieted down to humming, absolute silence when Quaritch closed the door, and the way Jake switched to Na'vi knowing Quaritch was able to understand and reply to everything

The way Jake was more free in that glass box than Quaritch was at his moment of greatest triumph and revenge

"I'll see you at 06:00" may have been the perfect villain's response but it was Quaritch fighting for composure, clinging to the last straw of his dwindling willpower to save face and you cannot tell me otherwise. He's already a thinking, changing man, just too proud to admit it, which his finale supports.

[beaniebea]

Get frickin snuggled, idiot

[forgetful-nerd]

Hmmmmm……scar twins? Mayhaps?

[aniutqa-avatar]

An arrow struck a wounded place

Fun things, just my thoughts 🤔

Quaritch was shot in the arm by Spider, and later, when trying to rescue him, he was unable to lift him, symbolizing his ineffectual attempts to connect with his son, which manifest in twisted, flawed treatment even when he has good intentions.

Neytiri was shot in the back by Varang (who channels grief in a destructive way) in the same spot as Neteyam, mirroring son’s wound, which symbolically represents her wounded heart after his death.

Jake was shot in the leg by Ash warrior, which can be seen as a symbol of his past disability and a current weakness fueled by his past. May also allude to the biblical story of Jacob, who was left with a damaged leg after wrestling with God for a blessing.

As someone previously noted, everyone was shot on their dominant side: Quaritch and Jake are right-handed, while Neytiri is left-handed.

All of these shootings happened before the character’s inner healing, or, in Quaritch’s case, before giving himself time for it by escaping death at Neytiri’s hands.

What do you think?

[nattikay]

Excellent observations!

Something that I also think is significant with Neytiri's is that it happens early enough in the movie to show her slow healing process by means of drawing a bow (something that ties into her character and heritage). She tries again and again as her wound heals, but despite slow improvements, still fails and grows frustrated several times over.

And the first time since the injury that she's finally healed enough to fully draw the bow?

It's when Lo'ak repairs and returns Eytukan's bow to her.

Those scenes of Neytiri trying and failing to draw the bow are not merely about showing her physical healing, they are absolutely symbolic of her emotional healing as well.

I also think it's interesting that you draw a parallel between Jake and the biblical Jacob, because not only is there the obvious fact that they share a name, but you know what else the biblical Jacob is known for? Taking his brother's birthright.

And why did Jake ever even come to Pandora in the first place?

OH YEAH....

[aniutqa-avatar]

Yes! Regarding Jake, for some time now I’ve had certain thoughts about him in relation to the story of the biblical Jacob.

Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the younger brother of Esau - his twin(!). He was born second, holding his brother by the heel. From a young age he was a schemer. He worked for years for his uncle Laban, was deceived (karma came back faster than he expected), married Leah and Rachel, amassed wealth and had twelve sons, from whom the twelve tribes of Israel would arise. Before returning home, he feared meeting Esau. At night he wrestled with a mysterious figure (God/an angel). He lost after a blow to the hip, but did not let go (and became lame). He received a new name: Israel. The meeting with Esau ended peacefully. Without bloodshed. Jacob lived to old age, died in Egypt, and was mourned by his sons. From a schemer he grew into the patriarch of a nation.

I read somewhere that the main character was originally supposed to be named Josh, but in the end he became Jacob, which was probably a deliberate choice by Jim, to select an important biblical name.

Jake had a twin brother. I think the brother was the firstborn (I don’t know this for sure), because his son Lo’ak is the most similar to him of all the children, both physically and in character, and Lo’ak is his second son. Based on this, I infer that Jake must have been born as second one. Interestingly, his brother Tom bears the name of one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles: Thomas, he was the doubter – well, Tommy was a scientist!

Taking the birthright from his brother. Jake doesn’t do this intentionally, rather, fate gives him such an opportunity, but yes, it happens. Through his death, Tom marked out Jake’s path in life as the firstborn, as the more capable one (as a scientist), he was the one meant to go to Pandora. Jake probably had to scheme more in his life to get anywhere. This may also explain why he became a soldier – he wanted to act, to do something, in combat you have to be resourceful to win. But Jake also had a clear head, he knew what mattered, so fighting on the front lines he had a reason to fight in the name of higher values, such as freedom. Eywa sees his strong heart, just as God sees Jacob’s resourcefulness and cleverness.

As for his disability (in the context of Jacob's wrestling with God), I don’t know the canon, but I like to imagine that it happened at a key moment in his life, he had to become a war veteran in order to have the chance to go to Pandora. One of his motivations for agreeing was the desire to stand on his own legs again. Perhaps if he had been a fully able-bodied soldier, he wouldn’t have wanted to set off for an unknown world, but as it was, he had nothing left to lose. For devoting himself to a higher cause, Eywa rewards him with a new life, permanently in a new, fully functional avatar's body. She also rewards him with a fierce wife and a family – he received something he had always wanted to fight for, and in the films you can see how important it is to him.

Like the biblical Jacob, Jake receives a new name – Toruk Makto, by which he is known among the Na’vi. One could say that from a schemer, which he was on Earth, he became someone great, a legendary leader who leads peoples to victory. Interestingly, he is the sixth Toruk Makto, and the number 6 is the number of human in the Bible (on the sixth day God created human), and Jake is the first human to become Toruk Makto in Na'vi history!

Jacob was the founder of the 12 tribes of Israel – Jake’s children, as the children of Toruk Makto, are exceptional for the offspring of a “sky man”. Neteyam grew into a valiant warrior, faithful to his mother’s traditions. Lo’ak is interested in human weapons, is the most similar to his father, and shows promise as a great future leader. Kiri (even though she is adopted) has an extraordinary relationship with Eywa. Tuk, she is still too young to assess, but it seems to me she will become a fierce warrior like Neytiri, she is very brave for her age. Jake and Neytiri’s children constitute the beginning of a new generation of exceptional individuals in the world of the Na’vi, like precursors of the twelve tribes of the great biblical chosen nation. I find it very fascinating that Jake’s family is particularly chosen in the eyes of Eywa – we know how protected Jake is by her.

Jake’s story as a fictional character is very fascinating to me.

[nattikay]

As to your point about Jacob being a schemer: y'know, I don't think that Jake would necessarily have had to be a "schemer" on Earth for this parallel to apply (I mean, maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, hard to say).

Because what was his initial motivation for integrating into the Omatikaya?

To spy for Quaritch.

He went from someone who was willing to help Quaritch screw over the Na'vi, to slowly opening his eyes and realizing oh yo wait holdup this place is special and worth protecting actually, what Quaritch is doing is wrong over the course of the first movie, and ultimately coming out the other side as Toruk Makto.

Interesting interesting indeed... 👀