Consider the chaos I unleashed, let me clarify some things I tried to adress with comparing the fire nation to Nazi Germany.
I am personally from the opinion that not a whole country is at fault for the actions of the government, especially in situations like a war were in they are the aggressors.
Cilvian children that didn't do shit I dont see as responsible ar all. But, for example, people that were children when the war started, I automatically dont see as responsible for starting the war, its something different if they grow up in the war, get to see what really is happening and still choose to stay loyal, clims the ranks and become a very high ranking officer that gives the orders to do those horrible things. What is a very different level of responsibility I see to someone that only stays a soldier out of loyalty because they have been influenced by the propaganda they have been a victim of since they are little but while being a soldier still trying to do as minimum harm as they can, even save enemies, while still being a soldier for a country. People that turn traitors to their country to protect others or give information to the enemy and stuff like I still see as responsible for what they did before that, but I also think that its clear (in some situations, some people only become turncoats when its obviously that they are in the loosing side) that they are trying to fix that and make things right. What I think sould be taken in consideration when you judge them. And for all of this I also think that age and the time they stayed loyal sould also be taken into account.
So, if it wasn't clear, Ozai and Azula both fall for me in the group of people that grew up with propaganda and after being confronted with the reality of war decided to go full in and tried to get a as high as possible positions as they could and still keep ordering those atrocities. In this situation I do consider Ozai as way way more responsible than Azula, because Ozai is, her dad and therefore way older and inpart responsible for indoctrinating her and Zuko, and with his position in mind he was responsible for everything. Azula was only 14 years old, what is something that also should be kept in mind when judging her, because thats really young, and a age you still try to please your parents. This doesn't make her innocence, but it is something that shouldn't be ignored like the fandom sometimes does.
Iron and Zuko fall under the turn traitor category. And here I also judge Iron more harsher than Zuko because of age and amount of time he staid loyal, and still attacking people with Zuko and not giving Zuko a reality check earlier. (What I don't think would have worked) and again, I am not saying it is making everything that they did right, but that they switched sides and, in Irons case spied on the firenation and fought agains the fire nation, and Zuko teaching the Avatar fire bending and fought on Aangs side should also not be forgotten when we are judging them. What I do see happen. And what I see people forgetting alot is that Iron was a genral before all this that also promoted it to his son and nephew and niece, and lead the attack on Ba sing se. That also shouldn't be forgotten.
So yeah, nuance, looking at the full picture, and not only at what a character did wrong but also to why they did it and what they did to make it right or if they even tried to make it right.
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