zvtaras and fantaras want firelady k.atara to happen so badly when you literally have aang; liberating an entire school of fire nation students, gaining their love and trust, leading them by knowing several classic fire nation dances already, who knows what the heart of the fire nation was before it was polluted by a dictator, who challenged the false historical teachings of their instructor in class with humor and sincere grace, and who is the only one who knows the blue spirit, the true self of the fire nation’s new firelord and leader. like bruh zukaang is RIGHT THERE and it’s everything you want zvtara to be and/or pretend it is.
not to mention - aang is zuko’s partner (“you knew avatar aang better than anyone”, “lifelong best friends”) not prize. they are friends due to mutual trust. aang got zuko to bend and grow (and vice versa) because he was shamelessly who he is. he would never compromise who he is as the avatar and an air nomad.