What are your favorite ATLA fics? I’m looking for recs 😁
I put far too much time into this. No regrets.
In this list I will try my best to highlight some works with lower hit counts, but there will be many popular fics too because they are good. Especially in the Zukka category - I have learned I need to read way more Zukka one shots (recs welcome).
I largely read what I write so this is mostly Zuko centric angst / whump / hurt comfort (perhaps I should branch out, hmm). Please read the tags - some of these stories are dark, including torture and non-con.
Also I have realized I have not commented on many of these (tsk-task), so I have some homework this week. If you read a rec from this list I implore you - comment on it! Feed those authors!
Okay, enough rambling, here we go —
Author Recs
I’d recommend just about anything they’ve written (I'll rec a few specific stories below too, but really, check out anything):
Sulkybender - Sulky writes Zukka fics that are incredibly emotional. Sometimes very dark, always very tender. But no matter how grim things get, his work is full of hope and insistent on the humanity of its subjects. The angstiest life affirming stuff you've ever read. That would be more than enough, but his stories are also creative as hell and artfull crafted -- not a word wasted, beautiful phrasing. And he writes the whole Gaang well? And he’s prolific as hell? How did we get so lucky? I cannot say enough nice things.
outpastthemoat - she has a lot of wonderful Zuko & Iroh stories. Still working my way through them!
Haicrescendo - sometimes I find a story I like, check their profile, and then read everything. I had the opposite experience with those author. One day I was looking through my bookmarks and realized “oh wow, I have so much from this author!” So there!
Lazy 8 - A very good whump writer. Their stories are emotional. The medical details are fairly accurate (or as accurate as you can get when some of the solutions are bending related). Lots of content - including a black out ATLA bad things happen bingo card!
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Zuko & Iroh Focus
One Shots
Fire Walk by Sholio
Ozai makes a deal, but he's not the one who will bear the cost of it.
This fic is a hidden gem (less than 3k views - how??). It’s short - 1.5k. But the writing is so tight and the ideas are so big that it feels like there’s more there. I want a season length version of this. If my fanfic writing career lasts long enough I will gratefully borrow this idea and make a long work of it, it is so good. Amazing Iroh fic, amazing Iroh & Zuko fic.
Armistace by outpastthemoat
Zuko smashes crystals with his fists until his knuckles are wet and ragged with shredded skin, then he slams his head against the jagged rocks over and over until his vision goes white, until blood trickles down his chin.
And Uncle never says a word to stop him.
After Zuko joins Azula in Crossroads of Destiny, Azula repays him by imprisoning him with Iroh, who has nothing to say to him for the first time ever. Lovely Zuko inner life fic. Amazing Iroh and Zuko conflict. Touching but ambiguous ending.
Home Has Never Been a Place for Me & What I Would Do For You by disgruntled_lesbian
this started as "what if instead of being the firelord zuko said fuck that and went back to ba sing se with iroh to be a tea boy" and turned into "iroh is sick of watching his nephew throw himself headlong into whatever he thinks his destiny is, and decides that some rest will do everyone some good."
[zuko recovering from being struck by literal lightning]
It’s two one shots, but less than 2k together. A sweet slice of life recovery story, with lots of Zuko & Iroh and a side of Sokka (tagged Zukka but… I’d say pre-Zukka).
One Day of Rain by WinterSky101
"Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"
Zuko and Iroh, at sea.
Well written. Nice display of Zuko caring for Iroh.
Let You Down by bookworm213
Still, they’d have much less here if Zuko hadn’t been skipping meals. He’d been giving nearly all the food to his uncle over the past few days, making up constant excuses along the way. That he had eaten earlier, or he wasn’t hungry. Anything to keep Iroh from catching onto the truth. And anyway, his injured uncle needed the food more than Zuko ever could.
[And deep down, there was the feeling that Zuko didn’t deserve it.]
A nice piece of Zuko angst as Iroh recovers from Azula’s attack.
Can You Hear Me Screaming (Please Don't Leave Me!) by AlwaysConfuzzled
Zuko was confused. He couldn’t understand what was going on.
Why was Uncle crying?
A very short by effective bit of whump. :*( the author has a lot of ATLA stories that I should probably read.
Drifting by outpastthemoat
Only a moment, Iroh consoles himself, only a single pearl on a string, ephemera. It will pass. He tries to focus on what Zuko needs, how to make Zuko comfortable, to distract himself from the engulfing chasm of fear that seizes him whenever he considers the possibility of losing Zuko the way he’d lost his wife and Lu Ten.
But then Iroh’s eye catches on the sprays of pale pink cherry blossoms that drift across Zuko’s hospital gown, the fabric faded and worn from use.
And he drifts.
Modern AU where Zuko has cancer and Iroh is very much struggling with the potential of losing him. For when you need to feel sad.
Multi Chapter
Fire Nation Yacht Club by Haicrescendo
Sokka knows three (3) things:
1. The caldera is on fire.
2. Ozai’s really, really dead (and so is his daughter).
3. The only one having a worse day is probably Zuko.
A very dark “Zuko never joined the Gaang” story, but I love it so. Very bleak, though it’s looking better at the end. The series is marked incomplete but the stories inside are. Hints of Zukka to come - maybe if the series ever continues! I also just adore the series title.
Between the Salt Water and the Sea Strand by Philosopher_King
"Iroh looked away when Ozai put a hand to his son’s face—but even as he did, he swore that he would never look away from Zuko again."
After the (so-called) Agni Kai, Iroh helps the palace doctors care for his grievously injured nephew, resolves to accompany Zuko into exile, and makes a bargain.
Iroh POV as Zuko recovers from the Agni Kai with medical realism, political maneuvers, and supernatural elements. What more can I ask for?
Pride is Not the Word by Haicrescendo
Iroh wasn’t prepared for another child, but the universe hasn’t ever cared about that.
A modern AU where Iroh hasn’t been in contact with his brother in a long time, when suddenly his nephew calls looking for help. Iroh immediately adopts him. Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal parts.
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Zukka Focused Stories
One Shots
Flicker by dragonbagel
Zuko hasn’t seen the sun in 27 days.
or: firebenders aren’t meant to be kept underground. zuko learns this lesson well.
Just a well done, short whump fic with Zukka flair and a little Aang.
The way we rust & And breathe Again by r_astra
Zuko doesn’t know how long he’s been in Ba Sing Se.
“Fight,” they say, and he fights.
“Eat,” they say, and he eats.
“Jump,” they say, and he asks: “How high?”
Some days, he just cries.
Zuko never hunts the Avatar because he & Iroh was captured by Long Feng a long ago. Goes Zukka in the second story. Heartbreaking. The writing it beautiful - not a wasted word.
look back, Eurydice by sulkybender
what if Orpheus and Eurydice, but Zukka?
It’s short read it for the pretty prose alone even if you aren’t into mythology retellings (with a twist)
Multi Chapter
wasn't my body rescued, wasn't it safe by sulkybender
“I think I need some time alone with my nephew,” Iroh says.
As they back away, Zuko buries his face in his hands.
Mpreg AU. Diverges around “The Chase.” I just love the way Zuko and Sokka especially are characterized in this one. Sokka is at turns noble, immature, charming, and the most annoying ham you’ve ever met. I love how teenage everyone is at times. The first half is delightfully lived in. The back half is high stakes and angsty. People make mistakes and make up for their mistakes. It’s just lovely.
Blue by bealeciphers
Iroh insists they create a new life and identity in Ba Sing Se. Zuko wants nothing more than to bide his time until his next opportunity to return home, until he realizes ‘Lee’ can get away with things Zuko never could.
Zuko dons the mantle of the Blue Spirit again only to lose his focus when the Avatar comes to the city. This time, however, his attention is drawn to the annoying Southern Tribe warrior.
This is the fic I have re-read the most. And I would have never imagined it would be for me, because I tend not to love “mistaken identity” stories, but it’s executed flawlessly. Every emotion is perfectly earned. The romance is thrilling and angsty and touching and sweet. And fun! The examination of Zuko & Iroh’s relationship is amazing and there are two scenes in particular that just the top. Sokka is written so, so well. His dialogue. Zuko obviously written very well, living in his head here is so moving. There writing is beautiful. There are descriptions in this fic that capture the fun of it being an animated show in ways I rarely see. Side characters are treated so well. And it has possibly the best terrible injury chapter I’ve ever read. I love it so much. Very popular and I would make it more popular if it could.
Will We Last the Night by CSHfic, VSfic
An enemies-to-lovers season 2 rewrite, where Sokka is separated from the gaang during the Siege of the North, and travels the Earth Kingdom with Zuko instead
Another very popular one and it should be, it’s great! A lovely season 2 re-write. The way their relationship builds is gorgeous.
These authors have written a lot of Zukka I should catch up on the stories myself!
eight seconds (before it all sinks in) by amberg93
Or Sokka finds out that he's not as healthy as he thinks he is and deals with the fallout.
A modern AU where Sokka suddenly becomes critically ill with cancer, upending everyone’s lives. Based on the author’s own concern journey. It can be a rough read at times, but worth it. Incredibly well done.
it's the illusion of separation by argentoswan
Sokka takes a job washing dishes at the new tea shop in town. It's a great gig, until he finds out his only coworker is his old high school bully. Sokka really should quit, but he also really needs to afford rent.
Also, Zuko is kind of hot now.
A very well done, romantic modern AU that is just so charming. The hype is well deserved. Author has lots of other work, but this is all I have read so far.
I used to invent love when necessary by sulkybender
After ten years of terrible mistakes, Zuko has one chance to redeem himself.
A story where Zuko joined the Gaang and betrayed them with horrific consequences. Now he has a chance at something like redemption, if there’s enough of him left to take it. I had a super fun experience reading this as the chapters released, speculating on what would come next like it was AsoiaF. It has a lot going on and it’s a lot of fun! Albeit bleak fun.
whatever returns from oblivion - by sulkybender
He should be dead, but he isn’t.
He died, but it didn’t stick.
Or: Zuko is very good at dying. The problem is everything else.
Zuko is a phoenix and he loses himself with each death. Sokka is in love with him and suffering. Another very fun, dark AU! The way canon events are weaved in works very well. And the conclusion is super interesting in a supernatural way. This was releasing at the same time as the above fic - that was a fun time!
sulkybender roundup - I could so many more but I am limiting myself to five:
to stare at heaven and not be destroyed - avatar Zuko, assassin Sokka
like petals on your skin - touch starved Zuko with spirit shenanigans
I live in a cage and I can take you there - Zuko torture recovery, amazingly sweet strange ending
sometimes you can’t stay on your own mainland - this one grew on me over time. Dragon Zuko.
the boy who burned, the boy who didn’t - a heartbreaking modern AU with a sweet ending
…and many more
Gen
One Shots
Roll with the Punches (and Let Your Hurts Heal) by Lazy8
On the way back from the Boiling Rock, Zuko is hiding something, not knowing how serious it actually is.
This is a wonderfully crafted whump fic with great emotional authenticity throughout. Sokka & Zuko (gen) focus with a great Katara POV as well. The ending is all feels.
Icarus, Point to the Sun by aeoleus
(or: Zuko is taken prisoner by Azula in the catacombs. Turns out, being kept miles away from the sun isn't so great for your bending.)
A popular one for good reason. It’s pure angst and done well. I could put this under Zuko & Iroh fics, but the gaang’s all here. A lovely heartbreak that works towards hope. It will make you feel.
Caged by beepbeepsan
Everything is going according to plan. He was thrown into the freezer, where he'll ready their escape vessel while Sokka prepares to break everyone out at the right time. Zuko can handle a little chill in the meantime. It won't be long.
Right?
Sokka & Zuko gen. Short whump done well.
Trust Falls by starsandspiders
After Zuko is struck by Azula's lightning, his injury is more serious than he lets on.
or: Zuko has a rather abrupt lesson in trusting others to take care of him.
Well read and it deserves it. Whump with warm fuzzies.
Frozen by Aris Merquoni (ArisTGD)
Zuko falls at the North Pole, and when he comes around he's not sure if he's more angry at the Avatar, his uncle, or himself. A story of emotional growth and tea with too much salt in it. AU from "The Siege of the North Part 2."
Another well read story that deserves it. A wonderful character story and the author gets 1000 pts for their use of Hahn.
Flowers for Zuko by spacemagic
In the aftermath of the Final Agni Kai, in that desperate space in between the comet and the coronation where the whole world is scrambling for breath, Zuko struggles to deal with what happened to his sister. Katara watches, holds his hand, and picks flowers.
Zuko and Katara gen fic is good stuff. Bonus points for the Azula struggles.
Multi Chapter
Thoughts of Reason, Thoughts of Treason by SlytherclawHomunculus
What is the difference between what you've been taught, and whats the truth? When the Avatar asked Zuko if he thinks they could have been friends, Zuko stops for a moment to think about it instead of blindly lashing out. He comes to some surprising(and haunting) revelations about himself and his nation.
There are many good “Zuko joins the Gaang in season one and they teach him to embrace his inner goodness stories” and this is one. He has a fever though a lot of it and I really like how the author treats it when he tips into a dream like state. This fix is very sweet, but with lots of angst and self discovery. I also especially like Zuko at the northern air temple.
Fight by Electrons
Zuko decides to fight Azula in the Crystal Catacombs. This sets of a sequence of events that leads to Zuko being Aang's tour guide through the Fire Nation. While together, the GAang and Zuko get to know each other better while learning about each other's cultures. Zuko and the GAang bond and become closer than any of them could have predicted, but that might not be enough to save them from the terrors waiting ahead.
I regret that is has been long enough since I read that that I can’t remember everything I loved. Good Gaang dynamic. Everyone gets a POV and it’s good. Wonderful world expansion with fire nation cultural norms and especially the expansion of the Painted Lady story. Creative healing abilities for all bending. And I remember Toph being especially touching in this one for some reason.
To Light a Fire Series by IcyPanther
Or: Canon-divergent AU where Zuko is disowned and made a slave.
Zuko is given to the General he spoke out against in the war meeting as a slave. By the time he encounters the Gaang again, he’s been through it. And he’s lost his firebending. The series is good whump, but the third story is my favorite.
Two Sides by Lazy8
A mere year after the end of the Hundred Year War, an assassination attempt leaves Zuko fighting for his life and his friends fighting to save him, but this time, his luck may have finally run out...
First story is a fight for Zuko’s life with all the medical bending you can possibly imagine. Second story deals with the aftermath. Everyone in the Gaang has great moments, especially Katara. Lots of emotional moments.
Mountains and Badgermolehills by Glass_Onion
After the Blue Spirit frees the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold, Admiral Zhao captures Prince Zuko under suspicion of treason. Isolated from his Uncle and his crew, Zuko has only one ally: the chatty prisoner one cell over.
This fic doesn’t need me to recommend it, but I will because it’s excellent. Deserves all the attention it gets. Sokka’s dialogue. All the conversations. Origami. And Zuko’s emotional conclusion = perfect.
Fuel to the Fire by talespin
Combustion Man never finds the Western Air Temple, and the Gaang goes ahead with the plan to capture Zuko and hold him prisoner so he can’t hurt anyone. Now Zuko has to convince them he’s on their side without having any proof he doesn’t want the Avatar dead anymore, and preferably before Katara decides to kill him.
… If only he weren’t so bad at being good.
The way the Gaang treats Zuko in this story is pretty horrific, and yet the author does the work to show us how we got there. Quite emotional. And it all works out in the end. Excellent use of minor characters handing out at the western air temple.
Leaves From the Vine by sokkasinstincts
Immediately after his Agni Kai with Azula, Zuko struggles to recover.
A fight for Zuko’s life with medical blood bending. Emotional, especially when Zuko arrives.
How to Disappear Completely by aeoleus
And Zuko wants to laugh, he does, because he’s twenty-one, and he's the guardian of a five-year-old sister he didn’t even know existed until his mother died in a car crash, and he's legally responsible for his nineteen-year-old sister who’s been admitted for almost a year of her short life, and rent is due, and his temp job doesn’t pay nearly enough, and he wishes he had someone to help, but he has no clue where Uncle is, and no other adult has ever cared enough to help, and he’s tired.
Zuko’s having a rough time in this modern AU with a sweet ending. Very nice Aang cameo.
illustrate the remnants of the life i used to live by Witchofendor
Zuko's soul marks have been regularly burned away since before he knew what they meant. He knows that he cannot be loyal to his father and his nation while also being loyal to a soul family, so he doesn't look for them. Unfortunately, that means that he doesn't know when he's found them.
It’s a very good Zuko & the Gaang story with angsty but remarkable insight into Zuko’s character. I know this author is well regarded and I need to check out more.
In Progress & Unfinished
Where Clouds Roll By by smaller
The mortal identity of the Moon Spirit wasn't the only secret Zhao found in that ancient library.
The Avatar had been Zuko's only chance to return home. Now, the Avatar may be Zuko's only chance to return to being human.
Zuko is transformed into a dragon and is suffering for it. Oh the feels. This story is long form at its finest. The scenes take their time and have incredible depth. Meticulous world building (and he shows his work in the author’s note - thanks for sharing). Excellent characterization of surviving Yue. Everyone is very well written, and they all have their own problems - it’s not just a Zuko story. That said, the Zuko & Iroh stuff is top notch. Zuko’s angst is so real. Most of the story so far takes place in the north - alt season 1 finale and its aftermath. We just got the earth kingdom! Azula looms at the margins. I’m excited.
Scar Tissue by GalaxyThreads
After Zhao’s failed siege, Zuko and Iroh are captured. A few weeks later, Ozai receives a ransom from the Northern Water Tribe signed in Zuko’s blood. Unfortunately for the Firelord, Zuko’s safety is all Azula cares about.
Sokka POV? Check. Zuko injured badly? Check. Strong Iroh appearance in one chapter? Check. It has things I love. It also has something I wasn’t expecting to love - the Azula of it all. She’s going through something. And she wants to save her brother. And Sokka caring about her is very touching. And her attitude is just perfect Azula.
feels like we only go backwards by oldpotatoe
An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage.
But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends.
Yeah, nah.
Deserves its popularity, it’s an incredibly emotional read. With political intrigue to boot. Very excited by the latest development.
If We Only Knew by Sreeder
Starting in season 1 - Aang, Katara and Sokka find Bato. They start sharing stories from their travels and Bato has a story he wants to share...
How Hakoda pulled the Fire Nation prince out of the ocean when he was 13.
Zuko is fresh into his banishment and he travels with Hakoda and his tribe for a year before returning to his Uncle.
The Gaang hears the story and they become conflicted with their opinions of Zuko. Time passes to that fateful day in Ba Sing Se when Katara is in the catacombs with Zuko. She uses the knowledge she learned about Zuko from Bato and she connects with him on a deeper level.
He makes a different choice because of it, which results in him joining the Gaang early.
The author is busy with their well loved Zukka work at the moment, but I hold out some hope that this gets finished. And that, when that happens, the author finds a way to stab Zuko at least twice more ;) But if not, I am grateful for the multiple stabbing incidents we already have.
In Case of Emergency by turtleduckzukka
Zuko arrives in Katara's emergency department with a severe stab wound from an all-too-familiar assailant. While he's trying to hold everyone together, Sokka unwittingly uncovers a part of his boyfriend's past that Zuko has been avoiding for almost a decade.
or, a modern hurtcomfort au with a side of Zukka and family reunions
I would say it’s more than a side of Zukka. The past he’s been avoiding is Iroh. I love medical whump, so this hits a lot of buttons for me. It’s also just a heartwarming story. Sokka’s trauma from his past Yue relationship is well done. I like the way the author pulls canon elements into the story. Wish I knew what happened in the last few chapters, but I suspect this is forever 7/10.
Harbors. by outpastthemoat
Iroh takes his nephew and flees.
The early days at sea after the Agni Kai, as Zuko makes himself sick and Iroh tries to manage the situation. Wish we could have seen the recovery, but I’ll take what we got!
winter solstice: an addendum by parsnipit
Zuko gets imprisoned with Sokka and Katara during the winter solstice, and some very unfortunate things come to light. Alternatively: the gaang kidnaps adopts Zuko in book one after discovering just how awful his father is.
Another lovely “Zuko joins the Gaang in season 1” AU. Tagged Zukka but I don’t remember it getting there. Lovely! Great character dynamics throughout. Zuko is dealing with a serious leg injury. Healer Katara before she has waterbending! I remember the Jet story and the Blue Spirit story being especially well adapted. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but oh well!
Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought
After that fateful Agni Kai, Ozai makes a different call. Branded as a traitor and banished to a prison camp, Zuko learns how cruel the Fire Nation can be to its citizens. Three years, a water tribe raid, and an unexpected meeting with a gang of over-enthusiastic idealistic children puts Zuko back in the spotlight. The revolution is coming and it wants another poster boy, but Zuko is not willing to lend his face to the cause.
It took me a while to decide to read this because it’s so long, but it actually make me literally cry at point. Physical tears. Because Zuko was so lonely and he’d been through so much.
