When people think of Avatar: The Last Airbender, two people tend to come to mind pretty quickly. The first person is Aang, of course, since he’s the Avatar. You follow his journey to save the world throughout the series, and watch his falls and triumphs within that span of time. The second person people tend to think of is Zuko, the (initially) proverbial, moody antagonist. We watch Zuko’s rises and falls as well, as he changes from the beginning of the series to the end. Both of these characters are similar in this way, as they both grow up in their own, respective ways. It really is a testament to the quality of the series on how human these characters are throughout the series and how they grow as people from the children they started out as.
There are, however, some things that only Zuko can do that Aang can never hope to do. A lot of it has to do with firebending as well as, you know, being in line for the Fire Lord position and dealing with some absolutely scathing physical and emotional abuse. But our Zuko triumphs in his own way, in a way that Aang can’t because they are just too different. This list is about those differences, and what Zuko can do uniquely. Here are 15 things that Prince Zuko can do that Aang can not do. Spoilers, obviously (its been over 10 years, seriously, catch up).
15 Zuko Is Skilled With Broad And Dual Swords
When this particular skill of Zuko’s comes up in the series, it comes as a huge surprise to everyone (aside from his family) in the series, and it is hilarious when they find out. Firebending AND good with swords? He’s got it going on, clearly! This skill is especially helpful when Zuko disguises himself as the Blue Spirit, and can not use his firebending so as to not reveal himself. In this alter ego, he uses dual swords as a method of going after and taking down the Avatar during his pursuit of regaining his honor. It’s good to see that Zuko isn’t a one trick pony with just firebending up his sleeve.
14 He Doesn’t Need Broadswords Or Firebending To Kick Butt
I mean, broadswords and firebending is great and all, but you aren’t always going to be within reach of a dual sword, and you might be at the mercy of a solar eclipse. Zuko is one of those benders that does not need to completely rely on his bending to fight. He is very acrobatic and strong, able to break through iron shackles with a single kick. Additionally, it says a lot when the Firelord refuses to fight you even when both of you can’t firebend. He scared. So scared. This is also another skill that benefits him as the Blue Spirit, as he needs to be able to take on the Avatar. Again, Zuko’s got it going on.
13 He Can Be Stealthy As Needed
Stealth plays a big part in much of the progression of the series. Aang does have his stealthy moments, but overall tends to be a bit louder. Zuko has a natural ability for this, and it is demonstrated pretty explicitly during the episode “The Southern Raiders” in which he and Katara stalked and cornered the former commander of the eponymous Raiders in his home village without revealing themselves. This is yet another skill that benefits Zuko as the Blue Spirit, since he has to, ya know, be sneaky to get to the Avatar. Much of the skills here involve the goal of capturing the Avatar, up until Zuko’s righteous redemption arc.
12 Zuko Is A Musician! Sort Of.
This isn’t something touched on too much in the series and may seem minor, but is an interesting note nonetheless. Zuko is a gifted tsungi horn player, although it is clear that it is not his favorite instrument (he actually blatantly says it at one point). He learned it growing up in the palace along with all of his other academic studies. In relation to this skill, Zuko initially was not academically inclined. Once Iroh showed up in his life and gave his good, positive reinforcement and support as a father figure, he improved dramatically as a person in terms of academics and strategic skill. This includes the skill on the tsungi. They do say people who play instruments tend to do well in academics, after all!
11 Dealing With Crazy Sister Rivalry
If you have siblings - older or younger- you understand the sibling struggle. Whether it is over the remote or the last breadstick, there tends to always be a point of contention between siblings. Zuko’s rivalry with his sister, Azula, takes this point of contention to a whole new level! Mainly due to Aang’s lack of siblings (and fellow airbenders at this point in the series). Zuko has to deal with Azula. They were close when they were younger, but as they got older Azula got more… unhinged is the word I’m looking for? She is very powerful, but thankfully Zuko is able to hold his own against her. He does not just rely on firebending or bending in general, which helps him out in the end.
10 He Gets Super Worked Up About Himself In A Play
Imagine, if you will, you are going to see a play. You are on the run from some pretty serious folks, and you are trying to keep a low profile. You think, “Of, this will be a good distraction.” The play starts. One of the actors is playing you in the play, and he is doing it aalllll wrong, and is taunting and making fun of you. If you get annoyed thinking about this, you have a pretty good idea of how Zuko felt seeing himself in a play. As he looks on while watching said play, he says, “They make me look stiff and humorless.” Katara looks on with a smug grin. Aang is depicted favorably. Need I say more?
9 Drops Some Sick Sarcasm On Team Avatar
During and after Zuko’s redemption arc (we’ll get to that, I promise), his personality takes on a more prickly yet playful aspect. A great way of him showing this is some of the fantastic one-liners he drops when he pairs up with Team Avatar. Seriously, there are some great one-liners that Zuko will drop while he is with Aang & Co. One of my personal favorites probably has to be, “If you really want it to feel like old times, I could, ah… chase you around a while and try to capture you.” One of the greatest things is he refers to his own screw-ups with his sarcasm.
8 He Stands Up To His Father’s Violence
When Aang was thrust into the role of the Avatar, instead of facing it, he runs away (and understandably so, as that is a lot to take in at once) and never gets to face it with his elders head on. Zuko, on the other hand, had to take his fathers abuse head on until he could no longer take it at all. One of the biggest signs of this abuse is the burn Zuko sports on his face after a failed fight with his father when Zuko questioned something in a meeting. This is a commendable action by Zuko, as this is one of the actions that set off Zuko’s redemption arc. He knows how his father treated him is wrong, and was not fair, and will not let his father tell him otherwise by the end of the series.
7 He Knows How To Sport A Nasty Scar
While Zuko looks pretty flipping cool with the signature burn scar on his face, the origins of it are not so pleasant. When Zuko was younger and was on his father’s council, he questioned a policy his father wanted to implement. You could say that Firelord Ozai did not… take it well. As a result, he challenged Zuko to a symbolic ritual firebending fight, where he would fight for his honor. Zuko assumed he would be fighting someone else, but ended up against his own father to his surprise. He gained the scar and his dishonor as a result. Aang, on the other hand, would look completely different and be completely different if he had a scar.
6 He Can Command An ARMY
At the beginning of the series, Zuko commands a small army while on the hunt for the Avatar, and while the army was mildly resentful, they still listened and obeyed the orders. It is up for debate whether Iroh’s presence made an influence on this (I’m willing to bet he was probably a big reason people listened, to be honest). But the fact that Zuko was able to have the conviction and determination to lead others on such an endeavor says a lot, and additionally with the amount of people he led. Aang is able to lead a small crew (Team Avatar), but I feel like he would crumple a little if he was suddenly thrust into the role of leading an army. Zuko has been practicing for this his whole life, hence he is more experienced.
5 He Is Able To Do Lightning Bending
This is a skill that very few firebenders can claim to be able to do. In case you don’t know, lightning bending is a subcategory of firebending in which you can manipulate, move, and use lightning throughout your body and throw at others. Its a particularly hard skill, and you have to be a very skilled and powerful firebender to be able to pull it off. Thankfully, Zuko happens to be just that. By the end of the series, when he is fighting against Azula, he is able to pull lightning bending out from his sleeve and bring his sister down. Even with the quick progress Aang makes with firebending, even he likely can never achieve lightning bending.
4 He Can Blend Various Bending Styles
We all know that Zuko is a very skilled and powerful firebender, and can do a lot of the basic kicks and punches of fire out of his legs and fists. But he can also do so much more. While Aang may be able to do this (and then some) by the end of the series, Zuko picked up on this much earlier on, which is what makes his a fantastic fire bender. There is an instance where he manipulates fire like water, which indicates his understanding and skill of bending as a whole. He watches and takes in how others bend their respective elements (Katara with her water bending, for instance) and sees how they move and work with the element. Then he tries to marry it with fire, and it can come out both beautiful and powerful.
3 He Is Willing To Fight And Die For What He Believes In
This veers a lot more towards a conversation Zuko had with Aang after the TV series and within the graphic novel series. In the graphic novel, Zuko becomes the Fire Lord and replaces Ozai after his ability to bend is taken away from him. When this happens, he talks to Aang and tells him that if he ever starts to become like Ozai, to kill him and to not look back. Aang is very alarmed and hesitant of this request, but does ultimately accept it and promises to kill Zuko if it came down to it. This shows how dedicated he is to his principles, but also shows his worry about becoming just like his father through his role as the Fire Lord.
2 He Becomes The Fire Lord And Brings Peace To The Nations
This particular role is unique to Zuko in the sense that he is in the direct lineage of Firelord Ozai, so he was meant to take on this role after Ozai’s death anyway. He ends up taking it on prematurely after fighting and taking down Ozai, and takes it on well. He pulls the Fire Nation out of other regions and seeks to unite the nations and create peaceful times after the turbulence of the last century. If it weren’t for Zuko’s own journey into redemption and learning about himself with his Uncle Iroh, he probably would have ended up being a much different Firelord, a much more chaotic one. Thankfully, he ends up being a peaceful one and continued to have a long, healthy friendship with Team Avatar afterwards.
1 He Has The Textbook Absolute Best Redemption Arc In Television
We all love a good comeback story, but no comeback story can ever quite compare to that of Zuko’s. He starts out as an angry, bitter young man in search of his honor through the capture of the Avatar. He is impatient and angry with those around him, but mostly with himself. As time goes on, and Zuko stays with Iroh and loses so much, he gains himself back. The funny, kind, and sassy part of himself rises, and his sense of justice comes back. He wants to do what is right, and knows what was done to him is wrong. But, he is also aware that what he has done is wrong, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. Overall, at the end of the series, Zuko is a mirrored, better version of the Zuko we see at the very beginning.
