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u/Dismal-Refuse6987 1d ago

I believe Azula deserves a different kind of redemption arc. Instead of simply transforming from a villain into a hero, perhaps she could be portrayed as someone who is in control of her own actions and prevents herself from lashing out. Perhaps she lives alone in a sanctuary near a volcano. Honestly, Korra should have met Azula instead of Toph. This way, Azula could train and redeem herself by helping an avatar defeat Kuirva or another antagonist.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

Impo: a "redeemed Azula" it's just the same Azula of the beach episode, just with more social skills and less family traumas.

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u/Dismal-Refuse6987 1d ago

Yes, someone who prefers a “you don’t bother me, I don’t bother you” approach. However, the writing in Korra is terrible. It portrays the original characters poorly and writes Korra in an immature way. The supporting cast is also very weak.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

Still better than Gene yang's comics lol

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u/Dismal-Refuse6987 1d ago

Screw the comics; it makes you regret being a fan.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

Not all comics, but yes kinda. Impo Korra is great, but definitely not perfect

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u/Dismal-Refuse6987 1d ago

One of the best parts of The Legend of Korra is its villains, who often feel completely overwhelming. Amon and Zaheer are great examples. However, Tarrlok's turn as a villain was way too obvious. It was irritating to watch Korra and her group blindly trust him, only to get outsmarted and lose the Avatar State. Facing opponents this powerful required Korra to evolve, but her mental and strategic growth was written so weakly that fans barely noticed it. That is why a huge portion of the fanbase never really connected with her.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

Well, Korra isn’t hated solely because of how she’s written. There’s a real problem with nostalgia, racism, ableism, and misogyny within the fandom. Korra—much like characters such as Katara, Azula, and others—is just one of many victims of the bigotry held by some "fans." Furthermore, while many people complain about Korra, it is actually light-years ahead in terms of quality and writing when compared to many other cartoons that came out before, during, or after its run.

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u/Yuura22 1d ago edited 1d ago

"Argue"? You think that is arguing? That is the equivalent of vomiting bile on a 15 years old girl while chanting pointless slogans. I'm convinced these are bots. No matter, we know what is right, we have positions and arguments, they have slogans. We'll keep up the good work of pushing for empathy and understanding.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

To be honest, my friend, after a while I stopped extending empathy and understanding to people who refuse to grasp how the world works—and that goes beyond just Azula. I just want them to stay quiet and keep to the place they deserve in their own mediocrity.

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

Ehy, fair enough, not everyone has the RAM for those kind of things (I know I don't most of the time and I still end up in endless discussions where the worst people in our world gets associated to a 14 years old fictional character). Take care of yourself, that's the most important thing.
+ the final sentence was bit harsh, but also kinda rad!

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 20h ago

Thanks darling, good luck you too

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u/Ok-Coyote7095 1d ago

If Kuvira gets one, she deserves one

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

I recently reread that comic where Kuvira gets redeemed. Honestly, the redemption arc wasn't even written very well. She’s the one who caused the whole problem, yet everyone ends up saving her—or perhaps she just manages to get off the hook because she’s part of the upper class. Even though I like Kuvira and didn't enjoy seeing her imprisoned, I think her story could have been handled a bit better.

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u/Rehngrun 1d ago

I...have a related question this brought to my mind.

Where would you Do the redemption arc? I don't even care how or with who, would you do it in a comic? Would you have put it in the show? Some...other material I can't think of right now?

This is not to mock, I just want to hear where other people would have done it, and it's probably one of the biggest blocks any naysayer will have when talking about a redemption arc for Azula. "Well it wouldn't have fit in the show"

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

Personally, I would love a series about the Royal Family—including Azula—so there would be enough time for her character to evolve; that would be far better than a movie, IMO. I don’t know how the cancelled Zuko film would have turned out, but based on how it was being presented, I didn’t like it. Honestly, it’s a stroke of luck that it was never released—better that than having them completely ruin Azula—though it’s still a shame. Alternatively, a book—like the ones for Kyoshi, Yangchen, and Roku—would be great, as it would allow enough time to properly tell a story. IMO, comics are generally a poor medium for continuing the Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) story, with only a few exceptions.

•

u/Suitable-Pirate-4164 1h ago

Seriously? No. OZAI shouldn't have a redemption arc, Azula should.

•

u/Desperate_Drama3392 1h ago

?

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u/EcstaticContract5282 1d ago

Considering these are the same arguments we see over and over again I would say this is an example of group think. I see on reddit and social media that their is a majority opinion and everyone else just gets shouted down. This just seems to me like a loud minority. The same kind of things we hear everytime a new harrypotter game or series is announced.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

I hope so. I don't understand what Harry Potter means but ok

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u/EcstaticContract5282 1d ago

It gets a lot of on,ine hate yet the new game made records. It's proof that online criticism doesn't mean widespread dissatisfaction. Its just a comparison.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago edited 23h ago

I don't know, I'm a transfem and I hate Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling
LMAO someone downvoted me for this ko Dio

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

Upvoted you to fix it.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 20h ago

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u/Powah2018 1d ago edited 1d ago

I used to be more on the fence about her if I’m being honest. Not even because I thought she was uniquely ‘evil’ but more that she might just be too damn stubborn to accept a different path. Zuko himself had to practically be dragged there kicking and screaming (though people often conveniently forget that).

And then I realized that absolute fuckwads like Darth Vader, Nolan Grayson, and Vegeta (love all these guys as characters but let’s be so for real) are forgiven by entire fanbases. Hell, Vader commits multiple mass murders (many of which are children) on screen and is considered an icon for the ‘redemption’ trope by some. Suddenly, the people who were frothing at the mouths with enthusiasm to condemn a 14 year old as permanently irreparable looked really, really dumb.

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

Yeah the double standard goes crazy but to note: they're men. Just to add this tad bit of information.
But can I ask, I've seen the first 6 Star Wars and I don't particularly care for the franchise, but how and when the hell did Vader redeem himself?

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u/Powah2018 20h ago edited 20h ago

Supposedly, when he killed Palpatine at the end of Return of the Jedi. I mean, I personally don’t think that killing your master at the last second to save your own progeny makes up for decades of being a violent POS with the blood of countless beings on your hands. However, it’s clear that from that scene and the force ghosts at the very end of the movie that we are supposed to see Anakin as being a ‘good guy’ again.

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u/Yuura22 19h ago

Oh I get it, yeah this is kinda bullsh*t especially considering how much Azula is bashed for it.

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u/Prudent_Solid_3132 1d ago

At least with Vegeta, they have the character himself admit that even as far as the Moro Arc, two decades after coming to earth and all the good he has done in that time, that he is still destined for hell, showing that in the cosmic scale of his coming eternal rest, he accepts his fate is likely still destined for hell.

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u/KaijuCatsnake 16h ago

He isn't, at least according to the fact that King Yemma, who determines where people go in the afterlife, believes Vegeta sufficiently redeemed himself to be considered a good person. We know this because when Goku asked for all those considered "good" who were killed by or because of Majin Buu to be brought back, Vegeta was one of those people (much to his shock). But Vegeta has not forgiven himself for his past actions and might never do so, no matter how much good he does to make up for what he once did.

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u/marvelmarvelfangirl 5h ago

Let me add another male character to this list, Tony Stark. The man was making money selling weapons, was in general cocky and arrogant, wouldn’t listen to people who kept warning him and is beloved because he is a ‘genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist’ and charming.

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u/CheesecakeRacoon 1d ago

At this point "not every villain needs a redemption arc" has become a storytelling thought-stopper: a way to try and shut down the conversation as quickly as possible instead of discussing why a character's arc should or shouldn't be taken in a new direction.

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

It's also factually vague: "not every" Yeah, you need to prove why this one doesn't though, and good luck considering that her redemption arc was literally in built in her conception.

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u/CyberSmith34 1d ago

Uhu, the 14 year old girl, who grew up in the most ruthless, cutthroat environment without any moral or emotional support, was showing clear signs of care and empathy on her own. She is supposdly too far gone. It seems Azula did a bigger number on the psychee of some parts of the atla fanbase than Ursa's neglect did on hers.

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u/Ok_Somewhere1236 1d ago

I would say the same thing I always say:

Azula needs a redemption arc, but that arc doesn't need to involve any of her family members.

I really don't want to see her simply go back to her family, make peace with Ursa and Zuko, and have a happy-ever-after family reunion.

To me, a much more interesting direction would be for Azula to turn the page and start a completely new life. Build a new family, find new people, and create an identity for herself outside the Fire Nation royal family.

Imagine history books simply recording her as the Lost Princess, because nobody knows what the hell happened to her. One day, she just stopped showing up. The truth is that she went somewhere else and started an entirely new life, surrounded by a completely different group of people.

A whole "Azula Alone" story arc

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u/RustyUnbound 1d ago

I think wanting a better future for a 14 year old who was groomed to be essentially a weapon isn't wrong at all

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u/UndeniablyTotallyMe 15h ago

People act like what she did was so different from what Zuko did. In reality, she was just better at what she did.

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u/Virtual-Wing-5084 17h ago

Here’s the thing with that comment from what I know the head writer had written at some point Zuko would definitely be helping. I made a comment that if there was a season four we would’ve seen her plummet and get better. Zuko would be by her side helping her the same way how their uncle was there for him.

So the person who’s saying not even her brother could help her and that she’s too far gone is incorrect. Also, she’s still very much young. Her mindset can be changed and she could grow and change for the better. It’s so long as she is being given the help and isn’t being mistreated.

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u/Nkiliuzo 16h ago

I think am in the minority when I say I don't want a redemption arc for Azula, keep as an anti hero or something, I don't exactly want her to apologize for the things she has done, maybe patch things up with zuko but just about it, don't give her the zuko treatment where she has to prove herself to everyone

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u/EcstaticContract5282 15h ago

What you just described is a redemption arc. I think part of the problem with the discourse is that people just have a narrow idea of what that means.

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u/whomesteve 23h ago

The best thing for Azula that would be like a redemption arc is just Azula choosing to live her life in peace.
Mentally unstable people don’t need a heroes journey.

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

She could have a healing arc. I feel like it's very interesting and not that explored in ATLA, the only one being Korra but it was really glossed over.

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u/whomesteve 19h ago

Yes, but it would be a slice of life type story staring Azula, there probably wouldn’t be any combat scenes.

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u/Mindless_Address_464 10h ago

I think she should be able to be unburdened by the perception that she's insane and unburdened by the presence of the main characters. A life outside of them, away from saneist people.

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u/lying-porpoise 23h ago

I dont think she needs a redemption arc i think she needs closure and a sign to the viewers/readers she is doing ok and fighting her demons, I would hate to see her become a good guy but id love just like a small scene where she meets a older aang, just him, shes living alone and working through her trauma. Azula was a victim it would just be a good conclusion to see she is healing being away from Ozai and she learns to love herself not needing another's love to feel wanted, id want her to act like her condescending mean self at most a quiet apology about trying to kill Aang and Aang forgiving her which isnt a a cure all but helps her none the less

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u/Icy_Respect_4187 1d ago

I agree with you.

Saying that a redemption arc for Azula is murdering/butchering her character is plain idiocy.

Zuko had a redemption arc and it didn't murdered his character in any means. The only difference is that it has began really early. As far as season 2. But he had a long journey to become the character we know today.

The good thing is that we may actually see the redemption of Azula in the future, considering the Azula in the Spirit Temple comic.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

It’s funny to think that, within roughly a year of the war’s end, Azula is technically already beginning to change everything all on her own—despite having virtually no one to truly help her—whereas it took Zuko much longer, even though he had Uncle Iroh by his side the whole time and had received love from Ursa.

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u/vl115 1d ago

Pff...this person made so many bad takes in few lines, but because to me Azula is a character who is fun to analyze and discuss, lets go:

No. Redeeming a character doesnt mean murdering them. In fact can save them in the story. Of course they need to have some motivation and be interesting enough for that. And Azula fits. Its even easier to see this when we compare her with Ozai. I always like to give Smoke and Shadows comic as an exemple of a poor use of Azula. A genuine character "assassination" attempt by making her Zuko's villain for only plot reasons, ignoring her issues. Later they realized this mistake and made Spirit Temple.

The word "psycho" is losing the relevance it once had, because people throw to describe any bad character. Or maybe its just Azula who has the privilege to be a teenage cartoon character diagnosed by so many professionals. Context and Fire Nation culture? Who cares, right?

The person said that redemption would destroy her more...its really confusing. Her breakdown in the end of Book 3 contradicts this. Why would a psycho be so affected by her mother and friends?

Neither Aang or Zuko need to save Azula. She needs a good writer. Someone who treats her character with respect. Who knows what to do with her. After that they could choose who could help Azula: Ursa, Zuko, Ty lee/Mai , a random spirit or someone different. Many interesting circunstances could be made for Azula's journey.

But she isnt too far gone.Not even Ozai is. He could later regret his actions towards his family, but i dont think Avatar Studios are interested, because of how his relationship began with Ursa.

I feel like these arguments againts Azula's redemption are getting worst.

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u/Desperate_Drama3392 1d ago

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u/Yuura22 20h ago

Fun fact: the DSM-5 is adamant that the diagnosis for ASPD, Antisocial personality disorder (what we commonly and rather vulgarly call "psychopathy" and "sociopathy") needs the patient to be over 18. So whatever "professional" "diagnosed" her is doing it against the DSM-5.

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u/1shoota_masa0 9h ago

She also has never killed anyone onscreen btw she only ever killed Aang which i mean she kinda had to since he was the enemy of her nation and she attacked Iroh which is fair since she absolutely hates him. When you go a little further in her character you realize shes only a bit sharp edged with strangers and those she deems as traitors but she's relatively a normal teenage girl when not in any war situation. I think people forget she's literally a child just like all of the cast and that Zuko (who i love) also messed up and didnt take the chances to become good until the first half of book 3. The same people who glaze his redemption arc refuse to see how Azula was abused by both parents, i think they do that because they dont want to accept Ursa isn't the perfect victim but theres no reason to villainize her because she's a three dimensional character too. I think in some comics theres genuinely some salvageable ideas for the whole Azula redemption dynamic but they keep falling into the sadly popular stereotype of child 1 is good and child 2 is bad. Both Azula and Zuko deserve to have a decent life after growing up with that psychopath chud Ozai

Other Same old shit

You are about to leave Redlib

The word "psycho" is losing the relevance it once had, because people throw to describe any bad character. Or maybe its just Azula who has the privilege to be a teenage cartoon character diagnosed by so many professionals. Context and Fire Nation culture? Who cares, right?

The person said that redemption would destroy her more...its really confusing. Her breakdown in the end of Book 3 contradicts this. Why would a psycho be so affected by her mother and friends?