Why Zuko and Azula’s Agni Kai is SO INCREDIBLE

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#avatarthelastairbender

Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai from the finale of Avatar the Last Airbender is one of my favorite fight scenes in all of TV and film history. It is incredibly beautiful in design, but also has so much weight and meaning behind it. The two character arcs of the siblings clash in a wonderfully satisfying manner that wraps up each of their storylines just perfectly.
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the battle also perfectly reflects how zuko utilized the other elements in his firebending, just like how iroh told him. he evades like an airbender, stands his ground like an earth bender, and adapts to azula’s moves like a waterbender. absolute masterpiece.

mochienn
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The creators said that they gave Azula blue fire because of how it would contrast Zuko's in the final duel. Shows how far ahead they were thinking.

frankjennings
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I’m glad you mentioned how their flames were burning the capital, their childhood home was burning because of their feud. Very symbolic.

MrKingYuji
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Small detail I noticed. Just before the fight, Azula remarks: "I'm sorry it has to end, brother". Zuko replies with: "You're lying". This is a nice detail as Zuko often repeated to himself the mantra: "Azula always lies."

Shaman
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I can remember feeling so sad during the last agni kai scene. Two people who should love each other and their relationship is so broken that it's probably unrepairable at this point. And yet it was so hauntingly beautiful, the visuals and the music. I love that Zuko really doesn't move about that much, unlike Azula. I think after all this time, I really wanted Zuko to be Azula's Iroh, but maybe that is impossible.

kirkistief
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Even growing up, I remember watching the final Agni Kai and not feeling like this was some grand fight, like Aang vs Ozai. It was a tragic reality between two siblings. I don't feel excited watching it, I feel heartbreak and I feel sad, even now. Easily one of the best fights in Avatar.

KARROTSSSS
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“I love Zuko more than I fear you…” that line hits so deep

godxxofxxwar
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Through this last Agni Kai we also see Zuko using all the tecnniques and lessons he learnt through this journey: the footwork, the focus, the Fire Dragon clan dancing techniques, redirects. This fight is literally his character arc.

hiddenshadow
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You mention that Zuko learns the way of self-sacrifice, not sacrificing others for your own purpose. That's definitely true, so it's interesting that the act that got him scarred and banished was decrying a general's proposal to wilfully sacrifice soldiers as a diversion.

quinterbeck
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Title should be, "How avatar the last airbender perfected nearly everything." Truly one of the best shows ever written.

itz_x_salvation
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Not only everything said in this video but the fact that Azula, a 14-year old princess who grew up with every luxury was defeated by a 14 pesant water tribe girl who grew up with so little.

robinkholmes
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Seeing Azula mentally break at the end is quite powerful. Things always came easy for her, she rarely failed, was a prodigy—she didn’t really know what it was like to fail, again and again, but persevere. Like her brother.

Failure taught him humility once he was ready to learn, and that humility made him wise in the end.

But she was always “perfect”—and it was her father who taught her perfection was necessary for honor, and love. Ozai’s affection was always utilitarian and conditional. When she “failed”, she just internally collapsed.

smb
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There's also the symbolism of Zuko casting aside his ties (again) with his blood relatives in that he sacrifices himself for Katara effectively being "killed" by his own sister only to be revived by his spiritual sister.

MuffinHunterX
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I don't usually care for fight scenes, but this one was so amazing, I kept coming back to that episode just to watch it. It's beautiful, and I LOVE how sad it is. Because it needs to be sad. It is so heartwrenching that it has come to this, that Ozai's manipulation has broken Azula this badly. It really captures the horror of war and propaganda. This show in particular shows how wartime propaganda hurts the people of the attacking/colonizing nations as well as those being attacked. It is so, so tragic. And I love that moment at the end where Azula is chained to the ground, completely unhinged, screaming, sobbing, roaring out fire like a dragon, and Zuko and Katara are looking at her. Not triumphantly. Zuko looks at her quietly, and he KNOWS that it shouldn't have been like this, it didn't have to be like this, but there was nothing he could do. And Katara can't even bare to look at her.
I just LOVE how Avatar didn't make this scene some triumphant victory where they beat Azula and said "Yay, we won!" The show treated the fight, and Azula's mental collapse, how it should be treated: as a tragedy.

Edit: typo

Joel--yrme
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I was thinking about this fight recently, and how Zuko didn't hardly move, he conserved so much energy. He had found his center.

Another thing I like about this fight is the dichotomy of skill, represented by the flame colors. Azula is implementing an advanced and unique form, while Zuko stuck to the basics, but not just of firebending. He stone walled like an earthbender, redirected like a waterbender, and tripped up Azula like an airbender. Firebending moves strengthened by his journey.

rya
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8:00 and Zuko not only focuses on defence, but he used an earth bender technique. The fire nation always think they are superior, but Zuko learned in his arc, that theres much to learn from others, and with something he learned from watching Toph (presumably) he can easily defend from the overwhelmed power of maybe the most powerful fire bender.

igorporfiirio
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This fight is the only one that makes me emotional when I watch it. It's an amazing feat that what is essentially "just a fight scene" bears so much emotional weight.

DDTommieboy
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I love that they did the first half of the fight with no talking. No yapping, no evil monologue and taunting and my friends are going to win type bs. Just intensity.

ashryver
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One thing I’ve always noticed: though Zuko doesn’t want to, and doesn’t hate Azula in any way, he is trying to kill her. The double streams of fire Zuko unleashes while Azula is on her knees was aimed to kill. Azula BARELY avoided it. That was a kill shot. And the second? Well… the lightning. I’ve seen way too many people say “oh that was so stupid goading her like that.” But no. He did it intentionally, knowing she’d have to take the bait. He’d then redirect it and kill her. That’s what he had prepared for.

brandanpalmer
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ZUko's self-sacrifice shows that he has found a different definition of honor.

michaelmoreno