War, Colonialism, and Industrialism | The Worldbuilding of Avatar

POSTAL ADDRESS (if you're kind enough to send me a letter or something!)

Tim Hickson
PO Box 69062
Lincoln, 7608
Canterbury, New Zealand

Script by meeeeeeeee

The artist who design my cover photo:

Stay nerdy!
Tim

[HelloFutureMe]

I think these might be my favourite kinds of videos. Applying real-world theory and ideas to fictional worlds. Worldbuilding, in a sense, for me, isn't just an exercise in creating my own world, but an exercise in more deeply understanding the nuances of how our world works today. #freeeducationforall Stay nerdy!


~ Tim

[joshdoz]

Sozin may have started the war but Azulon carried it to it's zenith.

Azulon governed the Fire Nation for 75 years. 3/4ths of the entire war timeline.

Azulon and his story doesn't get as much attention as he deserves.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Everything about Avatar, to me is just well-executed. Especially its narrative and portrayal of the story.

[EvanSol]

So what you're saying is, HISTORY IS COMPLICATED!

[thepallghost]

Man, I wish that they did another incarnation of the Avatar. They could explore the earth republic and what not.

[thbattlegroupcommander]

"I dont think ive seen that many red flags since a ussr military parade"
That just cracked me up

[aidanrogers]

Hello Future Me, I don’t want to embarrass you but there’s a mistake in your title. It should just be Colonialism and Industrialisation because, as you know...



There is no war in Ba Sing Se.

[danieltidey]

What I loved about Zuko becoming Firelord was that he accepted that the Fire Nation had disgraced itself and needed to make amends with the rest of the world. That is a very mature outlook.

I like to imagine Zuko and Aang working together to demilitarise the world, create universities and student exchange programmes, plant forests and pave roads. I also like to think that they regularly contact Iroh for advice and guidance.

[isaaccastillo]

15:37 In Mexico City we have a square called "The three cultures square", located in the borough of Tlatelolco. It was in that place, in the year 1521 where the last Aztec emperor Cuautemoc surrendered to the Spanish conquerors. It acquired that name due to the fact that today in that same square you can appreciate buildings from the Aztec era, the colonial era and the modern era all in one place. (amazing place, full of history ). There's also a memorial with an inscription that reads:

"Despite the heroic defense carried by emperor Cuautemoc, Tlatelolco unavoidably fell to the seige of Hernán Cortés and his men. It was not a triumph nor a defeat, it was instead the tortuous birth of the Mexican people."

Your words here really reminded me to this inscription. It is curious how these kinds of tragic, painful and rather unfair events in history (both fictional and real life ) give place to new realities that surpass the expectations of many. And also that these events happen to take place in many cultures and places that couldn't be more different from one another (Hong Kong, Mexico, the fire nation colonies) and yet they seem to have a similar result.

[catherinecao]

I love that Katara was humbled in the comics. She was a strong character in the show and she makes good points, but she’s arrogant and never sees herself in the wrong. Usually, she is in the right, but she never wondered what if she was wrong. She was a village leader, she was the team mom, she did all the work, and she was doing what’s best for everyone. The comics are asking, “what if Katara was cast in a different light?”

[jascrandom]

There are a couple of problems with comparing Colonialism in TLA vs the European Colonialism in the real world:
-In the real world, there were multiple Colonial powers competing against each other, who different ways of doing things. In TLA there was only one colonial power.
-In TLA, de-colonization happened through the military defeat of the Fire Nation by a united opposing front. In the real-world, de-colonization happened because the Colonial powers were weakened so severely by two world wars, which also spurred a change in Values and Economic thought within those Colonial Empire's home nations, which in turn changed how they viewed their colonial empires.
-In TLA, after De-colonization emerged only one new state: The United Republic of Nations, a stable and properous state. In the Real World, after De-colonization, emerged many new states, most of them either imploded into civil wars or became autoritarian dictatorships.

[oneMeVz]

Did the Avatar creators meticulously plan all of this world? Or did they add a lot of detail and wound up making sense by chance?

[pattonramming]

A question I've always had about the post war Avatar world is how the southern water tribe modernized so quickly while the earth kingdom has stayed at a low level of technology in spite of have more contact with the fire nation over the hundred years war

[paula.m.]

I think avatar resonated so deeply with me because I’m Filipino and my people have endured centuries of brutal colonialism and the generational trauma that comes with it. In a colonialist society you rarely see colonized people represented. In avatar you do. I couldn’t put my finger on it until now but avatar makes me feel seen in many ways.

[tiffanypersaud]

"The way we help can be oppressive too." I really enjoy your real-world history essays that parallel the world-building of the Avatar universe.

[nkfnlui]

...no sense of "HONOUR"
Okay Zuko, calm down

Edit: wow thanks guys

[yvsir]

Using the last Airbender for elite social commentary and teach geopolitics, a concept!

[alexm-e]

To whom does the land belong? Wow, that is a complicated question. Some societies believe that it is impossible to own land. Others believe the opposite. Some, like the Kanien’kéha believed in total assimilation, while other empire builders believed in a more culturally permissive governance method. In other words, COLONIALISM IS COMPLICATED *repeating gif of dancing Vikings*

[jrasarez]

Zuko saying "Honour" at 1:43 is just what i need

[kolinmartz]

I think the message is not that “colonialism is good” but “good things can still come out from something as bad as colonialism.”