Zuko

Zuko
Voiced by	Dante Basco
In-universe information
Aliases	The Blue Spirit (alter ego) Lee (refugee alias) Zu-Zu (nickname) Fire Lord Zuko
Gender	Male
Position	Antagonist in Book 1, Antihero in Book 2, Guardian in Book 3
Nationality	Fire Nation

Zuko is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Dante Basco. Throughout the show he takes on the role of antagonist (Book 1), anti-hero (Book 2) and protagonist (Book 3) over the course of the entire series.

In the show, Zuko is a skilled Firebender and the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, a race of people with the ability to create and manipulate fire. Before the events of the series, he is exiled from the Fire Nation by his father Fire Lord Ozai and sent to capture the Avatar in order to restore his honor and right to the throne. Zuko is accompanied and advised in his search by his uncle, Iroh.

Plot overview

Zuko was born to Ozai and Ursa, and has a younger sister named Azula. Zuko was largely ignored by his father (who greatly favored Azula over Zuko, due to the fact that she was a firebending prodigy and was much more powerful than Zuko), but was the favorite of his mother. Six Years before the series began Ozai's older brother, Iroh, abandoned the Siege of Ba Sing Se due to the loss of his son, and Ozai saw this as the opportunity to take Iroh's birthright in order to become the next Fire Lord. When Ozai asked this of his father, Azulon, he orders Ozai to kill Zuko so he too would know how it is to loose his first born. While Ozai was more than willing to do this, Ursa came up with an alternative plan which resulted in Azulon's death, Ozai becoming Fire Lord, and Zuko's life being spared. Ursa was banished as a result of this, although Zuko assumed for many years she was dead, thus devastating him.

Three years later, Zuko attends a war meeting where he speaks out against a general's plan to sacrifice an entire battalion of troops in order to win a battle. Zuko then had to go to an Agni Kai where he assumed he would face the general he insulted. Instead Zuko faced his own father, since he felt that was an insult toward him. Zuko refused to fight his father, begging for his forgiveness, but Ozai then scars Zuko's face and banishes him for not fighting him. Ozai would allow Zuko to return if he was able to capture the long lost Avatar, who had not been seen for nearly 100 years. Ozai never counted on Zuko capturing him and thus sent him on a fool's errand, although Zuko would take this very seriously and dedicated his life to finding the Avatar. His uncle Iroh agreed to accompany Zuko.

Three more years passed and Zuko sees a large white light coming from the South Pole. Zuko goes to the source and successfully captured the Avatar, Aang, who he was shocked to find out was merely still a boy. Aang escaped him though and Zuko vows to never underestimate the Avatar again. Zuko then proceeds to follow the Avatar to the North Pole, but the Avatar escapes from him time and time again. He also has to worry about his rival, Admiral Zhao, who does all he can to hinder Zuko in his quest to capture the Avatar. Zhao at one point successfully captures the Avatar, but Zuko helps the Avatar escape from him under the disguise of the Blue Spirit. When Zhao discovers that Zuko and the Blue Spirit are the same person, he sends assassins after Zuko to kill him. Zuko survives this and with the help of Iroh sneaks onto Zhao's flagship. Zhao takes his fleet to conquer the Northern Water Tribe to capture the Avatar, who is currently learning waterbending there. Zuko sneaks into the Northern Water Tribe and captures Aang, although this is brief since Aang defeats him again when Zuko attempts to escape through the tundra. Aang saves Zuko's life, much to the protests of his friends. Zhao eventually makes it into the city and kills the Moon Spirit, and Zuko then challenges Zhao and defeats him. When Zhao is being drug to his death by the Ocean Spirit, Zuko offers to save his life, but Zhao does not accept and presumably drowns. Iroh and Zuko leave on a raft and are labeled traitors by the Fire Nation.

Azula attempts to capture Zuko and Iroh, although this fails when the captain of her ship accidentally reveals that they are taking them back as prisoners not as family. Zuko and Iroh then go on the run. At first, Zuko greatly struggles with a life of poverty and resorts to theft often, even to people who have been kind to him, though with time he soon overcomes this hurdle. Iroh teaches Zuko how to redirect lightning and with his influence in the White Lotus society, the two of them are able to enter Ba Sing Se and work at a tea shop. The two eventually become so successful that they open up their own tea shop in the inner circle of Ba Sing Se. Zuko eventually learns of Aang's presence in the city and that Appa has been stolen from him. He resolves to continue his quest to capture Aang by first capturing Appa. He finds Appa, but Iroh convinces Zuko to free Appa instead. Zuko then becomes a new happier individual, until Azula (who has infiltrated the city and taken over the Dai Li) captures him and puts him in a cave with Katara. Katara initially yells at him calling him a horrible person, when she learns that Zuko also lost his mother to the Fire Nation, she begins to sympathize with him. Aang and Iroh then enter and free the two. Before Zuko and Iroh leave, Iroh is captured by the Dai Li and Azula offers Zuko's birthright back if he will help her defeat Aang and Katara in order to conquer Ba Sing Se. Zuko then betrays Iroh, Aang, and Katara and joins Azula, which results in Aang being mortally wounded. After their battle Zuko is greatly ashamed over his betrayal, especially to Iroh.

Zuko returns to the Fire Nation and is surprised to find himself more unhappy than he ever has been and that his father's love is worthless. He continually goes to Iroh, now imprisoned, for advice. Initially Iroh will not speak to him, but eventually Iroh tells Zuko he is also descended from Avatar Roku and that it is his destiny to restore balance to the world and redeem the Fire Nation. Zuko then goes to a war meeting where he accidentally gives his father the idea to kill everyone in the Earth Kingdom when Sozin's Comet arrives. Zuko, being horrified by this, resolves to join Aang. Before leaving on the Day of Black Sun, He confronts his father during the eclipse and tells him how horrible of an individual he is, his intent to free his uncle, and him joining the Avatar to teach him firebending. When Zuko is leaving, Ozai baits him back with the knowledge of what happened to his mother. After he tells him what happened and the eclipse ends, Ozai strikes Zuko with lightning, but Zuko redirects it back at him and runs away. Zuko goes to free Iroh only to discover that he has already left. Zuko then follows Aang to the Western Air Temple and eventually convinces him that he should join his group in order to teach him firebending. Zuko temporarily looses his abilities to firebend since his purpose was hunting the Avatar, but when they discover the Sun warriors and the last remaining dragons, they find the true meaning of firebending and it makes them far more enlightened than any other firebenders (other than Iroh, who also met the Dragons). While Aang and Toph accept Zuko from the beginning, Sokka and Katara are more reluctant. They both eventually forgive Zuko when he helps Sokka get his father and Suki out of the Boiling Rock and helps Katara confront the killer of her mother.

Less than a week before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, the gang reveals to Zuko their plan to wait after the comet arrives, but Zuko then reveals Ozai's plan to scorch the Earth Kingdom with it. He tells Aang that he will have to kill Ozai before the comet's arrival, which Aang is highly reluctant to do. Aang goes missing and the gang task Zuko with finding Aang since he is an expert at doing so. When he is unable to find Aang, they go find Iroh. Zuko profusely to his Uncle who accepts his apology. Zuko asks Iroh to kill the Ozai since Aang has disappeared, but Iroh refuses saying it will be looked upon in history as a brother killing a brother. He said that Aang must kill him, and that Zuko must go back to the Fire Nation and face Azula for the crown of the Fire Nation with Katara assisting him. Zuko arrives at Azula's crowning for Fire Lord and she challenges him to an Agni Kai. Zuko, sensing that Azula has gone insane, accepts her offer. When Zuko is about to win the battle, Azula attempts to strike Katara with lightning, but Zuko instead absorbs it. Katara eventually defeats Azula and heals Zuko. Aang defeats Ozai and Zuko becomes Fire Lord. Zuko begins dating Mai again, and Aang and Zuko resolve to rebuild the world together. Zuko finally found peace with himself.

Appearance

Zuko's distinguishing marks include a facial scar radiating from his left eye over his ear. He received this scar from his father (Fire Lord Ozai), as punishment for speaking out of turn in a war meeting. The part of Zuko's appearance that has changed the most over the course of the series is his hairstyle. During season 1, he sports a mostly-shaved head with a pony-tail on top. In the episode "The Avatar State," Zuko slices off his top-knot and allows the rest of his hair to grow. It is shown to slowly get longer through seasons 2 and 3, and gets a trim after it grows over his eyes before "Nightmares And Daydreams".

He has also received a large scar across his stomach during his Agni Kai with Azula, in the final episode, similar to the one on Aang's back. He was shot with lightning trying to protect Katara, thus giving him a scar.

Personality

While initially the series' primary antagonist, over time Zuko has shown to be more of a bitter and complex young man than a truly evil character; he eventually forsakes his past goals and becomes a hero. Zuko's sole motivation for many years was catching Aang, so he could return home with honor as his father had proclaimed. However his mistakes and struggles lead him to realize his destiny was to oppose his father and join the Avatar to help defeat the Fire Lord.

His past crimes and mistakes still haunt him. However, after he restored his honor by joining the Avatar, his mistakes proved to be the reason why his Uncle Iroh felt Zuko was destined to restore the honor of the Fire Nation as it's new Fire Lord. Having earned the trust and friendship of Avatar Aang, Zuko is determined to help lead the Fire Nation and the world into an era of love and peace.

Firebending and special skills

Firebending

File:Zuko On Fire2.png

Zuko using broadswords in conjunction with his Firebending.

Despite his youth, Zuko is a highly skilled Firebender and with dual broadswords, capable of being able to hold his own against fighters and benders with more experience and use both together in a fight. Usually through determination, an ability to adapt, and strength, Zuko refuses to give up fighting. He has also shown incredible great agility.

Although incredibley skilled, whenever Zuko faces his sister Azula, she has proven to be a more skilled fighter. She is capable of generating lightning, a skill few firebender are capable of. Zuko attempts to learn this skill from his Uncle Iroh, but is unable to generate lightning because of his own inner turmoil. However, Iroh does teach him to redirect lightning, a move he created from watching Waterbenders. However Zuko cannot test this knowledge as Iroh refused to throw lightning at his nephew due to the immense risk involved. Zuko does successfully redirect lightning when his own father, Fire Lord Ozai, shoots lightning at him months later.

Zuko later transitions from pupil to Master, joining Aang and teaching him how to firebend. Zuko initially has trouble doing so due to losing his drive and motivation (as for years, his sole motivation was hunting the Avatar). But after he and Aang go on a quest to discover the true source of firebending, the two encounter the last two dragons in existence, and learn that firebending is much more than destruction and rage, it is also life. Learning the secret of Firebending, Aang and Zuko both display incredible skill with Firebending.

When Zuko finally faced Azula again near the "Western Air Temple", the two are shown to be evenly matched, muched to Azula's surprise. During the Agni Kai in the series finale, Zuko managed to hold the upper-hand during the entire duel, while Azula slipped deeper into madness and fatigue. When Azula cheated and attempted to attack Katara with a lightning attack, Zuko jumped in the way and was barely able to redirect it, sustaining some burns on his chest.

Other skills

Zuko has also shown to be highly skilled in the use of the dual Dao swords, a talent he refined during his time at sea. In "The Blue Spirit" and "Zuko Alone", Zuko succeeds against number adversaries with the aid of his swords.