r/ATLA • u/JustAPerson_YesOrNo "Hello, it's Zuko here" • May 25 '25

Question What ATLA take make you like this?

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Posting here bc mods are (not) mean

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u/TheChikenestOfMen May 26 '25

Surprised I didn’t see this, but anyone who says Aang should’ve killed Ozai

1

u/jubtheprophet May 27 '25

If there wasnt a deus ex machina to make taking away bending permanently an option he would need to die man he was evil as hell. I do like the way they ended it though cause taking his bending and locking him up is even more cruel but until that point it always felt unbelievable to me that anyone would be so against killing him as aang, even if he was taught to be a pacifist. So i get why someone would say that if the random new ability bothers them

1

u/TheChikenestOfMen May 28 '25

Well I think the solution was to build it up more, not make him kill him. If Aang killed ozai he would have abandoned his air nomad teachings and while yes Ozai would be dead, he also would’ve successfully killed the last airbender.

1

u/jubtheprophet May 28 '25 edited May 28 '25

That argument falls apart when you realize aang absolutely killed people throughout the series, even if it wasnt a standing over them execution like Ozai wouldve been. I get thats a little more personal, but cmon he threw people into arctic and antarctic waters, sunk 30+ ships each with crew members at least in the dozens each, tossed people off cliffs and 5 story buildings, shot people with rock bullets, crashed airships, caused avalanches to fall on people, etc. Theres no chance in hell he hasnt killed hundreds at least. Even just zhao if you need a named character.

But like i said, i agree that the way they went with it was a good direction and i agree they just needed to actually foreshadow it a bit to make it not show up like a deus ex machina, but given the way they executed it without the "ifs" i fully understand some of the complaints too.

1

u/TheChikenestOfMen May 28 '25

Realistically yeah that’s very true lmao, but I think (especially with it being at least partially for kids/having heightened action) the argument for that is just having to suspend disbelief and say he didn’t kill them.

I totally understand why people can’t tho