 |
This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
 |
Dr. Wily has declared that this article is still under construction. This page has three weeks by which to achieve the minimum standards for a full page (or Stub minimum), after which it shall be moved to Speedy Deletion. After I finish this article, the world will be mine! MWAHAHAHAHA! |
Princess Azula is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Zhao) of Netflix's 2024 adventure fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender, based on the Nickelodeon 2005-2008 animated series of the same name.
She is the young princess of the Fire Nation, the prodigy daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and the young sister of Prince Zuko. When her father decides that the Avatar Aang poses a threat to his world-conquering plans, Azula leaps at the chance of participating in the pursuit to secure her position as her father's heir over her disgraced brother.
She is portrayed by Elizabeth Yu in her first villainous role.
History[]
Past[]
Azula was born to Fire Lord Ozai, the patriarch of the royal firebending family and leader of the Fire Nation. She had a brother named Zuko, in addition to count with Ozai's brother General Iroh as her uncle and her cousin Lu Ten. Eventually, Azula met and befriended two girls from her kingdom, named Mai and Ty Lee respectively, with whom she would sometimes train her fighting skills.
Growing up, Azula envied her brother Zuko's position as their father's heir, but didn't challenge her father for his favour. However, once Zuko "disgraced" Ozai during a war council meeting and subsequently lost him in an Agni Kai duel (which she witnessed), Ozai opted to banish him until he could track down and find the Avatar and test Azula's capabilities to be his heiress instead, leading him to test her firebending abilities through fights with different opponents.
Afraid her brother could come back and ruin her plans, however, Azula became acquainted with Commander Zhao and informed him about everything Zuko could do in his mission to retrieve the Avatar, planning to sabotage her brother to ensure he wouldn't return home anytime soon to take away the throne from her. Meanwhile, during the three years of Zuko's exile, Azula helped her father to identify any traitors to the Fire Nation from within the kingdom.
Avatar: The Last Airbender[]
Omashu[]
Azula first appears by passing herself off as a young orphaned girl who had lost her mother and brother to the Fire Nation's takeover of Ba Sing Se to trick a revolutionary group of teenaged rebels into breaking into the palace, setting them up to be cornered by the guards. She reveals herself once Ozai asks her and sees how her father executes the rebels by burning them alive, mocking them for believing that the Avatar has come back. However, Ozai informs her that the Avatar has indeed returned if Zhao's report to him about Zuko's findings is of any indication, something that seemingly catches Azula off guard.
She lashes out her frustrations to her friends during an archery class, to which Mai and Ty Lee remind her that Zuko's still Ozai's heir, but quickly assure her that she deserves to rule more than him, to which Azula says that she can join the game if she knows what pieces to play.
Spirited Away[]
Azula accompanies her father as he examines the recent moves of his commanders as well as the expedition led by Zuko to find the Avatar while sucking up to him by complimenting his decision to have Zhao as one of his commanders, even crediting Zhao for discovering the Avatar and suggesting to send more resources to him, to which her father agrees by sending her to tell Colonel Shinu to send his Yuyan archers to Zhao and inform the chancellor to redirect some funds, but corrects her by remarking that it was Zuko the one who found the Avatar and that her brother displayed resilience and dedication, which is what he desires for a future heir, over self-serving flattery and coy whispers, leading her to leave a bit ashamed.
She lashes out by beating up one of her trainers during a training fight with her almost burning him in the face with her flames (which for a splitsecond turn from orange to blue) despite her friends pleading her to stop, and , excusing herself by saying that her trainer should fight better. Her friends assure her that she is perfect, but she bemoans that she isn't perfect enough. Later that night, as her friends sleep in the training grounds, Azula practices her firebending skills.
Masks[]
Azula makes a cameo appearance during the flasback sequence of Zuko's Agni Kai duel with their father for questioning him and General Li during a war council meeting. She is shown to be surprised when her father mutilates her brother, but doesn't do anything to protest for it unlike her uncle Iroh.
The North[]
Azula fights with a brutish opponont, but Ozai determines that she needs a new trial tomorrow because she defeated his opponent with two additional moves. Mai and Ty Lee try to convince her that Ozai knows she is the best and is just playing with her because he doesn't want her to know it, but Azula swears to have all of her father's prisoners and armies sent to fight her to prove that she is the best. Next trial, Ozai brings her five men to choose who to fight, but Azula declines so Ozai threatens her with her firebending, prompting her to show herself off by making electrical balls and demanding Ozai to let her leave the nation to prove what she is capable off, making her earn her father's approval.
Legends[]
Shortly before his death at Iroh's hands during the battle with the Northern Water Tribe, Zhao reveals that he was in cahoots with Azula all along to Zuko, insisting that his mission was never real but just a "motivation" from Ozai to test Azula's potential. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Ozai orchestrated the attack on the North as a strategy to distract Aang and his friends so Azula and his forces could defeat Omashu's forces and conquer the city, taking King Bumi into custody and claiming the city after well over a century for the Fire Nation, now needing to conquer Ba Sing Se to get all of the Earth Kingdom. Overjoyed at her success, Azula asks her forces what's next for them to conquer.
Personality[]
Azula is intensely driven, a reflection of her prodigious firebending talents and relentless perfectionism. She demonstrates a much more manipulative and calculating personality compared to her brother, and upon his exile from the Fire Nation becomes determined to prove herself to her father, stopping at nothing to secure her position as his heir.
Appearance[]
Azula is a pretty teenage girl with brown hair and eyes. She wears a red outfit.
Powers and Abilities[]
Azula is a prodigious firebender, one of the best in the world by far.
Quotes[]
To be added
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is the second live-action version of Azula, following the one from M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender film.
- According to showrunner Albert Kim, Azula will be further fleshed out in the live-action show's first season over the original cartoon's first season, a decision taken because they know in advance how her original counterpart was developed in the animated series.
- Elizabeth Yu's casting received criticism from more than a few fans, saying her appearance was too plump and not scary enough for Azula. As a result, the actress received some backlash for her casting. Still, she is considered a better casting choice for the character compared to Summer Bishill, who played Azula in the 2010 movie adaptation.
