I Have An Unpopular Opinion About Avatar: The Last Airbender's Zuko That I Have To Share

That's right. We're talking about Zuko today because we have to.

As someone who considers herself a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I know there are plenty of characters in the series that I genuinely love more than life itself and one of those is obviously Zuko. While I could sing praises for Katara or share how amazing Toph is, Zuko is and always will be my favorite, mainly because of how he changes throughout the series.

But there's one aspect about Zuko's character that hasn't always sat right with me, and after years of keeping it dormant as the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe continues to expand, I knew it was awaiting its chance to awaken. And now it has, and I must talk about it.

As I've Said, Zuko Is Hands Down The Best Developed Character

Zuko is the best-developed character. Ever. And I mean that.

Alright, well, there are some great examples of good character development, many of which I could also talk about for hours. But Zuko always sat with me mainly because it was so flawlessly done over three seasons.

We see him as the villain initially, but over time, we start to understand why he is that way. As he begins to change and grow, he still makes mistakes, many of which lead us to either relate to him more, or act like Uncle Iroh and be disappointed in his decisions.

In the end, he becomes friends with Aang and the whole Avatar gang, and I could not picture this group without him. His past with the Fire Nation, as well as his future, will always be defined by the choices he made that led him to becoming the leader he is at the end of the series.

But there's just one character that he's with that I just… don't get.

But After Several Years… I'm Just Not Feeling Him With Mai

Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not feeling Mai at all with Zuko.

Don't get me wrong – I do think Mai is an excellent ATLA side character. I think she has pulled through for others in ways that we can't even imagine half the time. And what makes her even more interesting is that she doesn't have any bending powers.

It's clear from the beginning of the series that those with bending often have a leg-up on many other people, at least in positions of power. It doesn't really matter if you're a farmer and you're able to move the ground as an Earthbender. That's just a useful skill to have.

But in any position of power, having the ability to be a bender, or having someone as a bender on your side, gives you a major advantage, as we've seen with the Fire Lord or the Dai Li, or any of those people.

Mai is the daughter of a super high-profile individual of the Fire Nation, but she does not have any bending. However, she is able to keep herself afloat and stand out on her own because of her knife skills. That's something I can appreciate, and I find it super cool and valuable in a world that favors elements over normality.

But she and Zuko, to me, don't make sense.

I think at first it did – when he was still in his transition from morally grey to someone who was trying to do the right thing. She represented the Fire Nation, a normal girl who genuinely wanted to keep her family safe and did care about him. But it was just her attitude that I think really cemented it in my mind that she wasn't right for Zuko.

It felt like she needed someone who took charge a lot more than he did, and I really believe that at the time, Zuko wasn't even ready for a relationship. He was still reeling from what he did back in Ba Sing Se and betraying his uncle. He was struggling with keeping secrets. I think his and Mai's jumping into something was almost a gut instinct rather than a thought-out decision.

And as we see with them, they aren't really… happy together. I mean, that's kind of Zuko's schtick – he even says at one point he's 'never happy' even though we see him smile. But I feel like the few times we actually saw them smile together were few and far between.

I'd Rather Have Seen Zuko With Someone Who Boosts Him Up

Obviously, I'm not Zuko. I can't tell him who he needs. However, as someone who has been in a relationship for nearly a decade and has seen the rise and fall of so many others around me, I have at least some semblance of what a relationship should look like.

Someone like Zuko needs to be with someone who boosts him up. And I don't think Mai is that person. Again, she's a great character, but she's not the kind of person who would aid Zuko. Mai has her stuff going on with her family and her brother, and helping Zuko bring peace to the Fire Nation would be a difficult task for her to accomplish.

I was a part of the Zutara fandom (Zuko x Katara) because I love good enemies-to-lovers moments. But obviously, Katara does marry Aang (as we see in The Legend of Korra sequel series). Even so, a part of me does think these two would have been better suited for each other, even all these years later.

But the reason I even bring this up is that there's still time, really, for him to end up with someone else. And here's why.

They're Not Really A Major Couple In The Comics, So Who Really Knows?

Again, I think Mai is great, but I really think she needs someone better suited for her. The same goes for Zuko. The comics could make that happen.

With the Avatar: The Last Airbender comics, Mai and Zuko aren't together. They had this weird thing in the beginning, but it was doomed from the start because Mai made no real effort with the relationship, and Zuko (who was already facing a ton of stuff from his new position) was also picking fights and jealousy over little things. They broke up.

There have been hints that they still have feelings for each other, but I really don't think that they should be the be-all-end-all. We do know that Zuko has a daughter, Izumi, whom we met in The Legend of Korra, so he got married, but we have no idea to whom. And the comics could end up pulling a fast one and giving Zuko someone else, someone we haven't even met yet.

I don't know. I may be overthinking this. I think I care about the character so much, and my emotional mind just wants him to be happy when I'm reading. And if maybe Mai could be that, I'd be alright with that. But for now, a part of me can't help but wonder what if?

Maybe we'll get more answers with the new Earthbending Avatar series that's coming out. Or with the film (whenever that releases). Either way, I'm getting in the ATLA mood again. It's time to check out the series and binge once more.