A desperate Aang visits Avatar Roku for help on his journey as the Fire Nation closes in on him. At their fortress, a masked intruder breaks Aang out.
Aang and Zuko could have been friends if they met at a different time. Aang firmly believes that. It's impossible for Zuko to imagine such an idea. He's completely focused on needing to deliver the Avatar to his father, Fire Lord Ozai. He has to be the one to accomplish that task. He can't allow anyone else from the Fire Nation to prevail. Aang is on a mission too. He needs to save his friends trapped in the spirit world. The two don't have the patience to deal with others who stand in their way. Those opposing forces are meant to shape who they are. They have many expectations thrust upon though. Aang is expected to be the Avatar. Zuko is the heir to the Fire Nation throne. They make assumptions for how they are suppose to carry those titles. Avatar Kyoshi told Aang he needed to be a merciless warrior. Zuko was brutalized for showing compassion and questioning authority. Those aren't the only paths they can pursue. Life has been reduced to those binaries because of war. Firebenders view themselves as mastering the superior element. The world is out of balance. Aang must restore that. He just doesn't want to lose his friends along the way.
Avatar Roku cautions Aang about friends being a liability. His responsibilities as Avatar may compromise his ability to protect the people he cares about. He has to surrender himself completely to the world. That means foregoing any kind of personal or meaningful relationships. Roku offers a different perspective than Kyoshi. Every Avatar is unique. They may be the reincarnation of this sacred power. They aren't meant to be the same. They are shaped by their personal circumstances. They are informed by the lives they grew up in. Aang was taught by the monks at the Southern Air Temple. He reveres Gyatso's teachings. He lost everything. The world plunged into war on his watch. He isn't responsible for that disaster. Nor does he need to carry the serious weight of the burden all the time. Roku allows for fun teasing to enter the conversation. He understands the danger Aang faces. Threats from the spirit world should not be crossed gently. Aang needs to make an offering to Koh to save his friends. That's the only solution available. It's easy for him to retrieve the relic. The problem comes in trying to return to the place where the spiritual connection is prominent. Even then, he's tasked with losing what he wants the most.
Aang was expecting Gyatso to still be there to continue providing lessons. He thought they had more time together. It was an unexpected development. He never thought he would see his mentor again. And then, he learned Gyatso rejected the next stage of enlightenment to be there for Aang when he eventually found him. Aang did that. It was a powerful conversation about what he needs to do next. It was wrapped up in identity and responsibility. Aang just needs to be himself. Others are counting on him. He pleads with his captors to let him complete his mission. They show no compassion for what he's going through. They only see the spoils that will come from this magnificent achievement. June doesn't believe the world is broken. It doesn't need fixing. She has found a lucrative way to survive. She delivers Aang to Zuko and Iroh. The prince plots his grand return to the Fire Nation. Instead, he's usurped by Zhao, who has been promoted to Admiral. He commands more authority over the mission. He takes ownership over the achievements. He basks in the glory of what this means for his career. He wants to come across as the most impressive person in the room. That ego proves to be his downfall. Aang and Zuko battle the forces that seek to stop them. And yet, they view each other as adversaries too. That's tragic. They share so much in common. But they are forced apart without the support of those they were raised to believe would always be there for them.
Aang and Zuko are still capable of being surprised by those who wish to aid them along the way. They don't have to face the world by themselves. When Aang is captured, Zuko frees him largely out of self-preservation. He has the skills to storm this seemingly impenetrable castle. He rescues the Avatar from the Fire Nation. He wants the glory for himself. He presents as a masked hero. He assumes a different identity entirely. That's how he justifies what he does. He offers his own unique stance on the world. Meanwhile, Aang admits that he would be lost without Zuko's notebook about the past Avatars. He appreciates that depth of information. It allows him to know precisely where to go to ask for help. He has contacted two of his past selves already. They provide guidance. Aang sees the potential for so much more within Zuko. He sees an heir to the throne who would do something different and better. The war doesn't need to continue. Zuko doesn't have to reign the same way as his father. He offers compassion. However, Zuko was made to believe that was his weakness. He saved countless lives to assert that fact. His scar came in battle against his father. Ozai needed to prove a point. Even in the aftermath, Zuko refused to concede his argument. That resulted in his banishment.
The world has shaped Zuko into who he is today. His crew view him as an entitled prince who throws tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. They don't know the truth of his banishment and why they were assigned to this mission. They were going to die. Their battalion was to serve as the distraction to lure the Earth Kingdom out. Ozai and his generals were willing to let loyal soldiers die for the possibility of winning the larger battle. That's a compromise a leader must be willing to make. Zuko doesn't believe that sacrifice is necessary. He speaks out against the plan. That's an attack against his father. He doesn't want to battle Ozai. He holds back when given an opportunity to strike. He doesn't take advantage of the moment. He has too much love for his family. That's more important than the devotion to the cause. This war has defined everything for a century. Nothing can be more important than it. Zuko has to push everything else aside. He has plenty of support and respect on the ship. Everyone there is grateful for his presence. He improved their lives. He didn't need to proclaim it to demand their loyalty. It has now been earned because Iroh shares the truth. He doesn't agree with what his brother did. He has stood by Zuko as a man with more appreciation for the Fire Nation than the cynical rulers who have led for a century. That made them outcasts. Even without their prized possession, they are still rich in spirit. That's incredibly moving especially when Zuko fears he has lost everything once more.
