“Hello. Zuko Here!” Restore Your Honor With A:tLA’s Most Emo Bender
In all the Fire Nation, no one broods like Prince turned Fire Lord Zuko. Brush off your teenage angst and let’s bend some fire, Hotman!
Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation has one of the best redemption arcs in all of pop culture. From a grumpy kid with a chip on his shoulder to the Fire Lord that helped usher in an era of peace, Zuko’s influence on the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is just as important as any of the Avatar’s incarnations.
A character like Zuko could be a lot of fun to play in an RPG setting—he’s a classic tsudere with a flaming-hot set of powers. If you’re using him as a character model for a D&D sheet or a playable character in Avatar: Legends, you wouldn’t be the first. But a refresher on the Prince of Brooding and his journey from dishonored heir to Fire Lord might come in handy.
Zuko: A Prince in Exile
Prince Zuko was the first-born son and heir to Fire Lord Ozai, a real tyrant of a leader and a big fan of his grandfather Sozin’s whole “let’s takeover the world” gig. Ozai wasn’t really a supportive father. He looked favorably on his daughter Azula’s skill, but was highly critical of Zuko. Nevertheless, Zuko was determined to win his father’s approval.
Eager to prove himself, a young Zuko spoke out against one of his father’s generals during an important war meeting. The young prince was speaking out to protect loyal Fire Nation soldiers. But Ozai took the interruption as a sign of disrespect. He chose to challenge Zuko to an agni kai, or a fire bending duel. Understandably, Zuko refused to fight his father.
Father of the Year Ozai proceeded to blast his young son in the face with fire and then banish him. Zuko was told that he couldn’t return until he had captured the Avatar–an airbender who had been missing in action for about a century.
Reasonably, an angsty teenage Zuko got even broodier. He made it his mission to find the Avatar and restore his honor.
Prince Zuko and the Hunt for the Avatar
When Avatar Aang blew up the sky and a couple of Avatar temples with his shiny blue light of many elements, Zuko’s mission was on like Donkey Kong. The first chapter of Aang’s Avatar journey is basically just him running away from Zuko. But as his dance with the Avatar continued, Zuko started to question his identity and his destiny as the heir to the Fire Nation throne.
READ MORE: A:tLA’s Uncle Iroh — Brew Some Tea With the Dragon of the West
Zuko is accompanied in exile by his loving Uncle Iroh. After the presumed death of the Avatar, Zuko pretends he defeated Aang and betrays his Uncle in order to rejoin his father in the Fire Nation. The young prince believed that standing at his father’s side would restore his honor, but womp womp, it does not. He feels real bad about all the genociding the Fire Nation is doing to the rest of the world.
“Hello! Zuko Here.”
When a solar eclipse knocks out fire bending for a very tense 8 minutes, Zuko confronts his father Lord Ozai. He informs his ol’ dad that he’s gonna go teach the Avatar firebending! And that he doesn’t need his approval! And that he’s not his little girl anymore, Dad!!!
It’s this point in the story that we get Grade-A jellybean Zuko. He decides to “turn himself in” to Team Avatar in an effort to prove his pure intentions. It takes some time and a few awkward exchanges, but Zuko eventually earns the team’s trust. The friendships he forms with Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara are the foundation on which the future is built.
Fire Lord Zuko
After Avatar Aang strips Fire Lord Ozai of his bending powers, Zuko assumes his place as the rightful heir to the Fire Nation. His job is essentially to de-nationalize the Fire Nation while repairing his regime’s reputation after all that fiery tyranny and colonization.
It’s a tall order, but if anyone has the—err—fire to make it work, it’s Zuko. His time as leader of the Fire Nation is looked on as a time of unprecedented peace.
Zuko’s Relationships: Mai, Aang, Korra, & More
In his teen years, Zuko is depicted in a romantic relationship with Mai, one of his sister Azula’s friends and the daughter of Fire Nation nobles. Many fans assume that Mai and Zuko get married and give birth to a daughter, Izumi. The jury is still out on whether or not canon verifies their marriage, though.
We do, however, know that Zuko’s friendships with Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka remain strong and extremely relevant. Team Avatar stays tight until each of them pass into the next life—and even then, a little case of death doesn’t stop Zuko from bonding with his Avatar BFF when he’s reborn as Avatar Korra.
Zu-Zu’s Personality & Special Skills
Zuko’s personality is pretty easy to nail in an RPG setting. He’s your basic tsundere—tough and grumpy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. Part of his charm is his social awkwardness. Befriending a group of people you previously tried to fire-punch into oblivion can get kind of sticky.
He is, however, an exceptionally proficient fire bender. While he’s more than capable of attacking someone with his punchy-kicky-pyrotechnics, his most impressive ability is defensive. Thanks to the teachings of Iroh, Zuko is able to redirect lightning, which requires a lot of self-discipline. It could also come in mega-handy in a tabletop setting.
Remember, for all of his crankiness, Zuko’s story arc ends with a full cup of inner peace. Whether you want to play the sassy prince with a chip on his shoulder or the Sifu Hotman that helps the Avatar restore balance to the world, Zuko is a spicy character for any RPG setting. The real way to restore your honor is to have fun playing the game.
