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This Villain was Headlined on July, 2022. | ||
| “ | Azula: I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing, so you've had to struggle, and connive, and claw your way to power. But true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne, and which one is going to be bowing down. But I know, and you know. Well? Long Feng: ... You've beaten me at my own game. Azula: Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player. |
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| ~ Azula revealing to Long Feng that it wasn't he who was using her but it was her using him. |
Princess Azula is the secondary antagonist of Nickelodeon's 2005 animated fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender and the main antagonist of its comic book continuation of the same name.
She is the cunning but dangerously unstable princess of the Fire Nation, the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and Ursa, the younger sister and arch-nemesis of Fire Lord Zuko, and the archenemy of Team Avatar as a whole, particularly towards Katara.
Azula is an incredibly ruthless and manipulative princess who strives to receive approval from her father and outdo her brother. Beneath her ruthless demeanor, however, she remains insecure and unstable, suffering from emotional and manipulative abuse at her father's hands—abuse that fueled her deep envy toward her older brother, whom their loving mother Ursa favored over her.
Portrayals[]
- In Avatar: The Last Airbender and several games, she was voiced by Grey DeLisle, who also voiced Asajj Ventress in Star Wars: Clone Wars, Mandy in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Black Cat in Marvel's Spider-Man (2017), the High Priestess in Samurai Jack, Edith Anthrope in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Valerie in Codename: Kids Next Door, Viconia DeVir in Baldur's Gate, Naare in Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, Vicky in The Fairly OddParents, Ash Delgado in Elena of Avalor, Catwoman in the Batman Arkham saga, Ming-Hua in The Legend of Korra, and Baroness in G.I. Joe Resolute.
- In SMITE, she was voiced by Megan Shipman.
- In Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, she was voiced by Suzie Yeung.
Personality[]
| “ | You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole, and he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him? | „ |
| ~ Azula to her brother, revealing that their father wants his brother and son locked up for treason. |
Azula relentlessly drilled herself toward perfection, settling for nothing less from herself or those who served her. She believed that power and domination make people strong; she held absolute confidence in her "divine right to rule," which she believed she was born with. She showed neither pity nor mercy toward those she marked as treasonous or inferior. Like her father, Ozai, the drastic combination of antisocial, narcissistic, and Machiavellian traits suggests that Azula suffers from a dark triad personality.
In childhood, Azula displayed a mischievous side, occasionally pulling pranks on Zuko and Mai with Ty Lee—as when they tricked Zuko into falling into Mai, giggling after their prank succeeded. She was marked by a distinct lack of empathy; even as a child, she reacted with hostility when outdone, shoving Ty Lee to the ground after Ty Lee bested her in gymnastics. This behavior characterized her relationship with her friends for many years. Although she could be sympathetic and loyal toward them, she hardly cared for their feelings and manipulated them as she saw fit—most notably when she threatened Ty Lee into leaving the circus and joining her cause.
Azula has shown a twisted form of affection for those around her. Despite their differences and dysfunctional relationship, she seems to genuinely care about her brother—most notably when she empathized with Zuko during his visit to their family's old summer home, taking the time to find him and invite him to join her friends, stating that the place is "depressing." She also apologizes to Ty Lee after insulting her, appearing paranoid as she does so. When Mai and Ty Lee betray her, she is genuinely hurt and confused; she initially attempts to kill Mai in her rage, but later sentences both friends to imprisonment as she begins to calm down.
She asserted herself and her authority in an extremely grandiose manner—humiliating Long Feng in front of his former henchmen, threatening the captain of her ship. She craved admiration from her father, whom she emulated to a great degree, and to a lesser extent from everyone around her. When she learned her father was going to the Earth Kingdom without her, she reacted with despair and rage, which accelerated her mental deterioration.
True to her seemingly sociopathic nature, displays of genuine affection and love greatly disgust and nauseate Azula. Despite this, she remained composed when Ty Lee hugged her during the latter's debut episode.
Azula grows mentally unstable at the time she is appointed Fire Lord and dueling Zuko for the crown.
As her insanity increased, Azula gave in to her fear of being killed. She accused her servant of purposely leaving a pit in her cherry so that she would choke; she grew angry at the Dai Li when they arrived five minutes late, suggesting that in that time an assassin could sneak in, kill her, and "be on his merry way." She then suggested that the Dai Li could betray and kill her ("just like Mai and Ty Lee"), and banished them. She also began keeping her back against one of the throne's canopy poles as often as possible, likely out of fear of being attacked from behind.
She appeared not to be sleeping well, as dark circles under her eyes suggested she feared being killed in her sleep. Upon Lo and Li's arrival to counsel her, Azula's fear of disappointing her father was clear. She became so enraged when her old mentors questioned her wishes that she momentarily forgot they were not firebenders, ordering them to fight an Agni Kai with each other.
Azula appeared unaffected by her failure to kill the Avatar. However, her failed relationship with her mother—and her jealousy toward Zuko for receiving more of their mother's affection—coupled with the betrayal she suffered at the hands of Mai and Ty Lee, who were the closest people in her entourage, forced her to face the ugly truth that her father never loved her (his elevation to Phoenix King made her understand that he never trusted nor planned for her to rule). Her subsequent defeat by Zuko and Katara finally sent Azula over the edge; she cracked, screaming and crying uncontrollably after failing to be crowned Fire Lord. Along with her emotional breakdown, her defeat toppled her belief in the "divine" right to rule that she was owed. Azula was admitted into a mental health facility on a nearby island in the Fire Nation, where she was closely monitored and observed.
After the Hundred Year War, Azula seemed to have started improving after her release from the asylum, joining Zuko and Team Avatar on a journey to find Ursa. However, once they found her, Azula reverted to her violent self and attempted to attack Ursa, only to be unable to do so when Ursa apologized for abandoning her, causing Azula to flee into the forest. In the Smoke and Shadow trilogy, Azula appears to help Ukano release Ozai at first, but then reveals that she was only using him for her own plan. She still plans to rule the Fire Nation, but ended up walking a path of finding new followers and a place to rule.
Relationships[]
Zuko[]
| “ | You mean it's not obvious yet? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child! | „ |
| ~ Azula revealing herself and her plans to kill Zuko. |
Perhaps her most complicated relationship was with her brother Zuko. She had little respect for her older brother and enjoyed tormenting him when they were kids; she showed no empathy when he was exiled and scarred by Ozai. Zuko, in return, was hardly on terms with her, finding her cruelty unreasonable—and the fact that their father favored her only added insult to injury. When ordered by Ozai to hunt down Zuko, Azula did not hesitate; whenever they met, she was always the superior one, mocking him for being inferior and for having lost all hope of recognition from their father. Zuko continued to express a strong desire to overcome her in combat.
However, she was willing to reach out to Zuko's desire to be restored to his royal status, taking measures to ensure his return to the Fire Nation. She even appeared to have begun warming up to Zuko, showing a level of compassion and care for him—expressing concern after discovering that he had been secretly visiting an imprisoned Iroh, warning him that if discovered, his meetings with their uncle could be misinterpreted as conspiracy. She shared nostalgia and depression with her brother as they visited their family's decrepit summer beach house.
After Azula found Zuko within the old house, she told him to leave, noting that she understood his feelings toward the place. Along with Mai and Ty Lee, Azula later helped Zuko realize why he was feeling angered, assuming the role of interpreter as they each shared revelations of their life experiences that shaped them into who they are, showing a faint amount of sympathy over Zuko's confused feelings. When her turn came, Azula admitted to her awareness that their mother loved Zuko more, but unlike her brother, she did not feel the need to care or spend her time complaining about it. However, she was fully willing to combat him again after he betrayed the Fire Nation once more.
This time, Zuko had finally obtained the power and skill needed to fight Azula on reasonably equal footing, and she clearly noticed this as her brother easily deflected her attacks, choosing to dodge his fire blasts rather than repelling them. Unlike their previous altercations, she didn't seem to show much joy over how her brother would die; but after Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her for Zuko, Azula became obsessed with killing him, even abandoning her hunt for Aang to fight Zuko. The fight once again ended in a standstill, as Zuko's firebending power and prowess now rivaled hers, and she outright flaunted the knowledge that she was the only one who could become Fire Lord.
At this time, Zuko no longer cared about Azula being Ozai's favorite and even expressed concern as Azula fell from the airship. When they faced each other for the title of Fire Lord, Azula challenged Zuko to Agni Kai in a manner that showed she wanted not to even the odds of him having Katara, but to defeat him on her own in her madness—despite having experienced how much Zuko had grown. Zuko easily sensed this and used it to his advantage, steadily pummeling her into submission.
She taunted Zuko with feigned regret at having to beat him, but Zuko solemnly told her she did not, which caused her to smile sadistically before beginning their duel. In her anger, Azula abandoned her cool persona for a moment and was about to fire lightning at Zuko despite knowing he could redirect it, stopping only at the last moment to hit Katara instead, and outright laughed as Zuko collapsed from her attack. The mere sight of Zuko being alive caused Azula to finally break down, and Zuko watched in clear sadness as Azula fell apart.
Azula's madness earned her Zuko's pity and she was sent into a mental facility for treatment rather than being left in prison. Zuko continued to monitor her and even was willing to ask for help in finding their mother. Azula eagerly accepted in order to overcome her mental breakdown, feigning a desire to help the Fire Lord.
However, Azula quickly resumed her clearly antagonistic behavior toward Zuko, lashing out at him in anger during her episodes, until she finally realized that no matter what she did, Zuko would continue to consider her family. This realization caused her to cry and leave behind the letter, no longer interested in being Fire Lord, though she nonetheless scorned her brother for wanting to help her. She later even expressed a desire to help him be a better Fire Lord, although in her own way, and she continued to taunt him over Mai and being once again bested.
In the end, although Azula herself would probably never admit it, deep down she did have a familial bond with Zuko, but her massive anger and jealousy toward him—for having taken away Mai and Ty Lee, and for their mother favoring him—ultimately made her incapable of being at peace with him.
Ursa[]
Azula's relationship with Ursa is nearly as complicated as her kinship with Zuko. As Ursa continued to scold Azula for her cruelty and lack of respect, Azula incorrectly believed that Ursa's attempts to make her a better person were not out of love, but because Ursa hated and feared her as a monster—a belief that caused her to develop deep-rooted feelings of anger and bitterness toward her mother. She was completely incapable of seeing that her mother truly loved her and only wanted her to become a better person. Due to Azula's Machiavellian nature, narcissistic personality, and sheer arrogance, she believed she was a perfect person, simply because of her royal blood, her status as a firebending prodigy, and her greater skill than Zuko.
Indeed, unlike Ozai, Ursa didn't show much encouragement toward Azula's firebending ability and genuine intellect, but this was because of where these traits would lead, what they would be used for, what Azula would become, and how the world would see her.
Although she showed no sadness over Ursa's banishment, it later turned out that she had deep down mourned her mother's loss, and this would manifest as Azula became unstable. Seeing an illusion of Ursa showing that she truly loved and cared for her and wanted her to have a better life was enough to cause her to sob deeply, showing outright self-loathing and sadness over how she was ultimately unable to build a good relationship with Ursa. It even appeared she admired her mother's goodness, as her conscience took the form of her.
Seeing her had a deep impact on Azula, even a year later. She agreed to help Zuko find Ursa, though she did so with her own agenda, as her paranoia led her to blame Ursa for every bad thing that had occurred in her life and to conspire with her enemies. Throughout her journey to Hira'a, where Team Avatar hoped to find more leads about Ursa's whereabouts, Azula was often plagued by delusional thoughts of Ursa's treacherous conspiracies against her and hallucinations that declared her mother's love for her—something Azula still could not comprehend.
Accusing her mother of setting everyone against her, even her own mind, Azula revealed to Ursa's mirage her plans to find and kill her, in order to be free of her interventions forever. After learning Ursa had chosen to forget her, Azula was utterly furious and particularly bitter at how Kiyi was Ursa's new daughter, bitterly asking if Kiyi was to replace her. However, she hesitated when Ursa declared her remorse at being a failure of a mother to her, even crying, allowing Zuko to stop her.
Ursa felt regret over Azula's subsequent escape to the Valleys, realizing that her rough methods ultimately cost Azula much, and tearfully pondered her safety, despite likely knowing all she had done.
But as far as Azula was concerned it was too little too late. To her if her mother truly loved her she would've allowed Ozai to kill Zuko and not married a peasant and "replaced" with a new daughter. For this her hatred for her mother grew deeper.
Powers and Abilities[]
Firebending[]
Azula's blue fire and acrobatic skills.
Azula was one of the most skilled firebenders of her time, recognized as a prodigy by both Ozai and Zuko. The most noticeable feature of Princess Azula's bending was her ability to create her characteristic blue flames, which are much more intense than the red, orange, and yellow fire normally used by firebenders. She only bent normal fire during her childhood (and in the opening sequence). Azula also used her flames in previously unseen ways, such as jets of flames, whirling disks, and blades of fire. She often firebends using only two fingers, rather than a closed fist or open hand common to other firebenders. Also notable was her ability to produce a greater amount of flames than most firebenders without tiring, maintaining successive assaults for long durations of time.
She demonstrated the skill to condense her flames, enabling her fire to cut clean through various objects. When formed into fireballs, the flames proved concussive, firmly pulverizing objects such as stone. Azula generated powerful shields of swirling flames that could withstand the full force of four simultaneous elemental attacks (and a boomerang).
She could charge up her fire before releasing it, as seen during her fight with Aang. Azula also fought off multiple Kyoshi Warriors, using both firebending and hand-to-hand techniques. The outcome of this fight was not shown, but the fact that Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrated Ba Sing Se posing as the Kyoshi Warriors revealed that Azula had won. Azula later stated that Suki was her favorite prisoner, further revealing that she had won the duel against Suki.
Azula was proficient in the highly difficult technique of creating and guiding lightning, a sub-skill of firebending, and was the first character within the series to demonstrate the ability.
As Azula gradually lost her sanity prior to the arrival of Sozin's Comet, her firebending became unfocused and wild, making her all the more dangerous; however, it also resulted in her becoming exhausted more easily than usual. Despite her state of mind, her attacks on Zuko and Katara during her final duel proved ferocious and destructive, and she still fired lightning accurately. However, her mental instability weakened her battlefield prowess, and this ultimately resulted in her defeat at the hands of Katara. She displayed the ability to breathe fire as she struggled against her chains, but this was only brought about by her madness and rage in defeat.
Strategy[]
Azula is remarkably intelligent and a tactical genius. Despite being only 14 years of age, she is arguably the most competent and dangerous planner and strategist in the entire series. She was also highly manipulative, often stringing people along without them even realizing it. She knew how to use political instabilities to her advantage, thought outside the box for unique strategies, and could change her plans at the drop of a hat when she saw better solutions.
While these traits were displayed many times throughout the series, they were never displayed as thoroughly as in the second season finale, in her takeover of Ba Sing Se, a city that had withstood siege for a century.
Infiltrating the city with only Mai and Ty Lee, disguised as Kyoshi Warriors, she realized the political instability of the city and widened the scope of her original plan from just capturing the Avatar to conquering the city. She had her friends discuss who they were so they would be heard by the Dai Li, the source of the instability. Taken to their leader, Long Feng, they both plotted a coup on the city's leadership, with him placing the Dai Li under her command—both planning to betray the other.
However, she gained the Dai Li's respect through her charisma and ruthlessness and, once the coup was complete, turned them against their leader after he attempted his betrayal. She then successfully stopped her brother from changing sides by appealing to his greatest desires, and nearly succeeded in killing Aang. Using only two non-bending friends and her tactical brilliance, she not only succeeded where entire armies had failed for a century in conquering the city, but also took away a powerful ally for the heroes (temporarily) and put Aang out of action for a good period of time.
Appearances[]
Quotes[]
| “ | My brother and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord, and have brought shame on all of us. You might have mixed feelings about attacking members of the Royal Family. I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed. | „ |
| ~ Azula's first line. |
| “ | I think you should take their precious hope and the rest of their land and burn it all to the ground. | „ |
| ~ Azula suggests Ozai to burn the Earth Kingdom down to the ground. |
| “ | Well what choice do I have? Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me. | „ |
| ~ Azula to a hallucination of Ursa. |
| “ | Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai! | „ |
| ~ Azula challenges Zuko to an Agni Kai for the Fire Lord title |
| “ | Yes! We’ve defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!! | „ |
| ~ Azula gloating over winning a volleyball game. |
| “ | You don’t see the family resemblance? Here’s a hint: (Puts her hand over her eye) “I must find the Avatar to restore my honor.”It's okay. You can laugh, it’s funny. | „ |
| ~ Azula’s imitation of Zuko to Aang. |
| “ | Uh, your friend just said that, genius. And since you can’t see, I should tell you, I’m rolling my eyes. | „ |
| ~ Azula to Toph. |
| “ | Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world! WE WILL DOMINATE THE EARTH!! | „ |
| ~ Azula to Chan after they kiss in a sweet tone then suddenly firmly. |
| “ | Ursa: I think you're confused. All your life you used fear to control people, like your friends Mai and Ty Lee. Azula: Well what choice do I have?! Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me. |
„ |
| ~ Azula and her mother Ursa about the former's personality. |
| “ | Azula: I never expected this from you.... and the thing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it? You know the consequences. Mai: I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you. Azula: No, YOU miscalculated!! You should've feared me MORE!! |
„ |
| ~ Azula getting angry after Mai berates her. |
Trivia[]
- Azula is the shadowed firebender in the opening sequence of each episode, despite using blue flames.
- Her name may be a reference to the word "azul" meaning blue in languages like Spanish, Filipino, Galician, and Portuguese, due to her firebending having blue flames.
External Links[]
- Azula on the Avatar Wiki
- Azula on Wikipedia
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