The Rise and Fall of Azula: Why Her Philosophy Failed

is it better for a leader to be feared or to be loved I want people to be afraid of how much they love me at risk of spoiling the rest of the video I'll tell you right now it is better to be loved using fear as a weapon coercing those who follow you into doing so because of your power over them is a recipe for disaster demanding absolute loyalty from your team and unyielding Perfection from yourself may be effective for a time but ultimately it can only end in Failure let's break down azula's character Arc to discover why this is why this Paragon of skill dedication and cold-blooded calculation was initially so successful but ultimately fell apart Azula is to put it bluntly a fanatic she is fervently devoted to her Nation her father and her Mission why well we'll address that later for now we'll examine how azula's introductory scenes establish her Zeal for absolute perfection almost isn't good enough she declares a single hair out of place her obsessive drive for Perfection as highlighted here is part of what makes her such a compelling villain this one line conveys a great deal about her character about how hard she works at her art and thus explains her incredible Proficiency in fire bending it tells us that she has in fact worked exceedingly hard to become as powerful as she is in a creative and subtle way and without wasting a second of screen time little moments like this are a huge part of what makes Avatar as a whole so special we've only just met Azula and yet we already have a solid understanding of her mindset of how much she demands of herself with barely any expository dialogue needed however Azula does not only hold herself to such high standards as her previous scene shows she expects full and total devotion from those who serve under her she tells her firebenders if you hesitate I will not hesitate to bring you down there is no room for doubt or indecision there is only what must be done those who fail will suffer dire consequences again these first lines of azulas tell the audience much about her in an efficient manner She is totally committed to her Mission she expects her soldiers to share that unmitigated sense of Duty and she Rules by fear and threat of violence maybe you should worry less about the tides who have already made up their mind about killing you and worry more about me who's still mulling it over in saying this Azula asserts to her captain and to the viewer that she does not tolerate a lack of control her will must be carried out one way or the other regardless of the odds or Consequences although this complete lack of flexibility demonstrates azula's confidence and strength of will the extreme nature of it the inability to accept and adjust to forces Beyond her control is a trait we should note as it will come into play later in these two short scenes Avatar expertly introduces Azula to its audience establishing her as supremely skilled ruthless and demanding the perfect villain any good antagonist has to have a henchman or two a small elite team as Azula puts it and so she sets out to recruit Ty Lee when tylee initially turns down her proposal Azula appears accepting an understanding of her friend's decision but then she goes on to make the acrobats act as hazardous as possible and Tyler gets the hint once again we see that Azula leads at influences through fear she wields her political and physical power to dominate others and sway them to her will and thus she gets results that is an important part of azula's philosophy results are all that matter the journey is not important the destination is and she will use any means necessary to achieve her desired end those who are not Victorious at any cost are worthy of mockery as she demonstrates during the flashbacks in Zuko alone ridiculing iro for his failure at bossing say displaying a complete lack of respect or sympathy for her uncle's loss of his son this theme is highlighted at a second point in the same episode when azula's mask history of the fire bending forms pleases her father and grandfather and Zuko's pitiful attempt at the same forms draws their ire here we begin to see from where azula's zealous pursuit of perfection derives her father ozai likely due to the influence of his own father does not tolerate weakness or failure it doesn't matter how hard you try it only matters what you can do having grown up with that paternal expectation of supreme Excellence it is no wonder that Azula demands so much from her team and since basically nobody else is as fanatical as Azula it's also no surprise that they don't live up to that standard especially when Azula isn't present we see May and Tyler demonstrate this on a couple of occasions first in the chase when they just resigned themselves to defeat after APPA sends them for a bath sure they're outmatched by the Arab bison but would Azula let a massive opponent like APPA stop her not on your life well Azul is not around so they take a breath her a more interesting moment occurs a few episodes later in the drill while this chapter mainly highlights azula's Ingenuity and aggression the Earth Kingdom's unprepared nature and over-reliance on their legacy defenses and saka's burgeoning development as a leader there is an important character bit that you'll miss if you're not paying close attention when chasing Saka and Katara May declares to Ty Lee she can shoot all the lightning she wants I'm not going in that wall sludge juice it's small but exactly the type of moment that makes Avatar so special it highlights important information about the characters it tells the audience that mei's fear of Azula only goes so far beginning to build up a character trait that will continue to evolve and eventually be paid off in a dramatic and satisfying fashion for now though the three are still a team and still focused on conquering bossing say which leads us to the next step of azula's character Arc Conquering the Earth Kingdom as mentioned earlier Azula understands that when it comes to her father's expectations results are all that matter and thus she has developed a supremely effective ability to plan her attacks while she is obviously an expert Firebender her greatest asset is her mind her ability to discern the motivations and desires of people in power perhaps most crucially she accurately perceives who is in power and why when Azula recognizes that the Dai Lee not the earth king are truly ruling the Earth Kingdom she feels at home in the situation she understands ruling through strength it's the only way she knows how after all and so she knows she can manipulate the power dynamics in the palace to her Advantage Azula emphasizes this point with her speech to the Daily at the beginning of Crossroads of Destiny in a monologue that parallels the one she delivered to her Elite firebenders in the Avatar state if I sense any disloyalty any hesitation any weakness at all I will snuff it out the Fire Nation princess speaks the language of fear and she expects it to work now as it did then as she tells Zuko later the daily have a kill Instinct that's so Firebender which allows Azula to understand and control them people who pursue power live in constant fear of having that power taken from them and will do anything to assure they hold on to whatever influence and Authority they have managed to grasp that desire for strength and Prestige is not only present in the dilee it is certainly the central motivation that drove them into the Earth Kingdom secret police an organization that is defined by its ability to influence and manipulate from behind a curtain and so when someone more powerful than they comes along filling the vacuum left by long things imprisonment and demonstrates her ability to play their game the members of the dilee are reasonably afraid of this unknown factor and are willing to submit to Azula in order to maintain the power they have while fear may be contagious it is largely a personal emotion each Dai Lee agent feels scared for himself for his own position that is why when longfang orders them to arrest Azula they pause could they take Azula if they all acted together absolutely the problem is they don't trust each other they don't have each other's backs each man is operating in the manner that will best assure his safety his standing within the government his own piece of the power pie because their loyalties are to themselves rather than to each other or their Kingdom the dilee were susceptible to azula's influence and ultimately why they refuse long Fang's orders Azula knew all this hence her complete and total confidence when long Fang attempted to backstab her she knows the daily she knows what motivates them it's what has motivated everyone who has served under her fear of her and the desire for self-preservation beyond that Azula also totally believes in the superiority of the Fire Nation and thus her own Supremacy by asserting that she has the Divine Right To Rule Azula tells us that this is something she thinks she deserves herbs she is owed power and authority and she expects others to recognize that fact however Azula does not expect everything to Simply fall into her lap as established her mind is her greatest asset and she wields it by putting together a plan plotting every move of this day this glorious day in Fire Nation history Azula knows what needs to happen in order for her plot to succeed she needs Zuko on her side how does she accomplish that well by knowing what zuku desires and promising it to him Azula understands that Zuko doesn't really fear her whether or not he should be Zuko isn't afraid of a whole lot so she cannot manipulate him like she does most everyone else in her life nonetheless her perceptive nature allows her to manipulate him in another way and it works for a time while it will unravel later what matters for Azula is that it worked right now controlling and dominating others through fear and other base motivations is not a sustainable strategy when it comes to maintaining loyalty but in the short term it certainly is effective and that is why Azula acts as she does she needs to get results her plans have to work she and more importantly her father do not tolerate failure by conquering bossing say Azula ascends to the Apex of her villainous Ark a brilliant and skilled manipulator who has succeeded where her whole nation had failed however to do so she had to plant the seeds of her own downfall what do I mean by that well after her Victorious return to the Fire Nation with Zuko in tow Azula proceeds to give the credit for killing the Avatar to her brother her Mission undoubtedly succeeded bossing say fell to the Fire Nation the success of Zuko's mission is not entirely certain and thus Azula wants no part of it All That Glory would suddenly turn to shame should ozai discover that Aang survived having seized yet more honor and Prestige through her capture of the earth Kingdom capital Azula is like all those who seek power deathly afraid of having it taken from her as such she becomes extremely risk-averse distancing herself from anything that could damage her Stellar reputation and record as the perfect servant of the Fire Nation again this is done out of fear of the one person who truly daunts her rather than tell him the full truth that she and Zuko possibly did not succeed in every way that Aang May in fact still be alive which Azula clearly believes to be a distinct possibility Azula confidently proclaims that her brother slew the Avatar that their mission in bossing say was a complete and total Triumph ozai demands absolute perfection and so Azula delivers it even if she has to set up Zuko to fail in the process this manipulative Act of azula's breathes oxygen on Zuko's smoldering doubts about what he believes to be truly important prompting him to visit iro and continue his journey of self-discovery azula's lie may have seemed necessary to her at the time creating a safeguard against blame and thus loss of prestige and power for her failure to kill the Avatar but her fabrication pushed Zuko away beginning the setup that will get paid off when the two siblings meet at the end of the show that's not to say that Azula doesn't care about Zuko at all she clearly recognizes his usefulness and perhaps there is some faint familial warmth still alive within her cold calculating heart after all she does warn him about visiting iro worrying that Zuko fraternizing with the traitor will bring his own loyalty into doubt azula's intentions during this conversation seem open to interpretation while she could be genuinely concerned for Zuko it is also possible quite likely if you ask me that she is more worried about iro's influence on his nephew Azula is not stupid she knows how important iro has been for Zuko and how he was very nearly able to pull Zuko away from the Fire Nation entirely if Ira had succeeded in doing so Azula would have failed and as we've established she does not tolerate failure more importantly neither does ozai at this point Azula cannot afford to lose Zuko as his return is part of her success so she is taking steps to ensure his loyalty however Azula miscalculates she fails to realize that Zuko loves iro more than he fears ozai it's not the last time she will make such a mistake additionally when she dismisses Mae so she can speak privately with her brother the audience is given a small but meaningful glimpse of the tension between the two May however affable she may have acted in this scene clearly does not appreciate Azula getting in between her and Zuko and we begin to see how azula's singular focus on her brother and her confidence in mei's loyalty may come back to haunt her for once in her life Azula May in fact have gotten herself in over her head into a situation where she cannot maneuver and manipulate as she pleases even if she doesn't quite realize it yet the beach emphasizes this by by placing Azula in such a situation but in a more obvious manner this is the first time we see Azula truly out of her element as she tries to relax and socialize it turns out spending your entire life focused on world domination doesn't allow for the development of refined social skills to highlight this point the show has Azula turn a friendly game of Fire Nation volleyball into a full-fledged War as she carefully analyzes her opponent's weaknesses and exploits them for her gain yes it's tremendously amusing but it is also indicative of azula's greatest flaw she cannot connect with others in an authentic manner everything is a battle there is no such thing as a friendly competition Azula is incapable of understanding people on an emotional level at least if those emotions aren't fear and avarice to compensate she attempts to calculate her socializing she shows up exactly on time she asks Ty Lee for specific instructions on how to talk to a boy every move is planned in designed with an end in mind there is no room for idle Chit Chat small talk or fun for the sake of fun in azula's mind even when she does begin to connect with Chan she quickly shifts the conversation in a war-like direction does Azula make note of this flaw in herself and move to correct it no friendship is not something that really matters to her she doesn't see why she would need to form meaningful authentic relationships based off of mutual interests and genuine care those don't tend to help one's Ascent to power Azula displays this lack of self-reflection during the iconic bonfire scene a scene that honestly deserves a video all its own after everyone else Bears their souls to one another getting to the deepest parts of what drives them why they do what they do who they want to be Azula comments what wonderful performances everyone she sees herself as above all the emotional turmoil that is ubiquitous to virtually every teenager's life experience Azula recalls that my own mother thought I was a monster but she never says why that was or if she tried to change her mother's perception above all Azula is confident in who she is she believes herself to be just about perfect in every way that matters and if others hate her for that well It Might Sting but it doesn't really matter as long as she gets what she wants again this demonstrates just how stunted the growth of azula's emotional maturity is and how that prevents her from developing genuine loving relationships not that that has really held her back thus far when in her element that is at War there is simply no need for such friendships Azula does after all operate quite effectively when alone with May and Ty Lee attacking along if needed and none of that is to say that Azula doesn't understand people but rather that she only understands a subset of each person she knows what people fear I think we've established that pretty well already but just in case you need the point reinforced look no further than the day of black sun when Azula pulls her trump card on Saka the entire sequence leading up to this highlights two essential traits of azulas first she is always prepared her plans perfect and her execution of them Flawless second she is her father's obedient servant while ozai is safely stowed away in his hidden chamber Azula serves as the bait that seems like a rather risky she move for someone who seeks power so persistently and thus should be quite risk-averse doesn't it the only logical explanation is that she was ordered to distract the Avatar and Company for the duration of the eclipse by the only person who could command such deference from her the only person whom she fears to her credit Azula doesn't appear to resent ozai or play the part reluctantly doubtless she relishes in the challenge and enjoys having planned Her Moves long before her opponents even knew they were playing the game she is prepared for just about any scenario including being captured and interrogated as evidenced by her ability to fool even Toff with her lies and this ability of azulas is so telling Toth is able to detect when most people lie because they feel guilty about doing so hence the increase in heart rate because to normal people the truth has inherent value Azula is able to lie so convincingly because the truth means nothing to her words are merely another weapon in her Arsenal that she can wield when necessary true or false it doesn't matter what does matter is that she says what she needs to say in order to achieve her goal case in point when Saka recognizes azula's stalling tactics and begins to pull his friends away Azula reveals that she is captured and perhaps even tortured tsuki sending Saka into a blind rage as he is forced to think of the girl he loves imprisoned and in pain now is what Azula says true possibly did she get tsuki to give up information about Saka Aang and their group Through Torture I can't see Suki relinquishing that information any other way but it's possible ozula obtained it from another source however it doesn't really matter what Azula said had its desired result she recognizes how love can be used to manipulate her enemies even if she does not know what it means to truly love another person and that it turns out is azula's fatal flaw as we begin to see during boiling rock as per usual when Azula shows up to the Fire Nation prison she assumes control used to being in a position of power priding herself on being a people person she quickly assesses the situation and moves to cut off the escape attempt and her interference would have succeeded in preventing the prison break were it not for May's betrayal it is here that azula's downfall begins in Earnest paying off the gradual buildup of her displeasure with Azula May tells her you miscalculated I love Zuko more than I fear you striking a severe blow to the very core of azula's philosophy the Fire Nation princess has dominated every underling of hers even those she Styles as friends through her imposing nature and the power she wields due to her birth rate and her frightening abilities Above All Else Azula prizes power and control and their necessary prerequisite of self-preservation which she assumes to be the most fundamental desire of any person and thus the most exploitable Azula is not totally wrong fear for oneself is incredibly common and quite strong however even at his strongest fear cannot Trump love when push comes to shove true authentic love that is the desire for the good of another is stronger than any sense of self-preservation why because we are not made for ourselves we are made for one another when we forget that we and all those around us suffer a huge part of what is so wonderful about fantasy is how it can highlight truths like this principles that apply to us in the real world in Creative in fantastic ways a life lived in search of power and authority is lonely and empty a life lived in relationship with those we love even in poverty is full beautiful and joyful Perfection and power are overrated I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love Azula fails to understand that in her miscalculation triggers the final stage of her downfall we see the first hints of azula's unraveling mental state in the opening scene of the Southern Raiders as she proclaims I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child her plan of attack doesn't have her usual Hallmarks of careful plotting and covering every angle she barely makes it out of there alive and the Gang escapes quite easily on Oppa despite Azula having plenty of airships at her disposal this didn't appear to be a calculated plan just Azula aggressively lashing out in the vague hope that she would accomplish something perhaps this desperate Act of hers is what prompts ozai to leave her behind when he departs for the Earth Kingdom or maybe he simply knows her too well and fears she will try to take advantage of the Comet to kill him either way she isn't too happy with his decision you can't treat me like Zuko is her forceful declaration that is to say I am still of use do not discard me I am so afraid of losing what I have please see some worth in me Azula is controlled by ozai just as she controlled others through fear and once her perfect record of control became tarnished she began to fall apart to lose confidence in herself which her father knowed out sensed still needing to placate her at least temporarily ozai gives her what she wants what she has been seeking her whole life what she believes she is owed and that seems to satisfy Azula for now once seated upon said Throne Azula has a Damocles moment as she begins to see threats everywhere having once been the instiller of fear she now fears anyone and everyone as her shattered confidence combines with the inherently dangerous position of being a monarch to cause Azula to see assassins behind every curtain and thus to banish anyone who so much as smells slightly off the betrayals of Mei and Ty Lee severely damaged azula's trust in her own ability to read people to assess how to best manipulate them without that Azula is nothing her entire philosophy eradicated and turned to dust this theme is brought to a head with azula's vision of her mother who asserts that Azula is confused all your life you've used fear to control people Azula is still adamant that her system which has had worked perfectly for years and had allowed her to accomplish great victories for the Fire Nation rejects that assertion trust Is For Fools fear is the only reliable way even you fear me Ursa delivers the final crushing blow to Azula psyche with one simple sentence no I Loved You Azula love is more powerful than fear love is what joins us together what makes us trust one another love is what binds us as families communities and Nations Azula cannot fathom that cannot accept that there truly is a force more powerful than the fear which she has wielded her whole life that even her mother who likely knew her inner Darkness better than anyone loved her nonetheless and so she breaks thus Zuko and Katara find her disheveled unhinged and utterly unpredictable the Azula they knew is gone replaced by a dangerous shell with all azula's firebending power but absolutely none of her discipline Zuko's recognition of the this fact and his insistence that Katara let him deal with Azula does not go unnoticed by his sister she recognizes that Zuko cares for Katara and when she is on the verge of losing their duel exploits that perceived weakness leaving zuka wounded and Katara facing off against a powerful Firebender during Susan's Comet now this is hardly a fair fight Katara can only run from azula's intense blasts of flame however Azula is unhinged her greatest asset her mind all but useless and she is made overconfident by her own strength and so she uncharacteristically stumbles into a trap past Azula never would have walked over that great but this Azula has lost most of her faculties knowing only that she holds power and that others are trying to take it from her with no clear idea of how why or who it's no wonder that Katara is able to outsmart her Azula thinks she finally understands the situation after days of struggling to discover threats to her power she has one in front of her at last and so she fails to perceive the threat under her feet allowing Katara to put an end to her Reign azula's philosophy of demanding Perfection maintaining control and manipulating others through fear has an incredible Arc it begins as effective and grows even more so reaching its Zenith when the walls of bossing say fall however it is ultimately a flawed Outlook that cannot last because it does not allow for authentic relationships trust and love Azula drives a wedge between herself and all those she would call Friends by attempting to control them through intimidation and coercion as she pays the price when they choose Those whom they love over she whom they fear unable to cope with her failure she simply implodes not only is this a satisfying storyline it like all good fantasy can help us to learn about ourselves and our world azula's Arc serves as a warning against the belief that good leaders need to be feared to be respected instead good leaders earn the trust of their followers by showing that they love and care for them additionally azula's obsession with control and Perfection demonstrates how if we attempt to govern every aspect of Our Lives we will become frustrated and infuriated by how little influence we truly have in the end and though she may have ultimately failed Azula succeeds in being one of the best villains on TV not because of how strong or Brave the heroes have to be in order to defeat her but because she exemplifies how a faulty and short-sighted worldview will have consequences all its own that is that for the video please let me know what you think what I missed about azula's Arc what other Avatar topics or characters you'd like me to cover and whatever other thoughts are on your mind thank you for watching and I will see you in the next one

Channel: Master Samwise

Views: 536,108

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Id: _CVQQ3pzPm4

Length: 27min 11sec (1631 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 17 2023