Azula from Avatar is The Princess of The Fire Nation, during Ozai's reign she was second in line to the throne behind her brother Zuko, the crown prince. She is Fourteen years old and grew up in a family that was broken early on, she and her father, Ozai bonded while her mother, Ursa bonded with Zuko. This lead to her and her brother never getting on eventually becoming full on enemies and never having a Mother figure or a good example in her life. She became exactly what Ozai wanted, someone who could help his World conquering ambitions, but because of this she grew up to become a cruel and manipulative person who would control people through fear. Prime examples being her two "best friends" Mai and Ty Lee. She had grand ambitions of ruling the world alongside her father.
In this article you will learn more about Azula from Avatar.
[caption id="attachment_3842" align="aligncenter" width="467" caption="Azula is the teenage Princess of the Fire Nation, she does her fathers bidding and attempts to hunt down and capture The Avatar and her "traitor" Brother, Zuko and Uncle, Iroh. She is a Firebending prodigy and a master manipulator."]
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Azula is a Firebending prodigy, so much so that she appears to be the only person capable of controlling blue fire (Hotter and more energetic), she can also generate lightning. She loves power and uses her ability to manipulate people through fear to gain it. Underneath her calculating exterior she always believed that Ursa loved Zuko more than her, the one flaw in her otherwise cruel demeanour. Because of this she grew up close to her father and apart from her mother and brother, ultimately becoming enemies with Zuko, she also never like her Uncle Iroh partly due to Ozai's bad opinion of his brother rubbing off on Azula. Her amazing powers of manipulation allow her to gain the advantage in even bad positions as seen in Ba Sing Se with Long Feng, also proving how tactically good she is instantly able to come up with a plan to gain power. Made how she is by being raised by Ozai alone, she never learned how to be a normal person often very awkward in social situations with others her age, she doesn't know how to be nice and this ultimately leads to her downfall.After her father finds out about Zuko and Iroh's "betrayal" at The North pole, Azula is given the task of capturing and bringing them home, she decides to prove herself further to her father and capture The Avatar for him too.
Note: If you have not seen every episode there will be spoilers
Azula's Early Life
[caption id="attachment_3846" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Young Azula in a photo when her Family was happy. A long time ago."]
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Azula was born in The Fire Nation to Ozai and Ursa, she was the younger sister of Zuko by two years. She was named for her Grandfather Fire Lord Azulon. As part of the Royal family she grew up wealthy and with many privileges associated with it. For the first few years of her life her family was happy and would go to their home on Ember Island during the summers with her uncle Iroh and his son Lu Ten, they were very happy. Azula turned out to be a Firebending prodigy, quickly able to master even advanced techniques, she was always more skilled than her brother who struggled to learn Firebending. Her natural Firebending abilities and wits quickly led to her becoming Ozai's favourite child, with him seeing her as his true heir especially with Zuko struggling, he began to raise her alone, with Zuko turning to his mother Ursa. This caused a split in the happy family, with Azula and Zuko beginning to argue with one another seeing each other as one of their parents favourites. Azula went to the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls, it was here that she met Mai and Ty Lee. Ozai began to mould Azula into a tool to help him gain more power and would only accept perfection, Completely ignoring Zuko, but Azula was only being raised to want power and on how to get it, not in the things most kids learn as they grow up. He thought her how to control people through fear and how to manipulate people. She grew to be nearly exactly like her father cruel and able to manipulate people.
[caption id="attachment_3844" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Ty Lee laugh at Mai and Zuko's embarrassment, which Azula caused."]
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When Azula was Eight and playing with Mai and Ty Lee, Azula failed to execute a perfect cartwheel, when Ty Lee did Azula pushed her over and laughed maniacally, showing her cruelty at a young age. She then used her skills of lying and acting to convince her mother to make Zuko play with them knowing Mai had a crush on Zuko, she then engineered a situation where Zuko had to help Mai put out a flaming apple on her head by tackling her into a fountain, she enjoyed greatly the two's embarrassment in a cruel way.She would even throw rocks at the family of Turtle Duck's in the pond to "feed" them.
Love of Power
[caption id="attachment_3845" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula callously burns Iroh's gift of a doll."]
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Azula had developed Ozai's desire and quest for power, she thought that her father should be the Heir to the throne and not her Uncle who she like her father did not like. Iroh was very kind to his Niece and nephew, he sent them gifts from his long siege of Ba Sing Se, Azula got a doll, but she hating her uncle and the fact that Zuko got something "Useful", A knife, burned the doll in her hands, enjoying its demise.
[caption id="attachment_3848" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula runs off after her mother scolds her for her harsh words about her uncle and grandfather."]
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When news came back to the Fire Nation that Iroh's son Lu Ten had been killed in battle during Iroh's six hundred day siege of Ba Sing Se, Azula again showed her cruelty and maliciousness by not caring at all, Iroh had also abandoned his siege, Azula called Iroh "a quitter and and a loser" not even acknowledging his loss, only seeing this as a good thing for Ozai's chances at gaining the throne. She started to make fun of Iroh in front of Zuko making him angry, then when Ursa arrived to tell them they were going to see Azulon, she questioned Azulon's power saying he will be replaced soon, Ursa shocked by her daughters words told her to stop saying "What is wrong with that child ?" to herself as Azula ran off.
[caption id="attachment_3849" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula shows off just how skilled she is at firebending even at this young age."]
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Ozai and his family arrive at the meeting with Azulon, Ozai begins to have Azula show off her smarts and Firebending prowess by asking her questions on Fire Nation history, she performs an amazing firebending routine making her father proud, Zuko then attempts the same routine and stumbles and fails, Azulon then loses patience after Zuko's failure and demands to speak to Ozai alone.
[caption id="attachment_3850" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula delights in the pleasure of telling her brother what Ozai is going to do to him."]
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As Azula and Zuko are about to leave, Azula grabs Azula and brings him behind some curtains and they listen in on Ozai and Azulon's conversation. They listen as Ozai pleads with his father to give him the birthright now that Iroh's bloodline has ended with Lu Ten's death, Azulon does not take well to this and begins to scold Ozai for being so insensitive to Iroh's loss, Zuko runs away as Azulon says he will punish Ozai. Azula stays and watches on unfazed, as Azulon tells Ozai what his punishment shall be, supposedly Azulon demands that Ozai experience the same loss as Iroh, losing his first born. She then gleefully went to tell her brother about his fate, taunting him until Ursa arrives and takes Azula away to talk to her about her behaviour " leaving Zuko scared about his fate.
[caption id="attachment_3851" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula watched on with glee and Zuko with fear as Ozai is made the new Fire Lord at his coronation."]
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The next morning Azula walks into Zuko's room and starts to play with his knife, when he wakes he asks where is mother is, Azula again is delighted to tell him that Ursa is missing and that Azulon died during the night, She knows now with Ursa gone she has every advantage over Zuko, she knows she is better than him in pretty much every way. Later that day Ozai is made the new Fire Lord much to Azula's delight.
Before the Series
[caption id="attachment_3852" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula revels in her brothers pain."]
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Over the next few years Azula grew more and more closer to Ozai while Zuko grew further apart, Azula became even more skilled in manipulation and Firebending. When Zuko spoke out of turn at a war meeting Ozai demanded he fight him in an Agni Kai, Azula watched on sadistically as Ozai burned and then banished her brother for not fighting back. At some point either before or after this point she had become so proficient at firebending that she could use Blue Fire with amazing control.Because of Zuko's banishment she had become Ozai's heir gaining the birthright that was Zuko's, The Crown Princess.
Ozai's Mission
[caption id="attachment_3863" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula kneels before her father as she accepts the Mission given to her, to capture Zuko and Iroh."]
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Shortly after the failed Fire Nation Invasion of The Northern Water Tribe and Admiral Zhao's demise there, news reached Ozai of this failure and his son and brothers involvement in it, he tasks his Daughter Azula with hunting down and capturing the traitors Zuko and Iroh, Azula is intent on succeeding with this mission.
Reunion
[caption id="attachment_3864" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula takes command of her ship through fear, the captain a victim of her cruelty."]
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Azula immediately sets out to find and capture Zuko and Iroh, she takes a ship " and a crew and heads to the Earth Kingdom with her advisers, Lo and Li. She give a speech to her crew about how they should not have any problems with attacking members of the Royal Family when they find Zuko and Iroh, threatening the whole crew, they will have her to deal with if they hesitate. The Captain then informs her that the tides won't allow the ship to make port, Azula then began to berate the Captain threatening his life if he does not bring them into port, she instills fear into him and he manages to bring the ship into port.
[caption id="attachment_3865" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula perfects her Lightning Generation, one hair out of place is not good enough."]
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During the journey she practices lightning generation, in an aim to reach perfection, even a single hair moving was not good enough for her.
[caption id="attachment_3866" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula prepares to hit Zuko with lightning but it is redirected by Iroh"]
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Azula finds her brother and Uncle at a Spa Resort in the Earth Kingdom, she pretends to pay them a nice visit, and lies to them telling them that Ozai regrets Zuko's banishment and wants him home, she leaves waiting for their decision, Zuko believes her but Iroh is suspicious. The next day Azula waits on her ship for them to arrive, she warmly greets them as they board the ship, her plan is ruined when The Captain she threatened before accidentally reveals that it has been a trap to capture them, Iroh immediately begins to attack the guards as Zuko furious confronts his sister. They duel, with Azula the superior Firebender by far, she verbally accosts him and begins to generate lightning to kill her brother, Iroh grabs her hand and redirects the lightning himself into a cliff and they both escape. Azula furious with their escape, holds a wanted poster of Zuko and Iroh telling them "Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord. "
Forming a Team
[caption id="attachment_3867" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's first stop is to recruit her old friend Ty Lee, who had since joined the Circus."]
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After her failed attempt to capture Iroh and Zuko, Azula asks Lo and Li for advice, they tell her that the Royal procession is not needed she needs the element of surprise, she agrees and decides to put together a small and agile team, and she know exactly who she needs. She first visits a Fire Nation Circus where her old friend Ty Lee is a performer, the two are delighted to see each other, Azula wonders why the daughter of a Nobleman is in the circus, she asks her to join her on her mission.Ty Lee refuses happy with her life in the circus, Azula accepts her response but decides to stay and watch one of her shows. Ty Lee is not happy about this knowing that Azula likes to get her own way.
[caption id="attachment_3868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula scares Ty Lee into joining her by increasingly making the show more dangerous."]
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At the show Azula demands the circus master make the show more exciting, she wants Ty Lee's safety net to be set on fire and all the animals let out, Ty Lee begins to get more and more nervous as she realises that Azula is threatening her to join the team. After the Show Ty Lee decides to join Azula. Azula has one last person to get.
[caption id="attachment_3869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's team is ready, reunited with Mai and Ty Lee they prepare for the trade."]
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Azula and Ty Lee enter the newly captured city of Omashu, they both meet Mai, another old friend. Mai is thrilled to accept Azula's offer, anything for her to get out of the boredom of the city. Azula then confronts Mai's father the governor or the city about letting all the people leave he tells her the resistance stole his son Tom Tom and they are trading King Bumi for him soon, he begs for forgiveness, but Azula as usual has no mercy deciding he is making a mess running the city, she renames the city "New Ozai" in honour of her father and says that Mai will be in charge of the Trade. The time for the trade arrives and Azula, Mai and Ty Lee face off against Aang, Sokka and Katara. Bumi is suspended in a metal cage, Azula starts proceedings by saying how trading a powerful Earthbending king for a baby is not a fair deal, Aang then charges to free Bumi, beginning the fight.
[caption id="attachment_3870" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula attempts to capture Aang after she realises he is the Avatar, she now has a third Target."]
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Azula quickly realises that Aang is the Avatar by his tattoos, and immediately sees this as a chance to help her father by capturing him. She chases Aang when he lands on Bumi's cage and begins to free him, Azula shoots fire at them breaking the chain suspending him, they land on the Omashu mail system and begin to slide down quickly, Azula gets on a mail cart and pursues them. The battle begins on the mail systems with Aang atop Bumi's cage defending from Azula's fire blasts, they switch between shoots, eventually Azula is left behind after Bumi reveals he can Earthbend with his face stopping her and allowing Aang and friends to escape. Azula tells her friends that they are now going after The Avatar too.
Pursuit
[caption id="attachment_3872" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula aboard her Mongoose Lizard chases Aang."]
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When Azula and her team again locate Team Avatar, they are now using a Tank/Train Vehicle that is fast and able to go over nearly all terrain as well as three Mongoose Lizard. They relentlessly chase them gradually tiring their quarry. Eventually Aang and his friends stand to confront the machine, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee on their animals begin to attack them. Aang and friends realising who they are facing decide to flee again. Azula and friends again pursue them, they reach an area where Appa had landed and find fur in the stream and a trail of the fur leading off in one direction but Azula notices that the tops of some nearby trees are broken. She instantly realises that they planned something and sets off following the trail of fur sending Mai and Ty Lee in the direction of the broken trees.
[caption id="attachment_3873" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula completely outnumbered by family and enemies, she manages to wound Iroh and escape."]
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Azula rides her Mongoose Lizard to follow the trail, it leads her to an abandoned town and located the young and tired Avatar. He asks who she is and why she is her, attempting a joke she mimics Zuko in appearance and voice to see if Aang would see the family resemblance, Aang is unimpressed and gets ready for a fight. Azula asks if he really wants to fight her when Zuko appears answering her question "Yes I really do!", Azula giving her brother no respect calls him "Zuzu" making Aang laugh as he realises they are brother and sister, the three way fight begins Azula and Aang are the more skilled fighters, she initially struggles to deal with Aangs Airbending movements, but her sheer power eventually wins out as Aang is trapped under a beam and Zuko is knocked out on the street. She has Aang right where she wants him when Katara enters the building and frees Aang, Azula attacks her as Sokka appears further outnumbering her.Meanwhile Iroh has arrived and woken up a groggy Zuko. Azula is fighting against bad odds when Toph arrives, she is then cornered and outnumbered six to one, she pretends to surrender but instead notices that Iroh is distracted by Toph's appearance to help Aang and shoots him in the shoulder with blue fire and escapes as all four elements are used against her.
Azula then meets back up with Mai and Ty Lee and eventually join War Minister Qin and oversee his attempt to use a massive Drill to enter Ba Sing Se.
Drilling
[caption id="attachment_3878" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is making War Minister Qin more and more nervous, he is scared of failing with her watching him."]
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As they approach the walls they are met with resistance from the soldiers of Ba Sing Se, The Terra Team is sent to stop the drill, Qin is positive nothing can stop the drill but Azula send Mai and Ty Lee to deal with them. They easily defeat them and return to the drill, " Ty Lee notices an unusually poofy dust cloud and Azula again begins to doubt Qin who is getting nervous. The drill soon makes contact with the wall and is starting to get through, a soldier then informs Qin that an engineer was attacked and his schematics stolen and that one brace has been cut clean through, Azula and her friends move to investigate. They find Aang, Katara and Sokka continuing to cut more braces, they attack with Azula following Aang. He manages to get ahead and get to the outside of the drill to prepare to strike the final blow.
[caption id="attachment_3879" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula fights Aang atop the drill, she is winning until the slurry came, she is unable to stop Aang taking down the drill."]
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Azula arrive atop the drill and attacks Aang, Aang manages to dodge all of her attacks until General Sung starts to have his men throw boulders down on the drill, eventually Azula breaks through Aang's earthbending defence and the force of the blow slams him into the wall knocking him out. She approaches the unconscious Aang with the intent of finishing him off, Aang wakes just in time, blocking her blow then pushing her back, then slurry begins to spray from the wall coating the surface of the drill in the slippery slurry. With no grip they both slam into each other and the wall and begin to slid off the drill, Aang with the help of Momo and airbending gets back to the top while Azula just barely keeps a grip on the drill, Aang prepares his final attack on the drill as Azula gets back to her feet, he sprints up and then down the wall using his momentum to drive a wedge of Earth into the drill, Azula unleashes a fire blast at him, but Aang's attack is too powerful sending Azula flying off the Drill and taking down the drill. Azula is not happy after another defeat to the Avatar.
The Kyoshi Warriors
[caption id="attachment_3881" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and her friends locate Appa, he escapes, but they manages to capture Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors. They take their clothes as disguises."]
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Azula and her team then pick up the trail of Aang's Sky Bison, Appa, following a trail of fur. They use Mongoose Lizards to follow the trail, they catch up to Appa and find he is being attended to by Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors, she notes how she can't believe Zuko didn't capture Appa before. The fight begins with the Kyoshi Warriors protecting Appa. Mai, Azula and Ty Lee take the advantage beating the warriors with little effort, Suki gets Appa to leave by waving fire at him, Azula cruelly notes Appa's fear of Fire. Suki is left alone to fight Azula, they lunge at each other and Azula manages to take Suki and the other warriors prisoner. She manages to find out that Suki is involved with Sokka, and has her sent to The Boiling Rock and the other warriors to another prison. Azula sees this as a great opportunity, she and her friends take the Kyoshi Warriors clothes and effects and disguise themselves as them, Azula has a plan on how to take the one place the Fire Nation could never take by force, Ba Sing Se.
Inside Job
[caption id="attachment_3884" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula, Mai and Ty Lee successfully infiltrate Ba Sing Se, no one suspects a thing, her plan to take over Ba Sing Se from the inside has begun."]
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Azula, Mai and Ty Lee dressed up as Kyoshi Warriors then travel to Ba Sing Se to execute Azula's big plan, they get in by saying they are friends of the Avatar.
[caption id="attachment_3889" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula confidently reveals her plan to Mai and Ty Lee, they will use the Dai Li to take control of Ba Sing.Se"]
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They are immediately brought before Earth King Kuei, he informs them of the tiring events of the last few days. Long Feng " and the Dai Li controlling him, he also reveals that They are planning an invasion of the Fire Nation during the upcoming solar eclipse. Azula is actually a bit stunned by this news, but manages to keep in character, she immediately begins to plan. Later in their room She fills Mai and Ty Lee in on the plan, she plans to organise a coup and overthrow the Earth King using The Dai Li, she says "Whoever controls the Dai Li control Ba Sing Se". She tells Mai and Ty Lee what they need to do, they need to unknowingly reveal to the Dai Li that they are fire nation, because she knows they will tell Long Feng and he will want to use the trust she has with the Earth King to his advantage and she knows she can easily take full control of the Dai Li from him.
[caption id="attachment_3899" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula once again does a spot of acting, she makes Long Feng believe he is in charge when in fact she has everything planned."]
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The plan is soon executed with perfection, Mai and Ty Lee knowing the Dai Li will be listening in talk about them being Fire Nation, Azula knows that Long Feng will soon find out. Azula and her friends return to the Earth Kings Throne room and soon Katara enters the room in a panic, she reveals to Azula who she thinks is Suki that Zuko and Iroh are in Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee uses her chi blocking to leave her incapacitated. Azula is looking forward to seeing Zuko again. The next part of her plan then happens, she is taken to Long Feng by some Dai Li agents. He not knowing about her plan thinks he has her just where he wants her and seeks to use her trust with the Earth King to gain power, he offers her The Avatar, everything is going good for her.
[caption id="attachment_3901" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula through fear and inspiration takes control of the Dai Li, her plan is coming to completion."]
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Long Feng gives Azula control of the Dai Li to oversee the coup, she give them a speech before the coup. She manages to scare and inspire them all at the same time, this manipulation through fear has lead to them fearing her more than their loyalty to Long Feng.
[caption id="attachment_3902" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Long Feng bows before Azula, his attempt to gain power ruined by her."]
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Azula then sees to her brother, they have come to The Earth King's palace to serve him tea. Azula and her Dai Li arrive and surround them, she shows her lack of respect for Iroh when she dismisses him, but she should have listened as Iroh shows her why he got the name Dragon Of The West he sips his tea and breathes out fire around him allowing them a chance to escape. They flee and Iroh escapes by leaping to the ground, but Zuko brashly stays to fight Azula and is captured, she puts him in prison with Katara. She returns to the throne room where Sokka and Toph have arrived to help Kuei, she threatens to kill Kuei causing them to surrender. Then Long Feng enters and reveals he is double crossing Azula but the Dai Li won't obey him, she reveals that they are more loyal to her because she was born with the right to rule, he admits his defeat to which Azula confidently remarks "You were never even a player" . Meanwhile her coup goes ahead, the Dai Li capturing the Council of Five.
Battle for Ba Sing Se
[caption id="attachment_3903" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is losing the battle until Zuko arrives and chooses to join her."]
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Azula then goes to get Zuko on her side, she and some Dai Li arrive to find Iroh trying to get him to choose good, they trap him and Azula goes to work using all her skills of lying and manipulation to get Zuko to join her side and help her take Ba Sing Se. She tells him that if he joins her that he will get his honour back and he will get his love back, she makes him think this is what he wants, she leaves giving him a choice. Azula arrives to find Aang and Katara fleeing, the fight begins and Katara and Aang take the advantage until Zuko arrives and everyone waits to see if he will side with or against Azula. He chooses to join her and suddenly Azula and Zuko with the help of the Dai Li completely overwhelm Aang and Katara. Azula fights Katara one on one and is losing until Zuko interferes allowing her to focus on Aang, her sheer power breaks through all of Aang's defences.
[caption id="attachment_3904" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula shoots and Kills Aang with lightning, she is unaware that Katara brought him back to life."]
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With Katara surrounded and Aang losing, Azula has pretty much won. Aang decides he must go into the Avatar State, he creates an Earth Tent around him and meditates, he begins to rise up into the Air but before he can fully enter the Avatar State Azula quickly strikes him in the back with Lightning killing him. Iroh suddenly appears and covers Katara's escape, she grabs Aang and using Waterbending she escapes.
[caption id="attachment_3905" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula continues to manipulate Zuko, she knows how much he wants his honour back and uses that to keep him on her side. She and him have done the seemingly impossible taking Ba Sing Se."]
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Iroh was then captured, they return to the throne room where Azula tells Zuko, who thinks he has betrayed Iroh that Iroh betrayed him and that today he has restored his own honour. She also notes that after One Hundred years the Fire Nation has finally taken Ba Sing Se with the help of her brother. She is unaware that Katara revived Aang with water from the Spirit Oasis, but Zuko knows that Katara has it.
Before she heads home to The Fire Nation, Zuko reveals he wants to stay in Ba Sing Se, not wanting this she and Ty Lee attempt to use his and Mai's their crush on each other to get Zuko to come with her. They set them up on a dinner date and after Azula and Ty Lee are caught the two do begin to bond, ultimately Zuko decides to go home. Azula leaves Joo Dee as head of Ba Sing Se before she leaves. They " load Iroh captive on to the ship and head for home.
Return to the Fire Nation
[caption id="attachment_3908" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is welcomed home with a tremendous reception for her role in taking Ba Sing Se."]
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Azula and Zuko return to the Fire Naton and are welcomed home as heroes after taking Ba Sing Se, Azula is delighted to be back but Zuko is nervous about seeing Ozai again.
[caption id="attachment_3909" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells her brother why she said it was he who killed Aang to Ozai, she tells him it was to help him with Ozai, but really it is because she knows Zuko is hiding something about the fate of the Avatar and he will take the fall if he is alive"]
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Azula finds Zuko depressed out by the Turtle Duck pond, she asks him how he can be like this now that he is home and accepted. He says he is nervous about seeing his dad as he never captured Aang, Azula says that he is dead so it won't matter Unless the Avatar is alive she asks knowing something is up. Zuko hesitates then says he is dead, but Azula is suspicious and then informs Ozai that it was Zuko that "Killed" the Avatar so that if by some chance he still lives Zuko will go down for it and not her. After Zuko sees Ozai he confronts Azula about this lie, she tells him that she did it to make him feel better about not capturing Aang but in truth she is saving herself from anything.
Dealing With Zuko
[caption id="attachment_3910" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula interrupts Mai and Zuko, Mai is not happy with Azula. A sign that her control of them through fear is slipping."]
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Azula from Zuko's behaviour thinks that he has been visiting Iroh, she goes to give him a bit of advice. She finds him and Mai on a romantic picnic and interrupts their kiss, she tells Mai that Ty Lee needs help with her hair a signal that she needs to speak to Zuko alone. Mai walks off but shoots Azula a look that could pierce steel about interrupting them. Azula then tricks Zuko into admitting that he visited Iroh, she tells him that visiting a traitor is not the best thing to do.
Vacation
[caption id="attachment_3915" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula treats a simple game of Kuai Ball as if it were a battle, cruelly gloating after they win."]
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Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee are all sent on a forced vacation to Lo and Li's Beach house on Ember Island so Ozai can meet in private with his advisers, where Azula and Zuko used to go every summer with their family. Oddly Azula decides to use this vacation to see what life as a normal teenager is like, she tells no one that she is Royalty. This is partly due to Ember Islands property of helping people go through a journey of self discovery. They head straight to the beach for some fun, Azula cruel as ever smashes a child's sand castle. She then spots some other teens playing Kuai Ball and ropes her friends into playing, she treats this game as a battle demanding no mercy and them to exploit weaknesses. they easily win with the final score setting the net on fire and Azula gloats over their crushed "enemies". She does not know how to act normally around other people her age.
[caption id="attachment_3916" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is not used to these types of social gatherings and does not know how to act. She tries to flirt with Chan but just freaks him out."]
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This victory caught the eye of two of the most popular teens on Ember Island: Chan and Ruon-Jian, they approach them and ask Mai and Ty Lee to a big party. Azula asks why they don't invite them, she is about to reveal her and her brothers identity but is intrigued at the prospect of being treated as a normal person, reluctantly they get invited. Azula and co arrive at the party early as she takes the phrase "Dawn till Dusk" literally. She seems attracted to Chan, and attempts to give him a compliment saying his outfit is "Sharp" but " she is not used to this sort of situation and says it is so sharp it could "puncture the hull of an Empire Class battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea", this intimidates Chan and he quickly leaves.
[caption id="attachment_3917" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula after kissing Chan, goes way over the top and says they will become the most powerful couple in the world, freaking him out."]
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Azula annoyed at this "failure" spots Ty Lee surrounded by boys, they all like her but she is to nice to tell them to leave, she manages to get out by blocking all of their chi. Azula angry that Ty Lee is better with boys calls her a tease causing her to cry, Azula quickly apologises and admits she is jealous. A shocked Ty Lee give her some advice on how to impress boys, telling her to just smile and laugh at everything. Azula practices with Ty Lee but laughs incredibly loud alerting everyone. Azula now more confident demands Chan give her a tour of the house, they end up on the veranda and begin to flirt with each other with Azula perfecting the "smile and laugh combo" , they kiss. She then loses control and maniacally says together they will be the worlds strongest couple and take over the world with her blue flames in her hands, Chan is scared and immediately leaves with Azula annoyed.
[caption id="attachment_3918" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula for a second is sincere and admits she does have feelings, related to her poor relationship with her mother. It was only a second though."]
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Azula then leaves and finds Zuk, they go to the beach and find Mai and Ty there too. The 4 then proceed to have a deep conversation where they all analyse each others problems, Azula seems completely disinterested but helps to interpret their problems. She says about Mai " Well, that's it, then. You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself." , they then turn on Zuko and demand he tell them what his problem is, he furious reveals that he is angry with himself , Azula call him pathetic. The other three then turn to her, she says she doesn't have a sob story like them but something slips out. She reveals that she was jealous that Ursa favoured Zuko, and was not happy that her mother thought she was a monster. She switches back to her cruel self admits Ursa was right but that it still hurt.
[caption id="attachment_3919" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee are united together for the first time in years."]
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She then came up with an idea to cheer them all up while doing something malicious, they went back to the party and thrashed Chans parents house, leaving Chan crying and the four Fire Nation teens together for the first time in a long time.
[caption id="attachment_3924" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells Zuko how their Great-Grandfather Died."]
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They return to the Fire Nation, soon after that Zuko goes to see the portraits of the past Fire Lords Azula appears. He asks her how Sozin died, she questions his intelligence before telling him that he died peacefully in his sleep.
Evil Plan
[caption id="attachment_3925" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells her brother to just go to the War Meeting."]
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Azula is invited to her fathers big War meeting and she is soon confronted by Zuko who seems to be the only one who doesn't know about it. He asks why she was invited and he wasn't, she says that it is so obvious that he is to go he doesn't need an invitation, he then asks if she got an invite. She to annoy him says of course she is the princess, furious he says he is the prince, getting annoyed she tells him to just go but he refuses.
[caption id="attachment_3926" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula comes up with the plan to achieve total victory in the war. A completely evil plan to burn the Earth Kingdom into submission using the power of the comet."]
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The time for the meeting has arrived. Azula, Ozai and high ranking military officials are present, they wait for Zuko to arrive and when he does the meeting begins. *Conjecture* presumably they discuss the plan to deal with the invasion of the Fire Nation during the eclipse *end of conjecture* , they then discuss the situation in Ba Sing Se which is still under their control but the Earthbender forces are stopping total victory in the Earth Kingdom. Ozai asks Zuko for his thoughts as he spent time among the Earth Kingdom people, Zuko says that as long as they have hope they can endure anything. Ozai agrees and decides they need to destroy their hope, Azula proposes that they should burn all of their land to the ground and Ozai loves the idea and decides that they will use the power of the comet and rain Fire down on the Earth Kingdom land from their Air Ships and destroy everything. Azula revels in this proposed destruction.
Dealing with the Invasion
The time of the eclipse has arrived, Ozai hides in a bunker in the middle of a volcano and the Fire Nation capital is evacuated apart from a few soldiers, Azula and some Dai Li agens she brought home with her waits earlier on in the Volcano expecting to see the Avatar again.
[caption id="attachment_3929" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula reveals her Secret weapons, two Dai Li agents. She begins to waste Team Avatar's time during the eclipse."]
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Soon Aang arrives with Toph and Sokka, they are shocked to see her and not Ozai. The Eclipse has just begun and Azula has plans to waste all their time, she reveals that she has known about the invasion for months and is prepared, and shows off how good of a liar she is when even Toph cannot tell if she is telling the truth. She reveals her two Dai Li agents and commands them to attack as she attempts to escape, Aang and friends follow but the Dai Li agents are covering her. Azula shows off some amazing agility while dodging attacks. The two agents are soon captured and they have Azula cornered, they realise she is just wasting their time and go to leave.
[caption id="attachment_3930" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula mentions Suki to bait Sokka into attacking her, she secretly pulls out a shuriken to strike him down. Toph saves him."]
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Azula knows exactly how to manipulate them and keep them here when she says that Suki is her prisoner and that she has lost hope that Sokka would rescue her. Sokka lunges for Azula as she takes a shuriken out of her sleeve and prepares to kill Sokka, Toph senses this and pins Azula to the wall with Earthbending. They demand to know where Suki is but she says nothing, the eclipse then ends and Azula firebends out off the wall and escapes revealing the location of Ozai knowing they are no match for him.
Meanwhile Zuko tells Ozai that it was Azula who "killed" the Avatar not him. He leaves to join the Avatar. Azula seems to not get any punishment for lying.
The Boiling Rock
[caption id="attachment_3931" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula arrives at the Boiling Rock. She senses something is up."]
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Azula arrives at The Boiling Rock prison with Ty Lee, Mai is already there to visit Zuko. Azula is coming because of a recent escape attempt, the fact that Zuko is there and a suspicion that Sokka may attempt to save Suki after she revealed she was her prisoner. The Warden is interrogating a guard who Chit Sang identified as helping in the escape attempt, Azula arrives an instantly knows that he is innocent and who is responsible saying "I'm a people person".
[caption id="attachment_3932" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula uses Firebending to get to the Gondola"]
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Then there is a prison riot and Azula knows it is the escape attempt and also know the only way to escape, The Gondolas. She and Ty Lee immediately head there and find: Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang aboard a Gondola with the Warden captured. Azula uses Firebending to fly onto the gondola while Ty Lee runs along the cable.
[caption id="attachment_3933" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula fights Zuko and Sokka atop the gondola, an evenly matched fight."]
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Ty Lee fights Suki while Azula takes on Zuko and Sokka. Their teamwork gives them the advantage until the warden breaks free and calls for the gondola line to be cut. She and Ty Lee then switch to another gondola not wanting to fall into the boiling lake. Azula then notices, shocked that Mai is taking out the guards that are cutting the lines to save Zuko and his friends.
[caption id="attachment_3934" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is betrayed by Mai and Ty Lee, she sends them to prison."]
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She and Ty Lee confront Mai, Azula is furious at this betrayal and wonders why ?.Mai says that Azula miscalculated and that she loves Zuko more than she fears Azula, even more angry Azula goes to attack Mai, but suddenly Ty Lee uses her chi blocking to paralyse Azula surprising everyone. Guards arrive and Azula demands that Mai and Ty lee be put somewhere she will never see them again. Azula is unable to comprehend why her two "friends" would betray her, she can't believe anything can be better than her control through fear, her usually calculating exterior beginning to crack.
Airship Fight
[caption id="attachment_3942" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's mental state begins to take a further turn for the worse, when she becomes fully obsessed with killing her brother."]
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Furious with Zuko ,because he is the reason her friends abandoned her, she takes a group of Airships and goes after him. She eventually finds him, the Avatar and all their friends at the Western Air Temple. she fully intends to make herself an only child by killing Zuko. The Airships begin to bomb the temple alerting them to the threat, Zuko takes her and the Airships on alone as his friends escape. Zuko leaps towards Azula's Airship but misses falling into the abyss, soon another Airship rises with Zuko atop, it is the Airship Zuko stole from Azula when they escaped from the Boiling Rock.
[caption id="attachment_3943" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Zuko once again battle, Zuko now more powerful can match her now."]
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He once again leaps and makes it this time beginning the fight, Zuko now knows the true way of Firebending and is more powerful than before and easily a match for Azula, two powerful blows come together causing an explosion sending the two flying off the Airship. Azula watches as Zuko is saved from his fall by his friends on Appa, now alone Azula has to save herself by using firebending to hover over to the cliff face " and using her hairclip as a hold. Azula returns to the Fire Nation after this defeat as the Comet approaches.
Actor Azula
[caption id="attachment_3944" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Actor Azula in the Play"]
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In the play "The Boy In The Iceberg" Azula gets a portrayal too, Her appearance is extremely exaggerated with really long nails and a lot of makeup, but her personality is toned down (probably so as not to upset the Fire Nation Royal Family) and she is not as cruel and manipulative. In a scene in the "Future" she fights Zuko during the comet and kills him while her father kills Aang, the Audience cheers.
Mental State Worsening
[caption id="attachment_3945" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is furious when Ozai tells her she will not be joining him on the Airships to destroy the Earth Kingdom, she is appointed Fire Lord, but now she has power and is not in a good mental state."]
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Azula after her friends betrayal and failed attempt to kill her brother is starting to lose her perfectionist exterior, she arrives late to the speech before they leave to burn down the Earth Kingdom. When she arrives Ozai tells her that he will be going alone and she is to stay and guard the Fire Nation, Azula not thinking clearly loses it a bit and demands she not be treated like Zuko and that it was her plan to burn the Earth Kingdom together, Ozai appoints her the new Fire Lord as he becomes The Phoenix King. She calms down stating the title "Fire Lord Azula" "Does seem appropriate. However being left behind has not helped her already diminishing mental state.
[caption id="attachment_3946" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula foolishly banishes her Dai Li agents. A big mistake."]
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She is now left alone losing it and with too much power. She becomes seriously paranoid and afraid of being attacked, she then begins to banish subjects because she thinks they are all against her. She banishes her servants but her biggest mistake which really shows she is not right is when she banishes The Dai Li, she also banishes Lo but points at Li confusing everyone. Soon she is alone with no subjects and her father gone, it is clear she has not slept in a while due to fear of being attacked.
[caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula hallucinates about her mother, her mother tells her that she loves her. Azula begins to cry after it ends."]
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She attempts to fix her hair which is annoying her but ends up cutting off a large amount, she then has a hallucination of her mother. He mother is saddened by her daughters current condition, she says that Azula is confused because she used fear to control people and that she loves her. Azula becomes angry and breaks the mirror she appeared in with her hairbrush ending the hallucination and making Azula realise she was not there. Azula begins to cry to herself.
[caption id="attachment_3948" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Zuko battle in an Agni Kai, the siblings are evenly matched and the bending ferocious. Red/Orange Vs Blue."]
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She then goes to her coronation and is about to be made Fire Lord when Zuko and Katara arrive on Appa, Zuko says he will become Fire Lord not her. Azula challenges Zuko to an agni-kai which he accepts noticing that Azula is not quite right. Assisted by the comet both are super powered, every move is vicious fire, they are evenly matched blocking every blow but destroying the city around them in the process. Azula becomes less and less composed and controlled and Zuko begins to take the advantage knocking her over with his signature feet spinning move.
[caption id="attachment_3950" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula sensing Zuko could beat hear, aims to kill Katara with her lightning."]
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He taunts her noticing that unusually she is getting angry, he asks for her lightning and she obliges but she doesn't aim for Zuko but cruelly knowing she could lose shoots at Katara. Zuko dives in the way and manages to redirect most of the blast but he couldn't do the technique properly and is left seriously injured.
[caption id="attachment_3951" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Katara beats Azula by trapping her in ice and chaining her up."]
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Katara runs to heal him, but Azula has her pinned back with Firebending. Azula who is insane at this point calls Katara a "filthy peasant" and laughs at Zuko's pain, but she is not paying attention to her surroundings. Katara lures Azula over a grate with water under it, she steps over it and Katara traps both of them in ice frees herself and restrains Azula. She removes the Ice and rushes to heal Zuko, he will recover.
[caption id="attachment_3952" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula has been beaten, everything she knew has failed her. Betrayed by her friends, bested by her brother who will now become the Fire Lord. Ozai never thought her how to be a normal person, in a way she is another victim of Ozai and the war. She is completely broken mentally, she cries uncontrollably."]
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They both look towards Azula and she has had a complete emotional and mental breakdown. She is writhing on the ground breathing fire, screaming and crying, a complete change from her usual calculated, controlled and cruel demeanour.
She is then taken to a mental health facility on a nearby island, she is monitored around the clock.
Azula Information and Quotes
Name: Azula
Race: Fire Nation
Age: 14
Short Description: Azula is the princess of the Fire Nation, second in line to the throne behind her brother Zuko. She grew up as her fathers favourite because of her skill and cruel demeanour, he forgot about Zuko and focused on Azula raising her alone to help him gain power. She is a master manipulator and actor able to influence people through fear and threats, in the end this failed her and she broke down mentally, never being raised properly really affected her in the end. She is a firebending prodigy so much so that she could bend Blue Fire and create lightning, she is also very agile.
Primary Tools: Firebending (blue), manipulation, fear, shurikens and smarts.
Well Known Azula Quotes:
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Azula is a Firebending prodigy, so much so that she appears to be the only person capable of controlling blue fire (Hotter and more energetic), she can also generate lightning. She loves power and uses her ability to manipulate people through fear to gain it. Underneath her calculating exterior she always believed that Ursa loved Zuko more than her, the one flaw in her otherwise cruel demeanour. Because of this she grew up close to her father and apart from her mother and brother, ultimately becoming enemies with Zuko, she also never like her Uncle Iroh partly due to Ozai's bad opinion of his brother rubbing off on Azula. Her amazing powers of manipulation allow her to gain the advantage in even bad positions as seen in Ba Sing Se with Long Feng, also proving how tactically good she is instantly able to come up with a plan to gain power. Made how she is by being raised by Ozai alone, she never learned how to be a normal person often very awkward in social situations with others her age, she doesn't know how to be nice and this ultimately leads to her downfall.After her father finds out about Zuko and Iroh's "betrayal" at The North pole, Azula is given the task of capturing and bringing them home, she decides to prove herself further to her father and capture The Avatar for him too.
Note: If you have not seen every episode there will be spoilers
Azula's Early Life
[caption id="attachment_3846" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Young Azula in a photo when her Family was happy. A long time ago."]
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Azula was born in The Fire Nation to Ozai and Ursa, she was the younger sister of Zuko by two years. She was named for her Grandfather Fire Lord Azulon. As part of the Royal family she grew up wealthy and with many privileges associated with it. For the first few years of her life her family was happy and would go to their home on Ember Island during the summers with her uncle Iroh and his son Lu Ten, they were very happy. Azula turned out to be a Firebending prodigy, quickly able to master even advanced techniques, she was always more skilled than her brother who struggled to learn Firebending. Her natural Firebending abilities and wits quickly led to her becoming Ozai's favourite child, with him seeing her as his true heir especially with Zuko struggling, he began to raise her alone, with Zuko turning to his mother Ursa. This caused a split in the happy family, with Azula and Zuko beginning to argue with one another seeing each other as one of their parents favourites. Azula went to the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls, it was here that she met Mai and Ty Lee. Ozai began to mould Azula into a tool to help him gain more power and would only accept perfection, Completely ignoring Zuko, but Azula was only being raised to want power and on how to get it, not in the things most kids learn as they grow up. He thought her how to control people through fear and how to manipulate people. She grew to be nearly exactly like her father cruel and able to manipulate people.
[caption id="attachment_3844" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Ty Lee laugh at Mai and Zuko's embarrassment, which Azula caused."]
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When Azula was Eight and playing with Mai and Ty Lee, Azula failed to execute a perfect cartwheel, when Ty Lee did Azula pushed her over and laughed maniacally, showing her cruelty at a young age. She then used her skills of lying and acting to convince her mother to make Zuko play with them knowing Mai had a crush on Zuko, she then engineered a situation where Zuko had to help Mai put out a flaming apple on her head by tackling her into a fountain, she enjoyed greatly the two's embarrassment in a cruel way.She would even throw rocks at the family of Turtle Duck's in the pond to "feed" them.
Love of Power
[caption id="attachment_3845" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula callously burns Iroh's gift of a doll."]
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Azula had developed Ozai's desire and quest for power, she thought that her father should be the Heir to the throne and not her Uncle who she like her father did not like. Iroh was very kind to his Niece and nephew, he sent them gifts from his long siege of Ba Sing Se, Azula got a doll, but she hating her uncle and the fact that Zuko got something "Useful", A knife, burned the doll in her hands, enjoying its demise.
[caption id="attachment_3848" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula runs off after her mother scolds her for her harsh words about her uncle and grandfather."]
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When news came back to the Fire Nation that Iroh's son Lu Ten had been killed in battle during Iroh's six hundred day siege of Ba Sing Se, Azula again showed her cruelty and maliciousness by not caring at all, Iroh had also abandoned his siege, Azula called Iroh "a quitter and and a loser" not even acknowledging his loss, only seeing this as a good thing for Ozai's chances at gaining the throne. She started to make fun of Iroh in front of Zuko making him angry, then when Ursa arrived to tell them they were going to see Azulon, she questioned Azulon's power saying he will be replaced soon, Ursa shocked by her daughters words told her to stop saying "What is wrong with that child ?" to herself as Azula ran off.
[caption id="attachment_3849" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula shows off just how skilled she is at firebending even at this young age."]
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Ozai and his family arrive at the meeting with Azulon, Ozai begins to have Azula show off her smarts and Firebending prowess by asking her questions on Fire Nation history, she performs an amazing firebending routine making her father proud, Zuko then attempts the same routine and stumbles and fails, Azulon then loses patience after Zuko's failure and demands to speak to Ozai alone.
[caption id="attachment_3850" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula delights in the pleasure of telling her brother what Ozai is going to do to him."]
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As Azula and Zuko are about to leave, Azula grabs Azula and brings him behind some curtains and they listen in on Ozai and Azulon's conversation. They listen as Ozai pleads with his father to give him the birthright now that Iroh's bloodline has ended with Lu Ten's death, Azulon does not take well to this and begins to scold Ozai for being so insensitive to Iroh's loss, Zuko runs away as Azulon says he will punish Ozai. Azula stays and watches on unfazed, as Azulon tells Ozai what his punishment shall be, supposedly Azulon demands that Ozai experience the same loss as Iroh, losing his first born. She then gleefully went to tell her brother about his fate, taunting him until Ursa arrives and takes Azula away to talk to her about her behaviour " leaving Zuko scared about his fate.
[caption id="attachment_3851" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula watched on with glee and Zuko with fear as Ozai is made the new Fire Lord at his coronation."]
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The next morning Azula walks into Zuko's room and starts to play with his knife, when he wakes he asks where is mother is, Azula again is delighted to tell him that Ursa is missing and that Azulon died during the night, She knows now with Ursa gone she has every advantage over Zuko, she knows she is better than him in pretty much every way. Later that day Ozai is made the new Fire Lord much to Azula's delight.
Before the Series
[caption id="attachment_3852" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula revels in her brothers pain."]
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Over the next few years Azula grew more and more closer to Ozai while Zuko grew further apart, Azula became even more skilled in manipulation and Firebending. When Zuko spoke out of turn at a war meeting Ozai demanded he fight him in an Agni Kai, Azula watched on sadistically as Ozai burned and then banished her brother for not fighting back. At some point either before or after this point she had become so proficient at firebending that she could use Blue Fire with amazing control.Because of Zuko's banishment she had become Ozai's heir gaining the birthright that was Zuko's, The Crown Princess.
Ozai's Mission
[caption id="attachment_3863" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula kneels before her father as she accepts the Mission given to her, to capture Zuko and Iroh."]
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Shortly after the failed Fire Nation Invasion of The Northern Water Tribe and Admiral Zhao's demise there, news reached Ozai of this failure and his son and brothers involvement in it, he tasks his Daughter Azula with hunting down and capturing the traitors Zuko and Iroh, Azula is intent on succeeding with this mission.
Reunion
[caption id="attachment_3864" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula takes command of her ship through fear, the captain a victim of her cruelty."]
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Azula immediately sets out to find and capture Zuko and Iroh, she takes a ship " and a crew and heads to the Earth Kingdom with her advisers, Lo and Li. She give a speech to her crew about how they should not have any problems with attacking members of the Royal Family when they find Zuko and Iroh, threatening the whole crew, they will have her to deal with if they hesitate. The Captain then informs her that the tides won't allow the ship to make port, Azula then began to berate the Captain threatening his life if he does not bring them into port, she instills fear into him and he manages to bring the ship into port.
[caption id="attachment_3865" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula perfects her Lightning Generation, one hair out of place is not good enough."]
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During the journey she practices lightning generation, in an aim to reach perfection, even a single hair moving was not good enough for her.
[caption id="attachment_3866" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula prepares to hit Zuko with lightning but it is redirected by Iroh"]
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Azula finds her brother and Uncle at a Spa Resort in the Earth Kingdom, she pretends to pay them a nice visit, and lies to them telling them that Ozai regrets Zuko's banishment and wants him home, she leaves waiting for their decision, Zuko believes her but Iroh is suspicious. The next day Azula waits on her ship for them to arrive, she warmly greets them as they board the ship, her plan is ruined when The Captain she threatened before accidentally reveals that it has been a trap to capture them, Iroh immediately begins to attack the guards as Zuko furious confronts his sister. They duel, with Azula the superior Firebender by far, she verbally accosts him and begins to generate lightning to kill her brother, Iroh grabs her hand and redirects the lightning himself into a cliff and they both escape. Azula furious with their escape, holds a wanted poster of Zuko and Iroh telling them "Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord. "
Forming a Team
[caption id="attachment_3867" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's first stop is to recruit her old friend Ty Lee, who had since joined the Circus."]
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After her failed attempt to capture Iroh and Zuko, Azula asks Lo and Li for advice, they tell her that the Royal procession is not needed she needs the element of surprise, she agrees and decides to put together a small and agile team, and she know exactly who she needs. She first visits a Fire Nation Circus where her old friend Ty Lee is a performer, the two are delighted to see each other, Azula wonders why the daughter of a Nobleman is in the circus, she asks her to join her on her mission.Ty Lee refuses happy with her life in the circus, Azula accepts her response but decides to stay and watch one of her shows. Ty Lee is not happy about this knowing that Azula likes to get her own way.
[caption id="attachment_3868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula scares Ty Lee into joining her by increasingly making the show more dangerous."]
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At the show Azula demands the circus master make the show more exciting, she wants Ty Lee's safety net to be set on fire and all the animals let out, Ty Lee begins to get more and more nervous as she realises that Azula is threatening her to join the team. After the Show Ty Lee decides to join Azula. Azula has one last person to get.
[caption id="attachment_3869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's team is ready, reunited with Mai and Ty Lee they prepare for the trade."]
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Azula and Ty Lee enter the newly captured city of Omashu, they both meet Mai, another old friend. Mai is thrilled to accept Azula's offer, anything for her to get out of the boredom of the city. Azula then confronts Mai's father the governor or the city about letting all the people leave he tells her the resistance stole his son Tom Tom and they are trading King Bumi for him soon, he begs for forgiveness, but Azula as usual has no mercy deciding he is making a mess running the city, she renames the city "New Ozai" in honour of her father and says that Mai will be in charge of the Trade. The time for the trade arrives and Azula, Mai and Ty Lee face off against Aang, Sokka and Katara. Bumi is suspended in a metal cage, Azula starts proceedings by saying how trading a powerful Earthbending king for a baby is not a fair deal, Aang then charges to free Bumi, beginning the fight.
[caption id="attachment_3870" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula attempts to capture Aang after she realises he is the Avatar, she now has a third Target."]
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Azula quickly realises that Aang is the Avatar by his tattoos, and immediately sees this as a chance to help her father by capturing him. She chases Aang when he lands on Bumi's cage and begins to free him, Azula shoots fire at them breaking the chain suspending him, they land on the Omashu mail system and begin to slide down quickly, Azula gets on a mail cart and pursues them. The battle begins on the mail systems with Aang atop Bumi's cage defending from Azula's fire blasts, they switch between shoots, eventually Azula is left behind after Bumi reveals he can Earthbend with his face stopping her and allowing Aang and friends to escape. Azula tells her friends that they are now going after The Avatar too.
Pursuit
[caption id="attachment_3872" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula aboard her Mongoose Lizard chases Aang."]
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When Azula and her team again locate Team Avatar, they are now using a Tank/Train Vehicle that is fast and able to go over nearly all terrain as well as three Mongoose Lizard. They relentlessly chase them gradually tiring their quarry. Eventually Aang and his friends stand to confront the machine, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee on their animals begin to attack them. Aang and friends realising who they are facing decide to flee again. Azula and friends again pursue them, they reach an area where Appa had landed and find fur in the stream and a trail of the fur leading off in one direction but Azula notices that the tops of some nearby trees are broken. She instantly realises that they planned something and sets off following the trail of fur sending Mai and Ty Lee in the direction of the broken trees.
[caption id="attachment_3873" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula completely outnumbered by family and enemies, she manages to wound Iroh and escape."]
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Azula rides her Mongoose Lizard to follow the trail, it leads her to an abandoned town and located the young and tired Avatar. He asks who she is and why she is her, attempting a joke she mimics Zuko in appearance and voice to see if Aang would see the family resemblance, Aang is unimpressed and gets ready for a fight. Azula asks if he really wants to fight her when Zuko appears answering her question "Yes I really do!", Azula giving her brother no respect calls him "Zuzu" making Aang laugh as he realises they are brother and sister, the three way fight begins Azula and Aang are the more skilled fighters, she initially struggles to deal with Aangs Airbending movements, but her sheer power eventually wins out as Aang is trapped under a beam and Zuko is knocked out on the street. She has Aang right where she wants him when Katara enters the building and frees Aang, Azula attacks her as Sokka appears further outnumbering her.Meanwhile Iroh has arrived and woken up a groggy Zuko. Azula is fighting against bad odds when Toph arrives, she is then cornered and outnumbered six to one, she pretends to surrender but instead notices that Iroh is distracted by Toph's appearance to help Aang and shoots him in the shoulder with blue fire and escapes as all four elements are used against her.
Azula then meets back up with Mai and Ty Lee and eventually join War Minister Qin and oversee his attempt to use a massive Drill to enter Ba Sing Se.
Drilling
[caption id="attachment_3878" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is making War Minister Qin more and more nervous, he is scared of failing with her watching him."]
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As they approach the walls they are met with resistance from the soldiers of Ba Sing Se, The Terra Team is sent to stop the drill, Qin is positive nothing can stop the drill but Azula send Mai and Ty Lee to deal with them. They easily defeat them and return to the drill, " Ty Lee notices an unusually poofy dust cloud and Azula again begins to doubt Qin who is getting nervous. The drill soon makes contact with the wall and is starting to get through, a soldier then informs Qin that an engineer was attacked and his schematics stolen and that one brace has been cut clean through, Azula and her friends move to investigate. They find Aang, Katara and Sokka continuing to cut more braces, they attack with Azula following Aang. He manages to get ahead and get to the outside of the drill to prepare to strike the final blow.
[caption id="attachment_3879" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula fights Aang atop the drill, she is winning until the slurry came, she is unable to stop Aang taking down the drill."]
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Azula arrive atop the drill and attacks Aang, Aang manages to dodge all of her attacks until General Sung starts to have his men throw boulders down on the drill, eventually Azula breaks through Aang's earthbending defence and the force of the blow slams him into the wall knocking him out. She approaches the unconscious Aang with the intent of finishing him off, Aang wakes just in time, blocking her blow then pushing her back, then slurry begins to spray from the wall coating the surface of the drill in the slippery slurry. With no grip they both slam into each other and the wall and begin to slid off the drill, Aang with the help of Momo and airbending gets back to the top while Azula just barely keeps a grip on the drill, Aang prepares his final attack on the drill as Azula gets back to her feet, he sprints up and then down the wall using his momentum to drive a wedge of Earth into the drill, Azula unleashes a fire blast at him, but Aang's attack is too powerful sending Azula flying off the Drill and taking down the drill. Azula is not happy after another defeat to the Avatar.
The Kyoshi Warriors
[caption id="attachment_3881" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and her friends locate Appa, he escapes, but they manages to capture Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors. They take their clothes as disguises."]
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Azula and her team then pick up the trail of Aang's Sky Bison, Appa, following a trail of fur. They use Mongoose Lizards to follow the trail, they catch up to Appa and find he is being attended to by Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors, she notes how she can't believe Zuko didn't capture Appa before. The fight begins with the Kyoshi Warriors protecting Appa. Mai, Azula and Ty Lee take the advantage beating the warriors with little effort, Suki gets Appa to leave by waving fire at him, Azula cruelly notes Appa's fear of Fire. Suki is left alone to fight Azula, they lunge at each other and Azula manages to take Suki and the other warriors prisoner. She manages to find out that Suki is involved with Sokka, and has her sent to The Boiling Rock and the other warriors to another prison. Azula sees this as a great opportunity, she and her friends take the Kyoshi Warriors clothes and effects and disguise themselves as them, Azula has a plan on how to take the one place the Fire Nation could never take by force, Ba Sing Se.
Inside Job
[caption id="attachment_3884" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula, Mai and Ty Lee successfully infiltrate Ba Sing Se, no one suspects a thing, her plan to take over Ba Sing Se from the inside has begun."]
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Azula, Mai and Ty Lee dressed up as Kyoshi Warriors then travel to Ba Sing Se to execute Azula's big plan, they get in by saying they are friends of the Avatar.
[caption id="attachment_3889" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula confidently reveals her plan to Mai and Ty Lee, they will use the Dai Li to take control of Ba Sing.Se"]
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They are immediately brought before Earth King Kuei, he informs them of the tiring events of the last few days. Long Feng " and the Dai Li controlling him, he also reveals that They are planning an invasion of the Fire Nation during the upcoming solar eclipse. Azula is actually a bit stunned by this news, but manages to keep in character, she immediately begins to plan. Later in their room She fills Mai and Ty Lee in on the plan, she plans to organise a coup and overthrow the Earth King using The Dai Li, she says "Whoever controls the Dai Li control Ba Sing Se". She tells Mai and Ty Lee what they need to do, they need to unknowingly reveal to the Dai Li that they are fire nation, because she knows they will tell Long Feng and he will want to use the trust she has with the Earth King to his advantage and she knows she can easily take full control of the Dai Li from him.
[caption id="attachment_3899" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula once again does a spot of acting, she makes Long Feng believe he is in charge when in fact she has everything planned."]
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The plan is soon executed with perfection, Mai and Ty Lee knowing the Dai Li will be listening in talk about them being Fire Nation, Azula knows that Long Feng will soon find out. Azula and her friends return to the Earth Kings Throne room and soon Katara enters the room in a panic, she reveals to Azula who she thinks is Suki that Zuko and Iroh are in Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee uses her chi blocking to leave her incapacitated. Azula is looking forward to seeing Zuko again. The next part of her plan then happens, she is taken to Long Feng by some Dai Li agents. He not knowing about her plan thinks he has her just where he wants her and seeks to use her trust with the Earth King to gain power, he offers her The Avatar, everything is going good for her.
[caption id="attachment_3901" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula through fear and inspiration takes control of the Dai Li, her plan is coming to completion."]
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Long Feng gives Azula control of the Dai Li to oversee the coup, she give them a speech before the coup. She manages to scare and inspire them all at the same time, this manipulation through fear has lead to them fearing her more than their loyalty to Long Feng.
[caption id="attachment_3902" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Long Feng bows before Azula, his attempt to gain power ruined by her."]
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Azula then sees to her brother, they have come to The Earth King's palace to serve him tea. Azula and her Dai Li arrive and surround them, she shows her lack of respect for Iroh when she dismisses him, but she should have listened as Iroh shows her why he got the name Dragon Of The West he sips his tea and breathes out fire around him allowing them a chance to escape. They flee and Iroh escapes by leaping to the ground, but Zuko brashly stays to fight Azula and is captured, she puts him in prison with Katara. She returns to the throne room where Sokka and Toph have arrived to help Kuei, she threatens to kill Kuei causing them to surrender. Then Long Feng enters and reveals he is double crossing Azula but the Dai Li won't obey him, she reveals that they are more loyal to her because she was born with the right to rule, he admits his defeat to which Azula confidently remarks "You were never even a player" . Meanwhile her coup goes ahead, the Dai Li capturing the Council of Five.
Battle for Ba Sing Se
[caption id="attachment_3903" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is losing the battle until Zuko arrives and chooses to join her."]
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Azula then goes to get Zuko on her side, she and some Dai Li arrive to find Iroh trying to get him to choose good, they trap him and Azula goes to work using all her skills of lying and manipulation to get Zuko to join her side and help her take Ba Sing Se. She tells him that if he joins her that he will get his honour back and he will get his love back, she makes him think this is what he wants, she leaves giving him a choice. Azula arrives to find Aang and Katara fleeing, the fight begins and Katara and Aang take the advantage until Zuko arrives and everyone waits to see if he will side with or against Azula. He chooses to join her and suddenly Azula and Zuko with the help of the Dai Li completely overwhelm Aang and Katara. Azula fights Katara one on one and is losing until Zuko interferes allowing her to focus on Aang, her sheer power breaks through all of Aang's defences.
[caption id="attachment_3904" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula shoots and Kills Aang with lightning, she is unaware that Katara brought him back to life."]
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With Katara surrounded and Aang losing, Azula has pretty much won. Aang decides he must go into the Avatar State, he creates an Earth Tent around him and meditates, he begins to rise up into the Air but before he can fully enter the Avatar State Azula quickly strikes him in the back with Lightning killing him. Iroh suddenly appears and covers Katara's escape, she grabs Aang and using Waterbending she escapes.
[caption id="attachment_3905" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula continues to manipulate Zuko, she knows how much he wants his honour back and uses that to keep him on her side. She and him have done the seemingly impossible taking Ba Sing Se."]
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Iroh was then captured, they return to the throne room where Azula tells Zuko, who thinks he has betrayed Iroh that Iroh betrayed him and that today he has restored his own honour. She also notes that after One Hundred years the Fire Nation has finally taken Ba Sing Se with the help of her brother. She is unaware that Katara revived Aang with water from the Spirit Oasis, but Zuko knows that Katara has it.
Before she heads home to The Fire Nation, Zuko reveals he wants to stay in Ba Sing Se, not wanting this she and Ty Lee attempt to use his and Mai's their crush on each other to get Zuko to come with her. They set them up on a dinner date and after Azula and Ty Lee are caught the two do begin to bond, ultimately Zuko decides to go home. Azula leaves Joo Dee as head of Ba Sing Se before she leaves. They " load Iroh captive on to the ship and head for home.
Return to the Fire Nation
[caption id="attachment_3908" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is welcomed home with a tremendous reception for her role in taking Ba Sing Se."]
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Azula and Zuko return to the Fire Naton and are welcomed home as heroes after taking Ba Sing Se, Azula is delighted to be back but Zuko is nervous about seeing Ozai again.
[caption id="attachment_3909" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells her brother why she said it was he who killed Aang to Ozai, she tells him it was to help him with Ozai, but really it is because she knows Zuko is hiding something about the fate of the Avatar and he will take the fall if he is alive"]
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Azula finds Zuko depressed out by the Turtle Duck pond, she asks him how he can be like this now that he is home and accepted. He says he is nervous about seeing his dad as he never captured Aang, Azula says that he is dead so it won't matter Unless the Avatar is alive she asks knowing something is up. Zuko hesitates then says he is dead, but Azula is suspicious and then informs Ozai that it was Zuko that "Killed" the Avatar so that if by some chance he still lives Zuko will go down for it and not her. After Zuko sees Ozai he confronts Azula about this lie, she tells him that she did it to make him feel better about not capturing Aang but in truth she is saving herself from anything.
Dealing With Zuko
[caption id="attachment_3910" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula interrupts Mai and Zuko, Mai is not happy with Azula. A sign that her control of them through fear is slipping."]
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Azula from Zuko's behaviour thinks that he has been visiting Iroh, she goes to give him a bit of advice. She finds him and Mai on a romantic picnic and interrupts their kiss, she tells Mai that Ty Lee needs help with her hair a signal that she needs to speak to Zuko alone. Mai walks off but shoots Azula a look that could pierce steel about interrupting them. Azula then tricks Zuko into admitting that he visited Iroh, she tells him that visiting a traitor is not the best thing to do.
Vacation
[caption id="attachment_3915" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula treats a simple game of Kuai Ball as if it were a battle, cruelly gloating after they win."]
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Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee are all sent on a forced vacation to Lo and Li's Beach house on Ember Island so Ozai can meet in private with his advisers, where Azula and Zuko used to go every summer with their family. Oddly Azula decides to use this vacation to see what life as a normal teenager is like, she tells no one that she is Royalty. This is partly due to Ember Islands property of helping people go through a journey of self discovery. They head straight to the beach for some fun, Azula cruel as ever smashes a child's sand castle. She then spots some other teens playing Kuai Ball and ropes her friends into playing, she treats this game as a battle demanding no mercy and them to exploit weaknesses. they easily win with the final score setting the net on fire and Azula gloats over their crushed "enemies". She does not know how to act normally around other people her age.
[caption id="attachment_3916" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is not used to these types of social gatherings and does not know how to act. She tries to flirt with Chan but just freaks him out."]
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This victory caught the eye of two of the most popular teens on Ember Island: Chan and Ruon-Jian, they approach them and ask Mai and Ty Lee to a big party. Azula asks why they don't invite them, she is about to reveal her and her brothers identity but is intrigued at the prospect of being treated as a normal person, reluctantly they get invited. Azula and co arrive at the party early as she takes the phrase "Dawn till Dusk" literally. She seems attracted to Chan, and attempts to give him a compliment saying his outfit is "Sharp" but " she is not used to this sort of situation and says it is so sharp it could "puncture the hull of an Empire Class battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea", this intimidates Chan and he quickly leaves.
[caption id="attachment_3917" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula after kissing Chan, goes way over the top and says they will become the most powerful couple in the world, freaking him out."]
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Azula annoyed at this "failure" spots Ty Lee surrounded by boys, they all like her but she is to nice to tell them to leave, she manages to get out by blocking all of their chi. Azula angry that Ty Lee is better with boys calls her a tease causing her to cry, Azula quickly apologises and admits she is jealous. A shocked Ty Lee give her some advice on how to impress boys, telling her to just smile and laugh at everything. Azula practices with Ty Lee but laughs incredibly loud alerting everyone. Azula now more confident demands Chan give her a tour of the house, they end up on the veranda and begin to flirt with each other with Azula perfecting the "smile and laugh combo" , they kiss. She then loses control and maniacally says together they will be the worlds strongest couple and take over the world with her blue flames in her hands, Chan is scared and immediately leaves with Azula annoyed.
[caption id="attachment_3918" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula for a second is sincere and admits she does have feelings, related to her poor relationship with her mother. It was only a second though."]
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Azula then leaves and finds Zuk, they go to the beach and find Mai and Ty there too. The 4 then proceed to have a deep conversation where they all analyse each others problems, Azula seems completely disinterested but helps to interpret their problems. She says about Mai " Well, that's it, then. You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself." , they then turn on Zuko and demand he tell them what his problem is, he furious reveals that he is angry with himself , Azula call him pathetic. The other three then turn to her, she says she doesn't have a sob story like them but something slips out. She reveals that she was jealous that Ursa favoured Zuko, and was not happy that her mother thought she was a monster. She switches back to her cruel self admits Ursa was right but that it still hurt.
[caption id="attachment_3919" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee are united together for the first time in years."]
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She then came up with an idea to cheer them all up while doing something malicious, they went back to the party and thrashed Chans parents house, leaving Chan crying and the four Fire Nation teens together for the first time in a long time.
[caption id="attachment_3924" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells Zuko how their Great-Grandfather Died."]
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They return to the Fire Nation, soon after that Zuko goes to see the portraits of the past Fire Lords Azula appears. He asks her how Sozin died, she questions his intelligence before telling him that he died peacefully in his sleep.
Evil Plan
[caption id="attachment_3925" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula tells her brother to just go to the War Meeting."]
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Azula is invited to her fathers big War meeting and she is soon confronted by Zuko who seems to be the only one who doesn't know about it. He asks why she was invited and he wasn't, she says that it is so obvious that he is to go he doesn't need an invitation, he then asks if she got an invite. She to annoy him says of course she is the princess, furious he says he is the prince, getting annoyed she tells him to just go but he refuses.
[caption id="attachment_3926" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula comes up with the plan to achieve total victory in the war. A completely evil plan to burn the Earth Kingdom into submission using the power of the comet."]
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The time for the meeting has arrived. Azula, Ozai and high ranking military officials are present, they wait for Zuko to arrive and when he does the meeting begins. *Conjecture* presumably they discuss the plan to deal with the invasion of the Fire Nation during the eclipse *end of conjecture* , they then discuss the situation in Ba Sing Se which is still under their control but the Earthbender forces are stopping total victory in the Earth Kingdom. Ozai asks Zuko for his thoughts as he spent time among the Earth Kingdom people, Zuko says that as long as they have hope they can endure anything. Ozai agrees and decides they need to destroy their hope, Azula proposes that they should burn all of their land to the ground and Ozai loves the idea and decides that they will use the power of the comet and rain Fire down on the Earth Kingdom land from their Air Ships and destroy everything. Azula revels in this proposed destruction.
Dealing with the Invasion
The time of the eclipse has arrived, Ozai hides in a bunker in the middle of a volcano and the Fire Nation capital is evacuated apart from a few soldiers, Azula and some Dai Li agens she brought home with her waits earlier on in the Volcano expecting to see the Avatar again.
[caption id="attachment_3929" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula reveals her Secret weapons, two Dai Li agents. She begins to waste Team Avatar's time during the eclipse."]
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Soon Aang arrives with Toph and Sokka, they are shocked to see her and not Ozai. The Eclipse has just begun and Azula has plans to waste all their time, she reveals that she has known about the invasion for months and is prepared, and shows off how good of a liar she is when even Toph cannot tell if she is telling the truth. She reveals her two Dai Li agents and commands them to attack as she attempts to escape, Aang and friends follow but the Dai Li agents are covering her. Azula shows off some amazing agility while dodging attacks. The two agents are soon captured and they have Azula cornered, they realise she is just wasting their time and go to leave.
[caption id="attachment_3930" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula mentions Suki to bait Sokka into attacking her, she secretly pulls out a shuriken to strike him down. Toph saves him."][/caption]
Azula knows exactly how to manipulate them and keep them here when she says that Suki is her prisoner and that she has lost hope that Sokka would rescue her. Sokka lunges for Azula as she takes a shuriken out of her sleeve and prepares to kill Sokka, Toph senses this and pins Azula to the wall with Earthbending. They demand to know where Suki is but she says nothing, the eclipse then ends and Azula firebends out off the wall and escapes revealing the location of Ozai knowing they are no match for him.
Meanwhile Zuko tells Ozai that it was Azula who "killed" the Avatar not him. He leaves to join the Avatar. Azula seems to not get any punishment for lying.
The Boiling Rock
[caption id="attachment_3931" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula arrives at the Boiling Rock. She senses something is up."]
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Azula arrives at The Boiling Rock prison with Ty Lee, Mai is already there to visit Zuko. Azula is coming because of a recent escape attempt, the fact that Zuko is there and a suspicion that Sokka may attempt to save Suki after she revealed she was her prisoner. The Warden is interrogating a guard who Chit Sang identified as helping in the escape attempt, Azula arrives an instantly knows that he is innocent and who is responsible saying "I'm a people person".
[caption id="attachment_3932" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula uses Firebending to get to the Gondola"]
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Then there is a prison riot and Azula knows it is the escape attempt and also know the only way to escape, The Gondolas. She and Ty Lee immediately head there and find: Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang aboard a Gondola with the Warden captured. Azula uses Firebending to fly onto the gondola while Ty Lee runs along the cable.
[caption id="attachment_3933" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula fights Zuko and Sokka atop the gondola, an evenly matched fight."]
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Ty Lee fights Suki while Azula takes on Zuko and Sokka. Their teamwork gives them the advantage until the warden breaks free and calls for the gondola line to be cut. She and Ty Lee then switch to another gondola not wanting to fall into the boiling lake. Azula then notices, shocked that Mai is taking out the guards that are cutting the lines to save Zuko and his friends.
[caption id="attachment_3934" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is betrayed by Mai and Ty Lee, she sends them to prison."]
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She and Ty Lee confront Mai, Azula is furious at this betrayal and wonders why ?.Mai says that Azula miscalculated and that she loves Zuko more than she fears Azula, even more angry Azula goes to attack Mai, but suddenly Ty Lee uses her chi blocking to paralyse Azula surprising everyone. Guards arrive and Azula demands that Mai and Ty lee be put somewhere she will never see them again. Azula is unable to comprehend why her two "friends" would betray her, she can't believe anything can be better than her control through fear, her usually calculating exterior beginning to crack.
Airship Fight
[caption id="attachment_3942" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula's mental state begins to take a further turn for the worse, when she becomes fully obsessed with killing her brother."][/caption]
Furious with Zuko ,because he is the reason her friends abandoned her, she takes a group of Airships and goes after him. She eventually finds him, the Avatar and all their friends at the Western Air Temple. she fully intends to make herself an only child by killing Zuko. The Airships begin to bomb the temple alerting them to the threat, Zuko takes her and the Airships on alone as his friends escape. Zuko leaps towards Azula's Airship but misses falling into the abyss, soon another Airship rises with Zuko atop, it is the Airship Zuko stole from Azula when they escaped from the Boiling Rock.
[caption id="attachment_3943" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Zuko once again battle, Zuko now more powerful can match her now."]
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He once again leaps and makes it this time beginning the fight, Zuko now knows the true way of Firebending and is more powerful than before and easily a match for Azula, two powerful blows come together causing an explosion sending the two flying off the Airship. Azula watches as Zuko is saved from his fall by his friends on Appa, now alone Azula has to save herself by using firebending to hover over to the cliff face " and using her hairclip as a hold. Azula returns to the Fire Nation after this defeat as the Comet approaches.
Actor Azula
[caption id="attachment_3944" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Actor Azula in the Play"]
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In the play "The Boy In The Iceberg" Azula gets a portrayal too, Her appearance is extremely exaggerated with really long nails and a lot of makeup, but her personality is toned down (probably so as not to upset the Fire Nation Royal Family) and she is not as cruel and manipulative. In a scene in the "Future" she fights Zuko during the comet and kills him while her father kills Aang, the Audience cheers.
Mental State Worsening
[caption id="attachment_3945" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula is furious when Ozai tells her she will not be joining him on the Airships to destroy the Earth Kingdom, she is appointed Fire Lord, but now she has power and is not in a good mental state."]
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Azula after her friends betrayal and failed attempt to kill her brother is starting to lose her perfectionist exterior, she arrives late to the speech before they leave to burn down the Earth Kingdom. When she arrives Ozai tells her that he will be going alone and she is to stay and guard the Fire Nation, Azula not thinking clearly loses it a bit and demands she not be treated like Zuko and that it was her plan to burn the Earth Kingdom together, Ozai appoints her the new Fire Lord as he becomes The Phoenix King. She calms down stating the title "Fire Lord Azula" "Does seem appropriate. However being left behind has not helped her already diminishing mental state.
[caption id="attachment_3946" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula foolishly banishes her Dai Li agents. A big mistake."]
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She is now left alone losing it and with too much power. She becomes seriously paranoid and afraid of being attacked, she then begins to banish subjects because she thinks they are all against her. She banishes her servants but her biggest mistake which really shows she is not right is when she banishes The Dai Li, she also banishes Lo but points at Li confusing everyone. Soon she is alone with no subjects and her father gone, it is clear she has not slept in a while due to fear of being attacked.
[caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula hallucinates about her mother, her mother tells her that she loves her. Azula begins to cry after it ends."]
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She attempts to fix her hair which is annoying her but ends up cutting off a large amount, she then has a hallucination of her mother. He mother is saddened by her daughters current condition, she says that Azula is confused because she used fear to control people and that she loves her. Azula becomes angry and breaks the mirror she appeared in with her hairbrush ending the hallucination and making Azula realise she was not there. Azula begins to cry to herself.
[caption id="attachment_3948" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula and Zuko battle in an Agni Kai, the siblings are evenly matched and the bending ferocious. Red/Orange Vs Blue."]
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She then goes to her coronation and is about to be made Fire Lord when Zuko and Katara arrive on Appa, Zuko says he will become Fire Lord not her. Azula challenges Zuko to an agni-kai which he accepts noticing that Azula is not quite right. Assisted by the comet both are super powered, every move is vicious fire, they are evenly matched blocking every blow but destroying the city around them in the process. Azula becomes less and less composed and controlled and Zuko begins to take the advantage knocking her over with his signature feet spinning move.
[caption id="attachment_3950" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula sensing Zuko could beat hear, aims to kill Katara with her lightning."]
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He taunts her noticing that unusually she is getting angry, he asks for her lightning and she obliges but she doesn't aim for Zuko but cruelly knowing she could lose shoots at Katara. Zuko dives in the way and manages to redirect most of the blast but he couldn't do the technique properly and is left seriously injured.
[caption id="attachment_3951" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Katara beats Azula by trapping her in ice and chaining her up."]
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Katara runs to heal him, but Azula has her pinned back with Firebending. Azula who is insane at this point calls Katara a "filthy peasant" and laughs at Zuko's pain, but she is not paying attention to her surroundings. Katara lures Azula over a grate with water under it, she steps over it and Katara traps both of them in ice frees herself and restrains Azula. She removes the Ice and rushes to heal Zuko, he will recover.
[caption id="attachment_3952" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Azula has been beaten, everything she knew has failed her. Betrayed by her friends, bested by her brother who will now become the Fire Lord. Ozai never thought her how to be a normal person, in a way she is another victim of Ozai and the war. She is completely broken mentally, she cries uncontrollably."]
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They both look towards Azula and she has had a complete emotional and mental breakdown. She is writhing on the ground breathing fire, screaming and crying, a complete change from her usual calculated, controlled and cruel demeanour.
She is then taken to a mental health facility on a nearby island, she is monitored around the clock.
Azula Information and Quotes
Name: Azula
Race: Fire Nation
Age: 14
Short Description: Azula is the princess of the Fire Nation, second in line to the throne behind her brother Zuko. She grew up as her fathers favourite because of her skill and cruel demeanour, he forgot about Zuko and focused on Azula raising her alone to help him gain power. She is a master manipulator and actor able to influence people through fear and threats, in the end this failed her and she broke down mentally, never being raised properly really affected her in the end. She is a firebending prodigy so much so that she could bend Blue Fire and create lightning, she is also very agile.
Primary Tools: Firebending (blue), manipulation, fear, shurikens and smarts.
Well Known Azula Quotes:
- "Yes! We defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!... Ah that was fun."
- "I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit her and complain how our mom like Zuko more than me. But I don't really care. My own mother... thought I was a monster... She was right of course, but it still hurt."
- "Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me."
- "Well, then, maybe you should worry less about the tides, who've already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over... "
- "Zu-Zu"
- She is the only character knows to be able to use bend Blue Fire, due to being a firebending prodigy and her extreme control
- She was never actually Fire Lord Azula as he coronation was interrupted, but she would have been the first female Fire Lord
- Azula appeared once before we found out who she was, in The Storm she watches on as her brother is scarred we didn't know she was his sister at the time.
- Azula was nearly the first and only person to break the Avatar cycle, but Aang was not fully in the Avatar State at the time she shot him. Despite killing him " the Avatar cycle remained as Katara revived Aang.
- Sokka is the only member of the original Team Avatar whose name she says.
- She is the only named female Firebender
- She only apologises to one person in the series, Ty Lee when she insults her.
