Recap / Avatar: The Last Airbender "Zuko Alone"

His task completed, Zuko rides into the sunset, as alone at the end as he was at the beginning.

"No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."

Zuko's instance of A Day in the Limelight — "Zuko Alone" focuses completely on the story of the show's resident anti-hero; although he usually serves as the B-Plot, here he is the main focus, with the Gaang not appearing at all. After parting way with Iroh in the previous episode, Zuko finds life on his own more difficult than he thought. He befriends a local family in a small Earth Kingdom village, and his experiences with a young boy Lee brings back memories of his own childhood in the Fire Nation palace.

Things do not stay peaceful, however. The town Lee lives in is oppressed by Earth Kingdom soldiers, who use their powers to abuse those they are meant to be protecting. When they kidnap Lee for their own petty amusement, Zuko finds himself willing to risk everything to help him...

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Tropes:

• Actor Allusion: This isn't the first time Susan Eisenberg voiced a character who exhibited This Is Unforgivable! Fantastic Racism towards a race who had oppressed her home despite one individual showing off his or her redeeming traits in contrast to his or her people in general.
• Actually Pretty Funny: The Earth Kingdom soldier who got hit by the egg cracks up at Zuko's sarcastic remark about a chicken flying by during their interrogation.
• Ambiguous Innocence: The nicest interpretation of Azula's weird behavior, like burning the doll. While the writing would appear intended to establish her as evil, it's also possible to read it this way; she is only six-or-so years old in the flashbacks, after all. The rest of her behavior in this episode, along with her mother's reactions to it, paints it much less ambiguously.
• Ambiguous Situation: At the time of the original airing, several of Zuko's flashbacks were subject to this. The Search has since added some more context.
  • After Ursa leaves, Zuko goes looking to find her, only to encounter Ozai just standing by the duck pond she frequented. It's never clarified whether Ozai is actually grieving his wife's absence.^note He probably isn't; the comic clarifies that he was the one who banished Ursa, knowing that if she was willing to help him kill Azulon, it was only a matter of time before she was willing to help Zuko kill him. As his accomplice, she would also be able to expose him for murdering his father.
  • We also don't know if Fire Lord Azulon really ordered Ozai to kill Zuko or if Azula made it up.^note This, in the strictest sense, remains ambiguous, since we still don't see Azulon himself actually giving the order. Ozai and Azula both say he did, and Ursa believes them.
  • It was also unknown for a while whether Azulon died of natural causes or if he was murdered by Ozai, Ursa, or even Azula. ^note Ursa mixed an undetectable poison for Ozai, suggesting he could use it to gain the throne, but Ozai is the only one who actually administers it and pulls off the coup.
• Anti-Hero: Zuko himself is a Nominal Hero. Despite being technically a villain, Zuko fights against Earth Kingdom soldiers that are much worse because after how Azula and Ozai treated him, he can't stand bullies.
• Armor-Piercing Question: A non-malicious one. While Zuko is busy helping Lee's father shingle a roof, Lee keeps asking questions, to which a secretive Zuko can't answer. Finally, he asks one so personal that it makes Zuko accidentally hit his thumb with the hammer.
  Lee: ...So how'd you get that scar?
• Bad People Abuse Animals: Zuko (and by extension the narrative) imply that Azula enjoys harassing turtleducks by throwing bread at them. We never actually see this, however, leaving it ambiguous at best if Azula actually enjoys scaring or hurting animals, if she scared them by accident, or if Zuko was attempting to get Azula in trouble. The only follow-up is a scene in Book 3 showing turtleducks swimming away from Azula supposedly out of fright, but there is no clear answer.
• Bait the Dog: Azulon's initial reaction to Ozai's suggestion to pass the throne succession from Iroh to him seems to show the old Fire Lord as stern but caring father authority who loathes Ozai's naked attempt to seize the throne in the midst of the family grieving for the loss of Lu-Ten. But then Azulon reveals himself to be just as bad as Ozai when Azula told Zuko that Ozai's punishment is to murder his own son to feel the loss of losing a firstborn.
• Big Brother Instinct: Zuko develops a bond with Lee during his time in the village. When he learns that Lee was captured by a group of ruthless soldiers, he decides to go back and save him. Unfortunately, that bond is destroyed once everyone knows who he really is.
• Bittersweet Ending: More bitter than sweet, verging on Downer Ending. Zuko saves Lee and the rest of the town from the corrupt Earth Kingdom soldiers, but he receives no gratitude from any of the villagers and is shunned for admitting his identity as the banished Fire Nation prince. He leaves the town with everyone holding weapons and Lee hating him.
• Black-and-White Insanity: The villagers' unforgiving Fantastic Racism of the Fire Nation is so intense and strong that they absolutely do not see the good in any Fire National or firebender, even Zuko, whom they angrily banished after he saved Lee, who also gives the cold shoulder to him after realizing who he really is.
• Black Comedy: Quite a few moments in the flashbacks, such as when the family laughs when Iroh jokes about burning a city to the ground and a lot of Azula's quips about Azulon and Zuko dying.
• Book Ends: Zuko on his ostrich-horse, alone and unhappy.
• Bratty Half-Pint: Azula, not surprisingly. After a letter from her uncle, she loudly expresses the idea that Ozai would make a much better Fire Lord than he. Also, when practicing cartwheels with Ty Lee, she shoves her over when Ty Lee does better ones than her.
• Break the Cutie: Zuko had a horrible childhood. And when the flashback ends, it's clear it only got worse from there.
• Broken Pedestal: Deconstructed. It's one thing that Zuko's fallen out of Lee's favor, it's another thing that it's over something as unfair as Zuko's Fire Nation background.
• Brutal Honesty: Once Zuko lets the whole village know who he is, an old man calls him out on calling himself a "prince". Despite what Zuko's been telling himself, the old man doesn't sugar-coat how Ozai cruelly burned, disowned and banished his own son.
• Byronic Hero: Zuko is established as one early on in the series, but this gets explored further.
• Call-Forward: In the scene where young Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are hanging out, their previously established tendencies are shown: Ty Lee is focused on having fun with her acrobatics; Azula is already showing her perfectionist streak and short temper if she's shown up; and Mai is sitting alone seemingly bored by it all, but blushes when she sees Zuko.
• Character Focus: Zuko, unsurprisingly. The entire episode focuses on his childhood and his time in the present.
• Childish Tooth Gap: Lee has more gaps than teeth.
• Constantly Curious: Lee wants to know everything about Zuko. His father tells him to stop as Zuko gets visibly uncomfortable with the situation.
• Continuity Nod: Zuko hesitates when Lee's parents ask him his name. The last time he was in this situation, he called himself "Lee", but that name's already taken here.
• Cover-Blowing Superpower: Zuko's firebending, which gets him run out of the town he just saved with it. (Though it probably doesn't help that he proceeds to reveal exactly who he is — he's not just any firebender, he's the son of the Fire Lord.)
• Cowardice Callout: Zuko rightly tells the Earth Kingdom soldiers who do nothing but cruelly bully and abuse the people they're meant to protect (particularly those of them who can't fight back) that the so-called soldiers are "sick cowards" for it. It pisses the soldiers into attacking before they're dealt with like the scum they are.
• Cowboy Episode: The episode has a very Western feel and follows the classic plot of a mysterious stranger helping a town in need.
• Cruel Twist Ending: After Zuko saves Lee, the latter and other villagers kick him out of their town due to Fantastic Racism of the Fire Nation upon Zuko revealing his true identity.
• Crush Blush: Mai, on catching a glimpse of Zuko. Azula notices and is not amused.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Zuko defeats the first three soldiers without even using his swords, much less his firebending. Gow puts up more of a fight but he goes down almost as easily once Zuko stops holding back.
• Darker and Edgier: Definitely one of the first episodes to be taken almost completely serious, as we get a deeper look into Zuko's tragic past with very little humor to lighten the mood, especially since the comparatively-lighthearted Gaang is absent for the entire episode. The immensely Bittersweet Ending only solidifies this episode's tone.
• Dangerous Deserter: It's implied that Gonsu initially believes Zuko is one of these. He's armed, of fighting age, has a burn scar obviously from a firebender, dislikes soldiers, and acts like he's on the run from someone. Gonsu discourages Lee from prying into Zuko's past for this reason.
• Dirty Coward: Gow proves himself to be a fairly skilled earthbender, but completely loses it when Zuko resorts to firebending. It almost makes you wonder how he would've reacted if the Fire Nation came to the village to conquer/destroy it. His cohorts also quickly turn tail and run after Zuko disarms them with ease.
• Disguised Hostage Gambit: It's mentioned that the Fire Nation is sending prisoners of war to the front lines, unarmed and wearing Fire Nation uniforms.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Azulon apparently decides that Zuko has to die to give a lesson to Ozai when Ozai presses too hard about replacing Iroh in the line of succession.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: Zuko's actions towards the end are framed as this. It's implied that when Ursa told Zuko to "never forget who [he is]", she meant for him to never forget the kind and compassionate son she raised. Cut to the present day, and the memory inspires Zuko to indeed remember who he is...by using his firebending to defeat Gow, then acting like the menacing, choleric antagonist we've seen throughout the series, all the while proudly declaring his Fire Nation heritage. One gets the feeling this goes against everything Ursa meant by "never forget who you are". If anything, it's a sobering indication of Zuko's misguided belief that remembering himself means being the angry, arrogant Fire Nation Prince twisted by his father, instead of the kindly, good-hearted boy he previously was.
• Dual Wielding: Gow uses a pair of hammers to fight Zuko.
• Entitled Bastard: Explored. Whereas in previous Season 2 episodes Zuko has outright stolen from other people whenever he wants, here he declines to steal food from a pregnant couple. His big identity reveal at the end, along with his speech about the soldiers being bullies, also dips into that same aristocratic nature at Zuko's core, but in a positive sense.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Azulon is outraged that Ozai wants the throne after Lu Ten was killed, completely ignoring his brother's pain. The solution he proposes, though, is... just as bad.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • Played with, in that the concept is there, what's off is the framing; this would be played straight if we were watching through the village's POV rather than Zuko's. A rogue firebender - the prince, to boot - shows much more humility and honor than the 'soldiers', is not unnecessarily violent, and is genuinely disgusted with their antics.
  • The trope is misapplied by the villagers due to their inability to see any good in any Fire Nation member; one states he's heard of Zuko and knows that he was exiled. He assumes that Zuko was so terrible, his tyrannical father exiled him (when it was really Ozai punishing Zuko for opposing a tyrannical plan).
  • As many bastard tropes Azulon met on this page alone, he despises conspiracies and thought Ozai's bid for the throne immediately after Iroh lost Lu Ten was despicable.
• Everyone Has Standards: Zuko's have dropped precipitously, turning to thievery to get by, but robbing a pregnant woman is still beneath him.
• Evil Old Folks: Fire Lord Azulon, who's about as loving toward Ozai as Ozai is to Zuko. And he's not fond of Zuko much either, and if anything, had it out for him way more than Ozai did.
• The Evil Prince: Ozai is one in the flashbacks. He barely cares about his son, if at all, and immediately asks to become his father's heir after learning about the death of his nephew.
• The Faceless: As with all his appearances so far, we still don't get a clear shot of Ozai's entire face. He's always either been bathed in shadow or seen from behind. Here, his full face is shown once, but it's entirely out of focus, and the other two glimpses that we get are only of his jawline and forehead.
• Fantastic Racism: The Earth Kingdom village's prejudice of the Fire Nation is so strong, that after Zuko saved Lee, the village (including Lee) banished him for his identity and heritage.
• Flaming Sword: Despite swords being Zuko's trademark weapon, this is the only time he's ever seen using them like this.
• Flashback B-Plot: Zuko's time in the village alternates with flashbacks of his childhood at the events leading up to his father's coronation and mother's disappearance.
• Foreshadowing: Zuko recognizes the severe cruelty the soldiers have exhibited towards the villagers in their bullying and extortion. Zuko's awareness of this brutality eventually plays a role in his ability to recognize his own nation's cruelty.
• The Gadfly: Azula sees Mai has a crush on Zuko, so Azula cajoles her mom into making Zuko play with them, which results in Zuko tackling Mai into a fountain. Just because she could.
• Godzilla Threshold: The villagers appeared content to simply endure the soldiers harassing them, but a prince of the Fire Nation being in their midst causes them to take up arms and run him out of town.
• Grumpy Old Man: Fire Lord Azulon is probably the most sadistic example of this trope. He's outright furious when Ozai suggests that Iroh be passed over for the throne in favor of himself. He's also extremely impatient with Zuko and seems indifferent to Azula despite her obvious knowledge of history and firebending skills.
• Hand on Womb: Just so you know that the girl Zuko sees early on really is pregnant, her partner puts his hand gently on her belly.
• Heroic Second Wind: When Zuko is defeated by the bully leader, he lies on the ground unconscious and has a flashback to his mother. This gives him new strength and he gets up and kicks the bully's ass.
• I Have a Family: An indirect example. Zuko prepares to rob a couple, but stops when he notices the wife is pregnant.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • There is a legitimate reason for the villagers to turn on Zuko so fast out of their Fantastic Racism and Black-and-White Insanity at the end of the episode because of how lastingly deep and painful the wounds the Fire Nation has left on them; while they seem initially ungrateful, you then remember that these thugs are only here because the men of the village were off to the war, the war Zuko's own family started. And the family Zuko just saved? Likely lost their firstborn son to the war, and their father to follow. Zuko might have saved their lives this day, but it doesn't come anywhere close to making up for the lost lives and pain the war has caused them. It doesn't help that Zuko picked this moment to reaffirm his birthright as the Fire Nation prince; to the villagers this stranger is downright proud of the genocidal heritage he has (even though we know, from the flashbacks, that he has different reasons for reaffirming it).
  • Although Azula having No Sympathy for Iroh after quitting the siege of Ba Sing Se and calling him a "quitter and a loser" is framed as her being an apathetic jerkass, she is strictly speaking not entirely wrong, even if not for the right reasons : During the long-enduring siege many soldiers on both ends likely lost their lives, but it was only after his own son perished that Iroh decided the war wasn't worth the losses.
• Karma Houdini: The villagers did not suffer any comeuppance for driving Zuko out of the village after he saved them.
• Kick the Dog: Perhaps the only time in the series Iroh ever gets this. In the flashback, then-General Iroh takes a defeated Earth Kingdom general's personal weapons as spoils of war, and jokes about burning Ba Sing Se to the ground.
• Klingon Promotion: Fire Lord Azulon gets murdered so his son Ozai can take his place.
• Lack of Empathy:
  • Rather than mourn his nephew's death, Ozai tries convincing his father to make him heir to the throne. Let's not forget that he was also willing to sacrifice his son if it meant being Fire Lord.
  • Azula is just as bad as she calls her mourning uncle a quitter and loser rather than expressing sympathy for her cousin dying. She also casually mentions that someone might soon replace her grandfather as Fire Lord, earning her a reprimand from her mother.
• Made in Country X: When Zuko gives Lee the Earth Kingdom dagger.
  Zuko: I want you to have this, read the inscription.
  Lee: [reading] "Made in Earth Kingdom".
  Zuko: The other one.
  Lee: [reading other side of blade] "Never give up without a fight."
• Mama Bear:
  • The turtle duck mother, and Ursa. The latter may be a Meaningful Name; "Ursa" is latin for "bear".
  • Lee's mother deserves mention here. She was ready to personally defend her son from a Firebender after seeing what he could do.
• Mirror Character: Ozai was The Unfavorite to his father, presumably because his brother Iroh was a much more talented fire bender. A direct parallel to the relationship Ozai has with his kids.
• Mix-and-Match Critters:
  • Several different farm animals mixed with chickens and pigs are shown throughout the episode.
  • And then there are the turtleducks.
• Mook Chivalry: The four soldiers/bullies attack Zuko one by one.
• My Name Is Inigo Montoya: "My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai! Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne!"
• My New Gift Is Lame: Young Azula was clearly not fond of the Earth Kingdom doll Iroh sent her, showing disapproval upon receiving it and later burning it with firebending.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Zuko gives Lee the pearl dagger Iroh gave him, but that leads to Lee trying to stand up to a group of ruthless soldiers.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Zuko goes back to the village to save Lee, but when he's forced to use his firebending to do so, the rest of the village runs him out of town.
• Parental Favoritism:
  • Ozai favors Azula, openly showing her off and praising her. Azula believes Ursa favors Zuko, because her mother attempts to encourage his determination and discourage her lack of empathy.
  • It's also implied that Azulon prefers Iroh over Ozai, given his aghast reaction to Ozai's suggestion that he pass over Iroh for the throne so soon after his own son died.
• Pet the Dog: Azulon was not only sympathetic towards Iroh losing his son, but also rather forgiving and understanding. Keep in mind that after Lu Ten died, Iroh abandoned a siege that essentially could've won the Fire Nation the war right then and there.
• Pride: Zuko still has his and tries to turn down the family's offer of dinner and a place to stay. The husband and wife share a look that indicates they realize what the problem is and she suggests Zuko work on the barn before eating, giving him a chance to earn his meal and not have to accept charity.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: The leader of the group of bullies is the best fighter among them and the only one with earthbending powers. They're relatively minor compared to, say, Bumi or Toph, but still good enough to land some solid hits on Zuko.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders. Abusing your power, mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."
• Retcon: The Fire Sages proclaim at Azulon's funeral that he had ruled for 23 years, implying his father, Fire Lord Sozin, had ruled for the majority of the Hundred Year War. This would later be revised into Sozin only ruling for the first twenty years of the war, to account for revelations about his life in The Avatar And The Fire Lord, while Azulon's reign was expanded in 75 years.
• The Reveal: Remember when Iroh mentioned having lost his son to Zuko? Turns out he died during the siege of Ba Sing Se.
• Retired Badass: Fire Lord Azulon. While he still ran the Fire Nation up until his death, we hear Ozai and Azula describe him as a masterful firebender. At his funeral the head sage lists a few of his military accomplishments as well.
• Riddle for the Ages: Did Azulon really intend to kill Zuko in retribution of Ozai's insolence? Or did Azula make up the whole story, figuring out that this would make Ursa kill Azulon, thus giving Ozai a chance to claim the throne? We never find out what really happened that night. Until The Search, which reveals that Azulon did in fact order Zuko's death.
• Riding into the Sunset: Zuko at the end of the episode.
• Rope Bridge: The first scene shows Zuko's almost falling from a rope bridge when a board breaks under his ostrich-horse.
• Ship Tease: This episode makes it clear that Mai and Zuko liked each other as children.
• The Sociopath: Even in the smaller things, in the flashbacks we see the fledgling sociopath that Azula eventually fully became.
• Spoiler Title: Zuko. Is. Alone.

• Survival Mantra: "Azula always lies. Azula always lies..."
• Theme Music Power-Up: When Zuko reveals his firebending. Unfortunately, said theme music is the decidedly villainous Fire Nation leitmotif, showcasing how the villagers feel.
• Threat Backfire: As punishment for his hubris in asking for the throne immediately after his nephew's death and Iroh's resulting broken spirit as a general and leader rendering him unfit as successor, Azulon ordered Ozai to experience the same kind of pain his brother felt by having his own son be killed. According to Azula, Ozai was more than willing to go through with this, even implying he'd be willing to do it personally.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Azula dancing into Zuko's room happily singing "Dad's going to kill you!" manages to be one of the creepiest moments in the entire series, and it's still only one of quite a few examples of disturbing behavior Azula exhibits in this episode.
• Ungrateful Townsfolk: The people of the village immediately force Zuko out after they learn of his identity, the very same people that he saved from a group of Earthbenders. Not a single one of them (including the very kid who is indirectly responsible for revealing him in the first place) has the slightest ounce of regret or is reprimanded for the fact that they just kicked out the very man who risked his life to free their village of oppression.
• The Unreveal: Even in the flashbacks, Ozai's full face is never clearly seen; we only see his mouth, the top of his head when he bows to Azulon, and shots from too far to make out details.
• Villain Episode: More like antagonist episode, since Zuko isn't the least bit malicious here.
• War Is Hell: A theme throughout the entire series, but especially prominent in this episode. The small village has lost most of its strong, young men to the war effort, while the soldiers stationed there are nothing more than bullies, and implied to be the dregs of the Earth Kingdom Army. A large part of Zuko's Heel–Face Turn is motivated by seeing how terribly the war is affecting those involved, despite Fire Nation propaganda claiming that War Is Glorious.
• Wham Line: Ursa announcing the death of Iroh's son codifies Iroh's characterization up until that point.
• Whole-Plot Reference: According to Word of God, to Shane, but with a dark twist at the end.
• William Telling: In one of the flashbacks, Azula puts an apple on Mai's head and shoots it with fire.
• Wrecked Weapon: During his fight with the Earth Kingdom soldiers, Zuko kicks one of their spears in half.

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