Trivia / Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise

• Executive Meddling: According to Gene Yang, Ho-Tun was originally worried about death. Nick nixed that as being inappropriate for the comic's younger demographic, so it was changed to "doom", which Gene Yang admitted made it funnier.
• Reality Subtext:
  • The Aesop of the "Avatar Aang Fanclub" subplot (That borrowing ideas from other cultures can be harmful and offensive if you don't understand the significance of what you are imitating, but can also be a way of honouring the original culture if well-researched and done with good intentions.) can be interpreted as metacommentary on the Avatar franchise itself, which draws heavily on East Asian culture, history, and philosophy (and frequently Shows Its Work on those topics) despite the fact that the original creators and most of the people involved in the production of the show are not Asian themselves.
  • In an interview, Gene Yang has said that Zuko reluctantly turning to Ozai for advice about his duties as Fire Lord had two real-life sources: American politics, and his own life:
    Yang: There's this strange thing that happens to people in power, especially in positions of elite power. The pressures of power often blur the lines between enemies. There's a book that came out recently called The Presidents' Club that talks about this. New presidents will often seek the advice of former presidents even if they're political rivals, even if they hate each other’s guts and see the world in completely different ways, simply because no one else understands what they're going through. That's part of what happens to Zuko. Ozai is the only one who knows what it's like to be Fire Lord, the only one who has the "wisdom of experience." I also looked at my own life. I used to clash with my dad quite a bit when I was a teenager. However, as I grew up, as I found myself in roles that he used to have, I began to understand more and more of his decisions.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Gurihiru originally designed Zuko's hair to look like a mullet.
  • Gene Yang considered having Jet return alongside the other Freedom Fighters, but Bryke considered Jet 100% dead and overruled this.