Avatar: No Agni Kai Actually Ended Honorably

None of the Angi Kai duels in Avatar: The Last Airbender, ended honorably, despite their inherent purpose in being honorable duels. An Agni Kai is a firebending duel fought for one’s honor in the Fire Nation, and there were three Agni Kais in total throughout the series, the most famous being the one in which Zuko got his scar.

Two Agni Kais appear in the first season of Avatar. In season 1, episode 3, “The Southern Air Temple,” Zuko challenges Admiral Zhao. And then in season 1, episode 12, “The Storm”, there’s an Agni Kai between Zuko and his father, Fire Lord Ozai, in a flashback sequence. The final Agni Kai occurs in season 3, episode 20, “Sozin’s Comet Part 3: Into The Inferno,” as Zuko fights his sister, Azula, for the throne to the Fire Nation. Each one is wildly different and means different things for Zuko’s storyline. However, none of these duels have an honorable end.

Whether it be because of cheating or false pretenses, none of Zuko’s opponents conduct themselves in an honorable fashion. So much of Zuko’s character arc revolves around him restoring his honor and finding out what honor means to him. Throughout each of these Agni Kais, it’s clear that neither the fights nor the fighters, with the exception of Zuko, are honorable. And this all began with Zuko’s first ever Agni Kai against his own father – though when he agreed to the duel, he didn’t know Ozai was his opponent. Zuko originally thought he would be dueling a Fire Nation general whose plans he had disagreed with.

Ozai believed that speaking out against the general meant speaking out against the Fire Lord, leading to him facing his son in the Agni Kai. These false pretenses are not at all honorable, as Zuko expected one thing of his duel and got something else entirely. Even more dishonorable is Ozai’s treatment of Zuko after he realizes who he is fighting. Zuko begs for mercy and refuses to fight, but Ozai burns him, leaving a scar, and banishes him from the Fire Nation. By not telling his son the truth about the Agni Kai and not giving him mercy, Ozai acts cruelly and without honor, which is ironic considering how the Agni Kai is supposed to force Zuko to fight for his honor.

Both Zhao and Azula fight dishonorably as well. Zuko initially defeats Zhao in the Agni Kai but refuses to burn him. When his back is turned, Zhao strikes in anger in a cowardly attempt to catch Zuko off guard. Iroh describes it best when he tells Zhao, “even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you.” Azula pulls a similar trick to surprise Zuko by firing lightning at Katara, who is not a part of the Agni Kai. Zuko accepted Azula’s challenge so that Katara would not get hurt in a fight. He originally holds his own against Azula and her deadly blue fire, but when Azula targets Katara, he puts himself in the lightning’s way and injures himself. By involving Katara, Azula is breaking the rules of the Agni Kai. Not only is it a dishonorable action, but it also showcases her desperation and descent into madness.

While Zuko has a complicated history with firebending duels, he is consistently the more honorable of the opponents. Ozai lied and refused to grant Zuko mercy, and both Zhao and Azula cheated. Zuko’s adherence to the rules of each Agni Kai shows just how seriously he takes his honor and highlights how, despite constantly being labeled dishonorable, he is one of the most honorable characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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