Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a world in which some percentage of the population can manipulate natural elements. The firebenders are the most aggressive and violent of the bunch, known for their fearsome techniques and immense destructive capabilities. Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation is one of the finest firebenders who ever lived, and her skills demonstrate themselves in several ways.
The Last Airbender is one of the most beloved cartoons of recent memory, and it receives a lot of well-deserved attention for its excellent villains. Zuko's relationship to the Avatar gradually shifts from ruthless hunter to dedicated protector. The Fire Lord Ozai is the show's final boss, but there's something special about his daughter Azula.
Who is Azula in The Last Airbender?
Azula is the princess of the Fire Nation and the favored child of Ozai. While her older brother Zuko took after her mother Ursa, Azula got her father's temperament and an extra dash of madness. That imbalance led her to believe that her mother loved Zuko more than her, forcing her to cling to her abusive father. Living under Ozai forced both Azula and Zuko to strive for perfection or suffer the consequences. Zuko crumbled under the pressure, but Azula flourished. She became manipulative, vicious, and obsessed with power. Luckily, her culture was immersed in substantial darkness, so she somehow managed to make friends and earn widespread acclaim.
Azula becomes the primary antagonist of the series throughout the second and third seasons. Zuko and his uncle Iroh choose to give up their pursuit of the Avatar, leaving Azula to take up the assignment. She immediately establishes herself as a more dangerous presence and a more unhinged villain. Azula masterminded the coup that gave the Fire Nation control of the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. She also allowed the Fire Nation to survive an invasion during a solar eclipse that rendered the entire nation powerless. She's smart enough to engineer the movements of nations and dangerous enough to order the slaughter of countless victims. Though she was powerful and clever, her downfall came as a result of her mental instability. As her friends betrayed her and her enemies challenged her directly, Azula broke down. She's an immensely powerful foe, but the terrible abuse that honed her into a weapon also left cracks that would eventually spell her end.
Why is Azula's Fire Blue?
Fire changes color in response to the heat that they give off. The typical firebender is throwing around orange fire, which tends to be around 2,000º F to 2,200º F. Blue fire can be as hot as 3,000º F. Very flammable materials like natural gas and pure alcohol will typically produce blue flames. The incandescence provided by fire is altered by the increasing heat because of the different wavelengths of light. Azula appears to be the only person capable of creating blue flames. There's no special technique behind it and no one else demonstrates the potential. Azula is just better at firebending than almost anyone else in the world. Her mastery of her chi is so great that she has fully mastered a type of fire that's much hotter than most. The Avatar, her older brother, and even her father are unable to summon blue flames. Blue fire became her trademark and no one has been able to replicate it.
Is Azula Alive in Legend of Korra?
Azula doesn't explicitly appear in Korra. There is a firebending shaman who many fans theorize is secretly Azula in disguise, but that has never been confirmed. Either way, Azula is probably alive in the timeline of the series. Azula is placed in a mental health facility after being defeated by Zuko and Katara in the original series. In the comics, she is allowed to leave the hospital on a mission with her brother to find their mom. Azula is still unhinged and still bent on stealing the throne from Zuko, but her quest leads her to abandon those goals. She sets out on a new quest to find herself, gradually discarding the expectations of others. Azula is able to open up to her new friends. She even compliments her brother, finally showing a moment of faith in the sibling that cost her everything.
On September 26, 2023, Azula in the Spirit Temple will be released to tell the next part of Azula's story. Set sometime between The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, the graphic novel will depict Azula's chance at redemption through a chance encounter with an enigmatic monk. For all the narrative growth and emotional change that the character endured over the series, she still has more to learn. Azula is one of the most entertaining characters of this massive multimedia franchise and one of the most compelling presences in The Last Airbender. She's one of the greatest firebenders who ever lived, brought to her knees when the heat that forged her eventually consumed her. The blue flames are a demonstration of her power and a metaphor for her character. Azula burned bright and broke down, but can she rebuild herself?