Interesting things noticed in Avatar - Part 3

[Stormy Daze]

That just means Ty Lee isn't the only one in the Fire Nation with airbender heritage.

Huh?...

The villagers certainly value Aunt Wu's opinion, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the town was founded in the first place only because Wu picked the area for her group to settle. And if Aunt Wu had moved to an already established village instead, maybe Makapu more or less stayed out of the Hundred Year War, with people from all four corners of the Avatar World arriving to hear the renown Fortuneteller and decided to stay themselves, regardless of elements, becoming the Yu Dao-like, multicultural town we know and love.

No one outside of Yu Dao knew about the mixed families until after the Hundred Year War(they were the only one). Once people found out, they were met with hatred or shock. Not even the Earth King wanted legal citizens with FN heritage, remember that angry mob that wanted the FN out? Aunt Wu's town wasn't anything special, we've already seen how people of the FN are treated by the EK(Zuko Alone? Ba Sing Se?). People just want to wear there favorite color(the swampy water tribe wear green) and being Fire Nation got you executed by the authorities according to Iroh and Zuko.

All in all, eye color is tricky in ATLA. There are patterns, but they're not universal, and people's notice of them seems to be spotty. No one cares that the gAang have all different eye colors when they're pretending to be colonists, and no one seemingly takes notice of Azula's eye color when she's pretending to be Suki, but then Katara seems to notice it only after she already sees that "Suki" isn't Suki.

I just call it a plot hole. No way Zuko and Iroh should've went unnoticed throughout the Earth Kingdom.

[Loopy]

You mean "plot hole." A device is a story element meant to make plot happen. Zuko's banishment being conditional on finding the Avatar was a plot device.

[Avatar Lizzy]

Random Observation Time!

So we all know that the Avatar's friendships can last more then one lifetime (their relationships with the Fire Lord being just one example) and often feel an strong sense of familiarity when shown something that belonged to an previous life (choosing the same four toys, Korra recognizing Wan's teapot etc.)   

I bring that up because of a theory I have about the Warriors of Kyoshi. In that episode, Aang gets an ego from all the attention the Kyoshi Islanders are giving him, but what if it wasn't just Aang liking the celebrity lifestyle? What if Avatar Kyoshi herself was drawing Aang to the Island?

Sokka: You have no idea where you're going, do you?

(Scene cuts to a wider angle of Sokka, Katara, and Aang riding Appa through the air.)

Aang: (turning his head back to answer Sokka) Weeelll, I know it's near water...

(Scene cuts to a distant view of Appa flying over an endless stretch of water.)

Sokka: (flatly) I guess we're getting close then.

When the episode starts out, Aang literally had no idea where the Island is, but still finds it anyway, probably due to "Avatar Stuff."

And later, Aang and Katara have this argument about leaving Kyoshi Island.

Katara: (continuing to pick up vegetables) Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun.
Aang: Well, neither does carrying your basket.
Katara: It's not my basket. These supplies are for our trip. I told you, we have to leave Kyoshi soon.
Aang: I don't want to leave Kyoshi yet. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something I really like about this place.

Of course, the "Something" that Aang liked so much about the village was getting treated like royalty, but I wonder if it was also subconscious feelings of nostalgia for the Island, Avatar Kyoshi's strong love for her home and people that were compelling Aang to stay in town.

And remember the group of girls that Aang spent the day playing with and teaching about Avatar Kyoshi?



The ringleader of the kids that Aang made friends with was a girl named Koko, who shares a name with Kyoshi's own daughter. Again, was it the celebrity attention or familiarity?

Lastly, we later learn that Aang just wearing Kyoshi's outfit and warpaint were enough to summon her spirit to the physical world.



Of course, I'm probably reading too deeply into what was suppose to be a lesson on humility, but I just think it would be interesting if it was the Avatar Spirit's connections to past lives beyond Aang and Roku's bloodlines that were driving the episode.

[Loopy]

Interesting idea, and we're still in standing need of Aang only realizing that Kyoshi Island was named in honor of Avatar Kyoshi after he had been captured and tied up.

[AtoMaki]

Interesting idea, and we're still in standing need of Aang only realizing that Kyoshi Island was named in honor of Avatar Kyoshi after he had been captured and tied up.

Oh, I know! There was no Avatar called Kyoshi (as per we saw in the Southern Air Temple), she is just a creation of the Dai Li so that they can have all the legitimacy they need to mess around in BSS. "Kyoshi Island" (and Chin City) is just a huge theater filled with brainwashed people, hastily created by the Dai Li after the Earth Clerics told them that the Avatar is back. The actual appearances of Avatar Kyoshi are just the spiritual echoes of this (similar in nature than Dark Korra).

Avatar Lizzy, you have just uncovered the greatest conspiracy in the Avatarverse! Congratulations, for your discovery, we are pleased to announce that the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai  !

[Avatar Lizzy]

Congratulations, for your discovery, we are pleased to announce that the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai  !

I am honored to accept his invitation. 

[Nikkel]

This seemed to happen quite often, moreso in Book 1 than others. Whether it was taken by sandbenders or lost down the river, it would help explain why they never had any money.

[Nikkel]

Rewatching Book 3. In The Headband, the music teacher reprimands Aang for dancing while playing the tsungi horn. He says, "Dancing is not conducive to a proper learning environment. Young people must have rigid discipline and order."

Later on, though, Zuko and Aang learn the Dancing Dragon form. They both understand that fire is full of life, not just destruction.


I think it's an interesting contrast to show yet again how far removed the Fire Nation has become from its Sun Warrior roots.

[Celestine]

I've always had a fan theory that the Sun Warriors and the Water Tribe had interwoven histories, given that both cultures seem to take a lot of influence from Native Americans. But, then Korra gave us the full rundown on it all wit Avatar Wan and basically shot all of that down.



I really kinda hate what Korra did to the Avatarverse. 

[Loopy]

EDIT: THIS USED TO BE A REPLY TO A POST NOTING TWO TIMES THE GAANG LOST THEIR SUPPLIES AND ASKING ABOUT ANY OTHER OCCASSIONS.


So that's how Sokka developed his love of shopping.

It was an adaptive advantage.

[Nikkel]

I've always had a fan theory that the Sun Warriors and the Water Tribe had interwoven histories, given that both cultures seem to take a lot of influence from Native Americans.

That would be so incredibly cool. I was watching Moana the other night, and it made me wonder about what Firebenders would have been like if they were a sea-faring culture. Being on a chain of islands, it really only makes sense. There's definitely a Polynesian influence as well as a Mayan/Aztec one when it comes to them, in addition to Japanese, which also has a strong relationship with the ocean. It would also help explain how much they've been able to expand their navy and chart the waters around the world.