It can be said that Avatar: The Last Airbender is more than just one of the greatest animated shows of all time. It has heart, fantastic visuals, an epic story that even a live-action movie couldn't replicate. It also has one of the best character arcs of the series and all-time in Prince Zuko, the son of the fire lord whose quest for the Avatar becomes a friendship with the Gaang.
Yet, before Zuko could be seen as one of the Gaang and loved by fans, he had to go through a journey. And before that, Zuko did some pretty terrible things.
10 Chased and Tormented the Gaang
Probably the most obvious of Zuko's crimes is how he spent the first season of ATLA: chasing down and tormenting the Gaang. Granted, every series needs an antagonist, and along with Admiral Zhao, Zuko fits the role perfectly.
From the far reaches of the Southern Water Tribe to the vastness of the Northern tribe, Zuko's quest to reclaim his honor meant doing whatever it took. Firing on the Gaang, keeping them on their toes every step of the way was just a few of the many crimes of Prince Zuko.
9 Worked With Pirates
Now, along his quest to reclaim his honor, Zuko worked alongside some pretty shady people. From the nefarious Admiral Zhao to bounty hunter June, Zuko always seemed comfortable around evil-doers, especially when it came to the pirates.
Early on in season one, Zuko made a deal with a group of pirates to hunt down Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Working alongside pirates may not have been the worst thing Zuko ever did but it still shows how far Zuko would go to reclaim his honor and capture the Avatar.
8 Stole Katara's Necklace
On the list of reprehensible acts that Zuko committed, stealing a necklace isn't high on the docket. After kidnapping Katara with help from the pirates, Zuko stole Katara's necklace and held onto it for some time before Aang stole it back.
While it may not seem important at glance, the necklace had far more meaning to Katara than to anyone else. Serving as the last link to her mother, stealing the necklace served as a terrible deed in the eyes of Katara that separated her, in a way, her mother.
7 Kidnapped Aang While In The Avatar State
After chasing the Gaang all over the world, Zuko finally caught up with them in season one's finale, one of seasons best episodes, as Admiral Zhao was laying siege to the Northern Water Tribe. Following a fierce battle with Katara, Zuko managed to get ahold of an immobilized Aang while he was in the Avatar state and runoff.
Besides kidnapping Aang, attacking Katara, and racing off into a perilous storm, taking the Avatar while he wasn't even aware of it was a cheap move on Zuko's part, even for a fire-bender.
6 Almost Stole Appa
Who doesn't like Appa? Appa, Aangs sky bison, is an adorable creature that earned himself a name in the world of ATLA. When he was kidnapped by sand benders in season two, fans were expectantly awaiting for him and Aang to be reunited and not expecting for Zuko to almost steal him.
Finding Appa beneath Lake Lagoi and a prisoner of the military force, the Da Li, Zuko contemplates kidnapping Appa to get at Aang, a heinous act on its own that he thankfully doesn't make a reality.
5 Betrayed The Gaang
A storyteller's job is to create a tale that will captivate viewers, introduce them to likable characters and crush their souls. That last detail happens more often than people think, especially with Zuko at the end of season two.
Just when it seems like Zuko is finally ready to fully side with the Gaang, Azula pops up and convinces her brother to side with her. What follows is a betrayal of the worst kind, with Zuko battling the Katara and Aang beneath Ba Sing Se after almost redeeming himself.
4 Led With His Rage In Charge
Despite the insane amount of development Zuko went through over the course of three seasons, there was always one thing that remained constant: his anger. Even by the end of the series, when Zuko had controlled his rage, he still had plenty of it coursing through him and he let it be his primary motivating factor, which often led to less than steller outcomes.
The rage is what drove Zuko forward, what made him feel the need to reacquirer his honor and pushed him to commit all those acts. Without that rage, without the anger pushing and driving him, would Zuko have been the same person?
3 Turned His Back On Iroh
Every fan has a favorite character in a series and for many ATLA fans, their favorite character was the kindhearted Uncle Iroh. Seen as the only person beyond the Gaang and Mai who treated Zuko with respect, fans were horrified when Zuko turned on Iroh.
It was more than betraying Iroh. By the end of season two and the start of three, Zuko had sided with Azula and despite his best efforts, pushed his Uncle away by his betrayal. It's a miracle Zuko was able to find redemption after that.
2 Honored His Father
Throughout the entirety of ATLA, Zuko constantly is trying to get his honor back and return to the Fire Nation. He believes that he did something wrong and needs to redeem himself in his father, Fire Lord Ozai's eyes, despite the years of mistreatment and neglect, a little strange thing about the series.
Returning to the Fire Nation after helping Azula, who unlike her brother only got worse, combat Katara and Aang is Zuko respecting his father, getting his "honor" back. Despite him turning his back on his father in the end, Zuko's actions are still jaded given all the terrible deeds Ozai's committed.
1 Tried To Kill Aang
Nowadays, fans tend to associate Aang with Zuko and see them as the best of friends despite their differences and constant clashes throughout their journies. Yet, many audiences seem to forget that Zuko did more than just hunt down Aang but at one point, almost killed him.
Sending Combustion Man/Sparky Sparky Boom Man who happens to be some fan's favorite villain after Aang after returning to the Fire Nation in season three, Zuko fully meant for Combustion Man to kill Aang and finish the Avatar once and for all. Even a renewed friendship can't cover that little fiasco up.
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