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Why Wasn't Azula In Legend of Korra?

What Happened To Azula After The Last Airbender?

Azula is easily one of the most beloved characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite not appearing until Book Two, the Fire Nation Princess immediately made a big impact. Animated with quick, sharp movements and brilliantly portrayed by Grey DeLisle, Azula was like no one yet seen in The Last Airbender. She was fast, wielded lightning, and was absolutely ruthless in stark contrast to the conflicted Zuko.

Azula's story in The Last Airbender ended on an cliffhanger. After being defeated by Katara and suffering a mental breakdown, it was not seen what became of her once Ozai was removed from the throne. In spite of her being such a popular character and having such an open ended story, in a bit of a wasted opportunity, Azula was not directly mentioned once in Legend of Korra. Why was she left out of the story, and what became of her after the Hundred Year War?RELATED: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Does Azula Deserve Redemption?

Why Wasn't Azula In Legend of Korra?

The Legend of Korra was somewhat inconsistent when it came to direct references to Avatar: The Last Airbender. There are times when the show seems to be ashamed of being a sequel series, trying to establish its own strong identity. This can be seen in the drastically different level of technological advancement and the more centralized story, but it also shows itself through the lack of reference to certain legacy characters. Ozai is not directly brought up once, with there being only vague references to the original Team Avatar's heroics. Sokka only receives brief mention through a flashback, while Suki isn't referred to in any way. Mai and Ty Lee Most interestingly, the fate of the twisted Fire Nation Princess Azula goes completely unaddressed.

Considering the omission of these beloved characters whom fans would likely love to learn more about, it seems like Legend of Korra really wants to establish itself on its own merits. The grand twist ending to Book Two is Korra losing access to her past lives, including Aang. By doing this, Korra is literally losing her connection to the past, but the show is thematically doing the same thing. Legend of Korra is the present, and what came before it is gone now.

The problem is that the show only wants to stand on its own sometimes. Other times, Legend of Korra looks to appeal to nostalgia through the use of returning characters. Katara has a presence in the show from the very beginning. Zuko, Iroh, and Toph all appear at later points in the show. In each of their introductions, these three characters are treated with a ton of fanfare. Their buildups are slow, giving fans plenty of time to get excited as they realize who they're seeing onscreen. The returning characters themselves are recognized by the new characters and treated with a lot of excitement, mirroring the reaction fans are expecting to have.

Legend of Korra wants to have it both ways. Sometimes it wants to be a distant sequel, building off of the original series but standing completely on its own. Other times it wants to lean into the legacy status it holds, using character returns for easy nostalgia points. This approach is a bit misguided because it keeps the world from feeling completely organic. If the future of characters like Toph and Zuko is worth addressing, then it feels strange that Azula's isnt.

So why isn't Azula brought up in Legend of Korra at all? The most likely reason is the show being careful to avoid letting the main conflict revolve around Zuko's family or the Fire Nation too much, probably to avoid feeling too similar to The Last Airbender. In a similar manner, the mother of Zuko's daughter is not identified, no other major Fire Nation characters like Ty Lee or Mai return, and Zuko has a much smaller role in the show than Toph, Katara, or Iroh.

What Happened To Azula After The Last Airbender?

At the end of The Last Airbender, the Ozai's pressure and abuse finally broke Azula. After losing her fight with Zuko and Katara, she suffered a mental breakdown. Perhaps out of pity, Zuko did not imprison her like he did Ozai. Instead, he placed her in a mental institute where she could be rehabilitated. Her confinement did little to help her. Azula was held captive in a straitjacket in order to keep her from firebending, and the experience made her feel like a caged animal.

Zuko went on to release Azula from captivity when he needed her assistance in finding their exiled mother, Ursa. Azula's defeat and time in captivity had not eased her suffering in any way. While traveling with Team Avatar, she constantly spoke down to the group, made attempts to escape, and picked fights with each of them. Azula was still planning on overthrowing Zuko and reclaiming the throne for herself. She didn't actually care to find her mother, in spite of the frequent hallucinations of her she suffered.

Azula suffered another breakdown after finally finding her mother. Ursa was not angry with her and apologized for not loving her enough. Azula then attacked Zuko, who refused to harm her, saying that she was still his sister in spite of everything they'd been through. Unable to live with her hatred in the face of such love, Azula ran away into the forest. She would eventually return to hatch a number of plans to change Fire Nation society and manipulate Zuko's rule from the shadows. Eventually, however, all of her plots fell through, and she once again went into exile. Her eventual fate is currently unknown.

Some fans believe that the shaman on Bhanti Island who helps heal Korra is actually Azula. The firebender sports a very similar hairstyle to Azula and appears to be about the same age as Zuko, lending credence to the theory. To be clear, this is currently only a fan theory. It is completely unconfirmed by anyone who worked on Legend of Korra and there is nothing in the show that directly implies it. Still, it would be wonderful if it turned out Legend of Korra actually did have room for Azula in it after all, and this would be a lovely place for her to end up. Azula never received any kind of redemption. She was bitter and malicious up through her final confirmed appearance, never repenting or moving past what she'd been through. This wasn't always intended to be the case, however. Show writer Aaron Ehasz posted about Azula:

"I always intended for Azula to have a redemption arc in the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender . Longer and far more complicated than Zuko’s. She had not bottomed in the end of season 3, she had further to go."

As the fourth season never happened, this redemption arc never took place, and the subsequent material went a different direction with the character. This unfortunately means that a happy ending for Azula is nothing but a theory for right now. Still, it's a nice thought that she eventually wound up as a spiritual guide to others, making her home on an island far away from the places that had been so cruel to her.