with no apologies

I can't believe how stupid I am!

So why bother making a fansite for Zuko? I mean, sure, he's cute and angsty and grumpy and therefore pretty much destined to have a large group of rabid fangirls/boys. But is that all there is to it?

Honestly, I think what really makes Zuko such a great character is his arc. There are plenty of pretty bad boy characters out there, but Zuko gives fans more than a stereotype: He's a complicated, interesting, realistic character who suffers and struggles and does stupid things and learns how to deal with everything he's done and had done to him. He's not a simple hero or villian; he's one of those really rare characters who walks a thin line between "good" and "evil," trying to figure out where he stands. More than any other character in Avatar, Zuko changes and matures dramatically throughout the series. The fact that this is in no way an easy transformation for him--that he has to fight for every bit of self-respect and insight--makes you that much more involved in his story. He seems like a real kid, someone who does some things wrong and some things right, and has to deal with the consequences of both.

I love most of the characters of Avatar, but Zuko will always be the one who really made the show something special for me. I have never felt more like throwing things at the TV than when he was being an idiot...and I have never felt more like desperately needing to hug a fictional character when he finally comes around. Though the show is ostensibly about Aang, I think in many ways the real focus is on the awesome-wonderful-ridiculousness of Zuko. Avatar just wouldn't be as strong a show without him.


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