Manipulative Bitch: An expert strategist and manipulator, even able to manipulate her own father until some point.

Dragon Lady: She's less ethnically offensive than many other Dragon Ladies, as everyone in the series is a fantasy Asian or Inuit, and there are plenty of other Asian-esque women and girls who aren't Dragon Ladies. Heel–Face Turn: She begins one at the end of The Search due to Zuko's brotherly love for her: giving up her goal of killing her mother or taking the throne from him and instead runs off to find a new objective in life...or has she? God Save Us from the Queen!: Played straight during her short reign as Fire Lord. Justified by her being in the middle of a Villainous Breakdown, but it's not like she was a nice person to begin with either. She was the fourth in a Big, Screwed-Up Family, and her (male) predecessors were all evil too. Ironically, for all her refinement and self-confidence, Azula does retain some insecurities. Although she is shown as a good strategist and capable of predicting what her enemies will do, she has a disadvantage in ordinary social situations. In particular, she does not know how to act around teenage boys, whom she tends to intimidate. Her over-competitive nature surfaces during a Kuai ball game, where, despite its being a friendly game, she turns an opponent's slight lameness against her and overly crushes her, comparing the game to an act of war. She later admits to jealousy of Ty Lee's ability to attract potential sweethearts and is shown deliberately exploiting her companions' emotional weaknesses for no apparent purpose other than her own amusement. It later becomes apparent that her bullying and abusive treatment of people, even "friends" such as Mai and Ty Lee, stems not only from her cruel nature but a deep-rooted fear and inability to trust others. From a young age, she believed her mother favored Zuko and thought Azula monstrous. This shaped Azula's fears that she would be unable to rely on anyone for affection. Unable to trust others, she instead tries to dominate them through fear - a paranoia that ultimately drives her insane following the betrayal of her closest friends. Ironically, it was through the affections her friends had for others that ultimately allowed them to defy her terror against them, a fact Azula cannot understand due her isolated nature. Above all, she is obsessed with pleasing her father. But not so! We leave this novel, not with a redeemed Azula, but one who if anything has actively chosen to shun redemption when it was offered to her. To my mind a great choice. Previously Azula's endgame was the fairly vague post-Kemurikage stuff, but this novel takes the time to lay out all the pieces on the board and define much more clearly where Azula is at, physically, mentally, and emotionally.The Comically Serious: In The Beach where she brings the same intensity to a volleyball game as combat. Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: One of Azula's visions has Iroh, Zuko, and Ursa praising her for conquering Ba Sing Se, killing the Avatar and thereby ending the war, and becoming Fire Lord, respectively. And then there is Ruon-Jian, Chan's friend from the Beach Episode, praising her for smelling nice and having great hair. Love Is a Weakness: Azula believes, courtesy of the way Fire Lord Ozai raised her, that love is for fools and sees it only as a useful tool for manipulating people, only to learn that Machiavelli Was Wrong, courtesy of Mai. This trope, combined with Azula's subsequently suppressed desire to be loved by her father, her mother, and her friends, plays a big part in her tragic Villainous Breakdown, to the point where her earlier Card-Carrying Villain tendencies are cast in a new light as declarations of self-loathing. Psycho Supporter: The end of Smoke and Shadow has Azula being this. She wants Zuko to become a stronger Fire Lord, one that would enact cruel measures to keep the throne safe...like she would have. While Zuko is grateful and relieved that his sister is still alive with some sanity (loosely put) returned to her; the girl still has more issues than Time Magazine. Hero Killer: While he got better, Azula still killed Avatar Aang. Not leaving him for dead like Sozin did, but directly killing him. This made her, for a time, the one who completely exterminated the Air Nomads.

The Corrupter: She uses her manipulation to pull Zuko away from his Heel–Face Turn despite Iroh's attempts to pull him the other way. Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Katara and Azula, respectively. Katara is the gentle and kindhearted caretaker of her group, representing the wife archetype of The Three Faces of Eve. Meanwhile Azula is more of the seductress archetype, being great at manipulating people, valuing perfection, and maintaining an aura of grace and poise. Having read Azula in the Spirit Temple and sat with it a bit, time to record my thoughts. I've not looked at anyone else's reactions so I've no clue what the general impression amongst the fanbase is. Bad Boss: Azula is one to her Fire Warriors, completely ignoring how upset they are one of their own got captured. Unlike with Mai and Ty Lee, however, it bites her in the ass a lot faster since she no longer has any actual legal or royal authority to enforce her will, and the Fire Warriors promptly abandon her the following night.

AZULA RETURNS IN A NEW ‘AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER’ STORY FROM DARK HORSE AND AVATAR STUDIOS

FULL SPOILERS allowed in this thread. As a reminder spoilers for this comic outside this thread must be marked until a month after the book is released.

On the other hand, Ozai's Firebending is repeatedly shown to be significantly stronger than hers (due to experience) and while Azula may be a more competent field operative, the Grand Finale shows she isn't nearly as qualified to be an Evil Overlord compared to her father.

Avatar The Last Airbender Azula in the Spirit Temple Book PDF Summary

While Azula is, by all accounts, an antagonist of the Avatar series, “Azula in the Spirit Temple” is primarily from her point of view. This puts us, as readers, in a position to see things from her perspective, yet in doing so reminds us of all the ways she’s flawed as a person (although great as a villain). Spirit: My manifestations did not lie. This is a sacred place of peace and rest, should you wish for those things. This temple is a crossroads for those who have followed the wrong path. It offers a second chance- to choose for the better. You, little Fire Lord, were offered redemption and forgiveness, but you rejected what we had to give you. I take many forms, and it is your cruelty and desire for vengeance that shaped me into a reflection of your own inner self. A Monster.