Avatar: The Last Airbender has some brilliant episodes, most of which have some story beats that fans would love to see again and again. However, when it comes to possibly the most critically acclaimed and beloved episode of the show, there is some reluctance to relive the trauma that it gave its viewers with one poignant tale.
Tales of Ba Sing Se is an episode that follows sets of characters through their day in the city of Ba Sing Se. This episode remarkably takes a break from the grim story before it, to focus on more slice-of-life type scenarios for the core cast of the show’s characters. However, Iroh’s story, as fans would know, was not something anybody was ready for.
Iroh’s loss of his son informs so much of his character
General Iroh is perhaps one of the most intriguing characters to come out of Avatar: The Last Airbender. A favorite character across the fandom, Iroh’s story is one that has always drawn fans to it for various reasons. Whether it be his status as a reformed General, the stark contrast that he stands in against Ozai, or even him simply being an older person recognizing the problems of his times, and assisting the young heroes.
Tales of Ba Sing Se really showed how vulnerable the character of Iroh can be, the warmth and kindness that he decides to derive from it. As other firebenders tried to chase the fire of fury, Iroh drew his power from the warmth of family, camaraderie, and friendship, something that allowed him to be the warrior that he was.
His attitude was a direct result of him losing his son in the Fire Nation’s effort to conquer the Earth Kingdom, something that he was keen on doing as well. Tales of Ba Sing Se also showed that Iroh’s biggest regret in life was his inability to help his son, and he wished he could have shown a better world than the war.
Iroh remains one of the most beloved characters in Avatar
20 years after the show was first aired, General Iroh still remains one of the chief characters that fans remember fondly. His particular style of dealing with problems has changed how the generation looks at life and its various issues, something that speaks to how impactful the character was. Iroh, through his actions, revealed himself to be the one who holds true power, not just physically, but also over himself.
His impact on Zuko is instrumental to him becoming an ally for Team Avatar, allowing Aang to learn fire bending before they marched to kill Fire Lord Ozai. His deciding to give up the throne without hesitation, and even pursuing others to see his abdication as for the great good, points towards how Bryan Konietzko and Micahel Dante DiMartino managed to craft a character that was an instant classic from the very first moments he was on screen.
Avatar: The Last Airbender can be streamed on Paramount+.
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