'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is one of the best cartoons, and Zuko is its most human character

The Nickelodeon fantasy show still stands tall 18 years after its release because of the humanity it affords to its characters

It has been 18 years since Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the greatest cartoons ever, first graced our TV screens. 

Fantasy cartoons with super-powered action, like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Steven Universe, and The Owl House, are common nowadays, but Avatar still stands out. And the reason is the way the show builds and handles its characters. It is what makes it so relatable to a wide audience and why it is considered a modern classic. 

Avatar treats its cast with nuance and grace, giving them backstories and challenges that must be overcome. It makes them human. 

And, undoubtedly, the most human character on the show is Zuko.

The brooding prince of the Fire Nation is disowned by his father for showing mercy. He must wander the world with his uncle to seek the Avatar – the only power capable of taming the imperialistic Fire Nation – and kill him. Unsurprisingly, Zuko is a fan favourite. He's cut from the same character cloth as many other beloved antagonists, like Vegeta from Dragon Ball.

Zuko might come from a privileged background, but his character's flawed nature makes him so relatable. While most of the main cast is pleasant and happy-go-lucky, Zuko stews in his misery. He is furious and vengeful, unable to confront his family circumstances without funnelling his pain into anger. It's something many of us will find all too familiar. 

Zuko's volcanic nature parallels how many teenagers can lash out when they don't know how to talk about their pain. As a royal, Zuko is already separated from ordinary people, but his exile brands him as a pariah, even his family. He feels afraid, distraught, and livid but can't properly communicate that to the people he cares about. For those of us who have faced similar family trauma, or others in similar unhappy situations, we know how it can handicap our development, stunting our ability to be open with other people. 

Only once we accept the bad parts of life, learn to live with the things we cannot change, and stop blaming our circumstances can we truly be free.

Uncle Iroh, the one family member accompanying Zuko, tries to teach him that from the beginning. Though he starts as the show's villain, Zuko's interactions with Iroh show his more vulnerable side. Zuko tries to internalise his uncle's moral lesson as the story continues. But it isn't easy. He has to endure many ups and downs. He opens up, only to give in to his demons and revert to his old self. Only once he hits rock bottom does he realise the value of family and building proper relationships, and becomes ready to right his wrongs. 

We all know that accepting and letting go are essential to overcoming our past problems. But knowing something and doing something are two different things. It takes people years or even decades to manage it. These issues can follow us all the way from childhood to well into our adult lives. Throughout the show's 61 episodes, Zuko's arc neatly summarises this journey and its complex, challenging nature.

Zuko is the epitome of what Avatar did so well – present compelling, human characters with clear goals, motivations, and struggles, who grow and develop. And it makes Avatar one of the best animated TV shows ever made. 

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.