1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000
Imagine yourself on a journey. After years of hardship, you finally make it to the end of your journey.
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,000
Only to find nothing but confusion and regret.
3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Now this is something that today's character went through personally.
4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:18,000
He committed his life to what he thought was his purpose, only to find out it was all for nothing.
5
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:31,000
And that character is the crown prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko.
6
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,000
Hey what's going on guys, my name is Nate and you're listening to the Otaku Liberation.
7
00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:41,000
A show where we help you break the chains that are holding you back in your life by connecting some biblical principles with themes from your favorite anime.
8
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000
And without further ado, let's get right on into it.
9
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:50,000
And the verse I'm going to cover for today's episode is Proverbs chapter 19 verse 21.
10
00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:57,000
And it says, many plans are in a person's heart, but the law of secre will prevail.
11
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:05,000
Essentially saying that we may have our own plans for our future and our destiny, but ultimately, God's going to have the final say.
12
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:18,000
And this kind of, and I guess the way this correlates with Zuko is he had this own idea of what his destiny and what his purpose in life was.
13
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:26,000
He thought the entire time it was just to hunt down the Avatar for his father just so he can regain his honor.
14
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:32,000
But by the end of the series, that's not the case at all.
15
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:46,000
And just seeing his journey, his transformation from episode one all the way up to the final episode is something to admire.
16
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:58,000
It was my opinion. I love these type of characters who start off as the villain or the antagonist and through actual plot development,
17
00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:13,000
not just, you know, Naruto talking to Jutsu and all of a sudden I'm good now, but actual you see the progression from them being completely evil to, you know, not really good, but not bad either to, okay, they're one of the good guys, right?
18
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:20,000
And the classic example, of course, is Vegeta from Dragon Ball, but Zuko fits this mold pretty well, too.
19
00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:29,000
And for me, those are my favorite type of characters because it humanizes them and it shows the struggles that we all can kind of go through.
20
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:39,000
Now, Zuko's personal role can be kind of be broken down into three type of points, the first of which was his search for identity and purpose.
21
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:45,000
So, like I said, in the beginning of the series, Zuko's whole purpose was to capture the Avatar just to regain his honor.
22
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:52,000
And this mindset was a result of his scarring and banishment at the hand of his father.
23
00:02:52,000 --> 00:03:04,000
So for those of you who don't know about Avatar, Zuko spoke out of turn in his father's war meeting and the result of that was that they had to fight, they had to fight each other.
24
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:10,000
And Zuko misunderstood that at the beginning, thinking he was going to fight the general that he spoke out against.
25
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:21,000
But when he turned around to face his opponent, he saw that it was his father Zuko immediately just pled for his forgiveness because he didn't want to fight his dad.
26
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:28,000
But his father, being the cold hearted person that he is, decided to teach him a permanent lesson on his face.
27
00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:37,000
And he scarred him in front of everybody and banished him for speaking out of line and not owning up to his actions.
28
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,000
So that's kind of where this whole journey begins.
29
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,000
He and Zuko are only like 16 or something like this at this point in time.
30
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,000
And it's crazy.
31
00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:58,000
But during his search, Zuko was very angry with himself and the world around him and he was driven solely by his desire to restore his honor.
32
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:09,000
I mean, he, have you ever heard of RBF? It was Zuko. And if you don't know what that means, then good for you. Good.
33
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:19,000
But Zuko, he believes that in order to be strong and successful, one must fight and struggle every step of the way.
34
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:25,000
I mean, there's no such thing as having a good day or having or having a break.
35
00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,000
He believed that in order to be successful, you had to struggle.
36
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,000
And this is a twisted way of thinking.
37
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:44,000
But only on one hand, we all know that in order to be successful, in order to achieve the things you want to achieve, there is going to be some struggle that comes with it.
38
00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:50,000
But it's not every step. It's not everything that you do. It has to be hard and difficult.
39
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,000
And Zuko did not really, really understand that.
40
00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:01,000
And that way of thinking played him throughout the entire series. He was always twisted and tormented.
41
00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:07,000
And really, he was creating his own struggles nine times out of ten.
42
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:12,000
And this was mostly because he was searching for something that no one else could give him. Right.
43
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:18,000
No one else could give you your honor. And that was the misconception that he had.
44
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:25,000
And that misconception eventually caused him to have sort of an identity crisis.
45
00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:33,000
So fast forward to when they're in Ba Sing Se, right. They're essentially refugees because they are wanted by the Fire Nation.
46
00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:45,000
Zuko had the choice to either free Appa, which is Aang's flying bison, or to capture it and use it as leverage to capture Aang himself.
47
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:55,000
But instead, Zuko chose to free him. So when he freed Appa, Zuko came down with a fever, one that his uncle explained as a metamorphosis of sorts.
48
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000
Basically, Zuko's actions conflicted with how he really felt.
49
00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:11,000
And he needed to make a choice whether he was going to fully embrace the, I guess, the new man that he was becoming or continue down this pretty much dark path that he was already on.
50
00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:17,000
And until he rectified that within himself, he was always going to be tormented.
51
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:24,000
And this kind of reflects how a lot of us can be in today's time, in all honesty.
52
00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:31,000
I think we all have this ideal that we're striving for that may go against who we really are.
53
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:38,000
Maybe we're doing it to conform to other people's notions, other people's thoughts and dreams for us,
54
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:45,000
whether that be your parents, your mentors, your peers, or just the society as a whole.
55
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:50,000
And there could be no ill will, no malice behind it.
56
00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,000
But ultimately, those are their dreams and purposes, but not your own.
57
00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,000
So I think it comes to a point where all of us have to really sit down and think about it.
58
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:11,000
OK, am I doing these things because I want to because it's what I want to do is I feel like it's my purpose or am I doing it just because everyone else is telling me to?
59
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:19,000
And I mean, it's the answer won't come as easily as you want it to, or at least it didn't for me.
60
00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:29,000
But it's something that we should all be kind of aware of because we don't know who we are or more accurately, we don't know who God called us to be.
61
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:34,000
And we can spend our entire lives searching for something that's already inside of us, just like Zuko.
62
00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,000
So it's important to look inward and not outward.
63
00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:47,000
And again, that starts with asking God, OK, what am I here for? Who do you who am I supposed to be? Who do I need to be?
64
00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:55,000
I mean, he'll answer, maybe not as clearly as we would like it to be sometimes, but he always will.
65
00:07:55,000 --> 00:08:07,000
And you'll you'll feel it. You'll you'll know. So so the next part of Zuko's whole journey is his exile and self discovery.
66
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,000
So the funny is just funny.
67
00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:15,000
Just think about this. Zuko's whole journey was spent trying to find himself and find his honor and things like that.
68
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:21,000
But it was actually after his exile that he began to really find himself.
69
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:36,000
And he found that he so so in bossing, say, Zuko made the choice to essentially betray his uncle, Aang and their group and everybody by aligning himself with his sister Azula
70
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:43,000
and trying to capture Aang or kill him, which ultimately was what happens.
71
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:54,000
So in doing that, he essentially attained everything that he set out for. He was able to regain his honor and his father's love, in a sense.
72
00:08:54,000 --> 00:09:01,000
And he should be he should be happier. He should be the happiest he's ever been.
73
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,000
But he wasn't. He wasn't fulfilled.
74
00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:09,000
He began to have doubts in his own actions, which were again betraying Iroh and Aang at bossing, say.
75
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:17,000
And he wondered if this is really what he wanted. Did he really want to be back in his father's house and presence?
76
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,000
Or or is there something more to life than just that?
77
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:28,000
And the way I think about it is it's not so much what he wanted is how he got it.
78
00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:33,000
Right. Because, again, he spent his whole time searching for for something that no one else could give him.
79
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,000
Something that was already inside of him, which was his honor and really how he viewed himself.
80
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:50,000
He thought that by capturing Aang or maybe even killing him, that he would win his father's approval and affection.
81
00:09:50,000 --> 00:10:00,000
But when it comes to stuff like that, honestly, especially when it comes to your parents, if they truly love you, you know, it's not something you earn.
82
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,000
It's something that's freely given, again, just like how God does for us.
83
00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:10,000
And that that's it. That's that's the whole relationship.
84
00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,000
They love you unconditionally because you are their children.
85
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:21,000
Now, it doesn't mean that, you know, they can condone everything that you do and, you know, they won't you won't butt heads from time to time.
86
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:26,000
But as a parent, you're supposed to love your kids regardless.
87
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,000
Right. And as a child, you're supposed to honor and love your parents regardless.
88
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:36,000
And then again, you know, everyone's situations may be different and things like that.
89
00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:42,000
But if it's not your blood parents and whoever you view as your parent, right, it's the same thing.
90
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:49,000
And for Zuko's twisted relationship with his father, it tore him up his entire life.
91
00:10:49,000 --> 00:11:00,000
And I love it how it was him essentially being by himself that he really began to look into these things.
92
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:07,000
Because, again, for the majority of his exile, he had Iroh with him by his side to counsel him and give him advice and things like that.
93
00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:11,000
Essentially being more of a father to Zuko than his own father was.
94
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,000
But it wasn't until Zuko was completely alone, you know, after he betrayed Iroh and Iroh was thrown in prison.
95
00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:23,000
And he realized that his sister was still the cunning snake that she always was, that he was by himself.
96
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:29,000
So now he really had to think about his actions and what he wanted to get out of life.
97
00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:40,000
And it's just it's funny to think about it, because oftentimes God will allow us to go our own way and try to live life according to our plans,
98
00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:45,000
just to ultimately just prove that his way is better.
99
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:51,000
Right. I mean, this always ends with us wondering where we went wrong or how did we end up here?
100
00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:59,000
And like like Zuko, we just need to take a step back and evaluate our actions and decisions and figure out what our real purpose is,
101
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:04,000
figure out what do we really want to get out of life.
102
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:14,000
Because, again, this whole this whole season has been about understanding your purpose and finding a purpose and how to live up to your purpose.
103
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:25,000
But Zuko's episode in particular and his whole character is essentially what happens when you strive for a purpose that was never your own to begin with.
104
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:37,000
And it just shows how how far how far off we can we can really get and and how easily it is to get distracted and thrown off your proper course.
105
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:50,000
But thankfully, Zuko realized that no one can give him his honor back but himself and ultimately that his true calling was actually to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the world.
106
00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:58,000
So just think about that as a whole 180. He he went from essentially serving the Fire Lord to capture the Avatar.
107
00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:09,000
To helping the Avatar defeat the Fire Lord, which is crazy. And even and even beyond that, him and Aang became lifelong best friends after that.
108
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:20,000
After the war and with them joining, joining together to bring peace into the into the world after the Hundred Years War, they grew a genuine friendship.
109
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:40,000
They were they were they were best friends. And I think that's that's awesome. Right. When you when we fully embrace our purpose and what we were meant to what we were meant to be, who we were meant to be, excuse me, and what we were meant to do, then countless lives can be changed.
110
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,000
Not just your own, but just so many people.
111
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:53,000
I'm just thinking just think for this example right now, Zuko never realized his purpose in helping Aang defeat his defeat his father, essentially.
112
00:13:53,000 --> 00:14:02,000
How many lives would have changed? Because Zuko was Aang's firebending teacher. Zuko went to go face Azula.
113
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:10,000
Right. I mean, he had help from Katara as well, but he went to take down Azula, who was another threat in this whole thing.
114
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:16,000
And essentially, if he if he wasn't there, we don't know how things would have gone.
115
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:25,000
Aang would have never learned firebending, even though he had never he didn't master about it at the end of the series, but he just he wouldn't have learned it, learned it at all.
116
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,000
And we know that could have been the deciding factor in the fight.
117
00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:34,000
Ultimately, luckily, luckily, we don't have to we don't have to find out.
118
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:40,000
Right. Because he did teach Aang and Aang did beat the Fire Lord and they brought peace.
119
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:47,000
So basically the whole thing, whole point of this episode is just that, you know, God's purpose for our lives is always bigger than just ourselves.
120
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:52,000
He calls us to transform the world in a way that only we can.
121
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:58,000
So I'm going to leave you with this question. What do you think God is calling you to do?
122
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:05,000
And don't just ask yourself, ask him. You know, don't don't talk to yourself because you might, you know, you might answer yourself.
123
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000
And that's going to be weird. Talk to him.
124
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:17,000
But hey, if you like what you heard today, you want to take a deeper look into today's episode, head on over to the otaku liberation.net where you'll find a blog article that covers today's episode.
125
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:23,000
And you'll also find a link to our YouTube channel where I cover I cover bonus topics outside of the podcast.
126
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:34,000
And join me next week for the season finale where I cover who is without a doubt the most liked character in Avatar and possibly one of the most like characters ever.
127
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:39,000
And that's everyone's uncle, Iroh. And I would remember, guys, you are the main character of your story.
128
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:56,000
And that story doesn't end until he says so. All right. Be blessed.
