Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno


 * This article is about an episode, for the comet, see Sozin's Comet

Writers: Aaron Ehasz, Michael Dante Dimartino, Bryan Konietzko

Director: Joaquim dos Santos

Guest Stars: Mark Hamill (Ozai), Grey DeLisle (Azula), Jennie Kwan (Suki), Takayo Fisher (Lo and Li), Greg Baldwin (Iroh), André Sogliuzzo (Bumi), Victor Brandt (Pakku), Jen Cohn (Ursa), Keone Young (High Sage)

Synopsis
As Sozin's Comet flies through the Earth's atmosphere, Zuko and Katara are on their way to the Fire Nation. Zuko is worried that Aang will lose against Ozai, but Katara assures Zuko that Aang is going to come back, though she too is worried.

At the Fire Nation Palace, Azula is being cared for by her servants and cleaned before her coronation as the new Fire Lord. However, when a servant offers her a cherry, she spits out a cherry pit and thinks that her servant is trying to assassinate her before the coronation. She banishes the servant and starts bossing her other servants around.

Sokka, Suki, and Toph make it to the air fleet, but are too late as the ships begin to depart for the Earth Kingdom. Toph’s Earthbends them onboard one ship.



Back at the palace, Dai Li agents arrive before Azula in the Fire Lord's room. She berates them for being five minutes late, which she thought was enough time for an assassination to take place. She therefore banishes the Dai Li agents for disloyalty.

On the infiltrated air ship, Toph knocks on the control room door and uses Metalbending to disable the soldiers and captain. Afterwards, Sokka has an idea to get rid of the rest of the ship's crew. He poses as the ship's captain on a loudspeaker and orders all crew members to go to the bomb bay to celebrate a crew member's birthday. Coincidentally it really is one crew member's birthday, who is overjoyed that the captain remembered, but Sokka releases the platform underneath the bomb bay and all of the ship's crew fall screaming into the ocean.

Lo and Li approach Azula wondering why she is banishing so many people. But when they tell her perhaps it would be best to post-pone the coronation, she gets even more paranoid and orders them to fight an Agni Kai. They lament that neither of them are Firebenders, so Azula banishes Lo, though she pointed at Li, confusing the twins as to who was really banished.



In Ba Sing Se, the Order of the White Lotus prepares for battle outside the city's walls. Iroh, feeling the power of comet, releases a powerful blast of fire that breaks down the wall. Soon the rest join in and invade the city and begin to take down the Fire Nation's soldiers, regardless of them being powered by the comet.

At the palace, Azula is looking in a mirror to try to do her hair by herself, but the result is very messy. Aggitated, she cuts the front part of her hair that refuses to do what she wants. As Azula looks into the mirror, she sees her mother Ursa reflected behind her, telling her she wouldn't miss her own daughter's coronation as Fire Lord. Ursa says Azula's use of fear to control people has left her confused, but Azula says she's had no other choice, and even her own mother fears her. Ursa denies this and says she really loves her. Enraged, Azula throws her comb into her mother's reflection and discovers Ursa was never really there at all, and she cries.



The ship Sokka and the others took control of can't catch up to Ozai's flagship, and are afraid they're too late. Ozai uses the comet's power to begin to scorch the Earth Kingdom below with an amazing display of Firebending. Momo and Aang watch Ozai's torrent of fire rain down upon the land, and Aang tells Momo it's time for him to go. Using Earthbending and Firebending, he destroys the flagship's engine and catches Ozai's attention. Ozai and Aang stare each other down, then unclothing his Phoenix King gear, Ozai propels himself towards Aang to fight. The flagship lands harmlessly on the rocks below. Sokka and the others wonder what happened, and see to their happiness that Aang has returned.



Ozai boasts that the Avatar has at last been offered up to him by the Universe as an act of providence. Aang says their fight isn't necessary, and that Ozai has the power to stop destroying the Earth Kingdom. Ozai declares he has all the power in the world and threateningly unleashes a fury of comet-enhanced Firebending, beginning the battle.

Watching the fight, Sokka, Suki, and Toph agree not to help Aang, but to stop the other ships from destroying the Earth Kingdom. Sokka crashes their air ship into the others, but fall short of crashing into all of them. Sokka and Toph are separated from Suki as their ship begins to break up, and they are forced to continue without her.

Back at the palace, Azula’s coronation begins, but is interrupted by the arrival of Zuko and Katara on Appa. Azula suggests they settle ownership of the crown in an Agni Kai. Katara warns Zuko Azula is trying to separate them, but Zuko already knows and senses there is something "off" about her, so he believes he can take her by himself. Zuko and Azula begin their fight with intense Firebending powered by the comet.

Aang and Ozai both seem evenly matched. Though Aang is able to counter Ozai's fierce Firebending, he is unable to land any successful hits himself, even with all four elements at his disposal. Eventually Ozai proves to be too powerful and too quick, and tired of seeing the Avatar evade all his attacks, resorts to a relentless barrage of lightning generation. Aang dodges his lightning attacks until he can dodge no more, and catches the last one to Ozai's surprise, preparing to redirect it right back at him. However, still not wanting to kill Ozai, Aang instead redirects it into the sky. Ozai takes advantage of the Avatar's mercy and sends a blast at Aang while he recovers. Though Aang manages to stop most of the attack with Earthbending, he is blasted off of the top of the rock and falls helplessly towards a shallow lake below. Using Waterbending, he barely manages to save himself from a fatal fall. Aang looks up and sees Ozai swiftly approaching, eager to resume the fight.



Zuko continues his duel with Azula as Katara watches from the sidelines. Both of their attacks are fierce and unrestrained, setting fire to the buildings surrounding them, but Zuko holds his ground. Azula loses her footing against one of Zuko's attacks and tumbles across the ground. Zuko taunts her for not using lightning because he knows she's afraid he'll redirect it back at her. Enraged, Azula prepares a lightning attack. Instead of sending it at Zuko however, she sees Katara on the sidelines and sends the lightning at her. Zuko shields her from the lightning and is gravely injured, but before Katara can reach him, Azula begins to attack her furiously, laughing maniacally.

Aang is overwhelmed and cornered by Ozai and Earthbends a shield around himself. Ozai taunts him for being weak and insults the Air Nomads, saying they did not deserve to live in his world. He tells Aang to prepare for death and attacks.

Series Continuity

 * This is the first episode in which Long Feng has been mentioned since "The Crossroads of Destiny".
 * This is the second time Sokka has mentioned Airbending Slice. The first time was in "Avatar Day".
 * This is the first time Ozai is seen Firebending flames.