Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang


 * This article is about an episode; for the comet, see Sozin's Comet. For the character mentioned in the title, see Aang. For the character in the games, see here.

Writers: Aaron Ehasz, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

Director: Joaquim dos Santos

Guest Stars: Mark Hamill (Ozai), Grey DeLisle (Azula), Jennie Kwan (Suki), Kevin Michael Richardson (Lion Turtle), Keone Young (High Sage), Cricket Leigh (Mai), Olivia Hack (Ty Lee), Greg Baldwin (Iroh), André Sogliuzzo (Bumi, Hakoda)

Overview
''Ozai accidentally causes Aang to enter the Avatar State. The Order of the White Lotus successfully liberates Ba Sing Se, while Sokka and Toph disable all of the Airships. Katara defeats Azula and heals Zuko's injuries. Aang easily overwhelms Ozai, yet still refuses to kill him. Aang uses an old type of bending, called Energy Bending, to strip Ozai of his Firebending powers, keeping true to his beliefs and defeating the Fire Lord without taking his life. Newly appointed Fire Lord Zuko declares the war over, and Aang and his friends celebrate together.''

Synopsis
Ozai continuously blasts away at Aang's earth shield and taunts him.

On an air ship within the fleet, Toph Metalbends the rudder to make the ship spiral into the others. A Fire Nation soldier on the ship spots them and tries to blast them off. They evade his attack only to fall off. Sokka tries to break the fall using his sword, but instead lands on a platform which breaks his leg. Toph is left dangling off the edge, holding Sokka's hand. Two Firebenders approach to attack them on either side, so he uses his boomerang and sword to ward them off, losing them both. Even so, more Firebenders come, and Sokka and Toph are seemingly doomed. They are only saved by another incoming air ship crashing into the one they are on. They land on it and discover Suki was driving it.



Ozai's fire overwhelms Aang's stone sphere with a charged fire bomb, and causes Aang to nearly lose consciousness from the heat. Ozai charges up an attack and destroys the sphere, causing Aang to hit the scar on his back against a jagged rock. Ozai approaches Aang to finish him off, but Aang's glowing hand reaches out and grabs him by the beard. Aang emerges from the rubble in the Avatar State and easily shrugs off Ozai's counter attack, blasting him against a rock with a powerful gust of air. Ozai watches as Aang ascends into the sky and calls forth the elements, air, fire, earth, and finally water, which revolve in rings around Aang.

In Ba Sing Se, the Order of the White Lotus is successfully liberating the city. Bumi takes down several Fire Nation tanks and Iroh burns down the Fire Nation flag on the Earth Kingdom palace.

Aang, possessed by the Avatar State, charges at Ozai and knocks him into the sky, but Ozai recovers before Aang can get to him again. Ozai flees by using Firebending to propel himself at great speeds as Aang chases after him. Aang Earthbends small fragments of rock to shoot at him like bullets, though Ozai barely manages to evade them all and continues fleeing.



Back at the Fire Nation capital, Azula relentlessly shoots fire and lightning at Katara and drives her away from any water. She taunts Zuko, who is collapsed on the ground. Though Katara finds water to bend, Azula is too quick for her to attack and is forced to flee from her immense flames. Eventually she discovers chains and water underneath a grate in the plaza, and lures Azula above the grate. She traps herself and Azula inside a large splash of frozen water barely a second before Azula was going to hit her with another attack. Katara unfreezes the water around herself, swims around and binds Azula's hands together to the grate with the chains. She releases the water and runs to Zuko to heal him. He weakly thanks Katara, and she says she should be thanking him for protecting her. Azula sees her brother rise unharmed, and finally goes completely insane, Firebending with her breath wildly before rolling around on the ground, screaming and crying uncontrollably. Zuko and Katara silently look upon what has become of the once-mighty Azula with pity and horror.

Aang, still controlled by the Avatar State, continues to pursue the Phoenix King and tries to crush him between two stone pillars with Earthbending, but Ozai manages to stop himself in time. Ozai tries to counterattack, but his attempts continuously fail against the unbelievable power of all the past Avatars. Aang catches him with Waterbending and subdues him with by Earthbending shackles onto his arms and legs. Aang then states with the voices of all the previous Avatars that Ozai and his forefathers have devastated the balance of the world, and he must now pay the ultimate price: death. The possessed Aang proceeds to deliver the final blow, a combination of all four elements into one attack, but at the last instant Aang regains control over himself and leaves the Avatar State.

Aang releases Ozai from his bonds, saying that he's not going to let the fight end that way. Ozai mocks Aang once more, that despite being the most powerful being in the world, he is still weak. As Aang's back is turned he tries to strike him with Firebending, but Aang senses his movement, via Toph's signature Earthbending technique, and quickly disables him with earthen shackles. Aang remembers what the Lion Turtle taught him, and uses the technique to bend Ozai's inner energies, risking being totally destroyed himself. Indeed, Aang's blue energy is nearly consumed by Ozai's orange energy, but he manages to overcome it. A pillar of blue light shoots into the sky, similar to the light when Aang was freed from the iceberg.



Exhausted from the ordeal, Ozai pathetically tries to attack Aang again, but finds he can't Firebend at all. Aang explains he removed Ozai's Firebending powers so he can't hurt anyone anymore. Demonstrating his new found control over the Avatar State, Aang Waterbends the tide to rise and douse the burning land. Momo flies back to Aang and lands on his shoulder.

Sokka,Toph and Suki meet up with Aang as Sozin's Comet departs Earth. They congratulate Aang and wonder if Ozai, collapsed on the ground, is dead. Ozai snarls he's still alive, and Aang tells them he took away his Firebending. Sokka seizes the opportunity to taunt Ozai and calls him "The Loser Lord." Ozai weakly tries to defend his title as the Phoenix King but passes out again from exhaustion, causing Toph to insult his title by calling him the "Phoenix King of Getting His Butt Whooped." The sky fades from red back into night.

The next day at the Fire Nation palace, Zuko is trying to dress himself for his coronation as Fire Lord, but is having trouble due to his injuries. To his surprise Mai arrives and helps him, and he is glad to see she was released from prison. She and Zuko kiss, but afterward Mai starkly warns him not to break up with her ever again.



Everyone is soon reunited in the Fire Nation capital city. Friends who were imprisoned have been set free. Katara and Sokka find their father Hakoda, who tells them he is the proudest father in the world, and that their mother would be proud of them too. Sokka is distressed to see Ty Lee dressed in uniform among the Kyoshi Warriors. Paranoid, he assumes she's disguising herself again until Suki tells him Ty Lee officially joined. Ty Lee happily explains she bonded with the warriors in prison and after a few chi blocking lessons, she was allowed to join and be "Best Friends Forever".

Zuko approaches Aang before his coronation, and the two of them reminisce about how different their lives were a year ago; Zuko obsessed with capturing the Avatar and Aang frozen in a block of ice, now they are friends. Aang can't believe how different the world is, and Zuko comforts him saying the world will become even more different once they rebuild it together. They hug, and the coronation begins in the plaza. Zuko addresses the crowd that the war is now over and gives Aang the credit for saving the world as everyone cheers. Zuko is crowned Fire Lord and declares the start to a new era of love and peace.

Zuko later pays his imprisoned father a visit. Ozai, ragged and defeated, sarcastically remarks the new Fire Lord has graced him with his presence. Zuko remarks that he should be glad that Aang let him live. Zuko tells Ozai that banishment was the best thing that ever happened to him, as it put him on the right path. He hopes perhaps prison will give Ozai the same chance for redemption. Ozai sees through Zuko's purpose and asks why he's really visiting him. Zuko gravely demands Ozai tell him where his mother Ursa is.



A few weeks later in Ba Sing Se, life has improved in the world. The stack of Fire Nation tanks Bumi destroyed is being used by children for Earthbending games. At the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko helps serve tea to the gang (including Mai and Iroh) as they all relax together. Sokka is painting a group portrait to remember the good times, but it is crudely drawn. Katara complains that her oversize Hair Loopies make her look like Momo, Zuko complains his hair isn't that spiky, Mai looks like a man, Suki is shown Firebending and Iroh has a big stomach. Iroh tells them he's really trimmed down his weight and Toph tells them she thinks they all look perfect, a joke on her blindness which causes everyone to laugh.

Aang smiles and steps outside the tea shop to pet Appa. Katara follows him out, they both embrace in a hug, then kiss. The words "The End" are etched into the sky.

Series Continuity

 * The pillar that Aang stands on whilst waiting for Ozai is similiar to the pillar Roku is seen standing on in the opening sequence where he is bending the four elements.
 * The Earth Kingdom clothes Zuko and Iroh wear at the end are the same clothes they wore in "The Crossroads of Destiny".
 * The line of Avatars that appear in Aang's head when the final Chakra is opened, is the same line that disappeared (in the reverse order) when Roku warned Aang that should he be killed in the Avatar State, the Avatar Cycle would be broken in the episode "The Avatar State".
 * The column of blue light released into the sky before Aang removed Ozai's bending mirrors the one Zuko saw when Aang emerged from the iceberg.
 * During the final scenes of the episode, Aang is seen wearing Monk robes, similar to Gyatso's. Aang's old outfit which he wore in Book 1 and Book 2, which he later integrated into his Book 3 outfit, was completely destroyed during the battle with Ozai.
 * Both this and the first episode of the series have titles that refer to Aang, pointing to his evolution through the series.
 * In the episode "Bitter Work", when Iroh was attempting to teach Zuko how to generate lightning, it was discovered that it was impossible for him because as, according to Iroh, he first needed to establish peace of mind. In order to do so, he first needed to resolve the emotional turmoil within himself. In this episode however, when Azula was clearly going through even greater emotional turmoil than Zuko (to the brink of clear insanity), she was still able to generate lightning.
 * Aang becomes a fully realized Avatar with his control over the Avatar State.
 * Aang practices a new bending ability, Energybending.
 * This is the third time an Avatar has been in the Avatar state twice in one episode. The first time was in "The Storm " when Aang goes into the state momentarily while talking about his past, and the second when he is rescuing everybody during the storm. The second time was in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord" when Avatar Roku went into the Avatar State to destroy the Royal Palace, and entered the state once more when fighting the lava erupting from the volcano.


 * This is the only episode Aang enters the Avatar State for the entirety of the third season.


 * This is the only episode with a different ending soundtrack.
 * When Aang fought Ozai in the Avatar State, he created five enormous fire whips - a feat even Ozai could not perform. This links back to the episode "Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku" where the Fire Temple sanctuary door could only be opened single-handedly by the five simultaneous fire blasts of a fully-realized Avatar.
 * During Aang's Energybending feat on Ozai, the blue light that is shown looks very similar to the light that emerged when Aang was freed by Katara in "The Boy in The Iceberg".
 * Avatar Extras claimed that the scene where Zuko interrogates Ozai would be a teaser for a Book 4. Of course, there was never going to be a fourth season. Although, the newly-announced comics by Dark Horse will probably answer the question about Ursa's whereabouts.

Trivia



 * Last character appearances of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Appa, Momo, Zuko, Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee, Azula, Ozai, Chief Hakoda, King Bumi, Suki, Pipsqueak, The Boulder, The Hippo, The Duke, Teo, and the Kyoshi Warriors.
 * During San Diego Comic Con 2008, it was revealed that a sequence where Zuko found his mother, Ursa, was sketched and made into a storyboard, but didn't make it to production due to a request by Michael Dante DiMartino.
 * This episode is dedicated to Dante DiMartino, father of Michael Dante DiMartino.
 * The series' music editor and composer Jeremy Zuckerman, as well as the entire sound editing team were nominated a Golden Reel award for "Best Sound Editing in a Television Animation" for their work in this episode.
 * The scar Zuko received from Azula is on his chest, the other on his face. These two scars mirror the two that Aang has on his back and foot.
 * The scar on Aang's foot is reminiscent of the mystic fourteen-pointed star that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), bore on the sole of his foot.
 * In Sokka's painting, Toph has the same face as in her wanted poster in "The Runaway".
 * When Aang raises the tide to put out the forest fire caused by Ozai, he uses an Avatar State-enhanced version of the first Waterbending move he learned, taught to him by Katara in "The Waterbending Scroll".
 * When Aang is in his sphere of all four elements, the elements are in order from closest to farthest from Aang in the way that Aristotle said the element place themselves in nature (Earth, Water, Air, Fire).
 * Right before Aang and Katara kiss, similar music from when they kissed in The Cave of Two Lovers can be heard.
 * In the "Avatar Extras", one comment states that, "There's bending moves we've never seen before." Some examples of these moves are remote Waterbending, compressed rock bullets, long-range multiple fire whips, and very strong wind (that eroded a large rock pillar in seconds).
 * Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko's formal admission of their friendship, considering their past as enemies, reflects the relationship of Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku who started as friends and over time became enemies.
 * This is the only time we see Aang use Firebending while in the Avatar State, and due to Sozin's Comet, this is his most powerful display of Firebending in the series.

Goofs

 * When Aang makes his Earth shield, he is in front of a grove of trees. Ozai is in front of the shield, with his back towards the river and rock columns. In the next few frames, the trees change into rock columns, but Aang and Ozai never cross the river to get there.
 * When Sokka is holding Toph by the hand, their hands begin to slip and they are then holding on by the fingers. In the next shot, they are holding each other's wrists.
 * In the line of Avatars that appear, and faces that flash by, Air Nomad Avatars can be seen in the Avatar State, yet their tattoos are not glowing.
 * When Katara is turning Zuko on his back to heal him, his arms are outstretched. In the next frame, his arms are by his sides.
 * When Sokka and Katara find their father in the crowd, Haru changes places suddenly to appear in two shots.
 * During Zuko's coronation as Fire Lord, Toph is seen seated on The Hippo's shoulders. When the shot switches to a view of the entire crowd, she can be seen on the ground beside Katara.
 * When Zuko and Aang are looking over the crowd after Zuko says "The real hero is the avatar" You can hear the crowd cheering and clapping but when the shot is of Zuko and Aang no-one is clapping.
 * When Zuko sees Ozai in his cell, his eyes appear brown. This could, however, be due to lighting.
 * When Sokka makes his drawing of everyone at the end of the episode, Momo is not in the drawing.
 * When Aang opens his eyes when he and Katara are hugging at the end of the episode, the fabric around him is orange, this is incorrect because Katara had her arms around his neck, so the color should be green.
 * When Aang is about to take Ozai's life, he suddenly stops because he can't do it, but as he stops his hand tattoos stop glowing but his head tattoo is still glowing.
 * In the Finnish dub when Suki asks why Sokka painted her Firebending it's actually Toph's Finnish voice actor who asks the question. The dubbing error is even more apparent considering that Toph is blind and thus could not have seen Sokka's painting.