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| By Cangse Sanren | Part of the Phoenix Rising, Dying Embers continuity. |
| "I'm NOT heartless! From where I'm sitting, you're the one who keeps snapping at me without provocation." |
| — Zuko snapping at Katara |
Empress Zuko Azulon Pathuk (née Caldera) is a submissive firebending master born as a prince in the Fire Nation Royal Family. He was the elder child of Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa and the older brother of Azula. Following his mother's remarriage to Bato, Zuko had two younger half-sisters: Maya and Melody. Following the end of the Hundred-Year-War, Zuko married Sokka and they had two daughters: Saoirse and Kiara. By extension he is the brother-in-law of Katara, the son-in-law of Hakoda and Kya, and the grandson of Azulon, Ilah, Aidan, and Serafina as well as the great-grandson of Sozin, Lisanna, Roku, and Melody.
He was widely acknowledged as being an extremely attractive young man, being said to closely resemble his mother, Avatar Ozai, and along with Toph, Katara, Aang, Suki, and Sokka, he helped play a key role in taking down his sire, Fire Lord Ursa.
History[]
Early life[]
Zuko blushing a little
Born in 83 AG, Zuko was the firstborn child of Fire Lord Ursa and Prince Ozai, born on the Winter Solstice at midnight during a lunar eclipse. From an early age, he was shunned, burned, humiliated, and disdained by his father, with the only familial support coming from his mother, sister, grandfather, and cousin, who loved him just the way he was. Ursa interacted little with her son and was emotionally, physically, and verbally abusive towards her husband and children, lowering their confidence. For many years, Zuko had a kind and gentle personality and grew up thinking that the idea of fighting a war just to prove one's glory is worthless if there was nobody to show it to.
Azulon's Death[]
When Zuko was eleven years old, his cousin and older brother figure, Lu Ten, was killed in battle. General Iroh, devastated by the loss of his only child, abandoned his 600-day siege of the Earth Kingdom capital city, Ba Sing Se. During an audience with Fire Lord Azulon, Ursa showed off Azula's prodigious firebending skill and knowledge of military strategy, both exceeding Zuko's. Azulon, however, was unimpressed by these exercises, and he demanded Ozai and his children leave and that Ursa be frank about her reasons for wanting the audience. Azula and Zuko eavesdropped on their conversation as Ursa voiced her desire to be made heir in Iroh's place, justifying this course of action by pointing out that Iroh's overwhelming grief and subsequent erratic behavior made the date of his return from war uncertain, and that he now had no remaining heirs to carry on his line. Azulon, however, was outraged and declared angrily that Iroh had suffered enough, but Ursa's suffering had just begun.
Frightened, Zuko ran away while Azula stayed to watch, knowing that some of the information she overhears could be useful. Later, he was in his room trying to sleep when Azula came in with tearful eyes and a pale face, telling him that Azulon's punishment for Ursa is that Ursa must kill Zuko, as he wanted her to know what it felt like to lose a first-born child. Ozai, hearing the commotion, came in and told his children not to worry and that he would handle this, and left to hunt down his wife. Zuko, left behind with Azula, quietly started sobbing while his sister comforted him. Later, he was awakened again, but this time by his mother. He told his sleepy son to remember that everything that's happening is for him and his sister. Placing a calm hand on Zuko's left cheek, Ozai whispered that he loved him and his sister more than Agni herself. The next morning, Zuko awoke and remembered what transpired the night before and ran frantically through the halls, searching for his mother. He found Azula, who tonelessly told him that Azulon died the previous night and their mother was in her room. Eventually, he found Ursa in the gardens of the palace and demanded to know what happened the previous night. Ursa did not answer and turned away from her son coldly. At Azulon's funeral, the Fire Sage conducting the ceremony named Ursa the new Fire Lord upon Azulon's apparent dying request.
Banishment[]
The following night, Ursa personally requested an audience with her husband and children. There was no anger in her voice, but a calm undertone that sent chills down the trio's spines. Once they were there, Ursa revealed that their usefulness had expired and their presence was no longer required. Ozai had a feeling that she would pull something like this, so he whispered to the kids to not make any sudden movements. His mother then spoke up and spoke, no emotions in his voice, telling Ursa that he understood their punishment and they would be gone before sunrise.
To make sure that her now ex-husband couldn't fight back, Ursa stabbed him three times with a poisoned dagger; the poison not being fatal, but extremely painful. Using his remaining strength, Ozai looked at his only son and daughter and told them to follow him quickly.
Zuko, along with Azula, quickly grabbed their bags and cloaks before hurrying to the docks. Using his firebending, he managed to help create a fog cover so they could escape further south undetected. Upon arriving at the frigid land, Zuko and Azula took to the ice and snow like a turtle-seal to water; thriving and prospering in the icy temperatures. Ozai, Zuko, and Azula met Hakoda and his family, eventually settling into the village as though they were always apart of it.
Bato, Hakoda's best friend, took an interest in Ozai and after a while, the two eventually married after three years of dating, with Bato becoming Zuko's stepfather and Ozai becoming pregnant with his and Azula's new baby sibling three years later. On his 11th birthday, Bato gifted him with an ancient seashell horn that was given to him by his father when he was a boy. After his first three years in the South Pole, Zuko cut his hair a few inches above his shoulders to signify his defection from the Fire Nation. This only served to enhance his attractiveness, as proven by how most of the girls in the tribe fawned over him or gushed when he wasn't around.
Book 1[]
The Boy in the Iceberg:[]
Six years had passed since Ozai, Azula, and Zuko arrived, and three years have passed since Bato and Ozai married. And Zuko, now 16 years old, was helping his mother, currently pregnant with his third child, and younger sister with their chores around the village, eager to be a big brother again. However, when he went out to help Sokka and Katara with fishing, they came across a massive iceberg with a young boy frozen inside. Working with Sokka and Katara, the trio used their bending to crack open the ice and free the boy. Upon noticing the tattoos, Zuko immediately knew that he was an airbender and could help teach his mother to airbend, since Ozai already mastered firebending.
Book 2[]
Book 3[]
Relationships[]
Ozai[]
Zuko and his mother have a very close relationship, and he loves him dearly
Out of all his family members, besides Azula, Maya, and Bato, Zuko loves Ozai the most, and the love is returned just as fiercely. Both of them are extremely protective of each other, and would do anything just to protect their loved ones.
Sokka[]
Sokka, his lover and best friend.
Zuko loves Sokka very much and would do anything for him. Now that they are together, he can expect some grand adventures with his betrothed and family.
See more
For the collective works of the author, go here.
| v - e - d
List of Avatar: Phoenix Rising Characters |
|---|
| Main Characters |
| Ozai Northuldra - Zuko Caldera - Azula Pathuk - Katara Pathuk - Sokka Pathuk - Aang Soren - Toph Beifong - Yue Elizabeth - Marissa Aquarius - Ursa Caldera |
| Main Secondary Characters |
| Kya Pathuk - Hakoda Pathuk - Iroh Caldera - Bato Northuldra - Kalika Evergreen - Kuruk - Aisling Soren - Roku Hira'a - Kanna Pathuk - Maya Northuldra - Zhao - Suki Korra |
| Minor Characters |
| Melody Hira'a - Arnook - Coral Elena - Pakku - Sozin Caldera - Lisanna Caldera - Azulon Caldera - Ilah Caldera - Aurelia Panuk - Jeong Jeong - Piandao| |