| "It's amazing how far we'll go to hide our true selves from the world. Perhaps it's because we don't want people to know how much they really mean to us... But I suppose it can be scary to admit you need people... I guess that's why we feel the need to hide away and protect ourselves. So we put on a mask. It's not hard to understand why. What's hard is knowing that sometimes... the mask is who you really are." |
| — Iroh explaining the need to keep one's true self hidden for the sake of others. |
"Masks" is the sixth episode of Season One of Avatar: The Last Airbender and the sixth episode of the live-action series overall. It was released on February 22, 2024.
Overview[]
A desperate Aang visits Avatar Roku for help on his journey as the Fire Nation closes in on him. At their fortress, a masked intruder breaks Aang out.
Synopsis[]
In a flashback to 3 years ago, Prince Zuko is invited to his first war meeting where he challenges a general's plan to sacrifice a batch of new recruits, the 41st Division, in order to win a battle. Zuko's father, Fire Lord Ozai, decides Zuko will settle this through an Agni Kai. The next morning, Zuko learns he would have to fight his father instead. While he fights back, Ozai wins the duel and burns Zuko's left eye, leaving a scar as punishment for his actions at the war chamber. While he's healing, Zuko is visited by Ozai who tells him that what separates the Fire Nation from the rest is that they sacrifice the weak to win the war. Zuko counters by saying that would be refusing the weak the chance to become better. A furious Ozai exclaims that "compassion is a sign of weakness" and banishes Zuko from the Fire Nation, telling him he can only return when he has found and captured the Avatar. As he's leaving, Ozai tells him to take the 41st Division with him.
In the present, Aang travels to Crescent Island to talk with Avatar Roku with the hopes he can help save his friends from Koh the Face Stealer. At the temple, Aang discovers the Fire Sages, who are meant to serve the Avatar, have turned on him and now support the Fire Lord. One defector, Shyu, helps Aang enter Roku's shrine. Speaking with Roku, Aang learns Roku took a special statue from Koh that originally belonged to Koh's mother, the Mother of Faces, and Roku tells Aang to trade the statue for his friend's lives. Before leaving, Roku warns Aang to not rely on his friends too much. Exiting the shrine, Aang finds the Fire Sages paralyzed and is soon knocked out as well by the shirshu Nyla. Meanwhile, the recently promoted Admiral Zhao takes charge of Zuko's ship and his crew, and while Zuko tries to motivate the crew, Lieutenant Jee lashes out at Iroh for Zuko's behavior towards his crew.
When he comes to, Aang learns he's been captured by the bounty hunter June, who has been hired by Zuko and Iroh. Aang begs Zuko to let him go so he can save his friends, but Zuko refuses. Eventually, Zhao arrives and takes Aang off Zuko's hands and locks him up at Pohuai Stronghold. While he's boasting himself, a mysterious swordsman called "the Blue Spirit" rescues Aang and the two escape together. The Blue Spirit is knocked unconscious during the escape, and is revealed to be Zuko. Aang saves Zuko and the two hide in a barn where they bond until Aang mentions that Zuko seems compassionate. Remembering his father's words about compassion being a weakness, Zuko attacks Aang and in self-defense Aang knocks Zuko out with airbending.
Aang puts Zuko on his boat and asks him if they knew each other 100 years ago, if they could have been friends. Zuko violently rebuffs before Aang escapes and Zuko sails back to his boat. While waiting for Zuko to arrive, Iroh tells Jee about Zuko's story where Jee learns that through Zuko's sacrifice, the 41st Division, which includes himself, are still alive. Zuko returns to the boat where the rest of the crew welcome him back with honor. Aang rescues everyone captured by Koh by trading the statue for their lives, but when he goes back to meet Gyatso, he finds he is gone. As Zuko returns to his room to rest, Iroh discovers the Blue Spirit mask and looks back at his nephew asleep before putting it away.
Credits[]
- Directed by:
- Teleplay by:
- Emily Kim
- Hunter Ries
- Bryan Konietzko
- Story by:
- Ubah Mohamed
- Bryan Konietzko
- Michael Dante DiMartino
- Developed by:
- Based on the animated series by:
- Starring:
- Gordon Cormier - Aang
- Kiawentiio - Katara
- Ian Ousley - Sokka
- Dallas Liu - Prince Zuko
- Ken Leung - Commander Zhao
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee - Uncle Iroh
- Daniel Dae Kim - Fire Lord Ozai
- Guest starring:
- C. S. Lee - Avatar Roku
- François Chau - Great Sage
- Arden Cho - June
- Ruy Iskandar - Lieutenant Jee
- Elizabeth Yu - Princess Azula
- James Rha
- Matt Yang King:
- Appa (voice)
- Momo (voice)
- Co-starring:
- Ash Lee - Shufen
- Ciara Mandel - Lian
- Kevan Ohtsji - General Li
- Kimmy Choi - Yuyan Archer Captain
- Thomas Hum - Crew Member
- Victor Young - Pohuai Sentry
- Wenke Song - Pohuai Guard
- Ryan Lino - Aide De Camp
- Jacky Zeng - Cart Driver
- Yuanze Toth - Shi-Yong
- Cyril Redillas - Military Advisor
Production notes[]
Adaptation[]
- This episode is adapted from the following episodes of Book One: Water:
- This episode is adapted from the following episodes of Book Three: Fire:
Trivia[]
- The episode was released one day after the anniversary of the premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which first began airing on February 21, 2005.
References[]
- ↑ Avatar: The Last Airbender. DNEG. Retrieved on February 4, 2024.