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Aang’s search for an Earthbending teacher is completed by the second episode of the ongoing season of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” as a fan favorite character makes her long-awaited appearance in the series. Previously, Aang visited a captive Bumi in hopes of learning Earthbending from him, only to be refused with the suggestion of finding an Earthbender with mastery over Neutral Jing. Frustrated with how his life has shaped up while living as a fugitive, Zuko decides to leave Uncle Iroh’s side to locate Aang, in hopes of returning to his home after fulfilling his mission. On the other hand, Ozai entrusted Azula with the mission to bring Zuko back, while handing over the responsibility of orchestrating another siege on Ba Sing Se to General Tran.

Spoilers Ahead

Aang Finds His Master: Toph’s Arrival

En route to Ba Sing Se, while trying to fetch supplies from nearby Kudi village, Aang, Sokka, and Katara decide to venture to Earth Rumble, a secretive fighting tournament where they can win a major cash prize and feed the refugees accompanying them. As Aang ponders whether he should challenge arguably the strongest Earthbender fighter, Boulder, in a battle, a blind Earthbender girl, introduced as the Blind Bandit, steps into the arena and humiliates Boulder by defeating him with ease. Aang is convinced that Blind Bandit has mastery over the Neutral Jing Bumi was mentioning, as she waits and listens to the physical vibrations of her opponent through her connection with the ground. Aang rushes to meet her with the proposition that she teach him Earthbending, but Bandit disappears upon getting alarmed by a presence.

The presence in question is Ji Sheng, executive secretary to the influential Beifong family, who have a major grip over the trade of the Earth Kingdom. The Beifong family, who have been associates of the Avatars in every generation, want to meet Aang and his friends over lunch. As the trio arrives at Beifong’s residence, Aang realizes the Blind Bandit is none other than the only child of the Beifong couple, Toph, who keeps her identity as an underground fighter secret from her overbearing parents. As Aang desperately pleads with Toph to teach him Earthbending, she refuses, given her family, who consider her too frail and want her to handle the family business instead of taking part in such plebeian interests as bending. Toph describes how she harnessed the power to connect with the earth by syncing her powers with vibrational frequencies, learning from blind badgermoles who live in subterranean caves. Toph’s lack of sight has not taken away her ability to see her surroundings, as her enhanced tactile reception with earth allows her to get a pretty clear picture of anyone connected with the ground. Knowing her parents will never allow her to utilize her abilities, she took on the moniker of the Blind Bandit as a secret act of rebellion, and finds a sense of freedom by taking part in these underground fights. Aang relates to Toph’s predicament, as he mentions that, just like her, he has to live a predestined life which he didn’t choose for himself, and accepts her refusal. Toph is moved by the fact that Aang is the only person who has recognized her strength, and wonders what life would be like if she accepts his proposal of joining the team and teaching him Earthbending.

Zuko’s Moral Crisis

Away from Iroh, on all his own, Zuko moves through a barren land in the Earth Kingdom while going on a search for Aang. The pangs of hunger are getting to him when he comes across a tree where a bag of supplies is hanging. Parched and starved, Zuko decides to take the supplies, when he notices a pregnant woman and her husband are sound asleep underneath the tree – probably migrating to somewhere and having dozed off while taking rest. Zuko ponders for a moment and decides to take their supplies, and even though his decision could have been considered a survival necessity, the decision of stealing supplies from a pregnant woman feels particularly problematic. This is the exact opposite of what transpired in the animated series, where Zuko spotted the couple and, seeing the pregnant woman, decided not to rob them. Perhaps the live-action series is willing to go the extra mile for the sake of slow progression in Zuko’s redemption arc.

The incident left an impact on Zuko’s mind, and he started reminiscing about his troubled family dynamics. During their childhood, Azula showcased violent tendencies, while Zuko had a much kinder, more compassionate approach. Their mother, Ursa, used to protect Zuko and feel proud of his noble heart, whereas Ozai despised his son’s kindness as a form of weakness and supported Azula’s aggressive, competitive nature. In his lowest moments, Zuko used to find comfort in Ursa’s tale of the Blue Spirit, an honourable, valiant warrior who protected everyone. Zuko remembers that when Ursa confronted her husband about his mistreatment of Zuko, he had revealed the reason he married Ursa was because of her highborn lineage, as later in the series it will be revealed she is a descendant of Roku. Ozai wanted his heir to be competent in every aspect, and this revelation troubled Ursa, as back then, Iroh and his son, Lu Ten, were supposed to be the next fire lords. Probably there was a power struggle conspiracy involving Ozai and Iroh, which troubled Ursa so much that she wanted to take her children away from the Fire Nation, so they would never face a similar fate. However, Ursa was abducted by Fire Nation mercs while trying to flee, and that was the last time Azula and Zuko saw her.

At present, Zuko sees a bunch of hooligans, pretending to be Earthbenders, harassing a young boy, Peng, and robbing him of his supplies. Zuko manages to scare them off by calling out their ruse, saving Peng’s supplies in the process. After selling his supplies in the market, a grateful Peng takes Zuko to his house and introduces him to his elder sister/sole guardian, Fei. After losing their parents in the assault by the Fire Nation soldiers, Fei is raising Peng all by herself, and is a bit skeptical about strangers. Still, she agrees to provide food and shelter for Zuko, and out of gratitude, Zuko tries to help her in fixing their dilapidated house. Fei eventually warms up to Zuko and shares their sordid past by revealing their barbaric treatment at the hands of the Fire Nation soldiers, which understandably makes Zuko feel ashamed. At this point in time, he is perennially torn between trying to listen to his heart and be a better man, or to adhere to his responsibility as Ozai’s son and accept his identity as one of the heartless Fire Nation operatives. Zuko has kept his true identity hidden from his new friends, and it can be assumed what might happen if they learn that they have trusted the royal prince of the Fire Nation. At one point, Peng brings the news of Aang and his friends’ arrival in the town, which prompts Zuko to give up on the prospect of living a peaceful life once again, and get invested in his original duty.

Did Azula Catch Aang?

Meanwhile, Azula and her companions are able to track Aang’s route by torturing and killing innocent civilians, and at one point, Azula heads to Kudi village to hunt down Aang. Her friends, Mei and Ty Lee, confront Sokka, Katara, and Suki, whom they nearly manage to beat, but Appa’s timely intervention saves the heroes. The friends head towards the village to warn Aang, while Azula meets with Zuko and reveals Ozai’s command to leave his mission of capturing the Avatar and return to the Fire Nation. Zuko is too driven to give up on his quest, as he believes taking down Aang will help him restore his lost confidence – and a three-way fight begins between Zuko, Azula, and Aang, which causes massive destruction in the village.

At one point, Zuko freezes upon seeing Fei and Peng in the village market, and they denounce him. Sokka, Suki, and Katara arrive to assist Aang, and most surprisingly, Toph turns up as well, as she wants to square off with a Firebender to test her skills. Channeling her newfound electricity-bending, Azula keeps all her opponents on their toes, and had she not been a privileged, malicious brat, I would have praised her immense skills. Iroh, who has managed to track down his nephew, rescues Zuko and confronts Azula. Feigning surrender, Azula hits Iroh with her lightning strike, incapacitating him before disappearing from the scene. Aang and Katara offer help to Zuko, but livid with anger, Zuko drives them away. However, this isn’t the end of Zuko’s misery in this episode, as Peng, who admired him as his heroic savior two days ago, throws rocks at him, cursing him for his identity as a Fire Nation prince, and the rest of the villagefolk act hostile towards him and Iroh as well. As the duo limps their way out of the village, one can’t help but feel pity for them.

Did Toph Join Aang’s Group?

Toph has enjoyed her very first fight with a Firebender, and wishes to find more such opportunities in the future. However, Lady Beifong finds out about Toph’s secret identity and, in her usual overprotective manner, tries to shield Toph by describing her as fragile. This time, Toph stands up to her mother and decides to leave with Aang when she tries to coerce her to return to her cloistered life. Toph’s act of joining Aang’s group is not just a sign of teenage rebellion; it’s a well-thought-out decision taken by her to prioritize freedom over comfort, making an identity for herself instead of carrying family legacy. Lady Beifong assigns Boulder and Ji Sheng to track down and bring back Toph, no matter what it takes.

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