25 moments Netflix’s remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender MUST get right

Crossroads of Destiny

If the Book One finale of The Last Airbender was great, Book Two’s conclusion doubles down on the excellence with “The Crossroads of Destiny.” This episode sees the tensions building in the city of Ba Sing Se explode, with Team Avatar going toe to toe with Princess Azula…with Prince Zuko caught in the middle.

Up until this point, Zuko had been slowly changing, letting go of his obsession with catching the Avatar and returning to his dictator father’s side. Ultimately, he came to accept a peaceful existence free of his father’s demands about honor. This episode even gives him a heart to heart with Katara that will no doubt have shippers jumping for joy if Netflix adapts it well.

Unfortunately, Zuko relapses when Azula offers him the thing he spent so long wishing for: the ability to return to the Fire Nation with his honor restored and the Avatar in tow.

Zuko’s backpedaling is probably the most interesting part of the second season finale because it shows that the series doesn’t settle for giving its characters linear growth. If Netflix hopes to portray Zuko accurately, it’ll need to show him failing — more than once — before he truly gets better. This is his biggest failure, so the show has to get it right.

Of course, fans will also want Netflix to tackle the action parts of the finale. From Azula striking Aang with lightning while he’s in the Avatar state and nearly killing him, to Katara’s rage-fueled Waterbending, to Iroh’s betrayal, “The Crossroads of Destiny” is full of suspenseful surprises.