The 10 best episodes of Avatar: the Last Airbender, ranked

4. Zuko Alone

This season 2 episode focuses entirely on Zuko, who decided to split from Iroh a couple episodes prior. This is the only episode in the series to not feature Team Avatar. Instead, we learn more about Zuko’s troubled past with his family while he travels the Earth Kingdom.

Even as a child, Zuko was at odds with his sister Azula, a firebending prodigy with a sociopathic streak. We also see that Ozai was not the greatest dad, as if we needed more proof. Zuko’s mother Ursa seems to be the only member of the family who doesn’t torment Zuko as a child.

We learn that while Iroh was campaigning in the Earth Kingdom, his son Lu Ten died in battle. This led to Iroh abandoning his siege of Ba Sing Se, a decision Ozai tries to exploit to become the next Firelord, even though Iron is first in line.

While the details are left a mystery, we get a scene where Ozai pleading to his father, Firelord Azulon, to make him the heir instead of Iroh. Azulan is angered by the idea and apparently orders Ozai to kill Zuko as punishment, which Ozai was going to do it until Ursa finds out. Ursa wakes Zuko in the middle of the night to say goodbye, and tell him to never forget who he is. This is the last time Zuko sees his mother in the show. The next scene is Ozai being crowned Firelord. We also do not know exactly how Azulon died, but we can speculate that Ozai either murdered him or had him killed, and that Ursa was a part of it somehow. The Last Airbender may be mature for a children’s animated show, but you can only show so much on Nickelodeon.

In the present, Zuko rides his ostrich bird into a small town where a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers antagonize the townspeople. The Fire Nation is portrayed as the main antagonist on this series, but this episode shows how war can produce bad actors on all sides. These Earth Kingdom soldiers take advantage of people from their own nation in the name of defending them from the Fire Nation. Ironically, Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation and presumed heir to the throne, ends up defending the town from them.

Zuko gets acquainted with a young boy named Lee. Lee’s parents Gansu and Sela let Zuko stay on their farm in exchange for helping repair their roof. Zuko also bonds with Lee, teaching him how to use broadswords. When Zuko is about to leave the farm, the Earth Kingdom soldiers show up and taunt Gansu. They tell him his oldest son was captured by the Fire Nation and will likely die. Gansu decides to find his son and leave Sela and Lee on the farm. Lee pleads for Zuko to stay until his father gets back, but he moves on.

The soldiers return after Zuko leaves, and they take Lee with them. Lee’s mom finds Zuko and begs him for help. Zuko then confronts the soldiers and makes quick work of three of them. But the leader is an earthbender however, and Zuko must use his firebending to fight him, revealing to everyone that he’s from the evil Fire Nation.

Even though Zuko helped them, the townspeople reject him and drive him away. This episode shows how war can divide people and seed hatred. Even though Zuko stood up to these bullies, the sins of his nation and family trump everything. Even Lee says that he hates Zuko and never wants to see him again.