Azula

Azula
File:AzulaHiRes.png
Voiced by	Grey DeLisle
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Position	Main Antagonist for Season 2
Nationality	Fire Nation

Princess Azula is a fictional character and major antagonist in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is voiced by Grey DeLisle.

Azula is a gifted Firebender and highly favored crown princess of the Fire Nation. In addition, she is the first female Firebender to appear in the series, and is the Firebender silhouetted in the opening credits of each episode. She is initially bent on retrieving her exiled brother, Prince Zuko, and delivering him to their father, Fire Lord Ozai. She is accompanied on her search by her childhood friends, Mai and Ty Lee.Even though she is a cold hearted villain, she has a soft spot as shown on the beach'

Plot overview

File:Azula Hates Barbie2.png

Azula's cruelty was evident even as a child.

Azula was born to Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa around two years after her brother, Zuko. As such, she is the descendant of both Fire Lord Sozin (from Ozai) and Avatar Roku (from Princess Ursa). She is named for her grandfather, Ozai's father, Fire Lord Azulon. Azula grew up in the riches, splendor, and privileges of being royalty in the Fire Nation. Even when she was only ten years old, Azula expressed her natural talents, along with her tendency for malice and perfectionism. Her sharp wits and the prodigy she displayed towards Firebending gained her much attention and acclaim and made her Ozai's favorite child. Her father began raising her as his true heir early on, taking her into his confidence and grooming her in politics while ignoring Zuko. From the quality of her ship and soldiers, her favored status was readily apparent.

She had no desire to waste time playing around like a regular girl. She was much more interested in power, suggesting that her father would make a better Fire Lord than the heir apparent, her Uncle Iroh, whom she also dubbed "a quitter and a loser" for abandoning his siege at Ba Sing Se. No love developed between her and Zuko throughout the next few years—when he was burned by their father in an Agni Kai, she watched with a savage triumph.

In the first season, it was revealed that Azula was present for the Agni Kai in which Prince Zuko receives his facial scar from his father. At the end of the season, after the Siege of the North, Ozai orders Azula to arrest Zuko and Iroh.

Azula first encountered the Avatar in Omashu during the second season, where she and Aang battle. Soon after, she named the Avatar as a personal target in addition to her brother and enlists the help her friends Ty Lee and Mai. Azula continues to pursue the Avatar for the rest of the season. While in Ba Sing Se, though, Azula is side tracked by her conquest of the city, which was the capital of the Earth Kingdom.

File:DontU4get.jpg

Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko stand together.

Upon returning home in the third season, it is revealed that Azula has not taken credit for the murder of the Avatar. She gave the credit to Zuko to make him feel better when he faces their father and repay him for his aid in the siege of Ba Sing Se. After Zuko connotes that she's lying, Azula deduces that in case the Avatar was still alive, all of Zuko's glory would turn to shame. On "The Day of Black Sun", Azula serves as a distraction to keep Aang, Sokka, and Toph from finding Firelord Ozai.

Personality

A dedicated nationalist, Azula relentlessly drills herself towards perfection and will settle for nothing less. Even as a child she was seen to react with hostility when outdone. She is rather vain and believes that power and domination are what makes a person strong.

She is known for being one of the cruelest characters in the series. From a very young age, Azula demonstrated sadistic aggression and lack of remorse, which suggest that Azula could be a sociopath. Her cruel and seemingly total lack of compassion extends to all of her family.

Her apathy also accounts for her ability to create and direct lightning, as the skill requires peace of mind. Despite all of this, she is an excellent tactician, regularly displaying perception and resourcefulness that allows her to take advantage of almost any situation.

Ironically, for all her refinement and self-confidence, Azula does retain some unsureness. As a result of her sequestered life of royalty, Azula has come to develop a considerable amount of social ineptitude, particularly in her uncertainty of how to act around boys. Her over-competitive nature surfaces during a Kuai ball game, and she later admits her jealously over how much attention Ty Lee receives from boys.

Abilities

Azula is proficient in the difficult technique of using lightning, a pure form of Firebending. The second most noticeable feature of Princess Azula's bending is her ability to create blue flames. Azula has been seen using flames in previously unseen ways, such as jets of flames, whirling disks, and blades of fire. Azula is able to generate powerful shields of swirling flames which withstood the full force of four simultaneous elemental attacks. She is even able to charge up her fire before releasing it, as was seen during one fight with Aang." She is able to propel herself, using her flames, in a manner similar to a jet.

She is also a skilled actress; an extremely skilled liar; an an accomplished tactician, as she was able to conquer Ba Sing Se, a city thought to be impregnable.