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Avatar: The Last Airbender/Awesome: Difference between revisions
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== Azula ==
* From her second ever appearance in the season two opening episode
{{quote|'''Azula:''' You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in. Do the tides command this ship?
'''Captain:''' No, princess.
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'''Azula:''' Well then, maybe you should worry less about the tides who have already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over. }}
** Considering that we're treated to a [[Surrounded by Idiots]] moment by this very same captain, it might be reasonable to assume that Azula was being when she claimed ignorance over the tides, especially since the ship did land completely safely, and knew then from her Captain's warning that he's really stupid. Thus making her threat both a [[Kick the Dog]] moment and a warning for him to just shut up and follow orders before he messes up... which he ''did'' in the same episode.
* Single-handedly taking over Ba Sing Se in under 48 hours. Okay, she ''did'' have a couple of handmaidens for backup... [[Badass Normal|powerless ones]]... who were a year older than her [[Improbable Age|14]] at best...
** Which also brought about this gem of an exchange:
{{quote|'''Long Feng:''' [[Out-Gambitted|You've beaten me at my own game.]]<br />
'''Azula:''' [[Magnificent Bastard|Don't flatter yourself.]] [[The Chessmaster|You were never even a player.]] }}
* If there was any doubt whatsoever about Princess Azula's [[Magnificent Bastard]] status after she demonstrated her ruthlessness and her [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] in the second season finale, the start of the next season removed them:
{{quote|'''Azula''': You seemed so worried about how [[The Unfavorite|father would treat you]] because you hadn't captured the Avatar. I figured, if I gave you the credit [for killing him], you'd have nothing to worry about.<br />
'''Zuko''': But why?<br />
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== Toph ==
* [[Curb Stomp Battle|Kicking the asses of an entire team]] of [[Professional Wrestling|Professional Earthbenders]] in the episode ''[[Establishing Character Moment|she was introduced in]]''. Double points because it took place right after this exchange:
{{quote|'''Lao Beifong''': My daughter is blind! She is [[Disability Superpower|blind]] and [[Cute Bruiser|tiny]] and [[The Caretaker|helpless]] and [[Parental Obliviousness|fragile]]! She cannot help you.<br />
'''Toph Beifong''': ''(pulls her hand free)'' [[Little Miss Badass|Yes. I can.]] }}
** Note that she did that by herself ''because she wanted to'': "Wait! They're mine!" ... and you're not having any.
* Taking out the three girls who mock her make-up. Doubles as a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]].
* The number of [[Mooks]] Toph takes out in droves -- whether they end up impaled to the ceiling on columns of Earth or bowled over by earthquake -- when the Gaang storm the Earth King's palace.
* Using her Earthbending on metal (a feat which was said multiple times over the course of the series to be ''entirely impossible'') to escape a metal cage, using the same "impossible" skill to trap her captors in their own cage, triumphantly yelling the completely accurate statement of ''"I am the greatest earthbender in the world!"'', and then riding away on a gigantic wave of ground. That is just ''too'' kickass.
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** Not really completely accurate- she still can't earthbend with her chin...
*** Give her time...
*** We don't know that. Toph has been shown on two occasions within the series to be capable of bending with only her head/face. The first was during the episode "Tales of Ba Sing Se" when she bent her mud mask to scare the spa attendant using only her face. The second time was during the episode "The Runaway" when she used only a small movement of her head to make the "dice" she threw to go the way she wanted and thus cheat the gamblers out of their money. So in all likelihood, Toph is perfectly capable of bending with her chin, and might even be able to give Bumi a run for his money...
* As said by the Trope Pantheons; Toph isn't blind, she's just unable to see anything less awesome than she is.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Ko7VusR04 In case you need to see what makes her so awesome...]
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** Worth noting ''how'' he does it, specifically by not doing anything flashy. A previous scene had Iroh insisting he needed to master basic forms before moving onto advanced techniques. During the Agni Kai, Zuko appears to be beaten by Zhao using exactly that simple form, only for him to get up and respond in kind. Even in his third episode this 'villain' is being shown in an intelligent and, through the [[Sword Over Head]] moment, admirable light.
* The [[Flash Back]] that shows the [[We Have Reserves|reason]] why Zuko got his scar. [[White Sheep|Too bad villains don't appreciate courage, loyalty, or respect for the sanctity of human life...]]
* Saving Aang as the Blue Spirit [[Badass Normal|without]] bending or making a sound.
* The [[Showdown At High Noon]] in Zuko's [[Day in The Limelight]]. It starts with him taking out his first opponent ''without even fully removing his sword from the sheath'', and ends with a classic [[My Name Is Inigo Montoya]] moment.
** Unfortunately, it fully ends with a [[Tear Jerker]].
* His [[Sword Fight]] with Jet: "You want a show? I'll give you a show!" He doesn't even need his Firebending to be awesome.
* In a sick twisted way, his [[Wham! Episode|totally unexpected]] {{spoiler|subversion of the [[Heel Face Turn]]}} in "Crossroads of Destiny." No fictional character should have the power to make real people feel so [[Emotional Torque|angry, shocked, dismayed, saddened, sickened, enraged, and betrayed]].
* Both Zuko's first successful {{spoiler|redirection of lightning, [[Calling the Old Man Out]] and his true [[Heel Face Turn]]}} were pure, utter win.
** Note that the lightning in question wasn't just regular lightning. It was ''double-strength'' lightning, fired at him by ''the most powerful firebender in the world.'' Zuko is BAD. ASS.
** Even moreso, when he finally [[Calling the Old Man Out|confronts Ozai]] and tells him what a terrible father he's been is a true testament to Zuko's character growth. The guy spent the first two seasons hunting the Avatar so that Ozai could restore his honor. You must admit, he has come a long ''long'' way.
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== Sokka ==
* Making Zuko look like an idiot (in an otherwise completely one-sided fight) in the second episode when his boomerang came back and nailed him in the head.
* In fact, that Sokka was fighting at all was a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]. I mean, he is a single non-bender standing his ground against an entire warship. And he literally stands his ground while a huge metal ship bears down on him until the ''ground itself'' moves! Sokka is badass!
* ...throughout the whole series. For a "comic relief," he repeatedly shows, beyond shadow of a doubt, ''HE. HAS. BRASS. ONES.''
* Knocking giant owl spirit Wan Shi Tong unconscious with a heavy blow to the head with a ''book''.
{{quote|'''Wan Shi Tong''': ''(about to attack Katara)'' I've studied Northern Water Style, Southern Water Style, even Foggy Swamp Style!
'''Sokka''': ''(falls from the ceiling and knocks him out)'' That's called ''Sokka Style''! ''Learn it!'' }}
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* {{spoiler|Killing Combustion Man.}} Pure, unadulterated win. "Yeah, Boomerang!"
** Not only that, but throwing Boomerang around a corner for a dead center shot based on two angles of fire that he saw. [[Awesomeness By Analysis|Awesomness by Analysis]] anyone?
* Shaking down Azula for information, having her by the throat and bellowing out pure, distilled rage, [[Punctuated!
* Remember when Sokka sailed over a reef, with no actual experienced sailors? Pure [[The Smart Guy|smarts]].
* It's relatively minor, but Sokka's reaction when Aang {{spoiler|accidentally burns Katara}} shows how much he cares for his sister; he tackles and gives a furious lecture to ''the Avatar!''
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* To put it briefly, the episode 'Sokka's Master' shows that Sokka isn't capable in spite of his eccentric ways, he's that way (and so a Badass Normal) ''because'' of them. There's a trope for that? Oh, and don't forget the brilliant sword-fighting.
** [[Crazy Awesome]] comes to mind.
** That entire episode was one long [[Moment of Awesome]] for Sokka. For a guy who's constantly bragging about his skills and is the universe's designated comic relief and buttmonkey, he solemnly bows before Piandao and admits he's just a boy, and may be completely worthless as a student. Then we see him slaving to forge his own sword, something that is uniquely his, without a shred of his usual antics (usually when he's sharpening his weapons or preparing, something would go wrong and he'd be comically injured). Finally, after the long speech Piandao gave about his badassery, Sokka fully admits to being a fraud, and basically challenges his master to a one-on-one duel. For a brief moment too, it seemed like he would actually ''win''.
* Basically, at any given time Sokka is either a comic-relief goofball or arguably the single bravest character in the show. Or both.
* Also in "The Painted Lady'' he stands up for his entire group against an ungrateful town whom they had saved from firebenders with Katara under the disguise of the town mythological figure.
* Sokka's original CMOA came in Jet's introductory episode. After it becomes apparent that Jet is going to flood a fire nation village by blowing up a dam, it seems like the perfect setup for a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment... that never comes. The bombs go off and the village floods. And that's when Sokka shows up and reveals that he had evacuated everybody in the village beforehand. He was able to do this because he had the vocal support of a single old man whom Sokka had stood up for earlier. In that scene he shows a great deal more maturity than Jet by protecting the villagers, even though he has just as much reason to hate the fire nation as Jet does. He also demonstrates his status as the most intelligent of the group by seeing Jet's true nature far ''far'' earlier than Aang or Katara do.
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{{quote|"Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you ten-fold! Let it go now!"}}
** And then when Zhao kills the spirt, [[Unstoppable Rage|he goes berserk]] and just ''[[Curb Stomp Battle|annihilates]]'' four fire-benders by himself. [[Oh Crap|Zhao just slowly backs away when he saw that display.]]
* Demonstrating just why he's called the "Dragon of the West" in "Crossroads of Destiny"
{{quote|'''Iroh''': Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West?"
'''Azula''': I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.
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* Convincing the guys who have captured him to ''tighten'' his handcuffs, then breathing on them with his Firebending skill and pressing a soldier's hand down on the red-hot metal. Then he rolls down a cliff while his hands and feet are still chained together. Very badass for a guy who appeared to be just a comic relief character until then.
** The Avatar Extras commentary notes, "Earthbenders, 0; Naked Shackled Guy, 3."
* In their first encounter with Azula, Iroh takes on a whole royal escort single-handily (without Firebending) then [[Curb Stomp Battle|curb-stomps]] ''Azula'' in about a second.
* During the retaking of Ba-Sing-Se, he one-shots the wall of Ba-Sing-Se with an utterly enormous fireball, then shields the rest of the Order of the White Lotus until they are inside the city.
* It's hinted he broke out of the fire nation prison without his bending. For a old man of about 50-60, that's an incredible feat.
* During Azula's Coup, Iroh comes in and defeats the entire Dai Li army and Azula. His pose at the end is especially meaningful: it's the rest pose for Kung Fu. The Dai Li was only able to capture him ''because he allowed them to''.
== Katara ==
* In the first season, Katara takes on the male chauvinistic Master Pakku and, while she doesn't win, gives him one hell of a fight and, from what we see of later episodes, heralds a sea change in the Northern Water Tribe regarding girls and combat Waterbending.
* "The Siege of the North" when Katara, Yue, and Sokka catch up to Zuko after he kidnapped Aang at the Spirit Spring.
{{quote|'''Zuko''': ''(assuming a Firebending stance)'' Here for a rematch?
'''Katara''': ''(beginning to Waterbend)'' Trust me, Zuko, it's not going to be much of a match. }}
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* The Bloodbending fight in "The Puppetmaster," which included the line, [[My Kung Fu Is Stronger Than Yours|"My bending is more powerful than yours!"]]
* Her fight with Azula in "The Crossroads of Destiny."
* Her "[[If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...|talk]]" with Zuko at the end of "The Western Air Temple." Look at how far we've come from the beginning of the series, when Katara's waterbending skills were quite poor. Two seasons later, she's standing in front of the man who raided her village and making it clear on no uncertain terms that she will strike him down without mercy if he even thinks about hurting Aang -- and she has the skills to back up that claim, too. It was awesome beyond words.
{{quote|'''Katara:''' You might have everyone else here buying your "transformation", but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because [[I'll Kill You!|I'll make sure your destiny ends, right then and there]]. ''Permanently.''}}
* Breaking out of a (wooden) jail cell with her own sweat, followed by [[Big Damn Heroes|shoving an ice pillar onto Combustion Man's head.]]
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== Aang ==
* Showing us a glimpse of his real power by stopping an exploding volcano dead in its tracks - ''without'' entering his nearly all-powerful Avatar State. Mind you, his predecessor died while attempting a similar feat (although the circumstances were quite different at that time, granted).
* Aang uses the ultimate insult, thus so enraging Zhao that he incinerates his own ship!
{{quote|'''Aang''': I don't know why, but I thought you'd be better than Zuko!}}
* The finale of season one: Aang enters the Avatar State and merges with the spiritual embodiment of the ocean. The result is an awe-inspiring, gigantic Leviathan, which proceeds to ''annihilate hundreds of fully armed enemy warships in the span of a few minutes.'' The characters only refer to 'The Avatar State' as such because they lack the [[Genre Savvy]] to call it by its true name: "Crowning Moment of Awesome State."
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* Also where he performs a dance with Katara -- which in turn evolves into what looks like a very skillfully played Capoeira game -- that leaves his schoolmates staring in awe and Katara [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|panting and sweating in his arms]].
* Fighting Combustion Man in the rock field, where he used Airbending to ''deflect an explosion with one hand'', and then blew straight through a pillar he was sent flying into. Also later, when he covered himself in rocks and used one of the explosions to rocket away and escape.
* In "Nightmares and Daydreams," Aang, after having multiple nightmares about facing Ozai, turns the tables on him. Cue [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] ''and'' [[Crowning Moment of Funny]]:
{{quote|'''Ozai''': Do you really think you can take me down? You're not even wearing ''pants''!
'''Aang''': [''After falling for it once before''] No, Firelord Ozai. ''You're'' not wearing pants!
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* Aang channeling Roku's spirit in "Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice Pt.2)," where he turns several incoming fireballs into a swirling fire shield, then gathers it all into a massive fire wave that knocks back the mooks (and Zhao) and melts the chains binding Katara, Sokka, Zuko and the rogue fire sage, '''WITHOUT BURNING A SINGLE ONE OF THEM'''. He then melts several floors of the temple, reaching the magma chamber, and causes the whole thing to start erupting ''with one hand''.
* His fight with Ozai in the end. At this point he was just a 12 year old going up against the most powerful and ruthless warrior king in the world. And on top of that, he went in knowing he didn't have the Avatar State to help him.
* Appropriately, Aang also gets the first one in the series. In Episode 8 ([[Avatar: The Last Airbender/Recap/Book 1/08 The Winter Solstice
== Mai ==
* Her [[Establishing Character Moment|very first scene]] where she chases the Gaang, who take out all her family's guards but not her. Aang collapses a scaffolding in her path that still fails to stop her, leading to an [[Oh Crap]] moment after one of her throwing stars nearly impales him.
* Her {{spoiler|[[Big Damn Heroes]]}} moment in "The Boiling Rock," {{spoiler|single-handedly dispatching an entire squad of prison guards with her arsenal of knives, thus saving the heroes and their party. "What are you ''doing''?" "[[Deadpan Snarker|Saving the jerk who dumped me]]."}}
* {{spoiler|"[[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good|You miscalculated]]. I love Zuko more than I fear you."}} Such an awesome line it pushes {{spoiler|Azula down the road to her [[Villainous Breakdown]]}}.
* Coolly being rather above it all in "The Drill": "She can shoot all the lightning she wants at me -- I am ''not'' going in that [[Buffy-Speak|wall-sludge juice]]." Almost as awesome as getting the last word: "We lost."
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** Made that bit more amusing because once everyone else catches up, they ''are'' out of breath.
* Ty Lee, during ''The Drill,'' when an Earth Kingdom general sent out an "elite platoon of Earthbenders" to stop the Fire Nation's advance on Ba Sing Se. They do indeed prove to be formidable, destroying a decent amount of tanks initially... and then Ty Lee shows up and essentially defeats them all in a matter of seconds.
** Also, Ty Lee taking out Azula in Boiling Rock. Considering how terrified she was of Azula, she finally stood up to her to save Mai.
* Admiral Zhao, who was usually best at awesomely screwing up, in the first season finale: Hahn charges onto the deck of his ship intending to assassinate him. Without turning around, with no fuss, no warning, no acknowledgement whatsoever, Zhao casually throws him overboard, and without missing a beat, then says to Iroh, "[[Casual Danger Dialog|As I was saying]]..."
* The Warden of the Boiling Rock when he demonstrates just [[Kill Us Both|how dedicated he is to his job]]. Bonus points for having boasted about it in the first part of the episode, showing he puts his money where his mouth is.
* The Yu Yan Archers in "The Blue Spirit" were pure awesome, despite not even [[Badass Normal|being benders of any kind]]: Aang, pursued by them, jumps down a cliff to escape. After all, he's an airbender, so he can slow his fall. The Yu Yan Archers aren't - but without even a moment's hesitation they jump after him, shoot arrows with ropes tied to them at trees below them WHILE FALLING, and then use those ropes to swing down to the ground without breaking their pace. Oh, and they quickly proceed to capture the Avatar, something that even very experienced benders have great problems with.
** Another awesome moment from the Archers comes later in the episode, when Zhao calls one of them in to snipe the Blue Spirit. from hundreds of feet away. Without hitting Aang. Did i mention that the Spirit was holding Aang hostage and they were literally less than a foot away from each other? And he did this ''in the dark''.
*** Unfortunately, you don't get to see them again after this episode, unless you count the archer with the Rhinos who has the same facial tattoos.
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** We can't forget Haru shortly beforehand: After Katara and the Gaang go through with their plan to give the earthbenders something to bend, her short encouraging speech appears to fail. The warden of the rig berates her failed speech, then walks away... ''only for a small rock to nail him in the head''. Furious, he turns around, to find Haru with a fierce determined expression, earthbending a small circle of rocks. The warden attacks him, [[Papa Wolf|only for this to be the excuse the Earthbenders needed to fight back, and kick their asses.]] [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain|Nice job fixing it]]
* Not a particular character, but a favorite episode was The Firebending Masters, primarily because of the scene with the dragons. The scene where they show Aang and Zuko the true nature of firebending is just remarkable, and in most kid shows would have heavy-handed or melodramatic and insulting to kids' intelligence. They did it with very little dialogue, allowing the expressions on Zuko and Aang's faces, the imagery, and music speak volumes. Truly a remarkable scene.
** Most shows would have the character witness something supposidly beautiful, and later immediately declare they now know it's true meaning. You see the two dragons dance in harmony, with Zuko and Aang mirroring their movements. Then the two dragons breath in unison creating a fantastic display. The Chief sums it up pretty clearly: firebending is not destruction, but life and creation, and you see this happen.
* Many from The Day of Black Sun - but little bits like the Foggy Swamp man turning up as the 'monster' and tossing tanks around, Hakoda's single-handed, successful attack on a watch-tower (Sokka inherited more than his dad's sense of humour, clearly), the resourcefulness of the Mechanist's inventions...even when it's ultimately [[It Got Worse|turned]] [[Oh Crap|against]] them.
* Piandao's appearance at the final episode. Unlike all of the others present, he is not a bender in any way. He literally took a sword to a gun fight (against ''fire-breathing tanks'' no less) and it's hinted he ''won''. It makes his comments to Sokka all the more awesome.
* Fire Lord Sozin, of all people, had one of these. Seeing the avatar's village besieged by a volcano, his first instinct is to rush to the area to save the people, to fight alongside his then-arch enemy Roku (the two of whom haven't so much as spoken for 20 years) without so much as batting an eyelash. It ends up making his betrayal of the Avatar all the more horrifying and heartwrenching however.
* How about when the sequel series ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'' was announced? I mean its kind of minor but to see that Mike Bryan and the team are making another series that takes place in the Avatar world is just awesome and nice to see that even though the story of the first series is over that the stories of the the world the series takes place in are far from over.
* As of 2012, the show is still the only one to beat Spongebob for Favorite Cartoon at the Kids Choice Awards. I'd say that's worth a mention.
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** And how calmly he realises it. Sokka asks Iroh what he, Toph and Suki should be doing when the group split up at the camp. Iroh asks ''him'', and he simply states they need to do what they can do, together, to tackle Ozai. Once standing on the airship he says "Fire Lord Ozai, here we come." with a wonderfully determined/fierce expression on his face.
* Sokka diverting the crew of an airship to the bomb bay ''by telling them it was a crewmember's birthday'' and then ejecting them. Bonus points for it actually being one of the crew member's birthday.
** {{spoiler|Then taking out the entire armada of Fire Nation air ships. AIRSHIP SLICE!}}
** {{spoiler|And then saving himself and Toph from a bunch of Firebenders with one hand (the other keeping Toph from falling) and a broken leg, sacrificing [[Companion Cube|Boomerang and Space Sword]] to do so.}}
* Suki {{spoiler|proving that, like most of the things Sokka loves, she always comes back... piloting a crashing Airship, saving Sokka and Toph, who had accepted death.}}
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