History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBlueSpirit

* Series Fauxnale: The show was initially only picked up for thirteen episodes by Nickelodeon, therefore the writers intentionally created a story as exciting as a season finale.

* ImprobableAimingSkills: The Yu-Yan Archers. Aside from being capable of SplittingTheArrow and {{Multishot}}ting as described below, Zhao boasts that they could shoot a fly and pierce its body without killing it.

** On a similar note to the above, ''Film/{{Rambo}}'' was used as a reference for the scene of Aang jumping off the cliff to escape the Yu-Yan Archers.

* ImplausibleCorneredEscape: The [[{{Ninja}} Blue Spirit]] clings to the [[UndersideRide underside of a carriage]] in order to sneak into the villain's lair. At the gate, a guard comes close to check the underside and when the camera pans over to where the Blue Spirit hid, he is gone. The next shot shows him in the back of the carriage.

* EliteMooks: The Yu-Yan Archers. They take down ''the Avatar'' (albeit one that has barely begun his training) with ridiculous ease.

''[[caption-width-right:333:The Blue Spirit is surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers as Aang runs for the gate.]]''

* BackToBackBadasses: Aang and the Blue Spirit protect each other's backs while mowing down dozens of enemy spearsmen and archers.

* FindTheCure: Aang goes in search of a cure for Sokka and Katara’s fever.

* GrapplingHookPistol: Variation; the Yu-Yan Archers tie rope to arrows, fire them as a modern character would fire a grappling-hook pistol, and use them to BuildingSwing as a testament to their immense skill at archery.

** The herbalist counts as well.
--->'''Aang:''' You're insane, aren't you?\\
'''Herbalist:''' That's riiiiiiight.

** Iroh playing the tsungi horn in front of the jewelled monkey statue, both bought in "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheWaterbendingScroll The Waterbending Scroll]]."

* DramaticUnmask: Aang is shocked to see Zuko beneath the mask.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This episode contains several relatively normal-looking animals, in contrast with the series' normal MixAndMatchCritters. Miyuki is a Persian-looking cat and Momo brings a dead mouse.
* EliteMooks: The Yu-Yan archers. They take down ''the Avatar'', albeit one that has barely begun his training, with ridiculous ease.

* FightsLikeANormal: As the Blue Spirit, Zuko relies on normal fighting skills in order to keep his identity a secret from Zhao, Aang, and the audience.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Blue Spirit throws a knife. His girlfriend probably taught him that move...

* IAteWhat: As their feverish delusions clear up, Sokka and Katara are disgusted when they realize that they're chewing on defrosting live frogs.

-->'''Aang:''' [[YoureInsane You're insane]], aren't you?\\
'''Herbalist:''' That's ''riiight''.

* KickTheDog: Zhao asks Aang what it's like to be the last of his people just to rub it in.

* {{Leitmotif}}: Zuko's tsungi horn theme first appears here.

-->'''Zhao:''' This is the year Sozin's Comet returns to grant us its power! This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se, and burns the city to the ground!

* IAteWhat: As their feverish delusions clear up, Sokka and Katara realize that they're chewing on defrosting live frogs.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This episode contains several relatively normal-looking animals, in contrast with the series' normal MixAndMatchCritters. Miyuki is a Persian-looking cat, Momo brings a dead mouse, and the frogs just seem to be regular frogs.

* BackToBackBadasses: Aang and the Blue Spirit protect each others backs while mowing down dozens of enemy spearsmen and archers.

* BittersweetEnding: Aang is rescued from Zhao and both Sokka and Katara get better, but Aang's attempt to connect with Zuko and maybe even forge a friendship fails.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Zhao receives word of his promotion to Admiral just as he's trying to recruit the Yu-Yan Archers, allowing him to make his request an order. How lucky can a guy get? Played with though, as there's no established reason why the original commanding officer of the archers should have outranked Zhao (though they may have been equally ranked). The writers could have given Zhao the authority from the beginning, simply by making the original CO someone lower ranked than Zhao. They created a contrived problem, and moments later presented a contrived solution.
* DefiantCaptive: After Zhao makes it clear he will keep Aang alive to prevent another long search for the Avatar, Aang spitefully knocks him down by blowing a gust of wind at him.

* FacePalm: One of Iroh's opponents make this expression when he makes a winning move in a game of Pai Sho.

* IAteWhat: As their feverish delusions clear up, Sokka and Katara realize they're chewing on dethawing live frogs.

** After a very intense escape full of action, we have a very quiet, melancholic and even sad scene with Aang reminiscing after a long-gone friend he had, wondering if he and Zuko could've been friends in different circumstances.
** At the end of the episode, Aang sadly contemplating his failed attempt to befriend Zuko is contrasted with humor when Sokka and Katara realize they have frogs in their mouths and spit them out in disgust.

* {{Ninja}}: The Blue Spirit. He stealthily sneaks into the fortress with very few guards seeing him. He effectively defeats the ones who do see him and binds and gags them.

* StabTheScorpion: It looks like the Blue Spirit is about to kill an enchained Aang, but then it turns out he was using his swords to cut the chains and free him instead. Plays out as a PseudoCrisis.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Aang was the only one to discover the Blue Spirit was Zuko and could've left him to his fate. But after a moment of hesitation, he takes Zuko with him, saving him from being discovered as the Blue Spirit ''and'' healing his wound. While Zuko has a [[UngratefulBastard funny way]] [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished of showing gratitude]], no one can deny Zuko wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Aang.

* ImprobableAimingSkills: The Yu-Yan Archers. Aside from being capable of SplittingTheArrow and {{Multishot}}ting as described below, their commanding officer boasts that they could shoot a fly and pierce its body without killing it.

* WalkingSpoiler: It's next to impossible to refer to the episode or the Blue Spirit himself without mentioning Zuko.

* UnfamiliarCeiling: For Zuko as he awakes under a tree after being saved by Aang.

Sokka suffers from an illness due to his exposure to the elements during the storm. When Katara begins to contract the illness as well, Aang goes to a nearby herbalist institute in hopes of finding a cure for his friends. On his way to collect the remedy the herbalist recommends, Aang is kidnapped by a group of Fire Nation Yuu Yan archers, commanded by the newly promoted Admiral Zhao. However, a masked marauder, the titular "Blue Spirit," rescues Aang from Zhao; the "Blue Spirit" is knocked unconscious during the escape, and Aang discovers that he is Prince Zuko. Aang offers him friendship, but departs when he is rebuffed.

!!Tropes:

* ArrowCam: When the Blue Spirit is struck down by the Yu Yan archer.

* BecomingTheMask: Aang hoped that Zuko would have become this. [[SubvertedTrope It didn't quite work that way]].
* BittersweetEnding: Aang is rescued from Zhao and both Sokka and Katara get better but Aang's attempt to connect with Zuko and maybe even forge a friendship fails.

* CombatPragmatist: When Aang and the Blue Spirit are cornered, Zhao gives the order to his men to leave the avatar alive. Cue the Blue Spirit immediately holding his swords up to Aang's throat, effectively taking him hostage.

** Iroh playing the tsungi horn in front of the jewelled monkey statue, both bought in [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheWaterbendingScroll The Waterbending Scroll]].

* DiabolusExMachina: Katara and Sokka are sick and feverish after being out in the storm from the previous episode, and Momo and Appa are left to look after them leaving Aang all by himself to get some medicine. It predictably goes wrong and he ends up captured by the Yu-Yan Archers necessitating the Blue Spirits rescue.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This episode contains several relatively normal-looking animals, in contrast with the series' normal MixAndMatchCritters. Miyuki is Persian-looking, Momo brings a dead mouse, and the frogs just seem to be regular frogs.

* FacePalm: One of Iroh's opponents make this expression when he makes the move that he will win in a game of Pai Sho.

** After a very intense, full of action escape, we have a very quiet, melancholic and even sad scene with Aang reminiscing after a long gone friend he had, wondering if Zuko and him could've been friends in different circumstances.

* {{Multishot}}: During their training, a Yu-Yan Archers is shown shooting four arrows at once, each of them hitting the bulls eye of a different target.

-->"This is the year Sozin's comet returns to grant us its power! This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se, and burns the city to the ground."

* OhCrap: One poor group of Fire Nation soldiers sees Aang blast their companions off the next ladder, then look up to see him standing right over them.

* UndersideRide: How Zuko gets close to the fortress, getting inside the cart when the underside is checked.