The Legend of Korra

No, I think Unnoun is right. Ozai abdicated his throne in favor of a new position he had just invented for himself that has no international recognition and only existed for a day at the most.

Ozai attempted to create a new, higher position than Firelord that was meant to be internationally powerful and represent his dominion over all nations, and the Avatar vetoed it. The Phoenix King was denied its existence as an official title, which makes Azula the highest-ranking figure of the Fire Nation at the time Zuko and Katara seized it from her.

Still only technically, though. As you said, the position only existed for a day. For all intents and purposes, Ozai was Firelord.

I am not terribly sure why this is relevant, though. Does it actually make any difference whatsoever?

The important part that Iroh emphasized was that the people see the Avatar's defeat of Ozai would be a righteous cause, but that Iroh's defeat of Ozai would be politically charged.

I sort of wonder if that view will change in the next century or two. It would be very easy for the Avatar to do whatever they want and then justify it by saying they're the Avatar.

edited 2nd Aug '15 10:37:16 AM by Kostya

It doesn't even matter that Aang vetoed the Pheonix King in less than a day; the instant Azula attacked Katara during the Agni Kai she forfeited the crown to Zuko, making Ozai nothing but a delusional, nationless thug with superpowers and a gang.

People are already starting to forget about the Avatar in Korra's time. Granted, she was missing for three years, but still.

edited 2nd Aug '15 10:40:59 AM by TheAirman

They aren't really forgetting her. That was just them not being sure if she was even alive.

I think people are starting to question the Avatar's authority more.

Yeah, random dude/dudette with superpowers has absolute authority why?

Tradition? Religion? Inertia?

Who provides oversight for the Avatar? Who do they answer to?

They have authority because they're literally the physical manifestation of a god.

As for the oversight question no one oversees them. That's probably what people will take issue with as the years go on. Their world is starting to move past kings and queens but the Avatar isn't an elected position. They're chosen randomly at birth. In addition they're ultimately a human which means they're fallible. They might not always act in the best interests of the world and it would be very easy for them to create a totalitarian state if they wanted to.

edited 2nd Aug '15 10:48:07 AM by Kostya

That's why they travel the world. So no one group has brainwash powers over them. The sages that care for the avatar each teach him/her the wisdom of their host element.

There's still no oversight there and waaaaay too much authority given to one person because they have superpowers.

And does the White Lotus actually serve and protect or groom the Avatar? They locked Korra up for most of her life and taught her what they wanted her to learn.

Imagine if she had explored the world and had proper interaction with people. Maybe she would have sided with Amon if she had grown up seeing the kinda shit nonbenders had to put up with.

Or maybe she'd end up helping Kuvira bring order and prosperity to lawless regions.

edited 2nd Aug '15 11:40:44 AM by LeGarcon

Sod course, there could also be a sociopathic avatar that decides to conquer the world for shits and giggles.

The Avatar is basically the superman for the setting.

Korra was locked up because Tonraq was afraid she'd be kidnapped after the Red Lotus attacked. I think it was a wise precaution although it lasted longer than it should have.

It's a lot of authority but until recently I think the Avatar was the best person to enforce things. They're powerful enough to overthrow any corrupt government they come across and their ability to contact past lives gives them more knowledge than just about everyone on the planet. Aang and Korra weren't raised the same way most Avatars were so they're not always the best metric for analyzing the Avatar position.

edited 2nd Aug '15 11:46:44 AM by Kostya

Zaheer is Luthor then or?

He was bald that one time

I dunno, their authority is still founded only on power and inertia. And I guess religion maybe?

Not constitutions or charters or collective will.

The Avatar may have worked back in the day but now that we've got proper modern nation states showing up I'm pretty sure the day when their position meant something has passed.

I dunno though, there's only like 6 countries at most. It's a pretty shitty world when it comes to geopolitics if we're honest.

edited 2nd Aug '15 11:53:25 AM by LeGarcon

best to keep them around though, if only to keep vaatu locked up

Or they could hurry up and invent some goddamn cruise missiles so they can be prepared for this shit.

They invented giant robots.

They sort of hurtled past that branch on the technology tree.

Yeah, I love how they jumped right into building fucking Eva Units instead of upgrading their spearmen.

That's some Civilization kinda shit there.

Building that sort of thing is easier when you can telekinetically control metal. Bending can slow technological development but if use properly it would also be able to accelerate it. Look at how industrialized the TLA Fire Nation was compared to the rest of the world.

I wouldn't say it slows development. It just makes a lot of development we have in our world redundant. I our world, we lost the art of moving massive objects (like multi-ton stones) when we invented concrete.

Seriously, people still don't know the specifics of how the Egyptians built those damned pyramids. Those stones were often quarried miles from the construction site.

I'm not actually sure that a sociopath Avatar is even possible, what with the whole "fused with Raava" thing they have going on.

There are these weird "magical" quirks to their world that logic can't apply to.

They just hired out a bunch of contractors and used wheels and rollers to move it all. Simple stuff actually.

So boring and simple that people have a hard time believing it. Same with Stonehenge.

And poured water on the sand to make it easy to push.