History Characters / TowardsTheSun

* DeathSeeker: Zuko is passively suicidal after his imprisonment, not caring whether he lives or dies as long as the Fire Nation remains in tact.

* DeterminedDefeatist: Zuko is certain that his council and the Fire Nation military will get depose him and have Zuko either executed, re-imprisoned or exiled once the situation stabilizes. He is determined to best Fire Lord he can be despite that.

* FatalFlaw: Iroh is used to being right all the time. While he has been morally and ethically correct, his lack of consideration to other people's consideration and lack of knowledge of the current situation leads him to making things worse.

* FateWorseThanDeath: Ozai's fate of having his bending taken away is nothing sort of sacrilege in the eyes of the Fire Nation, who see firebending as a blessing from the Sun God Agni and a part of ones soul. In their eyes, Aang tore out Ozai's soul and called it mercy.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: The palace staff ''adore'' Zuko and are extremely protective of him. He doesn't seem to realize their coddling and very hands on and relaxed attitudes isn't insubordination but a sign of real love and respect rather than the fear induced loyalty his father and sister got.

* IllBoy: Zuko's poor health threaten his life and his reign as Fire Lord. Zuko ends up developing heart arrhythmia due to being constantly attacked with lightning by Azula. Not helping him was his poor conditions in his TailorMadePrison where he lacked sunlight, movement and just enough food and water for him not to die. Add his poor sleeping habits and lack of rest makes a perfect storm of poor health that leads to Zuko suffering a thankfully non-fatal heart attack. Zuko's poor health is why Iroh overthrows him as Fire Lord.

--->'''"I don't need a regent," [Zuko] frowned.

* KnifeNut: Feeling bored during her imprisonment, Mai turns a large number of spoons into shanks which she can throw with precision.

[[folder: The Fire Nation royal family]]

!! The Royal Family as a Whole
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Zuko believes this is the case with the palace staff due to their perceived “insubordination.” Iroh, however, starts off with low approval when he returns, which only proceeds to tank completely when he dethrones Zuko.

* DivineRightOfKings: The Fire Lord is considered the Will of the Sun God Agni on earth.

!! Zuko

* CallingTheOldManOut: When Zuko refuses being Crown Prince at the ceremony, he follows the declaration by publicly ripping into Iroh's choices of siding with the White Lotuses view on how to handle the Fire Nation and the damage that will occur by doing so.

* CurbStompBattle: Zuko vs Iroh while Zuko is having a heart attack. The fight was short.
-->'' Uncle took him down gentle as an owl-cat scuffing her kitten.''

* CutenessOverload: Sokka can't handle the site of Zuko napping on Appa while covered in turtleducks, or has he calls it "Zuko-and-Fluffy-Animals Cuteness Overload Happy Funtime Hour."

* DysfunctionJunction: Zuko's most healthy relationship is his acquaintanceship with Toph. Zuko and Toph respect each other's skill with Toph currently the only person in his life with these three characteristics: honest, polite and not mentally unstable.

--> ''Zuko's heart skipped a beat. In… kind of a literal way.''

--> They'll overthrow him when they're good and ready, put him back in his cell where he can get some real sleep or execute him and then he won't be tired anymore. Until then, he'll just keep… being Fire Lord. And he'll put everything he has into it, because he doesn't know how to do anything less.

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Zuko would be the first to admit the serious wrongs the Fire Nation committed against the world. That said, as Fire Lord, he will do everything to protect his people’s best interests to prevent them from getting screwed over.

--> '''Zuko''': You said you [[LikeASonToMe thought of me as your son.]]
--> '''Iroh''': [[SincerityMode I do, Zuko.]]
-->'''Zuko''': Thank you for the lesson, ''father.''

--->'''Iroh''': Zuko, don't do this. You don't need to agree with me, that is not why I want you as heir—\\
'''Zuko''': The last time I disagreed, you dethroned me.
* SpareToTheThrone: Zuko, having been TheUnfavorite his entire life and only crowned because of Azula's breakdown views himself as “the nation's fallback heir”.

* TakeAThirdOption: Zuko could do nothing and watch Iroh ruin the Fire Nation. Or he could try to fix things as Iroh's heir while always fearing Iroh's wrath. Zuko then realizes he has a third option: he could do ''nothing.'' Nothing meaning AbdicateTheThrone.

--> Sokka was starting to be a little afraid that not only was he right about Zuko's evil mastermind abilities, but that they were ''completely unintentional.''

!! Azula

* EntertaininglyWrong: Azula believes that Iroh was playing TheLongGame to have revenge on Ozai. Since Iroh knew he couldn't beat Ozai, but he trained Zuko. He took Zuko from his father and from Azula and played the caring uncle. Iroh then had Aang take out Ozai while Zuko took the position as Fire Lord. And then Iroh [[CurbStompBattle broke]] [[DespairEventHorizon him,]] [[ForTheEvulz just because he could.]] [[RevengeByProxy Because he's Ozai's son]] and [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Zuko outlived his usefulness.]] While Azula is wrong and Iroh geniunely loves Zuko, Zuko is so shaken that he doesn't know what to believe.

!! Ozai

* YouCanKeepHer: Sokka attempts to intimidate Zuko by bragging how they have imprisoned Ozai. Zuko is more concerned on how they are imprisoning Ozai to make sure he's stays ''imprisoned.'' Sokka's later attempt at ransoming Ozai also falls flat.

!! Iroh

* MachiavelliWasWrong: Being a product of [[DecadentCourt Azulon's court,]] Iroh believes that it is both necessary and respectful of servants to fear their Fire Lord. He is aghast that the servants' informality and open affection toward Zuko, seeing as a major disrespect toward a young ruler. The servants' fear of Iroh after his coup against Zuko is seen as a return to proper order. Which would have worked...hadn't the servants experienced hope and kindness during Zuko's short reign. Iroh being a return to form just moves them to hatred and outright rebellion.

--->'''Zuko''': "I don't need a regent," he frowned.
--->Not when Uncle kept being ''quiet'' while the Avatar's group talked. Not when Zuko didn't know what he thought about the colonies or the war. Zuko knew he wasn't doing the best job, but he wasn't going to roll over and give up what power he had unless someone ''better'' for the nation came along.

[[folder: Caldera Palace Staff and Nobility]]

!! Caldera Palace Staff and Nobility as a Whole

!! Captain Izumi

!! Lady Huian

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: When everyone is terrified of Iroh and quickly submitting to Iroh's rule, Lady Huian risks her life to undermine him. Despite Azula's infamy of her disregard of servants, Lady Huian risks everything to warn Azula that Zuko was overthrown and Iroh was planning to forcibly institutionalize her. Even Azula was impressed by her bravery, calling her a "lion-ferret."

!! Fire Sage Fujio

!! Mai

* SpottingTheThread: While she fails to put all the clues together in time, Mai does note how Zuko says "Iroh," instead of "Fire Lord Iroh" or even "Uncle."

!! Ty Lee

[[folder: The Gaang]]

!! The Gaang as a Whole

!! Aang
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Aang was already a boogeyman to the Fire Nation. Taking away Ozai's bending and helping depose the popular Zuko in favor of [[TheQuisling Iroh]] [[NotHelpingYourCase doesn't help improve his image.]]
* NothingIsScarier: InUniverse regarding Aang being able to take [[{{Depower}} away people's bending.]] Many of the palace servants [[GossipEvolution and later the entire country]] have no idea how Aang's energybending works and unsure whether Aang needs to touch people to take away bending. Due to the Fire Nation's spiritual importance on firebending, they see it as Aang ripping out part of people's souls regardless. With public knowledge that the Avatar supported Iroh's usurpation of the popular Fire Lord Zuko, Aang's terrifying regardless. What little they know of the Avatar further demonizes him.
* PersonaNonGrata: Zuko attempts to ban Aang from the Fire Nation until Aang understands the magnitude of taking away Ozai's bending [[FateWorseThanDeath actually means to firebenders.]]

!! Katara

!! Sokka

!! Toph Bei Fong

[[/folder]]

* MoralMyopia: Katara insists that Hama should be tried by the Water Tribes, even though it was Fire Nation citizens she was kidnapping and murdering. When Iroh asks if it would be appropriate for Ozai to be tried by the Fire Nation, she insists "it's different". Katara also insists Hama, who painfully kidnapped and starved numerous innocent civilians, isn't nearly as terrible as the soldier who killed who killed her mother, whom he believed to be a waterbender.

-->'''Zuko''': Thank you for the lesson, [[NotSoDifferent ''father.'']]

* NotSoDifferent: As much as Iroh like to think himself otherwise, he can be as entitled as the rest of his family as seen with his lack of consideration towards the servants. The Agni Kai gives Iroh rather unflattering but striking parallels to Ozai.

* AbusiveParents: He wouldn't be Ozai if he wasn't an abusive dick to his kids.

** Zuko has a terrible reputation outside the Fire Nation with the rest of the world only seeing him as the next Fire Lord, with Earth Kingdom generals outright refusing to read the letters he sends regarding a ceasefire.

* RoyallyScrewedUp: While already present in the series even Iroh and Zuko come to blows when it comes it ruling the nation. While Zuko had Azula locked in a royal suite after her psychotic breakdown and Azula electrocuted Zuko for fun, Iroh and Zuko's relationship falls apart spectacularly over the story.

* CurbStompCushion: Zuko had no chance of winning the Agni Kai against Iroh but props goes to him for doing so despite a literal heart attack and suffering a PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: During [[spoiler:the jail break on the Boiling Rock]], Zuko instinctively tries to block one of the guards' firebending attack, forgetting that he's lost his firebending entirely and getting badly burned as a result.

* DespairEventHorizon: Zuko crosses it when Iroh challenges Zuko for the throne after his horror over Ozai's fate causes Zuko to have a heart attack. Having to relieve his worst memory at the hands of the only adult he unconditionally trusted during his most physically vulnerable breaks Zuko. After having all his efforts to bring peace rebuffed and his ParentalSubstitute betray him, Zuko finally gives up. After the Agni Kai Zuko [[MoodSwinger bounces]] between LaughingMad, apathetic depression and passively suicidal.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Zuko is the Responsible Sibling who buckles down to rule their nation and take care of her. While Azula cracked on her first day after her friends refused to continue to take her abuse. She throws tantrums by setting things on fire and attacking Zuko with lightning. Which Azula did so frequently that Zuko developed electrocution-based health problems.

* HopeBringer: Zuko is the first kind Fire Lord within living memory and willing to work himself to the bone trying to fix their nation after Fire Lord Ozai's defeat. With all the freedoms Zuko was willing to give citizens, trying to convert the nation to a peacetime economy and prevent the other nations from tearing them apart. The citizens love Zuko. So when Iroh inadvertently crushed their hopes by overthrowing Zuko. They don't get mad. They rebel.
* IllBoy: Zuko's poor health threaten his life and his reign as Fire Lord. Zuko ends up developing heart arrhythmia due to being constantly attacked with lightning by Azula. Not helping him was his poor conditions in his TailorMadePrison where he lacked sunlight, movement and just enough food and water for him not to die. Add his poor sleeping habits and lack of rest makes a perfect storm of poor health that leads to Zuko suffering a thankfully non-fatal heart attack. Iroh was able to use Zuko's poor health to overthrown him as Fire Lord.
* ImportantHaircut: As Fire Lord, Zuko had his hair in a top knot. Zuko was going to cut his hair to reflect his self-exile but decides against it and leave his hair in a ponytail.

* MoralityChain: Zuko acts as one to Azula. She'll abide by his request not to kill anyone but the moment he's hurt, she switches right back to murder.

** Zuko's a victim of this twice:

* StoppedCaring: After all he went through, Zuko decides to stop giving a damn over the fate of the Fire Nation since he's no longer in charge and clearly no one wants him in charge.

--> "Sokka was starting to be a little afraid that not only was he right about Zuko's evil mastermind abilities, but that they were ''completely unintentional.''"
* WhatTheHellHero?:

** Zuko being on the receiving end of a more comical one, where even Azula feels he should have done better than breaking up with Mai by a letter. [[Spoiler: Mai and Ty Lee are not impressed either.]]

* PlayAlongPrisoner: Azula stays in Amigara asylum that Iroh forced her in because she had no where to go and all her family and friends abandoned her for all she knew. Seeing Zuko attempting to break her out moved Azula to finally escape.

* TheChessmaster: Iroh. He wasn't a highly decorated General for nothing. He quickly reintegrates himself with the Fire Sages and the military elite when Zuko welcomes him back. It backfires when he dethrones Zuko. His manipulations cause the palace and Zuko to lose utter faith in him. Which results in Zuko turning his back on him and a civil war. Made worse by many interpreting Iroh's actions as playing TheLongGame to remove all potential threats to his power by turning his family against each other.
* CruelToBeKind: Zuko continues to refuse to listen to Iroh due to Iroh never taking responsibility as a prince even when Zuko is having a literal heart attack. Which results in Iroh challenging Zuko to Agni Kai to oust Zuko as Fire Lord. While Iroh saves Zuko's life, having to re-live the worst memory of his life emotionally destroys Zuko. Zuko's relationship with Iroh is destroyed and ruins Iroh's credibility as Fire Lord.

* HolierThanThou: Iroh's FatalFlaw is that he considers himself wiser and more moral than everyone else and believes that its in their better interests to do what he wants without considering other people's feelings. While originally RightlySelfRighteous compared to Zuko, the new complicated political reality means he makes rather dangerous mistakes.
* HonorBeforeReason: There are rules about what you can and cannot do to the Fire Lord. So when Iroh is faced with his nephew having a literal heart attack in front of him and refusing treatment instead of just say holding him down and forcing Katara to heal him Iroh instead ''challenges Zuko to an Agni Kai'' so he has the political power to order him to rest. Which leaves him with a living nephew who now cannot trust him and an entire palace of people who resent him.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero:Congratulations Iroh, you finally got your nephew to rest. He now cannot trust you and you've gained the ire of the entire palace who view you as a pro-Avatar traitor, to say nothing of what the potential resulting rumors will do to your attempts to rule.

** He, and a noticeable faction of the Fire Nation military, want Iroh to be Zuko’s regent, which would definitely smooth things over. Especially since while Zuko is an incredibly (and surprisingly) popular gifted Fire Lord, but is still too young, and frankly working himself to death. This also would have reassured the Avatar and his companions about the Fire Nation’s intentions, and thus leave everybody satisfied. However Iroh basically just springs the idea on Zuko, and the fact that he has not said anything beforehand about his personal politics, means his nephew does not feel he can trust him with such an important position.
--->"I don't need a regent," he frowned.

** Iroh also fails to properly communicate with the Gaang. Not only his intentions and plans with them, which now makes him suspicious as he took the throne, but he never stopped to spell out to them how they were massively insulting Zuko, on a regular basis, while he was the Fire Lord. Including how bragging about stealing Ozai's fire bending could kill the treaty.

** Zuko pointedly asks how many guards were killed when Iroh tried to force Azula into an asylum. When Iroh tells him how his son's death made him finally realize how the war hurt the world and the Fire Nation. Zuko wonders why Iroh wasn't moved by the deaths of the many soldiers under his command.

* BotheringByTheBook: Under Zuko, all of his servants rush to help him with everything regardless of his attempts to do things for himself. Under Firelord Iroh, the servants don't help Iroh until they're forced to, such as not opening doors until he's already waiting in front of them.

* TheDogBitesBack: When the servants realize that Iroh intends to use them as bait to sedate the homicidal Azula, they let Lady Huian deliver the food. Who immediately warns Azula of Iroh's plans which allows Azula to fight back.

* AccompliceByInaction: Captain Izumi realizes Zuko was right to not trust her to be loyal after she does nothing to stop the Agni Kai.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: She steps in to help [[spoiler:Zuko's and Azula's jail break from the Boiling Rock]], though she calmly accepts being relieved of command immediately afterwards.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: All he wanted was for an actual adult to take care of a very politically voltile situation and for a child to stop being worked to death. How would he know it would trigger a civil war?

* CultureClash: None of the Gaang, Sokka in particular, understand how horrific the idea of having their bending removed is to firebenders. They consider firebending a gift from the sun god and part of their soul, making its removal a FateWorseThanDeath while the Gaang sees it as a way to make sure Ozai won't be a threat again.

* JerkassRealization: Toph has a moment when she learns just how bad Zuko's burn scar is and remembers that she made a joke about burning her face off.
* LivingLieDetector: Toph. Especially notable here because her bending allows her to get a much more accurate view of Zuko's psyche, which makes her super protective in her own way.

* AccompliceByInaction: During the botched Crown Prince coronation, Toph was the only person who realized where Zuko actually meant and where he was actually going. She deliberately decided to stay out of it and made sure Sokka didn't realize it until Zuko made his escape.